HAL Not providing onboard covid testing in Vancouver

[2inSETexas]

15 minutes ago, steve4031 said:

I suspect a number of people will cancel their cruises because of this move.  I will stay the course.  I will do the research to find a testing place in Vancouver.  Fortunately, we fly home the next day.  

Same here. Our hotel in Vancouver offers testing, and we now plan to handle it there.

[ScoutDiver]

I fly home that day.   I am afraid that I will not have time. 12:45 PM.   I was counting on HAL.   The flight was booked through flightease.   This is a real let down.    They have been promising for   year to provide travel required testing.   2 weeks for the cruise, they change the rules.  If this turns out rough for me, I will never travel with them again.   I do not epxect privilidge per say.   I am paying a huge bill/full price  for a single in a NS.   A covid test is not too much to ask.   

It is almost too late to change travel plans. 

 

 

[NCTribeFan]

49 minutes ago, gilboman said:

Or just do a proctored test before disembarking or even after disembarking using own tests. Lifecenters.ca offers proctored tests at $20 pp and $5 for each additional, results in 15mins (basically they wait until negative result then email you the official result)

 

 

Yes, but that's difficult to do when you're solo and don't take a tablet/laptop.  You can't hold your phone and have them observe both hands while performing the test.  I know this from personal experience.  

 

Luckily, I have friends on the 2nd leg of my B2B who will have a laptop with them.  Question is will the wi-fi work on the sea day before we disembark.  They'll have to disembark early.  I don't want to hold them up trying to self-test in the wee hours of the morning. 

[lderochi]

That’s the biggest concern I have. The testing center at the airport recommends that I schedule my test at least 2 hours before the recommended check in time. And Delta is suggesting that I check in at least 3 hours early due to heavy delays at the airport. So, working backwards I would need to make an appointment 5 hours before my flight time. That’s not going to work with a 1:30 flight. I’ll make an appointment for the earliest I can reasonably hope for, and hope for the best. But hopefully l’ll be able to do all this via my eMed kits without any glitches so won’t have to worry about keeping the appointment. 

[OlsSalt]

The "leisure and hospitality" sector of our economy will need new branding.

[PACD_JG]

I get it...be pissed off at HAL.  However, the US government is your thorn.  How many other countries require a covid test to enter for the vaccinated?  And whatever number an apologist comes up with, Canada still isn't one of them.

[Fouremco]

48 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

 

Yes, but that's difficult to do when you're solo and don't take a tablet/laptop.  You can't hold your phone and have them observe both hands while performing the test.  I know this from personal experience.  

 

Luckily, I have friends on the 2nd leg of my B2B who will have a laptop with them.  Question is will the wi-fi work on the sea day before we disembark.  They'll have to disembark early.  I don't want to hold them up trying to self-test in the wee hours of the morning. 

There are lots of very inexpensive stands (<$20) that will hold your phone and allow you to do your test.

[OlsSalt]

4 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

I get it...be pissed off at HAL.  However, the US government is your thorn.  How many other countries require a covid test to enter for the vaccinated?  And whatever number an apologist comes up with, Canada still isn't one of them.

 

Agree, one must solve for "they" first,  in order to effect change. Then solve for why. 

[PoppyBanks]

1 hour ago, PoppyBanks said:

I am flying in to Vancouver in 18 hours. We embark Saturday. I have not received an email or notice on navigator re: testing for return to US post-cruise. 
🤨

Me again😒

I never received an email (sail in 2 days) but navigator has updated protocol,  if you look for it. Revised as of May 4th. 
We are not traveling with proctored test kits or laptops. One of us flies to Oregon 5 hours after disembarking and the remaining three fly to PA at 5:30 pm. Hoping we can easily schedule tests at Vancouver airport. What happens if there’s a positive among us? 

[mskitty1]

If you test positive in Vancouver, they will NOT let you fly and you are responsible to find a hotel that will take you to quarantine for at least 5 days.  (The Fairmont at the airport will NOT take people who have tested positive.)  IT CAN BE A REAL NIGHTMARE!!!  OR  get yourself to Seattle to fly a domestic flight which doesn't require a test.  

[Florida_gal_50]

6 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Exactly why I booked this year's Alaska cruise out of Seattle rather than Vancouver.  

I don't blame you one bit.  I said a few weeks ago that Canadian cruises would be a hard sell for cruisers from the USA.  Who needs any extra hoops to jump through?

[Florida_gal_50]

6 hours ago, lderochi said:

Yep, it’s a permanent change, not just for Vancouver. The FAQ on the website was updated overnight. “Vaccinated guests needing a disembarkation COVID-19 test in the U. S., Canada and all other destinations . . . Will be responsible to arrange and cover the expense of that test.” Which means the line in the email they sent blaming “circumstances beyond our control” is complete BS. Unless you take “circumstance” to mean “holy crap, that’s a lot of money we’re spending to find answers that we really don’t want to know in the first place”

100%.  I hope they get a rash of cancellations.

[DaveOKC]

2 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don't blame you one bit.  I said a few weeks ago that Canadian cruises would be a hard sell for cruisers from the USA.  Who needs any extra hoops to jump through?

Earlier this week we heard about the long security lines at Vancouver airport and now the same day testing on your own to get back to US (from Vancouver)!  JUMP JUMP JUMP!  I wonder if the Canadian officials are doing this stuff on purpose??

