Royal drops testing

[Coralc]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

Costa Rica is on our cruise along with Columbia and Panama. Got the passport email about a week ago. Tough sledding for people who only have the Passport Cards or no passport at all.

 

Sounds like we will be doing a RoyalUp bid on that one😇

Haven't the Panama Canal and TA, TP cruises always required a passport book? They are not closed loop cruises. Edit: Never mind, maybe it is a Panama port stop, that I was unfamiliar with. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Coralc

[mets123]

So my two 11 day sailings out of Cape Liberty in January don't require COVID testing anymore since we're fully vac'd and boosted. Great news.

[JupiterTwo]

3 hours ago, BND said:

Roatan isn't visited very often.

Probably not from Florida, but with the new Galveston terminal getting promoted with the movement of the Allure here, Roatan is a frequent stop on the 7-night cruises from Galveston.

 

I'm on the Allure in April. It won't be up to Royal to drop testing, that's a decision to be made by the Honduran government, I'm afraid.

[smokeybandit]

3 hours ago, BND said:

Roatan isn't visited very often.  Labadee may not be as Haiti is getting worse, not better.

Roatan is a popular stop on the western Caribbean routes. Labadee is in no danger of being abandoned either. 

[cruzincanuck]

I looked at the RCL website for the protocols update and it is better written than the email.  

The pre-test is guests aged 12 and up who are unvaccinated.

[Sunshine3601]

6 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I'm on the march date. Columbia also requires a passport book. Cant board with a birth certificate. Columbia is a issue for some already on my roll call. 

 

They could change Columbia for costa rica and some would be happy but they are already cancelling. I got a great rate.

I've been to Colombia and really enjoyed our day.  I wouldn't want to replace with Costa Rica, totally different.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I've been to Colombia and really enjoyed our day.  I wouldn't want to replace with Costa Rica, totally different.

No excursions listed, not even for the jan 30th. So late. ...waiting to see what their is to do. Idk. Thanks.

[BND]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

Roatan is a popular stop on the western Caribbean routes. Labadee is in no danger of being abandoned either. 

We have done many western Caribbean cruises and the only time we went to Roatan was on Carnival, years ago.  It's not as common as others.   As far as Labadee goes, never say never.

Edited November 3, 2022 by BND

[Sunshine3601]

2 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

No excursions listed, not even for the jan 30th. So late. ...waiting to see what their is to do. Idk. Thanks.

We did a boat ride tour of cartagena Bay that included a guided walking tour of the old walled city.  Bought some excellent coffee beans for home, then back on boat for more touring with snacks, drinks and entertainment.    

The bird sanctuary down the path from the cruise dock is a must do too.  We sat and watched the flamingoes and various birds while cooling off in the shade.   

We were there in January and Very hot and humid!!

[JupiterTwo]

1 minute ago, BND said:

We have done many western Caribbean cruises and the only time we went to Roatan was on Carnival, years ago.  It's not as common as others.   As far as Labadee goes, never say never.

 

The Liberty out of Galveston had only two seven-night routes they rotate that the Allure will likely adopt, too:

 

1. Cozumel->Grand Cayman->Jamaica

2. Cozumel->Roatan->Costa Maya

 

An officer once told me they are limited in their destinations because Galveston is the furthest north departure port that serves the Caribbean.

[Sunshine3601]

6 minutes ago, BND said:

We have done many western Caribbean cruises and the only time we went to Roatan was on Carnival, years ago.  It's not as common as others.   As far as Labadee goes, never say never.

If you search royal caribbean cruises to Roatan there is a long list for several ships.

[Another_Critic]

7 minutes ago, JupiterTwo said:

An officer once told me they are limited in their destinations because Galveston is the furthest north departure port that serves the Caribbean.

Cruises from Cape Liberty and Baltimore go to the Caribbean, although they are longer than 7 nights.

[PolicromaSol]

Welp, that's one less thing on the to-do list next March.

[lovesthebeach2]

17 hours ago, orville99 said:

Unfortunately for us, our February cruise includes Columbia. Hopefully they change by then.

 

17 hours ago, orville99 said:

Have not had to submit test data on our last six cruises this year that stopped in Haiti on RCL.

our next three cruises include a stop in Labadee (Two cruises) and one in Colombia.🤷🏼‍♀️

[Sunshine3601]

19 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

 

our next three cruises include a stop in Labadee (Two cruises) and one in Colombia.🤷🏼‍♀️

Any 12 or older cruises that are unvaxxed traveling with you?   If yes, they must test.  If fully vaxxed they do not have test.

