Bring your own Covid test kits!

[janmcn]

Ok…a bit of a rant , but we did the right thing (we thought) last night when my husband developed a cough…after hemming and hawing, he felt it would be prudent (he’s an MD) to get a Covid test. Called about 6 (had dinner in the cabin) and eventually they came at 9 and swabbed us. At 11 they called and said we were negative and they’d test us again “in the morning and if that was negative we’d be good to go, but to stay in our cabin until then.”  It’s 3:30 and still no new test and husband is feeling better. (Many calls to front desk and medical center.) However….they’ve already canceled our shore excursions for tomorrow!!! I’ve found you are flagged across the system!

In retrospect, we should have brought those “free govt test kits” along and done those on our own. I’ve read about folks doing that and now I see why…no need to worry if you’re negative, and if you test positive THeN you’ll call the medical center. 

just sayin’ that’s what I’d do again…meanwhile, we wait…(and hope we’re negative…about 50 cases on board.)

[northernphoenix]

6 minutes ago, janmcn said:

Ok…a bit of a rant , but we did the right thing (we thought) last night when my husband developed a cough…after hemming and hawing, he felt it would be prudent (he’s an MD) to get a Covid test. Called about 6 (had dinner in the cabin) and eventually they came at 9 and swabbed us. At 11 they called and said we were negative and they’d test us again “in the morning and if that was negative we’d be good to go, but to stay in our cabin until then.”  It’s 3:30 and still no new test and husband is feeling better. (Many calls to front desk and medical center.) However….they’ve already canceled our shore excursions for tomorrow!!! I’ve found you are flagged across the system!

In retrospect, we should have brought those “free govt test kits” along and done those on our own. I’ve read about folks doing that and now I see why…no need to worry if you’re negative, and if you test positive THeN you’ll call the medical center. 

just sayin’ that’s what I’d do again…meanwhile, we wait…(and hope we’re negative…about 50 cases on board.)

That’s our plan!

[blueexpedition29]

I have been doing this since last september and 4 cruise later, we will continue.  Good to test every 3-4 days depending on possible exposure to others ( ie - if taking multiple bus excursions,etc).   

[iancal]

We do the same.  Just returned from four weeks in Portugal.  

 

We packed test kits for exactly the reasons outlined above.

 

If we believe that we have the virus we want confirmation.  The very last thing we want to do is pass it along to someone else.

 

We have had covid, it was very mild for us.  But...we know people who have been very ill,  hospitalized, and at least one person who has experienced serious covid attributable ailments for months afterward.

Edited July 27, 2022 by iancal

[tundra1]

We are bringing our own kits for our upcoming Land/Sea cruise, even though we are double boosted.  I would rather know before any mandatory testing that I have a negative result, or that I can do a retest with my own kit should I get a false positive from the company and then have the proof to demand a retest.

 

That is terrible that they made you wait like that!

[syesmar]

@janmcnAppreciate the advice. I agree it's a wise decision to bring self-tests. I have heard of numerous passengers across different cruise lines who requested a test (either because they were close contacts or symptomatic) and weren't given one for whatever reason according to the ship policy at the time, only to find that they were, in fact, positive via a self-test. The self-test spared others from infection. And in your case, could save headaches as well. You did the prudent thing, I pray it all turns out okay for you both. I would imagine the ship gives a second test because with Omicron, sometimes it does take a couple more days to show up as positive.

I hope you get what you need soon without more delays. And hope you continue to feel well and your husband continue to feel better.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy sailing!

Edited July 27, 2022 by syesmar

[snaebyllej]

Do notice that the kits have temperature ranges that they should be stored in.  Mine say not above 85F.  I'd suggest having them in carry-on luggage, since you can't control what happens to checked luggage, like being left to sit out in the sun.

