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As a Canadian - Wait (yet again) or Go on Cruise


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For any fellow Canadians, I know you will understand the dilemma.  As some background....we are a family with two kids (gr 11 and 7).  We lost our Anthem cruise March 2020 and have been trying to go on her ever since.  We almost made it in December but had to cancel 3 days before due to a kid having covid in our son's class.  (We would have been fine in every way - negative, out of quarantine, etc...but Royal's questionnaire needs no contact for 14 days and it would have been 11 on the day of the cruise).

Ok...so next Anthem booking is March break with final payment in two weeks.

We have also booked xmas on Anthem as a backup.

We would drive from our place to New Jersey breaking up the drive over 2 days...but as little contact as possible (e.g. take in for food).  Kids vaccinated and DH and I have boosters.

The issue?  The Canadian government has added a clause to the border crossing that if you have a positive PCR test, we should wait until 11th day to avoid being fined $5000 per person.

I have a big pro/con list of whether to say "screw it" and still go in March, or versus to wait for Dec.  Pros for March....it's half the price of Dec (but not with an additional 20k!), more likely smaller crowds, still under CWC, double points, DH and I still work from home.  Negatives for March....potential border crossing fine if positive, we have an important trip in the summer and if this goes bad, that may kill that one if same rules are in place.  If we wait for Dec, we have an additional week post cruise where kids wouldn't miss school if need to quarantine.  And of course unknowns in Dec...another variant?, border could be closed completely....or on the good side...the fine and/or PCR test could be lifted (but I feel they'll be around for awhile).

I know this is not something anyone can answer for us, but just wondering what others would do?  Logic says we should wait, but like others, am so sick of this covid thing....esp if we are to catch covid, it'll most likely be similar to a cold.  If we postpone, it'll be the third March Break we will have lost and we only have one left with our son.  If we cancel March, we may find something in Canada instead but it would be no where as good as a cruise (and sad to say, but all I can think of is "boring").

Not even sure whether to pay it off for now and then wait it out for an additional month as this cruise is still under CWC, or just to cancel it now and not bother with FCC and waiting for re-issuing, etc.

Sorry for the long post.  It just helps getting other's perspective and what others are doing.

 

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33 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

For any fellow Canadians, I know you will understand the dilemma.  As some background....we are a family with two kids (gr 11 and 7).  We lost our Anthem cruise March 2020 and have been trying to go on her ever since.  We almost made it in December but had to cancel 3 days before due to a kid having covid in our son's class.  (We would have been fine in every way - negative, out of quarantine, etc...but Royal's questionnaire needs no contact for 14 days and it would have been 11 on the day of the cruise).

Ok...so next Anthem booking is March break with final payment in two weeks.

We have also booked xmas on Anthem as a backup.

We would drive from our place to New Jersey breaking up the drive over 2 days...but as little contact as possible (e.g. take in for food).  Kids vaccinated and DH and I have boosters.

The issue?  The Canadian government has added a clause to the border crossing that if you have a positive PCR test, we should wait until 11th day to avoid being fined $5000 per person.

I have a big pro/con list of whether to say "screw it" and still go in March, or versus to wait for Dec.  Pros for March....it's half the price of Dec (but not with an additional 20k!), more likely smaller crowds, still under CWC, double points, DH and I still work from home.  Negatives for March....potential border crossing fine if positive, we have an important trip in the summer and if this goes bad, that may kill that one if same rules are in place.  If we wait for Dec, we have an additional week post cruise where kids wouldn't miss school if need to quarantine.  And of course unknowns in Dec...another variant?, border could be closed completely....or on the good side...the fine and/or PCR test could be lifted (but I feel they'll be around for awhile).

I know this is not something anyone can answer for us, but just wondering what others would do?  Logic says we should wait, but like others, am so sick of this covid thing....esp if we are to catch covid, it'll most likely be similar to a cold.  If we postpone, it'll be the third March Break we will have lost and we only have one left with our son.  If we cancel March, we may find something in Canada instead but it would be no where as good as a cruise (and sad to say, but all I can think of is "boring").

Not even sure whether to pay it off for now and then wait it out for an additional month as this cruise is still under CWC, or just to cancel it now and not bother with FCC and waiting for re-issuing, etc.

Sorry for the long post.  It just helps getting other's perspective and what others are doing.

 

I feel you. We have our March / Anthem Cruise as well. We will pay our final payment and go from there. Things are changing all the time and March may be different for land crossing by then, but if not, we are preparing for what to do. 
We will do our tests from Shoppers, we have a hotel booked for the night before cruise. We will use the Shoppers test to board cruise as it will still be valid. 

