Pre-Cruise Lateral Flow Test

[arlowood]

Just booked a 7 night cruise on Arcadia departing 30th August and have received confirmation from P&O that a negative lateral flow result is required taken within 24hrs of departure.

 

Just looking for recommendations from others who have gone down this route recently on the best way to proceed. A complicating factor is that the day before we cruise is a bank holiday (29th August) and I'm not sure whether any walk-in or drive through tests centres will be open on that day. Also if we order an at-home self test which is verified by uploading a pic of the test cartridge - are these ratified automatically or does someone have to physically view your result to issue the appropriate certificate.

 

It might be feasible to do the test on the morning of departure but we are staying overnight at a hotel and would be relying on hotel wifi and a quick result turn round time.

 

Any advice gratefully accepted.

 

PS  P&O recommend the Eastleigh FC drive through test centre but I've just checked and it does not seem to be offering any test slots on the 29th or 30th August

[terrierjohn]

We used Randox, I am guessing they offer a 24/7 service, and I would be surprised if they do not offer a full service on bank holidays.

[Waju]

Another vote for Randox.  Very easy to do - make sure your phone is up to date enough for the app (mine wasn't so we have to use husbands).  

 

Sorry I can't tell you if they are a 24 hour service but when we have done tests at 6 or 7am results are back within minutes.

 

Check out their website.

[Clodia]

I managed a Randox test the night before a recent cruise in a hotel. As long as you have previously installed the app and uploaded your passport and personal details it all works. You type in the reference number from you order ( I had lost the packaging but fortunately had kept the email with my order acknowledgement which had it on). They then match the identity of the person with the specific test and you proceed, then wait while a 15 minute timer goes around on your phone. After 15 minutes the piece of software appears so you upload your result. It tells you "success" or to do it again. Then it says wait 2-3 hours for result. Obviously as cruise companies are the Last Men Standing on tests, they don't do as many now and after 10 minutes my phone pinged with a negative result and an certificate attached as a PDF: download this to your phone as that will work even if there's no wifi in the terminal. The certificate verifies your result with the name of the medical technician who examined your test.

As Lloyds Pharmacy cancelled my appointment weeks before, and Medicspot cancelled the zoom test 22 hours before, the Randox one was my final hope. Thankfully it worked.

[Camberley]

Another Randox vote here. Used them many times now and they have been great each time. So simple and very quick to get everything back. There was a lot of negative fuss online about them a while back but I suspect a lot of that was folk not actually being able to do what they should do properly! (“You stuck it where, Doris?”)
 

I did have Lloyds Pharmacy also booked for our next cruise but we’re cancelling that on the day. Or we might just not turn up and not tell them, given they cancelled my neighbour’s testing and my cousin’s testing the other week without even telling them until they turned up at the “scheduled” time!

Edited July 8, 2022 by Camberley

[Ranchi]

Randox was fine for us. Tested before breakfast the day before sailing and the confirmation   Was back within 30 mins. As an earlier poster mentioned, do keep your order number handy. 

[Plugtheleak]

Used Random last night for cruise today, very simple to set up and use. Tested, submitted the photo of the test cassette. Got certificate back within 1hour. Collected test kit from local shop and was the cheapest solution I could find. Would definitely recommend and will use again. As I am a belt and braces type of guy I also had test kits available from Prenetics just to have a plan B. We don't e ven need to test as on one of the Iona non-test cruises, but I just wanted to know I was covered just increase they changed their minds with the current increase in cases we are seeing.

 

 

[Cruiser5137]

Randox gets my vote. Pre-cruise testing was suddenly removed from my recent Iona cruise and, having already booked and paid for my Randox test, I was impressed that I received a complete refund within a couple of days

[arlowood]

Good to hear the positive responses about Randox.

 

Jut one further question. How rigorous are P&O about the 24hr pre departure test window. I'm assuming that our sail away will probably be around 5pm on 30th August and they will start boarding around noon to 1pm on that day.

 

We plan to travel down to Newbury for an overnight stop on 29th and I was planning to do the lateral flow test before we left home on the morning of the 29th. (much prefer to have the security of our home WiFi than have to rely on our overnight hotel having  a reliable connection.)

