Day 2 PCR Test

[Kenmure]

 

We returned on Monday morning on the Spirit of Adventure from the Canaries cruise. 

During the course of this cruise the Government announced new rules governing the return of fully vaccinated (two jabs) passengers to the UK. Previously this involved taking a PCR test on-board and only being required to self-isolate if the test proved positive. Basically this meant that you carry on as normal until notified otherwise. There would be no contact if the test was negative. The tweak in the rules now means that all passengers have to self-isolate until they are told the result of the test.

Surprisingly there was no official announcement on board until a personal letter was sent to all cabins on the day before disembarkation. This might have come as a shock to some who cut themselves off from what was happening in the UK! Along with the instructions of how to do the self-testing there were self-isolating instructions which included what to do if the test result was negative (‘end quarantine’), positive (‘self-isolate for 10 days’), unclear the same (‘or take another private test’). If delayed, whatever that means, (‘quarantine until you receive a negative result or until 14 days after arrival). ‘…. you will receive your results via email’. ‘Please do not call Saga or Collinsons to obtain your test results as these cannot be given out by telephone.’

What surprised us was the tone of this letter, rather your cruise is finished it’s not our responsibility anymore! What, you may ask, is what happened to those passengers who didn’t have an email address and how long was it going to take for the email to arrive? We questioned staff as to the latter and was given the answer ‘within 48 hours’. Heaven knows what happened to those with no email address if this letter was the first they had heard of it. However there is an official answer to both these questions on the website for future passengers. ‘Emails will be sent by our test provider by email within 48 hours of arrival back in the UK’ and ‘….[you require] an email address that you can access before joining us onboard. If you do not currently have an email address, you must arrange access to an email account that can be used to receive your test result’.

Our negative results arrived exactly 72 hours after arrival so it would appear that the day of the test ‘0’ is not counted or it was a day late! The email said that the test took place on 9 October which was corrected with a further email in the afternoon. It also states if you have any queries ‘direct these to your Saga representative’ It also adds at the end of the email ‘If your result is inconclusive, positive or failed, Saga will contact you, please remain in isolation’. Neither of these statements match the information handed out on-board.

As for requiring you to have an email address which would contain personal and private information and would need to be sent to a third party in our view is entirely unsatisfactory.

[Kohima]

To be fair to Saga they do far more than many cruise companies in facilitating Covid requirements, including arranging and paying for the necessary testing. It is a fact of life that email is now commonly used to communicate information speedily. As to keeping up with events, there is a free daily news sheet and a good range of tv channels onboard. In addition, people do talk to each other!

[turnip eater]

We arrived back in Southampton on Spirit of Discovery Sunday December 5th. Our Test samples were  collected at 7:00am, before disembarkation. We received the results (negative 🙂) on Wednesday lunchtime, stating that our test was taken  on Tuesday ie Day 2.

Other cruislines expect their passengers to source their own tests. Saga made everything easy for us.

Edited December 11, 2021 by turnip eater
Grammar

[nosapphire]

I am not a great fan of Saga, but not sure what more you would expect them to do?

The rules changed while you were at sea, they adapted to it best as possible (and it has cost them money, as the cost of these extras will not have been built in to the fares for those who have already booked).

I doubt that there are many people nowadays without some form of email address, and if anyone on board did not have one, I am reasonably certain that reception will have helped talk people through how to set one up.

 

 

[Kohima]

Having looked at Saga’s ocean cruise website, I can see that there is detailed, comprehensive information about the Covid requirements. It specifically mentions the need for a digital Covid pass and the need for an email address to obtain this. Therefore anyone boarding must already have had the use of an email address.

Unfortunately, the reality of any travel at present requires a flexible attitude to short notice changes and the willingness to be tolerant of the unexpected.

[wowzz]

On 12/10/2021 at 8:05 PM, Kenmure said:

As for requiring you to have an email address which would contain personal and private information and would need to be sent to a third party in our view is entirely unsatisfactory

I think you are being paranoid. Exactly what private information is contained in your e-mail address ?

[nosapphire]

I've just gone and re-read the privacy terms for cruise critic, and discovered how many third parties (unspecified) may be given access to my email address.

Letting Saga send my email address to a single (named) third party rather pales into insignificance.....