PhotoGal07

Would like to know as well. Am considering letting the kids go now that masking is back to being a required. Having to test negative to get back into the US is such a hassle.

Noted! Family of four, so we're trying to save luggage space wherever we can. Figured I should at least ask 🙂.

We leave for Alaska in about a week. Given that Alaska is currently experiencing higher temps (high 60's/low-mid 70's), should we bother to pack a base layer, or will we be good with t-shirts, fleece/sweatshirts, rain coat?

APOLOGIES FOR THE DOUBLE POST: I know this makes me so sad. We have a gorgeous balcony, and I was really looking forward to utilizing it during Glacier Bay, since cruisers from previous years had reported that they broadcast the naturalist on the TV. We chose Princess specifically for their experience with the naturalists/Alaska. It's such a bummer that they would remove the things that made them stand out, especially when it costs them nothing to keep it.

I know this makes me so sad. We have a gorgeous balcony, and I was really looking forward to utilizing it during Glacier Bay, since cruisers from previous years had reported that they broadcast the naturalist on the TV. We chose Princess specifically for their experience with the naturalists/Alaska. It's such a bummer that they would remove the things that made them stand out, especially when it costs them nothing to keep it.

Once the under 5s and the rest of the world actually have a chance to get the vaccine. I think people forget that there are age groups and countries who are still waiting to get access. Passengers and crew are still coming home to people who haven't had the opportunity to get the vaccine, and we owe it those communities to make sure we limit their exposure until then.

Yes! Just like that! Anyway, I was thinking more about the Covid Kit, and I think one other useful item would be an extra pair of loungewear/pajamas. I usually only pack one, maybe two pairs of pjs for a trip. But I know for me, when fevers break I tend to break out into a sweat, and having a spare (clean pair) of pajamas to change into would likely be VERY welcome.

No problem at all with sharing. The use of ellipses (...) in text on-line usually indicates hesitancy and disbelief in tone, thus my confusion and why I asked for clarification.

I'm not sure I understand the point of your statement. Are you refuting that it's an issue because it didn't happen to you? I'm certainly glad there are people out there like you that had no issues with quarantine.

People who have been quarantined have reported that utensils in particular have often not been included with their food. I've seen similar reports of trouble getting cups, but it doesn't seem to be quite as bad as the flatware issue. Thus people may want to have the ability to keep those in their cabin and wash and reuse.

On-line. A friend who's a doctor pointed me to the study. While it's efficacy needs more studies to truly confirm, doc seemed confident that it wouldn't hurt, especially before heading to crowded places like the airport, dining rooms, and shows.

To prevent: Wipes to wipe down room, remote, and so on, masks, nitric oxide nasal spray, and additional covid tests to take before we leave the ship so that if we are positive, the ship is responsible for the arrangements. To deal with: Pulse ox, thermometer, throat lozenges, and decongestants and motrin/tylenol for kids and adults, small thing of dish soap and laundry soap, extra Rx meds, and snacks. We don't normally pack much in the way of snacks, but will make sure to have some on us as we've heard room service can be slow or impossible to get through for those quarantining. To grab onboard: Extra flatware/cups.

Would love to know this as well.

The timing should be fine, but I understand not wanting the extra stress. Just a quick note to please be patient with everyone in Seward right now, they just had a big landslide which took out the road to Lowell Point/Miller's Landing. Some of the tour companies have stepped in to help ferry people/supplies back and forth in the meantime, but I would expect a little extra chaos over the next couple weeks until they get the road cleared.

This logic is problematic because it forces masking to be either 100% effective of 0% effective. Along the lines of "if seat belts work, why do we need air bags?". Masking is effective, but it is not 100%. Like most other risk-based scenarios, it is best if we use the swiss cheese model of risk prevention. Masking helps prevent a lot of spread, but it is best used in conjuction with isolation for a few days, symptom monitoring, vaccines, etc. The whole point is not to depend on just one thing to manage a problem. Humans make mistakes, they were ill-fitting masks, they get uncomfortable and take it off or let it only cover their mouth (not their nose), they think it's ok if I "just" remove it to take a sip of this drink for one second. Isolation if you are sick absolutely makes sense at this juncture.

We're in the same boat and definitely not by choice. We originally were booked on a 1pm flight, but the airline just changed it to 11am. Moving it meant taking a red eye flight (to a different home airport), with 2 different stops, and losing our seats in business. We ended up booking the airport service to help us get through the airport with minimal fuss, and putting a back up plan in place as well. Such a headache.

My two concerns are A) You can't actually make appointment with the ship's Health Clinic for a proctored covid test because they want you to do it off the ship, so they won't offer that service in the first place. And B) That current onboard testing is going through a specific system (because they are working with large numbers of passengers) which likely generates a standardized set of paperwork. And thus a random passenger bringing their own covid test might not necessarily be put in that same system that produces the standard paperwork that they have used in the past. Knowing I could make an appointment with the Health Clinic on the ship if the internet is spotty would make my life MUCH much easier. But I would like confirmation vs. hearsay.

If anyone does this please let us know how this goes. I imagine the tests have specialized forms that they deliver upon completion, I'm concerned that the medical personnel on the ship won't be able to produce the same documentation. A letter that just says "hey this person doesn't have covid, signed ship doctor", doesn't feel like it's going to have the same weight, as something that's coming through Abbot Binax Now system.

Yes, I have all of that. My concern is that even though it's posted on-line that it may be ignored by those in charge of boarding.

Did you have both the test and a letter from a healthcare provider? Did they ask for more information or did they just require a pre-boarding test without care? That's rather troubling.

Our luck ran out a couple weeks ago, and our family got covid. As of today, I’m still testing positive. Has anyone had any experience providing the letter from your healthcare provider and lab results showing that you’ve had covid within the last 90 days? Did they take it without issue? Were there extra hoops to jump through? Any problems with it being accepted?

I think the issue is that after you disembark you are no longer considered a cruise passenger. After you get off the ship you are just a citizen and thus responsible for your own quarantine lodging.

I'll be curious to see if this happens for future cruises. I think this cruise was one of the last before they started changing the verbage for testing upon departure. It's been frustrating to follow.

I don't think Princess offers premium internet do they? I've only seen packages for 1 device and then for 4 devices. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place? Can anyone shed light on this?

We plan on doing a rapid for everyone the night before/morning of disembarkation that way if we are positive, we can report to medical, and become the ships problem. It's not foolproof obviously, but it's better than nothing.