US to Drop Requirement for Negative COVID Test

[terrydtx]

There will be some on CC who are pro masking and pro testing for everything who will be so negative about this decision and then will cancel their cruises.  They are the ones who probably shouldn't fly or cruise for several more years. For us we will travel, cruise and fly without as many worries or stress now.

[whirlybird3]

Thank heavens!!!!!!

[JFontaine]

250 people packed like sardines in a plane with  no masks, no tests, no incentive to be cautious for 10 hours.  Sounds like fun to me. 

[terrydtx]

4 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

250 people packed like sardines in a plane with no masks, no tests, no incentive to be cautious for 10 hours.  Sounds like fun to me. 

No one has said you can't still wear a mask or two or three on a flight, you can still get tested before you fly as well, if that makes you feel safer.

[Crazy planning mom]

8 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

250 people packed like sardines in a plane with  no masks, no tests, no incentive to be cautious for 10 hours.  Sounds like fun to me. 

That's how it is on domestic flights.  I plan to continue wearing my KN95 mask.

[cangelmd]

14 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

There will be some on CC who are pro masking and pro testing for everything who will be so negative about this decision and then will cancel their cruises.  They are the ones who probably shouldn't fly or cruise for several more years. For us we will travel, cruise and fly without as many worries or stress now.

 

4 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

250 people packed like sardines in a plane with  no masks, no tests, no incentive to be cautious for 10 hours.  Sounds like fun to me. 

My next cruise is a west bound TA and our last one in May was around the UK. Worrying about getting home cast a pall over the whole trip. I was already so glad that the nonsensical rule didn’t apply to October. BUT we will still mask for 2 weeks and limit our travel pre-cruise, and test often before leaving for Rome. That is not negative, it is prudent, this is part of assessing your personal risk and behaving responsibly.

[lexmiller]

7 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

250 people packed like sardines in a plane with  no masks, no tests, no incentive to be cautious for 10 hours.  Sounds like fun to me. 

All domestic flights have been as you describe so colorfully, for many months now.  NO other western country was still requiring a test to fly in from a foreign country.  This is an extremely welcome move and makes sense scientifically and economically.  SO HAPPY!!!!!!

[Virginia100]

Great decision but with economy in such a bad state (along with my investments) I’m still holding off to next year. Cruises in 2023 February, September and February 2024. Also have one on NCL, Hawaii inter island cruise July 2024. Just not the time to spend $10K including air, need a clearer picture . 

[terrydtx]

12 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

That's how it is on domestic flights.  I plan to continue wearing my KN95 mask.

 

10 minutes ago, cangelmd said:

My next cruise is a west bound TA and our last one in May was around the UK. Worrying about getting home cast a pall over the whole trip. I was already so glad that the nonsensical rule didn’t apply to October. BUT we will still mask for 2 weeks and limit our travel pre-cruise, and test often before leaving for Rome. That is not negative, it is prudent, this is part of assessing your personal risk and behaving responsibly.

There is nothing negative about being prudent before you travel, fly or get on a cruise. We will be just as prudent before our 34 days of cruising and land trips in August in Italy and Greece. The biggest stressor was the test to fly home. We have only been flying in first and business class post Covid to avoid sitting next to strangers and have more space to help socially distance ourselves. I am 50/50 about the preboard testing as it may keep some asymptomatic people off the ship but who knows if it really makes any difference. I also suspect we will never fly again in coach seating as we have gotten so use to first and BC now.

Edited June 10, 2022 by terrydtx

[cangelmd]

10 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

 

There is nothing negative about being prudent before you travel, fly or get on a cruise. We will be just as prudent before our 34 days of cruising and land trips in August in Italy and Greece. I also suspect we will never fly again in coach seating as we have gotten so use to first and BC now.

LOL! It’s been an expensive year for you guys, I’m envious. As you imply, there is a middle ground and we are getting there, albeit slower than we would like.

The bitter truth is it will never be as safe in our lifetime as it once was. We all will potentially move into the higher category just based on age, so we have to make the best decisions that we can. To me masking and other mitigations are a small price to pay in some situations, to allow me to travel and to make travel safer for people who are higher risk and can’t completely/reasonably protect themselves. It’s just that science and policy making is in a messy gray area where we don’t yet which situations need mitigation and what reasonable safety looks like.

[SWFL Cruisers]

41 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

250 people packed like sardines in a plane with  no masks, no tests, no incentive to be cautious for 10 hours.  Sounds like fun to me. 

You do you. Stay home, as for me, I am cruising.

[SWFL Cruisers]

24 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

 

There is nothing negative about being prudent before you travel, fly or get on a cruise. We will be just as prudent before our 34 days of cruising and land trips in August in Italy and Greece. The biggest stressor was the test to fly home. We have only been flying in first and business class post Covid to avoid sitting next to strangers and have more space to help socially distance ourselves. I am 50/50 about the preboard testing as it may keep some asymptomatic people off the ship but who knows if it really makes any difference. I also suspect we will never fly again in coach seating as we have gotten so use to first and BC now.

