Testing in Venice

[claranda]

We’re going to need to take a lateral flow/antigen covid test in Venice on the Friday before we board on 12 March. Our hotel can give us a list of places that can do this, but cannot book a test on our behalf. Knowing Italy, this could be a bit of a lottery, so I wonder if anyone can recommend a centre/pharmacy in La Serenissima that provides a reliable turn-around testing service?

[ReturnCruiser]

Have you considered a proctored antigen test, such as https://www.emed.com/products/covid-at-home-testkit-six-pack.? We carry there with us when traveling overseas just in case we need a test. You do need a strong WiFi connectivity and an iPad or android tablet. 

[claranda]

Thanks, ReturnCruiser, yes we have considered it, but don’t want to take the chance it doesn’t work! We’ve found Bielohub, a clinic not far from our hotel and they’ll sort us out. We think Viking is totally OTT with testing, but we will comply! Just got off a Seabourn cruise where no testing was done for the whole ten days, so hope it’s still not a daily occurrence on V…..

[Eggtuary]

Have you looked at the latest Pre-Cruise Embarkation Requirements?  Mine (also starting in Venice, though a couple of weeks later) only mention having to get tested before boarding my first flight out of the US. Not sure of your situation, but Viking loosened a lot of restrictions on March 1, as did Italy. 

[CoolBeansVA]

We were in Rome on our own when Italy relaxed its requirements on March 1st, and thought maybe we wouldn’t need to get another test before embarking on Viking Sky.  But I emailed tellus and the reply was that we still needed that extra test in order to board.  It was very easy in Rome:  We went to the farmacia across the street from our hotel, without an appointment, and got rapid antigen tests for 22 euro apiece.  Results were posted online 30 minutes later, but we couldn’t navigate the Italian website to obtain them (there’s no English option on the site). So we returned to the farmacia and they printed them out for us.  At check-in, Viking asked for and inspected those results, but also administered another rapid antigen test then and there (saying it was required by the port of Civetevecchia).  An our later we got PCR saliva tests from Viking.  So we were literally tested three times within 24 hours.  

[claranda]

My final pre-cruise requirements document from Viking also only requires a test pre-departure from the UK. I only found out here on CC that there is a requirement, hidden away in their Health and Safety FAQs for independent travellers arriving early in the country of embarkation to take instead an equivalent test pre-boarding. Viking UK have told me (after a 40 minute+ wait on the phone) that they informed me of this in information provided to my TA on a certain date, but in fact there is nothing at all about it in that document.
Their information seems directed only to passengers for whom they are arranging airfare, etc. Those of us arriving any other way are not catered for. I wonder how many of those will have missed the hidden requirement?

We are taking the test but I doubt we’ll be sailing Viking again. They’re incompetent.

[Eggtuary]

I’m glad I saw this thread. I fly in on a Saturday afternoon and embark on Monday. That doesn’t allow much time for testing. I guess we will have to hit a pharmacy on the way to the ship Monday morning…