Testing Site at Canada Place closing

[T8NCruise]

55 minutes ago, Boatdrill said:

It's closed now.  Take a look at the CVM Medical website.  

The one at the Convention Centre is closed but the private one for travellers at Canada Place is still operating by appointment.  There seems to be confusion about which is which.

[BEAV]

On 6/1/2022 at 12:19 PM, SharonN said:

Did anyone else just get an email that they are closing the Testing Site at Canada Place?  They're automatically rescheduling them for the Airport. Well that doesn't work for us. We're flying in on Fri to sail on Sun so need the test done on Sat and going back to the airport seems a bit out of the way. Anyone know of anywhere near the port to get a test on Sat? So much for all the planning I did. 

 

Do I assume correctly by your posts you're adverse to doing the proctored eMed tests? 

 

Just curious, because I was at first reluctant to use them, and after wasting a lot of time and energy as you're now describing, I gave them a try and they worked like a charm. So easy doing them in the comfort of a hotel room and/or ship stateroom. Still browbeating myself for going what you're going through..... 

[ChuckL]

On 6/1/2022 at 5:35 PM, lynanken said:

Why can't you can take the test on Friday at the airport, it meets the requirements of 2 days.

Is the current protocol set by HAL 48 hours prior to embarkation, or 2 days prior to embarkation day. In other words, if I’m flying into Vancouver on a Thursday morning, is an airport test taken then good for a Saturday late afternoon sailing?

[lynanken]

2 minutes ago, ChuckL said:

Is the current protocol set by HAL 48 hours prior to embarkation, or 2 days prior to embarkation day. In other words, if I’m flying into Vancouver on a Thursday morning, is an airport test taken then good for a Saturday late afternoon sailing?

2 days so yes that scenario works

[morgan1611]

15 hours ago, T8NCruise said:

The one at the Convention Centre is closed but the private one for travellers at Canada Place is still operating by appointment.  There seems to be confusion about which is which.

where can I find info on this private one you mentioned?

 

[RSWBADGER]

Here is an option. FASTTEST

 

RT-PCR Covid Test Downtown Vancouver | FastTest (fast-test.ca)

[Coquitlam Cruiser]

Fellow cruisers, there is a testing site located within the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel adjacent to the cruise terminal in Vancouver.   It is not cheap however.  Empower is the name of the clinic.  Hours are only 8-4 daily.  

[Storylady]

4 hours ago, Coquitlam Cruiser said:

Fellow cruisers, there is a testing site located within the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel adjacent to the cruise terminal in Vancouver.   It is not cheap however.  Empower is the name of the clinic.  Hours are only 8-4 daily.  

@SharonN    Coquitlam Cruiser has suggested the Fairmont Hotel across from the Pan  Pacific. They have testing available for this Saturday. Hope you see this before you go to the Airport.

 

Thanks Coquitlam for your suggestion. You saved us a long walk to Burrard Street. I knew there was a testing site at the Fairmont but couldn’t find the name 

[Storylady]

On 6/1/2022 at 5:44 PM, SharonN said:

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. We leave too early on Fri to be able to get the test done here and have too many other apts scheduled to try and get the PCR done tomorrow. So I think our plan is to check when we get to Vancouver on Fri to see if we can get it done there before heading to the hotel assuming we can find some way to notify HAL and see how that impacts our getting to the hotel. We booked our flight and hotel with them to make things "easier" which it would have been but... If that doesn't work then we'll see if the hotel has any other ideas and if not we'll head back to the airport on Sat. One site would have let me book 1 apt but not for 2 of us. Maybe if we go early when they first open it would be better. Who knows. 

As for our return flight (we're doing a back to back) from Vancouver we have apts scheduled at Canada Place that morning since we have a late flight. Have booked the "tour" that includes luggage transfer, the HOHO (knowing we won't have time for that part) and Sky Train tickets to the airport. So will probably cancel that and take a HAL transfer to the airport. 

I guess I forgot to mention that the email indicates our apts will "automatically' be transferred to the Airport site at the same time (though it would be nice to be able to confirm it but they're not answering the phone and returning the voice or email messages) and that we'll be refunded our pre-payment and the tests will now be free so at least they aren't keeping our payments if we find another way. I'd rather have to pay and get them where/when I scheduled them but... we'll get thru this I'm sure. Thanks for letting me vent and giving me a few ideas. 

Sharon, check Post #57. Coquitlam has the name of the clinic across from the Pan Pacific Hotel. And they have lots of appointments open for this Saturday.

[Oceansaway17]

On 6/1/2022 at 5:49 PM, cccole said:

If you are going to pay for a taxi to and from the airport for a test, would it not be better to get the test done upon arrival and pay for a taxi to your hotel?  Cherie

exactly this is what I was thinking as I was scrolling down.

