Quarantine - APEX TA & British Isles Cruises

[Ex-Airbalancer]

4 minutes ago, milkman55 said:

Random Covid test by who?  Canada or Celebrity?

 

When we went through Canadian customs, I didn’t see anyone picked for testing (pink sticker instead of green sticker).  Also, what I read was they would contact you within 3-4 days if positive.  We were in the US at the Buffalo airport in about 2 hrs after landing.

By Canada government, I think if you are a foreigners that may make stay in a quarantine hotel until you get the results 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Just now, Arizona Wildcat said:

In Argentina or the Falklands you turn over your passport.  Same with a Morocco port.  Ditto in several countries.  Suggest you ask before cruising

 

3 minutes ago, milkman55 said:

Random Covid test by who?  Canada or Celebrity?

 

When we went through Canadian customs, I didn’t see anyone picked for testing (pink sticker instead of green sticker).  Also, what I read was they would contact you within 3-4 days if positive.  We were in the US at the Buffalo airport in about 2 hrs after landing.

We drove into Canada about 2 weeks ago.  We were picked for testing at the border and told to test again 2 days later.  Received a recorded call asking if we tested which I ignored.  Later that day got another call.  I told them we had tested again.

[milkman55]

14 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Across the United States people can travel anywhere they want, stay in hotels, fly, drive, train, whatever.  No restrictions.  No testing.  No questions.

Exactly why this pre-flight testing is crap.  Millions more fly without testing all the time within the US, yet our current administration thinks we need to be tested if outside the “safe” confines of USA.  I hate to tell them but there are a lot of places safer than the US in more ways than one.

 

Cruising will not return to normal until this testing requirement is dropped.

[ROYALBOY]

Let me get this straight…we are on Apex in October Rome east to Israel b2b with Rome TA to Ft Lauderdale (home). So if you tested positive on the first portion, they would allow you to continue on the 2nd cruise to the US? Now I am wondering if my Doctor would prescribe to have Paxlovid 

just in case?

[suzyluvs2cruise]

53 minutes ago, milkman55 said:

Exactly why this pre-flight testing is crap.  Millions more fly without testing all the time within the US, yet our current administration thinks we need to be tested if outside the “safe” confines of USA.  I hate to tell them but there are a lot of places safer than the US in more ways than one.

 

Cruising will not return to normal until this testing requirement is dropped.

Very true....and what about testing for those who just walk across our border? 

[suzyluvs2cruise]

3 minutes ago, ROYALBOY said:

Let me get this straight…we are on Apex in October Rome east to Israel b2b with Rome TA to Ft Lauderdale (home). So if you tested positive on the first portion, they would allow you to continue on the 2nd cruise to the US? Now I am wondering if my Doctor would prescribe to have Paxlovid 

just in case?

No one can predict what the protocols/requirements will be next month.....much less in October. If you're on Odyssey in Oct we are too. Will be closely watching covid protocols before we make final payment. 

[Tony UK]

16 minutes ago, ROYALBOY said:

Let me get this straight…we are on Apex in October Rome east to Israel b2b with Rome TA to Ft Lauderdale (home). So if you tested positive on the first portion, they would allow you to continue on the 2nd cruise to the US? Now I am wondering if my Doctor would prescribe to have Paxlovid 

just in case?

Well, what a question! The first hurdle is to get a negative test to get on the ship. Once on there if you report to the medical centre and test positive, it is up to the ship, Celebrity Miami and the local authority in Italy to determine what to do. Some have been given the option to stay on board in isolation. To get a clear test seems to take around 10 to 12 days!. Some have been given the option of leaving the ship, however you need a negative test to fly home so it means finding accommodation and laying low until clear.

It may be that nearer your sailing date things will ease....although Autumn is a time when things can start going downhill!!

It just isn't clear what would happen I'd read others experiences to help plan and have contingencies like medication, back up hotel ideas etc just in case.

Good Luck....travel isnt easy nowadays!

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Tonight is our last night in quarantine. For the most part it's gone well but there are several areas that could be better.

1. Room Service. Tonight was the worst and it took 2 hours from order to food arriving....and the order wasn't correct. At least the food wasn't lukewarm. Orders are often missing something but we've managed. 

2. Communication. Neither of us were given a letter about what would happen in quarantine and I only found out about them in reading other quarantine posts. I asked about the letters more than once and we each had a letter dated May 12 with my Certificate of Recovery they was delivered tonight.

