Updated FAQ - Covid Test Required eff 8/15

[nocl]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

I only asked, because the UK does not differentiate.  Die from a heart attack, but with a positive CV19 result, and the death is recorded as a CV19 fatality. 

Keep in mind that COVID effects various body systems.  It causes other body systems to fail, resulting in many conditions listed right along with COVID such as stroke, heart attack, pneumonia, blood clots,  kidney failure, etc.  A death certificate that only lists COVID is incomplete.  For example the US wonder system which tracks deaths lists 6 percent that only states COVID.  Those reflect incomplete data because COVID always causes death by its impact upon one or more systems of the body many as a result of inflammation and cytokine storms.

 

I would expect the UK system does the same thing reflects the details upon all causes of death.

 

This data is important because it is used to look at how an illness impacts the body and how it progresses and exactly how it causes death.

[AF-1]

I am sailing Oct 4th so I will get my test from local Walgreens on 1 Oct.  

[Informatics Nurse]

21 minutes ago, nocl said:

Keep in mind that COVID effects various body systems.  It causes other body systems to fail, resulting in many conditions listed right along with COVID such as stroke, heart attack, pneumonia, blood clots,  kidney failure, etc.  A death certificate that only lists COVID is incomplete.  For example the US wonder system which tracks deaths lists 6 percent that only states COVID.  Those reflect incomplete data because COVID always causes death by its impact upon one or more systems of the body many as a result of inflammation and cytokine storms.

 

I would expect the UK system does the same thing reflects the details upon all causes of death.

 

This data is important because it is used to look at how an illness impacts the body and how it progresses and exactly how it causes death.

Thank you for taking the time to write this. I thought about it, but I've had people argue with me that unless Covid is the ONLY thing listed on the death certificate- it wasn't the cause of death. I am so tired of people without any medical experience telling me that I'm wrong. 

[AF-1]

cr8tiv1; I got the antigen test at Walgreens when I went to Hawaii; so will get same test for my Oct cruise.  I had results in 20 minutes.

[Katjoy]

On 8/4/2021 at 12:23 PM, Italy52 said:

We sail on August 22nd (Sunday) and plan to get the antigen test on August 19th (Thursday) that should be ok, correct?  If I remember correctly testing day does not count as part of the 3 day number..

Yes, you are correct.  Testing on Thursday (which is 3 days prior to boarding) for our Sunday Departure is what Princess said in their email to me this morning.

[cruzsnooze]

Someone in my roll call said Walgreens did a NAAT test. Would that work?

[caribill]

An E-mail from Princess says that the current protocols for the required testing and onboard use of facial coverings is in effect for cruises through 10/31/21.

 

Anyone's guess if this will be extended and if so for how long.

 

 

We’re excited to be sailing again and look forward to more ships returning to service in the months ahead!

 

As always, we remain committed to the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the communities we visit. We will continue to operate vaccinated cruises through 2021 in the U.S. as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

In an abundance of caution and in response to the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. caused by the Delta variant, we’re updating our protocols and requirements. We’re hopeful these measures will be temporary, and we will continue to adjust our protocols based on the advice of our medical and public health advisors.

 

Here are our new, temporary pre-travel COVID-19 testing requirements:

 

Effective with cruises departing on Sunday, August 15, 2021, through Sunday, October 31, 2021, we will require ALL fully vaccinated guests to produce a negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken within 3 days of their embarkation on all Princess sailings.

In order to board, fully vaccinated guests will be required to provide proof of this negative COVID-19 test, along with proof of full vaccination (final dose must have been received at least 14 days prior to embarkation), upon arrival in the terminal.

 

Please note that testing in the terminal will not be available for fully vaccinated guests, so it’s critical that guests have their negative test results with them at cruise check-in.

 

In addition to testing requirements, we have also made adjustments to our onboard mask policy as follows:

 

We strongly encourage all guests to wear face masks when indoors, and we require mask-wearing in elevators, retail shops, the casino and other designated indoor areas, except when eating or drinking.

Guests will also be required to wear face masks before being seated in all dining areas and may occasionally be asked to wear a mask in other designated areas where larger number of guests may congregate.

 

As a reminder, masks are required during embarkation and debarkation in the terminal, and masks must also be worn during the debarkation process on board.