Test the day you fly in and then have a day to sight see.

 

this is why I wish they would go be to 72 hours so folks can visit departure cities before cruising.

I mean you are only as good as covid free on one given day anyways.   All a mess I say.  

At least NCL stop requiring ONLY testing at port and now allow passengers to test 48 hours however they choose.

[SharonN]

6 hours ago, Storylady said:

@SharonN    Coquitlam Cruiser has suggested the Fairmont Hotel across from the Pan  Pacific. They have testing available for this Saturday. Hope you see this before you go to the Airport.

 

Thanks Coquitlam for your suggestion. You saved us a long walk to Burrard Street. I knew there was a testing site at the Fairmont but couldn’t find the name 

Thank you so much! Was just able to make apts for tomorrow morning. 

We asked the HAL rep at the airport if we could go get one there tonight but he said to check with the concierge at the hotel and they'd be able to help. It had been a very long day of travel and the though of waiting in line (the line we saw was fairly long) was just too much to think about at that point. Then at the hotel they told us the cruise lines set up sites the day of sailing but we'd rather do it tomorrow so this works out great. It is $120 but that's ok since it's convenient and saves us a lot of time. 

Thanks again both Coquitlam and Storylady!!! So glad I took a moment to check this thread again. 

[happyglobetrotter]

On 6/1/2022 at 4:54 PM, SharonN said:

Tried those already neither one is allowing scheduling apts for Sat. Guess we get to spend our one free day in Vancouver going back to the airport. I used to like Vancouver, but I think it's off my list of cities to ever visit or start/end a cruise in again. 

All this...I will never go back to Vancouver because you are American or flying to America. No other country needs the test, only USA.

 

And me being a Canadian, I will most likely need a test to fly to Boston, on August 2 to take my cruise. Should I say I will never go to Boston again or visit Boston again,  come on !!!! 

Edited June 4, 2022 by happyglobetrotter

[DaveOKC]

43 minutes ago, happyglobetrotter said:

All this...I will never go back to Vancouver because you are American or flying to America. No other country needs the test, only USA.

 

And me being a Canadian, I will most likely need a test to fly to Boston, on August 2 to take my cruise. Should I say I will never go to Boston again or visit Boston again,  come on !!!! 

I agree, but will add that given all the current issues involved, I booked my cruise out of and back to Seattle (I live in US).  While I like Vancouver over Seattle, right now to me it makes more sense to go the route of fewer travel restrictions.

 

[SharonN]

1 hour ago, happyglobetrotter said:

All this...I will never go back to Vancouver because you are American or flying to America. No other country needs the test, only USA.

 

And me being a Canadian, I will most likely need a test to fly to Boston, on August 2 to take my cruise. Should I say I will never go to Boston again or visit Boston again,  come on !!!! 

This has nothing to with getting a test when we leave Vancouver to fly back to the US. I'm ok with that and will deal with it and hope they don't close down the airport test site the day we fly home.  Though I agree it's time for the US to drop that requirement. My problem is with the Vancouver Convention Center closing their test site with 2 days notice when we had scheduled tests there to get on the cruise to begin with and then expecting us to spend our 1 day there going back to the airport to get the test. If they'd given us more notice we could have had time to order the proctored tests to bring with us. But expecting everyone who scheduled tests there to rearrange their plans at the last minute is totally unacceptable.

[Dancing Shoes]

I agree.  You finally have everything figured out, then are thrown a curve ball.  We had an appt @ CVM Convention Ctr. in August for flight back to US.  Plan B.

You could cancel your test with CVM and get a refund.  Go somewhere near the pier. We may do that.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Dancing Shoes

[SharonN]

Good News we got the testing done at the Fairmont across the street as Coquitlam suggested and it was very organized and quick. Negative results received and we are now ready to sail tomorrow. Thanks again for letting us know about the site at the Fairmont. So we definitely recommend it to anyone else that had their Convention Center apt canceled. 

[Boatdrill]

The CVM Medical test site at the Vancouver Convention Center "is only closed until July 1^st" according to an email I just received from them in reply to a question about rescheduling my appointment on July 6th.   

 

Their full statement:

"At this time the Convention Centre location is only closed until July 1st and your appointment will not be affected."
 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Boatdrill

[Storylady]

7 hours ago, happyglobetrotter said:

All this...I will never go back to Vancouver because you are American or flying to America. No other country needs the test, only USA.

 

And me being a Canadian, I will most likely need a test to fly to Boston, on August 2 to take my cruise. Should I say I will never go to Boston again or visit Boston again,  come on !!!! 

