Covid test on board

[sellwingri]

We’re from the US and are sailing on Vision from Barcelona in a few weeks.  I just read that Royal is no longer offering Covid tests on board meaning we have to find some place when we disembark to get a test on our own.  Does anyone know if this is true?  We fly home the same day. Last year, they offered the tests the day before we disembarked in Southampton.  

[long4acruise]

We're currently on the Jewel TA and some cruisers were also discussing this same thing!  Will try to find out more info.  One person who's transferring to another ship has said RC did agree to test her along with the B2B cruisers.

 

Going forward we've added several eMed tests to our packing list, as well as several self-tests for our own piece of mind.

 

 

 

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, sellwingri said:

Does anyone know if this is true?  

The reporting  for now suggests so, though the European season is just starting so not much reporting yet.

[Biker19]

Just now, long4acruise said:

Going forward we've added several eMed tests to our packing list, as well as several self-tests for our own piece of mind.

Except we have a report from Copenhagen that the eMed test was not allowed to be used for the flight to the US.

[long4acruise]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Except we have a report from Copenhagen that the eMed test was not allowed to be used for the flight to the US.

Interesting as protocols are constantly changing... We used the eMed tests from Barcelona to the US for our United flights; plan to use them as a backup flying home from Amsterdam.

Is it Copenhagen or the airlines limiting the use of eMed tests? Thx

[Biker19]

Just now, long4acruise said:

Is it Copenhagen or the airlines limiting the use of eMed tests? 

It was the airline, SAS, which denied use of eMed - that could also have been to increase business for the airport testing company. /sarcasm

[Tlbecker1]

4 minutes ago, long4acruise said:

Interesting as protocols are constantly changing... We used the eMed tests from Barcelona to the US for our United flights; plan to use them as a backup flying home from Amsterdam.

Is it Copenhagen or the airlines limiting the use of eMed tests? Thx

We are also using our emed tests to return from Venice at the end of the month.

[rudeney]

46 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

It was the airline, SAS, which denied use of eMed - that could also have been to increase business for the airport testing company. /sarcasm

 

Just wait until dumb dumb terrorist tries to use a box of COVID tests to hide an explosive, then no one will be able to bring them through security and the only option will be to use the airport facilities.  

[gumshoe958]

Currently on the Wonder TA and the compass is directing anyone requiring a test to fly home from Barcelona to get one at the airport. 
 

So it appears only those doing B2Bs are being tested on board. Everyone else is on their own.

[truffles2]

Also in Wonder TA and this is true. Tests are available in terminal T1 with appointment. We had to change our return flight to spend debark day getting to the airport for test as our original flight was 11 am and we were afraid of missing it.  
Really disappointed that Royal didn’t test us. Would have been happy to pay anything for convenience of doing it on ship. 

[sellwingri]

This really makes me angry.  Nothing in any of the information they shared with us indicated they changed the process from 2021 (when they tested us) to 2022.  Sounds like an email to Michael Bailey is next.

[Biker19]

27 minutes ago, sellwingri said:

Nothing in any of the information they shared with us indicated they changed the process from 2021 (when they tested us) to 2022.

Not sure why you'd expect things to stay the same in the COVID era.

 

Biker, who expects more disgruntled customers after the discontinuation of generous COVID era polices.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Biker19

[gumshoe958]

1 hour ago, sellwingri said:

This really makes me angry.  Nothing in any of the information they shared with us indicated they changed the process from 2021 (when they tested us) to 2022.  Sounds like an email to Michael Bailey is next.

Last year Royal had little choice because most countries insisted on a negative test as a condition for letting you ashore.
 

Now, they don’t and it’s hardly Royal’s problem that you need a test to fly home. 

[bob63005]

I'm doing a royal cruise tour in Alaska and I will need a test for the land portion, one for the cruise and one to fly home from Vancouver and Royal will not help with any of them. I think the tour to ship should br treated the way they do the B2B. 

 

[Sunshine3601]

7 hours ago, sellwingri said:

This really makes me angry.  Nothing in any of the information they shared with us indicated they changed the process from 2021 (when they tested us) to 2022.  Sounds like an email to Michael Bailey is next.

Jan 2022 Royal stopped testing people onboard that needed a test to fly home.     You will find this on their website and it has been discussed on several different threads on CC since Jan.      

 

Not sure why some people think Royal should provide covid tests.    They are a cruise ship (like a resort) not a lab.   If you go to a hotel or a resort for vacation do they offer to test you to fly home?

