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Matt's advice about home tests is great, BUT ...


adwo41

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Canadian and international travelers residing outside the U.S. will need to complete testing requirements for COVID-19 at more standard venues, as these test-at-home kits are only approved for those residing in the United States. (From CruiseCritic website).

It might be possible to test at the airport when you arrive for the cruise.  I'm not sure which airports have this but hopefully it will be one that you will arrive into.

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Do you have the option of scheduling a test at a CVS, Walgreens, walk-in clinic or other similar venue that’s near your destination in the US? Maybe schedule more than one location to be safe…you can always cancel the other. Is it possible for you (or someone in the US) to order the test and have it delivered to your hotel and have the hotel hold it for you until your arrival. 
It’s also probable that as time goes on…protocols will change, available testing will become more accessible or cruise lines will recognize the difficulty for their international guests and make quick testing at the port an option. Good luck.

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12 hours ago, adwo41 said:

... NOT for Canucks!! We can't do it that way. And most of us Westerners have a longer journey than 2 days to the port of departure. It really is a problem for us. Any suggestions?

I would fly in the day before and schedule a test for that day. CVS pharmacy takes reservations up to 2 weeks in advance. I've had good experience with them. 

What port are you sailing from? 

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7 hours ago, steverk said:

I would fly in the day before and schedule a test for that day. CVS pharmacy takes reservations up to 2 weeks in advance. I've had good experience with them. 

What port are you sailing from? 

I’ve heard from fellow Canadians travelling that you need to have a US address in order to get tested at CVS.

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I believe we have a two day window to be tested before boarding.    Our family is cruising on the 12th.   We will fly on the 11th.   We will get rapid tested late evening at the airport on the 10th.   One test should work for entry to the states and boarding.   The only other option is to fly down two days early and get tested once you land.   You can book most at most airports... but it's a real gong show.

 

I also wonder if you could get the Binax tests shipped to your hotel and book an appointment for after you land and get to your room?   Can you pre-book the invigilated test appointments or do you have to be in possession of your test kit?

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1 hour ago, CruiseGus said:

If you had good friends in the US, the test kits could be sent to them and they could put them in a covering box and send them up to you, probably have to reimburse them for the extra postage.

Just another option that might work

The company that does the proctoring is not licensed to do business outside of the US, even if you got the tests.

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My friend owns a Shopper's Drug Mart and said that they offer the Abbott PanBIO rapid antigen test that is administered by one of their staff/technicians. 

The RC website states:

  • Any Abbott brand test administered on site by a pharmacy technician or other health professional is accepted. This includes the common Abbot ID NOW test administered by many pharmacies. The test provider must provide you with a proper results document (no handwritten notes).

The way it is worded, it certainly seems like this should fit RC's requirements for a test. However I would feel more secure if someone from Royal explicitly stated that they will accept the results of the  Abbot PanBIO test.   My nightmare is to assume this , only to get to the port and be denied boarding because of a technicality or something specific to do with Canada.

If this doesn't workout, my backup plan is to get a PCR test at the airport a couple days before, but I'd rather not have to pay that much!

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3 hours ago, DJsMrs said:

I believe we have a two day window to be tested before boarding.    Our family is cruising on the 12th.   We will fly on the 11th.   We will get rapid tested late evening at the airport on the 10th.   One test should work for entry to the states and boarding.    

This is exactly what I was going to do for my cruise on the 27th. Rapid test at Shoppers drug Mart on Saturday evening (40 bucks, takes 15 minutes), fly in on Sunday, cruise is on Monday. 

Now I'm just wondering whether RC provides a complimentary PCR at the end of the cruise. 

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42 minutes ago, TonyYOW said:

This is exactly what I was going to do for my cruise on the 27th. Rapid test at Shoppers drug Mart on Saturday evening (40 bucks, takes 15 minutes), fly in on Sunday, cruise is on Monday. 

Now I'm just wondering whether RC provides a complimentary PCR at the end of the cruise. 

Paging @Lovetocruise2002 - I think she verified RC would test.

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Wow! It seems like I've really opened up a BIG can of worms with this topic! It really is too bad that RC isn't taking better care of their Canadian guests, at least by upping their communications game. So far, I haven't heard a peep out of them on this critical matter. Where is their public-relations team? Fortunately, I'm not sailing until Anthem's TA to Southampton next spring. Things may have improved by then. But, for those fellow Canucks sailing sooner, it's a real dog's breakfast. I can only suggest that now is not the time to be all nicey-nicey polite about things ... shake the trees, guys! Something good might fall out!

