Jump to content

Whats the latest with removing the vax mandate? Thank you for the response!!!


Recommended Posts

Latest text:

Starting with August 8, 2022 departures, we will revise our testing requirement for most U.S. sailings:
 

  • • Fully vaccinated guests will only have to show a test result at boarding if the sailing is 6 nights or longer.
  • • Unvaccinated children will still need to show a test result to board all sailings, regardless of length. However, they will not need to test again at the terminal.
  • • Guests will now have the same test standard, regardless of vaccination status: You can show a negative test result from a supervised PCR or antigen test taken within the 3 days before your boarding day. Learn more.
  • • This revision does not apply to guests whose itinerary visits Canada or Bermuda. They will still need to follow our current testing protocols until further notice.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aug 14 is the new Aug 1

As we begin to transition to a point where everyone, regardless of vaccination status, will be able to sail with us once again, we continue to work closely with our destination partners. Additional information will soon follow, however, until then, current vaccine guidance remains unchanged.

We look forward to providing you and your clients updates in the coming days.
 
 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The third bullet is confusing.  It seems to say that unvaxxed follow the same testing rules as vaxxed but I’m fairly sure that they would make me test prior to a 5 night cruise.

Not to assume from Royal.. but i think they mean if you need to test, the procedures are the same across the board. Unvaxxed, or Vaxxed taking cruises 6 nights or longer - that's how I took it at least.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The third bullet is confusing.  It seems to say that unvaxxed follow the same testing rules as vaxxed but I’m fairly sure that they would make me test prior to a 5 night cruise.

I agree that the wording on the Healthy Sail page is a little ambiguous, but agree that their intention was to let people know that there is no longer a 2 day period for unvaxed and 3 day for vaxed, but 3 days for all.

I just received this email from RC that has more clear wording, IMO.

Updated Protocols: U.S. Departures 5‐Nights or less

Below find our updated protocols for U.S. departures that are 5 nights or less — excluding sailings to Bermuda and Canada.

Our intention is to work in phases as we relax our protocols. And, as they change, we are committed to keeping you informed.

Testing
Pre-cruise
Unvaccinated guests aged 2 and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 3 days of our sail date. Vaccinated guests, regardless of age, no longer need to test for sailing lengths of 5 nights or less. Additionally, we’ve removed boarding day and departure testing.

Accepted Tests
Unvaccinated guests may now provide a PCR or antigen test result from a test supervised in person or by a telehealth professional. To learn more about our accepted tests, visit our FAQ.

Vaccination Requirement
We're still working with our destinations to welcome all guests on our sailings. At this time, our vaccination requirements remain in place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The third bullet is confusing.  It seems to say that unvaxxed follow the same testing rules as vaxxed but I’m fairly sure that they would make me test prior to a 5 night cruise.

My Guess:

Vaxxed = No pretest for 5 nights or less.  6 nights or more a pretest is required but now can be up to 3 days prior to sailing (Used to be 2 days prior)

Unvaxxed = required testing for all sailings but still remains 3 days prior.   

The same testing rules i think are for the required days prior to sailing.  It used to be Unvaxxed were allowed 3 days prior and Vaxxed were only allowed 2 days prior which made no sense to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At least it a 3 day test window now (after 8/8).  

 

 

If your cruise sets sail August 8 or later, you’ll have the revised test protocol below, as long as your cruise does not visit Bermuda or Canada (if it does, you need to look at the section above).

Revised test protocol:

Guests 2 to 11 years of age who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise. These guests will no longer be required to take a second test at the terminal.  

Fully vaccinated guests must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day on sailings that are 6 nights or longer only. Testing is not required for fully vaccinated guests on shorter itineraries.

Required testing for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, must be completed using a PCR or antigen test that is supervised by a healthcare professional or a home test kit that is conducted under live video supervision.

Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe that the testing requirement for all cruises could be removed within the next 7-10 days. However, I think that the vaccination requirement is likely to remain through the fall of this year or perhaps the rest of the year (with unvaccinated cruises being held much of that time at around 20% as per the most recent change). Per my crystal ball (that works some of the time 😂). As usual, time will tell. 
 

 

@WAAAYTOOO
I have been extremely disappointed in communications department of Royal these last couple of weeks. Some of the wording has horrible and unnecessarily confusing. It could not have been worse. Not sure how those passed one person (much less multiple people) before release. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sail a week from Sunday.  (Aug 14th) and got this in the mail tonight

 

Protocols for Canada 2022 Sailings 

While requirements for sailing have changed for some destinations, Canada’s local regulations and requirements are still in place and the protocols for your sailing remain unchanged.

Due to the fluidity of this situation, our protocols are subject to change and we are committed to keeping you informed if they do.

Check out our Healthy Sail Center for our full sailing protocols 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, RogerC1 said:

Michel Bayley was promising all over Facebook that vaccination would not be required for adults beginning August 8th. Now the update doesn’t mention it at all. Very disappointing. I hope it gets updated again in the next day or two. 

I felt same way how surprised it was not part of the update.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

So, for now, nobody is required to have a PCR test ever, right ?  Antigen is ok for everyone regardless of vax status or length of cruise (certain destinations’ requirements notwithstanding).

That is correct an antigen test is acceptable as long as it is administered or supervised by a medical professional regardless of vax status or length of cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Kenneth said:

I agree very disappointing. I booked a weekend cruise hoping to fall within the 20% unvaxxed. Hopefully they update this soon.

 

Did you book it recently? If they let you book then they are letting you on, no more exemption requests, which means you are presumed to have a spot at the time of booking, as far as I know. Otherwise they would indeed need exemption requests, right?

10 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I'll be curious if they're quietly allowing unvaxxed without it being an official thing yet.

