Why hasn't Celebrity offered a Covid test the last afternoon of the cruise for those that need it.

[drarill]

10 hours ago, Mark_K said:

Things that are doable with 500-600 passengers aren’t necessarily doable with three or four times as many passengers.

Last year they did ours the day before debarkation with official results for us to upload to fly home.  It is doable, but right now they have no interest in going back to this policy 

[Expo67]

8 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

It is absolutely ridiculous that you can drive back across the border from Canada to the US, or you can get on a domestic flight without testing, but you need a test when flying back from any international country.  And this applies even for international countries whose Covid levels are much lower than those in the US.  It just makes no logical sense to me.  I am not anti-precautions by any means, but there is just no logic in this thinking.  But it is what it is and in the meantime we have to handle it as best we can, stressful as it is.

 

6 hours ago, durberville said:

Yep, it’s ridiculous at this point. My SIL in Canada has booked a European cruise and asked if we wanted to join them. NOPE! Not until the US removes the test to come home! (She and her husband have traveled numerous times without the worry about getting back home like us). 🫤

100% with both of you on this one as I am sure are about another 50 million. It is time for CDC meddling to stop and jump on with the rest of the world and move on. 🤬

[Guppy99]

On 5/28/2022 at 5:02 PM, Silkroad said:

I agree with some of the reasoning in previous posts, but I have an additional point. Medical is already stretched thin managing Covid cases on some cruises. They haven’t time to administer tests for disembarking pax.
 

I suggest you purchase your own eMed tests and use them in your cabin the day before disembarkation. Carry an extra one for each of you in case of problems. On occasion, you may find something missing or unusable in your test kit. Or, you may fumble the swab like one YouTube poster did. Good thing he had a spare test kit!

Better answer. Everyone else seems to assume the very worst of the company

[Guppy99]

17 hours ago, Expo67 said:

 

100% with both of you on this one as I am sure are about another 50 million. It is time for CDC meddling to stop and jump on with the rest of the world and move on. 🤬

It is time for people to continue to think about the greater good then their own selfish inconveniences.

[Lastdance]

Constructive criticism is always a good thing!  We can all hope that future rule changes are coming, but that those will not satisfy everyone.  However, even though you can choose not to cruise, many of us want to cruise and have our own ways of handling issues thanks to voices on Cruise Critic. 

Edited May 30, 2022 by Lastdance

[durberville]

1 hour ago, Guppy99 said:

It is time for people to continue to think about the greater good then their own selfish inconveniences.

I’m all for CDC guidelines in general,  but this particular rule of testing to fly home is out of step with the rest of the world and sure hasn’t raised the country up to a beacon of success on the Covid front. Other countries have dropped testing to enter, and still have much better numbers. 
 

I wear a mask everywhere I go and will do so on my cruise…you know,  policies that actually work. 

[danv3]

26 minutes ago, durberville said:

I’m all for CDC guidelines in general,  but this particular rule of testing to fly home is out of step with the rest of the world and sure hasn’t raised the country up to a beacon of success on the Covid front. Other countries have dropped testing to enter, and still have much better numbers. 

 

I'm sure this rule would get more popular support if there was even the slightest bit of logic behind it.  

 

No one can articulate a reasonable basis why someone driving from Toronto to New York doesn't need to test but someone flying from Toronto to New York does.  And lest anyone suggest it's because flying is different, ask why no one has to test when they fly from Los Angeles to New York (a much longer, but domestic flight).  

[Tony UK]

2 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

Better answer. Everyone else seems to assume the very worst of the company

People are purchasing kits on board but they are only handed to them at debarkation. People feel a sense of abandonment when they test positive and unable to go home. No support from the ship after debarkation. Surely the ship could schedule timeslots, to avoid overwhelming IT , on board for people to do these tests whilst they have support and access to trusted advice on their options. Some didnt realise tests had to be observed. Others didnt have a smartphone. Many hadnt realised they had to download an app, or didnt know how to do it.

 

Come on Celebrity you can and should be doing more to support the customers who need it.

[C4HCG]

2 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

It is time for people to continue to think about the greater good then their own selfish inconveniences.

Oh the irony 😁.

[Expo67]

36 minutes ago, danv3 said:

 

I'm sure this rule would get more popular support if there was even the slightest bit of logic behind it.  

 

No one can articulate a reasonable basis why someone driving from Toronto to New York doesn't need to test but someone flying from Toronto to New York does.  And lest anyone suggest it's because flying is different, ask why no one has to test when they fly from Los Angeles to New York (a much longer, but domestic flight).  

