covid test requirement expire 10/31/21??

[Cajuntraveler]

HAL has extended the vaccine and testing requirements through Feb 28, 2022  The mask requirement has also been extended.  Below is a section of HAL's health protocols which can be found at the very top of the HAL web site.

 

Updated October 13, 2021

Your health and safety are our highest priorities.
Our cruises through February 28, 2022 are available for guests who have ALL of the following:

• Received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise
• Proof of vaccination
• Proof of a negative, medically observed, viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken within 2 days of their embarkation. da

[WestLakeGirl]

Respectfully, We really don’t care what other lines do

[Boytjie]

3 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

Respectfully, We really don’t care what other lines do

 

OK, but usually where one goes, the rest go.

[hasentreelake]

3 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

Respectfully, We really don’t care what other lines do

True

 

9 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

OK, but usually where one goes, the rest go.

and True

[cruisestitch]

Well if they are going to copy, I would rather have them copy the lines which test everyone in the terminal.

[cruisemom42]

On 10/14/2021 at 11:27 AM, TeeRick said:

Jump through enough hoops?  Isn't cruising supposed to be a low anxiety, stress free vacation?😀

 

People say this reflexively, but really what is "low anxiety" about many of the activities we all have to go through before getting on board, well before COVID?  Flying certainly isn't "low stress", nor is getting all your ducks in a row to travel (bills paid? passport found and packed? suitcases ready? traffic on the way to airport? etc.)

 

Life is stressful. This is just one more thing we have to adjust to on a longer or shorter term basis. I still find being onboard a ship is one of the least stressful types of vacation one can take.

[Keys Kathy]

On 10/14/2021 at 11:00 AM, sunonfire said:

Holland America and Princess are continuing Covid protocols.

 

https://cruisefever.net/cruise-lines-extend-vaccine-and-mask-requirements-for-cruises-through-early-2022/

We will not sail if masks are required. 

[DaKahuna]

1 minute ago, Keys Kathy said:

We will not sail if masks are required. 

Okay.  But don’t blame me if we choose to sail even if mask are required.  In fact, out of an abundance of caution we will most likely wear mask in public spaces anyway. 

[isdoo]

17 hours ago, Keys Kathy said:

We will not sail if masks are required. 

 

We have to wear masks in the UK and it isn't a local requirement. 

 

So they may introduce it. 

[tmoe]

I sure hope it is.  We had ZERO Covid cases on our 12 night Equinox cruise in September.  I'm sure the pre testing had a lot to do with that!

[D C]

2 hours ago, tmoe said:

I sure hope it is.  We had ZERO Covid cases on our 12 night Equinox cruise in September.  I'm sure the pre testing had a lot to do with that!

My DS just got off the Equinox today.  They had one covid case on the way to Aruba and 2 more on the way back to port everglades.   A crewmember told them that there had only been a single Equinox cruise without any covid cases.

 

Without data on how many 2-days-prior positive tests there have been, I would argue that vaccination and people being cautious in advance of their cruise is a bigger factor than the pre-cruise testing. 

 

[jgmorgan]

23 hours ago, D C said:

Without data

It's much easier to argue without data.😂

[glmacruise]

If your vaccinated they need to end this ridiculous requirement 

[Jim_Iain]

On 10/17/2021 at 11:39 AM, tmoe said:

I sure hope it is.  We had ZERO Covid cases on our 12 night Equinox cruise in September.  I'm sure the pre testing had a lot to do with that!

Not sure of that.   We were on the Equinox 9/5 and 9/17 B2B cruises and had 3 cases on the 1st (with 3 day testing)  and 2 on the second (with 2 day  testing).   On Current Millennium we have had 1 test positive. 

[Jim_Iain]

12 minutes ago, glmacruise said:

If your vaccinated they need to end this ridiculous requirement 

 

It is pretty clear the testing is working.   If vaccination were protecting all we wouldn't be having all these break through cases even with testing.    I can only imagine that it would be much higher without tests. 

[Fouremco]

32 minutes ago, glmacruise said:

If your vaccinated they need to end this ridiculous requirement 

Strongly disagree. With the current testing in place, we are still seeing cases. How many more would occur, and how would you even know, should testing be dropped? People are concerned enough as it is, but dropping the testing requirement might result in far fewer passengers than you are already seeing.