Coming back, we are still figuring out what to do. We may test around Bayonne or at port. We are aware of the different rules now crossing border. We crossed border in November when these new rules did not exist and everything went great. Had our PCR test done at Walgreens for the three of us, used the ArriveCan App with no issues. 
We are getting travel insurance that will be valid for a year as we have another Cruise in July…

I am Canadian/American so I do have family in the states, which definitely helps. We are preparing for hotel stay in case results come back different by any chance. This is what makes things hard because of my son having his March break only, and not wanting him to miss more school. Plus our work schedule would be affected. 

This is not easy and we are prepared to cancel if we have to. We have CWC as well.  As of now, we are crossing our fingers that the border rule will change by March.  
 

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It’s a tough call but what helped us make the call to go ahead with our January cruise is that despite all the numbers you hear thrown around on the news and online forums the odds of catching covid during your vacation are still very very slim. If you are able to be adaptable and are at a place in your life where having to spend some extra money on hotels or what not will not put you in dire straits I would roll the dice.

Another thing of note is even if you take the fine (crossing border while positive), I’m not sure the fine will stand down the road. How is it constitutional to fine Canadians for returning to our country? Especially if driving, one could argue that your vehicle is a quarantine zone.

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1 hour ago, YellowBrickRoad said:

I feel you. We have our March / Anthem Cruise as well. We will pay our final payment and go from there. Things are changing all the time and March may be different for land crossing by then, but if not, we are preparing for what to do. 
We will do our tests from Shoppers, we have a hotel booked for the night before cruise. We will use the Shoppers test to board cruise as it will still be valid. 

Coming back, we are still figuring out what to do. We may test around Bayonne or at port. We are aware of the different rules now crossing border. We crossed border in November when these new rules did not exist and everything went great. Had our PCR test done at Walgreens for the three of us, used the ArriveCan App with no issues. 
We are getting travel insurance that will be valid for a year as we have another Cruise in July…

I am Canadian/American so I do have family in the states, which definitely helps. We are preparing for hotel stay in case results come back different by any chance. This is what makes things hard because of my son having his March break only, and not wanting him to miss more school. Plus our work schedule would be affected. 

This is not easy and we are prepared to cancel if we have to. We have CWC as well.  As of now, we are crossing our fingers that the border rule will change by March.  
 

Yes, if we proceed, we would buy the Manulife insurance that covers quarantine costs.  I think the biggest thing is our kids.  Our younger one can join her class via online with her homeroom teacher (not sure about things like French, music, etc).  Our older one, can join the online version of the class, but he does prefer to be in person (and doesn't quite work with his band class).  I guess though today, it's a normal thing to be at home if anyone has cold like symptoms and can't come to school due to covid screening.  And thankfully, DH and work from home during the pandemic so could still work if we had to stay in a hotel (but will get noisy when we are both in meetings, etc)

That's good that you have family as well in the States as an option.

Yeah, would love the rules to be relaxed by March but tbh, not counting on it.

I think we still have pre covid tests booked as we had to cancel our Dec cruise prior to getting it done (we booked at a private lab but had to pre-pay).  

Let's hope it works out for both of us.

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42 minutes ago, Vancity Cruiser said:

It’s a tough call but what helped us make the call to go ahead with our January cruise is that despite all the numbers you hear thrown around on the news and online forums the odds of catching covid during your vacation are still very very slim. If you are able to be adaptable and are at a place in your life where having to spend some extra money on hotels or what not will not put you in dire straits I would roll the dice.

Another thing of note is even if you take the fine (crossing border while positive), I’m not sure the fine will stand down the road. How is it constitutional to fine Canadians for returning to our country? Especially if driving, one could argue that your vehicle is a quarantine zone.

Yeah, I think with insurance, it would cover a good deal of quarantine costs.  (Haven't bought yet, but we would if we go).

I know...it makes us so livid....to have to pay to return to our own country.  And it seems better to let us drive home in our own car, rather than staying in a public hotel.  Am hoping that we hear that people are not actually getting fined.  Haven't really heard much on the news, or of people complaining either (outside of these boards).

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You know what I am going to say.  I say YOLO and go.  Life is too short, time with the kids is limited.  My girls are around the same age as yours and it saddens me that I will only have 3 more March breaks left with my 15 year old.  I am not cancelling unless we get covid.  That is what we have decided.  The rest (quarantine, potential fine, etc.) we will deal with it if it happens.  

A wise person once told me that regret is the worst feeling.  Everything else I can live with and deal with.  I don't want to be sitting at home over March break regretting the fact that I did not do everything I could have done to get us there.