 

We recommend guests wash or replace their mask daily and choose a good quality double-layer cloth or medical-grade mask. Please note that bandanas, neck gaiters and masks with exhaust valves will not be accepted as a substitute for a face mask and that visors and face shields are only permitted when used in addition to a mask.

 

We’re implementing these new requirements to protect our guests and crew while on board. Several destinations have their own requirements, and all guests will be required to follow the protocols in each destination we visit.

 

For further details on our updated testing requirements and onboard protocols, please visit Princess.com/CruiseHealthFAQ. Or watch as Dr. Brenda Barnetson, Director of Clinical Services, answers your most frequently asked questions about CruiseHealth in this recent video interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJafkqtzRf4&feature=youtu.be

 

We hope to see you soon!

[cr8tiv1]

Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 Rapid Molecular PCR test (This is a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test – NAAT) with results in under 15 minutes. We prefer this test due to its high accuracy (less than a 0.5% chance that a negative result is inaccurate) and speed of results. Results are available in less than 15 minutes, making it the fastest rapid point of care molecular COVID-19 test. Fast, accurate results help us follow up immediately and provide the best possible care for our patients.

 

Yes, it will work.  Did they take the rapid test or 3 day test?  Not all Walgreens have the ID NOW test.

[rabin1]

I never really understood the point of testing. You could be negative and then in 24 hours be around someone with Covid and get it and not know it. So then the negative test was a moot point

[nocl]

5 minutes ago, rabin1 said:

I never really understood the point of testing. You could be negative and then in 24 hours be around someone with Covid and get it and not know it. So then the negative test was a moot point

Except for any positive cases that it keeps off of the ship.  There is no one solution, only an application of multiple tools.  If you keep half of the positive cases off of the ship, then there are fewer opportunities for infection of others that masking and vaccination will have to deal with and fewer cases at the end of the cruise.

[rabin1]

2 minutes ago, nocl said:

Except for any positive cases that it keeps off of the ship.  There is no one solution, only an application of multiple tools.  If you keep half of the positive cases off of the ship, then there are fewer opportunities for infection of others that masking and vaccination will have to deal with and fewer cases at the end of the cruise.

I wasn't talking about a ship I was talking about in general. All these people rushing to get tested and hours later could have been exposed to it

[nocl]

Just now, rabin1 said:

I wasn't talking about a ship I was talking about in general. All these people rushing to get tested and hours later could have been exposed to it

Someone should not rush to get tested without a reason.

 

  If someone gets tested because they either have symptoms, or because they had been in close contact with some that had been.  Then it gives them a starting point, and if they do follow basic protective behavior of distancing, masking, etc then their odds of getting infected are still  low.

 

Getting tested and getting a positive result certainly means that they should notify anyone that they were in close contact with to quarantine/test as well as to quarantine themselves.

 

Of course you have many that take the view that they will not test and will not isolate or quarantine either, even if they have been in close contact with someone that was positive.

[Informatics Nurse]

Maybe of interest, I will be testing in roughly two weeks. If I was to have an asymptomatic case now, I wanted to know because I would test positive now and again in two weeks. However, I'm right at the cut off point where I could have an asymptomatic case and then get a note that I had recovered and still go with a positive test*. I picked up a home, non-witnessed test. We were negative. So any positive test now, means no cruise. 😉

 

Edit: I am not suggesting people should do this, but I wanted to make sure I did not have a positive status and not know it. We've both had an occasional cough, which I felt was allergies, but I wanted to check.  

 

 

*Exceptions may apply for asymptomatic guests that have tested positive for COVID-19 in the 90 days prior to embarkation, but not less than 10 days prior to embarkation, and are fully recovered. Guests will need to provide a letter of recovery from their doctor and, laboratory test results that were taken at least 10 or more days prior to embarkation, and not older than 90 days.

Edited August 13, 2021 by Informatics Nurse
Clarify that this is not the right choice for everyone

[rabin1]

40 minutes ago, nocl said:

Someone should not rush to get tested without a reason.

 

  If someone gets tested because they either have symptoms, or because they had been in close contact with some that had been.  Then it gives them a starting point, and if they do follow basic protective behavior of distancing, masking, etc then their odds of getting infected are still  low.

