Why is Carnival not testing CADs RT PCR?

[Reenie75]

So a representative from Carnival just told me tonight they are not offering any testing before leaving their ship for Canadians? Really?!?! 

This is a kiss goodbye to Canadians. 

[nancydee]

I was told to "try at the airport". 🤷‍♀️

[Monty'sMum]

Why would/should they? We're both Canadian. We both go to Florida for vacation. I happen to be on land at Disney for a week and you're on a cruise. We're both flying out of MCO so we can both pay for the rapid PCR tests there before we get on our flights home. You can also buy the "at home" tests offered by the company affiliated with Air Canada and do them on the ship the night before or morning of debarkation as long as you have an internet connection.

[Reenie75]

1 minute ago, Monty'sMum said:

Why would/should they? We're both Canadian. We both go to Florida for vacation. I happen to be on land at Disney for a week and you're on a cruise. We're both flying out of MCO so we can both pay for the rapid PCR tests there before we get on our flights home. You can also buy the "at home" tests offered by the company affiliated with Air Canada and do them on the ship the night before or morning of debarkation as long as you have an internet connection.

I would think they could provide this as right now they are providing to get onto the ship. It's kinda like 'Ok your off the ship... Good luck' 

 

Other cruise lines are offering this. Since Carnival is the biggest I would have thought they would have. I'm not expecting them to pay for it. 

 

RT PCR test is required to return back to Canada. We are flying with Westjet.

[Monty'sMum]

Yes, I'm aware what's required for us to get back into Canada. Not all cruiselines are providing it. The Don cruise vlogger guy from Ottawa has been moaning about his testing woes since cruises started back up in the summer. First, Celebrity gave him one for free but lost the results and he had to spend an extra 2-3 days in Florida trying to find a testing lab and getting rebooked on his flights. Then in the past month or so, Celebrity told him that they aren't offering free tests onboard to go back to Canada anymore so he complained about that. Then he just got off a Princess cruise and tried to use their testing in Miami or Fort Lauderdale to move over to another ship the next day and all their tests were coming back false positives and taking way way too long so he went to a local lab instead.

 

Personally, I've been looking at cruises since Japan hasn't reopened for my trip there that I've had postponed since March 2020. To get a PCR or antigen test here in NB is much costlier than ON ahead of leaving. I'll be spending atleast $300 between both tests. If I get to Japan in 2022, the test needed to be admitted there is about $275 at my local airport here plus the cost of a PCR to come back to Canada. But it's something that you have to budget for if you choose to travel during Covid. Hell, Canadians might have to quarantine for two weeks again when flying in from international destinations in another month or two depending on the Covid situation. Alot of my friends going away at March Break are teachers and nurses who can't work from home for two weeks so they'll likely be cancelling their trips next month. It's unfortunate but it's the reality of travelling at the moment.

 

The most reliable test options are going to be the ones at the airport whether you're flying out of MCO, MIA or FLL or doing the at-home ones approved for entry to Canada on the ship before you fly home. For your tests between your two cruises, you'll need to find a lab in Miami or Fort Lauderdale. I'm sure there are some decent ones mentioned on the port threads.

[K_e_short]

John Heald has been asked this ALOT and he keeps saying "they are looking into it."

 

Yes other cruise lines do the testing.

 

I have said numerous times that I would rather pay less for a cruise and pay for my own PCR test, then pay way more for a cruise with a 'free" test.

 

Many cruise lines offer different services and now that Covid has arrived, testing is part of the offerings.

 

Some cruiselines offer free wifi. Some offer free drinks. Some offer free excursions.

 

I consider Carnival to be the cheap cruiseline and you pay for the minimum and then can pay extra for what you want.

 

I am having to get tested at the Orlando airport prior to boarding my flight home the day I get off the cruise.

I agree it is an annoying step but I'm willing to do it.

