Updated vac/testing guidelines are now available

[Fly and Sail]

1 hour ago, MR_T said:

All guests ages 2 and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result to board their sailing. A negative test result from any commercially available test, including self-tests, will be accepted. Tests do not have to be monitored or proctored. Test results may be presented as a printout, screenshot or photo of the test result or the actual test.

 

this is from the Europe/Italy section 

 

That's not all though.

 

PLEASE NOTE: For all sailings visiting Greece, self-tests will not be accepted and all guests must complete a supervised COVID-19 test prior to boarding. The test must be supervised by a health professional, such as a doctor, pharmacy technician, public health worker, or telehealth representative. While approved, supervised self-test kits are now readily available at drugstore chains in the U.S., we are also pleased to make them available for order pre-cruise below.

[OysterD]

3 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

That's not all though.

 

PLEASE NOTE: For all sailings visiting Greece, self-tests will not be accepted and all guests must complete a supervised COVID-19 test prior to boarding. The test must be supervised by a health professional, such as a doctor, pharmacy technician, public health worker, or telehealth representative. While approved, supervised self-test kits are now readily available at drugstore chains in the U.S., we are also pleased to make them available for order pre-cruise below.

Just saw this bit. Which is so dumb. 

 

We visit Greece on days 4, 5 and 9. There is zero point in forcing people to have a supervised covid test 2 days before boarding when we won't then be stepping foot into Greece until 6, 7 and 11 days later. It makes absolutely no sense. 

 

You dont have to test at all if you are flying into the country. I hate with a passion rules that are completely illogical, and this has to be right up there lol.

 

C'mon Greece, get your act together! 

[LIMPIT]

Sailing out of Italy on 10th September on the Edge, on the My Celebrity Web Site for this cruise, under the Be ready to board tab it still details -

Pre-cruise testing 

vaccinated guests 2 and over must show a digital or physical copy of a negative supervised antigen test taken within 2 days prior to sailing.

???

[abo]

Meanwhile Canada is still in Covid World December 2021, with cruise rules that can make no difference to the spread of the virus at a practical level and no hint of any changes coming along anytime soon.  So frustrating as we look forward to our September cruise.

[rams1976]

2 minutes ago, abo said:

Meanwhile Canada is still in Covid World December 2021, with cruise rules that can make no difference to the spread of the virus at a practical level and no hint of any changes coming along anytime soon.  So frustrating as we look forward to our September cruise.

You took the words right out of my mouth. But I think one of the conditions of sailing again from Canada this year was that testing would last for all of the cruise season.

[barneymag]

3 hours ago, OysterD said:

Just saw this bit. Which is so dumb. 

 

We visit Greece on days 4, 5 and 9. There is zero point in forcing people to have a supervised covid test 2 days before boarding when we won't then be stepping foot into Greece until 6, 7 and 11 days later. It makes absolutely no sense. 

 

You dont have to test at all if you are flying into the country. I hate with a passion rules that are completely illogical, and this has to be right up there lol.

 

C'mon Greece, get your act together! 

I can see major confusion at Civitaveccia on 5th Sep !! If people just look at the headline for boarding in Italy they will turn up with a self test or photo of it .... our cruise visits Santorini, Mykonos and Athens and therefore when you scroll to the bottom of the page they state for visiting Greece we still need a supervised/observed test - I wonder how many won't realise this and just seen the headline for Italy stating no longer need supervised tests ??

 

[Fly and Sail]

56 minutes ago, OysterD said:

Just saw this bit. Which is so dumb. 

 

We visit Greece on days 4, 5 and 9. There is zero point in forcing people to have a supervised covid test 2 days before boarding when we won't then be stepping foot into Greece until 6, 7 and 11 days later. It makes absolutely no sense. 

 

You dont have to test at all if you are flying into the country. I hate with a passion rules that are completely illogical, and this has to be right up there lol.

 

C'mon Greece, get your act together! 

 

I my case, Santorini is the first stop

[Mark_T]

The rules for Australia/New Zealand seem coherent and sensible now.

 

All guests over 12 must be fully vaccinated, and regarding testing...

 

 

That seems sensible and proportionate, certainly takes the stress out of running around to find somewhere to test as the easy availability of this sort of testing starts to scale back in various countries...

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, Mark_T said:

The rules for Australia/New Zealand seem coherent and sensible now.

 

All guests over 12 must be fully vaccinated, and regarding testing...

 

 

That seems sensible and proportionate, certainly takes the stress out of running around to find somewhere to test as the easy availability of this sort of testing starts to scale back in various countries...

Yes, and a few people might even actually put the swab into their nostrils.

[lexmiller]

1 hour ago, Mark_T said:

The rules for Australia/New Zealand seem coherent and sensible now.

 

All guests over 12 must be fully vaccinated, and regarding testing...

 

 

That seems sensible and proportionate, certainly takes the stress out of running around to find somewhere to test as the easy availability of this sort of testing starts to scale back in various countries...

 

5 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Yes, and a few people might even actually put the swab into their nostrils.

Great move on the part of Australia and NZ, especially since they were so hard lined with their covid travel restrictions.  Wondering - has anyone seen anything yet about back to back testing, any changes announced as of yet?  That also need to stop......

[TeeRick]

8 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Yes, and a few people might even actually put the swab into their nostrils.

