THE Big Problem With Cruising as a Canadian Resident Right Now....

[broberts]

Carnival, a sister brand only promises to assist with making hotel arrangements and indicates costs are to be paid by the passenger.

 

[lx200gps]

41 minutes ago, broberts said:

Carnival, a sister brand only promises to assist with making hotel arrangements and indicates costs are to be paid by the passenger.

 

It seems to vary by cruise line then. Princess's web site, for example, says:

 

1. Can I book my own hotel if I am required to quarantine post-disembarkation before returning home?
   Hotel accommodations will be arranged by Princess with one of our contracted hotel partners. Should you select a different hotel, you will be reimbursed only for the amount of the contracted hotel rate. Any incidental charges, costs related to room upgrades and additional room nights in excess of what is provided by Princess, requested or arranged by you, is your responsibility. Princess will provide hotel accommodations until a medical professional clears you to travel home.
2. What is the definition of "reasonable expenses"?
   Reasonable expenses are Princess-approved hotel charges, daily meal allowance and reasonable airline change fees (costs not waived by third party providers). This program also covers reasonable and customary post-disembarkation medical costs specifically related to COVID-19 and denied by the guest’s primary insurer. Note: the program will not cover medical charges incurred after guests are cleared to travel home.

[Evilmuffin]

If they give me a PCR test on the ship just before disembarkation and it comes back positive, I think they should just have to keep me on the ship in the same cabin until I am medically cleared to go home.  LOL….

[SilvertoGold]

2 hours ago, Evilmuffin said:

Perhaps I read this wrong but it’s on their website:

 

Yes, I see that.  I was wondering if this has anything to do with purchasing HAL's Platinum Plan? Or is this just what they are doing as part of the cruise fare with their several guarantees, etc.?

[ilovetotravel1977]

Hopefully these lines extend their protocols for positive cases, whether it is paying for quarantine hotels and expense or flying the parties home via private transportation.

[Evilmuffin]

1 hour ago, SilvertoGold said:

Yes, I see that.  I was wondering if this has anything to do with purchasing HAL's Platinum Plan? Or is this just what they are doing as part of the cruise fare with their several guarantees, etc.?

From my understanding, it had nothing to do with their Cancelation Plans (Standard or Platinum), it was their COVID Protection Program they have put in place.   Originally it stated for all cruises that were booked before end Sep and are departing prior to end Dec 2021.   I do see that they changed the dates online to April 2022.    

 

I purchased the Platinum Plan this time because if I need to cancel, I would prefer to have the actual money vice FCC.   I have 5 trips booked and paid for until end of 2023 so I won’t most likely can’t take another cruise until then.   

[lx200gps]

13 hours ago, ilovetotravel1977 said:

Hopefully these lines extend their protocols for positive cases, whether it is paying for quarantine hotels and expense or flying the parties home via private transportation.

I don't think actually flying people back to their home country would be part of any cruise lines current offerings for those who test positive post-cruise, though it would be wonderful if they did.  If you had specific medevac coverage that included COVID (Medipac perhaps?), I wonder whether they would fly us home if we simply were positive but totally asymptomatic?  Also unlikely?

[ilovetotravel1977]

32 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

I don't think actually flying people back to their home country would be part of any cruise lines current offerings for those who test positive post-cruise, though it would be wonderful if they did.  If you had specific medevac coverage that included COVID (Medipac perhaps?), I wonder whether they would fly us home if we simply were positive but totally asymptomatic?  Also unlikely?

Royal does do this.  They have done it multiple times already and it is in their terms. They charter a private plane or jet and fly the infected people/party home to their airport, then arrange private transportation to their home. There have been documented accounts of this happening already. I think Celebrity has done it as well.

 

I haven’t read of any Canadian requiring this service yet (I doubt many are actually cruising right now).

[lx200gps]

24 minutes ago, ilovetotravel1977 said:

Royal does do this.  They have done it multiple times already and it is in their terms. They charter a private plane or jet and fly the infected people/party home to their airport, then arrange private transportation to their home. There have been documented accounts of this happening already. I think Celebrity has done it as well.

 

I haven’t read of any Canadian requiring this service yet (I doubt many are actually cruising right now).

I knew that some cruise lines had flown a few people home in the early days of the restart, but I assumed this was a very early policy and would not be in effect any more due to its very high cost. It's pretty impressive that they would spend 5 figures chartering a plane to fly a person back to Canada who was asymptomatic, in no health danger and not in need of medical care, simply because they tested positive and wanted to go home to quarantine. I sure wish Princess would be so accommodating

[ilovetotravel1977]

@lx200gps I believe they are doing it until Oct 31? Who knows if that will be extended or not once Nov 1 rolls around the CSO is over with.

[SilvertoGold]

16 hours ago, Evilmuffin said:

From my understanding, it had nothing to do with their Cancelation Plans (Standard or Platinum), it was their COVID Protection Program they have put in place.   Originally it stated for all cruises that were booked before end Sep and are departing prior to end Dec 2021.   I do see that they changed the dates online to April 2022.    

 

I purchased the Platinum Plan this time because if I need to cancel, I would prefer to have the actual money vice FCC.   I have 5 trips booked and paid for until end of 2023 so I won’t most likely can’t take another cruise until then.   

Thanks so much for your info.  Hope all your cruises sail!

