RAT testing before boarding

[resordanis]

Hi all,

Just a quick question re RAT tests. Can the test be done anytime the day  before we board or does it have to be actually within 24 hours of our boarding time!

Thanks

[Aus Traveller]

5 minutes ago, resordanis said:

Hi all,

Just a quick question re RAT tests. Can the test be done anytime the day  before we board or does it have to be actually within 24 hours of our boarding time!

Thanks

From what we have experienced, you can do it any time on the previous day.

[resordanis]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

From what we have experienced, you can do it any time on the previous day.

Thank you so much.Will be easier for us before we start to travel!

[OzKiwiJJ]

Except now you have to take a photo of the test result plus photo id and something showing the date and time ie phone lock screen. I'm not sure what would happen if they requested to see that photo and it showed it was outside the 24 hour period.

[resordanis]

8 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Except now you have to take a photo of the test result plus photo id and something showing the date and time ie phone lock screen. I'm not sure what would happen if they requested to see that photo and it showed it was outside the 24 hour period.

So if our boarding time is 12.30 you think we should’ve close to that time, not say 9.00 am.?

[NSWP]

12 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Except now you have to take a photo of the test result plus photo id and something showing the date and time ie phone lock screen. I'm not sure what would happen if they requested to see that photo and it showed it was outside the 24 hour period.

At the extreme, they could deny embarkation.

[chubbypiggy]

I will bring several boxes of home test kits with me (flying in from U.S.) and plan to do the test at the hotel the day before the cruise.  I will follow the instructions (photo of test kit result, Id, date on phone).  If at cruise check-in, for whatever reason they don't accept my test, I wonder if I can just do another test right in front of the check-in person so he/she can see the result and let me embark?    

[OzKiwiJJ]

13 hours ago, resordanis said:

So if our boarding time is 12.30 you think we should’ve close to that time, not say 9.00 am.?

I would do it after 12:30 to be safe. We usually do ours late afternoon / early evening on the day prior to boarding.

[OzKiwiJJ]

27 minutes ago, chubbypiggy said:

I will bring several boxes of home test kits with me (flying in from U.S.) and plan to do the test at the hotel the day before the cruise.  I will follow the instructions (photo of test kit result, Id, date on phone).  If at cruise check-in, for whatever reason they don't accept my test, I wonder if I can just do another test right in front of the check-in person so he/she can see the result and let me embark?    

You shouldn't have a problem at check-in. At the moment they only ask you if your test was negative but I presume the photo requirement is in case you subsequently test positive.

[chubbypiggy]

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

You shouldn't have a problem at check-in. At the moment they only ask you if your test was negative but I presume the photo requirement is in case you subsequently test positive.

Thanks.  Maybe soon, cruise lines will not require the testing anymore.  

[grozzy1]

I wonder if it's as effective to give everyone just a temperature check, then use that to determine who needs an additional RAT/PCR test?

[Jean C]

1 hour ago, chubbypiggy said:

I will bring several boxes of home test kits with me (flying in from U.S.) and plan to do the test at the hotel the day before the cruise.  I will follow the instructions (photo of test kit result, Id, date on phone).  If at cruise check-in, for whatever reason they don't accept my test, I wonder if I can just do another test right in front of the check-in person so he/she can see the result and let me embark?    

I would do test within the 24 hour hour period to avoid stress on your part as regards "what if's" or trying to talk your way around whether or not 24 hours also includes whatever time the day before with check in personnel. I doubt they would be happy with you doing a test in front of them, for one you are bringing a hazardous substance to the terminal, and for two I doubt they would want to stand there patiently waiting for 15 mins to see the result.

 

Having said that, on our recent cruise where we were to board the morning of flying in, we considered finding a discrete bathroom at the airport in which to do the test, however events changed and it wasn't necessary.

 

Agree with other posters who say that although the rules state to take a photo with test strip result, clock, phone or watch and ID, it is unlikely they will request to see the photo.

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

I will bring several boxes of home test kits with me (flying in from U.S.) and plan to do the test at the hotel the day before the cruise.  I will follow the instructions (photo of test kit result, Id, date on phone).  If at cruise check-in, for whatever reason they don't accept my test, I wonder if I can just do another test right in front of the check-in person so he/she can see the result and let me embark?    

 

2 minutes ago, Jean C said:

I would do test within the 24 hour hour period to avoid stress on your part as regards "what if's" or trying to talk your way around whether or not 24 hours also includes whatever time the day before with check in personnel. I doubt they would be happy with you doing a test in front of them, for one you are bringing a hazardous substance to the terminal, and for two I doubt they would want to stand there patiently waiting for 15 mins to see the result.

 

Having said that, on our recent cruise where we were to board the morning of flying in, we considered finding a discrete bathroom at the airport in which to do the test, however events changed and it wasn't necessary.

 

Agree with other posters who say that although the rules state to take a photo with test strip result, clock, phone or watch and ID, it is unlikely they will request to see the photo.

I don't see why not, seeing you are from overseas.  My small ship tested all passengers (100) at wharf prior to boarding.  

[arxcards]

5 minutes ago, grozzy1 said:

I wonder if it's as effective to give everyone just a temperature check, then use that to determine who needs an additional RAT/PCR test?

With omi, an elevated temperature isn't a typical symptom and is considered an unreliable form of screening.

[chubbypiggy]

25 minutes ago, Jean C said:

I would do test within the 24 hour hour period to avoid stress on your part as regards "what if's" or trying to talk your way around whether or not 24 hours also includes whatever time the day before with check in personnel. I doubt they would be happy with you doing a test in front of them, for one you are bringing a hazardous substance to the terminal, and for two I doubt they would want to stand there patiently waiting for 15 mins to see the result.

