Questions related to all things Covid testing relating to Princess Cruises

[13cheermom]

So I just checked and saw that the test kits through the Optum Store are now available again online.  My cruise isn't until 3/12/22, is it too early to go ahead and order these?  Read about expiration dates, however site doesn't mention anything about that.  What's the normal exp. date once they are received?  Thanks for any help from past experience.  Thinking I should go ahead and order since they are available again.

[PacnGoNow]

15 minutes ago, 13cheermom said:

So I just checked and saw that the test kits through the Optum Store are now available again online.  My cruise isn't until 3/12/22, is it too early to go ahead and order these?  Read about expiration dates, however site doesn't mention anything about that.  What's the normal exp. date once they are received?  Thanks for any help from past experience.  Thinking I should go ahead and order since they are available again.

I would.  The latest kits have had expiration dates of Nov 2022.

 

May be better than that, since new ones are now available.

 

Let us know what the new expiration is when you receive yours.

[fzrider]

33 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

I would.  The latest kits have had expiration dates of Nov 2022.

 

May be better than that, since new ones are now available.

 

Let us know what the new expiration is when you receive yours.

I received the 6 pack of test last week. The expiration was 12-9-22 .

[13cheermom]

4 minutes ago, fzrider said:

I received the 6 pack of test last week. The expiration was 12-9-22 .

So curious, did you just order multiple packs?  I only had option of a 2 pack or 3 pack.  Went ahead and ordered a 2-pack for myself and a 2-pack for my husband, just in case there were any issues with them.  We have another cruise scheduled for November, so thought we could just use them then.  Also wondering if everyone is having any luck with submitting these with your insurance company afterwards?

[fzrider]

3 minutes ago, 13cheermom said:

So curious, did you just order multiple packs?  I only had option of a 2 pack or 3 pack.  Went ahead and ordered a 2-pack for myself and a 2-pack for my husband, just in case there were any issues with them.  We have another cruise scheduled for November, so thought we could just use them then.  Also wondering if everyone is having any luck with submitting these with your insurance company afterwards?

I ordered direct from Optimum. 6 pack for $150. This is the 3rd order with them. This time the charge was not applied to my credit card. I am guessing it was submitted to government for payment.

[PacnGoNow]

21 minutes ago, fzrider said:

I ordered direct from Optimum. 6 pack for $150. This is the 3rd order with them. This time the charge was not applied to my credit card. I am guessing it was submitted to government for payment.

That’s odd.  Did they ask for insurance info this order?

[fzrider]

46 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

That’s odd.  Did they ask for insurance info this order?

It is odd. They never asked for insurance although I may have given them the information when I registered a prior order. The charge showed as pending on my credit card account and then disappeared.  It seemed to coincide with the US plan to pay for free testing but also could be a glitch in their billing and the charge could still appear. 

[chubbypiggy]

1 hour ago, fzrider said:

I ordered direct from Optimum. 6 pack for $150. This is the 3rd order with them. This time the charge was not applied to my credit card. I am guessing it was submitted to government for payment.

I went to the Optimum site and it shows you must register or sign in to see their products and services.  What site did you use?  I don't want to register unless I plan to buy from them.  Is there a site that I can just browse their products and its price?

[PacnGoNow]

36 minutes ago, fzrider said:

It is odd. They never asked for insurance although I may have given them the information when I registered a prior order. The charge showed as pending on my credit card account and then disappeared.  It seemed to coincide with the US plan to pay for free testing but also could be a glitch in their billing and the charge could still appear. 

You prob ordered on emed.com if it was a 6 pack?  But, I never entered ins. Info.

[mcrcruiser]

Why doesn't Princess do testing at the pier ?  

 

 With the test kits sent on the mail a person can self test to make sure they are covid free before flying or driving to the  cruise port .Then as a double check Princess could use the antigen test   .  There are many benefits  one eliminating people who have symptoms from traveling to the cruise terminal & two far less infected people would be boarding  or perhaps none at all 

 

 Also it would help people like us who are elderly from scouring around 2 days before the cruise date 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by mcrcruiser

[13cheermom]

17 minutes ago, chubbypiggy said:

I went to the Optimum site and it shows you must register or sign in to see their products and services.  What site did you use?  I don't want to register unless I plan to buy from them.  Is there a site that I can just browse their products and its price?

I used the link through Princess website, and didn't have to enter any insurance information or register either.  However after I placed the order I went in to register so that my account would be set up for testing.

[fzrider]

47 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

You prob ordered on emed.com if it was a 6 pack?  But, I never entered ins. Info.

Yes I did place order on emed.com

[db51]

How often are Princess testing you on a 12 day cruise and do Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands

including Madeira ask for a test before visiting?

[chubbypiggy]

8 hours ago, 13cheermom said:

I used the link through Princess website, and didn't have to enter any insurance information or register either.  However after I placed the order I went in to register so that my account would be set up for testing.

Thank you.  I will try it out tomorrow.

[CruiseVA]

2 hours ago, db51 said:

How often are Princess testing you on a 12 day cruise and do Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands

including Madeira ask for a test before visiting?

When are you going there?

 

[PacnGoNow]

10 hours ago, db51 said:

How often are Princess testing you on a 12 day cruise and do Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands

including Madeira ask for a test before visiting?

More information would be helpful.

Leaving from what port?  What month?

