andrcan

4 minutes ago, uktog said:

Not quite, up to now I could travel with no test and if I tested negative at the pier my insurers would look after me.  (I did  test before travelling but they were free self tests).  Azamara then arranged and paid for my boarding test.  Now I have to organise and pay for the immediate pre boarding tests, which Azamara previously did.  Thats a big difference

 

These new rules may have no inconvenience for guests from countries where there is a requirement to test before travelling however, that is not the case for many guests and is likely to be the case for even less guests in the future.  Also several of the test sites, especially those near airports are closing down as tests are no longer needed to travel.  

I see. I have to get tested to board the plane anyway (that may be over soon). However, I'm thinking about traveling on my own for a few days prior to AZ cruise - and in that case, I need to plan and pay for another COVID test.

39 minutes ago, uktog said:

Great, more expense and hassle pushed over to us for our next cruise.

 

Do they really think we believe the statement "in the interests of welcoming you onboard and starting your voyage as quickly as possible....."  We all know the real reason

The key phrase here seems to be "Boarding will be denied to those guests who cannot provide a negative COVID-19 test". 

My understanding is, prior to May 1, embarkation testing is administered by Azamara. And as their website says, "If you test positive for COVID-19 at the terminal, Azamara will cover travel change fees and accommodation expenses not covered by travel insurance, upon presentation of proof of a negative antigen or PCR COVID test prior to travel." Starting May 1st, Azamara doesn't do embarkation testing anymore - they just need to see negative test result, so they do not bear responsibility for those who fail to provide negative test. 100% FCC, that's it.

Got the same email. Well, to me a positive test is a positive test no matter whether on the pier or at the pharmacy. The major difference is, now the passengers have to pay for the test, not the cruise line. And $59 for an antigen test on the boarding deck seems to be rather steep. 

1 hour ago, starri said:

I mean, this is the big Harmony one (and then they're turning around and having another on Norwegian Prima in like three weeks), so I know I'll likely be towards the upper end of the age range.  Which I'm fine with.  I just want to have a good time, and hopefully not be too physically repulsive.

No worries - I've been on Allure a few years ago and in the elevators, one always has to yield to mobility scooters: everyone there has good time indeed, it's just we only tend to notice certain types 😉

Totally agree regarding the party themes - it takes at least a month to order the outfits online and get them shipped from China. I heard on my previous cruise in January that people told this to Atlantis staff - let's see if they react. On the other side, don't sweat the costumes too much: some parties are always there - White, Dog Tag, Disco to name a few - and so many people just wear something neutral and still meddle in well.

Regarding the age and the shape - well, it all depends. Longer exotic cruises tend to have more mature crowd than short Caribbean trips (not that many young kids have time and money for a 10-12 day European or Asian cruise) so my observation is, the average passenger on a Mediterranean cruise is in his 50s. Same with the shape. There are always eye candies but not like you're gonna have diabetes)

Done 3 cruises with Atlantis, went there first time at the age of 48 after years of hesitations, enjoyed it a lot. Comparing to regular cruises, I find Atlantis crowd to be more cheerful, non-judgemental, and engaging, with more uninhibited dress code, especially on the sun deck. Entertainment on board is more gay-themed, and theme parties given the ship certain gay club feel though only small fraction of guests stays there all time, especially with COVID infection risks still being high.

SunnyNy, Azamara seems to be very caring, yes. We still gonna buy COVID insurance though as we're gonna spend a few extra days on our own before and after the cruise. This is what we did before going for our previous cruise as well and it worked.

Looking forward to US removing entry test requirement as Canada just did. Will make cross-border travel way easier.

2 hours ago, SunnyNy said:

If anyone here has experienced testing positive - either at the pier, on board or at the end of your cruise - would you mind sharing the details of your quarantine?  Was it at a hotel or another facility, and how were you looked after re: meals, retesting and other needs?  Some here have mentioned a 5 day isolation, but others have mentioned 10 days.

In our case, we went for PCR test in the lab on pier just after debarkation (no mandatory testing by the cruise line at debarkation, we were on our own the moment we left the ship) in Miami as we needed one to enter Canada. The results were emailed to us when we were on the way to the airport - mine negative, my spouse's positive. So we had to change our travel plans (at that time, positive PCR meant Canada wouldn't let us in for a minimum of 10 days), we just booked a hotel nearby and stayed there. Luckily no symptoms so no need for medical help. At that time, Florida only required 5 day self-isolation so we just stayed in the room and ordered takeout food. After 5 days, we were back to normal life. On the first day, I bought a few antigen testing kits from the pharmacy and was testing myself every other day - all negative - and went for the lab PCR test the day before our rescheduled flight. So basically we're on our own, no one takes care of us but ourselves.

