A WARNING for US cruisers.

[styles27]

Wow if you want an enlightening reading experience google RCCL customer reviews and read the public reviews on FB. I’m not on FB any longer but for some reason I can read them, probably because they’re public. 

 

At first I thought I was on the MSC site because the complaints about customer service, refunds etc were identical. 
 

I haven’t cruised with RCCL in a while so I’m quite surprised to read these comments on FB 

 

MSC isn’t the only one with CS problems Yikes!

 

Anyway, thought I would find this TA story there but no luck. 

[sidari]

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

@sidari please follow up on where you saw the paragraph that you copied here. I can’t find it on Cruise Critic

 

Is it from Facebook maybe?

Styles ... As I am not allowed to mention the social media platform from where it was posted I did not add the name, suffice to say your guess was correct.

I have managed to contact the person involved who has given permission for me to share later posts here which give a clearer picture, I will add them tomorrow during the day at some point.

The family are currently on their way home. The issue took place at Port Canaveral.

Edited November 1, 2021 by sidari

[racephoto]

4 hours ago, sidari said:

Styles ... As I am not allowed to mention the social media platform from where it was posted I did not add the name, suffice to say your guess was correct.

I have managed to contact the person involved who has given permission for me to share later posts here which give a clearer picture, I will add them tomorrow during the day at some point.

The family are currently on their way home. The issue took place at Port Canaveral.

You’re allowed to mention FB. I think the only thing you’re NOT allowed to do is promote/link to FB groups/pages.

[styles27]

4 hours ago, sidari said:

Styles ... As I am not allowed to mention the social media platform from where it was posted I did not add the name, suffice to say your guess was correct.

I have managed to contact the person involved who has given permission for me to share later posts here which give a clearer picture, I will add them tomorrow during the day at some point.

The family are currently on their way home. The issue took place at Port Canaveral.

Thanks!

Appreciate more info as I’m sailing from Port Canaveral in less than 2 weeks. 

[sidari]

Styles ... Here are the posts copied direct to here from FB. The second and third one is from the kids Mother. If I receive any updates I will post them as to any progress.

 

1) The results of some of the Covid antigen tests were hand written and after an exhaustive afternoon of trying to validate, getting the results emailed and speaking to one of the people that had performed the tests and wrote the test results pages. The port authority still denied the family boarding the ship.

 

2)

I called 4 times to Royal to make sure we had what we were suppose to have. The kids had to have a 72 hour rapid test. Me and mom had to have a 48 hour test. My mom is 80 and we were at the port from 11 -6. There was one man who made all decisions on who went and who didn't. We watched a woman and her child around 6 go up to him and he said this paper has just been written on. You can't go. The woman dropped her head and then he said do you have your vaccination card? She showed it to him and he said go on. My mom walked back and forth to him and he kept saying don't give up. Im going to get you on. I called both our school nurses. They talked to him. The nurse just so happened to have her book at home. She sent some other paperwork. He still denied it. They had a mobile lab that were doing test. There was no 15 minute wait. It came straight out of the printer. They made tons of money at 105.00. They told us that there was only 5 test left and told mom she better get one so I paid 105 for nothing. I don't know why this guy just didn't say no instead of keeping us hanging on

Mom at 80 and my son with special needs. All crying every time we ask. I feel like this was done on purpose. I called yesterday and at midnight last night and td Royal to send me the document that said it could not be in writing. They said ok and ask for my email. Neither time did they send it. Be careful guys because even Royal said it was documented that I had called several times to make sure I had exactly what I needed. 3 very hurt kids and a man at the port that could care less!!! I guess he got a kick out of watching my kids crying and watching the ship sail. One of the woman that help with luggage, she is contracted out said he was a terrible person. She stayed and watched as people were filming him, screaming at him. One man and woman were trying to get on. They had met their family there for the cruise. The woman's daughter and 3 year old were already boarded and he denied the man and woman. I really think it wouldn't matter what you had. This man was picking and choosing. I wouldn't say that unless I had called Royal so many times and even the day before saying now I need to know exactly what I need to board. I watched people all day also After talking to the woman who does luggage there I am not so sure that he was not getting paid a percentage of the Covid testing van. They sold out of test at 105 each. I would say they had probably 500 tests there.

 

3) On Messenger to me ... I would not want anybody to go through what we did. My kids were the only kids that couldn't board. I have been fighting them and they say their documents are ok. We will see what they do.

