Emed proctored Covid test … trying to understand emed’s FAQ about time zones

[D4]

5 minutes ago, travelhound said:

Two days is just not enough time to take these tests, considering that most people will probably be traveling to the port one of those days.  

I agree with you.  Three days would be so much less stressful for us.

 

Since we have to be at our first airport at 5:30am, my original plan was to take the tests at our hotel.  After I thought more about it, I realized we don’t want to spend all day flying and then discover we can’t go on our cruise.  

Our flights cost an obscene amount and if we test positive BEFORE we fly, our trip insurance should cover cancelling our flights and our B2B cruises.
 

 

[D4]

2 hours ago, Mooreland1999 said:

I just took a look at the app again, in addition to the pdf copy you get from emed, you can also print a copy from the app and that will have whatever timzone your phone is set to.  So, if timezones are confusing you, sometime before departure, set your phone to San Juan time.  When your phone says it is the 18th in San Juan, take the test and print the result from the app.  You will then have your results with correct day and time that you want.

This is an interesting twist.  
 

What about this scenario:

- you print the result from the app that shows your home time zone

- Then you change the time zone on your phone, and print the result from the app again.  
 

Will the 2 printed reports show different times reflecting the 2 different time zones the phone was set to each time you printed from the app?

 

I really appreciate everyone’s help.

[Mooreland1999]

5 hours ago, D4 said:

This is an interesting twist.  
 

What about this scenario:

- you print the result from the app that shows your home time zone

- Then you change the time zone on your phone, and print the result from the app again.  
 

Will the 2 printed reports show different times reflecting the 2 different time zones the phone was set to each time you printed from the app?

 

I really appreciate everyone’s help.

There is only one time.  UTC.  The test is stored in a database somewhere in UTC.  Anything you print or display in the app is simply converted for display/print purposes to whatever timezone your phone is set to.  If you want to spend the time and effort, you could print a seperate report in all 24 timezones if you would like. Or if you want to travel around the world, everytime you open the app it would show the test displayed  in a different time zone.

[Mooreland1999]

6 hours ago, Ashland said:

Thanks...We think it will be easier to use our laptop to take the test. We understand now to change the time zone on it to reflect what time it will be in San Juan

You are still missing the point.  The test results are going to be saved in UTC regardless of what timezone is set on your laptop.  Just like the result will be displayed on your phone converted to whatever timezone the phone is set to.

[Ashland]

15 minutes ago, Mooreland1999 said:

You are still missing the point.  The test results are going to be saved in UTC regardless of what timezone is set on your laptop.  Just like the result will be displayed on your phone converted to whatever timezone the phone is set to.

Really....then explain a bit easier to me so I'm not missing the point? 

[SRF]

On 3/3/2022 at 12:38 PM, beachluver9 said:

Thanks for your response!  I went to the FAQs and it states only certain lots of tests have an extension to the date shown on the box, but there is no list (searched) showing the specific lots that are extended.  I have emailed them asking for the detailed list and hoping that they will respond in the next day or so.  The last batch that I ordered came from several different lots.  I tried calling emed to ask specifically about the tests that I have in hand, but the language barrier between myself and the agent was not workable.  Hopefully email is the ticket!

 

 

Please share if you get that list.

 

As I read it, the original extension was lot specific, but the extension to 15 months is all lots.

 

I have some I bought last year, that if 15 months will work for our April cruise.  But I may order another 6, as we have a November cruise, at it seems the currently shipping kits are expiring past then, and would be backups for the earlier expiring tests.

[SRF]

The eMed results will show UTC time.

 

Personally, I would want to test after midnight two days before the cruise based on the timezone of the cruise departure.

 

RCI says two days before.  To me, that means after midnight, two days before, IN THE DEPARTURE TIMEZONE.  Your choice though.

 

So a for an SJU Sunday departure, I would test after midnight Friday, SJU time.  Or 0401 Friday UTC.  

 

For US Central time, for the next few days, that would be after 2201 (10:01PM) Thursday night.  Once we switch to DST this coming weekend, that would be after 2301 (11:01PM) on Thursday.

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

The eMed results will show UTC time.

 

Personally, I would want to test after midnight two days before the cruise based on the timezone of the cruise departure.

 

RCI says two days before.  To me, that means after midnight, two days before, IN THE DEPARTURE TIMEZONE.  Your choice though.

 

So a for an SJU Sunday departure, I would test after midnight Friday, SJU time.  Or 0401 Friday UTC.  

 

For US Central time, for the next few days, that would be after 2201 (10:01PM) Thursday night.  Once we switch to DST this coming weekend, that would be after 2301 (11:01PM) on Thursday.

After 11:01pm on Thursday for us west coasters...that would make it so much easier for us. Do we need to change the time zone on our laptop ...this seems to be a new wrinkle in all this.

I appreciate your help more than you realize...Thank you. 

[SRF]

You should not have to change the time on your laptop.  They will use THEIR time.

 

Use of UTC for times is common in aviation.  Avoids the whole time zone confusion.

[D4]

I appreciate everyone’s help.  I’m in the central time zone and our cruise leaves from Miami.  So we’re going to start our emed tests at 11:00pm the night before we fly.

 

That is still better than starting them at midnight which I originally thought we’d have to do.

 

We are also planning to test ourselves with the cheap OTC kits one day before that.  There’s no sense going through the last day getting ready frenzy if either of us is positive.

 

We usually fly in the day before a cruise but I made it 2 days early this time because of all the airline chaos and since Royal isn’t letting people catch up to the ship if they miss sail away.  I had no idea this would complicate our testing time so much!

[beachluver9]

On 3/7/2022 at 9:39 AM, SRF said:

 

Please share if you get that list.

 

As I read it, the original extension was lot specific, but the extension to 15 months is all lots.

 

I have some I bought last year, that if 15 months will work for our April cruise.  But I may order another 6, as we have a November cruise, at it seems the currently shipping kits are expiring past then, and would be backups for the earlier expiring tests.

They never sent me a detailed list with the specifics that I was hoping for.  Surprise, surprise.  I can say, however, that the test kits that had an October, 2021 expiration worked fine last week and we were able to print out our results with no problem.

[SRF]

18 hours ago, beachluver9 said:

They never sent me a detailed list with the specifics that I was hoping for.  Surprise, surprise.  I can say, however, that the test kits that had an October, 2021 expiration worked fine last week and we were able to print out our results with no problem.

Thanks for the update.

Was that Oct 21 printed on the box, or with the first extension?