Gray Lady

I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Did you book through your cruise line? We did, with the same departure time as you. I called and they said that if we miss our flight because the airport is too crowded and security lines slow, they will take care of getting us on a later flight with no cost to us. Fingers crossed this all works out…especially with having to test for COVID completely on us. If the worst happens, at least it is at the end of the cruise and not the beginning.

Yes, I was incorrect about fully vaccinated into Canada. I was referring to cruise passengers disembarking in Canada and flying to the US that day. My bad. Yes, one can, and hopefully would, wear masks on flights. It is for everyone’s protection. It is just that most people, sadly, are choosing to not do it now.

I waited on hold for 4.5 hours with the air flight department with HAL. They said that it is their responsibility to get us to the airport in time to get through security and make our flight. If we miss it, then they will take care of all expenses and arrangements for us to get home. Decided to do our COVID test on the ship so we don’t have to worry at the airport.

I just found on point COVID proctored testing that is $23.99 per test. You supply any home unopened test and they will proctor it. The results are then emailed to you. This is the link: https://onpoint-testing.com/product/certified-teleservice-covid-testing/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmuiTBhDoARIsAPiv6L-KA_VlC_PZ_KYx3Nufqw9dN2dFf5hd5gNUNaKRGKrKWxes7xQgeUwaAu58EALw_wcB Worth looking into for the price.You pay, then make the appointment. It is cheaper than the E-Med tests.

👍

Yes, please share!

I do not pretend to know anything about booking flights before and after a cruise. In fact, this is our first time cruising, so everything is new to us! It isn’t taking the COVID test that is troubling, it is the timing of everything before we fly out. When you haven’t disembarked, let alone embarked, on a ship; traveled to an airport that is totally unfamiliar in a foreign country (even friendly Canada); have the added layer of time constraints and the negative test, then it is harder to navigate. if we can get to Seattle and then take a flight home for less than $550 for two, then it is cost effective. If not, then we just deal with Vancouver. I am sorry you think that I am being picky. I am just not proficient and uninformed on these things. We don’t want to create new chaos for ourselves.

Thank you, Hank. This is all new to us, so we are trying to get our ducks in a row before we go.

I agree wholeheartedly! Would gladly pay to have it done on-board.

I called HAL and they said if you have the premium wireless package that it would support video calls. Easy to do the day while you are at sea…hopefully??.

I was told by our cruise line that if you pay for premium internet, maybe even for one day, that it will support video calls. Something to call and look into. Our cruise is not in any ports the day before we fly out, so we have to do it on the ship.

Will do. It will be later today or tomorrow.

I called the CDC to ask about this very same thing with driving versus flying. Border crossings by land and by sea fall under the Homeland Security umbrella. The CDC has no jurisdiction there…only on flights. Still doesn’t make sense if you are only disembarking from a ship and flying directly home. One has to be fully vaccinated to even get into Canada. And all flights within the US are maskless now. Really?? Perfect example of the right and left hands not doing things in coordination.

We are on HAL. I called them and was told that if you get the premium internet, it will support video calls. I would rather pay to do it on-board than risk the chaos at the airport. We bought our flights through HAL, and I figured they must know how much time you need to get off of the ship and make your flight. I am going to call the flight department and talk to them about it. It would cost us double right now to rebook a flight. I also figured that there would be people who have to do this long before we cruise, and hopefully they can tell us how it all goes. I would call Royal Caribbean and talk to them about it. They are the ones who need to get the kinks out…or not 🤷🏼‍♀️

We dock on July 3rd also. What cruise line are you on? Maybe we can put our heads together to make things easier for both of us!

I am now worried about this, too. Our disembarkation starts at 7 AM and our flight leaves at 12:35. I am now thinking of doing the rapid COVID test by internet on the ship so we can make our flight. We also have transportation with the cruise line to the airport. When are you going? We don’t do YVR until early July. Hope they can get the kinks out!!

We dock at 7 AM July 3rd in Vancouver. There are two of us. Southwest had flights for $394 each later in the day. That is more than our testing would be. We fly out right now of Vancouver at 12:35.

Yes, I did. There isn’t a flight available on any airline from Seattle to San Francisco that day. It happens to be a three day holiday weekend. Also, the mandate could change between now and then.

Know what I know now, we would have. The problem is our flight is already booked and paid for. We paid for transfers, so they may allow us time to test at the airport if needed.

I just called HAL this morning to ask about their internet and they told me that the premium package will support video calls. Wishing you the best, and let us know how it goes!

I just read that Princess now has the same policy, but they are associated with HAL under the Carnival umbrella. Celebrity says that guests will be given the opportunity to have a test, but you have to pay the vendor giving the test. Apparently it will be done in port off of the ship. Imagine two or three ships docking on the same day and everyone scrambling for tests! Hopefully they will get this all figured out after a few disasters on disembarking. Had we known this, we would have taken a motor coach to Seattle. You only need a negative test for flying, not for rail or driving. How much sense does that make??.

We are booked on HAL and found out the same information. Odd that they will test us before our cruise, due to the land tour we have booked with them, but now don’t offer anything afterwards. When I called them, I was told about the test online, but the internet connection is the biggest problem! We dock at 7 and our flight, bought through HAL, leaves at 12:35. We also bought transportation to the airport through them. I read about the test site at the airport, but don’t know what time to make an appointment. I guess I will become “one of those” who will be bugging HAL for specifics in order to make an appointment. Curiosity question: how long before you know the results of that test? I would happily pay the money on-board to have it done and NOT have the hassle. How can 1500 or so people have this done at the same time! This is our first cruise ever and now I am beyond stressed over this one thing!