I received no letter on what to do in vacating the quarantine room and moving to the new room. I eas told this would also be delivered tonight....but it wasn't...so I had to make another call to GS. I'm told to go to GS, after we have breakfast, to pick up a new key card. I also asked about getting back our Passports...which were taken in Dover for British Immigration. I was told to being the receipt (we didn't get one) and I would have to sign for them. 

In the letter dated May 12 that I never got it says that we would not have a Stateroom Attendant (understandable) and we would have Sanitation Supplies and Disenfecting Wipes to use to clean our cabin. That didn't happen.

3.Medical - they were able to provide extra prescription medicationone but one of DH medicines wasn't carried onboard. We were told on May 13, they would try to get it in a UK pharmacy. After more than one call to medical and empty promises we got a call this am (Saturday) in Belfast that the pharmacies are closed on the weekend. Really?? I don't think do. Lesson learned...pack 2 weeks extra meds when you travel.

I know this is a new situation for both crew and those in quarantine but I think it could have been handled better. While we were checked on by both medical and Gurst Services, didn't starve and both are OK it could have been better. And....after being together 24/7 for 9 days  in a 300 Sq ft cabin we're still speaking to one another. 

Tomorrow I look forward to freedom and a nice meal....even if it's in Oceanview Cafe.

The next hurdle is for DH to test negative so we can fly home on May 26.

Goodnight from the Irish Seam

Edited May 21, 2022 by suzyluvs2cruise

[flowery]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

A friend was on deck 6 on the TA 

I guess you were lucky and didn’t pick pick for Random Covid testing

our daughter and husband were both pick to get tested 

Ex-Airbalancer-

 

Could you please elaborate on your daughter's and her husband's (?) experience with Mandatory Random Testing ? Did they have to do the required test at the airport or at a location of their choice? Did they have to pay for the testing or did the govt pay for it? How quickly did they get their results back?

 

I've read Canada is happy for non Canadians who test positive to get out of their country quickly (drive out) and not spread Covid around. I thought the turnaround time for the Mandatory Random test results was at least 24 hours. I hadn't heard that those selected for testing are required to immediately check into quarantine lodging while awaiting their results.

[Ommadawn]

They need to have different cruises with different levels of Covid protocols.

 

Level 1 (minimum level): No protocols; Covid is treated like a cold. You are only paid attention to if you go ask for help at the medical center. No required quarantine. No required masking. No testing to board. Full capacity on the ship (100%).

 

Level 2: Current protocols. Required quarantine if tested positive. No required masking. Little contact tracing. Testing to board. Limited capacity on the ship (75%).

 

Level 3 (maximum level): Masks required at all times while inside except while eating or drinking. Testing to board. Testing once a week on the ship. Robust contact tracing. Very limited capacity on the ship (50%).

 

Designate certain ships/cruises at the various levels and let the market decide. Some people will pay more for the Level 3, some people, like myself, would prefer Level 1. Others will go with Level 2. You could do at least one ship of each class for each level of Covid protocols and let the people choose their level of comfort/risk. 🙂

[critterchick]

10 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

All over the place.... I did about 20 TA's sometimes there was immigration on a sea day in the dining room but never had to give them my passport! And never would....

There are itineraries when you have to give up your passport as you board the cruise. If you refuse, you are denied boarding. As for not giving up your passport during the cruise, you likely would cause everybody else on the ship to be denied entry to the port until I you complied.

 

A passport isn’t a magic talisman. If by some remote chance it is lost or stolen, it can be replaced. You can get back home without it, although it would be inconvenient and likely expensive. Pick your cruises carefully if you absolutely refuse to comply.

 

1 hour ago, milkman55 said:

Exactly why this pre-flight testing is crap.  Millions more fly without testing all the time within the US, yet our current administration thinks we need to be tested if outside the “safe” confines of USA.  I hate to tell them but there are a lot of places safer than the US in more ways than one.

 

Cruising will not return to normal until this testing requirement is dropped.

 

What’s truly crap is that one can disembark a cruse ship, ride a train or bus and drive a car over the border without a test. It’s hard to comprehend how CDC considers planes to be so dangerous yet doesn’t require testing for domestic flights.

 

[Tony UK]

9 minutes ago, Ommadawn said:

They need to have different cruises with different levels of Covid protocols.