 

If I do this are P&O likely to disqualify the test as it is outside the 24hr window of boarding or departure. Would it be better to take the test later, say mid-afternoon, then leave for Newbury.

[terrierjohn]

4 minutes ago, arlowood said:

Good to hear the positive responses about Randox.

 

Jut one further question. How rigorous are P&O about the 24hr pre departure test window. I'm assuming that our sail away will probably be around 5pm on 30th August and they will start boarding around noon to 1pm on that day.

 

We plan to travel down to Newbury for an overnight stop on 29th and I was planning to do the lateral flow test before we left home on the morning of the 29th. (much prefer to have the security of our home WiFi than have to rely on our overnight hotel having  a reliable connection.)

 

If I do this are P&O likely to disqualify the test as it is outside the 24hr window of boarding or departure. Would it be better to take the test later, say mid-afternoon, then leave for Newbury.

The test can be undertaken anytime on the day before sailing. We did ours at 9:00am the day before sailing.

[yorkshirephil]

We used Randox, as TJ said the test can be taken any time the day before.We used Chronomix for the cruise we are on now as the cruise line supplied them free of charge, they work the same as Randox.

[Fionboard]

You can also do it on the day of embarkation. Randox informed me they offer 24/7 service including bank holidays.

[arlowood]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

The test can be undertaken anytime on the day before sailing. We did ours at 9:00am the day before sailing.

Many thanks for the confirmation. That gives us an additional option as Randox have a walk-in test facility at East Midlands Airport which is only 20 minutes away. They offer a 60min turnaround time on the lateral flow test so we could book a couple of tests for the morning of the 29th and hopefully have the results before we leave for our overnight stop.

 

With my belt-and-braces personna I might also order a couple of their unsupervised home test kits and set up the Randox App before we leave just in case there are any delays/glitches with the walk-in result.

Overall cost is minimal when set against a denied boarding scenario due to lack of correct test data

[Ardennais]

Someone mentioned a few weeks ago that there’s a walk-in place in Southampton - Dann? Anyway, we were walking along Shirley High Street the evening before our recent cruise and spotted the place. Good to know that it’s easy to find should the need arise! 

[Fionboard]

Yes, Dam Health in Shirley and also a place in West Quay shopping centre.

[picsa]

8 hours ago, arlowood said:

Jut one further question. How rigorous are P&O about the 24hr pre departure test window. I'm assuming that our sail away will probably be around 5pm on 30th August and they will start boarding around noon to 1pm on that day.

 

Given the two second glance they gave the Randox 'certificate' I had been emailed and printed (quite how they determined in that two seconds that it was genuine and I hadn't created it myself that day I am not sure) then I would say - 'not rigorous'.

 

But then as others have said it can be done anytime the day before embarkation.

[Hils62]

We were travelling on Iona over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend and we did our test with Prenetics. We did the test Friday morning at 7:30 am, uploaded results and had our certificates  within 5mins

[picsa]

2 hours ago, Hils62 said:

We were travelling on Iona over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend and we did our test with Prenetics. We did the test Friday morning at 7:30 am, uploaded results and had our certificates  within 5mins

The optimist in me says that Prenetics could be ultra efficient and have many many trained staff ready at 7.30am to pounce on any tests that came in and rigorously check that the photo of the test submitted does actually confirm a negative result and then arrange for a certificate to be sent within five minutes of the test arriving.

 

The pessimist in me suggests something else…

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, picsa said:

The optimist in me says that Prenetics could be ultra efficient and have many many trained staff ready at 7.30am to pounce on any tests that came in and rigorously check that the photo of the test submitted does actually confirm a negative result and then arrange for a certificate to be sent within five minutes of the test arriving.

 

The pessimist in me suggests something else…

It can only be a 2 second job to check what the photo is showing, and  I would imagine there is an AI programme which does most of the work, and only rejects borderline cases for manual perusal.

[zap99]

2 hours ago, Yorkypete said:

Come on, don't be so naive. If a test has no significance, which they generally haven't( except for face to face) then ask yourself why they are requested or needed. It is certainly NOT to do with the health of passengers or there would not be so many catching it on ships. It is to do with money. Incidentally I did not say politics I said politicians. What we need are face to face testing for cruises and specific precautions against the spread. Hospitals are once more seeing large numbers of cases  and yet we still have those in power hiding their heads in the sand. Ask yourself who is making the money from online testing. Someone is for sure and yet they are useless..Also ask yourself why NHS tests were not accepted and they were free!

