COVID testing for fully vaccinated passengers

[LewiLewi]

We are trying to figure out why COVID tests are necessary both pre and post cruise for fully vaccinated passengers? We may cancel our cruise if this doesn’t change by Sept. when final payment is due for our Lisbon to Barbados cruise.

[minidonuts85]

The Covid test to fly back into the US is mandated by the CDC, not the cruise lines. You wouldn’t need a Covid test to depart unless it’s required to re-enter your home country.  
 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Ftravelers%2Ftesting-air-travel.html

[MNgardens]

I assume it has to do with not asymptomatically bring a case on board and therefore passing it to the local populations at the ports. The vaccine does a good job at preventing the vaccinated from getting seriously ill but it is still possible to shed the virus, even if in reduced amounts.

 

We are very fortunate to have had access to the vaccine down to the teenager levels. Other countries have not yet received enough doses to cover everyone who wants one. I would think the situation will be very different in Europe by mid fall.

[6rugrats]

Why is this a problem?  Who knows what requirements will be in place in September.

[LewiLewi]

16 hours ago, 6rugrats said:

Why is this a problem?  Who knows what requirements will be in place in September.

We would not want to be in a position to be quarantined for 14 days in Lisbon if testing positive, and missing our cruise entirely. I hope the situation and the requirements change by Sept.

[marinaro44]

2 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

We would not want to be in a position to be quarantined for 14 days in Lisbon if testing positive, and missing our cruise entirely. I hope the situation and the requirements change by Sept.

So you would rather be Covid-positive and exposing others on the ship?

[LewiLewi]

20 hours ago, marinaro44 said:

So you would rather be Covid-positive and exposing others on the ship?

Windstar requires that all passengers and crew be vaccinated before embarking on the ship. Why would a COVID test be needed? Who would we be exposing it to?

[marinaro44]

2 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

Windstar requires that all passengers and crew be vaccinated before embarking on the ship. Why would a COVID test be needed? Who would we be exposing it to?

If you are vaccinated and yet test positive, anyone else on board who is vaccinated could end up testing positive.

[MNgardens]

And it could be passed to the local population in a port. 

[Barrycat]

Correction to Lewi

Windstar does not require all crew to be vaccinated, they encourage crew to be vaccinated when vaccine is available to them.

[LewiLewi]

I think we will wait till cruising becomes more normalized. Worrying about all of these possibilities does not seem like a fun vacation at this time.

[Petoonya]

On 5/23/2021 at 4:42 PM, LewiLewi said:

I think we will wait till cruising becomes more normalized. Worrying about all of these possibilities does not seem like a fun vacation at this time.

I guess we all have different priorities. I've changed my tune in the last few months. I'll do whatever it takes to cruise- just want to get on a damn boat.

[TakingFlight]

8 hours ago, Petoonya said:

I guess we all have different priorities. I've changed my tune in the last few months. I'll do whatever it takes to cruise- just want to get on a damn boat.

I feel the same way. I have cruises booked for July and August this year. I will gladly accept whatever testing, mask and excursion restrictions that might be in place in order to get out on the water again. Have you booked anything for this year, Petoonya?

[Petoonya]

10 minutes ago, TakingFlight said:

Have you booked anything for this year, Petoonya?

Hoping for Rome to Lisbon in October. I don't even care about the itinerary anymore, just want to go somewhere on a boat.

[LewiLewi]

22 hours ago, Petoonya said:

Hoping for Rome to Lisbon in October. I don't even care about the itinerary anymore, just want to go somewhere on a boat.

We are supposed to sail from Lisbon to Barbados in Nov. on the Legend, but are concerned because of the following:

If you test positive on the PCR test in Lisbon, you will not be allowed to board the ship. You will be required to quarantine in Lisbon for 14 days and miss the cruise entirely. What happens if you continue to test positive? How will this affect your ability to re enter the USA?

We are both fully vaccinated. Will the crew also be fully vaccinated?

We love cruising and like you cannot wait to get back on a ship. But the unknowns are causing enough concern that at this time we are seriously rethinking our cruising plans. We hope that by Sept. when final payment is due, that these concerns will be alleviated.

