When is the earliest you can get your covid test? 48 hours or 2 days?

[eyern1]

2 days can mean more than 48 hours. Plus everyone has different boarding times. So, my question is, does your test have to be done within 48 hours of boarding time or within 2 days of boarding time? It makes a difference for us in where we can go for testing. In an email sent to all cruisers from Carnival today, it said for example, "If the sailing is on Saturday,  the test may be taken on Thursday and Friday". However, I called last week and the rep on the phone said Noon 2 days prior which in the above instance would be noon Thursday. Does anyone officially know? Anybody who has recently cruised come across this? There's different time zones to be involved as well for some people.

[mrpayroll]

Two days. If cruise is on Saturday,  test can be anytime Thursday. 

[my kids mama]

1 minute ago, mrpayroll said:

Two days. If cruise is on Saturday,  test can be anytime Thursday. 

That is my understanding as well.

[jsglow]

That's accurate.  Specific time doesn't matter.  Done it twice now.

[Dwright826]

11 minutes ago, K_e_short said:

Are fully vaccinated guests required to take a pre-travel COVID-19 test?

The CDC requires pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests to be taken within two days prior to the sailing date. If the sailing is on Saturday, the test may be taken on Thursday and Friday, and as late as Saturday, if you are guaranteed to receive your results in time for check-in.

Ok, but where does it state that you can take it At any time on said days. Technically two days is 48 hours and it is confusing that it's not specified. Again, they just wanted to be sure. 

[K_e_short]

9 minutes ago, Dwright826 said:

Ok, but where does it state that you can take it At any time on said days. Technically two days is 48 hours and it is confusing that it's not specified. Again, they just wanted to be sure. 

 

I thought it was pretty clear.

"Within two days" means exactly that. You need an antigen test within two days of boarding your cruise. There is no reference to 48 hours.

The example explains that if you board Saturday you can test Thursday, Friday and possibility Saturday before you board.

 

[stellarose]

yup. we were told 2 days. so sail Sunday - any time Friday or Saturday. yes morning, noon or evening. 

 

 

[2wheelin]

2 hours ago, eyern1 said:

However, I called last week and the rep on the phone said Noon 2 days prior which in the above instance would be noon Thursday.

K_e_short:  You may think the website is the final word but the op clearly stated they had gotten contradictory info from the cruise line rep. Absolutely enough reason to ask the question.

[K_e_short]

11 minutes ago, 2wheelin said:

K_e_short:  You may think the website is the final word but the op clearly stated they had gotten contradictory info from the cruise line rep. Absolutely enough reason to ask the question.

 This has been mentioned so many times in this forum.

 

The cruise line agents have given out incorrect information on numerous occasions.

 

If you are standing at the port trying to board your ship saying "but when I called Carnival they said..." or worse "..but this guy on Cruise Critic said.."

 

This place is great for reviews of ships, food, how to's etc. but considering the number of people being denied boarding for not reading the rules, I would only trust the website for procedures.

 

 

[eyern1]

11 hours ago, K_e_short said:

 This has been mentioned so many times in this forum.

 

The cruise line agents have given out incorrect information on numerous occasions.

 

If you are standing at the port trying to board your ship saying "but when I called Carnival they said..." or worse "..but this guy on Cruise Critic said.."

 

This place is great for reviews of ships, food, how to's etc. but considering the number of people being denied boarding for not reading the rules, I would only trust the website for procedures.

 

 

Since you are so adamant about this, in your quote, you say travel agents have given wrong advice. Please note that I said SOMEONE AT CARNIVAL DIRECTLY TOLD ME. NOT A TRAVEL AGENT. Therefore I was looking for direct things that were word of mouth from people who have recently cruised. Looks pretty clear that anytime 2 days prior is good from what is being said. But if you bother to look around, you will see some places where 48 hours and 72 hours are used, rather than 2 days or 3 days, with 2 or 3 days giving you a little longer timeframe, therefore it is confusing. Our best place to get testing closes at noon Friday, which is 49 hours before we are supposed to board, so I hoped to get some clarification. Thank you everyone for replying.

[Dwright826]

13 hours ago, Dwright826 said:

. 😇

 

To answer your question, it's when ever you can get it, two days before hand. For example, if your check in time is 11:00 a.m. on thursday, you can take your test ANYTIME on Tuesday or Wednesday. Technically, you can also get your test on Thursday if you are guaranteed to get your results by your 11:00 a.m. check in time. 

 

14 minutes ago, eyern1 said:

Since you are so adamant about this, in your quote, you say travel agents have given wrong advice. Please note that I said SOMEONE AT CARNIVAL DIRECTLY TOLD ME. NOT A TRAVEL AGENT. Therefore I was looking for direct things that were word of mouth from people who have recently cruised. Looks pretty clear that anytime 2 days prior is good from what is being said. But if you bother to look around, you will see some places where 48 hours and 72 hours are used, rather than 2 days or 3 days, with 2 or 3 days giving you a little longer timeframe, therefore it is confusing. Our best place to get testing closes at noon Friday, which is 49 hours before we are supposed to board, so I hoped to get some clarification. Thank you everyone for replying.