47 minutes ago, Josephgray1 said:

I totally agree with the stress associated with a potential positive test, especially when vaccinated, boosted and showing no signs of illness. And then the possibility of false positives doesn’t help. We’ve been required to do Covid tests 3x for trips to USVI and one prior to boarding Azamara in September. All caused anxiety.

Absolutely. One of our friends got false positive on the pier prior to embarkation and had to get the second test, almost 3 hours in limbo, and a couple from Australia got the second test positive and was denied boarding in front of him... And in our case double vaccination, booster, no symptoms ... but positive PCR - and Canada does not let my spouse in no matter what, and we have 10 extra days of forced vacation in Florida, God bless your state... and I get tested every other day, all negative but yes anxiety each time.

No matter what cruise line policies, at the end of the day, we are responsible for our health ourselves and will have to deal with the consequences ourselves. The reality is, chances to get infected are non-zero everywhere: before embarkation, on board, in the ports of call, at the excursions... Having gone through self-isolation after my spouse's positive test upon debarkation earlier this year, I still wanna cruise and relax and have fun but also want to reduce the risks of being infected, and that will include having COVID insurance, disinfecting hands and surfaces, complying with policies, wearing mask when deemed necessary no matter what the policies are. It's just that I learned that getting positive test result in a country far away from home, urgently changing all travel plans etc is far more stressful than doing some extra homework in advance and performing more hygienic routines daily. And it's not a biggie: after all, I managed to stop making fuss about having to brush my teeth at the tender age of 3 or so)

I believe PLANA used to have buses from Barcelona airport to Tarragona and back, they used to depart from Plaza Imperial Tarraco. You may check at busplana.com

OregonGal56, this is what they say in FAQs: If you test positive for COVID-19 at the terminal, Azamara will cover travel change fees and accommodation expenses not covered by travel insurance, upon presentation of proof of a negative antigen or PCR COVID test prior to travel.  (https://www.azamara.com/en-ca/booked-guests/before-you-board/explore-well-at-sea/explore-well-faq)

My understanding is, home kit may just not constitute sufficient proof for their insurance.

P.S. Just noticed this one on the same page: At this time, we are not accepting results from home testing kits.

Thanks! Thought about going for a run on shore but concerned about safety in most port areas vwith heavy traffic etc. Better be treadmill.

Thanks for the comment, very helpful! Will consider treadmill and afternoon indeed.

Hello everyone,

going on my first cruise with Azamara in June. Used to jog some 4 miles a day lately, I prefer doing it outdoor due to COVID. Now, on Azamara ships, it's some 54 jogging track laps at one lap in less than a minute and it seems to be high traffic area with people strolling along leisurely, so to them I may look like a scary sweating bomb flying around for almost an hour. I understand the space is shared and limited, and I certainly don't want myself to be a nuisance so I'm wondering if other passengers do share the track and look around, or I rather explore other options to do my cardio. On my previous cruise, I was pushed and sworn at when passing and I sure don't want this to happen to me on the cruise again. 

Thanks, Andy

I was really excited earlier this year about going on Atlantis Virgin Spanish cruise. The ship, the destination, the crowd... Started digging deeper and a month later, booked my summer Spanish cruise with another cruise line. Two major factors affected my decision: 1) people report too much confusion and problems with new technology implementation here and there on Valiant Lady, so I better wait a year or two and let them sort things out before going with her, like with buying an absolutely new car model; 2) I feel this package is just too much for one person to swallow in one week; it's like an all-you-can-eat buffet with 15-min time limit: a sparkling new ship with so many things to try, a destination intensive itinerary with at least two day trips (Granada from Malaga and Seville from Cadiz), hot Spanish summer days that better be used for tanning on the beach, a bunch of famous Atlantis t-dances and late night parties - and only 7 nights for all of it??? No matter how much Red Bull I drink, I need a clone to try everything on this cruise... With regret, I chose something else.

Thanks everyone, very helpful discussion for me yet another AZ first-time-cruiser-to-be. 
Just a word of caution: spare a minute to sanitize gym equipment, mats, etc. prior to each use - with all passengers and crew being vaccinated but COVID still around, virus transmission through the surfaces recently being in close and prolonged contact with other passengers’ bodily fluids is probable. We were on the cruise in February (not AZ) and upon debarkation, my spouse got tested positive. While on a 10-day quarantine, we recalled doing everything together on the cruise except for one activity: I didn’t go for yoga classes. In our local gym at home, everyone sanitized yoga mats after use and since in the last 2 years our world shrunk to a tiny bubble, a thought others would not play by our bubble’s rules everywhere in the world did not appear to us) but definitely it was not the case on the cruise ship ( 

OP mentioned a March cruise out of San Juan. Any idea which ship it will be on, and what the date will be?

 

 

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It's Jewel of the Seas, March 18-25, San Juan/Barbados/Saint Lucia/Martinique /St Barth/San Juan.