Saw an article about some Canadian cruisers being denied

[StarSeven7]

They need to be explicitly clear exactly what they mean even if it takes them a couple paragraphs to explain it.

I have both US and Canadian citizenship. I live in Canada. I was vaccinated first dose with AstraZeneca and second dose with Pfizer, in accordance with Government of Canada guidelines.

My sister, who I live and travel with, only has Canadian citizenship. She received two Pfizer doses.

My sister meets the current CDC definition of fully vaccinated, while I may not. But if DCL goes with "US citizen" instead of a residency rule, when she would need testing while I might not (depending if DCL would allow mixed dosing). Even though we live and travel together. Which makes no sense.

Plus what about all the non-citizens who live in the US ? Permanent Residents (i.e. "green card" holders), people on work or student visas, etc etc ? If the rule is for "US citizens" would that mean they have to be tested even though they live in the US ? Really DCL ??

So they really do need to clarify their expectations/intentions. Explicitly and clearly, so there are no gaps and confusion.

SW

Disney doesn’t really seem to understand the distinction between citizenship and residency. I ran into that issue when we wanted to purchase Canadian resident tickets for WDW. I’m a US citizen but a Canadian PR, rest of the family are Canadian citizens. I called to ask about using my PR card and/or drivers license as proof of Canadian residency and was informed that only a passport could prove residency. When I explained that passports are proof of citizenship and not residency I was argued with and told I was wrong.

I think in this case Disney most likely means US residency but their wording does not make that clear.

 

[Starwind]

Disney doesn’t really seem to understand the distinction between citizenship and residency. I ran into that issue when we wanted to purchase Canadian resident tickets for WDW. I’m a US citizen but a Canadian PR, rest of the family are Canadian citizens. I called to ask about using my PR card and/or drivers license as proof of Canadian residency and was informed that only a passport could prove residency. When I explained that passports are proof of citizenship and not residency I was argued with and told I was wrong.

I think in this case Disney most likely means US residency but their wording does not make that clear.

Even more reason for them needing to clarify exactly what they mean.

 

[Eeyore's the Best]

Someone just posted on another thread that this is the information that their travel agent told them. I really hope that this is correct, I have sent a message to my TA to see if she is getting the same information. Outside of US, you are considered vaccinated if you have had two shots.

 

[Love2Cruise2015]

Someone just posted on another thread that this is the information that their travel agent told them. I really hope that this is correct, I have sent a message to my TA to see if she is getting the same information. Outside of US, you are considered vaccinated if you have had two shots.
View attachment 592482

I hope this is accurate too Is inspire an app?

 

[dvcdisney]

Someone just posted on another thread that this is the information that their travel agent told them. I really hope that this is correct, I have sent a message to my TA to see if she is getting the same information. Outside of US, you are considered vaccinated if you have had two shots.
View attachment 592482

I hope so. I contacted DCL two days ago and the CM was clear that it meant only US citizens...I hope she was very very wrong. I don't think she knew how to answer me, but she said that from what I can see, that's how it is.

I gave her scenarios and she was clear that the statement means exactly what she said. I really hope she was just uninformed. I wish she just said that she's not clear on it and that she would pass along my inquiry.

 

[erionm]

Is inspire an app?

Website.

 

[Love2Cruise2015]

Website.

Thank You

 

[Eeyore's the Best]

I just did a chat with DCL and this cast member was very clear, anyone not a US citizen has to go through all of the testing requirements basically as if their weren't vaccinated regardless of whether they had mixed doses same doses etc. I think I'm going to hold off booking for a while to hope this evolves, this would mean I would have to pay for 3 covid tests to come from Canada to Cruise and purchase the additional insurance.

 

[Sleepyluke]

I think part of the reason there is so much confusion, especially for Canadian and other non-US travelers, is that approved by their home country is not necessarily approved by the CDC. Good bad, or ugly, there are only 3 approved for use in the US. Yes DCL is registered in the Bahamas, but their customer service and everything else is US based, and answers are inherently US based. The mixture vaccines are approved and fine in Canada, but AZ is not yet an approved vaccine in the US, so at least to me, that is where some of the confusion is coming in. To a US person/call center/answer sheet, anything with a AZ does included does not count. And per the rules (again, good bad or ugly) if given more than the recommended days apart, it does not fit the little check box. At least that is my current take on it, and seems to fit a few of the other cruise line rules as well. At least I think.....

 

[dvcdisney]

I think part of the reason there is so much confusion, especially for Canadian and other non-US travelers, is that approved by their home country is not necessarily approved by the CDC. Good bad, or ugly, there are only 3 approved for use in the US. Yes DCL is registered in the Bahamas, but their customer service and everything else is US based, and answers are inherently US based. The mixture vaccines are approved and fine in Canada, but AZ is not yet an approved vaccine in the US, so at least to me, that is where some of the confusion is coming in. To a US person/call center/answer sheet, anything with a AZ does included does not count. And per the rules (again, good bad or ugly) if given more than the recommended days apart, it does not fit the little check box. At least that is my current take on it, and seems to fit a few of the other cruise line rules as well. At least I think.....

