SS Future Re-Open Plan: Timing, Testing Needs??!!

[jollyjones]

Agree with all. 
I am travelling in just two weeks to embark the Spirit and have paid to do a PCR test 5 days pre-boarding to get into Barbados (test Mon, set off Tuesday, arrive Wed, enjoy sunshine, board Fri), it is seriously annoying that they expect me to try at short notice to arrange another test in Barbados. 
I note that I should be able to do a test at the terminal but I wonder how long that will delay my boarding and how much it will cost. 
I always fly in to my embarkation port a few days early, this would mean scrambling for an expensive test last minute in a foreign city before every cruise. 

 It is, of course, simply a ploy to shift the cost of testing from SS to the pax. 

 

I feel an email to SS may be coming on. 
 

[wdjpvaz]

Can someone provide an email address for execs at SS we can email and protest this backwards step to require PCR?

[jollyjones]

I have barbaram@silversea.com for Barbara Muckermann, but she may still be on the Origin. Though I guess she has minions to deal with her mail. 

Edited March 1, 2022 by jollyjones

[worldtraveller99]

Sorry Audobon_TX I can't see how Azamara is destroyed? I looked on their website, and they have a very nice itinerary to Japan, which we would be interested in, in a couple of year's time? 

[wdjpvaz]

55 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

I have barbaram@silversea.com for Barbara Muckermann, but she may still be on the Origin. Though I guess she has minions to deal with her mail. 

Thank you jollyjones.  Asking everyone to email !  

[audobon_tx]

12 minutes ago, wdjpvaz said:

Thank you jollyjones.  Asking everyone to email !  

Done

[bohaiboy]

I see SS stopping doing their own testing for two reasons, 1) it makes embarking much easier and faster, and 2) it was probably getting expensive to test since they used third party companies at each port, so its a way to place the financial burden in a foreign country's back on us, their loyal passengers..

[jollyjones]

It may not speed up boarding if many pax need a PCR at the terminal instead of a quick lateral flow test. This need is bound to continue for those of us travelling in the two days prior to boarding with little or no chance to get a PCR. 
 

It is of course ALL ABOUT pushing the testing cost on to the passenger. 
 

If it was really necessary and I had a choice, I’d prefer to pay a small charge for a lateral flow test at the port arranged by SS rather than try and find a provider in a foreign city for a PCR who will guarantee the result in time for boarding. 
 

Edited March 2, 2022 by jollyjones

[audobon_tx]

Have your TA, especially if she/he is a top producer with access to SS brass, contact them, express outrage and insist on reconsideration (mine requested 2 months extension on final payment date...will see how that goes).

 

SS will lose business over this asinine new requirement, as they should.

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

It is of course ALL ABOUT pushing the testing cost on to the passenger. 

I’m surprised they didn’t include the tests in the new fares that’ll go into effect this week, raise the price by 2x, and position it to TA’s as a way to increase their commission like they did with the included excursions, etc.

[ronrick1943]

1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

It may not speed up boarding if many pax need a PCR at the terminal instead of a quick lateral flow test. This need is bound to continue for those of us travelling in the two days prior to boarding with little or no chance to get a PCR. 
 

It is of course ALL ABOUT pushing the testing cost on to the passenger. 
 

If it was really necessary and I had a choice, I’d prefer to pay a small charge for a lateral flow test at the port arranged by SS rather than try and find a provider in a foreign city for a PCR who will guarantee the result in time for boarding. 
 

Agree, and what if you come into a port 4 or 5 days early.  It just so easy for SS to do the test at the port—if they need to charge addition fee-just do it.

[wdjpvaz]

Again - everyone please take the time to email SS and your travel agent to express displeasure in this terrible PCR requirement!

[Tothesunset]

Reading across the SS boards it is clear that many new and regular SS passengers are deserting the line for all sorts of reasons. Now SS have introduced yet another hurdle. Whatever are they thinking? 

[Silver Spectre]

15 hours ago, wdjpvaz said:

Thank you jollyjones.  Asking everyone to email !  

Not sure of what that will achieve, the email came from her boss.

[worldtraveller99]

Surely this PCR test is only short term - I cannot think it will last if every country has stopped it. Frankly you won't be able to find a test centre open soon!

[Yosemitephil]

One of the leading UK cruise TA had a joint presentation last evening (1st March) with SS and I addressed this issue with the MD. On the day (1st March) when Italy allowed UK citizens to enter without the need for a PCR or lateral flow test SS have decided that they are introducing this move (as I understand some other cruise lines may be doing the same). With the world opening up again and testing requirements changing to travel to the Europe. UK citizens no longer are required to do these tests. Cruise lines need to adopt similar thoughts for travel whilst ensuring that passengers are double vaccinated and have had a booster if required to ensure safe passage.

 

There is now talk that before our April cruise from Italy that the UK are likely to remove the PLF on our return to the UK. SS took note of my comments at the presentation but we will see what happens in the next few weeks.

 

My view is that an express lateral flow test at the port prior to boarding would be more sensible.

[jpalbny]

The issue to me is that this requirement does NOT seem to match with the CDC guidance.

