End of Testing?

[elcuchio24]

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/10/biden-administration-to-drop-covid-testing-requirements-for-international-air-travel.html

 

The covid testing requirement is being lifted for air travel: I wonder if cruiselines will follow suit? 

[Caps_Shield]

This has been a port of call issue, not a US issue.  I'm not sure this island nations are going to jump up and change anything because of the US.  I could be wrong but i just do not see it.

[mz-s]

That's a requirement to test when flying back into the US, which has never been required for cruise travel as far as I'm aware.

 

So no, I wouldn't expect this to affect cruise travel at all.

[BoozinCroozin]

He is doing this out of pressure from the airline industry. Believe or not, covid is no longer news worthy, that is why you are not hearing about it 24/7. However, it is spiking quite heavily in a lot of areas. I am perfectly fine with cruise lines requiring it and the island nations they visit making them. For families, I just wish they would open those kids camps for them.

[elcuchio24]

7 minutes ago, Caps_Shield said:

This has been a port of call issue, not a US issue.  I'm not sure this island nations are going to jump up and change anything because of the US.  I could be wrong but i just do not see it.

 

ya, not like many of their economies rely on tourism....

[M&A]

27 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

He is doing this out of pressure from the airline industry. Believe or not, covid is no longer news worthy, that is why you are not hearing about it 24/7. However, it is spiking quite heavily in a lot of areas. I am perfectly fine with cruise lines requiring it and the island nations they visit making them. For families, I just wish they would open those kids camps for them.

But Carnival still requires a covid test for the Pride sailing in Europe,  yet none of the European countries require a test to enter.

It is a pain in the a** to fly over there and then find and pay for a covid test and then hope that it's negative before you get on the ship.

It discourages people from flying into the UK/Europe early,  a lot of people are getting their free test at Walgreens etc in the US and then flying to the UK/Europe less than 72 hours before cruise

So yes I do hope that Carnival drops the testing requirement, especially for European cruises

Edited June 10, 2022 by M&A

[Eli_6]

Well, I can tell you that this is a VERY big deal for those of us on European Pride sailings!  I am EXTREMELY happy to see this.  My husband and I tested positive after our recent Alaskan trip...I wasn't even sick and didn't even know I had it.  We are sailing in Europe in July and I was very stressed about getting stuck in Europe and not being able to get back.  After the positive Covid test result, I knew my husband would be able to get home but there was still a chance my kids and I could be stuck because they might test positive. 

[Eli_6]

1 minute ago, M&A said:

But Carnival still requires a covid test for the Pride sailing in Europe,  yet none of the European countries require a test to enter.

It is a pain in the a** to fly over there and then find and pay for a covid test and then hope that it's negative before you get on the ship.

So yes I do hope that Carnival drops the testing requirement, especially for European cruises

I agree.  It is a huge risk.  You spend thousands (or even tens of thousands) on airfare and then run the risk of getting over there and not being able to board.  And then you are STUCK.  And most people fly over there far enough in advance that they have to do the test AFTER getting over there.  I am at least glad that we know we can get home after the cruise!!!

[csm5986142]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

So no, I wouldn't expect this to affect cruise travel at all.

 

Darn... I was so excited for a minute there.  I have come to hate ordering the EMed home proctored tests, but it's the quickest/easier/least stressful way for my family to test prior to cruising, so I guess they will still be getting my $.  Definitely a downside to taking multiple short cruises instead of 1 long one.

[Clairescurtains]

I plan on taking an at home test prior to flying to Europe [if neg] then taking another the day we arrive since we leave the US 4 days in advance of our cruise. I figure if I am negative on Monday I will still be on Tuesday.🤔  

[elcuchio24]

53 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

Well, I can tell you that this is a VERY big deal for those of us on European Pride sailings!  I am EXTREMELY happy to see this.  My husband and I tested positive after our recent Alaskan trip...I wasn't even sick and didn't even know I had it.  We are sailing in Europe in July and I was very stressed about getting stuck in Europe and not being able to get back.  After the positive Covid test result, I knew my husband would be able to get home but there was still a chance my kids and I could be stuck because they might test positive. 

 

 Couldnt agree more. We have been going to Mexico AI's a few times a year for the past couple of years since it was convenient with no vaccine/testing requirements. But having to get one down there to come home as always such a pain and stress point. Glad to see it gone!

[elcuchio24]

14 minutes ago, csm5986142 said:

 

Darn... I was so excited for a minute there.  I have come to hate ordering the EMed home proctored tests, but it's the quickest/easier/least stressful way for my family to test prior to cruising, so I guess they will still be getting my $.  Definitely a downside to taking multiple short cruises instead of 1 long one.

 

 I still think it will be phased out. It was the same pushdown to demand testing for cruises as it was for air travel, and the same lobbies working to remove both. Certainly within the rights of individual islands/countries to require testing for entry if they want, but I think the testing before embarcation will be gone soon.

[mz-s]

I definitely agree that testing's days are numbered for cruise travel, but it will not be because of this announcement - that's my point.

[kona_wahine]

I think testing days are numbered, just don’t know what that number is…. Lol.  Kinda pointless with the number of people who end up sick when they get home.  (That included me after our last cruise)

[xDisconnections]

1 hour ago, M&A said:

But Carnival still requires a covid test for the Pride sailing in Europe,  yet none of the European countries require a test to enter.