[orville99]

12 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

You have traveled to Labadee 6 times since August?

Twice in July, twice in August, Once in September, and once in October.

[lovesthebeach2]

2 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Any 12 or older cruises that are unvaxxed traveling with you?   If yes, they must test.  If fully vaxxed they do not have test.

We’re vaxxed so it’s not an issue for us, my comment was to show that even though they said testing stops for almost all cruises, it seems that most of the cruises we take from Florida either go to Labadee or Routan on the western routes. We also just so happen to be going to Columbia in February.  So for us three in a row would need testing….
So for us testing for non vaxxed hasn’t stopped on “most” of our cruises, along with the TA next year that will need proctored testing still…..I thought that was over

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

Twice in July, twice in August, Once in September, and once in October.

Impressive, I’m jealous. 
 

I am sure you tested in July however. 

[hammer52]

13 hours ago, mets123 said:

So my two 11 day sailings out of Cape Liberty in January don't require COVID testing anymore since we're fully vac'd and boosted. Great news.

I am going the end of January on the 11 night crews. So now fully vacs people don't need to show test any more on the longer sailings?

[xpcdoojk]

17 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I'm on the march date. Columbia also requires a passport book. Cant board with a birth certificate. Columbia is a issue for some already on my roll call. 

 

They could change Columbia for costa rica and some would be happy but they are already cancelling. I got a great rate.

We went to Columbia in May 2022 on a repositioning cruise from Galveston to New Jersey, and on the cruise while on a tour in Cartagena I noticed the woman who does my regular blood donations was there with her husband.  What are the odds?  Anyway the important point of this post, she was originally planning on going with her sisters and their families, but none of them had passports and were denied boarding in Galveston.  She said, some of them had passport cards, but not actual passports.  So, it does happen.  

 

I do not understand the point of a passport card?

 

jc

[xpcdoojk]

39 minutes ago, hammer52 said:

I am going the end of January on the 11 night crews. So now fully vacs people don't need to show test any more on the longer sailings?

I think TAs and TPs and other repositioning cruises are probably not included in this change.  But am not 100% certain. 

 

JC

[Sunshine3601]

2 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

We’re vaxxed so it’s not an issue for us, my comment was to show that even though they said testing stops for almost all cruises, it seems that most of the cruises we take from Florida either go to Labadee or Routan on the western routes. We also just so happen to be going to Columbia in February.  So for us three in a row would need testing….
So for us testing for non vaxxed hasn’t stopped on “most” of our cruises, along with the TA next year that will need proctored testing still…..I thought that was over

I sure hope that by next year they are all done with testing for Everyone - anywhere😃

[Sunshine3601]

18 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

We went to Columbia in May 2022 on a repositioning cruise from Galveston to New Jersey, and on the cruise while on a tour in Cartagena I noticed the woman who does my regular blood donations was there with her husband.  What are the odds?  Anyway the important point of this post, she was originally planning on going with her sisters and their families, but none of them had passports and were denied boarding in Galveston.  She said, some of them had passport cards, but not actual passports.  So, it does happen.  

 

I do not understand the point of a passport card?

 

jc

It is a small world.

I think the difference of a passport card vs passport book is around $100.    It does come with restrictions.   I know they cannot be used to fly internationally and only good to enter in certain countries by land or sea.      I guess some people are using them in lieu of getting real ID too.   

 

[Sunshine3601]

27 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

I think TAs and TPs and other repositioning cruises are probably not included in this change.  But am not 100% certain. 

 

JC

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/will-i-have-to-take-a-test-before-i-cruise#transatlantic

 

As of right now, anyone 5 or older must take supervised test for TA regardless of vaccination status and anyone 2 or older must supervised test for cruises out of Australia.

[RedIguana]

36 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I think the difference of a passport card vs passport book is around $100.    It does come with restrictions.   I know they cannot be used to fly internationally and only good to enter in certain countries by land or sea.      I guess some people are using them in lieu of getting real ID too. 

When I have to renew next year I will get both the book and card (just have the book now), just to avoid the real ID hassle with something I can just carry in my wallet. Not sure if it will just be the extra $30 for the card as a renewal, or if it will be the full $65, as I have only had the book in the past.