Any Updated Covid Test Protocols for Foreign Ports?

[defreeze]

So, I see that Royal Caribbean has eliminated its Covid testing requirement for some sailings from U.S. ports, but I can’t find any updated information for sailings from foreign ports. Has anyone heard if they are planning to issue updated guidelines for foreign ports?  Im sailing out of Copenhagen on September 4 for a 14-night Transatlantic voyage, and hoping not to have to take a pre-cruise test. 

Edited August 7, 2022 by defreeze

[ldubs]

Following this.  We have a cruise out of Southampton later in September (not a transatlantic).  We are hoping for the same thing.   

[FamilyCruiserUK]

I got a feeling as soon as royal scrap testing for cruises longer then 6 nights they will scrap testing for European ports. I think all cruises from europe are a minimum 7days. Also as long as European countries agree. 

[ssb]

MAy be change announcements on 14th. ???

[sgmn]

Think it depends more on the government's of the home port countries which determines protocols rather than the cruise lines. 

[Wineaux007]

32 minutes ago, sgmn said:

Think it depends more on the government's of the home port countries which determines protocols rather than the cruise lines. 

If Italy will currently allow you to fly into the country without testing or proof of vaccination, why would they require you to test prior to boarding a cruise ship heading back to the U.S.?  This is a Royal requirement, and hopefully it will soon be lifted.  

[sgmn]

26 minutes ago, Wineaux007 said:

If Italy will currently allow you to fly into the country without testing or proof of vaccination, why would they require you to test prior to boarding a cruise ship heading back to the U.S.?  This is a Royal requirement, and hopefully it will soon be lifted.  

Back in the Spring the testing  protocols for our Rome cruise in June changed from 2 days prior to one day prior several times over the space of a month.  At the time we were told by Celebrity in their communications it was because of changes in Italys rules.  

Don't some countries in the Caribbean and Canada require testing so cruises going to these countries you have to still test?

Edited August 7, 2022 by sgmn

[karl_nj]

2 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

I got a feeling as soon as royal scrap testing for cruises longer then 6 nights they will scrap testing for European ports. I think all cruises from europe are a minimum 7days. Also as long as European countries agree. 

 

1 hour ago, sgmn said:

Think it depends more on the government's of the home port countries which determines protocols rather than the cruise lines. 

 

NCL scrapped testing in Europe (except from Greece) months ago, so it doesn't seem like a "government" thing anymore.  I really expected RCL to change by now.

[sgmn]

13 minutes ago, karl_nj said:

 

 

NCL scrapped testing in Europe (except from Greece) months ago, so it doesn't seem like a "government" thing anymore.  I really expected RCL to change by now.

Your correct, as of 01 Aug apart from Greece no tests are needed in Europe for NCL cruises.  Live and learn, its a ever changing world. Good news

[sealegs13]

We're on a 5 night cruise out of Barcelona in early October.   Still not 100% sure whether we have to test or not.  

I'm sure protocols will continue to change until then.

[Merion_Mom]

The answer to the original question is "no", Royal Caribbean has not updated their covid protocols for cruises sailing out of European ports.

 

There is no answer about what will happen in the future.

 

And as in the U.S., the answer will partly depend on where the ship is porting in addition to its port of embarkation.

 

In the U.S., protocols remain the same for cruises that go to Canada and Bermuda.  

[Galveston Cruiser]

RCL stated they will make another announcement on August 14th.  We will wait and see what protocols have changed, if any, for non U S ports.

[Merion_Mom]

7 hours ago, defreeze said:

So, I see that Royal Caribbean has eliminated its Covid testing requirement for some sailings from U.S. ports, but I can’t find any updated information for sailings from foreign ports. Has anyone heard if they are planning to issue updated guidelines for foreign ports?  Im sailing out of Copenhagen on September 4 for a 14-night Transatlantic voyage, and hoping not to have to take a pre-cruise test. 

 

@defreeze - I have info about easy covid testing in Copenhagen.  If you want it, send me an email.  🙂 

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 hours ago, sgmn said:

Think it depends more on the government's of the home port countries which determines protocols rather than the cruise lines. 

