Covid test 72 hours before trip.

[Shellbelle28]

6 minutes ago, classy_cruiser said:

 Here is the letter I received this morning. Note this letter says 72 hours prior to travel date. The sail safe page says 72 hours prior to sail date. So which is it? I'm sure if you call customer service 3 times you will get 3 different answers. 

Norwegian Jade Embarkation Information.pdf 93.17 kB · 4 downloads

I'd be inclined to go with the letter you were sent directly as something that will back your case in a dispute.

[classy_cruiser]

2 minutes ago, Shellbelle28 said:

I'd be inclined to go with the letter you were sent directly as something that will back your case in a dispute.

I hope that is the case. We were already planning to get a PCR test next Tuesday before we leave. We leave Thursday morning so that would be within 72 hours of travel date. I have no problem at all with that requirement and it makes perfect sense to test before getting on the plane and flying over there.

 

What I have a big problem with is being required to pay for a test on our own once we are in Greece and possibly having to deal with all the consequences of a positive test without any help from NCL. If that is truly the requirement then I would rather order the monitored test kits and do that in the hotel so we can contact NCL and let them handle it in case of a positive. I would need to order them today for them to be here in time. Not happy about losing space in our carry ons for the tests either. Pretty frustrating to have these changes coming up last minute. Shouldn't they honor the policy we booked under?

[aubreyc1988]

1 minute ago, classy_cruiser said:

I hope that is the case. We were already planning to get a PCR test next Tuesday before we leave. We leave Thursday morning so that would be within 72 hours of travel date. I have no problem at all with that requirement and it makes perfect sense to test before getting on the plane and flying over there.

 

What I have a big problem with is being required to pay for a test on our own once we are in Greece and possibly having to deal with all the consequences of a positive test without any help from NCL. If that is truly the requirement then I would rather order the monitored test kits and do that in the hotel so we can contact NCL and let them handle it in case of a positive. I would need to order them today for them to be here in time. Not happy about losing space in our carry ons for the tests either. Pretty frustrating to have these changes coming up last minute. Shouldn't they honor the policy we booked under?

protocols are constantly changing, definitely something they had tucked away in their policy I believe. 

[classy_cruiser]

Just now, aubreyc1988 said:

protocols are constantly changing, definitely something they had tucked away in their policy I believe. 

I have no problem with changing protocols due to new requirements from the destination ports or governments. This is just them deciding not to handle something that they previously promised to handle

[ricosmom]

On 8/25/2021 at 6:20 PM, aubreyc1988 said:

That is why for my Sept 4th sailing, I have scheduled a PCR test on Sept 2nd. My local CVS says 1-2 days for test results. And then I think after my PCR, I will try to find BINAX Antigen At Home Test in case for some reason CVS is delayed with my PCR 

We are on the Sept 4th trip on encore and live in SWFL. PCR tests here are currently running 3 to 4 days to gets results. We tested at 8am last Saturday and we thrilled to get results Wednesday night.  We has an antigen test scheduled at a CVS in TN on Thursday at noon as we fly out of Nashville on Friday. This is all bananas.

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, classy_cruiser said:

 Here is the letter I received this morning. Note this letter says 72 hours prior to travel date. The sail safe page says 72 hours prior to sail date. So which is it? I'm sure if you call customer service 3 times you will get 3 different answers. 

Norwegian Jade Embarkation Information.pdf 93.17 kB · 17 downloads

Royal Caribbean had similar language. Their intent is 72 hours before you sail. And people who were more generous in their interpretation of the language were denied boarding if they did not have a PCR test 72 hours prior to embarkation. 

 

Bottom line: it's 72 hours before our embark/sail. If you test positive, you can carry your letter and fight it in European court later. 

Edited August 27, 2021 by BirdTravels

[kochleffel]

20 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Bottom line: it's 72 hours before our embark/sail.

 

Does the time of day matter? For example, if I got swabbed at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, but I board at 2:00 p.m. and the ship sails at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, was the swab too early? If it's precisely 72 hours before sailing, that requires getting a test in the evening.

Edited August 27, 2021 by kochleffel

[aubreyc1988]

57 minutes ago, ricosmom said:

We are on the Sept 4th trip on encore and live in SWFL. PCR tests here are currently running 3 to 4 days to gets results. We tested at 8am last Saturday and we thrilled to get results Wednesday night.  We has an antigen test scheduled at a CVS in TN on Thursday at noon as we fly out of Nashville on Friday. This is all bananas.

