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Canadians - Are you cruising this year or waiting?


WannaCruise

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For any Canadians on here, are you cancelling your cruises in 2021 or still planning on going?  We have Anthem booked over xmas.  At the moment, we are leaning towards going (but we change our thoughts each day).  We have booked refundable flights up to 24hrs before.  Originally we were thinking of driving (if borders open) but with the 2 day requirement now, that isn't even an option.  And just to get the antigen test prior to the trip is very tight (esp if we wanted to use the results to confirm we are flying vs refund).  

Other issue...is that unless it changes when the ship gets to the US, not all things are running (e.g. rollerblading, escape room, The Gift, cupcake class...which I thought would be fun to try on this one) and line ups for the pool.  But there are still many activities and our kids are aware of the limitations and seem ok. And a ship with lesser capacity is a bonus.

I'm not even clear if Royal's covid coverage is until end of Oct or end of Dec...so that may be a factor too.

And if we wait until next year, who knows if it will be any different (and perhaps there will be additional requirements for boosters)

How about others?  Are you still planning on cruising this year or waiting?

 

NOTE:  This is my original post, but resurrected this thread to ask again now that things are changing (added a post at the end)

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My next sailing is Allure out of PE in December.  I am planning to go on this one.  I have even gone as far as to double booking flights to get me there.  I have refundable flights booked to Fort Lauderdale both flying out of DTW and YYZ.  If the land border opens, I will fly Delta out of DTW.  If the land border is still closed, I will suck it up and fly Air Canada.  As far as the testing window goes, a lot can change between now and December so I am not even going to spend time to dwell on that right now.

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It's funny as in the past I never would have multiple bookings for things...but now with the pandemic, we are double booked all over to give options.  Sounds like we are not the only ones. 🙂  That's so smart with the flight options with border opening vs not.  For Dec, we also have an AI booked as a totally different kind of holiday.  It'll be easier to get there, but then still need that PCR test in order to return.  

You are so right....things change often and so who knows by December.  That's why it's good to have a few options that are refundable.

We are even debating on straight out cancelling Dec before final payment...or just pay it off to give us more time.  Pretty sure though we are going with the latter.  Most of the base cruise fare can be paid with FCC anyways so may as well pay it off to give us more time with the changing times.

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3 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

It's funny as in the past I never would have multiple bookings for things

Right?!  Especially not the flights!  I would never have considered double booking flights before all this.

But a wise @twangster keeps telling me that when there is will, there is a way, and I am tired of cancelling.  And I also didn't like @Floski's plan of digging a tunnel so Air Canada it is if I have to.

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2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Right?!  Especially not the flights!  I would never have considered double booking flights before all this.

But a wise @twangster keeps telling me that when there is will, there is a way, and I am tired of cancelling.  And I also didn't like @Floski's plan of digging a tunnel so Air Canada it is if I have to.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with but a wee tool....

TABLE SPOON MATT PASSE PARTOUT

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I am planning to sail from Seattle on Sept. 24. At the time I booked my wife and I agreed we would only go if the land border was opened and we could drive to Seattle. On August 21 the US announced the land border would remain closed for another 30 days. We booked flights the next day 🤷‍♂️

What can I say.....it has been too long between cruises and I’m determined to sail. 

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52 minutes ago, Vancity Cruiser said:

I am planning to sail from Seattle on Sept. 24. At the time I booked my wife and I agreed we would only go if the land border was opened and we could drive to Seattle. On August 21 the US announced the land border would remain closed for another 30 days. We booked flights the next day 🤷‍♂️

What can I say.....it has been too long between cruises and I’m determined to sail. 

I hear you......so anxious to get back on a cruise as well.

Not too long for you.  Have a wonderful cruise!  

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9 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

I'm not even clear if Royal's covid coverage is until end of Oct or end of Dec...so that may be a factor too.

They updated it finally to show December 31, 2021 on the main FAQ page, although the actual policy PDF was updated already to December 31.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-what-is-your-refund-policy-and-costs-covered

Quote

Vaccinated guests and children not yet eligible to be vaccinated who are sailing on or before December 31, 2021 will have the following COVID-19 Assistance at no extra charge. 

