Jump to content

New testing protocols starting Sept 13....


DanielB

Recommended Posts

Since I've been testing for cruising I've accidentally on purpose fallen within a 2 day window. 

I've been doing PCR at T-3 days and rapid at T-2 days.

Guess I can drop the PCR test now.   

Seriously though this really has zero impact for me.  It's what I have been doing for a number of cruises.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad they made it clear the PCR requirement for 11 and under.

 

Required Pre-Cruise Testing for Cruises Departing September 13, 2021 or Later

Guests departing on or after September 13, 2021 will need to meet the new requirements recently issued by the U.S. CDC.

  • Vaccinated guests age 12 and older must show a negative COVID-19 test result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days before boarding.
  • Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a PCR test taken no more than 3 days before boarding. Antigen tests will not be accepted.
  • Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested.
  • The cost of pre-cruise testing is the guest’s responsibility.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Q. Is there a telemedicine or telehealth test option that is recommended for my pre-cruise COVID-19 test?
A.  

For fully vaccinated guests only, we accept self-administered, FDA-authorized COVID-19 tests taken under live video supervision by a telehealth representative.

Coming Soon: Purchase Your At-Home Test Kit

Starting September 8th, fully vaccinated guests can order at-home test kits, shipped right to your door (anywhere in the U.S.) in two business days or less. Complete your pre-cruise test at home, with live video supervised by a Certified Guide. Get your results in 15 minutes.  

More About the Test Kit 

The Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test is an FDA-authorized rapid antigen home test that, when combined with eMed Telehealth Service, can be used by fully vaccinated guests to fulfill their pre-cruise test requirement. 

Your test kit includes a personal virtual visit with an eMed Certified Guide who will help you properly administer the test and verify the result. Your eMed Labs result report is provided via email and can be printed or displayed on your mobile device on boarding day. 

How It Works

  • ORDER YOUR TEST KIT ONLINE: Visit Royal Caribbean’s online storefront, powered by Optum, to order your kit. The test kit ships within the U.S. and arrives in two days or less. 
  • TEST FROM HOME: Scan the QR code on your test kit box to start your video visit with a Certified Guide. 
  • GET YOUR RESULT: In 15 minutes, you’ll have a verified test result that you can use to board the ship.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, twangster said:
Q. Is there a telemedicine or telehealth test option that is recommended for my pre-cruise COVID-19 test?
A.  

For fully vaccinated guests only, we accept self-administered, FDA-authorized COVID-19 tests taken under live video supervision by a telehealth representative.

Coming Soon: Purchase Your At-Home Test Kit

Starting September 8th, fully vaccinated guests can order at-home test kits, shipped right to your door (anywhere in the U.S.) in two business days or less. Complete your pre-cruise test at home, with live video supervised by a Certified Guide. Get your results in 15 minutes.  

More About the Test Kit 

The Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test is an FDA-authorized rapid antigen home test that, when combined with eMed Telehealth Service, can be used by fully vaccinated guests to fulfill their pre-cruise test requirement. 

Your test kit includes a personal virtual visit with an eMed Certified Guide who will help you properly administer the test and verify the result. Your eMed Labs result report is provided via email and can be printed or displayed on your mobile device on boarding day. 

How It Works

  • ORDER YOUR TEST KIT ONLINE: Visit Royal Caribbean’s online storefront, powered by Optum, to order your kit. The test kit ships within the U.S. and arrives in two days or less. 
  • TEST FROM HOME: Scan the QR code on your test kit box to start your video visit with a Certified Guide. 
  • GET YOUR RESULT: In 15 minutes, you’ll have a verified test result that you can use to board the ship.

I’m assuming the traveler pays? It doesn’t say. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, spursfreak21 said:

I’m assuming the traveler pays? It doesn’t say. 

 

It kind of does... Purchase Your At-Home Test Kit

I just bought some of the same tests that Royal will soon be selling.  It will be interesting to see if they subsidize the cost or negotiate a bulk rate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, barjpoe said:

Just scheduled my appts. this morning.  Well, I'll cancel those that I made for the 16th and rebook tomorrow for the 17th.

Drats! That's cutting the window close, as we fly out on the 18th, the day before the cruise.

 

I know how you feel. On top of it my hotel has cancellation policy of 48 hrs prior to stay so if by chance my test comes back positive then out the hotel $$. Also dealing with airlines. Ugh. This will be cutting it close. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

It kind of does... Purchase Your At-Home Test Kit

I just bought some of the same tests that Royal will soon be selling.  It will be interesting to see if they subsidize the cost or negotiate a bulk rate.

Well considering I just purchased a 6 pack there’s a big possibility Royal will subsidize the cost for the rest of you…..because that’s my luck! Lol

then again, why would Royal not make a buck off this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

Well considering I just purchased a 6 pack there’s a big possibility Royal will subsidize the cost for the rest of you…..because that’s my luck! Lol

then again, why would Royal not make a buck off this?

Looks like RC isn't even really selling them. They're being sold through Optum (which I assume is Optum Health Care)

 

  • ORDER YOUR TEST KIT ONLINE: Visit Royal Caribbean’s online storefront, powered by Optum, to order your kit. The test kit ships within the U.S. and arrives in two days or less. 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did a PCR test yesterday morning at CVS and I just got the result.  Basically next day.  That's in Florida where cases have been skyrocketing.   

Looks like cases are starting to come down so testing is becoming faster.

I have the home tests for a backup but if CVS can keep this up I've got a solid plan A with them even under a 2 day testing requirement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought the BinaxNow six pack already…and I’m also looking to book an antigen test near me. CVS, Walgreens, walk-in…whatever. I’ve heard of BinaxNow users sometimes having long waits for a telehealth monitor to become available. Or a problem with their hardware, or WiFi speed, or other connection disruptions mid-test which would invalidate that test and force them to start over with a new one.

