lexmiller

I have cruised 5 times this year, and never once had a problem with the boarding time - we just showed up - always when the boarding time begins - and we get right in. Once, but only once, there were pseudo lines with boarding time signs - we just got into the first line. No one has ever asked or checked. 3 were American ports, 2 were European ports. We just show up, get checked in, et voila.

Exactly. Because the world has moved on. Cruise lines do not want you to self report. I have written about this quite a bit - the covid of 2022 is not the covid of 2020. All anyone needs to do to realize that is look around - look everywhere except these boards where fear is still strong. If one is immunocompromised, then that person is not on a cruise, nor are they in a grocery store, going to church, on an airplane, etc. Cruisers now are bringing their at home tests on board and if they feel something coming on, testing in their cabins privately and if positive, then hopefully doing the responsible thing by donning a mask and staying distant - because that is what you would do with any virus, you would never knowingly infect someone. But here's the thing - you are most contagious with covid BEFORE you have any symptoms. So indeed, this all has to stop. Time to take responsibility for your own actions - for your health, for your illness - OWN IT, and let's get on with life.

WOOPS!!! I completely missed the part about the OP being a suite passenger! DEFINITELY, Luminae! Agree with you 100%. I retract my original suggestion! On M-Class, if you're in a suite, stick with Luminae, for sure. Now, on Edge Class, we'd have to have a discussion about Eden.......🙃

OH, you're right! My first thought was also Murano, but on the Millennium for an anniversary dinner then it would have to be Tuscan Grille - not many other options. I do LOVE Le Petit Chef, but the show is so great that you'll be distracted from "gazing into each other's eyes" time by the show! So for quality romantic anniversary time, for sure, Tuscan Grille. Next night, go to Le Petit Chef and enjoy the amazing food and super creative show.

No, I am pretty certain that is not the case whatsoever. We just did a cruise tour this past June, 6 night tour 10B, LOVED it, btw. The hotels really vary from fairly rustic (Denali Park Village) to quite high end (Alyeska Resort), and the rooms are assigned by the hotel staff, based upon our experience.

To be clear, you are only testing positive on board if you self-report. It's in your hands.

Thank you so much for the info! I have seen you also on the NZ board, so hello again! If all goes well, we will be boarding the Eclipse on March 26. Sounds like Jim will also be heading to NZ, I see you asked if he will be on the Edge. We have been thinking of changing from the Eclipse to the Edge as the itineraries are very similar, however we are keen on the trans-Pacific aspect, sailing back to North America, and it doesn't seem that the Edge will be doing that. And yes, I am following the roll calls for the first Celebrity ship to hit NZ, in October. Let's hope all goes well! Thank you again!

We flew First Class on United this June, Newark to Anchorage - no access to the lounge! We were disappointed. Only a very few of the coast to coast routes are given access to the lounge, and even though Anchorage is quite the flight from Newark, that route does not qualify. 😲

Thanks for the info. We have done only one B2B since the restart, on the Equinox, and testing was done in Quasar by appointment. This was before this contagious strain was prominent so out of 130 back to backers, there were zero cases so that was great. You guys have a COR, so if I’m correct, even if you were to test positive on one of the back to back tests, you would still be allowed to continue, not have to go into quarantine, right? We don’t have a back to back until the spring of 2023 (a B5B actually) so I won’t fret at this time, but now with these super transmissible yet super mild strains, testing positive on the B2B test is a strong possibility. Also in our case, New Zealand features prominently in the itinerary - NZ has only just opened up to cruises, 5 days ago. NZ has a history of implementing super strict covid travel restrictions, basically aiming to achieve a zero-covid policy - so pure speculation of course, but it would be no surprise if NZ closes her doors once again, or for instance, if testing positive on a B2B test, if NZ was involved, who knows what sorts of rules might be imposed - thinking here of Italy and Canada regarding their strict quarantine regs. If B2B testing is still going on then, (I know, speculation! but this is our “BIG” trip, the one that covid crushed in 2020, that we have tried to reschedule several times, but alas!) we would prefer to use the same Binax emed tests that are acceptable to board the ship, to test ourselves and submit the results for the B2B testing - but sounds like that would not be allowed, which it should be, as the test is accepted to board but does sound like a "nope"……anywho, I appreciate the information! Safe journey and see you on board for your final leg!