 

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28 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

They updated it finally to show December 31, 2021 on the main FAQ page, although the actual policy PDF was updated already to December 31.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-what-is-your-refund-policy-and-costs-covered

 

Thank you.  I swear that same link has flipped twice over the past two days (Dec 31 to Oct 31 to Dec 31).  I'll take Dec 31!

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13 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

Thank you.  I swear that same link has flipped twice over the past two days (Dec 31 to Oct 31 to Dec 31).  I'll take Dec 31!

Well you know consistent Royal... 😂

December 31: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/covid-19-cancellations-and-refunds-policy.pdf

Showing October 31 for me again: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-test-positive-for-sars-cov-2-what-is-your-refund-policy-and-costs-covered

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2 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

I still see Dec 31st.  I'm wondering if it's a caching thing???  When I selected the link from my phone, it showed Oct 31st.  When I copied the link and pasted into a browser, I get as below...

image.thumb.png.7edca4765b97d409096d9b56c592c22b.png

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Going! Last week of November on the Jewel. A simple six night get-me-the-hell-outta-here cruise.

The only 'bump' we see right now is the hassle of getting pre-cruise C19 tests. (as of the requirements today...end of November?...who the hell knows)

We will need (today) a negative C19 test within three days of our flight...and a negative C19 test within two days of embarkation. Could prove difficult to time a single C19 test to cover flight and cruise embarkation for timing of both since we always fly in day before.

I haven't yet looked into the logistics of it all...but it's sure looking to be a high probability PITA.

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13 minutes ago, Gears said:

Going! Last week of November on the Jewel. A simple six night get-me-the-hell-outta-here cruise.

The only 'bump' we see right now is the hassle of getting pre-cruise C19 tests. (as of the requirements today...end of November?...who the hell knows)

We will need (today) a negative C19 test within three days of our flight...and a negative C19 test within two days of embarkation. Could prove difficult to time a single C19 test to cover flight and cruise embarkation for timing of both since we always fly in day before.

I haven't yet looked into the logistics of it all...but it's sure looking to be a high probability PITA.

Most airports offer rapid testing for flights so if you fly the day before your cruise it all lines up. We have tests booked at YVR for Wednesday afternoon (our flight is early Thursday morning so we decided to get test done the day before), fly Thursday, and board Friday so test covers the flight and is within the two day window required by Royal. As long as result is negative should be a fairly painless process.

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3 hours ago, Gears said:

We will need (today) a negative C19 test within three days of our flight...and a negative C19 test within two days of embarkation. Could prove difficult to time a single C19 test to cover flight and cruise embarkation for timing of both since we always fly in day before.

You and I are both from ON, and most Shopper's Drug Mart pharmacies and Loblaw's also offer rapid antigen tests now for travel purposes.  For my sailing that leaves on a Sunday, I would just probably test Friday, fly out Saturday, and board Sunday.  I don't love how close to the flight I have to test, but it is what it is I suppose.  But things can change by December so I'm not going to dwell on it too much for now.

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We are preparing for our flight on Wednesday from Toronto to Seattle to cruise on Ovation Friday! Very excited and a little nervous of course.

I am a pharmacist at SDM and administer antigen tests so that part was obviously easy for us, we are just going right before our flight.

We just couldn't wait any longer to be back cruising! Mostly worried about getting the testing on the ship to be able to return to Canada but thinking positively that it will all work out !

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16 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

You and I are both from ON, and most Shopper's Drug Mart pharmacies and Loblaw's also offer rapid antigen tests now for travel purposes.  For my sailing that leaves on a Sunday, I would just probably test Friday, fly out Saturday, and board Sunday.  I don't love how close to the flight I have to test, but it is what it is I suppose.  But things can change by December so I'm not going to dwell on it too much for now.

The Shopper's Drug Mart option looks more doable. From what I see on their website an appointment will be needed. Probably best to schedule something as late in the day as possible...you never know how '2 days' may be interpreted as C19 time goes on. A test at 9:00 am in the morning and a boarding time of 2:00 pm two days later is more than 48 hrs.

I see testing can be done at YYZ too. If there is one place on the planet I don't trust for crowds and timing...it's YYZ.

