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Does Royal Caribbean offer Covid testing to passengers while onboard so that passengers may continue their travels or return to their country of origin?


Regine

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I just spoke with a most unhelpful customer service agent representing Royal Caribbean.  Here is my question:  I am planning on taking a European cruise at the end of next month with my family.  Once I have completed the cruise, in order to continue our travels, we have to have a negative Covid test.  We are going to the airport immediately after the cruise, so unless Royal Caribbean offers Covid-19 tests to its passengers while on board, I do not know how else we will obtain the requisite testing within the timeframe required.  Does anyone have an answer to this question or know whom I may contact?  All answers are welcome!  RLT

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

According to their FAQ, yes.  It's under the testing for unvaccinated/children section of each port's guidelines.

 

Quote

Vaccinated guests who require a COVID-19 test for re-entry into their country may receive one onboard as well. Guests will be notified onboard about how to register for this test.

 

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Everybody needs a test to reenter Cyprus after a week on Jewel so we got tested yesterday later they send an email with the result and delivered a printed version to our stateroom. All info about testing you will find in the cruise compass how and where to book time onboard. It was very easy IMO ?

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Not sure if this has been asked previously.

there have been incidents where people have tested positive for Covid while onboard and have been medivaced off the ship.

RC have implemented measures including private transfer by charter jet to get them home, now my question is what if its a person from North America sailing in Europe or a European sailing in the Caribbean! 

Are these measures still in place? 

 

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@Ray, a few weeks ago we were on Celebrity Apex sailing out of Pireaus (Athens). It was announced that an unvaccinated child had tested positive on day 3 (just before our first port call), was quarantined, close contacts quarantined and after testing negative released. The captain also announced that the infected child and his/her family would be debarked at the upcoming port and all flown home to the US. Can't confirm that actually happened but seems to me that protocol remains in place. TBH, I think the numbers are low and as ships go to all vaxed. The numbers will get lower.  

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6 hours ago, Ray said:

RC have implemented measures including private transfer by charter jet to get them home, now my question is what if its a person from North America sailing in Europe or a European sailing in the Caribbean! 

Are these measures still in place? 

Yes.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/covid-19-cancellations-and-refunds-policy.pdf

From the above linked document:

If you are fully vaccinated or unable to be vaccinated and you test positive for COVID-19 during 
the voyage, the cruise line will: 
• cover the cost of necessary COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard the ship;
• coordinate and cover the costs of any required land-based quarantine for you and members 
of your Traveling Party; and
• coordinate and cover the costs of travel arrangements to get you and members of your Traveling Party back home.

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11 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

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

According to their FAQ, yes.  It's under the testing for unvaccinated/children section of each port's guidelines.

 

 

I have read this too on their website, but does anyone know if the test they offer onboard is a PCR or antigen test?  

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12 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I have read this too on their website, but does anyone know if the test they offer onboard is a PCR or antigen test?  

They do have the ability to do both onboard, so I would assume you would let them know which was needed when you sign up.  Maybe someone who has sailed can report back; if not, I will make sure to pay attention on my upcoming sailing for you.

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16 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I just thought of another question while reading and thinking about this thread.  What if the sailing is a short 4 night one?  Does Royal still offer testing onboard?  Their website only refers to 5+ nights.

Right now the website only specifically address re-entry testing related to the Barcelona and Nassau sailings from what I can see.  All ships will have the ability to test, but like you, I don't like to count on anything not in writing.  Maybe someone on the Mariner of Freedom short cruises will be able to find out for you.  I would hope it becomes a routine offering in the Cruise Compass. 

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I am coming back here to answer my own question, in case anyone else is wondering.

This thread prompted me to send an email directly to the concierge onboard Allure at the moment.  As @AshleyDillo points out, things not in writing are questionable and I figured a concierge onboard would know.

The response I received back is that yes, as it stands right now (subject to change), testing is indeed available and complimentary to those who are fully vaxxed and require it to go home to another country.

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5 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

Yes.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/covid-19-cancellations-and-refunds-policy.pdf

From the above linked document:

If you are fully vaccinated or unable to be vaccinated and you test positive for COVID-19 during 
the voyage, the cruise line will: 
• cover the cost of necessary COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard the ship;
• coordinate and cover the costs of any required land-based quarantine for you and members 
of your Traveling Party; and
• coordinate and cover the costs of travel arrangements to get you and members of your Traveling Party back home.

