eMed tests

[drewdrewcruiser]

If I buy the RC eMed tests for an April cruise and end up not needing them because I can get tested at a local pharmacy, can I use them for a July cruise?  It seems like a lot of pharmacies are discontinuing free tests and I want to be prepared. Do the expiration dates go that far out?

[britty1]

I would go by the expiration date on your test. My understanding is the earliest expiration date on what is currently being sold is in the fall.

 

[drewdrewcruiser]

2 minutes ago, britty1 said:

I would go by the expiration date on your test. My understanding is the earliest expiration date on what is currently being sold is in the fall.

 

So the tests don't have to be specifically used for the sailing you purchased for,  right?

[paross4]

The tests are not designated for any specific cruise date.  As long as the kit has not passed its expiration date, you can use it.  As britty1 noted above, kits sold now have fall 2022 expiration dates.  Your kits should be fine for use in July of 2022.

So the answer is, Yes.

[BND]

3 minutes ago, drewdrewcruiser said:

So the tests don't have to be specifically used for the sailing you purchased for,  right?

You don't purchase them for a specific sailing.  You can order directly from Optum or Emed without even using the link.  RCI just provides the link.  

[Coralc]

I might try this $20 proctoring thing with the Ihealth (government tests). I am still waiting for someone else to be the guinea pig, but it seems to check all the boxes. And we already have the tests. It would be nice to have a back up too, but I will have to see about the availability of a Walgreens or CVS test. 

 

https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service 

 

[drewdrewcruiser]

15 minutes ago, Coralc said:

I might try this $20 proctoring thing with the Ihealth (government tests). I am still waiting for someone else to be the guinea pig, but it seems to check all the boxes. And we already have the tests. It would be nice to have a back up too, but I will have to see about the availability of a Walgreens or CVS test. 

 

https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service 

 

This would be great if this works.  I already have the government tests from the USPS.

[GTO-Girl]

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

I might try this $20 proctoring thing with the Ihealth (government tests). I am still waiting for someone else to be the guinea pig, but it seems to check all the boxes. And we already have the tests. It would be nice to have a back up too, but I will have to see about the availability of a Walgreens or CVS test. 

 

https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service 

 

Just be very careful!!  There was a post on another board where someone used this and the results they were emailed did not include all the required information and they were denied!!

 

This person tried to get another result resent with everything they needed but with no luck…

 

so again….be very careful!!

[GTO-Girl]

48 minutes ago, drewdrewcruiser said:

This would be great if this works.  I already have the government tests from the USPS.

See my response below…

[drewdrewcruiser]

14 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

Just be very careful!!  There was a post on another board where someone used this and the results they were emailed did not include all the required information and they were denied!!

 

This person tried to get another result resent with everything they needed but with no luck…

 

so again….be very careful!!

 

I'm going to just order the tests from RC to avoid any unnecessary stress.  Not worth it to save a few $$.

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

I might try this $20 proctoring thing with the Ihealth (government tests). I am still waiting for someone else to be the guinea pig, but it seems to check all the boxes. And we already have the tests. It would be nice to have a back up too, but I will have to see about the availability of a Walgreens or CVS test. 

 

https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service 

 

I don’t think I would be comfortable using this test for cruise purposes. I don’t see anything on RCI’s site or the Ihealth site saying these tests are acceptable for cruising. 

[njkruzer]

We used the emed tests in December.  Worked well.  Just ordered some more for our April cruise and our flight back from Amsterdam.  Expiration date in January 2023.  

[GTO-Girl]

10 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I don’t think I would be comfortable using this test for cruise purposes. I don’t see anything on RCI’s site or the Ihealth site saying these tests are acceptable for cruising. 

No way would I risk losing my cruise to save a few bucks.  Great if it works…awful if it doesn’t!!

[PhillyFan33579]

Just now, GTO-Girl said:

No way would I risk losing my cruise to save a few bucks.  Great if it works…awful if it doesn’t!!

