(UK) What do you do if you fail the pre-embarkation test?

[WestonOne]

Currently, we have to have a test shortly before boarding to ensure we are free from covid, and if we test positive, we can notify Cunard and get a FCC.

But what is the process of notifying them?   I have just spent over an hour calling the Cunard office to ask this (and some other questions) and have been told that if we do fail the test, the testing company will contact Cunard so I don't have to do anything, but if I want to I can also ring them to confirm it and should use the same number as any other enquiry.

The testing company I have booked - Lloyds Pharmacy - hasn't asked at all who I am travelling with, but I assume would if I did not pass the test.

I don't see this information anywhere online, so it might be useful to anyone else in the UK wondering what the process is.  It might be different for other countries.

 

[ace2542]

13 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

Currently, we have to have a test shortly before boarding to ensure we are free from covid, and if we test positive, we can notify Cunard and get a FCC.

But what is the process of notifying them?   I have just spent over an hour calling the Cunard office to ask this (and some other questions) and have been told that if we do fail the test, the testing company will contact Cunard so I don't have to do anything, but if I want to I can also ring them to confirm it and should use the same number as any other enquiry.

The testing company I have booked - Lloyds Pharmacy - hasn't asked at all who I am travelling with, but I assume would if I did not pass the test.

I don't see this information anywhere online, so it might be useful to anyone else in the UK wondering what the process is.  It might be different for other countries.

 

What do you mean fit to fly test? What does that mean? You don't need a test to enter the USA so far as I am aware?

[ace2542]

It is good that you have posted this I will expand it if I may. I take it from your post that you board the same day or 1 day after you land?. But what would happen if you rocked up at the cruise terminal and explained to the Cunard check in staff that are you positive and bring in the cancel procedure that way?. Would you be detained to quarantine? What would happen?

Edited July 4, 2022 by ace2542

[WestonOne]

32 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

What do you mean fit to fly test? What does that mean? You don't need a test to enter the USA so far as I am aware?

I mean the test that we need to take in the UK  the day beforehand (or so!) to bring along to embarkation to show as part of the boarding documentation, along with the NHS certificates of vaccination, boarding passes, e-tickets and the rest.  Lloyds call it the 'fit to fly' test because it is the same test they use if you want to fly somewhere.

[ace2542]

7 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

I mean the test that we need to take in the UK  the day beforehand (or so!) to bring along to embarkation to show as part of the boarding documentation, along with the NHS certificates of vaccination, boarding passes, e-tickets and the rest.  Lloyds call it the 'fit to fly' test because it is the same test they use if you want to fly somewhere.

If you test postiive I suppose you contact Cunard by phone and inform them of the positive test and start the process that way and also contact your insurance. I don't know what would happen if you decided to go to nyc on the cunard flight - I presume it is the cunard flight - and return home at your own expense as a negative is not required to enter. That might be an option if you wanted to do that.

 

We are in a different boat we test in USA and I am not sure what happens if we test postive. With regards to cunard being informed with our technical limitations of phones and the like and hotels and it being  it might be a case of rocking up at the terminal and informing them in person and taking it from there.

[KukiBaerdi]

Hi WestonOne
We unfortunately tested positive on Saturday before our cruise on QV last Sunday, which was quite a shock as we tested negative the day before.
I immediately contacted our travel agent via an online chat on their website and quite promptly had the agent directly ring Cunard for us. She told us that our FCC would be sent to us via mail from Cunard.
A few minutes later our cruise disappeared from our voyage personaliser.
Fingers crossed...

[ace2542]

7 minutes ago, KukiBaerdi said:

Hi WestonOne
We unfortunately tested positive on Saturday before our cruise on QV last Sunday, which was quite a shock as we tested negative the day before.
I immediately contacted our travel agent via an online chat on their website and quite promptly had the agent directly ring Cunard for us. She told us that our FCC would be sent to us via mail from Cunard.
A few minutes later our cruise disappeared from our voyage personaliser.
Fingers crossed...

Sadly for both of us as has been commented on and lamented upon on here Cunard does not have a web chat service. But it will be an easy phone call for the OP either to Cunard office or the Mayflower terminal direct if it comes to that.

[Mostonian]

We both got Covid in the week before we were due to join Queen Elizabeth in April. We filled in the Health Questionnaire which you are asked to complete three days before sailing answering that we had Covid.  This triggered a response that we were denied boarding in big red letters. I would print this form off as it is proof of your status. I then contacted my TA, and was provided with a FCC.  We used this to book another cruise on Queen Victoria which hopefully we will embark on Sunday on a jaunt to Norway and Iceland. We hope to be Covid free as we have spent the last two weeks as hermits. Good job we like tennis.

