Testing to Come Back on Board

[himan]

Can anyone tell me if you have to do a covid test to go on excursions and also when coming back aboard after the excursion (I am meaning Princess excursions), also any thoughts on whether there is a higher rate of covid infections due to going on excursions would be great. I know it's not an exact science and you can't say for definite that there are more cases as a result of excursions but we are at the point of deciding to go or not to go and just wondering what the majority view is. We don't worry about Covid but do not want to run the risk of infecting anyone and I understand that a lot of people do worry about it and we do not discriminate for any reason but it is the fact that you could actually end up in isolation even if you are asymptomatic just for testing positive.

[Steelers36]

6 minutes ago, himan said:

Can anyone tell me if you have to do a covid test to go on excursions and also when coming back aboard after the excursion (I am meaning Princess excursions), also any thoughts on whether there is a higher rate of covid infections due to going on excursions would be great. I know it's not an exact science and you can't say for definite that there are more cases as a result of excursions but we are at the point of deciding to go or not to go and just wondering what the majority view is. We don't worry about Covid but do not want to run the risk of infecting anyone and I understand that a lot of people do worry about it and we do not discriminate for any reason but it is the fact that you could actually end up in isolation even if you are asymptomatic just for testing positive.

Did you read this somewhere?  You can read all the details of Princess' COVID protocols on their website - and it is provided by which part of world you might be cruising in.  There are no such tests.

[karatemom2]

In all honesty, any travel right now puts you at risk for COVID, whether it be by airplane or cruise ship. You are just as likely to be exposed onboard as on an excursion. Most people are no longer wearing masks. Even on ship excursions where it is supposed to be required on shuttles and buses, based on our experience it is not enforced.

 

We came home from our Alaska cruise and tested positive two days later, although in retrospect my throat started feeling a little scratchy the last full day, so I was probably already coming down with it even though I tested negative for our flight home.

 

We could have been exposed on the ship or on an excursion - we will never know. It was rampant on the ship as it turns out though, so it was likely onboard. About 75 percent of our roll call ended up positive after the cruise.

 

It's just a reality we have to face if we choose to travel right now, unfortunately. 

 

But, there is no required testing for excursions or even flying home now, so you really don't need to worry about that.

[danny8826]

You can Covid anywhere,  not just on the plane or cruise.

 

I was on a Carnival Cruise out of my home city, San Francisco.  Thinking trying to avoid flying might be a good idea. It was a good idea though.  I didn't catch Covid on the ship.  I came home and find out that one of my members of my family is sick and I knew it that she ahs Covid.  The next day, we tested her and she tested positive. I was exposed at home and got Covid 2 to 3 days later.  The antigen test tested negative but the PCR tested positive.  So you can catch Covid anywhere even just being in a grocery store.  

[JF - retired RRT]

13 minutes ago, danny8826 said:

You can Covid anywhere,  not just on the plane or cruise.

 

I was on a Carnival Cruise out of my home city, San Francisco.  Thinking trying to avoid flying might be a good idea. It was a good idea though.  I didn't catch Covid on the ship.  I came home and find out that one of my members of my family is sick and I knew it that she ahs Covid.  The next day, we tested her and she tested positive. I was exposed at home and got Covid 2 to 3 days later.  The antigen test tested negative but the PCR tested positive.  So you can catch Covid anywhere even just being in a grocery store.  

Which is why I wear a mask whenever I leave the house.

[Tonsoffun44]

So in other words - get off the ship go on excursion and get tested to get back on the ship after excursion???  No test would be positive that fast, it would be a waste of time/test.  Could bring your own self tests for pre-excursion testing in your cabin. Make yourself more comfortable to know if you've become positive since the pre-boarding test and day of excursion 4+ days later. 

[MixerDave]

43 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Which is why I wear a mask whenever I leave the house.

Do you wear a cloth mask?  Do you wear it outdoors?  While driving?

Edited June 21, 2022 by MixerDave

[himan]

41 minutes ago, Tonsoffun44 said:

So in other words - get off the ship go on excursion and get tested to get back on the ship after excursion???  No test would be positive that fast, it would be a waste of time/test.  Could bring your own self tests for pre-excursion testing in your cabin. Make yourself more comfortable to know if you've become positive since the pre-boarding test and day of excursion 4+ days later. 

Thanks for that reply and for picking up on the testing to come back on board! I actually never thought about how ludicrous it would be to test to come back aboard as the testing in the past was required by the country you were going ashore in if it was required at all. As far as testing at start of cruise goes a great percentage could inadvertently be taking it on board as they may only test positive  days later as you say. I know people have  posted on here saying they had to be disembarked from ship at the port they were docking in after testing positive to go ashore and depending on the rules of the country they could order the captain to offload infected passengers rather than quarantining on the ship. Thankfully those days seem to be behind us now though.

[danny8826]

54 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Which is why I wear a mask whenever I leave the house.

 

On our last cruise, no one wear a mask, but only 4 of us who do which I think a lot of people are look at us funny but we don't care.

 

[danny8826]

13 minutes ago, MixerDave said:

Do you wear a cloth mask?  Do you wear it outdoors?  While driving?

