Free Covid Antigen test prior to European itineraries?

[alvin18]

Will be boarding Getaway on May 8th from Southampton and ending in Copenhagen.  I noticed NCL has stated

"All vaccinated guests age 12 and older must provide proof of negative NAAT test or antigen test taken within 24hrs of embarkation.  This test will be paid for and administered by Norwegian Cruise Line."

Is this a true statement?  I have appts to take a rapid test the day before we fly to London.  Dont want to waste $60 per tests if NCL is going to do it for free or force us to pay the company at the pier.  Maybe someone who recently started a cruise from Southampton can share their experience.  Thanks.

[Sailing12Away]

Where exactly did you see this? I'm sailing May 13th out of Barcelona and was told I need to obtain my own negative test within 3 days of departure at my own expense.

 

If the rules have changed yet again, that will impact the number of kits I buy this week.

[alvin18]

9 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

Where exactly did you see this? I'm sailing May 13th out of Barcelona and was told I need to obtain my own negative test within 3 days of departure at my own expense.

 

If the rules have changed yet again, that will impact the number of kits I buy this week.

It is stated in the sail safe section on the NCL website.  I will be talking with my TA today to add my daughter to the trip and I will have her confirm.  This was brought up by another couple in our group that caught this statement while checking in for this cruise.

[njhorseman]

4 hours ago, alvin18 said:

It is stated in the sail safe section on the NCL website.  I will be talking with my TA today to add my daughter to the trip and I will have her confirm.  This was brought up by another couple in our group that caught this statement while checking in for this cruise.

You need to look at the current version of the SailSafe protocols.  NCL eliminated free testing at the pier many  weeks ago. You're now expected to obtain your own test prior to embarkation . The SailSafe page will tell you how far in advance you're permitted to take the test. Exact requirements may vary by embarkation port and itinerary, but the details are laid out in the SailSafe section of ncl.com. 

Note: I do see the wording you've cited, but it appears to conflict with their other protocols and needs to be verified. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by njhorseman

[5onadime]

I *THINK*. They have changed things once again.....(within the las week?)

I *THINK* they are now requiring the testing done 3 days prior at customer expense AND testing at pier at NCL expense.   ( I am willing to be corrected on this 😉 )

 

I would love a better explained protocol but I get that the cruise line is doing their best to standardize protocols to meet as many country requirements as possible.

 

Any concrete information we have today may/or may not be true tomorrow.

 

I am certainly thankful to these boards and peoples willingness to help each other..

 

[TrumpyNor]

And to add to the confusion; according to various posts here on CruiseCritic reently it seems like there may be different requirements regarding the pre-cruise testing depending on departure port/local requirements. This is of course in addition to that some of the countries where NCL sails from, require a test done before arriving as well (48-72hours, it varies).

Edited April 18, 2022 by TrumpyNor

[Donnalit]

We are also on the May 8th sailing on the NCL Getaway and have found this process most frustrating with no help from NCL We arrive in London 4 days prior to our embarkation date, so since we must have negative results no more than 3 days for before we leave, we cannot test in the US and are forced to either test at the port or at a location in London.  We would not mind testing at the port for convenience, but when we called Norwegian Customer Care, NONE of the reps we spoke with could help us with information on costs to test at the Southampton port.   The rep simply told us he thought it was very expensive and to call the port and ask as they had no information on that.  To me, this is completely unacceptable!  why should we have to pay for an international phone call to the port to see how much the mandatory testing is to board their ship?? We were only referred to the sailsafe reference on the NCL website where we saw the information on Testfortravel.com to locate a site to test.  (The NCL rep said we could test at any "approved 3rd party location" but not being a local with access to that information how do we choose the right place?)   Even more frustrating, another cruiser on Reddit indicated that Princess Cruise lines charges $60 to test at the Southampton pier before embark and can bill the charge to your cabin - WHY can't Norwegian do that??  They need to simplify this process NOT make it more frustrating, especially for international travelers.   

[Rick&Jeannie]

We have a May cruise departing Rome...

