Testing not required _Britannia Caribbean Nov & Dec

[Mad4WDW]

Ive just had email that testing is no longer required for our November 5th Britannia, also had a second email for our December Britannia no longer required on that one.

 

Not sure what to make of this! Do P&O like to deliberately mess us around 

[Megabear2]

Yes, I've just got it too. Not happy.

[uk338]

The online policy which they link in the email is unchanged (as far as I can tell) i.e. website says testing is still required. Which is not helpful. 

[Mad4WDW]

So now ive got to go through the rigmarole of canceling the tests that are sat here waiting to get done next week and claim a refund. At least I didn't have to pay anything out for the `Lloyds tests I booked for the December one. Plus personally Id rather everyone was tested

[tring]

I wonder if this will affect the round trip cruises to the Caribbean.  We are due on Aurora for a 28 night Caribbean starting 11th November and  no email regards that received, but keeping fingers crossed.  Ours is booked through a well used agent, so presumably any notifications will come through them.

 

I do not understand why people are not happy about the change, getting to the pharmacy to have the test done before we leave has been a bit of a concern for me, especially as I rang yesterday to check all is well with our test apt, to be told they had no record of it, despite the fact we have email confirmations!  At least they have entered it in their details now.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2022 by tring

[Mad4WDW]

1 minute ago, tring said:

I wonder if this will affect the round trip cruises to the Caribbean.  We are due on Aurora for a 28 night Caribbean starting 11th November and  no email regards that received, but keeping fingers crossed.  Ours is booked through a well used agent, so presumably any notifications will come through them.

 

 

 

Both the emails I had came direct from P & O, both cruises were booked through a travel agent so it looks like you'll hear from P & O. Both the cruise Ive recieved this email for are 14 nights Caribbean Britannia fly cruises

[Mad4WDW]

The website seems to be updated now, testing still required for:-

 

cruise numbers: R217, J221, & N233.

 

 

[tring]

6 minutes ago, Mad4WDW said:

Both the emails I had came direct from P & O, both cruises were booked through a travel agent so it looks like you'll hear from P & O. Both the cruise Ive recieved this email for are 14 nights Caribbean Britannia fly cruises

 

3 minutes ago, Mad4WDW said:

The website seems to be updated now, testing still required for:-

 

cruise numbers: R217, J221, & N233.

 

 

 

Thanks for the information.  Ours is R 217, so will not apply to us sadly.  May show that the Caribbean islands are being less picky now though, so perhaps a good sign anyway.

 

[yorkshirephil]

31 minutes ago, tring said:

 

 

Thanks for the information.  Ours is R 217, so will not apply to us sadly.  May show that the Caribbean islands are being less picky now though, so perhaps a good sign anyway.

 

I am not sure it has anything to do with the Caribbean islands, all the islands we visit on J221 do not require testing. If they did we would be tested before we entered, which is pretty much what P&O's web site says. I am not sure why P&O are still pursuing this testing requirement as it doesn't seem to have worked too well over the last 12 months, even when they were doing observed tests at the port. Covid may not be over but continuing with testing isn't achieving anything. 

[CaptainPedantic]

Anyone who booked their observed test with Prenetics / Project Screen within the last 14 days can cancel their contract and get a full refund, although you will have to pay your own postage costs to return the kit(s) before the refund is issued.

Refund process is outlined here: https://www.projectscreen.co.uk/legals/refunds/

Hopefully their recent withdrawal of these tests from the market won't affect this policy.

Edited October 28, 2022 by clubcardcruiser
incomplete post

[CaptainPedantic]

45 minutes ago, tring said:

Thanks for the information.  Ours is R 217, so will not apply to us sadly.  May show that the Caribbean islands are being less picky now though, so perhaps a good sign anyway.

 

Certainly for our forthcoming cruise there have been a couple of changes where restrictions or additional testing requirements have been removed.

[Richpatto]

Mine is B226 flying out on Friday but our 'planner' still says we need it, I can only assume it's yet to be updated. Not sure if it's a good thing or not to be fair? I suppose it's less hassle!  and we do have to live with the damn thing!

enjoy everyone!

[Mad4WDW]

1 hour ago, clubcardcruiser said:

Anyone who booked their observed test with Prenetics / Project Screen within the last 14 days can cancel their contract and get a full refund, although you will have to pay your own postage costs to return the kit(s) before the refund is issued.

Refund process is outlined here: https://www.projectscreen.co.uk/legals/refunds/

Hopefully their recent withdrawal of these tests from the market won't affect this policy.

Ive just completed our refund request. Process is simple and straightforward. Sent email with name and order number, they auto replied instantly then within 30 mins I had another email back with the return details etc. I've took the parcel to the post office, paid £3.35 for postage, got the postage proof, replied to their last email with a photo of the postage proof and they've refunded my card almost straightaway. They emailed refund confirmation also. Hope that makes sense!

Edited October 28, 2022 by Mad4WDW
typo

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Yes, I've just got it too. Not happy.

