Distressed cruiser - testing

[island lady]

3 hours ago, molly361 said:

That's weird. I can get an appt for anytime this afternoon here at our Walgreens for the Rapid NAAT test.  Results in 2 hours

 

Thanks Ellen.  I was searching for the rapid antigen test with Walgreens.   Assuming the NAAT test is also acceptable to RCI then, I will try to search for that.  Thanks.  🙂 

[davekathy]

15 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Thanks Ellen.  I was searching for the rapid antigen test with Walgreens.   Assuming the NAAT test is also acceptable to RCI then, I will try to search for that.  Thanks.  🙂 

Pat, the Rapid NAAT test is accepted by RC. That's the test Kathy and I took for the Explorer cruise and the same test we took this past Friday. 

[molly361]

18 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Thanks Ellen.  I was searching for the rapid antigen test with Walgreens.   Assuming the NAAT test is also acceptable to RCI then, I will try to search for that.  Thanks.  🙂 

 

Just now, davekathy said:

Pat, the Rapid NAAT test is accepted by RC. That's the test Kathy and I took for the Explorer cruise and the same test we took this past Friday. 

Yes it's accepted.  I'm pretty sure that is all Walgreens has ever done close by.  I use my Healthcare provider but when I searched Walgreens in the past for the other Rapid the closest place was in Virginia😇

[island lady]

3 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Pat, the Rapid NAAT test is accepted by RC. That's the test Kathy and I took for the Explorer cruise and the same test we took this past Friday. 

 

Great!  Thanks to you all for the help.  NAAT is the one then.  🙂  

 

But baby Bucky won't like it.  Isn't that the one they like to scramble your brains with that 12 inch Qtip?  

😮  He fusses even with the simple antigen test.  😉 

[island lady]

3 minutes ago, molly361 said:

 

Yes it's accepted.  I'm pretty sure that is all Walgreens has ever done close by.  I use my Healthcare provider but when I searched Walgreens in the past for the other Rapid the closest place was in Virginia😇

 

Thanks again Ellen.  🙂 

[davekathy]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Great!  Thanks to you all for the help.  NAAT is the one then.  🙂  

 

But baby Bucky won't like it.  Isn't that the one they like to scramble your brains with that 12 inch Qtip?  

😮  He fusses even with the simple antigen test.  😉 

Yep, that's the one. Tell Bucky, 18 swab rotations per nostril. 😁At our Walgreens you stay in your car and you do the brain tickle yourself. 

Edited April 25, 2022 by davekathy

[adamdm]

Just checking in from Allure, used iHealth proctored test to board of 4/22 without a problem!  The test credentials were looked at twice, for about 5 seconds each.  While there was no CLIA number on this particular test results page, it just appears that they are scanning for "NEGATIVE" and a valid date.

 

More notes on boarding:

 

• The at-port COVID testing people looked VERY bored and excited for the opportunity to find a possible person to test — so I don't think there would have been any issue if for whatever reason my test had been rejected and I needed an impromptu result at the port, even though I know the cruise line says you must have an appointment in advance.  (I know this because I went into the wrong door when my cab dropped me off and walked right into the area where they were doing it.)
• While I did not arrive until a few minutes before my appointed time of 2:00, there did not appear to be anyone checking people's boarding times at all in spite of multiple messages received not to come before our appointed time.  Maybe this is something that by 2:00 they no longer care about.
• I don't believe they looked at my vax card other than what I scanned into the app for pre-check-in.
• Bag search seemed very cursory as well — kinda regretted not throwing a couple of bottles of booze in my backpack; it did not seem like anyone would have known or cared but I could be wrong.

Edited April 25, 2022 by adamdm

[island lady]

2 hours ago, davekathy said:

Yep, that's the one. Tell Bucky, 18 swab rotations per nostril. 😁At our Walgreens you stay in your car and you do the brain tickle yourself. 

