Royal Now Requires Covid Test For All Passengers

[helen haywood]

Just was reading this on the Royal Boards.  Certainly hope Celebrity doesn’t institute requiring this as well.

 

For Sailings 5 Nights Or Longer: Important Update For Guests
All guests age 2 and older — regardless of vaccination status — will need to take a COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) with an accredited test provider, such as a drugstore chain or diagnostic lab, no more than 3 days before arriving at the terminal for embarkation. Guests will need to show their negative test result upon arriving at the terminal. The results can be printedout, or can be presented on your phone, such as the email result from your test provider. Costs associated with this test are the guests' responsibility. This requirement is subject to change as we evaluate public health recommendations,and booked guests will be advised of the latest requirements before sailing.

[wrk2cruise]

Wouldn't be surprised if Celebrity follows suit.

[paulh84]

It’s just a matter of time before they add extra precautionary layers. Or a test at the pier. Unfortunately things have changed drastically since Celebrity started cruising from FL a month ago. 

[C-Dragons]

X has to sail with 95% of passengers vaccinated and 98% of the crew vaccinated per the CDC.  Royal is sailing under different rules, their passengers do not have to be vaccinated.

We got off the Edge on Saturday, no one had to wear masks and unvaccinated guests were subject to being tested. There were no Covid outbreaks.

[cantstopingcruising]

I think it is an excellent idea. My grandchildren went to sleep-away camp and everyone had to be tested first. There were no outbreaks at camps (so far). And the kids under 12 were not vaccinated.

 

Safefy and health come first.  I don't understand why so many people do not realize this.

[helen haywood]

Unfortunately there have been two covid positive passengers on the current Edge sailing.  I agree that Royal is sailing under different requirements.  I wouldn’t mind X doing a test prior to boarding…just having to do it ourselves when traveling to the port is tricky.

[sherylc]

I also would be fine with a rapid test just prior to boarding paid for by Celebrity, especially if that would allow everyone to remain maskless both on the ship and in port. 

[C-Dragons]

17 minutes ago, sherylc said:

I also would be fine with a rapid test just prior to boarding paid for by Celebrity, especially if that would allow everyone to remain maskless both on the ship and in port. 

The requirements for mask wearing are determined by the port of the country the ship is in. So even though vaccinated passengers would not be required to wear masks on board the ship, masks could still be required when getting off the ship.

Edited July 30, 2021 by C-Dragons

[iamaqt2]

I would like to see this added by Celebrity, but done as a rapid test at embarkation and provided by the cruiseline.  

[viperfoth]

10 minutes ago, iamaqt2 said:

I would like to see this added by Celebrity, but done as a rapid test at embarkation and provided by the cruiseline.  

I agree.   I leave in 2 days and this little of notice would be tough for us.  
 

I am all for testing at the pier.  

[helen haywood]

I’d just like confirmation on exactly what the three days prior to the cruise means. We drive two days to the port.  So if the cruise departed on Saturday, could we get the test done on Wednesday? 

[iamaqt2]

25 minutes ago, viperfoth said:

I agree.   I leave in 2 days and this little of notice would be tough for us.  
 

I am all for testing at the pier.  

I leave tomorrow.. so I know it's not happening for me.  But it would have been nice if they did.

[sherylc]

3rd Covid case on Millennium right now.  Does seem prudent to test everyone before leaving. Just before boarding sounds even wiser than 3 days prior to decrease cases on board.

[iamaqt2]

3 minutes ago, sherylc said:

3rd Covid case on Millennium right now.  Does seem prudent to test everyone before leaving. Just before boarding sounds even wiser than 3 days prior to decrease cases on board.

I hadn't heard that.  Yes.. testing before boarding seems very prudent at this point.  

 

[WonderMan3]

Unfortunately I think this is necessary based on the reports we are seeing about breakthrough infections. We have had over 800 people infected from a recent outbreak in my town and around 74% of them were in vaccinated people. I will say though that having a test 3 days prior to boarding is kind of useless since many passengers will be flying in and staying at hotels where they could have contact with many different people. There should be an additional rapid test done at time of boarding.

Edited July 30, 2021 by WonderMan3

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, iamaqt2 said:

I would like to see this added by Celebrity, but done as a rapid test at embarkation and provided by the cruiseline.  

I too would like to see a rapid test at the pier and while it would be nice if X paid I would pay for it.  If we have to pay for a pre cruise test would be a lot easier to do a rapid test at the pier.

[CalTexCruiser]

The study based on the large number of breakthrough cases in Provincetown showed that 1) vaccinated people shed the same amount of virus as unvaccinated, and 2) vaccinated people were transmitting to one another.

