Flying home to US from Vancouver-covid test needed?

[beg3yrs]

1 hour ago, ebeluga said:

Another case of well intended public health rules with unintended consequence.

"Well intended" is being generous IMHO.

[Willwils]

We have July Alaska  cruise tour on Majestic Princess booked Oct '22. I'm now discussed with Princess over their renigging on providing of covid test on disembarkation. For what it's worth I had printed their previous web pages that stated they would cover the covid test on disembarkation, especially since we have EZ-AIR to US. I even have name of Princess rep from months ago confirming. They should be legally responsible for upholding their previous "Cruise with Confidence" promise! 

[miaf]

9 hours ago, Willwils said:

. For what it's worth I had printed their previous web pages that stated they would cover the covid test on disembarkation, especially since we have EZ-AIR to US. I even have name of Princess rep from months ago confirming

You can buy a 3 video test kits for $100 and take care of it yourself in your stateroom.  What's your time worth?

[Gramma of Boys]

1 hour ago, miaf said:

take care of it yourself in your stateroom

The fact that you're depending on the ship's internet connection (or lack thereof) in that case is the part that makes me nervous.  

[erber]

I would hope that since Princess is specifically listing the video test with medallion net as a viable method for testing, if the internet fails, they will make good and do the testing. Who knows though...

[travelbuds]

2 hours ago, Gramma of Boys said:

The fact that you're depending on the ship's internet connection (or lack thereof) in that case is the part that makes me nervous.  

With over 3000 passengers trying to use the ship's internet within the last 24 hours of the cruise, we'll need all of the luck we can get. Service is bad enough even during the less busy times. What happens when the service goes dead in the middle of your test? Princess needs to take the initiative and do what is best for it's customers.

[Buckeye10640]

3 hours ago, erber said:

I would hope that since Princess is specifically listing the video test with medallion net as a viable method for testing, if the internet fails, they will make good and do the testing. Who knows though...

Haha you are very optimistic I am afraid!  I got my hands on 6 tests for the 4 of us. We will see if Medallion Net holds up. 

[highloyo]

A lot of down time on the 2nd to last day of our cruise ending in Vancouver earlier this month. The morning was a schedule disembarking Covid test before reaching Victoria. After our negative test results I tried accessing my 2 email accounts on the internet. It was slow and had connection problems, logging me out a few times and causing me to lose what I had written and had to start over. My point, I wouldn’t trust the ship’s internet to do a proctored Covid test.

[erber]

Highloyo 

 

That is most concerning. Perhaps we need to do it when we are at the port in Vancouver? I know they have wifi there.

 

Buckeye, let us know how it goes....

[memoak]

On our coastal cruise to Vancouver last week Internet speed slowed considerably the farther north we went

[erber]

We would be testing near Vancouver as we disembark in Vancouver, so that is a plus, I guess....

[Buckeye10640]

2 hours ago, highloyo said:

A lot of down time on the 2nd to last day of our cruise ending in Vancouver earlier this month. The morning was a schedule disembarking Covid test before reaching Victoria. After our negative test results I tried accessing my 2 email accounts on the internet. It was slow and had connection problems, logging me out a few times and causing me to lose what I had written and had to start over. My point, I wouldn’t trust the ship’s internet to do a proctored Covid test.

My worry as well. But we have Princess saying no worries. just use Meddallion Net to test onboard using your hundred+ dollars worth of tests, which will be invalidated if the connection goes down mid-test🤷‍♀️

[dog]

Last week on Discovery internet was terrible in Vancouver.

it worked quite well for the remainder of the cruise, with the exception of Ketchikan. Had to log out & log back in after returning to ship.

I always add a day before flying home to avoid this kind of stress.

Fairmont, convention centre, airport, Switch offer Covid tests by appointment in Vancouver.

[Willwils]

We don't trust ship's WiFi & doudt it will work right with 3000 passengers trying to use @ same time for video test. In fact we didn't order the wifi for this cruise. But I wonder if I add Canada to my Verizon wireless, if I can get it to work on Deck once ship gets  to Vancouver? Besides, except for added cost of $79 pp , I have plenty of time to get tested @ airport since have late flight. Or at disembarkation cruise terminal before excursion, (in case test positive may have Princess people to handle their "cruise with confidence" protical.) 

