Testing for European Cruise

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I know it's still too early to think about what July will be like, Covid-wise, but our final payment is now 5 weeks away, so beginning to wonder what our particular testing schedule will have to be. We are travelling to Copenhagen 4 days prior to boarding.

 

I know that Denmark has no entry requirements for arrival, nor does Canada require testing for vaccinated air passengers. Our last port is Stockholm: it appears that Sweden is dropping testing requirements for non-EU entrants on April 1st. Norway also I believe has lifted their more onerous requirements.

 

Can we expect that Regent will give us a complete outline of our specific testing and vaccination record requirements to do prior to final payment?

 

And my specific questions:

 

• Is it the case still that Regent expects you to pre-test at home before travel to validate any claim for a refund if you test positive prior to boarding? Can that be antigen, or must it be molecular (PCR?) (Any opinions about how like this will pertain in another 2 months?)
• Will Regent still test at the pier (for a price), or do we have to get a test while in Copenhagen (flying before the 72-hour window). Does that have to be PCR or can it be antigen? (Again, I wonder when this will be dropped entirely.)

 

 

[jeb_bud]

Whether to test at home is a big question for me too. Like you I will be flying into Copenhagen several days early. 
 

The most recent communication from Regent was pretty clear that they accept antigen testing. The letter from Regent included a link for a proctored antigen test as well as a lab in Copenhagen. If the rules don’t change I plan to test 72 hours before. Then if I test positive I will probably trash it and try again at the pier. 

[seasickphil]

44 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I know it's still too early to think about what July will be like, Covid-wise, but our final payment is now 5 weeks away, so beginning to wonder what our particular testing schedule will have to be. We are travelling to Copenhagen 4 days prior to boarding.

 

I know that Denmark has no entry requirements for arrival, nor does Canada require testing for vaccinated air passengers. Our last port is Stockholm: it appears that Sweden is dropping testing requirements for non-EU entrants on April 1st. Norway also I believe has lifted their more onerous requirements.

 

Can we expect that Regent will give us a complete outline of our specific testing and vaccination record requirements to do prior to final payment?

 

And my specific questions:

 

• Is it the case still that Regent expects you to pre-test at home before travel to validate any claim for a refund if you test positive prior to boarding? Can that be antigen, or must it be molecular (PCR?) (Any opinions about how like this will pertain in another 2 months?)
• Will Regent still test at the pier (for a price), or do we have to get a test while in Copenhagen (flying before the 72-hour window). Does that have to be PCR or can it be antigen? (Again, I wonder when this will be dropped entirely.)

 

 

I'm afraid no one at the moment know what will happen. We were informed on March 24th for our cruise aboard Voyager on April 5th that an extra test (on top of the Antigen performed at home 72 hours before embarking ) would be needed, this  at Regents expense. I believe Covid tests for cruises may well be needed for the foreseeable future.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

10 minutes ago, seasickphil said:

I'm afraid no one at the moment know what will happen. We were informed on March 24th for our cruise aboard Voyager on April 5th that an extra test (on top of the Antigen performed at home 72 hours before embarking ) would be needed, this  at Regents expense. I believe Covid tests for cruises may well be needed for the foreseeable future.

Yeah, I think you're right.  I'm wondering which of the countries that we'll be travelling to will need a test to get off the ship. Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia all in there. Hopefully none.  

 

I remember seeing a link on the rssc website that had individual requirements for upcoming cruises.  Can't find it now, but it's around somewhere (too early to see ours, I know.)

 

 

[Pcardad]

Test at home and then test 2 days out from the embarkation.

[CJANDH]

2 hours ago, jeb_bud said:

If the rules don’t change I plan to test 72 hours before. Then if I test positive I will probably trash it and try again at the pier. 

If you test positive at home, why would you want to travel and potentially spread the virus during your travels? If you test positive, stay home and be glad you didn't get to the pier before being locked up in a foreign country.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

15 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

If you test positive at home, why would you want to travel and potentially spread the virus during your travels? If you test positive, stay home and be glad you didn't get to the pier before being locked up in a foreign country.

I think he meant testing positive at the embarkation port after testing negative at home.

[CJANDH]

1 minute ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I think he meant testing positive at the embarkation port after testing negative at home.

