It looks like Celebrity is now requiring negative COVID test before boarding

[bigbeergut]

21 minutes ago, nocl said:

Data clearly shows that the viral load is orders of magnitude higher with Delta, even in asymptomatic cases.  With the other variants the data indicated that vaccination prevented transmission even in break through cases.

 

With Delta that is not the case the viral load, even in breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals can infect others.  Thus the change in the mask guidance.

 

 

You need to look at the data from Singapore not the 400+ cases from Massachusetts.   The Singapore data shows high viral loads only exist for a very short time.

[Turtles06]

48 minutes ago, markeb said:

The antigen test is largely marketed as a screening test. If positive, the recommendation is to verify on PCR. As a screening test, it should have more false positives. It tests for an indicator of viral replication, so a positive antigen test is more suggestive of early stage infection. But if you’re too early or too late, it will likely be negative. 

Thank you. So for a fully vaccinated individual showing no signs of any infection, which test (PCR or antigen) is more likely to produce a false positive?  Trying to figure out, with the short time frame for pre-cruise testing, which would be the better test to get from that perspective (less chance of false positive).  Thanks. 

[Turtles06]

(Duplicate post deleted)

Edited August 6, 2021 by Turtles06

[qoap24]

On 8/4/2021 at 2:58 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Warning for those thinking of the PCR tests.    I was tested  on Monday for another reason (non-Cruise) at a Drive Through Location that is doing PCR testing.     It is now 48 hours since my test and I still have not received my results.    It was advertised as 1-2 days but  not guaranteed.   If I was planning on a cruise leaving tomorrow I would be in a panic at this time.  

 

Living on the  West Coast and the Travel time I booked a Rapid Test 72 hours prior to our Sept 5 cruise and now happy I have the reservation.

Can you please share where  you were able to make an appointment that far in advance?

[nocl]

53 minutes ago, bigbeergut said:

You need to look at the data from Singapore not the 400+ cases from Massachusetts.   The Singapore data shows high viral loads only exist for a very short time.

Not looking at any one study, but several different studies and results.

 

One thing that is clear from Delta is that there are more break through cases and considerable more cases with chain of transmission being though a vaccinated individual that has gotten infected.

 

Which means that if the high viral load is 1 hour or 5 days there have been substantial cases occurring as a result of transmission from infected vaccinated individuals.

 

Though if I recall correctly the most recent Singapore study on delta looked only at MNRA vaccines, not the other types of authorized vaccines.

 

Also while it indicated reduced infectious duration periods it is still measured in days.  

Edited August 6, 2021 by nocl

[oskidunker]

34 minutes ago, qoap24 said:

Can you please share where  you were able to make an appointment that far in advance?

I made an appointment with Kaiser for Sept. however they don't guarantee results within 72 hours, although you supposedly get it within that time. Anyone know where would be a good place to get a test with quicker results on the San Francisco peninsula? The cruise line is really making this difficult . We sail at 4 pm out of Seattle. Leaving here two days before. That means we have to take the test after 4 pm Tuesday, unless they change it. We are on sept 24 sailing. So far no test required but I am betting there will be . Will cvs do a quicker test?

[markeb]

50 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Thank you. So for a fully vaccinated individual showing no signs of any infection, which test (PCR or antigen) is more likely to produce a false positive?  Trying to figure out, with the short time frame for pre-cruise testing, which would be the better test to get from that perspective (less chance of false positive).  Thanks. 

 

That's a hard one for me to answer, and I really don't know that I can. I haven't seen actual data. They both have good points and not so good points, but I've really looked at them more from a truly diagnostic standpoint. And there's a timing thing. I have some gut ideas, but those are kind of dangerous...

[Jim_Iain]

27 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

I made an appointment with Kaiser for Sept. however they don't guarantee results within 72 hours, although you supposedly get it within that time. Anyone know where would be a good place to get a test with quicker results on the San Francisco peninsula? The cruise line is really making this difficult . We sail at 4 pm out of Seattle. Leaving here two days before. That means we have to take the test after 4 pm Tuesday, unless they change it. We are on sept 24 sailing. So far no test required but I am betting there will be . Will cvs do a quicker test?

 

I had a test at Kaiser San Jose on Monday.   Results came back at about 50 hours after test was taken.  I am a bit concerned of flying and not having results for our Sept 5 cruise so booked a 30 minute Antigen Test in Palo Alto.    Kaiser told me to submit a claim and they will reimburse.

 

https://www.covidclinic.org/palo-alto/

[ryansmousehouse]

36 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I had a test at Kaiser San Jose on Monday.   Results came back at about 50 hours after test was taken.  I am a bit concerned of flying and not having results for our Sept 5 cruise so booked a 30 minute Antigen Test in Palo Alto.    Kaiser told me to submit a claim and they will reimburse.

