Pierside Covid testing?

[Lois R]

Well, it looks like they are NOT offering pier side testing.☹️. I just got off the phone with my usual rep and she read through her paperwork and from what she can see, the only port offering it is in Athens.

She does not know why they changed it mid month and will follow up with management but I will just get a test before I fly out.  Oh, some of you mentioned it has to be a PCR? I am fully boosted so a Rapid test is acceptable. Just had my 2nd boost earlier this month so I am still considered fully vaxxed (even though my first 3 shots were in 2021). Unless I am just not understanding the policy?

 

We discussed the whole process and I told her how disappointed I am and even if they wanted to charge me for it, just do the testing at the pier. I have known this person for over 15 years so I do trust her and although the guy yesterday told me otherwise, I am under the impression they changed the policy in the last couple of weeks and did not inform customer service.........which makes no sense either.  She is going to contact her supervisor and if there are any changes between now and when I fly out, I will post about it.  

I will say, they should have left it through month end and started a new policy at the beginning of a new month.

[Lois R]

On 6/12/2022 at 2:40 PM, cruiseej said:

Whatever was true last week ain't necessarily so this week. 😉 

 

Lois, I'd try to check directly with SS about this. While they originally said through June 30, the fact that they removed that language from your letter may indicate they aren't doing it at the end of June. Also, I dob't know if just staying in a hotel pre-cruise counts as a "pre-cruise land program"; I thought a "land program" referred to a 3-5 travel excursion before or after a cruise.

You were right........the land program does not pertain to a one night pre-cruise hotel. 

[Lois R]

On 6/12/2022 at 6:41 PM, cruiseej said:

 

If you use a standard PCR testing facility which provides results in 3 days, then you risk not getting your results in time, or getting tested too early for them to get you on the ship.

 

In the case of our two cruises in the past year, when a PCR test was required, we got a PCR test before leaving from a testing facility that guaranteed results within 24 hours. (The first trip, we paid $100 per person, but it was worth it for the peace of mind. The second trip, we found a place which billed it through our insurance, and we didn't pay anything! In both cases, we had our test results in under 24 hours.) If you get the test on the day before you leave, you can have the results that night or the following morning, and the results are good long enough for you to board the ship.

 

 

Hi again, I guess I am confused about the timing. I had my first boost on Nov 8 and my 2nd boost earlier this month. Wouldn't that make my overall vax status AOK? 

[cruiseej]

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

You were right........the land program does not pertain to a one night pre-cruise hotel. 

 

This is one of those cases where I wish I had been wrong. 😉

 

3 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi again, I guess I am confused about the timing. I had my first boost on Nov 8 and my 2nd boost earlier this month. Wouldn't that make my overall vax status AOK? 

 

Your vax status is fine. In the info SS has sent you, does that affect the need for a pre-cruise negative test? I thought they were different issues. In many locations, authorities are accepting PCR tests (which are more precise and more accurate overall) up to three days in advance, whereas an antigen test is good only two days (or sometimes one) in advance. In my reply above, I was just talking about PCR versus antigen tests.

[Dolcevita Diva]

6 hours ago, fudge said:

Amazing and somewhat bemused! Less than 10 days before we cruise and nothing from SS! If it wasn't for the good folks on here offering advise on locations and vaccination status we would have no idea what to expect on arrival at the ship.

Our first sailing for almost three years, we expected better from SS.

Lets hope the cruise lives up to our expectations?

Fudge - Have you checked your Spam folder?  You and I are on the same voyage and  have already received my final paperwork via email; Bev and Steve (turnip eater) said that they had also.

But I just discovered last week that the email containing information regarding the Blacklane transfer was lurking in my Spam folder...even though that has never been an issue with emails from Silversea in the past. 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Dolcevita Diva

[Lois R]

29 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

 

This is one of those cases where I wish I had been wrong. 😉

 

 

Your vax status is fine. In the info SS has sent you, does that affect the need for a pre-cruise negative test? I thought they were different issues. In many locations, authorities are accepting PCR tests (which are more precise and more accurate overall) up to three days in advance, whereas an antigen test is good only two days (or sometimes one) in advance. In my reply above, I was just talking about PCR versus antigen tests.

