Cruilse lines Call for CDC to change covid testing policy

[birdylady]

I searched and didn't see this (if duplicate, sorry).

 

Cruilse lines Call for CDC to change covid testing policy

 

Sure would make it that much less stressful and of course save some money for cruisers. I still say it's safer to be in a cruise ship than an airplane.

 

Erika

[FamilyCruiserUK]

Hopefully testing will get scrapped. However is it down to the CDC, the cruise line or the departure country (not just the US) to require pre departure testing.

[time4u2go]

14 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Hopefully testing will get scrapped. However is it down to the CDC, the cruise line or the departure country (not just the US) to require pre departure testing.

Also need to consider the countries that the cruise visits...what requirements do they have?

[firefly333]

13 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Hopefully testing will get scrapped. However is it down to the CDC, the cruise line or the departure country (not just the US) to require pre departure testing.

Here in the usa they follow the cdc suggestions. Suggestions my foot. During my b2b the terminal person had us wait and said they had to wait for the cdc to tell them which stairs and route to take us thru the terminal.  They still have the say so here. 

[Mapleleafforever]

Just going by the way things have been going all mandates may be scrapped one day soon, vaccinations included. 

[karl_nj]

34 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Hopefully testing will get scrapped. However is it down to the CDC, the cruise line or the departure country (not just the US) to require pre departure testing.

 

Viking Ocean has scrapped it everywhere except for sailings leaving from the US and Canada.

[ONECRUISER]

45 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Also need to consider the countries that the cruise visits...what requirements do they have?

I can work with that. Test done to get off on those Stops that would continue a requirement, I usually don't anyway

Edited June 12, 2022 by ONECRUISER

[BirdTravels]

Let's hope that they never scrap the testing requirements. Based on the number of people who complain that they test positive and can't cruise, the testing is doing it's job. Let's keep the positive passengers off the ships and then only deal with those who pick up a bug on the way to the ship.

 

We got off a cruise on Monday. After disembarking, I have received contact trace alerts on my phone for both our flight/airport on the way to the cruise and flight/airport from the cruise home. I fly for business all the time and always keep a n95 mask on at airports and on planes. Most people travel maskless, then complain when they get sick 2/3 through a cruise. 

[Jasukkie]

I imagine this will happen. In exchange, I would like to see cruise lines vastly improve their onboard medical services. This should include testing upon request, and physician examination for all positives, and Paxlovid availability for those who qualify. It is not a cold for everybody. There are many people cruising with conditions that increase their risk for complications, including age, high BMI, diabetes, and heart conditions. It's easy to say these people should stay home, but we know they don't. 

 

 

[flhokie]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Let's hope that they never scrap the testing requirements. Based on the number of people who complain that they test positive and can't cruise, the testing is doing it's job. Let's keep the positive passengers off the ships and then only deal with those who pick up a bug on the way to the ship.

 

We got off a cruise on Monday. After disembarking, I have received contact trace alerts on my phone for both our flight/airport on the way to the cruise and flight/airport from the cruise home. I fly for business all the time and always keep a n95 mask on at airports and on planes. Most people travel maskless, then complain when they get sick 2/3 through a cruise. 

Agreed! We're supposed to sail with my elderly mother next month. My father recently passed and we are supposed to go to relax before she has knee replacement surgery. Sadly, if they scrap the testing requirement, I don't think she (or the rest of us) will be comfortable sailing. 

[iuki]

6 hours ago, Mapleleafforever said:

Just going by the way things have been going all mandates may be scrapped one day soon, vaccinations included. 

Hopefully not vaccinations.  JMHO - no disrespect to yours.

[CuseJeff44]

3 minutes ago, iuki said:

Hopefully not vaccinations.  JMHO - no disrespect to yours.

Agreed. 

 

Testing on the other hand...I'm so ready

[cfabar1]

Everyone I know who has been on a cruise ship has had at least one person in their party test positive for COVID nearly immediately after the cruise… in some instances by just a few hours.

 

Now, they assumed the risk, and we have treatments, vaccines, etc. that were not available a few years ago, but, I am relatively supportive of maintaining the testing requirement, at least for now.

[pcur]

I will continue to test myself before I cruise, because I don't want to take the chance that I might bring the virus onboard and infect other passengers.  To me, this is just common sense.  But then, I'm a "it takes a village" kind of person.  

 

I mean if you were standing somewhere and a toddler got loose and was going to run out in the busy street right in front of you:  what would you do?  I just feel repsonsible for more than myself.

[volk904]

The cruise lines are foolish if they want the pre cruise testing scrapped.

even with the testing there is people who test positive during every cruise and who know how many who choose not to get tested on board.  If they do away with the test more positive people will board and that turns into more positive tests on board which is bad for everyone.   

[BirdTravels]

4 minutes ago, dodgestang said:

 

Why stop there....we should require testing for flu, roto, herpes, gonarreia....I mean if we are going to continue this invasion of privacy that we all agreed to live with short term for the greater good....but now long term for the smaller....er.....anyway.