 

Oh no...you can just imagine his face when he does that!!  😮 😄 

[Jerseygirl1416]

4 hours ago, mrsfecura said:

Did anyone use a tripod of some sort to hold their phone while doing the proctored test?  Do you need something like that, or can you prop your phone up on something while they wait the 15 minutes for results?  Can anyone show me a pic of how you did that?  I'm probably overthinking this.  

I just propped my phone against a couple of stacked books. They just need to see you and the table where the test card is.

[mrsfecura]

2 minutes ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

I just propped my phone against a couple of stacked books. They just need to see you and the table where the test card is.

Perfect, thanks!

[PTC DAWG]

4 minutes ago, mrsfecura said:

Perfect, thanks!

Here’s a video

 

 

[johnjen]

19 hours ago, RJ257 said:

Here in south Florida all kinds of Walgreens do the Rapid NAAT Test. It is such a nothing deal to drive up swab a few times and drive off. An hour later you have the results. I was comfortable boarding my ship knowing my fellow passengers had a negative test.

Is the NAAT test acceptable for cruising?

[Another_Critic]

5 minutes ago, johnjen said:

Is the NAAT test acceptable for cruising?

Yes.

[Oceansaway17]

5 minutes ago, johnjen said:

Is the NAAT test acceptable for cruising?

yes yes yes.   

[Qextor]

10 hours ago, adamdm said:

Maybe this is something that by 2:00 they no longer care about.

By 2pm, all the mad crush of people who want to be the first onboard has lessened, and so, yes, they're not worried about anyone's arrival time by then..

[LinRon3]

We've done abbott tests no problem...from home. But what about in foreign country...onboard for flight home to usa? Anyone here use abbott tests while onboard for disembark? We're in Baltic june. We'll prob cancel if no word on flight home. 

[rudeney]

A simple solution to this is to stop testing, and just go by the passenger health questionnaires as they've always done.  Or, if they believe they must test, then offer it at the cruise terminal with the option to bring in our own negative test from 3 days prior to your sailing.  The stress caused by finding a rapid test within such a short period of time is enough to make anyone sick!

[Another_Critic]

13 minutes ago, rudeney said:

A simple solution to this is to stop testing, and just go by the passenger health questionnaires as they've always done.  

And that will be just as useless as it was to "prevent" flu and norovirus spread.

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by Another_Critic

[kirtihk]

2 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

And that will be just as useless as it was to "prevent" flu and norovirus spread.

 

because, of course, everyone is sick non-stop all the time

[lv2cruisgrl]

I think the bigger issue is the crew. The ships seem to be a little under staffed in some areas and when they get covid it really messes things up.  I just want it to go away!

[ALD18]

A lot of it has to do with media relations as well.  The cruise lines are/were constantly being hammered by the media for every type of outbreak.  I think they are being overly cautious, and I agree with them, and doing everything they can do to keep ANY type of infection under stringent control right now.  People wanting to restart cruising are not seeing the negative cruise press because of an outbreak and start re-booking.  I think the cruise lines are playing it super safe and if some passengers don't like it they accept that for the better good of all passengers down the road.   

Edited April 26, 2022 by ALD18

[Another_Critic]

9 minutes ago, ALD18 said:

A lot of it has to do with media relations as well.  The cruise lines are/were constantly being hammered by the media for every type of outbreak. 

The root cause of this is that cruise lines are required to report outbreaks; land based resorts, airlines, trains, buses, etc. are not.

[twangster]

On 4/25/2022 at 9:53 AM, island lady said:

 

Walgreens website told me no locations within 100 miles.  I am not driving over 100 for the antigen test.  😬 But thanks anyway.  Will stick to my PITA little walk in clinic I guess.  😞 

 

Use the Rapid NAAT.  Walgreens here has never rapid antigen but the rapid NAAT is all over Brevard county in dozens of Walgreens.  

[Billy Baltic]

1 hour ago, Another_Critic said:

The root cause of this is that cruise lines are required to report outbreaks; land based resorts, airlines, trains, buses, etc. are not.

Required by who?

[Another_Critic]

3 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

Required by who?

CDC