Testing positive for COVID month or so before sailing

[Cruiseoholic000]

I am sure this has been asked but can't seem to find a answer on the thread. I tested positive at the beginning of October and am set to sail in December for 11 nights in the Caribbean.  I think if I have a PCR test taken it will come back positive as these test are very sensitive and can come back positive months after.  Do I need a doctor note?  Do I even have to bother with a PCR test?  My original plan was to purchase the test through Celebrity. I am fully vaccinated and boosted.   One shout out the new booster really really works and if you are on the fence get the shot, it really saved me.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Cruiseoholic000

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Where are you sailing from/to and how long is the cruise.  This will determine if you even need to test. If you do have to test an antigen test is fine.  You can also get a certificate of recovery from your doctor. Right now cruises from the US that are 9 days or less, no test required. Longer cruises require an antigen test but it does not have to be proctored. Specific information is on the Celebrity web site but you need to scroll down to the bottom to find the link, the banner at the top has been removed.

[omeinv]

Hopefully your positive test was documented, and not just a home test.  You should have both the dated positive test result and a Certificate of Recovery.  With those two items you're exempt from testing for 180 days from the positive test (presuming it was at least 11 days prior to sailing.

 

"Guests who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may present a Certificate of Recovery and proof of the positive PCR or Antigen test result taken between 11 and less than 180 days prior to the sail date in order to board and be exempt from testing. The Certificate of Recovery can be presented as an NHS COVID Pass, EU Certificate of Recovery or as a letter from a healthcare provider."

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Jim_Iain]

A number of things will come into play.   First is where are you traveling from and to.   Currently U.S. departures do not require any tests pre cruise.

 

Also if you are required to test either before the cruise or as a B2B requirement the tests are Antigen and not PCR.     If you are worried I would pull out one of you government provided tests and test yourself.    After we tested positive in April we tested daily and finally showed clear at 11 day.   2 months later i had a minor surgical procedure which required a PCR test-   I tested negative.

 

As Harris stated above you can also get a Certificate of Recovery.    I obtained one after we tested positive to use for our return to the U.S. (at that time testing was required)     I also used it to board a cruise 3 months after I first tested positive.   All you need is your original proctored test result showing when you tested positive.   You can obtain a COR from your doctor or online location.    If from a doctor it can not be handwritten and follow the requirements listed on Celebrity's site.    I considered it a good insurance policy.

[Cruiseoholic000]

Thank you everyone.   I will be leaving/returning  from FLL.  Do you happen to know if you  upload these documents at online check in? I would hate to show up at the pier and be turned away.  I have reached out to my Dr. for the recovery letter and have a PCR test document stateing positive.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Cruiseoholic000

[Jeremiah1212]

2 hours ago, Cruiseoholic000 said:

Thank you everyone.   I will be leaving/returning  from FLL.  Do you happen to know if you  upload these documents at online check in? I would hate to show up at the pier and be turned away.  I have reached out to my Dr. for the recovery letter and have a PCR test document stateing positive.

You don’t have to upload anything. As of right now the test you would need since you are on a 10+  day cruise doesn’t even need to be supervised. Take an at home antigen test today and if it’s negative, you really don’t have anything to worry about or need a certificate of recovery.  

[asnaleah]

I plan to bring my certificate of recovery with me in case I am a close contact and test positive without any symptoms. It may save me from unnecessary isolation,

[H2OH!]

We are recovering from Covid as we speak and have a cruise the end of November 2022. Even though we don't have to test to get on the ship, we thought about contact tracing and decided we would bring copies of our recent positive tests AND  letter of recovery just in case we have to be tested with the contact tracing. It sounds good in theory so hoping would work out in the event we have to test for some reason and are still testing positive from our recent bought of covid. 

[Alakegirl]

4 hours ago, Cruiseoholic000 said:

I am sure this has been asked but can't seem to find a answer on the thread. I tested positive at the beginning of October and am set to sail in December for 11 nights in the Caribbean.  I think if I have a PCR test taken it will come back positive as these test are very sensitive and can come back positive months after.  Do I need a doctor note?  Do I even have to bother with a PCR test?  My original plan was to purchase the test through Celebrity. 

I thought that the test you buy from Celebrity are not PCR tests, but the other kind.  Isn’t that right?

Edited October 16, 2022 by Alakegirl

[jwlane]

11 minutes ago, H2OH! said:

 tested with the contact tracing.

Don't think they do that.