 

This is posted under "Europe Cruise Protocols":

 

Testing Requirements:

• All vaccinated guests age 12 and older: must provide proof of negative NAAT test (I.e. PCR) or antigen test taken within 24 hours of embarkation. This test will be paid for and administered by Norwegian Cruise Line.

Face Coverings:

• On European sailings guests shall:
  • Wear masks onboard while indoors, except when actively eating or drinking or when in their stateroom.
  • Adhere to local regulations when visiting ports.

All voyages that include Italian ports, an FFP2/KN95 mask must be worn.

[Trimone]

If it’s anything like last year in Europe, you took a test yourself within 48 hours, then by doing that if you failed the rest at the port by eurofins, NCL took some responsibility for you, if you couldn’t prove the test within 48 hours you were by yourself.

 

[ziggyuk]

We were told to do our own test last week before getting on the Jade then when we got to the port they did not want to see our test and did their own, it was frustrating as we had a week in Athens before the cruise and had to take time out to get the test done privately.

[Donnalit]

Rick&Jeannie - Not sure where you got that information. would you mind posting a link?   I searched the entire Norwegian website and found no reference to Europe Cruise Protocols...??  This is what I have received directly from Norwegian regarding our Europe cruise with departure out of Southampton:

 

Testing Requirements for all guests: Vaccinated guests: • At time of check-in, all guests will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test result administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test within two days prior to embarkation date for cruises originating in a U.S. port and three days prior for voyages departing from a non-U.S. port. While you can use any certified facility to take this test, to facilitate, Norwegian has partnered with Inspired Diagnostics lab to ensure that guests have access to a quick, efficient, and easy way to access the required FDA-approved proctored in-home antigen test prior to embarkation from the comfort of their own home. Inspired Diagnostics is a subsidiary of Inspire Health Alliance, a leader in best-in-class health services. Testing at home is safe, simple, and convenient. Purchasing in-home testing kits is simple. a. Sign up on the testing site https://inspirediagnostics.com/ncl/ b. Receive the test kit(s) by UPS c. Schedule an on-line proctoring consultation d. Receive certified results via email • For vaccinated guests who are unable to provide proof of a negative result at the time of embarkation, antigen testing will be available at the terminal at the guest’s expense (cost may vary depending on the port and the vendor).

[Donnalit]

ZiggyUK - what happened to you on the Jade is exactly what i think we're going to experience as well in Southampton.  Really disappointed in NCL for not making this simpler for passengers!

 

[Sailing12Away]

7 hours ago, Donnalit said:

We are also on the May 8th sailing on the NCL Getaway and have found this process most frustrating with no help from NCL We arrive in London 4 days prior to our embarkation date, so since we must have negative results no more than 3 days for before we leave, we cannot test in the US and are forced to either test at the port or at a location in London.  

Will you have a laptop with you, or access to one in a business center at your hotel? We're flying into Barcelona a few days early, and plan on brining kits from https://www.emed.com/products/covid-at-home-testkit-six-pack with us. They offer a 6 pack for $150, and I think through a link on RCC you can get a 2 or 4 pack for a smidge cheaper. That lets you take the test yourself via proctor from your hotel room. 

*Edit: Here's the link for the 2 pack ($70) and 3 pack ($99) - more so for me than you, because I keep forgetting it and having to find it again. https://store.optum.com/royal-caribbean-tests/

 

When our cruise ends in Southampton, we're staying a day in London before going home. Again, we plan to use these kits in our hotel room to test negative so we can fly home to the US. Inconvenient - yes, but better than wandering the streets of London looking for the equivalent of a CVS Minute Clinic.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Sailing12Away
Added links

[Longstockingpippi1]

https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country

[Seanocelt]

It's becoming confusing even the chat  workers are contradicting themselves. 

