New Canadian Testing Protocols

[klfrodo]

Please explain in terms my 5 yo grandson might understand

 

My wife and I live in the Seattle area. We are flying to Vancouver. We are flying in on a Wednesday and boarding a RCCL cruise ship on a Friday to sail to Seward.

 

What tests and how may tests for each individual are required currently.

 

It will probably change about the time I fully understand the current requirement.

 

Thank you for your patience with me

[erinsmom03]

52 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

Please explain in terms my 5 yo grandson might understand

 

My wife and I live in the Seattle area. We are flying to Vancouver. We are flying in on a Wednesday and boarding a RCCL cruise ship on a Friday to sail to Seward.

 

What tests and how may tests for each individual are required currently.

 

It will probably change about the time I fully understand the current requirement.

 

Thank you for your patience with me

 

I also have so many questions as I try to figure out our Alaska cruise and all the testing we would need to do. 

 

We wanted to stay a couple nights in Vancouver before and after the cruise. The testing involved to do that makes my head hurt.

[Harrylinden]

I think there are a lot of us wondering the same thing.I got anxiety thinking about all the Canadian covid protocol and how many test will we have to do in order to do the 18 day land/cruise through the Yukon up to Alaska and  back down to Whitter to catch the cruise ship back to Vancouver. Who pays for what? Who pays if we get covid to quarantine for 14 days! Too many questions and I'm not really finding any good answers.I did email Holland and all I got was a link to their webpage!  SMDH🤔
I am serious thinking of canceling till we get back to some kind of normal whatever that might be!

[erinsmom03]

7 hours ago, Harrylinden said:

I think there are a lot of us wondering the same thing.I got anxiety thinking about all the Canadian covid protocol and how many test will we have to do in order to do the 18 day land/cruise through the Yukon up to Alaska and  back down to Whitter to catch the cruise ship back to Vancouver. Who pays for what? Who pays if we get covid to quarantine for 14 days! Too many questions and I'm not really finding any good answers.I did email Holland and all I got was a link to their webpage!  SMDH🤔
I am serious thinking of canceling till we get back to some kind of normal whatever that might be!

 

I hope you don't have to cancel, but I think we all will have to choose what we are comfortable with and what is more than we are willing to do.

 

I'm sure the cruise lines will come out with their protocols soon. Good luck!

[Milhouse]

There's chatter that testing for entry into Canada for the fully vaccinated will be dropped starting March 31.  That would hopefully reduce a few tests.

[erinsmom03]

22 minutes ago, Milhouse said:

There's chatter that testing for entry into Canada for the fully vaccinated will be dropped starting March 31.  That would hopefully reduce a few tests.

 

That would be awesome! Is this chatter pretty reliable sources?

[Milhouse]

Unfortunately, it's second hand info from a unknown source.  However, it was tweeted from a travel blogger who is pretty in the know.

 

 

 

[cruise wizard]

We are planning on getting our rapid antigen test on April 20 - flying from Fort Lauderdale on April 21 and will stay for 2 days at a hotel, and board the Celebrity Eclipse on 4/23. I am hoping that the testing requirements to enter Canada will be dropped since we are double vaxed and boosted too!!!! Not sure what Celebrity will require but who knows!!!!!

[cookiersmom]

33 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

We are planning on getting our rapid antigen test on April 20 - flying from Fort Lauderdale on April 21 and will stay for 2 days at a hotel, and board the Celebrity Eclipse on 4/23. I am hoping that the testing requirements to enter Canada will be dropped since we are double vaxed and boosted too!!!! Not sure what Celebrity will require but who knows!!!!!

Right now although Celebrity says ok to test 2 days before sailing, Canada says antigen test no more than 1 day before cruise!  So for Saturday sailing, we have to test Friday.  But flying in on Thursday, so if Canada doesn't drop their incoming test, we definitely will have to test twice.  Grrrrrr

[cruise wizard]

16 hours ago, cookiersmom said:

Right now although Celebrity says ok to test 2 days before sailing, Canada says antigen test no more than 1 day before cruise!  So for Saturday sailing, we have to test Friday.  But flying in on Thursday, so if Canada doesn't drop their incoming test, we definitely will have to test twice.  Grrrrrr

 

We are in the same "boat" as you.............DOUBLE GRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

[daisy-mae]

21 hours ago, Milhouse said:

There's chatter that testing for entry into Canada for the fully vaccinated will be dropped starting March 31.  That would hopefully reduce a few tests.

Here's hoping that is true. However, my impression after a quick read of the Canadian Governments recommendations for cruise travel is that they still think that a cruise ship is a floating petri dish 😞

[barbienj]

Honestly, cruise ships have been a floating petri dish even before covid....

 

Doing away with the test requirement would make things so much easier...

[cruise wizard]

I'll take the cruise ship as one of the safest places to be - excellent protocols and constant cleaning and sanitizing. We are currently on the Vision of the Seas and masks are optional.............and hoping that testing will soon be a way of the past!!!!

[cruiseryyc]

Well its now Saturday and no announcement yet; nor am I hearing anything remotely suggesting entry testing is going away anytime soon.

[bigAWL]

I don't know.  If I have to test before boarding a ship in Vancouver anyway, I'd still want to test before getting on the plane out of the US.  If I test positive in the US, I can just stay home.  If I test positive at the Vancouver cruise terminal, then I need to quarantine in Canada and get documentation of recovery before I can fly home.

[Milhouse]

More chatter.

During the local dinner news today, the legislative bureau chief reporter (Keith Baldrey) said he was talking to senior officials in both the provincial and federal government (noting that borders are completely federal jurisdiction) and they expressed optimism about easing of restrictions, particularly testing, as early as end of this week.  Not confirmed but they are noting what's happening in Europe like Ireland completely removing restrictions.

 

Here's a link to the half minute segment but I had probs playing it back on the laptop.

Edited March 15, 2022 by Milhouse
grammar

[erinsmom03]

It would be wonderful to not have to test more than the test needed to get on the ship!

[Milhouse]

More chatter.

CBC news article today indicating that the federal government is expected to announce as soon as tomorrow that the pre-arrival testing will be scrapped for airport and land border arrivals by the end of the month. 

EDIT addition:  So likely have to test before getting off a cruise.

 

Random arrival tests will continue however to help track and identify variants.  Not sure what that means if you test positve via one of these random tests but no point in speculating until the details with the formal announcement.

Edited March 16, 2022 by Milhouse

[Urban trekker]

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault will be announcing the latest easing of pandemic travel restrictions on Thursday.

[em-sk]

On 3/11/2022 at 11:06 AM, cruise wizard said:

I'll take the cruise ship as one of the safest places to be - excellent protocols and constant cleaning and sanitizing. We are currently on the Vision of the Seas and masks are optional.............and hoping that testing will soon be a way of the past!!!!

 

Starting April 1st the pre-arrival testing requirement is gone.  You still need to upload you vaccination record using the ArriveCan app ahead of time.

 

At the airport on arrival, they will randomly tests some passengers, but at that point the test is done at the airport and there is special requirements.  

 

Here is the announcement 

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2022/03/government-of-canada-will-remove-pre-entry-test-requirement-for-fully-vaccinated-travellers-on-april-1.html

 

 

[dog]

If cruise leaves Saturday from Vancouver what is the earliest we can get Covid test?

[JBCall]

@dog My understanding of the current Canadian cruise regulations for after April 1st.

 

If cruise departure is Saturday:

Rapid Antigen Test - anytime Friday (12:01am+) or Saturday before boarding

PCR Test - within 72 hours of boarding.  So if boarding at 1 pm Saturday, test can be taken anytime after 1pm Wednesday.