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Same position and I have debated almost everyday if we “go forward” with our March Break cruise or postpone. 3/4 of us already caught Covid on Christmas, but somehow it skipped my husband. With my luck he will be the one to catch it and we’ll need to quarantine in Florida. Im going to bring all my kids laptops and if need be, have them upload assignments on google classroom. I can Work remote, so no issues for me but Hubby doesn’t get paid sick time, so we would take a loss there. 
I’m getting the ML Covid INS which covers hotel - but RC also claims they will cover accommodations  if you get infected on ship. 
it’s really a “roll of the dice” for anyone right now.

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1 hour ago, WannaCruise said:

For any fellow Canadians, I know you will understand the dilemma.  As some background....we are a family with two kids (gr 11 and 7).  We lost our Anthem cruise March 2020 and have been trying to go on her ever since.  We almost made it in December but had to cancel 3 days before due to a kid having covid in our son's class.  (We would have been fine in every way - negative, out of quarantine, etc...but Royal's questionnaire needs no contact for 14 days and it would have been 11 on the day of the cruise).

Ok...so next Anthem booking is March break with final payment in two weeks.

We have also booked xmas on Anthem as a backup.

We would drive from our place to New Jersey breaking up the drive over 2 days...but as little contact as possible (e.g. take in for food).  Kids vaccinated and DH and I have boosters.

The issue?  The Canadian government has added a clause to the border crossing that if you have a positive PCR test, we should wait until 11th day to avoid being fined $5000 per person.

I have a big pro/con list of whether to say "screw it" and still go in March, or versus to wait for Dec.  Pros for March....it's half the price of Dec (but not with an additional 20k!), more likely smaller crowds, still under CWC, double points, DH and I still work from home.  Negatives for March....potential border crossing fine if positive, we have an important trip in the summer and if this goes bad, that may kill that one if same rules are in place.  If we wait for Dec, we have an additional week post cruise where kids wouldn't miss school if need to quarantine.  And of course unknowns in Dec...another variant?, border could be closed completely....or on the good side...the fine and/or PCR test could be lifted (but I feel they'll be around for awhile).

I know this is not something anyone can answer for us, but just wondering what others would do?  Logic says we should wait, but like others, am so sick of this covid thing....esp if we are to catch covid, it'll most likely be similar to a cold.  If we postpone, it'll be the third March Break we will have lost and we only have one left with our son.  If we cancel March, we may find something in Canada instead but it would be no where as good as a cruise (and sad to say, but all I can think of is "boring").

Not even sure whether to pay it off for now and then wait it out for an additional month as this cruise is still under CWC, or just to cancel it now and not bother with FCC and waiting for re-issuing, etc.

Sorry for the long post.  It just helps getting other's perspective and what others are doing.

 

We are concerned about much of the same things you are!  The kids have missed out on two March Break cruises, covid is still an issue and no way of knowing what restrictions will be in place down the road.  We cruised earlier this month on Oasis and felt safer on the ship than we did in the hotel the night before!  RCCL did an amazing job of ensuring protocols were enforced and we had a wonderful time.  I don't think there is any risk in paying for your cruise in full and then you have until 48 hours before to fully commit.  You would receive an FCC and then could apply that to your December cruise.  With regards to the $5000 fine, I know the politicians are urging the Canadian government to do away with because this not only impedes people from vacationing but also from visiting family on either side of the border.  It isn't really accomplishing anything anyway.  If we are turned away and forced to stay in a hotel for 11 nights, how is that safer than heading straight home in our vehicle and quarantining in our own home?  It's just ridiculous.  With March Break in sight, the government/public health will either decide to do away with this to avoid the amount of potential headache it is going to cause, or they will enforce and make some examples of in order to truly deter us from travelling.  Barring any positive tests before we head to the US, we are planning to take our cruise as planned.

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16 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

You know what I am going to say.  I say YOLO and go.  Life is too short, time with the kids is limited.  My girls are around the same age as yours and it saddens me that I will only have 3 more March breaks left with my 15 year old.  I am not cancelling unless we get covid.  That is what we have decided.  The rest (quarantine, potential fine, etc.) we will deal with if it happens).  

A wise person once told me that regret is the worst feeling.  Everything else I can live with and deal with.  I don't want to be sitting at home over March break regretting the fact that I did not do everything I could have done to get us there.

I've been anxious about all the same things as everyone above has mentioned. I've decided, as did Lovetocruise2002, that we missed doing our annual travels  (me, my 15 and 12 yo) last year, and I don't have that many more opportunities to book before my daughter is off to university. I've taken as many precautions as we can (we are now at exactly 14 days until our cruise, so I will stress every day until then, I'm sure), I purchased the Manulife Pandemic Plan for the three of us for a VERY reasonable cost, and we know that even though a small risk, there is a chance that we may be "stuck" in Miami for an extra time that would cause all kinds of worry and havoc. But that could happen anywhere, at any time, and we are going to deal with that if it happens...just part of the adventure and the stories they will one day be able to tell about their pandemic experiences. 