 

There is a Canadian forum on this site that may give you more information about Canadian specific issues.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2510-canadian-cruisers/

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I am honestly so stressed about the testing. We're coming from Canada and u see the US requires testing only one day before. What if I cant get my results that quickly? And its a transatlantic cruise so we fly home from Barcelona and so of course I have no idea where to get a test in Spain. Honestly I wish Carnival offered the rapid antigen test at the terminal. I dont know what to do now because I'm risking losing so.mich money if I cant get tests in time. I dont think I can get the home ones in Canada

[firefly333]

I think it would be good if carnival offered a test, at a fee. Not included for free, I'd pay. 

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I agree firefly. I'd pay double just for the peace of mind lol

[Reenie75]

1 hour ago, Cruisin 4 Ever said:

I am honestly so stressed about the testing. We're coming from Canada and u see the US requires testing only one day before. What if I cant get my results that quickly? And its a transatlantic cruise so we fly home from Barcelona and so of course I have no idea where to get a test in Spain. Honestly I wish Carnival offered the rapid antigen test at the terminal. I dont know what to do now because I'm risking losing so.mich money if I cant get tests in time. I dont think I can get the home ones in Canada

I've been researching trying to get 'at best' prepared. Where are you flying out of and to? 

[ehyup71]

5 hours ago, Reenie75 said:

I would think they could provide this as right now they are providing to get onto the ship. It's kinda like 'Ok your off the ship... Good luck' 

 

 

Where is Carnival providing testing to board the ship?? That's news to me! I thought all vaccinated guests had to arrange and provide their negative test results themselves.

 

I know for the limited number of unvaccinated guests travelling they are testing them at the port (rapid antigen) before they can board (and they still have to provide a Negative COVID PCR test taken between 72-24 hours before cruise) but that's it I thought. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by ehyup71
edit

[brilliantseas]

14 minutes ago, ehyup71 said:

 

Where is Carnival providing testing to board the ship?? That's news to me! I thought all vaccinated guests had to arrange and provide their negative test results themselves.

 

I know for the limited number of unvaccinated guests travelling they are testing them at the port (rapid antigen) before they can board (and they still have to provide a Negative COVID PCR test taken between 72-24 hours before cruise) but that's it I thought. 

 

Carnival is offering at-the-port testing through a contractor by reservation only for those who are unable to secure a test by other means prior to boarding. The contractor varies by port. 

 

Depending upon where you are sailing from, some of the ports also have independent testing for return flights either at the port or nearby. 

 

Carnival doesn't offer free pre-debarkation testing, however the ship is equipped for testing and does offer it to anyone who presents with symptoms while onboard. 

 

 

[ray98]

I see them defaulting to the infrastructure already in place instead of adding overhead to the fare.  There are numerous places to schedule tests in advance close to the port, testing at the airport and even proctored self tests you could take on the ship the last morning using your cell phone.  

Edited December 8, 2021 by ray98

[kdr69]

10 hours ago, Cruisin 4 Ever said:

I am honestly so stressed about the testing. We're coming from Canada and u see the US requires testing only one day before. What if I cant get my results that quickly? And its a transatlantic cruise so we fly home from Barcelona and so of course I have no idea where to get a test in Spain. Honestly I wish Carnival offered the rapid antigen test at the terminal. I dont know what to do now because I'm risking losing so.mich money if I cant get tests in time. I dont think I can get the home ones in Canada

Yes you can, just get the ones offered through Air Canada from Switch Health.  I will be using them for my return flight in March if the protocols are still in effect by then.  A simple Antigen test taken the day before you leave takes 20 mins to get your results and are offered pretty well everywhere by everyone now in Canada.

[firefly333]

6 hours ago, ray98 said:

I see them defaulting to the infrastructure already in place instead of adding overhead to the fare. 

That's why I specifically said for a extra cost. Sell testing like they do drinks or anything else. 

 

I dont buy internet so testing the morning I want to change from a carnival ship to a royal Caribbean ship wouldnt work for me. My last carnival cruise was breeze who was 4 hours late due to the rescue at sea. I'm just saying their testing means I'm not booking a carnival cruise to fit in with the rcl I have booked. Cant mix and match cruiselines. OP wants to go from msc to carnival. If I were her I'd cancel carnival. For right now it's too much stress. Only doing b2b on same lines rather than stress. 

