Another Problem for Canadian Cruisers

[Chickadees]

23 minutes ago, K_e_short said:

 

But you aren't transiting through the US from another country.

You started in the U.S. and end in the U.S.

 

We have all figured out the specific language (2 days versus 48 hours for example) mean a lot.

 

All the information says "flying from the U.S.".

 

Flew from FLL to YUL last Sunday. ArriveCan app (I believe) said “transit through US” and didn’t mention flying. We chose transit with the listed countries and came through immigration with no issues. My husband travels to the US or internationally every week through YUL. He uses the ArriveCan app every few days. The wording changes from week to week. Anyways we got home with no issues.

[nickiford]

This issue is that when you go on a cruise you are in other countries, although I would argue that if you don't get off the ship in a foreign country have you really been there??  The on arrival test requirement is for anyone who has been in a country other than the US or Canada in the last 14 days.  My ship goes to Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St Thomas and Labadee (which I'm sure will be sustituted), if we only get off in Puerto Rico you could argue that we never left the US.

[Forecheck]

CBP is not going to buy some of your stories ... If you go on a Cruise to the Caribbean then you have left the United States and are deemed an International Traveler ... It doesn't matter your mode of transportation of getting to the Country ( Boat - Plane - etc   ) . It also doesn't matter if you got off the ship or not in those Countries.

 

Be honest with the CBP agents and you are less likely to have issues - The rules are the Rules and no one deserves special treatment - Deal with it !    

[DHP1]

If that the case, why are we not being tested within 1 day of arriving back in USA after a Caribbean cruise. Maybe that day will come.

My concern is that I have to get a PCR test after my cruise, fly back to Canada from USA ( Fort Lauderdale) and get another PCR test upon arriving. 2 PCR test in the “same day”.  

[AlbertaCruisers]

1 hour ago, K_e_short said:

 

But you aren't transiting through the US from another country.

You started in the U.S. and end in the U.S.

 

We have all figured out the specific language (2 days versus 48 hours for example) mean a lot.

 

All the information says "flying from the U.S.".

 

 

Below is the new/current wording on the Canadian website (https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid).  It will be interesting to see if they end up saying anything specific about Caribbean cruises.

 

Coming soon: Fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air or land, who have been in any country other than Canada and the United States in the 14 days prior to entry to Canada, will all be subject to arrival testing and enhanced public health measures. Travellers arriving by air may take connecting flights to their place of quarantine.

 

[DHP1]

37 minutes ago, nickiford said:

This issue is that when you go on a cruise you are in other countries, although I would argue that if you don't get off the ship in a foreign country have you really been there??  The on arrival test requirement is for anyone who has been in a country other than the US or Canada in the last 14 days.  My ship goes to Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St Thomas and Labadee (which I'm sure will be sustituted), if we only get off in Puerto Rico you could argue that we never left the US.

If you get off the ship no one will never know because you don’t have to show your Passport. 

[xcell]

Is it a  PCR test when you return or an antigen? I thought Antigen.

 

It makes no sense -- I get a PCR the day before the cruise docks, I flight out the next day -- do they think I'm going to get Covid on my 3 hour flight?  (but when has it made any sense -- stupid, stupid, stupid ....)

 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by xcell

[nickiford]

I will always be honest with CBSA, just trying to figure out the correct way to report the travel.  I don't mind to take a test, I just don't know how it's going to work when I cross the land border.  And how to correctly fill in the ArriveCan.  

[schiff1997]

1 hour ago, Forecheck said:

CBP is not going to buy some of your stories ... If you go on a Cruise to the Caribbean then you have left the United States and are deemed an International Traveler ... It doesn't matter your mode of transportation of getting to the Country ( Boat - Plane - etc   ) . It also doesn't matter if you got off the ship or not in those Countries.

 

Be honest with the CBP agents and you are less likely to have issues - The rules are the Rules and no one deserves special treatment - Deal with it !    

But if you do not get off the ship in the islands you would still be considered under US jurisdiction if you are on a closed loop cruise

[Forecheck]

4 minutes ago, schiff1997 said:

But if you do not get off the ship in the islands you would still be considered under US jurisdiction if you are on a closed loop cruise

 

Wrong!

 

If the ship docks in the Country - you are deemed a visitor of that Country ... Good luck with the CBP Officers !

