Would you buy home tests now?

[handbellplayer]

We are on Harmony OTS departing 1/16.  I noticed that my local Walgreens has the BinaxNOW tests expiring in March.  If you were me, would you purchase a couple now as a fall back in case we have issues with finding a test prior to the cruise?

[marktwothousand]

6 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

We are on Harmony OTS departing 1/16.  I noticed that my local Walgreens has the BinaxNOW tests expiring in March.  If you were me, would you purchase a couple now as a fall back in case we have issues with finding a test prior to the cruise?

Absolutely buy now, but you will need the navica app or some other way to sign off on the tests being valid. Simple at-home rapid testing won’t Suffice without proof of result

[handbellplayer]

Just now, marktwothousand said:

Absolutely buy now, but you will need the navica app or some other way to sign off on the tests being valid. Simple at-home rapid testing won’t Suffice without proof of result

I need to look more closely to make certain that they're the monitored tests and not the self-tests. They may be self-tests and I know they're not sufficient.

[marktwothousand]

7 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

I need to look more closely to make certain that they're the monitored tests and not the self-tests. They may be self-tests and I know they're not sufficient.

The binaxNOWs are a bit of a grey area. The tests are verified by the navica app but you need to login through emed if you want a monitored test. 

[Sunshine3601]

17 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

I need to look more closely to make certain that they're the monitored tests and not the self-tests. They may be self-tests and I know they're not sufficient.

what you see on shelf at walgreens is most likely not the proctored test kit.    

does it look like this one:    this is the correct kit

 

[smokeybandit]

I wouldn't buy a home test until a few weeks before the cruise until you can be guaranteed that they're the new lot of tests just now hitting the market.

[crzndeb]

They really need to make a Sticky on some of the important questions that are asked daily on the cruise threads. But, then again, how many read the Sticky’s. LOL As mentioned, the only acceptable proctored tests can only be ordered online from Optum or Emed. You can’t buy them at any drugstore, Sam’s Club, or any other place, at this time.

Edited November 4, 2021 by crzndeb

[not-enough-cruising]

44 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

We are on Harmony OTS departing 1/16.  I noticed that my local Walgreens has the BinaxNOW tests expiring in March.  If you were me, would you purchase a couple now as a fall back in case we have issues with finding a test prior to the cruise?

Whether you buy them now or buy them later I can’t give advice on that’s a personal preference, but one thing is for sure, if they’re on sale at your local drugstore they are the wrong test

[marktwothousand]

I’m putting this to bed for good with info from royal’s webpage  specifically for the binax. They are accepted if supervised. Buy the tests ASAP. you never know when there’s gonna be a run on ‘em. 
 

Source: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-need-an-rt-pcr-test-before-i-cruise-where-should-i-go

 

• The Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card Test, which is taken at home and supervised by a telemedicine professional, is accepted. It must be taken under live video supervision. Learn more about our Abbott telehealth home test kit.
• The Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test, if taken at home and not supervised by a telehealth representative, is NOT accepted.

[not-enough-cruising]

52 minutes ago, marktwothousand said:

I’m putting this to bed for good with info from royal’s webpage  specifically for the binax. They are accepted if supervised. Buy the tests ASAP. you never know when there’s gonna be a run on ‘em. 
 

Source: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-need-an-rt-pcr-test-before-i-cruise-where-should-i-go

 

• The Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card Test, which is taken at home and supervised by a telemedicine professional, is accepted. It must be taken under live video supervision. Learn more about our Abbott telehealth home test kit.
• The Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test, if taken at home and not supervised by a telehealth representative, is NOT accepted.

“I’m putting this to bed for good”. That’s a good one 🤪

[handbellplayer]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

They really need to make a Sticky on some of the important questions that are asked daily on the cruise threads. But, then again, how many read the Sticky’s. LOL As mentioned, the only acceptable proctored tests can only be ordered online from Optum or Emed. You can’t buy them at any drugstore, Sam’s Club, or any other place, at this time.

