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Any News on Protocols?


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20 minutes ago, AspiringCruisePlanner said:

Your message came off more caustic than kind and honest to me. This is a message board about cruising, not trying to convince people to make personal life choices. Let's keep it that way.

Apologies, that was really not my intent. I sincerely apologize if it came off that way. I think we can all agree that sometimes it's hard to communicate tone online. I was just trying to answer the question as factually as possible, which is that a MD can give a medical exception or you can get vaccinated, because I haven't heard of any religious belief exceptions being accepted. I can imagine how hard it is financially and emotionally to keep booking and cancelling cruises, so it may not be best to continue booking in this situation. 

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16 hours ago, WasAnAthlete said:

It was quite the fiasco trying to decide if we’d go ahead and make our final payment for a group family cruise to Alaska in the summer. We ended up canceling, wah wah. But! My husband, little one, and I juuust booked a five day out of Galveston. None of us are vaccinated. We are putting in a special needs request for no vaccine. Hopefully that’ll be approved. You only get one shot and have to have already paid for your cruise. Apparently there are one of two routes you can take with that, religious/conscience exemption OR medical exemption. Does any one have experience with these requests?

I was booked for Oasis of the Seas 4/7/22 and applied for medical exemption almost two months in advance with a letter from my physician and was denied. I even had them make notes that this booking was for the wedding of a close friend and not for a "vacation." The denial I received was not because my letter or reasoning for exemption was inadequate, but because RCC is required to have less than 5% unvaccinated to satisfy the healthy sailing per CDC. After receiving my denial, I contacted RCC to inquire the reason it was denied. The associate stated that my "letter was perfect" but that they already had reached the maximum 5%. Kids get first priority (is this fair? not sure), so there was never actually a chance of approval. 

FYI, if you apply for medical exemption, it will be reviewed the month prior to sailing and it needs to have the reason(s) you're unable to be vaccinated IN DETAIL to be considered and it must be compliant with CDC guidelines (allergy to ingredient or history of myocarditis...that's it). The letter must be written by a MD or DO. No PAs or APRNs will be accepted. If you have an allergy, your doctor will need to explain why you cannot receive the alternative vaccine. For example, if you're allergic to component in MRNA, why can't you receive J&J. They say it's first come first serve but I don't believe that because I had associates say different things. I believe it to be kids first, exemption second. 

In my opinion as a seasoned nurse in critical care, explaining my personal medical history to a cruise line (who has absolutely no business knowing) felt like a major HIPPA violation. My doctor wasn't comfortable writing details, so I had to sign a waiver allowing it. I don't understand how these cruise lines are getting away with this. I would be fired on the spot for a breech in HIPPA. Guess RCC is a higher power than I am.

Good luck to you.

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27 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Crew no longer has to double mask in public or mask at all in crew areas.

 

I've seen a few outdoor crew not masking at all this week, too

I'm hoping they won't need masks soon. It's not really fair that if passengers don't need them, that crew should at least get the option to wear them or not.

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1 hour ago, smilechav said:

In my opinion as a seasoned nurse in critical care, explaining my personal medical history to a cruise line (who has absolutely no business knowing) felt like a major HIPPA violation. My doctor wasn't comfortable writing details, so I had to sign a waiver allowing it. I don't understand how these cruise lines are getting away with this. I would be fired on the spot for a breech in HIPPA. Guess RCC is a higher power than I am.

You and a great deal of others misunderstand and misapply HIPPA laws.  HIPPA laws prohibit and penalize health care providers from disclosing private medical information belonging to a patient.  A cruise line can ask about your medical history and not run afoul of HIPPA laws.  This is especially true if you are the one providing the information.  That is called a "waiver."  If you ask your doctor to write you a note containing medical information, that is also a "waiver." In either event, a cruise line doesn't even need a waiver for HIPPA because HIPPA simply does not apply.

That is just clarification.  I'm not passing judgment one way or another as to your (or anyone else's) medical history, decision not to vaccinate, etc.  You do you.

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18 hours ago, Vancity Cruiser said:

Any signs that the US will be following Canada and eliminating the need for fully vaccinated international travellers to be tested before flying into the US?

 

 

 

I have not heard anything yet - and I am keeping a close eye as I live across the pond - however I was looking at a sailing on Freedom in May and the following advisory appeared at the top of the Promos and Offers page, which I noted only references testing requirements for unvaccinated guests.

image.png.ca45583f4bf220b7feaa854a44e83bc4.png

This got me thinking so I selected a number of other sailings (different ships and embarkation ports) and the advisory appeared on all of the sailings in April and May but not for those in March... could this perhaps be a sign that pre-cruise testing may become a thing of the past for vaccinated guests come April, I wonder?