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1 hour ago, WannaCruise said:

Another question for fellow Canadians...these at home tests that you read about are only in the USA, right?  Seems like Shoppers antigen test is the best option for us (as of now...who knows later this year)?

Yes, the at home tests are USA only...so far.

Here's the RCL page on the acceptable tests (home testing needs to be 'supervised'): https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-need-an-rt-pcr-test-before-i-cruise-where-should-i-go

The Shopper's tests seem to be the best way to go at this point. But...wait a week...with all things C19 anything is bound to change.

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@WannaCruise Emma from Emma Cruises talks about at home tests in the U.K., so they aren't just in the U.S.   

Interestingly, the only at home test that is accepted by Royal Caribbean is the one where you have to call in via a video call and do the test over teleconference. That way there is proof that you are the person who is taking the test.

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We are booked on Oasis over Christmas and are planning to go. Honestly, even with the changing protocols I feel like this is our best chance to travel outside Canada before the goal posts move again. The recent testing changes are a nuisance as we booked our flights on day 2 with testing planned on day 3 (so that one test could be used for entry into the US and at the cruise terminal). So if testing protocols remain we will need to get another test in Florida. Not a deal breaker but an inconvenience and added expense.  Royals covid coverage has helped with our decision as it is tough to get any sort of covid coverage in Canada.  I never imagined the biggest obstacle to travel would be scheduling multiple covid tests. Lol 

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9 hours ago, Jax said:

We are booked on Oasis over Christmas and are planning to go. Honestly, even with the changing protocols I feel like this is our best chance to travel outside Canada before the goal posts move again. The recent testing changes are a nuisance as we booked our flights on day 2 with testing planned on day 3 (so that one test could be used for entry into the US and at the cruise terminal). So if testing protocols remain we will need to get another test in Florida. Not a deal breaker but an inconvenience and added expense.  Royals covid coverage has helped with our decision as it is tough to get any sort of covid coverage in Canada.  I never imagined the biggest obstacle to travel would be scheduling multiple covid tests. Lol 

If the covid coverage by Royal does in fact expire Dec 31,st, then that is also a big factor for us too, for going on Dec cruise (plus lower crowds...maybe...cause we have the xmas cruise so am guessing it won't be that low)

We currently have a flight booked for the day before so with current protocols, the 2 day testing still works for us (but who knows what it will be by Dec)

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We sailed at the end of Aug on Indy from Galveston and are sailing again in Nov on Allure and Dec on Oasis.  It was a bit of a process to book tests and coordinated how many days we had to get in and out of the country.  The biggest problem was coordinating getting our PCR test to get back to Canada.  At every turn everyone at Royal seemed to give a different answer about the availably of PCR test on board.  This literally included right up until the moment we actually got our test on Board!!!!!  We booked an extra night in Houston just in case but clearly we didn't need it!  However to say that it was confusing for the staff to comprehend that both me and my wife and my kids needed the test is an understatement.  They were very pleasant and accommodating but we had to explain it about 5 different times.  If you have sailed with kids recently (or B2B) you'll understand the cards they leave in your room to book tests.  The process on the app makes it impossible to schedule a PCR and they actually run those first thing in the morning so it was redundant to have our son booked for a late morning antigen test.  They even left a message on my SeaPAss card to come to guest services.  Even arriving on deck on day 7 required some explaining.  In the end they left our negative tests letters for us and CBSA barely looked at them.  

Thank you so much Royal for providing the test and at no cost!!!!!!  I simply wish it was more widely understood by the crew but they were fantastic.  Now.......for how long will they offer his service??? 

@Marlena @KWong @Leahanne67

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My wife and I are booked on the Allure for Dec. We will get our test at Shopper's on Wednesday, fly Thursday, and board the ship on Friday. Not sure yet how to arrange the return test - that has to be a PCR for our return to Canada, whereas we only need the antigen screen to fly and board outbound. Any suggestions or experiences would be welcome.

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7 hours ago, Marlena said:

Thanks! I have already contacted them and they said theyvwill not cover cruises.

If you are vaccinated they cover cruises, I just had another look at the conditions.

"What's excluded?

 If you have not received the vaccine, this policy does not provide any coverage for Coronavirus (COVID-19) and related complications on a cruise or at any destination included in your cruise itinerary."

 
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