Not sure about that.

[mj_holiday]

This is the web site that tells you what is expected for upcoming cruises.  Someone posted it on Facebook.

 

https://www.rssc.com/voyage-health?fbclid=IwAR3MWUSTNHmOK2lx_utnxGo3K0Mdp-LsEQb5UA_Qj1BQ7zwvpHuPlsh7JcY

 

May have to copy and paste in your browser.

 

We have a pre-cruise  land trip, and I hope the instructions for our cruise covers this also.

 

 

[2012_Alaska_bound]

PCard originally posted this last summer and told us to bookmark. Glad I did, because I couldn't find it from the rssc website. You don't need FB junk.

 

Wendy, you can at least look at the upcoming cruises to get some idea of what is going on in Europe.

https://www.rssc.com/voyage-health

Edited March 29, 2022 by 2012_Alaska_bound

[mdunne48]

From the link that has been provided above: Please note that BOOSTER shots are required in some jurisdictions depending upon when you received your final dose of the first vaccination series.  It does NOT appear that Regent is denying boarding based upon whether you have a BOOSTER shot.  Local jurisdictions may deny you to disembark at their location. 

 

All guests and crew must be fully vaccinated, at least 2 weeks prior to embarkation, in order to board the vessel. Guests will need to provide proof of vaccination as received at the time of your vaccination, therefore a photograph of a vaccination card is not sufficient. For more details on vaccinations and answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please click here.

Booster shots will be required on this voyage based on local destination requirements. At embarkation, guests must show proof of booster received at least two weeks prior to embarkation and should carry proof of vaccination and booster whenever going ashore. Guests who do not meet the booster shot requirements in applicable ports of call will not be allowed to disembark and must remain onboard.

Booster shots are required for:

• Guests who received the final dose of a 2-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation
• Guests who received a 1-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

Once again, different sailings have different requirement, so ONLY follow the requirements for your sailing. For our Splendor TA leaving Tuesday the booster is required, no ifs ands or buts...


 

3) Proof of Vaccination & Booster Requirements

All guests and crew must be fully vaccinated, at least 2 weeks prior to embarkation, in order to board the vessel. Guests will need to provide proof of vaccination as received at the time of your vaccination, therefore a photograph of a vaccination card is not sufficient. For more details on vaccinations and answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please click here.

Booster shots will be required on this voyage based on local destination requirements. At embarkation, guests must show proof of booster received at least two weeks prior to embarkation and should carry proof of vaccination and booster whenever going ashore. Guests who do not meet the booster shot requirements in applicable ports of call will not be allowed to disembark and must remain onboard.

Booster shots are required for:

• Guests who received the final dose of a 2-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation
• Guests who received a 1-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation

[PSU]

We are leaving April 30 for our Barcelona to Istanbul cruise. We are boosted but we have not any direction on what we need to do for this cruise. I know we have to fill out Spain’s health app. But what about Italy, France and Greece.

I understand that things are changing daily but Regent should give everyone a heads up for protocols and requirements.

We have had a few excursions canceled also but no follow up.

we have taken three cruises on Celebrity in the last six months and they have seemed to be more organized.

[LvnCruisin]

Keep checking this site for updates as to what you need to do. We leave before you do and our cruise isn't listed yet, but I have looked at what other cruises leaving from Italy and Spain are doing and will plan to do the same until I'm told differently.  https://www.rssc.com/voyage-health

[2012_Alaska_bound]

Supposedly April 1 there are supposed to be some European requirements changes coming out. Thinking that might be why Regent isn't showing any April cruises on rssc.com/voyage-health? According to Mike Moore at Regent, they don't post the sailing until 30 days before, but tick tock for both your cruises!

[Brownie54]

Both our April 5 and 19 sailings on Splendor are listed on that site with the current rules/regulations, but we are hoping that April 1 some of them might be relaxed.

[mdunne48]

10 hours ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

Once again, different sailings have different requirement, so ONLY follow the requirements for your sailing. For our Splendor TA leaving Tuesday the booster is required, no ifs ands or buts...


