Testing Requirement for Boarding Ship in Vancouver

[Mike & Zen]

Princess cruise lines made the change today, 11 Apr 2022.

 

Voyages that embark in Canada:
Based on current Canadian requirements for cruising, all guests ages five and above will require a medically observed negative viral COVID-19 test result taken before boarding:

• Within 2 days for Antigen
• Within 72 hours for PCR

Children aged two to four (who are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines) will require a medically observed negative viral PCR COVID-19 test within 3 days before boarding, plus an antigen test taken at the terminal (complimentary).

Guests who travel internationally should ensure they understand all entry and airline requirements to travel from their home country and the destinations they plan to visit, including where health authorities may require pre-travel COVID-19 testing.

[truffles68]

On 3/31/2022 at 1:35 PM, CarolR said:

We are flying to Vancouver from Ontario mid May for our Alaska cruise and thought it would be as simple as it is here to book a test - as little as $17.00 at Costco. Was I in for a surprise when I saw that wasn't the case and most prices are upwards of $100. We did book an appointment at the switch health clinic in Richmond for $39.00 for aeroplan members. 

Where do you click onto aeroplan members for $39 antigen tests in Richmond? (Switch Health antigen test in Richmond..13160 Vanier Pl). I can not see where the aeroplan members part when trying to do a booking for on site antigen testing. 

Thanks

[burnabyjean]

19 minutes ago, truffles68 said:

Where do you click onto aeroplan members for $39 antigen tests in Richmond? (Switch Health antigen test in Richmond..13160 Vanier Pl). I can not see where the aeroplan members part when trying to do a booking for on site antigen testing. 

Thanks

Go to this site: https://switchhealth.ca/en/partners/aeroplan/ 

Scroll down the page to "Switch Health Travel Clinics" and then click on "Book Now" (it has two options ... PCR or Antigen). This should bring up a pop up window where you enter your Aeroplan number.

[Dismomx5]

10 hours ago, Mike & Zen said:

Princess cruise lines made the change today, 11 Apr 2022.

 

Voyages that embark in Canada:
Based on current Canadian requirements for cruising, all guests ages five and above will require a medically observed negative viral COVID-19 test result taken before boarding:

• Within 2 days for Antigen
• Within 72 hours for PCR

Children aged two to four (who are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines) will require a medically observed negative viral PCR COVID-19 test within 3 days before boarding, plus an antigen test taken at the terminal (complimentary).

Guests who travel internationally should ensure they understand all entry and airline requirements to travel from their home country and the destinations they plan to visit, including where health authorities may require pre-travel COVID-19 testing.

The change is up on HAL as well:

Guests embarking in a Canadian port: 

All guests age 2 and older are required to take either an antigen COVID-19 test within 48 hours of embarkation or PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to embarkation.

[Fouremco]

8 minutes ago, Dismomx5 said:

The change is up on HAL as well:

Guests embarking in a Canadian port: 

All guests age 2 and older are required to take either an antigen COVID-19 test within 48 hours of embarkation or PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to embarkation.

It's a pity that HAL went to the bother of updating yet still got it wrong. It's within 2 days of embarkation for antigen tests, not 48 hours.

[Dismomx5]

1 minute ago, Fouremco said:

It's a pity that HAL went to the bother of updating yet still got it wrong. It's within 2 days of embarkation for antigen tests, not 48 hours.

I know, right? But that is HAL's IT team. 🤣

[Fouremco]

5 minutes ago, Dismomx5 said:

I know, right? But that is HAL's IT team. 🤣

I'm no fan of HAL's IT team, but you can't blame them for mistakes like this, as they aren't responsible for fact checking content provided by other responsibility centres.

[Dismomx5]

15 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

I'm no fan of HAL's IT team, but you can't blame them for mistakes like this, as they aren't responsible for fact checking content provided by other responsibility centres.

Absolutely true. Someone dropped the ball. 🙂

[Barwick Cruiser]

We’re boarding a Celebrity ship in Vancouver in September…am I reading this correctly that instead of Canada regulating a negative test one day prior to boarding it’s now two days prior? This would make things so much easier for us as we could test in Ontario on Friday, fly on Saturday and board on Sunday? 
Cathy

[Fouremco]

Just now, Barwick Cruiser said:

We’re boarding a Celebrity ship in Vancouver in September…am I reading this correctly that instead of Canada regulating a negative test one day prior to boarding it’s now two days prior? This would make things so much easier for us as we could test in Ontario on Friday, fly on Saturday and board on Sunday? 
Cathy

Yes, the Canadian requirement for an antigen test is two days before boarding. That change came into effect on April 1st. However, Celebrity still hasn't published its country-specific requirements for Canada, and while I don't expect them to be more stringent than those of the GOC, it would be best to wait and see what they say. Of course, with your cruise not coming until September, many changes could be implemented before you fly out.

[lovecruzin]

11 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Yes, the Canadian requirement for an antigen test is two days before boarding. That change came into effect on April 1st. However, Celebrity still hasn't published its country-specific requirements for Canada, and while I don't expect them to be more stringent than those of the GOC, it would be best to wait and see what they say. Of course, with your cruise not coming until September, many changes could be implemented before you fly out.

Crazy, Celebrity has a ship departing in 11 days and they still have no Protocols listed for Canadian departures. Unfortunately our roll call has more posts about testing than fun stuff. 

 

 

[TeaBag]

1 hour ago, lovecruzin said:

Crazy, Celebrity has a ship departing in 11 days and they still have no Protocols listed for Canadian departures. Unfortunately our roll call has more posts about testing than fun stuff. 

