Worried about COVID testing on embarkation, am fully vaccinated

[Coral]

Let me start by saying I am fully vaccinated and got vaccinated at my first opportunity. I have 2 cruises on hold for next year and I will be gone for about a month in April. It is to mark a mile stone birthday that I missed last year due to COVID.

 

I plan on flying to Rome and spend a few days in Rome before boarding a cruise ship. This is a 2 week cruise to the Med. I will then disembark the ship in Barcelona and have 2 days to get to Vienna to board a Crystal river cruise. River cruise is 7 nights and I plan a few days post cruise on land probably in Vienna though not sure.

 

Crystal is requiring vaccines which I am thrilled about. They also state this on their FAQ: 

 

Will I still be required to receive a negative COVID-19 test if I am vaccinated?

Guests will undergo an antigen test the day of embarkation and must test negative prior to boarding the ship.

 

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I am slightly worried about this. Maybe due to the news that 2 people on Celebrity Millennium who were fully vaccinated and tested negative upon embarkation, later tested positive on the ship and they are being isolated. I believe they are not showing any symptoms. Slightly worried as right now we don't know how long the vaccines will last. My vaccine will have been done 12 months earlier by the time I leave.

 

Both cruises have fully refundable deductibles and final payment isn't until the end of the year. So hopefully we will know more by the end of the year.

 

I seriously looked at a Tauck river cruise/land trip. While I have no doubt their product is amazing - their payment terms I did not agree with at these uncertain times. I hope to do that trip at a later time.

 

Is anyone else worried about possibly testing positive after flying to their destination and touring before boarding a ship?

 

 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2021 by Coral

[SCBarker]

Hell yes we're worried. It's a lot of money on the line us. I would hope any positive test would trigger more tests before kicking you out the door.

The good thing in your case is that if antigen test are wrong, it's almost always false negatives and rarely false positives.

[Coral]

16 minutes ago, SCBarker said:

Hell yes we're worried. It's a lot of money on the line us. I would hope any positive test would trigger more tests before kicking you out the door.

The good thing in your case is that if antigen test are wrong, it's almost always false negatives and rarely false positives.

I would hope so also. Though I am not a medical professional - I think many are saying that if we (those of us who are vaccinated) do get COVID we probably won't have symptoms or bad symptoms and probably can not transmit it to others. Though - I know they are still studying this. I know breakthroughs are possible. I just hope these vaccines last 2 years or so.

[SCBarker]

Yes. I'm very much hoping they take a vaccine passport and drop all the testing for vaccinated individuals.

[Loreto]

I am also concerned for our Sept.22 Avalon cruise.  All the sailings prior to ours have been cancelled, and our 13 day sailing is not filling up.  I got an email yesterday from Avalon that they will be requiring a vaccination for all passengers.  We have ours, but I worry about the 72 hour prior to boarding COVID test requirement to fly to Europe and get in to Switzerland.   We may cut our losses and cancel.

[Coral]

9 minutes ago, Loreto said:

I am also concerned for our Sept.22 Avalon cruise.  All the sailings prior to ours have been cancelled, and our 13 day sailing is not filling up.  I got an email yesterday from Avalon that they will be requiring a vaccination for all passengers.  We have ours, but I worry about the 72 hour prior to boarding COVID test requirement to fly to Europe and get in to Switzerland.   We may cut our losses and cancel.

I would be worried also. I hope Avalon allows you to move your cruise to next year and you are not out anything.

[Daisi]

@Loretoas of July 1, Europe is introducing a vaccine passport.  I have heard that you can apply for one (from what I hear, you will need one)  through the country you land in.  As to the pre-tests, Avalon seems to have waived them and are asking for full vaccinations.  

 

Avalon also is starting out with limited cruises, and for the one on the 22nd of Sept (if it's the Taste of the Rhine) looks a go.  Of course, as with Covid...all things can change at any minute, especially if Europe has another massive outbreak.

Edited June 11, 2021 by Daisi

[KathyK13]

I'm also concerned about the requirement to be tested for internation travel.  We leave for an Avalon Vienna to Nuremberg Christmas Markets cruise on December 3.  Just booked our airfare, spending 3 days in Budapest before the cruise.  I am happy that Avalon is requiring passengers to be vaccinated, but airlines are currently requiring a negative test prior to boarding.  I will be traveling with my sister and two friends (all vaccinated); it would be a nightmare if one of us got a positive test just before the trip!  I'm hoping that by the time we have to make final payment in September the EU member countries and airlines will waive the testing requirement with proof of vaccination!

[Loreto]

1 hour ago, Daisi said:

@Loretoas of July 1, Europe is introducing a vaccine passport.  I have heard that you can apply for one (from what I hear, you will need one)  through the country you land in.  As to the pre-tests, Avalon seems to have waived them and are asking for full vaccinations.  

 

Avalon also is starting out with limited cruises, and for the one on the 22nd of Sept (if it's the Taste of the Rhine) looks a go.  Of course, as with Covid...all things can change at any minute, especially if Europe has another massive outbreak.

We are booked for The 13 day Rhine and Moselle northbound Basel to Amsterdam with Avalon.  The ship is only about 1/3 booked.  Final payment is August 3 (while we are on our 3 times postponed Alaska family cruise with Holland America.)  I have only made the $500 deposit which can supposedly be used toward anything in their  Globus brand.  We are thinking maybe Costa Rica. I booked air with miles.  All the hotels and leaving the car for 17 days are in place. I would get a voucher for the insurance I purchased.  We have to decide in the coming weeks what to do.  Between Alaska and Europe, I am very stressed🙁.

