Celebrity have released new guidelines for transatlantic cruises.

[BEAV]

16 minutes ago, Airbalancer said:

Got an email about our Apex TA April 30 , could be just for Canadians 🤔😁

PRE-ARRIVAL COVID-19 TEST Our boarding requirements include that, in addition to documentation of full vaccination, all guests must present at embarkation a negative COVID-19 test result. This test can be either an Antigen or PCR test, conducted within two days* of boarding the ship. Pre-arrival testing must be completed by an authorized provider at your own expense. * For itineraries that have a port of call in Spain OR that end in Spain, the pre-arrival test must be taken within one day of sailing, regardless of homeport. Guests who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may present a Certificate of Recovery and proof of the positive PCR test result taken between 11-90 days prior to the sail date in order to board. In addition, you must still present a vaccination card. We will not accept a Certificate of Recovery in place of a vaccination record.

 

They are the same for US citizens sailing from Florida on Transatlantics. 

[terrydtx]

26 minutes ago, Airbalancer said:

Got an email about our Apex TA April 30 , could be just for Canadians 🤔😁

PRE-ARRIVAL COVID-19 TEST Our boarding requirements include that, in addition to documentation of full vaccination, all guests must present at embarkation a negative COVID-19 test result. This test can be either an Antigen or PCR test, conducted within two days* of boarding the ship. Pre-arrival testing must be completed by an authorized provider at your own expense. * For itineraries that have a port of call in Spain OR that end in Spain, the pre-arrival test must be taken within one day of sailing, regardless of homeport. Guests who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may present a Certificate of Recovery and proof of the positive PCR test result taken between 11-90 days prior to the sail date in order to board. In addition, you must still present a vaccination card. We will not accept a Certificate of Recovery in place of a vaccination record.

I would bet money that these will be the same protocols for at least the late April cruise from the UK and all May cruises from the rest of Europe. Nothing else will have changed that much in the next 30 days in Europe.

[T^2]

I am hoping things will change in Italy on 1 May as currently being reported/speculated when all but a few covid restrictions remain.

Here's to hoping.

[rM3panno]

57 minutes ago, T^2 said:

I am hoping things will change in Italy on 1 May as currently being reported/speculated when all but a few covid restrictions remain.

Here's to hoping.

Right now, Spain is the most stringent and what is requiring the 1 day prior to boarding test requirement.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I do not see that is any different than what Celebrity has already released for TA cruises departing this month for all passengers.

In the app it listed 1 day for testing ,  this email it indicates 2 days , so I can use the same test to fly into the USA and get on the cruise 

[T^2]

@Airbalancermight double check email and make sure there isn't  a "*" buried in the text with a 1 day requirement. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

44 minutes ago, T^2 said:

@Airbalancermight double check email and make sure there isn't  a "*" buried in the text with a 1 day requirement. 

It is for Spain 

* For itineraries that have a port of call in Spain OR that end in Spain, the pre-arrival test must be taken within one day of sailing, regardless of homeport.

[T^2]

Wasn't sure which cruise you were on.  Sorry, didn't read all your details.

[sunlover33]

Just seen a reply from a Celebrity rep on a Celebrity Facebook group. They hope to have European protocols published by the end of this week. Not sure how accurate this information is but sounds as though they are finally making decisions based on the current situation. The levels of covid in the U.K. are expected to drop rapidly over the next few weeks according to professor Tim Spector, who has so far been very accurate with his predictions. Maybe Celebrity are hoping not to have to change the protocols once published if they wait for the most updated  information from the U.K. and Europe. 

[sgmn]

10 hours ago, Airbalancer said:

It is for Spain 

* For itineraries that have a port of call in Spain OR that end in Spain, the pre-arrival test must be taken within one day of sailing, regardless of homeport.

This is so crazy. Our Beyond cruise finishes in Spain. That's the only Spanish port. I was hoping to get my test in UK the day before we leave for embarking in Italy but may now have to source a test in Civitavecchia the day before. Hope things change before June

[rM3panno]

5 minutes ago, sgmn said:

This is so crazy. Our Beyond cruise finishes in Spain. That's the only Spanish port. I was hoping to get my test in UK the day before we leave for embarking in Italy but may now have to source a test in Civitavecchia the day before. Hope things change before June

Yes, it’s a bizarre requirement and the actual source document from Spain is poorly written. It says the test must be at least 24 hours before departure. Celebrity’s interpretation of that is within 1 day of sailing. In the past the requirements didn’t take into consideration sailaway time. Will your test be valid if you take an eMed test in you hotel room the night before departure which is less than 24 hours from departure but within 1 day of sailing?

Edited April 6, 2022 by rM3panno

[sgmn]

4 minutes ago, rM3panno said:

Yes, it’s a bizarre requirement and the actual source document from Spain is poorly written. It says the test must be at least 24 hours before departure. Celebrity’s interpretation of that is within 1 day of sailing. In the past the requirements didn’t take into consideration sailaway time. Will your test be valid if you take an eMed test in you hotel room the night before departure which is less than 24 hours from departure but within 1 day of sailing?

Not sure, I shall be following the protocols and what others are doing on earlier European cruises with interest. Selfishly I'm glad I'm not doing one of the earlier cruises and I can learn from others experience 

Hopefully plenty of people will post on here once European cruises get started 

[upwarduk]

2 hours ago, sunlover33 said:

The levels of covid in the U.K. are expected to drop rapidly over the next few weeks according to professor Tim Spector, who has so far been very accurate with his predictions.

Of course the levels will drop, as free testing finished on April 1st.

Who is now going to pay for a test?

Fortunately, I managed to order some at the end of March.

[sunlover33]

2 hours ago, upwarduk said:

5 hours ago, sunlover33 said:

 

Of course the levels will drop, as free testing finished on April 1st.

Who is now going to pay for a test?

Fortunately, I managed to order some at the end of March.

I don’t think that was Tim’s rationale for the numbers dropping. He thinks as there was such a surge over the last month then there is a high level of antibody protection among the general population at the moment, although clearly as we have seen before this doesn’t last. However we may not know about the next surge as people won’t be testing as frequently as access to testing is much more limited now with the abolition of free tests.