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Totally confused now!


BigKarl

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We have a Sept. 2nd 5 day cruise scheduled and until today RCCL stated for 6 days or less NO Covid test required for this sailing.  Does this still count because the new rule, No testing after Sept. 5 for 9 day sailings or less would make my cruise 3 days before the new rule?   RCCL just loves to confuse us I am sure of it!

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I’m going on the same cruise and the app doesn’t mention testing for me as I am vaccinated. It depends on your age and vaccination status.

They really should just have a pre-booking questionnaire so you know exactly what’s required. (Sail date, age, vaccine, doses, Canada, Bermuda, etc.)

They should also state when testing is not required instead of just saying when it’s required. Don’t leave anything to interpretation.

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22 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I know no one has a crystal ball but do you think that Canada will drop the requirements at some point? We sailed to Canada in late July and had to test. We are sailing Oasis May 28th 2023 to Canada, I really hope the testing requirement is gone by then. 

Most likely they will. Most countries right now are slowly getting rid of testing requirements as cases slow down, including the US. If I had a good guess when, I'd probably say later this year, or early-mid next year.

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1 hour ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I know no one has a crystal ball but do you think that Canada will drop the requirements at some point? We sailed to Canada in late July and had to test. We are sailing Oasis May 28th 2023 to Canada, I really hope the testing requirement is gone by then. 

Ha! Canada didn't start allowing cruises and visitors until this year. You might still have to test in 2024.

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1 hour ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I know no one has a crystal ball but do you think that Canada will drop the requirements at some point? We sailed to Canada in late July and had to test. We are sailing Oasis May 28th 2023 to Canada, I really hope the testing requirement is gone by then. 

Being a resident of the Great White North and seeing what's going on, I wouldn't hold my breath

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2 hours ago, Michael A. Jr. said:

Most likely they will. Most countries right now are slowly getting rid of testing requirements as cases slow down, including the US. If I had a good guess when, I'd probably say later this year, or early-mid next year.

There is no chance that Canada will change any protocols for cruising this year. Keep in mind this is the country still requiring an app filled out before entry when most countries have dropped all entry requirements. Our government moves glacially slow 

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10 minutes ago, Vancity Cruiser said:

There is no chance that Canada will change any protocols for cruising this year. Keep in mind this is the country still requiring an app filled out before entry when most countries have dropped all entry requirements. Our government moves glacially slow 

Thank you for letting me know. I'm not really familiar with Canada's protocols, as I really only take Caribbean cruises. I may book a cruise to Canada soon, because I have been recommended to do so.

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26 minutes ago, Vancity Cruiser said:

There is no chance that Canada will change any protocols for cruising this year. Keep in mind this is the country still requiring an app filled out before entry when most countries have dropped all entry requirements. Our government moves glacially slow 

That app absolutely SUCKS! I could not, NOT believe how much info they wanted and needed. They wanted the freaking stateroom number! WHY! It was redundant and annoying. I was so annoyed filling out that damn app I cannot tell you how much. All the info in that app the cruise line already has! I doubt it but I hope that is gone before testing. 

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16 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

That app absolutely SUCKS! I could not, NOT believe how much info they wanted and needed. They wanted the freaking stateroom number! WHY! It was redundant and annoying. I was so annoyed filling out that damn app I cannot tell you how much. All the info in that app the cruise line already has! I doubt it but I hope that is gone before testing. 

Now, I'm really confused. Why would they need the stateroom number? To track if you get Covid, or just because they want the info?

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29 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

That app absolutely SUCKS! I could not, NOT believe how much info they wanted and needed. They wanted the freaking stateroom number! WHY! It was redundant and annoying. I was so annoyed filling out that damn app I cannot tell you how much. All the info in that app the cruise line already has! I doubt it but I hope that is gone before testing. 

I've only filled it out coming back home at land crossings. Looking at your post, I looked at what they do for the cruise. That's insane. All you should need to provide is the cruise ship and date of sailing. In the end the explanation for the app was to link the proof of vaccine to the passport so they when scan it it pops up. Having to create a "trip" is overkill

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48 minutes ago, Vancity Cruiser said:

There is no chance that Canada will change any protocols for cruising this year. Keep in mind this is the country still requiring an app filled out before entry when most countries have dropped all entry requirements. Our government moves glacially slow 

Yup. 
 

My wife’s parents live in Canada and is a huge pita to go see them. 
 

Also a crapshoot with the potential for being picked to do a random test when entering….but you don’t do it there and then, you have to do it when you arrive at your destination.  If you’re positive you have to quarantine for ten days at your own expense. 
 

As hard as it is for cruising to Canada (and we are going in October), it’s worse for people in border states who have family across the line. 

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33 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

That app absolutely SUCKS! I could not, NOT believe how much info they wanted and needed. They wanted the freaking stateroom number! WHY! It was redundant and annoying. I was so annoyed filling out that damn app I cannot tell you how much. All the info in that app the cruise line already has! I doubt it but I hope that is gone before testing. 

