Alaska pre-cruise cruise tour, new covid test requirement - confusing wording

[lexmiller]

I was going to post this on the Alaska boards, but it is very specific to Celebrity, so here I am, at your mercy.  As of June 1, Celebrity changed the covid test requirement for Celebrity Alaska cruise tours that are offered pre-cruise.  Now, as of June 1, a negative covid test is required two days before the cruise tour begins (again, as long as the cruise tour is pre-cruise).  However, the wording of the requirement is cryptic and confusing at best.  I will copy/paste below, but basically, it says that we must “present a digital or physical copy" of a negative test but it is “not required to be monitored testing”.  So I ask you, if it is “not required to be monitored testing”, then how are we to present a “digital or physical copy” of a negative result?  I am considering bringing our plastic/cardboard actual tests that only show the control line?!  Someone on the FBook roll call (I have posted on the CruiseCritic roll call but it is a very inactive group) said they called Celebrity and the rep said that the wording is wrong, that we must go to a CVS or Walgreens (no mention of Binax but I am sure that's fine, of course).  Well, we all know that the last person’s word you take is one of the phone reps as you can and usually do get different advice from each individual - the website is usually considered the "best source" of information.  I just wanted to see if anyone had any insights.  If we are confused, I imagine that the local guides with whom Celebrity contracts, are even more so!  Again, requirement says - present a digital or physical copy of negative results, yet the test is not required to be monitored......???

 

Pre-Arrival for Land Tours Covid-19 Testing

Pre-Cruise

• All Celebrity Cruises requires all guests ages 2 and older to present a digital or physical copy of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 2 days of the land tour start date. This test may be taken as either an Antigen or PCR test and is not required to be monitored testing.
•  

https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/alaska-travel-requirements#cruisetours

[PRH]

I’m with you!  The wording is extremely confusing.  We are on a pre-cruise tour too.  I went ahead and ordered the eMed monitored tests just to be sure as Celebrity is charging $45 for them and we still need a test before flying home.  All this could of course change before mid-July!  We used these tests in Europe and they eliminated the hassle of trying to find a test site and the uncertainty of cost.

[lexmiller]

53 minutes ago, PRH said:

I’m with you!  The wording is extremely confusing.  We are on a pre-cruise tour too.  I went ahead and ordered the eMed monitored tests just to be sure as Celebrity is charging $45 for them and we still need a test before flying home.  All this could of course change before mid-July!  We used these tests in Europe and they eliminated the hassle of trying to find a test site and the uncertainty of cost.

Our cruise tour starts one week from today, yikes, so we feel pressed about this.  We have also used the eMed tests, but we don't want to use them for the cruise tour if we don't have to.   Before June 1, NO covid testing was required at all for the pre-cruise land tour.  For the cruise itself, yes, but not for the pre-cruise land tour.  Very vague wording......

[Vlgg731]

They address both the land and the sea portion.  You can do the land test yourself and give them the results.  When you arrive at the port to board they will use the test you have brought with you and administer the test and proctor the results.

[lexmiller]

16 minutes ago, Vlgg731 said:

They address both the land and the sea portion.  You can do the land test yourself and give them the results.  When you arrive at the port to board they will use the test you have brought with you and administer the test and proctor the results.

We have no question about the cruise test - we have our binax emed tests and will do them ourselves and show the results at the port, easy peasy for that one, been there done that a bunch.  But right there, what you just wrote about the land tour pre-cruise test - "you can do the land test yourself and give them the results", that's what I'm talking about, that is where I am seeking clarity, as the website says, "clearly" in it's own very unclear way, that we must "present a digital or physical copy" of our negative results.......but that the test "is not required to be monitored".  And that therein lies the rub - how does one present a digital or physical copy of a test if it is not monitored?  Because we of course want to take our free government issued non-monitored tests and show them the results!  But the only way to show them the results of a non-monitored test, is for us to physically give our tour guide when he picks us up at the airport in Anchorage, our actual cardboard/plastic test kits!  LOL, really??  Thus, my confusion and certainty that someone did not think this out too clearly.

 

 

[TMLAalum]

And how would the DIY non-monitored covid test results indicate the date administered?

 

[RichYak]

9 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

And how would the DIY non-monitored covid test results indicate the date administered?

 

Or who actually took the test. Or if the swab was even used at all.

[lexmiller]

43 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Or who actually took the test. Or if the swab was even used at all.

EXACTLY my point! SO weird........you see the wording from Celebrity, right?  I just don't get it, the change was just made, prior to June 1, no test needed for the land tour pre-cruise at all.

[SWFL Cruisers]

We are leaving for our cruise tour next week and we received this email on JUNE 2nd!

• Alaska Cruisetours

o Pre-Cruise:

• Testing prior to the land tour is not required.

