Just booked Royal Caribbean Jan 20 2022

[edrussell]

Hi everyone and fellow Canadians.  This is only my second post on the board so I hope it meets all the criteria for posting here.  My wife and I just booked a 8 day sailing on Enchantment of the Seas out of Baltimore.  This is our first ever cruise so needless to say we are both excited and anxious at the same time.  Add the pandemic fun to it and we are full of questions.  This isn't our first international trip from Canada during the pandemic, we were in Las Vegas in September and are actually heading to Mexico on Tuesday of next week.   We are familiar with testing procedures etc but I'd love to have someone verify my information I have gathered thus far.  We are fully vaccinated with mixed vaccines (AZ and Moderna) however that doesn't appear to be an issue anymore.  We plan on driving from Ontario (we live about 30 minutes from the Peace Bridge) to the port.  I realize that a LOT could change between now and Jan of 2022, but I would at least like to be confident I am not missing the obvious.  I believe we are going to need a negative PCR or Antigen to board the ship and to cross the border so I'd expect the timing to be fine to obtain that test at Shoppers (which is where we were tested for Vegas) or Walmart here in Ontario before we leave.  I was able to confirm with the CSR that we are able to get a free PCR test for return to Canada onboard.

 

Am I missing anything else as far as hurdles go to sail?  If there is anyone that is on the same sailing I'd love to connect as I had mentioned this is our first ever cruise.  If there are any important pointers or resources for me to look into I am all ears.  We have watched a bunch of youtube videos already and I am sure we are going to watch many more.  Maybe even next week while sipping a drink in the Rivera Maya.  

 

We picked up the cruise last night from Myvegas (just got lucky when they released a batch) so the base fare was free, we did upgrade to an oceanview for 16 each for the cruise duration.  We also pre-paid our gratuities.  I am not sure if either of those decisions was wise.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

 

[Fouremco]

Welcome to CC and the Canadian Cruisers board.

 

You seem to have things well in hand, but I just wanted to comment that the CDC still hasn't announced a decision on the requirement for a negative COVID test when driving into the US starting November 8th. While it probably won't make any difference to your plans, if they don't implement a test requirement you'll have a bit more flexibility. For example, should a major storm be forecast for your travel day, you could leave a day or so early to avoid the storm and get your tests in Baltimore.

 

To meet others on your sailing, your best bet is going to your Roll Call. You'll get the concept once you start reading posts there. And contributing your own. Here's a link for you:

 

 

Cheers.

[nickiford]

The only other thing to consider is to confirm that your medical travel coverage will cover you if the Level 4 Avoid all travel for cruises is still in place in January.  There are alternate policies that you can purchase that will cover you despite the travel advisory.  There are other threads on this board with insurance recommendations.

[lx200gps]

12 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Welcome to CC and the Canadian Cruisers board.

 

You seem to have things well in hand, but I just wanted to comment that the CDC still hasn't announced a decision on the requirement for a negative COVID test when driving into the US starting November 8th. While it probably won't make any difference to your plans, if they don't implement a test requirement you'll have a bit more flexibility. For example, should a major storm be forecast for your travel day, you could leave a day or so early to avoid the storm and get your tests in Baltimore.

 

To meet others on your sailing, your best bet is going to your Roll Call. You'll get the concept once you start reading posts there. And contributing your own. Here's a link for you:

 

 

Cheers.

The only other pre-travel document that comes to mind is the CDC Attestation Form stating that you either tested negative or already recovered, but AFAIK, that currently only applies to travel into the US by air, and is not needed if driving?

[Fouremco]

14 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

The only other pre-travel document that comes to mind is the CDC Attestation Form stating that you either tested negative or already recovered, but AFAIK, that currently only applies to travel into the US by air, and is not needed if driving?

Correct. Unless the CDC decides over the next few days to implement a negative test requirement for land crossings, the Attestation form won't be required. With each passing day, I think that the possibility gets smaller and smaller.

[edrussell]

Thanks everyone for the information.  I very much appreciated.  Fouremco you are absolutely correct in that it has not yet been decided if a negative test is required for land crossings.  I was aware of that, but neglected to put it in my initial post.  With that said I need one anyway for boarding the cruise so I was figuring I'd need one anyway.  Given the timing we also would likely get it in Ontario before crossing.

 

nickiford that is a very good point.  Could you point me in the direction of the threads that contain information about potential coverage for Canadians which would cover us under Level 4 avoid cruises?

 

We are very nervous about the entire trip to be honest but I am willing to go ahead.  How is everyone else feeling about upcoming cruises?

[StanleyandGus]

We have a b2b in January out of Galveston. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about it! 

 

The American numbers are declining, but I gather that masking is a thing of the past (except the ship). Even though we’re in Saskatchewan, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated, and masks are very much de rigeur here! Obviously, we will be sensible and avoid problematic situations.

I am waiting (hopefully) for the Level 4 “Don’t Go On a Cruise Ship, You Moron” to be dropped so that we can get insurance. If it’s not, then will probably cancel.

