**** CARNIVAL COVID TESTING THREAD #2 **** JANUARY 6, 2002

[topaz123]

Trying to clear this pre-cruise testing .... Walgreens offers a  RAPID NAAT test. On the Carny website they list:

NAAT include (acceptable for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests):

• PCR – Polymerase chain reaction
• RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
• Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test
• Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) test
• Molecular test or molecular diagnostic test
• Isothermal amplification
• Droplet Digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
• Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)

I called Walgreen and the clerk said we offer the NAAT test, but wan't sure which type it is. Any experience with Walgreens on this type being ok for the final pre cruise screening.

[hapytobehr]

1 minute ago, topaz123 said:

Trying to clear this pre-cruise testing .... Walgreens offers a  RAPID NAAT test. On the Carny website they list:

NAAT include (acceptable for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests):

• PCR – Polymerase chain reaction
• RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
• Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test
• Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) test
• Molecular test or molecular diagnostic test
• Isothermal amplification
• Droplet Digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
• Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)

I called Walgreen and the clerk said we offer the NAAT test, but wan't sure which type it is. Any experience with Walgreens on this type being ok for the final pre cruise screening.

Walgreens offers a rapid antigen which we have done for every cruise.

[1kaper]

1 minute ago, hapytobehr said:

Walgreens offers a rapid antigen which we have done for every cruise.

They did not when we sailed from Galveston. 
we did the NAAT and it was accepted. 

[hapytobehr]

2 minutes ago, 1kaper said:

They did not when we sailed from Galveston. 
we did the NAAT and it was accepted. 

Perhaps each port is different.  Each time I left out of Miami.  But it surprises me that it would not be consistent with all ports for Carnival.

[Knights on the Beach]

This is what it says on the results for our ID NOW test from Walgreens.  We've had that test for 4 cruises since August (3 on Carnival and 1 on Royal).

 

[hapytobehr]

This is from Carnivals website:

 

 

What kind of pre-cruise COVID-19 tests are acceptable?

Guests must be tested with a COVID-19 viral test that is either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

Antigen tests include (acceptable for fully vaccinated guests only):

• Rapid antigen test
• Viral antigen test
• Antigen Chromatographic Digital Immunoassay
• Antigen Chemiluminescence Immunoassay, or
• Antigen Lateral Flow Fluorescence

[Knights on the Beach]

Maybe 1kaper means their Walgreens did not offer the rapid antigen?  No Walgreens near us offers it but they do have the Rapid NAAT.  I also just noticed Walgreens doesn't call it ID NOW on their website anymore but the description I posted above is on every one of our tests from August - March.

Edited April 12, 2022 by cruisemom2

[1kaper]

23 minutes ago, cruisemom2 said:

Maybe 1kaper means their Walgreens did not offer the rapid antigen?  No Walgreens near us offers it but they do have the Rapid NAAT.  I also just noticed Walgreens doesn't call it ID NOW on their website anymore but the description I posted above is on every one of our tests from August - March.

Yes. I meant Walgreens did not offer antigen tests in Houston. 
 

They did have the NAAT which carnival accepted. Sorry for the confusion b

[bmc alabama]

We have used Walgreens ID Now for everything we’ve needed testing for.  It is considered in the “PCR” category, but usually results come back in an hour or two.

 

Since we are “up to date” with vaccines, we did ID Now 3 days prior to our March Mardi Gras cruise and no problem with VeriFLY or checking in…

[brownies95]

Has anyone used test results from a drive up Covid-19 Rapid testing clinic given through their County's Department of Health?  

 

Our County is having a FREE drive up testing clinic the day before we leave for our cruise.  My wife and I are thinking about doing this.

 

Before we sign up I want to make sure that the test results would be accepted by Carnival.

 

Thanks, 

Tim

[Earthworm Jim]

Walgreens doesn't have the antigen test in any of the Walgreens I have been tested in in New York State or Florida. They do have the Rapid NAAT test, which they used to call ID-NOW (same test, different name) and that is definitely accepted by Carnival.

[RichYak]

6 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Could you elaborate on this a bit?

 

Are you saying that you can have a positive test followed by a negative test (say the next day), and they take the most recent result for purposes of boarding?

 

Tom

Will I still need a pre-cruise COVID test before embarkation if I have recently recovered from COVID-19?

Guests who have recovered from COVID-19 within 3 months of their sailing date do not need the required pre-cruise test if they are at least 10 days past their positive test result date, have no symptoms and produce documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

Documentation of Recovery is accepted from both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated guests (with a Carnival-approved exemption) and consists of the paper or electronic copy of the positive viral test result from a certified laboratory (dated no more than 90 days ago).

