Ovation of the Seas-Alaska-May 5, 2022-May 13, 2022

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, 38anchor said:

That is March 7th which I believe has been superseded since.

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada

Read it once.  Going to have to read it again, several times.  It’s about as clear as mud.

[Bronx12]

On 3/28/2022 at 2:22 PM, Munday said:

We got the email from Royal Caribbean this morning also. My Wife just sent this message to RC via FB Messenger: 

 

Hi Royal Caribbean. My Husband and I sail on Ovation of the Seas from Vancouver on May 5/22. We are both Canadian Residents. We got an email today titled "An Update to Your Healthy Sailing Protocols". The email says we need a Rapid Antigen Test no more than 2 days prior to sailing. The Government of Canada website says we need a Rapid Antigen Test within 1 day of the scheduled departure. What rule do we follow? Thanks in advance.

They sure are taking their time replying to you, hopefully they will give you an answer soon 🙂

[Aquahound]

On 3/25/2022 at 1:23 PM, graphicguy said:

It's been a while since I sailed Royal (about 5 years).  But, I have sailed her sister, Celebrity, pretty often since the start up.  I don't know if "live" reports are as popular with the Royal crew as they have been with the Celebrity crew.  If not, I'll make this short an sweet and forego any real time reporting and planning.

 

I just registered for a free cruise offer on Ovation as a shakedown cruise just prior to your trip.  Quick 3 nights to Victoria.  It'll be nice to follow your live report having been on the ship right before you.  😁

[crilski]

Did they email you an invite for the Shake Down?  I'd love it!  (depending on the dates)  I live in WA - ready to go now!   🙂

 

[Munday]

1 hour ago, Bronx12 said:

They sure are taking their time replying to you, hopefully they will give you an answer soon 🙂

I will post RC’s answer, assuming we get one.

[Aquahound]

37 minutes ago, crilski said:

Did they email you an invite for the Shake Down?  I'd love it!  (depending on the dates)  I live in WA - ready to go now!   🙂

 

 

Yep.  Got it this morning.  No idea how they determined the selection process.  It's on April 28.  

[crzndeb]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

Yep.  Got it this morning.  No idea how they determined the selection process.  It's on April 28.  

I sure would like to get one of those emails. 😉

Edited March 29, 2022 by crzndeb

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

Yep.  Got it this morning.  No idea how they determined the selection process.  It's on April 28.  

That’s great.  Keep her in good shape for me!

[Munday]

i posted this on the Canadian Cruisers Forum as well:
 

Empower Clinics will operate a very expensive testing clinic out of the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver. I sent them an email last week. They finally answered. If you look at the link to their clinic below, Empower says within 48 hours for a Rapid Antigen Test. Royal Caribbean says we need a Rapid Antigen Test no more than 2 days prior to sailing. HAL says 1 day. The rule I read from the Government of Canada website says we need a Rapid Antigen Test within 1 day of the scheduled departure. What am I missing?

 

WHAT TEST IS REQUIRED TO BOARD A CRUISE SHIP OUT OF VANCOUVER AND WHEN DO I NEED TO TAKE IT?”

 

Transport Canada requires all cruise guests to take an antigen test within 48 hours prior to embarkation or a PCR test 72 hours prior to embarkation.

 

Hi Xxxxxx,

 

We apologize for the delayed reply.  The appointment calendar is set to be on our webpage next week so please check back.  The cost of the various testing options is posted on our webpage under FAQs.  Here is a link to our webpage: COVID-19 TESTING | Empower Clinics

 

 

Best regards,

 

Empower Customer Service Team

 

[TravelGirlinDallas]

On 3/28/2022 at 1:42 PM, crzndeb said:

But then the question arises for the ships stopping in Victoria. Are they going to test everyone on board the ship before they arrive? Doesn’t make a lot of sense.

This is our question, too. We will be on Ovation in July (round-trip from Seattle). I suppose many things could change by then, though.

[graphicguy]

IF you’re sailing out of Vancouver (as am I), you have to have a negative COVID test no more than 2 days before embarkation.  I’m assuming that will be the same negative test I’ll have with me when I fly into Vancouver from the U.S.