 

https://www.covidclinic.org/palo-alto/

Jim...which test did you book...I see I have a location in Portland Or. On my way to Seattle.. Several test choices.. Is the 129 antigen test the one you scheduled.. Thanks

[jg51]

The only solution to this mess is for Celebrity to go back to their former procedure (which was overturned only a week or two ago) -- namely to require NO testing for vaccinated passengers embarking at U.S. ports.  In addition, there should be no testing of vaccinated passengers on their second [etc.] Embarkation Day (of back-to-back cruises).

 

Until Celebrity has the good sense to return to the former procedure, we will be among the tens of thousands (perhaps hundreds of thousands) of people who will not book a cruise.  If the journey will not be leisurely for us, we will not make the journey.  If these new, burdensome requirements are imposed on us, we can and will live without cruising, even though we truly wish to be aboard ("immediately, if not sooner").

.

Edited August 6, 2021 by jg51

[Locobill49]

12 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

Thank you. So for a fully vaccinated individual showing no signs of any infection, which test (PCR or antigen) is more likely to produce a false positive?  Trying to figure out, with the short time frame for pre-cruise testing, which would be the better test to get from that perspective (less chance of false positive).  Thanks. 

I am sailing on Aug 20 out of Seattle. We have scheduled an antigen test at a cvs about 20 miles away for 4pm on Aug 17. Our local cvs (3 miles) only books appt one day in advance. So our plan is to book the local cvs the at 2pm and if negative results, will cancel the other appt. If positive, will take a second test. A nurse said booking twice might be a good idea.

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, mayleeman said:

@TeeRick To help relieve your anxiety about possibly testing positive in Seattle, get a test done 4-5 days before you leave. That period should give you plenty of time to get results. You should then have fewer "what if?" worries about a positive test in Seattle and returning home because you can cancel everything then.

 

Depending on where you live, you could also reserve a car rental ahead of time for a return trip and cancel it once you get your Seattle test results. Long drive is better than flying home positive. 

 

Get N95 masks to keep yourself much safer while waiting for your trip to Seattle, too. Got these on Amazon.

 

 

We live in the Philadelphia area so it would be a cross-country drive of 2821 miles.

[mayleeman]

Just now, TeeRick said:

We live in the Philadelphia area so it would be a cross-country drive of 2821 miles.

Oops... 🥴

[terrydtx]

10 hours ago, jg51 said:

 

Until Celebrity has the good sense to return to the former procedure, we will be among the tens of thousands (perhaps hundreds of thousands) of people who will not book a cruise.  If the journey will not be leisurely for us, we will not make the journey.  If these new, burdensome requirements are imposed on us, we can and will live without cruising, even though we truly wish to be aboard ("immediately, if not sooner").

.

That is your decision, but if you think Celebrity cares if they lose your business, you have a false sense of your importance. 

Edited August 6, 2021 by terrydtx

[WhiteSoxFan]

11 hours ago, jg51 said:

The only solution to this mess is for Celebrity to go back to their former procedure (which was overturned only a week or two ago) -- namely to require NO testing for vaccinated passengers embarking at U.S. ports.  In addition, there should be no testing of vaccinated passengers on their second [etc.] Embarkation Day (of back-to-back cruises).

 

Until Celebrity has the good sense to return to the former procedure, we will be among the tens of thousands (perhaps hundreds of thousands) of people who will not book a cruise.  If the journey will not be leisurely for us, we will not make the journey.  If these new, burdensome requirements are imposed on us, we can and will live without cruising, even though we truly wish to be aboard ("immediately, if not sooner").

.

You call it good sense to go back to the previous procedures but the cruise lines aren't putting these procedures in place just to inconvenience you.  They are numbers crunchers and have determined that this is the best procedure moving forward until proven otherwise. 

 

Every positive case onboard is an expense not just in flying these people, and their families, home on private jets but also in testing all close contacts and, of course, bad press.

[Fouremco]

It's hard to believe that some posters can't grasp the fact that health and safety protocols have to be ramped up in order to meet the increasing surge of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants. 🙄

[Miaminice]

2 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

It's hard to believe that some posters can't grasp the fact that health and safety protocols have to be ramped up in order to meet the increasing surge of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants. 🙄

Amen to that! 

[terrydtx]

5 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

It's hard to believe that some posters can't grasp the fact that health and safety protocols have to be ramped up in order to meet the increasing surge of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants. 🙄

We would all like things to be like they were pre Covid but some here can't accept the reality that they won't for some time.

