Cruilse lines Call for CDC to change covid testing policy

[exm]

2 minutes ago, pcur said:

Because if one is asymptomatic, it's still a good idea to be responsible and make sure you're not carrying the virus to other people.  

 

How many people are carrying the flu virus around each year and are asymptomatic? Is that a problem?

[molly361]

Viking became the first major line to do away with testing requirement in early June. After requiring passengers to perform daily COVID-19 tests and pre-embarkation tests, the line announced in mid-June that it will no longer require either.

"Effective immediately, Viking will discontinue all on board COVID testing fleetwide," Viking said in a statement.

"Viking highly recommends, but no longer requires, a pre-departure COVID-19 test –-- unless one is required by the destination."

Edited June 14, 2022 by molly361

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, molly361 said:

Viking became the first major line to do away with testing requirement in early June. After requiring passengers to perform daily COVID-19 tests and pre-embarkation tests, the line announced in mid-June that it will no longer require either outside of the US.

Fixed.

[pyrateslife4me84]

2 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Viking became the first major line to do away with testing requirement in early June. After requiring passengers to perform daily COVID-19 tests and pre-embarkation tests, the line announced in mid-June that it will no longer require either.

At a minimum, this means Royal may remove testing for Europe cruises on 7/1. I’m sure it will take longer for US and Canada. When they extended the current policy through 9/30, I presume they did so since they are under the impression that the CDC won’t budge on this. 

Edited June 14, 2022 by pyrateslife4me84

[pcur]

2 minutes ago, exm said:

 

How many people are carrying the flu virus around each year and are asymptomatic? Is that a problem?

Considering COVID has much higher possibility of severe infection or illness, AND we can test for the presence of the virus with a FREE test at home, why not test ourselves?

 

I have a fully vaccinated friend that gets very sick from the vaccine:  for days.  I would not want to give her the actual "real time" virus.  We don't live in this world alone.

 

As for the flu/cold:  I'll be wearing a mask whenever I have anything that will infect others. 

 

Each person decides for themselves.  

[smokeybandit]

3 minutes ago, pcur said:

Considering COVID has much higher possibility of severe infection or illness,

That's not true at all anymore.  My local paper (major US city) had an article recently about how the area hospitals are seeing more severe flu than they are covid.

[Tree_skier]

20 minutes ago, pcur said:

Because if one is asymptomatic, it's still a good idea to be responsible and make sure you're not carrying the virus to other people.  

Unless you work in healthcare for the state of California.  Then you are required to come to work even if you are covid positive.

Edited June 14, 2022 by Tree_skier

[pcur]

10 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

That's not true at all anymore.  My local paper (major US city) had an article recently about how the area hospitals are seeing more severe flu than they are covid.

Well you definitely make a lot of sense, but by taking my statement out of context.  The next sentence explains my rationale.  There are many people that will still get VERY sick from COVID.  Said friend above, her vaccinated and boosted sister got VERY sick with COVID over a week ago.  She's not a statistic, she's a real person.  I consider every person I come in contact with to be potentially vulnerable, so I act accordingly by taking my FREE test at home if I am going to a crowded environment:  like a cruise ship.

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by pcur

[latserrof]

12 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

 

 

2020 called:  They want their COVID restrictions back!

And a side order of logic for everyone, too, please.

[Mapleleafforever]

14 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

 

 

2020 called:  They want their COVID restrictions back!

We agree on something!!! Dang, it's starting to feel like Stockholm Syndrome has taken over.....

[smokeybandit]

5 minutes ago, pcur said:

Well you definitely make a lot of sense, but by taking my statement out of context.  The next sentence explains my rationale.  There are many people that will still get VERY sick from COVID.  Said friend above, her vaccinated and boosted sister got VERY sick with COVID over a week ago.  She's not a statistic, she's a real person.  I consider every person I come in contact with to be potentially vulnerable, so I act accordingly by taking my FREE test at home if I am going to a crowded environment:  like a cruise ship.

There are many people that will still get VERY sick from lots of things that are on cruise ships that no one is concerned about

[BND]

5 minutes ago, pcur said:

Well you definitely make a lot of sense, but by taking my statement out of context.  The next sentence explains my rationale.  There are many people that will still get VERY sick from COVID.  Said friend above, her vaccinated and boosted sister got VERY sick with COVID over a week ago.  She's not a statistic, she's a real person.  I consider every person I come in contact with to be potentially vulnerable, so I act accordingly by taking my FREE test at home if I am going to a crowded environment:  like a cruise ship.

What's your definition of "very sick"?  I know people who think they're dying with a bad cold.  There is still no actual proof that pre boarding testing prevents anything as there's been no studies done.  You can test negative pre-boarding and test positive two or three days in if you tested.  Also, gee, people are going to destinations, going ashore and being around other people.  There is no way to know.

