**** CARNIVAL COVID TESTING THREAD #2 **** JANUARY 6, 2002

[flcraigs5]

Has anybody used this company for your proctored test? Just want to make sure it's one that will be accepted!!

 

[flcraigs5]

On 4/23/2022 at 11:40 AM, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Both are accepted (not sure of specific criteria), but we've always used the antigen test.

 

Tom

Thanks Tom

[Drazil65]

We got 4 of these free from the gov tests sent out, although you do not get to choose which brand when they send them out to you.  If you have not ordered your free test for gov, you might want to try that to get some extras. 

 

If you go to the top right of this page to search box, put in ihealth and search.  It will bring up all the threads under this thread that mentions this brand and using it for travel.  Lots of good info!

[topaz123]

Yes, I know it's probably been answered, but want to make 100% sure I get this right. The Covid test that I need up to 3 days before Cruise.....I see Walgreens offers a RAPID NAAT Test, that shows results in 2 hours. Is this the one I need 3 days before sailing. I noted that all local Walgreens do not have the RAPID ANTIGEN test available. but they do have this NAAT test.  Sailing on a Saturday....trying to get testing on a Wednesday.

[1kaper]

11 minutes ago, topaz123 said:

Yes, I know it's probably been answered, but want to make 100% sure I get this right. The Covid test that I need up to 3 days before Cruise.....I see Walgreens offers a RAPID NAAT Test, that shows results in 2 hours. Is this the one I need 3 days before sailing. I noted that all local Walgreens do not have the RAPID ANTIGEN test available. but they do have this NAAT test.  Sailing on a Saturday....trying to get testing on a Wednesday.

Yes.  That is what I used to test 3 days before my cruise (3 of us did)

[2Shoes2Go]

We have had multiple cancellations from CVS. Now using Walgreen’s. NAAT has been accepted, just fine. Have y’all had Walgreen’s flake (cancel) your reservations? Hoping they’re going to do right by us, on Saturday. Thanks for feedback!

[topaz123]

43 minutes ago, 2Shoes2Go said:

We have had multiple cancellations from CVS. Now using Walgreen’s. NAAT has been accepted, just fine. Have y’all had Walgreen’s flake (cancel) your reservations? Hoping they’re going to do right by us, on Saturday. Thanks for feedback!

We used Walgreens for the original COVID testing last year, drive thru version. It went as scheduled. I had CVS as a backup....but YUP.....we got an email that we were cancelled....glad we had Walgreens as a backup.

[cellfree]

Used Walgreens several times and as recently as a week ago, works great, they have been very efficient. 

[topaz123]

2 hours ago, cellfree said:

Used Walgreens several times and as recently as a week ago, works great, they have been very efficient. 

Thanks.....so far it looks like Walgreens is going to work out...We have one close by....and they do the RAPID NAAT test.....good news to hear this will work on the 3 day before cruise. We kinda went yikes when we noted Walgreens did not offer the RAPID ANTIGEN test...but gave a sigh of relief when the NAAT test is acceptable. 

[Dmg00]

Ok, so I’ve read differing stories. If you get tested at Walgreens or CVS for travel you get charges regardless of whether you have insurance or not correct? I went on Walgreens site and it says free but then it says not free if for travel! This is the most stressful part of this vacation. We cancelled in September and I was hoping they did away with the testing requirements when I booked for May. Our test may cost just as much as our room! Thanks for the help, I really want to be excited instead of stressed. 

[SFNC cruising]

we used CVS for 5 of use for our April 16th Sunshine cruise.   No charge and no issues.   Took about 15 mins in the drive through.   got results the next morning.

[cellfree]

1 hour ago, Dmg00 said:

Ok, so I’ve read differing stories. If you get tested at Walgreens or CVS for travel you get charges regardless of whether you have insurance or not correct? I went on Walgreens site and it says free but then it says not free if for travel! This is the most stressful part of this vacation. We cancelled in September and I was hoping they did away with the testing requirements when I booked for May. Our test may cost just as much as our room! Thanks for the help, I really want to be excited instead of stressed. 

We have never been charged for the eight (three at CVS and five at Walgreens) pre-cruise tests we have had since November 2021 (initially doubled up on a couple as just wasn’t sure/confident).

[nickle58]

Which test does carnival require?  We leave on May 9 out of Port Canaveral.   I feel like I read different things even on Carnival’s website. Will any test you get at CVS work, or does it need to be specific to travel?  I have read antigen test ok, I have read PCR test required, etc.  Can it be just the swab that you get results in an hour?  I’m also concerned that our cruise departs on a Monday and it could be difficult to get a required test over the weekend.  If anyone has experience from the last couple weeks, your information would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Edited April 27, 2022 by nickle58

[ray98]

This is the only opinion that matters.....