 

So definitely testing at the pier is a good idea.  The data is increasing showing that vaccines are not very good at preventing delta infections

 

Israel’s conclusion that Pfizer was 39% effective against delta was right after all 

[upwarduk]

3 hours ago, helen haywood said:

I’d just like confirmation on exactly what the three days prior to the cruise means. We drive two days to the port.  So if the cruise departed on Saturday, could we get the test done on Wednesday? 

Round Britain staycation

Celebrity UK already require a negative  PCR test taken 3 days before boarding. This was clarified as per attached table as instructions were confusing, in one place it said 72 hours before boarding, on another 72 hrs before sailing.

Celebrity send out an email about 3 weeks before boarding, to book a free test with Eurofins. If there is no Eurofins site close, then you can book with another provider and claim the money back from Celebrity.

Our test is booked for Tuesday 3rd August in the morning, hopefully boarding 6th August.🙏

[isdoo]

Already are in the UK. 

 

Am sure it will be rolled out globally. 

 

Tomorrow is the first cruise requiring it on Celebrity, so maybe they are waiting for feedback first. 

[DCPIV]

I'm all for testing before cruising, but I'm not sold on the idea of rapid testing at the pier.  Boarding can be something of a Charley Foxtrot as it is right now.  Adding the testing steps ain't going to help that at all (get in line to test, go hang out in the bullpen for your results, madness ensues).  Rapid tests are very accurate for asymptomatic cases, so I don't know how much that mess buys you over having passengers do a PCR test earlier.

 

All the cruisers sailing from St. Maartin have had to show a negative PCR test result before boarding.  There's been some confusion on how to time the test (mostly due to some imprecise language from Celebrity), but it's worked out fairly well.  We sail tomorrow and went for a same-day result PCR test yesterday.  I know it's difficult on some and very difficult on others, but that's the price we pay for the life we choose right now.  Here's hoping this is a non-issue soon.

 

6 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

I will say though that having a test 3 days prior to boarding is kind of useless since many passengers will be flying in and staying at hotels where they could have contact with many different people. There should be an additional rapid test done at time of boarding.

 

A rapid test at the pier might help a little, but it won't detect anyone who's contracted COVID while travelling the day of the cruise, and it very likely would not detect a case contracted while travelling a day or two before.

[CruiseMelissa]

2 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

A rapid test at the pier might help a little, but it won't detect anyone who's contracted COVID while travelling the day of the cruise, and it very likely would not detect a case contracted while travelling a day or two before.

I didn't realize that, is that because it takes longer than those few days to have enough viral load in the nose to detect?  Or something else?

[DCPIV]

2 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

I didn't realize that, is that because it takes longer than those few days to have enough viral load in the nose to detect?  Or something else?

 

You pretty much nailed it.  It appears that COVID isn't detectable by PCR test until around 1-3 days prior to symptoms appearing, and it seems to take around 5-6 days after contracting for symptoms to show up (although it can be longer).  It's during that period when viral load is at it's highest.

 

Antigen ("rapid") tests have even less sensitivity because they require a higher viral load to return a positive result.  That's why they are less reliable in asymptomatic cases.

 

All that is why some cases slip through.  The good news is that, as it seems, very few cases slip through.  The better news is that vaccination also appears to keep those isolated cases from infecting the whole ship.

[cscurlock]

6 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

You pretty much nailed it.  It appears that COVID isn't detectable by PCR test until around 1-3 days prior to symptoms appearing, and it seems to take around 5-6 days after contracting for symptoms to show up (although it can be longer).  It's during that period when viral load is at it's highest.

 

Antigen ("rapid") tests have even less sensitivity because they require a higher viral load to return a positive result.  That's why they are less reliable in asymptomatic cases.

 

All that is why some cases slip through.  The good news is that, as it seems, very few cases slip through.  The better news is that vaccination also appears to keep those isolated cases from infecting the whole ship.

It also doesn't help that the D variant has about 1000 times more load than the original version of the virus.  Apparently its as easy as getting chickenpox now. 

[Cruise a holic]

This is why I believe I am not ready to cruise.  While we had the vaccine- who needs to be worried about any quarantine or issues on the ship.  I want to totally enjoy our next cruise- we waited so long- will wait a few more months.  

 

Hopefully, most will get the vaccine by then.

[Miaminice]

I am all for it! 

 

Although I am vaccinated I could be part of a spread withouth knowing it.
If all it takes to help (I know nothing is 100%) and to make sure I don´t harm others is a simple test like we have done it a hundred times by now - WHY NOT???!!!

 

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Miaminice