It is a pain in the a** to fly over there and then find and pay for a covid test and then hope that it's negative before you get on the ship.

It discourages people from flying into the UK/Europe early,  a lot of people are getting their free test at Walgreens etc in the US and then flying to the UK/Europe less than 72 hours before cruise

So yes I do hope that Carnival drops the testing requirement, especially for European cruises

Sounds about right -- our cruise leaves from Reykjavik, Iceland on the 19 and we arrive very early in the morning on the 17th after an overnight flight. With a 16 hour tour planned on the 18th, it's a bit inconvenient having to arrange this while in Iceland.

[mz-s]

8 minutes ago, kona_wahine said:

I think testing days are numbered, just don’t know what that number is…. Lol.  Kinda pointless with the number of people who end up sick when they get home.  (That included me after our last cruise)

 

There's so many ways to catch it on a cruise, I'm not convinced that showing a negative test 2 days before makes any difference at all.

[Eli_6]

5 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

There's so many ways to catch it on a cruise, I'm not convinced that showing a negative test 2 days before makes any difference at all.

I agree.  And for vaxed cruisers, it is 3 days.  Frankly, I think for the "US departing cruises" most people who end up sick are probably going to get it at the airport or on the plane considering how they pack everyone in on the plane and don't require masks.  So, a test taken before they even have their flight (as most people do) does ZERO good.  They probably are just getting sick halfway through their cruises...and then spreading it to others on the ship. 

 

I think it is a worthless requirement.  If they truly wanted to curb Covid on the ship, sail at a lower capacity so there is less contact between passengers and require masks in areas where there is a lot of close contact...clubs, buffet, etc.   

[Elaine5715]

It has been useless for the US to require a negative test to return for months now. 

[Elaine5715]

Just now, Eli_6 said:

I agree.  And for vaxed cruisers, it is 3 days.  Frankly, I think for the "US departing cruises" most people who end up sick are probably going to get it at the airport or on the plane considering how they pack everyone in on the plane and don't require masks.  So, a test taken before they even have their flight (as most people do) does ZERO good.  They probably are just getting sick halfway through their cruises...and then spreading it to others on the ship. 

 

I think it is a worthless requirement.  If they truly wanted to curb Covid on the ship, sail at a lower capacity so there is less contact between passengers and require masks in areas where there is a lot of close contact...clubs, buffet, etc.   

More likely cruisers are picking it up in ports.  

[1kaper]

4 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

I agree.  And for vaxed cruisers, it is 3 days.  Frankly, I think for the "US departing cruises" most people who end up sick are probably going to get it at the airport or on the plane considering how they pack everyone in on the plane and don't require masks.  So, a test taken before they even have their flight (as most people do) does ZERO good.  They probably are just getting sick halfway through their cruises...and then spreading it to others on the ship. 

 

I think it is a worthless requirement.  If they truly wanted to curb Covid on the ship, sail at a lower capacity so there is less contact between passengers and require masks in areas where there is a lot of close contact...clubs, buffet, etc.   

 

 

I said in another thread - the amount of people I know that have had days of symptoms (ie contagious) before testing positive on an antigen test is incredible. Way more people than ones who got positive right away. I would imagine that those who don't have symptoms may be similar.  

It does catch some people for sure.  But not everyone.  

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by 1kaper

[MagnoliaBlossom]

It is certainly a big relief for us!  We are cruising to Iceland and there are very few test sites in Reyjakvik and hours that won’t work for us.  We bought eMed kits but now they won’t be needed.  Thank goodness, that has been such a stressed for us. Wish it would have been announced a week earlier before I spent all that money on test kits.

[crewsweeper]

22 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

It has been useless for the US to require a negative test to return for months now. 

I think this is changing over the weekend, or by next week.  No more return to US tests needed.

 

What counts in Caribbean island nations is the % of positive COVID on board. The only way to determine positive COVID cases is to test.  This is especially true now that the variants are more similar to colds and allergies in symptoms. So to start a voyage with theoretically NO positive COVIDs on board is the cruise lines' goal here.  Hoping that keeps keeps positive cases down and permits docking at various ports should be welcomed by all.  Inconvenient, yes, but you'll scream is you start missing ports .

[Lee Cruiser]

2 hours ago, elcuchio24 said:

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/10/biden-administration-to-drop-covid-testing-requirements-for-international-air-travel.html

 

The covid testing requirement is being lifted for air travel: I wonder if cruiselines will follow suit? 

I'm not sure it will be as quickly as some would like.  Cruise passengers are going to be on ship with a few thousand others for multiple days and as some others have said, get off in other ports of call.  It is the only thing that is preventing more breakouts on ships.  I may be wrong, but I don't see testing for cruises ending anytime soon (this year).

[BlerkOne]

It isn't testing that is slowing down tourism to the US. A number of countries have issued warnings about visiting the US.

 

As for testing before cruising, if you prevent a single case from boarding a cruise ship, you have prevented some spread of the virus. It is worth it.

 

Somehow trying to compare flying and cruising is a false equivalence.

[Elaine5715]

46 minutes ago, Lee Cruiser said:

I'm not sure it will be as quickly as some would like.  Cruise passengers are going to be on ship with a few thousand others for multiple days and as some others have said, get off in other ports of call.  It is the only thing that is preventing more breakouts on ships.  I may be wrong, but I don't see testing for cruises ending anytime soon (this year).

I am no closer to strangers on a cruise ship than I am in everyday life.