On board Solendor!

[pnsnkr]

6 hours ago, desibee said:

Strange.  Why, I wonder, were some targeted for testing despite also getting off the ship at Barcelona but not leaving the cruise and some not?

 

It's a new cruise segment, I think similar to a B2B cruise; otherwise wouldn't be fair for the folks who are getting onboard in Barcelona. We had to be tested for B2B on Crystal after the first segment. 

 

And, there are quite a few cruisers who are returning to the US immediately after the cruise and Regent offers onboard testing at cost for them, unless they have a Regent Air package, I think.  Seems fair to me.

 

 

 

[SWFLAOK]

We just did B2B cruises on SeaDream. The 4 of us who were staying on for a second week had to go into the terminal and pass through customs (masks required), but as soon as the last guest cleared customs, we we allowed to reboard without testing. All  of the new cruisers had to have a nose swab and wait for results before boarding, just as we did when we boarded the previous week. If there were any cases onboard for either of our cruises, we were not aware of it.

[cwn]

Our BtoB is not for awhile yet, but I thought I read that Regent required a Covid test if your were continuing on for the next segment just as if you had to for the first segment. I have been following a blog from a couple on Hal for a multi segment cruise and they have to test at the end of each one. Seems fair to me also. 

[flossie009]

2 hours ago, Travelingwithstyle said:

Curious...does anyone know what happens if a person didnt choose to buy insurance and they test positive on Regent.  What will Regent do?

My reading is that claims can still be submitted. I quote “For guests whose claims are denied or who do not have insurance …………..”

 

2 hours ago, Travelingwithstyle said:

No need to post why everyone should have travel insurance

Regent Ts&Cs in the U.K. require all guests to have “appropriate holiday insurance”

 

 

[chelseabelsea]

This was a fabulous cruise!

While I don’t understand the somewhat negative tone of the poster who knows folks onboard in isolation, I can offer what I observed during our glorious crossing:

Two o of the entertainers were “out of commission” for about five or six days (Boogie and Kasia) but returned to perform last night.

 

I also observed food being delivered by someone in PPE. 

 

My understanding is that we had 560 passengers on board. 

As for “forced testing” no, that did not happen. We did not need a test so we did not take advantage of tests offered.

 

FWIW- God forbid it had been us, I would much prefer to remain in my own suite so I would not be angry about remaining there. 

 

I’m so sorry for those that developed Covid during the cruise- how very disappointing for them! I wish them a speedy recovery.

 

[fdnycruiser]

13 hours ago, cwn said:

Our BtoB is not for awhile yet, but I thought I read that Regent required a Covid test if your were continuing on for the next segment just as if you had to for the first segment. I have been following a blog from a couple on Hal for a multi segment cruise and they have to test at the end of each one. Seems fair to me also. 

We got off the Explorer in Rome last week. Testing was mandatory for those doing the B2B to Trieste. Testing was also available for those needing it for air travel. We were getting off in Rome, and weren’t required to take one.

[artlee]

We were on board and no mandatory testing required 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

17 hours ago, flossie009 said:

My reading is that claims can still be submitted. I quote “For guests whose claims are denied or who do not have insurance …………..”

 

Regent Ts&Cs in the U.K. require all guests to have “appropriate holiday insurance”

 

 

Interesting difference.  I'm in Canada and this is relevant because it's tough to find insurance against cancellation, and it's very expensive.  I have a couple of quotes that we have to consider when we arrive back in Canada next week for our July Splendor trip.  But we may very well choose to not buy cancellation insurance this time. 

 

We are willing to "self-insure", although we have only done this for one other cruise, during a period when US underwriters topped coverage for Canadians.  But we'd like to be sure that if we test positive at the dock we will be reimbursed.  Maybe this is too much to ask, but it sure makes everything uncertain. Sounds like we would be covered, in any case.

 

(BTW, we have travel medical coverage, which is the important component that I suspect the UK  T&Cs are talking about.)

[flossie009]

3 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

(BTW, we have travel medical coverage, which is the important component that I suspect the UK  T&Cs are talking about.)

Relevant clause from UK Ts&Cs:

"Guests are required as a condition of our accepting your booking to take out appropriate holiday insurance to cover as a minimum all travel, cancellation, curtailment, medical and repatriation liabilities (including where these arise as a result of circumstances outside your control such as, without limitation, accident or illness or inability to travel for other reasons)"

 

So no, not just medical.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

28 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

Relevant clause from UK Ts&Cs:

"Guests are required as a condition of our accepting your booking to take out appropriate holiday insurance to cover as a minimum all travel, cancellation, curtailment, medical and repatriation liabilities (including where these arise as a result of circumstances outside your control such as, without limitation, accident or illness or inability to travel for other reasons)"

 

So no, not just medical.

