Updated Vaccation Policy

[molecrochip]

18 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Moley has said that testing at the port for those unable to do the home test will be available, but that prenetics will be reducing the testing facilities at the port, presumablyib line with how successful the take up of home testing goes.

Princess will charge $60. No detail on equivalent P&O offering yet.

1 hour ago, SarahHben said:

@molecrochipPlease do you have any info to clarify if the ‘24hours’ is strictly 24hours before each individual’s allocated embarkation time, or is anytime in the day prior to the cruise sailing acceptable?

 

I’ve asked for clarification. I believe, in Southampton, it’s the same as Princess - within 24 hrs of embarkation day. Eg Anytime Friday for a Saturday departure.

[Selbourne]

Apologies - I have edited my post as the requirement to test at the terminal seems to be for unvaccinated guests aged 5 to 11 only. However, the videos that state that all guests will be tested at the terminal are still on the same page and have not been removed or updated, so it’s no wonder that confusion reigns. 
 

Whilst the whole thing is a complete mess, I suppose that I agree with Wowzz that I’d rather have the test the day before and know that we are OK to board, than have the stress and worry of being turned away on the day, especially as we are travelling with our daughters and their partners on one cruise and with friends on another. However, we are fortunate that we are only a few hours from Southampton so we travel down on the day. It will be a pain for our daughters and partners though as they are working the day before. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Selbourne

[MX-Drew]

1 minute ago, molecrochip said:

Princess will charge $60. No detail on equivalent P&O offering yet.

I’ve asked for clarification. I believe, in Southampton, it’s the same as Princess - within 24 hrs of embarkation day. Eg Anytime Friday for a Saturday departure.

@molecrochip can you please clarify if we are required to get a supervised or unsupervised test? 

[kalos]

2 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

Madness does not do it justice

 

How does this all work for people who have booked a overnight hotel as part of their 

journey to Southampton. Am I right thinking that they have to hope and and pray that 

P&O will still be doing testing at the terminal after 29th April. From what I have read above 

they seem more concerned telling you about "You will be denied boarding " than giving 

reassurance that you will be tested at the port .Not good 

[wowzz]

In essence, all this means is that whereas before, everyone got tested foc at the terminal, you now have to pay for your own test, either the day before, or at the terminal on the day of departure.

[MX-Drew]

To all those worried about overnight stays etc if and it's a big IF, P&O allow unsupervised tests then all you do is carry out the test the evening before upload a picture of the test and go to bed, by the morning you will have the certificate on your phone. Granted you need a smartphone.

[psimpson520]

Hi Everyone, it's a good discussion. Mail was confusing but 2 jab and a booster = you can travel. Only just seen the 24 hour test requirement. Would it not be easier for P and O to set up a test center at Southampton themselves, you could book a slot on the morning of departure and they could charge a fee to cover costs and perhaps make a small profit. That way everyone has their mind put at rest. I can see so many of us failing to get over the line with the final 24 hour test.

[Yorkypete]

52 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Personally,  although I might be an outlier on this,  I quite welcome the idea of getting a test the day before the cruise (assuming that is the time scale involved). It means far less queuing at the terminal,  plus all the possible uncertainties regarding the test result are removed.

However,  I do think that a paid for test resource should be available at the terminal for those that are unable to test in advance.

Totally agree, however the tests are pretty worthless. Due to the spread of covid being so bad at present the test only refers to the time you have the test. You could take it at 4pm and by 6 pm you could have caught the virus. If you book the test 24 hours before embarkation you could still be positive the day you sail, as a number of people will be.

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, wowzz said:

In essence, all this means is that whereas before, everyone got tested foc at the terminal, you now have to pay for your own test, either the day before, or at the terminal on the day of departure.

I think you are correct, but the type of tests now required and the way that you have to go about them don’t sound very straightforward to me. 

[Camberley]

28 minutes ago, kalos said:

. From what I have read above 

they seem more concerned telling you about "You will be denied boarding " than giving 

reassurance that you will be tested at the port .Not good 

Bless P&O for being true to form with their tone and their inability to offer clear, effective communication. “I know, let’s send out several lengthy emails in one day to folk and not bother to check it makes full sense. Then we will refuse to answer the phone apart from those who press the option to make a booking.”

 

But I am sure they themselves will clarify soon.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Camberley

[Selbourne]

1 minute ago, Yorkypete said:

Totally agree, however the tests are pretty worthless. Due to the spread of covid being so bad at present the test only refers to the time you have the test. You could take it at 4pm and by 6 pm you could have caught the virus. If you book the test 24 hours before embarkation you could still be positive the day you sail, as a number of people will be.

By the fact that there have been outbreaks on every ship (as far as I can tell), it just goes to show that no system is 100% foolproof. I guess that they are just trying to minimise the numbers, rather than eliminate the problem (because they can’t). It does rather make the whole thing a bit of a farce though. I can’t see cruising surviving long term unless they can get to a place where they treat Covid in the same way as they do other viruses - as is now happening everywhere else. 

[jaydee6969]

37 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Princess will charge $60. No detail on equivalent P&O offering yet.