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, DHP1 said:

If that the case, why are we not being tested within 1 day of arriving back in USA after a Caribbean cruise. Maybe that day will come.

My concern is that I have to get a PCR test after my cruise, fly back to Canada from USA ( Fort Lauderdale) and get another PCR test upon arriving. 2 PCR test in the “same day”.  

What difference does it really make to you to have another PCR test? You neither have to arrange it nor pay for it, and it doesn't stop you from returning home (even if that means taking a connecting flight). Yes, it will slow you down a bit, but that is really the only effect. (Arranging the first PCR test can be, as we have seen, a problem.)

[gnome12]

19 minutes ago, nickiford said:

I will always be honest with CBSA, just trying to figure out the correct way to report the travel.  I don't mind to take a test, I just don't know how it's going to work when I cross the land border.  And how to correctly fill in the ArriveCan.  

I think in most cases at a land border you will be handed a take home test, but I obviously can't confirm that. The testing requirement was put in before any logistics were worked out even for airports, let alone land borders.

[schiff1997]

10 minutes ago, Forecheck said:

 

Wrong!

 

If the ship docks in the Country - you are deemed a visitor of that Country ... Good luck with the CBP Officers !

Interesting there have been a couple of cruises where CBP didn't even look at our passports just waived us through.   ANyway our cruise is not till April so hopefully no double PCR test upon arrival into Canada by then!

Edited December 7, 2021 by schiff1997

[broberts]

1 hour ago, DHP1 said:

If you get off the ship no one will never know because you don’t have to show your Passport. 

 

Cruise lines have to provide CPB manifests listing all passengers prior to departure. Voyage itineraries are public knowledge.

 

2 minutes ago, schiff1997 said:

But if you do not get off the ship in the islands you would still be considered under US jurisdiction if you are on a closed loop cruise

 

At some point when a ship docks everyone aboard has entered that country. (In the early part of this century foreign nationals had to physically clear immigration when porting in St Thomas or San Juan after a non US port call. I distinctly remember waiting my turn to visit one of the agents sitting at a desk on the theatre stage. No one could disembark until all foreigners had been through the line.)

[AlbertaCruisers]

53 minutes ago, xcell said:

Is it a  PCR test when you return or an antigen? I thought Antigen.

 

It makes no sense -- I get a PCR the day before the cruise docks, I flight out the next day -- do they think I'm going to get Covid on my 3 hour flight?  (but when has it made any sense -- stupid, stupid, stupid ....)

 

 

 

It is PCR (there are others that are accepted such as NAAT as well) but antigen is not accepted to return to Canada.  The test can be up to 72 hours from your departure time of your flight into Canada.  If someone has a test the day or two before their flight, they may have already been exposed but not show positive on the test yet (say they were exposed that day or just before, I don't believe even a PCR test necessarily shows positive that quickly), but hopefully would show up as positive by the time of the airport test.

[Magicat]

39 minutes ago, schiff1997 said:

Interesting there have been a couple of cruises where CBP didn't even look at our passports just waived us through.   ANyway our cruise is not till April so hopefully no double PCR test upon arrival into Canada by then!

If you are carrying a Canadian Passport coming off a cruise ship, they know you are most likely going back home to Canada.

[Magicat]

27 minutes ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

 

It is PCR (there are others that are accepted such as NAAT as well) but antigen is not accepted to return to Canada.  The test can be up to 72 hours from your departure time of your flight into Canada.  If someone has a test the day or two before their flight, they may have already been exposed but not show positive on the test yet (say they were exposed that day or just before, I don't believe even a PCR test necessarily shows positive that quickly), but hopefully would show up as positive by the time of the airport test.

Didn't the medical community say the incubation period before detection was 5 days?  Or was that symptoms?  

[Djsmrs]

1 hour ago, schiff1997 said:

But if you do not get off the ship in the islands you would still be considered under US jurisdiction if you are on a closed loop cruise

This is 100% incorrect.   

[DHP1]

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

What difference does it really make to you to have another PCR test? You neither have to arrange it nor pay for it, and it doesn't stop you from returning home (even if that means taking a connecting flight). Yes, it will slow you down a bit, but that is really the only effect. (Arranging the first PCR test can be, as we have seen, a problem.)

