It's Now Carnival Cruise Line Official!

[chamorroroots]

Carnival Cruise Line has finally put it in writing...The Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test satisfies the pre-travel testing requirement for vaccinated cruisers!

Edited September 15, 2021 by chamorroroots

[NCTribeFan]

Swell.  I'd better hurry and order a half dozen that might expire before I resume cruising in November and December just because there will be a run on them now by people who want to "stock up" in case of supply shortages! 🙄

 

Sorry.  I had just finished reading the thread where people are freaking out about receiving theirs and thinking they expire before they cruise.

Edited September 15, 2021 by NCTribeFan

[chamorroroots]

Most won't expire until February 2022. I have been monitoring my manufacture lot# and cross referencing with FDA expiration extension approval letters.  These kits are proving to have a longer shelf-life.

Edited September 15, 2021 by chamorroroots

[mouche]

45 minutes ago, chamorroroots said:

Most won't expire until February 2022. I have been monitoring my manufacture lot# and cross referencing with FDA expiration extension approval letters.  These kits are proving to have a longer shelf-life.

 

Where did you buy yours, I went to purchase and the site stated the kits expire Dec 2021, I don't cruise until Feb 2022. Thanks in advance.

[stellarose]

do we really think there will be run on them?

[PVMEX2021]

We just bought 4 tests from Optum for our upcoming cruises Oct 2 and Jan 8.  With the 3 month extension it looks like we will not be able to use two for the Jan 8 cruise.  Bummer.  Original expiration date is 10-5-21.

 

 

[rj59]

Really shady of the companies and cruise lines promoting near-expired products, using cruisers to clear out their back inventory. Especially since both Royal and Carnival, both which are linking to the companies, won't allow any port testing option, unless you're unvaccinated. They're just making it more stressful and difficult to cruise, unlike NCL, which offers free port testing and 100% vaccination and no masking required. I'm probably not the only one ripped off buying multiple tests and expecting them to be valid beyond January. Princess also gives an emergency option of a FCC if results aren't back in time, or a full refund if you bought their insurance. I'm not going to buy from Abbott or book any 2022 cruises until they assure me they'll be selling new product with at least a 12-month shelf life. I also booked a Princess cruise for next month and will go with Princess or NCL in November, since I can trust I'll actually be able to sail. 

[mouche]

I guess I will wait until Jan to try and purchase for our Feb 2022 and Oct 2022 cruise, I saw on the news where Biden has just ordered millions more test for the US, I'm just wondering will they be the required ones for travel (telehealth) or just the ones people need to be screened weekly for work.

[groundloop]

This option requires the test to be monitored by a "telemedicine professional".  I'm curious if there's any problem scheduling that.

[chamorroroots]

1 hour ago, mouche said:

 

Where did you buy yours, I went to purchase and the site stated the kits expire Dec 2021, I don't cruise until Feb 2022. Thanks in advance.

eMed.com. Mine originally was suppose to expire in Oct 2021, but I found an FDA letter extending the expiration for the manufacture lot that I bought. That’s what you need to look for. 

[chamorroroots]

36 minutes ago, groundloop said:

This option requires the test to be monitored by a "telemedicine professional".  I'm curious if there's any problem scheduling that.

Once you connect online for the test, it’s like a walk-in and you are qued. For my experience in August it took less than a minute for a proctor to arrive. It may be hit and miss on wait times, but most people who have shared their recent experiences have not waited long for a proctor.

[lazydayz]

4 hours ago, chamorroroots said:

Once you connect online for the test, it’s like a walk-in and you are qued. For my experience in August it took less than a minute for a proctor to arrive. It may be hit and miss on wait times, but most people who have shared their recent experiences have not waited long for a proctor.

 

Hubby and I did ours today (cruising on Friday).  No wait times at all.  Immediately connected to a proctor.  This is so much easier than driving to CVS and waiting a day or two for results.  

[Kevin308]

So I got this letter this morning.  What I don't understand is why Unvaccinated people can do test three days out but vaccinated can only do two days out on the test

[Earthworm Jim]

19 minutes ago, Kevin308 said:

So I got this letter this morning.  What I don't understand is why Unvaccinated people can do test three days out but vaccinated can only do two days out on the test

 

That's what the CDC guidance recommends. Presumably the CDC allows 3 days for the unvaccinated  because the unvaccinated need to also get a test the day of boarding.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Earthworm Jim

[Scurvy Seadog]

The shelf-life will likely be extended yet again. I manage a DHS Anthrax response site. I have cases of ciprofloxacin and doxycycline that originally expired in 2014. Each year I get notified by USPHS and the FDA that the shelf-life has been extended by another 12 months.

 

[hurricane0226]

7 hours ago, stellarose said:

do we really think there will be run on them?

