JeffB

Aboard Celebrity Reflection now departing Port Everglades on a 7n W. Caribbean itinerary today. Grand Cayman port call was eliminated and a sea day added in place of it.  I can confirm the no mask policy is in effect aboard reflection. We did a B2B. On Friday of the preceding cruise, a 7n E. Caribbean, there were rumors of the no masks required indoors on this cruise policy but not officially confirmed by any staff that we asked about it. 

When B2B'ers gathered at 9am in the Tuscan Grill to be processed off and then back aboard, still no announcements or official confirmation despite that the change was published on February 11th at the Celebrity web site (see link above). Ample opportunity to do that was present and I had the web page with the change in protocol on my cell phone. Not my place to say anything and I didn't. 

As we walked off the ship around 9:40am, I heard the cruise director make an announcement to crew that guests would not be required to mask except in the theater and casino. Not sure why in the theater - there were rarely more than 50 guests at either the 7 or 9pm performances. Plenty of room to distance. May have been a production cast protective measure but this one is a bit strange.

I'd say 80% of newly arriving guests were wearing masks indoors as they boarded. An indication that the policy change was not widely disseminated by email or text to booked guests before the cruise. At 12:30pm the cruise director made an announcement regarding the new policy. That dropped the masks for a few but still a lot of folks were still wearing them. Hard to tell if by choice or that they didn't know about the change. We also heard a server in the Ocean View Cafe tell a guest who had approached a serving area to put on their mask. The guest turned to my wife who was unmasked and asked her if the mask policy had, indeed, changed. She affirmed that it had and noted the word may not be out yet among crew. Probably should have been but there is always the 10% We left it for supervisors to deal with that. Not my place to say anything and we didn't.   

Celebrity's change in masking policy was included in the notices placed in our cabin. It is carefully worded: "required in the theater or casino, optional and encouraged elsewhere for the protection of everyone's health." Placards are conspicuously displayed outside the theater and the casino stating masks required to enter.  TBC, there is both medical and scientific research support for and against masking as an effective means of preventing the spread of SARS2. It is however, highly situational with varying degrees of protection provided depending on multiple factors. I think the community of biomedical engineers and virologists that look at this stuff have concluded that in indoor congregate settings like cruise ships where social distancing and limited contact between persons cannot be maintained, AND, there is circulating virus, viral spread is diminished with masking.

Reflection had a documented COVID positive guest on our preceding cruise. That was announced. Contract tracing results were not released. Is there circulating virus on board this ship? Unknown. I would assume that ship's medical staff found that (1) the exposure took place in the casino or theater where close contact > 15 min existed.  (2) casino and/or theater staff were exposed by the guest. That is what probably precipitated the masking requirement in the casino and theater but no where else. JMO.  

Speaking of that, we're seeing the basis of a potential legal challenge to the Voluntary program from CLIA here:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/26770-clia-blasts-new-cdc-cruise-program-as-discriminatory.html

Cliff Notes: it's discriminatory. See my discussion of this above in the post I made earlier.

The world is in the process of a pandemic paradigm shift that will ultimately change major government's COVID related PH policy. Major and disruptive demonstrations are occurring world wide opposing vaccination mandates, most COVID related mandates, for that matter. The folks are fed up with and tired of the exhaustive and confusing web of protocols regulating thier lives.

PH experts are speaking loudly through research papers and public appearances showing governments how to not think in binary terms. IOW, SARS2 disease impact is not defined by one outcome over another as if it was a sure thing. Risk of infection, illness or death is not defined by one set of data is rarely fully objectifiable and involves a good deal of subjective analysis. They are also pushing the reasonable approach that questions how the huge amount of generally unreliable data is being used to decide when to lift or impose COVID mitigation measures (e.g., masking in schools).

Meanwhile, the CDC continues to operate as if this were March, 2020. I offer the new Voluntary COVID-19 Program as evidence of that. I'm personally getting behind a cruise industry effort to decline participation in the CDC's antiquated approach and thank them for stopping by.

I don't know about you all but I've read this new program the CDC just released along with the many views posted here about it. As is most COVID related PH guidance that the CDC releases it is so complex that it defies understanding and clear concise guidance.

My only qualification to make the following observation is that I followed FL's civil suit that requested and then prevailed in court that the CDC's CSO be enjoined. I'm not a lawyer let alone skilled in interpreting maritime law. I did read carefully Judge Merryday's opinion in his ruling against the CDC. It was complicated, involved complex aspects of maritime law applicable to the cruise industry and slammed the CDC for exceeding it's powers to regulate cruise ship operations in US waters granted by congress.