• For testing prior to the sailing guests are advised to bring an approved eMed kit and Celebrity Cruises will facilitate testing in the necessary time frame before the cruise. Guests who don’t bring an eMed kit, or are not eligible to use one, will have an in-person antigen test made available to them at their expense. Pricing is set by the vendor and subject to change without notice.    And then on the website you get this.....   Cruisetour guests: Guests 2 and older must present a negative antigen or PCR COVID-19 test result taken within 2 days of the land tour start date. For the land tour only, the test is not required to be supervised. For testing prior to the sailing, guests are advised to bring an approved eMed telehealth kit and testing will be facilitated in the necessary time frame prior to the cruise.   We saw on a rollcall page that you needed to test two days before the land tour. Well I figured we needed clarification now so I called the dreaded Celebrity customer service line. After a short 30 minute wait, I talked to a real live person and posed my question and was quickly told that the test was NOT needed for the land tour, just the cruise. When I expressed my concern about the conflicting requirements she put me on hold for about 5 minutes and when she returned she once again assured me that a test before our land tour is not required. I made her put a note in my reservation file stating what we were told. Needless to say, I never trust what they tell me so I will take a test at CVS on Thursday just in case however, I will not offer it up unless I have to. Once again, the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing!

Edited June 5, 2022 by SWFL Cruisers

[Ferry_Watcher]

You need a negative Covid test result before getting on the cruise ship (has been required since 2021)

 

Bring  a couple of home tests along with you (which most folks do anyway)

[5waldos]

It is seriously painful to read the Celebrity information on the testing and the ArriveCAN. They had the ArriveCAN information correct but it has now been changed back to misinformation. You are required to have the ArriveCAN completed and approved prior to boarding any ship which will be going to Canada. The website is now back to saying that you must complete the form prior to arriving in a Canadian port. Unless Canada has changed their regulations in the past day or two- that is wrong and is certain to cause a mess at the dock when people turn up without the ArriveCAN approval. 

 

From the Canadian Gov Website:

Before boarding your cruise ship: all travellers must submit their embarkation test information into ArriveCAN within 72 hours of boarding a cruise, including Canadians and those who just used ArriveCAN to enter Canada:

• in another country for a cruise that will enter Canada
• in Canada"

Edited June 5, 2022 by 5waldos

[SWFL Cruisers]

6 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

You need a negative Covid test result before getting on the cruise ship (has been required since 2021)

 

Bring  a couple of home tests along with you (which most folks do anyway)

We know this, we are talking about the land portion of the cruisetour.

[D. B.]

We are In Fairbanks NOW ( Sat. June 11,2022) for the Tour part of our Celebrity Tour/Cruise.

I to had questions about the confusing test requirements.

our director confirmed No Negative Test required to Join the Tour and they will help us complete the Tele Test (we brought along) before boarding the ship in Seward.

[Dee2226]

On 6/12/2022 at 11:30 AM, D. B. said:

We are In Fairbanks NOW ( Sat. June 11,2022) for the Tour part of our Celebrity Tour/Cruise.

I to had questions about the confusing test requirements.

our director confirmed No Negative Test required to Join the Tour and they will help us complete the Tele Test (we brought along) before boarding the ship in Seward.

So am I right in understanding you didn’t need to have a negative Covid test before the land component of the cruise tour? So confusing. I’m travelling from Australia next week to commence the tour in Fairbanks. I called X to get some clarity (admittedly it was the day after the changes so perhaps consultants weren’t up to speed) and it appeared a self administered test would be accepted but I didn’t get it in writing. She suggested that the test we were to take before departing Australia may suffice but we are leaving 2 days before and taking into account time difference it would be possibly 3 day. Also now that that the US has dropped pre entry testing we won’t be getting it done before we leave. Happy to do a self test but the digital or physical evidence is unclear if it can be unsupervised. A photo?  Good to  to hear  from someone who’s experienced it first hand. 
We also can’t purchase the recommended pre cruise test as we’re not in the US so also interested to hear from anyone who’s in the same situation as us. 

[Vary]

I, too have questions about the pre-tour test.  How do you provide proof of an unsupervised test?  If the land tour starts on Tuesday, can a test be done Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday?

Why did your tour Director say no test was needed if the emails and Celebrity web site says they’re needed?

[Cruising to Retirement]

Just had this same issue when going on a Royal cruise to Bermuda in May, real pain-  Keep us updated on the details.  We are on the Millennium on 8/4 with a Post Cruise Land Tour-  Any info is appreciated... Does the Canadian Govt. charge for any admission to the Country like Bermuda did? Is there an application to do online in order to enter Canada, we are flying into Vancouver on 8/4, Cruising on 8/5, Land Tour begins on 8/12- 8/15... Thanks for any help   

 

Enough Already with this Garbage.... 

