My Opinion

[Bucketlist22]

On 1/28/2022 at 1:37 PM, Hired Gun said:

The survey I got from HAL asked if I thought everyone should be boosted in order to sail. I answered yes and I hope that becomes reality. In August we cruised on the Eurodam from Athens and were tested at embarkation. No cases on board. The experience of a lady poster now in quarantine makes me want to drive to Ft. Lauderdale instead of flying. It's a day and a half but it sure limits exposure. In Dec. we were on the Rotterdam and the entertainers got Covid. I wonder if vaccination and testing is a requirement for them as well? Heart goes out to all who have suffered losses in this strange time. Make the choice that's best for you and hope for better times to come.

Not flying would be great but you still have to make stops if driving a day plus. You can pick it up just as easily from a restaurant, gas station or hotel. We considered driving too. 

[KirkNC]

14 minutes ago, Bucketlist22 said:

Not flying would be great but you still have to make stops if driving a day plus. You can pick it up just as easily from a restaurant, gas station or hotel. We considered driving too. 

My DW picked it up in a grocery store.  We are sure as that was the only place we had been in the three days prior.

[Mary229]

It seems I am not the only one who thinks the testing protocol is based on misguided assumptions, I have good company 

Travel Industry Coalition Urges Lifting of International Testing Requirement for Vaccinated Travelers

 

https://www.airlines.org/news/travel-industry-coalition-urges-lifting-of-international-testing-requirement-for-vaccinated-travelers/

[OmarOak]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

It seems I am not the only one who thinks the testing protocol is based on misguided assumptions, I have good company 

Travel Industry Coalition Urges Lifting of International Testing Requirement for Vaccinated Travelers

 

https://www.airlines.org/news/travel-industry-coalition-urges-lifting-of-international-testing-requirement-for-vaccinated-travelers/

an Industry group seeking to be less regulated because its in their economic interest (regardless of the risk  to their customers), what a shock!

 

Self-serving industry groups are rarely good company.

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, OmarOak said:

an Industry group seeking to be less regulated because its in their economic interest (regardless of the risk  to their customers), what a shock!

 

Self-serving industry groups are rarely good company.

Perhaps you didn’t actually read the letter and the citations from researchers, the UK and EU authorities and the WHO?  

Edited February 6, 2022 by Mary229

[leerathje]

On 2/3/2022 at 5:06 PM, Bucketlist22 said:

Not flying would be great but you still have to make stops if driving a day plus. You can pick it up just as easily from a restaurant, gas station or hotel. We considered driving too. 

Driving is not an option.  I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. I'm so far away, the Alaska Inside Passage cruises go by my house!

 

L.

[iancal]

Whose to know the survey business is sincere or if it simply a feel good marketing play.

 

Surveying is one thing, acting on the survey results is quite another.

[Bucketlist22]

2 hours ago, leerathje said:

Driving is not an option.  I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. I'm so far away, the Alaska Inside Passage cruises go by my house!

 

L.

Love Victoria and what I’ve been able to see of the island. Buchardt gardens is one of my very favorite places I’ve ever been. 

[Cinder Again]

13 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Perhaps you didn’t actually read the letter and the citations from researchers, the UK and EU authorities and the WHO?  

My PERSONAL OPINION: I think the Government (CDC, et AL) need some sort of excuse/exit ramp for ending Covid restrictions. By now they know that the current virus is so highly virulent no mitigating precautions really work, (including masks) but they also know it’s nowhere near as deadly. They might even be behind the scenes asking for companies to begin to open themselves up. I’m glad other countries have done a better job of recording usable data, either the CDC totally botched their data system, or the data doesn’t reflect what they are comfortable sharing. 

[OmarOak]

16 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Perhaps you didn’t actually read the letter and the citations from researchers, the UK and EU authorities and the WHO?  

Fascinating to me that you and others are willing to believe an industry group's self serving excerpts of UK and European sources ahead of our own CDC.

[Mary229]

20 minutes ago, OmarOak said:

Fascinating to me that you and others are willing to believe an industry group's self serving excerpts of UK and European sources ahead of our own CDC.

There is so much I could respond to in your statement but that would simply lead to arguing.  Keep your eye on March 1, there will be changes

[Oceansaway17]

On 1/27/2022 at 12:13 AM, jhannah said:

I agree that the testing protocol is ridiculous right now. Proof of vaccine should be plenty. I think cruise lines are running scared of the CDC.

I agree and they need to loosen up on the testing days.  People do not need the stress of trying to get to the departure city on time or if they want to go a few days ahead, then looking for testing sites.

It is all a bit too much.  

[Crazy For Cats]

On 2/6/2022 at 12:41 PM, Mary229 said:

There is so much I could respond to in your statement but that would simply lead to arguing.  Keep your eye on March 1, there will be changes

 I hope that you are correct.  We found a 14 day cruise that we would book if the protocols were relaxed. 

[Mary229]

25 minutes ago, Crazy For Cats said:

 I hope that you are correct.  We found a 14 day cruise that we would book if the protocols were relaxed. 

If the protocols are difficult for you first write HAL, give them your opinion.  Tell them exactly what you said here - that is, the protocols are causing your hesitancy.  Be specific in your objections.   

 

I hope you are able to go!

[Oceansaway17]

On 2/5/2022 at 9:08 PM, iancal said:

Whose to know the survey business is sincere or if it simply a feel good marketing play.

 

Surveying is one thing, acting on the survey results is quite another.

that is right.  I hate surveys as I always wonder what do they do with the information.