 

Here is the current manual of operation: 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/covid19-operations-manual-cso.html

 

I can't take a screenshot of the relevant table as it's too wide for my phone in portrait mode, and the screenshot won't scroll properly in landscape mode. But here are some pieces of it.

 

 

Have a look at the manual for yourselves. The complete table is about halfway through. Hoping someone else can screenshot and post the whole thing.

 

There is no REQUIREMENT that the embarkation day must test be a PCR, for vaccinated pax. Unvaccinated do require two tests, one of which must be a PCR, prior to embarkation. Vaccinated can have either PCR or antigen, either at the pier, or 2d prior.

 

Nowhere in this document can I find a requirement for only a PCR within 2d of boarding. Unless the guidelines are changing again, I don't think it's accurate for SS to pin this on the CDC. 

 

Hate to suggest it, but are they (mis)using "PCR" as a generic term for viral test? It's sloppy language but could explain the confusion...

 

ETA: "NAAT" in the tables above is the same as PCR.  For those who aren't up to date on the alphabet soup of covid testing. 

Edited March 2, 2022 by jpalbny

[jollyjones]

 

JP has it right - as far as I can find out the CDC requires fully vaxxed pax to test within 2 days of embarkation for ships operating in US waters, but this still includes rapid antigen testing at the pier.

 

There is absolutely no requirement for a PCR test specifically.

 

FWIW (which probably isn't much), I have emailed Herself (BM) to emphasise this, and state how difficult to nearly impossible it is for those of us international travellers who may spend most of the two days prior to embarkation travelling to the embarkation port without any access to PCR testing en route.

 

I also stated that if SS were to continue to offer testing at the pier pre-embarkation, I would be willing to pay a fee for this. Paying for the test is not the problem, it's the timing and the type of test that is.

This IMO, is the best answer while this testing requirement still stands.

 

[jollyjones]

And this was included in the reply I received from Herself (well, her staff, I presume):

 

Should the test you are traveling with not be acceptable under the local framework (whichever this will be at your moment of sailing) Silversea will facilitate terminal testing, be assured that Silversea will never leave you roaming in a city looking for a test.

 

Now I just hope they live up to it. 

[mwhm]

I understood that a PCR test had to be processed in a lab and that it could take a day or two to get the results.  Assuming that that is true, even if I took a PCR test the day before I flew to Europe for the cruise, I might not have the results back in time.  If I take a PCR test at the embarkation port, as it appears I will have to because of the delay in getting the test results,  how long would it take for a lab to process the results?  Does each ship or embarkation port have a lab that can quickly process a PCR test?  How long would the delay in boarding be because of the time it would take to process the PCR test given at the embarkation port?

[worldtraveller99]

I think if you are travelling soon, you should ask your TA to ask SS what to do in your particular case. We were going to have to take a PCR test to go to Dubai soon (luckily no longer needed) and I had lined up a lab near Heathrow which promises to email to you the certificate within 3 - 6 hours.

 

If, like me, your trip isn't till the summer, let's not panic, and trust that there will be far more pressing things to worry about, and I am sure the need for a test if you are fully vaccinated will go away!x

[dawntrdr]

1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

JP has it right - as far as I can find out the CDC requires fully vaxxed pax to test within 2 days of embarkation for ships operating in US waters, but this still includes rapid antigen testing at the pier.

Not to mention that a PCR test, especially if you need a quick turn-around, costs about $100US or more, while an antigen test costs more in the $10-20 range.  

[audobon_tx]

1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

And this was included in the reply I received from Herself (well, her staff, I presume):

 

Should the test you are traveling with not be acceptable under the local framework (whichever this will be at your moment of sailing) Silversea will facilitate terminal testing, be assured that Silversea will never leave you roaming in a city looking for a test.

 

Now I just hope they live up to it. 

I received a reply as well.  Ms. Muckermann blamed the CDC but it was apparent that the CDC term "viral test" has been misconstrued by SS to mean PCR test.  What the CDC is saying is that antibody tests aren't acceptable.  Rapid antigen test is a "viral test".

 

She also stated that if you were boosted you can present a 72 hour PCR test (I must have missed that in the letter) which helps if you are driving from Tampa to Miami but doesn't ease the stress for internal travellers.

 

In any event the test should be done by SS as "promised" in her reply to you.  Of course the letter that has caused this mess makes no such promise ("limited time", "exception basis").

[Lois R]

It really is a mess.......whoever is in Monaco and said "yes, this letter is good to send"? They don't have a clue.

Seems like SS corporate doesn't even know their customer base. Most of us travel from other countries to cruise and of course that is at least an extra 2 days. So you would have to get the test before flying and what good is that?😲............makes no sense.  Don't most PCR tests take at least 2 days to get results???

 

Spoke with my rep at SS this morning and she has been overloaded with calls about this letter and hopefully it will be updated with a much more current "course of action". She agreed with the sentiment of this thread.......it really is going backwards.

[Herman The Cat]

This is a way to shift the expense for testing back to the passengers…they’ve just marketed and spun it to look like it’s a CDC requirement. Probably written by a junior Silversea employee who doesn’t realize the passengers are smart enough to seek verification of the CDC requirements…or understand how they travel and arrive a few days early. Clearly the implications of this were not thought through. Shame on Barbara and Roberto.