Bahamas banning cruise ships w/anyone 12+ not vaccinated

[gatorskin76]

2 hours ago, dswallow said:

Sure, but we're talking about how to deal with large numbers of visitors; you try to get the most bang for the buck and minimize entry of infectious people; you may not get them all, of course, but this approach likely gets more than not having this approach does, with pretty minimal impact, even. Just because a few problems could still get through doesn't mean you just toss your hands in the air, close your eyes, and let them all through.

 

Pretty minimal impact, not sure how you draw that conclusion.  Perhaps the Bahamas will just print extra money like the US.

[Aulayan]

I'm surprised the "Even the private islands" rule.  I mean yes, they are technically Bahamas Locations but there's no risk at all to their citizenry.  That's a hard line to impose.  The various cruise companies (Except NCL) must be in an uproar right now.

[DanielB]

23 minutes ago, Aulayan said:

I'm surprised the "Even the private islands" rule.  I mean yes, they are technically Bahamas Locations but there's no risk at all to their citizenry.  That's a hard line to impose.  The various cruise companies (Except NCL) must be in an uproar right now.

But many local bahamians work on the islands as well.  Not sure how many on Perfect Day but I know 2 boatloads came from the surrounding islands for Disney's Castaway Cay.  

[dswallow]

28 minutes ago, gatorskin76 said:

Pretty minimal impact, not sure how you draw that conclusion.  Perhaps the Bahamas will just print extra money like the US.

I draw the conclusion by actually looking at the numbers of people at most that are involved.

[Aulayan]

@dswallow, Between here and the Oasis Oct 10th facebook cruise group, I am glad to see your posts.  Your conclusions seem decently drawn and well written. Thank you.

[dswallow]

Requirement added:

Are there any instances where proof of vaccination would be required? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

[smokeybandit]

I'm curious how that works around the Florida law

[WAAAYTOOO]

14 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm curious how that works around the Florida law

I wrote to the FL Attorney General with this very question when the St Thomas edict came out.  I got crickets.

[Jaconso]

13 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm curious how that works around the Florida law

I believe the wording in the FAQ is very careful to say " ...guests who choose not to provide proof of vaccination..." and also "...to meet the requirements of The Bahamas..."

[Jkaczano]

Website now also updated for September protocols.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/do-i-need-a-covid-vaccine-to-cruise-what-counts-as-proof

 

[dswallow]

It would appear there are just 5 of 69 sailings departing before November 1 and not back in port before September 3 from Florida ports that don't visit a port in The Bahamas between September 3 and November 1.

Odyssey, 10/23/2021, from Ft. Lauderdale, 8 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises
Serenade, 10/25/2021, from Tampa, 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises
Serenade, 10/30/2021, from Tampa, 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises
Symphony, 10/30/2021, from Miami, 7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day | Royal Caribbean Cruises
Odyssey, 10/31/2021, from Ft. Lauderdale, 6 Night Western Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises

There are 9 more sailings from Florida ports that aren't affected by this protocol change because they end before September 3.

[JasonOasis]

I knew something like this would happen the minute Ron DeSantis signed that bill on vaccine passports which didn't exempt cruiselines.  I've said this from the very beginning cruiselines should be in the same category as airlines because except for the 2021 Alaska season there are no domestic cruises out of the U.S..   These Caribbean Island nations can not afford to be overrun with COVID and they have to do what they deem necessary to protect themselves until they have enough vaccine in circulation to where everyone of their citizens has a choice just like we here in the U.S. have a choice.

I am not surprised at all to see the Bahamas take this approach even with the cruise lines private islands, we have keep in mind although it is a private island locals still work on those islands, not every person we come across on these private island work on the cruise ship some of them actually live in the Bahamas.  

Ron DeSantis has no power to tell another country who they can allow into their country even the USVI now require cruise passengers over a certain age be vaccinated. 

[JasonOasis]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm curious how that works around the Florida law

It is fairly simple if Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines with itineraries that include stops in the Bahamas wish to continue to sail to the Bahamas then they must comply with Bahamian law and require all passengers over the age of 12 be fully vaccinated in defiance of Florida law which so far we have not heard of any cruise line being fined by Florida.

However if a cruise lines decides they are going to comply with the Florida law and not require all passengers over the age of 12 be fully vaccinated then that cruise line or cruise ship can not stop in the Bahamas at all including the cruise lines private islands.

Basically cruise lines and their passengers are now stuck in the middle of this mess and they never should have been in the middle of this vaccine passport bill to begin with.

