Covid testing in Galveston

[silvercrikhix]

Hello fellow Galveston cruisers. If anyone is sweating the Covid test 48 hrs before embarkation, I went online a couple days ago and made resv for hubs and I at the Walgreens at 1088 W Main St in League City for 2:30 today.  They had lots of openings. It’s only 25 miles north of Galveston. 
We did the Rapid Diagnostic Test (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test NAAT).  Supposed to have results within 24 hours. My results were emailed to me in a lightening speed 40 minutes!  Hubs got his in 1 hr 40 min. Both negative, thank you lady fate! 
We’ll see you lucky fellow cruisers Saturday. Yippee. Yahoo. Wahoo. Whoopee. Yes, so excited❣️

[ssb]

14 hours ago, silvercrikhix said:

Hello fellow Galveston cruisers. If anyone is sweating the Covid test 48 hrs before embarkation, I went online a couple days ago and made resv for hubs and I at the Walgreens at 1088 W Main St in League City for 2:30 today.  They had lots of openings. It’s only 25 miles north of Galveston. 
We did the Rapid Diagnostic Test (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test NAAT).  Supposed to have results within 24 hours. My results were emailed to me in a lightening speed 40 minutes!  Hubs got his in 1 hr 40 min. Both negative, thank you lady fate! 
We’ll see you lucky fellow cruisers Saturday. Yippee. Yahoo. Wahoo. Whoopee. Yes, so excited❣️

Three blocks from pier In Galveston and free ! 
 

[claurosani]

On 10/21/2021 at 11:49 PM, silvercrikhix said:

Hello fellow Galveston cruisers. If anyone is sweating the Covid test 48 hrs before embarkation, I went online a couple days ago and made resv for hubs and I at the Walgreens at 1088 W Main St in League City for 2:30 today.  They had lots of openings. It’s only 25 miles north of Galveston. 
We did the Rapid Diagnostic Test (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test NAAT).  Supposed to have results within 24 hours. My results were emailed to me in a lightening speed 40 minutes!  Hubs got his in 1 hr 40 min. Both negative, thank you lady fate! 
We’ll see you lucky fellow cruisers Saturday. Yippee. Yahoo. Wahoo. Whoopee. Yes, so excited❣️

 

This is super helpful, thanks. We are cruising from 24 Dec from Galveston but we fly into the USA (from UK) 5 days before the cruise, so we'll need to book a test while in Houston prior to cruise. I've been trying to find out this info and this particular Walgreens is really close to where we're staying.

 

Do you know if these tests are available to anyone, or only US residents? I appreciate we'll have to pay for them as we're tourists but it always seems that to make a reservation, you'd need a US address which we don't have, of course. Or could we use the hotel's? 

 

Any guidance would be helpful, thanks!

Claudia

[SCBarker]

I would use the hotel's address while filling out the online reservation. There's a good chance that the topic of payment will not come up. I have tested at that location myself.

[ssb]

DCL Doctors Clinical Lab - Galveston - three blocks from terminals .

Confirms will be open Friday - November 26 for testing . Closed Thanksgiving. Open right now M-F . Closed on Saturday.

 

I have personally tested there and had results back in 10 minutes . No appointment was needed .

 

You can use insurance or not use insurance, and it was free .

  DCL is nationwide lab company with CLIA ID # ND0988472.

Edited November 16, 2021 by ssb

[ssb]

Tested today Friday at DCL Galveston 

results back in 10 minutes. 
 

FREE 

Edited November 26, 2021 by ssb

[pokerpro1964]

There are 8 of us sailing on Jan 2nd out of Galveston. We are wondering if anyone knows of a free or low cost option for getting the pre-cruise testing done?

 

One of our concerns is that both New Years Eve and New Years Day could be challenges for finding a testing center. 

 

It appeared that Carnival did offer some pre-booked testing for $100 per person, but that really seemed expensive.

 

We all reside in the Dallas area so any knowledge of testing in that market would be helpful as well.

[Flatbush Flyer]

12 minutes ago, pokerpro1964 said:

There are 8 of us sailing on Jan 2nd out of Galveston. We are wondering if anyone knows of a free or low cost option for getting the pre-cruise testing done?

 

One of our concerns is that both New Years Eve and New Years Day could be challenges for finding a testing center. 

 

It appeared that Carnival did offer some pre-booked testing for $100 per person, but that really seemed expensive.

 

We all reside in the Dallas area so any knowledge of testing in that market would be helpful as well.

Doesn’t your State offer a website where you can find (and schedule) Covid testing near any particular location? You can also check with whatever facility gave you your vaccines. 
Then there’s whoever provides your medical insurance. 
At home, call your County health Dept. For Galveston, call that County Health Department. Major pharmacy chains everywhere have select locations with testing.

Badically, you really can’t throw a stone in any direction without hitting a testing site.

As for $$100 cruise line pier test: that’s about average. And it pales in comparison to US airport labs - some of which charge >$200 for a rapid results PCR test.

One other item: Hopefully Carnival is requiring 100% vaccination of passengers and crew. Anything less would be lunacy with the threat of both Delta and omicron variants. 

[Host Kat]

31 minutes ago, pokerpro1964 said:

There are 8 of us sailing on Jan 2nd out of Galveston. We are wondering if anyone knows of a free or low cost option for getting the pre-cruise testing done?

 

One of our concerns is that both New Years Eve and New Years Day could be challenges for finding a testing center. 

 

It appeared that Carnival did offer some pre-booked testing for $100 per person, but that really seemed expensive.

 

We all reside in the Dallas area so any knowledge of testing in that market would be helpful as well.

 

@pokerpro1964

 

To help you out I have merged your thread into the Covid testing in Galveston thread on the Gulf Coast Departures forum. Please read back through this thread. Hopefully you will find the info you seek.

 

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I hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic!  

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

 

[ssb]

Also there is Affinity Healthcare on 61st across street from Randals . Open weekdays and weekends . 
Free I understand. Call for hours and free information. 

Edited December 18, 2021 by ssb