First Florida cruise approved by CDC in June!

[xiphoid76]

We have Celebrity approved for a Fort Lauderdale departure in June…Disney is usually a few months behind, so maybe October? Or November? It’s coming though!!!
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trav...lebrity-cruises-gets-cdc-approval/7457331002/

 

[jerseygal]

Good news for Cruise Industry and Florida

 

[icc2515]

This is a 95% 95% cruise. No test cruise needed and once the unvaccinated hit 5%, children under 16 will not be allowed a ticket. I wonder if Disney will do the 95% 95% or the free test cruise?

 

[kathi]

CDC also announced modified guidelines for vaccinated passengers that are going to be very attractive to passengers. I think it will help to encourage cruise lines to sail with 100% vaccinated for ages that are eligible which allows the 5% to be kids under 16/12.

 

[randumb0]

Not sure how this is going to work because of the vaccine passport ban

 

[sethschroeder]

“We’ve been very clear, the law is clear in Florida,” said Taryn Fenske, spokesperson for the governor. “You can’t mandate vaccine passports. We are interested to see how the CDC works with them so that they don’t get these exorbitant fines.”

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article251706998.html

 

[HiStitch626]

It sounds like the governor is talking out of both sides of his mouth, because the state government also stated that cruise lines do not need any approval from the Florida health department to sail.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/...oes-not-need-its-permission-cruise-ships-sail

 

[BruinEd03]

“We’ve been very clear, the law is clear in Florida,” said Taryn Fenske, spokesperson for the governor. “You can’t mandate vaccine passports. We are interested to see how the CDC works with them so that they don’t get these exorbitant fines.”

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article251706998.html

Businesses can’t require it, but it doesn’t ban customers from voluntarily furnishing them. I wonder if they could have a discounted early booking period solely for people who are vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination within 48 hours of booking. Then they have a general public session with two rates: standard and discounted. The standard rate being limited to 5% of the total passengers booked so far and the equivalent to what is would take to be profitable if only 3% of the ships capacity were filled. So the standard rate could be something ridiculous like 10x to 20x the normal cruise rate. The discounted rate would be the vaccine rate. If the standard rate is all booked up, then they close all bookings for the cruise.

 

[kathi]

Businesses can’t require it, but it doesn’t ban customers from voluntarily furnishing them. I wonder if they could have a discounted early booking period solely for people who are vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination within 48 hours of booking. Then they have a general public session with two rates: standard and discounted. The standard rate being limited to 5% of the total passengers booked so far and the equivalent to what is would take to be profitable if only 3% of the ships capacity were filled. So the standard rate could be something ridiculous like 10x to 20x the normal cruise rate. The discounted rate would be the vaccine rate. If the standard rate is all booked up, then they close all bookings for the cruise.

Most of these early cruises on Dream and Fantasy are close to fully booked already.

 

[Jim Libasci]

Businesses can’t require it, but it doesn’t ban customers from voluntarily furnishing them. I wonder if they could have a discounted early booking period solely for people who are vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination within 48 hours of booking. Then they have a general public session with two rates: standard and discounted. The standard rate being limited to 5% of the total passengers booked so far and the equivalent to what is would take to be profitable if only 3% of the ships capacity were filled. So the standard rate could be something ridiculous like 10x to 20x the normal cruise rate. The discounted rate would be the vaccine rate. If the standard rate is all booked up, then they close all bookings for the cruise.

All businesses are allowed to ask about the vaccine.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...rohibit-covid-19-vaccine-mandates/5062104001/

 

[Lynes88]

Yea, I am not sure how they will verify vaccine status. This is something you can't just rely upon the customer's word. The CDC vaccination cards are too easy to purchase or counterfeit. Does CDC electronically collect all vaccine records? I know the data is collected at the vaccination point... but this would only work if CDC had the ability to communicate and validate vaccine status with the cruise line.

 

[sethschroeder]

It sounds like the governor is talking out of both sides of his mouth, because the state government also stated that cruise lines do not need any approval from the Florida health department to sail.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/...oes-not-need-its-permission-cruise-ships-sail

Incorrect.

