wjcollum

I booked whatever test that C2RIO will give us <shrug>. The MSC website implies that even Rapid Antigen Tests are OK, if they are not "self administered". I will bring the paperwork to the pier and start the argument there. I booked the tests from the C2RIO website (c2rio.travel) using the chat feature. They will find someone who speaks English (or Spanish) to help you (Eu falo um pouco de Portuguese, ma nao moito bem). If you need a ride from the hotel to the pier, or vice-versa, you can also book a car or van through them. Prices were pretty reasonable. Good luck, and have a great trip!

Thanks all. I booked tests to be conducted at our hotel in Copacabana on Saturday afternoon before embarkation with "c2rio" (c2rio.travel), with results delivered within 3 hours. Price was about $30 per person. I also booked a private van for 6 to and a private van all-day tour of Rio with the same company. Prices are very reasonable. I don't mean to start an argument, but I've been to a lot of developing, or what some consider "3rd world", countries. Brazil isn't one. It's a pretty civilized place.

Danke, Todd! I will call c2rio. We're staying nearby in the Windsor Miramar, and I assume they will accommodate us there as well. We may also book a tour or two. I wrote to MSC "Customer Service" to see if Rapid Antigen Tests proctored online by a health care professional are acceptable, as they are for travel in the US and Europe, but I have not received a definitive answer (I received a tentative "yes" on the phone, but I'd like a written ruling in case it is disputed at the pier). Thanks again for your help. See you on the ship. Safe travels!

Howdy, all! We are booked in (Yacht Club, I hope it's as good as the hype) cabins on MSC Seaview out of Rio de Janeiro on 18 December. It looks like MSC requires a COVID test to be performed for all guests, vaccinated or not, within 24 hours before boarding the ship in Rio de Janeiro. OK, a bit pointless I think, but OK. The problem is that it can't be a self-administered rapid antigen test. Does anybody know if on-line proctored tests are acceptable to MSC? MSC "Customer Support" has not been very helpful when asked, just reading me the quote from the MSC web page: "For Cruises longer than 6 nights: - All guests (ages 3 years old or older) are required to provide a COVID-19 antigen or PCR-RT test 24 hours before embarkation. A rapid antigen self-test is not valid for travel purposes." I have found some clinics that will do the tests (we need 6 of them) at a reasonable price ($50 USD or so), but the results will take 2 business days to receive (we board the ship on Sunday, so to meet the 24-hour requirement the tests will have to be done on Saturday, and two business days puts us into Tuesday). MSC does not provide the tests, at any price, either at the pier or on the ship. If proctored on-line tests are not acceptable, then it seems like MSC has set up an impossible situation. Has anybody managed to navigate this requirement in Rio? Any suggestions?

Thanks much, good catch. We will make reservations for on-line proctored tests since that seems to be the only option open to us in Rio that I can find. While I am an experienced cruiser, I am not adept at "Cruise Critic", which for the uninitiated is not very intuitive. It took me 10 minutes just to figure out how to make my original post above. I'll try to duplicate it on the "MSC board", if I can find it. Thanks again!

It looks like MSC requires a COVID test to be performed for all guests, vaccinated or not, within 24 hours before boarding the ship (in this case, the Seaview) in Rio de Janeiro. OK, a bit pointless, but OK. The problem is that it can't be an Antigen "Rapid Test". I have found some clinics that will do the tests (we need 6 of them) at a reasonable price ($50 USD or so), but as they are not rapid tests so the results will take 2 business days to receive (we board the ship on Sunday, so the tests will have to be done on Saturday, and two business days puts us into Tuesday). MSC does not provide the tests, at any price, either at the pier or on the ship. It seems like MSC has set up an impossible situation. Has anybody managed to navigate this requirement in Rio? Any suggestions?