Panama requiring cruise ship passengers (and presumably crew) to be tested before a Canal transit

[Turtles06]

I don't think this has been discussed on here, and I thought folks might find it interesting.  According to some recent threads on the HAL board by passengers on board the Zuiderdam, which is currently en route from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale, they learned after boarding that Panama has required all passengers (and I would assume crew) be tested on board before the transit of the Canal.  I imagine this is to help protect the Panamanians who must come on board for the transit.

 

A number of passengers have tested positive and have been moved into isolation cabins on the ship.  One of them is posting "live from isolation":

 

 

 

[Essiesmom]

It's not new.  Emerald Princess had her transit delayed a day or so in Oct. because they didn't submit correctly...It appears to only be for full transits.  EM

[Turtles06]

Thanks @Essiesmom.   New since the pandemic restart I guess.  Interesting, though, that it was news to the passengers on the Zuiderdam.  I wonder if HAL is not telling cruisers about this possibility in advance.  I realize everything can change quickly right now, but I think that most cruise ship passengers who are not going to set foot in Panama would have no inkling that they might have to be tested on board before the Canal transit and then be put in isolation for most if not all of the rest of the cruise if they test positive.   Perhaps some would have elected not to take that risk. 

[br111]

I've been following this very closely since we have a partial canal transit scheduled on our late-January cruise. For anyone else wondering, it does SEEM that it is only for full transits. The Princess FAQ on their site about when they test on board, for example, says they do it only for longer cruises and full panama canal transits. There is also a a HAL Eurodam sailing currently underway scheduled for a partial transit on Jan. 12 and as of this morning (1/9) they hadn't been told of any testing yet.

[PandRBarry]

Hello ...I wonder if they allow you to sit on your balcony if you're in isolation for testing positive.  Anyone know?

[pghflyer]

some ships move people to special COVID floors, so probably line/ ship variable

[Turtles06]

1 minute ago, PandRBarry said:

Hello ...I wonder if they allow you to sit on your balcony if you're in isolation for testing positive.  Anyone know?

 

The Zuiderdam went through the Canal today, and indeed the covid-positive passenger who has been posting live from his isolation cabin, which has a balcony, was out there on the balcony today, so it seems the answer is yes (at least today).  In fact, @Essiesmom got photo of him (from the Canal web cam) on his balcony waving a towel as the ship when through one of the locks.  🙂  

[Turtles06]

5 minutes ago, pghflyer said:

some ships move people to special COVID floors, so probably line/ ship variable

 

Interesting, as I assumed @PandRBarry was asking whether the Canal prohibited or allowed this, since I was recalling the transits that the Canal permitted as a humanitarian measure of a couple of HAL ships early in the pandemic so they could return to Florida, when the Canal allowed no passengers to be outside.

 

But you are certainly correct that some ships have isolated covid-positive guests in non-balcony cabins, so no options for them to be outside for the Canal transit.

Edited January 12, 2022 by Turtles06

[Essiesmom]

I think the prohibition of balcony use for Zaandam and Rotterdam was because we were still in the discovery phase of transmission, and they were afraid people might sneeze or cough over the railings…. I think we’ve come a long way.  EM

[Turtles06]

5 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I think the prohibition of balcony use for Zaandam and Rotterdam was because we were still in the discovery phase of transmission, and they were afraid people might sneeze or cough over the railings…. I think we’ve come a long way.  EM

I agree. 

[BillB48]

The cautiousness even extended to the point they took both of those ships through the Canal using the new locks to reduce the potential contact.  Those two HAL ships would fit comfortably in the original locks.