Covid Test - Hours/Days

[Alslc]

Hi all,

as I will be sailing from Germany the advice on the Cunard website says to take an observed antigen test 24 hours before arrival into the terminal.

If I call Cunard I am sure I will get 100 different replies, so based on your experience, does it mean exactly 24 hours or the day before ?

 

As an example, if I arrive in the terminal the 15th of July at 1400, do I have to take the test after 1400 on the 14th or anytime on the 14th will suffice ?

Thanks!

 

[Tonopah]

Just the day before. So if you are leaving on the 15th, your test should say the 14th but any time on the 14th is fine.

[bluemarble]

What gives me pause is that the Cunard website does specifically state "24 hours, prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal" for departures from Germany. It also says the same for departures from Spain. If they meant "one day prior" (so that the time of the test doesn't matter), I would have expected them to say that. The timeframes for antigen tests prior to departures from the Italy, France, the UK, US and Canada are all specified in "days" rather than "hours".

 

I suggest this might require further clarification just to make sure. We wouldn't want you turned away at Hamburg based on what we think Cunard means by "24 hours" prior to arrival at the terminal. There has been one prior departure from Hamburg earlier this year in March, so perhaps someone who embarked in Hamburg then will be able to confirm what testing timeframe is expected.

[bluemarble]

Just to follow up, there has been another Hamburg departure in February. And I should not have assumed you would be embarking in Hamburg since Kiel is another option. Anyway, I still think we do need to clarify if "24 hours prior" for embarkations in Germany does indeed mean the same as "1 day prior" stated elsewhere for other embarkations.

[Trinnyessex]

We sail 22/6/22 from Hamburg and Cunard said day before . We are booked into a test centre in Hamburg on 21st June 

[Alslc]

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

So I texted Cunard on Facebook and they specifically said 24 hours. They also made an example and they said, if you board at 1500, you need to take the test after 1500 the day before. 
 

I shall call Them tomorrow and double check. However I am taking an online supervised test, so it won’t be an issue for me to move the appointment  

[RJChatsworth]

On the Cunard web site under the heading, 'Pre-cruise testing for voyages departing from Southampton' it reads as follows:-

 

'............organise and purchase a private antigen test to be taken within one day prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal.  This can be at any time the day before or on the day of embarkation.'

 

The above suggests to me that you can take the test from 0001 on the day before departure right up to embarkation the next day?  Does anyone have a different view if departing from Southampton?

[Alslc]

3 minutes ago, RJChatsworth said:

On the Cunard web site under the heading, 'Pre-cruise testing for voyages departing from Southampton' it reads as follows:-

 

'............organise and purchase a private antigen test to be taken within one day prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal.  This can be at any time the day before or on the day of embarkation.'

 

The above suggests to me that you can take the test from 0001 on the day before departure right up to embarkation the next day?  Does anyone have a different view if departing from Southampton?

 

Thank you, but I will depart from Germany. It says 24 hours on the Cunard website, but to be fair in the past 2 years, in every single country in the world, a part from very few exceptions, 24 hours meant 1 day. And again.. it says prior to "arrival" at the terminal, so it is very ambiguous as I can technically turn up at the terminal whenever I want. 

 

All fully vaccinated guests will need to organise and purchase a private observed PCR test to be taken 48 hours, or an observed antigen test to be taken 24 hours, prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal. You can order your test kit through any government-approved testing provider. Guests will need to present their negative test certificate at the ship's terminal.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Alslc

[Morgs1999]

On 6/3/2022 at 8:40 AM, Trinnyessex said:

We sail 22/6/22 from Hamburg and Cunard said day before . We are booked into a test centre in Hamburg on 21st June 

Trinnyessex please can you advise where you went to get the tests completed? 

[Alslc]

Looks like the Cunard website has now been updated and it says “1 day” For Germany departures 

[D&N]

We had our tests on 28th May in Nice Airport at 12:45 local time. Our tests were reviewed when checking in at Southampton at 12:45 the following day, therefore 25 hours later. There was no suggestion from the check in agents (I assume one was training the other) that there was anything wrong with that.

[Alslc]

2 hours ago, D&N said:

We had our tests on 28th May in Nice Airport at 12:45 local time. Our tests were reviewed when checking in at Southampton at 12:45 the following day, therefore 25 hours later. There was no suggestion from the check in agents (I assume one was training the other) that there was anything wrong with that.

 

Southampton has always been "day before". Germany was 24 hours on the Cunard website and it has now, thankfully, been changed. 

[muggo11]

On 6/3/2022 at 9:40 AM, Trinnyessex said:

We sail 22/6/22 from Hamburg and Cunard said day before . We are booked into a test centre in Hamburg on 21st June 

We too are on this cruise. Which test center are you booked in?

[muggo11]

Just a note to say that we got our COVID test today for tomorrow’s QM2 sailing out of Hamburg.  Easy as pie at booth outside of the train station. Took 5 minutes and got results in 15 minutes.  All you need is your cell phone with a QR code scanner.  And best of all?  It was free!   

[carlmm]

1 hour ago, muggo11 said:

  And best of all?  It was free!   

Yes, testing is free for all in Germany.

