98/95 cruises vs test cruises

[Sleepyluke]

I know this has been answered in various ways, but can anyone simplify for a dummy? Do I understand correctly, if DCL or whoever chooses the 98/95% vaccine route, then they can get rid of restrictions (or keep the ones they want), but if the choose test cruises and allow kids and other unvaccinated, then there have to be restrictions filed with the CDC to approve and would have to get continued approvals for changes to them, but they can let anyone on that they want? Hope this makes a little sense....

 

[jrapps]

If they go the test cruise route, they will need to adhere to the current (and ever changing) rules around masks, social distancing, ban on buffets, etc. The expectation is those will continue to relax over time but they will need to adhere to them.

If they were to go 95/98 cruises, then those merely become suggestions and the cruise lines are free to implement as much or little as they desire.

 

[JWG]

And, if I'm understanding this right, if they go the test cruise route, they have to sail a test cruise on each ship out of each home port they plan to revenue cruise out of? So, while the Dream is scheduled, Disney would also have to do a test on the Fantasy out of Canaveral to resume 7-day itineraries (if they keep the ships on the same routes) and if they wanted to move a ship to Miami or whatever, it would have to test sail from there first?

 

[kathi]

And, if I'm understanding this right, if they go the test cruise route, they have to sail a test cruise on each ship out of each home port they plan to revenue cruise out of? So, while the Dream is scheduled, Disney would also have to do a test on the Fantasy out of Canaveral to resume 7-day itineraries (if they keep the ships on the same routes) and if they wanted to move a ship to Miami or whatever, it would have to test sail from there first?

Correct

 

[_auroraborealis_]

And a test cruise has to include all US ports if multiple are involved, so the Seattle to AK test could not be a 2 day, since every port by definition is a US port.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I missed some of this. How does the 95/98 clash (if it does at all) with DeSantis's thing about you can't ask if they have been vaccinated?

 

[DisneyMusicMan]

I missed some of this. How does the 95/98 clash (if it does at all) with DeSantis's thing about you can't ask if they have been vaccinated?

I don’t believe they can confirm the passenger vaccination count without asking the passengers. And, by FL law, the business is fined ~$5,000 for each client they ask. So, at this point, no cruise line can confirm the vaccinated passenger count if they sail out of Florida.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

They can ask all day long according to the law.

They cannot require you to prove you have been vaccinated so you can just lie when they ask.

He is talking a big talk but when billion-dollar businesses tell him to get stuffed, he will blink. He's not going to tank the Florida economy.

 

[Heather07438]

Can customers show up and volunteer that they wish to show proof and pay to take the cruise because a 95% vaccinated cruise interests them? They like the sound of that cruise, they are volunteering proof of vaccination. Nobody asked them, they are seeking it out. Don’t they have rights too?

 

[jrapps]

The legal gray area is why we have not heard any cruise line much less DCL say with any certainty what their requirement will or will not be for vaccines once their test cruises are complete.

The simple fact that DCL decided on a test cruise for the Dream means the ship won't be certified as 95%+ vaccinated regardless of how many vaccinated people end up on a particular sailing. That means they must comply with all CDC guidelines for masks at all times, social distancing, reduced capacity in theaters and other venues, tables space 6 ft apart in dining rooms, etc.

A sailing could end up having 98% of the ship vaccinated and these rules would still apply because that's how they certified the ship.

Disney could still end up requiring certain ages to be vaccinated in order to sail, but if they did so it would be for risk mitigation and not to improve the overall experience, and currently would be against the law in Florida although that may be negotiated or challenged.

If DCL decided to go a different route with the Fantasy and get the ship certified as a 95% compliant ship, then they could do 7-day sailings without all the extra masks and social distancing rules, but again would be requiring everyone on the ship to be vaccinated. That's pretty hard to do given Disney's demographic of families and no American under the age of 12 is even eligible for a vaccine yet.

 

[otten]

And a test cruise has to include all US ports if multiple are involved, so the Seattle to AK test could not be a 2 day, since every port by definition is a US port.