 

3) Proof of Vaccination & Booster Requirements

All guests and crew must be fully vaccinated, at least 2 weeks prior to embarkation, in order to board the vessel. Guests will need to provide proof of vaccination as received at the time of your vaccination, therefore a photograph of a vaccination card is not sufficient. For more details on vaccinations and answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please click here.

Booster shots will be required on this voyage based on local destination requirements. At embarkation, guests must show proof of booster received at least two weeks prior to embarkation and should carry proof of vaccination and booster whenever going ashore. Guests who do not meet the booster shot requirements in applicable ports of call will not be allowed to disembark and must remain onboard.

Booster shots are required for:

• Guests who received the final dose of a 2-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation
• Guests who received a 1-dose vaccination protocol more than 270 days prior to embarkation

Please read the requirements.  The BOOSTER shot is NOT required to get on board this sailing.  It is required in those jurisdictions / ports of call that mandate a booster shot.  Now if your disembarkation port requires a BOOSTER then I would believe that Regent would mandate everyone to have the BOOSTER prior to boarding.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

13 hours ago, mdunne48 said:

Please read the requirements.  The BOOSTER shot is NOT required to get on board this sailing.  It is required in those jurisdictions / ports of call that mandate a booster shot.  Now if your disembarkation port requires a BOOSTER then I would believe that Regent would mandate everyone to have the BOOSTER prior to boarding.

 

 

Agree wording is totally confusing.... REQUIRED in bold at least twice, but then that weird sentence about individual ports!

[jeb_bud]

On 3/29/2022 at 2:08 PM, CJANDH said:

If you test positive at home, why would you want to travel and potentially spread the virus during your travels? If you test positive, stay home and be glad you didn't get to the pier before being locked up in a foreign country.

We will be leaving home 96 hours before embarkation. If you had read the first paragraph of my post I think that would be fairly clear. Of course I’m not going to travel from Oregon to Copenhagen after testing positive. 
 

Knowing that antigen tests can show false positives I intend to take a test as soon as I’m in the 72 hour window so I can retest if necessary. 

[CJANDH]

5 minutes ago, jeb_bud said:

We will be leaving home 96 hours before embarkation. If you had read the first paragraph of my post I think that would be fairly clear. Of course I’m not going to travel from Oregon to Copenhagen after testing positive. 
 

Knowing that antigen tests can show false positives I intend to take a test as soon as I’m in the 72 hour window so I can retest if necessary.

Sorry if I misinterpreted your post. It was the line: "If the rules don’t change I plan to test 72 hours before. Then if I test positive I will probably trash it and try again at the pier" that threw me. Sure seemed to say you would go to the pier to try again. Sorry if I misunderstood; sometimes these postings can lead one astray.

[Pudgesmom]

15 hours ago, mdunne48 said:

Please read the requirements.  The BOOSTER shot is NOT required to get on board this sailing.  It is required in those jurisdictions / ports of call that mandate a booster shot.  Now if your disembarkation port requires a BOOSTER then I would believe that Regent would mandate everyone to have the BOOSTER prior to boarding.

And that is exactly it. This is why they don’t want people taking info from a cruise they are not on. Our disembarkation IS in a place which requires the booster. Please be sure before posting misinformation. 

[PaulMCO]

I regularly travel to the EU for business or transit through to the Middle East.  It is so confusing you cannot plan on your testing.  At one point I did not need a test at my destination but the airport I transited through did.

 

Now I have to worry about a June trip where my booster could be expired and would need a second booster.  Note the EU Commission rule is that a booster lasts only 270 days.  Some countries follow this rule -- some do not.  Spain does and so likely will get one next week.

 

So planning should not begin until 30 days prior, to give enough time to get boosted and schedule  and plan your testing.

Edited March 31, 2022 by PaulMCO

[Wendy The Wanderer]

17 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

Now I have to worry about a June trip where my booster could be expired and would need a second booster.

I note that 4th booster appointments have just opened up here in Florida.  (We're not eligible until mid-April, and don't need one for our July trip, but we could get one.)

[carolina cruisin]

Chatted with our doctor, he recommended getting the 2nd booster 1 month prior to cruise

 

[Boatmans Lady]

We were informed yesterday whilst on route to Majorca that Spain no longer requires you to fill a PLF in. 

 

But we did have to fill a sworn statement in to enter Corsica as they require this from countries on their orange list.