Nothing has changed with respect to Congress's authority granted to HHS. Yet, here we are. Another set of what I believe are regulatory standards issued by the CDC that exceed their lawful authority. The problem lies in what I perceive are punitive measures directed at the cruise lines for not "opting in" to the voluntary program. I think it's pretty clear that the CDC is saying If you don't do this, then we will label you as this and that amounts to being punished.

You may recall that Judge Merryday (3rd District Court of Middle FL), after finding in favor of FL and granting a temporary injunction of the CSO, gave the CDC the opportunity to return to the court with an updated CSO. They tried but failed. The CSO they presented, according to Judge Merryday and the arguments of FL attorneys, applied restrictions (punishments) that amounted to law making that the CDC did not have the authority to impose. 

Another aspect that pissed off Judge Merryday was that the CSO "targeted" the cruise lines. The CDC argued that the CSO was designed around applicable maritime law that didn't apply to any other similar industries. If I recall, this argument carried some legal weight and I note in this new release, the CDC is careful to point out that maritime law authorizes this new voluntary CSO. I think this may be an open legal question best left to attorneys skilled in interpreting applicable maritime law.

While all this was going on, CLIA remained in the background for reasons that none of us are privy to. There seemed to be a general consensus among industry health and safety protocol policy makers that they preferred cooperation with the CDC rather than confrontation. They left that to FL. Well, FL's argument that the CSO was unlawful prevailed all the way to the USSC. I believe Merryday, who may be called upon to review this new CDC order, would find it too is unlawful for the same reasons the original CSO was found to be unlawful. How the industry reacts collectively via CLIA or whether they navigate their COVID paths forward independently remains to be seen. 

Stay tuned.

That the new CSO may obtain the same fate as the old one may all be wishful thinking and you can be sure the cruise lines are looking at their options. My view is that it makes perfect sense for the lines to not opt in to this thing and let the chips fall where they might. IOW, they would rather live with whatever punitive measures the CDC may impose in order to preserve the ability to regulate themselves using health protocols they have proven to be successful in mitigating COVID.    

24 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Some of those new rules are no less ridiculous than the ones from the original CSO. Cruise lines cannot get back to full ships if they opt into the new CSO.

Yep ...... I'm getting the feeling that after the CDC got told to pound sand with their CSO, they're trying to weasel their way back in to running them where maritime health protocols are involved. We know that the reality here is that cruise ships, when it comes to COVID, have proven to be the safest congregate setting on the planet. There is no need for additional regulatory schemes of any type regarding COVID. 

Because the CDC's authority to dictate health and safety protocols has been found to have no basis in the law, the lines would be completely within their rights to say, no thanks to CDC's overtures to voluntarily comply with this new CSO they just issued.

CGTLA, ChrisK2793 & HBCcruiser, I think there's an out here for the lines. Namely the approach I mentioned above. Lines simply won't advertise they are NOT at a "vaccination standard of excellence." They will continue to advertise, as they have been doing for a year now, our guests and crew are fully vaccinated. I agree the CDC sees these two definitions as different. I don't think that matters to the cruise lines. They can be in voluntary compliance even though they may choose not to try to achieve this excellence status BS. It's unnecessary hair-splitting to me and probably to consumers. The lines feel they have achieved an adequate level of COVID mitigation with their current polices and as I also said, proof's in the pudding. They work.

Another key issue here is the dwindling prevalence of Omicron, while nothing is guaranteed with respect to this variant, future surges of it or the emergence of other variants, the research community is in almost universal agreement that we can't boost our way out of this. The future of vaccines involves the development of one that covers a wide rage of coronaviurses - won't prevent infection but will keep people who get infected from becoming seriously ill or dying at higher rates than for other diseases like influenza.

As usual, the CDC is behind on this or, more likely, knows it but for whatever reasons won't provide recommendations based on it. Same old shit. The CDC is NOT an agile agency. The cruise industry and their H&S Panels are.

I feel confident that this announcement of the voluntary program will not alter the cruise line's plans and how they approach and implement H&S policies. I think we will see the dropping of indoor mask requirements on the 15th. Sort of a sign that the lines are moving along in dealing with the pandemic faster than the CDC is.

Re Debstr66's post ......the CDC's authority via the CSO to direct cruise ships to implement indoor masking requirements have been in question since the Federal District Court in FL temporarily enjoined it. Subsequently, HHS and the CDC appealed to USSC and then withdrew the appeal leaving it permanently enjoined. It is generally believed that the CSO and by extension, its masking requirements are unenforceable for ships sailing from both FL and other US ports. I also believe the USCG has said it will not enforce either outdoor or indoor masking requirements. 

