Holland America HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR ALASKA & CANADA/NEW ENGLAND CRUISES 2022 now published

[Alphen]

Finally, the health guidelines for the Canada/Alaska cruises and cruise tours have been published by Holland America; https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/Health_Sanitation/2022/0329-alaska-canada-health-protocols.pdf

 

The new guidelines are better than the guidelines recently published for Royal Caribbean. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Alphen

[BRWolf]

Thanks for this.

[Sebbiesgrammy]

This is good but still so many questions:

 

If you are on a HAL land first, are their any testing or mask reqirements?  Our land portion includes 3 intra Alaska flights, trains and multiple bus tours.  From the way I understand the test requirements, HAL will test us before we embark the ship but there isn't anything I've seen regarding land.  After 10 days of us all traveling together, sometimes in close quarters and mixing with folks from other groups and HAL itineraries that overlap ours,  it would seem that risk is that there could be a number of positives who will spend cruise portion in quarantine somewhere.  Our trip starts late June. Would love to hear about actual experience of any land first traveler on May trips.

[CruiseMark]

Thanks for posting this.

Now we just need Verifly to recognize the 72 hour window (they currently only allow 48)

[Sebbiesgrammy]

Here is Canadian most recent change which applies to Land sea and transit through Canada, ie, depart NYC, transit Toronto, arrive Vancouver and then fly to Fairbanks next day.  Not sure this is the end of the changes 🤔

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/exemptions

[Alphen]

1 hour ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

This is good but still so many questions:

 

If you are on a HAL land first, are their any testing or mask reqirements?  Our land portion includes 3 intra Alaska flights, trains and multiple bus tours.  From the way I understand the test requirements, HAL will test us before we embark the ship but there isn't anything I've seen regarding land.  After 10 days of us all traveling together, sometimes in close quarters and mixing with folks from other groups and HAL itineraries that overlap ours,  it would seem that risk is that there could be a number of positives who will spend cruise portion in quarantine somewhere.  Our trip starts late June. Would love to hear about actual experience of any land first traveler on May trips.

We have no knowledge of the mask requirements that will be done during our 12 day land portion, but for now, we are using the general HAL mask policy, which will also cover land travel, if you treat it as a shore excursion;

 

Mask Policy
Masks on board are recommended but not required indoors or outdoors. We highly recommend guests wear a mask in the World Stage and other entertainment areas, casino, spa treatment rooms, Club HAL and during other congregate events. Masks are required to be worn during the entire embarkation and debarkation process and on transportation during any Holland America Line organized shore excursions, on tenders to and from ports, and in the onboard Medical Center. 

 

My best guess and the way we intend to wear our masks, will be when travelling in groups, so air travel, bus, as well as trains, unless our journey host decides otherwise, but our intention at this moment is to frequently wear masks during all of the travel portions, no matter what.

 

We will travel starting end of May, so well after the pre-testing requirement to enter Canada is lifted (April 1st).

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Alphen

[Sebbiesgrammy]

Alphen -- totally agree about the judicious use of masks.  Self-protection is the name of the game, these days.

 

We're travelling with 2 pre-teens, 2 middle aged parents and 2 seniors.  Three qualify for booster #2 and will get them.  Apparently, Canadian rules require you to be boosted if you are in an eligible category.  But, if all stays the same as it is now, we will all be wearing serious masks.  We've all avoided Covid, so far, even the family nurse who works in an inner-city hospital, so we're not about to let down our guard now.

 

Hope your cruise/tour is a total joy with no worries.  Keep the rest of us posted on how it goes.

[lderochi]

This us good, I’m glad to see that HAL still plans on doing disembarkation testing for those who need it. For our cruise ending in Vancouver I’m a little concerned about how much time that will add o the process - I assume a lot of passengers will need testing before flying to the U.S., and our flight is 1:30. We have eMed kits, we’ll take them with us in case we decide to do that instead of go through the HAL testing. 

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, lderochi said:

This us good, I’m glad to see that HAL still plans on doing disembarkation testing for those who need it. For our cruise ending in Vancouver I’m a little concerned about how much time that will add o the process - I assume a lot of passengers will need testing before flying to the U.S., and our flight is 1:30. We have eMed kits, we’ll take them with us in case we decide to do that instead of go through the HAL testing. 

I can't speak for how long this is going to take in Canada but I can tell you how long it took after I got off the koningsdam in San Diego to come to Canada.  I would say that it probably took an hour from the time they started taking my info to the time I got my paperwork.  It seemed a little slow to me.  When I got there, there was maybe 10 of us, when I left probably 30.  I got off the ship in the first group after those that handled their own luggage.  Take this info for what little it's worth.  I don't think there was tons of Canadians on that cruise but I'm really not sure.  I would hope they would have more people to do the testing since more people will need it unless the USA gets rid of the testing rule.