Louise, she needed a test to get on the cruise and wasn’t able to do it before leaving home. CMV notified her too late to make other arrangements. Luckily for her, everything worked out okay thanks to another mariner who knew the name of the clinic in the Fairmont Hotel across the street, 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Storylady

[happyglobetrotter]

1 minute ago, Storylady said:

Louise, she needed a test to get on the cruise and wasn’t able to do it before leaving home. CMV notified her too late to make other arrangements. Luckily for her, everything worked out okay thanks to another mariner who knew the name of the clinic in the Fairmont Hotel across the street, 

What my point was : blaming Vancouver for it and saying I will never use Vancouver anymore for a cruise... I will have my test before leaving Ottawa to get to Boston (within 48 hours). Easier for us to have it home before leaving. 

 

[Dancing Shoes]

36 minutes ago, Boatdrill said:

The CVM Medical test site at the Vancouver Convention Center "is only closed until July 1^st" according to an email I just received from them in reply to a question about rescheduling my appointment on July 6th.   

 

Their full statement:

"At this time the Convention Centre location is only closed until July 1st and your appointment will not be affected."
 

Great news.  Can we attach this to the beginning of the post?

[NCTribeFan]

Oh good grief. Had to use my last eMed test on Monday because it was a holiday and i couldn't get a test anywhere else. I was going to bring it with me (I'm on Zuiderdam now until 6/15), so the backup plan was to test at Canada  Place.  At least I have a late flight so testing at the airport shouldn't be too much of a hassle. I'll check into the other options. 

[54Carol]

The CVM Medical site is again accepting bookings on their website for the Vancouver Convention Centre Cruise Ship Terminal.  Dates accepted are starting July 1.   https://covid-medical.ca/    I previously scheduled my appointment for September but thinking I should purchase Emed tests for a "just in case" scenario.  Traveling was stressful enough with all the TSA requirements.  Now with all the Covid requirements, it almost makes you want to just stay home.

[Storylady]

On 6/4/2022 at 2:27 PM, happyglobetrotter said:

What my point was : blaming Vancouver for it and saying I will never use Vancouver anymore for a cruise... I will have my test before leaving Ottawa to get to Boston (within 48 hours). Easier for us to have it home before leaving. 

 

Louise, she was frustrated by having her appointment cancelled at the last minute. She probably shouldn't have blamed Vancouver. But it was frustrating when two sites in the vicinity of Canada Place closed at the last minute. By that time other places didn’t have appointments or they weren’t open on Saturday, I had recommended she get the PCR which you can get three days before flight which would work for boarding the ship. But she replied that she didn’t have the time due to other appointments. I can understand her frustration even though I am still happy that HAL still requires the test before cruising.

Edited June 5, 2022 by Storylady

[Storylady]

9 hours ago, 54Carol said:

The CVM Medical site is again accepting bookings on their website for the Vancouver Convention Centre Cruise Ship Terminal.  Dates accepted are starting July 1.   https://covid-medical.ca/    I previously scheduled my appointment for September but thinking I should purchase Emed tests for a "just in case" scenario.  Traveling was stressful enough with all the TSA requirements.  Now with all the Covid requirements, it almost makes you want to just stay home.

We had planned to get our test done there, but now I don’t trust them to honor their appointments. Will get ours elsewhere. Not comfortable with doing it ourselves over the internet.

[pattycruisealot21]

On 6/4/2022 at 3:02 PM, Boatdrill said:

The CVM Medical test site at the Vancouver Convention Center "is only closed until July 1^st" according to an email I just received from them in reply to a question about rescheduling my appointment on July 6th.   

 

Their full statement:

"At this time the Convention Centre location is only closed until July 1st and your appointment will not be affected."
 

 

On 6/5/2022 at 4:33 PM, Storylady said:

We had planned to get our test done there, but now I don’t trust them to honor their appointments. Will get ours elsewhere. Not comfortable with doing it ourselves over the internet.

Yeah the CVM Medical clinic that is in Canada Place next to the cruise ship terminal will be open again as of July 1st. I spoke with a very nice lady in their customer service line which she explained they had to close for renovations but will be back up and running on July 1st with no problem. 

@Storylady Personally, we also don't like doing it ourselves onboard. The Wi-Fi on board makes me a little worried and I wouldn't trust it since there will be so many users trying to do the same thing the day before disembarking. My husband and I have travelled to the US a few times this year and we just got back from our cruise a week ago. We always get tested with CVM Medical, we absolutely love the service and locations! Maybe give them a try at their airport location or their cruise ship terminal clinic once it opens again and you'll see their great service 🙂
 

Here is their link in case it may be useful for anyone: https://covid-medical.ca/covid-19-test-book-online/