No More Pre-Cruise Testing for Vaccinated guests on voyages less than 6 nights starting August 8th!

[Crazy planning mom]

46 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Makes no sense whatsoever.

Considering most test positive on day 6 or later and they still have to report covid figures to the cdc, it makes a lot of sense.   Plus, as other have said, its just another step in the relaxation of covid protocols.

[smokeybandit]

Just now, Crazy planning mom said:

Considering most test positive on day 6 or later and they still have to report covid figures to the cdc, it makes a lot of sense.  

But there's no way to tie testing positive on a ship to the pre-cruise test

[twangster]

13 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Omicron hits you pretty quick.  You could legit test negative 2 days prior, be exposed that day and be symptomatic when you board the cruise.

I suspect the 5 night cutoff is much more bureaucratic and political than actually medically founded.

 

Omni incubation is 3 days average.   Infected on day 1 or 2 and 3 days later the cruise is over or nearly over so people won't report it and get off.   

 

If guests aren't calling medical on board the ship doesn't have to report it to the CDC and no outbreak occurred (even if it did).

 

 

Edited July 28, 2022 by twangster

[hazeleyes46]

13 minutes ago, mkrr1123 said:

Does not help me and my stress level for our cruise on the 4th.  One of the families just had their daughter test positive yesterday so they are out. Luckily my girls have not seen her for at least 2 weeks but  I am a wreck about whether or not we will be getting on that boat on next Thursday.   This is so stressful.  I was so hoping for the requirement to be dropped August first. 

Why are they out? Isn't it 5 days quarantine now or are the ships different?

[lovesthebeach2]

14 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

With cruises less than 6 nights there remains a degree of uncertainty when someone who ends up positive actually became infected.   On longer cruises there is more certainty if a positive case occurred during the cruise.  

 

During any potential legal or social media actions blaming the cruise that degree of uncertainty means a lot.  The public will quickly decide you can't blame it on the cruise during a 4 night sailing for example.   The keyword is "outbreak".  

 

An outbreak takes time to get rolling.  Spread may occur on day one of a cruise but it doesn't balloon into an outbreak until the spread multiples on itself several days into a cruise.  On cruises less than 6 nights it becomes much more difficult to prove an outbreak occurred on the ship if one did in fact occur.  

 

This is important because if an outbreak occurs on a ship and there is no denying an outbreak has occurred on board the next question will be "Did the cruise line do enough to prevent the outbreak?".  Precruise testing is a key component of doing enough to prevent an outbreak.  

I wish the word BLAME would be eliminated from the dictionary. 

[karena1]

1 hour ago, uncwmark said:

According to RCCL's latest quarterly earnings (released this morning)...

"Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. "

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/royal-caribbean-group-reports-second-120000818.html

 

I know this won't please everyone, but probably a reasonable step and one that moves cruising towards where the rest of the travel industry has already gone pursuant to COVID. 

I am SO HAPPY!  our Aug/Sept/Oct cruises are all 3 nights - so we don't have to get tested!!! Our next 7 night is Dec and hopefully by then the 6 night or longer will also be gone.  

 

About time we don't have to get tested.  Super excited I don't have to schedule a test for our August cruise!!!

[karena1]

1 hour ago, papaflamingo said:

You are likely correct.  It does seem a bit weird to only drop the requirements on short cruises.  Regent Cruise Line has dropped testing requirements on Aug. 1  unless the country. of origin requires it.  So I think we are slowly coming out of "Covid mode."  

It is right on Royals website.  I just looked at it.  We are so happy as our next 3 cruises are all 3 nights.  So totally happy we don't have to get tested.

[Jimbo]

11 minutes ago, Concretemanstan said:

Oh for goodness sake RCL!  You know that most take cruises that are 7 nights or longer.  Stop with the gestures and the "we are taking action" and get rid!

Not completely true, the ships doing 3 and 4 night cruises have 2 sets of passengers going weekly as a 7 night that only has 1 set of passengers sailing weekly.

 

I believe the real totals would surprise you.

[mkrr1123]

7 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

Why are they out? Isn't it 5 days quarantine now or are the ships different?

On the website it says 10 days.  Besides they would need to lie on the health questionnaire.  I am a wreck about getting on this boat next Thursday. 

[karena1]

46 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

It's not better than nothing when you're likely to piss off your loyal big spender cruisers by establishing policy that caters to the one-off weekender crowd.

