Will the updated "actively eating" mask policy at WDW carry over to DCL?

[DietCokeMommy]

I’m hopeful that by the time we cruise again (planning summer 2022) there won’t be mask rules. But maybe if they open back up this fall or winter they’ll start out with more stringent restrictions.

 

[DIS_MIKE]

I think a vaccination will be probably required for all adults to board the boat which may negate the need for the masks, since everyone will be vaccinated.

no vaccine = no sail

I totally agree. We've also heard this week from the CDC that masks will no longer be required for those who are vaccinated. Of course that means in small settings but still "progress" as far as I'm concerned.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/08/cdc...people-who-are-vaccinated-against-covid-.html

 

[squirk]

Not a slam on DCL, but masks being required on a ship is a 100% deal-breaker for me.

I just did a week in WDW with the mask mandate, and while it was doable, it was also sometimes uncomfortable (especially in the extremely long outdoor stand-by queues on hot days), frequently distracting, and at all times a bit of a buzz-kill.

I have no desire to repeat that on a week-long Caribbean cruise. Especially not at DCL prices.

I’ll just hold off until that’s no longer necessary/required.

 

[mevelandry]

I think a vaccination will be probably required for all adults to board the boat which may negate the need for the masks, since everyone will be vaccinated.

no vaccine = no sail

The question I have is: Would the 1st shot be enough to board (since it offers some kind of protection) or would we need to be fully vaccinated in order to sail?

At our age, in Canada, we are at the bottom of the list when it comes to vaccination and the second shot is only given 3-4 months later. If we get our first shot at the end of June (looks like that’s what is going to happen), we won‘t get our 2nd shot before the end of September or end of October.

If we need to be fully vaccinated, we would have to cancel our August cruise.

 

[BadPinkTink]

The question I have is: Would the 1st shot be enough to board (since it offers some kind of protection) or would we need to be fully vaccinated in order to sail?

At our age, in Canada, we are at the bottom of the list when it comes to vaccination and the second shot is only given 3-4 months later. If we get our first shot at the end of June (looks like that’s what is going to happen), we won‘t get our 2nd shot before the end of September or end of October.

If we need to be fully vaccinated, we would have to cancel our August cruise.

I would think that if DCL specify guests need to be vaccinated to check in, I would think it would be fully vaccinated, ie you would need BOTH doses. This is what Royal Caribbean require for the closed loop, cruises to no where that they are currently operating in Israel and Singapore.

 

[kathi]

If we need to be fully vaccinated, we would have to cancel our August cruise.

Sadly, based on what Disney CEO said yesterday - first cruises maybe in the fall. I'm keeping hope, but definitely managing my expectations. We have a 9/25 Western on the Fantasy. (and 5 cancelled before that since last June)

 

[brentm77]

Not a slam on DCL, but masks being required on a ship is a 100% deal-breaker for me.

I just did a week in WDW with the mask mandate, and while it was doable, it was also sometimes uncomfortable (especially in the extremely long outdoor stand-by queues on hot days), frequently distracting, and at all times a bit of a buzz-kill.

I have no desire to repeat that on a week-long Caribbean cruise. Especially not at DCL prices.

I’ll just hold off until that’s no longer necessary/required.

I am with you here. It doesn't matter to me whether they are a good idea are not. Even if they are a good idea, it would be a deal breaker for me. I was totally cool with them for WDW. We had a great time - maybe even one of our best trips. But, cruising is a completely different experience that I want to keep as "pure" as possible, even if it means waiting longer to cruise.

 

[hrhdhd]

The question I have is: Would the 1st shot be enough to board (since it offers some kind of protection) or would we need to be fully vaccinated in order to sail?

At our age, in Canada, we are at the bottom of the list when it comes to vaccination and the second shot is only given 3-4 months later. If we get our first shot at the end of June (looks like that’s what is going to happen), we won‘t get our 2nd shot before the end of September or end of October.

If we need to be fully vaccinated, we would have to cancel our August cruise.

Just commenting on the spacing between shots: 3-4 months is a long time. I had my first shot Monday and have an appointment for the second on 3/29. Wonder why the difference?

 

[squirk]

I am with you here. It doesn't matter to me whether they are a good idea are not. Even if they are a good idea, it would be a deal breaker for me. I was totally cool with them for WDW. We had a great time - maybe even one of our best trips. But, cruising is a completely different experience that I want to keep as "pure" as possible, even if it means waiting longer to cruise.

I am not criticizing a mask mandate if they feel it is necessary. It’s just “a bridge too far” in terms of cost-to-value for me.

I had a good time at WDW with the mask mandate and all of the social distancing protocols. I didn’t have a great time, like I usually do.

None of the myriad changes were deal-breakers in and of themselves (though the super-long stand-by lines for everything really did suck), but when you added all of them together, it felt too much like a compromised experience. Yet I was paying full price for everything.

I do not want to walk off a cruise with that same feeling.

 

[mevelandry]

Sadly, based on what Disney CEO said yesterday - first cruises maybe in the fall. I'm keeping hope, but definitely managing my expectations. We have a 9/25 Western on the Fantasy. (and 5 cancelled before that since last June)

Our cruise is not with DCL though. So I still have some hope left... For now.

 

[mevelandry]

Just commenting on the spacing between shots: 3-4 months is a long time. I had my first shot Monday and have an appointment for the second on 3/29. Wonder why the difference?

Apparently, Canada has determined that data (saying that 4 months between the two shots was an efficient way to protect people against COVID) were convincing enough for them to schedule vaccination this way. This will permit them to vaccinate more people ASAP (we do not receive vaccines as fast as the USA do so we have to be creative...)

