Live (sort of) from the Summit - 7/31 mid summer cruise

[abbydancer2003]

As requested, testing and debarkcation, etc.

On 8/7/2021 at 4:03 AM, 5:00_Somewhere said:

Abbeydancer,

 

I must admit, I'd also be interested to hear about your end-of-trip experiences, such as how the on-board Covid testing worked, disembarkation experience at the pier and your experience at the airport for your return trip, especially if you're flying home today.  Happy trails! 

Here we go ....

 

We had to test on Friday.  On Sunday or Monday we got a notice in the cabin with a QR code to open to sign up for testing.  Once you open the website you have to create an account and select a Friday AM time.  Once they confirm it, it's important to screenshot the QR code that's there, you need that to check in.  We didn't and had to screenshot it from the confirmation email.

 

Once you arrive on Deck 3 (it's at their conference facility), you stand in line, check in and get tested.  You will get your results by email within a few hours.  Additionally, a hard copy will be delivered to your stateroom that evening (in an envelope marked confidential).  You'll need it at the airport.

 

You also have a form called an attestation, for entry to US.  You mark off that you've been negative tested, and sign.  You'll need that too.

 

On our cruise at about 2:30 the captain announced no positive cases.

 

Onto debarkation and going home.

 

Our flight was at 1pm.  We left the ship at "last call" at around 10 am.  We were escorted off the ship by our retreat lounge concierge.  By an interesting coincidence, we were in the same golf cart back to the terminal with the people we rode in with a week earlier.

 

Once back at the terminal, you grab your luggage, and line up for customs.  I don't remember if they looked at either form.  

 

Once you finished, you left the terminal (sadly watching them set up the terminal for new arrivals) and waited, if necessary for a cab.  In our case, a cab was arriving, so we left right away.

 

When we arrived at the airport, there was a main entrance, with maybe 10 people waiting outside.  As mentioned before, there was no shade, people would wait along the airport wall.  

 

The worker there told us that since we were Jet Blue, we should go to another entrance, which had no signage.    (They were sending American and Jet Blue passengers over there).  We entered a large hall with a few seats (the remaining damage to the airport was very obvious there).  There was signage for Jet Blue so we headed to a desk with two airport workers checking our forms.   After those were checked, we were directed into the main checkin counters.

 

 

 

 

[abbydancer2003]

We joined the correct Jef Blue line (my sister has status, so our line was pretty short.  At checking in, they took our forms and I believe they kept them.

 

After check in and bag drop, we went through immigration for the exit stamp and then security.  No TSA recheck so laptop out and shoes off.  

 

After we entered the terminal.    There are 10 gates, and they are just beyond the main terminal area.  That had seating, restrooms, and several food concessions.  When we got there we found some friends from our trip, so we chatted with them until it was time to go to the gate.

 

The gates are in two different areas.  The first has gates 1-7.  If you’re at one of those, you’re taking a shuttle bus to your plane.  If you’re in 8-10 (as we were) you go to the second room, and walked to your plane.  It’s important to note that the second story of the airport has not been rebuilt, so there are no jetways, just stairs and ramps if necessary.

 

So, off to our gate, onto our plane, and on our way home from a most excellent cruise.

 

By the way, our friends had their flight later, so they went on a private tour, and arrived at the airport about when we boarded.  They apparently had a not so great experience.  

[5:00_Somewhere]

17 minutes ago, abbydancer said:

As requested, testing and debarkcation, etc.

Here we go ....

 

We had to test on Friday.  On Sunday or Monday we got a notice in the cabin with a QR code to open to sign up for testing.  Once you open the website you have to create an account and select a Friday AM time.  Once they confirm it, it's important to screenshot the QR code that's there, you need that to check in.  We didn't and had to screenshot it from the confirmation email.

 

Once you arrive on Deck 3 (it's at their conference facility), you stand in line, check in and get tested.  You will get your results by email within a few hours.  Additionally, a hard copy will be delivered to your stateroom that evening (in an envelope marked confidential).  You'll need it at the airport.

 

You also have a form called an attestation, for entry to US.  You mark off that you've been negative tested, and sign.  You'll need that too.

 

On our cruise at about 2:30 the captain announced no positive cases.

 

Onto debarkation and going home.

 

Our flight was at 1pm.  We left the ship at "last call" at around 10 am.  We were escorted off the ship by our retreat lounge concierge.  By an interesting coincidence, we were in the same golf cart back to the terminal with the people we rode in with a week earlier.

 

Once back at the terminal, you grab your luggage, and line up for customs.  I don't remember if they looked at either form.  

 

Once you finished, you left the terminal (sadly watching them set up the terminal for new arrivals) and waited, if necessary for a cab.  In our case, a cab was arriving, so we left right away.

 

When we arrived at the airport, there was a main entrance, with maybe 10 people waiting outside.  As mentioned before, there was no shade, people would wait along the airport wall.  

 

The worker there told us that since we were Jet Blue, we should go to another entrance, which had no signage.    (They were sending American and Jet Blue passengers over there).  We entered a large hall with a few seats (the remaining damage to the airport was very obvious there).  There was signage for Jet Blue so we headed to a desk with two airport workers checking our forms.   After those were checked, we were directed into the main checkin counters.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing this information. I appreciate the tip about screenshotting the QR code and especially the information about the airport.

