Celebrity Moving Testing to Pier After Cruise

[DC1andDC2]

10 hours ago, truckswain said:

As I recall this was an issue with Celebrity in the fall.  Some cruisers on a couple of Celebrity ships had their testing at the pier and not on the ship.  The Celebrity website did not reflect this change.

 

I don't know if Celebrity reversed their procedures and stopped the testing at the pier or it depended on the ship/port/# of tests needed, but for the majority of cruisers the tests were done on the ship.

 

I know the website is slow to update but until Celebrity notifies of a policy change/updates their website I believe it is premature to assume testing will now be at the pier for all sailings.

 

Having said that, the space/time/people/cost of testing on the ship cannot continue and I fully expect Celebrity to follow the other major lines and move their testing shoreside.

 

It is unfortunate our government still believes that PCR testing to arrive back into Canada has any effect on stopping the spread of Covid.   Omicron has proven that point.

You are correct in that they did move the testing to the pier in the fall, but it was my understanding that there was enough of a stink from guests who had booked based on a "promise" that had now been broken and particularly from folks who had already booked return flights fairly early with no expectation of delays on the pier because they now required their testing to be performed AFTER disembarking.

 

Perhaps another "stink" is in order, however I think with the current state of things and the monetary bleeding that the lines are currently enduring, I doubt they'd even blink an eye this time.   SO DISAPPOINTING!

[AlbertaCruisers]

The wording on the website has now been changed. this is in the US departures section. 

 

It also now confirms the mask requirement. 
 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/healthy-at-sea/us-travel-requirements

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by AlbertaCruisers

[Princess Fi]

On 1/3/2022 at 2:01 PM, Fouremco said:

So much for Celebrity's "Safe Passage Home" protection. As they are no longer testing you aboard, they no longer have to provide this protection that had been a key element of their Healthy At Sea program for us. Had we not already cancelled, we would have now.

Celebrity’s “Safe Passage Home” was the key factor when on the fence whether to cancel or not our January 8 Apex. We made the right choice to cancel in many ways. One of our party of 6 tested positive last week. I think airlines need to follow federal guidelines related to quarantine. Many provinces have changed these but not federally. 

[Froufie]

I found this here:  https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/health-and-safety

 

Currently all fully vaccinated guests requiring a COVID-19 test to return to their home country will be provided the option to receive complimentary testing in the cruise terminal during disembarkation. Proof of return travel scheduled within 24 hours of disembarkation will be required. Details on testing registration will be provided onboard. As of Tuesday, November 16, 2021, for new bookings, home country re-entry testing will be available onboard for a fee of $55 per person for an Antigen test or $95 per person for a PCR test.

 

This sounds super confusing to me?  First says testing is complimentary in the cruise terminal upon disembarkation - but new bookings (after Nov 16) can get tested onboard for a fee?  So if you pay you can get the testing onboard - or am I interpreting this incorrectly?  Wonder how we can verify this?

[Fouremco]

3 hours ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

The wording on the website has now been changed. this is in the US departures section. 

 

It also now confirms the mask requirement. 
 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/healthy-at-sea/us-travel-requirements

 

I suspect that this is yet another example of website confusion due to sloppy editing of the original policy. I suppose that it's possible that Celebrity will allow those who booked after November 16 of last year to choose between free shoreside testing and paid testing aboard, but I doubt that's what Celebrity intends. 

[AlbertaCruisers]

47 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

I suspect that this is yet another example of website confusion due to sloppy editing of the original policy. I suppose that it's possible that Celebrity will allow those who booked after November 16 of last year to choose between free shoreside testing and paid testing aboard, but I doubt that's what Celebrity intends. 

 

Funny, I only read the free part.  Yes, I think the second part is a mistake.  They don't want to do any of this testing onboard anymore.

[Fouremco]

44 minutes ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

Funny, I only read the free part.

You and their proof reader too! 😇

[Froufie]

Not impressed with the confusing messaging - they need some 'quality assurance' officer to check all website pages to ensure that a) they are publicizing the correct information and b) there is no conflicting information from one page to the next?

 

Hard to make an informed decision with wrong and confusing information!

 

[AlbertaCruisers]

Isn't the below wording on the Celebrity site in Frequently asked questions new?

 

All fully vaccinated guests requiring a COVID-19 test to return to their home country will be provided the opportunity to receive testing in the cruise port during disembarkation. Proof of return travel scheduled within 24 hours of disembarkation will be required. Details on testing registration will be provided onboard. Testing will be complimentary for guests with cruise reservations booked and paid in full prior to November 16, 2021.  For new bookings made on or after November 16, 2021, testing will be available for a per person fee. The cost for onsite cruise port testing starts at $99* per person.  Prices vary by port and test type.

*Test prices are set by each vendor and not by Celebrity Cruises. Payments will be made directly to the vendor providing the service. Celebrity Cruises will not collect or retain any portion of this payment.

[AlbertaCruisers]

FYI, the other part of the website has also been changed (under US departures).  Disembarkation is spelled wrong once, but the part with the paid testing no longer says it is onboard.

