8/12/22 PRINCESS CRUISES REMOVES VACCINE REQUIREMENT FOR MOST VOYAGES, ELMINATES PRE-CRUISE TESTING FOR VACCINATED GUESTS

[Daniel A]

11 minutes ago, beg3yrs said:

I know that PacnGoNow already answered this but from the answer it could still have been a paper form you download and fill out.

 

It isn't paper, it's an App you need to load onto your smart phone and then answer its questions. Once complete you'll have a QRR code as well as an alphanumeric code you can display to whoever requests it.

According to this news story:  

If you don't have a compatible smartphone, you can submit your information through the browser version of ArriveCAN on any computer. This can include a public computer at a library, an internet café or a hotel.

 

These places will also often have a printer, allowing you to print out your ArriveCAN receipt. Upon arrival, a Canadian Border Services officer will ask to see your Arrive CAN receipt. If you're not carrying a smartphone or other device, be sure to have a printout of our ArriveCAN receipt ready.

 

Story is here:

Coronavirus: How to use the ArriveCAN app if you don't have a smartphone | CTV News

 

 

[Tedferg]

I now accept that Canada does require cruise passengers to test before entering Canada, though this was not clear from early items on Princess site.

 

It seems more restrictive now, haven't vaccinated passengers previously been able to take Antigen test 3 days prior to boarding, even on cruises visiting Canada? Now it is 48 hours. What happened on previous cruises if there was a conflict between what Princess required and what Canada requires.

[memoak]

2 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

I now accept that Canada does require cruise passengers to test before entering Canada, though this was not clear from early items on Princess site.

 

It seems more restrictive now, haven't vaccinated passengers previously been able to take Antigen test 3 days prior to boarding, even on cruises visiting Canada? Now it is 48 hours. What happened on previous cruises if there was a conflict between what Princess required and what Canada requires.

Any countries rules trump Princess rules. ArriveCAN, vaccination proof and testing are all required prior to boarding in Canada

[Tedferg]

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

Any countries rules trump Princess rules. ArriveCAN, vaccination proof and testing are all required prior to boarding in Canada

Of course, I guess I did not make my point clearly. Weren't vaccinated passengers previously allowed to dock in Canadian ports after 3-day pre board antigen test? (Not Embarkation) If so, then what happened to the Canadian 48 hours rule? Was it not imposed.

[Daniel A]

3 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

I now accept that Canada does require cruise passengers to test before entering Canada, though this was not clear from early items on Princess site.

 

It seems more restrictive now, haven't vaccinated passengers previously been able to take Antigen test 3 days prior to boarding, even on cruises visiting Canada? Now it is 48 hours. What happened on previous cruises if there was a conflict between what Princess required and what Canada requires.

It really makes no sense at all for a pre-embarkation test be taken for an Alaska cruise that stops in Canada on one of the last days of the sailing.  Example: Ruby sails on a 10-day R/T from SFO on September 7.  Passenger tests negative on pre-embarkation test on September 5.  Ruby docks in British Columbia on September 14.  The tested passenger has arrived in Canada either 9 or 10 days after testing negative.  How does that mandatory pre-embarkation test help at all?

[AZjohn]

21 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

....The tested passenger has arrived in Canada either 9 or 10 days after testing negative.  How does that mandatory pre-embarkation test help at all?

I think you are preaching to the choir on this one 🙂

[blizzard44ca]

30 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Of course, I guess I did not make my point clearly. Weren't vaccinated passengers previously allowed to dock in Canadian ports after 3-day pre board antigen test? (Not Embarkation) If so, then what happened to the Canadian 48 hours rule? Was it not imposed.

It has always been 2 days for Canada (no change)

[dog]

26 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Of course, I guess I did not make my point clearly. Weren't vaccinated passengers previously allowed to dock in Canadian ports after 3-day pre board antigen test? (Not Embarkation) If so, then what happened to the Canadian 48 hours rule? Was it not imposed.

In May this year I had to do the antigen test 2 days prior to boarding or the PCR test 72 hours prior to boarding in Vancouver.

The change in requirements are posted in this thread and August 15/22 on Princess website.

My earlier post on here agrees with this clarification.