[Jim_Iain]

14 hours ago, ryansmousehouse said:

Jim...which test did you book...I see I have a location in Portland Or. On my way to Seattle.. Several test choices.. Is the 129 antigen test the one you scheduled.. Thanks

Yes I booked the Antigen.     There must be a surge in testing as when I booked it 2 days ago I only had to pay $99.   I went back and looked and the price has also gone up to 129 since I booked.

[nocl]

4 hours ago, TeeRick said:

We live in the Philadelphia area so it would be a cross-country drive of 2821 miles.

Have you thought about flipping your trip schedule.  Fly in the day before after testing in your home area, then spending the additional time in Seattle after the cruise?

[mayleeman]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

It's hard to believe that some posters can't grasp the fact that health and safety protocols have to be ramped up in order to meet the increasing surge of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants. 🙄

 

I wish it was hard to believe, but really, I think a lot of us expected it, didn't we?

 

Just as we all should anticipate more disruption in cruising and constant revisions to the protocols. Many people think that getting the vaccine should be enough to go forward without a care in the world. I think masks will be the next step, and we will see many more posts raging about that.

 

These tests just might end up being effective as they could well deter a number of people from sailing, which could keep some positives off, and lower the pax count/density on board.

[TeeRick]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

It's hard to believe that some posters can't grasp the fact that health and safety protocols have to be ramped up in order to meet the increasing surge of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants. 🙄

Not hard to believe really as a primary reason for the surge in the US anyway is the people resistant to getting the vaccine.  So a surge of cases is inevitable.  But it is mostly the unvaccinated who are at risk for serious COVID and death.  Yes agree that there are DELTA breakthrough cases in some of the vaccinated but that is not the reason for the current surge in certain parts of the US.  It seems that DELTA is so infectious that it "burns itself out" after peaking as was the case in India and the UK.

 

Anyway- most vaccinated people are disappointed (not surprised) for these reasons.  And vaccinated people soon to cruise (like me) are having to deal with new logistics after booking travel, hotels, etc. so that is a source of frustration.  

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, nocl said:

Have you thought about flipping your trip schedule.  Fly in the day before after testing in your home area, then spending the additional time in Seattle after the cruise?

Yes we are trying to do this as the simplest way forward.  Our problem is we used airline miles a while ago and got two first class round trips.  Now with the need to change, we cannot find the "mileage-paid seats" on the changed flights that would work.  Yes first world+ problem but it still stinks!😕

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, mayleeman said:

 

I wish it was hard to believe, but really, I think a lot of us expected it, didn't we?

 

Just as we all should anticipate more disruption in cruising and constant revisions to the protocols. Many people think that getting the vaccine should be enough to go forward without a care in the world. I think masks will be the next step, and we will see many more posts raging about that.

 

These tests just might end up being effective as they could well deter a number of people from sailing, which could keep some positives off, and lower the pax count/density on board.

 

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Not hard to believe really as a primary reason for the surge in the US anyway is the people resistant to getting the vaccine.  So a surge of cases is inevitable.  But it is mostly the unvaccinated who are at risk for serious COVID and death.  Yes agree that there are DELTA breakthrough cases in some of the vaccinated but that is not the reason for the current surge in certain parts of the US.  It seems that DELTA is so infectious that it "burns itself out" after peaking as was the case in India and the UK.

 

Anyway- most vaccinated people are disappointed (not surprised) for these reasons.  And vaccinated people soon to cruise (like me) are having to deal with new logistics after booking travel, hotels, etc. so that is a source of frustration.  

Yes, you are both right, I suppose it isn't that hard to believe these days. What a sad state of affairs, when we simply accept the fact that so many just don't comprehend, and when an event like South Dakota's Sturgis motorcycle rally barely raises an eyebrow.

[hcat]

Called X today just to go over current status for our Jan 2022 Reflection  Carib cruise, rt Port Ev.   Got through easily and had a very helpful  and patient rep...based in Jamaica.   Happy to hear that our cruise is NOT  one of the cancelled ones....so far,  and  that our FCC  will be able to be applied to final payment in  Oct,

 

Info is subject to change but as of now:

Proof of vaccination at least 2 wks before the cruise will be required at the pier.

Must fill out health questionaire on line or via app 24 hrs before sailing.

Complete new digital  safety briefing via wi fi/ app and go to Assembly Station.

Staff will assist with any of the  tech stuff if  there are problems  or questions.

 

Testing Requirements right now apply through Sept 6th

 

Moving to another cruise would be double the price.. we are hoping things work out and we will be on board Reflection in 2022!