 

We are on this cruise also and have made an appt in Richmond to get tested on the 22nd.  The appt was made before we learned you can now get it done 2 days prior.  I guess Celebrity must be very busy getting things lined up, since this is the first sailing of Eclipse since Mach 2020.

[Barwick Cruiser]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Yes, the Canadian requirement for an antigen test is two days before boarding. That change came into effect on April 1st. However, Celebrity still hasn't published its country-specific requirements for Canada, and while I don't expect them to be more stringent than those of the GOC, it would be best to wait and see what they say. Of course, with your cruise not coming until September, many changes could be implemented before you fly out.

Thank you for this updated info. And I agree that I highly doubt that Celebrity will choose the one day prior testing protocol since it’s been two days for most of their sailings up to now. And while we do have a few months before we sail, the way that Covid seems to mutate and hang on I honestly doubt that testing will go away before then. At least it’s much cheaper to test here in Ontario rather than our alternate plan which was to test upon arrival at YVR. 

[truffles68]

11 hours ago, burnabyjean said:

Go to this site: https://switchhealth.ca/en/partners/aeroplan/ 

Scroll down the page to "Switch Health Travel Clinics" and then click on "Book Now" (it has two options ... PCR or Antigen). This should bring up a pop up window where you enter your Aeroplan number.

Thanks 

[netpj]

We have just received an email from Cunard concerning our July sailing from Vancouver.  The email specifically says the following:  All fully vaccinated guests will need to organise and purchase a private observed PCR test to be taken within 72 hours, or a private observed antigen test to be taken within one day, prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal. You can order your test kit through any government approved testing provider. Guests will need to present their negative test certificate at the ship's terminal. 

There is no mention of completion of the ArriveCan app prior to embarkation!

My question is to anyone in BC.  Are there any rumours of wider availability of pre-embarkation testing?  I know Switch Health in Richmond and Empower at the Fairmont Waterfront provide testing but as more passengers descend on Vancouver to embark, I am guessing these facilities will be unable to cope.  Not everyone arriving in Canada or travelling within Canada to Vancouver will be able to do a virtual proctored test.

[Fouremco]

3 hours ago, netpj said:

We have just received an email from Cunard concerning our July sailing from Vancouver.  The email specifically says the following:  All fully vaccinated guests will need to organise and purchase a private observed PCR test to be taken within 72 hours, or a private observed antigen test to be taken within one day, prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal. You can order your test kit through any government approved testing provider. Guests will need to present their negative test certificate at the ship's terminal. 

There is no mention of completion of the ArriveCan app prior to embarkation!

My question is to anyone in BC.  Are there any rumours of wider availability of pre-embarkation testing?  I know Switch Health in Richmond and Empower at the Fairmont Waterfront provide testing but as more passengers descend on Vancouver to embark, I am guessing these facilities will be unable to cope.  Not everyone arriving in Canada or travelling within Canada to Vancouver will be able to do a virtual proctored test.

Several cruiselines amended their regulations this week to reflect the antigen test within 2 days, not 1. I imagine that Cunard will do the same. In any event, July is a long way off and I expect that there will be a number of changes/clarifications over the coming weeks.

[elmsliebev]

3 hours ago, netpj said:

We have just received an email from Cunard concerning our July sailing from Vancouver.  The email specifically says the following:  All fully vaccinated guests will need to organise and purchase a private observed PCR test to be taken within 72 hours, or a private observed antigen test to be taken within one day, prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal. You can order your test kit through any government approved testing provider. Guests will need to present their negative test certificate at the ship's terminal. 

There is no mention of completion of the ArriveCan app prior to embarkation!

My question is to anyone in BC.  Are there any rumours of wider availability of pre-embarkation testing?  I know Switch Health in Richmond and Empower at the Fairmont Waterfront provide testing but as more passengers descend on Vancouver to embark, I am guessing these facilities will be unable to cope.  Not everyone arriving in Canada or travelling within Canada to Vancouver will be able to do a virtual proctored test.

following this with interest. We arrive in Vancouver the day before we sail in July, so will need to sort out the private observed antigen test. We arrive on a Sunday evening, just to add to the fun! 

Edited April 13, 2022 by elmsliebev

[dolly1965]

We are travelling to Calgary from the uk and getting on the Rocky mountaineer up to Vancouver then taking a cruise around Alaska. I was thinking of bringing a monitored home test kit with me from the uk pre boarding. Would that be acceptable or does it have to be a Canadian test kit ?

[broberts]

2 hours ago, dolly1965 said:

We are travelling to Calgary from the uk and getting on the Rocky mountaineer up to Vancouver then taking a cruise around Alaska. I was thinking of bringing a monitored home test kit with me from the uk pre boarding. Would that be acceptable or does it have to be a Canadian test kit ?

 

See Pre-Embarkation Testing Requirements for Passengers section in https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/marine-safety/ship-safety-bulletins/measures-support-safe-cruise-travel-canada-ssb-no-18-2021-modified-april-26-2022

 

As with other internet based services location become an interesting issue. Since the test was acquired in the UK, presumably the proctor performs his service there which I think makes using the test result acceptable. 

[louv2000]

We're flying from Toronto to Vancouver for our Alaska cruise next weekend.  Have our Costco test booked for Friday here in Ontario (2 days before boarding).  I'm nervous that Costco will not do the test for us as we're flying within Canada and the test is a cruise requirement.  Can anyone tell me that Costco will do the test for cruising only (no air flight to the U.s.)?

 

[dog]

We just used the switch antigen test  and it went quite well. 

[Senga]

17 hours ago, louv2000 said: Can anyone tell me that Costco will do the test for cruising only (no air flight to the U.s.)?

 

You just need to provide proof that you are traveling.