 

Getting tested and getting a positive result certainly means that they should notify anyone that they were in close contact with to quarantine/test as well as to quarantine themselves.

 

Of course you have many that take the view that they will not test and will not isolate or quarantine either, even if they have been in close contact with someone that was positive.

Again I live in South Florida Broward County to be specific. We are leading the country in cases. I think that is enough reason right there to get tested.......................

[trbarton]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 Rapid Molecular PCR test (This is a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test – NAAT) with results in under 15 minutes. We prefer this test due to its high accuracy (less than a 0.5% chance that a negative result is inaccurate) and speed of results. Results are available in less than 15 minutes, making it the fastest rapid point of care molecular COVID-19 test. Fast, accurate results help us follow up immediately and provide the best possible care for our patients.

 

Yes, it will work.  Did they take the rapid test or 3 day test?  Not all Walgreens have the ID NOW test.

I see that CVS does a test called  Rapid-result test (NAAT). Do you know if this is acceptable?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

[PointRoberts]

  We live in a remote area of Washington that requires us to travel through Canada to get to Seattle for our 8/15 cruise. They only test for Covid is 2 days a week and Sunday is the one day a week that does not fall into the 3 day window for Covid test required for our cruise. We decided to take a test on Sunday 8/8 to make sure we were negative before we made the trek thru Canada to get additional testing within the 3 day window. We did this to so if we had been positive we could quarantine at home since Canada would not have allowed our return with a positive result. We made arrangements to be tested again, today at 5pm to be within the 72 hours originally stated that was needed to board our ship. There are only 2 testing sites available and we choose the public testing site since the other was already booked up thru 8/17 after our cruise had left. We showed up at our appointed time and we found the sign below. No email warning or call even though Whatcom county had all that information. I have searched all evening for an alternative test site that could get the results in before sailing and there are none. Princess should really have had a private testing site in Seattle that was up and running for the 3 days before sailing. It is BS to put us through the stress of doing this. I currently don’t know if they are going allow us to board. We have our test from last Sunday and proof that we tried to get a test within the rules they set. How do you deal with trying to get a Covid test when the local health department shuts testing down and you tried to get tested in good faith. 

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by PointRoberts

[Barbara H]

14 minutes ago, PointRoberts said:

  We live in a remote area of Washington that requires us to travel through Canada to get to Seattle for our 8/15 cruise. They only test for Covid is 2 days a week and Sunday is the one day a week that does not fall into the 3 day window for Covid test required for our cruise. We decided to take a test on Sunday 8/8 to make sure we were negative before we made the trek thru Canada to get additional testing within the 3 day window. We did this to so if we had been positive we could quarantine at home since Canada would not have allowed our return with a positive result. We made arrangements to be tested again, today at 5pm to be within the 72 hours originally stated that was needed to board our ship. There are only 2 testing sites available and we choose the public testing site since the other was already booked up thru 8/17 after our cruise had left. We showed up at our appointed time and we found the sign below. No email warning or call even though Whatcom county had all that information. I have searched all evening for an alternative test site that could get the results in before sailing and there are none. Princess should really have had a private testing site in Seattle that was up and running for the 3 days before sailing. It is BS to put us through the stress of doing this. I currently don’t know if they are going allow us to board. We have our test from last Sunday and proof that we tried to get a test within the rules they set. How do you deal with trying to get a Covid test when the local health department shuts testing down and you tried to get tested in good faith. 

 

Oh no!  I'm so sorry that happened to you.  I wondered about folks who lived there.  Were you allowed across the border prior to this?  Take care.

[PointRoberts]

They finally opened the border to us 2 days ago. This is the first time in the past 16 months that we were allowed to transit from our little 5 square mile pana-exclave to the rest of the USA without it being for essential service like a medical emergency. This is our first trip away from Point Roberts since the lockdown. I am beginning to think it may not have been worth all the effort to get thru the border.

Edited August 13, 2021 by PointRoberts

[Barbara H]

1 minute ago, PointRoberts said:

They finally opened the border to us 2 days ago. This is the first time in the past 16 months that we were allowed to transit from our little 5 square mile pana-exclave to the rest of the USA without it being for essential service like a medical emergency. This is our first trip away from Point Roberts since the lockdown. I am beginning to thing it may not have been worth all the effort to get thru the border.