 

[Daniel A]

10 minutes ago, AZjohn said:

I think you are preaching to the choir on this one 🙂

A little addition to my sermon:  HAL has just announced the same testing and vaccination protocols starting the same date as Princess.  I have a 35-day HAL cruise booked for February/March.  How does it make sense that for a 10-day cruise I wouldn't need a test, but I would need a test because I'm will still be onboard for days 16 to 35?  The only thing I can think of is the likelihood of many more sea days on the longer cruises with more PAX in onboard venues.  Oh well, I'm hoping all of this stuff ends by the end of this year.  🤷‍♂️

[Steelers36]

8 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

A little addition to my sermon:  HAL has just announced the same testing and vaccination protocols starting the same date as Princess.  I have a 35-day HAL cruise booked for February/March.  How does it make sense that for a 10-day cruise I wouldn't need a test, but I would need a test because I'm will still be onboard for days 16 to 35?  The only thing I can think of is the likelihood of many more sea days on the longer cruises with more PAX in onboard venues.  Oh well, I'm hoping all of this stuff ends by the end of this year.  🤷‍♂️

An even better conundrum is let's say someone could book that 35-night voyage as 10+10+15.  This would mean being on the ship for the same 35 nights as someone booking it all together in one logical voyage.  But the second person needs a test and first person doesn't - at least the way things stand right now.

[Tedferg]

39 minutes ago, blizzard44ca said:

It has always been 2 days for Canada (no change)

The point I am desperately trying to make is, was 3-day Antigen previously accepted for vaccinated passengers and if so, shouldn't the Canadian 48 hours have trumped the 3-day. If it was not enforced, then why is it enforced now. Just a rant from me, I was happy when testing was eliminated but am now in a worse position vis-a-vis our Sep20 Canada New England cruise 😞

39 minutes ago, dog said:

In May this year I had to do the antigen test 2 days prior to boarding or the PCR test 72 hours prior to boarding in Vancouver.

The change in requirements are posted in this thread and August 15/22 on Princess website.

My earlier post on here agrees with this clarification.

 

Clear for embarkation, not so for visiting or disembarking in Canada. It has now been made clearer.

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

According to this news story:  

If you don't have a compatible smartphone, you can submit your information through the browser version of ArriveCAN on any computer. This can include a public computer at a library, an internet café or a hotel.

 

These places will also often have a printer, allowing you to print out your ArriveCAN receipt. Upon arrival, a Canadian Border Services officer will ask to see your Arrive CAN receipt. If you're not carrying a smartphone or other device, be sure to have a printout of our ArriveCAN receipt ready.

 

Story is here:

Coronavirus: How to use the ArriveCAN app if you don't have a smartphone | CTV News

 

 

Far be it for the news media to get things wrong, this is  incorrect. When you present yourself, and your passport or NEXUS card to a CBSA agent when coming in to Canada, say at an airport or a land crossing, they will know automatically that you have properly completed the ArriveCan submission as it will be in their "system" and they will see it on their computer screen. On a cruise where an ArriveCan submission is required prior to embarkation, the cruise line will verify that you have submitted properly by asking to see your receipt so they can let you board, but the CBSA will also know as soon as the cruise line submits the passenger list. We've done a number of ArriveCan submissions over the last few months and never has the receipt been needed.  Still, it's always prudent to have a paper copy, we sure will have ours when we board the Enchanted next month.

[Daniel A]

19 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Far be it for the news media to get things wrong, this is  incorrect. When you present yourself, and your passport or NEXUS card to a CBSA agent when coming in to Canada, say at an airport or a land crossing, they will know automatically that you have properly completed the ArriveCan submission as it will be in their "system" and they will see it on their computer screen. On a cruise where an ArriveCan submission is required prior to embarkation, the cruise line will verify that you have submitted properly by asking to see your receipt so they can let you board, but the CBSA will also know as soon as the cruise line submits the passenger list. We've done a number of ArriveCan submissions over the last few months and never has the receipt been needed.  Still, it's always prudent to have a paper copy, we sure will have ours when we board the Enchanted next month.

Thanks for the info.  I was posting that article to show that one can complete ArriveCAN on a computer if someone doesn't have a smart phone (like me.)  Were your prior submissions for arriving by land or air rather than a cruise ship?  I don't have direct experience with this, but I would think Princess would want to see the hard copy QR (or QR on a phone or tablet) as part of required embarkation documentation.  I never needed to show any ID to Canadian authorities when stopping in Canada for a cruise excursion.  I believe that is because the ship had already verified my information.