We are Pinnacle and take about 10 3/4 night cruises a year.  So it applies to us just as much as the longer night cruisers.  We take like 3 7 night cruises a year, but because we live in FL, we take a boatload of short cruises every year.

[Concretemanstan]

I think all they have done is made the people who want testing unhappy and people who don't want testing unhappy!  At least before it was just the people who wanted no testing who were unhappy!  Bravo!

[molly361]

If you do a B2B 3/4 no tests still right?  Or a 4/5

[Husky1987]

Hopefully just a first step.  I've got a few on the books and hoping they get rid of it completely at some point as well.

 

But seriously folks...everyone on here complaining and "unhappy" signed up for their cruises knowing there was a testing requirement.  Deal with it.

[hazeleyes46]

7 minutes ago, mkrr1123 said:

On the website it says 10 days.  Besides they would need to lie on the health questionnaire.  I am a wreck about getting on this boat next Thursday. 

Well that stinks since the CDC changed it to 5 days awhile ago 😞

[smokeybandit]

2 minutes ago, molly361 said:

If you do a B2B 3/4 no tests still right?  Or a 4/5

Right, you could B2B your way well past 7 nights and never need a test.

[jerseygirl3]

25 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Omicron hits you pretty quick.  You could legit test negative 2 days prior, be exposed that day and be symptomatic when you board the cruise.

I suspect the 5 night cutoff is much more bureaucratic and political than actually medically founded.

When my husband got this new variant (we assume it was the new variant as it was so recent), it took 6 days before I tested positive, although I was symptomatic within 2 days of him testing positive.  The testing needs to go, it does nothing.  

[joysea]

We seldom do less than a 7 night cruise so this is not great news.....Can't see why they just didn't stop all testing for vaccinated and boosted passengers.  People are all getting tested now before cruising and people are still getting Covid on the ships so why not just stop testing for all fully vaccinated and fully boosted passengers!

[Elainemh]

The new testing requirements state US departures.

Has anyone seen what requirements will be for cruises departing in Europe?

 

We depart for a 12 night from Southampton on August 29th

Edited July 28, 2022 by Elainemh

[cruiselvr04]

It’s a step in the right direction.  
 

We test again tomorrow for Sunday.  The anxiety builds…..

[Ourusualbeach]

13 minutes ago, molly361 said:

If you do a B2B 3/4 no tests still right?  Or a 4/5

Correct

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, uncwmark said:

 

Perhaps... but, it's better than nothing... and, as far as I know, they're now the first of the "big 3" US cruise lines to eliminate pre-cruise testing out of US ports for a segment of their customers... 

If true:

 

Better than nothing for who?  It doesn't change a thing for me.  I don't take cruises for anything less than 7 nights.  So, I get nothing!

 

I guess my boarding pass only has the COVID virus on it if it says 7 nights or longer.  In my opinion, it's a gimmick. Less people likely to show up positive, less people in the quarantine cabins, less public relations issues while on the cruise ship on a 6 or less night cruise.  

 

Oh well, it is less likely that I'll be looking for a cruise earlier than my January 2024 cruise that I've already got booked.  At least as long as the testing requirement is still there.  

Edited July 28, 2022 by Ret MP

[watcher_62]

According to the call, they plan on more changes to testing in the coming months.  They also commented that destinations will impact testing requirements.

[smokeybandit]

3 minutes ago, watcher_62 said:

They also commented that destinations will impact testing requirements.

*cough*BERMUDA*cough*

[watcher_62]

2 minutes ago, watcher_62 said:

According to the call, they plan on more changes to testing in the coming months.  They also commented that destinations will impact testing requirements.

Sailing at over 100% occupancy in Caribbean since mid June. Most North America over 100, but Europe still 75 to 80 due to Ukraine... And we're spending more onboard that in 2019...

[VegasVic14]

1 hour ago, uncwmark said:

Huh? So, folks are going to cancel their 6+ night cruises because they're upset that 3 night cruisers don't have to test anymore? (especially when all other US-focused cruise lines are requiring everyone to still test?)  Ok... 🤪

 

Look... I get it, would I rather all testing be eliminated immediately... sure.. but, that wasn't likely going to happen so I take this as a TEMPORARY step and moving us in the right direction.  

It's called "baby steps". Just suppose it doesn't work out well for those cruisers. Better doing this short "test" than having the entire fleet and the long term itineraries do into the dumper.