Edited October 18, 2021 by Fouremco

[CMW5060]

Leaving on Summit Saturday and just got email from CVS stating they cancelled our Covid test for Thursday! Immediately called and was able to get in at another local CVS. The location we were originally scheduled at  is now temporarily closed according to website. Part of me wants to order the home test thru Cekebrity as a backup, but not sure we have enough time?

[RichYak]

16 minutes ago, CMW5060 said:

Leaving on Summit Saturday and just got email from CVS stating they cancelled our Covid test for Thursday! Immediately called and was able to get in at another local CVS. The location we were originally scheduled at  is now temporarily closed according to website. Part of me wants to order the home test thru Cekebrity as a backup, but not sure we have enough time?

It's because of posts like this that the home test I ordered from Optum is my primary plan and CVS is my backup instead of vice versa. CVS (Minute Clinic) is simply unreliable.

[D C]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

It is pretty clear the testing is working.   If vaccination were protecting all we wouldn't be having all these break through cases even with testing.    I can only imagine that it would be much higher without tests. 

Without data on how many positive pre-cruise tests there are, we can't say that all.

 

What we do know is that people are actually going to medical when they they have symptoms. That alone is impressive. I would have expected people to just explain away that they got 'cruise crud' or have allergies or whatever (and it's possible that many do just that when they don't feel well mid-cruise). 

 

[D C]

3 hours ago, glmacruise said:

If your vaccinated they need to end this ridiculous requirement 

 

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Strongly disagree. With the current testing in place, we are still seeing cases. How many more would occur, and how would you even know, should testing be dropped? People are concerned enough as it is, but dropping the testing requirement might result in far fewer passengers than you are already seeing.

 

It does beg the question of where we're headed with covid.

 

Vaccinated people are practically immune from serious illness and death from the disease. That's an amazing success, but it doesn't mean that vaccinated people are immune from any illness whatsoever.  So long as the virus is present in society, we're all susceptible to some extent.

 

Essentially, those of us who are vaccinated may have some varying level of illness, but only in rare circumstances, generally with underlying conditions, will we become significantly sick.

 

Compare this to influenza.  Most who get vaccinated do so to avoid significant illness or feeling like crud for days on end, not because we think we might die.  If we get sick, we typically stay home. We otherwise go about our normal lives without concern for the illness. We don't wear masks out of concern. We don't take flu tests.

 

Given the success of covid vaccines and that they effectively make covid and influenza on par with each other, do we really need to treat the two so vastly different? Or could we really get by with the generalized "if you're sick, stay home"? 
 

[Fouremco]

5 minutes ago, D C said:

Or could we really get by with the generalized "if you're sick, stay home"? 

Unfortunately, COVID has clearly shown that common sense approaches to prevention simply don't work with far too many people.

[D C]

5 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Unfortunately, COVID has clearly shown that common sense approaches to prevention simply don't work with far too many people.

Not following you. 

[Fouremco]

1 minute ago, D C said:

Not following you. 

You had asked if we could get by with "if you're sick, stay home." In an ideal world, maybe, but I have no confidence that everyone experiencing symptoms would stay home. 

[D C]

17 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

You had asked if we could get by with "if you're sick, stay home." In an ideal world, maybe, but I have no confidence that everyone experiencing symptoms would stay home. 

Wouldn't that also be on par with influenza? 

 

For those vaccinated, is there any reason to treat covid differently than influenza? 

[Catlover54]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Not sure of that.   We were on the Equinox 9/5 and 9/17 B2B cruises and had 3 cases on the 1st (with 3 day testing)  and 2 on the second (with 2 day  testing).   On Current Millennium we have had 1 test positive. 

How many were hospitalized due to severe disease, if any?

How many died, if any?

Out of how many total vaxxed pax?

And  compared with people getting sick pre-Covid with viruses?

More and more medical experts are talking about Covid becoming endemic, like flu.  Some people get it, a handful of fragile  people were hospitalized.   We still traveled.
Vaxes ( with boosters) help lower risks of bad outcomes. 
And Merck is close to getting an oral drug approved for early rx -- docs on ships will likely have it.

 

The world cannot wait for a Covid free world. How long will it take politicians and their appointed health people to recognize this so cruise lines and travel industry etc can survive?