The difference is you have to be tested “twice” in the same day (6 hours apart). Ridiculous. Plus, when you arrived in Canada you have to be “quarantine up to 3 days” until you get your test results back. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by DHP1

[DHP1]

25 minutes ago, Djsmrs said:

This is 100% incorrect.   

Agreed. But how would they know if you got off the book.  Passport is not required in some countries the cruise line visit 

[AlbertaCruisers]

32 minutes ago, Magicat said:

Didn't the medical community say the incubation period before detection was 5 days?  Or was that symptoms?  

I think it is between 3 to 7 days before most people get symptoms and I believe that PCR can show positive a few days before you are symptomatic.  

[xcell]

1 hour ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

 

It is PCR (there are others that are accepted such as NAAT as well) but antigen is not accepted to return to Canada.  The test can be up to 72 hours from your departure time of your flight into Canada.  If someone has a test the day or two before their flight, they may have already been exposed but not show positive on the test yet (say they were exposed that day or just before, I don't believe even a PCR test necessarily shows positive that quickly), but hopefully would show up as positive by the time of the airport test.

 

Sorry, I don't mean before the flight (I know that's the PCR test) but what about the test when we arrive in Canada (since we travelled to other countries -- still out for debate -- during the cruise)???

[Forecheck]

30 minutes ago, Djsmrs said:

This is 100% incorrect.   

 

You can choose to decipher the information anyway you like ... Its pretty clear to me what the rules are . This directly from the CBSA Website :

 

Fully vaccinated travelers arriving by air or land, who have been in any country other than the United States in the 14 days prior to entry to Canada, will all be subject to arrival testing and enhanced public health measures. Travelers arriving by air may take connecting flights to their place of quarantine.

 

[DHP1]

17 minutes ago, Forecheck said:

 

You can choose to decipher the information anyway you like ... Its pretty clear to me what the rules are . This directly from the CBSA Website :

 

Fully vaccinated travelers arriving by air or land, who have been in any country other than the United States in the 14 days prior to entry to Canada, will all be subject to arrival testing and enhanced public health measures. Travelers arriving by air may take connecting flights to their place of quarantine.

 

Either way, currently to re-enter into USA by “sea” you don’t need to be tested. I will assume this will change.

Canada Governments states (sorry don’t have time to find USA requirements). 

Interrupted travel outside Canadian waters

If you leave and re-enter Canadian waters, you must report to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and follow mandatory quarantine requirements (if applicable), if you:

• land outside Canada and anchor, moor or make contact with another conveyance while outside of Canadian waters
• embark or disembark any people or goods while outside Canada

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by DHP1

[AlbertaCruisers]

10 minutes ago, xcell said:

 

Sorry, I don't mean before the flight (I know that's the PCR test) but what about the test when we arrive in Canada (since we travelled to other countries -- still out for debate -- during the cruise)???

 

I would be surprised if it wasn't PCR.  It seems like all the tests they are doing at the airport are PCR and it is my understanding that PCR is more accurate (I looked up the current take home tests people are randomly getting and you have to arrange for a courier to pick it up).  Also, when the Health Minister was talking about this process, he said they cannot guarantee how quick results would come back, and it could take up to 3 days, so that sounds like PCR to me.

Someone had posted this:

 

Clarification on travelers with connecting flights clarified by the Health Minister:

 

Travellers coming from non-U.S. foreign destinations need an arrival test
Once a fully vaccinated passenger arrives at a Canadian airport from a non-U.S. foreign destination, they will either be swabbed by a public health nurse or get a take-home test.

That traveller must then self-isolate at home or at their designated quarantine destination (such as a hotel) while they await the results of the test. It may take up to three days to get a result.

If that traveller gets a negative result, they're free to leave self-isolation and move about as they normally would. If the test is positive, they must stay in quarantine for 14 days.

If a passenger has a connecting flight, they get swabbed or collect a take-home test and then continue on to their final destination.

If, for example, an inbound passenger from Hong Kong arrives in Vancouver to catch a connecting flight to Kelowna, B.C., that traveller would get tested or pick up their at-home test in Vancouver before proceeding to the connecting flight. That passenger would then have to self-isolate in Kelowna while they await the results of the test.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/arrival-testing-regime-explainer-1.6272919