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7 hours ago, adwo41 said:

Wow! It seems like I've really opened up a BIG can of worms with this topic! It really is too bad that RC isn't taking better care of their Canadian guests, at least by upping their communications game. So far, I haven't heard a peep out of them on this critical matter. Where is their public-relations team? Fortunately, I'm not sailing until Anthem's TA to Southampton next spring. Things may have improved by then. But, for those fellow Canucks sailing sooner, it's a real dog's breakfast. I can only suggest that now is not the time to be all nicey-nicey polite about things ... shake the trees, guys! Something good might fall out!

I really do not see a lack of communications.  It is pretty black and white on the website, if cruising from a North American port, you must be vaccinated if over 12, and have an antigen or PCR test no older than 2 days upon boarding.

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10 minutes ago, TXcruzer said:

I really do not see a lack of communications.  It is pretty black and white on the website, if cruising from a North American port, you must be vaccinated if over 12, and have an antigen or PCR test no older than 2 days upon boarding.

I second this, all the communications I've received via email and the app gave me a clear picture of what was expected of me for boarding the Allure last week.

I do point out that as a prospective guest, it would take good search skills to find the information.

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14 hours ago, TonyYOW said:

This is exactly what I was going to do for my cruise on the 27th. Rapid test at Shoppers drug Mart on Saturday evening (40 bucks, takes 15 minutes), fly in on Sunday, cruise is on Monday. 

Now I'm just wondering whether RC provides a complimentary PCR at the end of the cruise. 

This is amazing!  Where do you live that Shopper's will do a quick test for 40 bones?    The cheapest Antigen test I can find in Vancouver is $129 - and they go up from there.

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31 minutes ago, adwo41 said:

You must be in Ontario or Alberta. We don't have SDM rapid antigen tests for $40 in BC.

So, here's my final calculation for a BC-based traveller, flying in to Newark from Vancouver via Montreal. Two approved antigen tests required, as follows: (1) for airline/US entry requirements (within 3 days of departure); (2) for RC embarkation requirements (within 2 days). Total cost over CA$ 400 (incl tax)!

You can do it all through Shoppers in conjunction with Life Labs, but only at certain SDM locations in BC.

Why two tests? Because, if you try to get just one test done within 2 days of RC embarkation, you won't get your results in time to use it for your Vancouver-Montreal-Newark flight.

If you're on a shoestring budget (like me), all you can do is keep your fingers x'd that the protocols may have changed by next spring! And keep up that YOLO attitude!

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Other than Shoppers or Loblaws chains, here in southwestern Ontario, I have also discovered at least two local labs that will do testing for travel.  Look around, they could be out there.  The two local labs where I am charge about the same price as Shoppers, they both have great reviews, and the return time for antigen is 15 mins and PCR is no more than 48 hours (but many reviews say that they received it within 24 hours)

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On 9/15/2021 at 7:34 PM, smokeybandit said:

I wonder what the difference is between the PanBIO test and the American Abbott antigen tests. Maybe not anything other than a different name for non-American markets

I'm wondering that myself.  Doing a quick google, the PanBIO doesn't seem to be mentioned as being available in the US which tends to reference the Abbot ID NOW test. However the two tests look to be different, so I don't think it is just a naming thing for different countries.  This is why I want to be as sure as possible that Royal will accept the results of the PanBIO test that Shopper's offers.

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On 9/15/2021 at 8:42 PM, TonyYOW said:

This is exactly what I was going to do for my cruise on the 27th. Rapid test at Shoppers drug Mart on Saturday evening (40 bucks, takes 15 minutes), fly in on Sunday, cruise is on Monday. 

Now I'm just wondering whether RC provides a complimentary PCR at the end of the cruise. 

Tony: after your test on the 25th, can you update us on the type of documentation Shopper's provides you and what type of antigen testing they do?

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7 hours ago, peacefrogdog said:

Do you have to be a concierge level guest to get the testing on board?

That I am unsure of.

3 hours ago, TonyYOW said:

From what I'm reading on RC website, it sounds like it only matters what kind of antigen test it is if you're doing it yourself. 

This is my understanding as well.  At home test, the type/brand matters, pharmacy will be generally accepted.  

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It's amazing what a little bit of sleuthing can reveal. It turns out, there are two clinics at YVR that handle rapid antigen tests for travellers with instant results and waay cheaper than Shoppers. Ultima (https://yvrmedical.com) and CVM (https://covid-medical.ca). Ideal solution. And, in my case, only one certificate needed for US entry and RC embarkation. But watch out for their restricted opening hours, especially on the weekend. Dodged another bullet. Phew!

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