erber

Anyone who uses the Emed test on board, or the airport tests too (for that matter), can you let us know your experience? I am so worried the Emed test will fail due to internet issues. Think about all the people that will be trying to do the test the day before disembarking...This is way too stressful. 

Well I guess we all have our answer. We are on our own for testing. We plan to go the Emed route and hope the internet is stable. We may book a back up test at airport just in case. I would prefer testing on ship just in case we are positive so we can hopefully insure Princess helps with quarantine on land in a hotel. Travel is no fun now....

Buckeye, good luck! We are ordering the tests from Emed tonight. I guess I have to register with them to order 6 tests. I am hoping it all works out. We are bringing a laptop so I guess we will use it to do the proctored tests. I don't see how we can use a phone and do the testing because we would have nothing to mount the phone on. 

Let us know how it goes. Hope you have a great trip! I am hoping to do the Walgreens NAAT test 3 days before we embark in Anchorage ....hope that the 72 hour rule doesn't actually apply....

Buckeye,

I agree. It is very stressful and unfair to keep changing the protocols to make them more difficult within less than 30 days of the cruise. We are flying back to the U.S. at 1:00 p.m. when we disembark. My new concern is what if the internet cannot support doing the Emed test the day before???? Then what do we do?

Please post about your experience .... I leave 2 weeks after you. We are taking our son and his wife, mother in law and sister in law for a VERY "post wedding" celebration trip (wedding was a trip to the courthouse during covid.... We thought we would be all done with covid by now but clearly we are not....)

We are now back to ordering Emed tests so we can test the day before disembarkation. I am not pleased by this change by Princess.

Buckeye,

Thanks so much. If you can remember, and it is not too much trouble, please advise when you board!  Can you also report about whether Princess indeed offers testing the day before disembarkation for those flying back to the U.S.? Some on Facebook say that is happening too. That would be marvelous. 

Buckeye,

I think we aren't embarking in Canada. Heck. I don't know. I think I am going with "I can get a test anytime on Sunday..." If I am wrong, then I guess we will have to pay at the port for another test? I don't trust calling Princess either. When are you cruising? We "embark" on June 1 from Anchorage..

But then there is this:

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise

This has the language applicable to ships docking in Canada... It was updated April 22. So, now I am concerned again the 72 hour rule is applicable. 

47 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

Erber could you point me to where you found this online? I have checked the Canadian sites I am aware of including those Mike and others so kindly posted.  But I have yet to find this wording to suggest the 72 hour rule applies only to embarkations out of Vancouver.  Maybe I have read so much I am overlooking it! There are 4 of us and I really want to able to use our pre-flight tests and my timelines are similar to yours. We cannot test within 72 hrs pre-embarkation from home.   Thanks!

 

"The updated Canada transport rules have eliminated the language about Canada's more restrictive testing requirements applying to all cruises that dock at any point in the cruise in Canada"

Buckeye,

I looked at the link provided by Mike and Zen and it doesn't have the language  that states testing applies to cruises that dock at any point in Canada. So I am assuming (maybe that is a mistake on my part?) that only cruises embarking in Canada have the 72 hour rule and cruises embarking in U.S. follow the U.S. rule. Is there still some Canada regulation stating the testing rules apply to cruises that dock at any point in Canada? If that is the case, then I am wrong and the 72 hour rule is back in play. That would be a problem for us. Now I am back to thinking we need to order the Emed tests....This is so ridiculous that the rules are not clear.

The updated Canada transport rules have eliminated the language about Canada's more restrictive testing requirements applying to all cruises that dock at any point in the cruise in Canada. Since this language has now been eliminated it seems much clearer that if the cruise STARTS in the U.S. and ENDS in Vancouver, Canada's more restrictive timing of taking PCR and antigen tests DO NOT apply. This is critical for me because we are from Florida and now it looks like we can get the PCR test anytime on Sunday for a cruise that leaves from Anchorage on Wednesday. Otherwise we were going to have to take the test based on the 72 hour rule for PCR and that would be difficult for us given the 4 hour time change also needing to be figured in to the calculation ( we are unsure if we can get a test at Walgreens or CVS on Memorial Day, that Monday before our trip and we leave early Tuesday to fly to Anchorage so we need to test on Sunday).

Now we only have to worry about securing tests for our return back to the U.S. since we are flying back.. We are hoping we can get the tests to return the the U.S. at the port in Vancouver before we head to the airport, and pray we are negative...Some have posted on Facebook that Princess provided tests on the ship last week that ended in Vancouver the day before disembarkation. Fingers crossed that will be possible. That would be even better !

6 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Been in my phone contacts for PCL for years, but have yet to need it myself.  Have read on here about other folks having to use it.  Well played.  Enjoy the trip.

I just put the phone number in my contact list. We leave May 31 on flights booked through EZ Air from Florida to Anchorage....cruise leaves on June 1. We have done numerous Alaska cruises on Princess but usually have not booked through EZ Air.  Hoping it all goes smoothly this time. 

Another wrinkle for me is if I want to be tested  2 days before I board, it is Memorial Day and I am unsure if Walgreens will do any testing that day. I will try to find out. 

My worry is the 72 hour part of it. I am in eastern time zone and will be boarding in Anchorage (4 hours earlier time zone). So I need to test at 4:30 p.m. on a Sunday assuming a "scheduled boarding" of 12:30 on Wednesday. I am booked on Southbound Alaska cruise ending up in Vancouver. Canada indicates the 72 hour rule is from "scheduled boarding" and applies to ships either embarking in Canada or docking at any point in Canada (this of course docks at the end in Vancouver). Princess does not seem to interpret things per the Canada regulations, but who knows. 