This is how they are doing it in my province at this moment. It might end up being sooner depending on how fast we receive vaccines.

 

[GooniesAndy]

Apparently, Canada has determined that data (saying that 4 months between the two shots was an efficient way to protect people against COVID) were convincing enough for them to schedule vaccination this way. This will permit them to vaccinate more people ASAP (we do not receive vaccines as fast as the USA do so we have to be creative...)

This is how they are doing it in my province at this moment. It might end up being sooner depending on how fast we receive vaccines.

Crossing fingers that you guys get a single-dose vaccine before then, because you are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after taking that one. The Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine just came out here in the US.

 

[mevelandry]

Crossing fingers that you guys get a single-dose vaccine before then, because you are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after taking that one. The Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine just came out here in the US.

It has been authorized in Canada but as you know, they can’t deliver many doses right now and I believe they won’t be able to deliver in Canada before April.

 

[Wmuflyguy]

I think the vaccine will be an all or nothing thing for cruises. Either you have both shots, if it’s a 2 shot vaccine, or you’re not considered fully vaccinated.

Unless some guidance come from the CDC or other official means, I doubt Disney will take the chance of considering single shot. Just not worth the headaches of potential bad press or lawsuits if someone gets sick on board if it turns out they only had one dose.

I think they will be overly cautious at first. Any bad press from an outbreak would hurt future business and they want to convince the public cruising is safe.

 

[bcwife76]

It has been authorized in Canada but as you know, they can’t deliver many doses right now and I believe they won’t be able to deliver in Canada before April.

I've read that it might be as long as September before we see any J&J doses in Canada I'm in BC and we're doing this 4-month-between-shots malarkey (which is where it started). I am NOT happy about it. I don't care about the 'evidence' as clearly we won't really have any long term evidence. I'm hoping that with the vaccine shipments ramping up it will actually be a lot sooner than the 4 month window.

 

[mevelandry]

I've read that it might be as long as September before we see any J&J doses in Canada I'm in BC and we're doing this 4-month-between-shots malarkey (which is where it started). I am NOT happy about it. I don't care about the 'evidence' as clearly we won't really have any long term evidence. I'm hoping that with the vaccine shipments ramping up it will actually be a lot sooner than the 4 month window.

September? I heard April a few days ago... I will go check the news.

 

[BruinEd03]

Apparently, Canada has determined that data (saying that 4 months between the two shots was an efficient way to protect people against COVID) were convincing enough for them to schedule vaccination this way. This will permit them to vaccinate more people ASAP (we do not receive vaccines as fast as the USA do so we have to be creative...)

This is how they are doing it in my province at this moment. It might end up being sooner depending on how fast we receive vaccines.

If you are at the bottom of the queue for vaccination, I doubt you will have to wait the full 4 months. Production is ramping up globally. The people who are getting the first shots right now may have to wait 4 months, but if you are getting your first shot in June, you may only have to wait the normal 3-4 weeks. The time until June is pretty much the same time as when the vaccine was first administered in December/January (at least in the U.S.). Production has already ramped up considerably since December/January. I expect, it will increase even more drastically in the next couple of months.

 

[mmouse37]

So have we. Under the new policy though diners will have to wait until they are actually eating.

Not in our experience. We got back from WDW a week ago. We were there for a week. Everyday we had a sit down restaurant scheduled and every single restaurant from Disney Springs to the different parks told us we could take off our masks as soon as we sat down. We were never rushed out of any restaurant. 90% of all diners were not wearing a mask while sitting down. Yes, some people chose to wear their masks before eating but they were very few. Disney has spaced out tables and not filled tables to keep social distancing. We all felt very safe while eating and honestly it was such a relief to be able to sit down and remove the mask for about an hour to enjoy a meal. Servers all wore face masks plus face shields in every restaurant. We were expecting the sip and bite process but it didn't happen.

What we found was strictly enforced was the walking and eating/drinking rule. Twice we were stopped during the week as one of our young grandkids had grabbed the popcorn bucket and was eating while in the stroller and another time for drinking a bottle of water. CM's were very polite about it but they enforcing the rule. You must stop somewhere to the side if you want to eat or drink. 90% of menus in restaurants were where you scanned the code with your phone and read the menu on your phone.

Quick Service places were strictly mobile orders. So, make yourself familiar with how that works. Link a credit card as all payments must be done on the app. We actually ordered our lunch over 2.5 hours before we wanted to eat to make sure we had a pick up time for food around lunch. Certain places had longer wait times than others so we were pro active and just picked our food pick up time around the time we thought we wanted to eat instead of waiting until the last minute. Spontaneity was greatly reduced.

Temp checks before entering every park and Disney Springs but they speeded up the bag check system. Now you just walk through a scanner/detector with bags and all. They just ask that if you had an umbrella with you to take it out so they could see it. Only our stroller was pulled off to the side and had a check of the diaper bag.

Masks were not required at the resort pool deck or pool. They did want you to wear one walking around the resort grounds or heading to the bathroom, quick service near the pool.

Sorry for rambling but I am more hopeful with DCL that as time goes by and more people are getting vaccinated that other than buffets, dining on DCL might not change too much.

MJ

 

[mmouse37]

I would think that if DCL specify guests need to be vaccinated to check in, I would think it would be fully vaccinated, ie you would need BOTH doses. This is what Royal Caribbean require for the closed loop, cruises to no where that they are currently operating in Israel and Singapore.

Virgin CEO said this morning that all guests must be vaccinated to sail them.
Virgin Voyages CEO discusses future of cruises after COVID (yahoo.com)

MJ

 

[OKW Lover]

Thanks for reporting your experience MJ @mmouse37.