Jump to content

New PCR / Antigen Testing Requirement


Recommended Posts

Royal Caribbean is starting to get their act together identifying the allowable COVID tests. Finally.

Where Do I Take A RT-PCR Test And Submit The Results Before Cruising? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

image.thumb.png.66038b9b63a68c9a259e2ba2ebff736b.png

 

They actually refer to the complete list of FDA approved tests, too: In Vitro Diagnostics EUAs - Molecular Diagnostic Tests for SARS-CoV-2 | FDA

And an important addition is the use of home tests as long as they are supervised. This basically makes 15-minute tests accessible to anybody, anywhere as long as they can do a video conference online and order the necessary test in advance to have on hand when the test has to be performed. One of the first in this category is Abbott's BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag At-Home Test.

Abbott’s BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag At-Home Test Kit 6 Pack (emed.com)

Travelers can now buy CDC-approved at-home COVID-19 tests for just $50 (thepointsguy.com)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Hi Dswallow
i just went to the RC web site to get the link to the specific test and it looks like their answer to the test question has changed ( unless I’m looking at it wrong  ). They no longer have any mention of home tests supervised or not. Things are changing so fast, it makes my head spin.  

Q

If I need to take an antigen or PCR COVID-19 test before my cruise where should I go? Are there any considerations I need to take when finding the right test provider? How soon do I need results back and where do I submit the results?

A

 

 

Many health providers and chain drug stores, including Walgreens and CVS, now offer COVID-19 testing for work, travel and other reasons. Some things to keep in mind when scheduling your test:

  • Make sure that you are familiar with the testing timeframe required for your specific port of departure – most of our ports of departure require that you take the test no more than 3 days before your sail date.
  • Make sure that your selected provider is able to provide your results in time for your travel. 
  • How to calculate “3 days before”: The day you set sail is not included as one of the days. So for example, if you are setting sail on a Saturday, you can take your test on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday before. 
  • Print out your test results if possible to facilitate easy access, as you may need to present them at various points. At the terminal, we will also accept test results presented on your phone, like the results email from your testing provider. It should include your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your negative result.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Esmom said:

 

Hi Dswallow
i just went to the RC web site to get the link to the specific test and it looks like their answer to the test question has changed ( unless I’m looking at it wrong  ). They no longer have any mention of home tests supervised or not. Things are changing so fast, it makes my head spin.  

Q

If I need to take an antigen or PCR COVID-19 test before my cruise where should I go? Are there any considerations I need to take when finding the right test provider? How soon do I need results back and where do I submit the results?

A

 

 

Many health providers and chain drug stores, including Walgreens and CVS, now offer COVID-19 testing for work, travel and other reasons. Some things to keep in mind when scheduling your test:

  • Make sure that you are familiar with the testing timeframe required for your specific port of departure – most of our ports of departure require that you take the test no more than 3 days before your sail date.
  • Make sure that your selected provider is able to provide your results in time for your travel. 
  • How to calculate “3 days before”: The day you set sail is not included as one of the days. So for example, if you are setting sail on a Saturday, you can take your test on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday before. 
  • Print out your test results if possible to facilitate easy access, as you may need to present them at various points. At the terminal, we will also accept test results presented on your phone, like the results email from your testing provider. It should include your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your negative result.

Just a couple lines above where you quoted there is a link that says "see a link of currently accepted tests" this will take you to a  CDC website that lists all acceptable tests

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Esmom said:

 

Hi Dswallow
i just went to the RC web site to get the link to the specific test and it looks like their answer to the test question has changed ( unless I’m looking at it wrong  ). They no longer have any mention of home tests supervised or not. Things are changing so fast, it makes my head spin.  

Q

If I need to take an antigen or PCR COVID-19 test before my cruise where should I go? Are there any considerations I need to take when finding the right test provider? How soon do I need results back and where do I submit the results?

A

 

 

Many health providers and chain drug stores, including Walgreens and CVS, now offer COVID-19 testing for work, travel and other reasons. Some things to keep in mind when scheduling your test:

  • Make sure that you are familiar with the testing timeframe required for your specific port of departure – most of our ports of departure require that you take the test no more than 3 days before your sail date.
  • Make sure that your selected provider is able to provide your results in time for your travel. 
  • How to calculate “3 days before”: The day you set sail is not included as one of the days. So for example, if you are setting sail on a Saturday, you can take your test on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday before. 
  • Print out your test results if possible to facilitate easy access, as you may need to present them at various points. At the terminal, we will also accept test results presented on your phone, like the results email from your testing provider. It should include your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your negative result.

I actually went through this myself yesterday. Someone posted the new/changed info that I just screenshotted above, but when I went there, I kept seeing the older info that you just posted. This morning finally it updated for me. All I can suggest here is check later tonight and maybe tomorrow; perhaps then whatever is going on behind the scenes with how this information is distributed on Royal's web site finally gets updated for everyone.

 

Till you finally get the update yourself, the FDA link I posted is what Royal links to on that page.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, avidtravelgeek said:

"Additionally, home/self-tests will not be accepted unless documentation from a medical professional that they were supervised can be provided."