Such a hard decision! Good luck to all who have upcoming trips, and keep us posted as to how it goes and what everyone decides to do.

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1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

You know what I am going to say.  I say YOLO and go.  Life is too short, time with the kids is limited.  My girls are around the same age as yours and it saddens me that I will only have 3 more March breaks left with my 15 year old.  I am not cancelling unless we get covid.  That is what we have decided.  The rest (quarantine, potential fine, etc.) we will deal with if it happens).  

A wise person once told me that regret is the worst feeling.  Everything else I can live with and deal with.  I don't want to be sitting at home over March break regretting the fact that I did not do everything I could have done to get us there.

I love your positive attitude and outlook!  I am showing your response to DH.  I agree....March breaks are limited and I cherish the family time spent together with these kind of memories.  I assume you are flying out of Detroit and crossing there (vs flying direct)?

 

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1 hour ago, recogneyes said:

We are concerned about much of the same things you are!  The kids have missed out on two March Break cruises, covid is still an issue and no way of knowing what restrictions will be in place down the road.  We cruised earlier this month on Oasis and felt safer on the ship than we did in the hotel the night before!  RCCL did an amazing job of ensuring protocols were enforced and we had a wonderful time.  I don't think there is any risk in paying for your cruise in full and then you have until 48 hours before to fully commit.  You would receive an FCC and then could apply that to your December cruise.  With regards to the $5000 fine, I know the politicians are urging the Canadian government to do away with because this not only impedes people from vacationing but also from visiting family on either side of the border.  It isn't really accomplishing anything anyway.  If we are turned away and forced to stay in a hotel for 11 nights, how is that safer than heading straight home in our vehicle and quarantining in our own home?  It's just ridiculous.  With March Break in sight, the government/public health will either decide to do away with this to avoid the amount of potential headache it is going to cause, or they will enforce and make some examples of in order to truly deter us from travelling.  Barring any positive tests before we head to the US, we are planning to take our cruise as planned.

Exactly....we truly feel that a cruise is safer than any other vacation.  Where else do you need a negative test prior?  And from reading, they do a great job at trying to do what they can to keep it under control.  We also would keep as low risk by avoiding large gatherings and sit at the side at shows, etc (and usually I'm a front row kind of gal).  I know too that the cruise won't have all activities running but that's ok.

We also know that we could plan to go and then have to cancel within a few days beforehand as what happened in December.

Agree 100% in regards to it being safer for everyone to just drive home and quarantine there.

Thank you to all...it helps to hear from other Canadians and their thoughts of proceeding.

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I definitely agree with @Lovetocruise2002. You will cherish the experience and memories...and have a distaste for any regret. Follow the rules, stay cautious and mindful of your surroundings. One thing we won't do...is lock ourselves in the basement and miss out on life's experiences. That's just us, others, cruisers and non-cruisers, will see it different and your mileage may vary.

We did a cruise at the end of November, and we leave for another in three weeks, no hesitations.

But...we have also done the drive thing. A number of years ago we drove from Ontario to Baltimore to get on the Enchantment. The drive down didn't seem like a big deal, but the drive back was PAINFUL (just two of us). It just seemed to take forever and kind of put a damper on the whole vacation. In the end, we wouldn't do it again.

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We too are travelling by car from Ontario Canada to New Jersey for a cruise late March.  This is a 6 hr drive for us, we done this one other time and found the drive not to be bad at all.   Figure driving cuts down on contact with others and we plan to stay in our 5 person bubble as much as possible during the cruise.

5 adults....3 of us had confirmed covid early Dec.  From what I am reading on the government website, as long as we have the paperwork of our positive covid tests that are less than 180 days old then the 3 of us do not have to test to return home.  Since there is only 2 of us left to test on the way home we currently plan to do it at the port as soon as we disembark.   Really hoping but not expecting test and quarantine rules to change before the trip.  We cancelled a 3 week Europe trip at the beginning of the pandemic and have missed 2 winter trips since then.  We are sick of living in a bubble....which we have been doing since the beginning and we still ended up with covid.

VERY READY FOR A VACATION!!!

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4 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

For any fellow Canadians, I know you will understand the dilemma.  As some background....we are a family with two kids (gr 11 and 7).  We lost our Anthem cruise March 2020 and have been trying to go on her ever since.  We almost made it in December but had to cancel 3 days before due to a kid having covid in our son's class.  (We would have been fine in every way - negative, out of quarantine, etc...but Royal's questionnaire needs no contact for 14 days and it would have been 11 on the day of the cruise).

