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Onboard PCR Testing for Post-Cruise International Travel


twangster

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Since borders are opening up and vaccines requirements easing I thought I'd share my experience on Allure of the Seas getting tested for travel to Canada after the cruise.  

In my case my booking appears to be a standard one cruise (no B2B) US booking.  This means that testing for me normally wouldn't be required.  I had communicated with the guest services team before boarding given my unique scenario of not appearing to need a test yet actually requiring a PCR test for travel to Canada.

I knew that guests that are known to require a test would receive a QR code and instructions sent to their cabins.  Since that didn't apply to me I waited until day 3 and visited guest services where they produced a QR code for me to use.

I've obfuscated the QR code in the photo below since I don't know that it is the same for each ship and sail date so don't try to scan this code with your device.

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When using an iPhone the camera recognizes the QR code and pops up a link to follow based on the QR code.  You have to be connected to the ship's wifi but you do not need to purchase a Voom internet plan to use the QR code.

The link from the QR code opened in my phone's browser.

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Scrolling to the bottom there is a button you can tap to proceed.

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This opens a new page where you enter your details.

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For the purpose of this demonstration I chose a fictitious address in Manitoba.

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The next step looks for the closest location.  Since this was on a sea day I was very curious what it would offer for locations near me.  Picking another random address in Canada very far from the Caribbean where I was at the time it found the Deck 3 Conference Center some 3,337 miles from Whitehorse.

For the purpose of setting the location of the ship they had given the Deck 3 Conference Center the address of the terminal in Port Canaveral where I boarded the ship.

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After selecting the only option presented, the Deck 3 Conference Center, I was able to select a time for my appointment.

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In my case I had been told that normally PCR testing for international travel is done at 6:30am and the antigen testing for other guests required for other purposes such as consecutive cruisers would occur later after the PCR testing.  Surprised to see the 8am time being the earliest time offered guest services assured me they would look into it and let me know.

They did follow up with me and the next day I received a call on my cabin phone to let me know they have adapted the process so that all testing starts at 8am, at least on this voyage.

I do have a Voom internet plan on this sailing so I was able to receive the email confirmation for the test once I had completed the scheduling steps above.

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This isn't a requirement.  I was never asked for the confirmation code.  It is not required to have a Voom plan but it was comforting to see the process work very similar to how pre-cruise testing appointments have worked for me in the past on land.

I am an early riser by nature so on the morning of day 7 I dropped by the deck 3 conference center at 6:30am just to make sure I was good with my 8am appointment.

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At 6:30am there was no one around so I breathed a sigh of relief that the process was working as guest services said it would.

At 8am there were crew on hand at a kiosk with paperwork ready for the guests that needed to be tested.  They asked for my cabin number and handed me a paper with stickers attached. The stickers had a barcode, my name and birth date. 

On this occasion consecutive cruisers or anyone needing an antigen test were directed into the conference to the right while guests requiring PCR testing for international travel where directed into the conference center to the left.  I didn't take any pictures because there were other guests present including children.

There are several testing stations and I was directed to take a seat in the section for Accula testing.  Accula is an approved FDA test with an emergency use authorization.  I handed over my paperwork and watched as they applied one of the stickers to a vial that would later contain my sample.

When instructed I removed my mask and tilted my head back.  The lab worker ran a swab around the ring of each nostril without going deep.  If anything it tickled slightly but was in no way painful or difficult to sit through. 

With that I was done and directed to exit.

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After testing I went to breakfast and carried on with my day.

It was a very easy and straightforward process.

As I await my results my only advice for anyone from any country that requires a PCR test onboard is to keep an eye out for the testing letter with QR code and instructions.  If you don't receive it by day 3 call guest services or drop by and ask them.  

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This is great info @twangster!  I was told multiple times by the suite concierge on Allure that as a Canadian, this would be offered to me but it is so helpful to see it laid in in @twangsterstep by step format!  Thank you for posting.  Now only 57 days until I get out of dry dock!!! hopefully...

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7 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

This is great info @twangster!  I was told multiple times by the suite concierge on Allure that as a Canadian, this would be offered to me but it is so helpful to see it laid in in @twangsterstep by step format!  Thank you for posting.  Now only 57 days until I get out of dry dock!!! hopefully...