But I knew when I booked my cruises during the re-start that there would be rocks and shoals to navigate…hoops to jump through…balls to juggle. But I am determined to do whatever it takes to get aboard that ship! The sooner the cruise lines can show that cruising is consistently safe with flexible protocols, the better. I’ll gladly be a part of that…even with the inconvenience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Pattycruise said:

Well considering I just purchased a 6 pack there’s a big possibility Royal will subsidize the cost for the rest of you…..because that’s my luck! Lol

then again, why would Royal not make a buck off this?

So Optum was selling 2 kits for $70, 3 for $100, no charge for shipping. Ironically, Optum was the company who was sold out last week.  
 

My guess is Royal doesn’t subsidize, but Optum may start selling bigger packages (6packs) for a similar cost to EMed and call it a discount. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Since I've been testing for cruising I've accidentally on purpose fallen within a 2 day window.

Same here. At first I was paranoid about being out of the 3 day window, so I did 2 to be safe. 

So no real change in how I've going going about it.

The change is a bigger deal for my kids, who now have to get a PCR test

Link to comment
Share on other sites

JMHO

But let's make it more complicated for those of us that received to vaccine, in my opinion Royal should just test every one when boarding and consider it a cost of doing business.  Those that are unVaxed and show up for a test more that 3 days before boarding or test positive at boarding should then be denied boarding. 

Really what it delay boarding, 15 minutes and what is the,real cost, if the kit only cost me, retail $25.

79% of all hospitalizations in my area are from those darn unVaxed and that includes those poor children which are about 20% of the that number and Can't get the vaccine yet.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, griffinjam22 said:

I know how you feel. On top of it my hotel has cancellation policy of 48 hrs prior to stay so if by chance my test comes back positive then out the hotel $$. Also dealing with airlines. Ugh. This will be cutting it close. 

Travel insurance is your friend in this type of situation. Check out Allianz if you haven't already done so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, griffinjam22 said:

I know how you feel. On top of it my hotel has cancellation policy of 48 hrs prior to stay so if by chance my test comes back positive then out the hotel $$. Also dealing with airlines. Ugh. This will be cutting it close. 

That is why I bought the 6 tests. We are driving down a few days before and have a room booked. We will test a few days before we leave out and basically avoid going out and dealing with people. Then when we are at the room we can test again the day before the ship leaves out to have our result to cruise. That gives us a couple to use before or after the trip as we see fit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, CruiseGus said:

JMHO

But let's make it more complicated for those of us that received to vaccine, in my opinion Royal should just test every one when boarding and consider it a cost of doing business.  Those that are unVaxed and show up for a test more that 3 days before boarding or test positive at boarding should then be denied boarding. 

Really what it delay boarding, 15 minutes and what is the,real cost, if the kit only cost me, retail $25.

79% of all hospitalizations in my area are from those darn unVaxed and that includes those poor children which are about 20% of the that number and Can't get the vaccine yet.

 

 

To assemble or contract a team of health care qualified individuals to mass test a thousand or several thousand plus guests in a 3 or 4 hour window at a cruise terminal is a very different model than a $25 home test over video.  

It doesn't scale in cruise terminals that were never built with this in mind.  You can't just hand out 1,000 or more self tests and tell every guest to use their cell phone to do a proctored test with Navica.  

Then there is the matter of setting up several sets of lab testing equipment stations remotely in the terminal, in a lab environment with isolation and all that goes along with this type of setup.  That can't be cheap.  

Cruise lines are not making money right now.  They are simply losing less.  Add the costs to contract a healthcare workforce which are already in short supply and pay them more to work on weekends then setup laboratory testing in the terminals for mass testing in each and every terminal and the cruise lines just might as well shutdown again.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, MuttMutt said:

That is why I bought the 6 tests. We are driving down a few days before and have a room booked. We will test a few days before we leave out and basically avoid going out and dealing with people. Then when we are at the room we can test again the day before the ship leaves out to have our result to cruise. That gives us a couple to use before or after the trip as we see fit. 

Remember you don't *have* to do the telehealth call to take the test.  So that first test could just privately done, then the day before the cruise do the telehealth call to get the paperwork to board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, twangster said:

To assemble or contract a team of health care qualified individuals to mass test a thousand or several thousand plus guests in a 3 or 4 hour window at a cruise terminal is a very different model than a $25 home test over video.  

It doesn't scale in cruise terminals that were never built with this in mind.  You can't just hand out 1,000 or more self tests and tell every guest to use their cell phone to do a proctored test with Navica.  

Then there is the matter of setting up several sets of lab testing equipment stations remotely in the terminal, in a lab environment with isolation and all that goes along with this type of setup.  That can't be cheap.  

Cruise lines are not making money right now.  They are simply losing less.  Add the costs to contract a healthcare workforce which are already in short supply and pay them more to work on weekends then setup laboratory testing in the terminals for mass testing in each and every terminal and the cruise lines just might as well shutdown again.  

seriously, how trained do you think those tele-med employees that proctor the tests are?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any folks from the toasty south have any issues with receiving this test in our seasonal above 90 weather?   Our mail always is pretty warm when we get it.  Would hate to have this thing damaged from heat soak per the warning below.

 

Important Note to Purchaser: The manufacturer of the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test Kit recommends test kits be stored at temperatures between 2 and 30°C (35.6 - 86°F). Any extended exposure of the test kit to temperatures beyond this range may effect quality of test results. If you have ordered home delivery of the test kit and expect temperatures in your area to be outside of this range at time of delivery, it is recommended that you arrange for someone to be home at or near time of delivery to receive the test kit or, alternatively, select a convenient pick-up location. Should you have any further questions, please contact eMed Customer Service at (866)-955-1173.

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...