Vancouver Antigen test for cruise???.....where and prices....???...close to terminal??

[Kelownabccan]

Thinking of driving down to Vancouver for a 7 day back to back Van on HAL.....in May......are there any places to get a test a few hours before the cruise??? and close to the cruise ship ???.....Maybe the test will be a "non starter" by May but who knows......With all these cruises going out of Van all summer this is a pretty big money grab for some people who supply the supervised tests.....In Kelowna they want $126 for a supervised test and looking on line seems to be at the airport....I guess you could get it the day before driving down and then would be within the two day requirement....This sure makes cruising still sort of a hassle to do.....and then the problem of getting off the ship currently with a test somehow done at seas before getting back to Vancouver.... and ArriveCan on your phone.....Have to be in cell service to set it up.....or ship internet I guess.....so many things to think about......Anyone have thoughts...Thanks

[Fouremco]

Get a Switch Health or similar proctored self-test for boarding. If the existing GOC rules still apply, you must take the test within one day of boarding, not two. Cruise lines may be happy with two days, but not the GOC, and its requirements take precedence. For disembarkation, the ship must provide the test.

 

For ArriveCAN, you can do 99% of the input before you leave Kelowna. Ship internet will meet your requirements to complete things.

[broberts]

What @Fouremco says.

 

You only have to worry about the boarding test. 

 

Swithchealth has a clinic in Vancouver, see https://switchhealth.ca/en/partners/aeroplan/.  Lower down on that page is a rapid antigen test kit that can be used remotely.

[em-sk]

2 hours ago, Kelownabccan said:

Thinking of driving down to Vancouver for a 7 day back to back Van on HAL.....in May......are there any places to get a test a few hours before the cruise??? and close to the cruise ship ???.....Maybe the test will be a "non starter" by May but who knows......With all these cruises going out of Van all summer this is a pretty big money grab for some people who supply the supervised tests.....In Kelowna they want $126 for a supervised test and looking on line seems to be at the airport....I guess you could get it the day before driving down and then would be within the two day requirement....This sure makes cruising still sort of a hassle to do.....and then the problem of getting off the ship currently with a test somehow done at seas before getting back to Vancouver.... and ArriveCan on your phone.....Have to be in cell service to set it up.....or ship internet I guess.....so many things to think about......Anyone have thoughts...Thanks

 

For the Arrive Can app, i would just do it on the ship the morning of arrival.  You should have regular cell coverage from Bell, Telus etc in the harbour.  Just do it over breakfast before you walk off the ship.  

 

[cdn_tbird]

4 hours ago, broberts said:

What @Fouremco says.

 

You only have to worry about the boarding test. 

 

Swithchealth has a clinic in Vancouver, see https://switchhealth.ca/en/partners/aeroplan/.  Lower down on that page is a rapid antigen test kit that can be used remotely.

 

It's about a 30 min. drive from the port but this would have been a great option compared to the extortion prices I've seen at other labs in BC. As an Aeroplan member, it would have been about $45 for the antigen. Unfortunately we board on the Sun. and they aren't open on Sat.

 

Oh well, guess I'll keep praying that the gov't comes to their senses by the end of Aug. (or sooner). 

Edited March 14, 2022 by cdn_tbird
Mistake

[Kelownabccan]

Well the testing place in Richmond is shut on Sat and Sun....so no help there...would have been easy to drop by on the way to ship when driving down.....

 

Vancouver Clinic

13160 Vanier Place, Unit 190

Richmond, BC V6V 2J2

Hours of Operation:

Mon-Fri: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Saturday: closed

Sunday: closed

 

COVID-19

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Kit (2-pack)

Regular $129

Aeroplan Members $79 + Earn 500 points per kit purchased

 

this is hard to do the day of the cruise from a car....lol......would have to do it at home the day before the cruise and hope that they will accept it as over a day old by the time we got to the ship.....the two pack....I assume would be one for me and one for wife....and not too expensive at $79......$40 each about

 

A pain in the neck....just thinking about it....haha

[Kelownabccan]

Oh....just thought....the one we were going on leaves on Wednesdays......so the clinic would be open....yea.....so that might be easy.....just leave time to get the test and then park the car and get on ship....

[ceilidh1]

If you have the rapid tests in the green boxes (they are giving them out at Shoppers for aged 50 and up right now) you can use these and just pay for the proctor.

 

Travel Video for WestJet and Swoop Travellers (azova.com)

 

Observed Test for Travel - Rapid Test & Trace Canada (rapidtestandtrace.ca)

[broberts]

1 hour ago, Kelownabccan said:

Well the testing place in Richmond is shut on Sat and Sun....so no help there...would have been easy to drop by on the way to ship when driving down.....

