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Testing positive at the port pre boarding


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Hi all. I am due to sail on Grandeur on 1/23 from Barbados. I know Royal have the cruise with confidence policy but for me there is a potential worry. 
We are travelling from the UK and Flights, pre cruise hotel, transfers and cruise have all been booked as a package through Royal. 
 

Once we are on the ship I am not worried as Royal will look after all our arrangements etc. but due to stay for 2 nights in Barbados before the cruise. My understanding is that if we turn up at the terminal and test positive then we get a cruise refund but have to claim from insurance for quarantine costs etc. Its a long way to go just to quarantine  

My questions are 

Will Royal still help with flights home if we don’t board as booked as a package with them?

is it worth the risk going as I have heard a few rumours re positive tests at the terminal?

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Thanks in Advance. 

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33 minutes ago, David Bennett said:

Hi all. I am due to sail on Grandeur on 1/23 from Barbados. I know Royal have the cruise with confidence policy but for me there is a potential worry. 
We are travelling from the UK and Flights, pre cruise hotel, transfers and cruise have all been booked as a package through Royal. 
 

Once we are on the ship I am not worried as Royal will look after all our arrangements etc. but due to stay for 2 nights in Barbados before the cruise. My understanding is that if we turn up at the terminal and test positive then we get a cruise refund but have to claim from insurance for quarantine costs etc. Its a long way to go just to quarantine  

My questions are 

Will Royal still help with flights home if we don’t board as booked as a package with them?

is it worth the risk going as I have heard a few rumours re positive tests at the terminal?

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Thanks in Advance. 

I would go for the experience but I would make sure I had Travel Insurance.  Travel Insurance should cover anything Royal does not cover.  If you show up positive just look at it as an experience you can share with your grandchildren.

 

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This FAQ page should be helpful.  I made sure it was listed on the UK site as well.

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

If I test positive for COVID-19 right before my cruise, at the terminal before the cruise, or on the cruise, what is your refund policy and what associated costs are covered?

Guests sailing on or before April 30, 2022 will have the following COVID-19 Assistance at no extra charge. 

  • 100% cruise fare refund for you, and your Travelling Party, if any of you tests positive for COVID-19 within 14 days prior to the cruise or at the boarding terminal prior to the cruise. 
  • Pro-rated cruise fare refund if your cruise is cut short for reasons related to COVID-19. 
  • If you test positive for COVID-19 during the cruise, Royal Caribbean will cover the costs of COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard, any required land-based quarantine, and travel home for you and your Traveling Party. 

Will Royal still help with flights home if we don’t board as booked as a package with them?

According to the above policy, Royal has promised to cover the land based quarantine and flight home for your party.  This includes testing positive at the terminal.  It's not clearly stated so I'd presume that quarantine and flight arrangements are at their discretion so don't expect to be able to pick a hotel or a date your flight home.

is it worth the risk going as I have heard a few rumours re positive tests at the terminal?

There's always a chance of testing positive at the terminal.  I might add that since you're already going to have a PCR test (not antigen) to fly into Barbados, you've got a little better info before showing up at the terminal.

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

International travel during this omicron variant outbreak is manageable but there are risks of testing positive at the terminal or on the cruise.  I'm not afraid of the omicron variant based on the latest information.  I will say that if you decide to go, invest in some comfortable N95 masks to wear on the flight and on the cruise.  It would surely give me better piece of mind. 

Another thing to make sure is that if you have a mixed 2 dose regiment for your vaccine they must be Pfizer and Moderna.  They are not allowing a mixed dose that includes the AstraZeneca vaccine.  If you have a 2 dose regiment of the AstraZeneca (no mixing) they are allowing that.  It seems silly they wouldn't accept the mixed dose with the AstraZeneca, but that's the way it is.  I mention this because I know the AstraZeneca is used in the UK.

All in all, if you're flexible and can roll with the punches in the event someone in your party tests positive, I'd say go for it.  Have a nice trip!

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15 minutes ago, Natalfaz said:

Hello, 

Im in the same situation as you, we are traveling on the 2nd of feb from Spain to Miami and will be going on symphony on the 5th, we are going to go, we have had a long though and we are risking, we have also covid insurance and just praying all goes well.. 

 

Thank you. Yes have insurance too but don’t want the inconvenience of using it 😆

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17 minutes ago, Traveling Mike said:

I would go for the experience but I would make sure I had Travel Insurance.  Travel Insurance should cover anything Royal does not cover.  If you show up positive just look at it as an experience you can share with your grandchildren.

 

Thanks. Yes have travel insurance, just need the grandchildren now 🤣

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15 minutes ago, AspiringCruisePlanner said:

This FAQ page should be helpful.  I made sure it was listed on the UK site as well.