This is what makes me still skeptical about the likelihood of an Alaska season

 

[jerry557]

They can ask all day long according to the law.

They cannot require you to prove you have been vaccinated so you can just lie when they ask.

He is talking a big talk but when billion-dollar businesses tell him to get stuffed, he will blink. He's not going to tank the Florida economy.

Florida's economy doesn't rely on cruises. In fact, a few cities like Key West want to ban cruise ships.

The cruise lines (especially DCL) need Florida more than Florida needs the cruise lines.

 

[insureman]

Florida's economy doesn't rely on cruises. In fact, a few cities like Key West want to ban cruise ships.

The cruise lines (especially DCL) need Florida more than Florida needs the cruise lines.

From what I read the cruise industry generates more than $7.69 billion in wages just to Florida.
https://www.cruisehive.com/why-flor...Keep Growing,generated $7.69 billion in wages.

 

[sethschroeder]

From what I read the cruise industry generates more than $7.69 billion in wages just to Florida.
https://www.cruisehive.com/why-flor...Keep Growing,generated $7.69 billion in wages.

Florida has an estimated $2T ($520b per quarter) in total wages and growing as their minimum wage is going up.

Also I would slightly question numbers put out by the cruise industry which are meant to make them look good likely.

In the end Florida is best positioned to house all US cruise operations for the Caribbean just based on its geography.

In addition the cruise lines likely owe and have invested big money in to cruise terminals in Florida.

 

[insureman]

Florida has an estimated $2T ($520b per quarter) in total wages and growing as their minimum wage is going up.

Also I would slightly question numbers put out by the cruise industry which are meant to make them look good likely.

In the end Florida is best positioned to house all US cruise operations for the Caribbean just based on its geography.

In addition the cruise lines likely owe and have invested big money in to cruise terminals in Florida.

Inflating numbers can happen with any organization including states. Also Florida has invested money in many of the cruise terminal projects including Port Canaveral which I'm sure they want to see some sort of return for this investment.

 

[sethschroeder]

Inflating numbers can happen with any organization including states. Also Florida has invested money in many of the cruise terminal projects including Port Canaveral which I'm sure they want to see some sort of return for this investment.

That's fine but the data I am referencing is from the US Department of Commerce and Federal Reserve. So it has a little more requirement to accurate as opposed to just make it look good and claim value that is not exactly attributed to a specific company/sector. Regardless its a tiny part of Florida for personal income.

More to the point what is the alternative for these cruise companies? Is Caribbean cruising dead moving forward and they move their ships elsewhere in the world?

 

[randumb0]

They can ask all day long according to the law.

They cannot require you to prove you have been vaccinated so you can just lie when they ask.

They're in court/mediation about it now. Most likely cruises will be able to require proof. Carnival's President spoke today on GMA about how they're working on a way to upload your proof but she knows some people will need to do so at the port.

 

[sethschroeder]

They're in court/mediation about it now. Most likely cruises will be able to require proof. Carnival's President spoke today on GMA about how they're working on a way to upload your proof but she knows some people will need to do so at the port.

Except from my understanding they have locations where vaccination will be required so that is not exactly connected to Florida other than that process would be applied there if they do end up asking for proof of vaccination.

If Florida is not able to do what they want wouldn't that also limit Washington from forcing vaccination on cruise lines as well? Or would that not impact that?

 

[Sykes]

If Florida is not able to do what they want wouldn't that also limit Washington from forcing vaccination on cruise lines as well? Or would that not impact that?

Washington never forced vaccination on large cruise lines. Washington's restrictions only applied to ships carrying 250 passengers or less (likely because anything larger than that is clearly out of their jurisdiction).

 

[sethschroeder]

Washington never forced vaccination on large cruise lines. Washington's restrictions only applied to ships carrying 250 passengers or less (likely because anything larger than that is clearly out of their jurisdiction).

Oh that was completely opposite of what I read it as.

Thanks for the correction.