Will We Ever Cruise Again?

[ronandannette]

{{sigh}} Currently, no one over aged 12 can board a ship in the US “unvaccinated” without a documented medical exemption, including on DCL. Due to the the CDC’s refusal to recognize mixed vaccines, it looks like we’re locked out for the foreseeable future. It’s pretty depressing. We were gifted a cruise to sail this winter and our hosts just cancelled as three of the four of us have received mixed vaccines - a very common practice here. 1.8 million Canadians have received AstraZeneca as a first dose followed by an mRNA as the second, due to severe problems with our initial vaccine supplies.

Canada has banned cruise ships from all ports since 2020 but is scheduled to re-open for the 2022 Alaska/East Coast seasons. I wonder if there’s any way they can tie entry to our ports to approving our vaccination status?

 

[Disneylover99]

I feel for everyone in this situation with a mixed vaccine. I know so many people who are mixed.
When booster shots come out, will mixed people technically meet the requirements since they will have a double dose of a vaccine?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

For international guests they see it as a stubborn dismissal of mixing but at this point the CDC is following the clinical trials. The clinical trials were not done with mixing and matching and they've only given approval in very rare situations for people to have mixing here. I'm not sure I can fault them for going with clinical trials, can you? Really can you fault a Health organization for following what occurred in a clinical trial? I don't, nor do I fault other countries for doing what they view is best. I remember when England was doing 12 weeks in between, that's a risk as there was no data on it but it's what they needed to do due to supply. Israel I believe wasn't vaccinating the younger working class (I think it was Israel). Other countries may be doing things differently but throughout the pandemic haven't citizens of the world been respectful of that?

As of right now it def. sucks for international guests. I was reading a thread about it last month I think it was or maybe early this month about the cruise issue and I think the biggest issue was communication. There was confusion on whether arriving from the U.S. vs U.S. citizens.

I think Alaska has gotten the only exemption on a few things from the CDC, I can't remember what those are that were mentioned in that other thread but I suppose it's possible Alaska may get more exemptions, not sure. It's remoteness and connection to another country may be the reason why just a guess there.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The Bahamian government has now mandated that no ship can dock there (including private islands) unless all passengers 12+ are fully vaccinated (unless a medical exemption is on file for the passengers) and this is in effect from 9/3-11/1. Looks like the definition of fully vaccinated is dependent on the cruise line.

This has caused multiple cruise lines to change their rules to align with that although last I heard DCL was dragging their feet but I haven't checked that thread since last week to see if there are any updates to that.

 

[wilbret]

We are booked for a DCL trip next year, but honestly, if the stance on vaccine/testing/masks doesn't change, we will cancel. It's a crap ton of money for that experience. Will go again one day, though.

 

[wvjules]

We are booked for a DCL trip next year, but honestly, if the stance on vaccine/testing/masks doesn't change, we will cancel. It's a crap ton of money for that experience. Will go again one day, though.

So you don't want your fellow passengers to be vaccinated?

 

[Dan Murphy]

CDC currently suggests not going on a cruise.

 

[belle032]

We're booked to sail to Alaska next month. Vaccinated & negative covid test before boarding. I think it's the only region that hasn't gone through a ton of protocol changes since we've booked.

 

[MamaMermaid]

We are booked for a November cruise but will be cancelling. I don't mind the masks, testing, or changes but I don't trust other people. Sad but it's my truth right now (I teach high school - you'd be shocked to know how many people send their kids to school sick). I have an unvaccinated 3.5yo. I'm not putting him on a ship with other people while he's not vaccinated. Hoping we can sail next November when he's (fingers crossed) vaccinated and hopefully we aren't experiencing peak COVID rates.

 

[NAB]

I hear you , I’m mixed too and have a cruise booked for January and the Hawaiian one next May.

January is definitely out ,I can’t see things clearing out by than. Won’t pay all that money to have restrictions either. Cancelling the Hawaiian one for a second time will be really sad.

 

[starvenger]

{{sigh}} Currently, no one over aged 12 can board a ship in the US “unvaccinated” without a documented medical exemption, including on DCL. Due to the the CDC’s refusal to recognize mixed vaccines, it looks like we’re locked out for the foreseeable future. It’s pretty depressing. We were gifted a cruise to sail this winter and our hosts just cancelled as three of the four of us have received mixed vaccines - a very common practice here. 1.8 million Canadians have received AstraZeneca as a first dose followed by an mRNA as the second, due to severe problems with our initial vaccine supplies.

