GeriatricNurse

16 hours ago, Fouremco said:

I've always avoided cruise line flight bookings, as I've read so many stories about experiences such as yours. While I may - or may not - pay a bit more for North American flights, I have complete control with no hidden surprises. There are many people who will respond saying that they love the pricing and the ability to withhold payment until FPD, and that they have experienced no problems, and I'm really happy for them. Just as I'm sad for people like you whose experiences are very different.

I've always avoided cruise line flight bookings too!

I always choose my own (refundable) flights, with Air Canada!

And, I've NEVER had ANY issues with Air Canada related to lost/misdirected luggage, 'surley' staff, etc.!

It always helps to book 'Premium Economy' or 'Business Class' flights'

3 hours ago, Sue from Canada said:

We glad you don't live in Ottawa.  We have a lovely airport but crap for routes and direct flights.

Commencing mid-March, 2022, 'PASCAN' will have three direct flights; (Monday - Friday; two direct flights, Saturday & Sunday); to/from Kingston to Dorval, with connections to Air Canada, Air Transat, etc.; 95% of the destinations as Toronto Pearson; so, thankfully, I will not have to travel to Toronto Pearson, for connecting flights; (although I'll miss the Via Rail travel experience, Business Class; to/from Toronto)!

Btw, can anyone give me their opinion(s) of the the 'Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport' at Dorval, other than me having to 'bone-up' on my Conversational French?

8 hours ago, gubby said:

Even before the new advisory, we had cancelled 4 cruises due to leave in the spring. Various reasons including personal health, the exploding variant in Europe, port restrictions in the UK, and uncertainty about the Russia/Ukraine situation. The 3 Princess ones will take up to 6-10 weeks to get our money back. Viking had it in my account when I got up this morning. I was impressed! All were  deposits only as we had not yet passed final payment.

I congratulate you on cancelling your booked cruises, as I had done too)!

In my view,as a (retired) 'Front Line' R.N., I would advise against anyone travelling internationally, (as well as provincially) for the forseeable future; (until a Omicron 'specific' Vaccine has been developed for administration, presumeably late next Spring!

BTW, I was in our local Costco Wholesale yesterday and there were three LARGE vboxes of the 'Marketplace' approved 'MedSup Canada KN95 Masks', from whcih I purchased 1 box of 20 masks for $7.99 + hst!

14 hours ago, cbr663 said:

Canada has once again today put out a travel advisory advising against all non-essential international travel.  The avoid all cruise ship travel outside of Canada is also repeated.  

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

 

 

To clarify, does this advisory mean that if one contracts Covid while travelling internationally, for non-essential travel, and one contracts Covid, then the government is NOT OBLIGATED to repatriate their Canadian Citizens, (unless the Medical Travel Insurance) that one has (hopefully) purchased before their travel(s), INCLUDES Covid Coverage, by which, presumeably, will provide the travel with flight(s) home to Canada?

23 hours ago, abby1257 said:

Our cruise is March 26...FPD is Dec 26 and at this point quite frankly...we don't know what to do.  Hear on the news in Ontario that the numbers seem to be doubling every 3 days and that in the new year could be heading towards 10,000 / day....WTH.......Is Carnival giving full refunds for those who are worried and want to cancel... Same with Air Canada.....our flight is a non refundable....but god....it would be nice if they offered SOMETHING BACK if one cancels due to this pandemic and the omicron ....ugh

 

A word to the wise is to ALWAYS book FULLY REFUNDABLE flights with Air Canada, (as well as fully refundable Cruise Deposits)! 😉

53 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

We booked a cruise to Japan back in 2019 for sail date in 2021, we did this as a refundable deposit while on board the Silhouette.  We moved that sailing to a 2022 Japan sailing and finally to 2023 sailing and just last month decided to cancel completely and confirmed we would receive our refund within 45 days.  On Saturday I received an email advising me that our "non-refundable" deposit was causing a charge of $200.00 and FCC of $700 was now "in our account."

 

I'm on hold now waitng for someone at X to answer to begin the discussion but wondered if someone here could provide either an email or phone number that might actually get some positive results.

 

Thanks for any help you may provide.

I received my refundable deposits to the penny, with no fees, etc. in two weeks of cancellation.

14 minutes ago, powderhorn said:

In PEI we have no private clinics offering testing...In the paper today the province addressed the 1 day window for travelling saying they can only commit to a 72 hour turnaround for results and suggested that travellers use the private sector rapid testing services set-up in the airports.

 

Our current itinerary has our first leg arriving at YYZ at 6:40AM with a 2 hour stopover to our flight to YVR arriving at 11AM with another 2 hour stopover to our flight to San Diego.

 

My research tells me we would have to leave the airport for a short commute to the testing facility. assuming a round trip to testing to take about 1 hour, that would leave us an hour to get back through security and get to our gate....in YVR that would also include clearing US customs. 