 

As long as these testing procedures are in place expect the stock and profits to suffer. People who arent crazy like us arent booking. I get told all the time how bad cruises are for spreading events. 

[Essiesmom]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

That's why I specifically said for a extra cost. Sell testing like they do drinks or anything else. 

 

I dont buy internet so testing the morning I want to change from a carnival ship to a royal Caribbean ship wouldnt work for me. My last carnival cruise was breeze who was 4 hours late due to the rescue at sea. I'm just saying their testing means I'm not booking a carnival cruise to fit in with the rcl I have booked. Cant mix and match cruiselines. OP wants to go from msc to carnival. If I were her I'd cancel carnival. For right now it's too much stress. Only doing b2b on same lines rather than stress. 

 

As long as these testing procedures are in place expect the stock and profits to suffer. People who arent crazy like us arent booking. I get told all the time how bad cruises are for spreading events. 

If you are testing the morning you are debarking Carnival and boarding RCL you wouldn't need internet.  You would be in a US port and therefore have cell service.  EM

[ProgRockCruiser]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

As long as these testing procedures are in place expect the stock and profits to suffer.

I am sure Carnival would be only too happy to do away with the current "Health and Safety Protocols".  But as some of you may have seen, there was a Big Deal made out of a (non-Carnival) cruise ship that recently docked that had 17 cases of COVID (mix of pax and crew), all non-symptomatic according to what I read.

 

So with headlines like that, the cruise lines need to keep up the testing and vax requirements, because otherwise it will be even worse.  Right now they can say they are doing everything they can to abate the issue.

 

Hopefully this goes away in the Spring if/when it becomes apparent that the vaccines are working to minimize/eliminate symptoms and COVID becomes another variant of the common cold.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

If you are testing the morning you are debarking Carnival and boarding RCL you wouldn't need internet.  You would be in a US port and therefore have cell service.  EM

Unless like I said in my post you happened to be on my last cruise. Breeze didnt dock until 10 am. I said 4 hours late. We were sitting in the theater where all the diamonds were. Pretty hard to test sitting in a theater seat. 

 

I'd sat there since 7 am in line where they sat us as we arrived in order. 

 

No way would I chance something going wrong and scheduling a b2b with 2 different cruiselines. I finally got some deals but sitting on my hands not booking them after docking at 10 am on breeze my last carnival cruise. People read half my posts and off they go ignoring half of what I said. 

 

Maybe later after I get thru jan and march rcl cruises, I'll see about a stand alone. As long as carnival says why should we test to board another cruise or flight to canada, I'm not adding to my stress. And of course anyone knows right now fog is a issue and ships during the winter coming into Galveston are known to have to wait to dock because of fog. 

 

I'd advise people to not book b2b with 2 different cruiselines. Just sit on your hands. The advise to expect things to go right and you can pick up wifi from the ship .... not me. Cruises during covid are not going perfect. Wait until you can do one cruiseline or the other, not b2b. OP I would not try msc and carnival b2b. I'd cancel one. 

[sanger727]

14 hours ago, brilliantseas said:

 

Carnival is offering at-the-port testing through a contractor by reservation only for those who are unable to secure a test by other means prior to boarding. The contractor varies by port. 

 

Depending upon where you are sailing from, some of the ports also have independent testing for return flights either at the port or nearby. 

 

Carnival doesn't offer free pre-debarkation testing, however the ship is equipped for testing and does offer it to anyone who presents with symptoms while onboard. 

 

 

even with this, the testing they offer is antigen, not PCR. I think Norwegian might offer free pcr tests before disembarking, but not sure about any other lines. Rapid pcr tests are legitimately expense and difficult to find. For our last trip only option was the airport at $200 a test.

[Halo19]

Yes it would definitely be nice if Carnival offered the testing.  I would happily pay for it -  one less thing to worry about while leaving the ship and catching my flight home the same day.