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7 hours ago, Ian T said:

 

I have not heard anything yet - and I am keeping a close eye as I live across the pond - however I was looking at a sailing on Freedom in May and the following advisory appeared at the top of the Promos and Offers page, which I noted only references testing requirements for unvaccinated guests.

image.png.ca45583f4bf220b7feaa854a44e83bc4.png

This got me thinking so I selected a number of other sailings (different ships and embarkation ports) and the advisory appeared on all of the sailings in April and May but not for those in March... could this perhaps be a sign that pre-cruise testing may become a thing of the past for vaccinated guests come April, I wonder?

Well, if I decide to order another 6 pack of E-med test kits for my upcoming cruises you can be sure those pre cruise testing requirements will go away! 😎

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Some protocols observations after coming off Liberty today.

 

Very little optional masking by passengers. Less than I expected. People were literally giddy to be on packed elevators again.

Ports of call all had mask requirements as did the tours. No one said a single word about it though.  

The crew can't wait to get rid of masking. At least they don't have to double mask anymore.

Adventure Ocean is back to 90% of normal (the 10% is not going back to the regular advertised theme nights more so than any protocol issues), despite kids still having to wear masks.

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Hey

Any reason RCCL would specify protocols for "One-Way" Cruises departing from Barcelona, instead of skipping the "One-Way?"

Any hopes there will be "milder" requirements for sailings that both departs and arrives back in Barcelona?

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1 hour ago, Bwall said:

How do you get the current protocol information?  Need to know if RCL will require vaccinations for a June Cruise.

When I booked the original cruise for 2020 vaccinations were not required.  

June protocols are not out yet.  You will get an email (or your TA will) when they are.  Matt also posts them in his blog (main page of the site) and someone always shares them in the Royal Caribbean News and Rumors section of the message board.

But most people believe that chances are close to 100% that vaccines will be required for a while yet.

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9 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

June protocols are not out yet.  You will get an email (or your TA will) when they are.  Matt also posts them in his blog (main page of the site) and someone always shares them in the Royal Caribbean News and Rumors section of the message board.

But most people believe that chances are close to 100% that vaccines will be required for a while yet.

Thank you very much!!

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On 3/8/2022 at 3:02 PM, Vancity Cruiser said:

There is no way that the requirement for vaccinations will be dropped by April 18.

Only thing I'm concerned about is my GF is ineligible for the vax. While I understand that they grant exemptions, isn't that only a small percentage?

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42 minutes ago, pheenix99 said:

Only thing I'm concerned about is my GF is ineligible for the vax. While I understand that they grant exemptions, isn't that only a small percentage?

They have to maintain the 95% rule per the opt-in CDC situation. I have literally only heard on 1 adult, on FB, who was able to get the exemption. They actually use that 5% for children ineligible for vax.

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31 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

They have to maintain the 95% rule per the opt-in CDC situation. I have literally only heard on 1 adult, on FB, who was able to get the exemption. They actually use that 5% for children ineligible for vax.

That almost makes me feel like we shouldn't bother trying to get an exemption.

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10 hours ago, pheenix99 said:

That almost makes me feel like we shouldn't bother trying to get an exemption.

Doesn't hurt to try, if you aren't doing a spring break sailing and she truly can provide the proper evidence, it mighty work out. It depends on your willing mileage. 

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16 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Doesn't hurt to try, if you aren't doing a spring break sailing and she truly can provide the proper evidence, it mighty work out. It depends on your willing mileage. 

When we're ready to book, we're going to contact RCL first. My 2 big questions will be:

1) Do we need to book first? (I'm leaning towards a yes on this)
2) If the exemption is not granted, will we be able to get a full refund or are we stuck with a future cruise credit?

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6 minutes ago, danv3 said:

In other protocol news, the Windjammer is fully self service on Harmony. I was under the impression crew was still serving guests, but that’s apparently no longer the case. 

Wow, I thought it would be a little longer before they switched over.

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47 minutes ago, pheenix99 said:

When we're ready to book, we're going to contact RCL first. My 2 big questions will be:

1) Do we need to book first? (I'm leaning towards a yes on this)
2) If the exemption is not granted, will we be able to get a full refund or are we stuck with a future cruise credit?

1.  Yes.  They do not give "blanket" exemptions.  They will only exempt someone for a specific sailing.

2.  Yes.  AT THIS TIME, they are still providing full cash refunds for the unvaccinated.  There is no guarantee that this policy will always remain in effect but so far, they have honored this policy for us (over 25 cancellations so far).

As far as I am aware, the only exemption that they have approved is one where the patient is allergic to the injection components.  I have not heard of any other exemption being honored....so it's a fairly narrow allowance.  Even if you comply with the requirements below, that does not mean that your exemption will be approved.

Here is the copy of an email that I received from the special needs folks when I made an inquiry several months ago:

Hello,
 
Thank you for contacting the Access Department.
 