I have used the at home test available on RCI’s website (and Celebrity too) for my last six cruises. It’s well worth the $33 to me knowing the test is accepted by RCI and taking the test at home is very convenient. 

[long4acruise]

4 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

We used the emed tests in December.  Worked well.  Just ordered some more for our April cruise and our flight back from Amsterdam.  Expiration date in January 2023.  

Ditto... ordered eMed tests yesterday for our Jewel TA (j.i.c we're unable to get an early morning appt before we fly to Miami the day prior) and for our return flight from AMS.  Received the tests tonight and the expiration date is May 2023. 

Another task completed on my long "to do" list!

[GTO-Girl]

4 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I have used the at home test available on RCI’s website (and Celebrity too) for my last six cruises. It’s well worth the $33 to me knowing the test is accepted by RCI and taking the test at home is very convenient. 

I agree 100%!!  We have used them four times now and for us it is much less stressful to do the at home proctored test rather than worrying about an appt being cancelled.

 

The last time we did them at the hotel and printed the results off in the business center!  Easy peasy!!

[njkruzer]

3 minutes ago, long4acruise said:

Ditto... ordered eMed tests yesterday for our Jewel TA (j.i.c we're unable to get an early morning appt before we fly to Miami the day prior) and for our return flight from AMS.  Received the tests tonight and the expiration date is May 2023. 

Another task completed on my long "to do" list!

See you onboard!  We actually will board on the 23rd and remain for the TA.  Did you see Royal's email with instructions for TAs?

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, BND said:

You don't purchase them for a specific sailing.  You can order directly from Optum or Emed without even using the link.  RCI just provides the link.  

The RCI link lets you buy in smaller quantities than directly from Emed. 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, drewdrewcruiser said:

If I buy the RC eMed tests for an April cruise and end up not needing them because I can get tested at a local pharmacy, can I use them for a July cruise?  It seems like a lot of pharmacies are discontinuing free tests and I want to be prepared. Do the expiration dates go that far out?

The Emed kits we ordered last month for our cruise two weeks ago had December 22 expiration dates. 

 

wrt cost, I submitted a claim for the kits to my insurance company. Despite the fact that the federal government only requires insurance companies to pay for the first $12 / kit, our insurance company paid for 100% of the cost of the emed proctored test kits. 

[1ballerina]

2 hours ago, paross4 said:

The tests are not designated for any specific cruise date.  As long as the kit has not passed its expiration date, you can use it.  As britty1 noted above, kits sold now have fall 2022 expiration dates.  Your kits should be fine for use in July of 2022.

So the answer is, Yes.

Agreed ! And I just received my test kits which I plan to use for both April and Oct cruises. Our expiration dates are Jan 2023

[1ballerina]

1 hour ago, GTO-Girl said:

I agree 100%!!  We have used them four times now and for us it is much less stressful to do the at home proctored test rather than worrying about an appt being cancelled.

 

The last time we did them at the hotel and printed the results off in the business center!  Easy peasy!!

We have been doing the same ..taking the tests at the hotel the day before the cruise ! Soo easy 

[BND]

8 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

The RCI link lets you buy in smaller quantities than directly from Emed. 

The RCI link takes you to the OPTUM site which is one of two suppliers.  OPTUM has always had smaller quantities and it's who we order from.  Emed has their own site.  We bought from OPTUM last year before RCI started providing the link when others were posting BOTH links.  If you google OPTUM you can order the same smaller quantities.  It's just how they have always done it.  It's not anything Royal did other than supply the link.

Edited March 22, 2022 by BND

[SRF]

12 hours ago, drewdrewcruiser said:

This would be great if this works.  I already have the government tests from the USPS.

 

You have to buy THEIR test kits.

*Test kit NOT included. Use with any unopened iHealth tests, or purchase here.

[vwlmember]

eMed tests received by me yesterday have a January 2023 expiration date.

[drewdrewcruiser]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

 

You have to buy THEIR test kits.

*Test kit NOT included. Use with any unopened iHealth tests, or purchase here.

These are the free tests you get from the government.