Wow!  I've often wondered what happened to the kids who live there.  Aren't they usually bused through Canada, back into WA for school?  I guess with remote it wouldn't matter.

[cr8tiv1]

30 minutes ago, trbarton said:

I see that CVS does a test called  Rapid-result test (NAAT). Do you know if this is acceptable?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

 

Yes, it is acceptable.  There are two different CVS' in my area. 

 https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing

 

 

Test type: Rapid-result test (antigen)

 

Test type: Rapid-result test (NAAT)

 

Both are acceptable for Princess.  PCR and NAAT are "roughly" interchangeable terms.  Both are type of molecular diagnostic test.

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/coronavirus-disease-2019-testing-basics

 

 

Per Princess:

COVID-19 Testing Requirements

We will also require ALL fully vaccinated guests to produce a negative, medically-observed COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken within 3 days of their embarkation on all Princess sailings.

 

[cr8tiv1]

@PointRoberts I have a dear friend that lives in your little community.  I know that he is very happy the border has opened up again.  It has been a rough time for all of you.  You deserve this cruise.  Good Luck and have a wonderful time.

[Steelers36]

23 minutes ago, PointRoberts said:

They finally opened the border to us 2 days ago. This is the first time in the past 16 months that we were allowed to transit from our little 5 square mile pana-exclave to the rest of the USA without it being for essential service like a medical emergency. This is our first trip away from Point Roberts since the lockdown. I am beginning to think it may not have been worth all the effort to get thru the border.

This was one of THE most ludicrous situations during the whole Covid-19.  It was total and idiotic of our government to not allow direct passage between two parts of the USA.  It's not like your vehicles would be spewing Coronavirus out the exhaust as you drove the road.  Stuff like this just gets me boiling.  Glad you can move around now, but I imagine still some crazy hoops.  GL with the cruise.

[mthomp5]

51 minutes ago, PointRoberts said:

  We live in a remote area of Washington that requires us to travel through Canada to get to Seattle for our 8/15 cruise. They only test for Covid is 2 days a week and Sunday is the one day a week that does not fall into the 3 day window for Covid test required for our cruise. We decided to take a test on Sunday 8/8 to make sure we were negative before we made the trek thru Canada to get additional testing within the 3 day window. We did this to so if we had been positive we could quarantine at home since Canada would not have allowed our return with a positive result. We made arrangements to be tested again, today at 5pm to be within the 72 hours originally stated that was needed to board our ship. There are only 2 testing sites available and we choose the public testing site since the other was already booked up thru 8/17 after our cruise had left. We showed up at our appointed time and we found the sign below. No email warning or call even though Whatcom county had all that information. I have searched all evening for an alternative test site that could get the results in before sailing and there are none. Princess should really have had a private testing site in Seattle that was up and running for the 3 days before sailing. It is BS to put us through the stress of doing this. I currently don’t know if they are going allow us to board. We have our test from last Sunday and proof that we tried to get a test within the rules they set. How do you deal with trying to get a Covid test when the local health department shuts testing down and you tried to get tested in good faith. 

 

Oh no!  This is what I fear too with it being so difficult lately to get a test due to shortages. I’m so sorry…I’m hoping for the best for you.

[PointRoberts]

We have a great primary school with an exceptional teacher. K thru 3rd grade go to our local primary school and then they get bussed thru Canada to Blaine for 4 - 12th grade. We had 13 kids in primary school last year with 1 teacher and 1 teachers aide. The kids get a lot of one on one attention so most are working above their grade level. The kids did have a great deal of difficulty with the isolation over the past 16 months.

 

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by PointRoberts

[trbarton]

31 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Yes, it is acceptable.  There are two different CVS' in my area. 

 https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing

 

 

 

Test type: Rapid-result test (antigen)

 

 

Test type: Rapid-result test (NAAT)

 

Both are acceptable for Princess.  PCR and NAAT are "roughly" interchangeable terms.  Both are type of molecular diagnostic test.

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/coronavirus-disease-2019-testing-basics

 

 

Per Princess:

COVID-19 Testing Requirements

We will also require ALL fully vaccinated guests to produce a negative, medically-observed COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken within 3 days of their embarkation on all Princess sailings.

 

Thank you very much. 
 

Tom😀