Necessary travel documents

[Cruiser0987]

Hi everyone!!

 

I am 2 days away from my honeymoon cruise aboard symphony of the seas. As this is my first cruise since covid I want to double check that we have all necessary things before heading to the airport. 
 

Our covid tests are booked for tomorrow, we have checked in with the RCCL app, downloaded the arrivecan app, and have printed both doses of our vaccine.

 

For those Canadians who have cruised in the past few months was there anything you wish you brought or needed that I’ve not already mentioned?

 

We are so excited but obviously anxious to get that negative test result tomorrow!

[Marymommyof3]

You need to fill out an Attestation Form - you can find it on the Air Canada website. Happy Travels - great time to be cruising!!

 

  

[bob&france]

Which country is the embarkation port ? Rules can vary.

Will your test have been done within 2 days of embarking?

is the cruise line offering a PCR test prior to disembarkation?

are the names on your vaccine records the same as your passport?

 

Bob

[Magicat]

Have hard copies.  Some agents will not accept electronic verification on your phone be it vaccination status, test results or the Attestation Form required at Pearson (assuming that is where you are flying out of.

[Fouremco]

While you won't be able to fully complete and submit your ArriveCAN app until after you receive the results of your PCR test at the end of your cruise, there's quite a bit of information that you will need to enter. Whether you do most of it at home, my recommendation, or during the cruise, give yourself sufficient time and don't wait until you are walking down the gangway!

 

You will need to upload proof of vaccination. I don't recall whether you can take a photo of your printed vaccination docs with the app, but I simply uploaded the MOH files. Of course, to do so, you need to have copies of the files on your cell phone.

[Fouremco]

4 hours ago, Marymommyof3 said:

You need to fill out an Attestation Form - you can find it on the Air Canada website. Happy Travels - great time to be cruising!!

 

  

 

1 hour ago, Magicat said:

Have hard copies.  Some agents will not accept electronic verification on your phone be it vaccination status, test results or the Attestation Form required at Pearson (assuming that is where you are flying out of.

Here's a direct link to the Attestation form, required for a flight to the US from any Canadian airport. A bit quicker and easier than going to the AC website.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/attachment-a-global-passenger-disclosure-attestation-2021-p.pdf?v=4

 

When the US entry rules change sometime in November, I think that we can anticipate either a revised Attestation form or an additional form to capture the vaccination requirement.

[Magicat]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

While you won't be able to fully complete and submit your ArriveCAN app until after you receive the results of your PCR test at the end of your cruise, there's quite a bit of information that you will need to enter. Whether you do most of it at home, my recommendation, or during the cruise, give yourself sufficient time and don't wait until you are walking down the gangway!

 

You will need to upload proof of vaccination. I don't recall whether you can take a photo of your printed vaccination docs with the app, but I simply uploaded the MOH files. Of course, to do so, you need to have copies of the files on your cell phone.

Don't quote me but I thought you needed your PCR test results before you can fill in your ArriveCan app information.  At least that is what my DW had to wait for to do hers. 

[Fouremco]

2 minutes ago, Magicat said:

Don't quote me but I thought you needed your PCR test results before you can fill in your ArriveCan app information.  At least that is what my DW had to wait for to do hers. 

You can fill in the vast majority of the information on the app in advance. When I first downloaded it, I did so experimentally for a cruise next March. A few fields, like the date of the flight home, wouldn't take as is too far in the future for the app. On the other hand, listing all of the countries visited during the cruise worked fine, as did the upload of my 2 proofs of vaccinations. Also all of the relevant information for my DW. I believe that the only field I have left to fill out is the flight date. Of course, I will need to edit fields should circumstance change. For example, the list of countries visited should our itinerary change.

 

But as I said in my earlier post, you need to wait until you have received your PCR test results as a last step before you can SUBMIT your information.

 

[broberts]

It's obvious, but don't forget passports and credit card. 😃

 

Have a great cruise.

[Fouremco]

And NEXUS card if you have one.

[ladysail2]

That’s alot of work before a vacation! What does a person do if  he/she doesn’t have a cell phone?   Does all this documentation have a paper /hard copy option?   Thanks.

[lx200gps]

36 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

And NEXUS card if you have one.

Just make sure it is still valid, as they haven't been processing renewals in a long time  ;o(  My latest card expired last summer but my wife's is good until 2025.

[Fouremco]

45 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

That’s alot of work before a vacation! What does a person do if  he/she doesn’t have a cell phone?   Does all this documentation have a paper /hard copy option?   Thanks.

The only problematic area if you don't have a smartphone is using the mandatory ArriveCAN app. Paper copies of everything else is acceptable, and in some cases mandatory. On Celebrity, for example, they require your paper vaccination documentation, not a photo or digital version. But if you don't have a smartphone, you can use the online browser version to enter your information. This could include a public computer at a library, an internet café or a hotel. Or in the case of a cruise, a laptop or other device you've taken with you. In some cases, there will be computers available for your use aboard, including printers to print out the ArriveCAN receipt.

[hancogran]

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

Just make sure it is still valid, as they haven't been processing renewals in a long time  ;o(  My latest card expired last summer but my wife's is good until 2025.

They are extending the expiry date on your Nexus card for 18 months.  My husband's was due to expire in January and I renewed it online  in July but just recently read about the extension.    The notice I got said they will honour your "expired" card.  