Wow. I've definitely known folks who routinely "self insured" their cruises.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Wendy The Wanderer

[cwn]

Insurance is not required by Regent to accept a booking in the US. We self-insure all but World Cruises and Grand Cruises.

[ronrick1943]

On 4/18/2022 at 3:42 PM, desibee said:

Strange.  Why, I wonder, were some targeted for testing despite also getting off the ship at Barcelona but not leaving the cruise and some not?

Maybe just someone said one thing, then people add to the story-and so on.  It would seem that once Regent gave ship ,management instructions they would follow those orders.

[Travelingwithstyle]

11 hours ago, cwn said:

Insurance is not required by Regent to accept a booking in the US. We self-insure all but World Cruises and Grand Cruises.

Will you please share what you do for the longer cruises.  We are in our 50s with no medical issues (neither takes any prescriptions,  etc) and have a World Cruise booked for 2024.  We are from the USA.  Any guidance about medical, cancellation insurance,  etc. would be greatly appreciated. 

[Pathfinder88]

We were onboard the TA cruise.  Had a lovely time on the elegant Splendor,  more hits than misses.  
 

We did not take a Covid test on Monday as we wouldn’t have been able to use it.   We disembarked, and took a high speed train to Madrid to overnight before our flight home to the US on Wednesday.  Everything was going swimmingly.  But wait.  The Covid tests we took upon arrival in Madrid were POSITIVE, and here we are, stuck until at least Monday.  Fortunately, the hotel can keep us until then, and fingers crossed for negative results from the next tests as flights have been hard to find.
 

I hadn’t heard or seen anything about passengers or crew being sick on the ship, but apparently it was all around us, and there was nowhere to hide.  Anyone else find themselves in similar predicament? Misery loves company.  The whole feel-good from an enjoyable, relaxing two weeks has practically evaporated for us. Safe travels, everyone. 

[Gilly]

@Pathfinder88 I am so sorry to read of your experience.  There is still an awful lot of CV around, for sure and having got through the last two years without falling foul of the virus, both dh and I have just spent the last ten days at home after testing positive (both fully vaccinated and continuing to take precautions such as wearing masks and keeping our distance when outside our home).  To be ill on holiday has to be the worst and I can only hope that, like us, you are not feeling really poorly and can get the negative test results you need as soon as you can.  Our commiserations to you both.

[Pathfinder88]

Thank you, Gilly.  I’m so frustrated that all of this is completely out of our control, knowing that the rules could change again soon.  We’ve been triple vaxxed and like you, spent the last two years being ultra-careful, following the ever-changing rules and managing to avoid the virus, only to fall to it at the worst possible time across the world. We’ve now got cold symptoms in the hopefully final stages looking forward to negative tests on Monday. My TA told me that Regent/Iberia are requiring negative PCR tests to reissue tickets.  I have several days to think about a Plan C- fingers and toes crossed that Plan B is enough.  Hope you’re feeling better soon too.  Happy sailing! 

[fdnycruiser]

Pathfinder, I feel for you, and hope it all works out. I got Covid on a Seabourn holiday cruise, even wearing a mask and fully vaccinated. Fortunately, the cruise ended in LA, and my 6 day isolation ended that day.

 We just got off the TA ahead of yours on the Explorer. We got our second booster a week before boarding, and having had Covid previously, all went well. However, if you were in contact with passengers like a few I saw on Explorer, you wouldn’t be surprised. One night in Compass Rose, I watched a woman repeatedly cough during her meal without covering her mouth once. On a tour there was a woman on the bus with a very deep seated congestion coughing without a mask. She visibly looked sick. However, with so many mild or asymptomatic cases it’s hard to figure out you picked it up.

  Anyway, I hope that you soon test negative, and have smooth sailing home. Don’t let this bad experience, diminish all of your good memories of your cruise 

 

 

[Pathfinder88]

Thank you, fdnycruiser.  Hope you’re back to 100%.  We loved the Explorer a few years ago.  If you feel the same, you must try the Splendor.  A few changes in layout, like the significantly larger, well-stocked and lovely library, and some interior design choices that really work IMHO, result in a light and beautiful, elegant vessel. Our happy memories will resurface once we’re back home.  Stay well!

, 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

5 hours ago, Pathfinder88 said:

Thank you, Gilly.  I’m so frustrated that all of this is completely out of our control, knowing that the rules could change again soon.  We’ve been triple vaxxed and like you, spent the last two years being ultra-careful, following the ever-changing rules and managing to avoid the virus, only to fall to it at the worst possible time across the world.

