No More Pre-Cruise Testing for Vaccinated guests on voyages less than 6 nights starting August 8th!

[Russ Lomas]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Omicron hits you pretty quick.  You could legit test negative 2 days prior, be exposed that day and be symptomatic when you board the cruise.

You can say that again.  I felt great and donated blood and went to an appointment with my optometrist on a Friday afternoon. 9 hours later I had fever and chills and tested positive.  It came on very quickly for me (luckily just 3 days of bad symptoms though).  And yes, I did contact Canadian Blood Services and my optometrist immediately when I tested positive to inform them.

 

3 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Correct

So a guy like Super Mario likely has to test every single week since he lives on ships.  Maybe time for him to switch to a ship sailing exclusive cruises of 5 days or less, so he does not need to keep testing weekly.

 

56 minutes ago, molly361 said:

That surprised me as well.  Maybe they will close that loophole when they release more info next week

They probably have someone from the company reading this thread right now making note of all the things that posters in here are saying that they never thought of themselves before, like the B2B2B2B short cruisers not needing to test.

[britty1]

4 hours ago, hazeleyes46 said:

I think most take 7 day cruises and not happy we will still have to test. Very stressful.

I was very stressed for months about the testing. Was going to go to Walgreens because at one point they were free, travel companions had an appt at SAC airport at an approved urgent care, they cancelled appt a few days before appt.

we all had IHEALTH at home tests so decided the best thing to do was to pay for an internet proctor service and use the tests we had. Made 4 appts with rapidtestandtrace, the easiest testing for $20 per person.  No problems and RCI accepted the paperwork, no question I would use them again and not fret.

[CruiserNic]

10 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

They probably have someone from the company reading this thread right now making note of all the things that posters in here are saying that they never thought of themselves before, like the B2B2B2B short cruisers not needing to test.

Oh, they thought of it.  They just didn't think any of us would! 😂

[smokeybandit]

16 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

So a guy like Super Mario likely has to test every single week since he lives on ships.

He only needs a test when he switches ships.

[ReneeFLL]

5 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

You are likely correct.  It does seem a bit weird to only drop the requirements on short cruises.  Regent Cruise Line has dropped testing requirements on Aug. 1  unless the country. of origin requires it.  So I think we are slowly coming out of "Covid mode."  

Less people will start showing signs on shorter cruises.

[BND]

19 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

 

 

They probably have someone from the company reading this thread right now making note of all the things that posters in here are saying that they never thought of themselves before, like the B2B2B2B short cruisers not needing to test.

Yeah, cause no one at the company thought of that, but all us cruisers did, really?  I guarantee they thought of it.

[CoffeeBoy]

"Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. "

 

Wait. Are they saying unvaccinated guests can board cruises after August? They don't have to apply for a religious or medical exception?

[NeepierRoad]

Not sure if anyone said this but now that many places (CVS/Walgreens)

are charging for PCR/Antigen travel tests, you can book an inexpensive cruise cheaper than the cost of most Covid tests. Ridiculous!

Edited July 28, 2022 by NeepierRoad
added text

[imola]

3 hours ago, ramja96 said:

 

E-3 here. What city? 😉

Thank you to both of you for your service to our country. 

[Surfguyxxx]

4 hours ago, twangster said:

 

With cruises less than 6 nights there remains a degree of uncertainty when someone who ends up positive actually became infected.   On longer cruises there is more certainty if a positive case occurred during the cruise.  

 

During any potential legal or social media actions blaming the cruise that degree of uncertainty means a lot.  The public will quickly decide you can't blame it on the cruise during a 4 night sailing for example.   The keyword is "outbreak".  

 

An outbreak takes time to get rolling.  Spread may occur on day one of a cruise but it doesn't balloon into an outbreak until the spread multiples on itself several days into a cruise.  On cruises less than 6 nights it becomes much more difficult to prove an outbreak occurred on the ship if one did in fact occur.  

 

This is important because if an outbreak occurs on a ship and there is no denying an outbreak has occurred on board the next question will be "Did the cruise line do enough to prevent the outbreak?".  Precruise testing is a key component of doing enough to prevent an outbreak.  

Well said.  I for one aren't bothered about the test.  It's another layer of protection for me, the consumer and it's appreciated.  

[cruisebabe50]

Woo hoo!!! We are getting there!  One step at a time.....

[SilkySal]

Question: We are on a B2B in October on Mariner. The first leg is just 5-nights, so no pre-cruise testing will be required. However, what about that 2nd leg for 8 nights? I assume that RCCL will perform that testing on-board? 🤞 TIA! Sal

[Ozzie26]

I was very excited to see progress. I would love to not test at all but it is a change in the right direction. I would like it to be effective earlier as I am booked on a 3 night leaving 8/5. I do have 4 more weekend cruises booked as well as 4 more 7 day cruises in the next 8 months. I never believed the testing was beneficial and have sailed 16 times since July 2021 including Alaska from Vancouver last month. No problems with Covid - when I finally did catch it, I most likely got it at work which is unfortunately a necessary evil for the next few years. 

[frisbeewife]

I knew it!  I leave tomorrow (July 29) for a 3 night cruise. I kept expecting them to drop the precruise testing effective August 1 cuz that’s how my luck goes. I was only off by a week.  
 