Ok...so next Anthem booking is March break with final payment in two weeks.

We have also booked xmas on Anthem as a backup.

We would drive from our place to New Jersey breaking up the drive over 2 days...but as little contact as possible (e.g. take in for food).  Kids vaccinated and DH and I have boosters.

The issue?  The Canadian government has added a clause to the border crossing that if you have a positive PCR test, we should wait until 11th day to avoid being fined $5000 per person.

I have a big pro/con list of whether to say "screw it" and still go in March, or versus to wait for Dec.  Pros for March....it's half the price of Dec (but not with an additional 20k!), more likely smaller crowds, still under CWC, double points, DH and I still work from home.  Negatives for March....potential border crossing fine if positive, we have an important trip in the summer and if this goes bad, that may kill that one if same rules are in place.  If we wait for Dec, we have an additional week post cruise where kids wouldn't miss school if need to quarantine.  And of course unknowns in Dec...another variant?, border could be closed completely....or on the good side...the fine and/or PCR test could be lifted (but I feel they'll be around for awhile).

I know this is not something anyone can answer for us, but just wondering what others would do?  Logic says we should wait, but like others, am so sick of this covid thing....esp if we are to catch covid, it'll most likely be similar to a cold.  If we postpone, it'll be the third March Break we will have lost and we only have one left with our son.  If we cancel March, we may find something in Canada instead but it would be no where as good as a cruise (and sad to say, but all I can think of is "boring").

Not even sure whether to pay it off for now and then wait it out for an additional month as this cruise is still under CWC, or just to cancel it now and not bother with FCC and waiting for re-issuing, etc.

Sorry for the long post.  It just helps getting other's perspective and what others are doing.

 

So sorry you had to cancel your Christmas cruise. I hope you can go ahead with your March break cruise. I really do believe the cruise ships are much safer with regards to protocols/sanitation than a grocery store or restaurant. If there was a cruise from Canada right now, we'd go without hesitation. Three of us have our boosters and just waiting for the age to lower for under 18 for my other child.

As for what we did for our March break cruise, we cancelled it. Two main reasons, first is that it was in Florida - DCL Fantasy cruise. We're not comfortable with the Florida protocols at this point. 

And second, which became more important is the fine that may be charged if entering with a positive case. On our Christmas cruise, luckily, our PCR test on the Anthem was all negative. However, if someone was positive, our plan was driving directly home and quarantining knowing that the border would allow us in and be told to take 2 tests and quarantine, which we were all ready to do. 

At this point, we are not prepared to pay the fine or stay in the US for 11 days. 

We do have more cruises this year, so I'm hopeful the Canadian government will eventually remove the testing and threats of fines and we can go on with our vacations.

Our next cruise is in July, so I'm very hopeful.

I think it's important to evaluate what you're willing to accept. I think we were willing to take the risk in Dec when it seemed we had our contingency plans in place. 

Good Luck!

 

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3 hours ago, recogneyes said:

I don't think there is any risk in paying for your cruise in full and then you have until 48 hours before to fully commit.  You would receive an FCC and then could apply that to your December cruise. 

^^^This right here.  There is no harm by making final. Covid rules have changed rapidly.  There is no way of predicting what will change 6 weeks from now.  Cancel now, what if the feds do relax a bit over the next few weeks?  That is the regret I cannot live with.  

3 hours ago, travellingtannis said:

.just part of the adventure and the stories they will one day be able to tell about their pandemic experiences. 

That is a very good point.  I did not think of it that way.  Sounds like something Hubby would say. lol

2 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

I love your positive attitude and outlook!  I am showing your response to DH.  I agree....March breaks are limited and I cherish the family time spent together with these kind of memories.  I assume you are flying out of Detroit and crossing there (vs flying direct)?

With my oldest in Grade 10 this year, it is really starting to hit me how limited our family vacation time is together. We need to do our best to make each one that we have left happen.  And yes, as long as that border stays open, I will always fly out of Detroit.  Makes no sense for me to fly out of Toronto or drive to Florida.

41 minutes ago, MacTac said:

We are sick of living in a bubble.

Notice it's all the people from Ontario making comments like this? lol  

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1 hour ago, cruiserccl said:

So sorry you had to cancel your Christmas cruise. I hope you can go ahead with your March break cruise. I really do believe the cruise ships are much safer with regards to protocols/sanitation than a grocery store or restaurant. If there was a cruise from Canada right now, we'd go without hesitation. Three of us have our boosters and just waiting for the age to lower for under 18 for my other child.

As for what we did for our March break cruise, we cancelled it. Two main reasons, first is that it was in Florida - DCL Fantasy cruise. We're not comfortable with the Florida protocols at this point. 

