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Southampton is going to be mighty busy with PCR on the 28 August,!


les37b
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Just popped in to look for some advice and likely amount of time it will take to clear PCR testind, park up and get through registration.

 

I'm on Regal Princess on 28 August 2021 with a boarding time of 11.46.

 

I just looked at "what's in port and rather alarmed to see the volume of ships also docked onmy departure date.

 

Do lines use the same PCR testing areas or are they all seperate? I can't help thinking boarding on the 28th might be a little busy and take an age to get through.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_20210824_065831.jpg

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I read on the news that a Fred Olsen ship has just finished the first UK sailing outside the British Isles , to Iceland and back again. I saw the ship moored in Akureyri on the web cams... today there were 2 in that port, Viking Venus and a Silvesea, which are doing seasons there.

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On 8/24/2021 at 7:16 AM, les37b said:

Just popped in to look for some advice and likely amount of time it will take to clear PCR testind, park up and get through registration.

 

I'm on Regal Princess on 28 August 2021 with a boarding time of 11.46.

 

I just looked at "what's in port and rather alarmed to see the volume of ships also docked onmy departure date.

 

Do lines use the same PCR testing areas or are they all seperate? I can't help thinking boarding on the 28th might be a little busy and take an age to get through.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_20210824_065831.jpg

It's just LFT testing they do at the terminals, and from what I read on here they seem to be very quick and efficient.

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31 minutes ago, Valfan said:

It's just LFT testing they do at the terminals, and from what I read on here they seem to be very quick and efficient.

 

Well, I've done 2 of these seacations and only one ship in port at the time luckily. (Virtuoso in June and Scarlet Lady 2 weeks ago.)

 

Both were fine, though the initial Scarlet Lady had queues taking hours to be tested.

 

They are not Lateral Flow tests BTW (Not that it makes much difference in terms of time) and the point of asking is they had problems with just one ship in Portsmouth at the start - how they going to cope with 5 monster ships in one day?

 

Just raising concerns!

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16 hours ago, jocap said:

I read on the news that a Fred Olsen ship has just finished the first UK sailing outside the British Isles , to Iceland and back again. I saw the ship moored in Akureyri on the web cams... today there were 2 in that port, Viking Venus and a Silvesea, which are doing seasons there.

 

Venus is doing the Med at the moment. Would have been Jupiter or Sky, which are both in Iceland at the moment. The Silversea ship would have been Shadow. 

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21 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Getting busier all the time …

92D1848A-44F6-4D5D-B3D9-1358AC786C06.png

92A81A53-8189-4206-B66D-9FDECE7162E6.png

That list is nothing like reality. For example,  it shows both Ventura and Aurora, both of which are currently in mothballs off the south coast !

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10 hours ago, les37b said:

 

Well, I've done 2 of these seacations and only one ship in port at the time luckily. (Virtuoso in June and Scarlet Lady 2 weeks ago.)

 

Both were fine, though the initial Scarlet Lady had queues taking hours to be tested.

 

They are not Lateral Flow tests BTW (Not that it makes much difference in terms of time) and the point of asking is they had problems with just one ship in Portsmouth at the start - how they going to cope with 5 monster ships in one day?

 

Just raising concerns!

I assumed the tests done at terminals were Lateral Flow ones going by comments on here from people who've had them in recent weeks and talk of getting their results in 30 minutes or so. Unless it needs updating, the NHS website says: 

PCR tests are mainly for people who have symptoms. They're sent to a lab to be checked.

Most people get their result the next day, but it may take up to 3 days.

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8 hours ago, Valfan said:

I assumed the tests done at terminals were Lateral Flow ones going by comments on here from people who've had them in recent weeks and talk of getting their results in 30 minutes or so. Unless it needs updating, the NHS website says: 

PCR tests are mainly for people who have symptoms. They're sent to a lab to be checked.

Most people get their result the next day, but it may take up to 3 days.

 

I'm well aware of what the governments "free" testing rules are. That doesn't change the fact they are doing PCR tests NOT lateral flow tests at ports. Indeed Viking actually have a PCR testing lab on their ships and test guests every day they are on board and issue them with a PCR certificate when they disembark to be used to return to the UK. That certificate spells out the test is a PCR - which is a higher level test than lateral flow and less prone errors.

 

I have sailed twice in the past 2 months and the test is a PCR, according to the Cruise Lines in their emails and at the terminal / testing sites where the tests are conducted. For my last one, I actually asked them if this was a PCR or Lateral Flow and the operator confirmed its a PCR.

 

I'm unsure if you are trying to correct (for a second time) a mistake you think I've made or suggesting the Cruise Lines don't know what they are doing. I'm sure you will agree that Viking haven't built their labs because they think everyone on board will have symptoms. I'm sure there is a cost factor involved with the NHS mandate - which I agree is as you've said. But this is testing for travel and the Cruise lines are paying for them and want them to be as accurate as they can be.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5706/

 

Results for testing done on boarding the ship and then daily are known within 15 minutes - just as they are in the ports. They do not take 3 days to know!!

 

And as I've already said, whether its a PCR or Lateral Flow (which is actually irrelevant for the point being made), it all takes time and with 5 ships leaving on this day, its a concern if the external resources can cope with these higher numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by les37b
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“That list is nothing like reality. For example,  it shows both Ventura and Aurora, both of which are currently in mothballs off the south coast !”