The recent addition of masking requirements indoors and on board some cruise ships was a cruise line initiated protocol. It was based on the increased infectiousness of Omicron, the increasing numbers of COVID cases emerging on cruise ships and is now being rescinded as of 01/15/22 as those numbers decrease to near zero. Masking decisions are within the H&S policy domain of the cruise lines. That was a concession made by the CDC not too long ago.  As well, all this if's ands and buts that stratify mask wearing requirements indoors are a product of cruise lines electing to re-start revenue sailings using the CDC's protocols for restarting either above or below 95% vaccination rates. Lines that went operational with 95% or greater vax rates don't have any of that confusing stratification stuff.

I get that HBCcruiser. I look at it this way. If I'm in marketing and I have input as to what health and safety protocols the line I'm working for might change if they elect to fully participate, and I think most lines will, is that they will continue to advertise that guests and crew are "fully vaccinated." The hair-splitting non-sense of being "up to date" that the CDC has now interjected into the decision making process of health and safety protocol policy makers is typical of the fence straddling on so many COVID issues they've taken that produce nothing more than confusion (see the idiotic masking stuff referenced above ..... laughable) 

The public is not going to look up and then know the difference in vaccination status between fully vaccinated and up to date when selecting a cruise line or ship to sail on. IMO, boosters will remain optional for guests, probably not for crew who are already getting them. We're slowly making our way to reasonableness in COVID policy. No more mandates. GIve people the data, guide them on how to assess individual risk and behave accordingly. In this case, given the current requirement for guests to be "fully vaccinated," some higher COVID risk guests may want boosters. Fine, that's a personal decision based on a personal risk assessment.  

The language in the CDC's most recent update to COVID vaccination status is critical in understanding it. The CDC has not included boosters as a requirement to be considered fully vaccinated. Walenski, when recently asked about this, said we're pivoting away from the term requirements to being up to date with vaccines in hopes of encouraging more people to get boosted. There is disagreement among policy makers about how both government and private organizations will interpret the new guidance.

In either case, the CDC, hopefully having learned it's lessons, won't be defining what constitutes a minimum vaccine requirement for the cruise lines. I believe the lines feel they have adequate layering of SARS2 mitigation measures, including the current vaccination and testing requirements, without resorting to a requirement for boosting. 

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-01-21/cdc-stands-by-up-to-date-vaccine-language-shift-as-new-data-shows-importance-of-covid-19-booster-shots

9 minutes ago, CGTLH said:

Going to be interesting how many lines are willing to adopt a "Vaccination Standard of Excellence" if they opt in to the program.

HHS is following a stick and carrot approach here. The color coding system now in full use by the CDC will color ships not participating in the voluntary program gray. That's the same sort of thing as gaining "vaccination standard of excellence." Ships participating could be frowned upon or avoided by the public that still harbors high levels of COVID fear. 

I just did a quick review of the protocols at the link. From memory, this is simply a rewrite of the latest iteration of the CSO. As I mentioned previously, the biggest drawback with the protocols is the administration of them and the associated reporting. Other than that, these are good SARS2/COVID mitigation protocols that the cruse lines have pretty much been following since the CDC got stoned by the Federal 3rd District Court in FL and did make some technical (not substantive) changes (the last iteration).

Proofs in the pudding. They have worked remarkably well in enabling what for all intent in purpose is a zero COVID policy - or very close to it - aboard each cruise ship adopting them.

We're on day 5/7 headed to Nassau after departing St. Croix, USVI about an hour ago. Several itinerary changes - Nassau for Key West and St. Croix for San Juan, PR. Going with the flow and wearing a mask indoors. We're B2B departing on 7n W. Caribbean on Saturday 02/12. I suspect we'll still be in a mask indoors protocol until the 15th (day 3 of the second cruise). Maybe not. Celebrity has had a slightly different overall approach to SARS2 than RCL (went with 98% vax rates and no test cruises. Accordingly, Celebrity ships could generally have a nigher vax rate and reduced risk of spread).

Would be neat if Celebrity, based on reduced risk, went with no masks indoors to start the 7n W. Caribbean sailing on reflection out of Fort Lauderdale on 2/12 instead of waiting until the 15th. The reasoning there would be to reduce guest confusion by not changing mask protocols mid-cruise. Makes sense but I'm not hopeful nor concerned. I willing comply with whatever is required to cruise. I'll post again after I find out.

This is our 4th sailing on Reflection. It's the newest of Silhouette Class ships (2018) and reflects an evolution in that class. Reflection has the usual Celebrity specialty dining for this class and adds some length and a larger Retreat area (Suites). We booked a Veranda, 2C nearly 2y ago but not on refelction and it's been cancelled 2X. Once in 2020, 21 and moved to 2022 on Reflection. We had planned and booked the same cabins for the B2B on deck 6. When we checked in, we were informed we had been "upgraded." Not really. Just moved to the 9th deck. No explanation and our bags tagged for 6156. Guest services fixed that, our bags showed up in our new cabin and they insured we had the same cabin for both cruises. We learned on entering our cabin on deck 9 that a cabin attendant had not yet been assigned. 

