Testing Question for those that have been through it

[mickeychicky]

So.  I am YES, unvaccinated and am still holding off on booking, even with the new announcement (don't get too excited about that testing change because I look for it to come back for EVERYONE since the Bahamas is saying NO GO...everyone must have a negative test). 

 

I have never taken a test, I usually know when I'm sick and don't need a test to tell me that BUT.....these tests that cruise ships are requiring for the UNVAXED I am really confused about.  If you are vaxed you can take one of those at home supervised tests that are quite expensive I hear.  But I have read thru so many comments that the UNVAXED are not allowed to do that, they have to go somewhere and have a test done in person with the hopes they get a result back in the time frame required by RCCL.

 

Are those tests the one that they jam up in your nose like 6" to the point it causes nosebleeds and headaches?  My son has had to take those in the very beginning and had nosebleeds and migraines for days after that. 

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

Are those tests the one that they jam up in your nose like 6" to the point it causes nosebleeds and headaches?  My son has had to take those in the very beginning and had nosebleeds and migraines for days after that. 

 

No, the swab barely enters your nostril, 5 seconds each one, done.

[not-enough-cruising]

4 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

So.  I am YES, unvaccinated and am still holding off on booking, even with the new announcement (don't get too excited about that testing change because I look for it to come back for EVERYONE since the Bahamas is saying NO GO...everyone must have a negative test). 

 

I have never taken a test, I usually know when I'm sick and don't need a test to tell me that BUT.....these tests that cruise ships are requiring for the UNVAXED I am really confused about.  If you are vaxed you can take one of those at home supervised tests that are quite expensive I hear.  But I have read thru so many comments that the UNVAXED are not allowed to do that, they have to go somewhere and have a test done in person with the hopes they get a result back in the time frame required by RCCL.

 

Are those tests the one that they jam up in your nose like 6" to the point it causes nosebleeds and headaches?  My son has had to take those in the very beginning and had nosebleeds and migraines for days after that. 

No one has any idea yet what type of test they will be requiring of the unvaccinated.  Stand by, details should be published this week. 
 

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

No one has any idea yet what type of test they will be requiring of the unvaccinated.  Stand by, details should be published this week.

 

If it's PCR or Antigen, the answer is still no.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

23 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

If you are vaxed you can take one of those at home supervised tests that are quite expensive I hear.

If you consider $20 "quite expensive", you may want to hold off on booking a cruise indefinitely.  

 

Yes, that's how much I paid for each of our home supervised tests.

 

[mickeychicky]

5 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

If you consider $20 "quite expensive", you may want to hold off on booking a cruise indefinitely.  

 

Yes, that's how much I paid for each of our home supervised tests.

 

I have heard from a cruiser who also has a YouTube channel that they were like anywhere from $60 to $100. 

[OCSC Mike]

31 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

I have heard from a cruiser who also has a YouTube channel that they were like anywhere from $60 to $100. 

 

And you can hear from hundreds of people here that you can use a free government test and get it proctored for $15-20 online.

[Dixe Lee]

23 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

If you consider $20 "quite expensive", you may want to hold off on booking a cruise indefinitely.  

 

Yes, that's how much I paid for each of our home supervised tests.

 

If you don’t mind my asking which service provider for your supervised test did you use?

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

39 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

I have heard from a cruiser who also has a YouTube channel that they were like anywhere from $60 to $100. 

Your YouTuber was probably not lying. 🙂 In the early days of at-home proctored testing, there were not many options and they were significantly more expensive. But yes, you can now use the free tests and a $20 appointment.

[mickeychicky]

31 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

And you can hear from hundreds of people here that you can use a free government test and get it proctored for $15-20 online.

I was asking specifically for UNVAXED people, the tests they require may vary for those.

[mickeychicky]

24 minutes ago, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

Your YouTuber was probably not lying. 🙂 In the early days of at-home proctored testing, there were not many options and they were significantly more expensive. But yes, you can now use the free tests and a $20 appointment.

Thank you

[BirdTravels]

We use the RCCL recommended eMed test for all of our cruises (we will be on our 7th post-restart cruise soon). Our insurance covers 100% of the cost of the test kits and proctoring. So it costs us $0. 

[OCSC Mike]

13 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

I was asking specifically for UNVAXED people, the tests they require may vary for those.

Yes, those will cost significantly more unless you fudge with your insurance or RC changes their current requirements.