I hope this one answers your question. Happy cruising friend. 

[bar1068]

22 minutes ago, eyern1 said:

Since you are so adamant about this, in your quote, you say travel agents have given wrong advice. Please note that I said SOMEONE AT CARNIVAL DIRECTLY TOLD ME. NOT A TRAVEL AGENT. Therefore I was looking for direct things that were word of mouth from people who have recently cruised. Looks pretty clear that anytime 2 days prior is good from what is being said. But if you bother to look around, you will see some places where 48 hours and 72 hours are used, rather than 2 days or 3 days, with 2 or 3 days giving you a little longer timeframe, therefore it is confusing. Our best place to get testing closes at noon Friday, which is 49 hours before we are supposed to board, so I hoped to get some clarification. Thank you everyone for replying.

Not sure if you have the answer you are comfortable with, but I can only share what we actually did, and I will mention our approach was more or less what K_e_short is saying. We followed what was stated on Carnivals website, test could be done 2 days prior to sailing...sail Sunday, test Friday, which was exactly what we did. I choose NOT to look around for the same reasons as way to much false, inaccurate information is out there. We just stuck to the information on Carnivals website. We had our tests done about 9:30am Friday, boarded the Pride about 12:30pm Sunday. Well past 48 hours. No fuss, no muss. HTH

[Lee Cruiser]

15 hours ago, eyern1 said:

2 days can mean more than 48 hours. Plus everyone has different boarding times. So, my question is, does your test have to be done within 48 hours of boarding time or within 2 days of boarding time? It makes a difference for us in where we can go for testing. In an email sent to all cruisers from Carnival today, it said for example, "If the sailing is on Saturday,  the test may be taken on Thursday and Friday". However, I called last week and the rep on the phone said Noon 2 days prior which in the above instance would be noon Thursday. Does anyone officially know? Anybody who has recently cruised come across this? There's different time zones to be involved as well for some people.

On our recent Sunrise cruise we took our test two days before at 8:30 a.m.  At the port, they didn't even look at the page with the time.  They just looked at the summary page that had the date and test result.  John Heald has said several times that the time does not matter, only the day.

[BoozinCroozin]

I will be doing my at-home test around 3AM on Thursday for a Saturday cruise next month. The time doesn't matter, just as long as the day is within 2 of the cruise.

[joe/jack]

23 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

I will be doing my at-home test around 3AM on Thursday for a Saturday cruise next month. The time doesn't matter, just as long as the day is within 2 of the cruise.

Boozer  how long does it take for the results for you at-home-test

thanks 

[Dwright826]

1 hour ago, joe/jack said:

Boozer  how long does it take for the results for you at-home-test

thanks 

Fast. Gotten mine from emed withing minutes

[Jamman54]

3 minutes ago, Dwright826 said:

Fast. Gotten mine from emed withing minutes

 

Agree. Said goodbye to the proctor and within a minute the email from emed was there. 

[BoozinCroozin]

2 hours ago, joe/jack said:

Boozer  how long does it take for the results for you at-home-test

thanks 

I was not home when my daughter did it. But since it goes to my email, I received notice faster than her calling me to say it was negative. I would only be guessing but 5 minutes or less.

[joe/jack]

9 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

I was not home when my daughter did it. But since it goes to my email, I received notice faster than her calling me to say it was negative. I would only be guessing but 5 minutes or less.

Great News Thanks 

[68Blackjack]

Those of you who did the online EMed Covid Test, did you just use your phone or your PC.  I downloaded a QR scanner to my PC but the window is so large it has a hard time picking up the datamatrix QR block. 

[eyern1]

Thanks everyone. Now to get tested TOMORROW!

[Dwright826]

9 hours ago, 68Blackjack said:

Those of you who did the online EMed Covid Test, did you just use your phone or your PC.  I downloaded a QR scanner to my PC but the window is so large it has a hard time picking up the datamatrix QR block. 

Phone set up on a tripod

[bafinegan]

I do not understand why this question keeps being asked.  The answers are all clearly stated on Carnival covid protocols.  ANd the timing/type depends upon if you are vaccinated or unvaccinated ( which, again, is clearly stated).

 

Carnival ( or any other cruise line) could care less who told you what on what cruise site or social media page.  They will go by their written policies, period.  Just try and board by saying  "well someone on cruise critic said I could do...".  See how far that gets you if you are not following their written policy.

 

I would really hate someone to get denied boarding because they didn't read/follow the cruise lines written policies.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by bafinegan

[stellarose]

48 hours.  mike drop. sail sunday- test Friday or Saturday. 

[K_e_short]

2 minutes ago, stellarose said:

48 hours.  mike drop. sail sunday- test Friday or Saturday. 

 

Nope. Wrong.

Nothing about hours. It's in days. Two days. Also funny since the post above you reminded people to read the protocols.

 

Fully Vaccinated Guests

The CDC requires pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests to be taken within two days prior to the sailing date. If the sailing is on Saturday, the test may be taken on Thursday and Friday, and as late as Saturday, if you are guaranteed to receive your results in time for check-in.

Edited October 23, 2021 by K_e_short