COVID testing onboard for re-entry into USA

[LinRon3]

On 4/28/2022 at 1:20 PM, Biker19 said:

On the last day, you are limited to the 24 hour package which should be $32 for Stream - save your D+ discount for it. Some ships sometimes offer a much more limited package (I think about an hour) for about $10.

Hey Biker19. Is this for real [a 24 hour package for streaming wifi?]?  The website for RCL shows no options except for daily fee for whole cruise.  Also, what is a 'D+' account? This would really help our cause for covid testing last day of cruise.  RCL should make us aware of such things if so.  It puzzles us greatly why RCL is not showing more help than they are [which is nothing for back to USA airline passengers after a european cruise].  

[Biker19]

10 minutes ago, LinRon3 said:

Is this for real [a 24 hour package for streaming wifi?]?  The website for RCL shows no options except for daily fee for whole cruise.  Also, what is a 'D+' account? T

D+ have a discount on VOOM on the ship equal to two 24 hour periods of Surf (per person). 
 

Prices and package availability maybe different on board vs in the planner pre cruise. The 24 hour package is only available on board. 

[twangster]

22 minutes ago, LinRon3 said:

  It puzzles us greatly why RCL is not showing more help than they are [which is nothing for back to USA airline passengers after a european cruise].  

 

If you flew to France for vacation should your hotel in Paris pay for a test?  Why not the airline?

 

It's not Royal's fault the CDC isn't backing off the testing requirement while much of the free world already has.  

 

Write to your elected officials.  Let them know you are displeased with the CDC's testing requirement.  

[artvlay]

We are going to be on Odyssey in September. We get off in Civitavechia on Friday and get on Brilliance on Sunday in Ravenna. What are our options for getting tested while still on Odyssey for the boarding on Brilliance two days later?

[ONECRUISER]

On 4/28/2022 at 8:58 AM, Sunshine3601 said:

If you have surf and stream internet you should be fine as long as there are no storms or rain in area of ship that could impact their satellite.   

 

I wouldn't try with just surf internet.  

 

If your cabin has good internet connection during the cruise then you should be OK.

One of my last sailings internet was horrible in my cabin but worked great at other locations, especially the computer room.

Agree, Onboard last 3 weeks when rained Internet dropped off every time

[gumshoe958]

4 hours ago, artvlay said:

We are going to be on Odyssey in September. We get off in Civitavechia on Friday and get on Brilliance on Sunday in Ravenna. What are our options for getting tested while still on Odyssey for the boarding on Brilliance two days later?

Royal says tests for cruises leaving from Italian ports must be taken no more than one day before departure. So I think you’ll either need to get tested yourself somewhere in Italy on the Saturday or Sunday morning, or rely on Royal offering testing at the terminal at Ravenna. 

[LinRon3]

On 4/29/2022 at 4:00 PM, englander said:

Just to verify Big-G, I was just on the phone with C&A. David told me we can get a test onboard for flying internationally. Cost will be $55 pp. It's done by a third-party so he didn't think we could use OBC to pay for it. No matter, I'm relieved to know I can get the test done onboard without worrying about the internet! We are sailing round trip Amsterdam and returning to USA July 2nd.

Wow, sooo hope this will also be available on the Voyager in the Baltic.  Again, such info is VITAL...and makes or breaks the possibility of cruising in europe [for some of us anyway]. Seems RCL would offer more information...at the very least.  the "how, where, when'...or even an emphatic 'no help' available. The protocol we got was pretty 'emphatic'...ie 'no help' for those flying home. So, you give us some hope after all.  

[librarylady19]

On 4/29/2022 at 3:00 PM, englander said:

Just to verify Big-G, I was just on the phone with C&A. David told me we can get a test onboard for flying internationally. Cost will be $55 pp. It's done by a third-party so he didn't think we could use OBC to pay for it. No matter, I'm relieved to know I can get the test done onboard without worrying about the internet! We are sailing round trip Amsterdam and returning to USA July 2nd.

Thanks for that info. I tried several times to get through to C&A with no luck. Hope this is accurate info. as we don't have a lot of time at the airport pre-flight.

[njkruzer]

11 minutes ago, librarylady19 said:

Thanks for that info. I tried several times to get through to C&A with no luck. Hope this is accurate info. as we don't have a lot of time at the airport pre-flight.