 

We're also JetBlue, and our flight is 1:45, so hopefully we'll have a similar experience. Nice to know the lines weren't as long as described by passengers departing from earlier voyages. Just one question: could you possibly describe where the JetBlue entrance is at the airport? Or were there people to ask?

 

We will be in the air to SXM 1 week from today and are SO excited!!! Have our appointments for rapid return PCR tests at CVS early Thursday morning (supposed to have the results within 1-2 hours). From everything we've read, we believe that will be plenty of time for the EHAS form turnaround (fingers crossed).

 

We're so looking forward to being on a ship again.

 

Hope you're reacclimating to "real life" without too many bumps.

Edited August 14, 2021 by 5:00_Somewhere
forgot a question

[abbydancer2003]

26 minutes ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

 

Thank you for sharing this information. I appreciate the tip about screenshotting the QR code and especially the information about the airport.

 

We're also JetBlue, and our flight is 1:45, so hopefully we'll have a similar experience. Nice to know the lines weren't as long as described by passengers departing from earlier voyages. Just one question: could you possibly describe where the JetBlue entrance is at the airport? Or were there people to ask?

 

 

 

Hope you're reacclimating to "real life" without too many bumps.

Let's see if I can describe it.  As you pull up to the airport, you'll see a yellow entrance sign on the left side of the terminal.  To the right, you'll see an unmarked large open entrance.  That's where Jet Blue is.  

When we arrived, we headed to the main entrance and an airport worker directed us to the other entrance.

[Jim_Iain]

Abby -- thanks for your excellent review.    Been enjoying following along and reading of your experiences.

[cardiffman]

1 hour ago, abbydancer said:

The gates are in two different areas.  The first has gates 1-7.  If you’re at one of those, you’re taking a shuttle bus to your plane.  If you’re in 8-10 (as we were) you go to the second room, and walked to your plane.  It’s important to note that the second story of the airport has not been rebuilt, so there are no jetways, just stairs and ramps if necessary.

...

By the way, our friends had their flight later, so they went on a private tour, and arrived at the airport about when we boarded.  They apparently had a not so great experience.  

Our gate was gate 5 and we had to walk from the gate 5 door to the plane. We got to the airport at a time that would ordinarily have been suitable for the original 2:30-ish departure time, but when we got to the gate area there was maybe 20 minutes until we were walking to the stand where the plane was waiting. We ran into friends from this cruise who were on the same DFW flight so that was nice.

 

The Signature Services staff maybe had been on shift too long. Newbies of the staff were making errors which veteran staff had to fix. Do not recommend. They worked *all* aspects from "American" ticket counter to immigration and customs. I will say that there was apparently an adequate number of restrooms and some areas had pretty good AC.

 

I was bemused to see that the FBO at SAN is occupied by Signature Services. The equalizer.

Edited August 14, 2021 by cardiffman

[abbydancer2003]

21 minutes ago, cardiffman said:

Our gate was gate 5 and we had to walk from the gate 5 door to the plane. We got to the airport at a time that would ordinarily have been suitable for the original 2:30-ish departure time, but when we got to the gate area there was maybe 20 minutes until we were walking to the stand where the plane was waiting. We ran into friends from this cruise who were on the same DFW flight so that was nice.

 

The Signature Services staff maybe had been on shift too long. Newbies of the staff were making errors which veteran staff had to fix. Do not recommend. They worked *all* aspects from "American" ticket counter to immigration and customs. I will say that there was apparently an adequate number of restrooms and some areas had pretty good AC.

 

I was bemused to see that the FBO at SAN is occupied by Signature Services. The equalizer.

What's Signature Service?  I think we just dealt with Jet Blue people.

[5:00_Somewhere]

3 hours ago, abbydancer said:

Let's see if I can describe it.  As you pull up to the airport, you'll see a yellow entrance sign on the left side of the terminal.  To the right, you'll see an unmarked large open entrance.  That's where Jet Blue is.  

When we arrived, we headed to the main entrance and an airport worker directed us to the other entrance.

 

Many thanks, once again. We'll keep our eyes peeled. 

[cardiffman]

21 hours ago, abbydancer said:

What's Signature Service?  I think we just dealt with Jet Blue people.

I think I misremembered their name. The people who corralled the passengers into the AA counters, and managed immigration and customs once we were through AA ticketing, and acting as gate agents for AA flights, were all wearing polo shirts in shades of blue with “Signature Flight” or “Signature Services” logos (one of those names). There were no personnel in AA uniforms (dark blue, business-like suits) until we got on the plane itself. 

[cardiffman]

On 8/14/2021 at 7:55 AM, abbydancer said:

Once they confirm it, it's important to screenshot the QR code that's there, you need that to check in.  We didn't and had to screenshot it from the confirmation email.

When I got the email I was able to poke at the QR code image and save it to my phone’s photo album. This was great for me, because I seldom make screenshots and I have trouble when I do. 

Edited August 15, 2021 by cardiffman
Reduced the quote