 

Given these timelines and options, what would you suggest we do in order to get our tests done within one day of our flight into US.....If we buy a self test, what would be the best plan B....YYZ or YVR?

 

Thanks in advance!

1 hour ago, maryann2 said:

5 hours ago, DHLuCruise said:

 

I agree, everyone loves to dump on Pearson but I find it just fine. It has its good day and bad like many other airports.

I find it just fine too! 

5 hours ago, broberts said:

 

Don't include me in that count. I've found Pearson no better or worse than most other airports with a similar passenger volume.

I agree with you!

5 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Agree about the timeline, 24 hours predeparture is different then a full day before. We depart Pearson at 12:30pm on a Sunday and have our precruise testing booked on the Saturday at 10am…guess I can always switch that to a later appointment on Saturday. 
 

My bigger question is are the US requiring an antigen test as suitable for Celebrity or will they want PCR tests as Canada currently requires? 

If I were you, Barwick Cruiser, I would switch it a after 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, (just to be on the safe side, and to reduce your stress level, pre Check-In, I would hope)!

5 hours ago, flyingandcruising said:

When they say a day before departure, does that mean we need to get tested the day before? or does it mean within 24 hours of departure? so a rapid test on the day of departure would be ok?

Within 24 hours.

6 hours ago, rodndonna said:

 

Like everyone ever, I hate flying from Pearson but I guess it has its perks!

 

I wonder with the new rules if the timeframes for testing will adapt. We have a Covid test clinic just opened last week here in Niagara (SrxHealth - walking distance to our place!) that  started as a just Monday-Friday.  I just checked, and starting this Sunday the 5th, they are now booking (and walk-ins) for 7 days a week.

 

Well, I must be one of very few travel souls who loves flying from Pearson!  I just make sure that I have had a good breakfast,, (in the 'Club Lounge' of 'Sheraton Gateway', am well hydrated, remain calm & 'go with the flow'!

6 hours ago, Evilmuffin said:

Its not the reduction to 24 hour testing before entry that is concerning me.  Apparently there is also a discussion that the US will require ALL non-citizens arriving to quarantine for 7 days upon their arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.   I read someplace that currently non vaccinated are recommended to quarantine but it’s not mandatory.   If this blanket quarantine is enacted, before my arrival to the US on Saturday, obviously no cruise for me.   Also, if they have this blanket quarantine for all non-citizens coming from international, does that cruise ships?   So many questions, so many unknowns.  Gotta love this stress.  

This is exactly why I cancelled my Celebrity Caribbean Cruise yesterday, (and saved myself $$$ to spend another day), ?long down the road of (cruise) travel!

6 hours ago, Fouremco said:

No, only the major international airports have on-site commercial COVID testing facilities. The Ottawa International Airport, for example, has none. Moreover, those with them don't operate 24/7. For example, the Switch Health clinic at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport  is only open Sunday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so early morning, late afternoon and evening, and all day Saturday travellers are out of luck. Compare that to Pearson's Switch Health hours, 4 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week.

But, unfortunately, it is not located within either Terminals 1 or 3, is it?  I believe that it 'offsite', presumeably somewhere near the airport and accesssible by ?

11 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Until such time as much more is known about the transmissibility and virulence of the Omicron variant, and the effectiveness of existing vaccines against it, it's far better to take maximum preventative measures than it would be to ignore the potential risks. In my opinion, it would be silly not to take the additional steps introduced in reaction to this variant. The government can always relax the protocols should it turn out the Omicron doesn't pose any additional threat.

"maximum preventative risks" for me now includes the cancellation of my Celebrity (Caribbean) Cruise; done this morning!

Even being Fully Vaxxed, (with my Booster Dose scheduled for December 4th.), with no outstanding Health Issues, I have decided that there still (would have been) TOO MUCH RISK involved with travelling; Cruises, Flights, Land Stays, Bus Tours, etc., at this particular point in time!

Come Mid-December, with the (age) eligibility to receive the Booster Dose being reduced to 50 y/o, I can imagine how 'swamped' the Pharmacies will be booking appointments!  I'm happy to 'beat the rush', to receive my Booster Dose on December 4th.!

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

You can enter all of the information in the app at home in Toronto before leaving for your cruise. Just enter a dummy return date a day or two from the day when you decide to do this. I have all of the information for my cruise entered, including my negative PCR test, so the only thing that I'll need to enter before submitting the information is the actual flight information.

 

Most cruise line offer 1-day internet packages, but I don't know about NCL. However, most Canadian cellular phone providers have a daily roaming package that will cost around $10 per day for use in the US. Once you have arrived in port, turn on your phone and make your ArriveCAN final input and then submit. You'll receive your receipt long before reaching the airport.