And second, which became more important is the fine that may be charged if entering with a positive case. On our Christmas cruise, luckily, our PCR test on the Anthem was all negative. However, if someone was positive, our plan was driving directly home and quarantining knowing that the border would allow us in and be told to take 2 tests and quarantine, which we were all ready to do. 

At this point, we are not prepared to pay the fine or stay in the US for 11 days. 

We do have more cruises this year, so I'm hopeful the Canadian government will eventually remove the testing and threats of fines and we can go on with our vacations.

Our next cruise is in July, so I'm very hopeful.

I think it's important to evaluate what you're willing to accept. I think we were willing to take the risk in Dec when it seemed we had our contingency plans in place. 

Good Luck!

 

Hello.  I remember you from our Anthem December roll call.  Happy to hear you ended up going and all was great....and especially you got in a Royal cruise prior to this border change.  Good too you didn't have to deal with getting your own PCR test taken post cruise.  Sorry that it's impacting your next cruise, but as per the dilemma, completely understand you cancelling.  Hopefully by the summer things will be better again!

From a direct experience on Anthem, you were happy with the ship's protocols?

 

 

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Totally agree with the comments....really need a vacation!

We are also ones who have pretty much quarantined for the past two years (so yeah, another Canadian!).  We've followed all the rules, but just want to get back to something!  DH and I talked and will probably at least pay it off (cruise fare is covered by FCC). We had planned on taking laptops anyways...and hopefully things will continue to get better.  I watch numbers daily and they are going in the right direction (track for Ontario, New Jersey, New York and Florida).

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7 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Hello.  I remember you from our Anthem December roll call.  Happy to hear you ended up going and all was great....and especially you got in a Royal cruise prior to this border change.  Good too you didn't have to deal with getting your own PCR test taken post cruise.  Sorry that it's impacting your next cruise, but as per the dilemma, completely understand you cancelling.  Hopefully by the summer things will be better again!

From a direct experience on Anthem, you were happy with the ship's protocols?

 

 

I'm so glad you're planning on more cruises. I remembered how disappointed you were that you had to cancel. And I really appreciated all the help you and the others provided. This was only our second RCCL so it was a little overwhelming with all the pandemic preparations.

As far as the ship's protocols. I do feel that most people were following the restrictions. It did feel a little strange since there is always this "cloud" (for lack of a better word) around us which made people a little more on edge. But I think most, eventually, became relaxed and learned to live with the rules. 

There were only a few times that I thought the crew could have done better and that's ensuring that those areas for vaccinated are only for vaccinated. The issue was usually at the music hall which really had no one checking the vaccinated deck. So, it was very important that we kept our masks between drinking.

I felt the staterooms were very clean and I was confident our stateroom host was alway sanitizing. 

The theatres had every other row saved for social distancing and generally people were trying not to sit right beside each other. The floor seats (section closest to the stage) weren't separated by rows. So we chose not to sit there. We had two issues sitting at the theatre. One was an older woman who sat beside my son and coughed towards him for a long time until the show started...we were thinking she was seriously ill, but when the show started, not one cough. And the other issue was a mother and daughter waited until the lights were off and sat in the saved for social distancing seats and left before the lights went back on. 

The elevators were generally keeping to a comfortable number of people except for when disembarking. We waited several elevators before we entered. Some people were very patient while others were not, which is very typical. 

I found the customs very quick and smooth. I wish they would do that in all ports. 

The PCR testing for return to home country went very smoothly. However, getting the correct protocol from any crew member was a challenge. We asked 9 crew and they gave us 9 different answers. In the end, we chose to follow the one that made the most sense.

Otherwise, it was nice to be able to relax in the Solarium and CocoCay. Everyone had a great time...but there were rumours between the teens that there were at least 100 people who had to quarantine...but I don't know if that's true. We didn't hear any announcements or warning or anything.

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3 hours ago, cruiserccl said:

I'm so glad you're planning on more cruises. I remembered how disappointed you were that you had to cancel. And I really appreciated all the help you and the others provided. This was only our second RCCL so it was a little overwhelming with all the pandemic preparations.

As far as the ship's protocols. I do feel that most people were following the restrictions. It did feel a little strange since there is always this "cloud" (for lack of a better word) around us which made people a little more on edge. But I think most, eventually, became relaxed and learned to live with the rules. 

There were only a few times that I thought the crew could have done better and that's ensuring that those areas for vaccinated are only for vaccinated. The issue was usually at the music hall which really had no one checking the vaccinated deck. So, it was very important that we kept our masks between drinking.

I felt the staterooms were very clean and I was confident our stateroom host was alway sanitizing. 