Now if they just drop the rest of it before my 8 night cruise in October then I’ll be a happy cruiser………..

[cruisebabe50]

1 minute ago, SilkySal said:

Question: We are on a B2B in October on Mariner. The first leg is just 5-nights, so no pre-cruise testing will be required. However, what about that 2nd leg for 8 nights? I assume that RCCL will perform that testing on-board? 🤞 TIA! Sal

Never assume anything for sure.  I wouldn't count on it.  

[SilkySal]

4 minutes ago, cruisebabe50 said:

Never assume anything for sure.  I wouldn't count on it.  

Yeah, I know. I always have a plan B! Thanks!

[rudeney]

47 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

An R naught of 18, with a 5 day incubation, would produce 18 cases per infected person at day 5-10. That is not the same as the permutations of how many exposures there could be in an unlimited set.

 

Omicron is 2-4 days.  And it's rolling days.  So that first person boards on day 1 and is infected (his test two days prior was negative, but now he's contagious).  By day 3, 18 more are infected and contagious.  And the factorial starts at that point, so 5,832 infected by day 5.  All this shows is that it's not an attempt to contain infection - it's an attempt to keep it off the ships so that it becomes "someone else's problem".  Like I said, politics not science.

[Another_Critic]

35 minutes ago, CoffeeBoy said:

"Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. "

 

Wait. Are they saying unvaccinated guests can board cruises after August? They don't have to apply for a religious or medical exception?

Under 12 yo can be unvaccinated and would still require testing.

[hazeleyes46]

51 minutes ago, britty1 said:

I was very stressed for months about the testing. Was going to go to Walgreens because at one point they were free, travel companions had an appt at SAC airport at an approved urgent care, they cancelled appt a few days before appt.

we all had IHEALTH at home tests so decided the best thing to do was to pay for an internet proctor service and use the tests we had. Made 4 appts with rapidtestandtrace, the easiest testing for $20 per person.  No problems and RCI accepted the paperwork, no question I would use them again and not fret.

I am going to book my appointments for tomorrow with them 🙂

[cruisegirl1]

5 hours ago, molly361 said:

If you do a B2B 3/4 no tests still right?  Or a 4/5

yup - we have a B3B -  4/3/4 coming up, so no test!  Weird that a 7 day needs  a test, but we will not.  I guess because every B2B leg is a separate cruise.  Separate booking #,  set of taxes/fees, etc.  

 

Normally, because B2B testing was eliminated I would have only tested for the first 4N cruise anyway. 

 

M

Edited July 28, 2022 by cruisegirl1

[BobNoxious]

1 hour ago, RedIguana said:

An R naught of 18, with a 5 day incubation, would produce 18 cases per infected person at day 5-10. That is not the same as the permutations of how many exposures there could be in an unlimited set.

Exactly!  Which is why 5 day cruises it is not required.  If people catch it after 5 days incubation, they are off the boat.  Not RCL's problem any longer.    On days 6 and 7, people are getting it from day 1 and 2 on the boat.

Edited July 28, 2022 by BobNoxious

[cruisegirl1]

1 hour ago, Russ Lomas said:

.

 

So a guy like Super Mario likely has to test every single week since he lives on ships.  Maybe time for him to switch to a ship sailing exclusive cruises of 5 days or less, so he does not need to keep testing weekly.

 

Many of Mario's cruises are b2B,  and B2B testing was eliminated a few months ago.  He, of course, had to test for the first cruise.    I don't know his testing requirements, and it is none of my business.   

 

M

[ZoeyVictoria]

Many (if not most) of the cruisers anecdotally reporting Covid are stating they got sick on the last day of the cruise or within two days of debarking.  With so many of Royal’s cruises including Coco Cay, guests there are exposed only to other guests who also tested negative two days earlier, immediately preceded or followed by a day at sea.  It is day three before many guests are exposed to people other than those on the ship with them, people who have not been recently tested.  Add two or three days for incubation, and this could be one of the reasons for many infections occurring at the end of cruises.  This might factor into the decision to have different protocols based on the length of the cruise.

[rudeney]

16 minutes ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

Many (if not most) of the cruisers anecdotally reporting Covid are stating they got sick on the last day of the cruise or within two days of debarking.  With so many of Royal’s cruises including Coco Cay, guests there are exposed only to other guests who also tested negative two days earlier, immediately preceded or followed by a day at sea.  It is day three before many guests are exposed to people other than those on the ship with them, people who have not been recently tested.  Add two or three days for incubation, and this could be one of the reasons for many infections occurring at the end of cruises.  This might factor into the decision to have different protocols based on the length of the cruise.

 

Again, it's not an attempt to stop/slow the spread and protect passengers, but to keep RCCL from having to deal with it on their ships - it becomes someone else's problem.  

[tlguinn_2000]

7 hours ago, uncwmark said:

According to RCCL's latest quarterly earnings (released this morning)...

"Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. "

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/royal-caribbean-group-reports-second-120000818.html

 

I know this won't please everyone, but probably a reasonable step and one that moves cruising towards where the rest of the travel industry has already gone pursuant to COVID. 

Jason Liberty, president and CEO, speaking on the company's second quarter and business update call on Thursday morning. 

Liberty said the company would still test unvaccinated guests, and said he expected to drop testing for vaccinated guests on longer cruises in the near future.