Jump to content

Covid Testing...


WAYNO

Recommended Posts

I guess I'm late to this party.  We've not cruised in well over a year, as our last cruise was cancelled due to covid issues.

 

As the dust was finally settling, or so we thought, we've recently booked two cruises, one of them less than two weeks away.

 

Call me ignorant, but we just now discovered that covid testing is required within two days of our next cruise.  And yes, we are vaccinated.

 

We live in the Pacific Northwest, and we usually fly out one-to-three days before the cruise when the cruise departs from Florida.  In this case, we're flying one day before the cruise.  So the day before that, we'll have to arrange a covid test with fast results.  We cannot find anywhere that can guaranty we'll get the results in time. 

 

I can't be the only person facing this same dilemma.  How are folks handling this?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Folks are either ordering the proctored at-home tests from Florida or finding Urgent Care type places that have the testing.  

http://www.testfortravel.com is a good place to start to see what the options near you are.  Antigen testing is typically the one that has the more availability of a rapid turnaround time.

CVS and Walgreens offer testing all over the country.  CVS has rapid antigen and Walgreens has rapid antigen or NAAT with a 24-hour turnaround (typically takes no more than a few hours for results).

Most Florida airports also have testing in the terminals for when you land.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

Folks are either ordering the proctored at-home tests from Florida or finding Urgent Care type places that have the testing.  

http://www.testfortravel.com is a good place to start to see what the options near you are.  Antigen testing is typically the one that has the more availability of a rapid turnaround time.

CVS and Walgreens offer testing all over the country.  CVS has rapid antigen and Walgreens has rapid antigen or NAAT with a 24-hour turnaround (typically takes no more than a few hours for results).

Most Florida airports also have testing in the terminals for when you land.

 

Thank you for that.  So far, neither CVS or Walgreens in our area say they can help us with a test and/or rapid results with such a short time window.  I hate chancing leaving home without results, but I also hate cancelling another cruise and losing another airfare.  Guess we'll chance it and hope we can get the test at the airport when we land if we cannot get a test and results before we leave.  Had I known of this testing requirement, I would have reconsidered booking these cruises. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, WAYNO said:

Thank you for that.  So far, neither CVS or Walgreens in our area say they can help us with a test and/or rapid results with such a short time window.  I hate chancing leaving home without results, but I also hate cancelling another cruise and losing another airfare.  Guess we'll chance it and hope we can get the test at the airport when we land if we cannot get a test and results before we leave.  Had I known of this testing requirement, I would have reconsidered booking these cruises. 

Did you try booking online? I'm not sure where in the PNW you are located but you can easily see availability of testing online with both of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, and again thanks.  We and our traveling partner have researched this online and are continuing to do so.  In every case, the best response we receive is maybe.

 

We have not given up, but are just wondering what other folks are doing.  I still don't believe we're alone in this dilemma.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I doubt anywhere is going to actually promise or guarantee your results within a certain time frame. 

That being said, I know a lot of people who have gotten antigen tests as CVS and Walgreens and received their results in 2-3 hours.  Even PCR tests are coming back in a couple days.

I've had 5 antigen tests and 2 PCR tests done between CVS and Walgreens.  I got the results in hours for the antigens and withing 36 hours for each of the PCRs.

My wife has had even more tests done due to traveling to Canada.....and Canada is much stricter than Royal....PCR tests only and they must be done within 72 hours of crossing, unlike Royal who only counts days.  All of her tests have come back in time for her to make it across the border.

 

Locally, CVS schedules online 2 weeks out, Walgreens 48 hours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, teddy said:

I doubt anywhere is going to actually promise or guarantee your results within a certain time frame. 

That being said, I know a lot of people who have gotten antigen tests as CVS and Walgreens and received their results in 2-3 hours.  Even PCR tests are coming back in a couple days.

CVS antigen results come back within an hour. Usually less. It's the PCR tests that are all over the place

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, WAYNO said:

Yes, and again thanks.  We and our traveling partner have researched this online and are continuing to do so.  In every case, the best response we receive is maybe.

We have not given up, but are just wondering what other folks are doing.  I still don't believe we're alone in this dilemma.

One of my cruising companions for a cruise that leaves next weekend is in the Seattle area and she has found success booking online through both CVS and Walgreens.  Walgreens doesn't open up their availability until closer to the cruise date, but finding an appointment online hasn't been an issue for her.

That said there are several options to use as Plans B-Z including getting tested day of at the port which you can book an appointment at:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-if-i-dont-find-a-pre-cruise-test-or-get-test-results-in-time

I'm looking at last minute testing options myself for a cruise in a few weeks where I won't even have a 24 hour window to get testing done.  I'm finding a lot of last minute options that I'm not too stressed about it at all. So as long as you've done your research you should be armed with the information you need to find something down in Florida if you absolutely can not find testing that will have you results before you get on that plane.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live in Montana and getting a covid test to use for cruising anywhere is difficult.  I ordered the online Abbott Binax tests and do them with medical person online.  You can do them anywhere.  Home, hotel, etc.  Usually the ones Royal Caribbean offers  (Binax ones) are shipped expedited, 2-3 days.  But haven't ordered recently.  If that is the case you could get them before your cruise.  I plan to order more in about a week.  This is about my only option where I live.  Some major airports also do the covid testing needed.  You need to make appt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lots of ideas here and I appreciate them.

 

Walgreens, CVS, and others remain unhelpful.  The online/at-home tests, I'm still relying on someone else to not drop the ball when I try so hard to be pro-active.  The RC test is also the most expensive.

 

What we've settled on... We have an appointment for a test on Friday for for a Sunday cruise.  They may or may not have timely results for us, and will text the results.  We'll print the results when we get them, and if that's not good enough, we'll just hope we can get a test in the Miami Airport. 

 

Thank you. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

An update, and what we did...

 

Took the test in a local hospital clinic.  Tested at the same time, one of us received results  the same day, the other result came the following day, after we got on a plane for 12 hours worth of connections.  I'm pleased that the results were negative, and timely enough to be used to get us on the ship, but the dilemma remains.  Travel across the country, and hope the results follow you in time.

 

I'm glad other folks' friends successfully got their tests in Seattle or wherever, by CVS or whoever, but the bottom line is,  cover your bases.  Plan for contingencies.  One glitch and you could end up without results and you'd have to scramble for a local test, or worse, the test could come back positive, and you're stuck without lodging or transportation on the other side of the country. 

 

It is what it is.  I get that.  Just be prepared.

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...