NCLH so stop COVID test requirements 8/1 on select cruises

[MagnoliaBlossom]

NCLH (NCL, Regents Seven Sea and Oceania) will no longer require pre cruise testing for unvaccinated travellers unless required by local authorities.   Cruises departing from the US, Canada, Bermuda and Athens Greece WILL still require testing for now.

 

so excited about not having to test before flying to Europe for a cruise from the UK.  🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

[Joe817]

I hope this is the start of a trend across all cruise lines and extend to U.S. ports, but only time will tell. 🤞

[BlerkOne]

I don't get the unvaccinated part for anyone over 12. NCL has on their website:

 

Mandatory Vaccinations Against Covid-19

All guests age twelve and over, as well as all crew, must be fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to departure in order to board. While we welcome unvaccinated children under the age of 12 onboard, it is the responsibility of the guest to be aware of any local protocols and/or travel restrictions in place at the visiting destinations at the time of sailing.

Local regulations may have booster requirements to enter certain countries – make sure to check Travel Requirements by Country to understand country specific requirements.

 

 

https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country

 

 

 

 

 

[rps2004]

Here is the copy of the actual language on the NCL site. Refers to vaccinated passengers, not unvaccinated. 
 

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.

 

Richard

[Old Fart Cruisers]

We have a 10-day cruise from Southampton to Reykjavik booked for next month.  I wonder if we would be eligible for a refund now with NCL eliminating the COVID-19 testing requirements.  We booked this thinking NCL was actually concerned about their passengers' health and safety, but it looks like this is no longer the case.☹️

[MagnoliaBlossom]

23 minutes ago, rps2004 said:

Here is the copy of the actual language on the NCL site. Refers to vaccinated passengers, not unvaccinated. 
 

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.

 

Richard

You are right.  I inadvertently wrote unvaccinated when it is vaxed.  In my unbridled excitement, I lost my mind.  🤣

Edited July 6, 2022 by MagnoliaBlossom

[rps2004]

22 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

You are right.  I inadvertently wrote unvaccinated when it is vaxed.  In my unbridled excitement, I lost my mind.  🤣

Honest mistake

[vwrestler171]

39 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

We have a 10-day cruise from Southampton to Reykjavik booked for next month.  I wonder if we would be eligible for a refund now with NCL eliminating the COVID-19 testing requirements.  We booked this thinking NCL was actually concerned about their passengers' health and safety, but it looks like this is no longer the case.☹️

I doubt you would be eligible for a refund because you disagree with their testing policies.  If you were truly concerned, you wouldn't be cruising, since it only means you WERE negative 2 days before the cruise.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

1 hour ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

We have a 10-day cruise from Southampton to Reykjavik booked for next month.  I wonder if we would be eligible for a refund now with NCL eliminating the COVID-19 testing requirements.  We booked this thinking NCL was actually concerned about their passengers' health and safety, but it looks like this is no longer the case.☹️

We are ona similar itinerary on 8/14.  Is this your booking, too?

[The Shrike]

1 hour ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

We have a 10-day cruise from Southampton to Reykjavik booked for next month.  I wonder if we would be eligible for a refund now with NCL eliminating the COVID-19 testing requirements.  We booked this thinking NCL was actually concerned about their passengers' health and safety, but it looks like this is no longer the case.☹️

If they were still testing, people from the US on your cruise will test 72-hours before embarkation day.  Then they'll go to crowded airports and probably eat in crowded bars or restaurants, before cramming around a crowded gate, to get on a crowded plane to fly to Engand.  All of those locations may have unvaxxed people not wearing masks.  So the test they would have taken three days before embarkation is pretty much worthless and you're fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

Edited July 6, 2022 by The Shrike

[Turtles06]

Already a thread about this, started this morning

 

 

[Old Fart Cruisers]

16 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We are ona similar itinerary on 8/14.  Is this your booking, too?

