Maybe an end in sight?? Cruise lines call for CDC to change covid testing policy

[smokeybandit]

30 minutes ago, Swar said:

I don't mind the test as much as I hate the vaccine mandates. I have friends that I want to cruise with without any shots. They are more than willing to do daily tests.

The effectiveness of either will always be of debate, but maybe the compromise protocol is vax or test, you pick.

[Ampurp85]

Hmmmm maybe it would be nice to drop testing, allow unvax/vax to cruise but say it is required to bring 1 or 2 test depending on cruise length. They could use those cheap government style test and if at any point, you feel sick you test and be honest. Otherwise, you live life and continue to be careful and kind. 

[AshleyDillo]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I think if/when they do get rid of mandatory testing they should encourage voluntary testing and keep the protections that testing positive within 2 days of a cruise allows currently.

I am totally onboard with this.  Still allow for full refund cancellations for testing positive within the 10 days prior to sailing.

The one time I sailed on NCL since the restart they tested at the port right before you boarded, covered by the cruiseline You also had to test on your own within 72 hours of boarding. That self test was your insurance policy to get the refund if you popped positive on the boarding test. If you couldn't prove that you had tested negative within the 72 hours prior to boarding and were denied boarding because of the positive test, you weren't eligible to get any assistance from NCL or a refund.  It was a prescreening for the embarkation day testing; positive at the 72 hour mark then you apply for a refund and don't show at the port to sail.

[smokeybandit]

The US federal employee mandate expires June 20.  Obviously that's not at all related to cruising but it does show a shift is happening.

[WAAAYTOOO]

10 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

The US federal employee mandate expires June 20.  

YIPPEE !!!!

[Ogalthorpe Haywood]

21 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

Hmmmm maybe it would be nice to drop testing, allow unvax/vax to cruise but say it is required to bring 1 or 2 test depending on cruise length. They could use those cheap government style test and if at any point, you feel sick you test and be honest. Otherwise, you live life and continue to be careful and kind. 

You can’t rely on the honesty of people! I’d feel much safer if they kept the vaccine mandatory for cruising since the constant close contact. 

[bobroo]

I'm remaining steadfast that Royal take the high road and keep their cruises as safe as possible. There is too much at stake to relent to people saying "I want". 

 

Sunburn should be the only "just a little sick" you come home with after a cruise.

[Moby Dick]

12 hours ago, bobroo said:

I'm remaining steadfast that Royal take the high road and keep their cruises as safe as possible. There is too much at stake to relent to people saying "I want". 

 

Sunburn should be the only "just a little sick" you come home with after a cruise.

And a hangover!

[smokeybandit]

"“CDC continues to evaluate the latest science and state of the pandemic and is currently reassessing the testing requirement for cruise ships,” 

 

Of course that line comes at the end of a statement reaffirming the CDC's position that cruising is a petri dish

https://www.cruisehive.com/the-cdc-is-reevaluating-testing-for-cruise-ships/74496

[AspiringCruisePlanner]

Critical piece of information in the article:

Yet, since the phased restart of cruise travel in July 2021, there have been no critical emergency situations where any ship has been overwhelmed with the need to evacuate guests due to a crippling outbreak of COVID-19.

Even where higher numbers of cases have been reported on vessels, the cruise line’s emergency measures, including contact tracing, isolation measures, and quarantine, have proven effective, and most passengers who do test positive have been either asymptomatic or experienced only very mild symptoms of discomfort.

[cruisellama]

Not sure it really mitigates anything, catches a few carriers. But most likely a lot more un-confirmed +s are getting on-board.   As we've moved on to living with this bug, might as well drop it.   A zero infection case strategy is impossible.

[smokeybandit]

2 hours ago, AspiringCruisePlanner said:

Even where higher numbers of cases have been reported on vessels, the cruise line’s emergency measures, including contact tracing, isolation measures, and quarantine, have proven effective, and most passengers who do test positive have been either asymptomatic or experienced only very mild symptoms of discomfort.

That sentence kind of contradicts itself. The protocols worked, but covid really wasn't that bad to begin with?

[smokeybandit]

The flight re-entry test was dropped due to pressure from the airlines, which hold a lot more clout than cruise lines.