Onboard Jewel now doing TA.  We're staying in Amsterdam but some of those flying home immediately have been told No testing onboard.   Lots of conflicting information. 

[englander]

Sure would be nice to get information we can believe! I hate having to spend so much money on emed tests and then bring them home unused. Did that on last cruise last nov - had 1. Unused test that is now expired. Just put the $35 into the trash! But I  now see it as a gamble to cover a possible risk of test not available. We are vaxed. I will wait a few weeks to order the tests for my Jun 20 - July 2 cruise to see if CDC changes any rules.....not very hopeful though. 

[hursttx]

We recently ended our cruise on Radiance and had to test to fly back to the U.S.  We carried the Emed test onboard and had the same issue several have mentioned...the ship's wifi was unstable and we kept getting knocked off while trying to do the test. I went to guest services and they let us use the ship conference center, which had a more stable wifi connection. We were able to get them done that way. Our other option would have been to test at the Vancouver airport. 

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, hursttx said:

the ship's wifi was unstable and we kept getting knocked off while trying to do the test.

If it worked in the conf center, it was not really the ship wifi, but the location in which you were testing. Some cabins/locations have really poor wifi reception - like you did, others may need to move to a better reception location.

[smokeybandit]

What about doing the tests over cell phone connection the morning you get in instead of relying on wifi?

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

What about doing the tests over cell phone connection the morning you get in instead of relying on wifi?

Sure, but for most folks flying home to the US, I'm guessing they won't have data on their cell phone in a foreign port.

[smokeybandit]

10 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Sure, but for most folks flying home to the US, I'm guessing they won't have data on their cell phone in a foreign port.

Most people would have a cell phone provider that offers free or a $10 day pass in just about every country.

[gumshoe958]

I hope there aren’t any nasty surprises for people testing at Barcelona airport tomorrow, following 14 days on the Wonder TA.

 

The captain announced today 3% of the ‘ship’s community’ has tested positive - assuming mostly crew as most passengers won’t get tested mid-voyage. That’s about 170 people.

[LinRon3]

On 4/29/2022 at 5:04 PM, twangster said:

 

If you flew to France for vacation should your hotel in Paris pay for a test?  Why not the airline?

 

It's not Royal's fault the CDC isn't backing off the testing requirement while much of the free world already has.  

 

Write to your elected officials.  Let them know you are displeased with the CDC's testing requirement.  

The issue is not money [to a point anyway]. IT is about where, how, when.  RCL is so adamant about people's safety.  If this were part of the cruise from the getgo, that's one thing.  But we booked this several years ago.  This is a NEW requirement thrown upon us...yes by our CDC.  Still feels like being thrown off the ship, in a foreign land, knowing nothing how to do this; "see 'ya"; kinda like a sink or swim thing without knowing if people can swim [in this case, either tech savvy or travel savvy].  Again, about the 'how, where, when'...in detail.  No, this is somehow not right.  Imagine being 70 or 80 and having to traipse across some foreign city to do this.  Someone is gonna get stranded.  Other cruise lines are offering at least the information how to get this [if not the test itself].  A plane or hotel I would not have booked 2 years ago.  Probably easy peasy; but without any INFORMATION whatsoever...no, not right. But we will deal with it; but we will also remember [for future bookings].  

[twangster]

29 minutes ago, LinRon3 said:

The issue is not money [to a point anyway]. IT is about where, how, when.  RCL is so adamant about people's safety.  If this were part of the cruise from the getgo, that's one thing.  But we booked this several years ago.  This is a NEW requirement thrown upon us...yes by our CDC.  Still feels like being thrown off the ship, in a foreign land, knowing nothing how to do this; "see 'ya"; kinda like a sink or swim thing without knowing if people can swim [in this case, either tech savvy or travel savvy].  Again, about the 'how, where, when'...in detail.  No, this is somehow not right.  Imagine being 70 or 80 and having to traipse across some foreign city to do this.  Someone is gonna get stranded.  Other cruise lines are offering at least the information how to get this [if not the test itself].  A plane or hotel I would not have booked 2 years ago.  Probably easy peasy; but without any INFORMATION whatsoever...no, not right. But we will deal with it; but we will also remember [for future bookings].  

Plenty of Americans vacation and travel overseas right now and they don’t sink.  They eat 

and drink and test and they all deal with it.  

