Testing could be changing again as of the 14th

[skywonder]

On 8/5/2022 at 12:05 PM, BND said:

Well, let's crack open this nut.  First, I'm not responsible for someone who is at high risk who decides to cruise (or do anything else).  They are.  Second, lots of people are exposed on a regular basis and no one tests to go shopping, out to eat, to movies, etc. Everyone is responsible for themselves and just like they've always done, anyone at high risk of any illness needs to take care of themselves.  Testing is far from perfect.  I understand you're afraid, but by your argument no one should go anywhere or do anything without testing first in case they might expose someone.

BRAVO! Well said, I agree 100 percent!

[skywonder]

2 hours ago, coffeebean said:

I agree. Anyone who is at risk of severe Covid symptoms or are immunocompromised, must protect themselves. Don't expect me to protect you at this point in time. An N95 mask is protective for anyone who is at risk.

Spot on, well said!

Edited August 10, 2022 by skywonder

[skywonder]

On 8/7/2022 at 2:35 PM, ober134 said:

I know this probably won't be popular opinion and I won't engage any arguments. Retired health care worker..  And now since the majority Population (meaning more than half) has received the vaccine, the non vaxxers are in the minority. Keep vaccine requirement in place but drop testing. if you choose to forego the vax, I respect your choice (but I still dont understand) but your choice does come with consequences

I have two RN's and one Doctor in my family and they all disagree with what you are saying, I am not trying to be disrespectful to you, just stating a point. Even health care workers differ in their opinions and that is a fact. It is time to move on and get back to normal life again. The worst is over!

[skywonder]

On 8/8/2022 at 9:31 AM, Tree_skier said:

NCL has now dropped their vaccine requirement for all but a few destinations effective Sept 3. They have also dropped testing for vaccinated travelers.

 

🙂 

 

It's almost over 🙏🏻

 

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

 

Watch for Royal's in the next day or so.  

Great news! 🥳

[mkrr1123]

16 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Although we had to upload our vax cards for Liberty 7/31, no one asked to see them at the pier.  

We were just on Mariner and had to show our vax cards twice at Port Canaveral.  I don't think anything is going to keep Covid or other diseases off the ships.  If it is going to happen it is going to happen.  No one is wearing masks anymore either at least in Disney and the airports. 

[sandebeach]

At Port Everglades last Saturday  they asked for our vac cards at check in. 

[BecciBoo]

16 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Although we had to upload our vax cards for Liberty 7/31, no one asked to see them at the pier.  

I'm always ready with ours, I carry them in a small clear vinyl envelope I keychain to my purse.  They, my license, passport cards and Set Sail Pass go in there, easy peasy.

 

[BecciBoo]

9 hours ago, skywonder said:

I have two RN's and one Doctor in my family and they all disagree with what you are saying, I am not trying to be disrespectful to you, just stating a point. Even health care workers differ in their opinions and that is a fact. It is time to move on and get back to normal life again. The worst is over!

And I have one nurse and two physicians in mine and they all have to vax, what of it.  I vax because I'm at risk so if I get it at least it may be less of a problem.  I am under no disillusion that the vaccine can keep me from getting it at all...and by the same token, testing nor masking can't either, nor can testing insure it can't be brought onboard.  Hasn't almost 3 years proven that already.

[RandomUser123]

If they are going to make an announcement effective the 14th they need to do it by tomorrow because that would be when people would go get tested if they have a cruise on the 14th. 

[davekathy]

deleted...

Edited August 10, 2022 by davekathy

[Roybthered]

On 8/8/2022 at 4:05 PM, Garyjames220 said:

 

Hi

 

I did not read through all the pages

 

im just wondering what’s the chances of no testing needing to be done for our 9 night cruise going out of Rome the end of next month 

Am on the same cruise, hoping it will all be a distant memory and we will not have to have the pre tests done.

 

[msuspartabigten]

1 hour ago, RandomUser123 said:

If they are going to make an announcement effective the 14th they need to do it by tomorrow because that would be when people would go get tested if they have a cruise on the 14th. 

It would never be effective on the 14th...the announcement would be expected on the 14th effective a few weeks later I'm sure.

[never_cruised]

1 hour ago, msuspartabigten said:

It would never be effective on the 14th...the announcement would be expected on the 14th effective a few weeks later I'm sure.

For those clients booked after August 14, 2022, please await the specific protocol details from us related to those sailings. 

 

So why say the above ?

[seasidemama]

Loyal to Royal but NCL has their act together. 1 Chart. Clear instructions. No need for a million calls, google searches, speculations etc etc etc

 

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

 

[flamingos]

1 hour ago, never_cruised said:

For those clients booked after August 14, 2022, please await the specific protocol details from us related to those sailings. 

 

So why say the above ?

I missed this - where did you find that?

 

[not-enough-cruising]

50 minutes ago, seasidemama said:

Loyal to Royal but NCL has their act together. 1 Chart. Clear instructions. No need for a million calls, google searches, speculations etc etc etc

 

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

 

What is unclear about Royal’s guidance? 
 