[CRu1853!!]

I know things may change but I’m just trying to work out what we will need to do. In May we are sailing from Alaska disembarking in Vancouver. We will spend one night in Vancouver then flying out to US. Do you think we will be taking the rapid test as we get off the ship to meet requirements? Thanks all.

[lderochi]

We are also doing that route, on the NA May 15 from Whittier to Vancouver. It does sound to me like HA will conduct the tests for whoever needs them, as we disembark in Vancouver - the HAL  document says “at the terminal”. I’ve never been to the Vancouver terminal, so not really sure what the setup is like.  If the test is taken then, and you’re staying in Vancouver for only one night, then the test should be sufficient for you to board the plane the next day. More than that, then the US’ one day testing requirement will get in the way. We had originally thought about staying in Vancouver for a few extra days but have decided against it. 

[silversneakers]

34 minutes ago, lderochi said:

We are also doing that route, on the NA May 15 from Whittier to Vancouver. It does sound to me like HA will conduct the tests for whoever needs them, as we disembark in Vancouver - the HAL  document says “at the terminal”. I’ve never been to the Vancouver terminal, so not really sure what the setup is like.  If the test is taken then, and you’re staying in Vancouver for only one night, then the test should be sufficient for you to board the plane the next day. More than that, then the US’ one day testing requirement will get in the way. We had originally thought about staying in Vancouver for a few extra days but have decided against it. 

We will be disembarking in Vancouver, originating in San Diego.  We were going to stay in Vancouver overnight and take a flight back to the US the next afternoon but found out that HA offers bus transportation (on day of sailing only) to Seattle.  So I guess if a test is needed HA will do it on the ship before we board the bus but not sure if this is correct.  Does anyone know how this will work?

[XLVIII]

4 minutes ago, silversneakers said:

We will be disembarking in Vancouver, originating in San Diego.  We were going to stay in Vancouver overnight and take a flight back to the US the next afternoon but found out that HA offers bus transportation (on day of sailing only) to Seattle.  So I guess if a test is needed HA will do it on the ship before we board the bus but not sure if this is correct.  Does anyone know how this will work?

 

If you take a bus to Seattle, you shouldn't need a test at all. Tests are only required if you enter the US via air.

[dave34]

27 minutes ago, XLVIII said:

 

If you take a bus to Seattle, you shouldn't need a test at all. Tests are only required if you enter the US via air.

Will a rapid naat test with in 72hrs work for Hal leaving from Vancouver? Canada says it’s works for them as a PCR test. Could not find Hal’s type of test they approve. 

[Alphen]

35 minutes ago, dave34 said:

Will a rapid naat test with in 72hrs work for Hal leaving from Vancouver? Canada says it’s works for them as a PCR test. Could not find Hal’s type of test they approve. 

Well, from HAL's FAQ regarding testing;

 

Guests must be tested with a medically observed SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). 

 

Antigen tests include:

• Rapid antigen test 
• Viral antigen test  
• Antigen Chromatographic Digital Immunoassay 
• Antigen Chemiluminescence Immunoassay  
• Antigen Lateral Flow Fluorescence
   

NAAT include:

• PCR - Polymerase chain reaction  
• RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR   
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR)  
• Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test  
• Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) test  
• Molecular test or molecular diagnostic test  
• Isothermal amplification  
• Droplet Digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)  
• Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)

[hova]

Could someone explain how this works: 

 

Within 72 hours of your cruise embarkation, sign into ArriveCAN from a computer or download the mobile app to enter your proof of vaccination and travel information to get your ArriveCAN receipt. Please bring a digital copy of the email or print your receipt and take it with you when you travel.

 

Some clarification, we are Canadian, embarking at Vancouver for an Alaskan cruise.   Our experience with the ArriveCan app is that you only use if for your proof of vaccination and returning to Canada (not leaving it).  I am not sure there is even an option for entering travel information into the app for leaving Canada.

 

[lderochi]

Have you checked out the Canadian Cruisers forum on this board? There’s some folks there that can probably handle this question. 

[XLVIII]

7 hours ago, hova said:

Could someone explain how this works: 

 

Within 72 hours of your cruise embarkation, sign into ArriveCAN from a computer or download the mobile app to enter your proof of vaccination and travel information to get your ArriveCAN receipt. Please bring a digital copy of the email or print your receipt and take it with you when you travel.

 

Some clarification, we are Canadian, embarking at Vancouver for an Alaskan cruise.   Our experience with the ArriveCan app is that you only use if for your proof of vaccination and returning to Canada (not leaving it).  I am not sure there is even an option for entering travel information into the app for leaving Canada.

 

ArriveCan has now been updated to include cruise ship travel from and to Canada. You may have to update the app on your phone to see this.