Questions for Covid Cruise

[TS0622]

We’re scheduled for a cruise in February and wondering the following: 

1. What kind of test do we need to get?  PCR or rapid test? 
2. Will they test onboard before leaving ship? How many tests will be done during cruise?
3. What if positive at end of cruise, does Royal Caribbean notify airline and then you are denied flight by airline?  
4. What if flight is cancelled and you miss the ship? 

 

[SpeedNoodles]

Check out this link, it will tell you most of what you need to know (you should have gotten an email with this information as well).

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center/getting-ready-to-cruise?dPort=united-states

1. Vaccinated passengers need a PCR or antigen test within 2 days of sailing (do a rapid antigen at home, it's the easiest)

2. They will only test you on board if you have symptoms or if  you are identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive.

3. Royal will put you up in a hotel and pay the expenses (there are threads about this already and I don't want to get it wrong so you may want to look for them).

4. If your flight is canceled, you miss the ship, and it is within 48 hours of sailing, then you'd lose any money that wasn't covered by trip insurance.

[JeffB]

47 minutes ago, TS0622 said:

We’re scheduled for a cruise in February and wondering the following: 

1. What kind of test do we need to get?  PCR or rapid test? 
2. Will they test onboard before leaving ship? How many tests will be done during cruise?
3. What if positive at end of cruise, does Royal Caribbean notify airline and then you are denied flight by airline?  
4. What if flight is cancelled and you miss the ship? 

 

I assume you're cruising with RCL. It is very important for you to visit their web site and determine what health protocols are in effect for your ship. They can vary based on your departure port and your ports of call. I'm sailing with Celebrity out of Fort Lauderdale (I live there) on February 5th and I was just notified last week of the pre-boarding and health protocols on board. RCL, like Celebrity, is very good about notifying you, usually starting about 30d before your cruise of information you need to organize your plans for travel to the cruise port and board the ship. Royal has a very good phone app that lets you do everything you need to do to check in. Locate download instructions at the web page from your phone then download it to your phone.

You still have enough time to order Rapid Antigen tests from Royal (they use a vendor - Optum) but do it soon to avoid potential shipping delays due to scarce supplies. Another web site is eMed - this is the vendor that you get linked to to obtain your AG tests from the Celebrity Cruise line web site. Both sites will provide you Rapid AG tests that are monitored and these are the only home tests RCL will accept as proof of a COVID negative test. There are self tests without monitoring - these won't work. The box the test comes in has easy to follow directions to make your phone call to the monitor. The whole process takes about 20 minutes and is easy to do.

You must do these tests not more than 48 before you board. If you are boarding at noon on Friday, the earliest you can take the monitored test is noon on Wednesday. Taking it any time after that is fine. If you want to get a PCR test (or that's all you can find) you will have to find a clinic that specifically does travel PCR tests and will provide results within 12h. Make use of a web search to find what you need. There are usually travel medical clinics at most major airports that do these tests and you'll have the results by email and/or text.  As we move into the Omicron period of the pandemic, getting a PCR test instead of a Rapid AG test may make sense. If you can do that and the timing works, I'd recommend it but don't knock yourself out. The AG tests half a very low false positive rate. It's the false negative rate that has increased slightly with Omicron around - the last thing you want to happen is to get a false negative pre-boarding COVID test then feel a cold and sore throat coming on early in your cruise. If that happens, you must mask up and go to medical to report your symptoms. Do this early in the period you start to experience COVID like symptoms (that's when you are most contagious) - they'll test you. Do your part. If you test positive you'll get quarantined. The other thousand or so guests and crew will thank you for that, the cruise ship will take good care of you in your cabin, once your ashore and you'll get free stuff from the cruise line for being responsible and not dodging the inevitable if +.   

Your post makes it sound like you might be new to this. Your welcome here with any and all questions. Lots of knowledgeable people to answer them and get you pointed in the right direction to get the help you might need. I'll add if you are going cruising in these times, you have to be very flexible and not get flustered by changes or delays. I hope you planed to arrive at least one full day before your cruise leaves, more if your the nervous type. That gives you wiggle room if a flight gets cancelled. If you're not in a position to do that, e.g., already booked for same day arrival,  I'd consider canceling and re-booking if that works for you. That is especially true if you did not insure your travel.  If you did insure, gut it out, hope everything falls in place and if it doesn't get what you can from RCL and file insurance claims for the rest.