Snuck Up on Me!

[JamieLogical]

I have been completely swamped at work to the point where it has been occupying 90% of my thoughts day and night. I am set to cruise on the Equinox this Sunday and I am NOT prepared. It is so unlike me to not be obsessively thinking about and planning my cruises. I have done no packing... no shopping... no excursion planning... I even forgot what airline I was flying on and what hotel I had booked in Ft. Lauderdale!

 

I did finally look up my hotel and flights and double-check my seat assignments over the weekend. And I started to at least together a packing list. Good thing I have cruises so much since the restart, that my packing list has become pretty standardizes, with only slight modifications for the length of the cruise.

 

I still haven't been able to schedule my pre-cruise test, which has me a bit stressed. Walgreens used to allow you to schedule a week in advance, but right now only seems to allow you to schedule four days out. I initially checked on Friday and could only schedule through today. When I checked this morning, I could only schedule through Thursday. So I have actually put an appointment on my calendar for tomorrow to remind me to check again. I started self-isolating on Tuesday of last week, so hopefully there won't be any surprises with my test results!

 

Have any of you had a cruise sneak up on you like this? I imagine that people who cruise frequently maybe don't put as much thought and planning into their sailings ahead of time?

 

This was a last-minute cruise booking anyway. It's the make-up cruise for having had to cancel the second leg of my B2B back in March when my husband got shingles.

[dgoz]

I'm looking forward to another daily drinks summary from you! 😀

 

[JamieLogical]

42 minutes ago, dgoz said:

I'm looking forward to another daily drinks summary from you! 😀

 

 

Ha! I am definitely looking forward to using my Premium Drinks Package to its fullest. I definitely need it after all of this stress and long hours at work!

 

I should be able to do some live posting, because I am going to have to upgrade to the Premium Wifi. I am not going to be able to skip our on at least monitoring email and MS Teams for work next week.

[iluvthe-c]

You seem to be very organized, have a lot of common sense, and to be very logical 🙂  You got this!

Just don't forget your passport and cash -- from home or from the ship.  Other than that, don't sweat the small stuff.  

Anxious to hear what you choose to do in Key West.  

[JamieLogical]

3 minutes ago, iluvthe-c said:

You seem to be very organized, have a lot of common sense, and to be very logical 🙂  You got this!

Just don't forget your passport and cash -- from home or from the ship.  Other than that, don't sweat the small stuff.  

Anxious to hear what you choose to do in Key West.  

 

Trust and believe that I will never be forgetting my passport and cash again! What a debacle that was. I am happy to report that I did eventually get reimbursed for the cash I had left in my safe. Took some work and a back and forth with the Coordinator of Lost & Found Ship Support with Royal Caribbean corporate, but they eventually got it "refunded" to my credit card.

[kenb]

I don't know when you are flying into FLL but if it fits the 2 day schedule why not do it at FLL airport when you arrive?

 

[JamieLogical]

Just now, kenb said:

I don't know when you are flying into FLL but if it fits the 2 day schedule why not do it at FLL airport when you arrive?

 

 

I won't be getting into FLL until 10:30-ish on Saturday night. I feel like it would be too tight a timeline, plus I don't want to fly all the way to FLL just to find out I am positive! Definitely prefer to get the test in before leaving home. Shouldn't be a problem. I am confident I will still be able to get a local appointment for Friday. I just think it's a bit odd that they are only booking appointments four days out when they used to book a full week out.

[hrhdhd]

I find the more I cruise, the less I plan. Pack some clothes, bring your toothbrush, and just plan to relax. 😊 

 

Fingers crossed for a negative test.

 

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, hrhdhd said:

I find the more I cruise, the less I plan. Pack some clothes, bring your toothbrush, and just plan to relax. 😊 

 

Fingers crossed for a negative test.

 

 

Yeah, in addition to just being so busy and pre-occupied with work, I do think that this being my 8th cruise in under a year means it's all kind of muscle memory at this point. I think that I will put a lot more thought and planning into my next two cruises, since they are further apart and because they are itineraries I have never done before.

[dazey]

CVS in Rhode island until recently only had 3 days before your test date to schedule. Just checked yesterday and now it is 14 days as it was a few months ago.  Check it out.

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, dazey said:

CVS in Rhode island until recently only had 3 days before your test date to schedule. Just checked yesterday and now it is 14 days as it was a few months ago.  Check it out.

 

Our local CVS stores don't do rapid testing, just PCR tests for which the results can take up to 72 hours.

[chemmo]

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise, it sounds like you need it!

 

We tend to be more organised the longer and more complex the vacation. I have never had a cruise ‘snuck up on me’ but I do remember us booking a trip to the Balearic Islands one October….As for us it was a relatively local flight, a crash out so no fancy clothes I literally packed on the Friday night after a loooong day at work before flying out first thing Saturday. On unpacking I had forgotten to pack my knickers and have never lived it down!

 

So check your passport, credit card, toothbrush and knickers! 

[Silkroad]

6 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Have any of you had a cruise sneak up on you like this? I imagine that people who cruise frequently maybe don't put as much thought and planning into their sailings ahead of time?

I have had a cruise sneak up on me, but at least I didn’t need to worry about Covid testing back in the halcyon days of 2019. 
 