The OP is starting in Denmark going to Norway , Iceland , Greenland and finally USA , none of the countries require testing so in this case it is RCL that requires the test 

[FamilyCruiserUK]

2 hours ago, sgmn said:

Your correct, as of 01 Aug apart from Greece no tests are needed in Europe for NCL cruises.  Live and learn, its a ever changing world. Good news

Just checked the greece gov website and uk gov website for entry to greece and there is no requirement for any testing etc. so it must solely be another RCL which they will change when they change the 6day+ rule. Unless there is some obscure rule that is cruise ship specific 

[lovesthebeach2]

9 hours ago, defreeze said:

So, I see that Royal Caribbean has eliminated its Covid testing requirement for some sailings from U.S. ports, but I can’t find any updated information for sailings from foreign ports. Has anyone heard if they are planning to issue updated guidelines for foreign ports?  Im sailing out of Copenhagen on September 4 for a 14-night Transatlantic voyage, and hoping not to have to take a pre-cruise test. 

We’re on this cruise too. I’m hoping to see something announced on their august 14 update.

[lovesthebeach2]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The OP is starting in Denmark going to Norway , Iceland , Greenland and finally USA , none of the countries require testing so in this case it is RCL that requires the test 

Yes it’s RCL that is mandating this. And it’s getting so stressful to continue to test on foreign cruises, if this wasn’t a once In a lifetime cruise that we’ve been waiting for since Brilliance was cancelled in 2020, we would have cancelled it long ago. The testing is getting annoying.

 

We’ve decided we aren’t booking anything over 5 days other than our home ports of Florida until things are back to normal. My husband had Covid two weeks ago and if it weren’t for me hounding him to take a test, he was sure it was allergies. 

[long4acruise]

4 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

We’re on this cruise too. I’m hoping to see something announced on their august 14 update.

Me, too!  Also on the Aug 28th sailing from Copenhagen and will pack our proctored eMed tests to test in our hotel room. Am hoping not to have to pack four tests (2 extras j.i.c.) as they do take up extra space in my carry-on.

[lovesthebeach2]

Just now, long4acruise said:

Me, too!  Also on the Aug 28th sailing from Copenhagen and will pack our proctored eMed tests to test in our hotel room. Am hoping not to have to pack four tests (2 extras j.i.c.) as they do take up extra space in my carry-on.

im packing 2 emed tests, hubby got a certificate of recovery from the doctor so he won’t need to test. So I’ll have two in case.

 

We didn’t book a B2B because we did the Odyasey TA to Rome in April and spent 2 extra weeks in Italy. And we have two more cruises after this before the end of the year.  I’m hoping I won’t need to buy more emed tests.

[Cruise Gopher]

9 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

im packing 2 emed tests, hubby got a certificate of recovery from the doctor so he won’t need to test. So I’ll have two in case.

 

We didn’t book a B2B because we did the Odyasey TA to Rome in April and spent 2 extra weeks in Italy. And we have two more cruises after this before the end of the year.  I’m hoping I won’t need to buy more emed tests.

Question, how long is the certificate of recovery good for?

[jerseygirl3]

2 hours ago, Galveston Cruiser said:

RCL stated they will make another announcement on August 14th.  We will wait and see what protocols have changed, if any, for non U S ports.

I'll bet this announcement on Aug 14, if it actually happens, will be a relaxation of vaccines and not testing. That seems to be the direction they are headed. Really wish they would get rid of the European testing since none if the coutries, except one embarkation port in Greece, requires it. 

[lovesthebeach2]

34 minutes ago, Cruise Gopher said:

Question, how long is the certificate of recovery good for?

90 days

[Tatra603]

2 hours ago, jerseygirl3 said:

I'll bet this announcement on Aug 14, if it actually happens, will be a relaxation of vaccines and not testing. That seems to be the direction they are headed. Really wish they would get rid of the European testing since none if the coutries, except one embarkation port in Greece, requires it. 

I'm embarking on Jewel late September at Athens.

I'm struggling to find any logical explanation as to why I can fly into Greece without any testing but have to test to board a cruise ship to get out (on a cruise which doesn't finish in Greece).

It's clearly a Greece policy, not RCL, but it makes no sense and no one has come up with a reason behind it.

[jerseygirl3]

1 hour ago, Tatra603 said:

I'm embarking on Jewel late September at Athens.

I'm struggling to find any logical explanation as to why I can fly into Greece without any testing but have to test to board a cruise ship to get out (on a cruise which doesn't finish in Greece).

It's clearly a Greece policy, not RCL, but it makes no sense and no one has come up with a reason behind it.

It's not a Greece policy. The only Greek embarkation port requiring testing us Piraneus (sp?). It's most def a Royal policy. We have to prevruise test leaving from Italy and no testing  is required there. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

5 hours ago, long4acruise said:

Me, too!  Also on the Aug 28th sailing from Copenhagen and will pack our proctored eMed tests to test in our hotel room. Am hoping not to have to pack four tests (2 extras j.i.c.) as they do take up extra space in my carry-on.

There are 5 tests in our BNTX box 😁