[mickeychicky]

1 minute ago, OCSC Mike said:

Yes, those will cost significantly more unless you fudge with your insurance or RC changes their current requirements.

Yea well I actually work for my health insurance company, soooooo there's that. 

Also RCCL website specifically says:  "Supervised telehealth tests are not accepted for unvaccinated guests – only for vaccinated guests."  And  "Telehealth testing at home is only accepted for vaccinated guests, and only when it is conducted under live video supervision."  So we would have to go somewhere and get it done which means we risk not getting results back in time.  But maybe they haven't updated their website yet and our cruise isn't until November, so maybe things will change another 10 times before then.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

1 hour ago, mickeychicky said:

I have heard from a cruiser who also has a YouTube channel that they were like anywhere from $60 to $100. 

And if it's on the internet, it must be true?  

 

I have like four YT channels.  Does that make me an expert?  Don't trust a single source, especially on the internet. 

[mickeychicky]

7 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

And if it's on the internet, it must be true?  

 

I have like four YT channels.  Does that make me an expert?  Don't trust a single source, especially on the internet. 

Well his wife is also a travel agent and gets info directly from the cruise lines.

[nzdisneymom]

37 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

Yea well I actually work for my health insurance company, soooooo there's that. 

Also RCCL website specifically says:  "Supervised telehealth tests are not accepted for unvaccinated guests – only for vaccinated guests."  And  "Telehealth testing at home is only accepted for vaccinated guests, and only when it is conducted under live video supervision."  So we would have to go somewhere and get it done which means we risk not getting results back in time.  But maybe they haven't updated their website yet and our cruise isn't until November, so maybe things will change another 10 times before then.

 

@mickeychicky your profile leads me to believe you are in Florida.  Depending on where you are in Florida, you can get a free test from the NOMI Health sites (https://nomihealth.com/fl).  They do both PCR and Rapid tests that are approved for cruising, and no questions asked about the purpose of the test when you register.  I have used them for testing when there were several people in my immediate office who had undiagnosed COVID and were in the workplace (but obviously once they knew they had COVID, they stayed home).  The rapid tests have results back in 15-30 minutes and you can download/print the results.  The PCR tests take about 36 hours to get results back (in my experience).  There is information at the NOMI link if you scroll down towards the bottom that may answer some of your questions/concerns (even those you may not know you have).

 

As for the test itself, like others have described, it's like a long-handled Q-Tip that is placed in your nostril and swabbed for a few seconds, then removed and placed into your other nostril (that part just kinda grosses me out, but it is what it is).  When someone else is doing the test for you, they usually have you wear a mask and just pull it down so your nose sticks out, tilt your head slightly back, and they swab you.  Some places have you swab yourself under their supervision, just depends on where you go (like Walgreens was drive-up, stay in your car).  The NOMI site in our city is walk-up, so you park, then go to the window where they scan your pre-registration code, ask you if you want PCR or Rapid (or both), then they get it ready and send you to the next window.  It's all outdoors in a parking lot.

 

I hope this helps.

 

My biggest concern at this point is we sail in 32 days, so I am beginning my extra-vigilance about social distancing again so we still have time that if we are going to get Covid pre-cruise, we have time to get it, get well, and still sail, but it won't be long before we are too close to our sailing date to be sick.  

[topnole]

1 hour ago, mickeychicky said:

I was asking specifically for UNVAXED people, the tests they require may vary for those.

For unvaccinated kids they require PCR or NAAT.   Where I live those are drive through and you swab yourself so I did my kids swab.   No brain probe.   

[S.A.M.J.R.]

11 hours ago, Dixe Lee said:

If you don’t mind my asking which service provider for your supervised test did you use?

rapidtestandtrace.com.  Used the government provided tests. 

[orville99]

13 hours ago, mickeychicky said:

So.  I am YES, unvaccinated and am still holding off on booking, even with the new announcement (don't get too excited about that testing change because I look for it to come back for EVERYONE since the Bahamas is saying NO GO...everyone must have a negative test). 

As it stands today, you will not be able to board an RCL ship sailing out of the U.S. without proof of vaccination.

 

[GTO-Girl]

14 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

If you consider $20 "quite expensive", you may want to hold off on booking a cruise indefinitely.  

 

Yes, that's how much I paid for each of our home supervised tests.

 

Someone who is not vaccinated cannot take a home supervised test, which is a rapid antigen test.

 

They can only take a PCR…..

