Just now. NCL opens up to almost everyone

[scooter6139]

29 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

NCL will become the New Covid Line.  
sorry, but I will not book on NCL. 

And RCL now too.  Guessing most major cruise lines will be adopting these same rules.

[roboref]

46 minutes ago, lyannea said:

Great explanation.

 

My guess is that Testing upon boarding would catch a small percentage of people who may have caught covid a few days before embarking the ship. 
That number must be small enough where it doesn’t matter ?
 

I have to be tested for work every day- since testing began .

can you tell me what it is about the testing that you don’t like.

I’ve read that the ‘stress’ people have about having to test & maybe being (+) and not being able to cruise.

For me, I would want to know.

thanks

Lyannea

Yes, it is the stress of possibly being positive 3 days before you depart and how little testing did to stop the spread. We did a lifetime trip to Israel in Feb 2022, it was impossible to get excited and study for the trip knowing that 2 days before departure your dreams could be dashed. That trip required 3 tests (48 hours pre-departure, test on arrival in Israel, and a test to fly home). Ended up that 3 people in our group tested positive 5 hours prior to departure and remained in Israel for 11 days. After being cooped up during 2020, the desire overwhelmed the fear of tests coming in positive. But once we got some travel in, I just decided I wasn't going to do it anymore, and then I caught Covid in April 2022 on a cruise that was fully tested and vaccinated. 

[roboref]

21 hours ago, Chesneygirl said:

By the time I sail this December it will have been over a year since my last booster shot and I'm undecided as to whether I will get another one going forward. 

 

I guess that part that confuses me is that the vaccines wane overt time. I would think that they would want a current date stamp on these cards to show that people are up to date on their shots. 

 

Personally, I think the safest thing to do is to have everyone r show a negative test before boarding regardless of vaccination.  Vaccines don't prevent Covid. 

 

 

Neither does testing. Think about it a test 48 to 72 hours pre-boarding is negative, but the person has Covid, but not enough to test positive. Then the cruiser flies to the port, unmasked, eats unmasked, stays in a hotel that doesn't require masks and gets on the ship. Now they are fully contagious and capable of Covid spread. Explain to me what testing did? NOTHING! Plenty of studies as well that masking doesn't really do anything either. Time to get back to normal. If people are fearful, then isolate and stay at home.

 

[Greenpea2]

5 minutes ago, roboref said:

Neither does testing. Think about it a test 48 to 72 hours pre-boarding is negative, but the person has Covid, but not enough to test positive. Then the cruiser flies to the port, unmasked, eats unmasked, stays in a hotel that doesn't require masks and gets on the ship. Now they are fully contagious and capable of Covid spread. Explain to me what testing did? NOTHING! Plenty of studies as well that masking doesn't really do anything either. Time to get back to normal. If people are fearful, then isolate and stay at home.

 

Agree.

 

[kilkoyne]

1 hour ago, Redtravel said:

NCL will become the New Covid Line.  
sorry, but I will not book on NCL. 

 

More room available for the rest of us. 🙂

Edited August 12, 2022 by kilkoyne

[n4w]

1 hour ago, roboref said:

Neither does testing. Think about it a test 48 to 72 hours pre-boarding is negative, but the person has Covid, but not enough to test positive. Then the cruiser flies to the port, unmasked, eats unmasked, stays in a hotel that doesn't require masks and gets on the ship. Now they are fully contagious and capable of Covid spread. Explain to me what testing did? 

NCL is betting that the cruiser in your example won't become a medical emergency in the next week.  If he needs hospitalization or worse, it will be after he disembarks, so he's not NCL's problem. 

What testing did do, was keep the other cruiser (the one who already had enough to test positive) from potentially worsening into a medical emergency while under NCL's care and custody.  That would be such a PITA, might require a Med-Evac or involve a death onboard -- too much hassle/negative pub, etc.

 

NCL wants everyone's money, they just don't want the hassle of having really, really sick passengers - it's not good for business. They're basically saying, "We need your business, contagious or not.  But if you're going to get really sick or worse, please don't do that while you're on one of our passenger manifests, because that would be bad revenue."

[n4w]

2 hours ago, lyannea said:

3 more lines are lifting mandates to some embarkation ports - Princess, RCCL & Celebrity 

Now, please put on your thinking cap and 

hear me out.

 

There are 22 countries that still require vaccinations.

