South America Testing Requirements for Boarding.

[Reina del Mar]

Health Protocols

Enhanced Protocols

This specific booking and/or voyage follows our COVID-19 Enhanced Protocols for vaccination and testing requirements.

Vaccination Requirements

• All guests 18 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated. A booster dose is required for guests 18 years of age and older whose final dose of an approved/authorized COVID-19 vaccine is older than 5 months.
• Only one booster dose is needed to be considered boosted.
• Guests under 18 years of age do not need to be vaccinated, have a booster dose or apply for an exemption.

Testing Requirements

• All guests ages 5 and older are required to take a medically observed COVID-19 Test. 
  • Medically observed PCR test taken within 3 days before embarkation.
  • Medically observed or self-administered antigen home test must be taken within 3 days before embarkation.

Please upload all required documentation to the MedallionClass app for a quick and seamless embarkation process.

Global COVID-19 regulations and protocols are continuously changing and we may revise or modify these requirements (effective immediately) to evolve with the latest practices at any time. Please check back regularly for any updates. These protocols only apply to the specific booking number or voyage entered.

As of December 2, 2022

 

I have just found the Covid testing requirements for our 18 day Princess Cruise from San Antonio, Chile. I am confused regarding the testing requirements. The notice does not state whether a PCR or Antigen test is required. In one place it states must be Medically observed and later says Medically observed or self administered home test. Contacted travel agent, who contacted Princess then came back with reply Self administered test was fine, but need photo of result and need to sign additional waiver.  I feel concerned about this contrasting information. Anyone else have any more straight forward information, please ?  Many Thanks.

[lamashermosa]

I’m cruising on the Sapphire Princess December 19. I am unaware of covid requirements, other than a vaccination card, showing completion of the covid vaccine, no boosters or online tests.

I had to cancel a 29 day cruise on the Majestic, which cruised Sept 20,  due to the lack of a booster. That requirement was about a week before the cruise!  I did cruise the first 4 days of that cruise, without being boosted. 
i will be following up with my TA about this.

[lamashermosa]

Guests can request a vaccination exemption to sail by contacting Princess.

[Reina del Mar]

Thanks for that. if you look on the cruise personaliser it will show you the enhanced protocols for your specific cruise.

 

We are double vexed and double boosted so it was understanding the pre boarding testing requirements I am seeking clarification for.

[NownZen]

We are on the first stage of the Sapphire cruise and can say that a medically observed test was required.

There were signs every few feet in the line at the terminal. Also Princess sent us 5 emails, called and sent a text as well as notified our TA. Yet there were some who acted surprised.

The information in the cruise personalizer is contradictory.

 We did have to show our vaccination cards with a booster before boarding.

This is a requirement of Chile and Princess has no options to ignore any of it.

 

[Reina del Mar]

2 minutes ago, NownZen said:

We are on the first stage of the Sapphire cruise and can say that a medically observed test was required.

There were signs every few feet in the line at the terminal. Also Princess sent us 5 emails, called and sent a text as well as notified our TA. Yet there were some who acted surprised.

The information in the cruise personalizer is contradictory.

 We did have to show our vaccination cards with a booster before boarding.

This is a requirement of Chile and Princess has no options to ignore any of it.

 

Thank you very much for this information.  We have confirmation on our phones and paper copies of vaccines and boosters so not worried about that.  More concerned about needing tests. We understood there was no need for a test to fly into Chile but perhaps we need to look into it again. We haven’t heard anything from Princess yet, but our trip isn’t until Spring.

 

Would you mind sharing where you had your pre cruise test done please?

 

Many thanks.

[NownZen]

1 minute ago, Reina del Mar said:

Thank you very much for this information.  We have confirmation on our phones and paper copies of vaccines and boosters so not worried about that.  More concerned about needing tests. We understood there was no need for a test to fly into Chile but perhaps we need to look into it again. We haven’t heard anything from Princess yet, but our trip isn’t until Spring.

 

Would you mind sharing where you had your pre cruise test done please?

 

Many thanks.

We bought the tests from Optum. They were the Binax brand. We did the tests online using eMed which you get sent to from the Navica website. The test we bought included the test fees (about $20 I think). You went on line and they watched you open the test, do the swab and start the test strip. They set a 15 minute timer going on the phone and came back when the timer was up to read the results. Very easy.

 

Chile seems to reevaluate the requirements regularly so they may change.

[NownZen]

3 hours ago, lamashermosa said:

I’m cruising on the Sapphire Princess December 19. I am unaware of covid requirements, other than a vaccination card, showing completion of the covid vaccine, no boosters or online tests.

