Revised NCL/Oceania COVID Guidelines Out Today: Drops Pre-Cruise Testing for the Vaccinated

[ToxM]

6 hours ago, chloemonkey said:

For those of us that ARE fully vaccinated - do we still need a negative PCR(lab) test to be done within 72 hours of embarkation SHOULD we become positive at some point?  I ask as I really need to do everything possible to assure reimbursement/quarantine assistance, in the case of catching Covid sometime during our 21 day journey....

 

 

I would imagine your travel insurance will need to cover that in that eventuality. It doesn’t appear to be specifically hinted at in the Oceania wording now.

 

There is no requirement (unless specified at a country level) to do a test before embarking if you are vaccinated.

 

Apart from quarantine on the ship, there appears to be very little quarantining on land now.   

 

 

[AMHuntFerry]

17 hours ago, chloemonkey said:

For those of us that ARE fully vaccinated - do we still need a negative PCR(lab) test to be done within 72 hours of embarkation SHOULD we become positive at some point?  I ask as I really need to do everything possible to assure reimbursement/quarantine assistance, in the case of catching Covid sometime during our 21 day journey....

 

I agree with ToxM; get travel insurance and make sure it covers Covid. Depending on when you sail/sailed, the "Covid perks" vary. For my September cruise to/from California, the only covid-perk left is that if I test positive for Covid within 14 days before embarkation, I get FCC (or possibly a refund). All of the other benefits have disappeared (for MY cruise) if I have read everything (Ticket Contract and https://www.oceaniacruises.com/health ) correctly.

[Nuka]

On 8/13/2022 at 7:01 PM, CurlerRob said:

 

It has been about six weeks since I did my last scan. At that time, I only found Manulife.

CAA, TD and all of my credit card vendors had all run for the hills with respect to cancellation/interruption policies.

 

Even the Manulife Covid interruption policy was clear that it did not cover cancellation - you needed the "standard" cancellation policy as well for that coverage (and it required Covid illness - no coverage for wanting to cancel due to concerns of being infected - CFAR has never been a thing in Canada as far as I can tell).

 

There may have been some changes over the past weeks, especially with a number of the lines relaxing protocols. 🍺🥌

I bought Manulife Cancel For Any Reason from my TA.  Only covers 50% and needs to be claimed 14 days prior to travel. This was included in the 'regular' no covid coverage while travelling policy.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Nuka

[rbtan]

On 8/8/2022 at 1:17 PM, Pvbgirl said:

I wonder if fully vaccinated is one or two boosters for cruises departing from the US?

 

I think it's the first 2 shots.

[rbtan]

For those who've met us..Keith came down with Covid this past weekend. He's pretty sure he caught it from a co worker that he drives with each day. She'd been coughing for about 2 weeks. He then showed signs this weekend. We have the kits & oh yeah he got it. We've had all the shots as did the coworker. It's like a bad cold, but still annoying.

[Divetripnow]

On 8/8/2022 at 5:09 PM, Debbers said:

Absolutely.  No question.  Even more important, UNVAXED passengers will be permitted to board if they test negative, but they are much more likely to pick up the virus in port and bring it aboard.

 

 

I’m definitely part of the unhappy about this decision group. Unvaccinated guests are likely to get Covid in port, giving them the ability to ruin someone else’s vacation!

[JanDom]

On 8/24/2022 at 9:13 PM, rbtan said:

For those who've met us..Keith came down with Covid this past weekend. He's pretty sure he caught it from a co worker that he drives with each day. She'd been coughing for about 2 weeks. He then showed signs this weekend. We have the kits & oh yeah he got it. We've had all the shots as did the coworker. It's like a bad cold, but still annoying.

 Hope he get well soon !

Maybe you can have a little time at home together because most of the time the partner will also get it after some days 😉

 

[rbtan]

56 minutes ago, JanDom said:

 Hope he get well soon !

Maybe you can have a little time at home together because most of the time the partner will also get it after some days 😉

 

Hopefully not! I have a compromised immune system due to my transplant. He's much better, but is still quite stuffed up which has affected taste & smell.

[JanDom]

Do not want to discuss the C thing again.

 

Just a question to the unvaccinated people going on board after September 3rd :

I got the information (as it is also said on the homepage of Oceania) that a antigen test will be fine to get on board.

