Positive Covid test prior to Boarding

[shofer]

We are booked for 1/29/22 on Symphony of the Seas.   Planning on getting our Covid test before leaving home.  My question is, what happens if one or both of us is positive?  I understand we will be denied boarding but are we eligible for a refund?  Will our travel insurance cover this?   We usually fly in a day early but plan to do the rapid test at CVS on Thursday evening which will still fall within the 48 hour deadline.  

I'm sure this is a nightmare scenario for everyone.  We are fully vaccinated and will have had our booster before we travel.

[broadwaybaby123]

I just found this on the RC website:

 

If I Test Positive For COVID-19, What Is Your Refund Policy And What Costs Covered? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

[shofer]

1 minute ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

I just found this on the RC website:

 

If I Test Positive For COVID-19, What Is Your Refund Policy And What Costs Covered? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

Well that covers up to the end of the year.  Guess we all have to wait to read the policy for 2022.

 

[travelhound]

1 hour ago, shofer said:

We are booked for 1/29/22 on Symphony of the Seas.   Planning on getting our Covid test before leaving home.  My question is, what happens if one or both of us is positive?  I understand we will be denied boarding but are we eligible for a refund?  Will our travel insurance cover this?   We usually fly in a day early but plan to do the rapid test at CVS on Thursday evening which will still fall within the 48 hour deadline.  

I'm sure this is a nightmare scenario for everyone.  We are fully vaccinated and will have had our booster before we travel.

I don't think they are going to require covid testing for vaccinated passengers after the first of the year.  

[xpcdoojk]

Why would you believe that since the vaccines are clearly waning as to their effectiveness as times goes on?????

[PhoenixCruiser]

1 hour ago, xpcdoojk said:

Why would you believe that since the vaccines are clearly waning as to their effectiveness as times goes on?????

Because a booster shot will be available. 

Edited October 7, 2021 by PhoenixCruiser
Typo

[PhillyFan33579]

3 hours ago, travelhound said:

I don't think they are going to require covid testing for vaccinated passengers after the first of the year.  

Interesting, I heard just the opposite when taking to a few ship officers on Mariner last month. I am going on Odyssey in a couple of days and will be curious to see what I hear concerning future Covid protocols. The reality is protocols will most likely be based on the current status of the pandemic, which will hopefully improve over time. 

[ampurp85]

I don't know why people think testing will go away soon, mask will go away before testing. Testing has cut down on positive cases, they will keep that so they can increase capacity.

[mek]

16 minutes ago, ampurp85 said:

I don't know why people think testing will go away soon, mask will go away before testing. Testing has cut down on positive cases, they will keep that so they can increase capacity.

Agree - I see testing continuing well into 2022 and then it just depends on the state of Covid.  If spikes continue or a new variant  pops up, then it could be long time before testing goes away.

[travelhound]

9 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Interesting, I heard just the opposite when taking to a few ship officers on Mariner last month. I am going on Odyssey in a couple of days and will be curious to see what I hear concerning future Covid protocols. The reality is protocols will most likely be based on the current status of the pandemic, which will hopefully improve over time. 

Testing everyone indefinitely is just not realistic.  At some point they will have to adopt a more practical protocol like: Test or Show Proof of Vaccination.  Most public venues are already doing this.

[GKMCruising]

9 minutes ago, travelhound said:

Testing everyone indefinitely is just not realistic.  At some point they will have to adopt a more practical protocol like: Test or Show Proof of Vaccination.  Most public venues are already doing this.

 

Yes, but as long as they have any unvaccinated onboard, including kids, they're going to keep requiring tests as clearly vaxxed or tested instead of vaxxed AND tested wasn't working as well.

[ace2542]

13 hours ago, travelhound said:

I don't think they are going to require covid testing for vaccinated passengers after the first of the year.  

They will be testing passengers forever you know just like they will be wearing masks forever.

[ace2542]

4 hours ago, ampurp85 said:

I don't know why people think testing will go away soon, mask will go away before testing. Testing has cut down on positive cases, they will keep that so they can increase capacity.

Mask wearing will be around forever as it prevents spread of Cold, Flu and Covid

[SilkySal]

16 hours ago, shofer said:

We usually fly in a day early but plan to do the rapid test at CVS on Thursday evening which will still fall within the 48 hour deadline.  

Remember, it is not based on "48 hours". It is based on two days, not hours. So, if ship leaves on Saturday, you can get tested anytime on Thursday.

[shofer]

2 minutes ago, SilkySal said:

Remember, it is not based on "48 hours". It is based on two days, not hours. So, if ship leaves on Saturday, you can get tested anytime on Thursday.

Well that makes it even better.  We can do the testing, if still needed, on Thursday as we are flying in on Friday.

[ampurp85]

I don't think requiring mask will be a forever thing. I think if test and vax are required and things improve, then mask will be phased out. I think lots of people forget that just because you are vaxxed, doesn't mean you don't have/won't get the virus. So by continuing to test they decrease the chances of asymptomatic carriers...which decreases them having to pay to send infected guest home.

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, travelhound said:

Testing everyone indefinitely is just not realistic

Why not? Especially if they include the charge of the testing in the price. Testing everyday might not be practical but remember ONE CASE of Covid is too many on a cruise ship. And cruise ship mixing of passengers from different countries with different variants could create a new global pandemic.

[Tapi]

14 hours ago, travelhound said:

I don't think they are going to require covid testing for vaccinated passengers after the first of the year.  

Carnival just extended their protocols for testing until February 28, 2022. Usually when one cruise line does something, the others follow….

[ace2542]

41 minutes ago, Tapi said:

Carnival just extended their protocols for testing until February 28, 2022. Usually when one cruise line does something, the others follow….

Not really. The other lines haven't followed NCL for no mask wearing have they?

[Merion_Mom]

3 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Not really. The other lines haven't followed NCL for no mask wearing have they?

Masks are not required on Celebrity.

[xpcdoojk]

2 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

Masks are not required on Celebrity.

Now if they would install FlowRiders. 😉

[travelhound]

On 10/7/2021 at 10:46 AM, GKMCruising said:

 

Yes, but as long as they have any unvaccinated onboard, including kids, they're going to keep requiring tests as clearly vaxxed or tested instead of vaxxed AND tested wasn't working as well.

Hopefully the kids will also be vaccinated soon 🙂

[travelhound]

On 10/7/2021 at 11:10 AM, ace2542 said:

They will be testing passengers forever you know just like they will be wearing masks forever.

At some point the gig is up 🙂

[travelhound]

On 10/7/2021 at 11:52 AM, Tapi said:

Carnival just extended their protocols for testing until February 28, 2022. Usually when one cruise line does something, the others follow….

Let's hope it gets better after that 🙂

[ace2542]

11 hours ago, travelhound said:

Let's hope it gets better after that 🙂

But if two person infected with different variants ended up on the same cruise and those variants merged in a new infected person that person becomes patient zero. And if that new variant can evade vaccine and some previous immunity perhaps and even detection there could be a new global pandemic which the industry would not survive. So testing and mask wearing will be here forever and a day.