I had to cancel a 29 day cruise on the Majestic, which cruised Sept 20,  due to the lack of a booster. That requirement was about a week before the cruise!  I did cruise the first 4 days of that cruise, without being boosted. 
i will be following up with my TA about this.

Boosters and proctored tests ARE required. You will be getting emails from Princess. Read them carefully.

[Reina del Mar]

Thank you…not very confident about doing tests online..but maybe we’ll have to have a go. When we did a Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale we were able to get sorted in a Doctors’ Office. Will see what Princess has to say nearer the time.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[NownZen]

1 hour ago, Reina del Mar said:

Thank you…not very confident about doing tests online..but maybe we’ll have to have a go. When we did a Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale we were able to get sorted in a Doctors’ Office. Will see what Princess has to say nearer the time.

 

Thanks again for your help.

We have done the online tests several times this year. It is easy and simple since they control the camera and direct you where to place the tests. They read the QR codes on the test at the beginning and end. We did our home tests before the online tests so we knew we would pass.

People were telling us the tests at the doctor's office were $120.

You never know what will happen with the test requirements.

[mjmalino]

3 hours ago, NownZen said:

We are on the first stage of the Sapphire cruise and can say that a medically observed test was required.

There were signs every few feet in the line at the terminal. Also Princess sent us 5 emails, called and sent a text as well as notified our TA. Yet there were some who acted surprised.

The information in the cruise personalizer is contradictory.

 We did have to show our vaccination cards with a booster before boarding.

This is a requirement of Chile and Princess has no options to ignore any of it.

 

This is what is says under "enhanced voyages" for your sailing:

 

Enhanced Protocols

This specific booking and/or voyage follows our COVID-19 Enhanced Protocols for vaccination and testing requirements.

Vaccination Requirements

• All guests 18 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated. A booster dose is required for guests 18 years of age and older whose final dose of an approved/authorized COVID-19 vaccine is older than 5 months.
• Only one booster dose is needed to be considered boosted.
• Guests under 18 years of age do not need to be vaccinated, have a booster dose or apply for an exemption.

Testing Requirements

• All guests ages 5 and older are required to take a medically observed COVID-19 Test.
  • Medically observed PCR test taken within 3 days before embarkation.
  • Medically observed or self-administered antigen home test must be taken within 3 days before embarkation.

Please upload all required documentation to the MedallionClass app for a quick and seamless embarkation process.

Global COVID-19 regulations and protocols are continuously changing and we may revise or modify these requirements (effective immediately) to evolve with the latest practices at any time. Please check back regularly for any updates. These protocols only apply to the specific booking number or voyage entered.

As of December 2, 2022

[mjmalino]

We are on the Sapphire's n 5 February sailing (14 day) and they just confirmed that, as of now, we do not need to test.

[Reina del Mar]

Thank you, that sounds great.
 

Our cruise is 18 days , so hope the length isn’t what causes the need for testing.  Will just have to be patient I suppose to see what their instructions are for us.

[Arizona Wildcat]

32 minutes ago, Reina del Mar said:

Thank you, that sounds great.
 

Our cruise is 18 days , so hope the length isn’t what causes the need for testing.  Will just have to be patient I suppose to see what their instructions are for us.

The requirement is from Chile.  Two things to remember are the requirements could change tomorrow and having a proctored test and not needing it is way better than not having it and being left at the pier.

PROCTORED testing.  You can use ANY government approved test.  They are available free at most pharmacies with almost every insurance.   You arrange a time and use you phone.  There are several companies doing this.  Trust me - it was easy.  We did it using WIFI from rural Iceland.  Cost about $20pp.  

[nini]

On 12/4/2022 at 8:12 AM, Reina del Mar said:

Thank you…not very confident about doing tests online..but maybe we’ll have to have a go. When we did a Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale we were able to get sorted in a Doctors’ Office. Will see what Princess has to say nearer the time.

 

Thanks again for your help.

We also have twice used the Optum/ Binax tests. The first time was in our hotel in London. We used our IPhone and the hotel's Wi-Fi. We just propped our phone up on the desk against the wall.

The second time, we used them at home 3 days before boarding. They worked great. However, we will NEVER do that again; flying to a foreign country 3 days before boarding, not knowing if we will be positive or negative. It is very stressful, even though we did have travel insurance.

[MJC]

We've used the proctored home tests several times in the last year for travel. We found it helpful to watch a video of someone doing it first, to become familiar with the test items and the steps. You can google Binax Now proctored test and find several to watch on YouTube. Here is just one example.

 

https://youtu.be/HyjniJGZmLQ