End of Testing?

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Hi OTW.  My comments were brilliant, but the CC Covid discussion rules kicked in, so the world will never know!    😀😀😀

 

 

And I am sure that is a loss for the world!

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I never said it was foolproof. And neither are vaccines against mutations they were never designed for. And there never will be herd immunity. Your tin foil hat is working.

If you were not so funny, I would put you on my ignore list. 😜

[Guest BasicSailor]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

For the cruise lines to survive in this economic downturn they may need to get rid of the vaxxine mandates and testing in order to get back as many potential guest as possible who were avoiding cruising because of these rules at this point. For the sake of the lines this may have to happen. Some of you want to restrict everything sending them into bankruptcy at this point. Time to live with covid and cruising just like you live with it everywhere else every day of your lives out and about in the world. 

Well that's going to be hard to do just yet by any means ( Global not shown).

Not counting any Island that control  what Carnival can't.

 

 

covid deaths june 2022 - Search (bing.com)

United States cases

Updated Jun 14 at 10:19 AM UTC

Confirmed

85,570,063

+69,087

Deaths

1,011,260

Recovered

-

See breakdown

See less

 

 

CONFIRMED

DEATHS

RECOVERED

California

9,802,778

91,881

-

Texas

6,954,222

88,684

-

Florida

6,297,767

74,948

-

New York

5,506,904

71,670

-

Illinois

3,367,572

38,320

-

Pennsylvania

2,960,677

45,465

-

North Carolina

2,801,365

25,104

-

Ohio

2,798,900

38,657

-

Georgia

2,588,857

38,290

-

Michigan

2,565,819

36,538

-

New Jersey

2,438,510

33,860

-

Tennessee

2,080,690

26,510

-

Arizona

2,077,346

30,372

-

Massachusetts

1,898,495

20,763

-

Virginia

1,824,660

20,441

-

Indiana

1,750,973

23,778

-

Wisconsin

1,699,875

14,690

-

Washington

1,620,536

13,103

-

Minnesota

1,529,010

13,034

-

South Carolina

1,514,423

17,970

-

Colorado

1,495,617

12,834

-

Missouri

1,491,777

20,811

-

Kentucky

1,390,472

16,063

-

Alabama

1,328,321

19,695

-

Louisiana

1,277,101

17,361

-

Maryland

1,109,546

14,678

-

Oklahoma

1,058,297

14,458

-

Utah

962,441

4,793

-

Arkansas

850,535

11,526

-

Connecticut

817,973

11,000

-

Mississippi

816,572

12,481

-

Kansas

794,584

8,967

-

Iowa

785,918

9,615

-

Oregon

785,032

7,707

-

Nevada

752,790

10,944

-

New Mexico

547,351

7,866

-

West Virginia

523,367

7,001

-

Nebraska

491,350

4,326

-

Idaho

456,232

4,953

-

Rhode Island

397,758

3,591

-

New Hampshire

328,834

2,564

-

Hawaii

283,574

1,462

-

Montana

281,363

3,434

-

Delaware

280,252

2,970

-

Maine

266,105

2,403

-

Alaska

263,986

1,252

-

North Dakota

246,544

2,332

-

South Dakota

241,326

2,928

-

Wyoming

159,707

1,824

-

District of Columbia

152,799

1,348

-

Vermont

133,669

673

 

 

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I never said it was foolproof. And neither are vaccines against mutations they were never designed for. And there never will be herd immunity. Your tin foil hat is working.

Did I say vaccine were foolproof? But they do seem to be working very well to mitigate the worst of the symptoms. Or are you going to disagree with the medical community and the CDC over what vaccines have accomplished? Why do you think pediatricians are now happy that a vaccine will finally be approved for those under 5 years old? 

[1kaper]

On 6/11/2022 at 10:13 PM, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

The anxiety I have right now about testing is making the lead-up to our cruise so stressful. My office has been a germ factory lately, with 14 coworkers testing positive in the last three weeks. Most have had no symptoms and only a couple who ran a little fever, but just knowing I could end up testing positive and derailing our vacation is stressing me out. I'm spending a small fortune testing at home every couple days. My anxiety (and no small amount of resentment) is growing daily.

 

 

 

It's not just Carnival though.  All lines have it.  
I understand where you are coming from.  I wasn't as stressed for our March cruise but late April I booked a last minute cruise with a friend for the beginning of May.  The very next day my kid came down with a cold (I tested him a bunch of times but found out later I was using the test kit wrong). I tested everyday up to the cruise with my own tests.  Played the game of "allergies or covid" for a week and a half. 

[SRQbeachgirl]

20 hours ago, pohlerbear said:

I have a cruise booked in October, and if they get rid of the testing requirement, I'd strongly considering canceling.