[exm]

11 minutes ago, pcur said:

Well you definitely make a lot of sense, but by taking my statement out of context.  The next sentence explains my rationale.  There are many people that will still get VERY sick from COVID.  Said friend above, her vaccinated and boosted sister got VERY sick with COVID over a week ago.  She's not a statistic, she's a real person.  I consider every person I come in contact with to be potentially vulnerable, so I act accordingly by taking my FREE test at home if I am going to a crowded environment:  like a cruise ship.

 

 

Do you know how many get VERY sick from the flu or a cold?

[Mapleleafforever]

11 minutes ago, pcur said:

Well you definitely make a lot of sense, but by taking my statement out of context.  The next sentence explains my rationale.  There are many people that will still get VERY sick from COVID.  Said friend above, her vaccinated and boosted sister got VERY sick with COVID over a week ago.  She's not a statistic, she's a real person.  I consider every person I come in contact with to be potentially vulnerable, so I act accordingly by taking my FREE test at home if I am going to a crowded environment:  like a cruise ship.

 

Sorry to hear about your friend's sister and I hope she's feeling better soon. Is she in a high risk demographic by any chance?

 

All the people I know personally know who have had it of late (many) whether vaccinated or unvaccinated have gotten over it much the same as they would a mild cold. 

[pcur]

2 minutes ago, exm said:

 

Do you know how many get VERY sick from the flu or a cold?

Yes, even die from the flu.  I just looked it up on John Hopkins' web site.  It was startling to see the HUGE difference from flu and COVID deaths (annualizing the numbers for COVID).  It was a top of 600k for the flu worldwide, and around 2.8M for COVID.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, Mapleleafforever said:

Sorry to hear about your friend's sister and I hope she's feeling better soon. Is she in a high risk demographic by any chance?

 

All the people I know personally know who have had it of late (many) whether vaccinated or unvaccinated have gotten over it much the same as they would a mild cold. 

No, that's the weird part.  Neither friend, sister, or all their female 1st cousins are high risk.  It's obviously genetic, but they all get very sick from the vaccine, and if they get COVID they get very sick.  My son's vaccinated fiancée got COVID several weeks ago.  She felt crummy for about 2 days. 

 

I just don't know who's vulnerable, and who's not.  So, I act as if EVERYONE is vulnerable, and act accordingly.  I posted about this before:  if any of us were standing at corner, and a toddler got away from their parents, started running past you into traffic, what would you do?  

[ditmar2007]

On 6/13/2022 at 12:58 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We have an up coming cruise out of Copenhagen, which has no mandates , so almost all testing sites are closed ! 
Royal is offering online testing kits but only for citizens of the USA , nothing for people of other countries 😡

All the countries the cruise is going to are completely open 

RCL should drop testing for these cruises 

There is a walk-in test site AT the airport. It costs 200 DKK (less than $30). How many test sites do you need? There is normally no queue as we (the Danes) don't usually need to test.

[Mapleleafforever]

2 minutes ago, pcur said:

Yes, even die from the flu.  I just looked it up on John Hopkins' web site.  It was startling to see the HUGE difference from flu and COVID deaths (annualizing the numbers for COVID).  It was a top of 600k for the flu worldwide, and around 2.8M for COVID.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, that's the weird part.  Neither friend, sister, or all their female 1st cousins are high risk.  It's obviously genetic, but they all get very sick from the vaccine, and if they get COVID they get very sick.  My son's vaccinated fiancée got COVID several weeks ago.  She felt crummy for about 2 days. 

 

I just don't know who's vulnerable, and who's not.  So, I act as if EVERYONE is vulnerable, and act accordingly.  I posted about this before:  if any of us were standing at corner, and a toddler got away from their parents, started running past you into traffic, what would you do?  

I live in Ontario which was one of the most locked down places in the world for the past 2 years and we are now fully open with no more mask mandates and no more vaccinations needed to leave the country by plane. It's safe again, for most. But we're not about to take any steps backwards for the few. Personal responsibility needs to take over. 

 

As for the second part, apples to oranges. 

[babyblue78]

3 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

In addition, many people do not report it- so the numbers aren't accurate.

 I'm not reporting jack to anyone, unless I am on death's door. 

[Mapleleafforever]

2 minutes ago, Quirky Cruiser said:

^^THIS!!!!^^ Good grief. For every illness, there are some people who will get sicker than others. It has always been this way. My asymptomatic unvaccinated child is not the cause for all the double boosted getting sick. Enough is enough. And no, we are no anti-vaxxers. As their pediatrician said, there is no rush - let them figure it out for a bit and then we will see if it's necessary. Because in the end, it's not a vaccine. It's an annual shot at this point. I just got off Harmony and saw the handful of guests who left with Covid. They were all walking, talking, etc. There were no stretchers, respirators, IV's, etc. The doctors onboard even agreed that the FLU and norovirus are far worse at this point. 

 

Bottom line, even before covid, you took a risk going on any vacation and potentially getting sick. If you don't feel comfortable now, don't go. My husband and I are expected to work regardless of whether we have Covid or not. Cruising protocols are out of date and bottom line is, they will be changing - the staff onboard is tired of playing "Covid Cop". 