And funny how a lot of surveys are YES or NO answers only.

[Crazy For Cats]

13 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

If the protocols are difficult for you first write HAL, give them your opinion.  Tell them exactly what you said here - that is, the protocols are causing your hesitancy.  Be specific in your objections.   

 

I hope you are able to go!

I already did.  I also shared that I sailed on the Dawn in December and included my review.  DH absolutely refuses to wear masks while on vacation.

[Ray4Fun]

On 1/27/2022 at 1:19 AM, smlnd said:

When we went on a Crystal Cruise last year, they tested everyone (free) at the port.  You waited for your results in the terminal and you could only board if you were negative. There were no cases of Covid on board but there were only 173 passengers on our cruise.  As you can see, they could not sustain this kind of service without going bankrupt. 

 

Crystal, You mean the bankrupt cruise line?  Ok, that was a low blow. I'm jaded, they owe us several K. 

[mightycruisequeen]

On 2/6/2022 at 11:41 AM, Mary229 said:

There is so much I could respond to in your statement but that would simply lead to arguing.  Keep your eye on March 1, there will be changes

I sure do hope you're right, and that there are a LOT of changes.  I'm so done with all the hoops.

[RICHARD@SEA]

As a long time HAL cruiser(since 1976) I sent in my opinion  - if people are not being vaccinated & dont have proof, I will not sail on their ships while there is still a major global pandemic.

People act as if a cruise is a necessity like food & water ...but its not...enough already - if you are not vaccinated & don't have proof - STAY HOME.  Why should hundreds if not thousands of passengers & crew be exposed due to one persons selfishness.  If you dont want to wear a mask - dont go.

 

also CRYSTAL went under because they didnt pay their fuel bills for their ships.

[Mary229]

@RICHARD@SEA I haven’t read a single post on the HAL forum where someone suggested unvaccinated passengers.  

[JudithLynne]

I want to let you all know that this thread with all of your posts has given my DH and me much comfort in knowing that you all are dealing with the same issues that we are and that we are not alone.

We are scheduled to take our 48^th cruise in July, our 15th Alaska cruise.  We cruise Alaska every summer that we can.  We never get tired of that cruise and it is only a 90 min. direct flight to Seattle for us.

We are both fully vaccinated and boostered seniors.  

We will have great difficulty getting test results 2 days before a cruise! We live in a small town in southern Oregon with limited resources.  Many of the resources that we had have pulled out.  Hopefully the March 1 changes will benefit us!

Edited February 8, 2022 by JudithLynne

[AFNavigator]

5 hours ago, JudithLynne said:

I want to let you all know that this thread with all of your posts has given my DH and me much comfort in knowing that you all are dealing with the same issues that we are and that we are not alone.

We are scheduled to take our 48^th cruise in July, our 15th Alaska cruise.  We cruise Alaska every summer that we can.  We never get tired of that cruise and it is only a 90 min. direct flight to Seattle for us.

We are both fully vaccinated and boostered seniors.  

We will have great difficulty getting test results 2 days before a cruise! We live in a small town in southern Oregon with limited resources.  Many of the resources that we had have pulled out.  Hopefully the March 1 changes will benefit us!

If you have a camera on your laptop, tablet, or a smartphone, you might want to try the Abbott Labs Binax-Now AG home tests.  You can order them at Emed or Optum.  You just have to set up a simple Navica account online.  Note, these are not the Binax-Now tests you get over the counter at the drug store--you have to order them.

 

Two days from your cruise--wherever you are with internet access--you log in to the account and it starts up an online video "proctored" test where they use your camera to watch you do the test.  That makes it count as a medically monitored test acceptable for travel.  They walk you through every step.  After you do the test (it takes about 3-4 minutes), you wait 15 minutes, then a timer on the system starts beeping.  You click a button to reconnect with the Emed monitor person.  They visually look at your test card and, assuming it is negative, you are done.  Your test results get saved in the Navica system and you can print a copy to take with you.  Very easy to do and no searching for a rapid test location required.

[0106]

@AFNavigatorI have the proctored tests.  I put the NAVICA app on my phone and set up an account for me and my husband.  I have a laptop with a camera /mic/internet.  When I’m ready to test, where do I log in? App on my phone? Laptop? To what site?  Thank you

[AFNavigator]

1 hour ago, 0106 said:

@AFNavigatorI have the proctored tests.  I put the NAVICA app on my phone and set up an account for me and my husband.  I have a laptop with a camera /mic/internet.  When I’m ready to test, where do I log in? App on my phone? Laptop? To what site?  Thank you

You can log in on either your phone or laptop.  I suggest the laptop unless you have someone else holding your phone while you do the test.  They have to be able to see you do the entire test for it to be valid.  Do it in a well lit room too.

Do NOT open the test box until instructed to do so.  If you open it before they tell you, they won't accept the test.

To log in, just go to emed.com.  Their home page has three buttons partway down the page.  Click on the one called "START TESTING".  It asks what state you are from (I see it has an "other" option too), then a disclaimer page, then a page that says "Sign in with NAVICA" or "Create NAVICA Account".  Just follow the prompts from there.

If I remember correctly, the app then does a camera and sound test before taking you to a proctor to start the test.  The proctor will be able to see and talk with you, you just won't be able to see them--they don't have a camera on them.  Once you are to this point, the test just takes a few minutes to do, a timed 15 minute wait, then a few minutes to examine the results.  I think it took about 25 minutes per test total for each of us.

 

[Crazy For Cats]

NCL just announced that effective March 1 masks no longer required on board.