Pre-cruise COVID test for European guest

[DutsCruiser]

I am sure this has been asked before, likely a few times, yet I was unable to find the answer using the search feature. At least not for someone not living in the USA.

 

We are taking cruise out of port Canaveral in september. We fly into Orlando airport a day and a half before and will be staying in a hotel in Cocoa Beach pre-cruise.

 

Because of we fly in a day and a half before, we can't do a pre-cruise covid test at home. The test would be older than the allowed 2 days. So, basically we have one day before the cruise to get the required test. I have read (via Google and this board) people recommending Walgreens and CVS. But Walgreens only appears (to facilitate people with US insurance (at least that is what I make from the text on the website) and also doesn't allow for non-US to plan an appointment. The CVS site can't even be accessed from the Netherlands. I could, of-course, try to walk in a Walgreens and see if I can pay on site but I prefer to have an appointment set before we leave from home. 

 

So my question is: has anyone, not from the US, successfully planned a pre-cruise test from in the Cocoa Beach area from home (Europe?)? If so; where? And  did you have an issues or do you have any recommendations with taking the test while in the Florida.

 

[orville99]

8 minutes ago, DutsCruiser said:

I am sure this has been asked before, likely a few times, yet I was unable to find the answer using the search feature. At least not for someone not living in the USA.

 

We are taking cruise out of port Canaveral in september. We fly into Orlando airport a day and a half before and will be staying in a hotel in Cocoa Beach pre-cruise.

 

Because of we fly in a day and a half before, we can't do a pre-cruise covid test at home. The test would be older than the allowed 2 days. So, basically we have one day before the cruise to get the required test. I have read (via Google and this board) people recommending Walgreens and CVS. But Walgreens only appears (to facilitate people with US insurance (at least that is what I make from the text on the website) and also doesn't allow for non-US to plan an appointment. The CVS site can't even be accessed from the Netherlands. I could, of-course, try to walk in a Walgreens and see if I can pay on site but I prefer to have an appointment set before we leave from home. 

 

So my question is: has anyone, not from the US, successfully planned a pre-cruise test from in the Cocoa Beach area from home (Europe?)? If so; where? And  did you have an issues or do you have any recommendations with taking the test while in the Florida.

 

As an example, If you are sailing on a Sunday, you can be tested any time on Friday, so if you are arriving on Friday (and presumably leaving the Netherlands also on Friday), you could do the test before you board the plane. If you are leaving the Netherland before that, you are correct that a pre-flight test would not work. My best suggestion would be for you to purchase the eMed proctored tests from RCL and take those when you arrive. I believe there are instructions on the RCL website on how to have those shipped to your hotel, or if you have any contacts in the U.S. you can have the tests shipped to them and have them either hold them for your arrival or send them to you in the Netherlands (I would do this option well before your cruise, because it can take time for all of the shipping/mailing to get them to you.

[smokeybandit]

Your simplest option is getting tested at the airport.

[DutsCruiser]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

As an example, If you are sailing on a Sunday, you can be tested any time on Friday, so if you are arriving on Friday (and presumably leaving the Netherlands also on Friday), you could do the test before you board the plane. If you are leaving the Netherland before that, you are correct that a pre-flight test would not work. My best suggestion would be for you to purchase the eMed proctored tests from RCL and take those when you arrive. I believe there are instructions on the RCL website on how to have those shipped to your hotel, or if you have any contacts in the U.S. you can have the tests shipped to them and have them either hold them for your arrival or send them to you in the Netherlands (I would do this option well before your cruise, because it can take time for all of the shipping/mailing to get them to you.

 

We fly on Thursday morning (early) and arrive Thursday early in the evening. Then we have Friday for ourselves and sail on Saturday. According to the RCCL FAQ Thursday and Friday "count" as the 2 days. Since we both be traveling almost all of Thursday we have Friday for the test.

 

I will see if I can find the eMed proctored test. We will be visiting friends in the US but after the cruise. But I can definitely contact the hotel to see if they would be willing to accept the package pre-arrival. I have never tried that but I'm sure it is not that uncommon for them. 

 

55 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Your simplest option is getting tested at the airport.

You mean there is a (walk-in?) testing facility at Orlando Airport? I would prefer to have an appointment set but if that turns out to be difficult a walk-in facility at the airport should work just fine as-well.

[smokeybandit]

4 minutes ago, DutsCruiser said:

You mean there is a (walk-in?) testing facility at Orlando Airport? I would prefer to have an appointment set but if that turns out to be difficult a walk-in facility at the airport should work just fine as-well.

https://centracare.adventhealth.com/urgent-care/covid-19-testing-orlando-international-airport

[DutsCruiser]

7 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

https://centracare.adventhealth.com/urgent-care/covid-19-testing-orlando-international-airport

 

Thank you! Unfortunately that site is not available from the EU:

 

• Welcome to AdventHealth
• You’re logging on from an IP address in the European Union, and we’re still working to become GDPR compliant. Here’s what that means for you.

 

and than it shows a lot of phone numbers. But I'll definitely bookmark this so that I can give them a call closer to September and see what options they have available.

[orville99]

47 minutes ago, DutsCruiser said:

We fly on Thursday morning (early) and arrive Thursday early in the evening.

If you can test at your local airport before you get on the plane, the test will be within the two day window that RCL requires and you would be good to go as long as you can get the test results emailed or printed out by the testing entity.

 

You can also purchase qualified lateral flow tests (RCL has a list on their website) and use a proctoring service like onpoint or ihealth once you land.

 

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

https://onpoint-testing.com/product/certified-teleservice-covid-testing/

Edited June 18, 2022 by orville99