HI, I think no matter what your vax status is you need a test. When I spoke with my friend on the phone this morning she said as long as I had the rapid  Antigen test with 72 hours of embarkation I would be ok.  So example, I am flying out 1:30pm on a Saturday. If I have the test 5:45 Friday night and board the ship Monday before 5:45 (hope to get on between 2 and 3).........that should make it all ok..........

 

I am still waiting for an answer from the hotel though and if they have access to any labs. 

 

And yes, it is all very confusing.........😲

[scseas]

13 minutes ago, Lois R said:

HI, I think no matter what your vax status is you need a test. When I spoke with my friend on the phone this morning she said as long as I had the rapid  Antigen test with 72 hours of embarkation I would be ok.  So example, I am flying out 1:30pm on a Saturday. If I have the test 5:45 Friday night and board the ship Monday before 5:45 (hope to get on between 2 and 3).........that should make it all ok..........

 

I am still waiting for an answer from the hotel though and if they have access to any labs. 

 

And yes, it is all very confusing.........😲

I'm guessing the check-in staff understand time zone differences as I will be leaving for the airport 70 hours in advance and will test right before, which unless the time stamp is converted to the time at the embarkation port will be 78 hours, outside of the accepted range? I know the lab report will have the time zone on it next to the test time, so the only question is whether SS will convert the test time to local time. 

[Lois R]

 

never mind......I was going to post what SS emailed me but the copy and paste function got stuck

[Lois R]

The Concierge at the hotel responded to my email and they have a company (lab) they use and can come to the hotel and test me.  "Just in case" my local one is not acceptable (and it is free), I am going to make an appt with hotel's folks and have them come Monday morning for an Antigen test. They told me the results would come within 3 hours.....I am having a 9am appt set up so by noon all should be good. Can't go to the ship till 2 anyway. 

And yes there is a charge. 85 Euros. Not too bad. That is about 89.00  I will just add it into the cruise cost😉

[cruiseej]

22 minutes ago, Lois R said:

I am going to make an appt with hotel's folks and have them come Monday morning for an Antigen test.

 

It's annoying to have to pay for the extra test, especially if it may prove unnecessary, but now you can relax and not need to worry about testing logistics. That makes it worth the cost. And when you add it to the cost of the cruise, it's merely a small rounding error. 😉 

[Lois R]

51 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

 

It's annoying to have to pay for the extra test, especially if it may prove unnecessary, but now you can relax and not need to worry about testing logistics. That makes it worth the cost. And when you add it to the cost of the cruise, it's merely a small rounding error. 😉 

I agree with you on all counts. Also want to say thank you for being so thoughtful😀

[Trigggirl]

Received our email this morning. Sailing on Moon out of Stockholm 28 June for Northern Europe.  The email stated there would NOT be pier side testing. This is copied from email:-

 

Please note: Silversea will NOT be providing pier-side testing for embarking guests; as such, it is imperative that you arrive to the pier with your individual negative test result. If you arrive for embarkation without a valid negative test result, you will be denied boarding.

 

I'm really surprised some enterprising lab hasn't set up shop at pier side. Im sure I will easily find a place in Stockholm to do test, but it could be made easier, even if guests paid for test before boarding.

[Lois R]

2 minutes ago, Trigggirl said:

Received our email this morning. Sailing on Moon out of Stockholm 28 June for Northern Europe.  The email stated there would NOT be pier side testing. This is copied from email:-

 

Please note: Silversea will NOT be providing pier-side testing for embarking guests; as such, it is imperative that you arrive to the pier with your individual negative test result. If you arrive for embarkation without a valid negative test result, you will be denied boarding.

 

I'm really surprised some enterprising lab hasn't set up shop at pier side. Im sure I will easily find a place in Stockholm to do test, but it could be made easier, even if guests paid for test before boarding.

Hi, that is the email I received too. And as for a lab setting up pier side? Good idea!  I wonder if there are some policies in place that have to approve it by the specific city or something  like that.

[fudge]

7 hours ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

Fudge - Have you checked your Spam folder?  You and I are on the same voyage and  have already received my final paperwork via email; Bev and Steve (turnip eater) said that they had also.

But I just discovered last week that the email containing information regarding the Blacklane transfer was lurking in my Spam folder...even though that has never been an issue with emails from Silversea in the past. 

Good Morning,

Thanks for your advise. We are Bev and Steve (Fudge) still nothing, I am beginning to believe we are not on this cruise!  