This is an example of having to be flexible and not losing your patience when things change. This could have been a cluster (bags, no cabin attendant assigned, back to back) but it wasn't. The change was due to Celebrity's use of cabins on deck 6 for isolation of crew members. That policy started in mid 2021 so, I would have thought Celebrity would have made the change for any guests on that deck and we'd have been informed earlier than we were. Our cabin attendant specifically assigned to our cabin arrived on day 3. We still had service but it was performed by attendants doing double duty. 

We did speak with the Hotel Manager. He dutifully took notes but we never got any feedback which is unlike Celebrity. Not to worry and I'm willing to be tolerant of this sort of thing during the pandemic. A bottle of wine would have been nice though. 

There are two measures that will define the date upon which SARS-CoV2 will no longer disrupt our normal routines, e.g., we can go back to a pre-COVID life that includes lots of cruising:

(1) A medical endpoint. Determining this endpoint is the realm of virologist and epidemiologist who deal with the enormous amounts of data that are available to define it globally, nationally and regionally. Regionally, we are very likely already there or very close to it. The several metrics that define disease burden  - viral prevalence or percent positives of screening tests and hospital admissions with a COVID diagnosis are examples; regionally and growing beyond that, all those metrics are declining and in some case significantly. There are others.

(2) Reduction in the fear of COVID - measures of mobility and economic activity are examples of ways to measure that; again, there are others - a lot of them. Fundamentally, all of these have been on a steady rise for more than 6 months with an almost imperceptible drop with the onset of Omicron. That in itself is revealing. People are coming to grips with the new reality of life with SARS-2 and it does not have to be awful and definatley not as deadly as it first appeared to be.

The biggest obstacle to a return to normal routines - COVID fear -  also has two sub-components: (1) The reaction of governments as defined by the  degree of restrictions to mobility and social interaction placed on their citizens to control the spread of SARS-CoV2 (China is without a doubt the worst, GB better), (2) Our capacity to rationally judge our real risk of exposure to SARS-CoV2 and the development of a serious, life threatening case of COVID. The reality is that it is low and as government agencies and, specific to our interests, cruise companies come to realize this and act on it, we'll start to see a return to operational normalcy. 

On January 27th, Boris Johnson, the PM of the UK, lifted all COVID restrictions. ALL OF THEM.  Of course, he is being assailed by his political opponents as being dangerously irresponsible. He is cheered by UK citizens and has the backing of the NHS - world renowned in providing good stuff wrt SARS-2 and C19. The net impact on UK citizens is that they are going to have to move from the government telling them what their risks are to making those kinds of decisions themselves.  Many countries are headed in that direction, Spain and Portugal are notable practitioners of that approach.

We're headed in the right direction. It's going to take time to recover from the fall-out of the Pandemic worsened by the media's constant fear narrative and government's, often inappropriately over- reacting to it. A lot of that movement is going to be changing people's minds about risks - never an easy undertaking. We'll get there. Meanwhile approach your cruise planning like you're going to cruise. Period. Final. Once you've done that go for it and let the chips fall where they may. That's not to say throw caution to the wind. Back-up plans these days are important and if you've formulated them you should cruise with confidence.

You're past the time frame needed to order and receive monitored self tests (eMed or Optum, BinaxNow, among others) for boarding purposes. I assume you will have the required Antigen test to enter the US.

Options in order of overall ease and decreasing stress levels for getting the testing you need is (1) a Rapid Antigen Test taken in the Miami Airport. You'll get the necessary had copy test results in hand before you leave. Just insure the timing is right and it may not be since you report that you are arriving on a Friday and have to clear boarding protocols on Sunday.

So, if your flight arrives at 1030h on Friday, your test is resulted at 11:30 and you are scheduled to board Allure at 1130 on Sunday (48h later) if you board after that, your test has been resulted more than 48h before boarding - won't work.

Just watch that and adjust accordingly. No appointments are needed for in-airport testing but if you can make one, I'd do that (head of the line if there is one) and (2) A local Walgreens or CVS Pharmacy. I looked this up for someone else asking a similar question and I recommended using a Walgreens that has a University of Miami Health Care System clinic inside. You can schedule your test in advance by actually talking to a real person instead of the hated bots and do all your registration on line in advance. The downside of a CVS or Walgreens is that you have to Uber/Lyft from your hotel and back. If that pharmacy is close to where you are staying drivers don't like short trips and will pass on it - it can be hard on Fridays. Saturdays, less hard. 