So sorry this is happening to you, and it makes me think twice about our summer cruise, for sure.

 

You're American, right?  Does the US not have a system of accepting a previous positive report from a doctor?  Is it totally impossible to get back into the US while positive?  If so, wow, that's awful, take care, hope you get back alright.

[irishwitchy]

We are sailing in June from Copenhagen.  Hubby got COVID in 11/2020 on a golf trip in  the US.  I never got it.  We both have vaccine, booster 1 and well be getting  booster 2 in a few weeks.   
 

Hope like hell that when we get off the ship,  that test is negative.  Going to roll the dice on this one.   

[Pudgesmom]

17 hours ago, Pathfinder88 said:

We were onboard the TA cruise.  Had a lovely time on the elegant Splendor,  more hits than misses.  
 

We did not take a Covid test on Monday as we wouldn’t have been able to use it.   We disembarked, and took a high speed train to Madrid to overnight before our flight home to the US on Wednesday.  Everything was going swimmingly.  But wait.  The Covid tests we took upon arrival in Madrid were POSITIVE, and here we are, stuck until at least Monday.  Fortunately, the hotel can keep us until then, and fingers crossed for negative results from the next tests as flights have been hard to find.
 

I hadn’t heard or seen anything about passengers or crew being sick on the ship, but apparently it was all around us, and there was nowhere to hide.  Anyone else find themselves in similar predicament? Misery loves company.  The whole feel-good from an enjoyable, relaxing two weeks has practically evaporated for us. Safe travels, everyone. 

That’s terrible you tested positive! 
 

We were on the cruise with you, and took the 11 am train to Madrid after leaving the ship. We did pass our Covid test - fortunately!  home Wednesday (yesterday). Very strange to have the AA pilot come on the PA to announce masks were no longer required onboard!

 

I hope you get a negative test on the next try!

Edited April 21, 2022 by Pudgesmom

[2012_Alaska_bound]

On 4/18/2022 at 9:55 PM, desibee said:

My contacts have said that testing was given to everyone, not just those needing it to travel home.  After all, they were not travelling home but were tested anyway.

 

Not true. All passengers continuing on the following segment like your friends and those requiring a test to fly home were tested. Those of us continuing our travels that did not need a test were not tested.

[mrstanley]

So...... when we disembark from our cruise in Amsterdam we won't need a Covid test since we are spending  4 days there before flying home to USA. Will need to get a test in Amsterdam prior to our

flight. So... what happened that Pathfinder88 is stuck in Madrid?  Where did the Positive test occur?

[Pudgesmom]

On 4/20/2022 at 11:12 AM, Pathfinder88 said:

We were onboard the TA cruise.  Had a lovely time on the elegant Splendor,  more hits than misses.  
 

We did not take a Covid test on Monday as we wouldn’t have been able to use it.   We disembarked, and took a high speed train to Madrid to overnight before our flight home to the US on Wednesday.  Everything was going swimmingly.  But wait.  The Covid tests we took upon arrival in Madrid were POSITIVE, and here we are, stuck until at least Monday.  Fortunately, the hotel can keep us until then, and fingers crossed for negative results from the next tests as flights have been hard to find.
 

I hadn’t heard or seen anything about passengers or crew being sick on the ship, but apparently it was all around us, and there was nowhere to hide.  Anyone else find themselves in similar predicament? Misery loves company.  The whole feel-good from an enjoyable, relaxing two weeks has practically evaporated for us. Safe travels, everyone. 

@mrstanleyhere is the post with the details from above.

 

Every country has different rules. Regent will send you the rules for your cruise very close to your departure date as they change frequently.

Edited April 21, 2022 by Pudgesmom

[cwn]

On 4/20/2022 at 11:12 AM, Pathfinder88 said:

.......We did not take a Covid test on Monday as we wouldn’t have been able to use it.   We disembarked, and took a high speed train to Madrid to overnight before our flight home to the US on Wednesday.  Everything was going swimmingly.  But wait.  The Covid tests we took upon arrival in Madrid were POSITIVE, and here we are, stuck until at least Monday.  Fortunately, the hotel can keep us until then, and fingers crossed for negative results from the next tests as flights have been hard to find....... 

 

5 hours ago, mrstanley said:

So...... when we disembark from our cruise in Amsterdam we won't need a Covid test since we are spending  4 days there before flying home to USA. Will need to get a test in Amsterdam prior to our

flight. So... what happened that Pathfinder88 is stuck in Madrid?  Where did the Positive test occur?

According to their post when they tested to fly back to the US.