Anyone test positive at the pier ???

[no1talks]

28 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

Yeah...how does that work? If you test positive with rapid, if they give you a PCR then the ship will be gone by the time the results come in, right?

They call a couple of guys with a fast boat and plenty of bungee straps...

Edited August 10, 2021 by no1talks

[KeepSailing]

11 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

Ah...so one type of rapid and then a second type of rapid? LOL, the covid tests are so confusing to me...

I am not a clinician, but my understanding is that much of the delay in getting PCR test results is sending the swabs to commercial lab for testing and then getting the results back from lab.  There are some "point of care" options where the test is done where the patient is located that saves time, and I believe there are methods that use shortcuts in the way the sample is processed.  But, not sure if that is what MSC is doing (doing test right there on the pier), so would like to hear from someone who actually has had to get the PCR confirmation test done ...

[Até]

Viking Ocean gives every passenger a PCR test every day they are on the ship.  They are processed right on the ship.  Luckily it's a saliva test.

 

ETA:  They also require vaccination.   And of course both ships sailing  (Bermuda and Iceland) have had positive cases on board. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Até

[funinthsun]

On 8/9/2021 at 12:18 PM, Shippy said:

  We are (hopefully) cruising on the Meraviglia next month.

We are fully vaccinated but know we must still get tested at the pier.

If you have no symptoms but test positive, what happens to you ?

    I have heard you get your cruise money back but then, what ??

Are you free to leave ??? Are you taken somewhere & forced to quarantine ?

If so, I would assume it would be a designated hotel.....probably at great expense.

Just trying to make contingency plans as we have to travel cross country.

Any first hand info would be appreciated.

thanks

 

MSC Cruises Travel & COVID-19 Reassurance For Fully Vaccinated Guests Only:  

Sailings on or before October 31, 2021 will be provided MSC Cruises COVID-19 Reassurance at no extra charge (with required proof of vaccination) as it relates to COVID-19 protection services. View description coverage/policy .

 

[GOLDENBONNY]

On 8/10/2021 at 8:55 PM, Até said:

Viking Ocean gives every passenger a PCR test every day they are on the ship.  They are processed right on the ship.  Luckily it's a saliva test.

 

ETA:  They also require vaccination.   And of course both ships sailing  (Bermuda and Iceland) have had positive cases on board. 

only because tests are not accurate at all.

[alyssamma]

3 minutes ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

only because tests are not accurate at all.

Big difference between "not accurate at all" and "not 100% accurate". Hopefully you meant the latter and not the former...

[no1talks]

33 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

Big difference between "not accurate at all" and "not 100% accurate". Hopefully you meant the latter and not the former...

Furthermore, tests may not yield a positive until a week after infection. At best, a test still needs a few days for an infection to "simmer."

That's why MSC will still get a smattering of COVIDians on board. They will have been too freshly infected to be caught at the pier. 

[pattycake08]

Curious, my cruise is on 9/19/2021 on Devina. But say I come down with Covid (I am fully Vaccinated) in the next week or so, then I recover, and feel up to my cruise.  When I get to the pier, and they give me my on site Covid Test, would it come up positive because of the antibodies or the fact that I just had Covid,? and how do you counter the argument that you had it recovered, and are good to go? I'm not sure how long you are contagious

[KeepSailing]

23 minutes ago, pattycake08 said:

When I get to the pier, and they give me my on site Covid Test, would it come up positive because of the antibodies or the fact that I just had Covid,?

The PCR and antigen tests respond to "active" infections and not the presence of antibodies (there is a different test for antibodies).  Since the current guidance is for isolation of 10 to 14 days (depending on which health official / country you look at), I would think that so long as your symptoms resolved more than 2 weeks before the cruise date, you will likely test "negative"?

[CheapieD]

On 8/10/2021 at 4:08 PM, Até said:

That is a good question.  I would assume it is retroactive and MSC will give the basic Reassurance policy to all bookings once they agree to the current Terms & Conditions and supply them with a copy of your vaccination card.  I've received an email for an older booking asking me to agree and submit my info at check-in, it states vaccinated passengers will get that policy.  So far there has been no specific information nor insurance certificate for that Reassurance policy, so I haven't yet filled out the forms nor agreed.

I'm in the same proverbial boat. I sail in October but haven't done the paperwork yet since things are changing and evolving with cruising. 

[8420PR]

On 8/14/2021 at 4:24 PM, pattycake08 said:

Curious, my cruise is on 9/19/2021 on Devina. But say I come down with Covid (I am fully Vaccinated) in the next week or so, then I recover, and feel up to my cruise.  When I get to the pier, and they give me my on site Covid Test, would it come up positive because of the antibodies or the fact that I just had Covid,? and how do you counter the argument that you had it recovered, and are good to go? I'm not sure how long you are contagious

 

The test at the port and oboard is an antigen test - it gives rapid results but will only show positive results when the viral load is high (i.e. most infectious).  It is very unlikely that you will test positive after recovering using an antigen test, though is a strong possibility if using a PCR test. 

 

source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00332-4