Virginia100

20 minutes ago, Guppy99 said:

 

not so "rare"....so yes, wrong

Baloney!! In Virginia where there are 8.5 million people their are currently 579 people diagnosed with Covid in hospitals. Since Covid began over 2 years ago 111,000 were hospitalized and discharged, and this  includes a long period with no vaccine (.13%). Your wrong.

2 hours ago, Mr. Click said:

Code share flights can be tricky.   It sounds like ITA (formerly Alitalia) is the operating carrier, not Delta the booking carrier.  That means ITA's seating, baggage, etc rules apply, not Delta's rules.  FBC should have provided you with record locators for both Delta, where you can find your reservation and ITA where you can actually work on your reservation.   We have had these issues with Air Canada/United bookings and AA/BA bookings.  Yes, it can be a pain but follow up with FBC and make sure you have the record locator for ITA as well. They are the ones who can tell you more about seating. It is beyond Delta's control.

On fights by celebrity you only get the one locator code that corresponds to the flight code. If it’s not DL but ITA that is it. You do everything thru ITA. I do not care who operates the plane I wanted a Delta (DL) fight number.

2 hours ago, 12cruise2 said:

Get the six-digit record locater/confirmation number for the actual flight--ITA should give it to you for the Delta reservation, or Delta should give it to you for ITA--whichever airline the ticket is booked with should give it to you for the other airline--that's the key, then you go to the actual airline web site of the airline actually flying the flight armed with its own record locater, select manage your reservation, put in its own record locater, and if it can be done, that's how to do it.  I've never heard of ITA (and my son is a commercial airline pilot, so I'm familiar with a lot of this airline stuff); maybe they are a non-traditional airline that doesn't assign seats in the traditional airline way that  we are all thinking, but try this as suggested above.

No, they are the new Italian government owned airline taking over from Bankrupt Alitalia. You get their locator vide but you have to wait weeks before you can go online to choose seats. Not good now that planes are full.

2 hours ago, rcamazed said:

We recently flew Boston to FCO on ITA (operated by Delta) purchased through Flights by Celebrity.  We were not able to select seats either prior to checking in.  I was frustrated by that and tried calling Delta but no solutions.  We were seated together and actually it ended up fine, but that was mostly because our flight was only about half full.

Yes , ITA seating charts are not available to Fights by Celebrity, must go thru the airline direct when ticketed.  I cancelled my ITA Boston to FCO flight this August for this reason, I had Celebrity book flights that only had a DL flight number attached even if operated by ITA. Then you get your seats right away. Just learned this 4 days ago!

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Those numbers are high.  I live in a county in PA with 850,000 people and our numbers are much lower overall.  Almost no hospitalizations or deaths these days.  Even with a slight surge with Omicron.  What is happening in Nova Scotia?

We have in my county in Virginia 100,000 people  and numbers are so low it’s not even discussed any more.

22 hours ago, prmssk said:

Absolutely, any cruise line will have to follow country requirements, although those requirements seem to be disappearing fast.  But what I think it says is that Viking doesn't feel these tests are necessary any longer for their purposes.  They don't see the value in these tests or at least the cost (in time, money, lost sales, etc.) is greater than any potential value.

I think many in charge now understand it far more important to require passengers to be up to date in their vaccines ( and even beyond) than testing for a positive reading. The up to date vaccinated now so rarely get seriously sick to go to a hospital like before the vaccines were developed that the testing prevents little now. It becomes a nuisance not a life threatening procedure.

Just booked my 8/26 cruise. To and from Civitavecchia /FCO I booked Rome Cabs. 140€ each way, pay CC to driver. Very quick snd complete confirmation on line. Meet you right at ship and in lobby of my pre night hotel (Rome Marriott Park Hotel). 