 

 

Well the stress I have right now waiting to test next week for our 6/25 cruise is so bad that I'm almost wishing we had canceled. I'm probably going to cancel our RCL cruise if they don't lift the testing requirement before then and will not book any more cruises until they do. If they cancel testing requirements we would likely book two to three additional cruises for the next few months, so our bookings would cancel out your cancelations. 😆 

[Megan_Strick]

14 hours ago, MeganGC1983 said:

Well Viking has ended pre-cruise testing when the destinations don’t require it. 

Just read that. Hope Carnival follows

[BlerkOne]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Did I say vaccine were foolproof? But they do seem to be working very well to mitigate the worst of the symptoms. Or are you going to disagree with the medical community and the CDC over what vaccines have accomplished? Why do you think pediatricians are now happy that a vaccine will finally be approved for those under 5 years old? 

What does the CDC think about testing and why do you disagree with the medical community and the CDC?

[dallasdan]

Shouldn't it be one or the other.  Either test everyone with no vaccine requirement or no test with vaccine requirement.  Why do we need both?

Edited June 14, 2022 by dallasdan

[crewsweeper]

14 hours ago, MeganGC1983 said:

Well Viking has ended pre-cruise testing when the destinations don’t require it. 

And none of those Viking cruises originate in the US where the CDC has the final word.

[crewsweeper]

RE testing anxiety.:  If you have been vaccinated and boosted (once or twice) and or have had COVID, unless you are exhibiting symptoms at the time of the test,  a rapid antigen test should show  you in  negative. No need for the PCR test.

 

Does that mean you won't contract COVID on board, NO.  Just that you didn't have it or show symptoms prior to boarding.  Fret all you want about catching it on board, but once on board your best strategy is to wear an N-95 mask when in enclosed venues with some restricted ventilation. Or just don't go to those places.  When walking around the ship and, depending upon dining arrangements, eating,  you don't need to mask up.  Likewise when on deck, even by the crowded pools.   

[ProgRockCruiser]

19 minutes ago, dallasdan said:

Shouldn't it be one or the other.  Either test everyone with no vaccine requirement or no test with vaccine requirement.  Why do we need both?

At this stage, perhaps you are correct.  But in general, you use both methods for the same reason you car has seatbelts and airbags.  If method x reduces risk by 90% and method y reduces by 90%, if you use both your overall risk could be reduced by 99%.

[elcuchio24]

17 hours ago, AQW said:

 

That part! 

 

I'm constantly floored by people who want the testing requirement dropped so they don't have to "risk missing their vacation" -- in other words, they just want to be able to bring the virus onboard and expose thousands of people with impunity. Mind-boggling.

 

A virus that is like the cold to most people at this point. We were never worried or demanding flu testing back in the day, whats the difference? And if someone is that worried about being exposed....THEY can stay home 🙂

[dallasdan]

I understand your logic, however, the vaccine doesn't reduce your risk of contracting Covid.

[elcuchio24]

17 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

And none of those Viking cruises originate in the US where the CDC has the final word.

 

CDC didnt give a final word, they gave a recommendation that most cruiselines have followed because they didnt want to be targeted and shuttered again by draconian orders...

[dallasdan]

5 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

At this stage, perhaps you are correct.  But in general, you use both methods for the same reason you car has seatbelts and airbags.  If method x reduces risk by 90% and method y reduces by 90%, if you use both your overall risk could be reduced by 99%.

Your analogy doesn't apply.  Airbags and Seatbelts work like a vaccine.  They only reduce the risk of severe injury after an accident.  If I really want to reduce the risk I shouldn't' t drive.   Testing doesn't fit in your analogy at all because it doesn't reduce any risk.  The better analogy for testing would be to install a breathalyzer to start your vehicle. My point is I think they should eliminate the need for one or the other.  

[ProgRockCruiser]

8 minutes ago, elcuchio24 said:

 

A virus that is like the cold to most people at this point. We were never worried or demanding flu testing back in the day, whats the difference? And if someone is that worried about being exposed....THEY can stay home 🙂

The issue you gloss over is not even necessarily the safety of the pax/crew at this point (although those are good reasons too), but rather the safety of the people who live in the ports of call: their Governments have insisted on some level of protection, because those folks are either not able to protect themselves sufficiently (lack of widespeard vaccinations, perhaps), or their Government knows that any minor outbreak will be catastrophic due to a non-first-world economy and infrastructure.

 

This isn't always all about the (mostly) US-sourced pax and world-based crew.

[elcuchio24]

3 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

The issue you gloss over is not even necessarily the safety of the pax/crew at this point (although those are good reasons too), but rather the safety of the people who live in the ports of call: their Governments have insisted on some level of protection, because those folks are either not able to protect themselves sufficiently (lack of widespeard vaccinations, perhaps), or their Government knows that any minor outbreak will be catastrophic due to a non-first-world economy and infrastructure.

 

This isn't always all about the (mostly) US-sourced pax and world-based crew.