 

All fully vaccinated guests requiring a COVID-19 test to return to their home country will be provided the opportunity to receive testing in the cruise port during disemberkation. Proof of return travel scheduled within 24 hours of disembarkation will be required. Details on testing registration will be provided onboard. Testing will be complimentary for guests with cruise reservations booked and paid in full prior to November 16, 2021.  For new bookings made on or after November 16, 2021, testing will be available for a per person fee. The cost for onsite cruise port testing starts at $99 per person.  Prices vary by port and test type. 

*Test prices are set by each vendor and not by Celebrity Cruises. Payments will be made directly to the vendor providing the service. Celebrity Cruises will not collect or retain any portion of this payment.

[Froufie]

So the real question is what is their 'safe passage home' protocol now?  I guess unless we have 'symptoms' and test positive while ONBOARD we are SOOL?  Wonder who at Celebrity can address this?  The change in test location seems to 'void' the policy that many of us booked under 😞

[Fouremco]

10 minutes ago, AlbertaCruisers said:

Isn't the below wording on the Celebrity site in Frequently asked questions new?

 

All fully vaccinated guests requiring a COVID-19 test to return to their home country will be provided the opportunity to receive testing in the cruise port during disembarkation. Proof of return travel scheduled within 24 hours of disembarkation will be required. Details on testing registration will be provided onboard. Testing will be complimentary for guests with cruise reservations booked and paid in full prior to November 16, 2021.  For new bookings made on or after November 16, 2021, testing will be available for a per person fee. The cost for onsite cruise port testing starts at $99* per person.  Prices vary by port and test type.

*Test prices are set by each vendor and not by Celebrity Cruises. Payments will be made directly to the vendor providing the service. Celebrity Cruises will not collect or retain any portion of this payment.

Good grief. Ever since they introduced the November 16 date as the cut off for free tests, it was always free for bookings made by that date. There was never any stated requirement that the booking also had to be paid in full by that date. With a stroke of a pen, Celebrity has disenfranchised many thousands of passengers who had booked by that date but had not reached their FPD. 

 

After many years of more or less alternating between HAL and Celebrity, I think I'll stick with the former for at least the near future. Just too many issues with Celebrity for my liking. I had been hanging on with them so as to not lose close to $2600 in Celebrity FCC's, but when I cancelled our upcoming March cruise, instead of reissuing the FCC's, they refunded that amount to my credit card, along with my refundable deposit. Very strange, yet just another example of how the cruise line seems to be floundering administratively. 

[Froufie]

To be quite honest this is my 'first' Celebrity cruise (have yet to actually cruise tho!) and possibly my last?  Very unimpressed with the quality of customer service and knowledge - different answers to the same questions every time I call.  Waiting weeks for a flight change to be finalized and I have given up only because I am cancelling my upcoming January cruise.  

 

I thought this was to be a stellar experience but so far not that happy with this - I am hoping once onboard I will hopefully enjoy the 'premium' line experience Celebrity is known for!

 

[cnkgirl]

 Am I understanding this right? Now that they are testing us outside the terminal if we happen to test positive for Covid they will not look after us? I cruised on celebrity edge in October and I was  tested outside the terminal but they said if  we tested positive they would look after us. 

[Froufie]

4 hours ago, cnkgirl said:

 Am I understanding this right? Now that they are testing us outside the terminal if we happen to test positive for Covid they will not look after us? I cruised on celebrity edge in October and I was  tested outside the terminal but they said if  we tested positive they would look after us. 

Who told you that and did they say how that was going to happen - after you leave and get your results later - off the ship and away from the port?  I understand this recently happened to a group of UK cruisers who found out in the cab on the way to the airport that they were all positive - and not much help from the cruiseline once they were off the ship and gone!

 

[cnkgirl]

1 hour ago, Froufie said:

Who told you that and did they say how that was going to happen - after you leave and get your results later - off the ship and away from the port?  I understand this recently happened to a group of UK cruisers who found out in the cab on the way to the airport that they were all positive - and not much help from the cruiseline once they were off the ship and gone!

 

 Sorry that should have said “will they look after us”?  In October when I got off the edge they did say they would look after us if we tested positive but I don’t know if that will happen now.

[tert333]

We just finished the process of Covid testing dockside.

 

Overall, a good experience; however there was an issue that my wife did not get her results.   It seems like the email they used was incorrect.  A miscommunication.   Would recommend that you confirm the email address with the rep to make sure they understood the email. You don’t get any printout of the info entered, so you just have to rely on them hearing you properly.

 

also, they say it would be ready in 2 hours, but I had mine in about an hour.  Next time would have stayed at the cruiseport for the results, in case there are any issues.  I called their support number but was put on hold.

 

I think when I get back, I am going to create a laminated card with personal information to give someone when they need the details, so that they can just copy the info from the card..

[K_e_short]

18 minutes ago, tert333 said:

 

 

I think when I get back, I am going to create a laminated card with personal information to give someone when they need the details, so that they can just copy the info from the card..

 

Thats a very good idea.

I know when I got my pcr test done I gave them my passport to make sure my name, birthday, etc. was correct.

I've heard horror stories of issues with wrong info.

[wendycook22]

1 hour ago, tert333 said:

We just finished the process of Covid testing dockside.

