Do you think Disney will require vaccinations for Covid to board?

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I don’t thi k they will require vaccines. I think they will require you to sign that you will not hold them accountable if you get sick or test positive during or after your cruise.

 

[o&smom]

I agree. The vaccines are not fully tested and approved. They are only approved for emergency use. Other mandated vaccines for travel to certain countries have been fully approved with testing for 5 years or more to come to market. The vaccines currently available were not tested to see if they lower spread, or if they have an effect on severe Covid symptoms, just minor symptoms. I think there needs to be data on these items for everyone to feel really safe in close quarters.

 

[mmackeymouse]

And they already have said it will be the last part open. They still have to get Disneyland open . DCL probably won’t be till fall at best.

To be fair, the Disneyland puzzle piece isn't really a Disney decision.

I'm sure that when they made the statement that DCL would be the last part to be open, they assumed DL would be open long before now. And, it's still likely that DL will be open prior to the cruise line.

But, I wouldn't necessarily hold them to that statement either. If California comes out with a declaration that theme parks must close until the end of 2023 (I'm not saying this is going to happen, just a hypothetical), I don't think Disney will be like...."Well, DCL was supposed to be the last thing to open, so guess we've gotta wait."

I certainly hope so and wouldn't cruise unless it's required. Or until the inoculation is so ubiquitous that the disease is gone.

I feel exactly the same way.

Will they lose people by requiring a vaccine? Sure, probably.

I think they lose a lot more people by not requiring it.

 

[spiders]

I think all cruise lines are ultimately going to require it. There’s too much at risk to have a positive on board and any lost revenue from those who wouldn’t sail isn’t worth it. And I think a lot of other things (from work to other travel) are going to require it.

 

[mab2012]

Thanks for that point of view. I would say that DCL will require people 18 and up. Children really are not in the group of people that get very sick from Covid.

Yeah, but that's not really the point, is it? If it was, those of us who are not in high risk groups and not afraid of catching it would have been allowed to make personal risk assessments all along, rather than being portrayed as uncaring monsters and/or downright stupid for even considering it.

I would hate to guess at what DCL or destination countries might require at this point, but if the vaccines turn out to be as effective in the broad population as they have been in trials, I think this whole mess could go away very quickly once they are widely available. At least, I hope so. There are a great many people who are much more afraid of passing COVID along to a vulnerable loved one or being "the person" who brings it into a particular setting than they are of actually *having* the virus themselves. If those who are at risk or scared or just would rather not take the chance can effectively protect themselves with a vaccine, it won't matter much what anybody else does. The "social responsibility" stick that we've all been beaten to death with over the past 9 months just won't carry the same weight.

I'm not saying the virus will go away quickly. It won't. I just think that nobody will care much once hospitalizations and deaths come under control. And the standard refrain of "protect those around you" will turn into "get the #*@$ vaccine and protect yourself".

And before someone says it, yes, there will be that small minority who can't be vaccinated. And that sucks. But that's always been true, and, like it or not, our actions as a society have never revolved around that unfortunate reality. I don't think this is likely to be any different.

Then again, maybe I'm completely wrong. Nothing about this surprises me anymore. Time will tell.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I don’t thi k they will require vaccines. I think they will require you to sign that you will not hold them accountable if you get sick or test positive during or after your cruise.

That could be a possibility for Walt Disney World, another line added into the terms and conditions on the tickets.

HOWEVER that will not work for cruising, where you are literally going to another country. Whether you actually realize it or not, even going to Castaway Cay is international travel, as the island legally belongs to The Bahama Government and Disney only rent it. Therefore The Bahama Government have every right to say that DCL passengers must have proof of vaccine to visit Castaway Cay. Therefore DCL will be required to make sure all passengers have proof of vaccine at check in.

Again, DCL is required to comply with whatever rules and regulations that the international Governments of the ports they dock at implement for visitors to their country.

 

[n2mm]

Let’s not forget, dcl is also responsible for their crew’s safety and the people of the countries it visits. If you get the virus, you get to leave the ship and deal with it. But the crew doesn’t. Also if a person tests positive during a cruise, will that mean the rest of us now can’t dock in a country. I believe it will be required to cruise in the future. If dcl gets an crew outbreak on ship, then every cruise afterwards gets canceled. The repercussions of not having the vaccine are too big. you have to look at the bigger picture of how it affects everyone, not just one person. I guess at the end of the day everyone will have to decide which is important to them, the risk of a vaccine or the freedom of traveling.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I guess at the end of the day everyone will have to decide which is important to them, the risk of a vaccine or the freedom of traveling.

not only this, but also the mask issue. Cruise passengers and all international tourists are also going to have to come to terms with the fact that rules regarding masks may not be the same as their home country / home state. In fact some countries there are fines and even prison sentences for people who do not comply with mask wearing mandates. Being a DCL passenger when you go ashore at a port does not mean you are exempt from the laws of a country you are visiting.