Canada is one of them, so anyone unvaccinated cannot get on a cruise to Canada, going to Alaska, no matter what cruise line.

do you see where I’m going ? 

 

Sorry, not really.  But it looks like you won't be going to 22 countries that still require vaccinations.

Edited August 12, 2022 by n4w

[lyannea]

30 minutes ago, n4w said:

Sorry, not really.  But it looks like you won't be going to 22 countries that still require vaccinations.

You’re right- I won’t be going to Alaska or the East Coast where the ship stops in Canada and I’m okay with that.

 

I’ll be going on RCCL  and NCL this winter, as per usual, from LA to Mexico, which I usually do in the winters, which is okay with me too.

[GreenValleyDogWalker]

I don't want to get involved in the "discussion" about safety, etc.

Just wish to try to get some clarification:

We are two fully vaccinated seniors - sailing to the Caribbean (not until January!) - one port is the private island in the Bahamas -

Is proof of a negative COVID-19 test (72 hours prior to embarkation) still REQUIRED ?

Thank You !

(according to the response received on the NCL "chat" - we don't need that test ???

 

[winterbliss]

On 8/11/2022 at 5:00 PM, Rob-Bob said:

This really makes no sense.  Non vaccinated needs a test.  Vaccinated does not need a test.  I really need someone to explain this to me.

There is no logical explanation..you probably already know that..

[Catnip]

7 hours ago, Redtravel said:

NCL will become the New Covid Line.  
sorry, but I will not book on NCL. 

and I will be booking a cruise (or 2) on NCL next week!  I haven't cruised since covid started, so I am more than ready!   Finally they are coming to their senses!

[Catnip]

6 hours ago, roboref said:

Neither does testing. Think about it a test 48 to 72 hours pre-boarding is negative, but the person has Covid, but not enough to test positive. Then the cruiser flies to the port, unmasked, eats unmasked, stays in a hotel that doesn't require masks and gets on the ship. Now they are fully contagious and capable of Covid spread. Explain to me what testing did? NOTHING! Plenty of studies as well that masking doesn't really do anything either. Time to get back to normal. If people are fearful, then isolate and stay at home.

 

100% correct!

[ggTexasGal]

9 hours ago, GreenValleyDogWalker said:

I don't want to get involved in the "discussion" about safety, etc.

Just wish to try to get some clarification:

We are two fully vaccinated seniors - sailing to the Caribbean (not until January!) - one port is the private island in the Bahamas -

Is proof of a negative COVID-19 test (72 hours prior to embarkation) still REQUIRED ?

Thank You !

(according to the response received on the NCL "chat" - we don't need that test ???

The "Chat" agent did give you the correct current information!

 

You can find that information on the NCL website:  https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country (found via a link at the very top left hand corner of Norwegian's website, which looks like this:

• ALL CRUISERS WELCOMED: Travelers of any vaccination status can sail. View requirements.

[MichiganBound]

11 hours ago, winterbliss said:

There is no logical explanation..you probably already know that..

Actually he was already given a good explanation upthread and he acknowledged it made sense.  

[psac]

12 hours ago, GreenValleyDogWalker said:

I don't want to get involved in the "discussion" about safety, etc.

Just wish to try to get some clarification:

We are two fully vaccinated seniors - sailing to the Caribbean (not until January!) - one port is the private island in the Bahamas -

Is proof of a negative COVID-19 test (72 hours prior to embarkation) still REQUIRED ?

Thank You !

(according to the response received on the NCL "chat" - we don't need that test ???

 

Seemingly that is correct that you don’t.  But January is forever from now. It could definitely change again before now and then!  

[Sunseeker810]

I am triple vaccinated, tested negative before leaving...........................still came home with COVID☹️  Sadly, we are all going to get it!

[sweetdardar]

On 8/11/2022 at 4:06 PM, d9704011 said:

Why does it not make sense to you?

I am unvaccinated and excited to cruise and apparently if your vaccinated, you can't get/transmit  covid (LOL) , so if I go on a cruise and am pretested to NOT have Covid and then get covid while on the cruise, it would be from a vaccinated person. So thats pretty stupid on their part to make me get a covid test and not a vaccinated person. I have had covid and didn't know until the antibody test came back positive so I'm ready to cruise!

