Rccl now requires a covid19 test within 2 days of sailing!

[Oceansaway17]

13 minutes ago, cruising in mn said:

We got cancelled from CVS AND Walgreens! Optum also sells the kits. They are all made by Abbot, so its Abbot with the only game in town 🙂

They did specifically say no Dr notes, but gosh, I'd hope they'd reconsider that as well.. It was so hard for us to get tested, then to get the kits in time, or get them at all, and now we have too many.. not a bad problem to have though, I'm not complaining one bit. 

Time will tell I guess, things change so quickly in this industry.. 

 

Good luck to you all! 

 

 

I know -- think about it:  this year started with getting vaccines.  Then cruising starts to open up and along comes the Delta Variant.   

Then comes opening of schools and now the chat is about testing and masks and still vaccines. 

Even with FDA approval still vaccine distrust.  Some countries are begging for it.

I NEVER thought at the beginning of 2021 that here in Sept we would still have so many folks not wanting the  vaccine and then all the issues with schools.  Not to mention all the jobs that are open waiting for folks to apply.

 

I  for one wish I could peek into Sept 2022 and see where this earth is with this virus.  OH but the newest variant is MU so it keeps going.

Planes, stadiums, malls, beaches, and everywhere is getting back within reason.

Just schools and cruise ships that have issues and testing will get to be the norm for a long long time.  Crusing will NEVER be the same or IMO the rest of this decade.

So very sad and did not need to happen. Yyes good luck to all and anyone want to start up a testing company and make some money like emed is doing.  just saying

[not-enough-cruising]

25 minutes ago, Tinkbelle87 said:

I mean... I thought it was funny... I laughed out loud even. Guess I'm just disgusting 😜

I know, right.  Thanks for saying it

 

Some people just can't appreciate the journey if it doesn't follow their prescribed path

[ksadonnab]

Thanks for sharing this

[Lorey2007]

Excited I just saw the urgent care less than a mile from my house is doing the rapid antigen test in 15 minutes. Are all rapid antigen tests the same? Are there some questions I should ask them? This would be for February we are in Michigan and you never know what the roads will be like. We would test on Saturday, fly to LAX on Sunday and cruise on Monday. I already changed our flights to Sunday so we could test at home. 

This is all getting so complicated.

[rj59]

2 hours ago, Lorey2007 said:

Excited I just saw the urgent care less than a mile from my house is doing the rapid antigen test in 15 minutes. Are all rapid antigen tests the same? Are there some questions I should ask them? This would be for February we are in Michigan and you never know what the roads will be like. We would test on Saturday, fly to LAX on Sunday and cruise on Monday. I already changed our flights to Sunday so we could test at home. 

This is all getting so complicated.

It's pretty simple. If testing is still required in February, you can try setting up a rapid test before you leave to the port, in the port city, but have an Abbott home proctored test as a backup. Then if you don't have results in time, take the home proctored test. I would also have a backup backup. Find urgent care clinics that would offer rapid results in Long Beach or wherever you're staying in LA, in case you need to find one the day of the cruise--RC has been sending people off to urgent care clinics who show up without proper test results, so if you go that route, you'll want to get there before same-day cruisers rushing to get tests and results before the ship leaves. I imagine LAX would also have some rapid test option, given the size of the airport and the number of international flights, but there's absolutely no reason to get stressed about it now or rush to order home tests, since the ones people are receiving now expire in February--wait to order for a fresh batch. 

[Lorey2007]

42 minutes ago, rj59 said:

It's pretty simple. If testing is still required in February, you can try setting up a rapid test before you leave to the port, in the port city, but have an Abbott home proctored test as a backup. Then if you don't have results in time, take the home proctored test. I would also have a backup backup. Find urgent care clinics that would offer rapid results in Long Beach or wherever you're staying in LA, in case you need to find one the day of the cruise--RC has been sending people off to urgent care clinics who show up without proper test results, so if you go that route, you'll want to get there before same-day cruisers rushing to get tests and results before the ship leaves. I imagine LAX would also have some rapid test option, given the size of the airport and the number of international flights, but there's absolutely no reason to get stressed about it now or rush to order home tests, since the ones people are receiving now expire in February--wait to order for a fresh batch. 

I'll be testing here in Michigan and flying the next day. No way I'm waiting until I get to LA to test. If one of us would test positive we are stuck there. Rather be stuck at home.

[kmorg1234]

There is another thread that goes into the quick expiration dates of these tests- just another thing to worry about.  I’m wondering whether you have to call to see if your particular test has the automatic extension, and if so,  how long is that extension?  SO confusing and stressful.

 

[cruising in mn]

21 minutes ago, kmorg1234 said:

There is another thread that goes into the quick expiration dates of these tests- just another thing to worry about.  I’m wondering whether you have to call to see if your particular test has the automatic extension, and if so,  how long is that extension?  SO confusing and stressful.

 

I got this from eMED today re: exp dates: 

 

The BinaxNow COVID-19 test kits were originally made in a bulk a in early 2021 and was approved for testing by the FDA under the EUA (Emergency Use Authorization).  All of the test kits have and expiration date of September or October 2021.  The test kit's expiration date has since been extended for an additional 3 months by the FDA until the end of December 2021 or January 2022.  We currently do not have any newer kits in our possession at this time. We do not have an option to send you "newer" test kits.
 
With that being said, we can offer you to return the package for a full refund or you can keep the kits you have, to use at a later time.  It is possible the FDA may grant another extension, and we are currently waiting to see if that happens.  Once it does, we will communicate it to our customers.  
 
If you choose to return the kits, they must be sent back in the original unused state you received them in with 6 un-opened test kits that were not tampered with.  We will not accept partially used, damaged or dismantled test kits.

[kmorg1234]

Thank you- this is very helpful.  

[cruising in mn]

17 hours ago, cruising in mn said:

yes, sorry! you are right

The extra test kits I had are all gone.