Blondie511 Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 Sailing on the Anthem this Sunday, so I did my Binax Now home test today. Everything is going fine, and then the lady who is proctoring tells me to put six drops in the card hole. The bottle is BONE DRY! Only air squeaked out! She told me the test is over and I needed to get another test. (That was not cheap by the way.). Test #2 did not go any better. The dropper was stuck inside the lid! There is no way to measure exactly six drops! There goes another test. Box #3 worked great! The moral of the story is have a few extra tests for your trip, just in case there is a problem. Customer service was great though. They are overnighting me replacement tests and they will be at my house at noon tomorrow. VirtKitty, Okgladgal, Jacqda and 6 others 1 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPS Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 Great. Now I have to worry about this possible scenario in January. Am I gonna have to buy a six-pack (or more?) to ensure that we get at least TWO usable tests? This would be a real problem for people that need to fly in the day before. We would be landing at FLL at about the time those replacement tests would be delivered to our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireclan Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 Are these the tests that had the expiration dates extended by 3 months? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blondie511 Posted November 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 Yes, these are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken s Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 Thanks for the heads up! Glad you were prepared Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Burke Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 Great. I gave one for my daughter so I only have one. i am going to make a reservation for a rapid test at CVS just in case! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 It's always good to have a back up. Tony from La Lido Loca filmed his first at-home, proctored test and after he'd done the swab and closed the book he accidentally caught the stick on a sleeve and it went tumbling off of the table. Test over, invalid. He had to start over. I'm now paranoid about them (i.e. cats and dogs locked in another room during testing!). IRMO12HD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGSLC5 Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 I went to CVS and it was the easiest thing possible.. It was also Free.. I signed up two weeks in advance for a rapid antigen test. Showed up on my assigned day and time and 29 min later had my results. I strongly recommend using CVS VirtKitty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blondie511 Posted November 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 I would have preferred to have gotten a free CVS test too, but rapid tests are hard to come by now. I read lots of Facebook posts from cruisers that had CVS cancel their appt the day before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dlove707 Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Blondie511 said: Sailing on the Anthem this Sunday, so I did my Binax Now home test today. Everything is going fine, and then the lady who is proctoring tells me to put six drops in the card hole. The bottle is BONE DRY! Only air squeaked out! She told me the test is over and I needed to get another test. (That was not cheap by the way.). Test #2 did not go any better. The dropper was stuck inside the lid! There is no way to measure exactly six drops! There goes another test. Box #3 worked great! The moral of the story is have a few extra tests for your trip, just in case there is a problem. Customer service was great though. They are overnighting me replacement tests and they will be at my house at noon tomorrow. I had one test not work incorrectly so they said they would send a replacement. I guess they do not sell or ship single tests because I received 6 new tests to replace the one single one that did not work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnstewarth Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 We are going on Oasis a week from Sunday (11.21), and we made appointments for rapid tests for my husband, daughter, and me at Walgreens AND CVS for Friday the 19th. First cruise in 23 months and I'm having withdrawals! Taking no chances on missing emabarkation! Okgladgal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 The dry drops problem seems to be the most common problem I've encountered. It's unfortunate, but it's still the exception. cruisellama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N54 Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 Just did ours Today, had no problems. Ours were definitely in the "expired but apparently they're still good" category, no issues. Two tests no problem with dry droppers. IRMO12HD and cruisellama 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 4 hours ago, AGSLC5 said: I went to CVS and it was the easiest thing possible.. It was also Free.. I signed up two weeks in advance for a rapid antigen test. Showed up on my assigned day and time and 29 min later had my results. I strongly recommend using CVS That doesn't work for us due to the 2 day prior stipulation. We usually fly out the morning 2 days prior to our sailing before CVS opens. Home testing works best as we can test anytime before we leave in the morning, or bring the test with us to test in the hotel. cruisellama, IRMO12HD and SPS 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisellama Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 6 hours ago, Blondie511 said: Yes, these are! When did you receive them? (I should ask what were the posted expiration dates) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlohaLivin Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 6 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said: It's always good to have a back up. Tony from La Lido Loca filmed his first at-home, proctored test and after he'd done the swab and closed