CDC should stop punishing cruisers

[PC Skier]

YEAH.   Aug 1st NCL drops most pre cruise testing. 

[tallnthensome]

1 hour ago, PC Skier said:

YEAH.   Aug 1st NCL drops most pre cruise testing. 

Not true ... Europe maybe.

[PC Skier]

22 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

Not true ... Europe maybe.

We received an email from NCL that they are dropping testing unless a port requires it

[vacation44]

On 7/5/2022 at 1:34 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 

Actually you are both wrong. Much of the world has "moved on" and have removed all covid protocols entirely. As mentioned in the above post, 72 countries are wide open today and the list grows daily. 

 

@BirdTravels and @PC Skier you may want to bookmark this page. I know it's difficult to keep up because protocols are so fluid but things are moving toward zero covid restrictions 

https://www.traveloffpath.com/countries-without-any-travel-restrictions-or-entry-requirements/

 

 

To make my point, four additional countries have been added to the list so far in July (and it's only July 5th). 

     - Australia

     -Portugal

     - Mauritius

     - Trinidad and Tobago

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, again, for always keeping us up to date on the latest news.   

[markkw07]

2 hours ago, PC Skier said:

YEAH.   Aug 1st NCL drops most pre cruise testing. 

NOT for US ports, READ the entire announcement BEFORE posting misleading information! 🙄

[markkw07]

EU Healthy Gateways Ends Pre-Cruise Testing Requirements

For sailings beginning August 1, 2022, vaccinated guests sailing on a cruise originating from any port EXCEPT a U.S. port; Canadian port; or Piraeus, Greece are exempt from all pre-cruise COVID-19 testing requirements.

[BermudaBound2014]

2 hours ago, PC Skier said:

YEAH.   Aug 1st NCL drops most pre cruise testing. 

 

Let's be a bit more specific.

 

NCL is dropping pre cruise testing on 5 ships (Star, Dawn, Gem, Epic, and Escape). The Jade is also sailing in the Med but it's leaving from Greece so Pre-testing is still required.

 

The rest of the fleet (11 ships) are sailing from ports that are still requiring testing (Bermuda, USA, Canada, and Greece).

 

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this, I just did a quick search. 

[IMNOFUN]

Since when is testing required for somebody leaving the US or entering the US by plane? The entry testing for flights was dropped weeks ago.

 

Our cruise departs 7/31, but it's a US port and testing costs at least $79/person and on an incredibly tight schedule to be tested within the 2 days then make it to the port on time. We are being unfairly penalized for trying to have a nice safe vacation with our family. 

 

Color me ticked off and no longer a NCL customer for any future cruises. 

[IMNOFUN]

On 7/2/2022 at 10:13 AM, njkate said:

My question as well. You can order 6 tests from emed for $150

I just checked. You order the tests, then have to sit in front of a screen and have somebody watch to verify. The cost of 2 tests (1 box) was listed as $69. Our group isn't in the same place, so we can't even get tests for everybody at one time.

 

Also, it is not entirely clear that Walgreen's drive-up is "free." They'll sell you a jacked-up price test kit, then give you a "free" report. I have plenty of antigen test kits which were actually free from the government. We should be able to use those kits at the pier when embarking. 15 minutes and we're good to go. Should be anyway.

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

12 minutes ago, IMNOFUN said:

Color me ticked off and no longer a NCL customer for any future cruises. 

Are you going to cruise on one of those other lines, departing from the US, who do NOT require a Covid test?

[HuliHuli]

15 minutes ago, IMNOFUN said:

Color me ticked off and no longer a NCL customer for any future cruises. 

GREAT!  Another deck chair we can use.

[BermudaBound2014]

6 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Are you going to cruise on one of those other lines, departing from the US, who do NOT require a Covid test?

 

You are in rare form today jrk 🤪😘😃

 

19 minutes ago, IMNOFUN said:

Since when is testing required for somebody leaving the US or entering the US by plane? The entry testing for flights was dropped weeks ago.

 

Our cruise departs 7/31, but it's a US port and testing costs at least $79/person and on an incredibly tight schedule to be tested within the 2 days then make it to the port on time. We are being unfairly penalized for trying to have a nice safe vacation with our family. 

 

Color me ticked off and no longer a NCL customer for any future cruises. 

 

Unfortunately, ALL cruises sailing from the USA are currently requiring a pre-test because ALL cruise lines have elected to participate in the CDC protocols for returning to cruise.  The CLIA has asked the CDC to reevaluate their requirements, but no word yet on the outcome. I do believe testing from the USA has a limited life span, but I have no way to predict just when it will vanish. 