2 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

Short answer is, its been reported (at least on this sailing) on board testing  was made available the day before disembarkation to those flying home ON DAY OF DISEMBARKATION only, who needed it as a condition to fly home. I dont have any further details and dont know how they checked to verify people met this criteria, but it sounds promising.

 

This is very promising. We are departing the day of disembarkation so I am hopeful we could use this option! We probably still will bring back up Emed testing kits. 

Some of us aren't on Facebook so if someone can provide any details here that would be helpful. Are you saying the post said  Princess tested passengers on board the day before OR did people on board do their own Emed testing the day before? Just want to clarify because Princess website did not state any on board testing would be provided to passengers returning directly to the U.S. In fact it stated you could bring the proctored tests on board and do them using the internet. So,  if Princess is going to provide on board testing now for passengers, that would be incredibly helpful. 

Oh wow. I guess I'm not up on current northwest travel! Hopefully someone will reply about covid tests at the port! I want to know as well since we are doing the Alaska Southbound trip June 1. 

I don't think that princess ships have disembarked in Vancouver yet this season. Looks like maybe next weekend Alaska trips start? 

Check out this latest article from Canada regarding relaxation of international travel requirements in Canada. 

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/04/22/no-covid-test-unvaccinated-kids-under-12-entering-canada/

It looks like a quarantine plan is no longer going to be required in ArriveCan.

Thoughts?

ugh . Which is it? 2 days or 3 days for PCR if vaccinated and up to date? They need to clarify this. Or is the 72 hour rule back? This is craziness. 

What a rollercoaster....thanks for the detailed responses on testing requirements, arriveCan app instructions, etc. You are so helpful! I 2ish the authorities and a princess would just get their act together and have consistent requirements so there is no uncertainty as to testing requirements.

We are vaccinated and boosted and are going with the 3 day rule for testing requirements at this point but will order through Optum or Emed as a back up just in case. 

17 hours ago, Mike & Zen said:

Ah yes, and that is where people have fallen into the Government of Canada website not up to date.

 

If you read the complete long boring part, I mention that there is a site that is 50% right and wrong, that is the site.  The two day part for antigen test was updated; however, the verbiage that says, "... or board a cruise ship that will dock in Canada at any point on the cruise" is the incorrect and outdated part.  In fact, during the first week of April when the changes came into effect I sent a note to that site to update from 1 day to 2 days for the antigen test, which they did on April 11, 2022, but I missed the outdated part quoted above.  I did send another note to correct that part over the long weekend, but will see if they update it.  But don't hold your breath as their focus is the ArriveCAN online and app.

 

You can ignore that part that is outdated. 

 

Canada has updated it's cruise restrictions as of April 20. But the part you say is outdated is STILL IN THERE. It still has the 72 hour rule for PCR tests if you are going on a ship that will dock in Canada at any point. I don't understand why this still hasn't been removed. Are you sure it is not applicable anymore? We need the 3 day rule (which is more than 72 hours ) to get the PCR test because of the time change between Alaska and eastern daylight time. 

Mike & Zen,

One area of still continued confusion is related to this link where it talks about pre-entry test requirements in the event you are on a cruise ship that at any point docks in Canada. This provides the the more restrictive testing requirements -- 2 day antigen test rule and the 72 hour rule for PCR test instead of 3 days. This is where it is so confusing. Does this apply because we will be on a cruise that docks at the end in Vancouver? Or,  is it superceded by the April 14 regulations about vaccinated travelers not requiring a pre-entry test and therefore we can go with the Princess statement that if vaccinated and boosted we can get an Antigen or PCR test within 3 days of boarding in U.S.?

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise

Mike & Zen,

Thank you for your amazing and detailed post regarding Canada requirements. We are fully up to date (vaccinated, boosted) and are traveling on the Anchorage to Vancouver route in early June. As I understand it now, we can get either PCR or Antigen  3 days before the cruise to satisfy Princess (and the 72 hour rule for PCR testing is no longer applicable). Thank goodness!

Since we are flying back to the U.S. immediately after the cruise we are aware we need, as of now, a covid test to return to the U.S.

Since Princess has some language on their website that does not definitely guarantee testing will be available at the pier after disembarking, we will probably bring the covid tests we  can do with telehealth monitoring and do it before we disembark.

The one thing I am wondering is what we put in the ArriveCan app regarding our quarantine plan. Princess is required to arrange and pay for quarantine facilities once we disembark if we test positive. So, do you have any thoughts for appropriate verbiage to put in ArriveCan for our quarantine plan? 

We returned from Allure of the Seas cruise on Saturday to Port Everglades. Our check in slot was 11:00-11:30. We arrived around 11:15 and walked right in. We were through the boarding check in process within 15 minutes and then had to wait to board in a seating area for another 15 minutes or so. The wellness check consisted of a review of covid test result and vaccine cards paperwork. There was no temperature check or anything else. 

Language matters. Princess is not guaranteeing availability of testing for those of us flying back to the U.S. or potentially other countries that require a covid test for reentry.

Some of us like to plan for contingencies that might expose the public and that would include a 2 week quarantine. Princess says they will arrange and pay for transportation to a hotel for such a quarantine but as Babr notes the logistics could get extremely complicated if one is getting tested at the airport or another location in Vancouver. 

If the first few cruises show Princess is unable to provide testing at disembarkation, then having the Optum tests would seem like an obvious choice to avoid exposing others in transit and to better insure Princess provides and pays for a required quarantine. 

Unfortunately Princess clearly states in the link:   Subject to availability, COVID-19 tests will be administered within or just outside the terminal.

The phrase "subject to availability" is the problem.