 

Having said that, on our recent cruise where we were to board the morning of flying in, we considered finding a discrete bathroom at the airport in which to do the test, however events changed and it wasn't necessary.

 

Agree with other posters who say that although the rules state to take a photo with test strip result, clock, phone or watch and ID, it is unlikely they will request to see the photo.

I will definitely test in less than 24 hours before embarkation, since I am already staying in the hotel the day before embarking the ship.  It is post from Resordanis who asked about the "one day" or "24 hours".

 

What I did say was, I don't mind to be tested at the terminal again with a new test kit if the "proof" of the test that I did "within 24 hours" at the hotel was not acceptable.   

[Jean C]

1 minute ago, chubbypiggy said:

I will definitely test in less than 24 hours before embarkation, since I am already staying in the hotel the day before embarking the ship.  It is post from Resordanis who asked about the "one day" or "24 hours".

 

What I did say was, I don't mind to be tested at the terminal again with a new test kit if the "proof" of the test that I did "within 24 hours" at the hotel was not acceptable.   

Understood 🙂

[resordanis]

2 hours ago, Jean C said:

I would do test within the 24 hour hour period to avoid stress on your part as regards "what if's" or trying to talk your way around whether or not 24 hours also includes whatever time the day before with check in personnel. I doubt they would be happy with you doing a test in front of them, for one you are bringing a hazardous substance to the terminal, and for two I doubt they would want to stand there patiently waiting for 15 mins to see the result.

 

Having said that, on our recent cruise where we were to board the morning of flying in, we considered finding a discrete bathroom at the airport in which to do the test, however events changed and it wasn't necessary.

 

Agree with other posters who say that although the rules state to take a photo with test strip result, clock, phone or watch and ID, it is unlikely they will request to see the photo.

Hi all,

will be taking to Sydney and do night before boarding  then no problems. Thanks for all information. Let’s not hope boarding is delayed though😩

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, resordanis said:

Hi all,

will be taking to Sydney and do night before boarding  then no problems. Thanks for all information. Let’s not hope boarding is delayed though😩

If boarding is delayed it's on them. 

[resordanis]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

If boarding is delayed it's on them. 

Thanks

[vozzie]

I don't know what it means, but the requirement to do a Rat test has been removed from my VeriFly app for a November 21 cruise....and I now have green ticks.

[MicCanberra]

Interesting, I wonder if there is a glitch or if there is a change coming to the boarding requirements

[arxcards]

5 hours ago, vozzie said:

I don't know what it means, but the requirement to do a Rat test has been removed from my VeriFly app for a November 21 cruise....and I now have green ticks.

As of today, there is no need for Verifly to log a RAT result, as this needs to be done in the terminal anyway - terminal operators do not have access to verifly information due to privacy reasons. The only required purpose of VeriFLY is to confirm your 95% vaccination status to the cruise line.

 

There are some changes to the protocols though. The four colour system has been replaced by a 3 tier system. As far as I can tell, the only changes to the mandates are related to masks. The government protocols:

Tier 1 (up to 3% infection of passenger/crew count) - no reference to a requirement for masks for both passengers and crew;

Tier 2 (3 to 10% infection of passenger/crew count) - crew required to wear masks indoors;

Tier 3 (> 10% infection of passenger/crew count) - passengers and crew are required to wear masks.

 

Given that no ship has reached the tier 3 level since the resumption here, that reads that a government mask mandate has mostly been removed. Each cruise line may have their own rules though. For last weekend, even though there is no mandated need for masks in the cruise terminal, we were still required to wear them for embark and disembark.

 

Vaccination & testing requirements are largely unchanged, except those under 12 are no longer required to be vaccinated, as there is no 5% restriction for passengers under 12.

[vozzie]

5 hours ago, arxcards said:

As of today, there is no need for Verifly to log a RAT result, as this needs to be done in the terminal anyway - terminal operators do not have access to verifly information due to privacy reasons. The only required purpose of VeriFLY is to confirm your 95% vaccination status to the cruise line.

 

 

 

So, how are they verifying RAT tests in the terminal?

[Aus Traveller]

15 minutes ago, vozzie said:

 

So, how are they verifying RAT tests in the terminal?

Maybe there aren't any other changes in addition to not having to up-load a photo of the neg RAT onto Verifly. I found that to be a hassle.

 

When we were checking in for our recent cruises we were asked to confirm that we had tested negative to COVID. For the P&O cruise I felt that up-loading info onto the Verifly system had been a waste of time and a lot of effort, but Geoff points out that it was to ensure that the cap of 5% unvaccinated passengers wasn't exceeded. We had to have a photo of the RAT test available, but we weren't asked for it and don't know of anyone else who was. Maybe this is only done if someone appears to be unwell, or if they later test positive on the ship.

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

Maybe there aren't any other changes in addition to not having to up-load a photo of the neg RAT onto Verifly. I found that to be a hassle.

 

When we were checking in for our recent cruises we were asked to confirm that we had tested negative to COVID. For the P&O cruise I felt that up-loading info onto the Verifly system had been a waste of time and a lot of effort, but Geoff points out that it was to ensure that the cap of 5% unvaccinated passengers wasn't exceeded. We had to have a photo of the RAT test available, but we weren't asked for it and don't know of anyone else who was. Maybe this is only done if someone appears to be unwell, or if they later test positive on the ship.

We were both times.