 

Either the CDC changes the rules or a cruise line actually 'unvolunteers' to be part of the program, so far neither of those things have happened. 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[markkw07]

10 minutes ago, IMNOFUN said:

Since when is testing required for somebody leaving the US or entering the US by plane? The entry testing for flights was dropped weeks ago.

 

Our cruise departs 7/31, but it's a US port and testing costs at least $79/person and on an incredibly tight schedule to be tested within the 2 days then make it to the port on time. We are being unfairly penalized for trying to have a nice safe vacation with our family. 

 

Color me ticked off and no longer a NCL customer for any future cruises. 

Understand your pain and frustration! True, you can enter the US on a plane without a test, but still need to be tested for a  ship. Agree makes ZERO sense, but alas as the public, we don't have much say in the matter. 

 

I don't believe any of the major cruise lines in the US have dropped the pre-testing requirements yet. I am 100% FOR dropping the pre-test, but I can understand the hesitation from the cruise lines, since they  are volunteering to participate in the CDC program for sailing, It's a touch situation since the CDC can make it very difficult for the cruise lines if they don't participate, although its stated as “voluntary” participation so it's not “required” but we all “know” what that really means. 

 

 

[IMNOFUN]

On 7/2/2022 at 3:24 PM, MoCruiseFan said:

COVID test are 100% free at walgreens and CVS.

On my Walgreen site, there's a bubble note that says the tests are no longer free. So much for that theory.

 

Also, test reservations can only be made a few days before testing. Do we wait to find out there are no reservations and it's too late for the emed test (which I personally find invasive) which costs for tests we won't have on-hand? There are way too many gotchas to this. Now, we can't even cancel without losing thousands of dollars (I've personally paid for four cabins). 

 

Notes on the site:

1. You will not have out-of-pocket costs if you meet the criteria for no-cost testing through your insurance or a government-funded program. You should contact your insurer before scheduling to confirm the test meets coverage criteria. You may be billed by Walgreens and, if applicable, the laboratory for up to the full price of the test if your insurance denies coverage or you don't meet eligibility criteria for government no-cost testing programs.
2. Test results cannot be guaranteed by a specific time, including for travel. PCR test results turnaround time is an estimate and may vary during periods of increased demand and other factors, such as transmitting and processing delays during weekends, holidays or inclement weather.

[mpk]

On 7/2/2022 at 1:42 PM, BirdTravels said:

We order eMed kits. Take the test at the kitchen table sipping coffee. Results within 15 seconds of showing the proctor the negative results.

 

Do you show the results on your phone (not paper)?   If so, any problems doing so?

[Mangrove Snapper]

4 minutes ago, mpk said:

 

Do you show the results on your phone (not paper)?   If so, any problems doing so?

 

We've used the eMed tests successfully.  The results were available on our phone via e-mail and also through the Navica app.

 

While we did print the e-mail as a backup, at the port we showed the e-mail.  No problems at all. 

[Mariketa]

On 7/2/2022 at 11:26 AM, PC Skier said:

The covid tests for 4 people is going to cost us as much as taking  a 5th person on our cruise. You can get on a plane, train, bus and probably a spaceship without taking a covid test. 

I agree, it's ridiculous. 

[latserrof]

On 7/3/2022 at 8:08 AM, KeithJenner said:

I’ve posted this before on these boards, but it’s very relevant.

 

We are cruising on the Dawn in September, embarking on a Thursday. If current rules apply then we will most likely test during the day on Monday.

 

After that we will probably go to the pub Monday night. On Tuesday we will travel to London (2 trains and an underground). We will do something in London in the afternoon and then go to a pub for dinner. We will stay in a hotel that night and then the following morning will travel (2 more trains) to the airport and fly to Amsterdam. Another train into the city and another hotel stay. Add some more time in Amsterdam, get food somewhere and then most likely another bar or two.

 

When we board on Thursday we will have a test result that will allow us to board. At that point it will say very little about whether we have covid or not.

But the person who tested positive on Monday -- the test says it all. That's one less person boarding with Covid.  Pre-cruise testing doesn't keep every case of Covid off the ship, but it may keep enough Covid  cases off ships to allow cruising to continue.

Edited July 8, 2022 by latserrof

[latserrof]

On 7/6/2022 at 9:24 AM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

It matters.

 

Cruise lines are no where near 'starting to sail at capacity'. 

 

 

Is that because of lack of demand? Or are the cruise lines taking it slow because of their continued covid concerns, or staffing shortages,  or supply chain issues, or other re-start problems?