 

Overall, a good experience; however there was an issue that my wife did not get her results.   It seems like the email they used was incorrect.  A miscommunication.   Would recommend that you confirm the email address with the rep to make sure they understood the email. You don’t get any printout of the info entered, so you just have to rely on them hearing you properly.

 

also, they say it would be ready in 2 hours, but I had mine in about an hour.  Next time would have stayed at the cruiseport for the results, in case there are any issues.  I called their support number but was put on hold.

 

I think when I get back, I am going to create a laminated card with personal information to give someone when they need the details, so that they can just copy the info from the card..

Did you have to provide proof of return flight being within 24 hours?  Also, were your flights booked independently  or through Celebrity? 

Edited January 8, 2022 by wendycook22

[schiff1997]

1 hour ago, tert333 said:

We just finished the process of Covid testing dockside.

 

Overall, a good experience; however there was an issue that my wife did not get her results.   It seems like the email they used was incorrect.  A miscommunication.   Would recommend that you confirm the email address with the rep to make sure they understood the email. You don’t get any printout of the info entered, so you just have to rely on them hearing you properly.

 

also, they say it would be ready in 2 hours, but I had mine in about an hour.  Next time would have stayed at the cruiseport for the results, in case there are any issues.  I called their support number but was put on hold.

 

I think when I get back, I am going to create a laminated card with personal information to give someone when they need the details, so that they can just copy the info from the card..

Thanks for the info, was there a fee you had to pay?

[Froufie]

2 hours ago, tert333 said:

We just finished the process of Covid testing dockside.

 

Overall, a good experience; however there was an issue that my wife did not get her results.   It seems like the email they used was incorrect.  A miscommunication.   Would recommend that you confirm the email address with the rep to make sure they understood the email. You don’t get any printout of the info entered, so you just have to rely on them hearing you properly.

 

also, they say it would be ready in 2 hours, but I had mine in about an hour.  Next time would have stayed at the cruiseport for the results, in case there are any issues.  I called their support number but was put on hold.

 

I think when I get back, I am going to create a laminated card with personal information to give someone when they need the details, so that they can just copy the info from the card..

I heard you were not 'allowed' to hang around the terminal post test?  Is there a place to wait - anyone discouraging this?  LOL.   I guess it also depends on your flight time and how fast you may need to get to the airport?

 

And the idea of having everything in writing especially the email to which the result is to be sent is a great idea!

[Forecheck]

On 1/3/2022 at 2:53 PM, AlbertaCruisers said:

Just off the Constellation today. They asked us our flight details early in the cruise, but just a form we filled out and returned and no one asked for proof.  Our flight was today so I didn’t ask on the 24 hour issue. As a note, they are moving the testing off the ship. We were informed about this yesterday. They said this would be for all Celebrity ships as of Jan 5 and it is somehow related to new CDC guidelines but no one could give us details on how CDC guidelines changes how and when they test us. We were tested this morning in the parking lot by a mini van. Test was still free but process was a mess and stressful. 

So they have resorted to testing from a mini van parked o down by the river ?? Cruise with Confidence - HAHA.

 

 

[Froufie]

5 hours ago, wendycook22 said:

Did you have to provide proof of return flight being within 24 hours?  Also, were your flights booked independently  or through Celebrity? 

So I have sent an email to two different celebrity emails asking the question about the 24 hrs/deadlines/next day scenario for PCR testing for Canadians returning to Canada....  Told them I am hearing different things and would clarification on the timelines - let's see if I get any answers (and if they are at all consistent?  LOL)

[tert333]

19 hours ago, wendycook22 said:

Did you have to provide proof of return flight being within 24 hours?  Also, were your flights booked independently  or through Celebrity? 

No, we did not provide them any proof, nor did we book through Celebrity by air. 

[tert333]

18 hours ago, Froufie said:

I heard you were not 'allowed' to hang around the terminal post test?  Is there a place to wait - anyone discouraging this?  LOL.   I guess it also depends on your flight time and how fast you may need to get to the airport?

 

And the idea of having everything in writing especially the email to which the result is to be sent is a great idea!

We left and came back once we realized there may be a problem with the email address provided.   So we did not encounter any issues around hanging around the terminal.  A crew member mentioned he heard there were only 20 Canadians on the cruise.   So there probably was not a high volume getting their test. 

 

However, if you get off early, get your test done, there is some limited seating outside.   The area where you get your test is close to where you enter the terminal to go on a cruise.  Not sure if you would be asked to move on.   

 

We never received any documentation on what happens, if you test positive.  We were told by customer relations that we would be called if we tested positive, and they outlined what Celebrity would cover.  They said to call the emergency number which is on your seacard, if there are any issues.   When we started to think that there may be an problem, we called the 1-800 number from the seacard and was put on hold(not sure when someone would have responded).

 

We were glad that we did not have a flight until later in the day.   We had checked with the hotel that we had stayed at before we cruised if we could come back and leave our bags with the doorman, and they said it was fine.   So we went back to the hotel and hung around the pool, until it was time to leave.  I was a nice relaxing way to hangout until we had to go to the airport.