[Daisi]

11 minutes ago, Loreto said:

We are booked for The 13 day Rhine and Moselle northbound Basel to Amsterdam with Avalon.  The ship is only about 1/3 booked.  Final payment is August 3 (while we are on our 3 times postponed Alaska family cruise with Holland America.)  I have only made the $500 deposit which can supposedly be used toward anything in their  Globus brand.  We are thinking maybe Costa Rica. I booked air with miles.  All the hotels and leaving the car for 17 days are in place. I would get a voucher for the insurance I purchased.  We have to decide in the coming weeks what to do.  Between Alaska and Europe, I am very stressed🙁.

I wouldn't worry about the ship being not fully booked right now, it's one of the cruises they do plan on running.  I have seen posts (pre-covid) where they sailed with about 1/2 capacity.

 

We still have a couple of months to see what is up, and I would wait until closer to the cruise final payment to change if I were you.  Check with your TA to see if you are covered with the Peace of Mind plan, and then you can re-schedule for next year, either a cruise or the Costa Rica trip.  Did you book your hotel on a non-refundable rate?  Same with the car?  You should be able to just cancel reservations otherwise no problem.  

 

Here is the list of Avalon cruises that are planned. 

 

https://delivery.gfobcontent.com/api/public/content/ad87dea30a8344c8983c22f467b9fd8d?v=3031c720

 

Good luck, and I hope you are able to go.

Edited June 11, 2021 by Daisi

[KathyK13]

29 minutes ago, Daisi said:

I wouldn't worry about the ship being not fully booked right now, it's one of the cruises they do plan on running.  I have seen posts (pre-covid) where they sailed with about 1/2 capacity.

 

We still have a couple of months to see what is up, and I would wait until closer to the cruise final payment to change if I were you.  Check with your TA to see if you are covered with the Peace of Mind plan, and then you can re-schedule for next year, either a cruise or the Costa Rica trip.  Did you book your hotel on a non-refundable rate?  Same with the car?  You should be able to just cancel reservations otherwise no problem.  

 

Here is the list of Avalon cruises that are planned. 

 

https://delivery.gfobcontent.com/api/public/content/ad87dea30a8344c8983c22f467b9fd8d?v=3031c720

 

Good luck, and I hope you are able to go.

Thanks for posting the list; I'm happy to see our cruise listed even though there are only about 1/3 of the rooms booked.  Hoping that in the next few months the EU will be open to all vaccinated travelers from the US, no test needed.  I expect if that happens, more people will be willing to book cruises!

 

[Roz]

2 hours ago, Daisi said:

Of course, as with Covid...all things can change at any minute, especially if Europe has another massive outbreak.

 

I hope as more and more Europeans get vaccinated that the chances of a massive outbreak greatly diminish.

[Loreto]

2 hours ago, Daisi said:

I wouldn't worry about the ship being not fully booked right now, it's one of the cruises they do plan on running.  I have seen posts (pre-covid) where they sailed with about 1/2 capacity.

 

We still have a couple of months to see what is up, and I would wait until closer to the cruise final payment to change if I were you.  Check with your TA to see if you are covered with the Peace of Mind plan, and then you can re-schedule for next year, either a cruise or the Costa Rica trip.  Did you book your hotel on a non-refundable rate?  Same with the car?  You should be able to just cancel reservations otherwise no problem.  

 

Here is the list of Avalon cruises that are planned. 

 

https://delivery.gfobcontent.com/api/public/content/ad87dea30a8344c8983c22f467b9fd8d?v=3031c720

 

Good luck, and I hope you are able to go.

Thanks for the support, Daisi, I appreciate it!  I saw the list of cruises with Avalon.  We lived in Germany for 3 years and it would be nostalgic to go back to many of those places we loved along the Rhine and Moselle, but I'm not sure it was meant to be.

 

We are finally going on an  Alaska cruise after 3 cancellation at the end of July; the 2nd cruise after the pandemic pause. I should be an expert at rebooking by now!

[Travelw]

I too am happy to see our Sept 3rd Danube cruise listed as going.  I checked yesterday and there are only 21 cabins filled.  Fingers crossed it still goes.

[SCBarker]

14 hours ago, Travelw said:

I too am happy to see our Sept 3rd Danube cruise listed as going.  I checked yesterday and there are only 21 cabins filled.  Fingers crossed it still goes.

You got me curious about mine.  I have an Oct 16 Rhine cruise.  Currently we have 60 of 83 staterooms booked, so 23 available.

[notamermaid]

You need to remember that as of now many restrictions along the Rhine are still in place and will continue to do so into July. One of them is reduced capacity to ensure physical distancing in all indoor spaces, including shops, cultural establishments and the hospitality industry. Last year, maximum capacity on river cruise ships was 60 percent, I am not sure what the IG River Cruise has established for this year to start with. It is unlikely to go up further than 80 percent any time soon and could be at that level into Autumn. We will just need to wait and see.

 

notamermaid

 

[CILCIANRQTS]

On 6/11/2021 at 12:14 PM, Loreto said:

I am also concerned for our Sept.22 Avalon cruise.  All the sailings prior to ours have been cancelled, and our 13 day sailing is not filling up.  I got an email yesterday from Avalon that they will be requiring a vaccination for all passengers.  We have ours, but I worry about the 72 hour prior to boarding COVID test requirement to fly to Europe and get in to Switzerland.   We may cut our losses and cancel.

 

Here’s some good news!

Hopefully other countries will adopt this approach.

 

https://recommend.com/amazingdaysahead/switzerland-to-reopen-later-this-month/

[notamermaid]

I have just heard in a German report that cruise lines sailing now are doing so with 80 percent capacity to ensure physical distancing.

 

notamermaid