There was a run on toilet paper..

[topaz123]

6 hours ago, rj59 said:

Really shady of the companies and cruise lines promoting near-expired products, using cruisers to clear out their back inventory. Especially since both Royal and Carnival, both which are linking to the companies, won't allow any port testing option, unless you're unvaccinated. They're just making it more stressful and difficult to cruise, unlike NCL, which offers free port testing and 100% vaccination and no masking required. I'm probably not the only one ripped off buying multiple tests and expecting them to be valid beyond January. Princess also gives an emergency option of a FCC if results aren't back in time, or a full refund if you bought their insurance. I'm not going to buy from Abbott or book any 2022 cruises until they assure me they'll be selling new product with at least a 12-month shelf life. I also booked a Princess cruise for next month and will go with Princess or NCL in November, since I can trust I'll actually be able to sail. 

Agreed......why does Carnival make it so difficult for cruisers, whilst others ( NCL), no mask and testing at the pier?  IF it's not a logistics problem with NCL....why is it a problem with Carnival......WE'll be looking at NCL for 2022, just like  you. Senseless.....

[bsp]

1 hour ago, lazydayz said:

 

Hubby and I did ours today (cruising on Friday).  No wait times at all.  Immediately connected to a proctor.  This is so much easier than driving to CVS and waiting a day or two for results.  

Will one box (2) suffice for 2 people? We are driving from VA to cape Canaveral and was going to schedule test for cvs in Fayetteville on our way down, thinking I may order this too to be on safe side. Thanks everybody. Cruising Oct 7. Bonnie

[Keys2Heaven]

We bought the 6-pack from eMed after watching the video from Parodeejay. eMed only offers the 6-pack and we were under the impression that we could use these for our 2022 cruise as well.

 

A few days after our purchase, JH made the announcement about the Optum site where you could order 2 & 3 packs of tests, which would have been more convenient for us.

 

Hopefully, there will be another extension where we will be able to use those "extra" tests. I don't mind having an extra in the event of a mishap (see La Lido Loca where Tony dropped his test card during the proctored session).

[BoozinCroozin]

No panic ordering for me. I ordered last week for our November cruise. Once they moved to 2-day testing, I was not risking it with delayed test results or lack of rapid tests in my area. We cannot take off work to get tested, so we were limited to when we could get them done. It's 1M times easier to do it at home with this test than schedule around work, school, availability, and getting results back. Just sit back, run the test at home, be done in about 30-minutes. 

 

The other issue is that Abbott destroyed some of 10M kits due to expiration this past Summer. When cases were going down, there was no need to push. Now that manufacturing is shutdown, there is a new demand that they are trying to ramp up for. We will start to hear some screams soon from people that didn't receive results back and couldn't sail.

Edited September 16, 2021 by BoozinCroozin

[chamorroroots]

1 hour ago, BoozinCroozin said:

No panic ordering for me. I ordered last week for our November cruise. Once they moved to 2-day testing, I was not risking it with delayed test results or lack of rapid tests in my area. We cannot take off work to get tested, so we were limited to when we could get them done. It's 1M times easier to do it at home with this test than schedule around work, school, availability, and getting results back. Just sit back, run the test at home, be done in about 30-minutes. 

 

The other issue is that Abbott destroyed some of 10M kits due to expiration this past Summer. When cases were going down, there was no need to push. Now that manufacturing is shutdown, there is a new demand that they are trying to ramp up for. We will start to hear some screams soon from people that didn't receive results back and couldn't sail.

 

You're well informed and on point with the situation. Abbott was ahead of their time and over estimated the initial market. The situation finally pushed the travel market towards telehealth testing. The insurance industry now needs to move forward with covering test costs for leisure travel. 

[BoozinCroozin]

1 hour ago, chamorroroots said:

 

You're well informed and on point with the situation. Abbott was ahead of their time and over estimated the initial market. The situation finally pushed the travel market towards telehealth testing. The insurance industry now needs to move forward with covering test costs for leisure travel. 

It's covered for us. Daughter attends school and wife is a teacher. No need for anything else for insurance to cover it for us.

[chamorroroots]

18 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

It's covered for us. Daughter attends school and wife is a teacher. No need for anything else for insurance to cover it for us.

 

Some insurances do not cover the testing for leisure travel. I have TriCare and it does not cover COVID testing for "leisure travel, curiosity or personal interest." I had to get reimbursed from my health savings/flexible spending account.  I get leary when people say that the COVID test is free and the company testing asks for insurance information. If tests are free, they should not ask for insurance information. Bottom line is that people should be cognizant of this.

[BoozinCroozin]

Since they are in school 8+ hours a day, using potential exposure as the reason covers testing.