 

Yes

[David1975]

I don’t understand the Greece restriction, as you are not required to show your vaccination status to enter the country, so why is it different for a cruise leaving Piraeus?

[deliver42]

It isn't even all of Greece. Just the one port. Makes no sense.

[CruisingMelly]

I am also unclear how this impacts cruises in Europe that will stop at various ports in Greece. I am travelling on the Escape in August and we board in Rome but will be stopping in Greece. 

[Markanddonna]

23 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

It isn't even all of Greece. Just the one port. Makes no sense.

And it's only for cruises starting at the port of Athens. They'll change that very soon!

[itsnotjustme]

I wish the requirement remained in place.  It is part of what gave me the confidence to cruise again.  I know it was 2 or 3 days in advance, but it still reduces the risk being in crowded areas with a bunch of unmasked people.

 

The only bright side:  I waited to book my covid test, so I am not out $45 each.  Regardless I will do a home test before getting on the plane.

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 minutes ago, itsnotjustme said:

I wish the requirement remained in place.

Look at that.  We're now up to two (out of hundreds of) posters who actually want to keep testing. 🤣

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, The Shrike said:

So the test they would have taken three days before embarkation is pretty much worthless and you're fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

Based on the number of people who are being denied boarding, the test is preventing active covid from getting on the ship. Not worthless. 

 

That being said, the cruise line probably care less about the passengers than the crew. Passengers being locked up every week is business as usual right now. No loss. Eat less. But, unlike the sniffles, a positive test will take a crew member out of action for a week. Based on data from the CDC posted a few days ago, there are a steady stream of passengers and crew who test positive each week on every ship. And you see that in the CDC color coding. 

[BermudaBound2014]

8 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Based on the number of people who are being denied boarding, the test is preventing active covid from getting on the ship. Not worthless. 

 

That being said, the cruise line probably care less about the passengers than the crew. Passengers being locked up every week is business as usual right now. No loss. Eat less. But, unlike the sniffles, a positive test will take a crew member out of action for a week. Based on data from the CDC posted a few days ago, there are a steady stream of passengers and crew who test positive each week on every ship. And you see that in the CDC color coding. 

 

Is the crew still being tested once a week? If so, I suspect that will be the next thing to change. Can't be out of action for a week if you never tested ;-). 

[kochleffel]

I'm of two minds about this. My next cruise is from a country that doesn't require it, but it's with RCI, which still does.

 

I think that testing makes the cruise slightly safer, but my concern is about the motivation of the people who are most eager for it to end. Do they want it to stop only because it's inconvenient -- which it is -- and not totally effective -- also true -- or because they want to be allowed to cruise while they're infected?

 

There have been some posts, in threads about quarantine on various cruise lines, in which people wrote that if they were ill aboard a cruise and tested positive on an ordinary home test, they would keep it a secret in order not to be quarantined -- in other words, go merrily about spreading disease.

[cruiserbear55]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Look at that.  We're now up to two (out of hundreds of) posters who actually want to keep testing. 🤣

    "Out of hundreds"?  You were the eighteenth poster on this thread. The moderator must have been very busy deleting all those posts!!

[itsnotjustme]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Look at that.  We're now up to two (out of hundreds of) posters who actually want to keep testing. 🤣

Given your post was only #18 in the thread, and some people posted more than once, I think your math is off.

 

Every positive test that is denied boarding is reduced risk for the rest of the passengers.  That is pure fact that cannot be denied.  I would prefer those people not be cruising with me.

[The Shrike]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Based on the number of people who are being denied boarding, the test is preventing active covid from getting on the ship. Not worthless. 

 

What are the numbers of people "denied boarding" and what is your source for them?

[The Shrike]

40 minutes ago, cruiserbear55 said:

    "Out of hundreds"?  You were the eighteenth poster on this thread. The moderator must have been very busy deleting all those posts!!

There are a LOT of threads that have this discussion, and @ChiefMateJRK is correct in that the number of people who want to continue the farce of testing 2-3 days prior to a cruise is miniscule.