[rachiem]

4 hours ago, Cruiseoholic000 said:

I am sure this has been asked but can't seem to find an answer on the thread. I tested positive at the beginning of October and am set to sail in December for 11 nights in the Caribbean.  I think if I have a PCR test taken it will come back positive as these test are very sensitive and can come back positive months after.  Do I need a doctor note?  Do I even have to bother with a PCR test?  My original plan was to purchase the test through Celebrity. I am fully vaccinated and boosted.   One shout out the new booster really really works and if you are on the fence get the shot, it really saved me.

We are on the same cruise and I tested positive also in early Oct. 
My understanding is that the current tests are just the home tests, so as long as you are now testing negative, you are good to go. 
 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Antigen tests are those like the free iHealth tests the government sent out.  Fewer positive tests for weeks on end after recovery than a PCR.  You self test on a FLL cruise and maybe nothing at all.

Agree getting a COR.  Good insurance. 

[markeb]

There's a little apple and orange mixing on this thread!

 

If you have a documented positive test, get a letter/certificate of recovery. All stop. That's all you need for 180 days after the documented positive test. Again, all stop.

 

There are nuances on the tests that are beyond Cruise Critic. The grayest area is if you have non-specific symptoms during that 180 day period. But that's a discussion with your personal physician.

[WonderMan3]

1 hour ago, jwlane said:

Don't think they do that.

There is an active thread right now with someone quarantined on Beyond where their spouse was required to test because of a close contact.

[Tee & Chilli]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

A number of things will come into play.   First is where are you traveling from and to.   Currently U.S. departures do not require any tests pre cruise.

 

Departing from US on 10+ days requires testing.

Home antigen tests are acceptable.

[phoenix_dream]

3 hours ago, asnaleah said:

I plan to bring my certificate of recovery with me in case I am a close contact and test positive without any symptoms. It may save me from unnecessary isolation,

I don't believe they are doing this anymore

[phoenix_dream]

1 hour ago, WonderMan3 said:

There is an active thread right now with someone quarantined on Beyond where their spouse was required to test because of a close contact.

I think it is a different situation if that someone is sharing a cabin with you.  I think in general they stopped close contact testing

[jwlane]

22 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

different situation if that someone is sharing a cabin

Took the words out of my mouth.

[H2OH!]

23 hours ago, jwlane said:

Don't think they do that.

 they were doing it if you follow any of the covid threads. maybe they have now stopped it. 

[D C]

A positive test <60 days from sailing should be confirmed with a PCR test and a Certificate of Recovery should be obtained.   Not because it's needed to board, but because it may be needed in the event one is requested to test while onboard as a result of being a close contact with someone else who tests positive.

[WonderMan3]

20 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

I think it is a different situation if that someone is sharing a cabin with you.  I think in general they stopped close contact testing

The spouse tested negative initially in relation to their other half testing positive. This was days later when the cruise line made the spouse get another test because of a "close contact". Now maybe I misunderstood and the person was saying that they were the close contact to their spouse but it was days after they had tested positive and were quarantined and after the spouse had already tested negative so it doesn't make sense that they would be identified as a "close contact" situation by the cruise line. Those are normally situations where it is someone outside of your cabin.

Edited October 17, 2022 by WonderMan3

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

14 minutes ago, D C said:

A positive test <60 days from sailing should be confirmed with a PCR test and a Certificate of Recovery should be obtained.   Not because it's needed to board, but because it may be needed in the event one is requested to test while onboard as a result of being a close contact with someone else who tests positive.

 

Which honestly makes no sense as you CAN get COVID more than once.

[tartantiara]

My DH and I were both positive on Summit cruise 23rd and 26th September respectively. We are going on a TA on 31st October when we need a proctored antigen test. I have a certificate from Celebrity with my initial positive test but husband never received one. I also have a negative test from them but husband hasn’t as he was still positive on last day of cruise. Where will we be able to get a certificate of recovery ? 

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, tartantiara said:

My DH and I were both positive on Summit cruise 23rd and 26th September respectively. We are going on a TA on 31st October when we need a proctored antigen test. I have a certificate from Celebrity with my initial positive test but husband never received one. I also have a negative test from them but husband hasn’t as he was still positive on last day of cruise. Where will we be able to get a certificate of recovery ? 

I don't know how your husband could possibly get a CoR without the associated initial positive test result.  You're probably OK but he's likely going to have to take his chances with a pre-cruise test much like most of the other passengers.

[jwlane]

2 hours ago, H2OH! said:

 they were doing it if you follow any of the covid threads

A year ago---yeah.  Lately---find the thread.