Updated vac/testing guidelines are now available

[Denny01]

18 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Check in agent: "Can I see a photo of your negative covid test?"

Passenger: *scrolls back through weeks of photos on his phone*

Passenger: "Here it is!"

Check in agent: "Welcome aboard!"

Or scrolls to the current photo of a negative covid test of his wife…..as he coughs on the phone…..”Welcome aboard!”

[thethreeofus]

1 hour ago, Peteymil said:

Somebody posted on another social media site something from Celebrity that said it did not need to be supervised. I have no idea where they got that and this may be leading to some confusion. What on earth would be the point of an unsupervised test because as was mentioned you could just take a picture of any one's negative test and use it for yourself.

Actually, after looking further, it is correct on most sailings. We are sailing out of Southampton in Sept and vaccines are no longer required after Sept 5 and testing does NOT need to be proctored.  It’s on the website.  

[cangelmd]

1 hour ago, Peteymil said:

Somebody posted on another social media site something from Celebrity that said it did not need to be supervised. I have no idea where they got that and this may be leading to some confusion. What on earth would be the point of an unsupervised test because as was mentioned you could just take a picture of any one's negative test and use it for yourself.

And that’s why it’s silly and perhaps more about legal CYA than health and safety.

pits an interim step that hopefully won’t last long.

[sasset]

2 hours ago, LIMPIT said:

Web Site now updated for Italian Cruise, no supervised  tests required 😊

 

What does this second paragraph mean?

Sailing Testing Requirements:

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.

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.

[Mr. Click]

6 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Look at the timeline.  They started work on the Omicron vaccine early in this year.  That was when original omicron was circulating.  They cannot make vaccines within a month to catch the current variant.  If natural immunity to original omicron doesn't protect you from this week's variant, why would we believe that vaccination to original omicron protects you from this week's variant?

 

What we, the general population don't know yet is how the vaccine will work on variants.  I do know that they are developing new types that will hopefully be even more effective but it for me it is wait and see what they come out with in the fall.  What I have seen is that with each vaccine and each mutation the strength of the disease seems to weaken.   We are all different, have different needs, different issues etc so we need to each make our own decisions.  Mine for now is to wait and see.  No, I won't get the cabin in want for the cruise I am looking at, no I might not get the best deal based on what I am seeing right now but I have to do what is best for me, just like you and others have to do what is best for you.  

[NMTraveller]

I wonder if the river cruises will do the same this year?  Otherwise I may rebook a river cruise as an ocean cruise.

[phoenix_dream]

I want to know why US changes are only for LA to Mexico cruises? If Celebrity is confident this is the right move why only one infrequently used port? Mind you, I am one who is very unhappy they are dropping the vaccination requirements.  How many seriously ill, rush to hospital so ports get canceled incidents will it take before they rethink this?! 

Personally the change I was hoping for was to be able to quarantine in your own cabin,  like you do for noro. That would lessen the inconsiderate people refusing to self report and therefore spreading the virus around. 

[NMTraveller]

10 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I want to know why US changes are only for LA to Mexico cruises?

I believe the changes are country specific.  Mexico does not have many requirements.  However if you go to the East coast the Bahamas and some other Eastern Carribean islands do.

Edited August 12, 2022 by NMTraveller

[jelayne]

15 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I want to know why US changes are only for LA to Mexico cruises? If Celebrity is confident this is the right move why only one infrequently used port? Mind you, I am one who is very unhappy they are dropping the vaccination requirements.  How many seriously ill, rush to hospital so ports get canceled incidents will it take before they rethink this?! 

Personally the change I was hoping for was to be able to quarantine in your own cabin,  like you do for noro. That would lessen the inconsiderate people refusing to self report and therefore spreading the virus around. 

 This will be a country by country relaxing of requirements.  Mexico has been open for a long time and cruises from LA go either to US ports or Mexico port so the country requirements are the same.   Unlike Florida itineraries which can go to Mexico, Bahamas, Cayman, Bermuda or a variety of other counties who have different requirements/restrictions.  
 

I would have preferred to see the vac requirement stay a bit longer and testing dropped, but in reality we have a 19 hr flight to Asia on the horizon and we could be sitting among  passengers who may or may not be vaxed or positive for Covid.  I can’t think of anyone on all our cruises ( other than DH) I have spent 19 hrs in very close contact with. 
So for us it’s is like the Flu get the shot and go back to enjoying the time we have.
 

[chilliano]

On 8/10/2022 at 7:58 PM, CTNYER said:

Makes me wonder how many people actually do this. And really - how thoroughly can they be checking the test results for thousands of people?
 

Very disappointed and frustrated. 