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, Munday said:

 

i posted this on the Canadian Cruisers Forum as well:
 

Empower Clinics will operate a very expensive testing clinic out of the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver. I sent them an email last week. They finally answered. If you look at the link to their clinic below, Empower says within 48 hours for a Rapid Antigen Test. Royal Caribbean says we need a Rapid Antigen Test no more than 2 days prior to sailing. HAL says 1 day. The rule I read from the Government of Canada website says we need a Rapid Antigen Test within 1 day of the scheduled departure. What am I missing?

 

WHAT TEST IS REQUIRED TO BOARD A CRUISE SHIP OUT OF VANCOUVER AND WHEN DO I NEED TO TAKE IT?”

 

Transport Canada requires all cruise guests to take an antigen test within 48 hours prior to embarkation or a PCR test 72 hours prior to embarkation.

 

Hi Xxxxxx,

 

We apologize for the delayed reply.  The appointment calendar is set to be on our webpage next week so please check back.  The cost of the various testing options is posted on our webpage under FAQs.  Here is a link to our webpage: COVID-19 TESTING | Empower Clinics

 

 

Best regards,

 

Empower Customer Service Team

 

So, that’s US$80 to US$104 for 1 test depending on if you do it virtually or on-site.  They state their location is “Steps Away” from the cruise terminal.  It appears to be a last resort option.

[Munday]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

IF you’re sailing out of Vancouver (as am I), you have to have a negative COVID test no more than 2 days before embarkation.  I’m assuming that will be the same negative test I’ll have with me when I fly into Vancouver from the U.S.

From Government of Canada website:

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/preventing-or-limiting-the-spread-of-covid-19-on-cruise-ships.html

 

Passenger obligations

• Pre-boarding a cruise ship
  • Passengers must take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before boarding a cruise ship or take an antigen test within one day of the scheduled departure.
  • Before their cruise departs, a traveller will need to enter their trip information into the ArriveCAN website.

[graphicguy]

5 minutes ago, Munday said:

From Government of Canada website:

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/preventing-or-limiting-the-spread-of-covid-19-on-cruise-ships.html

 

Passenger obligations

• Pre-boarding a cruise ship
  • Passengers must take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before boarding a cruise ship or take an antigen test within one day of the scheduled departure.
  • Before their cruise departs, a traveller will need to enter their trip information into the ArriveCAN website.

That makes it easier for us traveling to Canada.  However, Royal Caribbean is requiring a negative COVID test no more than 48 hours before embarkation.  That means those of us who are flying into Canada a day earlier for the cruise (as I am on this cruise), it's tight.

 

I'll be getting my COVID test the day before I fly out to Canada.  I'll also be staying in Vancouver the day before the cruise.  That's 48 hours.  Then the next day, I'm embarking.  Don't know how Royal will treat that.  I've sent an email a week ago, and have heard nothing.

 

I do not want to rely on getting to the pier and someone from Royal disallowing my test results because of timing.  And, if that happens, I don't want to get into a "he said-she said" encounter.  I want something in writing from Royal stating they will or won't allow me to embark with a negative COVID test that may be more than 48 hours old.

[Munday]

If you hear anything back from RC, please post it. I have a message into them also and will post if they answer. We are flying in 2 days early and getting a test near our house before we leave would be much easier.

[crzndeb]

9 minutes ago, Munday said:

If you hear anything back from RC, please post it. I have a message into them also and will post if they answer. We are flying in 2 days early and getting a test near our house before we leave would be much easier.

Yes, a 2 day test is so much easier. I can do that at home, before I go to Vancouver on the 4th. I have the home proctored tests, and was just planning on bringing one with me, but I would rather not.

[Tree_skier]

 

 

I'm on Ovation in August and what I'm wondering about is... because we have a 5 hour technical stop for PVSA in Victoria does that mean that our 2 day window for an antigen test gets shrunk to 24 hours and do we need to use their ArriveCan tracking even if we don't intend to get off the ship.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, Munday said:

If you hear anything back from RC, please post it. I have a message into them also and will post if they answer. We are flying in 2 days early and getting a test near our house before we leave would be much easier.

