Grandparents taking the kiddo on a Princess Alaska cruise

[tvguy]

I haven't cruised since October 2019, before any of this App stuff started. As for no Internet Access on board, we took our kids on two Alaska cruises and they were so busy I don't think they even noticed they had no access to the internet.

 

[bcla]

FWIW We’ve never experienced a laxed police entering US. Canada was the strictest… coming and goin.

I'm not thinking that there's anything specifically lax about the enforcement. However, the US government can't keep a US citizen from returning to the United States solely on the basis of a bureaucracy only accepting specific travel documents.

I've heard of people who managed to lose a passport on the flight home to the US, and as long as they could prove that they were US citizens, they were able to reenter the United States. They might give the third degree, but a United States citizen is entitled to enter the United States. I could see something like someone forgot where they put a passport (some have stuck them in some random seatback pocket but forgot where), but had a passport card, enhanced DL/ID, etc. in a wallet.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Everything I've been reading for Royal has the app as an option. Yes, they're pushing it, but it's not a requirement.

Not to board, but unless you want to wait in line for guest services every time you need something, it’s needed for absolutely everything else. We just cruised with them last month.

We sail with Norwegian later this year and they have the said the app is required

 

[bcla]

So my parents are both COVID positive, and as a precaution they cancelled and got credit. However, because we were in close contact, we got tested and figured out that not only would our county testing be the most convenient (easy walkup without any lines) but it was free even without insurance. We got appointments, but there really was no need. They also had several nurses there even with only about three people being tested. The results they give with the antigen tests are done by their personnel so there's someone to vouch for it. On top of that, the first thing we got were more home test kits, which ostensibly are for testing again after 24 hours. But I asked if these tests would be acceptable for something like a cruise, and they said absolutely and they get people doing that.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

So my parents are both COVID positive, and as a precaution they cancelled and got credit. However, because we were in close contact, we got tested and figured out that not only would our county testing be the most convenient (easy walkup without any lines) but it was free even without insurance. We got appointments, but there really was no need. They also had several nurses there even with only about three people being tested. The results they give with the antigen tests are done by their personnel so there's someone to vouch for it. On top of that, the first thing we got were more home test kits, which ostensibly are for testing again after 24 hours. But I asked if these tests would be acceptable for something like a cruise, and they said absolutely and they get people doing that.

I know cruise guidelines are changing all the time although I don’t think they’ve changed on anything but Virgin sailing from US ports and antigen are only allowed if they are proctored. So if your health dept ones were in the time frame, they’d be good, but regular at homes are not - with the exception of the iHealth ones which you can pay to have proctored separate from buying the tests. BinaxNow also sells a proctored at home.

 

[mjkacmom]

I know cruise guidelines are changing all the time although I don’t think they’ve changed on anything but Virgin sailing from US ports and antigen are only allowed if they are proctored. So if your health dept ones were in the time frame, they’d be good, but regular at homes are not - with the exception of the iHealth ones which you can pay to have proctored separate from buying the tests. BinaxNow also sells a proctored at home.

Yes, non-proctored home tests are not sufficient for cruises.

 

[bcla]

I know cruise guidelines are changing all the time although I don’t think they’ve changed on anything but Virgin sailing from US ports and antigen are only allowed if they are proctored. So if your health dept ones were in the time frame, they’d be good, but regular at homes are not - with the exception of the iHealth ones which you can pay to have proctored separate from buying the tests. BinaxNow also sells a proctored at home.

I was a bit unclear. I meant that the test that they administered (and not the take home tests) would have been valid for a cruise’s testing requirements. But it was really good since they’re always there, demand is low, no appointment is needed, and they’re free.

The tests that my county health department was administering was the Abbott BinaxNOW test with the cards where the swab was inserted in holes. The take home tests were QuickVue.

 

[robinb]

So my parents are both COVID positive, and as a precaution they cancelled and got credit. However, because we were in close contact, we got tested and figured out that not only would our county testing be the most convenient (easy walkup without any lines) but it was free even without insurance. We got appointments, but there really was no need. They also had several nurses there even with only about three people being tested. The results they give with the antigen tests are done by their personnel so there's someone to vouch for it. On top of that, the first thing we got were more home test kits, which ostensibly are for testing again after 24 hours. But I asked if these tests would be acceptable for something like a cruise, and they said absolutely and they get people doing that.

I'm sorry to hear this . Did they test positive on their required pre-trip test?

 

[bcla]

I'm sorry to hear this . Did they test positive on their required pre-trip test?

My dad was doing some sort of screening for a minor surgery that was supposed to be done after the cruise and a COVID test was part of the procedure. Then they tested my mom.

But we got back from a trip and started feeling pretty lousy, but at least it wasn’t COVID.

 

[robinb]

My dad was doing some sort of screening for a minor surgery that was supposed to be done after the cruise and a COVID test was part of the procedure. Then they tested my mom.

But we got back from a trip and started feeling pretty lousy, but at least it wasn’t COVID.

That's still a bummer. I'm glad that Princess cancelled without a problem. My DH and I are scheduled on an Alaskan Princess cruise in about 2 weeks. We have been masking up and trying to be careful leading up to the cruise.

I could test again in a couple of days. I've read a lot of people who have had symptoms and tested negative on OTC antigen tests and then finally positive.