I think that they may not want to say yes to 2 doses of the same, but not a mix...so they just say no to all. When I contacted DCL, I didn't mention anything about a mix dose (as my family didn't get a mix dose), but I think that if I did, they just wouldn't care.

I agree that certain vaccines are not approved by US (ie. AZ), but they should be more clear about that. We're not getting enough information or even getting conflicting information. They just need to put everything they want in the protocol announcement so we can understand.

 

[dvcdisney]

I just did a chat with DCL and this cast member was very clear, anyone not a US citizen has to go through all of the testing requirements basically as if their weren't vaccinated regardless of whether they had mixed doses same doses etc. I think I'm going to hold off booking for a while to hope this evolves, this would mean I would have to pay for 3 covid tests to come from Canada to Cruise and purchase the additional insurance.

Unfortunately, that's the answer I receive and, at this point, it could be wrong.

 

[Dug720]

They just need to put everything they want in the protocol announcement so we can understand.

They want to be as clear as possible and they don't like all the changes that happen suddenly, trust me. BUT they are having to tweak things as they go as well. This is new territory for everyone. To wait until absolutely nothing is going to change would mean no one would be sailing anywhere any time soon. Even Celebrity - which is sailing with at least 95% vaxxed - has had changes to protocol up to the day before a sailing.

If you're choosing to book/remain booked on a cruise right now, you need to accept that there may be changes even very close to embarkation.

 

[dvcdisney]

They want to be as clear as possible and they don't like all the changes that happen suddenly, trust me. BUT they are having to tweak things as they go as well. This is new territory for everyone. To wait until absolutely nothing is going to change would mean no one would be sailing anywhere any time soon. Even Celebrity - which is sailing with at least 95% vaxxed - has had changes to protocol up to the day before a sailing.

If you're choosing to book/remain booked on a cruise right now, you need to accept that there may be changes even very close to embarkation.

I agree. But the one thing that will make me cancel my booking is this issue.

I can accept the changes in their onboard protocol as time goes on until my cruise. But not accepting my fully vaccinated family as vaccinated is something I can't accept. As I've mentioned on my other posts, I have made a contingency plan for this vacation and now I have an alternate to my contingency plan.

I'm more than prepared to change my vacation plans, but I want to do it with the correct info. Getting conflicting info is very frustrating...even if I understand it.

At this point, the fact that we are not considered fully vaccinated because we live outside the US, will make me cancel. If this changes and I haven't modified my plans, then we will go forward. Otherwise, I will definitely accept not proceeding with the cruise because I'm just not happy with the requirement to test regardless of vaccination status.

 

[lanejudy]

They just need to put everything they want in the protocol announcement so we can understand.

They may feel they have stated it (bolding and color highlighting is mine):

• COVID-19 Vaccination: Disney Cruise Line strongly encourages all eligible Guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before sailing. Guests who are fully vaccinated may choose to provide proof of vaccination in order to be exempt from pre-trip and Embarkation Day testing requirements (unless arriving from outside the United States) and travel insurance requirements. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers people to be fully vaccinated 14 days after the final dose has been administered. To learn more about how to provide proof of your vaccination, please visit Before Leaving Home: Know Before You Go.

While I agree it isn't very in-depth, it seems clear they do not intend to accept proof of vaccination status from those coming into the US from another country. I suppose it could be written differently, with a lot of "X not allowed, Y not allowed, etc." but it does state the intent. I get the hope of reading into it, hopeful it may mean something else. And it may very well change down the road. If you have a Dream cruise booked in the next month, don't expect changes; probably not even this fall, but I'd say that all depends on your willingness to sit on the reservation awaiting a change.

 

[Starwind]

They may feel they have stated it (bolding and color highlighting is mine):

• COVID-19 Vaccination: Disney Cruise Line strongly encourages all eligible Guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before sailing. Guests who are fully vaccinated may choose to provide proof of vaccination in order to be exempt from pre-trip and Embarkation Day testing requirements (unless arriving from outside the United States) and travel insurance requirements. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers people to be fully vaccinated 14 days after the final dose has been administered. To learn more about how to provide proof of your vaccination, please visit Before Leaving Home: Know Before You Go.

While I agree it isn't very in-depth, it seems clear they do not intend to accept proof of vaccination status from those coming into the US from another country. I suppose it could be written differently, with a lot of "X not allowed, Y not allowed, etc." but it does state the intent. I get the hope of reading into it, hopeful it may mean something else. And it may very well change down the road. If you have a Dream cruise booked in the next month, don't expect changes; probably not even this fall, but I'd say that all depends on your willingness to sit on the reservation awaiting a change.