 

And if it is lack of demand, how much of that is caused by pre-cruise testing?

 

You may not like pre-cruise testing, but you can't blame all of the cruise lines' problems on it.

[BermudaBound2014]

35 minutes ago, latserrof said:

Is that because of lack of demand? Or are the cruise lines taking it slow because of their continued covid concerns, or staffing shortages,  or supply chain issues, or other re-start problems?

 

And if it is lack of demand, how much of that is caused by pre-cruise testing?

 

You may not like pre-cruise testing, but you can't blame all of the cruise lines' problems on it.

 

 

Let's be clear. I never suggested anything of the sort.

 

@graphicguystated cruises were starting to sail 'near capacity' so pre-testing wasn't really stopping anyone. I gave the actual stats showing that cruises are no where near sailing at capacity on average. 

 

There are a plethoria of reasons cruise lines can't get bodies onboard.

 

I suspect the largest to be the public perception of cruising in a petri dish is keeping all those but the diehard fans off ships. 

 

Covid protocols more stringent than the competition is another reason (including pretesting).

 

Only 67.5% of Americans are fully vaccinated and eligible to cruise.

 

Quarantine possibilities weigh heavily for me personally.

 

Current covid cases onboard ships are still high because there is no way to keep covid off. This is certainly stopping others from booking. 

 

Of course supply chain shortages and staffing issues also play a part, but I'm of the belief that if cruise ships could sail full, they would. Example: Carnival is moving crew from its lower occupancy itineraries to ships that are sailing at high capacity. They don't care about occupancy rates being at 100% as long as they can staff the ship.

 

With that, I also acknowledge that cruise lines will lose some guests when protocols are dropped. This is why I have been suggesting that cruise lines develop niche markets since the summer of 2020 but this idea just hasn't caught on :-). 

 

I have a empathy and a very good understanding of the quandary that Covid has left this industry. It's truly a no-win situation and time is running out. 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[latserrof]

I can't disagree.

[KeithJenner]

4 hours ago, latserrof said:

But the person who tested positive on Monday -- the test says it all. That's one less person boarding with Covid.  Pre-cruise testing doesn't keep every case of Covid off the ship, but it may keep enough Covid  cases off ships to allow cruising to continue.

Well, it’s irrelevant now as it doesn’t look like I’ll be testing on the Monday anyway. 🙂

[ChiefMateJRK]

None of knows how many people are testing positive and cancelling their cruise.  Only the cruise lines know and I'm sure that is very useful data.  If a ship sails with 3000 passengers and there were 10 cancellations due to positive Covid tests, then it is a much different scenario than if there were 100 cancellations.  Allowing 10 people on the ship that "had" Covid a few days prior may not be worth the testing challenges.  100?  Sure, maybe....

[The Shrike]

37 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

None of knows how many people are testing positive and cancelling their cruise.  Only the cruise lines know and I'm sure that is very useful data.  If a ship sails with 3000 passengers and there were 10 cancellations due to positive Covid tests, then it is a much different scenario than if there were 100 cancellations.  Allowing 10 people on the ship that "had" Covid a few days prior may not be worth the testing challenges.  100?  Sure, maybe....

Exactly.  In one of these numerous threads on testing someone posted confidently about the number of people being kept off the ships due to testing positive before embarkation.  I asked what those actual numbers where and what the source was for them.  Still waiting...


I continue to maintain that testing 48-72 hours ahead of embarkation is meaningless.  We're due to be on the Star next week (as long as we test negative on Monday and our flights go well).  Let's say there's 2000 people booked on it and 5% get eliminated through positive tests.  I think 5% is waaaay more than the number that actually do, but for the sake of argument I'm going with that.  

A few people on this forum point at the 100 who popped positive and say "This is proof that testing is keeping us safe!!!"  The rest of us look at the remaining 1900 people and know that they tested negative three days prior...and that's all we know.  As almost all of them flew to embarkation, we realize they've been in close proximity to many people who may be unvaxxed and unmasked.  So the negative test three days ago proves nothing now.

 

[BirdTravels]

On 7/7/2022 at 2:10 PM, IMNOFUN said:

I just checked. You order the tests, then have to sit in front of a screen and have somebody watch to verify. The cost of 2 tests (1 box) was listed as $69. Our group isn't in the same place, so we can't even get tests for everybody at one time.

You can't test at one time. You test separately. And you can file an insurance claim for the test kits. I can only tell you that our insurance company reimburses 100% of the cost of the eMed kit. The federal government only requires insurance companies to pay for the first $13ish.