Ours took about 3 weeks, but I think it's because it's more of a page certificate (Canadian QR code) vs a vaccine card.

20 minutes ago, D Alt said:

I believe you still have to show a negative test 

So...regardless of why they test positive (even if it's due to previous covid infection), they would not be able to cruise?

That's what I thought, but when they mentioned it, I realized I have no clue so I looked it up and Royal only says that they will not accept it in place of a vaccination certificate...but no mention of possibly testing positive because of it.

Hi. Quick question - Sorry if this has been asked before.

But if someone has recovered from covid a month ago, would they be able to use a certificate of recovery to show the reason they would test positive for the pre-cruise testing (assuming they do test positive)?

They are fully vaccinated and no children (no contact with unvaccinated people). They're afraid they would test positive when they take the pre-cruise test.

I thought they would not be able to cruise but I thought I would double check.

Any info would be very much appreciated.

16 minutes ago, Jax said:

Oh no! I had mine printed prior to the new QR code. I don’t know how things work in Ontario but in Alberta the immunization records show the “region of service/delivery management site”.  So that may be something to explore.  

The certificate before the QR code was implemented in Ontario does have the authorized organization and vaccine administrator (among other info). However, the QR code certificate only show the lot number (and type of vaccine). 

I printed the both, but I was only planning on bringing the QR code that I downloaded for the check in. I think I'll bring them both.

14 hours ago, ChrisK2793 said:

We got completely on the ship at by 1140,  had the key lunch at noon, it was about 1pm by the time I went in person to make reservations and we got the times we wanted between 545 and 630 at latest …… we just had to swap the days we planned to eat at 2 restaurants because they were each full at our time the original day choice, but we didn’t mind the day swap of the 2.  I’m sure if I had gone earlier instead of messing with the app, we wouldn’t have even had to do the swap, but again didn’t mind.

 

Thanks so much!

Sounds like we'll be able to make it work for us.

38 minutes ago, Atlantix2000 said:

Making reservations onboard has always been the trade off for getting a lower cost by buying the dining package.  That said, it is extremely popular with the regular cruisers on this forum which wouldn't be the case if they were unable to get good reservations.  Really the only common "complaint" is that you can get too much food when you always dine specialty.

This is a case where it's important to remember that the average forum poster knows and plans a LOT more than the average cruiser.  Many people don't even know specialty dining exists until they get on the ship.  That's partly why it's generally easy to make reservations on board on the first day.  If you wait until day 4 of 7, then you can't be surprised that good reservations are hard to find but that's true with or without a package.

Thank you. I do forget that a lot of cruiser don't frequent boards. I'm just so used to DCL/WDW/DVC planning that I get anxious if I have to wait to reserve anything.

I think I can understand about getting too much food. Fortunately, we're light eaters so it's just the idea of trying each specialty dining. I'm excited about Wonderland, but I know my daughter won't be eating much so, having the UDP, somewhat lowers the per dinner cost, I guess.

21 hours ago, leesam82 said:

....I did see some very angry family as they were turned away even though they did have a reservation for the showtime due to capacity and seating. Maybe what they need to is actually have the ability to pick seats in the app itself and have assigned seating.  

 

 

 

Glad you had a great time and thank you for posting your experience. For new to Royal cruisers like myself, posts like yours are very valuable.

I did have a question about what you said about booking a showtime but people were still being turned away. Am I wrong in assuming that they only provide a set number of reservations for the capacity? Do you know why they were turned away? Were there certain seats that became closed off? Just wondering why they were able to book, but weren't given a seat.

21 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I just had a thought, worse case scenario, if you took at pre-cruise test at at lab (not a well known pharmacy) that they deemed "not valid", can't you still test at the pier?  You might pay more, but it is still an option right?

Yes, I think that's an option. Although I think you'll have to wait since I thought you had to book an appt for the pier testing.  I would still be  a nervous wreck.

But since Canada is no longer requiring PCR tests to come back within 72 hours, then it'll be less of an issue if we had to get one at the pier, test positive and had to drive back home.

But I think we'll just wait until we get a result before leaving Canada. 

If it comes back as "not valid" I would hope that they would do the test again. Or just go elsewhere. One of the shoppers I contacted suggested we just walk up, but I'd prefer an appt. But it's nice to know that if needed, we can just go there.