Also, the PCR test does not protect anyone. You can have a negative test upon boarding, and come down with asymptomatic COVID three days later, even if you are vaccinated.

 

[marinaro44]

A recent email from Azamara made clear that if Covid infections reached a specified threshold on the ship, the cruise would be ended immediately and the ship returned to the embarkation port.  I suspect Windstar would do the same.  This would ruin the cruise for everyone on board--that's hundreds, not one party.  I want every precaution taken to make it as unlikely as possible that anyone Covid-positive would be allowed on my cruise.  So, at least in the current situation, I want to see pre-cruise testing.

[Petoonya]

3 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

 

Also, the PCR test does not protect anyone. You can have a negative test upon boarding, and come down with asymptomatic COVID three days later, even if you are vaccinated.

 

It's all risk tolerance and as the cruise gets nearer I could change my mind. But at this point, looking into the possibility of being quarantined wherever in Europe seems like a better option than not taking the chance at all. Don't think anyone said that a negative COVID PCR test and a vaccine is complete protection on a cruise. It's just greatly lowering the risk of someone passing it on, along with all the precautions Windstar is mandating. You are probably wise to be cautious and me a bit cavalier.

 

You can ha-ha on me if in October i'm quarantined in Rome. You're too nice to but I'd deserve it.

[LewiLewi]

3 hours ago, Petoonya said:

It's all risk tolerance and as the cruise gets nearer I could change my mind. But at this point, looking into the possibility of being quarantined wherever in Europe seems like a better option than not taking the chance at all. Don't think anyone said that a negative COVID PCR test and a vaccine is complete protection on a cruise. It's just greatly lowering the risk of someone passing it on, along with all the precautions Windstar is mandating. You are probably wise to be cautious and me a bit cavalier.

 

You can ha-ha on me if in October i'm quarantined in Rome. You're too nice to but I'd deserve it.

I hope you have a wonderful cruise, you probably will. I will be watching this board so please post your experience.

[new_cruiser]

If you test positive in the pre-boarding test because you have COVID, you shouldn't go on the cruise. I'm willing to rely on vaccine protection being good enough that that's a pretty low risk. 

 

I'm slightly worried that it would be possible to have a false positive which would keep me off the cruise without having COVID, but apparently the false positive rate for the antigen tests is quite low. I'll be continuing to check on that. 

 

Meanwhile, I'm currently waiting for results of a COVID test that I took today due to symptoms that I think are more likely an unusually bad seasonal allergy flare-up. They aren't the most typical COVID symptoms but the doctor says that they are something COVID could present as. I am fully vaccinated and I've been wearing a mask when out and about so it's hard to figure where I could have been exposed. 

[Petoonya]

@new_cruiser

Hope you keep us in the loop, that it is not COVID and maybe just allergies as you suspect. Take care!

[Donabq]

I developed symptoms that appear to be allergy related two days ago and have been quarantining while I wait and see.  Symptoms are waning and no fever at any time, so I am hoping it's an especially bad allergy of the week flare up.

[new_cruiser]

On 5/27/2021 at 6:23 PM, Petoonya said:

@new_cruiser

Hope you keep us in the loop, that it is not COVID and maybe just allergies as you suspect. Take care!

The test was negative. It was the PCR test and I'd had symptoms for days so a false negative seems unlikely. 😅

[Petoonya]

Good news. Hope you're feeling better too.

[new_cruiser]

Thanks for asking.  Yes , I'm feeling better.

[msears101]

On 5/27/2021 at 12:12 PM, marinaro44 said:

Azamara made clear that if Covid infections reached a specified threshold on the ship, the cruise would be ended immediately and the ship returned to the embarkation port.  I suspect Windstar would do the same

All cruise lines *Should* be publishing their protocol (and sticking to it for people who plan on it) and revise it on a set schedule, so people can plan.

 

 I am a little concerned about how things are going.   I am not saying I disagree with the NEW CDC rules that are coming out rapidly, but they are doing "180s" from what they said a week prior.    It does not give me a warm and fuzzy that the decisions are being made in a thoughtful way, logical, science driven way.