Does eMed provide this documentation for the BINAXNOW™ COVID-19 Ag CARD HOME TEST that is supervised by a certified guide? 

The only way you'll get the results provided via the Navica app (that's Abbott's app to provide test results officially) is if you're doing it from a proctored session. You can always just use the test card and see the results on your own, if all you care about is seeing your own results. But the only folks who can send the results to your app are the ones who are monitoring you while taking the test. So if you can show your results in the app, that's proof it was administered properly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, dswallow said:

The only way you'll get the results provided via the Navica app (that's Abbott's app to provide test results officially) is if you're doing it from a proctored session. You can always just use the test card and see the results on your own, if all you care about is seeing your own results. But the only folks who can send the results to your app are the ones who are monitoring you while taking the test. So if you can show your results in the app, that's proof it was administered properly.

Thanks! Now, another issue to deal with... https://thepointsguy.com/news/long-wait-times-binax-now-at-home-covid-test/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, avidtravelgeek said:

 

Just for fun, I created an account and tried to initiate a test session. Could be worse, I suppose. That article seems to imply a family would be doing this serially via a single computer or smartphone, but I would expect everyone likely has access to multiple devices, and there's no reason you couldn't use every device you have to begin testing sessions and get through them more quickly. It's still a decent option for people in more out-of-the-way areas. And even someone like me in an area with plenty of places to go would be looking at 30-40 minutes round trip travel time plus any waiting for the process to begin once getting somewhere that can do it, then the same wait for results.


image.png.34129f3d863b54364a40b9fb4a977cdf.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, dswallow said:

 

Just for fun, I created an account and tried to initiate a test session. Could be worse, I suppose. That article seems to imply a family would be doing this serially via a single computer or smartphone, but I would expect everyone likely has access to multiple devices, and there's no reason you couldn't use every device you have to begin testing sessions and get through them more quickly. It's still a decent option for people in more out-of-the-way areas. And even someone like me in an area with plenty of places to go would be looking at 30-40 minutes round trip travel time plus any waiting for the process to begin once getting somewhere that can do it, then the same wait for results.


image.png.34129f3d863b54364a40b9fb4a977cdf.png

That's not too bad. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/7/2021 at 11:12 AM, dswallow said:

Royal Caribbean is starting to get their act together identifying the allowable COVID tests. Finally.

Where Do I Take A RT-PCR Test And Submit The Results Before Cruising? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

image.thumb.png.66038b9b63a68c9a259e2ba2ebff736b.png

 

@dswallow please offer an opinion.

Based of the statement above "Two types of viral tests are accepted: NAAT tests (PCR is a common type of NAAT test) and antigen tests."

I think the following test from a Walgreens IS acceptable

IDNOW COVID-19 rapid diagnostic test (nucleic acid amplification test NAAT)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, CruiseGus said:

@dswallow please offer an opinion.

Based of the statement above "Two types of viral tests are accepted: NAAT tests (PCR is a common type of NAAT test) and antigen tests."

I think the following test from a Walgreens IS acceptable

IDNOW COVID-19 rapid diagnostic test (nucleic acid amplification test NAAT)

If you use the search box on the CDC website, ID NOW is listed as acceptable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, CruiseGus said:

@dswallow please offer an opinion.

Based of the statement above "Two types of viral tests are accepted: NAAT tests (PCR is a common type of NAAT test) and antigen tests."

I think the following test from a Walgreens IS acceptable

IDNOW COVID-19 rapid diagnostic test (nucleic acid amplification test NAAT)

 

Abbott's ID NOW which is commonly found in use at Walgreen's is acceptable. You'll find it and basically every other type of NAAT or Antigen test approved for COVID-19 among the pages at the link Royal Caribbean now provides to the list of FDA-approved tests. That category of tests that is not accepted is Antibody tests.

In Vitro Diagnostics EUAs - Molecular Diagnostic Tests for SARS-CoV-2 | FDA
image.thumb.png.0e05314c48d6a23492ab6be3be1fa798.png


ID NOW has been specifically called out before as acceptable, though previously it's been via communication with Royal Caribbean whenever someone has had concerns, which means it falls in that "good luck getting the person handling check-in to agree." ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/7/2021 at 12:12 PM, dswallow said:

And an important addition is the use of home tests as long as they are supervised. This basically makes 15-minute tests accessible to anybody, anywhere as long as they can do a video conference online and order the necessary test in advance to have on hand when the test has to be performed. One of the first in this category is Abbott's BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag At-Home Test.

Abbott’s BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag At-Home Test Kit 6 Pack (emed.com)

On thing to stress. The only one that includes test results is the BinaxNOW Ag card box version of the test.

6_Pack.jpg?w=1300&h=1300&q=50&fm=webp

 

This is NOT the same as the ~$20 test that can be bought off the shelf. This one does not include results since it doesn't include a virtual visit for the test.

Abbott_BinaxNOW_Self_Test_1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...