Mandatory testing question~

[cpristash]

We are Sailing on the Summit on 8/7.....Celebrity et.al is calling for an RT-PCR test.  This RT- is also Referred to as the NAAT as I was told by the Walgreens pharmacist...am I correct?

Your input is greatly appreciated!

[markeb]

11 minutes ago, cpristash said:

We are Sailing on the Summit on 8/7.....Celebrity et.al is calling for an RT-PCR test.  This RT- is also Referred to as the NAAT as I was told by the Walgreens pharmacist...am I correct?

Your input is greatly appreciated!

 

Yes and no. And there's no reason you should need to know the difference, but Celebrity has made it so you sort of do need to know...

 

According to what Celebrity is currently requiring, you need a Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction test, commonly referred to by almost no one not in the laboratory business as an RT-PCR. All PCRs for SARS-CoV-2 are RT-PCR; don't be confused when the person answering the phone, or even the pharmacist, says it's a regular PCR; you can't amplify RNA in a PCR without the RT component. PCRs are by definition NAATs.

 

At Walgreens, a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, or NAAT, could include the Abbott ID Now system, which is NOT a PCR technology, but at least anecdotally on this board has been accepted by St Maarten, but would not meet the requirement as currently stated by Celebrity for boarding. And I haven't seen even anecdotes of it being accepted.

 

I hope that makes sense. It drives me crazy because you shouldn't need to know the answer to your own question (other than Walgreens has a NAAT that isn't a PCR).

 

 

[amcb]

This is a great question. It would make things much easier if Celebrity would simply come out with a statement as to whether or not they will accept the Walgreens NAAT test. 

 

🙂 amcb

[markeb]

8 minutes ago, amcb said:

This is a great question. It would make things much easier if Celebrity would simply come out with a statement as to whether or not they will accept the Walgreens NAAT test. 

 

🙂 amcb

They will accept the PCR, which is a NAAT. The ID NOW is the unknown. And using the NAAT term (which I don’t believe Celebrity uses) doesn’t help if they continue to specify PCR. Because of that, I really steer away from NAAT terminology in this conversation

[amcb]

Just now, markeb said:

They will accept the PCR, which is a NAAT. The ID NOW is the unknown. And using the NAAT term (which I don’t believe Celebrity uses) doesn’t help if they continue to specify PCR. Because of that, I really steer away from NAAT terminology in this conversation

Oh boy. This is getting even more confusing!  But I really appreciate you trying to clarify!

 

🙂 amcb

[Mike45LC]

@Markeb, thank you for a straightforward and clear answer!  

[cangelmd]

1 hour ago, markeb said:

They will accept the PCR, which is a NAAT. The ID NOW is the unknown. And using the NAAT term (which I don’t believe Celebrity uses) doesn’t help if they continue to specify PCR. Because of that, I really steer away from NAAT terminology in this conversation

I really want to take that tour and see what is in that lab! 
 

 

[cpristash]

Love love love all the feedback and that you are all as confused as we are.

I am going to take my cruise in for to Kroger’s tomorrow and have them review it…

I did google the NAAT  and if I read  it correctly…it tests for the same thing as the RT-PCR..SARS-CoV-2….

Ugh we are soooo ready to cancel this nightmare…
Thanks again folks!

 

[marieps]

1 hour ago, Mike45LC said:

@Markeb, thank you for a straightforward and clear answer!  

See Mark's input on a separate forum about booze.   Dude really does know everything.

[markeb]

14 minutes ago, cpristash said:

Love love love all the feedback and that you are all as confused as we are.

I am going to take my cruise in for to Kroger’s tomorrow and have them review it…

I did google the NAAT  and if I read  it correctly…it tests for the same thing as the RT-PCR..SARS-CoV-2….

Ugh we are soooo ready to cancel this nightmare…
Thanks again folks!

 

To be bluntly honest, Kroger has the least amount of useful information on their testing that I’ve seen yet. That scares me for what you need for cruise travel. 
 

Please don’t use the NAAT terminology, or let them use it; a PCR is a NAAT. Kroger doesn’t appear to offer the ID Now, which is also a NAAT, but not a PCR. So at Kroger, reading between the lines of what they say, you should get a PCR. And based on what’s currently posted from Celebrity, you need PCR results at the port. The ID Now would not meet Celebrity’s stated requirement. 
 

Multiple people on this board have called pharmacies and been told they had PCRs but not RT-PCR; that’s not possible. So I’m hoping you get a straight answer. Walgreens is probably the most upfront and straightforward. 

[TeeRick]

15 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Yes and no. And there's no reason you should need to know the difference, but Celebrity has made it so you sort of do need to know...

 

According to what Celebrity is currently requiring, you need a Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction test, commonly referred to by almost no one not in the laboratory business as an RT-PCR. All PCRs for SARS-CoV-2 are RT-PCR; don't be confused when the person answering the phone, or even the pharmacist, says it's a regular PCR; you can't amplify RNA in a PCR without the RT component. PCRs are by definition NAATs.

 

At Walgreens, a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, or NAAT, could include the Abbott ID Now system, which is NOT a PCR technology, but at least anecdotally on this board has been accepted by St Maarten, but would not meet the requirement as currently stated by Celebrity for boarding. And I haven't seen even anecdotes of it being accepted.

