FYI: If you have vaxxed kids ages 5-11, you now need to do testing within 48 hours instead of 72 hours

[Eli_6]

I just found this out when verifly would not accept my kid's (ages 8 and 9) Covid test taken today for our cruise departing on Tuesday.  The CCL website states: 

"Except where destination requirements differ*, guests who are up to date with their vaccines may take their test within three days prior to sailing. Up to date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, including any booster dose, when eligible. Example: If the sailing is on Saturday, guests who are up to date with their vaccines may take their test as early as Wednesday and as late as Saturday, if guaranteed to receive results in time for check-in.

If a guest is fully vaccinated but not up to date with their vaccines (i.e., is eligible for a booster but has not received one), they must take their pre-cruise COVID-19 test within two days prior to sailing. A fully vaccinated guest who is not up to date with their vaccines may take their test no earlier than Thursday and as late as Saturday."

 

My kids (ages 8 and 9) are fully vaxed but obviously not yet boosted.  When I made the appointment for all of our Covid tests a few days ago, we were all "up to date" on our vaccines because the children were not eligible yet for a booster.  Well, the FDA and CDC literally approved a booster vax for the kids YESTERDAY on May 20th and apparently that now means that for any of us with vaccinated children ages 5-11, our kids are no longer "UP TO DATE" on their vaccines because they are now "eligible" for a booster. (Never mind that no one has had time to actually get one because this JUST happened.)  Just wanted to let everyone know because if I had not have happened to have used the Verifly app and been told their test was invalid because it was not taken within 48 hours, I would not have realized this and shown up to the port with their "72 hours" Covid test...and we either would not have been allowed to sail or would have had to have tested at the port.  

[rps2004]

2 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

I just found this out when verifly would not accept my kid's (ages 8 and 9) Covid test taken today for our cruise departing on Tuesday.  The CCL website states: 

"Except where destination requirements differ*, guests who are up to date with their vaccines may take their test within three days prior to sailing. Up to date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, including any booster dose, when eligible. Example: If the sailing is on Saturday, guests who are up to date with their vaccines may take their test as early as Wednesday and as late as Saturday, if guaranteed to receive results in time for check-in.

If a guest is fully vaccinated but not up to date with their vaccines (i.e., is eligible for a booster but has not received one), they must take their pre-cruise COVID-19 test within two days prior to sailing. A fully vaccinated guest who is not up to date with their vaccines may take their test no earlier than Thursday and as late as Saturday."

 

My kids (ages 8 and 9) are fully vaxed but obviously not yet boosted.  When I made the appointment for all of our Covid tests a few days ago, we were all "up to date" on our vaccines because the children were not eligible yet for a booster.  Well, the FDA and CDC literally approved a booster vax for the kids YESTERDAY on May 20th and apparently that now means that for any of us with vaccinated children ages 5-11, our kids are no longer "UP TO DATE" on their vaccines because they are now "eligible" for a booster. (Never mind that no one has had time to actually get one because this JUST happened.)  Just wanted to let everyone know because if I had not have happened to have used the Verifly app and been told their test was invalid because it was not taken within 48 hours, I would not have realized this and shown up to the port with their "72 hours" Covid test...and we either would not have been allowed to sail or would have had to have tested at the port.  

I kinda figured this would happen. Hope you were able to get them retested. 
 

Richard

[katiel53]

I don't know if where you are sailing fits into the "except where destination requirements differ etc.", but if you are not and the CDC just changed the regulations, it is totally wrong, in my opinion, to expect you to have them re-tested because the guidelines changed AFTER you had already tested.

 

How can the cruise line justify that?

[BlerkOne]

I suspect Verifly automatically kicks out unboosted people regardless of age. It's hard to build process into apps and keep the apps up to date when requires can change rapidly.

[Eli_6]

So, I asked John Heald and he said we didn't need to re-test. However, it is (by comparison) easier (and free) to test here before we go rather than having to pay at the port and I have concerns someone at the port may "interpret" things differently...so we are just going to go ahead and get them re-tested today to be within the 48 hours. 

[1025cruise]

This has been an issue with Verifly. Nothing new here.

[Eli_6]

3 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

This has been an issue with Verifly. Nothing new here.

So, this was an issue even before the CDC recommendation change?  Interesting...

 

As an aside, Verifly has my husband completely checked in, but it is showing MY picture rather than his on his profile. I did not upload my picture to his account.  I emailed them and they told us we would have to delete it and restart. So he did that.  Now they aren't approving him at all.  Sigh.  Guess we will just be showing them our documents at check in.   

[FromKYtotheOcean]

Are you sailing to Alaska? 
 

* BERMUDA AND CANADA: Fully vaccinated guests traveling to Bermuda and Canada, including those who are up to date with their vaccines, can take either a PCR test between 72 and 24 hours prior to sailing, or an antigen pre-cruise test no earlier than two days prior to sailing, in order to comply with CDC and destination regulations.