[d9704011]

23 minutes ago, sweetdardar said:

I am unvaccinated and excited to cruise and apparently if your vaccinated, you can't get/transmit  covid (LOL) , so if I go on a cruise and am pretested to NOT have Covid and then get covid while on the cruise, it would be from a vaccinated person. So thats pretty stupid on their part to make me get a covid test and not a vaccinated person. I have had covid and didn't know until the antibody test came back positive so I'm ready to cruise!

Thank you for your thought provoking insight.

[roboref]

5 hours ago, sweetdardar said:

I am unvaccinated and excited to cruise and apparently if your vaccinated, you can't get/transmit  covid (LOL) , so if I go on a cruise and am pretested to NOT have Covid and then get covid while on the cruise, it would be from a vaccinated person. So thats pretty stupid on their part to make me get a covid test and not a vaccinated person. I have had covid and didn't know until the antibody test came back positive so I'm ready to cruise!

But even with your negative test you could bring COVID on the ship and give it to me. Get vaccine and then you don't have to test. Either way we can all go on the cruise and get COVID or we may not, just like on land. 

[sweetdardar]

On 8/14/2022 at 12:36 AM, roboref said:

But even with your negative test you could bring COVID on the ship and give it to me. Get vaccine and then you don't have to test. Either way we can all go on the cruise and get COVID or we may not, just like on land. 

 My choice...best very healthy friend got vaccine and now has blood clots. I have recovered not once but twice from covid, and choose not too. Just testing only non-vaxxed is stupid since you can give it to me....

[cruiseny4life]

1 minute ago, sweetdardar said:

 My choice...best very healthy friend got vaccine and now has blood clots. I have recovered not once but twice from covid, and choose not too. Just testing only non-vaxxed is stupid since you can give it to me....

You're so right...I'm vaccinated x 3, don't understand people that don't get vaccinated. But - the only thing that should occur is testing at the port. These pre-tests 1 - 2 -3 - 4 days ahead of sailing mean absolutely nothing.

[roboref]

5 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

You're so right...I'm vaccinated x 3, don't understand people that don't get vaccinated. But - the only thing that should occur is testing at the port. These pre-tests 1 - 2 -3 - 4 days ahead of sailing mean absolutely nothing.

I respectfully disagree. I think all testing should stop. Where else are people tested? Not many places. If the cruise lines required testing at port, I would never sign up as I have to fly to get to a port, no way would I fly and then not get to go. Even a test at the pier would not detect everyone with Covid, you could have Covid and still test negative at the pier and be a spreader 3-4 days later.

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, roboref said:

I respectfully disagree. I think all testing should stop. Where else are people tested? Not many places. If the cruise lines required testing at port, I would never sign up as I have to fly to get to a port, no way would I fly and then not get to go. Even a test at the pier would not detect everyone with Covid, you could have Covid and still test negative at the pier and be a spreader 3-4 days later.

You're right. I agree with you.  Worded my post badly! If cruise lines are going to do anything, it should only be testing at the pier. I don't think it's necessary, but if they want to pretend to make people feel better, then that's all they should do. 

 

I should also say, I don't really care. Test me or don't. Ill still cruise. 

[Lupush]

On 8/12/2022 at 8:17 PM, GreenValleyDogWalker said:

I don't want to get involved in the "discussion" about safety, etc.

Just wish to try to get some clarification:

We are two fully vaccinated seniors - sailing to the Caribbean (not until January!) - one port is the private island in the Bahamas -

Is proof of a negative COVID-19 test (72 hours prior to embarkation) still REQUIRED ?

Thank You !

(according to the response received on the NCL "chat" - we don't need that test ???

 

I was on the first RCCL sailing on 8/8 which pre-cruise testing was not required.  We had no issues getting off in the Bahamas.  You will not need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, only your vaccination card.

[ugagrad97]

On 8/11/2022 at 5:31 PM, njhorseman said:

You are correct. NCL must still follow the rules of every port/country it visits . If a country requires testing or vaccination NCL has to comply with those requirements.

Do we think their country specific guidance for Spain is wrong though?  I have googled and googled and googled, and in June, Spain changed their rules.  You can test or have a letter of recovery even if you're not vaccinated, let alone not boosted.  The fourth bullet under NCL's guidelines for Spain seem to indicate you can test or have a letter, but that bullet is under another bullet that implies you need the first primary vaccination series.  That's where I think their website is wrong.  Anyone actually know what's going on in Spain?  Curious because we'd like to take unvaccinated kids on a Med cruise this September while school is on fall break.