Cruise from US, shore excursion in Canada -> Testing required?

[Carotthat]

Hello,

 

I am a little bit confused by the canadian authorities regarding antigen testing if sailing from abroad (US) to canada.

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise states

All travellers 5 years of age or older must have a COVID-19 test to board a cruise ship in Canada or to board a cruise ship that will dock in Canada at any point on the cruise need an antigen test.

but also 

 

Shore excursions in Canada during the cruise

• there is no arrival testing for passengers entering Canada for shore excursions

So, what applies for a vessel travelling to canada, mooring there for a period of time and returning to the US?

[Bruin Steve]

Simple:  Canada requires you to get a Covid test before boarding the ship at embarkation...but does not require additional tests at each Canadian port.

When I cruise on Celebrity Summit three weeks from now, I will need an antigen test in Reykjavik before boarding...but will not need additional tests before our port stops in St. John's Newfoundland or Halifax Nova Scotia...before finally disembarking in Boston.

[Carotthat]

Interestingly, Royal states nothing about this on their page, not even an additional eMail regarding this.

They even dropped the testing rule yesterday for vaccinated.

[Bruin Steve]

1 hour ago, Carotthat said:

Interestingly, Royal states nothing about this on their page, not even an additional eMail regarding this.

They even dropped the testing rule yesterday for vaccinated.

First, Royal Caribbean did NOT "drop the testing rule".  They merely altered it...and at present the website says: 

"Starting with August 8, 2022 departures, our protocols will include:

• Requiring testing for unvaccinated guests on all sailings, and for vaccinated guests on sailings that are six nights or longer." 

All that actually says is that the new protocols will INCLUDE testing for unvaccinated guests AND vaccinated guests on cruises six nights and longer.  It doesn't actually say anything about testing requirements on cruises five nights and under.  "Including" tests for 6+ does NOT preclude testing for cruises 5 and less.

BUT, more importantly, Royal Caribbean is not in a position of unilaterally dropping some testing requirements BECAUSE in some cases, like CANADA, the requirement does not come from the cruise line--it comes from the country of Canada.  Canada's official website says:

"These requirements apply to cruises...arriving in Canada from a foreign country...

All travellers are required to:

...take a pre-embarkation COVID-19 test before embarking on a cruise ship that will dock in Canada at any point in the itinerary."

So, quite simply, the requirement for testing on any cruise stopping in Canada is Canada's...They can enforce this by either not allowing the ship to enter Canadian waters or dock at a Canadian port and/or by not allowing people to disembark the ship in a Canbadian port.   BTW, there is specific language not allowing people claiming religious exemption from disembarking.

So, it is Canada's choice...NOT Royal Caribbean's.  RCCL is going to continue to abide by Canada's demand for them to require testing because otherwise, that cruise is simply not going to be allowed to go to Canada.

Can RCCL decide not to require testing on cruises going to, say, Mexico or the Bahamas?  Sure...so long as those countries do not have a testing requirement.  As for Canada, the Canadian government has indicated it will not soon back off their requirement for cruise ships.