Three day timeframe for COVID-19 test

[Zephanor]

Does anyone have an idea if this is 72 hours or three days regardless of hours?

 

For example we'll be traveling on a Friday to visit NYC before getting on the ship on Sunday. Would getting the test on Thursday before we leave be sufficient or will we need to find a test in NY? I know that's the safer route but not sure how difficult it will be to get a rapid test not being familiar with the area (about a two hour flight away.)

[rtazz17]

Anytime thursday but get ready for 10 more different answers.

 

call royal.     We did

[choose2cruz]

@rtazz17is correct, even if you get 10 more different answers. 😁 It is 3 days, not 72 hours. Royal adapted the CDC's air travel testing requirement to their cruise ships, which is why they use 3 days instead of 72 hours for the same reason the CDC does. That way it doesn't matter what time of day you get tested or what time the ship sails. If it was 72 hours, your test result could possibly expire before boarding.

[Williamsburgcruiser]

Hi, so the question is....  if I sail on Sunday, do I get tested on Thursday?   

 

I am trying to find test sites, for the accepted test, that can provide a result to an email / phone so I have it when I try to board on Sunday.  

 

This has become a nightmare.  

[vegas7df]

This is a post from Michael Bayley Facebook page on July 30th. They are not counting the day you take the test as day one. So if you sail on Saturday you can test on Wednesday, if you sail on Sunday you can test on Thursday. 

 

Michael Bayley 

July 30th 

 

We have a change in our guest Covid testing policy.

For the month of August, commencing July 31st through to August 31st, on cruises 5 nights or longer ALL guests will be required to have a negative covid test within 3 days of their embarkation. So, you can take the test as early as 3 days prior and then you need the result before you arrive to embark. If sailing Saturday then you can take the test Wednesday.

[orville99]

29 minutes ago, Williamsburgcruiser said:

Hi, so the question is....  if I sail on Sunday, do I get tested on Thursday?   

 

I am trying to find test sites, for the accepted test, that can provide a result to an email / phone so I have it when I try to board on Sunday.  

 

This has become a nightmare.  

Thursday is correct, and try to find a CVS Minute Clinic location that does the Rapid Antigen test (some of them only do the PCR test and the timing on that one may be a bit tight). 

[mek]

10 hours ago, rtazz17 said:

Anytime thursday but get ready for 10 more different answers.

 

call royal.     We did

Well that will certainly ensure a correct answer! LOL

Edited August 5, 2021 by mek

[rtazz17]

21 minutes ago, mek said:

Well that will certainly ensure a correct answer! LOL

By me putting that in my post it stopped anyone from saying 72 hrs. Reverse psychology! Works every time

[Williamsburgcruiser]

Found this from a Patient First facility:

 

So, as long as Royal accepts the Rapid Antigen Test results, we should be good.

 

I appreciate everyone's feedback on this subject - I know how stressful it has been for me, finding this out 8 weeks before sail date - I cannot imagine how stressful for those with closer sailing dates.

[Zephanor]

Thanks for the answers folks! This is good.

[jcc1025]

3 hours ago, Williamsburgcruiser said:

Hi, so the question is....  if I sail on Sunday, do I get tested on Thursday?   

 

I am trying to find test sites, for the accepted test, that can provide a result to an email / phone so I have it when I try to board on Sunday. 

 

This has become a nightmare.  

You can make an appointment at any CVS or Walgreens for either test and they send you the results in a text and email. Would suggest you make an appointment as soon as possible. They have about a two week rolling schedule and they fill up fast. We are scheduled on a Sunday Aug. 15th cruise and got appointments for Aug. 12th a  couple of days ago. If we had waited all the appointments for the next 4 days are full in all the locations near us. They ask if the test is for travel so i expect they understand the reporting needs by now and they say the PCN test results will be back in 1-2 days and the Rapid test results will be back in a few hours. 

[DISFANS3]

Thanks for info..

[orville99]

46 minutes ago, jcc1025 said:

You can make an appointment at any CVS or Walgreens for either test and they send you the results in a text and email. Would suggest you make an appointment as soon as possible. They have about a two week rolling schedule and they fill up fast. We are scheduled on a Sunday Aug. 15th cruise and got appointments for Aug. 12th a  couple of days ago. If we had waited all the appointments for the next 4 days are full in all the locations near us. They ask if the test is for travel so i expect they understand the reporting needs by now and they say the PCN test results will be back in 1-2 days and the Rapid test results will be back in a few hours. 

Quick question: Did you have to make two separate appointments or were you able to schedule both of you with a single appointment?

[orville99]

2 hours ago, Williamsburgcruiser said:

Found this from a Patient First facility:

 

So, as long as Royal accepts the Rapid Antigen Test results, we should be good.

