PCR Testing on Board - No Longer

[Kris75]

As these boards have been a great help to me as I planned our cruise I wanted to share our recent experience as it relates to testing on board. We just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam yesterday. As Canadians we needed a PCR test to travel back home and up to when we departed on Nov. 27th we were still under the impression that we would be tested on board. But not so fast as when we were on board they changed the policy on the website to testing at the pier once we got off. Things change and so be it. There are obviously kinks to be ironed out though as this 3rd party testing provider was not informed of how many tests needed to be done and were sadly very unprepared. Although the main desk was taking names of who needed the PCR test this list did not make its way to the testing company. The testing is done right outside the main doors, and is not all segregated from anything, and since most of us preferred to have the paper copy rather than the email of the results, there was about 40 of us milling around outside those doors for about 45-60 mins. Personally I had to wait about an hour as they had to re-run my test for some reason. Also the testing was being done between 7:30-9:30 so we felt we had no choice but to self disembark just to ensure we got in the line early enough.

 

I do want to add that they are still doing the antigen testing on board for the back to backs as we came across the testing room as we were strolling around the ship.

 

All and all it was a great cruise and we had a wonderful time, but the testing process not awesome. Hopefully in time it will get better.

[Florida_gal_50]

Thank you for the heads up on the change on the hal website.  I guess more Canadians are traveling now and maybe they can’t handle it on board. Thank you also for sharing this information.  I was on the koningsdam from November 7 to November 21/21 and I was able to get the pcr on board on November 20.  I have a cruise booked for spring and once again I have no idea if I will go because it’s such a hassle especially all the extra hoops that need to be jumped through at the moment.

[Bolt.]

Thank you for this update! That's an important change!

[kazu]

Thank you for this very important update.  Definitely an important change we need to take note of 😔 

[OVgirl]

With an 11:35 flight( through flightease), this will make me a little nervous.

[Florida_gal_50]

4 minutes ago, OVgirl said:

With an 11:35 flight( through flightease), this will make me a little nervous.

I don’t blame you.  I’d feel the same.  That said, I think being booked through flight ease is more comfortable than if you booked on your own.  I feel hal might be more inclined to make sure you get tested in a timely manner.  I’m sure some will be quick to tell me I’m wrong 😛.

[SilvertoGold]

OP: thank you for this important info.  I am unhappy with the set-up as you describe and hope HAL gets its act together with the company hired to do the testing.  I would like to see this done in a more hospitable area and with more professionalism.

 

Obviously, anyone with a cruise coming up needs to look at the HAL website daily for changing info.

[visagrunt]

Koningsdam is headed to Canada in April.  They're going to need to be prepared to test everyone, crew and passengers, regardless of origin on every cruise from April through September if Canada doesn't change the PCR requirement.

They'd better be ramping up, rather than cutting back.

[Kris75]

Our original flight, through Flightease, was around 11:30, and honestly it would have been tight - moreso I think because ArriveCan was being a pain to fill out. We tried filling it out for 2 of us in one submission but it would not save so we did mine at the airport. Plus Air Canada had 2 flights leaving within 5 minutes of each other so our new flight time at 1:30 gave us the much needed breathing room. I forgot to add in my original post that if your flight was before 10:00 am supposedly they were testing on board.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, Kris75 said:

Our original flight, through Flightease, was around 11:30, and honestly it would have been tight - moreso I think because ArriveCan was being a pain to fill out. We tried filling it out for 2 of us in one submission but it would not save so we did mine at the airport. Plus Air Canada had 2 flights leaving within 5 minutes of each other so our new flight time at 1:30 gave us the much needed breathing room. I forgot to add in my original post that if your flight was before 10:00 am supposedly they were testing on board.

I could not get it to work with the crappy internet onboard.  As soon as we were safely docked in San Diego and turned on my data a had no problem whatsoever.

[XLVIII]

Thanks for the update! We’re on the Koningsdam in February and this actually works out better for us as we’re planning to stay a couple of days in San Diego afterwards. That being said, who knows what testing and border requirements will be in February. 

[DC1andDC2]

I don't see how they can just change a policy like this.  When we booked for our February Rotterdam sailing, we were told we would receive a PCR test on-board and therefore we booked a flight home for noon.  We received an email last week from Westjet informing us the flight will now leave at 11:45.  This is going to add a pile of stress to us.  We are not happy at all to hear of this change.

[ljtinney]

11 hours ago, Kris75 said:

Our original flight, through Flightease, was around 11:30, and honestly it would have been tight - moreso I think because ArriveCan was being a pain to fill out. We tried filling it out for 2 of us in one submission but it would not save so we did mine at the airport. Plus Air Canada had 2 flights leaving within 5 minutes of each other so our new flight time at 1:30 gave us the much needed breathing room. I forgot to add in my original post that if your flight was before 10:00 am supposedly they were testing on board.

Thank you so much for posting this.

Not happy with this,  but it is what it is. Unfortunate that HAL has not notified upcoming passengers of this change. 