Good luck. Don't stress, it's not going to be hard to get what you need.

On the new QuestCOVID19.com web site mentioned on the front page and at the risk of repeating what everyone following this stuff here already knows, KNOW YOUR TEST TYPES AND PICK THE RIGHT TEST.

I already posted a detailed explanation of molecular and rapid antigen tests here:

 https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/27964-the-dreaded-positive-test-result/&do=findComment&comment=304316

Per reports, RCL has "partnered" with Quest Diagnostics to make "free" testing available. That's accurate, just make sure you know what you're getting and how you will or will not incur charges for testing. Also know other companies are doing the same thing Quest is doing. You're not locked into Quest Diagnostics to obtain travel tests. That these testing opportunities are popping up is a result of the Biden Administrations requiring health insurance carriers to pay for COVID testing. In the case of any type of "monitored, proctored or clinician administered" COVID tests, where a licensed health care practitioner is required to order the test, Medicare Covers them. Home tests for Medicare beneficiaries are available though the USPS ordering site (you can four self test kits with two tests in each kit.) 

The web site QuestCOVID19.com (not a live link, copy and past it into your browser) is nicely laid out. I just went to it and made my way through the process to get a test - you can order kits or schedule a visit to a testing site. For testing sites, you can enter your zip code and see what's available in your area - either a molecular (PCR) test or Rapid Antigen test, possibly not both, with the molecular tests being more commonly available. Then select the one you want and start the scheduling process.

Which test is best for you?

If you're goal is to clear boarding protocols, Rapid Antigen tests (either home-monitored, e.g. Abbott BinaxNow, or clinic based tests performed by a clinician) are the easiest and IMO, your best option. If you have travelers in your party that are required to get a molecular test, well, then you'll have to get one. Quest states their molecular tests are being resulted within 24-48h so, that's great and if it turns out your insurance will cover them, that's even better! There are such things as "Rapid" Molecular tests and I'm assuming that is what Quest is using but I can't confirm that as they aren't saying what products they are using.

Why do I favor the Rapid Antigen Tests? It's because of the dreaded post COVID positive you can pop on the much more sensitive molecular tests even months after you were exposed, even if you never had symptoms. Those pesky SARS-CoV2 virions can hang around for a long time inside you and will produce a positive when using molecular tests. With Omicron, it is a fact that lots and lots, I could say everyone but I won't, is going to be exposed and potentially develop completely asymptomatic infections and then recover from them (hard these days to actually define recovery). Those infections can still leave markers at trace levels where you are not even remotely infectious ...... but, you pop a positive on that PCR in that circumstance and you're done. 

At the risk of repeating what has already been posted, what about Canadians traveling to FL from Canada and returning to Canada?

You don't need a molecular test to board an aircraft in Canada and fly to FL. Rapid Antigen tests will work and depending on your travel plans from Canada to FL, you could make one test work for arriving in the US and clearing boarding protocols on the ship. You do need a molecular test to fly from FL and re-enter Canada (RCL is no longer providing PCR tests aboard ship for debarking guests). According to RCL, international guests who need one can get a Rapid (same day) PCR test inside the terminal after debarkation or at the  airport at your own expenses ($100 and up). I'd advise researching who is doing those at the ports or airports you are traveling through, for what prices and schedule testing in advance.

Hope this is helpful, puts needed testing info in one place and I'm not reposting stuff that everyone already knows about.

I've sailed NCL, RCL and MSC mentioned here. I've also sailed Carnival, Disney, Oceania and Celebrity - mostly Celebrity. First, I love to cruise. The cruise lines, even down to the ships operated by them, have differing but nevertheless something to do with your cruise experience. You'll enjoy either NCL or RCL but that's just my take mainly becasue, well, I love to cruise no matter. 

The things I value about cruising are not worrying about making beds, doing laundry, figuring out what to eat, cooking and cleaning up, being served. It is the complete life of leisure - the longer I can do it the better and we've sailed continuously at times for 45 or more days ..... never get tired of it or want to get back home and sleep in my own bed. 

My take is that cruise companies have differing corporate level objectives that define the onboard guest's experience. All of them want to deliver "the best", most luxurious, eating and drinking, fitness/spa, gambling, entertainment, whatever experience for their guests. Some do it better than others or some things they do better than others. Corporate also tailors a guests experience around a target cohort, like kids, boomers, gamblers, buffet and big dinner eaters, spa aficionados, sun worshipers, port of call lovers and the like.

