Alaska Cruise Season and New England Cadiana Cruises seem to be a GO!

[Jim_Iain]

Government of Canada announces the new public health plan for cruise ships.

https://tdpelmedia.com/government-of-canada-announces-the-new-public-health-plan-for-cruise-ships

 

As Canada welcomes the first cruise ships back to Canadian waters in April, Transport Canada, working alongside partners, has developed a comprehensive public health plan for cruise ships, including:

• Crew and passengers being required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19;
• Crew and passengers being required to self-monitor for symptoms;
• Passengers being required to take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before boarding a cruise ship OR take an antigen test within one day of boarding a cruise ship; and
• Passengers being required to take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before arriving in Canada or taking an antigen test within one day of the scheduled arrival.

The Government of Canada is adjusting travel advice for cruise ship travel and continues to advise travellers to proceed with caution.

[Purplsmurf]

We are starting in Seward and finishing in Vancouver. It’s far away so who knows what will happen, but that will be a lot of people to test before disembarking. We originally had this cruise booked starting in Vancouver, which wouldn’t be a problem, but after 2 cancellations we decided to go the other route so we can do some land visiting before our cruise instead of after. Regardless, we will still need a test to come back to the US now so could test multiple times before actually coming home 😂 We shall see!

[Provence55always]

Thanks Jim………delighted with this news. Our final payment is due next on our Alaskan B2B on the Constellation…..third time lucky 🍀  

[Jim_Iain]

I have 3 cruises booked with stops in Canada and already booked excursions so been following closely.   I know many have been anxiously waiting to hear Eclipse and Solstice coming out of suspension and rejoing the fleet. 

[Gia2cats]

I’m trying to be positive about this. We have a 3 day land tour prior to embarking on the Millenium in Seward. We disembark in Vancouver. Will Celebrity be willing to test everyone on the ship before we arrive in Vancouver? We would also have to be tested during the land. Would love to get the thoughts of experienced cruisers. We just booked a bunch of excursions yesterday.

[RichYak]

5 minutes ago, Gia2cats said:

I’m trying to be positive about this. We have a 3 day land tour prior to embarking on the Millenium in Seward. We disembark in Vancouver. Will Celebrity be willing to test everyone on the ship before we arrive in Vancouver? We would also have to be tested during the land. Would love to get the thoughts of experienced cruisers. We just booked a bunch of excursions yesterday.

I'm with you. I don't think this is good news at all. I can see cruise lines scrapping Canada again this season.

[Jim_Iain]

I'm guessing we will have to wait and see.   Since the new protocols were only announced a couple hours ago I'm sure there are many decisions to be made.    I would think that as conditions improve they may relax some of the regulations but at least it's a starting point.

 

[nw gardener]

Not surprised but disappointed with the announcement. Question will be how the cruise lines handle testing everyone (crew and passengers) to either disembark in Vancouver after a RT, or a port stop in Victoria.  Yes, they are already doing some testing for passengers who need to test to reach their home country.  But this means thousands tested the day before.  A hurdle some cruise lines may not want to do.

[dgoz]

So if I cruise round trip to Seattle with that 5 hour stop in Victoria BC, do I need to do a Covid test before my return flight home?

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

The Government of Canada is adjusting travel advice for cruise ship travel and continues to advise travellers to proceed with caution.

Is this the statement that gives the Canadian gov't the ability to tweak the expectations for the port-of-call testing exemptions?  That is, if you are fully vaccinated, and tested negatively for Covid before boarding, and you are self monitoring for symptoms, then all is well with cruising in Canada this season.   

Edited March 7, 2022 by Ferry_Watcher

[Mike & Zen]

The Transport Canada cruise ship directive is here:

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/preventing-or-limiting-the-spread-of-covid-19-on-cruise-ships.html

 

Yes, a cruise ship is obligated to test before disembarking.  Here’s the wording in the above directive.

• Provide testing facilities and tests for passengers to take either a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before disembarking a cruise ship or an antigen test no more than one day before the scheduled arrival.

And Holland America has put out their positive news regarding the new directive.  The link is here:

 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-published-canadian-cruise-procedures-clear-way-for-holland-america-line-full-alaska-and-canada-new-england-cruise-seasons-818346327.html

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

I wonder how long it will take RCL and Celebrity to post something.   Seems like Holland America is excited and embrace the new guidance within hours.

[WestLakeGirl]

36 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I'm with you. I don't think this is good news at all. I can see cruise lines scrapping Canada again this season.

I do too.  