[Russ Lomas]

On 9/16/2021 at 1:23 PM, Magicat said:

@K_e_short can you not just take your lap top with you and Zoom to class? We have a friend that has been teaching via zoom since January while living in Mexico. He is doing it for an Ontario school board too.

I saw someone this morning on the Promenade in a Zoom or Teams meeting. I should have brought my laptop and worked remotely without using any vacation time.

In Ontario (at least in the school board I work for), all remote teachers must report to work in a home school this year.  They are no longer permitted to teach from home, cottage, or other location (like your friend in Mexico).  Last year this was not the case, but this year, your friend would be reporting to an empty classroom, office, or even a storage closet, where they are told they must work from daily this year.

 

On 9/21/2021 at 9:25 AM, ilovetotravel1977 said:

Royal does do this.  They have done it multiple times already and it is in their terms. They charter a private plane or jet and fly the infected people/party home to their airport, then arrange private transportation to their home. There have been documented accounts of this happening already. I think Celebrity has done it as well.

 

I haven’t read of any Canadian requiring this service yet (I doubt many are actually cruising right now).

I have read about this happening several times but never to a non-US citizen, so until it actually happens, I guess we will never know.  As the policy is stated, they would fly you to your local Canadian airport on a private plane and then provide transportation for you to get to your home.

[ilovetotravel1977]

21 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

I have read about this happening several times but never to a non-US citizen, so until it actually happens, I guess we will never know.  As the policy is stated, they would fly you to your local Canadian airport on a private plane and then provide transportation for you to get to your home

 

Isn’t that what I typed? 

Edited September 26, 2021 by ilovetotravel1977

[Taylan13]

So, we have a cruise on Carnival next August in Europe. Canadians need a negative PCR test to get home. Fast antigen test doesn't count? How long does it take to get results? Would getting the test at one of the ports before disembarkation work? So many questions! May need to cancel as it ends on Sep 2 and we need our kids home for school by the 5th. Thoughts?

[broberts]

4 hours ago, Taylan13 said:

Thoughts?

 

Little point in worrying about it now. Regulations will likely change at least once in the next 10 months.

[Fouremco]

6 hours ago, Taylan13 said:

Thoughts?

I agree, it's far to early to start worrying about that now, given the rate of changing regulations. However, it wouldn't hurt to do a bit of research on test facilities in your city of disembarkation. Google "[city name] pcr testing" and you'll get a ton of information. As you'll see, there are plenty of rapid PCR tests available, so there should be no need to cancel because of concern over a delayed return. 

[DirtyDawg]

6 hours ago, Taylan13 said:

Thoughts?

Agree with the others, 10 months is an eternity in this pandemic. Regulations will likely be changed by next August.  

 

BTW, with your timeline, you might want to do the kids back to school shopping before your cruise. 

[K_e_short]

9 hours ago, Taylan13 said:

So, we have a cruise on Carnival next August in Europe. Canadians need a negative PCR test to get home. Fast antigen test doesn't count? How long does it take to get results? Would getting the test at one of the ports before disembarkation work? So many questions! May need to cancel as it ends on Sep 2 and we need our kids home for school by the 5th. Thoughts?

 

I also have a cruise booked out of London next July.

 

I am not worried as things are going to change.

 

If a PCR test is required I am going to hope that the airport will offer it. So many airports are offering it as they need to offer that service to get business back.

 

Many airports offer PCR tests with a turn around time of under an hour.  

[Welly9]

1 hour ago, K_e_short said:

 

I also have a cruise booked out of London next July.

 

I am not worried as things are going to change.

 

If a PCR test is required I am going to hope that the airport will offer it. So many airports are offering it as they need to offer that service to get business back.

 

Many airports offer PCR tests with a turn around time of under an hour.  

lets not forget at ~$300+/- USD each

[Taylan13]

Thanks for your input! I'm going to watch it closely and be ready to cancel if it needed. It is an expensive add-on for a family of 4! 

[K_e_short]

5 hours ago, Welly9 said:

lets not forget at ~$300+/- USD each

 

Yep.

Thats one reason I am eager to cruise with Carnival. I am getting really good deals with them which will offset the cost of testing, etc.

 

I also booked early and got a really good deal on our All Inclusive for March Break.

 

I don't think testing is going away any time soon so just an added cost to add to your vacation budget.

 

[bjay3]

I must really be dense but I think I need an explanation of the impact of the Canadian government "cat. 4" on cruising🤪

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, bjay3 said:

I must really be dense but I think I need an explanation of the impact of the Canadian government "cat. 4" on cruising🤪

The only practical impact as far as I'm concerned is on the availability of travel insurance. Many companies won't cover you for any COVID-related expenses while the advisory is in place, while others will cover direct medical expenses related to COVID but not trip interruption or cancellation.

[bjay3]

16 hours ago, Fouremco said:

The only practical impact as far as I'm concerned is on the availability of travel insurance. Many companies won't cover you for any COVID-related expenses while the advisory is in place, while others will cover direct medical expenses related to COVID but not trip interruption or cancellation.

Thanks for confirming what I already thought! I was beginning to think I had missed something. My insurance won't cover Covid related expense.

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, bjay3 said:

Thanks for confirming what I already thought! I was beginning to think I had missed something. My insurance won't cover Covid related expense.

Given the general level of success in keeping cruises COVID free since the restart, I have to wonder how long the GOC will keep the cruise travel advisory in place. As many have posted on CC post-cruise, they felt safer aboard a cruise ship with everyone fully vaccinated and tested than they do going to do their grocery shopping at home.