IF you want to believe the state of Florida has powers to do so this is what is happening:

• No approval is needed from the state to resume business
• If you are found requiring vaccinations you will be hit with a fine upwards of $5000 per incident (I would suspect each guest required or turned away would be an incident)

One has really nothing to do with the other so they are not talking out both sides of their mouth. You can disagree with what Florida is doing though if you would like or say they don't have powers to do that.

All businesses are allowed to ask about the vaccine.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...rohibit-covid-19-vaccine-mandates/5062104001/

That is FEDERAL law not STATE law that is being talked about though. Also its not actually a Federal law to allow asking for vaccination status there simply is no law against it from my understanding which would be different things.

 

[sethschroeder]

Does CDC electronically collect all vaccine records?

At most from certain states they would have Name and DOB that isn't even verified. In addition from my understanding the CDC does not retain or have access to this information for various reasons.

Its both an effort from Democrats and Republicans to not share vaccination records centrally just for different reasons.

 

[GuardMusic]

Not sure how this is going to work because of the vaccine passport ban

This is the question I've been asking all morning!

 

[bobbiwoz]

It’s just a tad too early for me. We are seriously considering early September.

 

[Andrew96]

I have had the Sept 13th-17th sailing booked on the Dream for quite some time now. PIF is not until 7/15 but hesitate to pay any more on it at this point as there is so much uncertainty. I want to believe that DCL will make whatever decisions are in the best interest of the health and safety of the crew/passengers. Anyway, booked the Wish for Sept. 2022 on Monday, so that is keeping me at ease for the time being!

 

[Lynes88]

I have had the Sept 13th-17th sailing booked on the Dream for quite some time now. PIF is not until 7/15 but hesitate to pay any more on it at this point as there is so much uncertainty. I want to believe that DCL will make whatever decisions are in the best interest of the health and safety of the crew/passengers. Anyway, booked the Wish for Sept. 2022 on Monday, so that is keeping me at ease for the time being!

We have the week before you on the Fantasy leaving PC (Halloween on the High Seas) and just did our PIF this week. We were able to book and register for all activities except character meet and greets. Port adventures seemed typical and easily booked. We too are anxious how this will work but are proceeding as normal for now (my whole family is vaccinated). I just struggle with the proof of vaccination question at this point. Having seen all those face CDC cards circulating around makes me pause...

 

[Lynes88]

At most from certain states they would have Name and DOB that isn't even verified. In addition from my understanding the CDC does not retain or have access to this information for various reasons.

Its both an effort from Democrats and Republicans to not share vaccination records centrally just for different reasons.

I did a little more digging and you are right, the CDC does not collect vaccine data but all states do.

"According to Dr. Adalja, the vaccination center where you got the shot submits your confirmation to a state vaccine database. If a company or a business cross-references your vaccine card with the database, they can easily find who has a fake card. "

If the state did a bad job, not checking someone's ID, hard to do much about that, but the records are supposed to be verified with an ID. DCL will have to establish a way to electronically communicate with all 50 states... and then there are the international verifications. Not easy.

 

[sethschroeder]

If the state did a bad job, not checking someone's ID, hard to do much about that, but the records are supposed to be verified with an ID.

Absolutely not.

The reason for not checking IDs is a couple things:

• Remove any barrier to getting a vaccination (illegal immigrants, individuals with warrants, individuals with "big gov" concerns)
• Avoid a central database of vaccinations that could then be used to force a vaccination requirement by the State or Federal Governments
• Avoid a central database of legal vs illegal immigrants that could be used by homeland security for targeting deportation

This is one of the few things you can get Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to agree on even though they believe it for different reasons.

So no it is not a "bad job" its actually a good job in getting the most amount of people vaccinated as possible.

 

[sethschroeder]

I just struggle with the proof of vaccination question at this point. Having seen all those face CDC cards circulating around makes me pause...

If you are seriously worried then you need to treat it like no check is being done to vaccination status and watch what the data shows over the coming months.

Do I think many people will use fake vaccination cards for things like a cruise? I am very doubtful of this because you are exiting the country and there is more risk than showing a fake vaccine card at a local store.

I did a little search and there is up to $5k in fines and 5 years in prison possible for fake vaccination cards but I am not sure how plausible that is for enforcement or lets be honest even finding out the information to start with. We will see I guess.

For me personally if I was going on a cruise this summer I would mask up regardless of policies most likely.