Covid cases onboard and testing prior to boarding

[debant]

Have there been covid cases onboard?  I need to give final payment in a few weeks and trying to find out how things have been going with the sailings out of the US. I also waited on hold with Celebrity for almost an hour a few days ago to find out about how they can expect you to get a covid test two days before and be guaranteed results in time. Their info on website isn’t clear. My travel agent said no rapid tests are accepted but it looks like on Celebrity’s website it is, the person I got on the phone didn’t seem to know for sure herself.

We plan on flying to Fort Lauderdale a week before the cruise so I also need to find out where to get covid tests there

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jelayne]

Suggest you read the info on the website here is a link

https://www.celebritycruises.com/health-and-safety

particularly the section about country travel requirements and the FAQs

 

You will find which tests are acceptable including 1 that can be done at home with a proctor via laptop, tablet or phone.  In many areas (not all) CVS and Walgreens offer the accepted tests as do some labs.

[Fouremco]

Yes, there have been cases aboard Celebrity and most (all?) other lines since the restart. For Celebrity, there were very few passengers or crew members testing positive and the cases were well handled. 

 

Your TA is wrong, rapid tests are accepted. This link to the Testing and Screening FAQ will answer a lot of your questions: https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/faqs#testing-and-screening-faqs

 

Assuming that you are a US resident, you can order the testing kit that Celebrity is now promoting here: https://store.optum.com/celebrity-cruises/. Have it sent to your home well in advance of your travel to Fort Lauderdale and then take it with you. Otherwise, read the numerous threads to get ideas for many other options for testing. Google is also your friend.

[39august]

Yes, there have been covid cases on pretty much every cruise from the US and some from St. Martin. In Ft. Lauderdale there are rapid antigen tests available at FastTestNow.com unless something has changed. They are at 1008 W. Oakland Pk. Blvd. 

[Turtles06]

To add for the OP: for guests who test positive during a cruise, Celebrity has been disembarking them at the next port and flying them home (I think by charter), at Celebrity’s expense. That policy runs thru the end of October. No one knows if/when it will be extended, or what Celebrity will do if it’s not. 
 

Guests who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive on board are tested and confined to their cabins, and released upon a negative test. 

 

I suggest you read some of the “live from” threads and recent reviews in this forum to get a feel for what is happening on board. 
 

As for locating testing sites in FLL, there’s at least one thread with this info in the Florida Departures forum (moved there from this forum!).

[Jim_Iain]

I'm currently on Equinox and we have had 2 covid cases near the beginning of the cruises and they were removed from the ship in hazmat outfits strapped into a gurney.   They were whisked away in an ambulance. 

 

@Turtles06gave a good synopsis of protocol.   Contact tracing is done and those in close contact for 20-30 minutes are quarantined in their room  until they test negative on 2 consecutive days.  After that they can remain aboard but must wear masks anytime outside their cabin and are prohibited to continue on a B2B.   

 

About 15-20 % of PAX wear masks anytime inside and some wear outside  as well.   Personal choice.  I've been seeing some crew and officers without masks outside in the past 2 days.   Really is not as scary as it sounds. 

 

For testing -  Read the FAQ under health at sea at top of Celebrity Site.   They do indeed accept rapid tests.    I had one done and had by results back in 20 minutes through covidetests.org.    I also had  a PCR test and results took over 50 hours.  They are  also accepting the Rapid Home Test which is a proctored test over the internet.    

 

Celebrity has a link to order the kits and the link below

https://store.optum.com/celebrity-cruises 

 

 

We look forward to welcoming you aboard Celebrity Equinox® for your Caribbean sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Before we depart, we have some important information to share regarding our Health and Safety Protocols. Out of an abundance of caution, Celebrity Cruises will be enhancing COVID-19 testing requirements for both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests.  For US sailings departing through October 1, 2021, all guests two years of age and older, regardless of vaccination status, will now be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result at the time of embarkation. All vaccinated guests will be required to present this test taken as either a PCR or an Antigen test, conducted within two days of boarding the vessel. All unvaccinated children between the ages of two and eleven years old will be required to bring a negative PCR test conducted within three days of boarding. These guests will have an additional PCR test taken at the terminal prior to embarkation and on the day before disembarkation. A registration link for required testing will be emailed separately. Each guest is responsible for making their own arrangements with an accredited testing provider as well as all associated costs. For additional details on accepted COVID-19 tests please click here. For fully vaccinated guests living in the United States, a home-test kit will be available for purchase as of Wednesday, September 8, 2021. We are working with an authorized medical provider to be able to offer this option to our guests. You will complete your pre-cruise test right at home or at any other place of your choosing with the help of a live video supervision by a Certified Guide. These test kits will be delivered anywhere in the United States and Puerto Rico, within two business days and you will receive validated results in 15 minutes. Order At-home Test Kits

REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTERING THE US FROM ABROAD

• All non-US residents must present a negative NAAT or Antigen test taken with 3 days of travel.

• Be sure to save a copy on your phone and bring a printed copy. Name on test results must match those on government issued identification.

VACCINATION POLICY

All sailings departing the U.S. are subject to guidance from the CDC. Following CDC guidelines, we will sail with all crew vaccinated and at least 95% of guests will be fully vaccinated. Currently, the CDC does not recognize any mixed combination of COVID-19 vaccines as fully vaccinated. For sailings departing the United States, to be recognized as fully vaccinated, guests 12 years of age and older, must complete a vaccine series with products from the same manufacturer, with the last dose administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. Additionally, Celebrity Cruise will not accept any form of Certificate of Recovery.