The theatres had every other row saved for social distancing and generally people were trying not to sit right beside each other. The floor seats (section closest to the stage) weren't separated by rows. So we chose not to sit there. We had two issues sitting at the theatre. One was an older woman who sat beside my son and coughed towards him for a long time until the show started...we were thinking she was seriously ill, but when the show started, not one cough. And the other issue was a mother and daughter waited until the lights were off and sat in the saved for social distancing seats and left before the lights went back on. 

The elevators were generally keeping to a comfortable number of people except for when disembarking. We waited several elevators before we entered. Some people were very patient while others were not, which is very typical. 

I found the customs very quick and smooth. I wish they would do that in all ports. 

The PCR testing for return to home country went very smoothly. However, getting the correct protocol from any crew member was a challenge. We asked 9 crew and they gave us 9 different answers. In the end, we chose to follow the one that made the most sense.

Otherwise, it was nice to be able to relax in the Solarium and CocoCay. Everyone had a great time...but there were rumours between the teens that there were at least 100 people who had to quarantine...but I don't know if that's true. We didn't hear any announcements or warning or anything.

Thanks for the feedback.  Will definitely keep our eyes and ears open and know our surroundings.  Can imagine it feeling strange all of a sudden being around many others.  I know even at the drugstore, I'll only go down an isle if no one else is there or it is easy to pass someone.  Such a strange world.

That's very scary with the lady coughing at the theatre...and annoying with the mom and child coming in last minute and sitting where they shouldn't.  Frustrating when others don't follow things or think they can skip the rules. 

Have heard various stories about the PCR test and no one seems to know about them on Royal, which is strange.

Yeah, I did hear of some cases or others being quarantined. Guess with the timing it was right when the variant was picking up.

Glad you all had a great , and hopefully you'll get on some cruises at a later time.

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Same here.  Anthem of the Seas for March break 2022.  We are doing the shoppers test and driving, staying the night before.  On the way back testing at CVS and staying an extra night.  Been at home for 2 years, following all the rules.  I'll continue to be careful, but this isn't going away in a month or a year.  We are going to be dealing with this for a while.  Everyone is vaccinated, not missing another year!  All paid up and ready for a vacation!

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10 hours ago, tlk said:

Same here.  Anthem of the Seas for March break 2022.  We are doing the shoppers test and driving, staying the night before.  On the way back testing at CVS and staying an extra night.  Been at home for 2 years, following all the rules.  I'll continue to be careful, but this isn't going away in a month or a year.  We are going to be dealing with this for a while.  Everyone is vaccinated, not missing another year!  All paid up and ready for a vacation!

Same cruise.  So you are driving straight on the way there?  Our plan is to break up the drive with an extra hotel stay.  That would be good if you can get CVS booking for post cruise.  

Yes exactly...covid isn't going away.  And who knows if a new variant will pop up again making it worse and if things will be better...or worse...11 months from now.  Exact same...stayed at home and did everything they ask.  Still it's nerve racking....hoping none of us get covid rigth before, or near someone who had it....and then keeping negative during the cruise.  It's the Canadian border rule that makes us hesitate, not covid itself.

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Fyi....final payment made.  Fingers crossed covid stays away.  I watch covid numbers daily and see them declining so that's optimistic...so here's hoping we don't miss another March break.  Can't wait to get back on a cruise.

Would also love our government to drop the fine....or even reduce it to 5 days to match the actual required quarantine time where I live.  But if not, and we happen to test positive we'll just have to deal with it.  Brining work and school laptops just in case.

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58 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Fyi....final payment made.  Fingers crossed covid stays away.  I watch covid numbers daily and see them declining so that's optimistic...so here's hoping we don't miss another March break.  Can't wait to get back on a cruise.

Would also love our government to drop the fine....or even reduce it to 5 days to match the actual required quarantine time where I live.  But if not, and we happen to test positive we'll just have to deal with it.  Brining work and school laptops just in case.

That is our hope too - just remove the fine and let us come back home and quarantine should anyone have a positive test.  That makes far more sense than staying in a hotel knowing you are positive and possibly infecting others!  Now to find a Rapid PCR test with same day results so we can avoid a night in a hotel on the way home!

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23 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Why not just test shoreside with Royal then right when you get off the ship?

 

21 minutes ago, recogneyes said:

That's what we are hoping to do for sure.  I haven't been able to get any confirmation of testing at the port.  When you call no matter what extension you dial it goes to voice mail.  

We might get the one offered by Royal as well.  Would love to hear confirmation of actual price instead of "starting at $130".  The site says results are emailed within an hour, but also confirmation would be good.  We'll do that, or either try for Walgrreens or CVS, but we won't have internet on the ship to try and book these if can't book a week in advance.