I never knew that you couldn't catch Covid in First Class or Business Class! I am flying to Alaska to start my cruise tour tomorrow so I might have to upgrade to stay away from the diseased peasants.

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, SWFL Cruisers said:

I never knew that you couldn't catch Covid in First Class or Business Class! I am flying to Alaska to start my cruise tour tomorrow so I might have to upgrade to stay away from the diseased peasants.

This is old news.... passenger ships were doing this sort of thing years ago with steerage and cabin class.

[JFontaine]

9 minutes ago, SWFL Cruisers said:

I never knew that you couldn't catch Covid in First Class or Business Class! I am flying to Alaska to start my cruise tour tomorrow so I might have to upgrade to stay away from the diseased peasants.

You could catch Covid in First Class or Business Class, but you are less likely, as people are more spread out. That's the science of this respiratory disease. Good luck to you. Have a safe trip. 

[LGW59]

12 minutes ago, SWFL Cruisers said:

I never knew that you couldn't catch Covid in First Class or Business Class! I am flying to Alaska to start my cruise tour tomorrow so I might have to upgrade to stay away from the diseased peasants.

🤢 with envy are ya!

[rotoal]

4 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

You could catch Covid in First Class or Business Class, but you are less likely, as people are more spread out. That's the science of this respiratory disease. Good luck to you. Have a safe trip. 

And the people lined up to slowly move to coach can't cough on anyone in First Class or Business Class!  

Only the larger planes have First Class separated from coach.

[JFontaine]

1 minute ago, rotoal said:

And the people lined up to slowly move to coach can't cough on anyone in First Class or Business Class!  

Only the larger planes have First Class separated from coach.

Sure they could. I board last and deplane first. 

[terrydtx]

27 minutes ago, SWFL Cruisers said:

I never knew that you couldn't catch Covid in First Class or Business Class! I am flying to Alaska to start my cruise tour tomorrow so I might have to upgrade to stay away from the diseased peasants.

I never said flying first or business class would keep you from getting Covid it only helps to mitigate the chance of exposure by some social distancing. I do not want to risk sitting next to some passenger hacking up a lung for hours on a plane. Since most planes have a minimum 3 or 4 seat across configuration in Coach and when my wife and I fly we would end up sitting with some stranger. Most first class and business configurations are no more than 2 seats across.

Edited June 10, 2022 by terrydtx

[FlorenceItaly]

1 hour ago, OysterD said:

I hope the opposite, why should cruise ships be the exception now. Tests aren't required for pretty much anything else, infact nothing else here in the UK at least. 

I agree with you.  I would love to be wrong!!

[zitsky]

So this is great about return... but as a few have mentioned, there is still the cruise ship testing requirement and any requirement from the country you enter.  I support testing in theory but it sure is a hassle.  I am vaccinated and boosted.

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, terrydtx said:

I never said flying first or business class would keep you from getting Covid it only helps to mitigate the chance of exposure by some social distancing. I do not want to risk sitting next to some passenger hacking up a lung for hours on a plane.

IMHO you do not need to explain why or how you spend YOUR hard earned $$$, just enjoy the fruits of your labor as you see fit!

[terrydtx]

1 minute ago, LGW59 said:

IMHO you do not need to explain why or how you spend YOUR hard earned $$$, just enjoy the fruits of your labor as you see fit!

I am and I do, now that I am retired. 

[SWFL Cruisers]

34 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

🤢 with envy are ya!

Um, not at all. I found it humorous that he thought that extra 5 inches made a difference. Before I retired a couple of months ago I was a "Essential Worker" for the electric utilities and flew weekly throughout the lockdown and then some. I have been on six cruises since the restart, all unmasked, and have had the vaccine along with two boosters. I am not worried in the least.

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, gerelmx said:

And Celebrity when will remove the test requirement ?

X (and all cruise lines) would LOVE to remove testing.  Initially after the restart there was no  testing (was on the last edge sailing on 7/24 without the test requirement).  Unfortunately they’re at their mercy of the ports agreements/requirements. 

[zap99]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

 

There is nothing negative about being prudent before you travel, fly or get on a cruise. We will be just as prudent before our 34 days of cruising and land trips in August in Italy and Greece. The biggest stressor was the test to fly home. We have only been flying in first and business class post Covid to avoid sitting next to strangers and have more space to help socially distance ourselves. I am 50/50 about the preboard testing as it may keep some asymptomatic people off the ship but who knows if it really makes any difference. I also suspect we will never fly again in coach seating as we have gotten so use to first and BC now.

Chartering, or buying a private jet would be safer.🤣