Vaccine accommodation requests are only being considered for active reservations. Please send us your reservation number and a doctor's letter on the office letterhead with the following information:
 
•    Name and DOB of the guests who are requesting an accommodation
•    Medical reason that the guests are unable to be vaccinated
•    Confirmation that they are medically fit to travel
 
Best Regards,
 
Patrick Burden
Access Advocate
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On 4/4/2022 at 10:15 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

1.  Yes.  They do not give "blanket" exemptions.  They will only exempt someone for a specific sailing.

2.  Yes.  AT THIS TIME, they are still providing full cash refunds for the unvaccinated.  There is no guarantee that this policy will always remain in effect but so far, they have honored this policy for us (over 25 cancellations so far).

As far as I am aware, the only exemption that they have approved is one where the patient is allergic to the injection components.  I have not heard of any other exemption being honored....so it's a fairly narrow allowance.  Even if you comply with the requirements below, that does not mean that your exemption will be approved.

Here is the copy of an email that I received from the special needs folks when I made an inquiry several months ago:

Hello,
 
Thank you for contacting the Access Department.
 
Vaccine accommodation requests are only being considered for active reservations. Please send us your reservation number and a doctor's letter on the office letterhead with the following information:
 
•    Name and DOB of the guests who are requesting an accommodation
•    Medical reason that the guests are unable to be vaccinated
•    Confirmation that they are medically fit to travel
 
Best Regards,
 
Patrick Burden
Access Advocate

"full cash refunds for the unvaccinated". I'm vaccinated, so would that mean she would get the full refund and I would not should her examption not be granted?  Her exemption is purely medical (and documented).

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On 4/4/2022 at 10:15 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

1.  Yes.  They do not give "blanket" exemptions.  They will only exempt someone for a specific sailing.

2.  Yes.  AT THIS TIME, they are still providing full cash refunds for the unvaccinated.  There is no guarantee that this policy will always remain in effect but so far, they have honored this policy for us (over 25 cancellations so far).

As far as I am aware, the only exemption that they have approved is one where the patient is allergic to the injection components.  I have not heard of any other exemption being honored....so it's a fairly narrow allowance.  Even if you comply with the requirements below, that does not mean that your exemption will be approved.

Here is the copy of an email that I received from the special needs folks when I made an inquiry several months ago:

Hello,
 
Thank you for contacting the Access Department.
 
Vaccine accommodation requests are only being considered for active reservations. Please send us your reservation number and a doctor's letter on the office letterhead with the following information:
 
•    Name and DOB of the guests who are requesting an accommodation
•    Medical reason that the guests are unable to be vaccinated
•    Confirmation that they are medically fit to travel
 
Best Regards,
 
Patrick Burden
Access Advocate

I'll just email their special needs email address and ask.

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47 minutes ago, pheenix99 said:

"full cash refunds for the unvaccinated". I'm vaccinated, so would that mean she would get the full refund and I would not should her examption not be granted?  Her exemption is purely medical (and documented).

You may realize this, so sorry for the clarification if it's not needed, but the reason for the refund is because of Royal's Covid protocols.  So if you have a reason that you can't sail because of those protocols, then you could certainly attempt to get your full refund.

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3 hours ago, gatorskin76 said:

You may realize this, so sorry for the clarification if it's not needed, but the reason for the refund is because of Royal's Covid protocols.  So if you have a reason that you can't sail because of those protocols, then you could certainly attempt to get your full refund.


Right, I get that. But my concern is that in this scenario, SHE could be unable to sail because of the protocols. Technically, I still could because I'm vaxxed so an exemption for me is irrelevant.

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4 hours ago, pheenix99 said:


Right, I get that. But my concern is that in this scenario, SHE could be unable to sail because of the protocols. Technically, I still could because I'm vaxxed so an exemption for me is irrelevant.

You would be covered under the refund due to protocols because someone in your party cannot travel due to the protocols. Everyone booked together is covered for not sailing based on a single individual testing positive, for example.

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2 hours ago, HeWhoWaits said:

You would be covered under the refund due to protocols because someone in your party cannot travel due to the protocols. Everyone booked together is covered for not sailing based on a single individual testing positive, for example.

That makes me feel a bit better.

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19 minutes ago, Bigpimp said:

I noticed the current protocols are in place until April 14. Any chance they do away with testing for vaccinated individuals after that? Was thinking they might since they CDC lowered the cruise warning level 

Where can you see that date?

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23 minutes ago, Matt said:

Zero

I would say you probably right, however if they want full ships it will have to go away sooner than later depending on when they want 100% capacity. Can’t be back to “normal” without normal process to board 

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1 hour ago, Bigpimp said:

I noticed the current protocols are in place until April 14. Any chance they do away with testing for vaccinated individuals after that? Was thinking they might since they CDC lowered the cruise warning level 

I have not seen anything about current protocols being in place until April 14. I don't think RC will be doing away with testing for vaccinated any time soon, nor any time later. 

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