Tom in Florida

There is a lot said about catching Covid while on the ship, yet many researching the Rapid Antigen testing now say that the test will not detect the virus until it reaches a certain milestone in your system. Until it reaches that milestone you are able to transmit the virus to others. You may actually have Covid even though your test before boarding says you are negative. it manifests itself within a few days after coming onboard. Rapid Antigen tests are the quickest and most accepted test by cruise lines, yet this may explain the upsurge in cases while on a ship. PCR tests will detect it in your system from the beginning, and are said to be the one most effective way. Perhaps, as a result, we may soon see a shift away from the Rapid Antigen test by the cruise lines.

If you have ever been on a ship that has been seriously affected by disease, or was experiencing severe issues and/or unbelievable safety risks, you will see how things are handled by ship management,and how things are officially reported. This is a business and they are focused on the bottom line reporting to shareholders. This is not a government. Basically when you agree to board, it's agreeing to their rules. laws, and limitations, and there are many disclaimers. They have limited medical resources and do their best, but you do not have the many options, like hospitals etc., available that you would have on dry land You are at their mercy and there is nowhere you can escape to when you are in the middle of the ocean. There will always be a few folks who will complain about everything on every cruise, but when an overwhelming amount of people on the same cruise react to a horrendous situation, and you hear "crickets" or disclaimers by the line, claims by cruise junkies, cheerleaders, and those directly or indirectly involved in the industry that people are lying....well, I tend to give more credibility to those on the ship who alert firsthand, especially as I have been on one of those cruises where the situation was so dire that there was a mass exodus of passengers (including many Diamond level passengers), crew and others who walked off at the first port. The line squelched it. Let's hope this all passes soon and we can get back to cruising.

I just canceled my Jan 9th Harmony cruise. . At this point, I'm not even sure if the Harmony is sailing next Sunday. Hopefully better days are ahead. Thank y'all for your help.

CVS has been a bust for me. They told me they could do the PCR but would provide results in 3-4 days, and they said no rapid testing is available through them now. Not sure about Fed x getting it here in time before we leave for the cruise as they have been reporting delays in my area plus they sometimes rely on the USPS for the back end of their deliveries which is very unreliable and slow here. I know Walgreens is making it available, but not until after we leave. We have until 48 hours before the cruise to cancel if we cannot come up with something.

So, we are leaving on the Harmony next Sunday and have been trying to secure an appointment for our Rapid Antigen tests on Friday or Saturday from anywhere within a 25 mile radius of where we live in Central Florida. No luck. PCR tests take 2-4 days to get results, so that was out too. We have both Pfizer shots and boosters. We are getting the generic maybe about ports, activities and entertainment. We certainly would take the chance with this cruise, but, gee, they are all making this so difficult. If they really want to sell cruises during this crazy, or keep folks from canceling, they should offer quick testing at the dock...free...and refund passage if you fail.