Test to return home onboard

[little britain]

Currently all fully vaccinated guests requiring a COVID-19 test to return to their home country will be provided the option to receive complimentary testing onboard prior to disembarkation. Proof of return travel scheduled within 24 hours of disembarkation will be required.

As of Tuesday, November 16, 2021, for new bookings, home country re-entry testing will be available onboard for a fee of $55 per person for an Antigen test or $95 per person for a PCR test.

 

My booking was made a year ago - so I fall within the first guidelines for complimentary testing.  However, my return flight is 36hrs after disembarking.

1. Has anyone had any experience of whether they stringently check your return flight times or not please?

2. Has anyone any experience of whether you can offer to pay the $55 on board to get the test?

 

Thank you.

[RichYak]

I suspect it would be in Celebrity's best interest to keep the number of asymptomatic passengers tested while on board to a minimum. For that reason, I imagine they'll hold firm.

[tert333]

I returned on Nov 27 from a Celebrity cruise and they did not check my return ticket.

[Fouremco]

I just watched it too, and replayed the relevant part several times. It's quite clear (if you are used to Don's rambling style) that he is referring to RCI stopping testing, as already announced, NOT CELEBRITY. That doesn't mean that Celebrity won't go down this road (again) at some time in the future, but that's not the case today.

[jg51]

13 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

... maybe you should wait and see if that actually is going to become Celebrity policy.  Perhaps that will be the policy, I don't know.  But it really doesn't make sense to me that they would do that, especially at this time.  They would potentially be losing tons of international travelers.

.

Hello, "p_d".

 

Ironically, the "tons of international travelers" are the very thing that could cause Celebrity to make the same decision that its sister-line (RCI) has made.  The potential problem is that, if "X" begins to have a huge number of reservations (on, for example, Caribbean cruises) from "international travelers," there would be too many people on board to receive end-of-cruise tests.  The medical staff on a ship could be overwhelmed by the process.

 

We think that Celebrity may eventually make the change that RCI has made, hoping to persuade non-U.S. guests to get their required tests at ...

(1) U.S. airports [e.g., MIA, FLL] ...

(2) debarkation-port pharmacies/chemists or urgent-care clinics [perhaps requiring an overnight stay].

.

[Andy_P]

A Canadian watching with interest.  If Celebrity no longer offers the COVID test required to fly home onboard before debarkation, then this will be the final nail in the coffin to cancel.  I can't imagine having to taxi around Fort Lauderdale to get tested, stay at least overnight in a hotel and then fly home.  Adds hundreds to the cost of the trip and adds 1-3 days to it that my still working wife does not have.

[tert333]

35 minutes ago, Andy_P said:

A Canadian watching with interest.  If Celebrity no longer offers the COVID test required to fly home onboard before debarkation, then this will be the final nail in the coffin to cancel.  I can't imagine having to taxi around Fort Lauderdale to get tested, stay at least overnight in a hotel and then fly home.  Adds hundreds to the cost of the trip and adds 1-3 days to it that my still working wife does not have.

Yes, that would be the same with me.   More concerned that when I did get off the ship and tested positive, then I would be responsible for quarantine, etc.  I booked because of the Celebrity guarantee of taking care of the passengers if they got sick on the ship.   If they eliminate it, this risk is too high for me.

[Princess Fi]

3 hours ago, jg51 said:

.

Hello, "p_d".

 

Ironically, the "tons of international travelers" are the very thing that could cause Celebrity to make the same decision that its sister-line (RCI) has made.  The potential problem is that, if "X" begins to have a huge number of reservations (on, for example, Caribbean cruises) from "international travelers," there would be too many people on board to receive end-of-cruise tests.  The medical staff on a ship could be overwhelmed by the process.

 

We think that Celebrity may eventually make the change that RCI has made, hoping to persuade non-U.S. guests to get their required tests at ...

(1) U.S. airports [e.g., MIA, FLL] ...

(2) debarkation-port pharmacies/chemists or urgent-care clinics [perhaps requiring an overnight stay].

.

We were on the November 6 Reflection and all testing was outsourced to a company called Eurofins so not the Celebrity medical staff. 