RCL is definitely family oriented. At the peak of cruising in 2019 if you were sailing RCL, you'd see lots of kids, some very well behaved, some not so much. Right now, I don't think that separates NCL from RCL. I think the concept of serving your guests graciously is carried out better aboard RCL's ships than it is on NCL. That goes right to the heart of corporate's HR and hiring priorities. When you inquire of crew aboard RCL (definitely aboard Celebrity - an RCL co-brand) of which lines have they worked for and which lines they like the best, parsing bias, RCL frequently comes up as a preferred place of employment. Happy employees, happy customers, right?

I have a hard time separating food and food service between NCL and RCL. It depends a lot on your expectations: 5* dining or burgers and a milkshake. NCL keeps up with leading trends in putting varied restaurants and menus on their ships. If you take, for example, NCL's newest ships and RCLs newest ships, I think RCL wins that comparison hands down when it comes to restaurants, menus and food quality..

Entertainment is another thing worth comparing. I'd say NCL tries, RCL delivers. If you're not into theater productions or stage performances in general, that shouldn't be a deciding factor for you.

Being based in Europe, I'd look at Celebrity sailings out of Athens (Piraeus) to the Greek Isles  - a great itinerary (I love Greece) more sedate, older cohort of guests with, right now, not many kids at all. However their youth programs are very good for all ages if you plan on sailing with your kiddos. As well, MSC has some beautiful new ships and a more European flavor as far as guests, food choices and menus are concerned. If you speak French, German, Italian or Spanish, you'll be very comfortable socializing - something we value onboard cruise ships. At the same time, if you speak only English and just get by with a foreign language, I never met a European that travels and that I've met on a cruise ship that doesn't speak the English language at a conversational level.

I hope this helps. Cruising is a very personal sort of thing with tastes among cruisers that post here and elsewhere varying widely. For me, if I'm on a cruise ship, I like it .... the one I'm currently on. You can't go wrong with RCL nor with NCL - for me, they each offered a different experience and I preferred the ones I've had on RCL. I don't think anything tops Celebrity but that is a hugely biased opinion. We know lots of Celebrity crewmembers that we see over and over again through the years. That makes you feel like family every time we board - 7X since June 26th, #8 next week on Reflection. We like feeling like family that is extended to us when we board .... a lot.        

The stuff I'll recap isn't entirely clear so....to recap:

• You can order as many tests as you want from Optum but each person using a test that you acquired must have a separate account.
• The eMed test from Optum can be done from a pc by heading to this link https://www.emed.com/, click on the log in button (top right) and select the create account option. Do this for each person in your party..... or....
• If you would like to use your phone to complete and record your test results use the available Navica app. The Navica app is available for both iphone and android. Head to the appropriate app store and download it. Again, install the app on the phone of each person in your party taking the test.
• Go through the same process to create an account on the app if you chose this method and I recommend the app over a PC because you have easy digital access to your test results. As well, you'll also get an email the provides your test result and a printable page that lists the information needed to clear COVID boarding protocols. I recommend you print out a hard copy of the test results page and carry it with you to the terminal putting in a place you can easily and quickly grab it, i.e., don't pack it and be "that person" rummaging through bags to find your test results and holding the line up.
• If you're using a PC, see the video above posted by Space Noodles
• If you're using the phone app, it is super easy and straight forward to use. On the Navica home page after you've created your account, select I have a test/start testing option. After that you're set. The app will walk you through the whole process for each person. Again, even using the phone app, you'll get an email with a hard copy test result page...... see my comments about that above. 

To be honest, information from RCL Customer Service, especially as it applies to pre-boarding COVID testing can be unreliable. If you get a "no, your vaccine record won't work," you have two options: (1) Call back and wait on hold to get another poorly informed CSR who may or may not give you the green light or (2) assume your digital shot record will be fine - and I think it will be. RCL has to be used to the EU digital COVID Certificates. You might encounter ship's staff sailing out of US ports who may not have seen these but, I feel confident that if the right person in guest relations is contacted by check in staff, a quick response saying those will work fine will follow. Up to you but I can't imagine you being denied boarding with a hard copy pint out of your COVID Certificate.

27 minutes ago, cruisellama said:

Fingers crossed on what can and will happen in Europe this summer.

So far, the trends are suggestive they will and rapidly. The most significant obstacles to smooth traveling into and around Europe are varying boarder crossing and in country COVID related restrictions. There is no uniformity and it is choking the travel and leisure economies of countries throughout Europe. That is the one thing I'd like to see improved for non-EU citizens. EU citizens, even non-EU member states like Switzerland, have standardized digital COVID certificates that include all the pertinent information and make travel within the EU easier - COVID testing remains cumbersome but can also be entered digitally into phone apps. I have a Swiss COVID digital pass on my phone - they are not easy to get. My daughter is an EU citizen by marriage living in Lausanne. We visited in October. Without that visit and my daughter's excellent French, I doubt I would have secured it.

