New Covid testing at Brooklyn terminal

[gkerlin]

Friends of ours who are embarking on today’s TA in Brooklyn just informed us that they are doing Covid testing of all passengers at the terminal. Regardless of the fact that everyone was required to get a test before hand.

 

The word is that a lot of people are upset. Perhaps because of the delay?

 

Our friends received a letter (which I posted in another thread) informing them about Covid on board and the resurgence of mask mandates. I’m wondering if this new procedure  is related to that, and if they had an outbreak the QM2’s Caribbean cruise.

[DebbieActon]

I was on the Caribbean leg of this journey.  Although, there was never anything official stated, there were many, many positive cases on board.  We "lost" many neighbours from our hallway to the quarantine cabins.  We were initially denied entry to Barbados, although a deal was struck and those testing negative could disembark on a Cunard excursion for the second day in port.  There were reportedly 60 positive cases removed at the pier. Our arrival in Curacao was cancelled because they could not confirm that we would be welcome there either.

 

Upon returning to Ft Lauderdale, the CDC demanded all disembarking passengers take an antigen test and the balance of the passengers had to test prior to arriving in NYC.  Masks were required during this sailing in all public indoor spaces, although they continued to allow the sharing of tables.

[bluemarble]

@gkerlin, QM2 has indeed had a significant COVID outbreak during the current cruise. Those who boarded in Fort Lauderdale this past Thursday also had to be tested at the terminal in addition to the tests they had done beforehand. They also received that communication from Cunard advising "we are currently managing a number of COVID-19 cases on board." That communication also advised (as did the one you posted) that there could be additional testing before embarkation and during the voyage, that mask wearing was going to be required, and that customers who did not wish to sail could cancel for a full refund.

 

My take on this is that it has to do with the US CDC guidelines for steps to be taken to help ensure the CDC does not move a ship from its "Orange" status (where QM2 is now) to its most severe "Red" status. Those guidelines request cruise ships do the following:

• Test all passengers mid-voyage, and/or prior to the end of the voyage, regardless of the passengers’ vaccination status;
• Increase routine screening testing of crew;
• Require mask use by all passengers and crew indoors and crowded outdoor areas;
• Send written notification to passengers on the current, previous, and subsequent voyages informing them of the COVID-19 conditions and measures being taken to reduce transmission on board;
• Offer a full refund for the cruise to any passenger who decides not to sail on the subsequent voyage; and
• Submit specimens for genetic sequencing.

Edited April 17, 2022 by bluemarble

[Mudhen]

We sail in mid May....will be following closely. Do you think that with the pier side testing, it won't be 

necessary to do the 24 hour test? or will we need both?.....sigh....just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water......double sigh.

[newjoisey]

Only a few days ago we cancelled our carib x mas cruise for this year ,this makes it the 3rd xmas cruise we have missed . We are probably 21 cruise days needed to make diamond status.....oh well maybe next year . We will not cruise until all restrictions are lifted 

[bluemarble]

3 minutes ago, Mudhen said:

We sail in mid May....will be following closely. Do you think that with the pier side testing, it won't be 

necessary to do the 24 hour test? or will we need both?.....sigh....just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water......double sigh.

 

My take is that the pier side testing that was done in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday and in New York today is on an ad-hoc basis per CDC guidelines depending on their investigation into a current outbreak. My understanding is that such US pier side testing (when it is done) is meant to be in addition to the test results passengers are asked to obtain on their own within two days of embarkation for US departures.

[gkerlin]

For some of you who just completed a TransAtlantic:
 

Are people currently being tested mid voyage on a transatlantic?

We are on the May 15 Eastbound.

 

Not that I care about being tested, anything to keep the ships sailing are fine by me,  just curious

[Mudhen]

1 minute ago, gkerlin said:

For some of you who just completed a TransAtlantic:
 

Are people currently being tested mid voyage on a transatlantic?

We are on the May 15 Eastbound.

 

Not that I care about being tested, anything to keep the ships sailing are fine by me,  just curious

Same boat, exactly.....just keep us posted, Cunard. We'll do whatever is necessary, just keep us informed.

[Kristal Blade]

It would be great if we were tested in Brooklyn pre cruise! We sail to Southampton in early June after a tour in the states. It is going to be awkward for us to arrange a pre cruise test because we travel to Denver 2 days before the cruise then fly to New York the day before the cruise. 
Oh well, I’m sure we will work it out. 
We have both had Covid in the past couple of weeks so not too concerned about on board infection rates rising. 
Hope everyone makes the right decision whether to sail or not, but we will definitely be boarding!

[thumbun]

On 4/17/2022 at 11:20 PM, Kristal Blade said:

It would be great if we were tested in Brooklyn pre cruise! We sail to Southampton in early June after a tour in the states. It is going to be awkward for us to arrange a pre cruise test because we travel to Denver 2 days before the cruise then fly to New York the day before the cruise. 
Oh well, I’m sure we will work it out. 
We have both had Covid in the past couple of weeks so not too concerned about on board infection rates rising. 
Hope everyone makes the right decision whether to sail or not, but we will definitely be boarding!

Are you on the 6/5 sailing to SOU?  We are too.  Arrive in NYC late on 6/3 and will be in the city all day on 6/4.  We won't be able to get our Antigen test before leaving SFO, so we need to get tested in NYC.  We may do it at JFK immediately upon arrival.  Have you made arrangements for a COVID test yet in NYC?

[Kristal Blade]

10 minutes ago, thumbun said:

Are you on the 6/5 sailing to SOU?  We are too.  Arrive in NYC late on 6/3 and will be in the city all day on 6/4.  We won't be able to get our Antigen test before leaving SFO, so we need to get tested in NYC.  We may do it at JFK immediately upon arrival.  Have you made arrangements for a COVID test yet in NYC?

Our travel company has told us to test at Denver airport before we fly to New York, the day before we sail. The only trouble is they haven’t yet revealed the time we fly! Iwillbe phoning them next week as we need to pre book online.

 

hHopeyou get your tests sorted out. I think JFK is a good idea. If our TA suggests an airport it sounds like it’s the way to go.

[Kristal Blade]

Thumbun,

Yes, we sail on 6 June. I got confused by your date format! We do day, month, year so I was thinking you had a month in New York! 

[bbtablet]

23 hours ago, Kristal Blade said:

Thumbun,

Yes, we sail on 6 June. I got confused by your date format! We do day, month, year so I was thinking you had a month in New York! 

Yes, I still get caught out sometimes here in GB, even after 9/11.

My birthday just happens to be 9/11 (GB style) too.

Edited May 1, 2022 by bbtablet

[thumbun]

23 hours ago, Kristal Blade said:

Thumbun,

Yes, we sail on 6 June. I got confused by your date format! We do day, month, year so I was thinking you had a month in New York! 

No worries -- now I just need to learn that Chips = French Fries and Crisps = Chips!!!!

[Kristal Blade]

5 minutes ago, thumbun said:

No worries -- now I just need to learn that Chips = French Fries and Crisps = Chips!!!!

What about all the words describing car parts? Bumper, boot, bonnet….

[frankp01]

On 5/1/2022 at 3:00 PM, Kristal Blade said:

What about all the words describing car parts?

Or, when I was on a bike tour of southern England, the term for a hardware store when I needed a bike part! I might as well have been speaking giberish. I did finally get it sorted to 'Iron monger'.