Alaska Cruises from Vancouver - COVID testing requirements for US Citizens

[SfeinbergCapeCod]

First time traveling since the pandemic started and I'm trying to make sense of all of the COVID testing requirements for an upcoming cruise from Vancouver to Seward (on Viking) with a post-cruise (independent) stay in Denali. Canada eliminated testing requirements for fully vaccinated passengers coming from the US into Canada earlier this month. So the only testing needed before embarking on the cruise is VIking's requirement which we understand and will be tested prior to our departure from the East Coast. It's the return trip that has me wondering. I'm assuming (and my travel agent says she agrees) that there is NO testing requirement for our return flights from Anchorage to the East Coast because this is a domestic itinerary. Can anyone think of a scenario where we would be required to provide proof of a negative test on our return?  Thanks in advance. 

[CruiserBruce]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

No, its not Viking's requirement, it is the Canadian government's requirement for cruise pax to test before you board.

 

No, you will not have to test to fly domestically within the US. No exception I can think of.

[njhorseman]

52 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

No, its not Viking's requirement, it is the Canadian government's requirement for cruise pax to test before you board.

Incorrect. It is also Viking's requirement . Even if Canada did not require a test, Viking does.

Viking requires all passengers to be tested before boarding their ships on every itinerary regardless of whether it is required by the homeport country or ports of call.

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/why-viking/health-and-safety/covid-19-testing.html

"Viking requires all guests to take a pre-departure COVID-19 test. For your convenience, Viking offers two ways of testing prior to departure; for either, you must travel with an electronic or printed copy of your negative COVID-19 test result.

Guests may take a COVID-19 PCR test (with a laboratory-certified proof of negative result) within 72 hours prior to boarding your first international flight from your home country OR

Guests may take a COVID-19 antigen test (with a laboratory-certified proof of negative result) within 24 hours prior to boarding your first international flight from your home country. "

 

Further Viking conducts a saliva PCR test on every passenger and crew member every day on every ship . (The wording below says "up to daily", but to date that has meant daily)

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/why-viking/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-program.html

"Up to daily, quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests for all guests and crew, processed in full-scale Viking-dedicated laboratories"

 

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by njhorseman

[CruiserBruce]

Seems a little picky, @njhorseman, as all other cruise lines are following Canada's requirements and requiring tests. I suspect most cruise lines would require a test even if Canada didn't. For example, Holland America is requiring a test for us to sail out of Copenhagen, even if Denmark isn't requiring a test.

[njhorseman]

42 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

 I suspect most cruise lines would require a test even if Canada didn't. 

That's my point...cruise lines are requiring it even if a country doesn't.

 

43 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

For example, Holland America is requiring a test for us to sail out of Copenhagen, even if Denmark isn't requiring a test.

There's better example, because of the massive size of its cruise industry...the USA. There are no federal mandates for testing or other COVID protocols any longer, only a voluntary advisory program, but all cruise lines I know of continue to mandate some form of testing.

Viking even goes beyond that by testing crew and passengers every day regardless  of itinerary.

 

[SfeinbergCapeCod]

Thanks. Interesting debate on the pre-cruise testing requirements. Glad to see confirmation that we will not need to test again before our departure from Anchorage because that could have been challenging from Denali. Looking forward to our cruise in one month after having planned it more than three years ago (we booked on Viking in Feb. 2019 for a summer 2020 cruise).  

[amusea]

We have read conflicting rules about the Canada testing requirement for embarking a cruise ship at the port.  We will be boarding the Silver Muse at Canada Place in Vancouver on June 23.

Depending on which site you read, the requirement is to either have your Antigen or PCR test a certain number of hours before boarding  or before sailing.  We will be taking the Antigen test which has be taken within 48 hours.  Of course it would be much less confusing if the rule just stated the number of days but unfortunately this is not the case.  Since we are sailing at 6 PM it means that if the test has to be taken 48 hours before boarding it eliminates a full day from the time the test can be administered since the free test we take can only be administered between 11AM and 3PM each day.  

[martincath]

56 minutes ago, amusea said:

We have read conflicting rules about the Canada testing requirement for embarking a cruise ship at the port.  We will be boarding the Silver Muse at Canada Place in Vancouver on June 23.

Depending on which site you read, the requirement is to either have your Antigen or PCR test a certain number of hours before boarding  or before sailing.  We will be taking the Antigen test which has be taken within 48 hours.  Of course it would be much less confusing if the rule just stated the number of days but unfortunately this is not the case.  Since we are sailing at 6 PM it means that if the test has to be taken 48 hours before boarding it eliminates a full day from the time the test can be administered since the free test we take can only be administered between 11AM and 3PM each day.  

'Embarkation' is the only wording ever used on the official government sites - anything else is wrong. When you embark is the point where you cease to be an individual traveler and join the group of people trapped in a floating metal home together for the duration of your cruise!

 

Furthermore, Canada has never had a 48 hour limit for Antigen tests - nor a 24 hour limit, nor any other accurate-to-the-hour timeline, we've only ever used Days.

 

The only element of debate is whether pier staff will interpret it correctly or not should you be skating close to the 72 hour cap for Molecular tests - since Antigen tests use 'days' the exact time you embark or sail becomes moot, it's all Day Zero, any time whatsoever even 1 second after midnight on the previous calendar day is Day One and any time the day before that Day Two.

 

Of course your cruise line might have different criteria - as long as they are MORE stringent then those apply, for example many kids over 5 must be vaxxed to cruise whereas the Canadian limit is 12 and over. Whether a day is 24 hours or not in that case is something you need to fight them about!

 

So for your specific example - an Antigen test taken any time before boarding on June 23rd, any time on June 22nd, or any time on June 21st is fine by Canadian government rules. OTOH if your line has arbitrarily decided to institute a 48 hour cap, they can run it backwards from Sailway or individual embarkation time - this is always more stringent than Canadian rules as it cannot push the test validity beyond (same time of day) on June 21st.

 

All the official rules, with specific examples that contradict both the bits of info you've been given elsewhere, are detailed in extremely clear English on this web page. If it contradicts your cruise line rules, but their rules are tighter, comply with the line's requirements.

 

Quoting the relevant rule directly, copy/pasted just now, they've even anticipated the whole Actual boarding, scheduled boarding, Sailing issue by wording it as (emphasis mine):

 

Proof of a professionally administered or observed negative antigen test taken no more than 2 days before you’re scheduled to board your ship

Edited May 15, 2022 by martincath