My travel agent got the information it has to be a pcr Test.

 

Maybe someone who went on board „just“ with an antigen test without any problems can tell me his or her experience.

 

Thank you 🙂

[njhorseman]

43 minutes ago, JanDom said:

Do not want to discuss the C thing again.

 

Just a question to the unvaccinated people going on board after September 3rd :

I got the information (as it is also said on the homepage of Oceania) that a antigen test will be fine to get on board.

My travel agent got the information it has to be a pcr Test.

 

Maybe someone who went on board „just“ with an antigen test without any problems can tell me his or her experience.

 

Thank you 🙂

You should refer to O's published rules for the correct answer.

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/sites/default/files/2022-08/Sail-Safe-new-program.pdf

 

The requirements vary by embarkation port and ports of call on your itinerary.  Since you haven't stated your embarkation port nor your itinerary it 's not possible for anyone here to give you the answer, but you should be able to figure it out on your own by reading O's rules.

[JanDom]

7 hours ago, njhorseman said:

You should refer to O's published rules for the correct answer.

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/sites/default/files/2022-08/Sail-Safe-new-program.pdf

 

The requirements vary by embarkation port and ports of call on your itinerary.  Since you haven't stated your embarkation port nor your itinerary it 's not possible for anyone here to give you the answer, but you should be able to figure it out on your own by reading O's rules.

We will embark in Barcelona. And do not have a Greek Port. 
The lady of Oceania Miami and the rules say „Antigen or PCR“ test. The lady in Europe say PCR.

This is my confusion.

[Flatbush Flyer]

24 minutes ago, JanDom said:

We will embark in Barcelona. And do not have a Greek Port. 
The lady of Oceania Miami and the rules say „Antigen or PCR“ test. The lady in Europe say PCR.

This is my confusion.

No confusion at all.

 

Get fully vaccinated (within 270 days prior to your return home from the cruise) and do a proctored PCR pretest (negative) at the airport just prior to your flight out of the US. Then stay no more than one night in town prior to embarkation.

With that Plan A you will be prepared for pretty much any authority’s or cruise line’s Covid related requirement (now or in the foreseeable future). And your fellow O passengers will be grateful for your decision to join their vaccinated ranks and help protect yourself, them and O crew. 
 

 

[njhorseman]

35 minutes ago, JanDom said:

We will embark in Barcelona. And do not have a Greek Port. 
The lady of Oceania Miami and the rules say „Antigen or PCR“ test. The lady in Europe say PCR.

This is my confusion.

It's common for answers provided by telephone customer service representative and travel agents to be wrong as they are often inexperienced and poorly trained so I would rely on the website's published material .

That having been said, in your original question you asked for personal experiences, but that's impossible to provide as of today since the revised rules don't take effect until September 3.

 

[njhorseman]

5 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

No confusion at all.

 

Get fully vaccinated (within 270 days prior to your return home from the cruise) and do a proctored PCR pretest (negative) at the airport just prior to your flight out of the US. Then stay no more than one night in town prior to embarkation.

With that Plan A you will be prepared for pretty much any authority’s or cruise line’s Covid related requirement (now or in the foreseeable future). And your fellow O passengers will be grateful for your decision to join their vaccinated ranks and help protect yourself, them and O crew. 
 

 

I believe the poster is from Germany, so your advice about taking  a test "just prior to your flight out of the US" is useless.

And while both you and I might prefer if our fellow passengers were vaccinated the fact is that unvaccinated passengers will in most cases be permitted to cruise staring September 3 and anyone with a question about the applicable protocols is entitled to an answer to their questions, not a sermon.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, njhorseman said:

I believe the poster is from Germany, so your advice about taking  a test "just prior to your flight out of the US" is useless.

And while both you and I might prefer if our fellow passengers were vaccinated the fact is that unvaccinated passengers will in most cases be permitted to cruise staring September 3 and anyone with a question about the applicable protocols is entitled to an answer to their questions, not a sermon.

Agree to disagree. Citing a solution that takes care of OP’s confusion (my offered solution works no matter whether flying from US or Germany) while also protecting/promoting public health (on and off the ship) is an informed/informative service - not a sermon.

