Pre boarding vaccination requirements.

[cruisy2]

Hi Everyone, 

 

My wife and myself are travelling from Australia to board the Grand Princess in Vancouver for its voyage back to Sydney Australia, just need to clarify that the regulations require us to undertake a medical supervised covid test 24/72 hrs prior to boarding depending on the particular test. We will have a pcr test in Australia prior to flying out, although this is no longer required in Australia, however, we will be in Canada for 4 days before embarking, will we need to be retested? Have they yet decided to go with self administered covid test as in Australia and other parts of the world? 

Don’t want to prebook test and pay if not required, many thanks and catch up with those sailing on board.

[d9704011]

7 minutes ago, cruisy2 said:

Hi Everyone, 

 

My wife and myself are travelling from Australia to board the Grand Princess in Vancouver for its voyage back to Sydney Australia, just need to clarify that the regulations require us to undertake a medical supervised covid test 24/72 hrs prior to boarding depending on the particular test. We will have a pcr test in Australia prior to flying out, although this is no longer required in Australia, however, we will be in Canada for 4 days before embarking, will we need to be retested? Have they yet decided to go with self administered covid test as in Australia and other parts of the world? 

Don’t want to prebook test and pay if not required, many thanks and catch up with those sailing on board.

If you are embarking in Vancouver and leaving Canada (no other planned stops in Canada) then you do not need a test.  You will need to complete ArriveCan but that's pretty easy and quick to do.

[d9704011]

40 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

If you are embarking in Vancouver and leaving Canada (no other planned stops in Canada) then you do not need a test.  You will need to complete ArriveCan but that's pretty easy and quick to do.

I think I temporarily lost my mind.  Need a pre-embarkation test but no need for ArriveCan if leaving Canada.

[ByThePond]

For the pre-test, it can be either a PCR test with 72 hours of sailing or a Rapid test within 2 days of sailing. The test must be observed - I.e. cannot be an at-home rapid test that you do yourself. 

[CaptainBazz]

You will need to complete ArriveCan to enter Canada, no test required.

You will need a covid test to embark even though you are heading back home...24/72 hrs before you embark.

You can use proctored tests and from what I have read Lifecentres.ca would work. Not sure about local pharmacies providing tests as I am not in BC.

 

There is a post under Canadian Cruisers about Lifecentres which may give you more info.

Edited August 9, 2022 by CaptainBazz

[LHT28]

All you need to know

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid

[gnome12]

57 minutes ago, CaptainBazz said:

You will need to complete ArriveCan to enter Canada, no test required.

You will need a covid test to embark even though you are heading back home...24/72 hrs before you embark.

You can use proctored tests and from what I have read Lifecentres.ca would work. Not sure about local pharmacies providing tests as I am not in BC.

 

There is a post under Canadian Cruisers about Lifecentres which may give you more info.

Note that it is lifecenters.ca (with ers). 

[turnin50]

There are a number of local drug stores offering rapid covid tests in Vancouver, Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmasave, London Drugs. I understand there are a few people going to the Shoppers Drug Mart on Pender at The Ritz which is fairly close to the terminal reasonable price and you can book online.

 

[CaptainBazz]

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

Note that it is lifecenters.ca (with ers). 

Good catch...I guess I always spell 'centre' the English way.

[Fouremco]

OP, I'm not sure why you are taking a PCR test prior to flying out, as you do not need one to enter Canada, and it will be too early to meet the requirements for your cruise embarkation.

 

There are several places in Vancouver where you can get tested, or as others have suggested, you could purchase self-test kits and arrange to have your test proctored. There are several threads here on lifecenters.ca and azova.com. If you choose to get tested rather than delft-test, here's a list of participating Shoppers Drug Marts in the Vancouver area:

 

https://www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/health-and-pharmacy/covid-19/testing/antigen-screening/participating-pharmacies-rapid-antigen-screening-for-covid-19

[gnome12]

56 minutes ago, CaptainBazz said:

Good catch...I guess I always spell 'centre' the English way.

Since that is the official Canadian spelling, I understand. It is LifeCenters that is confusing things, by using the US spelling with the .ca domain.

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

Since that is the official Canadian spelling, I understand. It is LifeCenters that is confusing things, by using the US spelling with the .ca domain.

Yup, it's hard to understand why a Calgary company would use the American spelling for its start up, especially as there was already a lifecenters.com (unrelated).

[broberts]

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

Since that is the official Canadian spelling, I understand. It is LifeCenters that is confusing things, by using the US spelling with the .ca domain.