I realize this comes too late for this trip, but I purchase packs of six proctored Covid test kits from eMed periodically. We’ve successfully used them the morning before driving to the airport (an added advantage being that we can print the reports at home to speed boarding). 
 

I hope you’re able to secure an appointment and test negative before leaving for your cruise. Have a great trip! I’ll live vicariously through you until my next cruise😊

[graphicguy]

Cool.  Refresh my memory....is this a solo?

 

And, I agree.  After a while, it's almost like muscle memory takes over with the details and packing.

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by graphicguy

[kcmo74]

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Our local CVS stores don't do rapid testing, just PCR tests for which the results can take up to 72 hours.

So at Walgreens are you doing the Rapid NAAT? Because none anywhere near me do the antigen test anymore. Maybe you can answer this because you have cruised so much lately, nobody has answered in the other threads I asked in. Will the rapid NAAT worked for vaccinated adults? I ask because the X site says the Rapid NAAT is an approved test, but on the cruise specific wellness guide it says vaccinated adults must take a Rapid Antigen test, and doesn't mention anything about the NAAT. Thanks for any help and good luck with your sneaky cruise!

[SbbquilterUT]

5 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

I find the more I cruise, the less I plan. Pack some clothes, bring your toothbrush, and just plan to relax. 😊 

 

Fingers crossed for a negative test.

 

Me too - I traveled every week for work for 10 years so have a drawer with all the travel stuff in it and can pack very easily from that.  Passport cases have passports, vaccine card, GE card, back up credit and international ATM card - grab that and I instantly feel better.  Have a great time - hope you can leave work behind

[39august]

Jamie, I know you like Z at the World Class Bar. She is there now. She came on the day before we debarked on last Saturday, May 21. 

[Lastdance]

That is not surprising to me at all, especially because work can make one crazy.  However, sometimes just flying a little by the seat of your pants is uqite exciting, especially if you are usually a planner.  Have a wonderful time onboard and enjoy that premium drink package.  Stay healthy and enjoy your cruise; many of us will be awaiting your thoughts!  

Edited May 23, 2022 by Lastdance

[Plaidlulu]

3 hours ago, Silkroad said:

I realize this comes too late for this trip, but I purchase packs of six proctored Covid test kits from eMed periodically. We’ve successfully used them the morning before driving to the airport (an added advantage being that we can print the reports at home to speed boarding). 

 I noticed the same issue with online scheduling COVID tests at Walgreens and CVS, so I just ordered these for our group. Do you recall if you have to establish an online account for each person testing? Or do can we all test with one account?

 

9 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Ha! I am definitely looking forward to using my Premium Drinks Package to its fullest. I definitely need it after all of this stress and long hours at work!

I am looking forward to hearing all about this as well. Sounds like you will have an amazing trip!!

 

[Silkroad]

1 minute ago, Plaidlulu said:

I noticed the same issue with online scheduling COVID tests at Walgreens and CVS, so I just ordered these for our group. Do you recall if you have to establish an online account for each person testing? Or do can we all test with one account?

Each of you must have your own eMed account. My DH and I have our own eMed accounts and our own NAVICA apps. We log into our eMed accounts to take our proctored tests. We’ve used both laptops and iPads. We find the laptop easier, but the iPad works fine if you’re traveling without your laptop. We only use our NAVICA apps to display our test results if we’ve not had time to print them. 

[JamieLogical]

6 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Cool.  Refresh my memory....is this a solo?

 

And, I agree.  After a while, it's almost like muscle memory takes over with the details and packing.

 

 

Yep, this is a solo cruise to make up for returning early from my solo B2B in March.

[JamieLogical]

5 hours ago, kcmo74 said:

So at Walgreens are you doing the Rapid NAAT? Because none anywhere near me do the antigen test anymore. Maybe you can answer this because you have cruised so much lately, nobody has answered in the other threads I asked in. Will the rapid NAAT worked for vaccinated adults? I ask because the X site says the Rapid NAAT is an approved test, but on the cruise specific wellness guide it says vaccinated adults must take a Rapid Antigen test, and doesn't mention anything about the NAAT. Thanks for any help and good luck with your sneaky cruise!

 

Celebrity definitely accepts the Rapid NAAT test from Walgreens. I have used it several times.

[JamieLogical]

5 hours ago, 39august said:

Jamie, I know you like Z at the World Class Bar. She is there now. She came on the day before we debarked on last Saturday, May 21. 

 

This is the best news I have heard in a while!!!! I am so excited!

[Torfamm]

I am normally a planner but I’ve been caught short too! Luckily I am also a list maker so pulling up a packing list from a prior similar cruise helped a lot. Caribbean cruises are less tricky with weather than somewhere like Alaska. Grab your passport, vaccine card, flip flops, bathing suit and a couple of sundresses and you are halfway there unless you need special items for scuba diving or snorkeling. Have a great and relaxing trip!

Edited May 24, 2022 by Torfamm
Typo

[JamieLogical]

I was able to schedule my Walgreens COVID test this morning for 12:15pm on Friday. I also made a 4:30 back-up appointment just in case I don't get the results from the 12:15 test in a timely fashion, but hopefully I will be able to cancel that one.

 

For my sailing back in March, I did a similar thing and almost resorted to my back-up appointment. My test results from Walgreens had never taken more than an hour, but that time they took over three hours!