[gold1953]

3 hours ago, Cruising to Retirement said:

Just had this same issue when going on a Royal cruise to Bermuda in May, real pain-  Keep us updated on the details.  We are on the Millennium on 8/4 with a Post Cruise Land Tour-  Any info is appreciated... Does the Canadian Govt. charge for any admission to the Country like Bermuda did? Is there an application to do online in order to enter Canada, we are flying into Vancouver on 8/4, Cruising on 8/5, Land Tour begins on 8/12- 8/15... Thanks for any help   

 

Enough Already with this Garbage.... 

there is a application to enter Canada but it is free

[Mark_K]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:51 AM, lexmiller said:

I was going to post this on the Alaska boards, but it is very specific to Celebrity, so here I am, at your mercy.  As of June 1, Celebrity changed the covid test requirement for Celebrity Alaska cruise tours that are offered pre-cruise.  Now, as of June 1, a negative covid test is required two days before the cruise tour begins (again, as long as the cruise tour is pre-cruise).  However, the wording of the requirement is cryptic and confusing at best.  I will copy/paste below, but basically, it says that we must “present a digital or physical copy" of a negative test but it is “not required to be monitored testing”.  So I ask you, if it is “not required to be monitored testing”, then how are we to present a “digital or physical copy” of a negative result?  I am considering bringing our plastic/cardboard actual tests that only show the control line?!  Someone on the FBook roll call (I have posted on the CruiseCritic roll call but it is a very inactive group) said they called Celebrity and the rep said that the wording is wrong, that we must go to a CVS or Walgreens (no mention of Binax but I am sure that's fine, of course).  Well, we all know that the last person’s word you take is one of the phone reps as you can and usually do get different advice from each individual - the website is usually considered the "best source" of information.  I just wanted to see if anyone had any insights.  If we are confused, I imagine that the local guides with whom Celebrity contracts, are even more so!  Again, requirement says - present a digital or physical copy of negative results, yet the test is not required to be monitored......???

 

Pre-Arrival for Land Tours Covid-19 Testing

Pre-Cruise

• All Celebrity Cruises requires all guests ages 2 and older to present a digital or physical copy of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 2 days of the land tour start date. This test may be taken as either an Antigen or PCR test and is not required to be monitored testing.
•  

https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/alaska-travel-requirements#cruisetours

Just a guess, but I’d say they’re saying it doesn’t have to be a monitored self-test, it can also be one done by a clinic/pharmacy.

[Vary]

I spoke to Celebrity Cruisetour desk this morning. They said the pre tour test can be any test done within the 2 days before the tour (even the day the tour officially starts). If it isn’t monitored, she said just bring the test card or take a picture of it to show the tour Director. Sounds rather casual. I think the real concern is the test before boarding the ship.  

[D. B.]

No Pre Tour Covid Test Required By Celebrity.

you will need a Negative Covid Test the Day Before the Tour End’s to Board the Ship in Seward.

We brought 2 of the Pre Paid Abbot Tele Test kits approved by Celb./RCCL and our Tour Guide assured us she will help us complete them.

You also are Required by Canada to download their Arrive CAN App. And complete their form within a day or 2 of Arriving in Vancouver at the end of the 7 day Cruise part of your Tour/ Cruise.

when you have completed the information on their App you will receive a QR code that I assume you have to show to Canadian Customs.

my only problem with the Tour part of our Tour/Cruise so far is a lot of time “on you own” if you don’t pay for the expense “optional” excursions.

Few in our group of 50 are doing those and there are limited ways to fill the “on your own” time!

I can see why they don’t include any meals as the dining is expensive in most tourist areas.

where we are today at Denali Lodge the dinner buffet is $55 a person. We will walk to an alternative burger place and buy their $22 hamburger.

[Cruising to Retirement]

On 6/14/2022 at 2:26 PM, Vary said:

I spoke to Celebrity Cruisetour desk this morning. They said the pre tour test can be any test done within the 2 days before the tour (even the day the tour officially starts). If it isn’t monitored, she said just bring the test card or take a picture of it to show the tour Director. Sounds rather casual. I think the real concern is the test before boarding the ship.  

Is there a phone number to get in touch with them... Thanks

[lexmiller]

On 6/14/2022 at 10:26 AM, Vary said:

I spoke to Celebrity Cruisetour desk this morning. They said the pre tour test can be any test done within the 2 days before the tour (even the day the tour officially starts). If it isn’t monitored, she said just bring the test card or take a picture of it to show the tour Director. Sounds rather casual. I think the real concern is the test before boarding the ship.  

This is absolutely accurate real time on the ground information. We are currently on a precruise land tour, started in Anchorage on June 11. Celebrity website is “clear”, in it’s inimitable unclear way, about the test not needing to be monitored. We brought photos of our home test kits and we brought our actual  test kits that we had used, showing only the control line proving we were negative, in a baggie. Our tour guide never even looked or asked, saying they weren’t needed. He said that if our tour had started one day later, that we would have to show “some sort of proof”-but, that was weird as the Celebrity site has never changed-no difference between June 11 to June 12, still has the verbiage of not needing to be monitored-our guide said that he will be looking at photos or used test kits for the next land tour he guides. Unproctored is absolutely the case. 

We are so glad that we did not waste our money on a proctored test!