New testing guidelines

[bdstickks0944]

1 hour ago, D C said:

Which, unfortunately, is not a new update. 😞

 

Thankfully I have a few months for them to get their house in order. 

It is.  I just clicked on their website.  I refreshed it a few times.   

[bdstickks0944]

9 hours ago, helen haywood said:

So, to recap, cruises out of Florida of longer than six nights, still need to test up to three days before?  No more recent changes than the August 8th one?  I read some mention of a meeting today…might there be a new protocol announced?

Yes. 

[Virginia100]

Not only are the test requirements in some kind of flux but Healthy At Sea page still has the requirement that Celebrity excursions are required for Barbados. They should note new regulations issued effective September 1 will allow free flow of passengers around the island. No more restrictions in 10 days. 

[helen haywood]

21 minutes ago, bdstickks0944 said:

Yes. 

LOL.  I asked three questions.  Are you saying the answer to all three is “Yes”?  I’d think your answer probably meant “Yes”, “No” and “Don’t know.”

[bdstickks0944]

58 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

LOL.  I asked three questions.  Are you saying the answer to all three is “Yes”?  I’d think your answer probably meant “Yes”, “No” and “Don’t know.”

Yes 

[Holly g]

On 8/16/2022 at 10:09 AM, KatieDub said:

If someone has covid but wants to get on the ship they simply do the test without taking a sample from their nose. Voila negative test. It doesn't prove anything. Of all the changes regarding testing I don't understand this one at all.

That has to be one of the dumbest things ever!  Have to have an UNMONITORED neg Covid test?  Seriously?  Who thought that up?  That means everyone can have a neg test!  Oh and don’t forget to take a picture to show them!  Just say no one needs a Covid test because that’s what that really says. Hope whoever thought that up isn’t sailing the ship!

[colingu]

For anyone from the UK, sailing from Barcelona after 5 Sept, with no Greek ports. I'd queried inconsistent info saying testing 1, 2 & 3 days before cruise. This response from Celebrity via twitter:

 

"......, for sailings out of Barcelona (as per recent updates - starting from 05th September 2022) fully vaccinated guests will need to test within 1 day of sailing. Self tests will be accepted - this includes NHS home tests as long as there is no port of call in Greece. Please refer to this link for the latest information: https://t.co/P3wZF3mfFQ
You can bring your self test with you to show at the port and then it will be disposed or you can bring in a photo. Thanks, ......"

 

Good news we can use some of our leftover NHS lateral flow tests.

[Ellan Vannin]

I wonder what happened to the updates from August 18 that have disappeared now  replaced with the previous August 10 updates?.

 

Be interesting to see if the check in staff at the ports have much idea about all the rules

Edited August 20, 2022 by Ellan Vannin

[AnnaNicole]

12 hours ago, eroller said:

 

Hmm. I wouldn’t be so sure, especially with how disorganized Celebrity is with these requirements right now.  
 

The fact is the requirements have nothing to do with where you’re coming from or your country of residence.  It’s about about where you embark from and the ports your cruise will call at.  The regulations should be the same for everyone regardless of your country of origin.  Would be nice if Celebrity got this aligned.  

I understand that,   But the fact is, Celebrity has contradictory testing requirements on their UK site and Canada site.   Travelers are SOL if they arrive at port and follow the wrong guideline.

[BermudaBound2014]

Grand Cayman just changed their vaccination requirements. I believe they were the last of the Caribbean Islands to require vaccination. I suspect that Celebrity and RCL will soon update their policy so that ships departing from Florida going to the Caribbean no longer require a vaccine. 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[eroller]

3 hours ago, AnnaNicole said:

I understand that,   But the fact is, Celebrity has contradictory testing requirements on their UK site and Canada site.   Travelers are SOL if they arrive at port and follow the wrong guideline.

I agree completely.  I don’t have much confidence in Celebrity communicating the correct guidelines to the pier staff, who are responsible for enforcing the guidelines, if they can’t even get consistent and accurate information posted across their various websites.  