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by sidari

[styles27]

@sidari thank you!

 

So unfortunate and disappointing for them. 
It sounds like this was the problem the fact that some were handwritten. 

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by styles27

[hamrag]

27 minutes ago, sidari said:

Styles ... Here are the posts copied direct to here from FB. The second and third one is from the kids Mother. If I receive any updates I will post them as to any progress....

 

Life has taught me to obtain all 3 sides to a story before judging....the 3rd side of the story is the most difficult to work out, it's called the truth! 

 

So applying that principle....in this case we have her account, we do not have his account so it's impossible to even begin to evaluate what the truth might look like.

[sidari]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

 

Life has taught me to obtain all 3 sides to a story before judging....the 3rd side of the story is the most difficult to work out, it's called the truth! 

 

So applying that principle....in this case we have her account, we do not have his account so it's impossible to even begin to evaluate what the truth might look like.

What will be interesting is what if anything Royal do about it.

[morrieb1]

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

@sidari thank you!

 

So unfortunate and disappointing for them. 
It sounds like this was the problem the fact that some were handwritten. 

 

 Also in the post, there's mention of antigen tests....and those would not be valid for unvaccinated children - they must have the PCR or NAAT.  In any case, I feel badly for the family as I'm sure they thought they had what they needed to cruise.

[KennyFla]

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

@sidari thank you!

 

So unfortunate and disappointing for them. 
It sounds like this was the problem the fact that some were handwritten. 

 

Reading between the lines, it looks like they were late getting the test or CVS was late getting them the results and they talked someone into writing a result by hand for them.

 

Impossible to say which.

[styles27]

14 minutes ago, morrieb1 said:

 Also in the post, there's mention of antigen tests....and those would not be valid for unvaccinated children - they must have the PCR or NAAT.  In any case, I feel badly for the family as I'm sure they thought they had what they needed to cruise.

Yes I thought of that too about the antigen test for children but I suppose the kids could be 12 and up and vaccinated therefore antigen would’ve ok. 

[Shippy]

On 11/1/2021 at 5:36 AM, CampNCruise74 said:

I would like to see the mystery document that was hand signed.  All of the regular drug stores use very official documents I believe.  Also, I counted 20 sets of "....'s".    Phew. 

    We got our tests at the county fairgrounds. On our covid card was an official sticker with all the vaccine info printed on it & then the person administering the shot shot signed next to it.

  My adult daughter got her shots at a large chain supermarket pharmacy. EVERYTHING was hand written on the card. I asked the pharmacist where the info sticker was & he said they do not get them, they just hand write the info.

I must say it did not look very official to me !

[styles27]

24 minutes ago, Shippy said:

    We got our tests at the county fairgrounds. On our covid card was an official sticker with all the vaccine info printed on it & then the person administering the shot shot signed next to it.

  My adult daughter got her shots at a large chain supermarket pharmacy. EVERYTHING was hand written on the card. I asked the pharmacist where the info sticker was & he said they do not get them, they just hand write the info.

I must say it did not look very official to me !

But that’s your vaccination card correct?

I worked at a senior congregate care facility and laminated over 200 vaccination cards for our staff and residents. Every single one of them was filled in by hand. 
 

What this particular incident involves is a handwritten or hand signed test result. I’ve never seen a hand written test result and I was tested weekly because of my job. All of the results were emailed to me and then I would print that out. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 11/1/2021 at 8:56 AM, styles27 said:

That’s very strange that they say CVS had a hand written document. 
Before I retired I had to test weekly because I worked with seniors.
It was just easier for me to go to CVS or Walgreens for the test and my results were always emailed to me. I had over 30 weekly tests and never a hand written document. 
 

Only thing l can think of is maybe this particular CVS was having computer problems.  It’s hard to know when the facts of the story are so brief. 

CVS clinics here send your results to MyChart. So, even if the CVS store is having some problems, they will just turn you away, but not handwrite anything.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, morrieb1 said:

 Also in the post, there's mention of antigen tests....and those would not be valid for unvaccinated children - they must have the PCR or NAAT.  In any case, I feel badly for the family as I'm sure they thought they had what they needed to cruise.

not for RCI. RCI accepts an antigen test for unvaxxed kids upto 3 days. But it can not be done on the day of the cruise, because it interferes with the test RCI administers to kids at the terminal.