I'm in DFW, hoping it is sooner. I have one appointment for PCR at CVS booked on Sept 2nd ( I fly out Sept 4th with flight from NCL) and I am hoping on Sunday/Monday I can try to get a ID NOW Rapid PCR. I guess worst case, I can get a rapid test at the airport before flying out. You are right, it is crazy. I mean, maybe I should just get a rapid test on the second and not worry about the PCR, because like you said, PCR tests are having longer result times and 72 window seems very short now AND NCL did say PCR OR ANTIGEN.

[Trimone]

It’s all a mess, someone in Europe told me yesterday that being in Spain for five days before your cruise should be enough isolation to be accepted in Italian ports? I can’t see that anywhere in the Italian rules, but would it be acceptable?

[JamieLogical]

I have to say, this news is stressing me out more than I thought it would. I told myself I was willing to jump through any hoops I had to in order to sail on the Breakaway on the 26th. When the onerous requirements for Bermuda's Travel Authorization came out, I took it in stride. But now, the possibility of having to schedule, take, and receive results from two test in the week prior to embarkation might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Especially since my parents are coming on this cruise and I was already concerned about helping them get scheduled for the PCR test for Bermuda. They are not tech savvy people. They don't have a Walgreens near them, only a CVS, and CVS requires you to upload photos of your insurance card when you schedule your appointment. My parents have no idea how to take photos with their cell phone, much less get them uploaded to a web site or text them to me so *I* can upload them. I had the foresight to take photos of their CDC cards the last time I visited them so I could help them with the 21-day check-in on NCL's site, if CDC cards were required. But I didn't anticipate needing their insurance cards.

 

Hopefully NCL will not require these 72 hour tests for the Bermuda sailings, since we are already required to do a PCR test four days out. But I am anxiously awaiting more instructions. I am exactly 30 days out today and my PCC said we should receive info on health & safety protocols at 30 days. Will post here right away if/when I receive an email.

[kochleffel]

36 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

Hopefully NCL will not require these 72 hour tests for the Bermuda sailings, since we are already required to do a PCR test four days out. But I am anxiously awaiting more instructions. I am exactly 30 days out today and my PCC said we should receive info on health & safety protocols at 30 days. Will post here right away if/when I receive an email.

 

Thank you. I'm rather glad that my Bermuda sailing isn't until a month after yours.

 

It will be a major pain if it's necessary to be tested two days in a row, once for the Bermuda Travel Authorisation and then a second time for NCL's hold-harmless requirement.

[BermudaBound2014]

11 hours ago, kochleffel said:

 

Does the time of day matter? For example, if I got swabbed at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, but I board at 2:00 p.m. and the ship sails at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, was the swab too early? If it's precisely 72 hours before sailing, that requires getting a test in the evening.

 

I can't speak for your particular situation, but hope this may help. The time of day absolutely does matter for testing for travel into Hawaii. There was even an app created to account for time zone changes because those counted in the 72 hours. The clock started the moment your plane departed on the LAST LEG of your flight to Hawaii, so when researching be sure to inquire about time zone changes (if applicable) and find out the exact time the clock 'starts' ticking.

 

Again, this is how they did it for Hawaii. Could be entirely different for Greece or Bermuda, but the precedent for accounting for exact time is set. Hope that helps somehow.

[roger001]

This whole thing, not just Bermuda, but all of them as they continue to evolve has exceeded my "cruses are relaxing" level.  Once again, just going try to forget and wait until much later before trying to schedule again.  At my and wife's age, beginning to think we won't be cruising again.  Better focus on other types of vacation.   Sucks!

[roger001]

7 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I can't speak for your particular situation, but hope this may help. The time of day absolutely does matter for testing for travel into Hawaii. There was even an app created to account for time zone changes because those counted in the 72 hours. The clock started the moment your plane departed on the LAST LEG of your flight to Hawaii, so when researching be sure to inquire about time zone changes (if applicable) and find out the exact time the clock 'starts' ticking.

 

Again, this is how they did it for Hawaii. Could be entirely different for Greece or Bermuda, but the precedent for accounting for exact time is set. Hope that helps somehow.

