PSR

On 1/16/2022 at 1:20 PM, AlexCherie said:

You want to be tested before you get to the dock, within the parameters required. Here is why: if you fail at the dock, they’ll test you a second time to get you onboard. You fail the second time, and you can’t substantiate a passing grade at home, they aren’t covering you for the cost of your cruise. Period, full stop.

Boy, wish HAL had that policy. For a Jan 17th 2022 cruise, I had a negative 48hr PCR test at home. At the dock in San Diego, I got a positive antigen test with no chance for a retest. My husband was negative, and we were both denied boarding. The highlight of this was that on Jan 25th at home, I got an online report from the company that did the pier testing (presumably because I had signed up on their web site prior to the cruise, but not sure) that my test at the pier was NEGATIVE. A second test at the pier (denied) would've possibly allowed us to board. We were very disappointed to miss the cruise unexpectedly.

What is "Privee"?

On 1/30/2022 at 9:27 AM, alaskaca said:

This loss of information is a common occurrence on weekends on the Oceania website. I think this is what you’re experiencing.
The weekend is when Oceania does it’s website maintenance and the missing information is part of that. It’s still there, just not visible to you. 

Thanks for this information. On Saturday I was trying to pay my deposit (due on Monday), and was told "to contact Reservations", so I thought I would have to wait until Monday to pay directly. After I read this, I tried again Sunday to "Manage My Account" and the payment window opened right up! So, they got my money...for now, until I make my final payment decision in 2 months or so.🤔

I did quite a few searches and could not find the dining room hours for the various dining venues, except for the specialty dining booking hours. I am mostly interested in the breakfast hours for the main dining and the venue wherever a more casual breakfast is served. I am a late riser, so usually have to rush to get to breakfast on most ships😊. Also would like to know about the GDR open dining procedure; if you go at anytime, is there sometimes a wait to get in? How do they let you know a table is ready? I also read within some other threads that you can eat by yourselves and not have to join others, unless that is your preference...is this how it works? We prefer to dine alone, unless we do meet some new friends on a cruise. Thanks for any info!

5 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

So - was it a mistake in the report or were the positive results assumed to be for another passenger?

I would prefer to hear from the OP.

I do not know the answer to those questions. I did assume that my results were switched with another, but do not know that for sure. The result from the pier test (which I would assume was the same as the results sent to me, since it's date and time (12:05pm 1/16/22)  were accurate) was not the same as reported to me at pier, so there was some kind of procedural error from the test "tent" to whoever was processing test failures for HAL. We were given  group number slips (ours was #14) and the number was put on a white piece of paper which we gave to the person who actually performed the test. I think my name was on the sheet (it's all a blur) which was left at the tent.

 I do not know what happened to that sheet, but I suspect that could be the source of the problem.

7 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Did the testing company admit that they had switched results with another passenger's result for the OP's results? Or was it just that they misread the OP's results?

Neither. There was nothing in the report except the results. I don't think the report had anything to do with the error. It was just a lab report like you get for any medical condition.

7 hours ago, DAllenTCY said:

The OP stated  "Today we received an official email from the company that provided the testing on the dock. My official antigen result was NEGATIVE, not positive, and we should have been allowed to cruise."  

 

I presume that "Today" was January 25th....9 days later than the test?  

 

Did they reply due to a request from you?

 

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

No. The email on Jan. 25th was totally unexpected. Not sure why we got it, except that I had previously opened up an account on their (DocGo) website. I don't know if anyone else boarding that day has gotten any results from them. Actually, I hadn't thought of this (why did we get this?) until you just asked. I assumed everyone with an email address had gotten one. Of course, most of those people are still cruising.

23 minutes ago, DAllenTCY said:

It seems to me that if the testing company admitted fault, they should be held responsible for any compensation.

 

David

I'm not sure the testing company knew what happened with the result after they ran the test. I'm not sure how my negative test got into the hands of someone at the HAL pier as a positive. To follow that "trail" would be interesting. The RRT testing company did not send me my results to admit fault; my husband also got the results and was negative at the pier and on his report.

5 hours ago, DAllenTCY said:

Covid testing was not done by Holland America. 

 

DocGo is the contracted medical company.

 

Interesting to me is that 20+ who tested negative at the pier, are now in isolation onboard due to positive results a few days later.

 

It makes one wonder just how accurate these rapid tests are? 

 

David

 

 

 

 

Yes I know about DocGo; in fact I was registered with them and was going to book a paid test at the pier on 1/16 until I found out HAL was testing everyone that day. Because I had an account with DocGo, I was quickly able to get the printout of my result at home yesterday. Boy, was I surprised!

Since 20+ people are in isolation, their negative tests were evidently wrong, OR they were possibly infected by the person who got my negative result but was actually positive...or the tests are inaccurate.

8 hours ago, Andi Land said:

I have a coworker who tested positive with the rapid test and then had the PCR test done. The PCR came back negative. So, he got on his flight to Florida in December to go on his cruise. Well, his trip got really interesting from there. The local Public Health department reached out to see how he was feeling. He told them he was great and sitting on a cruise to the Caribbean. The Public Health department then reported him to the CDC. CDC then called Holland America. Holland America hunted him down, retested him and he came back with another negative test result. At the CDCs insistence, he was quarantined until the end of the cruise and that was that. 
 

They (HAL and CDC) all stated that since he had one positive result none of the negatives mattered. 

That story is worse than mine! How can one positive outweigh a newer PCR negative?

8 hours ago, zelker said:

f it were me, I would be telling HAL that you are extremely disappointed in how this whole thing was handled and that you want a 100% refund rather than FCCs. 

That is exactly what I asked for...will it happen???

10 hours ago, syesmar said:

Oh my!