Time to short the stock in the proctored self test companies!😀

[canderson]

20 minutes ago, lexmiller said:

 

Great move on the part of Australia and NZ, especially since they were so hard lined with their covid travel restrictions.  Wondering - has anyone seen anything yet about back to back testing, any changes announced as of yet?  That also need to stop......

The rules will apply for leg 2 just as it would if originally embarking at that "turn" port. 

 

Example: if leg 1 requires no proctored test, but leg 2 would visit Greece, proctored testing would be required between legs.

 

If no proctored test would be required for leg 2, then no proctored B2B test required between legs.

 

As is the case now, the rules for each leg stand on their own.

Edited August 11, 2022 by canderson

[MR_T]

11 hours ago, RichYak said:

I couldn't agree more. Testing was mostly theater before, now it's 100% theater.

Completely agree, on our last test at the port & onboard Both my wife & I had 2 different experiences, she had the swab right up the nose & I just got skimmed around the edge 🤷🏼‍♂️ 
 

 

[sippican]

 

12 hours ago, canderson said:

Booked guests will be advised of the latest requirements leading up to departure.

 

That would be so nice, if it actually happened!

[MR_T]

10 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

That's not all though.

 

PLEASE NOTE: For all sailings visiting Greece, self-tests will not be accepted and all guests must complete a supervised COVID-19 test prior to boarding. The test must be supervised by a health professional, such as a doctor, pharmacy technician, public health worker, or telehealth representative. While approved, supervised self-test kits are now readily available at drugstore chains in the U.S., we are also pleased to make them available for order pre-cruise below.

Yes I saw that also as we visit Greece, so for us no real change other than the potential of more unvaccinated guests onboard

[MR_T]

Sometimes I wonder if they produce these rules & regulations by getting 20 people in the room where they all put an idea in a hat then they pick the winner out and just post it on their website before actually reading it or discussing it at all… 😱🤷🏼‍♂️  

[canderson]

9 minutes ago, sippican said:

 

 

That would be so nice, if it actually happened!

Even if it does, can those emails be trusted?  When there's been a discrepancy between the protocols on the web page vs. email, it has been the email that was incorrect.

[Virginia100]

Just eliminate the embarkation tests for up to date vaccinated passengers already.. Show some real strength! This is ridiculous. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Virginia100

[vkb2751]

1 hour ago, canderson said:

The rules will apply for leg 2 just as it would if originally embarking at that "turn" port. 

 

Example: if leg 1 requires no proctored test, but leg 2 would visit Greece, proctored testing would be required between legs.

 

If no proctored test would be required for leg 2, then no proctored B2B test required between legs.

 

As is the case now, the rules for each leg stand on their own.

Yes, but will Celebrity provide test or are we on our own? we have this situation our 9/24 and 10/2 cruises. How do find out??????

[sasset]

13 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

This is from the Italy page 

 

 

This is the next paragraph:

Pre-Arrival/Embarkation Covid-19 Test

• Vaccinated Guests: Must test negative for COVID-19 within 2 days prior to sailing.
• Unvaccinated Guests: Must test negative for COVID-19 within 1 day of sailing. This seems contradictory, "To board their sailing" vs "pre-arrival/embarkation".

Edited August 11, 2022 by sasset
punctuation

[Lastdance]

So, if someone was embarking in Italy on a cruise that had ports in Greece, but did not want to get off the ship, they would still be required to have a proctored test.  Makes perfect sense!  

 

 

 

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Lastdance

[39august]

So am I correct that vaccinated guests must have a negative test within 3 days of sailing now for US ports except LA and Canada, Burmuda cruises?

[Mr. Click]

Feeling really good right now, that I did not already book that Caribbean cruise for Feb out of FLL.   Going back to plan B to wait to see what the next round of vaccines offer in the  way of coverage for newer variants, especially if they are going to allow totally unvaxxed onboard.....Yep time to put it all back on hold.

[cangelmd]

33 minutes ago, Mr. Click said:

Feeling really good right now, that I did not already book that Caribbean cruise for Feb out of FLL.   Going back to plan B to wait to see what the next round of vaccines offer in the  way of coverage for newer variants, especially if they are going to allow totally unvaxxed onboard.....Yep time to put it all back on hold.

You are going to be waiting to cruise a very long time. 
Do you really think there will be a large influx of unvaccinated persons onto Celebrity?

And I actually favor keeping vax requirements and dropping testing, but I can see the logic in doing otherwise.

[Denny01]

I agree with @cangelmd and thought, wrongly, that they’d modify the pre-test options and leave the requirements for vaccination in place. But…..I’ll be cruising! I doubt we’ll see a huge influx of non-vaccinated.

 

Going out of Rome on a TA in Oct. May change by then, but will take my monitored test kits And my standard at-home test kits with me. Stopping in Bermuda, and it all appears the monitored test is required prior to boarding. will just wait and see.

 

And I think its pretty straight forward reason that if your ship is making a call where monitored pretests are required such as Bermuda and Greece that all on board must do it. Just picture the fun and games going on when you are in line to get off the ship, and the couple in front who had decided not to go ashore at the best ports of call and now try to sneak off, oops I mean they just ‘forgot’ …..I know, none of us would ever do that……. and they would graciously step aside….yeah right. got it. Puts the ship security people in a terrible situation over and over because you Know that will happen many times. “No Eunice, I’m not doing the stupid monitored thingee. We’ll just stay on board and miss Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, Rhodes. We’ve been to Nassau and all islands are the same!”.

 

Den