Sailing near Christmas is a nightmare with these new rules

[Caps_Shield]

We sail on December 27th and this is a logistical nightmare for 3 days prior.  That means that December 24th is the first day to get a test.  Most places are closed on the 25th and close early on the 24th.  That only leave the 26th and we have to drive to the port starting 2 days prior.  How in the heck are we going to get a test?  I am normally Mr. Compliant and Complain Free but this is just dumb.  

[kdr69]

Plan for the worst hope for the best?  its all i got i know not helpful sorry.  Since you cant book any tests anyways at the majority of places until 3-6 weeks out not much you can do to plan that far ahead at this point.  Also three weeks is too far out to plan around COVID protocols at the moment never mind 4 months.  Lots can happen between now and then.  Hang in there.  My Cruise is in November so im hoping requirements change for the better before then too. 

[Brew12]

26 minutes ago, Caps_Shield said:

We sail on December 27th and this is a logistical nightmare for 3 days prior.  That means that December 24th is the first day to get a test.  Most places are closed on the 25th and close early on the 24th.  That only leave the 26th and we have to drive to the port starting 2 days prior.  How in the heck are we going to get a test?  I am normally Mr. Compliant and Complain Free but this is just dumb.  

This is a very valid concern. It will be interesting to see if Carnival adjusts for this if these policies are in effect.

My suggestion would be to wait another month or two before worrying too much. This is spreading so quickly right now that it will have to burn itself out before two long. Many experts are saying that Delta will be the last major wave of Covid for this reason. That is backed up by what has been seen in the UK. Delta took off just like we are seeing. It motivated more people to get vaccinated, which we are also seeing. Before the results of those vaccinations could make much of an impact the number and severity of the cases significantly dropped. 

And no, I'm not saying this to say vaccines aren't important or that Covid will become a non issue. Only that eventually this novel coronavirus will no longer be novel. 

[EngIceDave]

Things change fast. 

 

Just keep this in mind, things seem to go in two-week waves. Spikes are about two weeks. 

So re-evaluate every two weeks. Look at now, today, as only a single frame in a four month long movie.

[NCTribeFan]

I hardly think it's "dumb" to require testing.  Is the timing not the best?  Certainly.  Given that this is 4-1/2 months from now, who knows what the rules will be by then.  Sailing may be suspended again.  100% vaccination with booster may be required by then.  Who knows?  My crystal ball has been under the weather for over a year and a half now.

[sailingships]

46 minutes ago, Caps_Shield said:

We sail on December 27th and this is a logistical nightmare for 3 days prior.  That means that December 24th is the first day to get a test.  Most places are closed on the 25th and close early on the 24th.  

If you can get tested early on the 24th youre OK Its 3 days and JH said that Carnival is OK with whatever time that day you test You dont need to print out the results Just show your Email or text on your  phone.

[cmichael1221]

I'm hoping Carnival is working to find a way to make more testing available at the ports - this is all new, so hopefully there's a plan in the works!  If not, I could see private companies setting up shop near cruise terminals since they know demand will be high...

[csm5986142]

We usually travel (not necessarily always cruises) Christmas Day to New Year's Day.  I agree, a lot can happen between now and then in regards to covid and testing regulations.

Carnival has been pretty good in the past at recognizing that time of year is difficult.  We were booked on one of the Christmas cruises that got cancelled, and they were really good about giving us the option to cancel well ahead of time (before they knew it was going to be cancelled) citing they understood people need to make travel arrangements well in advance that time of year.

[BlerkOne]

Why is saving lives dumb? Do you think Covid will take Christmas off? If those are still the rules then, those are the rules. Surely there is a Walgreens or CVS along your route where you can get tested and have results in minutes. It will take some planning, but it can be done.

[Mary'sCruise]

I am in the same situation as Caps_Shield except our cruise is a month earlier. We leave on a 2 week cruise to Hawaii from Long Beach on Sunday, November 28th on the Miracle. The first day we can be tested is Thursday, November 25th (Thanksgiving). I would expect the day after Thanksgiving might have limited access and getting results back before Sunday on a holiday weekend might be an issue as well. So, my advice to you is to watch the Thanksgiving weekend cruises and how they handle that. I am thinking of emed since we are fully vaccinated although I don't know if they work holidays or 24/7. That might be a good alternative if I can test while roasting my turkey. If we fail we could try again on Friday or Saturday to see if we pass before we are canceled. Has anyone else used emed? I sent an email to them last night with a few questions last night and I and waiting to hear back.

[crewsweeper]

We're in a similar sitch a month before you.  Sailing the Saturday after Turkeyday.

Scuttlebutt has it that booster shots will be available soon.  Get the booster as early as you can.

Assuming the various variants du jour fade between now and then, cruise lines could let up.  But today, everyone is in a panic and perplexed about effectiveness of vaccines .  So go with the flow.

[BoozinCroozin]

1 hour ago, cmichael1221 said:

I'm hoping Carnival is working to find a way to make more testing available at the ports - this is all new, so hopefully there's a plan in the works!  If not, I could see private companies setting up shop near cruise terminals since they know demand will be high...

Its going to be hard for Carnival to do this at ports beyond the unvaccinated in FL. They simply don't have a massive stockpile of tests in FL. Timing is going to be key here. If there is no change to the rules, 3 days is going to be difficult. With facilities most like not operating for the results on the 24th or 25th, you may have to wait for the 26th to get results. But that is a Sunday and I would not expect much. All of you may have to get a Rapid Test and eat the cost if there is a charge for it.

 

Since the current protocols are only through October, calling Carnival will do nothing. Since you are many months out still, I would send a message on John Heald's Facebook page. I highly doubt he will address the question directly, but it will at least get the information in the hands of decision makers to look at this sooner rather than later.

 

 

[Caps_Shield]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

Why is saving lives dumb? Do you think Covid will take Christmas off? If those are still the rules then, those are the rules. Surely there is a Walgreens or CVS along your route where you can get tested and have results in minutes. It will take some planning, but it can be done.

The timing is dumb and I stand by that.   I never said anything about lives.  You are just making a argument where there is none.  You cannot give someone 3 days to do something where 1.5 days can be closed.  That's a tight window.   The people talking about Thanksgiving are in the same boat.  I think that timing is dumb too.  Carnival and other lines are acting as if everyone is near a port and don't travel.  There are some that fly and some that drive.  3 days makes it hard.  And your suggestion of stopping in the middle of nowhere at a random Walgreens and hoping for a test to be done is not a  good answer.  You can get all the way there and find out there was an issue.  Then what??

[BlerkOne]

11 minutes ago, Caps_Shield said:

The timing is dumb and I stand by that.   I never said anything about lives.  You are just making a argument where there is none.  You cannot give someone 3 days to do something where 1.5 days can be closed.  That's a tight window.   The people talking about Thanksgiving are in the same boat.  I think that timing is dumb too.  Carnival and other lines are acting as if everyone is near a port and don't travel.  There are some that fly and some that drive.  3 days makes it hard.  And your suggestion of stopping in the middle of nowhere at a random Walgreens and hoping for a test to be done is not a  good answer.  You can get all the way there and find out there was an issue.  Then what??

I think Walgreen's has a test where you get results in 15 minutes or so. Better than driving all the way to the port, failing a test, and having no cruise to go on. That is what unvaccinated people have to deal with. 72 hours seems to be the standard and not a number Carnival pulled out of the air. Carnival held off on requiring tests of vaccinated.

 

By Christmas, I hope a lot more people are vaccinated and we can relax some of the restrictions. If not, the US has bigger problems than cruising.