 

57 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Whether you buy them now or buy them later I can’t give advice on that’s a personal preference, but one thing is for sure, if they’re on sale at your local drugstore they are the wrong test

 

48 minutes ago, marktwothousand said:

I’m putting this to bed for good with info from royal’s webpage  specifically for the binax. They are accepted if supervised. Buy the tests ASAP. you never know when there’s gonna be a run on ‘em. 
 

Source: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-need-an-rt-pcr-test-before-i-cruise-where-should-i-go

 

• The Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card Test, which is taken at home and supervised by a telemedicine professional, is accepted. It must be taken under live video supervision. Learn more about our Abbott telehealth home test kit.
• The Abbott BinaxNow COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test, if taken at home and not supervised by a telehealth representative, is NOT accepted.

Sorry if I asked a question that's been asked many times....I should have done a search.....many apologies!  (My excuse is that I'm SO nervous about being able to get tested pre-cruise.)  I just hope the RCCL site will sell tests that expire later than mid-December.

[not-enough-cruising]

3 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

 

 

Sorry if I asked a question that's been asked many times....I should have done a search.....many apologies!  (My excuse is that I'm SO nervous about being able to get tested pre-cruise.)  I just hope the RCCL site will sell tests that expire later than mid-December.

Test manufacturing is ongoing. I got some from E-Med that expire on February 

[marktwothousand]

Jaaaaayzusss chrooooist

[handbellplayer]

7 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Test manufacturing is ongoing. I got some from E-Med that expire on February 

When I go to their site, it says:  "Currently available test kits may expire as early as December 17, 2021. Please allow up to three business days for delivery. Ships via expedited service within the U.S. only. May not be purchased with other items."

 

[handbellplayer]

8 minutes ago, marktwothousand said:

Jaaaaayzusss chrooooist

So sorry to annoy you so. I'm outta here.

[marktwothousand]

4 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

So sorry to annoy you so. I'm outta here.

Haha. I am just commiserating with you over all the complications… not complaining atall!

[not-enough-cruising]

57 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

When I go to their site, it says:  "Currently available test kits may expire as early as December 17, 2021. Please allow up to three business days for delivery. Ships via expedited service within the U.S. only. May not be purchased with other items."

 

“As early as”, not “no later than“

[handbellplayer]

30 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

“As early as”, not “no later than“

So you bought them with this warning and they expired in February?

 

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Test manufacturing is ongoing. I got some from E-Med that expire on February 

 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, handbellplayer said:

So you bought them with this warning and they expired in February?

 

 

With the automatic extension of expiration date, yes 

[Jingerwoppy]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I wouldn't buy a home test until a few weeks before the cruise until you can be guaranteed that they're the new lot of tests just now hitting the market.

I tried the link on the RCI website and it said the tests could expire as early as 12/15/21 and our cruise isn't until 1/23/22 so we will wait a while longer before purchasing tests. We have a local place that does rapid tests so we're hoping to use them if necessary but they don't publish their cost.

[flamingos]

So the ones I bought, to use for the last cruise and hopefully the next, will expire on January 5 - too soon.  Are they useless to me for a January 9 cruise?

[helen haywood]

That’s my understanding.  I bought tests for a November cruise.  Ours expire (with extended expiration date) on January 3,2022z. Our next cruise is several days later.  I emailed eMed and they said to check their website frequently as the CDC may extend the expiration date again.  And they are making more tests…quickly I hope.

[flamingos]

35 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

That’s my understanding.  I bought tests for a November cruise.  Ours expire (with extended expiration date) on January 3,2022z. Our next cruise is several days later.  I emailed eMed and they said to check their website frequently as the CDC may extend the expiration date again.  And they are making more tests…quickly I hope.

Thanks.  If you hear anything, post it!

[ustasmom]

I bought 3 tests from OptumRx. They came expired and in the three month extension window. So now they are just useless. 

[AustinCruise]

The Royal site says to purchase these online 1 week before you cruise.  Make it 3 weeks to be safe and I don't see there would be a problem.  Since the expiration dates are getting newer they are clearly manufacturing more.

 

As always, have a backup plan. There are lots of places now that do same day covid testing.  Costs more, but as a backup plan it's good to know where they are located.