 

Last few weeks, San Francisco number was really high so I wear a N95.  Now, it's slopping down a bit and I wear KF94.  I don't trust surgical mask and especially cloth masks.  Those do nothing.

 

[JF - retired RRT]

16 minutes ago, MixerDave said:

Do you wear a cloth mask?  Do you wear it outdoors?  While driving?

N95. In stores and restaurants (altho' we usually go to a restaurant that has a patio or get take-out).

Why would anyone wear a mask in their car?

Do you have a problem with that?

[JF - retired RRT]

6 minutes ago, danny8826 said:

On our last cruise, no one wear a mask, but only 4 of us who do which I think a lot of people are look at us funny but we don't care.

 

Exactly. We were two of about 10% on our recent cruise.

[himan]

To be honest I don't worry about catching Covid at all and choose not to wear a mask if rules don't demand it. It is just the fact that it inhibits your freedom of movement etc. The world needs to move on from this as in the UK you can now go to work if well enough and you don't need to test unless in healthcare environment, no free tests and just treat as normal cold or flu but Princess still test prior to boarding and if you have had Covid in last 3 months or whatever you can show Proof of Recovery paperwork to prove it should you fail the test at port. One small problem being "How do you obtain the Proof of Recovery certificate"? as the NHS don't supply it and if you can't even get a PCR test how do you prove you are positive on a certain date unless you pay for a test to be sent to your home address? I think the whole situation has now descended in to a farce so the countries should just get back to normal and treat the unfortunate people who get ill as they would in any major outbreak of flu etc. I am not wishing to sound callous as people have succumbed to Covid and it has caused a lot of suffering but so does every other disease in the world, the treatment of a lot of these having been neglected and diagnoses missed due to Covid.

[MissP22]

38 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Why would anyone wear a mask in their car?

Why would anyone go to a restaurant wearing a mask?

[MixerDave]

54 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

N95. In stores and restaurants (altho' we usually go to a restaurant that has a patio or get take-out).

Why would anyone wear a mask in their car?

Do you have a problem with that?

Where Ilive I see people alone in their car wearing a mask.  Most people wear cloth or surgical masks.

[himan]

I guess it's best to say everyone is entitled to do whatever they feel most comfortable with. Me personally, I would never dream of wearing a mask while driving and often wonder when I see people driving alone with masks on why they are doing it but it is not for me to say what is and isn't right! Everyone has their own take on it and there may be underlying health issues or anxiety issues so I just say let everyone do whatever they want if it makes them feel safe or indeed does keep them safe. It's a free world (supposedly)! I would never mock anyone for wearing masks. I remember way back laughing at folks wearing seat belts when it was advised and first became law until I became one of them so live and let live I say. 

[MixerDave]

16 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Why would anyone go to a restaurant wearing a mask?

I see it on occasion.  They enter the restaurant, get seated and wait for the magical shield to rise up, and then they remove their mask. LOL

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, MixerDave said:

I see it on occasion.  They enter the restaurant, get seated and wait for the magical shield to rise up, and then they remove their mask. LOL

aka the cone of silence ...

[MixerDave]

21 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Why would anyone go to a restaurant wearing a mask?

Great to live in Free Florida

[milolii]

15 minutes ago, MixerDave said:

Where Ilive I see people alone in their car wearing a mask.  Most people wear cloth or surgical masks.

I’ve seen that and wondered if they are ride share drivers.  

[MixerDave]

5 minutes ago, milolii said:

I’ve seen that and wondered if they are ride share drivers.  

The ones I see the most are leaving a grocery store, getting in their car alone, and driving away.

[dickinson]

My dh sometimes wears his mask in the car.  The only reason he does it is because he is particular about how it fits with his glasses.  If we are doing errands and just driving from one store to another where he knows he will be getting out of the car he just leaves it on.  

[Tonsoffun44]

48 minutes ago, himan said:

I guess it's best to say everyone is entitled to do whatever they feel most comfortable with. Me personally, I would never dream of wearing a mask while driving and often wonder when I see people driving alone with masks on why they are doing it but it is not for me to say what is and isn't right! Everyone has their own take on it and there may be underlying health issues or anxiety issues so I just say let everyone do whatever they want if it makes them feel safe or indeed does keep them safe. It's a free world (supposedly)! I would never mock anyone for wearing masks. I remember way back laughing at folks wearing seat belts when it was advised and first became law until I became one of them so live and let live I say. 

Car air filter doesn't work well and don't want to drive with windows down????😁  Personally don't wear them around town/work other than at medical appointments when required - if go somewhere masks are required or strongly suggested I found a few Emoji cloth masks early on and usually wear one with 🤮 or 🤬on it as my form of protest but comply with the establishments rules. 

[dog]

To OP- you do not test to go on an excursion nor get back on board after an excursion.  You need the Covid test to embark to start your cruise.

[danny8826]

Not sure if this is still true or not, but I heard that if your cruise begins in Vancouver, you are required to wear mask to indoor venues for the entire length of the cruise.  Maybe this is the reason why there are so much room left on all of the sailing from Vancouver in July.  I am booked on the July 16th on the Majestic, and I highly doubt this ship will be full.