Well said. Our pediatrician gave us the exact same advice. 

[latserrof]

5 minutes ago, Quirky Cruiser said:

^^Cruising protocols are out of date and bottom line is, they will be changing - the staff onboard is tired of playing "Covid Cop". 

Is that "following the science"?

[hazeleyes46]

10 minutes ago, pcur said:

Yes, even die from the flu.  I just looked it up on John Hopkins' web site.  It was startling to see the HUGE difference from flu and COVID deaths (annualizing the numbers for COVID).  It was a top of 600k for the flu worldwide, and around 2.8M for COVID.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, that's the weird part.  Neither friend, sister, or all their female 1st cousins are high risk.  It's obviously genetic, but they all get very sick from the vaccine, and if they get COVID they get very sick.  My son's vaccinated fiancée got COVID several weeks ago.  She felt crummy for about 2 days. 

 

I just don't know who's vulnerable, and who's not.  So, I act as if EVERYONE is vulnerable, and act accordingly.  I posted about this before:  if any of us were standing at corner, and a toddler got away from their parents, started running past you into traffic, what would you do?  

Did you worry about everyone BEFORE this? Did you wear a mask? Stay home? Run to the doctor if you felt sick? Get tested? The media has put upon us that we need to worry about EVERYONE now and not live our lives normally. Turn off the media, stop listening to rumors and move on. NO ONE knows everyone's medical history and how they will fare from ANY illness or virus. We can't worry about everything as that is why we are a society of anxious, depressed people. 

[pcur]

27 minutes ago, BND said:

What's your definition of "very sick"?  I know people who think they're dying with a bad cold.  There is still no actual proof that pre boarding testing prevents anything as there's been no studies done.  You can test negative pre-boarding and test positive two or three days in if you tested.  Also, gee, people are going to destinations, going ashore and being around other people.  There is no way to know.

I consider having to stay in bed for 3-5 days because of headaches, body aches, fever, nausea to be very sick.  This is the reaction my friend and her immediate female relatives get.

 

I'm not trying to protect myself by taking these measures.  I've tested negative 16 times since mid-January, mostly from all the required tests for travel.  I've been exposed to countless thousands of people over that time period:  58 days on cruise ships, airports and airplanes, family visits.  

 

I'm trying to avoid exposing OTHER PEOPLE to the virus that may not have as strong an immune system as me.  Taking 16 minutes out of my life to take a free test, and wearing a mask in crowded situations has no negative impact on me.

[hazeleyes46]

8 minutes ago, Quirky Cruiser said:

^^THIS!!!!^^ Good grief. For every illness, there are some people who will get sicker than others. It has always been this way. My asymptomatic unvaccinated child is not the cause for all the double boosted getting sick. Enough is enough. And no, we are no anti-vaxxers. As their pediatrician said, there is no rush - let them figure it out for a bit and then we will see if it's necessary. Because in the end, it's not a vaccine. It's an annual shot at this point. I just got off Harmony and saw the handful of guests who left with Covid. They were all walking, talking, etc. There were no stretchers, respirators, IV's, etc. The doctors onboard even agreed that the FLU and norovirus are far worse at this point. 

 

Bottom line, even before covid, you took a risk going on any vacation and potentially getting sick. If you don't feel comfortable now, don't go. My husband and I are expected to work regardless of whether we have Covid or not. Cruising protocols are out of date and bottom line is, they will be changing - the staff onboard is tired of playing "Covid Cop". 

EXACTLY!!!! Covid should be treated like every other illness and virus. It is not this deadly disease as it was in March of 2020 and the majority of people have a cold and some, most who have underlying conditions, get it more like a flu. 

[hazeleyes46]

10 minutes ago, babyblue78 said:

 I'm not reporting jack to anyone, unless I am on death's door. 

Exactly and many of us never have gone to a doctor either unless truly needed. Some have always run to doctors for sniffles and this just makes them look like they are doing the right thing now when it is overkill at this point. 

[hazeleyes46]

4 minutes ago, pcur said:

I consider having to stay in bed for 3-5 days because of headaches, body aches, fever, nausea to be very sick.  This is the reaction my friend and her immediate female relatives get.

 

I'm not trying to protect myself by taking these measures.  I've tested negative 16 times since mid-January, mostly from all the required tests for travel.  I've been exposed to countless thousands of people over that time period:  58 days on cruise ships, airports and airplanes, family visits.  

 

I'm trying to avoid exposing OTHER PEOPLE to the virus that may not have as strong an immune system as me.  Taking 16 minutes out of my life to take a free test, and wearing a mask in crowded situations has no negative impact on me.

it might not have a negative impact but why bother when you never worried about others before this? The media have made people brainwashed that they need to go crazy with things that are just not needed. If you want to wear a mask and test for yourself, then by all means do. Don't use the excuse that you are doing it for others and think you are better for doing that (not saying just YOU, but in general).