From the email we received from RCL on Friday 7/30:

 

"For sailings 5 nights or longer, all guests ages 2 and up, regardless of vaccination status, are required to provide a negative PCR or antigen test result for COVID-19 on boarding day. This test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to your sail date and must be arranged by each guest at their own expense with an accredited test provider, such as a drugstore chain or diagnostic lab."

 

Antigen tests are accepted as long as they are administered through an accredited test provider. I take this to mean DIY home tests won't be acceptable.

 

[atexsix]

3 hours ago, orville99 said:

Thursday is correct, and try to find a CVS Minute Clinic location that does the Rapid Antigen test (some of them only do the PCR test and the timing on that one may be a bit tight). 

This.  There'll be a run on drug stores in port cities.  

[atexsix]

6 minutes ago, orville99 said:

From the email we received from RCL on Friday 7/30:

 

"For sailings 5 nights or longer, all guests ages 2 and up, regardless of vaccination status, are required to provide a negative PCR or antigen test result for COVID-19 on boarding day. This test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to your sail date and must be arranged by each guest at their own expense with an accredited test provider, such as a drugstore chain or diagnostic lab."

 

Antigen tests are accepted as long as they are administered through an accredited test provider. I take this to mean DIY home tests won't be acceptable.

 

And that's going to confuse people.  If you read through the instructions the at home tests are supervised remotely.  Remote is good enough for my employer, my doctor, schools, church....but not the cruise lines. 🤔

[mek]

31 minutes ago, atexsix said:

This.  There'll be a run on drug stores in port cities.  

Not just port cities......I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal and according to that, lines to get tested very long and results are delayed.  I wonder how many people sailing the next few weeks will get tested, but not have their results back in time?

[jcc1025]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

Quick question: Did you have to make two separate appointments or were you able to schedule both of you with a single appointment?

I had to make a different appointment for each person. It was all on line they had them broken down into 10 minute intervals. You need to show your health card and if you can they have a spot to upload a picture of the front and back of the card to speed up the process. It appears that this is a drive thru process so should be pretty easy. When they ask you for your zip code put a zip code in that is close to where you want to be tested so the closest locations show up. 

[karena1]

14 hours ago, Zephanor said:

Does anyone have an idea if this is 72 hours or three days regardless of hours?

 

For example we'll be traveling on a Friday to visit NYC before getting on the ship on Sunday. Would getting the test on Thursday before we leave be sufficient or will we need to find a test in NY? I know that's the safer route but not sure how difficult it will be to get a rapid test not being familiar with the area (about a two hour flight away.)

Michael Bailey posted a message that said 3 days prior to the cruise.  He specifically said if you cruise on Sat you can get the test on Wed.  We leave on Adventure next Sat and have our test appoint for Wed.  The documentation I got from Royal also said 3 days prior.  So I printed out both, but not worried about it.  

[jcc1025]

37 minutes ago, mek said:

Not just port cities......I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal and according to that, lines to get tested very long and results are delayed.  I wonder how many people sailing the next few weeks will get tested, but not have their results back in time?

The drug store chains advise that the PCR test test results will be back in 1 to 2 days, the Rapid Response test will be back in a matter of hours. 

[karena1]

4 hours ago, orville99 said:

Thursday is correct, and try to find a CVS Minute Clinic location that does the Rapid Antigen test (some of them only do the PCR test and the timing on that one may be a bit tight). 

That is where we are going.  We found a CVS not right by our house but maybe 20 minutes away to get the rapid test at.

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

Quick question: Did you have to make two separate appointments or were you able to schedule both of you with a single appointment?

no you need to make 2 separate appointments.  Ours are scheduled 15 minutes apart

[orville99]

Just now, karena1 said:

That is where we are going.  We found a CVS not right by our house but maybe 20 minutes away to get the rapid test at.

no you need to make 2 separate appointments.  Ours are scheduled 15 minutes apart

We will be scheduling ours as soon as the dates become available tomorrow. 

[jcc1025]

1 minute ago, orville99 said:

We will be scheduling ours as soon as the dates become available tomorrow. 

Great, its good we live where we live, CA like FL has a CVS on every corner it seems like, and where there is not a CVS there is a Walgreen's....lol

[mavo68]

Ok so I keep hearing some people say that the antigen at CVS is free, yet I am hearing others say that most insurance doesn’t pay for travel Covid testing. Does anyone know about this? There are 4 of us and I have another place I can book for only 49/pp and it is an antigen test but the drive in site is called “15 to know”. Not sure if RC will take this as an appropriate place for testing. I really don’t want to have to pay 139/pp to get tested…

Edited August 5, 2021 by mavo68

[mek]

12 minutes ago, jcc1025 said:

The drug store chains advise that the PCR test test results will be back in 1 to 2 days, the Rapid Response test will be back in a matter of hours. 

 I hope it works out for everyone traveling soon.