Onboard testing before flying home

[jasoneats]

I am sorry if this has been covered, but my search was not successful.

 

We are on the Gem's Transatlantic itinerary from NYC to Rome on 4/24/22. My question is about testing ahead of our return flight to the US.  We are going directly from the ship to the airport in Rome, using NCL's shuttle.  (We purchased our air through NCL when it was really cheap.) Will there be testing available on the ship the day before we disembark?  We have to show proof of a negative Covid test just one day before we fly.  I'm hoping someone has already faced this scenario and can help us out.

 

Also, I understand that it could all change before we end our cruise on 5/9...  Thanks!!

[njhorseman]

19 minutes ago, jasoneats said:

I am sorry if this has been covered, but my search was not successful.

 

We are on the Gem's Transatlantic itinerary from NYC to Rome on 4/24/22. My question is about testing ahead of our return flight to the US.  We are going directly from the ship to the airport in Rome, using NCL's shuttle.  (We purchased our air through NCL when it was really cheap.) Will there be testing available on the ship the day before we disembark?  We have to show proof of a negative Covid test just one day before we fly.  I'm hoping someone has already faced this scenario and can help us out.

 

Also, I understand that it could all change before we end our cruise on 5/9...  Thanks!!

Yes, NCL will do antigen testing on board for those who need it in order to fly home. 

FYI,  the answer to this and many other COVID related questions are given on ncl.com on the SailSafe web page. 

[jasoneats]

59 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Yes, NCL will do antigen testing on board for those who need it in order to fly home. 

FYI,  the answer to this and many other COVID related questions are given on ncl.com on the SailSafe web page. 

Thanks @njhorseman!  I see it now.  I have been over and over these pages so many times that it must have gotten past me.  I am grateful for the valuable help that Cruise Critic always offers!!

[bluesea777]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Yes, NCL will do antigen testing on board for those who need it in order to fly home. 

FYI,  the answer to this and many other COVID related questions are given on ncl.com on the SailSafe web page. 

 

I sure hope so, for their sake!

 

We (party of 4) were on Joy March 19-26 out of Miami ... we repeatedly inquired about the antigen testing that we needed to take for our flight back to Bermuda (on the disembarkation day). We received different answers ... and in the end (day before disembarkation) they said no. Jeez!! When we left the ship we had to go and hire a car to look for testing place ... went to a CVS and they do not accept walk-ins, however, a lady there very kindly gave us a place - drive-up testing - so we went - we were very lucky, and it was FREE. Then we went to a mall to kill time and use their wi-fi. Got the results within 45 mins and then uploaded to BTA and got green ticks (approval) after a hour or so. It was a pretty stressful day as it was on a Saturday! We flew home that evening.

 

I had read here on CC that NCL was giving antigen testing for people who require them for their flights home outside USA, so I thought we were okay. But when the Canadian Gov't stopped the mandate pre-arrival testing, it appears NCL stopped the onboard antigen testing. 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by bluesea777

[njhorseman]

1 minute ago, bluesea777 said:

 

I sure hope so, for their sake!

 

We (party of 4) were on Joy March 19-26 out of Miami ... we repeatedly inquired about the antigen testing that we needed to take for our flight back to Bermuda (on the disembarkation day). We received different answers ... and in the end (day before disembarkation) they said no. Jeez!! When we left the ship we had to go and hire a car to look for testing place ... went to a CVS and they do not accept walk-ins, however, a lady there very kindly gave us a place - drive-up testing - so we went - we were very lucky, and it was FREE. Then we went to a mall to kill time and use their wi-fi. Got the results within 45 mins and then uploaded to BTA and got green ticks (approval) after a hour or so. It was a pretty stressful day as it was on a Saturday! We flew home that evening.

 

I had read here on CC that NCL was giving antigen testing for people who require them for their flights home outside USA, so I thought we were okay. But when the Canadian Gov't stopped the mandate pre-arrival testing, it appears NCL stopped the onboard antigen testing. 

 

 

I'm confused. Why would Canada's rules affect those who have to fly back to Bermuda ?

 

NCL clearly states they provide antigen testing for those passengers who need it to fly home and there's nothing that says the testing is only provided on cruises ending outside the US.

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

Will NCL offer testing onboard to meet travel requirements for guests flying back to countries that require negative COVID-19 test results to re-enter the country post cruise?

Antigen Tests

COVID-19 antigen tests prior to disembarkation will be administered on board and paid for by the Cruise Line for those guests who require a test to return home.

[bluesea777]

1 minute ago, njhorseman said:

I'm confused. Why would Canada's rules affect those who have to fly back to Bermuda ?

 

NCL clearly states they provide antigen testing for those passengers who need it to fly home and there's nothing that says the testing is only provided on cruises ending outside the US.

https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

Will NCL offer testing onboard to meet travel requirements for guests flying back to countries that require negative COVID-19 test results to re-enter the country post cruise?

Antigen Tests

COVID-19 antigen tests prior to disembarkation will be administered on board and paid for by the Cruise Line for those guests who require a test to return home.