 

This is supposed to stop by the end of June, but might be prolonged.

[ljbc]

Hi, just back from transatlantic 2 way on QM2. We had to get a flow test 24 hours before. We did our observed test on our iPad at 9.30am the day before but didn’t embark until about 2pm at Southampton the day after and nobody seemed bothered that it was over the 24hours. As long as we’d had a negative test within 1day seemed fine. 

Laura

[techteach]

@muggo11 Glad to see another Washingtonian on board the QM2 after @Safarigirl. I’ll jump on in December. I wonder who will follow you?

[Alslc]

10 minutes ago, ljbc said:

Hi, just back from transatlantic 2 way on QM2. We had to get a flow test 24 hours before. We did our observed test on our iPad at 9.30am the day before but didn’t embark until about 2pm at Southampton the day after and nobody seemed bothered that it was over the 24hours. As long as we’d had a negative test within 1day seemed fine. 

Laura

 

Yes Southampton has never been a problem 🙂 Certain countries required 24 hours 

[bluemarble]

3 minutes ago, ljbc said:

Hi, just back from transatlantic 2 way on QM2. We had to get a flow test 24 hours before. We did our observed test on our iPad at 9.30am the day before but didn’t embark until about 2pm at Southampton the day after and nobody seemed bothered that it was over the 24hours. As long as we’d had a negative test within 1day seemed fine. 

Laura

 

Hi, Laura. I'm curious, who told you or where did you read you needed to take your test for Southampton "24 hours" before? As far as I know, the Cunard website has consistently stated "one day" before for Southampton departures. Here is a quote from their "Preparing to sail - at the terminal" page.

 

"Pre-cruise testing for voyages departing from Southampton.

 

All guests aged five years and over will need to organize and purchase an antigen test to be taken within one day prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal."

 

Good to hear they are adhering to that "one day" requirement. I just wanted to clarify that it's one day in case others are seeing 24 hours somewhere.

[QM1]

I officially tested negative at a test center about 20 hours before boarding. Just to be absolutely sure I did a private test at home (again negative) the morning before I entered the train to Hamburg to board the Queen Mary 2. And just hours after entering the ship I felt sick after a short nap and was tested positive that very evening.  "Just in time" as it absolutely never should be.

[muggo11]

On 6/23/2022 at 2:31 PM, QM1 said:

I officially tested negative at a test center about 20 hours before boarding. Just to be absolutely sure I did a private test at home (again negative) the morning before I entered the train to Hamburg to board the Queen Mary 2. And just hours after entering the ship I felt sick after a short nap and was tested positive that very evening.  "Just in time" as it absolutely never should be.

So what happened.  Did you have to leave the ship in Southampton?  Or are you in one of the deck 5 quarantine cabins. So so sorry!  

[Host Hattie]

 

 

 

[Bell Boy]

On 6/3/2022 at 11:27 PM, Alslc said:

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

So I texted Cunard on Facebook and they specifically said 24 hours. They also made an example and they said, if you board at 1500, you need to take the test after 1500 the day before. 
 

I shall call Them tomorrow and double check. However I am taking an online supervised test, so it won’t be an issue for me to move the appointment  

Please don't stress your self over this testing. 

 Take no notice of the reply from Cunard Facebook . You just need a LFT test the 'day before you board the ship'. I have recently had an LFT for a June 5th embarkation, I arranged the test for June 4th at approx 10.am - my check-in time was 1.pm on the 5th.

Please be advised the check-in agents have 'no time to be calculating hours or minutes' of your LFT test all they are interested in is that your test is negative and it was taken the day before.

I have another  Cunard cruise booked for July 31st , I have already arranged a test for the 30th, the time they have reserved for me is 11.45am , at the moment I have no idea of what time my check-in time is for the 31st July , however, the most important thing for me was to ensure I could reserve a booking for a test on the 30th.     

 

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, Bell Boy said:

Please don't stress your self over this testing. 

 Take no notice of the reply from Cunard Facebook . You just need a LFT test the 'day before you board the ship'. I have recently had an LFT for a June 5th embarkation, I arranged the test for June 4th at approx 10.am - my check-in time was 1.pm on the 5th.

Please be advised the check-in agents have 'no time to be calculating hours or minutes' of your LFT test all they are interested in is that your test is negative and it was taken the day before.

I have another  Cunard cruise booked for July 31st , I have already arranged a test for the 30th, the time they have reserved for me is 11.45am , at the moment I have no idea of what time my check-in time is for the 31st July , however, the most important thing for me was to ensure I could reserve a booking for a test on the 30th.     

 

Do you need the test ONE calender day before boarding the QM2 in NYC? So boarding SUNDAY we would test SATURDAY or is it still 2 days over there and test is FRIDAY?

[bluemarble]

53 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Do you need the test ONE calender day before boarding the QM2 in NYC? So boarding SUNDAY we would test SATURDAY or is it still 2 days over there and test is FRIDAY?

 

For boarding in the US, the test may be taken two days before you board. In your example for boarding in New York on Sunday, a test taken any time on Friday is fine. Another difference compared to boarding in Southampton is the test for boarding in the US must be an observed test.