 

For the last year+, everyone flying into the US had to show a negative test taken within the last 24 hours.  Airline employees all over the world managed this process easily.  Check in, show official results, easy peasy.

[iamaqt2]

I just booked a last minute Alaska cruise thinking this testing thing was in the past.  Silly me.  
Well, I've found an online site that lets me use the free tests the government mailed out and will proctor it for under 20 bucks.  
Sooo much easier than the testing hoops I jumped through once cruising restarted. 
Glad that we're starting to have easier and cheaper options at least.

 

[colingu]

6 hours ago, LIMPIT said:

Now I'm getting conflicting info. Our Celebrity app is the same as above stating that you can self test within 2 days of sailing. But the Cekebrity website pages for Bacelona cruises says within 1 day of sailing. So which is it?

[El_Rolfo]

9 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

....as long as you do not make a stop in Greece.

This one's weird, looking at the greek government site there is no such requirement but still seems to be here for cruises stopping in Greece. And the test taken almost 10 days before arriving in Greece most likely is of no use anymore (as for example Apex stops at most ports before arriving in Greece).

[barneymag]

55 minutes ago, El_Rolfo said:

This one's weird, looking at the greek government site there is no such requirement but still seems to be here for cruises stopping in Greece. And the test taken almost 10 days before arriving in Greece most likely is of no use anymore (as for example Apex stops at most ports before arriving in Greece).

Agree that the Greece testing makes no sense - we now have to test on a Saturday in Rome, get on ship in Italy on the Monday and we stop in Santorini, Mykonos and Athens 6,7 and 11 days respectively after the test  ??? what's the point of this as we are also stopping in Sicily 4 days after test and before our first Greece stop ?? and as you say Greece has no such restrictions for entering the country by other transport methods .... Crazy !!

[Bouff]

1 hour ago, El_Rolfo said:

This one's weird, looking at the greek government site there is no such requirement but still seems to be here for cruises stopping in Greece. And the test taken almost 10 days before arriving in Greece most likely is of no use anymore (as for example Apex stops at most ports before arriving in Greece).

I agree with this entirely. I have done the same  research and come to the same conclusion. Why are Celebrity requiring this?

[hrhdhd]

5 hours ago, chilliano said:

For the last year+, everyone flying into the US had to show a negative test taken within the last 24 hours.  Airline employees all over the world managed this process easily.  Check in, show official results, easy peasy.

The PP was talking about the updated requirements, which apparently allow a passenger to take a picture of the test stick from an unproctored test. Not the previously required official result e-mail with name, etc. from a proctored test.

Edited August 12, 2022 by hrhdhd

[verizon]

13 hours ago, Denny01 said:

Or scrolls to the current photo of a negative covid test of his wife…..as he coughs on the phone…..”Welcome aboard!”

Thanks God I still have my tested sample with me.

I better take picture before I  throw away.

[Smmessineo]

Like others here, I've been trying to get a feel for  when or if Celebrity cruises from  Florida ports will eliminate the testing. I found a few interesting articles.

Dondra Ritzenthaler , SVP of Sales for Celebrity, gave a talk yesterday afternoon for travel agents ( and nosy general public like me) about the new rules. During the q&a afterwards, someone asked about Florida. She said talks are ongoing to get all Caribbean Islands in agreement with Celebrity on this issue, and announcements can come at any time.

And here's an article i found about current island travel rules. Not for cruises, just travelers in general, but I could see the vast majority of islands are already " no test needed" .

https://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Caribbean-readies-for-a-wave-of-reopenings

Edited August 12, 2022 by Smmessineo
Grammar

[RichYak]

3 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

I don’t think having unvaccinated people onboard will really make a difference to anyone who is vaccinated. With the current variants out there now we are all about equally susceptible to catching the virus. The difference is that unvaccinated people have a greater risk of having more intense symptoms that could lead them to require hospitalization or it could be fatal; that’s on them though.

This should be required reading for everyone on this board. And while data shows that the risk of hospitalization is greater for unvaccinated than vaccinated, that risk still infinitesimal.

[Jeremiah1212]

10 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

I want to know why US changes are only for LA to Mexico cruises? If Celebrity is confident this is the right move why only one infrequently used port? Mind you, I am one who is very unhappy they are dropping the vaccination requirements.  How many seriously ill, rush to hospital so ports get canceled incidents will it take before they rethink this?! 

Personally the change I was hoping for was to be able to quarantine in your own cabin,  like you do for noro. That would lessen the inconsiderate people refusing to self report and therefore spreading the virus around. 

 

There are still Caribbean ports that are requiring testing and/or they are still in process of clarifying the requirements. 

 

 

4 hours ago, Bouff said:

I agree with this entirely. I have done the same  research and come to the same conclusion. Why are Celebrity requiring this?