[Virginia100]

Is RCI snd Celebrity the only major cruise lines not to drop pre-embarkation testing for vaccinated passengers at this time? I just read that HAL has adopted the same testing relaxation for vaccinated passengers as Carnival, NCL and others.

[lovescarborough]

Just had an email from Princess. From September 6th no pre cruise tests required for US, UK, and EU cruises with a few exceptions such as Panama Canal , Canada, and Greece. Also unvaccinated can travel but need pre cruise test. The whole pre cruise test is useless. All it gives is a snapshot in time. I know people who’ve been negative in the morning and positive in the afternoon. Having finally caught COVID myself a month ago, it was nothing more than a sore throat and a summer cold that lasted two days. Husband didn’t catch it from me either. 

[d9704011]

2 minutes ago, lovescarborough said:

The whole pre cruise test is useless. All it gives is a snapshot in time.

The Princess e-mail said this?

[lovescarborough]

29 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

The Princess e-mail said this?

No, that’s my opinion of it 😂 The email detailed just the removal of testing etc. 

[canderson]

41 minutes ago, jgmorgan said:

Congratulations on your COVID experience!  Unfortunately that wasn't the outcome for several millions of folks in the U.S. (at least one million of whom died).  

Careful with apples and oranges.  @lovescarborough said "a month ago".  That would have been omicron.  Most of those millions you mention contracted delta, and most were unvaccinated.  Not sure why those describing mild results now under current circumstances must immediately be reminded by some others of how things were in the beginning as though they were somehow discounting that era of COVID.

 

Millions died of The Plague.  Yersinia pestis is still with us. 

 

Now we avoid prairie dogs, and have effective ways of treating those who contract it.  That doesn't change the fact that millions died, but it does change how we perceive and deal with it now.

[LouCru1033]

we are sailing B2B on September 1 out of Amsterdam(British Isles) continuing on  September 11 to France, Spain , Portugal etc. on APEX.  We board 4 days before the new rules on Sept 5th for testing? What's the deal for back to back cruisers for second half of cruise? So for 4 days we have to have a monitored test and or certificate of recovery?? I wonder whether this has even been considered????? Thanks Louise  and Gary Madison, WI

[CNPGOLF]

5 hours ago, lovescarborough said:

Just had an email from Princess. From September 6th no pre cruise tests required for US, UK, and EU cruises with a few exceptions such as Panama Canal , Canada, and Greece. Also unvaccinated can travel but need pre cruise test. The whole pre cruise test is useless. All it gives is a snapshot in time. I know people who’ve been negative in the morning and positive in the afternoon. Having finally caught COVID myself a month ago, it was nothing more than a sore throat and a summer cold that lasted two days. Husband didn’t catch it from me either. 

I think those of us who have lost loved ones to COVID have a different view than what you have experienced. 

 

[lovescarborough]

13 minutes ago, CNPGOLF said:

I think those of us who have lost loved ones to COVID have a different view than what you have experienced. 

 

Actually I lost a dear friend to Covid earlier this year. Although she knew the risks of mixing with people, her view was that she wanted to live her life freely and not behind closed doors. I share her philosophy on life.

[davekathy]

16 minutes ago, lovescarborough said:

Actually I lost a dear friend to Covid earlier this year. Although she knew the risks of mixing with people, her view was that she wanted to live her life freely and not behind closed doors. I share her philosophy on life.

Agree. Not living in a bubble or our basement! We have had all four boosters including other yearly vaccinations. Personal preference only. Just wish precruise testing would be eliminated no matter whose requirement it is. 

Edited August 21, 2022 by davekathy

[canderson]

30 minutes ago, CNPGOLF said:

I think those of us who have lost loved ones to COVID have a different view than what you have experienced. 

 

Based upon Post #170, it appears you may have made a bad assumption.