Will do!

[TxStacey]

7 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

This is our question, too. We will be on Ovation in July (round-trip from Seattle). I suppose many things could change by then, though.

My question also..we're on the Ovation in June and stop in Victoria.  If we have to test to get off the ship, I would think Royal would provide the tests since it's the last stop on our itinerary.  Otherwise all of the passengers would have to bring their own test on board or pay for it?  Should be interesting.

[graphicguy]

OK...after spending an hour waiting for a post reservation customer service rep, she assured me that the sailing/embarkation day does not count as a day for testing purposes.  She pointed me to this area for Guidance on RCCL's WEB site...

 

How do I figure out which days I should get my pre-cruise COVID-19 test?

A

Pre-Cruise Test Window for Guests Sailing Round-Trip from U.S. Ports, Puerto Rico, and Canada

Vaccinated guests must take their pre-cruise test no more than 2 days before boarding. Unvaccinated kids (11 and under) must take their pre-cruise test no more than 3 days before boarding, and cannot take their pre-cruise test on boarding day. This is because kids are also tested at the terminal before boarding – and according to CDC guidance, unvaccinated guests cannot be tested twice in one day as it may affect the accuracy of the test results.

Kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the testing protocols and timeframes for vaccinated guests.

 

When calculating which days you can take your test, be aware that the day you set sail is not counted as one of the days.

 

How to calculate which days to take your test:

Vaccinated guests: If you are setting sail on a Saturday, and you need to take the test no more than 2 days before, you can take your test on Thursday or Friday. You could also take it on Saturday morning if necessary — of course, we don't recommend waiting until the last minute.

Unvaccinated kids: If you are setting sail on a Saturday, and you need to take the test no more than 3 days before, you can take your test on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday — but not Saturday. Unvaccinated guests cannot take their test on boarding day."

 

So, that means entering Canada from the U.S. requires a negative COVID test within 72 hours (not sooner).  RC requires a negative COVID test within 48 hours (not including date of embarkation/sailing), not before.

 

Still a little kludgy.  Should perhaps do a little "earliest date for COVID testing" on the reservation would alleviate a lot of this confusion.  But, hope this helps.

 

Those of you who have a stopover in Canada but embark in Seattle should probably check on the 72 hour window to see if that fits the Canadian requirement. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by graphicguy

[Munday]

Thank you for your efforts graphicguy! I see on the RC website about the sailing day not being counted as one of the days. I’ve read that page previously but don’t remember reading that particular line.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Munday

[crzndeb]

4 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

 

 

I'm on Ovation in August and what I'm wondering about is... because we have a 5 hour technical stop for PVSA in Victoria does that mean that our 2 day window for an antigen test gets shrunk to 24 hours and do we need to use their ArriveCan tracking even if we don't intend to get off the ship.

You have several months before you sail. You may not even need to test by then. Those of us traveling in April and May, even though Royal protocols came out, still aren’t 100% sure.

[Tree_skier]

10 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

You have several months before you sail. You may not even need to test by then. Those of us traveling in April and May, even though Royal protocols came out, still aren’t 100% sure.

Very true, you early birds are in much more precarious situation.  Hopefully they answer quickly. I've solved my apprehension about Canada's ArriveCan Surveillance app.  I remembered I have an old Canadian registered iPhone 7.  I can reactivate it and use that as a burner phone and then  format it ad sell it on eBay after the cruise. 

[peagreenid]

11 hours ago, graphicguy said:

IF you’re sailing out of Vancouver (as am I), you have to have a negative COVID test no more than 2 days before embarkation.  I’m assuming that will be the same negative test I’ll have with me when I fly into Vancouver from the U.S.

The last I heard, after 4/1/22, if you are fully vaccinated you will not need a test to fly into  Canada.   https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2022/03/government-of-canada-will-remove-pre-entry-test-requirement-for-fully-vaccinated-travellers-on-april-1.html

[Galveston Cruiser]

Sailing on the Radiance 4/23 from L.A. to Vancouver then 6 nights in Vancouver prior to boarding the Ovation on 5/5.  Will find out then what protocol is in place.