Why not? Surely this is a positive move for those of us who want a return to normality.

[bbtablet]

but beware dropping your guard if you have the sniffles and think it might be OK to be truthful now and admit it on the Health Questionnaire - be prepared to still lose all your money AND be barred from the cruise.

Edited October 28, 2022 by bbtablet

[CaptainPedantic]

25 minutes ago, Mad4WDW said:

Ive just completed our refund request. Process is simple and straightforward. Sent email with name and order number, they auto replied instantly then within 30 mins I had another email back with the return details etc. I've took the parcel to the post office, paid £3.35 for postage, got the postage proof, replied to their last email with a photo of the postage proof and they've refunded my card almost straightaway. They emailed refund confirmation also. Hope that makes sense!

Almost exactly the same for me. Only a couple of hours between my request and that first email response to ask for proof of postage, and then less than 10 mins more before I got the refund. I was impressed with them when we had our observed tests back in July, and equally impressed now - t would be a shame that this service is being discontinued if it weren't for the fact it's no longer needed for our cruises!

[NORDEN]

We booked our Covid Tests for our New Year  B230 cruise, on  Friday 29.09.22   This was very difficult as most chemist shops are closed, between Christmas & New Year. but luckily found one four miles away for Wednesday 28.12.22    Four people at £69 each.  I have received the same email as others and on checking HM Gov website see that these were stopped on 22.9.22 . a week before I spent hours trying to find somewhere to do it.   Why the delay P&O in notifying customers, 5 weeks after the event.

[Megabear2]

22 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Why not? Surely this is a positive move for those of us who want a return to normality.

Because I've booked and paid for non refundable in person tests!  We will go anyway in case we need to prove to insurance if we're refused boarding or collapse before but it's a waste of £60 for us.

[jh1809]

25 minutes ago, NORDEN said:

We booked our Covid Tests for our New Year  B230 cruise, on  Friday 29.09.22   This was very difficult as most chemist shops are closed, between Christmas & New Year. but luckily found one four miles away for Wednesday 28.12.22    Four people at £69 each.  I have received the same email as others and on checking HM Gov website see that these were stopped on 22.9.22 . a week before I spent hours trying to find somewhere to do it.   Why the delay P&O in notifying customers, 5 weeks after the event.

Wow, £69 each seems a bit steep. The places that I looked at all seemed to be charging £29.99.

[NORDEN]

Exactly!  But when you are faced with getting a test between Christmas & New Year what do you do?  Chemist shops & testing companies, closed Monday/Tuesday,  so only Wednesday to get it done. No worries, appointments cancelled and refunds offered.  My point was why five week delay between Barbados announcement and P&O notification to customers.  Disappointing!  We don't all spend time checking HM Gov website, we rely on cruise company to tell us!!

[CaptainPedantic]

35 minutes ago, NORDEN said:

Disappointing!  We don't all spend time checking HM Gov website, we rely on cruise company to tell us!!

Quite right too! 

[LA30]

We are on J221 so will still have to do the pre-cruise tests.  I'm not sure about all this.  The idea is (presumably) that everyone who embarks the cruise is covid free.  But as soon as we dock anywhere passengers will all go off the ship and then return with all sorts of viruses, not just covid.  I understand what P&O are trying to do, but I think it's probably a waste of time and money!

[Megabear2]

10 minutes ago, LA30 said:

We are on J221 so will still have to do the pre-cruise tests.  I'm not sure about all this.  The idea is (presumably) that everyone who embarks the cruise is covid free.  But as soon as we dock anywhere passengers will all go off the ship and then return with all sorts of viruses, not just covid.  I understand what P&O are trying to do, but I think it's probably a waste of time and money!

It may not be P&O wanting this but they are being guided by other countries' rules and regulations.

 

 

[yorkshirephil]

9 minutes ago, LA30 said:

We are on J221 so will still have to do the pre-cruise tests.  I'm not sure about all this.  The idea is (presumably) that everyone who embarks the cruise is covid free.  But as soon as we dock anywhere passengers will all go off the ship and then return with all sorts of viruses, not just covid.  I understand what P&O are trying to do, but I think it's probably a waste of time and money!

We are also on this cruise, in the past observed testing at the port and subsequent to that self financed observed testing did not achieve much, obviously you will wheedle a few cases out but with a fast spreading virus you don't need many on a ship for it to go  round. Plus you can test negative two days prior to boarding and still have covid when you board.

[terrierjohn]

2 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

We are also on this cruise, in the past observed testing at the port and subsequent to that self financed observed testing did not achieve much, obviously you will wheedle a few cases out but with a fast spreading virus you don't need many on a ship for it to go  round. Plus you can test negative two days prior to boarding and still have covid when you board.

If the general consensus is to continue to consider covid as a major problem, then I can see no return to a more normal cruise operation.

At some point, hopefully very soon, the WHO need to declare an end to the covid pandemic.