Canada has banned cruise ships from all ports since 2020 but is scheduled to re-open for the 2022 Alaska/East Coast seasons. I wonder if there’s any way they can tie entry to our ports to approving our vaccination status?

Definitely thinking about going to Toronto Island just so I can get back on a boat.

Already canceled my December cruise because there's too much uncertainty for my liking. I think we'll book a resort for summer 2022, and look to cruise again in the winter or summer 2023.

And to be clear, I don't blame the CDC for anything they've been doing thus far. I feel like they'll allow Canadians with mixed vaccines in once FDA approves AZ but that obviously hasn't happened yet, and we've no idea when it will.

In the meantime, I spent a week up in Tobormory and 4 days in Montreal, which quite frankly I wouldn't have thought of doing before the world shut down. Maybe I can't get a proper cruise, but at least I can have some proper vacations - something I don't think we could have done last summer. So I suppose I can't complain too much.

 

[Kitty 34]

I'm just anxious on what CDC will tell us concerning the holidays again.

 

[tvguy]

I feel for everyone in this situation with a mixed vaccine. I know so many people who are mixed.
When booster shots come out, will mixed people technically meet the requirements since they will have a double dose of a vaccine?

CDC is only one factor in the acceptance of mixed vaccines. There seems to be a growing trend among international cruise ports that mixed vaccines are not acceptable. I am going to have to message my cousins in Canada to see if they got one or a mix of vaccines. And I don't know why Canada apparently went so strongly into mixed vaccines. Here at least, once you got your first vaccine......among the vaccines that required two shots.....you were assured your second dose would be of the same vaccine.

 

[tvguy]

I'm just anxious on what CDC will tell us concerning the holidays again.

I think the infection rate will determine that. And it isn't looking good right now.

 

[Disneylover99]

CDC is only one factor in the acceptance of mixed vaccines. There seems to be a growing trend among international cruise ports that mixed vaccines are not acceptable. I am going to have to message my cousins in Canada to see if they got one or a mix of vaccines. And I don't know why Canada apparently went so strongly into mixed vaccines. Here at least, once you got your first vaccine......among the vaccines that required two shots.....you were assured your second dose would be of the same vaccine.

I'm just wondering if it will still be considered a mixed vaccine once people get their third shot.
Most people I know who are mixed got an Astra Zeneca for their first shot and Pfizer for their second shot. If they get a Pfizer booster, won't they be considered fully vaccinated? I don't know.

 

[tvguy]

I'm just wondering if it will still be considered a mixed vaccine once people get their third shot.
Most people I know who are mixed got an Astra Zeneca for their first shot and Pfizer for their second shot. If they get a Pfizer booster, won't they be considered fully vaccinated? I don't know.

A very good question.

 

[ronandannette]

CDC is only one factor in the acceptance of mixed vaccines. There seems to be a growing trend among international cruise ports that mixed vaccines are not acceptable. I am going to have to message my cousins in Canada to see if they got one or a mix of vaccines. And I don't know why Canada apparently went so strongly into mixed vaccines. Here at least, once you got your first vaccine......among the vaccines that required two shots.....you were assured your second dose would be of the same vaccine.

Because our vaccine supply was an absolute gong show and rather than waiting for product that might never come we did the "responsible" thing and took what was available - for our own safety and the good of our communities. By-and-large, Canadians have been ready and willing to be vaccinated and with anything; as quickly as possible. The AZ most of us took was actually sold to us from US stockpiles once it was firm that AZ wouldn't be approved for use there.

 

[tvguy]

It is worthy of note that the trend among tourist destinations now is swinging to "don't come here". Hawaii was a positive in this whole pandemic, and now the Governor is asking tourists not to come.

 

[Nayan]

This just came across...Disney requires 12+ to be fully vaccinated to cruise

 

[GreatLakes]

I'm fully vaccinated and would not step foot on a cruise even if it was guaranteed everyone else on it was fully vaccinated. If you want to cruise during a pandemic I think you are nuts. If that means I don't cruise again for a decade I am not going to lose any sleep over it.