Great, you should be good as long as you can show that (I can see the entry that shows when you were vaxed). Looks to be in the same format as my Swiss Pass. I'd print out a hard copy to be safe just in case your phone stops working. Guarantee, if you have kids, they'll forget to charge them. Obviously, you still need the required pre-boarding negative COVID tests and I think we had the discussion of how you were going to do that and it looked good too. 

1 hour ago, Natalfaz said:

The thing is they way they do the vaccine card here in Spain, they donr put the date of each vaccine, they just state the latest date of thw vaccine, although it does say 3/3  so you would think it obvious that thw previous ones are with in well before the 14 days?  Wow the amount of things we have to worry about to cruise ahaha. 

Natalfaz, do you and your family members each have an EU Digital COVID (Vaccination) Certificate on your phones? I assume you have the paper copies. I have a Swiss COVID Certificate (parallels the features of the EU Certificate). Mine lists vaccine type, product, manufacturer and date of vaccination. It also says 3/3 under dose. The paper copy is going to be key - print one out for each family member. There's a QR code on your digital certificates. QR code readers in countries outside the EU may not be able to scan your digital certificate's QR code.    

Not affecting us but as frequent Celebrity cruisers, I'd see this as a real kick in the ass if I was booked on Infinity Europe this summer. I looked around the web and can't find answers to pertinent questions that involve lift and shift. For example, if I'm booked on Infinity in the Med and notice I can lift and shift to Edge, Beyond or Reflection what's the price difference and who covers that? A Millennium class ship offers fares considerably lower than the two Edge class ships that would be available. I could see a no additional fare L&S to Reflection but not Edge or Beyond. 

This move is likely capacity/demand driven, i.e., demand for cabins in Europe are down and are likely to stagnate through mid-summer. Meanwhile, demand for Caribbean itineraries probably remains strong and Infinity can be operated more profitably out of FL.

I love the upbeat tone of your post wordell1. Cruising can be challenging in the COVID environment but getting aboard a cruise ship, getting ahead of what seem to be insurmountable obstacles to a smooth and enjoyable vacation can be exhilarating.    

Testing for COVID has  devolved into a mess for lay-people mostly because of the confusing nomenclature that has been foisted on us by "experts." As I've posted previously on this subject, molecular tests  -  I use that term because it suborns a large number of them - include: Real-time reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (rRT-qPCR) or PCR for short, Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA), CRISPR-based diagnostics. PCR testing has become a short hand for all these types of molecular testing. It's confusing. The term "home tests" has also confused the issue. You can do home tests with both molecular and antigen testing kits the former being more expensive (upwards of $90) and less numerous/available than the later ($19-$30).

Molecular tests detect genetic material – the RNA – of the coronavirus and are sensitive enough to need only a very small amount of it for you to pop a positive. There are not a lot of these tests available for home use, more for clinic and lab based use and authorized by the FDA under EUA. Under what circumstance you should use these tests is extremely important. Availability, costs, time to travel to take one of these tests and the time to get results are also important considerations for us cruisers. Generally, you'll pop a positive on one of these tests sooner- much sooner - in the course of a COVID infection as well as much later - the dreaded, "I tested positive by PCR for 3 months after I tested negative by a Rapid Antigen test".....now what? Am I still contagious? Not likely and I'll get to that.

Antigen tests detect specific proteins on the surface of the coronavirus. There are dozens of these home and clinic/lab based antigen tests approved by the FDA under EUA and readily available. Subject to distribution issues we've all experienced. Here’s a good way to look at the difference between antigen and molecular tests: The coronavirus replicates itself by putting its genetic material inside our cells. If you’re testing that person by the commonly used and available rapid antigen test at the point where the virus is still replicating inside the cells, large enough amounts of those proteins that rapid antigen tests are looking for in test samples (saliva, swabs) aren't there yet. Hence the CDC recommendation is to wait a few days (3-5 or 5-7 depending on your source) to test after a known exposure or symptom development. That's not the case with molecular tests that detect very small amounts of RNA to pop a positive often within hours (usually 12-48) after exposure. 

PCR testing is considered the gold diagnostic standard. It is definitely not the best sampling or screening test for a lot of very good reasons. Rapid antigen testing is better for both sampling and screening circumstances, i.e, for cruising. I question the cruise line's use of molecular testing (e.g., PCR and others I mentioned above) for select cohorts. That's because the chance of popping positive on one of those well before and after you're contagious is high. Why are they doing this then? I can make an argument that they shouldn't and it will be countered by the "abundance of caution" argument as misplaced as I think that it is.