 

As I stated before--I have zero problem with a sovereign country requiring testing to disembark. Totally within their rights. But, if you eliminate embarkation testing, its then giving personal choice to your cruise passenger whether they choose to get off at a port that requires testing (my guess, would be that many countries would not require the test, since they know the more passengers disembark, the more $$ it brings in to the economy.....Mexico executed this with much success over the past few years, not requiring vaccines or any testing for entry).

 

Furthermore---if a particular country was set on demanding testing for disembarkation there, done at the port or even the day before, those results would be much MORE accurate than tests done 5-10 days earlier---pre-cruise....

[ProgRockCruiser]

1 minute ago, elcuchio24 said:

Furthermore---if a particular country was set on demanding testing for disembarkation there, done at the port or even the day before, those results would be much MORE accurate than tests done 5-10 days earlier---pre-cruise....

That scenario caused stops in Mexico (IIRC) to be cancelled - simply not practical.  Getting off the ships is a slow process already with the seemingly tightened time-at-port.  Throwing in a mandatory test, with the subsequent 15 min (or longer) wait time, would be mayhem.  What Carnival and other lines are doing currently is (IMHO) the best solution to a lousy situation.  As I said, hopefully it changes soon.

[elcuchio24]

1 minute ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

That scenario caused stops in Mexico (IIRC) to be cancelled - simply not practical.  Getting off the ships is a slow process already with the seemingly tightened time-at-port.  Throwing in a mandatory test, with the subsequent 15 min (or longer) wait time, would be mayhem.  What Carnival and other lines are doing currently is (IMHO) the best solution to a lousy situation.  As I said, hopefully it changes soon.

 

 

Mexico doesnt require testing....Even more simple then: If you havent taken the test, you cant get off at a port that requires it..... 7 nighter to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and two spots in Mexico. If you take the test pre cruise, you can get off at all of them. If you dont, you can get off at all of them other than Grand Cayman. That seems simple, would cut down the stress of testing, and encourage many others to cruise.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

What does the CDC think about testing and why do you disagree with the medical community and the CDC?

i was responding to your post about if you would have one or the other there should be testing. Answer this--was it the miraculous development of the vaccines or was it the availability of tests that has changed things to the point that hospital ICUs are not being overrun?

[Elaine5715]

44 minutes ago, elcuchio24 said:

 

 

Mexico doesnt require testing....Even more simple then: If you havent taken the test, you cant get off at a port that requires it..... 7 nighter to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and two spots in Mexico. If you take the test pre cruise, you can get off at all of them. If you dont, you can get off at all of them other than Grand Cayman. That seems simple, would cut down the stress of testing, and encourage many others to cruise.

A friend returned from an high end All inclusive in Mexico where the resort provided the required testing to fly back to the US.  Test took 20 seconds... swab, dip in solution, drop on stick, declared "Negative" and given the paperwork.  

 

[SRQbeachgirl]

1 hour ago, crewsweeper said:

RE testing anxiety.:  If you have been vaccinated and boosted (once or twice) and or have had COVID, unless you are exhibiting symptoms at the time of the test,  a rapid antigen test should show  you in  negative. No need for the PCR test.

 

 

 

I work with over a dozen people who have tested positive in the last three weeks with NO symptoms, and they all used the rapid antigen test. All but one has been vaccinated (and that person already had COVID once previously) and most are double boosted. So my anxiety is well-founded.

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, crewsweeper said:

RE testing anxiety.:  If you have been vaccinated and boosted (once or twice) and or have had COVID, unless you are exhibiting symptoms at the time of the test,  a rapid antigen test should show  you in  negative. No need for the PCR test.

 

Does that mean you won't contract COVID on board, NO.  Just that you didn't have it or show symptoms prior to boarding.  Fret all you want about catching it on board, but once on board your best strategy is to wear an N-95 mask when in enclosed venues with some restricted ventilation. Or just don't go to those places.  When walking around the ship and, depending upon dining arrangements, eating,  you don't need to mask up.  Likewise when on deck, even by the crowded pools.   

Testing anxiety is more than a potential false positive..  Way too many horror stories of cancellations and scrambling to find another option within a very short window in a strange town.  Being charged up front for testing and finding the place closed.  Home tests that are contaminated, missing parts or lost connections.  Results that don't show up.  Costs from zero to $250.  Being denied tests because you don't have a car for drive ups.  Losing the results on paper to a lost/stolen phone.   

[elcuchio24]

6 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

A friend returned from an high end All inclusive in Mexico where the resort provided the required testing to fly back to the US.  Test took 20 seconds... swab, dip in solution, drop on stick, declared "Negative" and given the paperwork.  

 

 

Correct--Mexico doesnt require any testing. That's  required by the US to get back in. Happy its gone now. We have done a bunch of Mexico trips in the past couple of years--great times. 

 

I remember a year or two ago talking to a guy at the pool in Cancun. I was telling him I was still stressed about the covid test to get back home he said 'I come here every other month....if someone ever tested positive, the hotel puts you up for free for quarantine.....TRUST ME you'll be negative' 🤪