HAL updates "Travel Well" Covid-19 Protocols & Procedures

[marianoam]

10 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

The "Self Test" is described on the testing FAQ's web page.  It doesn't appear to be an honor system at all.

 

FAQs for Cruises from U.S. & Canada (hollandamerica.com)

 

Vaccinated guests may use a medically observed self-test (sometimes referred to a at-home test) that meets the following criteria:

• Only medically observed self-tests will be accepted. The test must be a SARS-CoV-2 viral test (nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] or antigen test) with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Please note, antigen tests are accepted for fully vaccinated guests, but not for unvaccinated guests.
• The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection. Some FDA-authorized self-tests that include a telehealth service may require a prescription. 
• The telehealth provider must confirm the person’s identity, observe the specimen collection and testing procedures, confirm the test result, and issue a report that meets the requirements of the acceptable proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

Holland America Line has partnered with Optum and Radeas so that U.S.-based vaccinated guests can order an FDA-authorized at-home antigen test kit, shipped to home. These at-home tests include a telehealth service. Please place your order with enough time to be shipped prior to your boarding. Order your Optum test kit online here * (2-pack for $69.99 or 3-pack for $99.99). Order your Radeas single pack for $45 here. An eMed 6-pack is available here.

 

Optum Link https://cruise.emed.com?utm_source=carnival-corporation&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=two&utm_campaign=travel_ready_covid_test

 

EMed Link for 6-pack https://store.emed.com/s/product/detail/01t8c00000M7G8yAAF?utm_source=website&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=Carnival+6+Pack&utm_id=Carnival+Cruise+Line+-+6+Pack+Link  

 

Radeas Link https://cruise.radeas.com/

 

Those FAQs have yet to be updated. The last update was on June 30th.

[Daniel A]

5 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

 

The irony in all this:  the vaccinated will have to jump through more hoops than the unvaxxed, as they still have to "provide evidence of vaccination status prior to embarkation."

 

HAL:  Vaxxed folks - show me your papers!  Unvaxxed folks - undated blurry photos showing only a blue line are a-okay!

Did you read the post I made just before yours?  It says nothing about "blurry photos" being acceptable.

Edited August 18, 2022 by Daniel A

[BermudaBound2014]

My intention isn't to muddy the waters, only to show just how muddy the waters already are.

 

HAL really needs to clean up their language about self testing. Even the press releases are contradictory. This comes direction from an article published specifically about HAL simplifying changes. 

 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/holland-america-line-simplifies-covid-19-procedures-301605787.html

 

 

[cruisemom42]

13 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

 

The irony in all this:  the vaccinated will have to jump through more hoops than the unvaxxed, as they still have to "provide evidence of vaccination status prior to embarkation."

 

HAL:  Vaxxed folks - show me your papers!  Unvaxxed folks - undated blurry photos showing only a blue line are a-okay!

 

I don't really take your point. Everyone vaccinated has the card. All you have to do it upload/show it.  You don't have to buy a test and take it and (if you're ethical) hope that it is negative.

 

[cruisemom42]

2 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

My intention isn't to muddy the waters, only to show just how muddy the waters already are.

 

HAL really needs to clean up their language about self testing. Even the press releases are contradictory. This comes direction from an article published specifically about HAL simplifying changes. 

 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/holland-america-line-simplifies-covid-19-procedures-301605787.html

 

 

 

I don't find it contradictory. HAL is saying that for unvaccinated passengers taking cruises of up to 15 days where no stricter guidelines apply (e.g., those exceptions listed online), they will accept EITHER a medically supervised test OR a self-test.  

 

What is contradictory about it? It seems clear. I think people just don't want to believe the bar has dropped so low....

 

[BermudaBound2014]

20 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I don't find it contradictory. HAL is saying that for unvaccinated passengers taking cruises of up to 15 days where no stricter guidelines apply (e.g., those exceptions listed online), they will accept EITHER a medically supervised test OR a self-test.  

 

What is contradictory about it? It seems clear. I think people just don't want to believe the bar has dropped so low....

 

 

It's still contradictory because HAL hasn't changed all of their web site to reflect the same message. 

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

It's still contradictory because HAL hasn't changed all of their web site to reflect the same message. 

 

Gotcha.

[BermudaBound2014]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Gotcha.

 

Here is a one example. This is found under the FAQ of Hal's site (and to make maters worse it says that the self test guidance has been updated lol.) But it was updated in June, not recently. 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[jeff74]

38 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I don't really take your point. Everyone vaccinated has the card. All you have to do it upload/show it.  You don't have to buy a test and take it and (if you're ethical) hope that it is negative.