[blueexpedition29]

41 minutes ago, snaebyllej said:

Do notice that the kits have temperature ranges that they should be stored in.  Mine say not above 85F.  I'd suggest having them in carry-on luggage, since you can't control what happens to checked luggage, like being left to sit out in the sun.

Good Point mention!!  I always take them in our carryon.  Suggestion:  you can save space by taking them out of the boxes and combine into one small plastic tupperware type container.  

[rubytue]

17 minutes ago, blueexpedition29 said:

Suggestion:  you can save space by taking them out of the boxes and combine into one small plastic tupperware type container. 

That’s what we did, for the most part. We took several different types, and so for each brand, we group them together (with the instructions, because each brand is nuanced different), and put them in gallon ziploc backs. 

[DaveOKC]

28 minutes ago, blueexpedition29 said:

Good Point mention!!  I always take them in our carryon.  Suggestion:  you can save space by taking them out of the boxes and combine into one small plastic tupperware type container.  

Good idea but IF you are planning on using them on one of those online testing sites, the boxes have to have remained sealed.

 

[vicd1969]

Yup, self test kits will be in my international trip packing list for a while. My county is still distributing them at the public libraries and I've been grateful for that.

[Mary229]

It is the only way to go.  I bring mine every time.  Take care of my own medical issues.  

[aeraen]

Thank you for sharing your experiences.  That is what we planned to do, but it is good to hear that our instincts were right.  

[janmcn]

Thanks for looking at this! Follow up: husband finally was tested tonight (after a whole day of no communication with anyone!) and was positive so we are in isolation for 7 days. Nice that it’s no longer required to move you to different areas, etc. 

 

I will add that we were always masked (ship had required it after day 3) and never went to theater, bars, etc. Stayed in our cabin much of the time (we’re readers!)…

 

we will now always advise folks to bring the test kits as many of you are doing ( yes, they do need to go in carryon) and test yourselves…easier than navigating the overworked medical staff unless you need to. Husband just had mild cold feeling. I’m ok. We’re still cruising!🛳❤️

[rubytue]

@janmcn so for the positive test. I hope he stays super mild. 
 

I’m also chuckling a bit. I have a good friend who is an MD, but doesn’t keep tests around. Twice now I’ve had to do porch pickup or drop offs because he needed test and didn’t have any.

[seaoma]

15 minutes ago, janmcn said:

Thanks for looking at this! Follow up: husband finally was tested tonight (after a whole day of no communication with anyone!) and was positive so we are in isolation for 7 days. Nice that it’s no longer required to move you to different areas, etc. 

 

I will add that we were always masked (ship had required it after day 3) and never went to theater, bars, etc. Stayed in our cabin much of the time (we’re readers!)…

 

we will now always advise folks to bring the test kits as many of you are doing ( yes, they do need to go in carryon) and test yourselves…easier than navigating the overworked medical staff unless you need to. Husband just had mild cold feeling. I’m ok. We’re still cruising!🛳❤️

 

Thanks for updating us and sorry it wasn't the best of news. I hope he will feel better soon with no lingering aggravations.

 

Honestly, it seems like you would be one of the least likely couples to get covid on the cruise. Do you have any thoughts on where you were vulnerable?

 

Would you mind continuing to post, if you feel like it, concerning your experience?

 

Yes, at least you're on a DAM ship! What limitations have they put on you since you're still negative?

[iancal]

1 hour ago, rubytue said:

@janmcn so for the positive test. I hope he stays super mild. 
 

I’m also chuckling a bit. I have a good friend who is an MD, but doesn’t keep tests around. Twice now I’ve had to do porch pickup or drop offs because he needed test and didn’t have any.

Same here.   Actually, we are very much discouraged from attending physician's offices or hospital emerg for tests.   Test are distributed to all pharmacies and available for free.  

 

In our area the first pass is with a self test.  Second is a heath authority drive in PCR test.  

 

The very last place they want possibly positive people is in a physician's or hospital waiting room.