 

[n2mm]

not only this, but also the mask issue. Cruise passengers and all international tourists are also going to have to come to terms with the fact that rules regarding masks may not be the same as their home country / home state. In fact some countries there are fines and even prison sentences for people who do not comply with mask wearing mandates. Being a DCL passenger when you go ashore at a port does not mean you are exempt from the laws of a country you are visiting.

very true. I don’t even think of masks because to me it’s habit now. Like my reading glasses, I have masks tucked everywhere. However, like every state, there are still non-maskers. Yes, different rules for each port. Once the guidelines are established, it will help guide folks to what they will accept.

 

[BadPinkTink]

very true. I don’t even think of masks because to me it’s habit now. Like my reading glasses, I have masks tucked everywhere. However, like every state, there are still non-maskers. Yes, different rules for each port. Once the guidelines are established, it will help guide folks to what they will accept.

exactly, I thinking about the specific States and areas where there no mask mandates or where local authorities are not enforcing mask mandates. DCL passengers from those areas will have to really manage their expectations if they want to do a Disney cruise.

 

[jlwhitney]

DCL is gonna have a hard time even filling ships at a lower capacity anytime soon if there are all these restrictions. Very few families will be spending the 5K plus it takes for a family to cruise to have reduced options, possibly less hours available for the kids to be in the clubs. Cruising is viewed as relaxing and not something people are gonna want to pre plan there hours so they can have there pool chair or kids in the clubs. Then you have the other side that a lot of people like to cruise for the social side of meeting new people which won't really happen as well if there is still fear.

I do see Carnival, RCL being able to pull off their cheaper 3 night cruises that mainly attract people wanting to hang out and drink but they will still face with the issue of space and other issues.

 

[nursejackie]

I guess those who can't have the vaccine, for one reason or another, may feel discriminated against if vaccines are compulsory for travel. I understand why they would be, but feel for those who can't have it and may be excluded from some activities in the future.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I guess those who can't have the vaccine, for one reason or another, may feel discriminated against if vaccines are compulsory for travel. I understand why they would be, but feel for those who can't have it and may be excluded from some activities in the future.

In my country we have a mask mandate, but there are legitimate reasons why some people can't wear one. Those people are required to get a note from a doctor as proof of their exemption. I would expect something similar would be required to prove Covid vaccine exemption.

 

[sethschroeder]

Whether you actually realize it or not, even going to Castaway Cay is international travel, as the island legally belongs to The Bahama Government and Disney only rent it. Therefore The Bahama Government have every right to say that DCL passengers must have proof of vaccine to visit Castaway Cay.

And that is not DCL requiring it...... That is the Bahama government requiring it.

Now if we want to talk about if the Bahamas are going to require it but that's a very different discussion.

 

[BadPinkTink]

And that is not DCL requiring it...... That is the Bahama government requiring it.

Now if we want to talk about if the Bahamas are going to require it but that's a very different discussion.

so therefore DCL will require it BECUASE the Bahama Government require it.

 

[jlwhitney]

In my country we have a mask mandate, but there are legitimate reasons why some people can't wear one. Those people are required to get a note from a doctor as proof of their exemption. I would expect something similar would be required to prove Covid vaccine exemption.

The tricky part is also HIPPA for the US.

 

[BadPinkTink]

The tricky part is also HIPPA for the US.

But America people who go to Disneyland Paris have faced the same issue for years. In Disneyland Paris you need a note from a doctor or healthcare provider to get the Disability Priority Pass. https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-ie/guest-services/guests-with-mobility-disabilities/

We have discussed these multiple times over the last few years in the Disneyland Paris section here on Dis.

 

[goofystitch]

What I find interesting is that nobody mentions the almost 19 million cases of COVID in the US. We've had the virus and will not be getting vaccinated unless a blood test reveals that we no longer have immunity. I'm sure we are not alone in that thinking.

 

[jlwhitney]

But America people who go to Disneyland Paris have faced the same issue for years. In Disneyland Paris you need a note from a doctor or healthcare provider to get the Disability Priority Pass. https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-ie/guest-services/guests-with-mobility-disabilities/

We have discussed these multiple times over the last few years in the Disneyland Paris section here on Dis.

But that is Disneyland Paris requiring it which is based on that country. Similar but not exactly the same thing. I think in the US its over abused as is, but I agree other people don't need to know your medical history, but even a simple note from the dr stating they have one with out specifying would be abused by drs signing off on people that don't qualify.

 

[jane01jp]

What I find interesting is that nobody mentions the almost 19 million cases of COVID in the US. We've had the virus and will not be getting vaccinated unless a blood test reveals that we no longer have immunity. I'm sure we are not alone in that thinking.

That's a very good point. I can envision public health orthodoxy morphing to claim that we either 1) can't risk allowing people who have tested positive for COVID to avoid the vaccinations, since there could have been a lot of false positives; or 2) to insist that naturally acquired immunity is fleeting and that artificial immunity via the vaccines is superior.

Meanwhile, I think masks will remain ubiquitous for a number of reasons, including the initial inability of businesses to readily distinguish between those who have, and have not been vaccinated, the concern that vaccinated individuals might still be contagious, and the transitional time until herd immunity is achieved via vaccine.