Just notified for Grand LA-Vancouver on April 19--testing required at pier

[rj59]

I just got a last-minute email from Princess, saying that even though I tested negative this morning, all guests will have to test again at the pier in San Pedro tomorrow. I'm not sure if the testing is a Canada thing, but it makes zero sense and really isn't worth the hassle for me, since there's little chance it will be handled efficiently in the cramped spaces and outside tents in San Pedro. Fortunately I have platinum insurance and a refundable flight on Southwest tomorrow, but the hours spent on hold won't make me eager to return to Princess, and if that becomes a standard requirement for the Alaska season, then it's really going to get ugly in Seattle and Vancouver.  

[Wavesprite]

This makes no sense.  Just go get tested…..

[VibeGuy]

The difference is 35 people boarding with a false negative or developing infection vs 8.  While the risk of serious disease amongst a vaxxed population is low, the risk of infection, the spread to workers who need to be on the ship and the inconvenience of a bunch of asymptomatic/low-severity are real. 
 

Testing before the pier keeps people out of the pier.  Testing again at the pier keeps them off the ship.  That’s the part that matters. 

[dog]

I like this requirement. Too much Covid on ships now. Read Live thread on Ruby by armadillo. 
 

[PescadoAmarillo]

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/it-was-pretty-miserable-princess-cruise-ship-passengers-suffer-from-covid/

[MJSailors]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

Just take the test . 

Hopefully, it will be an organized situation that will move people through the process. 

If I was on a cruise, I would feel more comfortable that passengers were tested at the last possible moment before getting on a ship.

Unfortunately, Covid still exists.

MJ

[Babr]

Just hope you do not test positive at some point. It will be more complicated to get home if you plan to fly.

[dog]

Read up on the updated requirements for  cruise passengers & Canada. gov’t & Princess updated it recently.

In Canadian News yesterday there was also mention of masks, ArriveCAN app.

 

[westcoaster]

Personally, I wish the cruise lines would test all embarking passengers at the pier.  It would significantly reduce the risk of someone being exposed to Covid in the 2-3 day window between testing and boarding and bringing Covid onto the ship.

 

I would prefer the slight delay during boarding to having my cruise disrupted by a Covid outbreak or being exposed to Covid on the cruise and having to isolate in my cabin during my vacation.

[Ombud]

11 minutes ago, westcoaster said:

Personally, I wish the cruise lines would test all embarking passengers at the pier

I wish they would test me at pier so I don't have to find one myself (this Saturday from SF, home port)

[LouCoop]

If this means you don't need to test 72hrs before the cruise then I'm all for it. I would do a home test before flying out but this is much easier to plan. Also would feel much safer to cruise and not as nervous to be stuck in isolation.

[Ferry_Watcher]

My guess is that the Canadians want the testing as it is one of the first arriving ship in Vancouver, BC, particularly since the mask requirement for airline passengers is gone.

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 hour ago, westcoaster said:

Personally, I wish the cruise lines would test all embarking passengers at the pier.  It would significantly reduce the risk of someone being exposed to Covid in the 2-3 day window between testing and boarding and bringing Covid onto the ship.

 

I would prefer the slight delay during boarding to having my cruise disrupted by a Covid outbreak or being exposed to Covid on the cruise and having to isolate in my cabin during my vacation.

Exactly. Read the many reports of people here in Cruise Critic who tested positive 3, 4, 5 days after being in close contact with the virus. Make the 3 day pre-cruise test optional and just test at the pier, especially with the dropping of the airline mask mandate.  @VibeGuyposted an excellent analysis about how just those few days allow multiple transmission cycles to occur on longer cruises. 

[Sea Hag]

1 hour ago, Ombud said:

I wish they would test me at pier so I don't have to find one myself (this Saturday from SF, home port)

I wish that too, but the OP said test "again" so it looks like we would still need to do the other test. I'm expecting to get an email dropping the bomb on us that we'll need to test again at the pier on Saturday. That's going to be a mess.