This is precisely what I think is going on. If they aren't making you do exemption requests then I can only believe they are either just letting everyone book and are keeping track of unvaxxed as they book, stopping at the threshold, or they have no plans of really enforcing a certain amount of unvaxxed and are letting the customer base handle it. There are probably a LOT of people who do not realize you can even cruise without being vaccinated. That will take time to disseminate among the non die hard cruise fans. It could take months or longer, probably taking care of that 20% threshold without RC actually having to do anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The third bullet is confusing.  It seems to say that unvaxxed follow the same testing rules as vaxxed but I’m fairly sure that they would make me test prior to a 5 night cruise.

I THINK it means that, just like the unvaxxed, vaccinated passengers can now test 3 days prior instead of 2 and unvaccinated can use an antigen test instead of requiring a PCR.  🤷‍♀️

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to wonder if Royal was ever stopping the unvaxx from booking 🤔. I mean @WAAAYTOOOhad a ton of cruise on the books, hoping for the vax mandate to go away. 

In Oct I took my BFF and his mother on their first cruise, and she loved it. Wanted to take her son and his family but he is a diehard anti-vaxxer. She booked them on a cruise this past May to sail this Sept. My BFF said she thought this would force him to get vaxxed. Even though all the materials she received told her she needed everyone over 12 to be vaxxed, he stayed on the booking. They didn't ask him for an exemption or anything. She was just checking in for the cruise, app still says everyone needs to be vaxxed and it allowed her to check him in. I mean she very much lucked up that all he has to do is provide a test, which he is willing to do but.........I think Royal will let you book as unvaxx, pay and then get denied at port. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I have to wonder if Royal was ever stopping the unvaxx from booking 🤔. I mean @WAAAYTOOOhad a ton of cruise on the books, hoping for the vax mandate to go away. 

In Oct I took my BFF and his mother on their first cruise, and she loved it. Wanted to take her son and his family but he is a diehard anti-vaxxer. She booked them on a cruise this past May to sail this Sept. My BFF said she thought this would force him to get vaxxed. Even though all the materials she received told her she needed everyone over 12 to be vaxxed, he stayed on the booking. They didn't ask him for an exemption or anything. She was just checking in for the cruise, app still says everyone needs to be vaxxed and it allowed her to check him in. I mean she very much lucked up that all he has to do is provide a test, which he is willing to do but.........I think Royal will let you book as unvaxx, pay and then get denied at port. 

I don't think this is the case any longer, but previously yes, you could book as unvaccinated and the cruise line is just going to assume you are going to get vaccinated since those were the rules in place and they did make sure you knew when you booked (I presume this but cannot verify since none of my cruises were booked when the vaccine requirement was implemented, all were booked before hand). But now I don't think that's the case since they have done away with exemption requests. They ask you at the time of booking if you are vaccinated, so unless there is something in the booking agreement that says you might not have a spot (someone who just booked can probably verify this) then I would think you've got a spot on board. It's all very confusing though, no longer having exemption requests throws a whole other question in to play. I'm just assuming (and I know what that means) that you've got a spot on board if you book and that the unvaccinated will be allowed on a first come, first serve basis until a threshold is met, likely starting with those people like me who were already booked and had an exemption request pending. It was VERY lucky for your sister though, he definitely would have been denied at boarding if the current protocols were in place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I have to wonder if Royal was ever stopping the unvaxx from booking 🤔. I mean @WAAAYTOOOhad a ton of cruise on the books, hoping for the vax mandate to go away. 

In Oct I took my BFF and his mother on their first cruise, and she loved it. Wanted to take her son and his family but he is a diehard anti-vaxxer. She booked them on a cruise this past May to sail this Sept. My BFF said she thought this would force him to get vaxxed. Even though all the materials she received told her she needed everyone over 12 to be vaxxed, he stayed on the booking. They didn't ask him for an exemption or anything. She was just checking in for the cruise, app still says everyone needs to be vaxxed and it allowed her to check him in. I mean she very much lucked up that all he has to do is provide a test, which he is willing to do but.........I think Royal will let you book as unvaxx, pay and then get denied at port. 

RC isn't stopping the unvaccinated (adults) from booking, as I'm  proof of that! They will gladly take your deposit. No questions asked about shots. Whether I could actually get on the ship is another matter. Unvaccinated children are allowed to cruise (which I'm happy about) but I'm not sure there is a huge difference. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I think Royal will let you book as unvaxx, pay and then get denied at port. 

I cannot really verify it either way we just never pushed it that far.  When the protocols came out saying that you must be vaxxed, we believed them !  ...and to be completely fair, we had no issues whatsoever with getting full cash refunds for all of the >30 cruise we had to cancel (or Royal cancelled...whichever applied) over the past 2.5 years.  We were always 100% up front with everyone about the fact that we are unvaxxed.  It is even notated on our confirmations (see below).  I am beginning to suspect (as @smokeybanditand @Bowen hypothesized above) that they truly are not denying unvaxxed boarding now.  As @Bowensuggests, I think they truly are using "don't ask, don't tell" now.

image.png.b96d00091d83d8087dc318e035a734a4.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fervently hope it is NOT don’t ask, don’t tell.  I will not force my vaccination opinion on anyone else BUT it is important for me to know the % of unvaccinated allowed on any given sailing.  This lets me decide if that % is too high for my comfort level to sail  or whether I need to bring more masks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Pooch said:

I fervently hope it is NOT don’t ask, don’t tell.  I will not force my vaccination opinion on anyone else BUT it is important for me to know the % of unvaccinated allowed on any given sailing.  This lets me decide if that % is too high for my comfort level to sail  or whether I need to bring more masks.

I would imagine there are a lot of people who feel the same as you do, so I am hopeful that RC does come out and at least verify what the percentage is. Everyone should be able to go in with all the information so they can decide. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...