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The United States government has this week made it, for many, all but impossible to get a fall COVID-19 booster vaccination and if you can get one it could cost you $225 per shot. My wife and I have kept up our yearly booster, along with a flu shot, since they both became a 1x a year offering. Clearly neither shot will prevent us from getting sick but we have never required hospitalization when sick with either so I count that as a win.
I can tell you, when we took our first cruise back after the pandemic, one of the most stressful moments of the trip was waiting to test negative before we boarded the ship. While masks were a bit of a pain, between the two precautions the chance of getting COVID-19 on our one week cruise was greatly reduced. Now that masks are optional (I favor this btw) I can feel free to wear one if I want to as well as others and I sometimes do on longer voyages as I walk around the ship and especially on crowded elevators. After all a properly fitting N95 is a real protection against airborne virus and not just COVID-19.
This week on REDDIT in the cruise thread someone asked if COVID tests were still required to board the ship. Clearly, for many years now, they have not been. But I have an opinion that I bet most would be against and that is, I would love to see a requirement for a COVID-19 negative testing before you are allowed to board the ship and weekly testing for the crew as well.
To me, the extra effort would be a huge benefit to dramatically reduce the chance of me, as well as my fellow cruisers, getting really sick on the voyage. Plus, considering the age and health issues of many cruisers, reducing the risk of COVID-19 spreading onboard and having possible lasting impacts would be well worth it. There is also a long thread on REDDIT with a question if the cruiser should worry about getting COVID onboard and in a shock to no one a bunch of readers expressed that they did get sick onboard.
Now I know many will comment that this is not worth it because someone could board negative and then in port get sick and bring it back onboard. That is true and I agree but on shorter sailings the chance of spreading onboard is still reduced compared to boarding the ship sick and shedding virus. Even on longer voyages it would help to at least slow the chance of getting sick.
So who pays? Clearly the passengers but there are so many fees already I would not have an issues paying a few bucks more for the peace of mind that, at least at boarding, all my fellow guests are not putting my vacation at risk.
I guess I would love your thoughts on my idea. Is it too much to ask before boarding? Would it impact your choice of taking a cruise if the cruise line required this before sailing? Would it make you MORE likely to take a cruise knowing, at least at boarding, all your fellow guests and the crew had tested negative for COVID -19? Let us know! – René
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I no longer fear covid and don’t know if I could even distinguish it form a bad cold or the flu at this point. What has always made me nervous on cruises is getting a stomach bug.
@dave – With very few ending up on venerators anymore it is less about fear than the chance to have a long planed and expensive vacation ruined. We always wash our hands with soap and water before visiting any buffet onboard as well as after before we eat. Norovirus is no joke.
+1 to Norovirus being no joke. Source: me, who contracted it several years ago during a trip to Las Vegas. (Insert joke here about what other viruses can be contracted during visits to Vegas.)
The issue is what happens to the funds if you test positive? I would have to think at this point testing positive for Covid probably is not a covered illness on most travel insurances. That means the family of 5 that spends $10k on a Disney cruise is completely [nuked] if little Timmy gets Covid 2 days before travel.
I think the only way testing before boarding would work is if the cruise lines were on board. If cruise lines required testing the only way I would consider a cruise is if they had a generous re-booking policy. I would want a voucher with a 24 month expiry. I also would hope they would offer their own travel insurance policy just for Covid that offered a full refund.
I was 100% team mask/Covid vaccine in the beginning. I was fine at the time with everything the the gov’t mandated in 2020…mostly because we didn’t know how it was going to turn out. Now, I am still in favor of people getting boosters if they want or wearing masks anytime they feel it makes them, or those around them, safer. But I think the days of mandatory testing/masking/vaccines should be behind us….especially for something like a cruise. Everyone has to weigh the risk/reward of something like an optional vacation. They need to look at their own medical situation and weigh the risks. But making everyone test is bringing us back to a place we don’t need to be for the overall population.
I’d be more concerned about food poisoning, where you have hundreds of people all touching the same serving spoons/tongs at the buffet. And there is no mandatory hand washing. Not to mention all the other thousands of touch points that are all shared on a cruise.
@Aaron – Your point is why I avoid the buffets as much as possible.