 

Vancouver Clinic

13160 Vanier Place, Unit 190

Richmond, BC V6V 2J2

Hours of Operation:

Mon-Fri: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Saturday: closed

Sunday: closed

 

COVID-19

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Kit (2-pack)

Regular $129

Aeroplan Members $79 + Earn 500 points per kit purchased

 

this is hard to do the day of the cruise from a car....lol......would have to do it at home the day before the cruise and hope that they will accept it as over a day old by the time we got to the ship.....the two pack....I assume would be one for me and one for wife....and not too expensive at $79......$40 each about

 

A pain in the neck....just thinking about it....haha

 

Unfortunate about the clinic hours. As the ships return there may be enough demand to open Sat & Sun.

 

The antigen test window is "within 1 day", not 2 hours. Cruise anytime Sunday, test any time Saturday. I believe Swithchealth runs internet proctoring 24/7.

 

Apparently the kit has two tests in case one fails. By all accounts it does happen, but most seem to be able to share a kit between 2 people.

 

[Fouremco]

11 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

If you have the rapid tests in the green boxes (they are giving them out at Shoppers for aged 50 and up right now) you can use these and just pay for the proctor.

 

Travel Video for WestJet and Swoop Travellers (azova.com)

 

Observed Test for Travel - Rapid Test & Trace Canada (rapidtestandtrace.ca)

This approach appears to be acceptable for entry to the US and Canada,  but some cruise lines rule out third party proctoring. For example, HAL states "The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection." Of course, whether or not anyone checking you in would have any idea whether such an affiliation exists is a whole different story.

[ceilidh1]

1 minute ago, Fouremco said:

This approach appears to be acceptable for entry to the US and Canada,  but some cruise lines rule out third party proctoring. For example, HAL states "The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection." Of course, whether or not anyone checking you in would have any idea whether such an affiliation exists is a whole different story.

Good to know! Thanks for the heads up. My recent experience of showing proof of negative test (FOUR different times in the space of seven days) was that those checking barely even glanced at it. Having said that, I wouldn't want to be in the position of getting that one person who did check thoroughly and deny me travel over a specific rule, so I will definitely check more into this for my April sailing....

[SilvertoGold]

17 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Get a Switch Health or similar proctored self-test for boarding. If the existing GOC rules still apply, you must take the test within one day of boarding, not two. Cruise lines may be happy with two days, but not the GOC, and its requirements take precedence. For disembarkation, the ship must provide the test.

 

For ArriveCAN, you can do 99% of the input before you leave Kelowna. Ship internet will meet your requirements to complete things.

 

Good info. Thanks :)

 

Can you use the ship's computers for what you need to get done (that 1%)?  Will this work or do you really have to use an iphone/ipad?  I am assuming you must do some things before actually disembarking and not at home a couple of hours later.

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, SilvertoGold said:

 

Good info. Thanks 🙂

 

Can you use the ship's computers for what you need to get done (that 1%)?  Will this work or do you really have to use an iphone/ipad?  I am assuming you must do some things before actually disembarking and not at home a couple of hours later.

There's both an ArriveCAN app and an ArriveCAN webpage. The choice is yours as to which you want to use. And yes, you have to complete and submit your information before arrival.

[SilvertoGold]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

There's both an ArriveCAN app and an ArriveCAN webpage. The choice is yours as to which you want to use. And yes, you have to complete and submit your information before arrival.

Thanks for this info. What I thought but really appreciate your wide knowledge of all the details :)

[Bugeater61]

I was just looking at the entry requirements and it looks like pre-testing won’t be needed after April 1.

[gnome12]

3 minutes ago, Bugeater61 said:

I was just looking at the entry requirements and it looks like pre-testing won’t be needed after April 1.

Pre-testing won't be required to enter Canada, but will be required to board a cruise in Canada.

[cmich068]

On 3/14/2022 at 11:37 AM, Fouremco said:

This approach appears to be acceptable for entry to the US and Canada,  but some cruise lines rule out third party proctoring. For example, HAL states "The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection." Of course, whether or not anyone checking you in would have any idea whether such an affiliation exists is a whole different story.

 

That line is actually in the CDC rules for US entry as well. 

 

Azova claims to have a manufacturer affiliation for all the test kits they proctor, including the green Rapid Response brand ones. 

[Bugeater61]

21 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Pre-testing won't be required to enter Canada, but will be required to board a cruise in Canada.

A requirement met through the cruise lines not through the ArriveCAN app, correct?

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Bugeater61 said:

A requirement met through the cruise lines not through the ArriveCAN app, correct?

You will need to use the ArriveCAN app twice, the first time for your entry to Canada and the second time for the cruise: "Before their cruise departs, a traveller will need to enter their trip information into the ArriveCAN website."

[ceilidh1]

8 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

You will need to use the ArriveCAN app twice, the first time for your entry to Canada and the second time for the cruise: "Before their cruise departs, a traveller will need to enter their trip information into the ArriveCAN website."

Thanks for this reminder! It had slipped my mind about the "before your cruise departs" piece. I have to check more into it - my cruise leaves from US port but disembarks in Vancouver so I have to figure out when we need to complete the arrivecan piece and even if we can do it on the app (last time I used it you could only complete within 3 days of entry).