 

I am glad we have a 1:25pm flight home on AC in January.

[Sue from Canada]

Well I guess your best bet is to book a hotel for one night after you get off the cruise.  Then you can either get your test at the pier (if it's available) or get one at CVS or Walgreens that's close to your hotel.

[Florida_gal_50]

4 hours ago, Sue from Canada said:

Well I guess your best bet is to book a hotel for one night after you get off the cruise.  Then you can either get your test at the pier (if it's available) or get one at CVS or Walgreens that's close to your hotel.

Some people do not have all the time in the world to get back to reality.  It’s clear that some people fly in a month before their cruise and stay a month after.  Not everyone has the luxury to do that.  I wish people would stop saying this.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We get off the ship in Vancouver and fly to Florida?

[SFO Peter]

3 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

We get off the ship in Vancouver and fly to Florida?

====

me thinks HAL will have to give you PCR test before you set foot anywhere in Canada.  Note that this is "departure to Canada" not "arrival to Canada testing". US residents are exempt from "arrival" testing and quarantine if you were negative with the "departure" test.

I may be in the same boat with an Alaska cruise.  We can use the results to fly home to the US the same day.

 

Peter

 

Edited December 6, 2021 by SFO PETER

[Schooner-ca]

Did you happen to see Dons Family Vacation on YouTube a couple days ago? He was departing from Princess in Fort Lauderdale. His testing process was not very good? Multiple people had false positive due to poor testing practices. Was this your experience? 
 

we have to go through the process on January 16 in Fort Lauderdale. A bit of a worry getting home to Canada. 

[OVgirl]

I'm looking at our itinerary and wondering about getting a test at a port stop.  We'll be in Curacao then 2 seadays before returning to FLL. Wonder how easy it might be to get a pcr test in Curacao. The seadays would give enough time to get the result back. Changing flights and adding a hotel would eat up the cost of the test anyways.

Edited December 6, 2021 by OVgirl

[bucky21]

What a cluster this is turning into. We are booked on a back to back starting late Feb. on Nieuw Statendam and need to make final payment Christmas day. Wouldn't it be nice to get clarity as to what will happen test wise before this date?????

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, OVgirl said:

I'm looking at our itinerary and wondering about getting a test at a port stop.  We'll be in Curacao then 2 seadays before returning to FLL. Wonder how easy it might be to get a pcr test in Curacao. The seadays would give enough time to get the result back. Changing flights and adding a hotel would eat up the cost of the test anyways.

This sounds like a good idea but wouldn't the test be too old by then?

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, Schooner-ca said:

Did you happen to see Dons Family Vacation on YouTube a couple days ago? He was departing from Princess in Fort Lauderdale. His testing process was not very good? Multiple people had false positive due to poor testing practices. Was this your experience? 
 

we have to go through the process on January 16 in Fort Lauderdale. A bit of a worry getting home to Canada. 

That was crazy.  He kept on saying its not the fault of Princess but of course it is.  Just because you outsource something doesn't mean that you completely can wash your hands of it.

[OVgirl]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

This sounds like a good idea but wouldn't the test be too old by then?

The rules at this moment day 72 hours before flight. I don't think it includes the full 3 days. But if our flight is 11:35 Sunday then  any time after 11:30 on Thursday.I think I've calculated it right.

 

But of course between now and February anything could happen. Hope they don't shorten the timing and still want pcr tests.

 

I did check testing in Curacao and it seems that there are a number of options. Around $80-$90 USD.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, OVgirl said:

The rules at this moment day 72 hours before flight. I don't think it includes the full 3 days. But if our flight is 11:35 Sunday then  any time after 11:30 on Thursday.I think I've calculated it right.

 

But of course between now and February anything could happen. Hope they don't shorten the timing and still want pcr tests.

 

I did check testing in Curacao and it seems that there are a number of options. Around $80-$90 USD.

I’m so confused that I don’t know what the rules are anymore.  That’s very reasonable for a pcr test.  If I was doing Caribbean cruises I think I’d probably bite.  I’m just not interested in flying to Florida at the moment. I hope things are more stable by the time you go.

[Kris75]

6 hours ago, Schooner-ca said:

Did you happen to see Dons Family Vacation on YouTube a couple days ago? He was departing from Princess in Fort Lauderdale. His testing process was not very good? Multiple people had false positive due to poor testing practices. Was this your experience? 
 

we have to go through the process on January 16 in Fort Lauderdale. A bit of a worry getting home to Canada. 

I saw that video of Don's and honestly it sounds just like what Holland was doing. I am not sure about the false positives with our group as we were 3rd or 4th in line, just because we knew this was going to turn into a bit of a fiasco. We were disappointed about the change in policy of testing on board. I had also hoped we would have gotten a bit of a heads up as they know we are Canadian and out flights were through Flightease. I think we got a letter in our mailbox on Day 5 stating the change in testing policy but originally it said Antigen test so we high tailed it to the front desk confirming they were PCR testing as well.