[Florida_gal_50]

4 hours ago, rotjeknor said:

I’m sorry for anyone whose travel plans are being frustrated by these measures, but is it a cruise lines responsibility?  Do airlines provide free testing for , say , connecting flights to countries that require a test ? 
It seems to me that now mask mandates etc. are not strictly enforced or are not in place anymore, the virus is on the rise again. When I took my Eurodam cruise last September, everyone , no exceptions , wore a mask . We were tested a day before disembarkation and among the 900 pax , there were no positives.

Again sorry for everyone who’s affected, but we can all take our responsibility to keep the virus in check. 

Do they want their ships with passengers or not?  I'm fine with getting tested before I go even though its a pain.  At least I know where to find a place. The problem is what if you can't find anywhere to test or the proctored test doesn't work with the internet?  If I was from the USA I'd be cancelling right now with my cancel for any reason insurance.  Its too much of a hassle plus I need to get back to work.  

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

There are lots of very inexpensive stands (<$20) that will hold your phone and allow you to do your test.

I don't know why you couldn't prop it up on the desk somehow.  That's what I would do.  I don't own a laptop and it's too heavy to travel with anyway.

[clarkfam]

2 hours ago, 2inSETexas said:

Same here. Our hotel in Vancouver offers testing, and we now plan to handle it there.

What hotel in Vancouver offers the testing?  We are cruising from Seward to Vancouver.  We have not made our return flight arrangements yet so we can stay in Vancouver a night if this will be easier.  

[2inSETexas]

9 minutes ago, clarkfam said:

What hotel in Vancouver offers the testing?  We are cruising from Seward to Vancouver.  We have not made our return flight arrangements yet so we can stay in Vancouver a night if this will be easier.  

The Fairmont downtown and the Fairmont at the airport both provide testing. reservations required. 

 

Here is a link to the downtown Fairmont and a few other Vancouver locations:  https://fast-test.ca/locations/

 

The Fairmont airport link is https://bonvoyage.janeapp.com/locations/bon-voyage-medical-fairmont-vancouver-airport/book#staff_member/4

 

[shorty_shell27]

There is a testing facility at the Vancouver Convention Centre: https://covid-medical.ca/test-select-location/ - which is right by the docks for the cruise ships. It is the same facility that does the testing at the Vancouver Airport.  

 

Its a bummer that travelling by air to the US still needs a COVID test...

[five.]

K-dam on May 28 and we received the same email. And just to clarify, if you need a test in order to fly out when you get back, as in from Vancouver to US - those are the tests that they will no longer be providing.

 

I saw this provided elsewhere and it may be beneficial to someone not using the eMed tests:

 

[ehyup71]

55 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Earlier this week we heard about the long security lines at Vancouver airport and now the same day testing on your own to get back to US (from Vancouver)!  JUMP JUMP JUMP!  I wonder if the Canadian officials are doing this stuff on purpose??

 

This requirement for a COVID test to fly to the U.S. has nothing to do with the Canadian government, that is on the U.S. Government.  Canada dropped the requirement for a COVID test for vaccinated individuals arriving by air to have a negative COVID test to fly into Canada over a month ago.  It's high time U.S. dropped the requirement for vaccinated air travellers as well. 

 

The long security lineups are certainly a frustration that I understand.  People need to realize that those of us that work in aviation have been severely impacted by COVID over the last 2 years, many of us were laid off or let go from our jobs (I lost my job after 17 years working for an airline and only returned to aviation 8 months ago).   Things are opening up , more people have started to fly, and aviation is struggling to find employees and staff up.  Even if they hired a ton of people this month it takes time to gain security clearance and provide training.  I can assure you that nobody working in aviation likes this any better than you do!

 

I feel bad for all of you impacted by this current change by HAL on short notice and the stress this has added to your travel plans. 

[HermmyGranger]

Are Covid tests required to fly out of Vancouver on our return home? I can't seem to find accurate info anywhere. Lots of talk about getting tested prior to cruising out of Vancouver, but nothing about the return.

[PACD_JG]

11 minutes ago, HermmyGranger said:

Are Covid tests required to fly out of Vancouver on our return home? I can't seem to find accurate info anywhere. Lots of talk about getting tested prior to cruising out of Vancouver, but nothing about the return.

Before boarding a flight to the United States, you are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 1 day before travel. There is also an option for people who have documented recovery from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.

Children under 2 years old do not need to test.

 

That's from the CDC - whether they are accurate or not is subject to debate...

[DaveOKC]

check the cdc website.  It appears to me that at this time a Covid test is required to fly into the US.  Of course, you could drive into it.

 

[NCTribeFan]

58 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don't know why you couldn't prop it up on the desk somehow.  That's what I would do.  I don't own a laptop and it's too heavy to travel with anyway.

 

They have to be able to watch you - both hands - handling the testing materials as well as conducting the test.  Sure, I can prop the phone against something that will show my face, but you can't prop a phone tilted toward a table.  It tends to fall flat on it's face/camera. 

 

I'll take at least one eMed test with me and hope it works out.  If it doesn't, I'll have a backup plan to test at the airport.

 

Must say I'm now quite glad that I picked a late afternoon flight.  That should give me a lot more time - and less stress - to get it all handled.  Hopefully the security lines will be shorter in mid-afternoon on a Wednesday.

[shiner6]

wow! That is not much notice. We are scheduled for early July. Hope they notify us soon.