Now there is a logical explanation without selfishness involved. 👍 It is time to move past the insanity and realize this will most likely be with most us for the rest of our lives just like influenza. Stop hindering the industries that have been devastated by these restrictions. It falls right in line with allowing the cruise lines to quarantine paxs in their own cabins rather than move them to another cabin which in many cases is farther away from medical. 🤔

[C4HCG]

30 minutes ago, Tony UK said:

People are purchasing kits on board but they are only handed to them at debarkation. People feel a sense of abandonment when they test positive and unable to go home. No support from the ship after debarkation. Surely the ship could schedule timeslots, to avoid overwhelming IT , on board for people to do these tests whilst they have support and access to trusted advice on their options. Some didnt realise tests had to be observed. Others didnt have a smartphone. Many hadnt realised they had to download an app, or didnt know how to do it.

 

Come on Celebrity you can and should be doing more to support the customers who need it.

Or maybe people should take responsibility for understanding what the process is and possible consequences are before they travel, rather than relying on others.

[Expo67]

9 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Or maybe people should take responsibility for understanding what the process is and possible consequences are before they travel, rather than relying on others.

Very easy to say when you are living in a country and disembarking in that country that requires no quarantining or travel constraints. Yes it is a US problem but put the shoe on the other foot and see how you would feel if the situation was reversed. 🤔

[Redtravel]

On 5/29/2022 at 6:20 AM, Mark_K said:

Things that are doable with 500-600 passengers aren’t necessarily doable with three or four times as many passengers.

Then maybe there are too many people on the ship. Avoiding testing makes cruising dangerous for everyone.  Viking has the highest number of registered Covid cases. They test everyone daily.  Does Celebrity test anyone on the ship?  Probably only people who exhibit symptoms.  No testing allows Celebrity to report low number of positive cases. Sadly, it allows the virus to spread.  This is probably to ensure a more “relaxing vacation.”  That was what was given as the reason for rearranging ports or skipping ports on the present Bermuda cruise.  Skip Newport allows guests to enjoy a relaxing day at sea?  What are they thinking?  

[C4HCG]

11 minutes ago, Expo67 said:

Very easy to say when you are living in a country and disembarking in that country that requires no quarantining or travel constraints. Yes it is a US problem but put the shoe on the other foot and see how you would feel if the situation was reversed. 🤔

If the shoe was on the other foot I would not travel as I couldn’t enjoy a holiday with that possibility hanging over me. Simple.

[Expo67]

9 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

If the shoe was on the other foot I would not travel as I couldn’t enjoy a holiday with that possibility hanging over me. Simple.

That is or should I say was your prerogative prior to Jan 5th when the UK dropped the testing requirement. Having been on a holiday cruise last Dec. with over 50% from the UK I think they may of thought differently if they were saddled with the same issues now happening.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

1 hour ago, Tony UK said:

People are purchasing kits on board but they are only handed to them at debarkation. People feel a sense of abandonment when they test positive and unable to go home. No support from the ship after debarkation. Surely the ship could schedule timeslots, to avoid overwhelming IT , on board for people to do these tests whilst they have support and access to trusted advice on their options. Some didnt realise tests had to be observed. Others didnt have a smartphone. Many hadnt realised they had to download an app, or didnt know how to do it.

 

Come on Celebrity you can and should be doing more to support the customers who need it.

I agree with all you've said above and think it would be good to have a presentation onboard that is also shown on the stateroom TV outlining and explaining what you need to have and do to take an online COVID test. 

[mauimary]

I still think everyone needs to take responsibility to know what the rules are traveling period.  What is required to fly home.  To NOT know a self test needs to be proctored does not make any sense at all!   Take ownership and figure this out before you even leave home.  
We will be traveling out of the country and know exactly what we need to do to get back in as inconvenient as it is.   We have purchased tests.  If folks purchased insurance when they booked their cruise it does cover the extra hotel costs.  One needs to realize this could happen to them and plan accordingly if you want to travel out of your own country.  This is all my opinion and I realize many will disagree. That’s ok. 

[C4HCG]

7 minutes ago, Expo67 said:

That is or should I say was your prerogative prior to Jan 5th when the UK dropped the testing requirement. Having been on a holiday cruise last Dec. with over 50% from the UK I think they may of thought differently if they were saddled with the same issues now happening.