Acceptable proof of vaccination must be in the form of the original vaccination record document issued by the country’s health authority or healthcare provider that administered the vaccination.

All unvaccinated children 2 to 11 years old will require a complimentary Covid-19 test at the terminal. Registration is required prior to arrival at terminal. A link will be provided via email to the unvaccinated guest.

Guests that do not meet the testing and health screening policy requirements will be denied boarding. For additional details on our health and safety protocols, click here to see FAQs.

WHILE ONBOARD

• Following CDC Guidelines, masks will not be required for vaccinated guests. Masks are required for unvaccinated guests under 12 years old while indoors when not in their stateroom, eating or drinking.

WHILE ASHORE

Shore excursion guidance listed by port of call can be found online here. We will continue to monitor and update as any changes to local requirements occur. Unvaccinated youths or families touring with unvaccinated children may only go ashore if participating in an excursion provided by Celebrity Cruises.

TRAVEL HOME - US AND ABROAD

• Unvaccinated children are required to take a PCR test for Covid-19 prior to re-entry for voyages 4 nights or longer.

• Tests required for home country re-entry will also be administered onboard. Testing will be provided free of charge to our vaccinated guests prior to debarkation. Additional details and registration provided once onboard.

[sjb317]

Our Equinox cruise on August 27 had 7 cases that were announced to us passengers.  3 were announced on the 3rd night of our cruise and 4 on the 5th evening.  And who knows if any tested positive after leaving the ship?

 

Sherri🙂

[cruisetime5]

Actually on the Aug 27 Equinox cruise it was 2 passengers and 1 crew for the first announcement and 2 more passengers on 2nd announcement for a total of 5

[SbbquilterUT]

On millenium last week we had one positive on day 7 with no other positive among the many close contact and staff tested.  Also you may order the embed.com supervised home test kit (there are videos on Utube showing the process which is simple and proctored via internet) for an acceptable test.  RCCL is even selling the kits online.  The only issue I saw was passengers ignoring the Alaska masking rules. 

[debant]

They aren’t testing once you’re onboard? If not then the people testing positive must be symptomatic and then getting tested. Does anyone know if these people testing positive have or haven’t been vaccinated. 

[canderson]

5 minutes ago, debant said:

They aren’t testing once you’re onboard? If not then the people testing positive must be symptomatic and then getting tested. Does anyone know if these people testing positive have or haven’t been vaccinated. 

Given the itineraries, they will have been vaccinated (required for all 12 and older by a number of islands now).  All we've heard specifics about to date have had symptoms, and reported to medical.  Only the <12 who aren't vaccinated would be required to test during the cruise.  The exception is a B2B, where one must re-test before re-boarding for the next leg.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Much as we like to interact with other passengers our plan is to social distance on our next cruise.  We've never been on Edge and plan to explore it on our own.

 

[Julma]

We were on the Edge mid-August.  2 cases were reported about mid-cruise.  They were taken off the ship.  We tested when we arrived home and tested negative.  On cruise, we didn't wear masks or social distance, but did stay on ship the entire cruise.  The ship was not crowded.   We flew into FLL and went right to hotel and stayed in the room until we left for the cruise ship.  IMHO, your week in FLL is where you have to be very careful.  

[sanger727]

16 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I'm currently on Equinox and we have had 2 covid cases near the beginning of the cruises and they were removed from the ship in hazmat outfits strapped into a gurney.   They were whisked away in an ambulance. 

 

@Turtles06gave a good synopsis of protocol.   Contact tracing is done and those in close contact for 20-30 minutes are quarantined in their room  until they test negative on 2 consecutive days.  After that they can remain aboard but must wear masks anytime outside their cabin and are prohibited to continue on a B2B.   

 

 

Well, this is silly. Covid has up to a 14 day incubation period. So anytime during those 14 days you could be carrying the virus and have not built up sufficient viral load to have symptoms or test positive. But any day that could change. So If exposed on day 3, you could test negative on days 4 and 5, and then positive on day 6. Standard quarantine is 7-14 days from exposure where you are quarantined the whole time. 

Edited September 13, 2021 by sanger727

[jamon]

thanks for the info..

[jgmorgan]

3 hours ago, sanger727 said:

Standard quarantine is 7-14 days from exposure where you are quarantined the whole time.

This may not apply to fully vaccinated persons.  The CDC doesn't recommend quarantine for fully vaccinated persons who encounter a close contact.  However, it appears that Celebrity has chosen to be a bit more conservative by requiring two negative test days.  They also are following the CDC guidelines that mandate masks for close contacts for 14 days after exposure.

 

[sanger727]

2 hours ago, jgmorgan said:

This may not apply to fully vaccinated persons.  The CDC doesn't recommend quarantine for fully vaccinated persons who encounter a close contact.  However, it appears that Celebrity has chosen to be a bit more conservative by requiring two negative test days.  They also are following the CDC guidelines that mandate masks for close contacts for 14 days after exposure.

 

the point being; either you believe vaccinations exempt you from the quarantine or you don’t. Two days is next to useless - they may as well do zero days. Minimum incubation period is 2 days. 

[jgmorgan]

6 hours ago, sanger727 said:

Minimum incubation period is 2 days. 

Yes that appears to be true. If the close contact with Covid is a random, previously unknown person, then a test in the two days following would almost certainly be negative.  If the contact is someone in the same traveling party, or someone with whom contact has been recurring, it might be a different outcome.  Celebrity is trying to manage a difficult situation and certainly learning as they go.  I’m glad they are trying.