Change in HAL Pre-Cruise COVID Test Requirement (June 30, 2022)

[rubytue]

21 minutes ago, FrankieSue said:

Antigen tests are very unreliable and have no value whatsoever.  Anybody can test negative before cruising and be positive the next day, or could get covid during a port call or excursion when there is no testing

This is the thing that makes me feel the testing is futile. Testing 2 days before tells you nothing about who is boarding the ship pre-symptomatic. Although, I wouldn’t say they are unreliable. They aren’t great for identifying pre-symptomatic cases. But, their sensitivity is pretty good once symptoms develop. 
 

ugh. I have such mixed feelings about this. The logic/medical side of my brain does say it doesn’t do any good. But it also may also prevent the person who tries to continue on with their plans despite being ill. 
 

on the vaccination thing, keeping that helps the cruise line more than the passengers. Vaccination reduces severity, so if someone does get sick, the medical facilities on board are able to handle it. And that’s why I think that is likely to stick around long. Not to help passengers, but to help the on-board medical crew. 

[dobiemom]

17 hours ago, dfish said:

I hope I get my email soon.  I leave on July 17th on the same ship for Norway.  

You should get you email soon. 🤞 My TA said HAL is testing this on three sailings only, Jul 10 is the first. It will last for just 3 Sundays then they will review.

[Nickelpenny]

45 minutes ago, rubytue said:

 

 

on the vaccination thing, keeping that helps the cruise line more than the passengers. Vaccination reduces severity, so if someone does get sick, the medical facilities on board are able to handle it. And that’s why I think that is likely to stick around long. Not to help passengers, but to help the on-board medical crew. 

I TOTALLY agree with this!!!  As a nurse I would not be looking forward to passengers who were NOT vaccinated on a cruise. They could “go south “ real fast if they got COVID while on a cruise. It could get ugly and deadly fast!!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

46 minutes ago, dobiemom said:

You should get you email soon. 🤞 My TA said HAL is testing this on three sailings only, Jul 10 is the first. It will last for just 3 Sundays then they will review.

Hope it works we get on the Rotterdam 7/32

[POA1]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:45 PM, Kamfish642 said:

We look forward to welcoming you on board Rotterdam for your upcoming voyage (booking XXXXXX).

Do you think this has anything to do with the superporn status of your cruise? It's triple-X times 2 after all.

 

Have they mentioned monkeypox by any chance?

 

Have a great trip (also, Greece doesn't have a significantly different testing protocol.)

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

• Rotterdam – July 24, 2022 – Voyages Y253A is a 21 day cruise , We board on July 31 how is that going to work ??

[LAFFNVEGAS]

15 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

• Rotterdam – July 24, 2022 – Voyages Y253A is a 21 day cruise , We board on July 31 how is that going to work ??

My guess is you may not know if they will continue this till about a week before your cruise. I think it really is anyone's guess what they might do.

[rodndonna]

5 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

My guess is you may not know if they will continue this till about a week before your cruise. I think it really is anyone's guess what they might do.

 

I agree. My 'guess' would be that it is going to stay. If not, it is a bit of a flag  😒

[ewildcat7]

I thought the CDC was requiring pre-boarding tests for cruises that "touch" the US.  I thought I read somewhere that the cruises very much want to stop pre-cruise testing, but are bound by CDC regulations if the cruise is in the US.  This might explain why the "experiments" are all taking place in Europe.

 

As far as vaccination, I thought the Royal Caribbean CEO made a good point on that.  He said that many countries where these ships go require vaccinations for the crew to be able to enter the country.

[Mary229]

6 minutes ago, ewildcat7 said:

I thought the CDC was requiring pre-boarding tests for cruises that "touch" the US.  I thought I read somewhere that the cruises very much want to stop pre-cruise testing, but are bound by CDC regulations if the cruise is in the US.  This might explain why the "experiments" are all taking place in Europe.

 

As far as vaccination, I thought the Royal Caribbean CEO made a good point on that.  He said that many countries where these ships go require vaccinations for the crew to be able to enter the country.

The US program is voluntary, the Canadian program is not 

[Fred321]

HAL just sent email that requires vaccination AND boosters for those boarding VOV on July 9. They indicate that it is being done because of the length of the cruise (35 days). They are allowing proof of booster administered up to the date of boarding (!) and are using cdc guidelines for what you need. I'm fine with it but not a lot of notice for a cruise that also requires arriveCan and the usual pre testing. 

[crusinbanjo]

28 minutes ago, Fred321 said:

HAL just sent email that requires vaccination AND boosters for those boarding VOV on July 9. They indicate that it is being done because of the length of the cruise (35 days). They are allowing proof of booster administered up to the date of boarding (!) and are using cdc guidelines for what you need. I'm fine with it but not a lot of notice for a cruise that also requires arriveCan and the usual pre testing. 

Not for me, I would say, “have a nice cruise” then go make an insurance claim.