I wonder what the leverage will be to get it changed for cruise lines knowing how poorly the CDC thinks of the cruise industry

[Mike.s]

P&O cruises have just announced a temporary pause in testing for 5 of it's cruises departing from the UK, be interesting to see is there's a significant increase in on board cases.

https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-owned-cruise-line-temporarily-drops-pre-departure-testing/74640

 

[BrianB]

I know it won’t happen, but I think CDC should take into consideration the ebb and flow of the current positivity rates (along with related hospitalizations, including the involvement of co-morbidities) on land and apply them to their calculations concerning percentages on cruise ships. Even if they adjust for their determination that cruise ship passengers and crew are more susceptible due to being in a congregate setting.
The time has past where a single set point…such as the 0.3% threshold for passengers and 1% threshold for crew be more flexible to represent what’s actually causing a concern for cruisers. Maybe a set point of cases involving onboard medical intervention would be more appropriate. The current CDC cruise ship dashboard tool shows virtually all ships in orange status, with a few yellow and just one green. It seems to me that this tool, in it’s current form, does not provide sufficient information for vacationers contemplating a cruise. Even posting actual numbers of positive cases would be more informative. 
JMHO…

[smokeybandit]

Last October the CDC put out a report breaking down case rates and hospitalization rates on board.  I wonder if they plan to do this again. And I sure hope not waiting until October again to do it.

[smokeybandit]

19 minutes ago, BrianB said:

The current CDC cruise ship dashboard tool shows virtually all ships in orange status, with a few yellow and just one green. It seems to me that this tool, in it’s current form, does not provide sufficient information for vacationers contemplating a cruise. Even posting actual numbers of positive cases would be more informative. 

Problem with the color coding is this is purely historic data using very unrealistic thresholds. It is rather meaningless in predicting future cruises.

Really all that should matter are percentage of cases that require medical care not available on board ship. While that too doesn't project future cruises, it does show the true impact of covid on board since the whole point of these protocols was to prevent onboard medical staff from being overwhelmed. Frankly they may be more overwhelmed with the quarantine rules than they would without.

[twangster]

The bottom line is that society must learn how to live with this new virus much like society has learned to live with other viruses.  

We collectively have taken great strides forward from the days when there were lockdowns and vaccine passports implemented in some form in various cities and countries.  Those have all but disappeared and we are free to go watch Top Gun in a packed movie theater sitting beside strangers with no protocols for 3 hours. 

Yet cruising is still subject to excessive government regulation and the only industry subject to the scrutiny of government oversight related to the virus to this extent.   

[smokeybandit]

Today would be a good day to announce major protocol changes with all the other stuff in the headlines that would push cruise protocols to the back page.

[Bowen]

10 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Today would be a good day to announce major protocol changes with all the other stuff in the headlines that would push cruise protocols to the back page.

That's some good thinking there!

[smokeybandit]

8 minutes ago, Bowen said:

That's some good thinking there!

Likely wishful thinking though

[CruisingNewb]

Honestly, for us, its no longer the fear of getting Covid.  Cruise Industry policies for Covid protocols mean very little to us now that we have done a post-pandemic cruise.  

The single biggest thing for us is for the CDC/Government to do something about Covid quarantining in general.  I am a vaxxer, pro-masks (for us-those who chose not to mask are no longer my concern), and pro-mitigation.  

We loved our cruise so much that even IF we got Covid on the cruise (having been vaxxed and having had Covid twice now), we would have thought it was worth it.  BUT it is after the cruise that affects us.  We wouldn't be able to go back to work and earn back the money we spent on the cruise.  We would have to be stuck at home quarantined while thinking about how much fun we had, etc.  Kids would have to stay home from school/summer school, etc...

[JC Pats]

Side note for what it's worth - During the President's Cruise Q&A w/Michael Bailey - Michael Bailey was asked about both the pre-cruise testing and vaccine requirements. He stated he was hopeful the pre-cruise testing requirement would be removed "in a couple of months" as conversations with the CDC were moving in a positive direction. However, he did not exude any confidence that the vaccine mandates would be removed anytime soon due to the requirements of other countries. So we'll see what happens.

[HeWhoWaits]

The ability to test for cruising is getting tougher - Walgreens now only allows a three day window for scheduling and CVS will only give free tests if you're having symptoms or were referred by a medical professional.

The three day scheduling window creates difficulty scheduling a test for the one day that exists between our July 4 Freedom and our July 9 Explorer. Previously, we could have scheduled a test for July 8 as early as July 1 but now the window to schedule doesn't open until July 5 - while we're at CocoCay. Guess I'll be using a Diamond free day of Voom just to schedule the test.

[TXcruzer]

4 hours ago, HeWhoWaits said:

The ability to test for cruising is getting tougher - Walgreens now only allows a three day window for scheduling and CVS will only give free tests if you're having symptoms or were referred by a medical professional.

The three day scheduling window creates difficulty scheduling a test for the one day that exists between our July 4 Freedom and our July 9 Explorer. Previously, we could have scheduled a test for July 8 as early as July 1 but now the window to schedule doesn't open until July 5 - while we're at CocoCay. Guess I'll be using a Diamond free day of Voom just to schedule the test.

The “at home” proctored tests solve all of these problems.