I'd avoid using a molecular (PCR) test to clear COVID boarding protocols if you don't have to. YMMV. if you are concerned about spreading the virus aboard ship after clearing boarding protocols, packing extra Rapid AG tests to do serial antigen testing, to include the first one you take to clear COVID boarding protocols and then administering two other unmonitored home tests on days 3 and 5 from your travel day is an alternative.

The bottom line for me, and you can take it for what it's worth, is that a negative Rapid Antigen test (home - unmonitored, home - monitored, at a clinic- monitored) in the current Omicron environment, done serially X2 and on day 5 and day 7 from exposure (potential or known, symptomatic or asymptomatic) will yield a suitably useful result to determine when you are and are not sufficiently burdened with the virus to be contagious. I'd offer one caveat: It has been demonstrated that antigen tests in an Omicron environment can sometimes pop a positive up through day 9. As well, if you test sequentially more than the two times the CDC recommends, the pink infection line compared to the control line will show gradations of intensity - the more intense the infection line is compared to the control line, the more infectious you may be.

Well, darn cruise lines are telling us now we have to test within 48h of boarding, 72h for a PCR. What if you get exposed the day before you board and remain asymptomatic - a very good chance you will - through the boarding process then, on day 3-5 of your cruise, start spreading it around the ship? My position on this, which is likely to be the cruise line's as well, is that multi-tiered mitigation measures will prevent outbreaks and we can live with that - hence, the new indoor mask mandates. Makes sense. To repeat what I mentioned above, I'd offer if your worried about spreading the virus aboard ship, pack a few home tests for your traveling party and once aboard, test again on days 3 and 5 from your travel days. 

If I were doing this, I'd use a private transport company. Lyft/Uber works but, depending on what day it is that you'll be doing this (weekend or weekday, number of ships debarking at the same time you are in Miami), some hic-ups, no show stoppers, could happen. 1st, you'll hail Lyft/Uber using the local (data) network (I'm assuming you'll have roaming access through your carrier in AU on your phone). Depending on signal strength and number of people trying to get a Lyft/Uber at your arrival port, it can be frustratingly slow. 2nd, if this is a weekday transfer, you'll be traveling North from Port of Miami on Interstate 95 to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. On a good day it's a 40 minute trip. An accident northbound, just about any time of day, can slow progress to an hour or more. A bad accident that shuts lanes down and it can take longer than that; up to 2 hours. You'll get there, just maybe not as soon as you had liked. 

Some, not all, Uber/Lyft drivers will have a Sun Pass and use the express toll lanes. In heavy traffic, they can cost upwards of $12 in tolls for your trip. There is no question that having access to those will shorten your trip time. Occasionally, the accidents I mention above that can slow your progress will occur in the express lanes. That's a bummer when you see the regular lanes whizzing past you while you sit in the express lanes.

That suggests using a private car is your best option ..... just ask to make sure the driver will have express lane access with a Sun Pass. Either way, be patient. I  know what it can be like anxiously heading to a cruise and then get stuck in traffic. Pour up a jug of you own with a few bloody marry's from an open bar before you leave the ship and relax in your transport of choice.  

4 hours ago, BrianB said:

Legal maneuvering on the part of the government to ensure there would be no future cause for a claim that the shutdown was unconstitutional, resulting in a finding allowing the cruise companies to sue for damages. That would entail huge amounts of money. No telling what workarounds were arranged by both sides to avoid that.

If you're suggesting the cruise lines might sue the US government for damages in a tort claim, that's nearly impossible. Parties can sue the US government under what is called the FTCA (Federal Tort Claims Act) passed in 1946 but certain rules have to be followed and conditions met. It's complicated and I don't think the cruise lines would be able to cross the high bar to file a claim. Parties can sue the US government and it's agencies for injunctive relief and that's what Desantis did over a year ago.

Even though it appears that the CDC dodged being called to account for exceeding their authority granted to it by Congress (those maritime laws are also complex), the 3rd Court where Desantis filed his request for injunctive relief (from the CSO) stands. Judge Merryday, sitting on the bench of the 3rd District Court of Middle FL, wrote an opinion that just hammered HHS/CDC for acting unconstitutionally as if it were a law making body, instead of the administrative one it is. That will serve as precedent in the rather narrow application of the various maritime laws that the CDC claimed authorized them to issue the NSO in March, 2020 and the CSO a year later. Functionally, Judge Merryday's  ruling stands. That's because, as a result of CDC asking the 11th Court of Appeals to dismiss their own appeal, HHS is prevented from shutting down whole industries or companies within them under the guise of a PHE going forward. 

For Desantis, mission accomplished.