Abbott BinaxNow Covid 19 Tests - Done on cruise ship wifi?

[beachfanatic]

Has anyone ever done this test over cruise ship wifi? 

[tinaincc]

11 hours ago, beachfanatic said:

Has anyone ever done this test over cruise ship wifi? 

I have not but plan to this summer (it is the BEST test around, I have used it on land trips).  Anyway, I will look to use it when on the last port day.  Don't forget to bring more than one test.  Once I had a test that wouldn't register so it was great to have a backup.

 

That said, hoping this testing requirement goes away soon.  

[NCTribeFan]

I sail on 4/11.  I'm doing a side-to-side.  When I disembark Summit, I'll drag my bag down to MSC Seashore.  I have 2 test kits that I'm taking with me.  I don't have wi-fi (booked well before X went all-inclusive) but I have friends sailing who are bringing laptops and will have wi-fi.  I plan to test when we're in port in Cozumel on the 14th.  Disembark the morning of the 16th. I did have my TA ask if X would perform the test if I was willing to pay and was told they would not.

 

If it doesn't work, I'll panic, but move on to Plan B.  It looks like there's still a testing site at Miami port, but only if there's no ship docked at Terminal J.  Unfortunately, I can't find a schedule that shows where each ship will be docked on the 16th. 

 

Plan C is to find anywhere else.

 

https://www.miamidade.gov/global/initiatives/coronavirus/testing-locations.page

 

Last option is to try to fly home (that's the day before Easter) and submit everything to my travel insurance for reimbursement. 😪

[Ipeeinthepools]

9 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

I sail on 4/11.  I'm doing a side-to-side.  When I disembark Summit, I'll drag my bag down to MSC Seashore.  I have 2 test kits that I'm taking with me.  I don't have wi-fi (booked well before X went all-inclusive) but I have friends sailing who are bringing laptops and will have wi-fi.  I plan to test when we're in port in Cozumel on the 14th.  Disembark the morning of the 16th. I did have my TA ask if X would perform the test if I was willing to pay and was told they would not.

 

If it doesn't work, I'll panic, but move on to Plan B.  It looks like there's still a testing site at Miami port, but only if there's no ship docked at Terminal J.  Unfortunately, I can't find a schedule that shows where each ship will be docked on the 16th. 

 

Plan C is to find anywhere else.

 

https://www.miamidade.gov/global/initiatives/coronavirus/testing-locations.page

 

Last option is to try to fly home (that's the day before Easter) and submit everything to my travel insurance for reimbursement. 😪

 

Somewhere among your back-up options I would think that testing before you disembark.  You could test onboard the ship using your cellphone's data plan.   Even if you have to purchase a little additional data, it would be easier than looking for a test site somewhere in the port.

[Nashna]

Don't count on it!  We tried it on The Apex in January and the wifi quit on us right before the end of the test.   It was so frustrating.  Once the kit is opened, it must be completed, or the test is invalid. We were told that the test takes a minimum of 18 minutes.  We assumed that having the upgraded Wifi package, we could do the test at sea.  Obviously, we were wrong.    Panicking, I tried to get a test scheduled for somewhere in Fort Lauderdale so we could board Enchanted Princess on Saturday.  CVS & Walgreens were sold out.   The only option for us in Fort Lauderdale was to take a taxi to the airport and try to get it done there.  We had been told that Celebrity would only arrange for the pier test to be done for international passengers who needed the test to fly.  We decided to plead our case to Customer Relations.  Celebrity was amazing.  They arranged and paid for our post-cruise pier side test.  We were able to take the test and were in line to board Princess by 10:30am.  Celebrity truly saved the day.    

[TeeRick]

Can you do your own self test on the ship in the Medical suite and get it monitored and signed off as valid by the medical staff there?

[Jordanyaya1]

This has been a concern for us. We will be sailing in Europe in June and as of now the US is still requiring test to fly home. Our last cruise day will be at sea and we were considering doing the Abbot BinaxNow while at sea using upgraded wifi. We’ve made several inquiries to Celebrity as to whether we can take a test onboard ship or if there are testing sites at the Amsterdam pier but can’t get an answer. We are hoping the US drops this required test. Getting a little concerned.  

[phoenix_dream]

9 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Can you do your own self test on the ship in the Medical suite and get it monitored and signed off as valid by the medical staff there?

That would certainly be an excellent idea!