Ok so Royal has the information now you have to provide it to Canada.  One is not the other

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11 minutes ago, Pooch said:

Ok so Royal has the information now you have to provide it to Canada.  One is not the other

Does Canada know what cruise ships are visiting Canada on what day and exactly what the itinerary is? All they need is that info coupled with a manifest of passengers. That app absolutely sucks I LOVE Canada but they are way over the top paranoid and scared. That app is horrendous and then they don't even check it when you arrive in Canada.  

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Also Royal already confirmed vaccination status, yet here I am again taking 10 pictures of all our vaccine cards. I was so annoyed filling out that useless garbage app. Sorry but this entire process really annoyed me and when I saw "Cabin number" that was it, that was it for me. I refused to put that info in because its so ridiculous, it is not necessary. 

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48 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Does Canada know what cruise ships are visiting Canada on what day and exactly what the itinerary is? All they need is that info coupled with a manifest of passengers. That app absolutely sucks I LOVE Canada but they are way over the top paranoid and scared. That app is horrendous and then they don't even check it when you arrive in Canada.  

My cousin and their family recently went to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. It was the definition of the 5 circles of hell, is what they told me.

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38 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Have you filled out this useless app? Its very annoying, and frustrating. 

I agree the app was asking for a lot.  When I saw it asked for stateroom number and it was not a required piece of info I skipped it.
The part I was not thrilled with was the knowing which port we were arriving in.  All I knew was Halifax, not the name of the port-and there were 2 port choices.  I also had to figure out our time of arrival because I don't pay attention to that stuff.  I perhaps could have just blindly picked a port and time and lessened my frustration and dealth with it should a problem have arisen
.  I have another Canadian Cruise coming up, -booked before having done the loveliness of the ArriveCan for my May cruise, and I am not looking forward to this app again.  I think one of the confusing pieces is you cannot complete it until 3 days prior to entry into Canada.....so I had to be sure to calculate that in.  My next sailing Canada won't be reached until we are well into the cruise-so will people complete the app early (and will they be called out on it? or will they remember to complete the app while in port in the US 3 days prior to our arrival in Canada? or will Royal supply a free wifi connection for those who who forgot to do this?  I wonder if Royal even knows if we have completed the app?    I  think the Arrive Can app was almost as frustrating as filing the info for the Spain Health Ministry for a sailing I did out of Barcelona, but like childbirth, once the pain is gone and you enjoy the result you might actually say it was worth it! (until you find yourself the midst of the situation again! LOL)  

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15 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

My next sailing Canada won't be reached until we are well into the cruise-so will people complete the app early (and will they be called out on it? or will they remember to complete the app while in port in the US 3 days prior to our arrival in Canada? or will Royal supply a free wifi connection for those who who forgot to do this?  I wonder if Royal even knows if we have completed the app?   

You can complete ArriveCAN within 72 days prior to boarding a cruise that enters Canada.

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It’s worth it for us since Boston is only a couple hours away.  The end definitely justifies the means as far as going on a “local” cruise.  
 

It just gets annoying when family things happen….like an elderly parent gets taken to the hospital and you just can’t jump in the car and go be with them. 
 

To be honest, the ArriveCan process feels like less hoops than we jumped through to sail out of Nassau last year, but maybe we’re just getting used to hoops for cruising. 

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1 hour ago, Pooch said:

Perhaps not the time to cruise to/through Canada right now 🤷‍♀️

Its time for the egg heads that came up with this stupid app to revamp it. I don't object to the entire idea/app, they just want too much information and its too long. Why would they want, answer me this, why would they want or need the cabin number? What purpose would that serve? Its head eggs throwing everything in there because they are nervous, scared of their own shadow. 

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2 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

I agree the app was asking for a lot.  When I saw it asked for stateroom number and it was not a required piece of info I skipped it.
The part I was not thrilled with was the knowing which port we were arriving in.  All I knew was Halifax, not the name of the port-and there were 2 port choices.  I also had to figure out our time of arrival because I don't pay attention to that stuff.  I perhaps could have just blindly picked a port and time and lessened my frustration and dealth with it should a problem have arisen
.  I have another Canadian Cruise coming up, -booked before having done the loveliness of the ArriveCan for my May cruise, and I am not looking forward to this app again.  I think one of the confusing pieces is you cannot complete it until 3 days prior to entry into Canada.....so I had to be sure to calculate that in.  My next sailing Canada won't be reached until we are well into the cruise-so will people complete the app early (and will they be called out on it? or will they remember to complete the app while in port in the US 3 days prior to our arrival in Canada? or will Royal supply a free wifi connection for those who who forgot to do this?  I wonder if Royal even knows if we have completed the app?    I  think the Arrive Can app was almost as frustrating as filing the info for the Spain Health Ministry for a sailing I did out of Barcelona, but like childbirth, once the pain is gone and you enjoy the result you might actually say it was worth it! (until you find yourself the midst of the situation again! LOL)  

YES! Perfect example, just put Halifax. Why in the hell would they need the specific dock? How the hell would we know the specific doc? That is what I am talking about. Egg heads with no common sense came up with that stupid app. I looked through every document I was sent from Royal and my TA but not once did it say the specific dock. I chose one and ended it. Was it the right one? No idea to this day. 