 

Sorry, but I don't understand. Which politicians told the cruise companies to use a particular testing company ?Cruise companies are gradually dropping the precruise test requirement. I haven't heard a single word from any politician.

 

Naive of Woking.🤣

[zap99]

2 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

When P&O were testing at the port it caused massive delays and congestion in the terminal. For £12pp I am more than happy to do the test myself, and I think your assumption about the numbers that would cheat is likely to be way off mark.

We have 2 Randox test kits at home and the app loaded all in readiness for when we do our tests on Friday for our Saturday cruise on Celebrity Silhouette. £11 each.

[JDB78]

5 hours ago, Yorkypete said:

Come on, don't be so naive. If a test has no significance, which they generally haven't( except for face to face) then ask yourself why they are requested or needed. It is certainly NOT to do with the health of passengers or there would not be so many catching it on ships. It is to do with money. Incidentally I did not say politics I said politicians. What we need are face to face testing for cruises and specific precautions against the spread. Hospitals are once more seeing large numbers of cases  and yet we still have those in power hiding their heads in the sand. Ask yourself who is making the money from online testing. Someone is for sure and yet they are useless..Also ask yourself why NHS tests were not accepted and they were free!

 

NHS tests may have been free in terms not paying directly for them, but they're not actually free are they? Very unfair to expect tax payers to pay for people to go on holiday?

 

In my opinion the only reason for testing is the cruise companies desperate to re-build confidence in cruising. Obviously the scenes on TV of the Diamond Princess were hugely damaging and the fear or Covid spreading rapidly will put people off. Add to that the fact that cruising has always attracted generally older passengers who are in higher risk categories - it's a PR nightmare.

 

By cruise companies saying everyone is vaccinated, everyone is tested is their way of saying come back cruising, it's perfectly safe. Call me naive but I personally don't think its anything to do with shares in testing companies. Of course we all know that the testing procedure is flawed, but to someone who doesn't really question these things, I would imagine they will feel fairly safe to cruise once again.

[Yorkypete]

17 hours ago, JDB78 said:

NHS tests may have been free in terms not paying directly for them, but they're not actually free are they? Very unfair to expect tax payers to pay for people to go on holiday?

 

In my opinion the only reason for testing is the cruise companies desperate to re-build confidence in cruising. Obviously the scenes on TV of the Diamond Princess were hugely damaging and the fear or Covid spreading rapidly will put people off. Add to that the fact that cruising has always attracted generally older passengers who are in higher risk categories - it's a PR nightmare.

 

By cruise companies saying everyone is vaccinated, everyone is tested is their way of saying come back cruising, it's perfectly safe. Call me naive but I personally don't think its anything to do with shares in testing companies. Of course we all know that the testing procedure is flawed, but to someone who doesn't really question these things, I would imagine they will feel fairly safe to cruise once again.

I could believe this IF the cruise companies showed it is safe by publishing figures on how many people on a cruise actually catch covid. A number of people onthe forum have said they tested positive on return and that is just the tiny number on the forum. It cannot be safe when the number of cases is growing rapidly wordwide.

 

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, Yorkypete said:

I could believe this IF the cruise companies showed it is safe by publishing figures on how many people on a cruise actually catch covid. A number of people onthe forum have said they tested positive on return and that is just the tiny number on the forum. It cannot be safe when the number of cases is growing rapidly wordwide.

 

I don't believe the cruise lines are trying to prove it's safe to cruise by having pre cruise tests. They are only trying to minimise the number of people who catch covid while on board.

How their sales team spin this information is a totally separate issue.

[Yorkypete]

On 7/10/2022 at 10:10 PM, zap99 said:

Sorry, but I don't understand. Which politicians told the cruise companies to use a particular testing company ?Cruise companies are gradually dropping the precruise test requirement. I haven't heard a single word from any politician.

 

Naive of Woking.🤣

Amazing that there were only a few 'private' companies recommended and the cruise lines would not accept the equally efficient free ones..You will not find the name of a particular politician involved but many of them refuse to say where their private money comes from. Could some have investments in the testing companies making a fortune from the public?