Travel in the Time of Covid

 "Precaution is better than cure." ~ Goethe

Trying to organize travel for a party of eight is a little like herding cats at the best of times. During the pandemic, it's even more challenging. Making sure everyone has filled out their passport and CC info on the cruise line website... Encouraging everyone to pack their passport and vaccination card in their carry-on so they know exactly where they are at all times... Checking with the airlines for changes in flight times, (which has already happened for Nephew, who'll be meeting us in Seattle. The rest of us are still a go for our original flights.)  Making certain we dot all the i's and cross all the t's with regard to pre-cruise Covid testing.

This last item is a moving target. The rules keep changing...

As the CDC issues new guidance, cruise lines are adjusting their pre-cruise testing requirements. All the Carnival group lines, including Princess and Holland America, had been requiring passengers to arrive at the pier with a negative covid test within the last 72 hours in hand. Now, that time has been crunched to 48 hours. 

This is a problem for people like us who live in extremely rural areas. There is no rapid covid test facility within 100 miles of us. Fortunately for us, Norwegian does not require us to bring test results with us. They will test us at the pier on embarkation day at their expense, which I think is very classy of them.

But my dad, who's traveling with us, is the "King of What If..." He wanted to know what would happen if one of us turns up positive on embarkation day. So I did some poking about on the NCL site, and came across these little factoids. 

If I am denied boarding, will I receive assistance with travel arrangements?

If a guest is denied boarding due to a positive COVID-19 test at embarkation, the cruise line will coordinate and cover costs for travel arrangements, for that guest and those traveling with them if they are also denied boarding. The cruise line will not be able to assist with travel arrangements if a guest is denied boarding as a result of a violating the cruise line's health and safety protocols.

What happens if I test positive for COVID-19 upon disembarkation?

If a guest tests positive for COVID-19 upon disembarkation the Cruise Line will coordinate and cover the cost of required land-based quarantine and travel arrangements to get the guest safely back to their home.

Norwegian Cruise Line will assist with applicable expenses related to any mandatory quarantine that are not covered by a guest's travel insurance only if the guest provides proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test taken within 72-hours prior to their sail date. Proof of negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test taken within 72-hours of sail date must show guest name, date of birth and date the test was taken in order to be eligible.

Highlighting that little word "only" was my idea. The caveat is neatly tucked away in an otherwise pretty comforting message. 

So it seems Norwegian will take good care of us, but we must come with a 72-hour (not 48 like the other lines) negative result in order to be covered for a positive at the pier. We have a hoop to jump through.

Make that eight hoops! 

Remember, we have no rapid results lab here. So seven of us have appointments on September 22nd for free covid tests at our local CVS, which promises results within 18-24 hours delivered to our emails. Still under the wire for us. Unless the lab is backed up...

And Nephew has no CVS in his town, but there is a rapid result test available at a mom-and-pop pharmacy for a $65 fee. I'm sorry for that, but it seems like cheap insurance. 

Oh, and in case your wondering, we opted for Norwegian's travel insurance for this trip.  

Anyway, a timely covid test before we fly to the port city is one more thing on our to-do list that's never been a pre-cruise worry before. But even so, high marks to Norwegian for providing testing right there at embarkation. That along with their 100% vaccination requirement makes me feel safer than I do at our local Walmart. 

The Encore will be as Covid-free a bubble as Norwegian can make it! 

PS. We're still sort of waiting for the World Cruise shoe to drop. Cunard, Princess, Holland American, Seaborne and Crystal have all cancelled their world cruises. Oceania and Regent have yet to announce any changes to their itineraries. Viking officials still claim ours is a go, but I confess bewilderment at where we can possibly visit. Still, anything can happen between now and January, so I will move forward with hope in my heart!