The new « rules » for cruises in 2021?

[AZMermaid]

Can’t see company’s that request testing to not have a low cost option in place because of that reason. But when testing gets easier to get all over the world, the price will go up at those same companies to pay for the convenience of not getting one from home. (My theory anyway)

Hawaii requires testing and is pretty strict. It has to be certain kinds of tests within 72 hours. Most options that fit in that cost hundreds of dollars. I read a report of a family who was given the wrong test at CVS in like NC. They had to fly back to LA, retest with a rapid test at the airport and fly back. It cost them like $3000.

Now, you won’t have the fly back to the mainland piece, but I’m guessing if the cruises require a certain test, the last minute tests near the port will be very costly. Hawaii isn’t supplementing the cost of the tests at all and lots of people are paying. Now of demand is low, maybe cruise companies will include it, but I bet DCL won’t need that carrot.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Hawaii requires testing and is pretty strict. It has to be certain kinds of tests within 72 hours. Most options that fit in that cost hundreds of dollars. I read a report of a family who was given the wrong test at CVS in like NC. They had to fly back to LA, retest with a rapid test at the airport and fly back. It cost them like $3000.

Now, you won’t have the fly back to the mainland piece, but I’m guessing if the cruises require a certain test, the last minute tests near the port will be very costly. Hawaii isn’t supplementing the cost of the tests at all and lots of people are paying. Now of demand is low, maybe cruise companies will include it, but I bet DCL won’t need that carrot.

Is that recent? After my parents get their second shot I had plans to have them go to Hawaii(April 2020 was canceled for Covid) if they have such an expensive experience for a tourist to come through, that would’ve been too expense to go-through to continue this trip. This trip has one chance when they are 78 years old. Every penny was accounted for and included insurance.
If this problem is that expensive for Hawaii they won’t go and will find something else to spend the $1200. airfare on per person(I am paying for my brother to go as their caretaker). I suspect, that big of a price tag over anyone’s possible vacation...per person....will cut down tourism in an already depressed industry.
I still think Disney will get a better plan in place. What you had happen to your friends will reduce tourism and I think Disney knows that.
But maybe I’m wrong and seeing this the wrong way. I’m going to have higher hopes with Disney than what your friends experienced in Hawaii.

 

[AZMermaid]

Yes. Now most people get the right test so it’s not SO much, you are supposed to have it to board the plane, but obviously they fell through the cracks. The tests seem to run $100-200 a person, but some peoples insurance covers it. Mine doesnt without symptoms, so I’d have to pay. The stress of the test is why I wouldn’t travel myself to Hawaii right now. Lots more stories of people not getting results in time on the cheaper options.
There is talk of allowing no test with proof vaccine, but that hasn’t happened yet. I’m currently in bed after shot #2!

 

[Husker Mike]

Yes, the tests run $120-$160 for the most part. The $3000 was probably because they had to purchase last minute round-trip airfare from Hawai'i to LA to redo the test, rather than subject themselves to the 14 day quarantine.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/us-airlines-covid-testing

 

[vacationer1954]

I would think that would be written in a contract now that people would have port acceptance. Even if it’s only the home port.

Me too, but nothing has been done to make that the case. It seems that they've completely ignored the horrible experiences of so many passengers a year ago.

 

[hubbard53]

That would be the biggest deal-breaker of all, imo. Who would dare get off at a foreign port, knowing that it's possible that the ship wouldn't let you re-board? Especially if you're traveling with your children?

This is the biggest non-starter for me. i've always had a problem leaving my son on-board (more so when he was a toddler) if we were to go off-ship. If anything happened - late tour, medical emergency, etc. - that prevented us from returning, what would they do with him? Now imagine in this scenario, being kicked off the ship on an island where some have "governement quaratine camps" - NO THANKS!

I can work around masks and social distancing - even scheduling shows & pool time (which is ludicrous, btw) - but the pre-testing, re-testing, etc. using methods that arent even 90% accurate is something I just wont do for a virus that is 99.5% surviveable. Oh, and not getting to explore a foreign port on my own? please....

I'm beginning to wonder if they even WANT the cruise industry to return?? Not to get too political but the cruise industry has always been considered a major polluter and been targeted by those who are currently in control. B/c of COVID they're getting everything they could dream for - reduced airline emissions, reduced vehicle emissions, and a shuttered cruise industry. Even farms are going out of business. A major win for some in certain corners of certains political parties.

Anyway, I hope it recovers. I hope some ingenious country somewhere develops a program where you can fly to, get on a cruise, come back, and have a quick test to get back to your home country. Until then, I'm content with the hundreds of beautiful USA coastal areas explore. The gulf coast is just as beautiful as many islands, more hospitable, and not as draconian!

 

[Cheburashka]

The gulf coast is just as beautiful as many islands, more hospitable, and not as draconian!

Yes, we had our first trip to Disney's Vero Beach Resort this year, which we never would have stayed at if our December 2020 cruise hadn't become impossible. It was great and we've rebooked for November, and we also have a stay at Hilton Head booked for July. We were never beach vacationers before, but have happily gotten into it now that cruising is shuttered.