 

Greece is requiring this, not Celebrity. Celebrity has to follow the rules, however illogical they are, until they get the all clear from the port country. 

[Bouff]

Just now, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

There are still Caribbean ports that are requiring testing and/or they are still in process of clarifying the requirements. 

 

 

 

Greece is requiring this, not Celebrity. Celebrity has to follow the rules, however illogical they are, until they get the all clear from the port country. 

The issue is that we are unable to find anywhere stating that Greece does require this.

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, basenji56 said:

The upcoming vaccine for Omicron is designed for original Omicron not the current variant.  We are now where we have been with the flu shots--always chasing variants with out of date shots.  

Suggest you go back and do your research on this subject and bivalent boosters.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-a-bivalent-vaccine-6385845

[Jeremiah1212]

15 minutes ago, Bouff said:

The issue is that we are unable to find anywhere stating that Greece does require this.

 

I'm sure the cruise lines are having more reliable communication than an avid Google user. 

 

Here's what Viking says:

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/why-viking/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-faq.html

 

1. Proof of negative COVID-19 test (laboratory-certified)

 

NOTE:

 

- PCR test taken within 72 hours before embarkation, or
- Antigen test taken within 48 hours before embarkation.
- Note: If you are on a pre-extension, you will be provided with the necessary tests to meet Greece’s testing requirement for cruise travelers before you board the ship. 

 

The port authority in Greece requires pre-embarkation test results for travelers boarding a cruise ship, in accordance with EU cruise ship travel guidelines. The country of Greece does not list these requirements on their official travel site (listed below), as the pre-embarkation test requirement is separate from any requirements for entry to the country of Greece. Without proof of a laboratory-certified negative COVID-19 test, you may be unable to embark the ship and begin your journey.

 

For additional information regarding Greece’s entry requirements, visit: https://travel.gov.gr

Edited August 12, 2022 by Jeremiah1212

[TeeRick]

3 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

That’s actually not true about the weakening part. While virulence did decrease from Delta to the original Omicron, all the subvariants have remained at the same severity as Omicron 1 since then but contagiousness has increased with each variant which is why it keeps surging. 
 

I don’t think having unvaccinated people onboard will really make a difference to anyone who is vaccinated. With the current variants out there now we are all about equally susceptible to catching the virus. The difference is that unvaccinated people have a greater risk of having more intense symptoms that could lead them to require hospitalization or it could be fatal; that’s on them though. To minimize the possibility of catching onboard then you need to mask up indoors, social distance outside, avoid crowds and wash your hands/sanitize regularly. That obviously becomes an issue with dining since most of the venues onboard are inside. Of course that’s likely the primary transmission point for those cruisers who wear masks and socially distance otherwise. 

Pretty simple for me.  I will just keep Up To Date on vaccines.  I plan to get the Omicron-specific booster some time this fall before peak COVID season (Thanksgiving through January).   Although I personally would prefer the vaccination requirements to stay in place on cruise ships, that is not the case in most places and businesses.  So be it.  We now just live with this virus for the remainder of our lives, as normal as possible, taking our own precautions. I will just look out for myself and family.  All I can do.  I will not cruise or fly in the aforementioned peak COVID period as one precaution.

[vwlmember]

21 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

I'm sure the cruise lines are having more reliable communication than an avid Google user. 

 

Here's what Viking says:

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/why-viking/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-faq.html

 

1. Proof of negative COVID-19 test (laboratory-certified)

 

NOTE:

 

- PCR test taken within 72 hours before embarkation, or
- Antigen test taken within 48 hours before embarkation.
- Note: If you are on a pre-extension, you will be provided with the necessary tests to meet Greece’s testing requirement for cruise travelers before you board the ship. 

 

The port authority in Greece requires pre-embarkation test results for travelers boarding a cruise ship, in accordance with EU cruise ship travel guidelines. The country of Greece does not list these requirements on their official travel site (listed below), as the pre-embarkation test requirement is separate from any requirements for entry to the country of Greece. Without proof of a laboratory-certified negative COVID-19 test, you may be unable to embark the ship and begin your journey.

 

For additional information regarding Greece’s entry requirements, visit: https://travel.gov.gr

From the website https://travel.gov.gr

 

7. What is the situation with cruise ships?

 

As of 14.05.2021, cruise restrictions have been completely removed, always imposing very strict protocols that apply to these activities.

 

 

The website for the Piraeus port authority https://www.olp.gr/en/# shows nothing under Covid-19 protocols that requires a negative covid test for entry. I can't imagine any of the other Greek ports requiring the test if Piraeus does not.

 

Very confusing information from multiple sources here.  We are on the Sept. 5th Beyond cruise to Greece and have no idea what to do at this point.