Now that your cruise is a month away, testing 2-days before the cruise with a negative result is needed to complete the pre-registering for your cruise. This applies to US citizens or residents who are vaccinated. Kids who are unvaccinated would need to go to a CVS or healthcare to have their cruise testing done.
Here are your 4-options to choose from:
You can either go to a local CVS or Walgreens and set up an appointment 2 weeks in advance.
Set up an appointment with your local health provider.
Order a test kit for your cruise 2 weeks in advance with telehealth services. Cost varies
Testing is available at the pier; pricing varies by port and cruise line.
TIP: As of June 24, 2022, a negative Covid test result is not required to come back to the US. If you do test positive for Covid, you may need to quarantine for 10-days before flying home.
CDC may re-evaluate later and may change this rule. Check your insurance policy and how much coverage you have if you are delayed coming home. Some only offer up to $500 per person to cover hotels and meal expenses.
Testing at the Cruise Terminal
The easiest option is to arrive early at the pier and just do the testing. The cost for the test is higher and the test kit supply are limited. If you take this option, the recommendation is to arrive at the pier early so there is enough supply for you. Some cruise lines will offer appointments, but you do need to make reservations.
Princess is partnering with DocGo for cruise terminal testing- $60-100. Reservations are required 10-days prior. For more information, go to Cruise Guests - DocGo
Celebrity will do have some first come first serve and pricing will vary based on cruise terminal.
Testing at Home with Telehealth Services
The next easiest option is to order the test kits in advance especially if the Antigen Testing, not the PCR testing is allowed for your cruise itinerary. Antigen testing is a nose swab test that takes about 20-30 minutes to set up the app and wait for 15 minutes to receive the test results. The downside of this is if the test is inconclusive because of not adding enough solution or not enough specimen to determine, you may need extra test kits to get accurate results. The upside is that test kits like the Optum have a 24-hours telehealth service. You can be in any time zone and still have the test results done. This is useful when traveling overseas for a week or two for a pre-cruise vacation trip.
Here are some sample test kits options from different cruise lines.
Optum Test Kits with eMed Telehealth Services for Travel - 2 Pack- click here
Costs- $69.99 for a two-pack
Have test results in 15-minutes using NAVICA app
Used by Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Azamara, Princess, Holland America
Radeas/ Inspire Diagnostics- order test kits here
$45 Antigen & $95 for PCR
5-7 business shipping
Used by Princess, Holland America, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, and NCL
$95- $99.99 Saliva PCR Test Kits
Take your test & ship it to a lab for results
Used by Viking Cruise Line
Staying Healthy before the cruise
According to the WHO to prevent infection or slow the transmission, do the following:
Get vaccinated when a vaccine is available to you.
Stay at least 1 metre (3 feet) apart from others, even if they don’t appear to be sick.
Wear a properly fitted mask when physical distancing is not possible or when in poorly ventilated settings.
Choose open, well-ventilated spaces over closed ones. Open a window if indoors.
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or clean them with alcohol-based hand rub.
Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
If you feel unwell, stay home and self-isolate until you recover.
More Details, click here.
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