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, rubytue said:

I’m also chuckling a bit. I have a good friend who is an MD, but doesn’t keep tests around. Twice now I’ve had to do porch pickup or drop offs because he needed test and didn’t have any.

Physicians make the worst patients. (I'm married to one!)

[oakridger]

@janmcn thanks and I also appreciate your sharing your current experience. Can you tell us which ship you are on?   I also plan on bringing my US government issued kits with me on my next cruise in September.

 

I really like that you are able to stay in your own cabin for quarantine.  I will be much more OK with the quarantine rules if I can stay in my own space, which has a balcony.  I too am a reader and have my Kindle loaded with books for my trip!

 

Best wishes for a speedy recovery so you can resume your cruise outside your cabin!

 

~Nancy

[12cruise2]

And we were on a cruise on another brand in May, took our own tests with us, felt fine and decided to go ahead and test the night before we were to be required to test by the cruise line for a back-to-back--I know, maybe silly.  We both tested negative that night; the next morning at 8:00 a. we were tested again by the cruise line and within an hour, DH got a call he was positive!  They confirmed him again with a PCR test, positive; me, PCR test negative.  We were isolated together overnight because I was considered a close contact, then put off the ship in Fort Lauderdale and not allowed to continue on the second cruise because there weren't enough cruise days to cover a 10-day isolation.  So, what we are one day may not be how we test the next day!  And I got it from him within a day or two in isolation, at least probably.

 

Also, at least HAL requires that the monitor of a test be affiliated with the manufacturer of that test.  So, in theory, not just any of these services that are popping up are allowed to proctor the tests we have; I don't know who might proctor the government tests.  I'm not going to take the time now to find that info again on the HAL web site, but it's there; I looked it up last night and posted it on another thread.

Edited July 28, 2022 by 12cruise2

[janmcn]

Follow up: Zaandam…Day 1 isolation. DH feels and sounds like just a cold. I’m fine. Only problem we’ll have staff address is the lack of good communication between each other and the cruiser. We had three different opinions of our status yesterday. Finally had the proper one…that we needed to be tested the second time at the 24-hour point after the first (negative) one. (Other opinions were that we needed to be tested in 3 days and had to remain in isolation until then!  Another that we should have been tested during the day, but nobody ever came…) Now our 7-day countdown begins. 
 

Front desk is delivering the daily Suduko puzzle to my husband ( his morning cruise activity on every cruise.) so he’s happy. I have loaded movies, tv shows, on my iPad, plenty of books on Kindle, years of magazines on ZINIO, and another Outlander audiobook (I think it’s the last) so I’m good! I could probably last a year😁. We’re still on a ship…no cooking,shopping, etc. 👍

 

 

[esimon]

And if we didn't test every time we cough or sneeze or blow our nose this wouldn't be an issue - I will bring my own tests as this was a good example.   

[rubytue]

9 hours ago, 12cruise2 said:

Also, at least HAL requires that the monitor of a test be affiliated with the manufacturer of that test.  So, in theory, not just any of these services that are popping up are allowed to proctor the tests we have;

Hmmmm.  I used one of the service that popped up (onpoint). I was not particularly impressed with the quality of the test. I got my required negative which worked for verifly and it was a true negative, but….

* He did not verify the date on my box of tests

* when I started to reaim the camera so he could see the table where everything was, he told me I didn’t need to

* we only waited ~5 minutes to read the test. This brand had a 15 minute dwell time. I thought he was checking that the control line worked when he asked to see the test, but nope, that was it. 
* on the other hand, he did critique my nose swabbing technique, but not H’s. And H was in less that me.

 

[syesmar]

@janmcnSending best wishes to you and your husband. Hope he gets well soon and you stay well.

[oakridger]

See post below for clarification on which tests are accepted:  Thanks @rubytue for your clarification and firsthand experience on which tests HAL is accepting.  Some info on several threads has been misconstrued so it's good to give the full info to everyone!