René,
I am torn on this one. But at this point, why not test for Flu as well? This year is a heavy cruise year with us doing a 10 this past xmas, 8 day in May a 12 day Greek cruise in July and an upcoming cruise for both the week of Thanksgiving and Xmas. We also went on a cruise last year and I had gotten Covid the week before when traveling to NY for a quick trip. Fortunately, I got on some covid meds and tested negative the day before sailing.
I wanted to get a booster, but they said the current booster is the same one I got last November when I did both the Flu and Covid shots at the same time.
I am currently more worried about the Flu and not Covid, as I have already had Covid 3 times.
@Gregg S – I am not aware of COVID like quick test for the flu but I would be all for a combo one or dual test as either one, IMO, should bar you from boarding the ship (and the rules do say that – but everyone sick ignores it).
I took many cruises where we had to take Covid tests prior to boarding. I would not be against this at all. It would be much easier and give us some security while on the ship. I would be glad to know that upon boarding none of the passengers or crew had Covid.
A little bit of precaution is always a good idea.
On cruise ships, we’re so much people are so close together? Yes. On long haul flights? Maybe. I would also appreciate testing for conventions.
The point about buffets is also valid.
I still believe in people: if someone feels sick, his place is not on a ship, plane or at work.
Just my five cents…
I am 75 and have health issues. I have had Covid but very mild due to continued vaccines. I would never ever be without them. People are still getting ill and some dying due to Covid, especially the elderly and with co morbidity.
Testing as a requirement makes no sense. It does not keep people “safe” and it burdens people with thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars. For the vast majority of people, COVID is now a cold or flu. Are we also asking people to test for flu? Cold? Nope.
Look, many viruses burn down when faced with herd immunity. We did the masks and we got the shots
I have had Covid twice. Once I did not know and tested positive on re entry to US. No symptoms nothing. Second I felt I had a head cold tested myself and it was positive
5 years later we need to let go. If we mask up and hide from germs we will lose immunity amd spread bacteria and viruses to others as well as being constantly sick.
I’m not suggestion putting one self in harms way. I’m suggestion this pandemic is over and has been beaten back to mostly non lethal level I do not mask. I only get flu shot as I learned 2 months after covid booster did not stop me from getting covid in Europe
If airlines and cruise lines were willing to do a 100% refund for someone testing positive and their party I agree completely. Expecting the little guy to pay extra for insurance or eat the expense to cancel rather than the swimming-in-profits cruise lines doing the same seems radically skewed. As you noted, passengers are increasingly getting squeezed more and more by cruise lines so a small token of reciprocity in the interests of public health aboard seems reasonable.
I agree.. If one of a family of 5 or more(there are now 13 of us going on vacations) tests ++ as they are boarding..they need to get a full refund……….
No…I’m not for this at all. So many things to catch out & about. Just because you test negative doesn’t mean you can’t pick it up somewhere. Wash up frequently & use a lot of common sense. Even then you can catch something. IMO, stay home & have delivery if you are this worried
I don’t necessarily disagree with your suggestion strongly, what needs to happen is to actually require (with proper rules for those who cannot receive them) common vaccines. This includes those for influenza, measles, and COVID-19. Those who cannot/will not receive these vaccines because of any reason (medical/religious/political/etc.) should have an additional burden on testing negative on these conditions, whether by blood test or otherwise.
But if you are vaccinated and the vaccine works, why do you care if others are jabbed?
Here’s the CDC recommendations on this matter:
https://www.cdc.gov/port-health/php/maritime-guidance/guidance-for-cruise-ships-on-management-of-acute-respiratory-illness-ari-due-to-viral-infection.html
Key quote:
“All passengers and crew are recommended to be up to date with all routine vaccines including vaccines for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, when indicated. In addition to the protection vaccines for respiratory infections provide to individual travelers in preventing severe illness or death, having a high proportion of travelers on board who are up to date with these vaccines reduces the likelihood that cruise ships’ medical centers will be overwhelmed by cases of ARI.”
@SG – The current CDC has zero credibility and anything they post is worthless and unreliable.
I agree about the destruction of CDC as we know it. However, the information that I linked has been the same information that has been posted for the past 5 years or so. I think it is extremely short-sighted and ignorant of you to just assume everything coming from CDC right now is false. Yes, there are some garbage information coming from CDC these days, but there is still plenty of good advice that has, so far, survived the current onslaught.