[WestonOne]

It looks like I should not have used the Lloyd's terminology as it is causing some confusion.  If someone with the privileges to so changes the thread title to something to do with pre-embarkation test rather than 'fit to fly' it might help people.

For this cruise, we are not flying anywhere:  not into the UK, nor out of it.   We embark and disembark in Southampton.

Originally, I had not intended to ask Cunard about this, but when I had spent an hour waiting on the phone I began to get a little nervous:  what happens if I prove positive and I try to ring but they do not answer the phone before they close for the evening?  Very unusually, I booked  this trip directly with Cunard, rather than through the agent I normally use.

So I think I now know what to do as a result of the conversation I had.  I still welcome more comments on the thread though to address things that do not affect me, such as what do those who are flying do.

Mostonian's comment is also helpful as it addresses what to do if you test positive a few days earlier.

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by WestonOne

[sandjango]

Yes it does get confusing...Lloyds Rapid COVID-19 Lateral Flow Test.....They also call it a Fit to fly lateral flow test....exactly the same thing...

[ace2542]

53 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

It looks like I should not have used the Lloyd's terminology as it is causing some confusion.  If someone with the privileges to so changes the thread title to something to do with pre-embarkation test rather than 'fit to fly' it might help people.

For this cruise, we are not flying anywhere:  not into the UK, nor out of it.   We embark and disembark in Southampton.

Originally, I had not intended to ask Cunard about this, but when I had spent an hour waiting on the phone I began to get a little nervous:  what happens if I prove positive and I try to ring but they do not answer the phone before they close for the evening?  Very unusually, I booked  this trip directly with Cunard, rather than through the agent I normally use.

So I think I now know what to do as a result of the conversation I had.  I still welcome more comments on the thread though to address things that do not affect me, such as what do those who are flying do.

Mostonian's comment is also helpful as it addresses what to do if you test positive a few days earlier.

 

If the worst comes to the worst a good move might be to ring the cruise teminal in Southampton directly and ask to speak to one of the check in staff directly? Might be quicker than holding for Cunard for an hour?

Edited July 4, 2022 by ace2542

[Essiesmom]

51 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

It looks like I should not have used the Lloyd's terminology as it is causing some confusion.  If someone with the privileges to so changes the thread title to something to do with pre-embarkation test rather than 'fit to fly' it might help people.

For this cruise, we are not flying anywhere:  not into the UK, nor out of it.   We embark and disembark in Southampton.

Originally, I had not intended to ask Cunard about this, but when I had spent an hour waiting on the phone I began to get a little nervous:  what happens if I prove positive and I try to ring but they do not answer the phone before they close for the evening?  Very unusually, I booked  this trip directly with Cunard, rather than through the agent I normally use.

So I think I now know what to do as a result of the conversation I had.  I still welcome more comments on the thread though to address things that do not affect me, such as what do those who are flying do.

Mostonian's comment is also helpful as it addresses what to do if you test positive a few days earlier.

 

If you want the title of the thread changed, click on the three little dots in the upper right of your original post.  Click on report.  In the comments, ask the mods to change the title and suggest what you would like.  EM

[Jack E Dawson]

4 hours ago, WestonOne said:

The testing company I have booked - Lloyds Pharmacy - hasn't asked at all who I am travelling with, but I assume would if I did not pass the test.
 

WestonOne,

We used the Lloyds Pharmacy (Shirley location) on May 7th for our May 8th boarding of the QM2. They were very nice and efficient. Fortunately, we tested negative but Lloyds would not have notified Cunard had we tested positive. They gave us a printed copy of our negative test and took our e-mail addresses to forward a digital copy. None of the 4 in our group ever received an e-mail with the digital copy. So you will have to call Cunard or your TA directly. 

Jack

[lissie]

No testing agency should be providing your personal medical information to a third party unless you know that's happening up front. 

 

Isn't this the whole point of the health questionaire that you have to fill in after you've done the test?  You say you are positive and I assume things happen from there? 

[WestonOne]

56 minutes ago, lissie said:

Isn't this the whole point of the health questionaire that you have to fill in after you've done the test?  You say you are positive and I assume things happen from there? 

There is a mismatch in the guidance here.  The Cunard site says:
 

• Complete the Health Declaration in My Cunard between one and three days before your holiday.
  
  But it also says
  
  All guests aged five years and over will need to organise and purchase a private antigen test to be taken within one day prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal
  
  So if you have the test say 12-18  hours before you embark, it would not be in within the one to three days for the Health declaration.
  