 

Yep, we saw that and read about it in CC, but the GS on the Joy were clueless. We got different answers. I guess we probably were the only 4 ppl that needed antigen testing as we were flying home the same day we disembarked. DH thinks they were afraid we would test positive .... in fact, we tested negative in Miami and were able to fly home. THEN we all tested positive a few days later after we started feeling unwell the day after we got home. Thanks JOY (for no mask mandate, and increasing capacity to 75%) and/or Miami!!

 

Sigh .... 🤷‍♀️

 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, bluesea777 said:

 

Yep, we saw that and read about it in CC, but the GS on the Joy were clueless. We got different answers. I guess we probably were the only 4 ppl that needed antigen testing as we were flying home the same day we disembarked. DH thinks they were afraid we would test positive .... in fact, we tested negative in Miami and were able to fly home. THEN we all tested positive a few days later after we started feeling unwell the day after we got home. Thanks JOY (for no mask mandate, and increasing capacity to 75%) and/or Miami!!

 

Sigh .... 🤷‍♀️

 

I hope you've all had mild cases and fully recovered .

Guest Services is clueless. I've learned to just call the GM when GS is unresponsive.

[bluesea777]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

I hope you've all had mild cases and fully recovered .

Guest Services is clueless. I've learned to just call the GM when GS is unresponsive.

 

Whenever we go on NCL cruise we always attend M & G so to pick up the Officer Contact card. Unfortunately there wasn't one on the Joy, so ....

 

We all have fully recovered but it was a long prison sentence - 11 days! Each of us were sick for about 3 days with head cold with headaches, slight fever, some chills, some sore joints, and in two cases, lots of sneezing with very runny nose. The other 2 cases had some cough but nothing serious.

 

Thank you for your concern.

 

 

[njhorseman]

Just now, bluesea777 said:

 

Whenever we go on NCL cruise we always attend M & G so to pick up the Officer Contact card. Unfortunately there wasn't one on the Joy, so ....

 

We all have fully recovered but it was a long prison sentence - 11 days! Each of us were sick for about 3 days with head cold with headaches, slight fever, some chills, some sore joints, and in two cases, lots of sneezing with very runny nose. The other 2 cases had some cough but nothing serious.

 

Thank you for your concern.

 

 

Glad to hear you've recovered.

I seem to recall that names and phone numbers of senior officers were published in the Freestyle Daily fairly early in the cruise, but maybe they don't any longer. Also I recall them periodically appearing on the TV...and as a last resort there used to be a box at Guest services where you could leave a question or comment for the GM. Maybe one or more of those are still available.

I certainly haven't been on every ship, and not the Joy but I save the officer contact cards and the GM's number is either 8888 or 28888 on the cards I have.

[mking8288]

Most recently, the GM manager's extension on the Getaway is #28888 ...  There wasn't a drop box at/near Guest Services, to leave questions or comments/suggestions for the GM ... nor those Vacation Hero cards or "slips" to write up those outstanding, exceptional crew members that are above & beyond.  Perhaps, they are trying to be as contactless as possible - per the ship's onboard NCL public health officer as part of the chatting over dinner. 

 

On the matter of getting tested onboard, I just wanted to mention this, as I heard from one of the Roll Call member as she just got off the Anthem of the Sea, sailing immediately & right after she/her group disembarked the Getaway in NY on a Sunday morning - drove over to Cape Liberty & boarded that ship, spending only about 90 minutes on dry land, as she wrote/posted.  She's from Ontario, Canada & asked onboard during the cruise week at Guest Services, and, someone authorized her to get tested free, at no charge, as there're apparently other guests that needed testing also to fly home or travel onward.  

 

I know & saw them set-up on that Friday (sea day) inside the meeting rooms, off to the atrium lobby - opposite the photo studio, as I had to walk around to get to the iCafe while they're doing Deal or No Deal.  Getaway's satellite WiFi was pretty bad, IMHO, and I doubted that attempting to do a proctored self-test with a live link would be possible or successful with the quality of the connection and much less passengers onboard than ... 

 

That's the Getaway, however ... sounds like the Joy is a different story and ... that's going to be interesting to find out, stay tune as we might just go undercover ... soon & report back to share.  

 

 

 

[canoncruiser]

I’ll be on the Getaway to Southampton on the 24th and I transfer directly to QM2 at Southampton on the 8th; I checked with NCL and they do do free testing onboard prior to disembarkation.😃

[Sailing12Away]

We're sailing on the Star next month. Planning on getting our pre-travel Covid tests at home before flying to Spain 2 days ahead of the cruise, and we'll buy kits from emed to test ourselves after the cruise to come home. Even if NCL will test us on the ship, we're staying 1 night post-cruise in London so that won't help us.

[YVRteacher]

Just register for a Eurofins account before you board.  It’s way easier doing this with strong wifi and you will save time by not having to stand in line twice (once to register and once for the test.) 

[Sailing12Away]

8 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Just register for a Eurofins account before you board.  It’s way easier doing this with strong wifi and you will save time by not having to stand in line twice (once to register and once for the test.) 

NCL isn't offering the free testing at the pier with Eurofins as they have in the past. Guests are responsible for finding their own testing. There was a link somewhere that said it would be available for a fee - but no info on the cost or if it would be available for everyone. Hence the struggle for some of us on international trips trying to coordinate timing for going and coming back.