Was the purpose of the official email to send a copy of your test results, or to notify you of the error? Were you provided a copy of the results at the port? Have you notified HAL?

Thanks for the heads up!

Not to notify..my husband was neg at the pier and on the result they also sent him.

No results on paper at pier. Just a letter explaining why we were denied boarding.

Yes, I've notified HAL via Guest Services.

18 minutes ago, seattlecruiser said:

Assuming current cancellation penalties are the deposit between days 76-90 and 50% between days 61-75 and final payment is at day 60, what would happen if I canceled the cruise before final payment but after day 75 (i.e. between days 61 and 75)?   HAL has my deposit and would not refund that, but how would they get the rest of the 50% penalty?  Charge my card?  Bill me?

I've been wondering the same thing since the 60-day final payment change started. Guess we will have to hear from someone who did cancel between 61 and 75...🤔

For those who didn't read the January 16th Koningsdam thread, I am here to report on a followup to my (supposedly) POSITIVE  test I received as part of the boarding procedure on 1/16. I had tested NEGATIVE on a 1/14/22 pre-cruise test PCR as required by HAL. At the dock I tested POSITIVE and my husband was negative, and we were sent to the COVID "corral" and denied boarding without any chance to retest. There were about 12 of us in the confined area, only 1/2 of whom tested positive, so it shouldn't have been too hard to retest the few of us. Some may remember we decided to fly home that day, without quarantining, because I didn't think I was positive, due to the previous negative test.  Today we received an official email from the company that provided the testing on the dock. My official antigen result was NEGATIVE, not positive, and we should have been allowed to cruise. There was obviously an error between my test and my name getting mixed up with someone who was POSITIVE  instead of me (and who proceded onboard to infect others). This is a very serious error by the HAL team at the dock and resulted in us not getting to cruise. I am quite disappointed with HAL and the whole situation that ensued as my decision to fly was derided by some on this board.

6 hours ago, PSR said:

 

I overheard we were given a PCR test at embarkation. We did not get a chance for a 2nd test. 

I need to update this. My husband and I were both emailed today an official updated report from the company that administered the tests on boarding day for the 1/16 Hawaii  cruise. It was an antigen test, but I was not offered a PCR to confirm as was mentioned in a post above. I supposedly tested POSITIVE and we were denied boarding. The report sent today said I tested NEGATIVE on 1/16. I should have been allowed to board. This is a HUGE mistake by the boarding team and will be taken up with HAL, somehow. I don't have a TA to deal with it, so it may be a long haul.

4 hours ago, Clutj said:

I can never get the search function to work…

The search function is a little hard to use; you have to be pretty specific in your search words. Use "and" to search for 2 words. Like "beverage and package" instead of "beverage package". With the latter you get everything with beverage OR package. The best thing to do is when it asks you to "search in", choose "This Forum" if you want to search Oceania, for example, or choose "This Topic" if you want to search within a certain thread on the Oceania (I think this is the right order). Hope this helps. I am not a real expert in this.🙂

Thank you all! On cruises we drink more cocktails in the evening than wine, so the prestige package will probably be a good choice. We only have a glass of wine with dinner at home, and don't usually drink much more on a cruise. We usually don't drink in the AM or afternoon, even on a cruise.

We may be going on an Oceania cruise in June 2022.  We have selected the basic beverage package but found out it can only be used for meals and may want to upgrade to the higher (premium (name?)) package. If we choose that, is there a price limit for the cocktail/wine by the glass choices, such as $12+/-? I did find a 2019 bar price list online to get an idea for beverage prices. We are newbies.  Thanks for any info!

10 minutes ago, Cruizer Diana said:

I thought an antigen test was conducted at embarkation and a PCR was used to confirm a positive antigen tests. Was HAL giving a PCR at embarkation?

I overheard we were given a PCR test at embarkation. We did not get a chance for a 2nd test. 

23 hours ago, LocoLoco1 said:

Common sense says that especially now Air needs to be booked thru HAL.... for what if they merge cruises/change the embarkation date etc etc at last minute. That would entail a new flight, a new testing regimen as well. Hmm.

Is that because if you book through HAL, they will help you rebook and there are no fees to change, or another reason?

4 hours ago, cruzin4us said:

 

I guess my point is that we as cruisers should probably take a PCR test a week or so before we sail (not the Antigen test) just to make sure we don't show a positive reading from a covid infection we didn't even know we had....does this make sense?   

A negative PCR test even 48hrs before the pre-boarding test does not guarantee a negative PCR test at the dock....

On 1/19/2022 at 4:54 AM, zelker said:

Within 1 year of them being issued from what I read in the Terms and Conditions.

Hmm...I just reread the letter I got when we were denied boarding on 1/16/22 and at the end it says the FCC have to be used to cruise before 12/31/22. That's not very much time, less than a year. Maybe the date will be modified when I actually get the FCCs. 

14 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

I am curious as to why you didn't rent a car and drive home?

I takes 7-8 hours to drive from San Diego to our home. Neither my husband nor I are comfortable driving long distances any longer.

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

 

Curious, what lines have you flown in the last two years?  (And particularly in the last year, once COVID protocols started becoming a bit more standardized.) Because airlines ARE asking that question.

 

Or did you just fudge it?

 

 

We just flew Alaska on Sunday (as you well know) and they definitely did not ask it, and if they had we would have told them I was positive. By the way, I haven't tested positive with 2 at home tests since the pre-cruise test. Yes, I know they aren't 100%.

6 hours ago, cccole said:

In the last 9 months, before checking in on-line, we have had to complete a health questionnaire on Alaska, United, Southwest, Delta, and Hawaiian.  It's just part of the on=line check in process.  Our boarding passes are not available until completed.  Cherie   

Strange...I have never seen that.