@twangster format is the best format! 😂 

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My test information sheet was delivered to my room today. Testing will be on the 30th for the back to back or anyone else who needs one. Went through after scanning the code and got everything setup for a 8:00 am test. Showed results would be emailed and got an appointment confirmation already so looks like this will be pretty easy. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
3 hours ago, Micheddie said:

All this is very helpful.   Was there an extra cost for this test and did they guarantee results back in time?

No cost on my cruise. 

Crew are from all over the world.  They themselves get tested during the cruise and new crew in quarantine get tested every few days.  Crew ending their contract require tests to fly home.  The testing company is very busy every day testing crew and then the last full cruise day they test guests in the morning.  They have this down and into a well rehearsed operation.

If a test were to come back inconclusive I'm not sure what they would do for a guest.  Retest them probably.

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Anyone else notice the newly released protocols until March 2022 don't mention post-cruise testing for international travelers returning home from US ports?

Maybe I missed it but I only see antigen testing for unvaccinated children at disembarkation.

Hoping it's still an option (even if we have to pay!) as we have a 12:30 flight to catch and don't want to be messing around with testing at the airport!

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13 minutes ago, WanderPam said:

Anyone else notice the newly released protocols until March 2022 don't mention post-cruise testing for international travelers returning home from US ports?

Was it ever advertised on the older protocols?  I don't ever remember seeing it.  That is why I originally reached out to the suite concierge to see if it was being offered.

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18 minutes ago, WanderPam said:

Anyone else notice the newly released protocols until March 2022 don't mention post-cruise testing for international travelers returning home from US ports?

I found mention of it here: 

Prior to Disembarking
For cruises that are 5 nights or longer, kids will take a complimentary antigen test onboard before the cruise ends. 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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23 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Was it ever advertised on the older protocols?  I don't ever remember seeing it.  That is why I originally reached out to the suite concierge to see if it was being offered.

It was in our Alaska protocols for September, but not sure if it was for other sailings 🤔 . But either way glad it is still on the website ! It just seemed odd both the Barbados and San Juan protocols specifically mention testing for international passengers but the US home ports don't . Also noted that Barbados has a cost for it but San Juan doesn't 

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Maybe because for Barbados literally everyone at one time would have needed to be tested.  The testing on board doesn't scale to test two thousand additional people every week for free.  They would have to add resources and space and that costs more money.  

Up to this point the number of non-US international cruisers has been relatively small so they were able to absorb it into the existing budget for testing on board.

If there are thousands of international cruisers now demanding PCR tests the existing budget for their testing program will need to be re-evaluated. 

Bioreference, the company doing the lab on board doesn't work for free.   There is a high cost for having dedicated resources living on the ship doing what they do.  It can't be cheap.  Scaling that to support hundreds and hundreds more test subjects will have a significant cost and at some point the company needs to make money or they might as well not offer cruises. 

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36 minutes ago, twangster said:

Maybe because for Barbados literally everyone at one time would have needed to be tested.  The testing on board doesn't scale to test two thousand additional people every week for free.  They would have to add resources and space and that costs more money.  

Up to this point the number of non-US international cruisers has been relatively small so they were able to absorb it into the existing budget for testing on board.

If there are thousands of international cruisers now demanding PCR tests the existing budget for their testing program will need to be re-evaluated. 

Bioreference, the company doing the lab on board doesn't work for free.   There is a high cost for having dedicated resources living on the ship doing what they do.  It can't be cheap.  Scaling that to support hundreds and hundreds more test subjects will have a significant cost and at some point the company needs to make money or they might as well not offer cruises. 

You are absolutely correct and I was thinking about this just yesterday with the US borders now reopen there could potentially be thousands of international guest traveling to the US to take a cruise between now and who knows when entry restrictions around the world will be relaxed.  There is simply no way Royal or any other major cruise line can cover the cost of testing for every passenger who would need to present a negative test to re-enter their country, this includes American's coming home from Barbados.

Paying for testing to get home after international travel is something we all are going to have to get use too.  

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While it would be nice to have Royal cover it, I would in no way expect it either. If at some point they stop covering it for Canadians and other international guests, I would be ok with paying for it out of pocket as well. It is just the cost of traveling now.
 