 

In my experience Canadians freely intermix US and British spellings. I generally only use Canadian spelling if the audience is limited to the Commonwealth. As a result anything I do on the internet typically has US spelling.

[gnome12]

35 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

In my experience Canadians freely intermix US and British spellings. I generally only use Canadian spelling if the audience is limited to the Commonwealth. As a result anything I do on the internet typically has US spelling.

Not me. I always use the Canadian spellings. My "audience" can just live with it. 😃😝

[Fouremco]

28 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Not me. I always use the Canadian spellings. My "audience" can just live with it. 😃😝

As do I. 👍

[rams1976]

19 hours ago, CaptainBazz said:

Good catch...I guess I always spell 'centre' the English way.

You mean the correct way.

[david,Mississauga]

On 8/10/2022 at 7:04 AM, rams1976 said:

You mean the correct way.

 

Indeed. It is appropriate for a bilingual country that "centre" is correct in both English and French.

[Coquitlam Cruiser]

I am copying straight from Canada Government web site.  The Arrive Can app must be used to upload your covid 19 pre cruise test before embarkation.  This requirement also applies to Canadian residents.

Providing proof of vaccination

You’re required to upload your proof of vaccination into ArriveCAN before:

• you enter Canada, or
• embarking on a cruise that is travelling outside Canadian waters (for example, if docking in the United States for a shore excursion) or a cruise, or
• embarking on a cruise that will dock in Canada at any point in the itinerary 

This applies to all travellers, including Canadians. ArriveCAN is mandatory and free for all travellers entering Canada, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status.

 

[Coquitlam Cruiser]

On 8/9/2022 at 5:11 AM, d9704011 said:

I think I temporarily lost my mind.  Need a pre-embarkation test but no need for ArriveCan if leaving Canada.

Sorry your information is incorrect

[*Miss G*]

5 minutes ago, Coquitlam Cruiser said:

I am copying straight from Canada Government web site.  The Arrive Can app must be used to upload your covid 19 pre cruise test before embarkation.  This requirement also applies to Canadian residents

 

ArriveCAN requires the proof of vaccination to be uploaded.  The negative pre-cruise covid test is just a yes or a no question.

[CaptainBazz]

3 minutes ago, Coquitlam Cruiser said:

I am copying straight from Canada Government web site.  The Arrive Can app must be used to upload your covid 19 pre cruise test before embarkation.  This requirement also applies to Canadian residents.

Providing proof of vaccination

You’re required to upload your proof of vaccination into ArriveCAN before:

• you enter Canada, or
• embarking on a cruise that is travelling outside Canadian waters (for example, if docking in the United States for a shore excursion) or a cruise, or
• embarking on a cruise that will dock in Canada at any point in the itinerary 

This applies to all travellers, including Canadians. ArriveCAN is mandatory and free for all travellers entering Canada, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status.

 

In your second sentence you state "The Arrive Can app must be used to upload your covid 19 pre cruise test before embarkation" then you copy from the CG website "upload your proof of vaccination"...these are two different things...you upload your proof of vaccination not the covid test, that just needs to be shown during embarkation.

[Coquitlam Cruiser]

Sorry, proof of vaccination not covid test.  Thanks for correcting my mistake.

 

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Coquitlam Cruiser said:

Sorry your information is incorrect

No, @d9704011 was perfectly correct. There is no need to make an ArriveCAN submission prior to boarding a cruise in Canada that will exit Canadian waters and not return to a Canadian port. To put it simply, if you aren't going to arrive in Canada, you don't need to use the ArriveCAN app.

 

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise

[Coquitlam Cruiser]

Sorry but Holland and the Canadian government rules dictate that an Arrive Can submission us the made at all Canadian ports of embarkation. 
 

[bookbabe]

10 hours ago, Coquitlam Cruiser said:

Sorry but Holland and the Canadian government rules dictate that an Arrive Can submission us the made at all Canadian ports of embarkation. 
 

Holland America may be insisting that you do ArriveCan, but the Canadian govt’s rules are clear.  Fouremco posted the copy/paste from the official govt website immediately above your post.
 

ArriveCan is done for cruises that ARRIVE in Canada at some point during the cruise.  That could be leaving Canada and then returning, or it could be coming from another country and stopping in a Canadian port.  If you leave Canada and don’t return, or if you stay in Canada for the entire cruise, you do not need to do ArriveCan.