New Testing Rules Starting January 17th

[ChiefMateJRK]

30 minutes ago, basicprincess24 said:

Our cruise isn't until March, but this change does create some complications. We are flying to Orlando 2 days before embarkation in Port Canaveral in order to visit Kennedy Space Center the day before the cruise. It looks like our options are to try to get the first appointments of the day to test at our home airport (any later and we might miss our flight), do a proctored eMed at-home test from our hotel, or wait and do the test at the port. 

Have you considered just flying in the day before the cruise and then visiting the space center after the cruise returns?

[CPT Trips]

Doesn’t Florida offer Covid testing at various sites in the state?

[Turtles06]

7 minutes ago, Summerstravel said:

How much are the protorced  eMed test? How do you get results? This sounds like a good plan. I was planning on leaving 2 days early for my cruise in April.  

 

There are numerous threads here on CC about these tests, including videos on how to use them; please do a search particularly in the Celebrity forum (BinaxNow).

 

You can only buy them on line, from eMed.com or Optum.com.   The results are emailed to you and are also available in the Navica App.  (You'll have to create a Navica log in.) 

[basicprincess24]

3 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

If I understand your schedule correctly, I think you have one more option: do the proctored eMed test from your own home, anytime after 12:01am on the day you fly to Florida.

 

BTW, the Kennedy Space Center is fabulous.  Enjoy it and your cruise!

Thank you! That was an option I hadn't considered. That might be the least stressful option since we can control the timing, and know our results before we even leave for the airport. 

 

We have a few space enthusiasts in our group so we knew KSC was not-to-be-missed!

 

 

3 minutes ago, Summerstravel said:

How much are the protorced  eMed test? How do you get results? This sounds like a good plan. I was planning on leaving 2 days early for my cruise in April.  

I'm seeing $150 for a 6-pack directly through the eMed website, but I think smaller packs are available elsewhere. You test yourself with the kit, and a card shows your results after a 15 min wait; the proctor confirms your identity, your result, and that you properly tested yourself via webcam. You then get a PDF result certificate via email that you can print for your records. Someone posted a video from La Lido Loca earlier in the thread that did a great job of showing the process from start to finish. 

[basicprincess24]

6 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Have you considered just flying in the day before the cruise and then visiting the space center after the cruise returns?

We have already booked our flights; had this news come a couple weeks ago we would have likely gone with this option instead. 

 

 

4 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

Doesn’t Florida offer Covid testing at various sites in the state?

I'm seeing PCR testing widely available via CVS, Walgreens, etc, with guaranteed results in 2 days. I know many people have gotten their results quicker, but if our results do take the full 2 days, it's too late, and we'll have to do the tests at the port anyway. Also, most testing sites seem to close at 5pm, which is before we'll land in FL (yay cross-country flights!), and I'd prefer not to take up time on our KSC day to try and find somewhere to test - I hope to be in vacation mode by then!

[mtrancher]

I also see there are a few Fast Test Now sites. I think they were specifically set up to do tests for people who are traveling. They offer rapid tests and PCR tests with various prices for how quickly you want the results.

Bottom line is there seems to be a number of options ranging from free to very expensive; and all different time frames. The shortest return for a PCR test through them is 30 minutes, they get a pretty penny!