Look at this from the last link above under EU departures 

[fabnfortysomething]

We are currently on the jade out of Athens

Requirements change frequently

We had paid for fit to fly test at Heathrow cost £32

On array Athens airport we were loaded onto a shuttle bus and told we were all being taken to a hotel first for COVID testing at NCL expense

Frustrating for a couple on the bus from Scotland who had paid £72 each for PCR test which was requirement week before

Fortunately we tested negative and are on the ship

Point is requirements change at short notice

 

[Wittwallen]

We are on the Gem sailing May 9 from Rome. Upon check in yesterday we were required to pre register with Eurofin for an antigen test at the pier prior to embarkation. This was not voluntary. We are coming from Istanbul where we are disembarking from an Oceania cruise that did not have that requirement on check in. Very confusing at this point.

[KeithJenner]

55 minutes ago, fabnfortysomething said:

We are currently on the jade out of Athens

Requirements change frequently

We had paid for fit to fly test at Heathrow cost £32

On array Athens airport we were loaded onto a shuttle bus and told we were all being taken to a hotel first for COVID testing at NCL expense

Frustrating for a couple on the bus from Scotland who had paid £72 each for PCR test which was requirement week before

Fortunately we tested negative and are on the ship

Point is requirements change at short notice

 

And to confuse matters further, we are on the same cruise (without NCL flights) and we were not tested at the port as we did have an antigen test from within 24 hours.

 

There really is no predicting what will happen.

[KeithJenner]

17 minutes ago, Wittwallen said:

We are on the Gem sailing May 9 from Rome. Upon check in yesterday we were required to pre register with Eurofin for an antigen test at the pier prior to embarkation. This was not voluntary. We are coming from Istanbul where we are disembarking from an Oceania cruise that did not have that requirement on check in. Very confusing at this point.

The Eurofins registration has been there on NCL checkin even when there was no suggestion of testing at the port. I believe that it was a legacy from last year when NCL was testing everyone at the port, but it has now become relevant again.

[Donnalit]

duplicate post

Edited April 19, 2022 by Donnalit

[Donnalit]

duplicate

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Donnalit

[Donnalit]

2 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

The Eurofins registration has been there on NCL checkin even when there was no suggestion of testing at the port. I believe that it was a legacy from last year when NCL was testing everyone at the port, but it has now become relevant again.

For our cruise in February to the Caribbean, we followed the directions to register with Eurofin and got the necessary paperwork to carry with us as instructed.  On arrival, we asked to whom we should produce the registration papers and were told - we don't need them!   

[Donnalit]

12 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

Will you have a laptop with you, or access to one in a business center at your hotel? We're flying into Barcelona a few days early, and plan on brining kits from https://www.emed.com/products/covid-at-home-testkit-six-pack with us. They offer a 6 pack for $150, and I think through a link on RCC you can get a 2 or 4 pack for a smidge cheaper. That lets you take the test yourself via proctor from your hotel room. 

*Edit: Here's the link for the 2 pack ($70) and 3 pack ($99) - more so for me than you, because I keep forgetting it and having to find it again. https://store.optum.com/royal-caribbean-tests/

 

When our cruise ends in Southampton, we're staying a day in London before going home. Again, we plan to use these kits in our hotel room to test negative so we can fly home to the US. Inconvenient - yes, but better than wandering the streets of London looking for the equivalent of a CVS Minute Clinic.

thank you!  Yes we are aware that getting tests via Emed is an option and will likely buy a set of kits as a backup if we can't get a timely local test.  We found a testing site near our hotel that costs approx $50 ea for a rapid antigen test and that's our first choice, but will have the addl kits just in case. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

20 hours ago, Donnalit said:

Rick&Jeannie - Not sure where you got that information. would you mind posting a link?   I searched the entire Norwegian website and found no reference to Europe Cruise Protocols...??  

 

As I stated...it is listed under the "Europe Cruise Protocols" section of the "Requirements by country" page:

 

https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country

 

Scroll down to "Europe" section.  You may very well have received different instructions for a cruise out of Southampton.  Italy is one of the "difficult spots" for travel right now.  I have a cruise in 3 weeks so I am looking at every scrap of info I can find.  Upon check in for this cruise (yesterday) we had to register a Eurofins account and select a time for testing at the pier (or wherever they will be doing this.)

[susiesan]

My cruise leaves from Stockholm, Sweden. There is no information on NCL web site about that country.

How would I find out about testing before boarding NCL Dawn in Sweden?