We stop there, for now, because COVID is still considered a worldwide pandemic and stronger measures are being taken to contain the spread of this particular disease. If I catch COVID on a ship and test positive, I am out of work for at least a week, earning no money. I can still go to work with the flu, herpes, and gonorrhea.  Pre-cruise testing take all of 15 minutes sitting at home at the kitchen table sipping coffee. Seems like a very small price to pay to help curb the spread of the disease. 

[pcur]

3 hours ago, flhokie said:

Agreed! We're supposed to sail with my elderly mother next month. My father recently passed and we are supposed to go to relax before she has knee replacement surgery. Sadly, if they scrap the testing requirement, I don't think she (or the rest of us) will be comfortable sailing. 

So, test yourselves for your own peace of mind, wear masks, no elevators with over 4 people (including yourselves).  You can be self-monitoring.

[pbokie]

Please explain the difference between how the vaccinated and unvaccinated spread the virus? It seems to me that the vaccinated should be tested more than the unvaccinated since the vaccinated have a stronger probability of showing mild or no symptoms thus not aware that they have Covid.

[Cruise a holic]

Hopefully a more accurate fast test will be available at the pier.  Have been on a few cruises since covid- and still many passengers and crew develop covid.  If you are vaccinated and boosted slim chance- but not impossible to have a severe case.

 

We were on a Royal ship that was more crowded then walmart on black friday recently with too little staff.  We also were on a Celebrity ship that was very well managed with a lesser amount of passengers.

 

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We have an up coming cruise out of Copenhagen, which has no mandates , so almost all testing sites are closed ! 
Royal is offering online testing kits but only for citizens of the USA , nothing for people of other countries 😡

All the countries the cruise is going to are completely open 

RCL should drop testing for these cruises 

[Mira28]

27 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We have an up coming cruise out of Copenhagen, which has no mandates , so almost all testing sites are closed ! 
Royal is offering online testing kits but only for citizens of the USA , nothing for people of other countries 😡

All the countries the cruise is going to are completely open 

RCL should drop testing for these cruises 

 

28 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We have an up coming cruise out of Copenhagen, which has no mandates , so almost all testing sites are closed ! 
Royal is offering online testing kits but only for citizens of the USA , nothing for people of other countries 😡

All the countries the cruise is going to are completely open 

RCL should drop testing for these cruises 

This is a big issue. It is harder now to find tests.  Sure, you can use the proctored telehealth testing sites if you have access. If you are traveling in the days before boarding, as most are, that requires a lot of planning and causes additional stress. Most importantly, mandating the tests does not seem to prevent positive cases from happening later in the cruise.

I would voluntarily test myself, before, during, and after the cruise. Still , I get why many people want mandatory tests, and why others do not. The cruise lines will undoubtedly decide this based on what’s best for their bottom line. 

[twins_to_alaska]

7 hours ago, Jasukkie said:

 If you do not want your elderly mother to get covid, your entire group needs to commit to being masked 100% of the time indoors when out of your cabins. That includes eating and drinking. Hopefully your ship has an outside Windjammer.

My cruise in May I masked outside my cabin. Brought food from Windjammer back to cabin to eat. Enjoyed my cruise.

[awhfy]

9 hours ago, cfabar1 said:

Everyone I know who has been on a cruise ship has had at least one person in their party test positive for COVID nearly immediately after the cruise… in some instances by just a few hours.

 

Now, they assumed the risk, and we have treatments, vaccines, etc. that were not available a few years ago, but, I am relatively supportive of maintaining the testing requirement, at least for now.

We cruised in October & again in April. No one in our group has tested positive. The only stress we’ve had on our recent cruises is the testing requirement two days prior to boarding. We are already in port city by then. The stress of where can I get a test, did it turn out positive etc is, well stressful. 

[smokeybandit]

13 hours ago, Jasukkie said:

I imagine this will happen. In exchange, I would like to see cruise lines vastly improve their onboard medical services. This should include testing upon request, and physician examination for all positives, and Paxlovid availability for those who qualify. It is not a cold for everybody. There are many people cruising with conditions that increase their risk for complications, including age, high BMI, diabetes, and heart conditions. It's easy to say these people should stay home, but we know they don't. 

 

 

 

A lot of things that are a cold for most aren't a cold for some. But until you ask the cruise lines to be ready to treat every viral condition on board, then asking the same just for covid isn't worth it. Besides, paxlovid is nearly impossible to get on land (unless you're right or famous) none the less on a shi

[smokeybandit]

29 minutes ago, awhfy said:

We cruised in October & again in April. No one in our group has tested positive. The only stress we’ve had on our recent cruises is the testing requirement two days prior to boarding. We are already in port city by then. The stress of where can I get a test, did it turn out positive etc is, well stressful. 

There's also the onboard stress of knowing if you end up testing positive, you get put in jail and treated like you have the plague when you have other people coughing up a lung left and right walking around with no one batting an eye.