 

[mcd2745]

I can see DCL having a harder time than other lines in one regard when cruising resumes. Other lines do a much better job spreading guests out than they do. DCL seems to have a lot of events that bring a majority of guests together in one place and creating crowds - with no alternative activities at the same time. Be it the sailaway party, pirate night, things in the atrium like the characters on the last night (See Ya Real Soon, I think they call it), Captains night reception, etc. None of these things can happen for a while.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I NEED A TICKER!!! @mcd2745: What if you had a ticker and nowhere to go?

You are correct about the large gatherings on DCL.

 

[mcd2745]

I NEED A TICKER!!! @mcd2745: What if you had a ticker and nowhere to go?

You are correct about the large gatherings on DCL.

Two sides to that coin, I guess. I really could use the excitement of having something to look forward to and make plans for....however, should it get canceled, we'd be setting setting ourselves up for disappointment.

 

[TeamRipper]

This

+

And a reservation system could be added for activities like « pool time », shows, games, etc.

NFW I pay a premium price to cruise under these conditions. I am fully aware nobody cares if I go or not, but I am sure I am not the only one that goes on vacation to get away from schedules and agree to rules regarding how and when I can do things. It is hard for me to believe people are so desperate to cruise that they would agree to such draconian rules. I guess I will continue to hold out for the day things return to more normal. Not holding my breath.

 

[otten]

I can see DCL having a harder time than other lines in one regard when cruising resumes. Other lines do a much better job spreading guests out than they do. DCL seems to have a lot of events that bring a majority of guests together in one place and creating crowds - with no alternative activities at the same time. Be it the sailaway party, pirate night, things in the atrium like the characters on the last night (See Ya Real Soon, I think they call it), Captains night reception, etc. None of these things can happen for a while.

Not only that, once you take away the things that make a Disney cruise a Disney cruise (the deck parties, character meets etc) it’s going to be hard for many people to justify the DCL premium.

 

[Cheburashka]

Not only that, once you take away the things that make a Disney cruise a Disney cruise (the deck parties, character meets etc) it’s going to be hard for many people to justify the DCL premium.

This is one of many reasons why I think their return to cruising is going to be considerably later than the other mass market cruise lines.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

Not only that, once you take away the things that make a Disney cruise a Disney cruise (the deck parties, character meets etc) it’s going to be hard for many people to justify the DCL premium.

Exactly right. We paid the premium for the characters, entertainment, and kids clubs. Limited access to any of those things is not something we would want to pay the higher DCL rates for. (Especially the kids clubs, which was one reason we didn't stay at Aulani when we went to Hawaii. I'm not getting in line at 7 in the morning so my kid maybe gets a spot in the kids club when paying $500+ a night). And I won't cruise again at all until we're free to explore on our own at port. Not a child, don't need to be led by the Mickey paddles of doom.

 

[Intr3pid]

What the last one year has shown us is that this virus can linger around longer than people's resolve to stay locked up. Eventually, most will come around.

For us, an ocean-going cruise even with these rules in place is still the best vacation. In fact, for the next two years, we will ONLY cruise if several of these rules are in place. Life is too short - and the world too fragile - for us to wait for that perfect trip to happen.

 

[vacationer1954]

I'm beginning to wonder if they even WANT the cruise industry to return??

For governments, their primary concern is public health and safety rather than the viability of any small set of companies (especially countries that deliberately flag their ships in other countries to avoid paying their fair share of taxes like other businesses that the government may therefore pay more attention to). I think it really boils down to those two aspects: The risks and the fact that other businesses are more important because they contribute more to the local economy.

 

[cding2531]

If the rules and restrictions are in place and we are aware of those, and we decide to go based on those policies. Its not only my family following them, but believing that others will follow them which is hard to believe, when you see people "wearing" a mask but its below their chin or not covering the nose. And I have a hard time believing others will follow those policies when I know that not everyone follows the existing policies now. Even with the simple "suggestion" of hand washing or disinfectant wipe use at Cabanas.

 

[otten]

If the rules and restrictions are in place and we are aware of those, and we decide to go based on those policies. Its not only my family following them, but believing that others will follow them which is hard to believe, when you see people "wearing" a mask but its below their chin or not covering the nose. And I have a hard time believing others will follow those policies when I know that not everyone follows the existing policies now. Even with the simple "suggestion" of hand washing or disinfectant wipe use at Cabanas.

From what I hear, WDW has pretty strict enforcement of policies.

When we were on DCL during the pandemic (last Disney ship sailing with passengers) I can tell you that hand washing at Cabanas was strictly enforced and definitely not a suggestion.

 

[apathetic]

If these become standard, I'd expect 1 or 2 of the big cruise lines to go under. Who would pay for a cruise, airfare, hotels, etc only to get a positive test 5 days before going then be told sorry, no refunds? Or better yet, show up with a negative test and they tell you they don't accept it. Sorry, no cruise no refund. No way you risk thousands of dollars with so much risk. There are numerous alternatives for vacation. The cruise industry is not going to come out of this and return to 2019 policies for a long time. Considering the vaccines aren't proven effective against new variants, it could be deep into 2022 before we see cruises even think about sailing again.

 

[beckicnm]

Not being allowed to wander around a port on my own is a dealbreaker for me. No thank you.
They would need to come up with amazing *included* port excursions for me to even consider it.