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6 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

 

We might get the one offered by Royal as well.  Would love to hear confirmation of actual price instead of "starting at $130".  The site says results are emailed within an hour, but also confirmation would be good.  We'll do that, or either try for Walgrreens or CVS, but we won't have internet on the ship to try and book these if can't book a week in advance.

I should hear from whoever my Genie is soon and plan to ask about exact pricing then.  I am guessing it varies by port.

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5 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

That would be great if you can get the info.  As you say, it may differ Miami vs New Jersey but still gives an idea.

I will definitely post it here as I am considering that option.  If it wasn't for what happened with @Vancity Cruiser, I would probably do it for sure.  But that has me a bit leery now.  I am currently bouncing 3 options in my head: test shoreside, test at Miami airport, or find a place in Detroit that will do rapid PCR after 4:30pm (but that is becoming harder to find).

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In other news, I just noticed on the CBSA website just now that the wording has changed a bit for arrival back to Canada by car.  Didn't it used to say the test must be completed in the US?  I remember that is why I was worried in December that they wouldn't accept the onboard test.  Now it just say "outside of Canada".  So technically, I could be at sea and test and be ok to come back with this?  If so, those Switch Health ones are looking like the better option.

  • Arriving by car, bus, boat, ferry or train

    You must take a molecular test outside of Canada within 72 hours of your planned entry into Canada.

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17 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I will definitely post it here as I am considering that option.  If it wasn't for what happened with @Vancity Cruiser, I would probably do it for sure.  But that has me a bit leery now.  I am currently bouncing 3 options in my head: test shoreside, test at Miami airport, or find a place in Detroit that will do rapid PCR after 4:30pm (but that is becoming harder to find).

Thanks!  Appreciate it.  What happened to Vanity Cruiser?  It's good that Royal has arranged testing at the port as an option as that may be the most straight forward option.  Of course it costs, vs somewhere like Walgreens or CVS (if still free) . Another advantage at the port is to get it done as soon as you can....just in case.  I have heard though that Royal is often disorganized and a lot of the crew have no idea about where it is done at the port.  I figure though that for March break cruise there will be a few groups asking to get it done.

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7 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

In other news, I just noticed on the CBSA website just now that the wording has changed a bit for arrival back to Canada by car.  Didn't it used to say the test must be completed in the US?  I remember that is why I was worried in December that they wouldn't accept the onboard test.  Now it just say "outside of Canada".  So technically, I could be at sea and test and be ok to come back with this?  If so, those Switch Health ones are looking like the better option.

  • Arriving by car, bus, boat, ferry or train

    You must take a molecular test outside of Canada within 72 hours of your planned entry into Canada.

Yes, we noticed that changed recently as well.  We also had a worry of getting it done on the ship since not technically in the US.

Isn't the issue with the Switch Health ones that it isn't processed in a lab?  Or am I mixing up the various tests. 

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8 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

What happened to Vanity Cruiser?

He never got his results. Had to do another test at MIA.

 

7 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Isn't the issue with the Switch Health ones that it isn't processed in a lab? 

Maybe? lol  I don't even know either anymore.  I need to check back old posts.

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5 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

He never got his results. Had to do another test at MIA.

 

Maybe? lol  I don't even know either anymore.  I need to check back old posts.

Oh gosh, that's horrible....esp if on a time frame to catch a flight. Maybe it'll be more reliable since we now have to pay for it vs it being complimentary up until end of Jan?

Lol...I know.  So many discussions and things going on with testing. Can't wait for the day where testing isn't needed...but for now, I'll take it if that's what lets us cruise.

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12 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Yes, we noticed that changed recently as well.  We also had a worry of getting it done on the ship since not technically in the US.

Isn't the issue with the Switch Health ones that it isn't processed in a lab?  Or am I mixing up the various tests. 

That's what both CBSA and Public Health told me - they said must be process in a lab.  However, one could argue that it does not say that anywhere on the Government of Canada website.  It just lists the type of tests and the particulars of which.  Such a mess!

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1 hour ago, WannaCruise said:

Oh gosh, that's horrible....esp if on a time frame to catch a flight. Maybe it'll be more reliable since we now have to pay for it vs it being complimentary up until end of Jan?

Lol...I know.  So many discussions and things going on with testing. Can't wait for the day where testing isn't needed...but for now, I'll take it if that's what lets us cruise.

We did eventually get the results, 2.5 hours later (after being told results would be 45 minutes) but the results for BOTH my wife and I were “inconclusive”.

While the Miami airport option (Nomi Health) is expensive I will be using it in the future for peace of mind. They had a very efficient set up and had our results in 17 minutes. I don’t mind paying for peace of mind.

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