[d9704011]

12 hours ago, rj59 said:

but it makes zero sense and really isn't worth the hassle for me, since there's little chance it will be handled efficiently in the cramped spaces and outside tents in San Pedro.

So, I guess you're cancelling the whole thing?

[Ombud]

26 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

I wish that too, but the OP said test "again" so it looks like we would still need to do the other test. I'm expecting to get an email dropping the bomb on us that we'll need to test again at the pier on Saturday. That's going to be a mess.

Its got to be a Canada thing bc even in California morning news states that counties are not requiring us to quarantine ×5 days if asymptomatic  ... recommend but not require .... should stay home but don't need to. I'm confused but I'm a Californian

 

Adding: maybe it's bc the OP's cruise disembarks in Canada and the Canadians rightly don't want them quarantining there?? Guess I'll know soon ....

 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Ombud

[westcoaster]

14 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Its got to be a Canada thing bc even in California morning news states that counties are not requiring us to quarantine ×5 days if asymptomatic  ... recommend but not require .... should stay home but don't need to. I'm confused but I'm a Californian

I don't think it's a Canada thing.  Canada's testing requirements haven't changed since April 1st (72 hrs prior for PCR and 2 days prior for antigen).   The Grand Princess will be the 5th ship making a port call this month in Victoria, and none of the other ships have required testing at the pier as part of their embarkation process.

[Ombud]

1 minute ago, westcoaster said:

I don't think it's a Canada thing.  Canada's testing requirements haven't changed since April 1st (72 hrs prior for PCR and 2 days prior for antigen).   The Grand Princess will be the 5th ship making a port call this month in Victoria, and none of the other ships have required testing at the pier as part of their embarkation process.

Isn't this the 1st ship to disembark in Canada??

[Honolulu Blue]

OP, I'm sorry to hear about your last-minute test.  My story:

 

I was booked on a charter (not on Princess) a few weeks ago that also asked for a pre-embarkation test at the terminal in addition to the now standard pre-arrival test.  We had about 5 days' notice (actually a little more since they did the same thing on the same ship the previous week - another charter), which wasn't great, but apparently more than they gave you.  Anyway, this charter was part of a BUCKET LIST experience, so cancellation wasn't in the cards.  I did the pre-arrival test at home with the proctor - negative.  I was then shuttled to the ground floor of a mostly empty parking garage to do the pre-embarkation test, where I tested negative again.  Then I got back on the shuttle to complete the embarkation process.  It could have been worse.

[Ombud]

@Sea Hagjust got my 'last minute notification' and it doesn't mention anything that the roll call wasn't following:

> vaccinated 

> test results needed

> complete ArriveCAN 

[dog]

58 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Exactly. Read the many reports of people here in Cruise Critic who tested positive 3, 4, 5 days after being in close contact with the virus. Make the 3 day pre-cruise test optional and just test at the pier, especially with the dropping of the airline mask mandate.  @VibeGuyposted an excellent analysis about how just those few days allow multiple transmission cycles to occur on longer cruises. 

This worked quite well for the UK cruises last year. 
 

[memoak]

Does anyone else find it peculiar that this is the only Eaton reporting this ?  I would think that if everyone on the cruise had to be tested again at the pier that we would have been inundated with posts

[westcoaster]

41 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Isn't this the 1st ship to disembark in Canada??

It's the first Princess ship, but others from Holland America, Viking, and Norwegian have or will have disembarked in Victoria prior to the Grand.

[Sea Hag]

34 minutes ago, Ombud said:

@Sea Hagjust got my 'last minute notification' and it doesn't mention anything that the roll call wasn't following:

> vaccinated 

> test results needed

> complete ArriveCAN 

Me too. What do you want to bet we get email on Friday saying we have to be tested at the pier?

[Ombud]

Still wondering if this has more to do with disembarking in Canada than visiting a port in Canada but we will know by Saturday. We went down this rabbit hole before .... embarkation / disembarking VS port calls

 

And frankly I'm fine with testing at the pier as long as I don't have to find the test 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Ombud
Add link