PCR test date clarification request for Princess

[swdke]

I'd like clarification on when I need to get my PCR test. I'll be boarding on a Saturday in Quebec City Canada. According to the Princess website, if doing a PCR test, a PCR test within 3 days of cruise. So would the earliest test date be on the Wednesday before?

 

We're flying to Quebec City on Thursday and spending 2 nights before boarding on Saturday. I don't want to have to worry about finding a place in Quebec City to take a test.  I do plan to purchase and bring the Optum BinaxNOW Antigen Telehealth test and maybe do the day before, but mostly I'd like to have a test in hand before leaving the US on Thursday, and hoping a PCR test taken on Wednesday will be valid, and not expired come Saturday boarding. Looking for verification.

 

Thanks

[mjmalino]

A PCR test taken on Wednesday will be valid for a Saturday sailing.

[yourSLCwoman]

It is my understanding that for cruises departing Canada, the PCR test must be taken within 72 hours of embarkation (not 3 days), so you will want to do the test in the afternoon on Wednesday.  From the Princess website:

 

Voyages that embark in Canada:
Based on current Canadian requirements for cruising, all guests ages five and above will require a medically observed negative viral COVID-19 test result taken before boarding:

Within 2 days for Antigen

Within 72 hours for PCR

Edited July 11, 2022 by yourSLCwoman

[Greenwhite]

40 minutes ago, yourSLCwoman said:

It is my understanding that for cruises departing Canada, the PCR test must be taken within 72 hours of embarkation (not 3 days), so you will want to do the test in the afternoon on Wednesday.  From the Princess website:

 

Voyages that embark in Canada:
Based on current Canadian requirements for cruising, all guests ages five and above will require a medically observed negative viral COVID-19 test result taken before boarding:

Within 2 days for Antigen

Within 72 hours for PCR

One thing to keep in mind is that the test has to be within 72 hours of the time that the ship is scheduled to sail.  So, if the ship is scheduled to sail at 4:00 PM on Saturday, the test has to be taken after 4:00 PM on Wednesday.  If that works for you, you can get tested on Wednesday.

[nini]

From the Princess website:

 

 

 

Voyages Departing from Canada

Updated: June 24, 2022

Vaccination Status	Definition by Country's Health Authority	Pre-Travel Test Type & When to Take Test Before Boarding
		Age: 5 Years and Up
Fully Vaccinated	Received primary series of COVID-19 vaccines with final dose at least 14 days before embarkation.	Antigen within 2 days OR
		PCR within 72 hours
Up to Date	Received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible at least 7 days before embarkation.	Antigen within 2 days OR
		PCR within 72 hours
Not Vaccinated*	Not able to enter Canada without medical exemption. Please submit medical exemption to Princess for approval before a booking can be guaranteed.	PCR within 72 hours PLUS Antigen at terminal

*Kids age 2 to 4 who aren't eligible for vaccine, are welcome to cruise and will need a PCR within 3 days PLUS Antigen at terminal. Kids under 2 years of age have no vaccination or test requirements. Minimum age to sail is 6 months or 12 months based on cruise itinerary, review Passage Contract for details.

[nini]

Here is the link:

 

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/vaccine-testing-requirements/

[swdke]

On 7/11/2022 at 12:49 PM, Greenwhite said:

One thing to keep in mind is that the test has to be within 72 hours of the time that the ship is scheduled to sail.  So, if the ship is scheduled to sail at 4:00 PM on Saturday, the test has to be taken after 4:00 PM on Wednesday.  If that works for you, you can get tested on Wednesday.

For our cruise, we board on a Saturday, then spend the night on the Ship, and sail out Sunday afternoon. So does this complicate when to count back the 72 hours for a PCR test?

[NavyVeteran]

Note the earlier post that had quoted "When to Take Test Before Boarding". You need to look at the scheduled boarding time instead of the scheduled sailing time.

[Rick&Jeannie]

I suggest doing what you said in regards to the Abbott BinaxNow antigen test.  Take a couple with you and do it in your hotel where you *should* have good internet.  Also...just a suggestion...take an extra test to cover the (hopefully) unlikely situation that one of your 2 are pronounced "invalid".

[John99]

On 7/11/2022 at 12:03 PM, yourSLCwoman said:

It is my understanding that for cruises departing Canada, the PCR test must be taken within 72 hours of embarkation (not 3 days), so you will want to do the test in the afternoon on Wednesday.  From the Princess website:

 

Please clarify – the PCR test must be taken within 72 hours of embarkation (not 3 days), so you will want to do the test in the afternoon on Wednesday.

3 days X 24 hours = 72 hours    

 

 

Wednesday -- day of PCR test @ 4:00pm

Thursday @ 4:00pm – 24 hours

Friday @ 4:00pm – 24 hours

Saturday @ 4:00pm – 24 hours

Total – 72 hours

 

 

 

[yourSLCwoman]

When Princess says "within 3 days," you can take the test ANY TIME during the three days before your cruise. So for a Saturday departure, you could test Wednesday morning (since Wednesday is three days before Saturday). However, Canada requires the test be taken within 72 hours before boarding, so your example of testing on Wednesday at 4:00pm would be correct for a Saturday boarding at 4:00pm.

[susandiego]

Note also that you can test positive on a PCR test up to 90 days after an infection.

So, if you didn't know you had a symptomless infection within the last 3 months, you could have a positive PCR test:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-05-08/what-do-i-do-when-my-pcr-is-positive-and-my-rapid-test-is-negative

 

For my next cruise, I'll be doing home Antigen testing starting about a week before, to be confident both that I'm not unwittingly bringing the virus on board and that I'll pass the proctored pre-cruise test. I hope that will avoid any surprises close to the sail date.