And from today's paper:   

Hawaii's Governor:

"I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii," Ige said during a press conference on Monday. "It's not a good time to travel to the islands." 

Ige said that travel should be limited to "essential business activities only." Visitors, he said, will not have the "typical" vacation that they would expect, as restaurant capacity has been restricted and rental vehicles are limited.

 

He went on to say that hospitals are at capacity and critical patients are being declined on occasion.  

 

Edited August 27, 2021 by roger001

[classy_cruiser]

I ended up ordering the eMed binax tests that can be done from a hotel room overseas. $70 for 2 tests.
 

We will now be tested at least 4 times for this Greek trip. Once before leaving (not required but will do this out of good faith for our fellow plane passengers), once when we get there (now required for NCL to cover costs they previously promised to cover), once at the port and once at the end. The tests on arrival and at the port will be within 1-2 days of each other. 
 

Is any other line requiring this back to back testing? I don’t think so. I’m not sure how much medical justification there is for repeating the test from one day to the next but I haven’t heard of it being done elsewhere. 
 

I’m sure the contract has plenty of loopholes to let them do whatever they want, but this whole scenario reeks of them trying to cut costs rather than increase safety. 

[Shellbelle28]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

I have to say, this news is stressing me out more than I thought it would. I told myself I was willing to jump through any hoops I had to in order to sail on the Breakaway on the 26th. When the onerous requirements for Bermuda's Travel Authorization came out, I took it in stride. But now, the possibility of having to schedule, take, and receive results from two test in the week prior to embarkation might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Especially since my parents are coming on this cruise and I was already concerned about helping them get scheduled for the PCR test for Bermuda. They are not tech savvy people. They don't have a Walgreens near them, only a CVS, and CVS requires you to upload photos of your insurance card when you schedule your appointment. My parents have no idea how to take photos with their cell phone, much less get them uploaded to a web site or text them to me so *I* can upload them. I had the foresight to take photos of their CDC cards the last time I visited them so I could help them with the 21-day check-in on NCL's site, if CDC cards were required. But I didn't anticipate needing their insurance cards.

 

Hopefully NCL will not require these 72 hour tests for the Bermuda sailings, since we are already required to do a PCR test four days out. But I am anxiously awaiting more instructions. I am exactly 30 days out today and my PCC said we should receive info on health & safety protocols at 30 days. Will post here right away if/when I receive an email.

@JamieLogicalI agree, it is becoming very stressful and feels like just too much. One more thing is going to probably going to have us thinking seriously about the "Peace of Mind" cancellation. The 72 hour prior PCR test (if not required by your destination) is logistically difficult for a lot of folks not in large metro areas and not cheap either. We can go to Walgreens and get them done, but the turnaround time is super vague and not guaranteed. I found a $39 PCR test kit from Amazon that includes overnight shipping of the kit to the lab and results in 24 hours or less, but would NCL accept that as documentation? Who knows? We don't sail until the end of October, so the whole process could be completely different by then, so I try not to get too stressed by it all, but ugh!!! 

[kevintheoman]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

CVS requires you to upload photos of your insurance card when you schedule your appointment.

 

*maybe* it differs by state, but just yesterday I made a CVS covid test appointment without uploading photos. And I've done covid tests with CVS in three different states over the past year and never had to upload photos.  The website will ask for you to upload the insurance card, but you don't have to, you can just type in the info.

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, kevintheoman said:

 

*maybe* it differs by state, but just yesterday I made a CVS covid test appointment without uploading photos. And I've done covid tests with CVS in three different states over the past year and never had to upload photos.  The website will ask for you to upload the insurance card, but you don't have to, you can just type in the info.

 

It says you have to choose between uploading the file right then from your PC or submitting it via text later. It's no clear if, by choosing the text option, your appointment won't be confirmed until you do so or maybe your appointment will be cancelled if you don't do so by a certain date/time. Maybe it's fine if you never do text the photos, but that's not communicated anywhere on the form.

[lgdesign]

12 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

It says you have to choose between uploading the file right then from your PC or submitting it via text later. It's no clear if, by choosing the text option, your appointment won't be confirmed until you do so or maybe your appointment will be cancelled if you don't do so by a certain date/time. Maybe it's fine if you never do text the photos, but that's not communicated anywhere on the form.