I think it is fairly clear from a plain reading of their wording that for those who reside outside the US and are therefore a "visitor" to or "visiting" the US (from a "where do you normally live" standpoint, not from a "what is your citizenship/immigration status" standpoint) and taking a cruise: regardless of your vaccination status DCL requires you to take pre-trip and embarkation day tests and have travel insurance that meets DCL requirements. This applies for the upcoming Disney Dream cruises. It is possible it could change in the future.

Where there is a gap would be for US residents who were fully vaccinated in the US but were recently abroad and then are arriving in the US some period of time before the cruise. Unknown info is: How much time do they need to be back in the US before DCL considers them no longer "arriving from outside the United States" ? A week ? two weeks ? three weeks ? a month ? There has to be some kind of timeframe, but DCL hasn't spelled it out.

Finally, there is confusion because some people have been told in chat or phone call with DCL CMs that actually its about US citizens vs non-citizens... in which case they just opened a can of worms of permutations of questions that I would doubt they intended to.

Then of course if you want to get even more confusing... what about people who reside outside the US but who got their vaccinations inside the US ? e.g. they are a visitor on an extended stay before the cruise and got their vaccines during that stay, or a visitor who got the vaccines during a previous stay (such as one of the many Canadian "snowbirds" who got their vaccines during the early spring before returning to Canada for this summer)....

So, I still think DCL should publish an accompanying "FAQ" that addresses some of these kinds of scenarios. Having it in a FAQ lets it not clutter up the main document, but gives some clarity for those who need it. The other cruise lines have taken this approach. It also would allow them to answer questions like whether mixed brand dosing of mRNA vaccines will be accepted [while uncommon in the US, some people will have it] and any other issues.

SW

 

[dvcdisney]

They may feel they have stated it (bolding and color highlighting is mine):

• COVID-19 Vaccination: Disney Cruise Line strongly encourages all eligible Guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before sailing. Guests who are fully vaccinated may choose to provide proof of vaccination in order to be exempt from pre-trip and Embarkation Day testing requirements (unless arriving from outside the United States) and travel insurance requirements. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers people to be fully vaccinated 14 days after the final dose has been administered. To learn more about how to provide proof of your vaccination, please visit Before Leaving Home: Know Before You Go.

While I agree it isn't very in-depth, it seems clear they do not intend to accept proof of vaccination status from those coming into the US from another country. I suppose it could be written differently, with a lot of "X not allowed, Y not allowed, etc." but it does state the intent. I get the hope of reading into it, hopeful it may mean something else. And it may very well change down the road. If you have a Dream cruise booked in the next month, don't expect changes; probably not even this fall, but I'd say that all depends on your willingness to sit on the reservation awaiting a change.

From the wording, I understand it to say that fully vaccinated people who are not arriving from outside US.

When I contacted them, the CM was a little unclear but said that it means US citizens. So, if that's the case, then there is too many variables as Starwind suggested.

I do believe that their intention is to imply that people residing in the US would have taken the US approved vaccination and therefore, they can accept it.

A lot of people were discussing the Celebrity Edge so I thought I would look into them. They're requirement actually states that vaccinated guests do not need a test. The requirement for entry to US is the testing for all travellers. This implies that ANYONE entering US, regardless of your citizenship will need a test: (this is specific to US/Florida and two ships Edge/Equinox - although this part appears to be somewhat similar for US/Alaska for Millennium)

All Travelers:
Require NAAT or Antigen 3 days prior to entry into the US.

Vaccinated: No test required
Unvaccinated Children (6 mo – 15 years) (as of August 1 – 6 months – 11 years): Rapid RT- PCR test at embark
Unvaccinated 16+ (as of August 1 – 12+): RT-PCR 3 days prior to boarding, rapid RT-PCR at embark, & (sailings 6N+) Antigen mid-cruise

 

[dvcdisney]

While I agree it isn't very in-depth, it seems clear they do not intend to accept proof of vaccination status from those coming into the US from another country. I suppose it could be written differently, with a lot of "X not allowed, Y not allowed, etc." but it does state the intent. I get the hope of reading into it, hopeful it may mean something else. And it may very well change down the road. If you have a Dream cruise booked in the next month, don't expect changes; probably not even this fall, but I'd say that all depends on your willingness to sit on the reservation awaiting a change.

I agree and I don't expect any changes. I just want to be clear about the restrictions.

If I enter the US 7 days prior and stay at WDW. At this point, I would have taken a test prior to arriving. So when my cruise begins I'm technically not arriving just for the cruise. So, the wording "unless arriving from outside US" is my issue....US citizens and residents is clear...

As my conversation with the CM seems to imply that it's just about citizenship/residency...not that covid may be brought it by ANYONE (including US citizens/residents who live or travelled outside the US).