 

Level 1 (minimum level): No protocols; Covid is treated like a cold. You are only paid attention to if you go ask for help at the medical center. No required quarantine. No required masking. No testing to board. Full capacity on the ship (100%).

 

Level 2: Current protocols. Required quarantine if tested positive. No required masking. Little contact tracing. Testing to board. Limited capacity on the ship (75%).

 

Level 3 (maximum level): Masks required at all times while inside except while eating or drinking. Testing to board. Testing once a week on the ship. Robust contact tracing. Very limited capacity on the ship (50%).

 

Designate certain ships/cruises at the various levels and let the market decide. Some people will pay more for the Level 3, some people, like myself, would prefer Level 1. Others will go with Level 2. You could do at least one ship of each class for each level of Covid protocols and let the people choose their level of comfort/risk. 🙂

I see where you are coming from with your suggestion. The current regimen is an attempt to persuade cruisers that ships are covid safe. They would have to be extremely careful about how they marketed the options. Covid positive cases could still be introduced onto the ship even with negative tests pre cruise. It would be wrong to suggest otherwise. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

29 minutes ago, flowery said:

Ex-Airbalancer-

 

Could you please elaborate on your daughter's and her husband's (?) experience with Mandatory Random Testing ? Did they have to do the required test at the airport or at a location of their choice? Did they have to pay for the testing or did the govt pay for it? How quickly did they get their results back?

 

I've read Canada is happy for non Canadians who test positive to get out of their country quickly (drive out) and not spread Covid around. I thought the turnaround time for the Mandatory Random test results was at least 24 hours. I hadn't heard that those selected for testing are required to immediately check into quarantine lodging while awaiting their results.

You have PCR  at the airport at no cost , she got the results in two days since we live a 150 km from the airport her quarantine plan was just drive home and stay there until she got the results 

 

[flowery]

6 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

You have PCR  at the airport at no cost , she got the results in two days since we live a 150 km from the airport her quarantine plan was just drive home and stay there until she got the results 

 

Thanks for the additional details. 

[flowery]

2 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

 

We drove into Canada about 2 weeks ago.  We were picked for testing at the border and told to test again 2 days later.  Received a recorded call asking if we tested which I ignored.  Later that day got another call.  I told them we had tested again.

AZ Wildcat- were you given a PCR test also? (like Ex-Airbalancer's family?) How many days for the results? We would like to spend a few days in Canada but will depart immediately if we get selected for the Mandatory Random Testing.

[ev8876]

4 hours ago, milkman55 said:

We were on the Apex April 30 TA and saw people dropping like flies with Covid.  I think they announced 61 at one time, but I am sure it was much higher.  Never saw anyone with a deck 6 room key so that was the “Covid” deck.

 

Celebrity had the Infinity anchored off of Ft Lauderdale and dropping off Covid crew on their way into port.  We heard they dropped off about 60 crew from the Apex heading into port before the April 30 TA.  It’s hilarious that Infinity shows as “Green” status on the CDC dashboard when it is the hospital ship and not in service.  ALL Celebrity and RCL ships are now Orange (3%+ Covid) on the CDC list.

 

We were not rolling the dice on a Covid test and had no symptoms, so we didn’t test at all, flew to Toronto on Air Canada, drove across the border at Buffalo and flew home.  Canada has no pre-flight testing if you are fully vaccinated, but interestingly they require a mask on all flights and in the airports.

 

The other benefit is the Air Canada flight was barely 1/2 full and $1,000 cheaper than our AA flight for the two of us.  We had nobody else in our aisle of the plane.

 

We will not be taking anymore overseas cruises until the US lifts the pre-flight testing for fully vaccinated.  The sooner we realize Covid is another viral illness like the flu and get on with life, we would all benefit.  The  Norovirus has worse systems than Covid if you are fully vaccinated (unless you are immune compromised).

 

This was our first cruise post pandemic and will be the last until things get better.  Too many places we can travel in the US in our RV to worry about others having control over your life like we have read in this thread.

Milkman55 - Did you book your flights to Canada last minute and just not use your original flights?

[milkman55]

28 minutes ago, ev8876 said:

Milkman55 - Did you book your flights to Canada last minute and just not use your original flights?