But how can you make your ArriveCAN final input then submit, (when you it will be several days into the cruise toward the end before you are able to book a PCR Test; (with presumeably negative results, (and at that point it be possible to make your ArriveCAN final input and then submit)!?

I seldom bother with internet onboard, but always use the Rogers roaming on disembarkation day. It's great for online check-in for your flight, arranging uber at the terminal, etc..

 

Yet another option is to enter the information while aboard, then use the free terminal wifi (most ports) to submit. Depending on the speed of disembarkation, you might not get your receipt before heading off to the airport, but the free wifi there will let you get it before checking in.

 

Finally, you could always wait until you reach the airport before making your submission, but that might mean a slight delay before checking in as you wait for your receipt.

 

So, lots of options. Pick the one you like and stop worrying. 

17 hours ago, Fouremco said:

I just noticed this addition to the Health & Safety FAQs:

 

Onsite Cruise Port Testing (Limited Availability) – If you are unable to arrange testing on your own, a limited amount of on-site testing appointments will be available at the cruise port for International Guests Only. The cost for onsite testing starts at $99 per person. You must register for onsite testing in advance. Please chose the appropriate link for your departure port below to complete your purchase and registration.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida         https://bioreference.force.com/cel

Miami, Florida                         https://gsign.me/xmw

Tampa, Florida                       https://gsign.me/yar

For questions regarding on-site testing please contact, Cruise@covidtestingllc.com (407) 725-8518.

 

Another option for Celebrity passengers who will be spending a bit of time in Florida before the cruise and can't double up on the test taken to fly in. There's limited availability, but you take the test at the terminal 1/2 hour before your boarding time.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I was unable to Create an Account with the BIO REFERENCE PATIENT PORTAL, for bioreference.force.com, as it did not have any Canadian Provinces or Postal Codes as an option in order to proceed with creating an account!

Besides, what would be the point if one has to test Negative, at home, in Canada, before being permitted to board/fly to the US?

21 hours ago, galveston gal said:

I called Celebrity Air and found that process much easier and the agent very helpful.  Next time do that.  They are open 24 hours a day.  I have spoken to the twice and never held more than 2 minutes.

Thanks, but no thanks!  I do NOT wish to book 'Celebrity Air'!  I'm in Canada and (always) choose to book with Air Canada; with whom I've flown MANY times, with ABSOLUTELY) no 'issues' of any kind!  Celebrity Air to/from Canada would (likely be with 'Air Transat')!  No Thanks!

10 hours ago, cruiseamm said:

Omicron confirmed in Ottawa, UK, Germany .....

Add Kingston to the list with two cases, thus far!

12 hours ago, trips_ahoy said:

I would agree, it is confusing. Last I checked CAA would not give coverage for cruise travel with covid coverage. I looked at Manulife Pandemic Plan and under section 10 Trip Interruption Exclusions & Limitations they mention the Gov’t of Canada “Avoid all Travel” in regards to country, region or city. No mention of cruising but using the same words has me wondering if it would be an issue.

 

Blue Cross does!

On 10/21/2021 at 9:28 PM, Fouremco said:

Nor had I until you started this thread. I checked for a return flight to FLL but couldn't find anything for the dates I wanted.

 

 

YYZ - FLL, return with Flair would work for me.  The prices are super low, but with ONLY 12 planes in their fleet, I wouldn't want to risk booking with them!

55 minutes ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Glad your changes all worked out. We also had AC notifications of flight changes for January. Our departure time was pushed back about 15 minutes so no biggie but our return flight went from a 7am AC flight on a 330-300 to a 6:50am Rouge flight with 3 and 3 configuration…yuck. Not concerned with the time change but to book on a decent plane and get stuck on Rouge after a wonderful cruise holiday will be quite the return to reality lol. At least I was able to easily change my seats thru the app…no wait times on the phone required. I am anticipating that even these flights could possibly get changed again….still two months away! 

My flight, FLL - YYZ, was changed as well as yours from a 300 to a 320 (ROUGE), although the departure time remained upchanged!

Since I had (originally) booked 'Premium Economy', I was upgraded to 'Business', with even a refund of $35, all taken care of by my 'Travel Advisor'!

7 minutes ago, macmax said:

The scary thing is that the current vaccines may not work with the new variant.  Reports say that they won't know for a few weeks.😵

Perhaps my 'Booster Dose' will help when I receive it on December 4th.! 😀

1 hour ago, 1kaper said:

We have an AC flight booked for our return trip from our cruise (we aren't flying directly to our cruise destination and had some leftover credits to use up).  We got a notice the other day too.  My husband hasn't been able to get through. 

This is (one) of (many) reasons why I just love to have my 'Travel Advisor' attend to all the details; flight changes, included!