Is it 72 hours or 3 days?

[Blue_Flame]

We are sailing Ruby roundtrip out of San Francisco on Sept. 7 to Alaska, so touching Canada. The chart on the Princess site says 72 hours for PCR test. 
 

I called Princess to verify "72 hours from what time? My boarding time or sailaway time (4pm)." The reply, several times, was that it is three days and I can test anytime on Sept. 4. 
 

Now I am not sure she is correct, and my problem is that CVS only has testing appointments up to 3:50pm, technically missing the 72 hour mark. CVS isn't offering any testing on Sept. 5, Labor Day, or I would just test the next day. 
 

What is your experience bringing a PCR result to a cruise that stops in Canada? What time did you test?

[blizzard44ca]

It is 72 hours from “boarding time”.  Feel free to use that liberally, and no one will check to make sure exactly what time you boarded. Enjoy your cruise!

[cr8tiv1]

14 minutes ago, Blue_Flame said:

We are sailing Ruby roundtrip out of San Francisco on Sept. 7 to Alaska, so touching Canada. The chart on the Princess site says 72 hours for PCR test.         This is accurate
 

I called Princess to verify "72 hours from what time? My boarding time or sailaway time (4pm)." The reply, several times, was that it is three days and

I can test anytime on Sept. 4.        This is incorrect.
 

Now I am not sure she is correct, and my problem is that CVS only has testing appointments up to 3:50pm, technically missing the 72 hour mark. CVS isn't offering any testing on Sept. 5, Labor Day, or I would just test the next day. 
 

What is your experience bringing a PCR result to a cruise that stops in Canada? What time did you test?

 

Your embark on September 7 (Wednesday).  You will be onboard by 2 PM at the latest.  What time did you pick on the Medallion App?  

 

NOW...here is where you will run into problems (with both CVS and Walgreens).

 

1.  Are you taking the Rapid Antigen test (2 days/results within the hour.  It is an in house test.  You said they are closed on Monday, which leaves you early Tuesday.   When are you flying out?

 

2.  You can take the PCR test anytime after 12-1 PM on September 4 (Sunday).  The problem you will run into with this is when will your results be picked up and overnighted to wherever their lab is?  I was told that they do not do pickups on the weekend.  You need to call and confirm.  It will then take 24 hours once it reaches the lab for the results to be processed.

 

3.  I would look for a back up.  A.  Binax Now eMed Home kit.  B.  Commercial Covid Testing site.  C.  Others have mentioned using other eMed organizes that uses your own home kits.  I have no experience with that.

[Blue_Flame]

7 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Your embark on September 7 (Wednesday).  You will be onboard by 2 PM at the latest.  What time did you pick on the Medallion App?  

 

NOW...here is where you will run into problems (with both CVS and Walgreens).

 

1.  Are you taking the Rapid Antigen test (2 days/results within the hour.  It is an in house test.  You said they are closed on Monday, which leaves you early Tuesday.   When are you flying out?

 

2.  You can take the PCR test anytime after 12-1 PM on September 4 (Sunday).  The problem you will run into with this is when will your results be picked up and overnighted to wherever their lab is?  I was told that they do not do pickups on the weekend.  You need to call and confirm.  It will then take 24 hours once it reaches the lab for the results to be processed.

 

3.  I would look for a back up.  A.  Binax Now eMed Home kit.  B.  Commercial Covid Testing site.  C.  Others have mentioned using other eMed organizes that uses your own home kits.  I have no experience with that.

You have given me a lot to think about. I live close to the port so no flying.
 

But I hadn't thought about the PCR test possibly not being picked up on Sunday evening for processing, and then possibly not picked up on Monday, the holiday. 
 

I will definitely have to look into the home testing option. 
 

Thank you for your well-thought out suggestions. 

[Blue_Flame]

35 minutes ago, blizzard44ca said:

It is 72 hours from “boarding time”.  Feel free to use that liberally, and no one will check to make sure exactly what time you boarded. Enjoy your cruise!

Good to know. My Medallion time is 11am. 

[DUCHESSRN]

All so confusing we are on Sept.7th sailing . As we visit Canada at the end part of 10day cruise surely our tests will be invalid .

I wonder if they will test us on board before we get to Canada.

 

[dog]

1 hour ago, DUCHESSRN said:

All so confusing we are on Sept.7th sailing . As we visit Canada at the end part of 10day cruise surely our tests will be invalid .

I wonder if they will test us on board before we get to Canada.

 

No they do not.

 

if your cruise visits Canada you must do the Covid antigen test within 2 days or a PCR test within 72 hours of boarding the ship.

fill in the ArriveCAN app, take proof of being fully or up to date vaxed.

[Shelly97060]

When thinking about the 72 hours I would use 11:00 am as your embarkation since that typically is the time the ship starts boarding. You are taking the test in good faith and Arrivecan isn’t going to go in and specifically see what time Medallion has you boarding ( neither is Princess since they have been using three days  rather than 72 hours for quite some time). 
 

That said, the simplest thing is to use an antigen test like Binaxnow  purchased through Emed.com      https://www.emed.com/ Or  from Optum  https://store.optum.com/shop/category/tests-devices/covid-19-home-tests/?brand[0]=Abbott  and test at home with results in 15 minutes. This way you can test as close to departure as you like,   You need to have a working camera and microphone in order to have the test conducted over the internet. 
 

Edit- I just saw another post saying that Canada requires rapid antigen tests to be completed within 2 days of departure so be sure to verify current requirements 😄

Edited August 26, 2022 by Shelly97060