[smokeybandit]

34 minutes ago, LinRon3 said:

This is a NEW requirement thrown upon us

USA re-entry testing has been a thing for nearly the entire pandemic

[gumshoe958]

50 minutes ago, LinRon3 said:

The issue is not money [to a point anyway]. IT is about where, how, when.  RCL is so adamant about people's safety.  If this were part of the cruise from the getgo, that's one thing.  But we booked this several years ago.  This is a NEW requirement thrown upon us...yes by our CDC.  Still feels like being thrown off the ship, in a foreign land, knowing nothing how to do this; "see 'ya"; kinda like a sink or swim thing without knowing if people can swim [in this case, either tech savvy or travel savvy].  Again, about the 'how, where, when'...in detail.  No, this is somehow not right.  Imagine being 70 or 80 and having to traipse across some foreign city to do this.  Someone is gonna get stranded.  Other cruise lines are offering at least the information how to get this [if not the test itself].  A plane or hotel I would not have booked 2 years ago.  Probably easy peasy; but without any INFORMATION whatsoever...no, not right. But we will deal with it; but we will also remember [for future bookings].  

Royal is offering information on how to get tested - at least it is on Wonder right now.

 

The compass printed a web link and a QR code to book a test at Barcelona airport. 

 

Sorry, but foreign travel during a pandemic has its complications. If you’re unable or unwilling to do a bit of basic internet research about what you need to do to fly back to your own country, you should probably stay home.

[sellwingri]

When I sailed on Anthem last September from Southampton, Royal offered free Covid testing to use to get home to the US.  I would have thought they’d do the same this year.  But now that they’re sailing closer to 100% capacity, guess they don’t think they have to.  I’m sailing on Vision in a couple of weeks and am bringing the Royal test kits but as a back up, I’m making a reservation at the Barcelona airport.

[Sunshine3601]

5 hours ago, LinRon3 said:

The issue is not money [to a point anyway]. IT is about where, how, when.  RCL is so adamant about people's safety.  If this were part of the cruise from the getgo, that's one thing.  But we booked this several years ago.  This is a NEW requirement thrown upon us...yes by our CDC.  Still feels like being thrown off the ship, in a foreign land, knowing nothing how to do this; "see 'ya"; kinda like a sink or swim thing without knowing if people can swim [in this case, either tech savvy or travel savvy].  Again, about the 'how, where, when'...in detail.  No, this is somehow not right.  Imagine being 70 or 80 and having to traipse across some foreign city to do this.  Someone is gonna get stranded.  Other cruise lines are offering at least the information how to get this [if not the test itself].  A plane or hotel I would not have booked 2 years ago.  Probably easy peasy; but without any INFORMATION whatsoever...no, not right. But we will deal with it; but we will also remember [for future bookings].  

You obviously have internet.  Simply Google testing sites near wherever you will be like the rest of the world has been doing for 2+ years.

Or just book an appt at the airport before you fly home.   

[LinRon3]

On 5/3/2022 at 12:33 PM, englander said:

Sure would be nice to get information we can believe! I hate having to spend so much money on emed tests and then bring them home unused. Did that on last cruise last nov - had 1. Unused test that is now expired. Just put the $35 into the trash! But I  now see it as a gamble to cover a possible risk of test not available. We are vaxed. I will wait a few weeks to order the tests for my Jun 20 - July 2 cruise to see if CDC changes any rules.....not very hopeful though. 

Just for info for anyone, we just ordered another 6 pack from eMed, and the expiration dates are Jan. 6, 2023.  Might help to know for some [helps us for December '22 cruise as well as June]. 

[MichFish]

On 4/28/2022 at 10:34 AM, Kellie in Texas said:

Thank you @logan25We are staying in Vancouver an extra day after we get off the ship, so we can use the hotel's internet to do a proctored test (if we can't find a handy testing place).  Thanks!

We are doing the same - I just called the Hotel we'll be staying out - and they have a group called Empower Clinic who offers tests there at the hotel - they operate out of one of their meeting rooms.

The hotel is the Fairmont Waterfront and is very near the cruise port  - you can go here to make an appointment:  https://www.empowerclinics.com/

 

 

[Kellie in Texas]

@MichFishwe are also staying at the Fairmont Waterfront for one night post-cruise. Good to know about the testing there, but I did order a 6-pack of the eMed tests which are supposed to be arriving at my house today.  At least the hotel testing location will be a good Plan B.