Where are you traveling after you disembark?  

 

If you read the the Princess website,

health protocols, you will see they test

OB on cruises longer than 10 days.

But, they will make sure to follow all rules for each country they visit.  These rules change so frequently.  

Most important….

You will need to check the rules for the country you are going to before and after  the cruise.  Are you staying over before or after your cruise?  

 

 

 

[db51]

March 28-April 9 2022 and starting and finishing at Southampton -driving home from there. 12 day cruise.

Looks like Portugal (third day of cruise) are needing tests at present to enter but not the rest. I am terrified since I am travelling with 2 teenagers ( 18 and 19 in different cabin under different booking number) and trying to get them to avoid people pre cruise is almost impossible. All I need is for one of them to be positive 3 days in and I have a massive problem. 

[PacnGoNow]

47 minutes ago, db51 said:

March 28-April 9 2022 and starting and finishing at Southampton -driving home from there. 12 day cruise.

Looks like Portugal (third day of cruise) are needing tests at present to enter but not the rest. I am terrified since I am travelling with 2 teenagers ( 18 and 19 in different cabin under different booking number) and trying to get them to avoid people pre cruise is almost impossible. All I need is for one of them to be positive 3 days in and I have a massive problem. 

You just have to watch the UK rules and Princess health protocols then.

 

I would check with Princess in the UK

As far as protocols and also disembarking in the UK, they will test you if you are required also.

 

They don’t show the health protocols for Southampton on our end, like they used to.  

 

They may be doing updates.  
i understand you must be nervous with teens and it is a scary time.  
 

Have you check the Princess forums for the UK?  Or, your roll call?  That might be very helpful for you.

 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/544-uk-cruisers/

 

This has a lot of useful information for UK cruisers.

 

 

[kjg46]

Re Post #152  we are also  on a 3/12/22 Cruise. I purchased our 6 pack of tests from eMed. All six had an exploration date of 01-01-2023. Received in 2 days after placing our order. Hope this Helps

[mturvey]

The hotel where I’m staying recommended the below link for Covid testing in SF.  When trying to make an appointment the site is requesting us to log into our health account.  Being a UK citizen we don’t have one.  The cost also seems to be $125 with no insurance which seems a lot when we pay £25 for a test in the UK.  I guess we will have to ask Princess their recommendation for us but last time that was DocGo which also doesn’t seem to apply for UK residents.  That is also the test at the pier during embarkation which I understand we will have for free now as going to Hawaii but they are still requesting the 2 day test, so it makes no sense to pay $100 for something everyone will have for free.
 

Has any UK or other non US residents booked a 2 day test for their upcoming cruise yet that can point us in the right direction for a reasonable cost in SF please?
 

City Health on Jessie Street, a short taxi ride from the hotel.

https://covidtesting.cityhealthuc.com/

[PacnGoNow]

37 minutes ago, mturvey said:

The hotel where I’m staying recommended the below link for Covid testing in SF.  When trying to make an appointment the site is requesting us to log into our health account.  Being a UK citizen we don’t have one.  The cost also seems to be $125 with no insurance which seems a lot when we pay £25 for a test in the UK.  I guess we will have to ask Princess their recommendation for us but last time that was DocGo which also doesn’t seem to apply for UK residents.  That is also the test at the pier during embarkation which I understand we will have for free now as going to Hawaii but they are still requesting the 2 day test, so it makes no sense to pay $100 for something everyone will have for free.
 

Has any UK or other non US residents booked a 2 day test for their upcoming cruise yet that can point us in the right direction for a reasonable cost in SF please?
 

City Health on Jessie Street, a short taxi ride from the hotel.

https://covidtesting.cityhealthuc.com/

Are you flying into SFO?  They have covid testing there.  CVS at Minute clinic may have testing near your hotel, you would be a self pay customer.

Maybe the hotel could check that out for you and you can use the hotel’s address if you need one to register.

 

 

[mturvey]

Yes flying from Vegas to SFO but too early before cruising to do the test there.

CVS won’t let us access the website from the UK to make an appointment but perhaps we could book the test when we arrive in SF but worried there won’t be any availability left three days beforehand.  

[PacnGoNow]

10 minutes ago, mturvey said:

Yes flying from Vegas to SFO but too early before cruising to do the test there.

CVS won’t let us access the website from the UK to make an appointment but perhaps we could book the test when we arrive in SF but worried there won’t be any availability left three days beforehand.  

That’s possible, but there are a lot of CVS locations, even an Uber ride might work.

You do have to test within 2 days before the cruise in ADDITION to the same day port test.  As of right now.  Things change quickly.  What month are you cruising?  Are you staying at the Mark Hopkins?  Think we chatted before. 😊

[PacnGoNow]

20 minutes ago, mturvey said:

Yes flying from Vegas to SFO but too early before cruising to do the test there.

CVS won’t let us access the website from the UK to make an appointment but perhaps we could book the test when we arrive in SF but worried there won’t be any availability left three days beforehand.  

Did I send you this link already?

 

https://sf.gov/find-out-about-your-covid-19-testing-options

 

Appointments and walk ups

 

[dchan865]

Just curious. If you guys have bought the Abbott's Binaxnow RX test kit recently, what's the expiration date on it?   I have couple cruised lined up that is 10 months apart. I am hoping the test kit has a long shelf life.