the book he accidentally caught the stick on a sleeve and it went tumbling off of the table. Test over, invalid. He had to start over. I'm now paranoid about them (i.e. cats and dogs locked in another room during testing!). That one scared me too. But we ended up doing it in front of our home computer, I protected the desk like a firebreathing dragon. But all went well/ SpeedNoodles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blondie511 Posted November 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 I am honesty not sure where he expiration dates are. I could not find a date until I opened the box. Understand that once you open the test you invalidate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 9 minutes ago, Blondie511 said: I am honesty not sure where he expiration dates are. I could not find a date until I opened the box. Understand that once you open the test you invalidate it. The expiration dates are actually outside on the box they deliver them in. Also on the box without opening the test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gugenheimz Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 Where do you get these tests, and how do you get them proctored so that they can be accepted by Royal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisePirate Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 Dry dropper bottle happened to us too but we had extra tests ready just in case something happened like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N54 Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 2 hours ago, gugenheimz said: Where do you get these tests, and how do you get them proctored so that they can be accepted by Royal? https://store.optum.com/royal-caribbean/ gugenheimz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGSLC5 Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 16 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said: That doesn't work for us due to the 2 day prior stipulation. We usually fly out the morning 2 days prior to our sailing before CVS opens. Home testing works best as we can test anytime before we leave in the morning, or bring the test with us to test in the hotel. you could always find a CVS in the area where the cruise ships leave from... I live in Ft. Lauderdale and there are plenty of rapid tests here in Florida Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 5 minutes ago, AGSLC5 said: you could always find a CVS in the area where the cruise ships leave from... I live in Ft. Lauderdale and there are plenty of rapid tests here in Florida From what I understand they are drive through. I'm not taking a Covid test from the back of a Lyft. I'm just not gonna do it. LOL. AlohaLivin, Ampurp85 and cruisellama 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGSLC5 Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 3 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said: From what I understand they are drive through. I'm not taking a Covid test from the back of a Lyft. I'm just not gonna do it. LOL. The one is use is semi drive through lol. a lady comes to the car and helps you do the test but I get it you would still have to be in back of car. I guess I am just lucky I live in Ft. Lauderdale area and can get the free CVS tests lol SpeedNoodles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted November 13, 2021 Report Share Posted November 13, 2021 4 minutes ago, AGSLC5 said: The one is use is semi drive through lol. a lady comes to the car and helps you do the test but I get it you would still have to be in back of car. I guess I am just lucky I live in Ft. Lauderdale area and can get the free CVS tests lol Back of a car of a complete stranger. That's the objectionable part! I've done plenty of them from my own vehicle, but I'd just not want to explain to a stranger "really, I'm not sick, this is just pre-cruise protocol" when most of the time the communication is sketchy at best. AGSLC5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baked Alaska Posted November 14, 2021 Report Share Posted November 14, 2021 Crap. If this happens to us, we're screwed. We fly out Christmas Day for Dec 26th Oasis. We are planning on doing our Binax At-home proctor test on Christmas Eve. We are not off to a good start as We have already received 6 tests that expired before the website said they would at the Optum store. Website said Feb 3, but the tests we received said Dec 18th (with the 3 month FDA extention included). They refunded our order, but don't have any to ship. I then ordered directly from eMed. Hopefully, eMed isn't shipping dried up dropper tests. fireclan, AlohaLivin and Okgladgal 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strife Posted November 14, 2021 Report Share Posted November 14, 2021 This is why I plan on going to get a test done and not use a at home test. That and I do not have a webcam and I do not want one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted November 14, 2021 Report Share Posted November 14, 2021 6 hours ago, Strife said: This is why I plan on going to get a test done and not use a at home test. That and I do not have a webcam and I do not want one. Phone cameras work fine as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravisMA81 Posted November 14, 2021 Report Share Posted November 14, 2021 Has anyone found a good place in Miami Beach that do non drive through tests? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 14, 2021 Report Share Posted November 14, 2021 2 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said: Phone cameras work fine as well. In fact, using your phone is better than a laptop IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisePirate Posted November 14, 2021 Report Share Posted November 14, 2021 6 hours ago, Matt said: In fact, using your phone is better than a laptop IMO Use your phone as the camera on your PC or laptop with the Iriun app. Position phone for the desired angle, get great video quality and the convenience of using the PC screen size and browser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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