That being said, there are some whispers that Canada might drop or change the re-entry PCR requirement soon so who knows. Playing it day by day. I am just so grateful I can drive over to DTW to fly on Delta again. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
6 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Follow up question on this topic. When you get tested onboard prior to disembarking, what is listed as the “location of the test” on the results document?? This might be super important in my case. 

The Physicians address they use is the terminal of departure.  No mention I was somewhere on the sea at the time.

PCR on Allure:

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For two antigen tests I've done on board they also use the terminal address:

However I've heard that for some of the testing they are moving to doing it in the terminal upon debarking.  Not sure if that includes international PCR testing or not.

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6 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Follow up question on this topic. When you get tested onboard prior to disembarking, what is listed as the “location of the test” on the results document?? This might be super important in my case. 

Here's mine.  I was tested last Friday for my Oasis sailing today (11/21)

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On 11/21/2021 at 3:36 AM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Perfect! Thanks @Cez, @twangster, and @PG Cruiser

The reason why I ask is that in my situation, I fly domestic back to DTW and drive across the border back to Canada. And that means my PCR test on return needs to have been “completed in the US”. 

Does it though?   What about travellers flying in from international locations via the US (you're technically transitioning through the US).    I think it just needs to be within 72 hours and doesn't necessarily require the test to be taken in the US.   My cousin flies in from the UK to Canada and his PCR test from the UK is accepted.

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6 minutes ago, DJsMrs said:

Does it though?   What about travellers flying in from international locations via the US (you're technically transitioning through the US).    I think it just needs to be within 72 hours and doesn't necessarily require the test to be taken in the US.   My cousin flies in from the UK to Canada and his PCR test from the UK is accepted.

She isn't flying to Canada.

She is driving to Canada.

Different rules for driving across the border versus flying to Canada.  

The rules are applied depending how you arrive into Canada. 

If you enter Canada by plane the rules don't change depending how the flight was routed and if there was an in-transit country on the way.  You are stepping off a plane in Canada and will then be processed by CBSA.  The rule for flights into Canada applies.  That is the case even if you add a stopover and stay in the US for a few days then fly on to Canada.  You are still walking off a plane and arriving in Canada on a plane.  Your "port of entry" is an airport.

Driving into Canada at a land border crossing has its own set of rules.  Why?  Because CBSA says so.  

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1 hour ago, twangster said:

She isn't flying to Canada.

She is driving to Canada.

Different rules for driving across the border versus flying to Canada.  

The rules are applied depending how you arrive into Canada. 

If you enter Canada by plane the rules don't change depending how the flight was routed and if there was an in-transit country on the way.  You are stepping off a plane in Canada and will then be processed by CBSA.  The rule for flights into Canada applies.  That is the case even if you add a stopover and stay in the US for a few days then fly on to Canada.  You are still walking off a plane and arriving in Canada on a plane.  Your "port of entry" is an airport.

Driving into Canada at a land border crossing has its own set of rules.  Why?  Because CBSA says so.  

 I understand the difference between flying and driving and understood the post 🤦‍♀️ - the mansplaining is a little excessive - maybe unintentional, but the tone of this post comes across as super patronizing.

As a Canadian  living within 45 minutes of the border I'm pretty fluent in the border crossing nuances and matrix of regulations - mind you, it does rival a Mensa-mind-game.  I think the question I was trying to post (seemingly not very well) was what about people flying in from somewhere other than the US, landing in Seattle (or DTW), then immediately driving to BC (or Ontario).    I wonder if they would accept a test taken in the Mexico (for example) if you had proof of flight arrival time in comparison with border crossing time, especially if total time in the US is so limited.

Nonetheless, sounds like the lab address is in the US and this won't be an issue.   

 

 

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Curious about this part - “completed in the US”. Where is that quoted from? My guess would be that what matters most is when the test was taken (within 72 hours) and the TYPE of test (PCR or equivalent). What are you reading from that states it must be completed in the U.S. since as was noted you might simply be transiting the U.S. on your way home to Canada.