20 hours ago, ChrisK2793 said:

This works SOMETIMES ……. last week on Odyssey it kept telling me I wasn’t connected to their Wi-Fi ….. I was, we had the Surf & Stream Package …. … after trying everything including a hard restart of my phone and the Royal app, I finally just went to a restaurant to make the reservations.  Even the next day while at sea, the app still wouldn’t let me make show reservations because it said I wasn’t on their Wi-Fi and I had to call the reservation desk to get those made as well.  
 

Thanks for the heads up. We also will have the internet package, but I guess that doesn't really help.

I will have all of us try to get into the app...and if it doesn't work, I'll make my way to one of the restaurants. 

Hopefully, it works for at least one of us. I'm just concerned that there'll be little availability if I have to line up to get it done.

I've booked with Shoppers and I emailed them to make sure that the results are printed and not handwritten (as I've heard this is an issue). I was assured that the only thing handwritten will be the pharmacist's signature and licence number.

When I made the appointment, I was also asked for your passport numbers, so I provided that as well. We have nexus, but that wasn't an option.

I hope that's it. I can't find any other info. People have used the shoppers tests to get into the US and that's what is showing at the CDC website. So I hope that's all.

Still nervous though...

54 minutes ago, Traveler said:

For me , with a different kind of vaccination card (a printed a4 page as I am not a US resident) it took about three weeks. I took a photo of the half page and than as the back I took a photo of the second half.

Its now verified without any issue.

Ours is a full page...perhaps that's the issue. It's still showing "validating" but we have our set pass and luggage tags available. We don't have "cards", but the page does have all the pertinent information as well as the QR code.

17 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

As soon as you connect to the ship's wifi you can start making the reservations through the app. It has let me make multiple reservations on the same day and I have even gone back later and seen new times open up day of when I was checking availability. People cancel and change reservations a lot so it is fluid.

Sounds good. Thanks so much!

15 hours ago, CruisingOz said:

The best way is to have a plan of when and where you would like to eat prior to boarding and when you get on board, go to a specialty restaurant and make all the bookings. This way you have something booked each night and you should be able to change your mind should your tastes change. We normally never booked lunch, but have done on occasions and it never seemed an issue. In the main we would normally get the reservations we wanted, but there have been occasions when I may have had to pick a different day and time, they were rare and I have called them and made changes as well.

Another strategy is, if you are celebrating a special occasion or have a large group, you can pay for that specialty resturant via the cruise planner, securing the day and time, and when at the restuarant tell the staff you have an UDP and they will credit you the cost of what you paid separately. Do not leave telling them until the end, do this as you walk in so they can do the backend stuff.      

Thank you. We are, absolutely, booking as soon as we board. It sounds like we won't have a problem booking something each night. This was my biggest concern. I didn't want to get onboard and find out there isn't any specialty reservations available between 6-8pm each night...and we would then choose it's not worth it if we have to eat at 5pm or 9pm because we purchased the UDP.

Thanks for posting about lunch. I've read some previous posts pre-pandemic, that it's not a problem walking in or making lunch reservations. I even read that you can only book one reservation per day. Perhaps I misunderstood that.

Thanks again!

On 11/10/2021 at 3:16 PM, TB2021 said:

Correct…I booked all speciality dining (we had the UDP) directly on the app as soon as we got on the ship. I wanted to review the one sheet with all the major showtimes before booking. Couldn’t have been easier. 
 

I can’t speak to the linked reservations functionality unfortunately. 

Is this fleet wide?

We have UDP on the Anthem and I would love to be able to book on the app as soon as we get onboard. I'm really concerned we won't be able to get the restaurants and dine times we want since we have to wait to get onboard to book.

On 9/13/2021 at 1:12 PM, AshleyDillo said:

As much food and soda as you want to order is included in the cover charge but this doesn't include the milkshakes. The milkshakes will be covered if you have a Refreshment or Deluxe drink package.

I'm sorry...I'm new to Royal, but I thought the food was the only thing part of the cover charge. 

So, it includes drinks as well, even if you don't have a beverage package?

And just to confirm, Johnny Rockets is part of the  UDP?...meaning it if we wanted, we can eat as much as we want?

Hello...new to Royal so I apologize if this is a silly question.

Since we cannot book reservations under the UDP, do they hold reservations for people who do purchased the package?

I'm concerned that when we board, there isn't any reservations left for the restaurants we want at a reasonable time.