Current AIS data shows Ventura berthed in Southampton and Aurora as being anchored off Portland, and it also indicates she has been flitting about in that region for some time.

 

The data is from Southampton VTS so one should expect it to be accurate. When I was at sea we were obliged to keep port authorities up to date with any variations to planned movements, whether that was ETA’s, sailing times, or positional movement in the anchorage areas.

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7 hours ago, les37b said:

 

I'm well aware of what the governments "free" testing rules are. That doesn't change the fact they are doing PCR tests NOT lateral flow tests at ports. Indeed Viking actually have a PCR testing lab on their ships and test guests every day they are on board and issue them with a PCR certificate when they disembark to be used to return to the UK. That certificate spells out the test is a PCR - which is a higher level test than lateral flow and less prone errors.

 

I have sailed twice in the past 2 months and the test is a PCR, according to the Cruise Lines in their emails and at the terminal / testing sites where the tests are conducted. For my last one, I actually asked them if this was a PCR or Lateral Flow and the operator confirmed its a PCR.

 

I'm unsure if you are trying to correct (for a second time) a mistake you think I've made or suggesting the Cruise Lines don't know what they are doing. I'm sure you will agree that Viking haven't built their labs because they think everyone on board will have symptoms. I'm sure there is a cost factor involved with the NHS mandate - which I agree is as you've said. But this is testing for travel and the Cruise lines are paying for them and want them to be as accurate as they can be.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5706/

 

Results for testing done on boarding the ship and then daily are known within 15 minutes - just as they are in the ports. They do not take 3 days to know!!

 

And as I've already said, whether its a PCR or Lateral Flow (which is actually irrelevant for the point being made), it all takes time and with 5 ships leaving on this day, its a concern if the external resources can cope with these higher numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not trying to correct anything - just expressing surprise that something I thought took a lot longer is being done at speed for large numbers of people at terminals. I stand corrected. Thank you for the information. I think the one trying to correct something here is the person pointing out that the list of cruise ships in port may not be up to date or accurate. 

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On 8/26/2021 at 9:04 AM, les37b said:

 

I'm well aware of what the governments "free" testing rules are. That doesn't change the fact they are doing PCR tests NOT lateral flow tests at ports. Indeed Viking actually have a PCR testing lab on their ships and test guests every day they are on board and issue them with a PCR certificate when they disembark to be used to return to the UK. That certificate spells out the test is a PCR - which is a higher level test than lateral flow and less prone errors.

 

I have sailed twice in the past 2 months and the test is a PCR, according to the Cruise Lines in their emails and at the terminal / testing sites where the tests are conducted. For my last one, I actually asked them if this was a PCR or Lateral Flow and the operator confirmed its a PCR.

 

I'm unsure if you are trying to correct (for a second time) a mistake you think I've made or suggesting the Cruise Lines don't know what they are doing. I'm sure you will agree that Viking haven't built their labs because they think everyone on board will have symptoms. I'm sure there is a cost factor involved with the NHS mandate - which I agree is as you've said. But this is testing for travel and the Cruise lines are paying for them and want them to be as accurate as they can be.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5706/

 

Results for testing done on boarding the ship and then daily are known within 15 minutes - just as they are in the ports. They do not take 3 days to know!!

 

And as I've already said, whether its a PCR or Lateral Flow (which is actually irrelevant for the point being made), it all takes time and with 5 ships leaving on this day, its a concern if the external resources can cope with these higher numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sailing on Regal Princess you WILL have a LFT.  If that is positive they will follow it up with a rapid PCR test to check the result.

 

LFT testing is done at each terminal for those arriving on foot, so it makes no difference how many ships are in Southampton that day. 

If arriving by booked car parking you will first go through drive through testing.

Carnival Group share a testing area for this. 
Sky does not sail with passengers until the 30th August.

so the drive through testing will be split between the Regal and P&O Iona.

likely to be busy but well managed and you have the comfort of waiting in your vehicle. 
 

I can’t speak for other lines but can’t fault the carnival drive through service.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/25/2021 at 3:53 PM, wowzz said:

That list is nothing like reality. For example,  it shows both Ventura and Aurora, both of which are currently in mothballs off the south coast !

It doesn't mean they are taking passengers, most ships return to Southampton regularly for supplies.

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7 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

It doesn't mean they are taking passengers, most ships return to Southampton regularly for supplies.

Indeed, but the OP was saying that Southampton would  be busy with an enormous number of passengers being tested,  which is not the case. 

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6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Indeed, but the OP was saying that Southampton would  be busy with an enormous number of passengers being tested,  which is not the case. 

I was commenting on your suggestion that the Southampton VTS website was incorrect.

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13 hours ago, wowzz said:

Indeed, but the OP was saying that Southampton would  be busy with an enormous number of passengers being tested,  which is not the case. 

 

It most certainly was the case. 4 of the 5 megaships in port on the day in question sailed. The test centre used on mine, was double loaded with 2 ships using the same facility.

 

The list I pasted was 100% accurate and I can 100% verify was the case as I saw all of them. Not quite sure why you are claiming it was wrong. It most certainly was correct.

 

 

.

 

Edited by les37b
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