[KruznKimmie]

You need a stable internet connection & the ship is definitely not stable.  Would wait until you can arrive in port & do the test with phone service.

[Dancing Shoes]

I thought I read that if you booked before a certain date, which I did, that Celebrity would pay for the test if your country required it.  Sorry, I don't have that exact date right now.

[NutsAboutGolf]

13 minutes ago, Dancing Shoes said:

I thought I read that if you booked before a certain date, which I did, that Celebrity would pay for the test if your country required it.  Sorry, I don't have that exact date right now.

 

X did an about face on that pretty early...

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

The biggest factor is how many people are on it.  Generally 9pm or later, ODDS ARE you'll be okay.  

[Jordanyaya1]

The info on the website lists ports in the US ports only. We are sailing in and out of Amsterdam. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 minutes ago, Jordanyaya1 said:

The info on the website lists ports in the US ports only. We are sailing in and out of Amsterdam. 

 

You should probably search the forum and if no luck, start your own thread specifically mentioning you're a US citizen sailing out of Amsterdam in the title

[MDTrip]

On 3/30/2022 at 8:10 AM, Jordanyaya1 said:

This has been a concern for us. We will be sailing in Europe in June and as of now the US is still requiring test to fly home. Our last cruise day will be at sea and we were considering doing the Abbot BinaxNow while at sea using upgraded wifi. We’ve made several inquiries to Celebrity as to whether we can take a test onboard ship or if there are testing sites at the Amsterdam pier but can’t get an answer. We are hoping the US drops this required test. Getting a little concerned.  

We are on the June 19 Fjords cruise and have the same situation re testing before entering the US. I have found these sites, but can't vouch for them.

 

https://reservations.testandfly.eu/en-US

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/covid-testing-international-travel/

[NCTribeFan]

My first plan of action is testing myself while on the ship, not my backup plan.  I'm taking the two eMed test kits I have in case we drop the connection in the middle of the test.  Since they "read" the bar code on the test when you begin, and then again when you show the results, one would think if the connection is dropped that when you log back in, they could still read the results.  I've listed Plan B & C above.  Maybe I should amend Plan B to be self-test the morning after disembarking.  See below for issues trying to do that, though.

 

I also wondered whether I could take the test to the medical bay and ask that someone watch me perform it and give me some "official" results.

 

I also wondered whether I could go to the Service Desk and cry that I tried to test online but that their crappy internet dropped the call and couldn't they please test me when we arrive in port.  I have a 10 am check-in time on Seashore.

 

Problem with waiting until I'm in port and testing myself is that I'm solo.  Can't hold the phone and make both hands visible to the test proctor.  I don't have unlimited data but would hope I wouldn't use up a month's worth while on a 15-minute connection.

[TFree]

9 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

My first plan of action is testing myself while on the ship, not my backup plan.  I'm taking the two eMed test kits I have in case we drop the connection in the middle of the test.  Since they "read" the bar code on the test when you begin, and then again when you show the results, one would think if the connection is dropped that when you log back in, they could still read the results.  I've listed Plan B & C above.  Maybe I should amend Plan B to be self-test the morning after disembarking.  See below for issues trying to do that, though.

 

*   *   *   *

 

Problem with waiting until I'm in port and testing myself is that I'm solo.  Can't hold the phone and make both hands visible to the test proctor.  I don't have unlimited data but would hope I wouldn't use up a month's worth while on a 15-minute connection.

On the dropped call issue, I have always assumed that they void the test because theoretically you could substitute somebody else's test strip while the call was dropped.  Not that it is likely to happen, but just that since this is theoretically supervised, if the call gets dropped they can't really vouch for it being your test result.

On our land tour in Italy last fall, we saw people take the tests, by themselves, with phones.  (Personally, I prefer doing it with a laptop.)  To do it with a phone, you would need something to prop the phone up and not tip over.  And you should always have a flat surface (like a table) for the test materials so they don't drop and get voided.  Anyway, my point is that if self testing the morning after you disembark becomes plan B, you can do it, it is just tricky.  If I am remembering right that you disembark in Miami, rather than searching for a place in the terminal, why not do it on the ship before you disembark?  It should be easy to find a quiet place to prop up your phone in your cabin, and you would then be using your cell coverage, not WiFi, to make the connection, which I would think would be both stronger and more stable than the ship's WiFi.

 

Tom & Judy