 

[JanDom]

3 hours ago, njhorseman said:

I believe the poster is from Germany, so your advice about taking  a test "just prior to your flight out of the US" is useless.

And while both you and I might prefer if our fellow passengers were vaccinated the fact is that unvaccinated passengers will in most cases be permitted to cruise staring September 3 and anyone with a question about the applicable protocols is entitled to an answer to their questions, not a sermon.

Thank you.

This is why I said I do not want to discuss about covid.

Everyone can have their own ideas about all that and that is fine. I accept yours and just want to accept with my opinion also. 
Doesn‘t matter if it is covid, eating or politics …

I know that unvaccinated passengers are not allowed yet. So I thought Someone can tell their experience after the 3rd or what information they got before starting to their cruise.

[JanDom]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Agree to disagree. Citing a solution that takes care of OP’s confusion (my offered solution works no matter whether flying from US or Germany) while also protecting/promoting public health (on and off the ship) is an informed/informative service - not a sermon.

 

Won‘t discuss about this any more.

Yes we are from Germany and don‘t have to be testet at all before traveling in Europe even by car or by air.

We only have to get testet to get on the ship. And therefore we got different informations and just want to do the right thing.

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

8 minutes ago, JanDom said:

....Yes we are from Germany and don‘t have to be testet at all before traveling in Europe even by car or by air.

We only have to get testet to get on the ship....

Not having identified where and when you are going (other than BCN embark), today’s rules may not be what you encounter when you finally do leave and return.

 

Ergo, my recommendation above about doing what will cover every possibility that may arise in the weeks and months ahead

With the current uncertainty about travel in general and Covid variation spikes in particular, savvy travelers will “hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” 

[JanDom]

37 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not having identified where and when you are going (other than BCN embark), today’s rules may not be what you encounter when you finally do leave and return.

 

Ergo, my recommendation above about doing what will cover every possibility that may arise in the weeks and months ahead

With the current uncertainty about travel in general and Covid variation spikes in particular, savvy travelers will “hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” 

We will embark the 3rd of September in Barcelona.

I think in the near future most of the travel restriction will fall.

Most people are recovered already and in my opinion we will just live with the virus as we did before.

Because nobody know what will happen we are booking only some weeks in advance right now 😉 

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 hours ago, JanDom said:

We will embark the 3rd of September in Barcelona.

I think in the near future most of the travel restriction will fall.

Most people are recovered already and in my opinion we will just live with the virus as we did before.

So, per your earlier post (#184?): How will knowing what others have encountered from September 3 onward help you with September 3 embarkation decision? Actually, no need to answer that nor answer any question about the growing evidence regarding longer term Covid implications despite supposed “recovery” from symptoms.

In any case, hopefully (and expectedly), the O allowance for unvaccinated persons will be dropped before the end of this year.

[roberts2005]

On an October cruise, starting in Rome with multiple ports, including Israel, who is responsible to be aware of the individual countries’ requirements.

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

On an October cruise, starting in Rome with multiple ports, including Israel, who is responsible to be aware of the individual countries’ requirements.

Contractually the passenger is always responsible for knowing any cruise's COVID protocols, not to mention more ordinary rules such as passport and visa requirements.

 

However the cruise lines, including Oceania, knowing that it's next to impossible for an individual to keep track of the continually changing COVID protocols, have generally done a reasonably good job of compiling that information and publishing it on their websites.

 

If you look at Oceania's protocols effective September 3 at https://www.oceaniacruises.com/sites/default/files/2022-08/Sail-Safe-new-program.pdf  you'll see the following statement:  " The above summaries are applicable to all currently scheduled voyages departures from September 2, 2022 through October 31, 2022. Further guidance for departures outside this range and for destinations not listed above will be made available in the near future."

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

On an October cruise, starting in Rome with multiple ports, including Israel, who is responsible to be aware of the individual countries’ requirements.

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/legal/terms-conditions/

[Guppy99]

4 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

On an October cruise, starting in Rome with multiple ports, including Israel, who is responsible to be aware of the individual countries’ requirements.

YOU are.  

[msn123]

Am I understanding correctly that now if we start in the US and tour and disembark in Canada we do not need to pretest to board? (October NYC to Montreal)   And yes, the Arrivcan app is already on the phone...I know we for sure need that!