Be Vaccinated, take a test if your cruise is 6 days or longer (based on the same destination parameters as NCL) 

[Secretlyfi]

29 minutes ago, flamingos said:

I missed this - where did you find that?

 

Post #1 of this thread

[Ret MP]

9 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

What is unclear about Royal’s guidance? 
 

Be Vaccinated, take a test if your cruise is 6 days or longer (based on the same destination parameters as NCL) 

LOL, the only time I get confused about Royal's protocols is when I read in these social media cruise blogs, things like this:  my friend heard this, my brother in law said that, brand X cruise line is doing that, I found a note in a bottle at the beach that said something............ 

 

Then I go back to Royal's FAQ and all is well again.  We should be looking at the one and only official source of Royal's policies, and that's royalcaribbean.com, got to their FAQ feature and get the answer your are looking for, at least for this COVID bollix crap.  I promise, if I say something about a change, I'll post a link to it, from Royal's site, and copy and paste the text.  There should be no doubt after that.  

[seasidemama]

31 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

What is unclear about Royal’s guidance? 
 

Be Vaccinated, take a test if your cruise is 6 days or longer (based on the same destination parameters as NCL) 

 

NCL clearly outlines in a chart what is required including for vaccinated, unvaccinated, by age and when using a certificate of recovery. All of the required information is on 1 page and 1 page only. Royal doesn't have that anywhere on their site. I am using a certificate of recovery and couldn't get a straight answer. Have to search for the information on their website as it is not linked anywhere in their info pages. Called Royal and got different responses from different reps. 

[Ret MP]

If anything, the following provides much more information at a reading level that just about everybody should be able to understand:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/do-i-need-a-covid-vaccine-to-cruise-what-counts-as-proof

 

Vaccination requirements vary by port of departure and by age group. Below are the current published requirements for select ports. We are continually adding, monitoring and adjusting information on vaccination requirements as public health conditions evolve. Booked guests will be advised of the latest requirements for their port of departure before sailing.

Read more about what vaccines are accepted and what documents are accepted as proof of vaccination.

 

FOR CRUISES DEPARTING FROM NORTH AMERICA (U.S., PUERTO RICO, CANADA)

All Royal Caribbean guests age 12 and older must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. Kids age 11 or younger who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests. While we do not require kids 11 or younger than to be vaccinated, many are and it is highly likely destinations will begin to require guests age 5 and older to be vaccinated. We will notify booked guests as this guidance evolves.

Each guest’s regimen must include at least two doses of vaccine unless the guest received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This is per U.S. CDC guidance, and no exceptions will be made, even if the guest's resident country has authorized a single-shot regimen for a two dose vaccine.

We strongly recommend that fully vaccinated guests receive a booster dose when they become eligible to do so, though it is currently not required to be considered fully vaccinated. It is highly likely many destinations will soon begin to require booster doses for all eligible guests to be considered fully vaccinated. We will notify booked guests as this guidance evolves.

Royal Caribbean will not accept a Certificate of Recovery in lieu of vaccination for guests of vaccine eligible age.

For guests on cruises that visit Bermuda, note that the local government does not recognize Novovax or Covaxin as approved vaccines — guests whose vaccination series consists of either will not be permitted to go ashore. For additional details, visit our FAQ on Cruises to Bermuda. 

For guests departing from Florida homeports, this vaccine requirement is the policy of several international governments for a cruise ship to enter their waters. We remain in contact with local governments in the ports we visit and will update the policy if advised.

Guests under age 12 who are not vaccinated will complete additional COVID-19 testing requirements depending on the length and departure port of their sailing.

Kids Who Are Turning 12

What if my child is turning 12 years old right before our cruise, or during our cruise, and cannot get vaccinated in time?

Any guest that is age 12 or older on boarding day must be fully vaccinated to sail. If your child’s 12^th birthday is too close to boarding day to get fully vaccinated, we can move your cruise date to give you more time, or we can cancel your reservation for a full refund. Unfortunately, we cannot make any exceptions, as our port agreements expect that every vaccine-eligible guest onboard is fully vaccinated. If your child is 11 and turns 12 on Day 2 of the cruise or later, you’re in luck. Your 11 year old will be allowed to board the ship on embarkation day as long as they complete all COVID-19 testing requirements for unvaccinated children.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/will-i-have-to-take-a-test-before-i-cruise

 

REQUIRED TESTING FOR GUESTS SAILING FROM U.S. HOMEPORTS

For All Sailings from U.S. Homeports with no Stops in Bermuda or Canada

If your cruise visits Bermuda or Canada, test protocols for your cruise are in the next section. 

Guests 2 to 11 years of age who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise. These guests will no longer be required to take a second test at the terminal.  

Fully vaccinated guests must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day on sailings that are 6 nights or longer only. Testing is not required for fully vaccinated guests on shorter itineraries.

