RCCL has updated Vaccine and testing requirements

[truckswain]

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

Not a surprise given what the other major cruise lines have done.

 

 

[tottenhamfc]

And clear as mud as usual.

[truckswain]

On 8/22/2022 at 9:20 PM, tottenhamfc said:

And clear as mud as usual.

What is not clear?

 

I thought it was well laid out by departure port.

[tottenhamfc]

4 minutes ago, truckswain said:

What is not clear?

 

I thought it was well laid out by departure port.

Getting Ready to Cruise

---

Here's everything you need to know before your vacation — from vaccination and testing requirements to checking in, and other steps to help ensure a smooth boarding day experience.

Where are you sailing from? Amsterdam, Netherlands Athens (Piraeus), Greece Baltimore, Maryland Barcelona, Spain Boston, Massachusetts Brisbane, Australia Cape Liberty, New Jersey (Caribbean Sailings) Cape Liberty, New Jersey (Bermuda or Canada Sailings) Copenhagen, Denmark Florida Galveston, Texas Haifa, Israel Los Angeles, California New Orleans, Louisiana Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy San Juan, Puerto Rico Seattle, Washington Seward, Alaska Singapore Southampton, England Sydney, Australia Tarragona, Spain Transatlantic Cruises from Europe Vancouver, British Columbia Venice (Ravenna), Italy

 

 

If your sailing departs on or after September 5, 2022, you can see your protocols using the links below:

• Spain, Amsterdam, Southampton

• Haifa

• Italy

 

I plugged in Rome and this came up. No mention of Greece

[truckswain]

I see a link to Italy.  When you put in Rome why would you think  you would see protocols for depatures form Greece?

 

If you want want protocols for Greece, plug in Athens

 

[tottenhamfc]

Therein lies the issue. Most documents refer to embarkation ports. Not port stops! In my world this is not a departure in Greece. It is a port stop which you may or may not get off the ship. It may be clear to you however for many it obviously isnt based on posts on many sites. If they RCL were attempting to make it simple, they would have made it itinerary specific, not trying to find Waldo.

Edited August 25, 2022 by tottenhamfc

[Fouremco]

24 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

Getting Ready to Cruise

---

Here's everything you need to know before your vacation — from vaccination and testing requirements to checking in, and other steps to help ensure a smooth boarding day experience.

Where are you sailing from? Amsterdam, Netherlands Athens (Piraeus), Greece Baltimore, Maryland Barcelona, Spain Boston, Massachusetts Brisbane, Australia Cape Liberty, New Jersey (Caribbean Sailings) Cape Liberty, New Jersey (Bermuda or Canada Sailings) Copenhagen, Denmark Florida Galveston, Texas Haifa, Israel Los Angeles, California New Orleans, Louisiana Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy San Juan, Puerto Rico Seattle, Washington Seward, Alaska Singapore Southampton, England Sydney, Australia Tarragona, Spain Transatlantic Cruises from Europe Vancouver, British Columbia Venice (Ravenna), Italy

 

 

If your sailing departs on or after September 5, 2022, you can see your protocols using the links below:

• Spain, Amsterdam, Southampton

• Haifa

• Italy

 

I plugged in Rome and this came up. No mention of Greece

The website provides the protocols for the port of embarkation, not for ports of call during your cruise. If your cruise starts from Greece, enter Athens with the following result:

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, if you are embarking in Rome, search on Rome, with this result:

 

 

 

In both cases, the results include a section on Going Ashore in Ports of Call with links to additional information.

 

 

As ports of call appear to be your point of interest, the information on the linked webpages should be of some assistance.

 

 

 

[tottenhamfc]

10 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

The website provides the protocols for the port of embarkation, not for ports of call during your cruise. If your cruise starts from Greece, enter Athens with the following result:

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, if you are embarking in Rome, search on Rome, with this result:

 

 

 

In both cases, the results include a section on Going Ashore in Ports of Call with links to additional information.

 

 

As ports of call appear to be your point of interest, the information on the linked webpages should be of some assistance.

 

 

 

Thanks but it is somewhat combined as it is protocol for embarkation in Rome but a port stop which you refer to. So in your estimation if you are not required to test proctored in Rome and do not want to visit a port that requires it. What would you summize? And TBH I have not noticed the link you provided.

TIA

 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by tottenhamfc

[tottenhamfc]

So this is on website embedded in FAQ’s. Assuming no requirement for proctored in Rome embarkation this is Greece port stop for vaxxed people.

 

If You Are Vaccinated But Your Vaccine Is Not EMA-Authorized  

You will be required to take a test onboard before going ashore in Greece

NOTE: Greece considers those who have received a non-EMA authorized vaccine to be unvaccinated regardless of the date of their last dose. 

All Royal Caribbean guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to boarding.

Guests age 12+ that are not vaccinated; are vaccinated but not up to date; or were vaccinated with a non-EMA authorized vaccine, must take a test onboard to go ashore in Greece.