[DCPIV]

36 minutes ago, Princess Fi said:

We were on the November 6 Reflection and all testing was outsourced to a company called Eurofins so not the Celebrity medical staff. 

 

We got off a Silversea cruise during which we were tested twice on board.  Eurofins was the testing outfit, but those administering the tests were ship's crew that had been trained to do so.

[Poppie55]

I too was counting on getting tested onboard before flying back to United States same day after arriving in Southampton, England. Maybe time to order Binaxnow self tests. Hope they have 24 hour tech support for test results as we will be at sea when taking tests. Oh boy. Am also reconsidering final payment in January.

 

[tert333]

While it was outsourced, it was still on the ship and we did not have to pay anything.  We were on the summit between nov 22 and 27

[Froufie]

If this changes I too will cancel - i cancelled a cruise on another line BECAUSE they were not offering the onboard test to international travellers - and booked on Celebrity (early November thankfully) because they were offering this test onboard at no charge AND because of their cancellation policy/covid assistance.

 

No reason to cruise with them if I need to go find the test elsewhere - just adding another 'stress' to the end of my vacation is not something I would willingly accept!

[Andy_P]

To reiterate, this is what RCL has decided, not Celebrity (at not least yet), but it provides insight into the thought process in a cruiseline owned by the same entity as Celebrity.  Here's what RCL says:  https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/when-to-take-a-test-if-traveling-to-us-from-another-country

[Covepointcruiser]

To anyone fearful of not getting the test to fly home, there is testing available at the airports at Miami and For Lauderdale.   

[jshli]

My husband and I are scheduled to arrive and stay in Venice for 4 days before our cruise and fly home from Rome the day after we debark. Between getting tested before we board the plane in the US, traveling to Ravenna, getting tested before we embark in Ravenna and getting tested again in Rome before we board the plane home, what originally seemed like a wonderful vacation, is beginning to feel very stressful. Although I realize there are those who feel it is all worth it to be able to go on a cruise, a land trip to Hawaii is starting to feel more appealing to me. I understand and agree with the need for all the testing, but for me, it is beginning to feel like too much work and effort is required for this vacation. I guess it is a personal decision.

[Lastdance]

42 minutes ago, jshli said:

My husband and I are scheduled to arrive and stay in Venice for 4 days before our cruise and fly home from Rome the day after we debark. Between getting tested before we board the plane in the US, traveling to Ravenna, getting tested before we embark in Ravenna and getting tested again in Rome before we board the plane home, what originally seemed like a wonderful vacation, is beginning to feel very stressful. Although I realize there are those who feel it is all worth it to be able to go on a cruise, a land trip to Hawaii is starting to feel more appealing to me. I understand and agree with the need for all the testing, but for me, it is beginning to feel like too much work and effort is required for this vacation. I guess it is a personal decision.

We all have different comfort levels, cruise experience and standards for our vacations; we certainly should because it is our hard earned money that we are spending.  Do all of your research very carefully and rely on your gut to help guide you through all the issues.  I totally get it!  Information changes all the time, and one has to be ready to weather the bumps along the way, or to cut the stress, playing it a little safer with more peace of mind.  I am waiting until my final payment date to decide for each cruise that I have booked for 2022.  Like you, I am traveling to South America and Europe, not just the Caribbean.  Also, get the appropriate insurance!

Edited December 23, 2021 by Lastdance

[canderson]

2 hours ago, jshli said:

... a land trip to Hawaii is starting to feel more appealing to me.

Be prepared to jump through a couple of hoops for that vacation as well.  You'll need to set up an account on the official Hawaii site ( https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/ ) and upload documents to avoid the 10 day quarantine rule there.  Be sure to take your originals with you because they'll match them up at your port of entry.

 

[jshli]

Thanks for the input. My husband and I have each had the two Moderna vaccines and the boosters, so it appears that after filling out and uploading the required information onto the Hawaii website, we should be good to go. Of course, this is always subject to change.

At this point, although leaning in the direction of cancelling,  we haven’t made a final decision. Like Last Dance, we are waiting to get a little closer to final payment.