Required testing for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, must be completed using a PCR or antigen test that is supervised by a healthcare professional or a home test kit that is conducted under live video supervision.

Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense. 

[Lane Hog]

If they're being specific about "booked after August 14th"  then they are probably also changing the contract of carriage to do away with things like credits for canceling while positive, credits for being quarantined, quarantine hotels after arrival, etc...

[flamingos]

21 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

If they're being specific about "booked after August 14th"  then they are probably also changing the contract of carriage to do away with things like credits for canceling while positive, credits for being quarantined, quarantine hotels after arrival, etc...

That's not how I read it, but we will have to wait and see.

[Another_Critic]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

If anything, the following provides much more information at a reading level that just about everybody should be able to understand:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/do-i-need-a-covid-vaccine-to-cruise-what-counts-as-proof

 

Vaccination requirements vary by port of departure and by age group. Below are the current published requirements for select ports. We are continually adding, monitoring and adjusting information on vaccination requirements as public health conditions evolve. Booked guests will be advised of the latest requirements for their port of departure before sailing.

Read more about what vaccines are accepted and what documents are accepted as proof of vaccination.

 

FOR CRUISES DEPARTING FROM NORTH AMERICA (U.S., PUERTO RICO, CANADA)

All Royal Caribbean guests age 12 and older must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. Kids age 11 or younger who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests. While we do not require kids 11 or younger than to be vaccinated, many are and it is highly likely destinations will begin to require guests age 5 and older to be vaccinated. We will notify booked guests as this guidance evolves.

Each guest’s regimen must include at least two doses of vaccine unless the guest received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This is per U.S. CDC guidance, and no exceptions will be made, even if the guest's resident country has authorized a single-shot regimen for a two dose vaccine.

We strongly recommend that fully vaccinated guests receive a booster dose when they become eligible to do so, though it is currently not required to be considered fully vaccinated. It is highly likely many destinations will soon begin to require booster doses for all eligible guests to be considered fully vaccinated. We will notify booked guests as this guidance evolves.

Royal Caribbean will not accept a Certificate of Recovery in lieu of vaccination for guests of vaccine eligible age.

For guests on cruises that visit Bermuda, note that the local government does not recognize Novovax or Covaxin as approved vaccines — guests whose vaccination series consists of either will not be permitted to go ashore. For additional details, visit our FAQ on Cruises to Bermuda. 

For guests departing from Florida homeports, this vaccine requirement is the policy of several international governments for a cruise ship to enter their waters. We remain in contact with local governments in the ports we visit and will update the policy if advised.

Guests under age 12 who are not vaccinated will complete additional COVID-19 testing requirements depending on the length and departure port of their sailing.

Kids Who Are Turning 12

What if my child is turning 12 years old right before our cruise, or during our cruise, and cannot get vaccinated in time?

Any guest that is age 12 or older on boarding day must be fully vaccinated to sail. If your child’s 12^th birthday is too close to boarding day to get fully vaccinated, we can move your cruise date to give you more time, or we can cancel your reservation for a full refund. Unfortunately, we cannot make any exceptions, as our port agreements expect that every vaccine-eligible guest onboard is fully vaccinated. If your child is 11 and turns 12 on Day 2 of the cruise or later, you’re in luck. Your 11 year old will be allowed to board the ship on embarkation day as long as they complete all COVID-19 testing requirements for unvaccinated children.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/will-i-have-to-take-a-test-before-i-cruise

 

REQUIRED TESTING FOR GUESTS SAILING FROM U.S. HOMEPORTS

For All Sailings from U.S. Homeports with no Stops in Bermuda or Canada

If your cruise visits Bermuda or Canada, test protocols for your cruise are in the next section. 

Guests 2 to 11 years of age who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise. These guests will no longer be required to take a second test at the terminal.  

Fully vaccinated guests must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day on sailings that are 6 nights or longer only. Testing is not required for fully vaccinated guests on shorter itineraries.

Required testing for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, must be completed using a PCR or antigen test that is supervised by a healthcare professional or a home test kit that is conducted under live video supervision.

Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense. 

The Kids Who Are Turning 12 section seems to be out of date, since under 12 can be vaccinated. 

 

Edit: I forgot that some countries have not yet authorized <12 vaccination.

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by Another_Critic

[seasidemama]

Update - Testing still required but some ports accept unvaccinated. 

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center?icid=hlthys_wrnssn_hlt_nbrdxp_pghdr_3467

 

[seasidemama]

3 hours ago, Ret MP said:

If anything, the following provides much more information at a reading level that just about everybody should be able to understand:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/do-i-need-a-covid-vaccine-to-cruise-what-counts-as-proof

 

 

Please show me where it says I can use a certificate of recovery if I'm vaccinated in lieu of a test (which I can).  Regardless.  A simple chart like NCL has would be much more clear and useful with a link to more comprehensive details as in the link you attached for those that want a more comprehensive explanation behind their reasoning.