[topaz123]

Thanks to all.....little confused with the Walgreens.....is there just one NAAT test, ? I looked at the Carnival requirements and it seemed there are different types of NAAT, wanted to make sure we had the correct NAAT from Walgreens...thanks again.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

10 hours ago, RichYak said:

Will I still need a pre-cruise COVID test before embarkation if I have recently recovered from COVID-19?

Guests who have recovered from COVID-19 within 3 months of their sailing date do not need the required pre-cruise test if they are at least 10 days past their positive test result date, have no symptoms and produce documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

Documentation of Recovery is accepted from both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated guests (with a Carnival-approved exemption) and consists of the paper or electronic copy of the positive viral test result from a certified laboratory (dated no more than 90 days ago).

 

Ten days then

 

Tom

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Ten days then

 

Tom

And a statement of recovery from your doctor.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

49 minutes ago, RichYak said:

And a statement of recovery from your doctor.

 

Yes, thanks.

 

I was just not sure about the timing, at least from the post I initially replied to.

 

🙂

 

 

Tom

[DTIH321]

For Canadians sailing, have you got your rapid antigen test at a national pharmacy like Shoppers and had no problem with producing those negative results to Carnival?

[Earthworm Jim]

9 hours ago, RichYak said:

And a statement of recovery from your doctor.

 

Documentation of Recovery consists of the positive Covid test from at least 10 days before but less than 90 days according to Carnival's FAQs:

 

Documentation of Recovery is accepted from both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated guests (with a Carnival-approved exemption) and consists of the paper or electronic copy of the positive viral test result from a certified laboratory (dated no more than 90 days ago).

 

https://www.carnival.com/Legal/covid-19-legal-notices/covid-19-guest-protocols?icid=advisory_cruisehealth_040122

 

So from that It sounds like you do not need a note from your doctor. Though it also says in the Guest Protocols for Covid-19:

 

...present documentation of recovery from COVID-19 from their healthcare provider. Please visit our COVID-19 FAQs for complete information.

 

That says "healthcare provider" not doctor, but either way it doesn't seem the same as in the FAQ's. However it does refer to to the FAQs for a definitive answer, and as I quoted above the FAQs just say the documentation of recovery is just the old positive test. Perhaps they consider the certified laboratory to be a "healthcare provider"?

Edited April 13, 2022 by Earthworm Jim

[RichYak]

3 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

Perhaps they consider the certified laboratory to be a "healthcare provider"?

Your guess is as good as mine.

[Fastman]

On 4/11/2022 at 7:47 PM, jacksonx said:

Trying to figure out the timing of this;

 

I have a cruise that leaves Sunday; I am vaccinated and boosted, and understand that I can test as early as Thursday.

 

My kids are young; they are vaccinated- there is no booster for them. It was my understanding that they could also test on Thursday as they are "up to date", but when I called Carnival, they said they can't test until Friday, which doesn't seem correct?

 

What is considered "up to date" relative to COVID vaccines?

Up to date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, including any booster dose, when eligible. If a guest is fully vaccinated and not yet eligible for a booster, the guest is also considered up to date and may take their pre-cruise COVID test as early as three days before the cruise

 

https://www.carnival.com/legal/covid-19-legal-notices/return-to-service-faqs

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

7 minutes ago, Fastman said:

 

What is considered "up to date" relative to COVID vaccines?

Up to date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, including any booster dose, when eligible. If a guest is fully vaccinated and not yet eligible for a booster, the guest is also considered up to date and may take their pre-cruise COVID test as early as three days before the cruise

 

https://www.carnival.com/legal/covid-19-legal-notices/return-to-service-faqs

 

Yet... a second dose is now something (people over 50 at least) are "eligible" for.

 

So, I've only had 1 booster -- by this policy, I'm no longer UP TO DATE !!

 

Tom

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Yet... a second dose is now something (people over 50 at least) are "eligible" for.

 

So, I've only had 1 booster -- by this policy, I'm no longer UP TO DATE !!

 

Tom

Yes you are up to date. One booster is good enough to keep that status for now.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

1 minute ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Yes you are up to date. One booster is good enough to keep that status for now.

 

Which is what I assumed as well, but they do need to reword their policy.

 

Tom

[cellfree]

Walgreens Gulf Coast Florida Update: had Rapid NAAT today for upcoming cruise, results in 45 minutes. Yeah, packing tomorrow. 

[TX_Loves2Cruise]

Cruising on the Spirit on May 3, Carnival just changed the regulations for the Covid test requirements on April 15. Since we are stopping in Canada, even though we are fully vaccinated and boosted....we now have to take the Covid test 48 hours out? Just making sure that I read this correctly because I don't want to miss the ship.