Who Do I write at Princess Regarding Covid Testing Policy to Fly Home to USA?

[nini]

The new UK protocols were issued for testing before flying home to USA.

 

For returning home:

"If a negative COVID-19 test is required for re-entry into your home country, subject to availability, Princess will cover the costs of any COVID-19 test administered on board within the timeframe required prior to travel. Please note that if your travel plans go beyond the validity of the onboard test, you are responsible for securing and paying for your own test."

 

I and fellow cruisers on our Roll Call, would like this clarified. Princess has been saying that they will take care of the testing before flying home, regardless of the cruise origin and ending.

We DO NOT need to test before entering the UK  and yet we need to test before boarding... in a foreign country (and for us on a weekend). I think this may be due to CDC guidelines. Another Roll Call person said that they called Princess and spoke to an agent who told her the following for boarding:

 

"that Princess would do the test in the port, she also asked if there was a fee and she was told no. The agent said because we are traveling from the US that it would be hard for us to find somewhere to test, because we are leaving on Friday the 6th and spending a couple days in London prior to the cruise. So hopefully this information is correct."

 

These are two issues on being tested.

Who should I contact?

[ihopfar]

What is your issue with the test they will provide for returning home?   Not sure I follow what you would like to raise to Princess.

[AstoriaPreppy]

Not sure I understand the confusion. Princess is providing disembarkation testing if you need that to enter your home country. In other words, if you need a test to get back into the US, Princess says they’re providing that to you. The question is whether or not it the day of disembarkation (in the terminal) or on the ship prior to (which wouldn’t help if you’re staying in the UK a day after disembarkation.

 

Re: testing to board the ship, Princes has NOT been providing this. You’ll need to secure your own test, on your own dime, to board the cruise ship. 

[nini]

4 hours ago, ihopfar said:

What is your issue with the test they will provide for returning home?   Not sure I follow what you would like to raise to Princess.

The issue is as I quoted in BOLD letters, "subject to availability".

@AstoriaPreppyPrincess does not say it is providing it. And we are flying home after the same day we leave the ship. Otherwise, I would not have presented the issue.

 

Also, Princess HAS been providing tests to board. 

 

The original posted question is, who do I contact at Princess for clarification?

 

[muffin]

I do not know who you call for clarification. However, on this whole site I have never heard anyone who did not get the required test , from  princess,  as promised, because they had run out of product  prior to the disembarkation of people requiring the test.  I am sure we would have heard from irate passengers and their distress. We have not, to my knowledge.  My advice, trust, relax, enjoy. 

[AstoriaPreppy]

18 hours ago, nini said:

Also, Princess HAS been providing tests to board. 

This is news to me. Who is getting tests provided by Princess to board? I’d love to save the hassle of paying for a test. 

[milolii]

Pre cruise:  Randox Health provides testing all over the UK, including several locations in London.   We plan to use them for our trip in June if testing is still required to enter the US.  
 

https://covid.randox.com

 

As mentioned many times, there are kits on the market that you can use to perform the test in front of a proctor, using a device with a camera and an internet connection. 
 

IDK what testing, if any, Princess is providing right now, just adding information that may be of some help for testing before boarding.  I find it good to have back up plans these days. 

[nini]

I appreciate the info about testing in London. I have gathered those locations, companies through research and our hotel. Dealing with the test before boarding is easier.

 

However, the point is that Princess has been doing them for passengers and now they write "subject to availability" and serious planning is required before disembarkation and flying home.

[Flipchild32]

21 minutes ago, nini said:

I appreciate the info about testing in London. I have gathered those locations, companies through research and our hotel. Dealing with the test before boarding is easier.

 

However, the point is that Princess has been doing them for passengers and now they write "subject to availability" and serious planning is required before disembarkation and flying home.

 

I would hazard to guess that the "subject to availability" would be to cover the butts in the case that they have a shortage of test due to some reason (i.e. maybe they had a large outbreak and needed to test all passengers multiple times, there is a general shortage of tests due to land outbreak, etc.)

 

As you did not mention where you are disembarking. I would also guess there may be testing site at the airport or near the ship, but I dunno about other countries.

 

Maybe just call Princess customer service or Point of contact. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Flipchild32

[nini]

This is under the category of UK sailings, as in the first sentence on the first post.