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

If I test positive for COVID-19 right before my cruise, at the terminal before the cruise, or on the cruise, what is your refund policy and what associated costs are covered?

Guests sailing on or before April 30, 2022 will have the following COVID-19 Assistance at no extra charge. 

  • 100% cruise fare refund for you, and your Travelling Party, if any of you tests positive for COVID-19 within 14 days prior to the cruise or at the boarding terminal prior to the cruise. 
  • Pro-rated cruise fare refund if your cruise is cut short for reasons related to COVID-19. 
  • If you test positive for COVID-19 during the cruise, Royal Caribbean will cover the costs of COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard, any required land-based quarantine, and travel home for you and your Traveling Party. 

Will Royal still help with flights home if we don’t board as booked as a package with them?

According to the above policy, Royal has promised to cover the land based quarantine and flight home for your party.  This includes testing positive at the terminal.  It's not clearly stated so I'd presume that quarantine and flight arrangements are at their discretion so don't expect to be able to pick a hotel or a date your flight home.

is it worth the risk going as I have heard a few rumours re positive tests at the terminal?

There's always a chance of testing positive at the terminal.  I might add that since you're already going to have a PCR test (not antigen) to fly into Barbados, you've got a little better info before showing up at the terminal.

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

International travel during this omicron variant outbreak is manageable but there are risks of testing positive at the terminal or on the cruise.  I'm not afraid of the omicron variant based on the latest information.  I will say that if you decide to go, invest in some comfortable N95 masks to wear on the flight and on the cruise.  It would surely give me better piece of mind. 

Another thing to make sure is that if you have a mixed 2 dose regiment for your vaccine they must be Pfizer and Moderna.  They are not allowing a mixed dose that includes the AstraZeneca vaccine.  If you have a 2 dose regiment of the AstraZeneca (no mixing) they are allowing that.  It seems silly they wouldn't accept the mixed dose with the AstraZeneca, but that's the way it is.  I mention this because I know the AstraZeneca is used in the UK.

All in all, if you're flexible and can roll with the punches in the event someone in your party tests positive, I'd say go for it.  Have a nice trip!

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very useful indeed and agree with everything you say. The only thing that’s not 100 clear as you say is if I test positive at the port before boarding it’s not clear if they help with land quarantine and flights home. Once again thanks for your reply @AspiringCruisePlanner

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8 minutes ago, David Bennett said:

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. Very useful indeed and agree with everything you say. The only thing that’s not 100 clear as you say is if I test positive at the port before boarding it’s not clear if they help with land quarantine and flights home. Once again thanks for your reply @AspiringCruisePlanner

It's under the header about if you didn't book a flight package through them.

23 minutes ago, AspiringCruisePlanner said:

According to the above policy, Royal has promised to cover the land based quarantine and flight home for your party.  This includes testing positive at the terminal.  

 

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On 1/6/2022 at 3:41 PM, David Bennett said:

I’m sorry but forgive me as I feel like I’m missing something. I know if you are on the cruise and test positive then all costs are covered. But I can’t see a direct link to that statement covering all costs if you test positive before embarkation. 

Apologies for not reading the policy accurately. The third bullet point indicates that quarantine and travel home accommodations are only covered if you test positive while on the cruise. It does appear that if you test positive prior to boarding, they might not cover this.  I'm not sure of how they would handle this with a flight and hotel package purchased through Royal though.

Thank you @David Bennett for catching that.

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I also found this update on the Barbados travel site regarding pre-arrival testing. I think the update clarifies the timing requirement for rapid PCR testing versus RT-PCR testing. So, not much change to the original requirement.

Effective January 7, 2022, travellers are permitted to travel to Barbados with a valid negative Rapid COVID-19 PCR test result done within 1 day prior to arrival in Barbados OR a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test result done within 3 days prior to arrival.

Accepted tests include tests which were taken at an accredited or recognized laboratory by a healthcare provider via a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal sample (or both). LAMP tests, self-administered tests or home kits and tests using saliva samples will NOT be accepted

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59 minutes ago, AspiringCruisePlanner said:

Apologies for not reading the policy accurately. The third bullet point indicates that quarantine and travel home accommodations are only covered if you test positive while on the cruise. It does appear that if you test positive prior to boarding, they might not cover this.  I'm not sure of how they would handle this with a flight and hotel package purchased through Royal though.

Thank you @David Bennett for catching that.

Thanks @AspiringCruisePlanner  Yes that’s the way I read it. If you are on the ship you are covered. If not you are on your own. I have asked my travel agent to check this out for sure and also to see what my refund/FCC options are as it’s getting very worrying and that’s not what holidays/Vacations should be about. 

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