[Fred321]

Hope there's a lot more with that opinion. I'd love an empty ship!

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Fred321 said:

HAL just sent email that requires vaccination AND boosters for those boarding VOV on July 9. They indicate that it is being done because of the length of the cruise (35 days). They are allowing proof of booster administered up to the date of boarding (!) and are using cdc guidelines for what you need. I'm fine with it but not a lot of notice for a cruise that also requires arriveCan and the usual pre testing. 

It is likely a last minute change from one of the countries you will be visiting.  

[WFBgal]

We are going for entire 35 day VOV. Doubled vaxed  & double boosted. Life must go on. Our daughter, a RN, says booster not worth it. Not one nurse she works with in a hospital has been boosted. We plan to live life to the fullest while we still can.

[BermudaBound2014]

17 hours ago, Fred321 said:

HAL just sent email that requires vaccination AND boosters for those boarding VOV on July 9. They indicate that it is being done because of the length of the cruise (35 days). They are allowing proof of booster administered up to the date of boarding (!) and are using cdc guidelines for what you need. I'm fine with it but not a lot of notice for a cruise that also requires arriveCan and the usual pre testing. 

 

 I know people who absolutely refuse to get a booster due to reaction from first vaccine and it's ineffectiveness against current variants. I totally get that cruising right now is fluid and people booking must be ready to roll with changes, but I wound not want a booster a week before travel. Perhaps, people who refuse boosters are already not choosing to cruise and that is contributing to low occupancy.

 

16 hours ago, Mary229 said:

It is likely a last minute change from one of the countries you will be visiting.  

 

Makes sense. Any idea what country? The only place I see with a new booster requirement is Bali. 

[petepie]

I’m wondering if these trips were chosen because Norway is not a member of the EU? So they do not follow the EU healthy gateways recommendations that require cruise ship testing.

[crusinbanjo]

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 I know people who absolutely refuse to get a booster due to reaction from first vaccine and it's ineffectiveness against current variants. I totally get that cruising right now is fluid and people booking must be ready to roll with changes, but I wound not want a booster a week before travel. Perhaps, people who refuse boosters are already not choosing to cruise and that is contributing to low occupancy.

. 

Exactly correct.  I am double vaccinated, but choose not to be boosted because of a heart issue that manifested itself after the second shot.  I’m not going to take a chance on another shot that MIGHT make my situation worse.

[cowmilker]

We are double vaxxed and double boosted, and I am impatient to see if we'll be able to get another booster before our first cruise in mid September.  Probably not, but if not, then we'll be watching and if we can get in a port someplace, we'll do that, quite happily.

I will be stuck every time they will stick me.  

[WFBgal]

We haven’t received the email saying VOV pax must be boosted at least once. Truly snail mail!

[CATandSQUID]

On 7/1/2022 at 2:13 PM, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

• Rotterdam – July 24, 2022 – Voyages Y253A is a 21 day cruise , We board on July 31 how is that going to work ??

This is the cruise I Chatted with HAL about.  They said if the decide to continue no testing they will inform us.  Plan on testing I guess.

[Primus]

Interesting timing. On July 2nd the Rotterdam just changed to requiring guests to wear face masks while indoors at all times, except when eating or drinking or in their own staterooms due to the number of Covid cases on board.

[riverrat]

 

Bayley said that the CDC shared some information with him in a call.

 

"The cruise industry sailing out of the US ports over the past 12 months and how many people have been hospitalized with Covid and how many deaths occurred from Covid from people who'd sailed on the industry's ships, which is in the millions," he said, "And the number of people who died from COVID who'd sailed on ships over the past year was two."

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/cruise-line-drops-pre-cruise-covid-testing-rule/ar-AAZ9edh?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=6e28cddd174d4cfebb865cf64dc8591a

[westguy99]

1 hour ago, riverrat said:

 

Bayley said that the CDC shared some information with him in a call.

 

"The cruise industry sailing out of the US ports over the past 12 months and how many people have been hospitalized with Covid and how many deaths occurred from Covid from people who'd sailed on the industry's ships, which is in the millions," he said, "And the number of people who died from COVID who'd sailed on ships over the past year was two."

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/cruise-line-drops-pre-cruise-covid-testing-rule/ar-AAZ9edh?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=6e28cddd174d4cfebb865cf64dc8591a

It probably should read "died with covid" which is what they actually keep track of. If someone fell over board and the body was recovered and had covid that would be a covid death. 

[rubytue]

38 minutes ago, westguy99 said:

It probably should read "died with covid" which is what they actually keep track of. If someone fell over board and the body was recovered and had covid that would be a covid death. 

They always list a primary cause of death and contributing factors. So, if you are hit by a bus, while you were undergoing cancer treatments, it would still list cancer as something you had when you died. “From” and “with” are tagged differently on a death certificate in everyone I’ve ever seen (thousands, reading them is a big part of my job).