[Buckeye10640]

We are all talking about how and when to test but is anyone but me worried about what happens if you test positive (off the ship)?  How does one even find  hotel options for quarantine?

[doctoranna]

3 hours ago, Willwils said:

We don't trust ship's WiFi & doudt it will work right with 3000 passengers trying to use @ same time for video test. In fact we didn't order the wifi for this cruise. But I wonder if I add Canada to my Verizon wireless, if I can get it to work on Deck once ship gets  to Vancouver? Besides, except for added cost of $79 pp , I have plenty of time to get tested @ airport since have late flight. Or at disembarkation cruise terminal before excursion, (in case test positive may have Princess people to handle their "cruise with confidence" protical.) 

It's actually not even $79.  That's $79 CAD.  With tax, that's actually about $64 US.  We don't plan to trust the WiFi in Vancouver either.  We have already booked appointments at the Convention Center at the pier.

[ebeluga]

1 hour ago, Buckeye10640 said:

We are all talking about how and when to test but is anyone but me worried about what happens if you test positive (off the ship)?  How does one even find  hotel options for quarantine?

People were suggesting to take the coach or Amtrak to head south...

[travelbuds]

11 hours ago, memoak said:

On our coastal cruise to Vancouver last week Internet speed slowed considerably the farther north we went

Is there a problem if we did the proctored eMed test on board before disembarking in Vancouver with our cellphone?

[d9704011]

4 hours ago, travelbuds said:

Is there a problem if we did the proctored eMed test on board before disembarking in Vancouver with our cellphone?

No.  You could do it at 0800 on the day of disembarkation and likely have your results before 0900.

 

If you're negative, that's great and away you go.  Now, if you're positive, what's your strategy?  Report yourself to the medical staff and hope the cruise line manages you for the next few days?

[erber]

I would think another option is doing emed test with port or airport wifi. That of course would mean having to test after disembarking. I would prefer to test before disembarking because I think that would mean it would be harder for Princess to avoid providing assistance in getting a hotel etc for quarantine if we test positive. I still think if Princess presents testing on board as a viable option, they need to make good and test individuals if the wifi fails. But, who knows if that argument would prevail. We don't sail until June 1 so I guess we will see what happens over the next several weeks. 

[1965]

I'm scheduling appt for testing at YVR. The form asks for city. Does that mean my city of residence? Doesn't ask for country. It's right after it asks for gender & right before passport info. 

[Gramma of Boys]

We ordered the emed kits and are hoping we can find somewhere with free wifi in Victoria when we are there.  Our timeline for making our flight in Vancouver is just too tight to leave it until disembarkation day.  This is just an added stressor that none of us should have.

[memoak]

10 hours ago, ebeluga said:

People were suggesting to take the coach or Amtrak to head south...

Amtrak is not running trains currently from Vancouver to Seattle. Also if you take a bus what are you going to do with all your luggage ?

[PescadoAmarillo]

12 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

We are all talking about how and when to test but is anyone but me worried about what happens if you test positive (off the ship)?  How does one even find  hotel options for quarantine?

This. The testing is (hard to believe, I know) the easy part. The shock of testing positive, and all the hoops that must be jumped through when you do, is much harder (and takes longer). 

[Gray Lady]

On 5/5/2022 at 10:41 PM, Steelers36 said:

Yes, there are plenty of head-scratchers when you look at the total picture of Covid protocols in both our countries.  It will go away, but who knows when?  IDK when your voyage is.  Mine is Oct 1 and we fly Sep 28.  Hoping for clear flying and sailing by then.

I called the CDC to ask about this very same thing with driving versus flying. Border crossings by land and by sea fall under the Homeland Security umbrella. The CDC has no jurisdiction there…only on flights. Still doesn’t make sense if you are only disembarking from a ship and flying directly home. One has to be fully vaccinated to even get into Canada. And all flights within the US are maskless now. Really?? Perfect example of the right and left hands not doing things in coordination.