Covid rules for cruise - grey area, please help shed some light!

[Rainraingoaway21]

I would be most grateful for anyones knowledge on this, I can't seem to clarify things with our booking agent.

So we are going on a cruise on the 15th April. Our issue is DS who is currently 11 years old will turn 12 on the 6th April and we travel on the 15th April. Obviously 5-11 year olds can now be vaccinated from April so this means we can hopefully get him booked in to have his first vaccine on the 1st so that there are 14 clear days before we travel on the 15th. However, they haven't clarified when in April this will be an option, I am presuming the 1st but what if it is mid April or something the vaccines are available for this age group?

If he does manage to get a vaccine on the 1st April will this even be classed as fully vaccinated as currently over 12's are being offered a 2nd vaccine but he would have only had chance to have 1 vaccine by then.

The rules from P&O sent through today state that 5-11 year olds can either have one dose or a negative pcr 120 hours before departure, but he won't be in this age group for the 9 days before we go!

Arrgghh! We're so confused, can anyone shed some light on this scenario please?

Many thanks

@Rainraingoaway21

Oh how awkward. No, your 12 year old will NOT be classed as fully vaccinated with just one dose. We're cruising in May, but fortunately our 12 year old will have had both doses (December birthday). Unless the rules change, or P and O agree an exception, your 12 year old wont be able to board.

The rules may change, but hard to predict. I'd suggest you get in touch directly with PandO to see if they'll make an exception.

You need to check with the cruise company if it's their rule and not the immigration rules of a particular country. It's worth noting that Emgland are not currently vaccinating 5-11 year olds, only Scotland and Wales have announced it so it's unlikely to be a blanket change to policy immediately as many cannot comply.

Sorry I misread, I thought his birthday was mid travel. It doesn't sound as though he would ever have met P&Os requirements for those dates. Fully vaccinated is two vaccines at least 3 months apart for a 12 year old so I think you have a problem and may need to change your dates.

Ok thanks for your replies, I am on hold to P&O again to see if anyone knows what we can do. I will report back incase anyone else needs to know too....

I looked a cruise recently but my ds will have had both vaccines by the date (but it won't be 14 days from date of second vaccination) and I was told no .....

@Rainraingoaway21 Any update?

It may be of no help but I booked a Celebrity cruise for this summer. At the time of booking, they agreed to offer me a full refund if my son hadn't been able to be double vaccinated due to rules in the U.K.

Just in case that's useful leverage. It wasn't advertised anywhere on the website, they only offered it when I phoned.

They've said we will need to transfer the cruise to a later date 😔 so disappointing as I'd booked this back in September as a surprise for dh's 50th birthday.
I just feel they're discriminating against this age group as its not their fault. With isolation rules ending it seems crazy!

I knew it was a risk but vaccines weren't even being offered to children back in September and I just presumed they'd be a way round it. A negative pcr should suffice imo.
Thanks everyone.

You'd think a negative PCR would be a reasonable compromise for kids in this position through no fault of their own. Particularly given the number of vaccinated people that caught Omicron.

It’s been the rule with P&O since cruising started that anyone who was eligible to have both vaccines had to before they could cruise. But it’s a shame as in your case there isn’t anyway this can happen. I’m on a P&O facebook group where so many people are in the same situation and have had to transfer their cruises or ask for a refund.

This is bullshit isn't it? Just red tape and administration nonsense.

Yes exactly. You'd think someone would have made a rule for this scenario. They need to make it the rule for anyone aged over 12 years 3 months so at least they have a chance to get double vaccinated. I accept its the rules and we just have to re book another time but this one worked perfectly for us with the dates and cabin combination etc, we might not get that with another one. Just very disappointing.

Not nearly as frustrating as your situation. I'd booked flights and hotels around our European cruise in July.

A couple of weeks ago, Celebrity emailed me to say "Great news! We're moving your ship to the Caribbean instead." The sheer brass neck of it. It wasn't great news for me as I had 4 wasted flights. It might have been great news for their profits. Who sanctioned that as an appropriate way of apologising to passengers?!

@red321 that's terrible! That could mean so many implications for people too, what about vaccinations for those different countries? I don't know what is needed for the caribbean if anything. Will you get a refund for those flights?

Its so wrong they could of easily thought of this and if other passengers are double / triple jabbed they have some protection and being triple jabbed didn't stop me and da getting it , I know it reduces the chance
So a negative pcr should be enough in these cases

Until recently unvaccinated couldn't travel at all meaning no kids. Yes it's unfortunate but they can't make exceptions for April birthdays. They same thing was happening with Spain

I'm not asking them to make exceptions. There should have been a clear way round it for such birth dates in the first place.

5-11 year olds need either one jab or a negative pcr
Over 12's need to have had 2 jabs.

I can't see how my son is of any greater risk to anyone being 12 days older than another child that just needs a negative pcr. He could have had one jab AND a pcr if they'd accept that but they won't. It's craziness.

@Rainraingoaway21 So disappointing for you and your family. Rhe new rules about 12 and over needing to be fully vaccinated came in on 30th September... Seems like your dates (of booking and your son's birthday) just put you in difficulty by a matter of days 😕

I hope that whatever you book for the future will be amazing!

I can't see how my son is of any greater risk to anyone being 12 days older than another child that just needs a negative pcr. He could have had one jab AND a pcr if they'd accept that but they won't. It's craziness.

You're right, it makes no sense. Particularly given how many vaccinated people caught omicron, including my son who should have been at peak immunity from having his second vaccination 6 weeks before.

It wouldn't be hard for the cruise lines to take a common sense approach. If you live in a country which doesn't offer vaccinations to certain aged kids, or the timing means they couldn't have had both, then accept PCRs.

Speaking for my parents who are keen cruisers (that sounds a bit wrong...), they're not planning a cruise any time soon because it's a bit of a covid soup. And they're out at restaurants and socialising more than we do. I suspect cruise lines have had a dip in demand from older passengers, you'd think they'd want families with younger kids to make up for lost bookings.