I changed from AA to Air Canada after I read about all the positive tests on the cruise.  It’s just made sense to not take any chances on testing since I knew they had a 10 day quarantine (really 12 days as the test day is day 0 and you don’t get the pass to fly until day 11).   We stayed in Amsterdam for 5 nights after the cruise and I was following all the issues that were posted on FB and CC.  My AA flight was refundable.

Edited May 21, 2022 by milkman55

[VitaminSea53]

3 hours ago, Ommadawn said:

They need to have different cruises with different levels of Covid protocols.

 

Level 1 (minimum level): No protocols; Covid is treated like a cold. You are only paid attention to if you go ask for help at the medical center. No required quarantine. No required masking. No testing to board. Full capacity on the ship (100%).

 

Level 2: Current protocols. Required quarantine if tested positive. No required masking. Little contact tracing. Testing to board. Limited capacity on the ship (75%).

 

Level 3 (maximum level): Masks required at all times while inside except while eating or drinking. Testing to board. Testing once a week on the ship. Robust contact tracing. Very limited capacity on the ship (50%).

 

Designate certain ships/cruises at the various levels and let the market decide. Some people will pay more for the Level 3, some people, like myself, would prefer Level 1. Others will go with Level 2. You could do at least one ship of each class for each level of Covid protocols and let the people choose their level of comfort/risk. 🙂

I am for Level 1.  Good idea!

[Arizona Wildcat]

4 hours ago, flowery said:

AZ Wildcat- were you given a PCR test also? (like Ex-Airbalancer's family?) How many days for the results? We would like to spend a few days in Canada but will depart immediately if we get selected for the Mandatory Random Testing.

Was given a PCR test.  Never got the results.  Was told to test again in 1 or 2 days.  Did an antigen test self test the next day.  We used the iHealth free tests.

Did not understand why the second test but went with the flow.

Others reported getting an antigen test and immediately told to quarantine.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Arizona Wildcat

[BigAl94]

7 hours ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

After more than one call to medical and empty promises we got a call this am (Saturday) in Belfast that the pharmacies are closed on the weekend. Really?? I don't think do. Lesson learned...pack 2 weeks extra meds when you travel.

 

Sorry to tell you that you were being fobbed off. Most pharmacies in Belfast and Northern Ireland operate all day Saturday. Could it have been that the crew weren't allowed ashore?

[suzyluvs2cruise]

3 hours ago, BigAl94 said:

Sorry to tell you that you were being fobbed off. Most pharmacies in Belfast and Northern Ireland operate all day Saturday. Could it have been that the crew weren't allowed ashore?

I don't know if crew were allowed ashore or not but whatever the reason  an  honest answer is appreciated. 

[Tony UK]

Funny how this sort of thing makes you read terms and conditions more thoroughly...mine arrived today for our next cruise!

DID YOU KNOW that if you develop covid symptoms or test positive within 14 days of the end of your sailing you are required to report to Celebrity as well as your local health authority.

 

I had been critical of now follow up.....now I know it is down to all of us to provide the information!!

[wrk2cruise]

@suzyluvs2cruise  Have you considered requesting a meeting with the Hotel Director and Guest Relations Manager to discuss your suggested improvements?  It would be interesting to watch the GR manager try to defend all the promised things that weren't delivered in front of his boss.   I think they at least owe you a meeting.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 minute ago, wrk2cruise said:

@suzyluvs2cruise  Have you considered requesting a meeting with the Hotel Director and Guest Relations Manager to discuss your suggested improvements?  It would be interesting to watch the GR manager try to defend all the promised things that weren't delivered in front of his boss.   I think they at least owe you a meeting.

GR was a joke , they good at sticking to company line 

[JeanieC,Aston]

On 5/21/2022 at 11:18 AM, cruiseboy89130 said:

All over the place.... I did about 20 TA's sometimes there was immigration on a sea day in the dining room but never had to give them my passport! And never would....

Hi 

From memory I have been on many cruises where you have to hand in your passport.

One of the obvious ones is If Isreal and an Arab country is on the same itinerary.

The cruise lines usually schedule the Arab stop first (I think my last one was Beirut then Ashdod),,,,If you had a Israeli stamp in your passport you would never get into Beirut.

They collected all your passports in Israel for security pre-check and issue a paper entry form rather than a stamp in your passport…..they gave you back your passports during the face to face immigration checks before getting off the ship in Ashdod.