We will be joining you for your final leg, August 31 - Sept. 11. We won't be in Retreat Class but I do hope to see you somewhere on the ship! I feel like the two of you are Cruise Critic celebrities! Will be interesting to hear how the back to back testing is handled, just because l am curious if the passengers must do the testing the ship provides en masse on the final full day of each cruise or if it is ok, if someone would prefer to test privately using the Binax Emed tests and present the proof for each cruise. Safe passage and thank you for your posts!

Exactly what happened to us when our Alaskan cruise on the Millennium ended in Vancouver - only thing we had to do was hand our customs declaration form to the Canadian official, didn't even have to stop, just slowed down, handed it to him, he glanced at it and off to the taxi we went. From what I can gather, the "workings" of ArriveCan are all behind the scenes........so that supposedly, if someone had not done what they needed to do, there would be a flag somewhere and you'd be notified/tackled 😛.

Yes, if cruise is only 5 NIGHTS, then you don't have to test.

The point of the new policy that I find most interesting, just as a discussion point and nothing more, is this: Requiring testing for unvaccinated guests on all sailings, and for vaccinated guests on sailings that are six nights or longer. Maintaining a high percentage of fully vaccinated guests onboard all our sailings, far above the general population. SO, unvaccinated guests are going to be allowed and the point about maintaining a high percentage of fully vaccinated guests.......far above the general population? How exactly is that going to be policed? This sentence seems to be a bit of flash - as most all of the people who cruise are already vaxxed, as until this new policy was published, people who weren't vaxxed weren't cruising.....anyway, the sentence seems to be designed to attract the unvaccinated but at the same time, is worded to appease the vaccinated who are concerned about those that are not. Just an interesting point, IMHO.

Exactly. Referencing the nights is always (the only) accurate way to count the length of a cruise. And, as you know, is how Celebrity has posted their policy - testing required if cruise is 6 NIGHTS or longer - which pretty much means nearly all of X's cruises (more or less), testing still required.

It did happen, Celebrity has updated it's regulations - reference up post on this thread posted by nautica12.

Easy peasy for sure! Taxis are lined up, no problem getting one at all - in our experience. Airport is very close, you will have no problem at all.

Hello there, we are American - crashing your site, so sorry, hope that's ok! But indeed, we are watching what NZ actually does regarding cruises, if the country opens to cruises July 31 as announced but then closes again, if there is uncertainty, etc - because for us, missing NZ is absolutely reason to cancel our cruise extravaganza on the Eclipse in the spring of 2023. If NZ is not open, we will not come and I am sure we are not alone in this sentiment. I myself have seen many parts of Australia and New Zealand, but my husband has not - and to come so far, and miss NZ, ouch, no, can't do that - far far too beautiful a country, so special and unique, such friendly and welcoming people - can't travel literally half way across the world and miss NZ. Like so many, we had our cruise travel plans cancelled in 2020 - we were packed and ready to go, mid-March 2020, a B5B, Australia, NZ, South Pacific, Hawaii, trans-Pacific ending in Vancouver. We now, in the spring of 2023 hope to be able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime experience - but NZ is a huge part of that, and we will definitely cancel if she closes it again.

Most are absolutely doing just that, not self-reporting, and that is totally understandable due to the fact that everyone is vaxxed and boosted and the strains of 2022 are mild for the vaxxed and boosted, for those that are not immunocompromised. Bring your free at home self-test in case you have a sore throat so that you can see for yourself if you have covid, and your motrin just like you would anyway - everyone should have a cruise med pack no matter what.