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

All good reasons why post Covid we fly first or business class. It may cost more but helping to mitigate covid contact is priceless.😁

I go economy ($619 RT to Rome in late August!) but I really hate masks but will wear the required N95 over (Italy regulations ) and some mask back . Will even wear on my US connection though not required. The 2 day test prior to my Rome cruise is clearly stated by Celebrity as an Italy requirement. As Italy still requires N95 masks on public transportation this will remain for quite some time. But at least 2 days so I can test here at home before leaving the US. Will be getting my 2nd booster 4 weeks prior to leaving  and testing. With that return test gone had to schedule a get away in late August. I’m not young enough to keep delaying.

1 hour ago, canderson said:

And there's the rub.

Since omicron's easy transmission assures that many people (including crew) will likely to continue to test positive even while asymptomatic, this could go on pretty much forever.  Is it worth it?

 

Locally, our positivity rate jumped from 4% in the second week of April to 13% now, and THAT'S just of those who have received PCR tests.  Heaven knows what the real positivity rate is given the number of asymptomatic cases wandering around in addition to those who have mistaken their symptoms for allergies in what has turned out to be a very high pollen season here.

 

And yet ... our death rate is down substantially (about 1/6) from the first of the year when case counts were much lower.

 

If positive tests, especially of asymptomatic individuals, which are the only metric that seems important to the lines right now, aren't a good predictor of consequences due to omicron, is it the right metric? 

 

Article on CNN stated the up and down in cases with very low hospitalization and deaths  and it being very regionalized may well be the new normal now for some time. This nay he the new endemic way.

Yep, with booster your ready to go. I’m getting my 2nd booster July 26 for my August 24 Rome flight. The end of return testing to at least September 10 (90 days from today is CDC reassessment) changed my mind as I return September 5.

Great decision but with economy in such a bad state (along with my investments) I’m still holding off to next year. Cruises in 2023 February, September and February 2024. Also have one on NCL, Hawaii inter island cruise July 2024. Just not the time to spend $10K including air, need a clearer picture . 

If many ships exceed 3% then the cruise lines have a far bigger problem brewing than wearing a cloth mask.

Another of my cruises for February 2024 in a sky suite was $260 cheaper BUT I booked this onboard my last cruise and got reduced deposit and additional $300 OBC besides the stated $800 ($400 pp). So it evens our more or less.

My February 2023 on 9 day Equinox to the ABCs in a Sky Suite has shown as unavailable for weeks now so I can’t price compare. Odd Sky Suites on both of the February sailings to ABCs have no suites available.

My 9/11/23 Rome- Barcelona trip in prime Aqua class under this sale is $1900 more than when I booked during the first week in May. 

They are emailed to you with $ amount and certificate  number. To use you need to call Celebrity and have those numbers. If you have lost email you need to call them to email you again. That info is not on website,

22 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

We have been on Millie last Oct in Aqua and next week we will be in a Sky Suite. I'll take any Celebrity M or S ships over any E Class ships. I think you need to check out the post below.

 

Been on the Edge in the infinity balcony but I do prefer the S class ships. I always do Murano twice and the price difference between them snd the E class always allows me to do Aqua or Sky Suite. If the M class had Muranos I readily go on them again. On the reflection in March for third time and  loved it as is. Until the pricing gets much better I not an E class person.

15 hours ago, RD64 said:

Cruising is not all about Americans - other nationalities cruise as well.

But only the US of the major countries requires its own citizens to test before returning home. The Canadians, Brits, Italians, French are home free to return home. Once again, we are behind.