 

I hope that makes sense. It drives me crazy because you shouldn't need to know the answer to your own question (other than Walgreens has a NAAT that isn't a PCR).

 

 

OMG.  Science spoken here.  Mark are you feeling like walking on the edge today with this response?  Or just walking on The EDGE.  I personally would love to be on EDGE today.

[markeb]

8 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

OMG.  Science spoken here.  Mark are you feeling like walking on the edge today with this response?  Or just walking on The EDGE.  I personally would love to be on EDGE today.

 

Tried to answer their question without it, but I don't know that you can.

 

They shouldn't need to know, Rick! This is country and cruise line inflicted use of terms of art and from the posts here, are clearly confusing people!

 

 

[upwarduk]

16 hours ago, amcb said:

This is a great question. It would make things much easier if Celebrity would simply come out with a statement as to whether or not they will accept the Walgreens NAAT test. 

 

🙂 amcb

Look on the Celebrity web site.

We in UK have had this discussion re the PCR tests required in Southampton. 
Revised Health & Safety rules were issued 7/7/21 to clarify.

Edited July 13, 2021 by upwarduk

[LMHSRN]

How about some good old plain English here?  In other words is anything other than the required Covid-19 test required?  

[lhsail]

37 minutes ago, LMHSRN said:

How about some good old plain English here?  In other words is anything other than the required Covid-19 test required?  

The problem is there are multiple kinds of COVID tests and the requirements for St. Maarten are not the same as for Celebrity. That is why we are anxious about getting it right. 

[lhsail]

Trust me, I have every intention of doing everything I can to get this right. But, have there been any reports of anyone showing up at the pier in St. Maarten with the wrong test or a test outside the 72-hour timeframe and how they were handled? I’m guessing if accommodations were made Celebrity would not want that advertised. 

[amcb]

Just now, lhsail said:

Trust me, I have every intention of doing everything I can to get this right. But, have there been any reports of anyone showing up at the pier in St. Maarten with the wrong test or a test outside the 72-hour timeframe and how they were handled? I’m guessing if accommodations were made Celebrity would not want that advertised. 

I asked my travel agent the exact same question yesterday!!

[amcb]

Has anyone used CVS for their test?  If so, what is the turnaround like? We have a late flight Thursday and I was hoping a Wednesday test would work for both St. Maarten and Celebrity. But it only works with a quick turnaround.

[markeb]

8 minutes ago, amcb said:

Has anyone used CVS for their test?  If so, what is the turnaround like? We have a late flight Thursday and I was hoping a Wednesday test would work for both St. Maarten and Celebrity. But it only works with a quick turnaround.

 

I haven't heard of anyone so far. CVS says "While turnaround times are 1-2 days on average, we cannot guarantee, prioritize or otherwise expedite results.". Guessing Walgreens says the same. 

[amcb]

Just now, markeb said:

 

I haven't heard of anyone so far. CVS says "While turnaround times are 1-2 days on average, we cannot guarantee, prioritize or otherwise expedite results.". Guessing Walgreens says the same. 

Yep. That's what I'm seeing too. I was hoping for someone with real life experience.  We're going to end up doing two tests.  Which just makes me wonder whether it makes sense to just do the second one in St. Maarten.

[markeb]

23 minutes ago, lhsail said:

Trust me, I have every intention of doing everything I can to get this right. But, have there been any reports of anyone showing up at the pier in St. Maarten with the wrong test or a test outside the 72-hour timeframe and how they were handled? I’m guessing if accommodations were made Celebrity would not want that advertised. 

 

I'm kind of "assuming", with all the dangers inherent, that it hasn't happened to a regular CC poster. I mean the board is getting back to normal with dress code threads, waiting in the sun threads, can I check in 4 hours before my slotted time threads, etc. Surely there'd be posts if there were problems?

[cpristash]

Greetings!

I just returned from Walgreens….the pharmacist was very informative.  She states that she has not heard of anyone that they serviced to have missed their trip due to test results….just make sure that you have it done in a timely fashion.  She also said that the sample is sent Fed-ex and has a tracking module….she also gave me the number to the testing lab in case we should run into problems….

Btw…the test is free it is the rapid test that costs a good deal of $.

please let me know your thoughts..you folks have been REALLY helpful!

 

[mayleeman]

Trying to understand Hawaii's requirements, where only test results from their "trusted partners" are accepted, is a nightmare as well. I called a Costco Pharmacy (naned as a partner) and the pharmacist said she hadn't heard about being a Hawaii partner. But she said that the test they did was one you purchased from them, conducted at home yourself, and mailed in, so that must be what Hawaii wanted. 

 

Sure. Mail in and wait for results you need of a test taken no longer than 72 hrs before departure.

Edited July 13, 2021 by mayleeman

[DCPIV]

3 hours ago, amcb said:

Has anyone used CVS for their test?  If so, what is the turnaround like? We have a late flight Thursday and I was hoping a Wednesday test would work for both St. Maarten and Celebrity. But it only works with a quick turnaround.

 

I don't know where you are, but you might want to try searching for "rt-pcr tests near me" or something like that.  When we did that, we found a number of places that did same day results.

[amcb]

2 hours ago, DCPIV said:

 

I don't know where you are, but you might want to try searching for "rt-pcr tests near me" or something like that.  When we did that, we found a number of places that did same day results.

Thanks! I'll try that!