Regarding this, if we are driving to the cruise port and will have our car parked in a parking garage for the duration of the cruise, how would we get our car in the event that we need to fly home on a private charter? 

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Are you driving to the cruise port from an airport or from your home? If from your home, I would think they will debark you with an escort to your car in the parking garage. Once your in it, your appropriately quarantined and no longer RCL's problem.

But this is unique and a question others will probably be interested in. If you call an RCL CSR in Miami, I doubt they will know details to this level. While corporate has written health protocols that get forwarded to ships, the captain of the ship has wide latitude in the way he complies with them. IOW, how your unique situation is handled aboard the ship you're sailing compared with others may vary. If the captain has questions of how he should handle you, he'll call the operations department who will consult their health and safety department then advise the captain how to proceed.

My recommendation is that you proceed with confidence and sail knowing that how you might be handled IF YOU GET INFECTED (and that is unlikely) will work out.  RCL won't leave your car stranded in the parking garage.

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2 hours ago, jack_c4321 said:

Regarding this, if we are driving to the cruise port and will have our car parked in a parking garage for the duration of the cruise, how would we get our car in the event that we need to fly home on a private charter? 

An excellent question...I believe you would be on your own to deal with getting your car.  I think as part of the process of developing their sailing plans for the CDC they had to demonstrate that they would isolate cases on the ship, prevent spread through isolation or removing infected passengers and also ensuring no community spread by making sure those passengers get directly to their door or to a quarantine hotel.  This is Royal's response to that requirement. Other cruiselines have different procedures.

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2 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

I believe you would be on your own to deal with getting your car. 

Disagree. Fundamentally and in accordance with the CSO, you've laid out the procedure. Let's ask this. What happens if they dump the family in the designated quarantine hotel and schedule a limo and air-ambulance back to wherever this family lives. All the time the guest is asking about his car. He's told Royal won't accommodate that?

The guest, now, let's say 500 miles from home, calls RCL and asks about his car and they say "not our problem." Guests talks to CNN about RCL's approach to COVID mitigation that includes stranding guests miles from their homes and/or vehicles so as to arrange that "it's not our problem." When RCL is asked by CNN to comment,  they don't. CNN then writes a story that blows this up and RCL is caught flat footed trying to defend their actions as indefensible as they are in CNN's and the public's eye.

Not going to happen. RCL corporate is smarter than that. They'll take care of his car one way or the other. Chicken feed to do that compared to the soft costs of responding to CNN's hit piece.

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2 hours ago, JeffB said:

Not going to happen. RCL corporate is smarter than that. They'll take care of his car one way or the other. Chicken feed to do that compared to the soft costs of responding to CNN's hit piece.

They didn't just offer to do antigen tests at the port in Galveston to all those folks that didn't come to the ship with a negative test even though they were doing them anyways for the under 12 year-olds and that made the media.  Giving those folks a test right there would have cost them very little.

They're already doing a lot more than other cruiselines are.  Over on another messageboard there's actually a post from someone that tested positive on Adventure back in July and they flew her family directly home while their car was sitting in Florida at a hotel where they had a park and fly rate as they drove to fly to Nassau from several states away.  It was up to them to figure out how to get their car back.  They had to fly a family member out to get it while they were quarantining back at home.

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13 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

Over on another messageboard there's actually a post from someone that tested positive on Adventure back in July and they flew her family directly home while their car was sitting in Florida at a hotel where they had a park and fly rate as they drove to fly to Nassau from several states away.  It was up to them to figure out how to get their car back.  They had to fly a family member out to get it while they were quarantining back at home.

@WannaCruise are you sure you want to drive to NJ? lol

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21 hours ago, JustMeJoe said:

We have a B2B2B on Freedom this September.  Have heard that we will need a COVID test after each leg of the cruise.  Has anyone experienced this, and what is the process?

Royal Caribbean just clarified this process: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/08/27/royal-caribbean-did-not-change-their-back-back-cruise-policy

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  • 5 months later...
On 8/28/2021 at 3:39 AM, Matt said:

Thank you Matt, I’m booked on a B2B2B in September 2022 on the Ovation Seattle to Sydney, I do hope this time it will go without a hitch.

I was on her in Sydney for the last voyage before Covid hit, and since then I’ve had nine cruses canceled. I really need to run away to sea again.

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