[suekel]

2 hours ago, Tedferg said:

I now accept that Canada does require cruise passengers to test before entering Canada, though this was not clear from early items on Princess site.

 

It seems more restrictive now, haven't vaccinated passengers previously been able to take Antigen test 3 days prior to boarding, even on cruises visiting Canada? Now it is 48 hours. What happened on previous cruises if there was a conflict between what Princess required and what Canada requires.

It's not 48 hours, it's 2 days.  There is a difference.  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

5 hours ago, billco said:

Isn't this forum Social Media?

 

No.

 

When I start posting selfies of me in Speedos holding a platter of smoked salmon, THEN it will be Social Media.

[dog]

52 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

The point I am desperately trying to make is, was 3-day Antigen previously accepted for vaccinated passengers and if so, shouldn't the Canadian 48 hours have trumped the 3-day. If it was not enforced, then why is it enforced now. Just a rant from me, I was happy when testing was eliminated but am now in a worse position vis-a-vis our Sep20 Canada New England cruise 😞

Clear for embarkation, not so for visiting or disembarking in Canada. It has now been made clearer.

Sorry you are having trouble with this.

USA has had different restrictions/ requirements from Canada in regards to Covid testing for entering Canada/ stopping in Canada on a cruise ship.

The latest requirements are updated on the Princess website: August 15/22.

There is no reason to fret over what was, has been.

I am going on the Canada/ New England cruise.

I am fully VAX, booster, will do a Covid antigen test 2 days prior to embarkation in NYC, and fill in the ArriveCAN app just before I embark.

This is exactly the same as I had to do to board the Discovery Princess May 4/22 in Vancouver.

 

of course, it will be nice if the testing requirement is dropped by October 29/22.

 

[Tedferg]

55 minutes ago, suekel said:

It's not 48 hours, it's 2 days.  There is a difference.  

Thank you, that means I have all day Sunday instead of Sunday evening, good point. This is the last time I will say this, honestly. I went from 3 days before sailing to no test needed and ended up with just two days.

 

To be pedantic, the asterisk to fine print should also be on '15 days'

Edited August 16, 2022 by Tedferg

[lx200gps]

53 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

Thanks for the info.  I was posting that article to show that one can complete ArriveCAN on a computer if someone doesn't have a smart phone (like me.)  Were your prior submissions for arriving by land or air rather than a cruise ship?  I don't have direct experience with this, but I would think Princess would want to see the hard copy QR (or QR on a phone or tablet) as part of required embarkation documentation.  I never needed to show any ID to Canadian authorities when stopping in Canada for a cruise excursion.  I believe that is because the ship had already verified my information.

We've done ArriveCan submissions for both air and land crossings into Canada, and our trip on the Enchanted next month will entail two separate submissions. The first will be our first marine entry which will have to be done prior to embarkation, and another one I'll fill out and submit on our last sea day, which is the one that will allow us to get back into Canada as we drive home from Brooklyn. The first one is almost complete already, I just have to wait until three days or less before and finish the health questions etc.

 

 I am quite confident Princess will want to see the new one next month (along with our vax docs and test results) and we will have paper copies of everything when we board. During our airport and land entries, the CBSA NEVER asked to see the receipt/QR code as the Agent we were talking to had it in front of them on the screen.  As I understand the convoluted rules of national entry, Princess is not the entity "verifying" you for entry into Canada, that responsibility rests with the Canada Border Services Agency. Princess does a have responsibility simply to verify that you have completed ArriveCan and have a receipt, but obviously they don't verify your eligibility to enter Canada. They submit the passenger manifest to the CBSA prior to sailing, the CBSA computer compares that list against the folks who have submitted ArriveCan docs, and the unfortunate folks who have never heard of ArriveCan before arriving at the ship then get sent to the other naughty room.

 

One further note re filling in the ArriveCan info on a PC vs a phone. Yes, the CBSA does offer both options, but there was a time when if you started a submission on one platform, the particular entry was not accessible on the other platform (or at least not easily)  I don't know whether that still holds, I haven't tried to do a submission on a PC in a long time, I just stick with keeping it on my phone (albeit tethered to a PC so I can use the mouse and keyboard for easier data entry)

[travellingnana]

4 hours ago, Tedferg said:

I now accept that Canada does require cruise passengers to test before entering Canada, though this was not clear from early items on Princess site.