  I know, I know, it doesn't really make sense. if the health declaration used the test result it would be far more reasonable.  Submitting the health declaration 3 days beforehand is allowed, but would not fit with a test on the day before you your holiday however you try.

Edited July 4, 2022 by WestonOne

[lissie]

48 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

There is a mismatch in the guidance here.  The Cunard site says:
 

• Complete the Health Declaration in My Cunard between one and three days before your holiday.
  
  But it also says
  
  All guests aged five years and over will need to organise and purchase a private antigen test to be taken within one day prior to arrival at the embarkation terminal
  
  So if you have the test say 12-18  hours before you embark, it would not be in within the one to three days for the Health declaration.
  
  I know, I know, it doesn't really make sense. if the health declaration used the test result it would be far more reasonable.  Submitting the health declaration 3 days beforehand is allowed, but would not fit with a test on the day before you your holiday however you try.

I completely agree so  can someone who has actually completed the health declaration confirm that it doesn't actually include you providing the test results? That's seriously  nuts. We are boarding in the US and the rules are that we can test 2 days prior 

[david,Mississauga]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

I completely agree so  can someone who has actually completed the health declaration confirm that it doesn't actually include you providing the test results? That's seriously  nuts. We are boarding in the US and the rules are that we can test 2 days prior 

 

As has been mentioned previously, for Canadian departures Cunard insists we can get the rapid test no more than one day before boarding. This meant we had to have it in Vancouver. Our TA said if we test positive we should phone him right away and he will deal with it. This is just one of many reasons I will not take an ocean voyage without booking through my TA.

[lissie]

5 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

As has been mentioned previously, for Canadian departures Cunard insists we can get the rapid test no more than one day before boarding. This meant we had to have it in Vancouver. Our TA said if we test positive we should phone him right away and he will deal with it. This is just one of many reasons I will not take an ocean voyage without booking through my TA.

I guess my TA can sort out the refund from Cunard - but he didn't book anything else of my trip - that's all on us. In our case if we fail we have to get ourselves from SF to Barcelona - so that will be interesting  - and something we may just start taking trains east and see what happens. Presumably we will be able to find some flight to somewhere in Europe from some north American city.  I figure we'll have what 5 days ? of isolation to do the planning in. 

[ace2542]

11 hours ago, lissie said:

No testing agency should be providing your personal medical information to a third party unless you know that's happening up front. 

 

Isn't this the whole point of the health questionaire that you have to fill in after you've done the test?  You say you are positive and I assume things happen from there? 

It would be in uk a violation of GDPR regulations -  the EU data protection laws - to provide information to a third party. Big big fines for doing that millions. Lloys or Randox testing or any testing agency won't do that.

[ace2542]

14 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

WestonOne,

We used the Lloyds Pharmacy (Shirley location) on May 7th for our May 8th boarding of the QM2. They were very nice and efficient. Fortunately, we tested negative but Lloyds would not have notified Cunard had we tested positive. They gave us a printed copy of our negative test and took our e-mail addresses to forward a digital copy. None of the 4 in our group ever received an e-mail with the digital copy. So you will have to call Cunard or your TA directly. 

Jack

Interesting you don't receive any digital copy. Did Cunard check in staff just look at the paper copy or did they scan it with something?

[WestonOne]

2 hours ago, ace2542 said:

It would be in uk a violation of GDPR regulations -  the EU data protection laws - to provide information to a third party. Big big fines for doing that millions. Lloys or Randox testing or any testing agency won't do that.

Not if you gave explicit permission and that was recorded (eg a tick box). 
 

Personally, I would not rely on a third party to give the information: this would be important enough to do myself.  However, the advice I got from the Cunard phone call was that the testing people would handle it.  The Cunard call handler may, of course, have been in error.  

[ace2542]

18 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

Not if you gave explicit permission and that was recorded (eg a tick box). 
 

Personally, I would not rely on a third party to give the information: this would be important enough to do myself.  However, the advice I got from the Cunard phone call was that the testing people would handle it.  The Cunard call handler may, of course, have been in error.  

I suspect that advice is probably in error. All I know is we did Randox for our NCL Alaska in May had to test to enter country. Our flight number was recorded but so far as I am aware that was not transmitted to BA/AA as we had to show the printed document at the check in. If this info had been transmitted we wouldn't need to show it? Unless they are asking for printout to see if you attempt to fake the result?

 

If you do test positive the best bet might to contact the Mayflower cruise terminal. They have a number on google. That would be a very quick call quicker than holding with Cunard. Or do you have the direct line for a Cunard agent?