[AC Stew]

C'mon people! Delta, Omicron, or whatever new Greek letter or number comes into the picture, some of us might get a "little" sick, some might still get "a lot" sick. My unvaccinated next-door neighbour died last week from Omicron. This week, two couples in my community (fully vaccinated) got really, really sick from Omicron. Could have been the Holland America Alaska cruise, could have been the airport or flight home. Yet another couple picked up Omicron from Disney World and escaped with super mild symptoms. Ya just never know.

 

So, unless we're qualified epidemiologists, we shouldn't be rating covid variants like our favourite fruits. The vast majority of us can just try to learn as much as we can, pay attention to the changes, get vaccinated if we're able, and take precautions. 

 

And YES, get out there and enjoy our cruise adventures! Nobody is enthralled with the inconvenience of testing, and I for one, will be doing one helluva happy dance when it's over and done with. But for now ... we'll do whatever it takes to get on the ship.

[Denny01]

I’m not going to quote anyone, but yes obviously each of us can make decisions for ourselves on how we want to live…..but the issue with communicable diseases and our Pandemic is yourInfect Others. If it just impacted ourselves, got it, but It Doesn’t. 

 

Enough. We can all sit and post on what Celebrity, Bermuda, Greece should do, but personally, I’ll just keep tracking what needs to be done for my specific cruises and itineraries and follow it….since I dont have any other choice except cancel or not book.

 

Ive now booked more cruises than Ive ever have so I guess I can live with the present and wait for what will change. 

 

Den

[PaperSniper4]

Just out of curiosity, how many of us will self pre-test anyway now the pre-cruise testing is apparently not required for most cruisese? I know the covid tests aren't absolute; either for a negative or positive. But they were better than nothing....at least that's my logic. Seems like a smart thing to do in at least my case, because I don't want to be away from home when I'm sick. I'm an old man, and if possible I'd test for a cold, a toothache or any one of the multitude of annoyances or sicknesses I get from time to time. My wife says I am a PITA when I'm ill, but that's besides the point. Some of us might have different reasons to do or not do a self-test; they might test with the idea of lessening the chance of  spreading it to others.

 

I know others feel differently, so that's why I ask. Everyone has their own opinion on the value of doing a self test.  I won't bad mouth your choice if you don't bad mouth mine; I'm just curious!😎 And I do agree that the pre-cruise testing was a royal PITA to get scheduled, especially if you were not around home with that "two day prior to sailing" deadline. I know the tests aren't absolute; either for a negative or positive. But they are better than nothing....at least that's my logic.😉

 

 Doug

[davekathy]

12 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Just out of curiosity, how many of us will self pre-test anyway now the pre-cruise testing is apparently not required for most cruisese? I know the covid tests aren't absolute; either for a negative or positive. But they were better than nothing....at least that's my logic. Seems like a smart thing to do in at least my case, because I don't want to be away from home when I'm sick. I'm an old man, and if possible I'd test for a cold, a toothache or any one of the multitude of annoyances or sicknesses I get from time to time. My wife says I am a PITA when I'm ill, but that's besides the point. Some of us might have different reasons to do or not do a self-test; they might test with the idea of lessening the chance of  spreading it to others.

 

I know others feel differently, so that's why I ask. Everyone has their own opinion on the value of doing a self test.  I won't bad mouth your choice if you don't bad mouth mine; I'm just curious!😎 And I do agree that the pre-cruise testing was a royal PITA to get scheduled, especially if you were not around home with that "two day prior to sailing" deadline. I know the tests aren't absolute; either for a negative or positive. But they are better than nothing....at least that's my logic.😉

 

 Doug

We can only hope that is sooner than later. Doesn't bother me (us) if no one agrees with me (us). If the ports and cruise line doesn't require pre cruise covid testing we won't be doing any covid testing. Just like when the cruise lines or other business dropped the face mask mandate, we stopped wearing face masks. We are fully vaccinated (4Xs) and always get our other yearly vaccinations. Personal preference. We are also both old. 

Edited August 21, 2022 by davekathy