[Fouremco]

We are the same in Ottawa, with 86% fully vaccinated and 90% with at least one shot, but everywhere you go, people are wearing masks.

 

Our next cruise isn't until March, and we are insured and will probably go. If people in Fort Lauderdale are shocked to see DW and I wearing masks, that's their problem.  

[BatchawanaBabe]

We had booked a 7 day Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Epic sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico on January 30th.  The CDC issued Level 4 "do not travel" advisories for 15 Caribbean countries two weeks ago.  Included are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Sent Maarten, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia.  This list includes most of our ports.  

 

We've decided to cancel this cruise, spend the winter in our Florida condo where we can limit our interaction with others, and wait to cruise.  We do have a Panama Canal cruise booked, leaving from Seattle to Miami a year from now, by which time we hope things have calmed down.

 

Fouremco: regarding your comment on wearing masks in Fort Lauderdale, our friends in Florida (West Palm Beach/Boynton Beach area) report instances of masks being ripped off the faces of people wearing them so please be aware!

[Fouremco]

9 minutes ago, BatchawanaBabe said:

We had booked a 7 day Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Epic sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico on January 30th.  The CDC issued Level 4 "do not travel" advisories for 15 Caribbean countries two weeks ago.  Included are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Sent Maarten, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia.  This list includes most of our ports.  

 

We've decided to cancel this cruise, spend the winter in our Florida condo where we can limit our interaction with others, and wait to cruise.  We do have a Panama Canal cruise booked, leaving from Seattle to Miami a year from now, by which time we hope things have calmed down.

 

Fouremco: regarding your comment on wearing masks in Fort Lauderdale, our friends in Florida (West Palm Beach/Boynton Beach area) report instances of masks being ripped off the faces of people wearing them so please be aware!

Ironically, the CDC global map shows the US as a colour-coded Level 4 country, but does not include the US in the Level 4 or any other of its lists as it is not a foreign destination. I'm not convinced that staying in the US, Florida in particular, is necessarily a healthier choice.

 

I appreciate the heads up on masks being ripped off. Hopefully our limited time in Fort Lauderdale, most of which will be spent in our hotel, will help us avoid some of the more extreme DeSantis disciples.

 

[edrussell]

Which insurance company/policy are people going with that cover us under the current circumstances (if there are any)?

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by edrussell

[nickiford]

I have researched and found that if you are in Ontario you can purchase Blue Cross.  I have screenshots that say it will cover you for medical including Covid, on a cruise, even though the advisory is to avoid travel.  It's in their FAQ.  It will not cover you for trip cancellation due to Covid or if a quarantine is required.  It is my understanding I have my trip cancellation covered through my booking credit card, and the quarantine if required is covered through RCI until the end of this year and I'm hoping that they will extend (as Celebrity did) until the end of April.  

[Fouremco]

40 minutes ago, edrussell said:

Which insurance company/policy are people going with that cover us under the current circumstances (if there are any)?

 

There are multiple threads here discussing insurance companies and their coverage. The circumstance that poses the greatest difficulty is the GOC travel advisory against all cruising outside Canada. Some companies will not cover you while the advisory is in place, while others will. In some case, there is conflicting information about a company's stance.

 

That said, Blue Cross seems to be a popular choice for Ontarians. Johnson Insurance too if you are eligible for group insurance with them. If you have any type of insurance through your employer, check with them.  

[BatchawanaBabe]

35 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Ironically, the CDC global map shows the US as a colour-coded Level 4 country, but does not include the US in the Level 4 or any other of its lists as it is not a foreign destination. I'm not convinced that staying in the US, Florida in particular, is necessarily a healthier choice.

 

I appreciate the heads up on masks being ripped off. Hopefully our limited time in Fort Lauderdale, most of which will be spent in our hotel, will help us avoid some of the more extreme DeSantis disciples.

 

Yes, thank you for your concern.  We realize what the situation is like, especially in Florida since we've been going there for over 50 years.  We plan on limiting our interaction with others and won't be going out shopping, to concerts, restaurants, etc as we had in the past.  Our condo community has had no cases of Covid and all we really want to do is enjoy the warm weather and swim in the pool since I have health issues that preclude me from most other forms of exercise.  We'd feel safer there than on a cruise ship which has thousands of cruisers and staff, not to mention how many people we'd interact with in port.

 

In addition, many people aren't aware that Florida has monoclonal antibody treatment sites that can provide treatment during the early stages of Covid. This treatment can prevent/reduce severe Covid symptoms, yet we have minimal access to it in Canada.  https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-case-for-monoclonal-antibody-treatments-for-covid-valuable-tools-not-being-used-in-canada

 

Further info and location details is available at floridahealthcovid19.gov.  Treatment is free.

[Magicat]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/u-s-officials-confirm-negative-covid-19-test-won-t-be-required-to-cross-land-border-1.5645278

 

Looks like no tests required to cross into the US.

[edrussell]

Thanks for the link Magicat.  One less hurdle for us to take our first sailing.  Given the likely timing we will probably still get our rapid antigen here in Ontario before we leave to drive to the port.