Beginning 9/13 All DCL Cruisers to Bahamas Must Take Covid Test at Port

[TheBigErn]

I'm concerned about false positives. We're all vaxed but who knows?

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

This is tough. I agree it's a good idea to test. I also am not sure I want to deal with that anxiety, especially for the cruise where I am flying to Florida (in two weeks). Also was hoping to get on the ship as early as possible since it's only a three-night, and I know this will slow that down a lot.

 

[kathi]

What happens if you take the DCL bus and someone on your bus tests positive? They need to be REALLY CLEAR about their policies so we can make informed decisions.

 

[kathi]

And how convenient this announcement comes out the day after Fantasy cruisers could cancel with no penalty.

 

[lanejudy]

If someone test positive at the port do they give you a refund or credit for future cruise?

I believe DCL will give the option of a refund or rescheduling. But it may just be a refund (and you can reschedule on your own time - I can't imagine trying to plan a new cruise date in the midst of the disappointment of being turned away at port). They do not cover any other expenses, such as airline changes or hotel nights, etc.

 

[jujubiee4]

Considering the rise of fake vaccine cards the testing is fine with me. Every day I am reading more
and more stories of people trying to get by. Yesterday in NY 15 charged with fake vaccine cards
conspiracy. There were selling the cards for 200 and get this...another 250 to register your name in the
database. They sold around 250 before they were caught. This just one city.

DCL just needs to be very clear on policies and give people time to get tests back.

 

[lanejudy]

What happens if you take the DCL bus and someone on your bus tests positive? They need to be REALLY CLEAR about their policies so we can make informed decisions.

Didn't DCL already clarify they don't consider other passengers on the bus to be "close contact" for the purpose of testing? Only your own party. That was clarified earlier for kids (and non-vaxxed) testing on the Dream.

 

[orum]

And how convenient this announcement comes out the day after Fantasy cruisers could cancel with no penalty.

That same page now gives Bahamas cruisers until 9/3. It even looks to me like that applies to the Dream too.

 

[TheBigErn]

I'd love to know how many positive tests are coming up at the terminal. I'd be really at a loss if my cruise was canceled because of one positive test in our party of 5. That screws up not only the cruise, but ground transportation, flights and the entire vacation.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

That same page now gives Bahamas cruisers until 9/3. It even looks to me like that applies to the Dream too.

I have 24 hours to make a decision? And only know this because I happened upon this thread--no message from Disney to me yet.

 

[jrapps]

Wait does this start in a few weeks? Or will they be testing every single person at the port tomorrow for the September 3rd sailing?

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Wait does this start in a few weeks? Or will they be testing every single person at the port tomorrow for the September 3rd sailing?

it looks like it starts 9/13

 

[jrapps]

I will admit I wish they were testing everyone at the port starting tomorrow but I understand that they need time to ramp that up. the 9/3 and 9/6 sailings are a holiday weekend, so they may have over 2,000 people each. Starting 9/13, I would not be surprised if there are closer to 1,000 people on the boat.

The 3-day PCR is the difficult one. There are people on my FB group that tested Sunday/Monday and STILL don't have their kids results back yet. a 3-day turnaround is going to be very hard. Even some people who used Disney's own inspire test don't have results back yet.

 

[DenverDis]

This is tough. I agree it's a good idea to test. I also am not sure I want to deal with that anxiety, especially for the cruise where I am flying to Florida (in two weeks). Also was hoping to get on the ship as early as possible since it's only a three-night, and I know this will slow that down a lot.

Agree this is a tough one. I’m still processing pros and cons. I don’t mind taking the test but it will slow boarding today a crawl and the disappointment if someone in your party tests positive and cannot go would be unreal.

That said it would make things even safer. We just got back from the 8/27 Dream cruise. You knew who were the unvaxxed adults from they way they separated folks arriving on the DCL bus. We were ushered to the right line for direct boarding (vaxxed). Left line was for unvaxxed who needed port testing. Mostly families with children under 12 who of course had to be tested. But there were two younger adult women there who were presumably unvaxxed (left line). And they kept dropping their masks at various places where they were theoretically required (like on the CC tram). Not ideal. So yes, I’ll feel safer now I suppose if all 12+ are vaxxed and all passengers are tested.

Wondering if this means the mask requirement may in time be relaxed for indoor spaces?

Hard to keep pace with all this, that’s for sure.

 

[WDWisCallingMeHome]

We have B2B2B booked for early October. Have any B2Bers already called and learned if we would need to pack all our belongings and take them off the ship, exit to the same area new arrivals are tested, and effectively start the process all over between each cruise?

“Back-to-Back Sailings: All Guests on consecutive, back-to-back sailings will be required to take a COVID-19 test administered by Inspire Diagnostics at the terminal after debarking the ship from their first cruise and before reboarding the next ship for their second cruise.”

 

[g_ppetto]

I'm concerned about false positives. We're all vaxed but who knows?

It may not be a false positive. You can test positive if you are vaxxed.

 

[anneeb]

Have any of the other cruise lines who are already testing everyone at the port said how many they turn away due to positive tests? How do you even find a place to stay if you test positive? Does Disney help with those logistics? With breakthrough infections not uncommon I understand why they are testing everyone. But I feel for anyone who is vaccinated and asymptomatic and tests positive at the port. I feel like I'd need to have a contingency plan in place or it would be a little too stressful. How far out can we use our future cruise credits? I'm starting to wonder if I should move our cruise even later.

 

[DCLDVC1]

That same page now gives Bahamas cruisers until 9/3. It even looks to me like that applies to the Dream too.

Is that for all cruises or just those departing prior to November 1st?

 

[lanejudy]

Is that for all cruises or just those departing prior to November 1st?

Looks to be Bahamian cruises Sept. 3rd to Nov. 1st:

Guests on a sailing to The Bahamas (including Disney Castaway Cay) departing from September 3, 2021 to prior to November 1, 2021 may modify their sail date or cancel their sailing without any Disney-imposed cancellation fees by contacting our reservations team at (866) 325-6685 or (407) 566-7797 by September 3, 2021.​

 

[KerriL]

Also, I noticed they changed the timeframe of the pre-arrival test for 12 and under from between 5 days and 24 hours before sailing to between 3 days and 24 hours before sailing.

They need to update their recording when calling DCL...it still says 5 days and 24 hours....