 

 

 

What kind of pre-cruise COVID-19 tests are acceptable?

Guests must be tested with a COVID-19 viral test that is either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

Antigen tests include (acceptable for fully vaccinated guests only):

• Rapid antigen test
• Viral antigen test
• Antigen Chromatographic Digital Immunoassay
• Antigen Chemiluminescence Immunoassay, or
• Antigen Lateral Flow Fluorescence

NAAT include (acceptable for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests):

• PCR – Polymerase chain reaction
• RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
• Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test
• Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) test
• Molecular test or molecular diagnostic test
• Isothermal amplification
• Droplet Digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
• Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)

A rapid antigen or rapid PCR test is acceptable (of the test types listed above).

[tallnthensome]

That information is on the Carnival website. Read the sticky testing thread at the top of the forum as this has been discussed extensively. 

[topaz123]

11 hours ago, Dmg00 said:

Ok, so I’ve read differing stories. If you get tested at Walgreens or CVS for travel you get charges regardless of whether you have insurance or not correct? I went on Walgreens site and it says free but then it says not free if for travel! This is the most stressful part of this vacation. We cancelled in September and I was hoping they did away with the testing requirements when I booked for May. Our test may cost just as much as our room! Thanks for the help, I really want to be excited instead of stressed. 

Agree 1000%, this pre cruise test is alotta angst....hoping that we can do away with this....especially if you have up to date vaccine and Booster too......enuf already.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I wonder, on average, how many positives they're catching a couple days out. Are we talking just a couple, or a few dozen? In a rather closed/tight quarters environment for multiple days it can make a difference. 

 

FWIW, I'll be happy when we're past all of this too!

 

Tom

[nickle58]

4 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

That information is on the Carnival website. Read the sticky testing thread at the top of the forum as this has been discussed extensively. 

 

4 hours ago, ray98 said:

This is the only opinion that matters.....

 

 

 

What kind of pre-cruise COVID-19 tests are acceptable?

Guests must be tested with a COVID-19 viral test that is either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

Antigen tests include (acceptable for fully vaccinated guests only):

• Rapid antigen test
• Viral antigen test
• Antigen Chromatographic Digital Immunoassay
• Antigen Chemiluminescence Immunoassay, or
• Antigen Lateral Flow Fluorescence

NAAT include (acceptable for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests):

• PCR – Polymerase chain reaction
• RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
• Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test
• Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) test
• Molecular test or molecular diagnostic test
• Isothermal amplification
• Droplet Digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
• Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)

A rapid antigen or rapid PCR test is acceptable (of the test types listed above).

I don’t think I saw it concise like this….thank you.

[Knights on the Beach]

This is the link to the above info Ray posted - everything is posted on the Carnival site.

 

https://www.carnival.com/Legal/covid-19-legal-notices/return-to-service-faqs

[ledges1]

CVS Minute Clinic in my area has stopped giving the Rapid Antigen test for free. I had a cruise leaving on a Monday. Walgreens offers an Antigen NAAT test 7 days a week. We tested on Saturday Morning and had the results in an hour. My wife tested positive (I was negative) with no symptoms. She then took the free govt test at home and was Negative. We went to an Urgent Care facility and reported the positive and negative test and asked what to do. They performed a full nasal test (stuck the swab way up the nose) and gave us a negative result. We enjoyed the cruise.

[topaz123]

2 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

I wonder, on average, how many positives they're catching a couple days out. Are we talking just a couple, or a few dozen? In a rather closed/tight quarters environment for multiple days it can make a difference. 

 

FWIW, I'll be happy when we're past all of this too!

 

Tom

Me too....seems kinda odd, that we are required to do the FAST ANTIGEN/NAAT test 3 days before sail.....what happens if you go to a large crowd gathering 2 days after testing...and you board with a clean bill of health from 3 days ago....Hmmmmmm

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

5 minutes ago, topaz123 said:

....what happens if you go to a large crowd gathering 2 days after testing...and you board with a clean bill of health from 3 days ago....Hmmmmmm

 

THIS can happen !!

 

Tom

[Dmg00]

I just looked at my local CVS website and it asks you a series of questions, then tells me we don’t qualify for free testing, it’s $139 per person 🤬we don’t have a Walgreens anywhere near us either. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

4 minutes ago, Dmg00 said:

I just looked at my local CVS website and it asks you a series of questions, then tells me we don’t qualify for free testing, it’s $139 per person 🤬we don’t have a Walgreens anywhere near us either. 

 

Order the home test!!

[Dmg00]

I got them but my husbands afraid something will go wrong 🙄let me ask, can we use an iPad to do them? I thought I’d read somewhere that you have to use a computer and you have to use Chrome! Can I use my iPad, my computer is old and outdated?