I wouldn’t want to be on a cruise where 50% were Brits, I live with these people for most of the year, don’t want to holiday with them too 😁.  That aside, people should only travel if they understand and are prepared to accept all possible scenarios and I seriously don’t understand how anyone can try to blame Celebrity for not providing support when things go wrong. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 5/29/2022 at 7:02 AM, bunnyette said:

You no longer need a negative Covid test to enter Canada but you do need to be vaxxed.

Things are a bit confused here.  You do need a negative test to BOARD a cruise ship that ports in Canada.

[Expo67]

11 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

I wouldn’t want to be on a cruise where 50% were Brits, I live with these people for most of the year, don’t want to holiday with them too 😁.  That aside, people should only travel if they understand and are prepared to accept all possible scenarios and I seriously don’t understand how anyone can try to blame Celebrity for not providing support when things go wrong. 

100% agree and too funny about not wanting to be onboard with many of your countrymen and countrywomen. I can honestly say we are about as over prepared as it gets. 👍 In these days however of ever changing scenarios it is quite challenging to say the least. To get a bit of support from Celebrity could pay dividends in the future for some cruisers. The issue of taking proctored Covid tests is not an issue for some but is for others. I guess in that case for those having issues it might be in their best interest to delay their vacationing a bit longer. The main issue most folks seem to have with the proctored tests is with regards to bandwidth issues. 🤔 

[suzyluvs2cruise]

49 minutes ago, mauimary said:

I still think everyone needs to take responsibility to know what the rules are traveling period.  What is required to fly home.  To NOT know a self test needs to be proctored does not make any sense at all!   Take ownership and figure this out before you even leave home.  
We will be traveling out of the country and know exactly what we need to do to get back in as inconvenient as it is.   We have purchased tests.  If folks purchased insurance when they booked their cruise it does cover the extra hotel costs.  One needs to realize this could happen to them and plan accordingly if you want to travel out of your own country.  This is all my opinion and I realize many will disagree. That’s ok. 

We are from CA and did not have the ability to get "free" covid testing for travel that many in other parts of the country could so we knew how to do a proctored EMed test. On the APEX TA cruise we talked to several people....mostly from Florida...who had never done a proctored test as they always went to Walgreens or CVS. They had an idea of how to do it but were hesitant and crew onboard were saying "just download the Navica App and you can test in the terminal in Amsterdam". As those of us who have done EMed tests know there's more to it than that and for those who were on APEX and got off in Amsterdam there was no where to do the test in the terminal. 
Yes...everyone should have a plan before going on a cruise and most do. 

[canderson]

What's silly is that it appears we would be able to sail into FLL after a trans-Atlantic cruise from Barcelona after spending 13 days fairly well confined (lots of at-sea days) with a couple of thousand other people in October -- without testing before arrival in FLL -- but would be required to test to fly home from Barcelona after being with just a couple of hundred people for a 9 hour flight.  Go figure.

 

Have to wonder if this craziness will be done with by then.

 

[Lastdance]

19 minutes ago, canderson said:

Have to wonder if this craziness will be done with by then.

 

I certainly hope so, as I also cruise in October...TBD

[Guest ldtr]

On 5/27/2022 at 7:57 AM, wrk2cruise said:

Even in the US where there appears to be no assistance provided after disembarkation if you were to test positive onboard they still don't want the publicity of the higher numbers.  They are trying to portray ships as being the safest place on earth to encourage bookings.

Even in the US the cruise lines had to have agreement with the ports.  One element of those agreements is that the cruise line is responsible for any passengers that test positive on board.  Once they are off the ship the agreements no longer apply.  Primary reason that even if cruise lines provide testing is it shifting more and more to being done after disembarkation.

[gold1953]

2 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Then maybe there are too many people on the ship. Avoiding testing makes cruising dangerous for everyone.  Viking has the highest number of registered Covid cases. They test everyone daily.  Does Celebrity test anyone on the ship?  Probably only people who exhibit symptoms.  No testing allows Celebrity to report low number of positive cases. Sadly, it allows the virus to spread.  This is probably to ensure a more “relaxing vacation.”  That was what was given as the reason for rearranging ports or skipping ports on the present Bermuda cruise.  Skip Newport allows guests to enjoy a relaxing day at sea?  What are they thinking?  

A big issue is all of those on board with symptoms who choose to hide them  or cough without masks and claim seasonal allergies..  need pollen for that .. in the middle of the ocean!