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Live(ish) from Summit - 7/17

Kreative03

By Kreative03,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Kreative03

Kreative03

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So — back by popular demand (or maybe not 🤪) I will be posting live and answering questions about our cruise from St. Maarten. We are on our way to Miami tonight and take the first flight out to SXM tomorrow AM. 
 

FYI for anyone flying in day prior, night before, or same day (including those on a connecting ticket, even with an overnight stop) you may be denied boarding without your EHAS approved. If you are waiting on a PCR result, I highly reccomend getting an antigen test in addition to your PCR so that getting to the island isn’t an issue. Don’t ask how we know this.

 

If you have requests for info or photos ahead of boarding, let me know so I can prioritize. 

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Kreative03

Kreative03

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11 hours ago, DisneyDatknee said:

I was freaking out I wouldn't get my PCR test in time. Got my EHAS approval within minutes of submitting my info. Hope all goes well tomorrow!

Ours were touch and go. At this point I’m team “antigen test to fly, PCR to cruise” and I’m frustrated with Celebrity that I need to do more for this fully vaccinated cruise than folks do from Florida. 
 

I digress…
 

We did 4 tests on Wednesday and 8 on Thursday. Almost everyone who did a Thursday test needed to get an Antigen test to be allowed to fly to SXM, because we all flew out at some point on Friday with a connection from MIA Saturday morning. Why? Because American requires the EHAS to check in, similar to a visa, and that can’t be completed until you have a PCR or Antigen result.
 

For example, my dad got his test at 9:30am pacific Thursday at Walgreens and due to the nuances with overnighting the test to a central location, he didn’t get his results until 9pm eastern on Friday. This caused us to have to rebook his connecting flight to Miami yesterday in order to be able to fly this morning to SXM. My sister’s family didn’t get theirs until 11:30pm eastern.

 

So, all that said….if flying begins Friday, test Weds if you are testing at Walgreens or CVS. If you are flying out on a Saturday, you’ll likely be ok. If you’ve got the bucks to shell out for a same day RT-PCR, do that instead.

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bonvoyaged

bonvoyaged

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16 hours ago, Kreative03 said:

So — back by popular demand (or maybe not 🤪) I will be posting live and answering questions about our cruise from St. Maarten. We are on our way to Miami tonight and take the first flight out to SXM tomorrow AM. 
 

FYI for anyone flying in day prior, night before, or same day (including those on a connecting ticket, even with an overnight stop) you may be denied boarding without your EHAS approved. If you are waiting on a PCR result, I highly reccomend getting an antigen test in addition to your PCR so that getting to the island isn’t an issue. Don’t ask how we know this.

 

If you have requests for info or photos ahead of boarding, let me know so I can prioritize. 

 

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Kreative03

Kreative03

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4 hours ago, bonvoyaged said:

Did you happen to photo any of the main dining room menus? Are they still the same as before COVID? Trying to decide on what nights to make Specialty reservations on the July 25 Equinox. Thanks in advance!

 

Most appear to be. What I will say is that each ship (and sometimes each itinerary) change the order of the menus. So we were just on apex and they have changed slightly on summit.

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Kreative03

Kreative03

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Welcome to Caribbean cruising. And hello to the Tracelet! 
 

Check in was about as organized as others had described. We first stopped with bags and getting them tagged since upgrades had occurred and no tags arrived at home regardless. Then the paperwork initial check, followed by antigen test for the 3 littles, and check in at the retreat area. 
 

The actual checkin took FOREVER. They took snapshots of our passports, PCR tests, and vaccine cards along with entering in the date of our second vaccine. Then re-took our photos and finally sent us off to the ship. But first a stop at immigration to get our passports checked, then a golf cart ride to the pier where we got stopped and asked for our sea pass cards (they meant barcode or paper docs) before the whole cart could proceed, followed by a barcode check by X security, scanning of said barcodes onto the ship, and then security screening with X-rays before we could proceed (similar to port re-entry). Then a round of applause by the crew and encouragement to remove our masks if we desired.

 

There were a giant chunk of adults in the antigen test line which left me concerned, but I was told they were a group traveling together that all had expired PCR tests. They were all given bad info and X had agreed to retest them. I’m sure we will hear more about this later from folks onboard.

 

Loads of staff around to make you comfortable and we’ve already had great service from our Room attendant, Retreat host (butler), and many others on the ship. 
 

next up…the not so good news

 

 

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Kreative03

Kreative03

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Now for the unpleasant part of my day. I had to open a sealed envelope to find this gem. 

Unvaccinated Cruisers under 15 will be required to be on a curated shore excursion when going ashore.

 

Apparently, according to Staff onboard, Celebrity slipped that one in this morning. Without notice to them or guests.

 

Frankly, if we had known that, we may have changed our plans given the limited excursions available. We had already been annoyed that the only available choices for guests under 5 in Barbados, where a ship tour is required for all guests, was a bus tour or a beach transfer.

 

They are bending over backwards to help us find things we’d like to do in each port and I can’t thank them enough. But this is Buyer Beware for those on the subsequent cruises — this may hold up or it may go by the wayside. Just be prepared (we expected a lot of variables…this was not one of them)

 

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bdmagee

bdmagee

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7 minutes ago, The_Great_Escape said:

Did anyone in your group get the Walgreens ID Now Covid test?  If so, any issues flying with it or getting on the cruise? And is it considered a PCR or antigen test? Have a great cruise. 


I just got back from the July 10th cruise.  And we took multiple tests.  We used Walgreens Rapid ID for the EHAS to get into St. Maarten.  We used CVS PCR -RT to get on the cruise.  Was less stressful to get EHAS approval earlier. CVS test came in just in time, which was a bit stressful. 

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Covepointcruiser

Covepointcruiser

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Hope your children will be okay.   How many unvaccinated adults are on board and are they subject to the same restrictions?    I thought everyone had to be vaccinated and also tested.   In Maryland, vaccines for the 12 and over have been available since late May so most had them in time for camps and summer travel.    The Delta variant is especially hard on children.

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bdmagee

bdmagee

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2 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Hope your children will be okay.   How many unvaccinated adults are on board and are they subject to the same restrictions?    I thought everyone had to be vaccinated and also tested.   In Maryland, vaccines for the 12 and over have been available since late May so most had them in time for camps and summer travel.    The Delta variant is especially hard on children.


I believe Celebrity is requiring 12+ to be vaccinated as of August 1st.  

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Kreative03

Kreative03

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5 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Hope your children will be okay.   How many unvaccinated adults are on board and are they subject to the same restrictions?    I thought everyone had to be vaccinated and also tested.   In Maryland, vaccines for the 12 and over have been available since late May so most had them in time for camps and summer travel.    The Delta variant is especially hard on children.

No unvaccinated adults on board that we know of. Millennium and apex require all vaccinated 16 and up prior to 8/1, then it will be 12+. I’m working on getting pax and kid numbers - Will report back.

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