[Capri73]

Found all our documents in spam never before.

[turnip eater]

1 hour ago, fudge said:

Good Morning,

Thanks for your advise. We are Bev and Steve (Fudge) still nothing, I am beginning to believe we are not on this cruise!  

We’ve received nothing. Spam checked.

Turnip eater🙂

[Sucellos]

3 hours ago, fudge said:

Good Morning,

Thanks for your advise. We are Bev and Steve (Fudge) still nothing, I am beginning to believe we are not on this cruise!  

 

On the same cruise as well. Received the "Pre-Cruise Testing & Embarkation Information" June 10th. I was however also beginning to question whether we actually were on the cruise as, in spite of several inquiries, SS showed little or no interest in taking our cash. Booked and made deposit months ago, but finally convinced them to get around to charge my credit card for the remaining balance yesterday. I think the best strategy is to just meet at the pier, vaccination certificate and recent test result in hand, drink Champagne and be merry 🙂

[fudge]

I also think that is the best strategy, we have a PCR appointment the Wednesday before we sail, result in 24 hrs so that should be enough to board, fingers crossed.

[Clodia]

I've cancelled my PCR test because I had a very mild dose of covid 7 weeks ago, and the nurse told me it might come up positive within 90 days of infection! I've ordered a supervised antigen the day before boarding; if that doesn't work I'll fall on the mercy of the SS pre cruise hotel concierge!

Antigens are coming up negative for sure because I've recently had minor surgery and had to do a lot of them before appointments.

Edited June 15, 2022 by Clodia

[FauxNom]

I saw numerous pharmacies and kiosks that offer rapid antigen tests while I was walking around Athens, Granada, Seville, Lisbon the past two weeks. The prices range from 10E in Athens to maybe 30E tops. So it is possible not to pay what seems like quite a high price in the Silversea hotels. I found a test with 20-minute results at the Barcelona airport, @Lois RIt's 30 Euro if you make an appointment, more for walk-in:   https://flycovidtestcenter.com/en/barcelona-t1/

 

[Lois R]

25 minutes ago, FauxNom said:

I saw numerous pharmacies and kiosks that offer rapid antigen tests while I was walking around Athens, Granada, Seville, Lisbon the past two weeks. The prices range from 10E in Athens to maybe 30E tops. So it is possible not to pay what seems like quite a high price in the Silversea hotels. I found a test with 20-minute results at the Barcelona airport, @Lois RIt's 30 Euro if you make an appointment, more for walk-in:   https://flycovidtestcenter.com/en/barcelona-t1/

 

Good morning, thank you for the reply and I appreciate it very much but to be totally honest, I am taking SS transfers and once I get through customs and get my bags I will be happy to just get to the hotel and have it done there. Not saying I don't value my money but in this case, I would just prefer to not have to ask the SS rep about stopping for a test and I don't know how many other folks will be there either....I don't want to hold up anyone.  I will just stick with my appt at the hotel but again, thank you🙂

[lincslady]

Lois - I envy you your upcoming cruise, but what a time you are having trying to sort out the covid testing issue!  It sounds horrendous; no doubt you will rise above it all, and I hope you have a wonderful time and can put all this behind you.

 

Lola

[Lois R]

14 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Lois - I envy you your upcoming cruise, but what a time you are having trying to sort out the covid testing issue!  It sounds horrendous; no doubt you will rise above it all, and I hope you have a wonderful time and can put all this behind you.

 

Lola

Hi Lola, it is all sorted out now, thankfully.  All good things will happen now👍

[cruiseej]

2 hours ago, Clodia said:

I've cancelled my PCR test because I had a very mild dose of covid 7 weeks ago, and the nurse told me it might come up positive within 90 days of infection!

 

You should ask your doctor for a Cover Recovery Letter for travel. In most cases, having such a letter stating you recovered from Covid within the past 90 days will exempt you from testing requirements, because of the chance a test may show positive from remnants of the virus in your system.

[FauxNom]

3 hours ago, Lois R said:

Not saying I don't value my money but in this case, I would just prefer to not have to ask the SS rep about stopping for a test and I don't know how many other folks will be there either....I don't want to hold up anyone.

I understand completely! Sometimes the extra expense more than compensates for the mental and physical energy you would have to expend. Have a great cruise!