 

It's definitely not clear. 

 

We just dealt with this 5 days ago with CVS and did not upload or text photos of our insurance cards and were able to make the appointments with no problem.  My husband just had to give them his card at CVS at the time of the test so they could get the information on the spot... and as I had already had a test with them a few months ago, they never even asked me for mine as they already had it in their system. 

 

Hope this info helps.

Edited August 27, 2021 by lgdesign

[goldmom]

Is it possible for your parents to just physically go to the CVS or Walgreens and set up the account in person?  That way they would already be in their system and might not need to upload the insurance card.

 

On another note.  Suppose we're going to Bermuda and NCL requires the 72 hour prior covid test to cover any costs resulting from a positive covid test at the pier.  That is what I'm reading in the letter, at least I think it is!

Anyway, we live 20 minutes from the pier so I'm assuming that if we tested positive at the pier that we would just go home and quarantine.   There really wouldn't be any addition costs for us.  Our cruise cost should still be reimbursed under the peace of mind guarantee and we also have trip insurance.  If that's the case then we don't really need to worry about the additional test at 72 hours if it becomes a requirement for the Bermuda cruises.

 

Are I figuring this correctly?

[classy_cruiser]

6 minutes ago, goldmom said:

Is it possible for your parents to just physically go to the CVS or Walgreens and set up the account in person?  That way they would already be in their system and might not need to upload the insurance card.

 

On another note.  Suppose we're going to Bermuda and NCL requires the 72 hour prior covid test to cover any costs resulting from a positive covid test at the pier.  That is what I'm reading in the letter, at least I think it is!

Anyway, we live 20 minutes from the pier so I'm assuming that if we tested positive at the pier that we would just go home and quarantine.   There really wouldn't be any addition costs for us.  Our cruise cost should still be reimbursed under the peace of mind guarantee and we also have trip insurance.  If that's the case then we don't really need to worry about the additional test at 72 hours if it becomes a requirement for the Bermuda cruises.

 

Are I figuring this correctly?

Double check the Sail Safe page, but they have updated nearly every section to say you aren't getting any refund of cruise costs or help with quarantine expenses without proof of the test. The Peace of mind Period is only up until 15 days prior to sail, so that policy isn't relevant by the time you would be boarding. 

[goldmom]

3 hours ago, classy_cruiser said:

Double check the Sail Safe page, but they have updated nearly every section to say you aren't getting any refund of cruise costs or help with quarantine expenses without proof of the test. The Peace of mind Period is only up until 15 days prior to sail, so that policy isn't relevant by the time you would be boarding. 

Thanks, appreciate the info.  Guess I'll have to get another test if they require it at the 72 hour mark for Bermuda cruises.

[sprint180]

On 8/25/2021 at 3:06 PM, TheSecondSister said:

Hubby and I are booked for the Sept. 4 Alaska cruise from Seattle, and all I can say is that this totally sucks. We live in a sparsely populated area, no local pharmacies or medical clinics are doing testing for travel purpose. The nearest one is 45 minutes away and can't promise that we will have our results back in time. I HATE the constantly shifting goal posts. Boo on you NCL.

I think you lucky if you only have to drive 45 minutes to get a test.  

[Fun4Us2013]

My flight leaves Sunday at 7pm and arises in Rome at 8am, change over in London ( not exact times).  My sail time I think is 6 pm. If the 72 hour is in effect, would I have to get my test at 6 pm on Friday. What are the chances the results would be back with processing on sat and sun? I’m not even calculating the time changes. Can you imagine flying to Rome, testing positive and having to quarantine for x number of days, NCL saying you didn’t comply with the 72 hour rule because you don’t have the results and you are on your own.  Sounds like a game changer for us.

[Fun4Us2013]

My flight leaves Sunday at 7pm and arises in Rome at 8am, change over in London ( not exact times).  My sail time I think is 6 pm. If the 72 hour is in effect, would I have to get my test at 6 pm on Friday. What are the chances the results would be back with processing on sat and sun? I’m not even calculating the time changes. Can you imagine flying to Rome, testing positive and having to quarantine for x number of days, NCL saying you didn’t comply with the 72 hour rule because you don’t have the results and you are on your own.  Sounds like a game changer for us.