YES on the 3 days part. Was it 3 days prior to entry to Canada or when the cruise left? Was it 3 days before the actually day we docked in Halifax. Everyone can make it seem like I'm being unreasonable or a baby but that is not the case. The app is terrible. 

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For our June Alaska cruise the app allowed me to fill it out 72 hours before the cruise departed Seattle. We would not be in Vancouver until day 6 of the cruise. While on board we had to provide the number we received with QR code from the app along with a Canadian customs form.

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7 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Have you filled out this useless app? Its very annoying, and frustrating. 

I have.  I guess working for various government agencies for over 30 years makes me find it neither annoying nor frustrating.   I have a lot bigger annoying and frustrating things in my life.

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9 hours ago, KevinJ said:

For our June Alaska cruise the app allowed me to fill it out 72 hours before the cruise departed Seattle. We would not be in Vancouver until day 6 of the cruise. While on board we had to provide the number we received with QR code from the app along with a Canadian customs form.

No one asked for any of the ArriveCan info onboard Adventure 

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23 hours ago, teddy said:

If you’re positive you have to quarantine for ten days at your own expense. 

Yes there is definitely a disconnect when it comes to federal vs provincial quarantine requirements. In Alberta there is no requirement to quarantine if Covid positive but if we test positive on a random test returning home we are required to quarantine for 10 days.  Makes no sense and leads to a non compliance issue.  

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22 hours ago, Jax said:

Yes there is definitely a disconnect when it comes to federal vs provincial quarantine requirements. In Alberta there is no requirement to quarantine if Covid positive but if we test positive on a random test returning home we are required to quarantine for 10 days.  Makes no sense and leads to a non compliance issue.  

personally I think the non compliance issue is the testing of those who reside in your province and the subsequent quarantine if positive! 😆

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You have to understand during the pandemic the Canadian government didn't want people crossing the border but they recognized they lacked the legal authority or political capital to absolutely and completely close the border.  Make no mistake they wanted the border closed.

ArriveCAN was introduced in the days when only residents returning home were allowed to enter Canada.  They couldn't stop Canadians from leaving Canada such as snowbirds going to Florida to winter homes but they wanted to make it inconvenient as a means to dissuade Canadians from traveling.  They tried to suggest that Canadian citizens who were not currently residents were not allowed to enter Canada but that was ruled unlawful so they tried to make it ugly to visit Canada by anyone, including Canadian citizen expats. 

There were many attempts made to dissuade travel.  As a result of the rules Canadians began shipping their cars and flying to meet them as a means to travel outside of Canada while land borders were physically barricaded.  The government had to stop this.  Travel had to become burdensome.  Introduce ArriveCAN.

Canada tried outlandish mandatory quarantine requirements to dissuade Canadian from traveling internationally but those were challenged and the Canadian government needed a legal plan B to slow border travel.   ArriveCAN was their alternative intimidation tactic to scare people away from cross border travel.

Originally it was a place to document your mandatory quarantine plan in case you tested positive.  In the eye's of the Canadian government that was them being generous as right before that there were mandatory quarantine in government provided what were effectively concentration camps.  When lawsuits challenged the concentration camps for otherwise healthy residents coming home the government's "generous" response was the ability to self quarantine at home.  Canada didn't want anyone crossing the border but they couldn't stop defiant Canadians from traveling so they tried to make it ugly.   

ArriveCAN's purpose was to make it burdensome for everyone to cross the border.  As the pandemic progressed and more defiant people crossed the border ArriveCAN was there with its original purpose intact - dissuade travel, don't make it easy.  

In the early days when some expats and foreign nationals started to be allowed to enter Canada the government didn't want a sudden mass influx of travelers so they adapted ArriveCAN from its original mission as a means to slow international travel.  It's mission remained keeping it ugly to travel but now it's target audience evolved from targeting Canadians to targeting anyone coming to Canada.

The request for your cabin number, optional as they lack legal authority to demand this information, is the current example of the passive aggressive nature of ArriveCAN.  Making it ugly to travel to Canada.  

The Canadian government doesn't want you there but they can't legally close the border so this is their way to try to slow cross border travel to manageable levels as a means to reduce the spread of the virus.

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At the height of the pandemic, they couldn’t stop my wife because she has dual citizenship, but they’d make her log her mileage to ensure she was only going to her parents house and back to the closest border crossing, and she would get random calls while there to make sure she didn’t go anywhere else. 
 

As a lowly non-citizen, I was told by Immigration to not bother trying to go with her. 

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