Cdogg

For those celebrating the end of testing, vaccination etc., recall that last summer among my group and an adjacent group (dinner table), 7/7 tested positive after leaving the ship (QM2 TA). I am not too old and reasonably fit - but I still felt its effects very strongly. If you get COVID and your are old or fragile, this is a very serious disease. As a good samaritan, on the last evening, I helped an infirm, older, passenger get on to a deck chair. It isn't satisfying to think that she may have become unwittingly infected arising out of my own, unknown, condition at that time. We were all vaccinated. Most likely, someone, somewhere, wasn't being truthful with the honor-based COVID negative test declaration at boarding.

Just a latish FYI that other family with us also tested, post crossing, 100% covid pos. Very small sample but 100% positivity. Spread between family likely in Britannia restaurant but spread to at least one initial member somewhere else most likely. Spread within family likely via asymptomatic carrier within same state room. This is self report (honor based) pre board testing in action and what you get. Self report isn't good enough (Cunard / CDC policy) for east bound TA but it is for west bound from Southampton. For those wondering why we didn't cancel / defer (good question), the policy changed on 21st July - i.e. too late (already traveled in opposite direction and little appetite for finding a late flight out of London mid summer and mid season plagued with cancelations). Since we want to keep this within bounds of the board's rules, I continue to think Cunard's policy change is backwards. They should revert to certificated based pre boarding testing and/or terminal 100% testing plus a 100% testing around every three days during voyage until proven to be unnecessary. Masks mandatory in public spaces - only exceptions being outside and during dining / drinking - and then ideally with better spacing. What is tolerable ashore (mask recommendations, not mandates) isn't sufficient aboard. (Masks are far from perfect - but we are talking disease spread statistics here - not whether every individual is 100% protected.) "We may be finished with COVID but COVID isn't finished with us".

I agree with most of the above. However we got all cov pos in my group (3) last night and test after leaving so draw your own conclusions about lack of problem. It’s likely that those most likely to be unknowingly positive wore no mask. We’re fully vaccinated and wore masks practically as much as possible. Older group wore masks but still low overall like 10% and reducing over time. In my opinion the honor based system for reporting test result at boarding is a disaster. A mid trip 100% test would also be nice. I.e. The way it used to be.

I have a sense that there are progressively fewer TA crossings. My information isn't very reliable (only being tracking a few years) but my sense is that in recent years there are more gaps in the usual back and forth in mid summer and perhaps later start and earlier end. Probably has to do with money and demand.

This isn't a happy development. In my work, that involves some teaching, we have cases in the COVID era where a "closed notes" exam that would normally be done in a classroom (i.e. easily enforced) is done at home. Basically, you are asking the most honest people to have faith in the least honest. The most honest will do what they are told. The least honest? - less likely. How many less than honest people are we talking about? Choose a number. 10%? That's about 200 people getting on the boat either no test or not being honest about their test result. Cunard should be testing at the terminal - end of story.

July 29. Hope the strikes are done by then. Finding alternatives might be tricky. You can imagine bus and car rental (sky high one way cost) options dry up.

I am interested in hearing if the requested check in times have been brought forward significantly to allow for Cunard COVID tests? I understand that in usual times the check in time is approximately 1-3pm. Would it be more like 12-2pm now? I am on Deck 5. I understand there is no harm in arriving early. Meeting a friend in London in the AM and trying to get the timing right for train (which I hope will actually run).