With those who have purchased UDP, did you feel that you were able to get reservations you wanted or did you regret purchasing the package because it was more of a hassle getting the reservations at a good time?

Also, was it easy to "walk up" for lunch reservations since I read somewhere we couldn't make more than one reservation per day?

Any suggestions and information would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I hear you!  The final cut is the pre-cruise antigen test.  That is why even now, 29 days out, I am afraid to get excited.  What if I don't make it? lol

absolutely the same feeling here...never been this nervous planning a vacation.

3 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

We checked in weeks ago for Allure 12/19/21, then the validating message disappeared shortly after.  Never came back.  A week ago, I read here that signing in/out of the app would help with that so I tried it.  The validating message came back and then disappeared a few hours after that.  So now we are back to square one with nothing.  @Mattmentioned in a post a few days ago (can't remember which one) that they might not validate until closer to sail date.  Not sure if that is case.

Same thing happened to us. 2 days after uploading the vaccination receipt, it disappeared, then came back and it's still showing validating...it's been over 2 weeks.

25 minutes ago, Eggbert said:

I found the following on the section "View Set Sail Pass." Where are you sailing out of?

 

Departure testing

Unvaccinated children ages 2 to 11 will take a complimentary antigen test (PCR if required by the destination) onboard the day before their cruise ends for sailings 5 nights or longer. Complimentary COVID-19 testing is also available for vaccinated guests who need it for entry into their next destination. More information will be provided onboard.

Bayonne - Cape Liberty

I can see what you posted above on the royal app. Can I assume that it's enough to know that my cruise will offer it? Or did they just forget to remove it from the app?

11 minutes ago, Eggbert said:

Don't be sorry - it is a good question. I was concerned too when I couldn't find it on the website. I am sailing on Dec. 30 and received my email last week - 45 days out I believe.

Thanks. I'm sailing before you so I went to check the emails I received. I found the protocol email.

Unfortunately, a lot of things about pre-cruise testing, masks and other protocols are on the email, but nothing about departure testing.

And the only thing specified in the onboard testing is the part about unvaccinated children.

59 minutes ago, Eggbert said:

I just called and spoke to a C & A rep - she told me that the program is continuing through March and although it might not be on the website it will be mentioned in the protocol email Royal sends for your individual cruise.

Sorry...very new to RCCL, when does Royal send the protocol email?

7 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

A few days ago, Celebrity announced that they were ending this as more international guests can travel again.  They said they would honour the complimentary test for bookings made before November 16, 2021, but bookings from November 16, 2021 and onwards, they would be charging a fee of $55 for antigen and $95 for PCR.  I wonder if this has anything with it disappearing off Royal's site. 

I have long said that for myself, it is not a make or break factor.  Complimentary is great, if I have to pay, I will, that is the cost of travelling right now.

I'm wondering why RCCL hasn't announced this. I would hope that if we book when it was still being offered, they would continue to honour it.

I'd like to know as well.

The offer to provide PCR testing to return to Canada was one of the reasons we decided to go ahead with booking RCCL cruise.

An RCCL rep also confirmed it with me that they would be providing it onboard before disembarking.

29 minutes ago, Marlena said:

Same! We made sure it was offered so our trip home would work. Im worried now. Can't find it anywhere.

When I looked at the app for my cruise, it still shows it under "Departure testing" under Healthy Cruising.

But it's unsettling that it was removed from the website. 

Even though I have a screenshot of what it was when I booked my cruise, will it really help me when I inquire and they tell me it's no longer available.

There's been mention of the testing at the port when we disembark...but I don't see any wording.

I just wish it would be very clear because it makes a difference between going or cancelling since it's one of the reasons I felt we could book it.

On 11/10/2021 at 3:35 PM, DperronFF said:

I’m cruising December 12 th on liberty of the seas. Does royal Caribbean provide PCR tests free of charge onboard at the end of my cruise so I can re enter canada?

if anyone could help me out with that answer that would be greatly appreciated. 

I thought I was able to check this off my list, but now RCCL has removed it from their website.

It used to say that they will provide a complimentary covid test (whatever test is required) for those guests who are required to provide one to return to our home country. Now it's been removed and I'm unclear as to whether it's showing elsewhere since it appears that some people are still getting their PCR tests done on the day before debarkation.

I even had a RCCL agent confirm this when I made the booking. 

We are going directly home after the cruise so we were relying on getting tested before disembarking.