 

I think the frustration at least on my part is that a higher burden of proof is required with having to physically produce the vaccine card at the embarkation instead of only needing to show a picture of it which is all that is required for Covid tests for the unvaccinated.  This is my understanding from calling HAL yesterday so it’s possible that the rep that I spoke with provided inaccurate info.  If this is accurate than it may just be easier to identify as unvaxxed, take a free unproctored Covid test 2 days prior then snap a photo and not have to worry about losing my vaccine card.

[BermudaBound2014]

4 minutes ago, jeff74 said:

I think the frustration at least on my part is that a higher burden of proof is required with having to physically produce the vaccine card at the embarkation instead of only needing to show a picture of it which is all that is required for Covid tests for the unvaccinated.  This is my understanding from calling HAL yesterday so it’s possible that the rep that I spoke with provided inaccurate info.  If this is accurate than it may just be easier to identify as unvaxxed, take a free unproctored Covid test 2 days prior then snap a photo and not have to worry about losing my vaccine card.

 

My best guess is that HAL has not caught up to all the changes yet. Since there is only an extremely small number of countries still requiring vaccine cards, I vision HAL will be accepting digital images in the near future. Lots of changes have happened very rapidly. But, as you say, if you don't want to risk losing your card, just snap a pic of a negative test :). 

[Ilovesailaway]

On 8/17/2022 at 9:24 AM, jeff74 said:

Also, what is somewhat head scratching is that vaccinated people have to bring their actual vaccination cards as proof instead of only needing to take a photo which would be more in line with the unvaccinated testing result requirements.

Why even tell them of your vaccination status or show proof? Just show them a pic of a negative test even if it's not your negative test.

Not that I would do this but the bar has been set this low. Your actual status only matters if you care.

 

[jeff74]

6 minutes ago, Ilovesailaway said:

Why even tell them of your vaccination status or show proof? Just show them a pic of a negative test even if it's not your negative test.

Not that I would do this but the bar has been set this low. Your actual status only matters if you care.

 

Ah, I wasn't sure if you had to declare your vaccination status ahead of time.  If so, I was envisioning the possibility of someone rigidly applying the rules and saying that because I declared myself as vaccinated that my only option was to show a vaccine card.

 

I'm definitely just showing a photo of a test (that will actually be mine from just prior to the cruise) instead of bringing my vaccine card mostly because of my own incredible ability to lose things on trips.

[Mary229]

The last time I had a vaccine requirement (yellow fever) I was required to present the card.   I don’t see this as a hardship. I think we need to remember there are likely to be countries who are going to require proof of vaccine 

[jeff74]

I

10 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

The last time I had a vaccine requirement (yellow fever) I was required to present the card.   I don’t see this as a hardship. I think we need to remember there are likely to be countries who are going to require proof of vaccine 

It's definitely not a hardship by any means but if it's one less thing that I potentially have to bring then I'm all for leaving it behind.  I try to take as few personal items with me as possible and whittle down what's in my wallet to my DL, insurance card, debit card and 2 credit cards so that if I was to lose it or have it get pickpocketed then that is less that I have to replace.

[Mary229]

Just now, jeff74 said:

I

It's definitely not a hardship by any means but if it's one less thing that I potentially have to bring then I'm all for leaving it behind.  I try to take as few personal items with me as possible and whittle down what's in my wallet to my DL, insurance card, debit card and 2 credit cards so that if I was to lose it or have it get pickpocketed then that is less that I have to replace.

I keep my vaccine cards in my passport folio which stays in the safe.  I have a digital image on my phone 

[cruisemom42]

19 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I keep my vaccine cards in my passport folio which stays in the safe.  I have a digital image on my phone 

 

Same, I more or less have my card attached to my passport via a special kind of clip as it is now almost never required except for purposes of travel.

 

Still seems a lot easier to me to bring along the card rather than:

• Purchase a test (money)
• Take test (time)
• Hope test is negative and if not then ???  (stress)

 

[BermudaBound2014]

You can now add Bermuda to the list of countries welcoming the Unvaccinated. The will still need to jump through relaxed hoops, but Bermuda is no longer vaccinated only. 