To address the OP's question, contact tracing has unofficially disappeared - except for direct cabin mates. And even then, from all of the reports, the cabin mate is 'relatively free' to go around the ship, but is tested daily. Shore excursions do not hold risk any longer as far as contact tracing goes, but this is totally unofficial - nothing like that would ever be posted as policy.

Theater, strictly theater - a false sense of security.

Only if you self-report. Just sayin'.

Most passengers do not self-report, because as has been discussed on several threads, the issue is - self-report what, your cold? Many are cruising with their free government issued at home tests and if they feel a scratchy throat, self-testing in their cabin and then if positive, taking care to isolate and keep distance from others (hopefully anyway, in order to be considerate because you don’t knowingly want to pass on ANY virus). Passengers are all vaxxed, boosted, and should be taking good care of themselves if they are at a high risk of significant illness from covid - ie, immunocompromised, etc. Those at high risk are aware of the risks to their particular personal health issues should they get covid and are probably not cruising - nor are they going to the grocery store, church, planes or buses, sports stadiums, theaters - any place where there are people in groups. The covid strains of today are not the strains of January 2020. About a month ago, the mother of a daughter with cystic fibrosis posted an amazing post on CC, it was so nice of her to share - basically, she said that she spent 18 years watching out for her daughter’s health, she never once expected others to change their life/habits, to accommodate her daughter. Her point was - same for covid. That if you are a compromised individual, you need to practice self-reliance and not expect the world to change for you. This is where we are at today in 2022 regarding covid. And this is also one of the reasons why testing to cruise is being dropped by cruise lines, some altogether, some based upon debarkation countries, etc., but the policy is definitely changing, as it should. As I and others have said, the testing, the restrictions, are all now for theater. The cruise lines are hemorrhaging money having to give cash reimbursements to people who test positive before the cruise or for those that pick up the phone and call medical and self-report their sore throats. The emotional heartache of isolation, when this is not the black plague, it’s just so absurd and not necessary. Thank you for sharing your very unfortunate experience and I wish you both only the best moving forward.

Yes, I forgot to reply to this point in the OP's post - we too use our iPhones for the tests - fully supported absolutely. We have an 11 and the 13 Pro Max - both work perfectly. We did buy, from Amazon, a standing bendable arm for the phone which helps immensely, as we don't have to hold it or prop it up.

Our cruise tour began on June 11 in Anchorage with our cruise on the Millennium out of Seward, beginning June 17. The "rules" for testing for the pre-cruise land tour were as they are now - VERY VAGUE and INCOMPREHENSIBLE and thus meaningless - so we did not have to show any proof of testing whatsoever. Here is the verbiage: All Celebrity Cruises requires all guests ages 2 and older to present a digital or physical copy of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 2 days of the land tour start date. This test may be taken as either an Antigen or PCR test and is not required to be monitored testing. You see the whole point, there, right? "IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE MONITORED TESTING" - meaning, it is totally OK to use an at home test, don't have to go to CVS, don't need to use Binax Emed - if it is not required to be monitored, then you can do it yourself - that is what "not required to be monitored" means. So, we did a free at home test, brought our plastic test kit showing we were negative (physical copy - refer to the "rule" above), as well as a screen shot of the test results (digital copy) - absurd, right? Obviously, everyone agrees, as we didn't need to show anything. But yes, we did of course need to test for the cruise, but we prefer to use the Binax EMed telehealth tests - we use our cell phones - so we tested on our own in our hotel in Homer, Alaska. The vast majority of the people on our tour (we did land tour 10B), also used the Binax test, and the people that we uncomfortable with the test were assisted by fellow guests in the process - we had all become good friends at this point, there were only 22 of us on a 6 night tour. Our guide offered to help but overall, we helped each other as needed and it all went very very well. And no one tested positive! The land tour and the cruise were wonderful!

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=6998