 

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Here is the policy of the Canadian government. Note the distinction based on your method of arrival. In @Lovetocruise2002instance she is arriving by land and must “take a molecular test in the United States within 72 hours of your planned entry into Canada”. 
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#pre-entry-test

Arriving by car, bus, boat, ferry, or train from the United States

You must take a molecular test in the United States within 72 hours of your planned entry into Canada

Flying to Canada

You must take a molecular test within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time of your flight to Canada.

If you have a connecting flight:

  • the test must be conducted within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time of your last direct flight to Canada
  • you may need to schedule the test in your transit city
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Yes, I see the web page. Thanks for that - just nuts that we have to figure all this stuff out ourselves. I have several times found CDN government websites that contradict one another...imagine. My thoughts are (as a dual citizen who has crossed the border hundreds of times and several times since July) are that the wording just assumes you were in the U.S. My feeling is that if you took an approved PCR (or other molecular) test in Paris on Monday, flew to Detroit and crossed the border on Tuesday it would be perfectly fine. I would be shocked if they are looking at the location of the site more than the time and type of the test (and the result, of course).

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Busy day today...yes, @Eggbert and @DJsMrs what @Jaxand @twangstersaid is all correct.  The rules are different for arrival by land and air back into Canada.  And because I fly back into DTW and not Canada, I cross by land to get into Canada.  Therefore, as of now, the rules are as @Jaxstated above:

Arriving by car, bus, boat, ferry, or train from the United States

You must take a molecular test in the United States within 72 hours of your planned entry into Canada

It is stated clearly on the government website.

This all came about because late Friday night, we heard of a family who went to Mexico recently and flew into DTW and crossed and land border to return to Canada.  The had their PCR return test done in Mexico and when they got to the land border, that did not go over very well.  That prompted Hubby and I take a quick look again on the Canadian government site and then we panicked slightly not knowing what being tested out at sea qualifies under.  But thanks to @twangster @Cezand @PG CruiserI feel much better about it now.

My back up plan if all else fails is I will get tested at FLL airport.  They have rapid PCR testing there and we have time before our 12:15pm flight back home.  Although I don't think it will come that.

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33 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

 

I understand that - I hate that feeling you get sometimes coming up to the border when you just aren't sure if everything is okay............

I wouldn't spend the extra money because:

a. To me, Mexico is a different ball game than flying from Florida.

b. The ship you are sailing on is homeported in the U.S.

c. As Canadians, they have to let you in so you don't have to worry as much about making a fuss.

d. I went down to Buffalo two weeks ago and the ArriveCan process and border crossing was light years better than my first trip down in July.

e. Ultimately it is up to you but I think you are safe with the shipboard test.

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Funny story - I called CBSA today because this will be an issue for us on an upcoming trip.  The woman I spoke to said there shouldn't be an issue and there is nothing in her documents that show the test MUST be done in the states - I even quoted her the  information from the government website that @Lovetocruise2002quoted above and she couldn't even find it.   I pushed even harder and asked specifically about coming from Mexico (because I think coming off a ship you'll be fine due to the lab address being in the states) and she said it should still be fine.

Goes to show how smart you are to think of this ahead of time - but I still think if you're not even in the states for 72 hours there needs to be some leeway.   What a gong show - can you imagine having to write policy for this stuff and having to think of all the eventualities?

 

On another note...   the bit about "72 hours within the scheduled departure time"...  so if I'm at 68 hours at departure out of MCO and over the 72 hours when I land in Toronto... am I good?    According to this website - yes... but you can bet your right arm we'll be getting tested once we're off the ship so we're WELL within the 72 hours with lots of buffer.   I wish they'd go to a 3 day testing window instead of 72 hours...  grrrr

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Harmony uses Eurofins/TrustOne.  The results letter looks like what @Cez posted above with an address in MA.

I uploaded it into ArriveCAN and was never asked for it at Pearson when flying into Canada.

Looking back to several weeks ago when I drove into Canada just before the border officially opened in both direction I saw a lane for ArriveCAN way over on the right but instead I picked an open regular lane that had no cars in queue so maybe that why CBSA asked to see my test results.  I would have had to do a hard right and drive across several lanes to get to the ArriveCAN lane and since I was a couple hours late for my ArriveCAN time (since there were no rental cars at the airport that day) I used a regular lane.

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