[WestLakeGirl]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

Government of Canada announces the new public health plan for cruise ships.

https://tdpelmedia.com/government-of-canada-announces-the-new-public-health-plan-for-cruise-ships

 

As Canada welcomes the first cruise ships back to Canadian waters in April, Transport Canada, working alongside partners, has developed a comprehensive public health plan for cruise ships, including:

• Crew and passengers being required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19;
• Crew and passengers being required to self-monitor for symptoms;
• Passengers being required to take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before boarding a cruise ship OR take an antigen test within one day of boarding a cruise ship; and
• Passengers being required to take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before arriving in Canada or taking an antigen test within one day of the scheduled arrival.

The Government of Canada is adjusting travel advice for cruise ship travel and continues to advise travellers to proceed with caution.

I see a mess here.  

Antigen test WITHIN ONE DAY OF BOARDING.

 ANOTHER TEST DURING THE CRUISE!!,

[Jim_Iain]

I'm also in the middle of that as I'm booked on all 3 cruises.   It's a very popular set of cruises and  all 3 have been almost sold out for a year.   LOTS of consecutive cruisers. 

 

Maybe I'm just  a "Glass Half full" kinda guy and really not concerned and confident things will be worked out.  

[travlr21]

3 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

I see a mess here.

I agree. We are on the Eclipse 7 night RT from Vancouver on May 22. The final day is a sea day. We were hoping this would be our ease-back-into-cruising cruise, no flights needed. Hopefully Celebrity posts soon, since we may have a decision to make.

[FlorenceItaly]

I am booked on a HAL 24 day New England/Iceland/Greenland cruise RT Boston(Aug 3-27) with many Canadian ports.  I wonder how this will be handled.

 

 

[MustBCruzn]

Final payment is due in a few weeks on our Alaska cruise RT from Seattle and this looks concerning to me. I can't imaging Celebrity testing all onboard for the few hours we spend in Victoria. I've done this cruise many times and no longer get off in Victoria as our time there is so short, but I would still like clarification sooner rather than later.

[5waldos]

So much more complicated when I really think this through than my first take. Guess I forgot that not everyone was sailing out of Vancouver going north- people were also coming back. And each test has to be monitored- they can't just drop off  self-administered tests in each cabin and trust that everyone will do the right thing. 

[cruisestitch]

So we have gone from testing three days in advance of the cruise to one day in advance of the cruise, by order of Canada. This is not good news.

 

The city of Halifax is a potential loser in this, since it would be easier to drop that port altogether on the Greenland cruises rather than arrange to test all the passengers.

[phoenix_dream]

I think this is very bad news. No way will Celebrity be testing people onboard for Alaska or northeast itineraries which go back to Canada after visiting US ports. I would love to be wrong as I have 2 impacted cruises both of which have been lifted and shifted twice already. 

[Suzanne123]

Last Thursday,  I asked the Flights by Celebrity rep if Celebrity would help us get tested after our back to back from Vancouver to be able to take the Celebrity flight back to US ( Seattle) at the end of the cruise.  She put me on hold and came back to tell me that Celebrity would test me at Vancouver, at my expense, $55 for the antigen test.  The PCR test would cost more, but I don’t remember how much.  
 

[lexmiller]

This is so unclear......we are booked (for the 3rd time, two cancellations due to covid) on the Boston round trip Canada cruise, overnight in Quebec City.  Many Canadian ports......no clue how this is going to be handled regarding the testing.  Clarity please, Transport Canada, need some clarity here.  Hopefully, as Jim Lain said, these details will be worked out between the governments and the cruise lines and resumption of cruising will continue without testing requirements that are simply impossible to achieve.  

[RichYak]

For all those who say that the US CDC hates the cruise industry, Canada's response is, "Hold my beer, eh?" After reading the guidance again, to me this is basically Canada saying "we don't want cruise ships here" without actually saying it. I hope I'm wrong.

[bama4cruisin]

47 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

I see a mess here.  

Antigen test WITHIN ONE DAY OF BOARDING.

 ANOTHER TEST DURING THE CRUISE!!,

I realize the cruise I am referring to was almost 5 months ago, but here goes.  On the Apex TA from Barcelona with approximately 1200 passengers and 1100 crew; ALL passengers tested at the port during check-in.  We were ALL tested again on Day 5 before we reached the Canary Islands.  EVERYONE was tested the day before arriving in Ft. Lauderdale as that was a US requirement since arriving from Europe.  Approximately 2300 people tested; announced mid-afternoon in a rare announcement heard throughout the ship including staterooms that everyone tested negative.  
 

Is the onboard testing an expense to the cruise line?  Sure.  is it doable?  Yes.