 

Bermuda Relaxes Vaccination Protocols: 

https://www.gov.bm/coronavirus-travellers-visitors

 

[NVRae]

I have been waiting on HOLD for over an hour, both on the phone and via chat, to get an answer regarding a negative COVID test on the 7 day cruise to Alaska out of Seattle.  Because the Maritime law requires the ship to stop in Canada I am assuming we will still need a negative COVID test to meet Canada's protocols.  After reading through all the posts today, that appears to be the general conscious but no one can say for sure.  I guess this will also apply to HMC for our b2b cruise in Nov.    

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, NVRae said:

I have been waiting on HOLD for over an hour, both on the phone and via chat, to get an answer regarding a negative COVID test on the 7 day cruise to Alaska out of Seattle.  Because the Maritime law requires the ship to stop in Canada I am assuming we will still need a negative COVID test to meet Canada's protocols.  After reading through all the posts today, that appears to be the general conscious but no one can say for sure.  I guess this will also apply to HMC for our b2b cruise in Nov.    

you currently need a test to sail in Canada, there is no doubt of that.  That is a Canadian government regulation and it has not been lifted 

 

it is too early to comment on November

Edited August 18, 2022 by Mary229

[CruiserBruce]

4 minutes ago, NVRae said:

I have been waiting on HOLD for over an hour, both on the phone and via chat, to get an answer regarding a negative COVID test on the 7 day cruise to Alaska out of Seattle.  Because the Maritime law requires the ship to stop in Canada I am assuming we will still need a negative COVID test to meet Canada's protocols.  After reading through all the posts today, that appears to be the general conscious but no one can say for sure.  I guess this will also apply to HMC for our b2b cruise in Nov.    

Several people have said it's definite you need a negative test if your cruise touches Canada.  We stopped at two Canadian ports in July, we needed to test negative. It is definitely Canadian policy.

[riverrat]

So just off phone with HAL as well...

 

Self test must be medically observed.

 

9/6 and after ...no testing required for fully vaccinated = 2 shots/full course of vaccine w/booster recommended 

 

Specifically asked... My RT - Seattle cruise stops in Vancouver on the last evening... any chance we will be forced to test ... answer was No... that stop in Vancouver will not cause testing.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by riverrat
error

[Mary229]

3 minutes ago, riverrat said:

So just off phone with HAL as well...

 

Self test must be medically observed.

 

9/6 and after ...no testing required for fully vaccinated = 2 shots/full course of vaccine w/booster recommended 

 

Specifically asked... My RT - Seattle cruise stops in Vancouver on the last evening... any chance we will be forced to test ... answer was No... that stop in Vancouver will not cause testing.

 

 

That is interesting.  I wonder if Canada is lifting their requirements.  My cruise/tour ends in Vancouver on September 7 and they are making me take 3 tests 1. To join the land tour, 1 to take a flight from Fairbanks to Dawson and 1 to get on the ship in Skagway. The only one required by government is the last one because we end in Vancouver.  I talked to them yesterday   

[BermudaBound2014]

11 minutes ago, riverrat said:

So just off phone with HAL as well...

 

Self test must be medically observed.

 

9/6 and after ...no testing required for fully vaccinated = 2 shots/full course of vaccine w/booster recommended 

 

Specifically asked... My RT - Seattle cruise stops in Vancouver on the last evening... any chance we will be forced to test ... answer was No... that stop in Vancouver will not cause testing.

 

 

Im not saying what you were told is wrong- but with so much conflicting information  right now, I would want that in writing. 

[oakridger]

15 minutes ago, riverrat said:

So just off phone with HAL as well...

 

Self test must be medically observed.

 

9/6 and after ...no testing required for fully vaccinated = 2 shots/full course of vaccine w/booster recommended 

 

Specifically asked... My RT - Seattle cruise stops in Vancouver on the last evening... any chance we will be forced to test ... answer was No... that stop in Vancouver will not cause testing.

 

 

On 8/17/2022 at 9:44 AM, DeeniEncinitas said:

...Just off the phone with HAL and they have no idea about just a self test at all! Said is it a misprint?? Had me on hold came back and said if it is printed then it must be ok??? I am boosted and double vax   and find HAL very confusing since no one can give a correct answer.

Thanks 🌺Denise

 

 

I agree with @BermudaBound2014. Two people with two opposite answers from HAL in 24 hours.  Jeez!!

 

HAL needs to put it in writing and clean up the rest of the discrepancies in policy on the website that others above have pointed out!!  All this back and forth from them is so avoidable if they just got their act together!!!

 

~Nancy

[*Miss G*]

Canada requires the negative covid test before boarding since you are visiting their country.  That doesn’t change with HAL’s September 6th change of policy.