But it is hard for people without medical training to know which one is good information and which one isn’t.
I would be against this. As others have said, today’s COVID is no worse than a cold. Getting tested is no longer necessary, neither is wearing a mask unless you have immunity issues. People need to move on from the COVID mindset. I’m more concerned about norovirus which thank G-d I’ve never had but I hear it’s awful.
@Barry – Oh I think you are going to get flamed for saying “COVID is no worse than a cold“! Plus I have a friend right now dying from long COVID so I find that statement VERY insulting.
I 100% agree with Barry. C19 was nothing more than the flu and anyone thinking otherwise lacks critical thinking. Also, I doubt your friend is dying from long covid… it’s more likely something to do with one or several vaccines he/she received.
I find it very insulting for you to claim the C19 tests have any validity. The guy who created them openly said they weren’t designed to detect viral load.
Stop being a sheep and believing in the propaganda nonsense. You people who got jabbed are the real risks to society because you lack critical thinking.
You find it VERY insulting?! When you post nonsensical articles like this, no one cares about your feelings.
I personally know people who died from COVID. I had COVID twice — and it was worse than any flu or cold I had. And I stopped getting jabbed after the second booster.
It’s fine to disagree but don’t be disrespectful.
I hope your day gets better.
@J Spammer – Thanks for the ad revenue and your only ever spam comment on the blog.
I recently came back from a Norwegian GEM cruise and many of the people on that cruise came back positive for COVID’s. So I agree, I think people should take a test before they get on a cruise and that the cruise staff should be tested and all rooms should be cleaned with some kind of disinfectant before allowing guests to board.
We all due respect!! You are Nuts!!!!
“We all due respect!!”
If you’re going to troll, spell your comment correctly.
I think testing is a great idea!! Although it wouldn’t eliminate all illnesses, it would clearly decrease them. This would be a benefit for all of us who want to have fun on our vacation and not spend it sick, as well as for the cruise line’s bottom line because the vacationers will be out spending money instead of nursing a fever in the cabin. For those who say it isn’t perfect, that it wouldn’t prevent all disease, that’s true. However, we do many things that don’t result in perfection, but improve the situation. How about seat belts? They don’t prevent all traffic accident related deaths, but seatbelts minimize them, so we use them. I was an avid cruiser (highest loyalty tier on multiple lines), but like many of my friends who loved cruising, I haven’t cruised since Covid. Testing would be a game changer for many of us, who have given up advocating for this position because of the hostile comments we’ve received. If this policy was implemented, I would be back on a ship in a heartbeat! Thank you for writing this piece.
After the lies that were told about COVID that include the genesis, control, immunity and cure, I’m not in favor of Cruise lines looking out for COVID. They might as well as look out for all communicable illnesses and diseases while they are at it. A ships hospital main mission is to cover their asses and not do best for the ship’s passengers as a whole. A passenger that comments about having problems with Hay Fever will be construed as COVID. And tests can not be viewed by the person that was forced to take the test.
Bad Idea and [personal attack redacted] would think that this is a good idea.
Yes, I am in favor of the COVID testing requirement. I am a senior and at higher risk of getting COVID because of age and having asthma even though I get vaccinated twice a year. I have been on a grand total of two cruises in my life. BOTH times I contacted COVID from the cruise. In fact, on one of the cruises the Captain (RC) was asked in a Q&A if COVID was on board, and he refused to answer. On that same cruise, there were 20 of us from the same city who all boarded healthy. At the end of the cruise, all 20 of us had contracted COVID from that cruise! I would like to cruise again, but I won’t because of COVID and the fact that some people who contract it don’t care if they infect others because they are selfish. Testing would reduce that possibility and make it feel safer. And those who think that it is nothing more than the flu or a cold in their comments, think again — I just had a dear friend die from it this summer. It is still a serious virus and mutates, and one of these days a mutation will appear that will be more deadly than the first version of the virus. Lots of people who have let their guard down thinking it is just like a cold or the flu will be very surprised when the deaths skyrocket due to a lethal mutation. Testing before a cruise is common sense and a good precaution.
Test if you want..me…63 tests to get back into my own country under Biden. All negative!!!!….in the end the guys knew me by name..a crap ton of money to eMed for nothing gained.