[GTO-Girl]

12 hours ago, mickeychicky said:

Yea well I actually work for my health insurance company, soooooo there's that. 

Also RCCL website specifically says:  "Supervised telehealth tests are not accepted for unvaccinated guests – only for vaccinated guests."  And  "Telehealth testing at home is only accepted for vaccinated guests, and only when it is conducted under live video supervision."  So we would have to go somewhere and get it done which means we risk not getting results back in time.  But maybe they haven't updated their website yet and our cruise isn't until November, so maybe things will change another 10 times before then.

The unvaccinated must take a PCR only…..

 

A regular PCR can take 24-48hrs to get the results.  
 

However also accepted is the rapid PCR or NAAT test given by places like CVS, Walgreens or Urgent Cares.  These test result are back in less than 2hrs…

[mickeychicky]

13 hours ago, nzdisneymom said:

 

@mickeychicky your profile leads me to believe you are in Florida.  Depending on where you are in Florida, you can get a free test from the NOMI Health sites (https://nomihealth.com/fl).  They do both PCR and Rapid tests that are approved for cruising, and no questions asked about the purpose of the test when you register.  I have used them for testing when there were several people in my immediate office who had undiagnosed COVID and were in the workplace (but obviously once they knew they had COVID, they stayed home).  The rapid tests have results back in 15-30 minutes and you can download/print the results.  The PCR tests take about 36 hours to get results back (in my experience).  There is information at the NOMI link if you scroll down towards the bottom that may answer some of your questions/concerns (even those you may not know you have).

 

As for the test itself, like others have described, it's like a long-handled Q-Tip that is placed in your nostril and swabbed for a few seconds, then removed and placed into your other nostril (that part just kinda grosses me out, but it is what it is).  When someone else is doing the test for you, they usually have you wear a mask and just pull it down so your nose sticks out, tilt your head slightly back, and they swab you.  Some places have you swab yourself under their supervision, just depends on where you go (like Walgreens was drive-up, stay in your car).  The NOMI site in our city is walk-up, so you park, then go to the window where they scan your pre-registration code, ask you if you want PCR or Rapid (or both), then they get it ready and send you to the next window.  It's all outdoors in a parking lot.

 

I hope this helps.

 

My biggest concern at this point is we sail in 32 days, so I am beginning my extra-vigilance about social distancing again so we still have time that if we are going to get Covid pre-cruise, we have time to get it, get well, and still sail, but it won't be long before we are too close to our sailing date to be sick.  

I am in Pinellas county.  The only issue I have is I'm afraid I will get some overly aggressive tester ramming that Q tip farther then just the nostril area and then getting the results timely with all the documentation the cruise lines want (name of lab, testing date, lab #, etc. etc. etc)  One screw up and my cruise will be done before it even gets started.

[topnole]

14 hours ago, mickeychicky said:

Yea well I actually work for my health insurance company, soooooo there's that. 

Also RCCL website specifically says:  "Supervised telehealth tests are not accepted for unvaccinated guests – only for vaccinated guests."  And  "Telehealth testing at home is only accepted for vaccinated guests, and only when it is conducted under live video supervision."  So we would have to go somewhere and get it done which means we risk not getting results back in time.  But maybe they haven't updated their website yet and our cruise isn't until November, so maybe things will change another 10 times before then.

Done testing many times over the past couple years.  Never had a PCR test take longer than the next day to get back (including in the peaks of Covid).  If you leave on a Saturday and test on Thursday, it would be highly unlikely not to have it back.  For now, unvaccinated can test 1-3 days early so that window provides even more time.  Getting it back on time is a non issue.  Then unvaccinated have to quick test at the port.  I’d imagine they will keep things similar at least for now, but who knows.  If I was planning things out for this Fall, that would be what I would plan as the most likely process.  It is a minor inconvenience for a week long trip.  We spent a couple days organizing and getting packed.  We spent very little time testing our unvaccinated kids before and at the port.  No big deal.  

[mickeychicky]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

As it stands today, you will not be able to board an RCL ship sailing out of the U.S. without proof of vaccination.

 

I am aware.  I am speaking only of cruises after the 8th.  I am booked on a class reunion cruise in November out of Ft.Laud and final payment is due next week.  The reunion coordinator who is in touch with the RCCL coordinator is telling everyone NOT to cancel, they are still working out the details with RCCL.  And the cruise was allowed to be booked months ago not being vaxed.