 

 

 

" I called both our school nurses. They talked to him. The nurse just so happened to have her book at home. She sent some other paperwork. He still denied it. "

 

what did she hope to achieve by calling the school nurse?

Edited November 2, 2021 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, Shippy said:

  My adult daughter got her shots at a large chain supermarket pharmacy. EVERYTHING was hand written on the card. I asked the pharmacist where the info sticker was & he said they do not get them, they just hand write the info.

I must say it did not look very official to me !

My DH's card and my own card are handwritten. We were both vaccinated at the government mass vaccination site in GA.

 

My parents got vaccinated at Kroger - the first shot was handwritten, the second shot had a sticker.

[Native Floridian 26]

56 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

My DH's card and my own card are handwritten. We were both vaccinated at the government mass vaccination site in GA.

 

My parents got vaccinated at Kroger - the first shot was handwritten, the second shot had a sticker.

I believe the issue was handwritten test results, not handwriting on vaccine cards.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Just now, Native Floridian 26 said:

I believe the issue was handwritten test results, not handwriting on vaccine cards.

my response was not to OP, but to a PP who said handwritten vaccine cards didn't look official to her/him. Mine were issued by the govt - they are official, even if handwritten.

[Heather1972]

People need to learn to follow directions. That’s the price you pay for not doing so. 

[styles27]

8 minutes ago, Heather1972 said:

People need to learn to follow directions. That’s the price you pay for not doing so. 

It's a hard lesson for sure but I agree with you.  

The requirements are all spelled out on RCCL's site.

[KennyFla]

Seems like these days you have to earn your vacation.

[morrieb1]

2 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

not for RCI. RCI accepts an antigen test for unvaxxed kids upto 3 days. But it can not be done on the day of the cruise, because it interferes with the test RCI administers to kids at the terminal.

 

 

 

" I called both our school nurses. They talked to him. The nurse just so happened to have her book at home. She sent some other paperwork. He still denied it. "

 

what did she hope to achieve by calling the school nurse?

Thank you for the correction.  It's confusing because this was posted to an MSC board and MSC won't accept antigen tests for unvaccinated kids.    With the school nurse involved and the report that they "contacted someone who performed the test and wrote down the results", I'm going to guess that maybe the kids were tested at school by the school nurse, but that an at-home test was used, which probably isn't considered acceptable, as the school nurse wasn't considered a "CDC authorized lab".

 

In any case, it is a tricky time to cruise with unvaccinated kids, and this underscores how important it is to understand the details of what a particular cruise line requires.

 

 

[Fogfog]

On 11/1/2021 at 6:16 AM, sidari said:

I have just read this which was posted by a US travel agent that we have sailed with from Miami, Make sure your details are in good order so this does not happen to you.

 

my heart is breaking tonight....I had a wonderful family....planned a long time for the first time back to cruising....and denied entry to the ship.....they were told they had insufficient paperwork.....PLEASE...if your going on a cruise...DO NOT bring hand signed documents...they won't take them.....They even had a CVS hand written Document....not good enough....3 wonderful kids watched the boat sail without them....and it gets worse....where do they go? no plans to go back home...out of state...they flew in for this cruise...they have to call the airlines see if they can schedule for tomorrow...had to get their luggage from the ship....I called Royal Caribbean....neither I or Royal could help...its the PORT Security checking all the documents...OVER 200 people....had the wrong documents to board......Police had to intervene because so many folks were Angry.

The covid docs can make this stressful

I wonder why the travel agent had not prepared them better--and warned them

With fake cards etc - clearly the officials will do their best to be sure the docs are legit

This is what happens when people rely on a "nanny state" 

[bafinegan]

This all just underscores the need to thoroughly read ( and re-read more than once) the requirements for your particular cruise line.  No line is going to let you embark unless their posted rules are followed, no matter who said what on what social media site or social cruise site.  People need to do their own research.

[CampNCruise74]

6 hours ago, bafinegan said:

This all just underscores the need to thoroughly read ( and re-read more than once) the requirements for your particular cruise line.  No line is going to let you embark unless their posted rules are followed, no matter who said what on what social media site or social cruise site.  People need to do their own research.

That's exactly right, I read the information over and over and over again, and kept telling myself I wasn't going to believe it until I actually got onto the boat.  In a week's time we'll be able to get my seven-year-old vaccinated so that way on our February and April cruise it'll be so much easier and we can all do the binax ag card.    Getting my 7-year-old done at CVS was a nightmare to get his pcr test results on our September cruise.