 

It seems more restrictive now, haven't vaccinated passengers previously been able to take Antigen test 3 days prior to boarding, even on cruises visiting Canada? Now it is 48 hours. What happened on previous cruises if there was a conflict between what Princess required and what Canada requires.

I can’t speak to the antigen test as we have always done PCR, however on our May cruise to Alaska Princess said 3 days for PCR and Canada said 72 hrs. At that point in time, we were told we were to follow what Princess (who was following CDC rules) said, not Canada, and indeed we boarded with tests taken more than 72 hours previously. No one cared. 

[Tedferg]

33 minutes ago, travellingnana said:

I can’t speak to the antigen test as we have always done PCR, however on our May cruise to Alaska Princess said 3 days for PCR and Canada said 72 hrs. At that point in time, we were told we were to follow what Princess (who was following CDC rules) said, not Canada, and indeed we boarded with tests taken more than 72 hours previously. No one cared. 

I think that has always been the case, 3-days versus 72 hours, but now that Princess has gone to zero the Canada 2 days pops up. We did PCR too, but Kaiser only has one facility open on Saturdays, too far from us.

[travellingnana]

1 hour ago, Tedferg said:

I think that has always been the case, 3-days versus 72 hours, but now that Princess has gone to zero the Canada 2 days pops up. We did PCR too, but Kaiser only has one facility open on Saturdays, too far from us.

And now Princess says it does have to be within 72 hrs for PCR. 

[SiliconCruiser]

6 hours ago, Tedferg said:

I now accept that Canada does require cruise passengers to test before entering Canada, though this was not clear from early items on Princess site.

Actually Canada offers an exemption from testing to fully vaccinated passengers.

"Pre-entry tests are not required for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada by land, air or water. You must still use ArriveCAN within 72 hours before your arrival to Canada."

from https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#pre-entry

 

While we had to be tested for an Alaskan cruise last month, there was no additional testing 2-3 days before we docked at Prince Rupert.  No one there to there to check the ArriveCan (the Canadian officials would have already received that information when the app was completed.)  And all passport information would have been transmitted from the ship.

[Steelers36]

Switching gears from Canada to Greece... Princess has today updated this page yet again:

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/vaccine-testing-requirements/

 

Now it reads that Greece is like Canada:  tests required if visiting and not just departing.  Not sure what the situation would be for a guest on a B2B where a Greece port doesn't come into play until the second leg.

 

Anyway, looks like we are affected - and many others - even though we do not originate in Athens.

This is the significant change I notice in the protocol since yesterday and weekend.

 

This seems hard to believe in total since the sub-text also indicates only in-person tests with no video proctor .. just for visiting???

[PacnGoNow]

15 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Switching gears from Canada to Greece... Princess has today updated this page yet again:

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/vaccine-testing-requirements/

 

Now it reads that Greece is like Canada:  tests required if visiting and not just departing.  Not sure what the situation would be for a guest on a B2B where a Greece port doesn't come into play until the second leg.

 

Anyway, looks like we are affected - and many others - even though we do not originate in Athens.

This is the significant change I notice in the protocol since yesterday and weekend.

 

This seems hard to believe in total since the sub-text also indicates only in-person tests with no video proctor .. just for visiting???

If it’s required by Greece, 2 days before, then Princess will have to do it for the guests. 

 

Wonder if the covid is really spreading there?

 

My question would be, if you are tested prior to boarding the cruise, say in Rome or BCN, would that be sufficient for Greece?  If so, then you couldn’t do the proctored. 

 

 

[Steelers36]

9 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

If it’s required by Greece, 2 days before, then Princess will have to do it for the guests. 

 

Wonder if the covid is really spreading there?

 

My question would be, if you are tested prior to boarding the cruise, say in Rome or BCN, would that be sufficient for Greece?  If so, then you couldn’t do the proctored. 

 

 

This Greece change, quietly made, needs a lot of explaining IMO.  This is because of the in-person test requirement.  Now, it could be some over-zealous PCL employee has it wrong.  The practicality of the requirement is even beyond what Canada asks for.

 

Edited August 16, 2022 by Steelers36