18 minutes ago, lexmiller said:

The main point is not cruising at all - it is the test that the USA still requires you to take to fly back into the country.  The US is the ONLY country that still requires this test.  So it is not about cruising at all - if you want to go to any foreign country and fly back home, you must take a covid test.  So too must any visitors to the US - a foreign visitor cannot fly into the US without a negative test.  There is a great uproar in DC about getting the CDC to stop requiring the test.  Lobbyists from over two hundred travel companies, airlines, cruise lines, etc, are working hard to end this ridiculous test.  People can fly domestically without masks, no vaccines required, no tests needed - and yet, if you want to visit a foreign country and fly home, you are penalized - covid is now criminalized if you want to fly home, yet within the borders, there are no rules.  This is not two years ago - we have the vaccine, we have the boosters.  A very recent interview of Fauci was extremely interesting as even he said that there is no medical reason to still require the fly in test.  That is HUGE that he said that, and yet, here we are, still testing and no one not even Fauci, can tell us why!!??  American citizens that live along the Canadian border are finding it much easier to fly into Toronto or Montreal or Vancouver and then rent a car and drive home - all perfectly legal to do. 

So this is not a "cruise fixation" at all.  It's about traveling abroad NOW, broadening our minds and expanding our experiences - while we are still young enough and healthy enough to do so.  Time marches on and this stupid test is ruining  things for a lot of us, causing unnecessary angst and anguish.  

Excellent write up. I’ve often thought it is unconstitutional to deny entry to the US by a citizen holding a valid passport for any reason including an illness. I’m surprised no one has filed a lawsuit for such in Federal court. I’m cruising out of FL but holding off any foreign travel until this return test is canceled. The USVI is also an alternative. No test required.

19 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Actually a 4th choice.  Bring a test from home and using wifi and telehealth test on board.  www.covid.gov/tests will Mail you 8 tests in the US for FREE.  In Canada most pharmacies have for free pickup.  

Works for both pre and post cruise.  Telehealth visits only cost about $20-30

Actually 4th option is the one I took. Canceled my 8/8/22 Greek cruise and rebooked on Reflection for 9/11/23 for Greek Island, Malta and Barcelona with an upgrade to Aqua for $2000 less than balcony on Beyond. Reasonably confident test to return to US will be history by then.

2 hours ago, cangelmd said:

Yes, this is true. They would require it if they felt it had any chance of flying with the public, excuse the pun.

We are on the Apex now and I was really hoping that this requirement would be rescinded, it makes no sense, you are flying in many cases from an area of lower incidence to an area (the US) with higher incidence,

I do not think the requirement will be dropped until the CDCs hand is forced, either by the courts or a change in administration, maybe the end of the year at the earliest?

I’m anticipating the return to US test requirement to change in 2023, not this year. Reason why I changed my Greek Island cruise from August 2022 to September 2023.  The discussions I have read is the CDC says the entry 1 day testing is not even on the table for change. With cases spiking in US it will not.

8 hours ago, georgiaguy said:

With respect, the numbers are actually trending down in Italy. 

Cases way up in US where many passengers come from and way up in South Africa where variants to Europe seem to move to in about a month or so time. Current graphs do not give me much confidence as a traveler on a long plane ride snd 10 days on a ship to pass the various tests 2 months out. 

3 hours ago, George C said:

I wouldn’t cruise to Europe now , we have done 3 Caribbean cruises since Covid and have two more planned all three were great and glad we did them. 

Went on Reflection 3/26 in Caribbean. Was great. Canceled Rome for 8/8, Covid is now getting worse again. In two months it will not be that good. No plans till February snd then in September 2023, another try for the Greek Islands. Could be another cancel.

Also on the Reflection I booked for 9/11/23. I believe it’s the deck it’s on.

3 minutes ago, canderson said:

Once again, it's whether one is more concerned about case counts and attempts at zero-COVID protocols aboard ship or real illness.  From that same article:

 

"At this time, there is no evidence of a severity difference between BA.4/BA.5 and previous Omicron lineages."

I totally agree with you but right now tests to embark snd return to US are not concerned with severity, just positive or negative. And these variants are far more transmissible. I wish it wasn’t so. I wish if you were boosted, twice if over 50 you showed your vaccine card snd that was it snd tests only required if not.

This summer on crowded ships and crowds everywhere in European ports after two years of limited travel it will be a very precarious situation to say the least.