[danv3]

2 hours ago, Aulayan said:

I'm surprised the "Even the private islands" rule.  I mean yes, they are technically Bahamas Locations but there's no risk at all to their citizenry.  That's a hard line to impose.  The various cruise companies (Except NCL) must be in an uproar right now.

I don’t think there’s any uproar at all. RCI, at least, wants to be running fully-vaccinated cruises, as evidenced by the fact that they’re already doing so everywhere (I think?) but Florida. These changes by the islands just give them more cover to do what they have wanted to do all along in Florida as well. 

[Bruce]

What if you have had covids ? You dont need to have the shots. Most doctors tell you not to get them.

 

[smokeybandit]

Do we dare suggest this policy was encouraged by RC as a way around the Florida rule? 

 

[JasonL]

Well tonight I am feeling like giving up on cruising with my family for a couple years more. That hurts to say because we love it so much! I think I should cancel my November 21st cruise because I'm flying across the country from washington state and there are too many risks that we won't be able to sail. $2500 for airfare alone, hotel accomodations ect... What if my 5 or 10 year old gets covid? what if they change to not allow anyone unvaxxed? Variants.. Last minute restrictions .... Why stress myself out trying to go on vacation..... not worth it...  

Feeling defeated tonight

[dswallow]

1 hour ago, JasonL said:

Well tonight I am feeling like giving up on cruising with my family for a couple years more. That hurts to say because we love it so much! I think I should cancel my November 21st cruise because I'm flying across the country from washington state and there are too many risks that we won't be able to sail. $2500 for airfare alone, hotel accomodations ect... What if my 5 or 10 year old gets covid? what if they change to not allow anyone unvaxxed? Variants.. Last minute restrictions .... Why stress myself out trying to go on vacation..... not worth it...  

Feeling defeated tonight

Maybe the timing wasn't quite right, but you really should've done Alaska. Avoiding the flight and that commitment ends up putting the rest of it on pretty safe ground. If any of you tested positive before sailing, Royal would handle refunding everything, and you'd basically have been local anyway so no or at least far less exposure in airfare costs, too. I suppose warm vs cold might've entered into it, but there's just awesome things along Alaska's sailing route to do, too.

[bretts173]

5 hours ago, Bruce said:

What if you have had covids ? You dont need to have the shots. Most doctors tell you not to get them.

 

Most Doctors? I currently work in a hospital in Sydney so not a great expert but my brother is a Doctor working in University Hospital San Antonio. He reports twice as many re infections than vaccinated in ICU. Now consider how many people have had Covid against how many vaccinated. MOST of mine and his colleagues do not give the advice you are stating as truth.

 

[Jill]

16 hours ago, dswallow said:

It would appear there are just 5 of 69 sailings departing before November 1 and not back in port before September 3 from Florida ports that don't visit a port in The Bahamas between September 3 and November 1.

Odyssey, 10/23/2021, from Ft. Lauderdale, 8 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises
Serenade, 10/25/2021, from Tampa, 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises
Serenade, 10/30/2021, from Tampa, 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises
Symphony, 10/30/2021, from Miami, 7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day | Royal Caribbean Cruises
Odyssey, 10/31/2021, from Ft. Lauderdale, 6 Night Western Caribbean Cruise | Royal Caribbean Cruises

There are 9 more sailings from Florida ports that aren't affected by this protocol change because they end before September 3.

That Symphony on 10/30 goes to CocoCay and st thomas

[Jill]

14 hours ago, Bruce said:

What if you have had covids ? You dont need to have the shots. Most doctors tell you not to get them.

 

I know 2 people (yes not a lot) that had Covid last year and got re-infected with Delta just recently. It can happen. 

[dswallow]

22 minutes ago, Jill said:

That Symphony on 10/30 goes to CocoCay and st thomas

True. But my post said it didn't visit The Bahamas during the affected time period in which the Bahamas requires ships visiting ports to have all passengers 12 and older be vaccinated. It visits CocoCay on 11/5.

[dswallow]

14 hours ago, Bruce said:

What if you have had covids ? You dont need to have the shots. Most doctors tell you not to get them.

 

No, it's generally that you are told to wait a bit after recovery.

[smokeybandit]

"We don't know the answer, but we're recommending something anyway" has been an unfortunate trend in CDC guidance.

[Bob_KY]

Got a Royal Email about the updated Vax requirements. It had a click here to provide Vax Status.  Royal IT does it again.  We are vax'ed and have no issue declaring it.  I start entering my data and got to my birthday.  A calendar drop down appears.  Since I wasn't born today, I had to scroll through 744 months to get to my date.  Wow. No other way to get there.  I wonder if they actually test their app/change prior to fielding it.