 

most have EMA vaccines Pfizer, Moderna etc

Edited August 25, 2022 by tottenhamfc

[*Miss G*]

Well I am glad I peeked into this thread because I have the same issue as @tottenhamfc.  Departing from Rome and visiting Greece.  Greece’s government website says:

 

 

 

However, ALL cruise lines state they require testing but refer only to “Greece Embarkations” and nothing about visiting Greece within the itinerary.  Super frustrating.  The link the OP provided led me to clarity: we require testing.

 

 

 

My roll call insists we don’t require testing so maybe I can get a nice upgrade onboard when those people are denied boarding.  😂

[tottenhamfc]

Thanks for that! What a tangled web of i formation. It is all over the place. Hopefully our cruise docs will give all of the requisite information.

[*Miss G*]

5 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

Thanks for that! What a tangled web of i formation. It is all over the place. Hopefully our cruise docs will give all of the requisite information.

 

Yes, I am hoping the same.  I can just see the people on my roll call going into a tailspin now.  😂

 

Also agree about the tangled web.  All government and cruise line websites require highly analytical staff to review their wording and processes for clarity and continuity.  It would save a lot of grief on both sides.

[tottenhamfc]

4 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Yes, I am hoping the same.  I can just see the people on my roll call going into a tailspin now.  😂

 

Also agree about the tangled web.  All government and cruise line websites require highly analytical staff to review their wording and processes for clarity and continuity.  It would save a lot of grief on both sides.

 Are you on the Holy Land Odyssey on CC roll call? I am on their and it is all over the map. I contributed to the confusion and now we have newer info that compounds it. I think what is not clear is whether we require proctored tests to embark from Rome. If we do not, is the non proctored test eligible for Greece entry!

[*Miss G*]

1 minute ago, tottenhamfc said:

 Are you on the Holy Land Odyssey on CC roll call? I am on their and it is all over the map. I contributed to the confusion and now we have newer info that compounds it. I think what is not clear is whether we require proctored tests to embark from Rome. If we do not, is the non proctored test eligible for Greece entry!

 

No, I am on the Holland America Greek Odyssey.  HAL spells it out:  The test needs to be proctored.  (Circled)  You can see where I have also underlined the type of statement which contributes to the confusion.  I take things literally.  When I see “embarkations” it means just that.  I want to see “as a port of call” in there too.  Is that too much to ask?  (Don’t answer that 😂.)

 

 

[tottenhamfc]

1 minute ago, *Miss G* said:

 

No, I am on the Holland America Greek Odyssey.  HAL spells it out:  The test needs to be proctored.  (Circled)  You can see where I have also underlined the type of statement which contributes to the confusion.  I take things literally.  When I see “embarkations” it means just that.  I want to see “as a port of call” in there too.  Is that too much to ask?  (Don’t answer that 😂.)

 

 

That was precisely my point earlier. Embarkation and port stop is totally different.

[Fouremco]

5 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

No, I am on the Holland America Greek Odyssey.  HAL spells it out:  The test needs to be proctored.  (Circled)  You can see where I have also underlined the type of statement which contributes to the confusion.  I take things literally.  When I see “embarkations” it means just that.  I want to see “as a port of call” in there too.  Is that too much to ask?  (Don’t answer that 😂.)

 

 

Are RCI and HAL imposing protocols of their own accord, or do they simply not know that Greece has no such requirements? In addition to the general lifting of requirements for all visitors as you noted in post #10, the same webpage states more specifically that "As of 14.05.2021, cruise restrictions have been completely removed". So, whether embarking in Greece or stopping at a Greek port of call, Greece appears to have no vaccination or testing requirements.

 

As cruise lines generally want to take the least restrictive approach whenever possible, I wonder if there is something at play other than these lines missing the changes instituted by the Greek government.

[tottenhamfc]

That is what I was wondering also. It appears that your assumption is accurate. I just do not know who is responsible for these updates. If it is the medical staff in collaboration with communication staff, they need to be more precise. 

[*Miss G*]

No, I googled the requirements for a number of lines, trying to get clarity.  ALL of them state it is a requirement as a “special voyage”.  So somewhere in Greece’s policies is a statement which specifies different processes for cruise ships, much like Canada does.  At least with Canada, however, the information is available on the government website.

[tottenhamfc]

1 minute ago, *Miss G* said:

No, I googled the requirements for a number of lines, trying to get clarity.  ALL of them state it is a requirement as a “special voyage”.  So somewhere in Greece’s policies is a statement which specifies different processes for cruise ships, much like Canada does.  At least with Canada, however, the information is available on the government website.

It seems absurd because once you are on the ship obviously testing negative prior to embarkation, you then get Covid and pass it on to the port that you stop at which could be a few days after. The only surefire way of prevention is to test on board prior to getting off in Greece et al.

[*Miss G*]

And even that’s not sure fire.  😉