 

[Sunshine3601]

5 hours ago, bob63005 said:

I'm doing a royal cruise tour in Alaska and I will need a test for the land portion, one for the cruise and one to fly home from Vancouver and Royal will not help with any of them. I think the tour to ship should br treated the way they do the B2B. 

 

Pack some test kits from emed.    It would be much cheaper than a mobile lab at any cruise terminal.    Most of those mobile labs are charging $99 to $150 per test.     

[Sunshine3601]

8 hours ago, truffles2 said:

Also in Wonder TA and this is true. Tests are available in terminal T1 with appointment. We had to change our return flight to spend debark day getting to the airport for test as our original flight was 11 am and we were afraid of missing it.  
Really disappointed that Royal didn’t test us. Would have been happy to pay anything for convenience of doing it on ship. 

Unfortunately, those days are over.    Since Jan 2022 Royal has stopped providing the service of testing passengers onboard that needed a test to fly home.    

Shame you didn't pack some emed test kits with you and do them onboard but at least I hear the airport is only charging $32 pp (so cheaper than emed kits).      

Hopefully your flight change was easy enough to do and you had a wonder TA crossing. 

[truffles2]

I did pack tests but just as I suspected...the Internet has been wonky and intermittent throughout the voyage!

[sellwingri]

15 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Jan 2022 Royal stopped testing people onboard that needed a test to fly home.     You will find this on their website and it has been discussed on several different threads on CC since Jan.      

 

Not sure why some people think Royal should provide covid tests.    They are a cruise ship (like a resort) not a lab.   If you go to a hotel or a resort for vacation do they offer to test you to fly home?

 

I haven’t been able to find this anywhere on their website.  I thought they would provide the test because they did last year.  

[kccrzr]

18 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

     Not sure why some people think Royal should provide covid tests.    They are a cruise ship (like a resort) not a lab.   If you go to a hotel or a resort for vacation do they offer to test you to fly home?

 

The logistics are different and more difficult if you are cruising and heading home the same day as disembarkation opposed to staying at a hotel or resort for vacation where you have several days on land to book a test.

 

I don't think RCI should have to pay for a test but since it has been testing B2B passengers it would be great customer service to provide tests at cost for those who need it to fly - particularly given internet issues onboard.  

[broadwaybaby123]

I just got off Anthem and they're doing a TA to Southampton right now. If I remember correctly, they had a session for all unvaccinated kids as well as those staying on for the TA where the tests were administered onboard.

[gumshoe958]

25 minutes ago, kccrzr said:

I don't think RCI should have to pay for a test but since it has been testing B2B passengers it would be great customer service to provide tests at cost for those who need it to fly - particularly given internet issues onboard.  

I don’t disagree. Unusual for Royal to turn down a potentially profitable revenue stream. I can only assume they don’t have sufficient testing capacity on board any more.

[Sunshine3601]

13 hours ago, truffles2 said:

I did pack tests but just as I suspected...the Internet has been wonky and intermittent throughout the voyage!

Do you have surf n stream?    Satellite can be "wonky" if going thru storms/rain.     Hopefully you have been able to do your test

[D4]

33 minutes ago, kccrzr said:

The logistics are different and more difficult if you are cruising and heading home the same day as disembarkation opposed to staying at a hotel or resort for vacation where you have several days on land to book a test.

 

I don't think RCI should have to pay for a test but since it has been testing B2B passengers it would be great customer service to provide tests at cost for those who need it to fly - particularly given internet issues onboard.  

@gumshoe958

I remember when they announced this policy change. 

I think Royal wants people to test AFTER they get off the ship so that Royal doesn’t have to reimburse positive passengers for quarantine expenses (hotel, food, new flights.)  Once you disembark, you’re on your own if you test positive. And hopefully people have trip insurance that covers Covid.

[Sunshine3601]

38 minutes ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

I just got off Anthem and they're doing a TA to Southampton right now. If I remember correctly, they had a session for all unvaccinated kids as well as those staying on for the TA where the tests were administered onboard.

Yes, Anthem has Eurofin lab people living onboard to perform the weekly testing of all crew, b2b passengers and unvaccinated children.        We did a b2b end of March and the process was very easy and we had results emailed to us in 2 hours or less.     Unfortunately, there was a couple passengers that failed their test to stay onboard for their b2b.