Are pre-cruise covid tests required?

[Sarah1974]

My parents are due to sail on 1st August from Southampton around the British Isles.  Is anyone able to advise whether there is a requirement for them to do a covid test before they go?  If so, can this be a lateral flow test? 

 

Thanks for any answers; my parents are elderly and are not sure of the current regulations

[Cruising Nomads]

Check Fred's website under Covid Protocols all the information is there. As I read it you only need a negative covid lateral flow test cassette taken within 24 hrs of the departure date.

[Colin_Cameron]

We are due to board tomorrow and have to do a LF test before arriving at the dock. Don’t remember the exact wording re: “within 24 hours”, or “ 1 day”, or “on the day”, but we’ll do ours tomorrow morning.

 

They will accept you showing them a letter or text or email from the testing company, otherwise just take the test cassette with you (which is what we’ll do. Test kit £2 from Tesco)

Edited July 7, 2022 by Colin_Cameron
Things could have changed by next month.

[Coravel]

They will test all passengers at the terminal before they are allowed on the ship but when we went a couple of weeks ago it was all incredibly quick.  

[Colin_Cameron]

10 hours ago, Coravel said:

They will test all passengers at the terminal before they are allowed on the ship ...

No. Currently they are NOT testing all passengers at the terminal. You have to do a test yourself and bring the results (or the test itself) with you.

 

This was still the case as of our last contact with FO yesterday but could well have changed by the time we check-in in four hours time, never mind the 1st of August.

[Coravel]

1 hour ago, Colin_Cameron said:

No. Currently they are NOT testing all passengers at the terminal. You have to do a test yourself and bring the results (or the test itself) with you.

 

This was still the case as of our last contact with FO yesterday but could well have changed by the time we check-in in four hours time, never mind the 1st of August.

That's great news!  I hope they get rid of those useless trace bands too.  

[Sarah1974]

Many thanks for all replies.  My parents have a box of lateral flow test kits so will use that and take the test cassettes with them.  They have not heard anything from Fred Olsen regarding testing!  But then they also haven't heard anything about shore excursion options either

[Chanbre]

Have a look at the "Testing" section of this Fred Olsen web page: https://www.fredolsencruises.com/travel-confidence

[Coravel]

Best to check online to find out if the tours are available.  It's easier to book that way and you will be able to view the tours booklet which may contain additional excursions.  Log in with your booking reference.  

[Sarah1974]

On 7/9/2022 at 1:09 PM, Coravel said:

Best to check online to find out if the tours are available.  It's easier to book that way and you will be able to view the tours booklet which may contain additional excursions.  Log in with your booking reference.  

Thank you.  My parents don't do "online" so they were told they'd get something through the post.  It looks like I'll be searching for them!

[July morning]

My excursions became available on line 7-8 weeks before departure and the brochure with luggage labels didn't arrive until about 2-3 weeks before departure.

[tring]

On 7/8/2022 at 12:33 PM, Sarah1974 said:

Many thanks for all replies.  My parents have a box of lateral flow test kits so will use that and take the test cassettes with them.  They have not heard anything from Fred Olsen regarding testing!  But then they also haven't heard anything about shore excursion options either

 

Fred say he puts excursions on line six weeks prior to a cruise start date, but cruises we have been on since covid have had later publication dates for the excursions, though worth keeping an eye on the "Manage my Cruises" login page after about that time.  Everyone gets postal details about excursions, but not until much nearer to the cruise date (poss two weeks before, so if an unusual destination, some excursions may have sold out, though that is not the norm on most cruises.

 

Tickets come online three weeks before a cruise start date and luggage labels at a similar time, or poss a tad later.

 

 

[Sarah1974]

15 hours ago, tring said:

 

Fred say he puts excursions on line six weeks prior to a cruise start date, but cruises we have been on since covid have had later publication dates for the excursions, though worth keeping an eye on the "Manage my Cruises" login page after about that time.  Everyone gets postal details about excursions, but not until much nearer to the cruise date (poss two weeks before, so if an unusual destination, some excursions may have sold out, though that is not the norm on most cruises.

 

Tickets come online three weeks before a cruise start date and luggage labels at a similar time, or poss a tad later.

 

 

Thank you.  they booked with a TA so I think bag tags and tickets will come from them.  I will go onlibe at the weekend with their booking reference to see if I can help them with trips.  It's a British Isles cruise.  They've crusied with Fred a few times and booked witrh the same TA but communication seems to be more lacking this time

Edited July 13, 2022 by Sarah1974

[tring]

2 hours ago, Sarah1974 said:

Thank you.  they booked with a TA so I think bag tags and tickets will come from them.  I will go onlibe at the weekend with their booking reference to see if I can help them with trips.  It's a British Isles cruise.  They've crusied with Fred a few times and booked witrh the same TA but communication seems to be more lacking this time

 

When we have booked with an agent in the past, they have printed out the tickets when they became available and sent them to us, though we had always been into Manage my Cruises and printed them out from there as soon as they came online.  Not a problem though as they do not tend to ask for them at check in most of the time.  I have known agents send out luggage tags with their own logo on them, so can be filled in, but Fred do send very good ones with your coloured embarkation group, direct to the customer a couple of weeks pre-cruise with the excursion details.

 

Fred will do expect everyone to have online access and are very happy to answer any queries over the phone or act on requests, so your parents will be fine. Information is just available earlier online, so your help will be appreciated, I am sure.  It is very annoying that some cruise lines only have things on line now and is perhaps why agents do not automatically help out, like in the past. 

[jeanlyon]

P&O has stopped the requirement for testing.  You only have to declare that you did one and tested negative, so I would expect Fred to follow fairly soon.

[Sarah1974]

20 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

P&O has stopped the requirement for testing.  You only have to declare that you did one and tested negative, so I would expect Fred to follow fairly soon.

but not in time for Monday!!

Personally I would rather people did a test before boarding (I know covid is still doing the rounds).  My parents have basically been shielding for 2 1/2 years and I don't want them to get covid now; they are mutli-jabbed but both have health problems which would worry me if they test positive