[ladysail2]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

The only problematic area if you don't have a smartphone is using the mandatory ArriveCAN app. Paper copies of everything else is acceptable, and in some cases mandatory. On Celebrity, for example, they require your paper vaccination documentation, not a photo or digital version. But if you don't have a smartphone, you can use the online browser version to enter your information. This could include a public computer at a library, an internet café or a hotel. Or in the case of a cruise, a laptop or other device you've taken with you. In some cases, there will be computers available for your use aboard, including printers to print out the ArriveCAN receipt.

Thank you. I have an iPad that I use daily. I have a smartphone but it doesn’t have a data plan…it’s kept Off in my purse for use in emergencies, or taking pictures or LD Calls…

[lx200gps]

2 hours ago, hancogran said:

They are extending the expiry date on your Nexus card for 18 months.  My husband's was due to expire in January and I renewed it online  in July but just recently read about the extension.    The notice I got said they will honour your "expired" card.  

I'll have to look into it a bit further. The last communication I had from the CBSA was this past April. The concluding message in the Email said:

 

Existing NEXUS and FAST members who renew their membership before the expiry date on their card will be granted an extension of their membership benefits. Therefore, please renew your membership before it expires to avoid losing your privileges while your renewal is pending.

 

Sadly, I hadn't renewed before the closure, so AFAIK, this means I am truly expired until they restart the application process. And when that happens, there will be a monumentally massive number of renewals and new applications to process. Given how long it's been, it's too much to hope that they will just automatically approve renewals without requiring the interview.

[Cruiser0987]

10 hours ago, Fouremco said:

While you won't be able to fully complete and submit your ArriveCAN app until after you receive the results of your PCR test at the end of your cruise, there's quite a bit of information that you will need to enter. Whether you do most of it at home, my recommendation, or during the cruise, give yourself sufficient time and don't wait until you are walking down the gangway!

 

You will need to upload proof of vaccination. I don't recall whether you can take a photo of your printed vaccination docs with the app, but I simply uploaded the MOH files. Of course, to do so, you need to have copies of the files on your cell phone.

Does everyone travelling need to download the arrive can app and fill it out or is it just one per household?

[Fouremco]

6 minutes ago, Cruiser0987 said:

Does everyone travelling need to download the arrive can app and fill it out or is it just one per household?

You can use a single app for a family or for a group of up to 8 people travelling together. In the latter case, the quarantine plan must be the same for all members of the group. 

[hancogran]

26 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

I'll have to look into it a bit further. The last communication I had from the CBSA was this past April. The concluding message in the Email said:

 

Existing NEXUS and FAST members who renew their membership before the expiry date on their card will be granted an extension of their membership benefits. Therefore, please renew your membership before it expires to avoid losing your privileges while your renewal is pending.

 

Sadly, I hadn't renewed before the closure, so AFAIK, this means I am truly expired until they restart the application process. And when that happens, there will be a monumentally massive number of renewals and new applications to process. Given how long it's been, it's too much to hope that they will just automatically approve renewals without requiring the interview.

Correction to my previous post .. it's a 24 month extension (not 18).   Existing NEXUS and FAST members who renew their membership before the expiry date on their card will retain their membership privileges for twenty-four months beyond their scheduled expiration.Feb. 2, 2021 

 

I don't think you need to go for an interview if you're just renewing.

From the Nexus site:  Please note that a streamlined renewal process is now in place. It is no longer necessary for the majority of renewing members who have not had changes to their information and have maintained their low-risk status to attend an interview.

If I were you (and you definitely want to renew it), I'd simply complete the online renewal, pay your $50 USD and just wait to see what happens.  Fingers crossed .... the pandemic backlog may work to your advantage.😊

[lx200gps]

11 hours ago, hancogran said:

Correction to my previous post .. it's a 24 month extension (not 18).   Existing NEXUS and FAST members who renew their membership before the expiry date on their card will retain their membership privileges for twenty-four months beyond their scheduled expiration.Feb. 2, 2021 

 

I don't think you need to go for an interview if you're just renewing.

From the Nexus site:  Please note that a streamlined renewal process is now in place. It is no longer necessary for the majority of renewing members who have not had changes to their information and have maintained their low-risk status to attend an interview.

If I were you (and you definitely want to renew it), I'd simply complete the online renewal, pay your $50 USD and just wait to see what happens.  Fingers crossed .... the pandemic backlog may work to your advantage.😊

Thanks for posting, you've made me realize my fundamental error. While the 24 month extension is great, the wording does clearly state that I had to have renewed BEFORE the card expired, which I did not do, so AFAIK, I do not have a valid, albeit extended, card.

 

That being said, you make me realize that I never did even attempt an on-line renewal to see if that would be possible. I'm on it today. Thanks again.

[ladysail2]

My NEXUS card expires in 2024. I’m hoping to get some use out of it. I renewed it in 2019, and guess what happened in 2020….and now it’s nearly 2022…..and I got the wrong vaccine combo…..😩

[Britchip]

2 hours ago, ladysail2 said:

My NEXUS card expires in 2024. I’m hoping to get some use out of it. I renewed it in 2019, and guess what happened in 2020….and now it’s nearly 2022…..and I got the wrong vaccine combo…..😩

My advice is don’t buy a lottery ticket 😢

[ladysail2]

1 hour ago, Britchip said:

My advice is don’t buy a lottery ticket 😢

🤣🤣 I actually don’t…I’ve saved alot of money by not buying them.