I’ve asked for clarification. I believe, in Southampton, it’s the same as Princess - within 24 hrs of embarkation day. Eg Anytime Friday for a Saturday departure.

 

I have just booked a Princess cruise, from Southampton, but the information on the Princess site for Southampton departures is within 3 days if boosted for an antigen or PCR.  Last updated 31/03/2022.  

[Eglesbrech]

12 minutes ago, wowzz said:

In essence, all this means is that whereas before, everyone got tested foc at the terminal, you now have to pay for your own test, either the day before, or at the terminal on the day of departure.

Have they indicated what they will be charging at the terminal Wozz?
 

Princess were charging $60 per person which is really high compared to other places offering tests.

[gsmt47471015]

Had five e mails from P and O , two mention the 24hr pre test which are for cruises this year , the three other e mails for cruise over the following eighteen months are different as they don't mention the 24hr test 

[MX-Drew]

6 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

 

I have just booked a Princess cruise, from Southampton, but the information on the Princess site for Southampton departures is within 3 days if boosted for an antigen or PCR.  Last updated 31/03/2022.  

I believe it says 2 days for an antigen test a 3 for a PCR test. 

Just booking a Princess Cruise myself from Southampton.🙃

[jaydee6969]

2 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

I believe it says 2 days for an antigen test a 3 for a PCR test. 

Just booking a Princess Cruise myself from Southampton.🙃

 

2 days if you have only had a 2 dose course, 3 days if you have also been boosted.  It's not just P&O making it complicated.

 

What ship you trying?  We booked Enchanted to the med.

[MX-Drew]

That's not how I read it.

 

Edit: I have just read again and agree, I didn't take much notice of the "Up to date" line thinking you can't get much higher than fully vaccinated but apparently you can!

Edited April 13, 2022 by MX-Drew

[purplesea]

I have just checked my e-mail, which reads "Important update on your upcoming holiday". My first thoughts were what now? thinking that it was for my cruise this month.

I then realised it is for January 2023 but there is no mention on any testing requirments. By the time we get there I expect things will have changed, again!🙄

[jaydee6969]

3 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

That's not how I read it.

 

Just copied from Princess website.  The description under CDC definition notes the difference between jabbed and boosted.

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by jaydee6969

[Rupert2251]

3 minutes ago, purplesea said:

I have just checked my e-mail, which reads "Important update on your upcoming holiday". My first thoughts were what now? thinking that it was for my cruise this month.

I then realised it is for January 2023 but there is no mention on any testing requirments. By the time we get there I expect things will have changed, again!🙄

It does say in the paragraph about protocol changes on the click here button.

[MX-Drew]

1 minute ago, jaydee6969 said:

 

Just copied from Princess website.  The description under CDC definition notes the difference between jabbed and boosted.

 

 

I have just edited my post to say" I have just read again and agree, I didn't take much notice of the "Up to date" line thinking you can't get much higher than fully vaccinated but apparently you can!"

 

As you say, not just P&O make it confusing. 

[gsmt47471015]

11 minutes ago, purplesea said:

I have just checked my e-mail, which reads "Important update on your upcoming holiday". My first thoughts were what now? thinking that it was for my cruise this month.

I then realised it is for January 2023 but there is no mention on any testing requirments. By the time we get there I expect things will have changed, again!🙄

Yes it appears that the current information is for cruises this year

[tring]

3 minutes ago, purplesea said:

I have just checked my e-mail, which reads "Important update on your upcoming holiday". My first thoughts were what now? thinking that it was for my cruise this month.

I then realised it is for January 2023 but there is no mention on any testing requirments. By the time we get there I expect things will have changed, again!🙄

 

We have had five emails for cruises between next Oct and Jan 2024.  They all have links which take you through to the testing details.  In the link there are different sections for fly cruises and non fly cruises.  So the information should be available from just one of your emails, that will show current procedures planned, even for much later cruises.  I expect it all to change at some stage though, so we have printed out the fly cruise and non fly cruise details and filed them with our booking details for the first of each of those types of cruise, pending attention at balance payment dates.

 

I will be a lot less worried if we can be tested anytime on the pre cruise date, as we could then have it sorted before we leave home to travel to a Southampton hotel or an airport hotel.  It will be far better imo not to have to get to an airport a lot earlier than normal, to be tested there, especially as we have a 06.00 flight!

 

 

[purplesea]

Have now seen the testing requirements, but as I am concentrating on my cruise is two weeks, didn't give it a lot of attention when I realised it was for January 2023. 

First things first!

[zap99]

57 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

By the fact that there have been outbreaks on every ship (as far as I can tell), it just goes to show that no system is 100% foolproof. I guess that they are just trying to minimise the numbers, rather than eliminate the problem (because they can’t). It does rather make the whole thing a bit of a farce though. I can’t see cruising surviving long term unless they can get to a place where they treat Covid in the same way as they do other viruses - as is now happening everywhere else. 

The emails seem to be aimed at covering a certain part of their anatomy. If they make things too difficult, many folk won't bother with cruises.

 

Written from Lanzarote, no tests ,minimal forms to fill in. Judgement day approaches. Pay the balances, or go on another type of foreign, or UK holiday.