Disney embarkation test PCR or Antigen?

[TestingH2O]

So in thinking about the logistics of this process, if we have a hotel that is 5 minutes from the NOLA port which our Wonder sailing departs next month, would it make more sense to leave our bags with bell services, head over to swab and then await the email giving us the green light to head to terminal. (would then backtrack to retrieve bags prior)?

I've read so many reports of guests waiting hours in a tent while their bags were retrieved from DCL and want to ensure that if we happen to test positive that I am not stuck there like in that situation.

So to clarify my question - at the NOLA port is it possible to check in for the testing without dropping our bags off first?

Is this a strange question? It doesn't seem like anyone has done it this way but with the proximity to the hotel it seems easy enough to go retrieve the bags from bell services once given the all-clear.

Once you test, they send you to a tent to wait for results. I really doubt they are going to let you leave after testing and come back.
I know at PC, people have reported being able to check their bags after testing if they drive themselves. I would think that would be your best bet.

 

[lanejudy]

Maybe Disney should be running/ outsourcing PCR testing for the general public,

Just for clarity … Disney is NOT running the testing at embarkation. They outsourced that task to Inspire Diagnostics, which is a company that essentially brings a lab set-up to a location (event, employer, college campus, etc.). Conducting lab tests are their business. While the individual takes the sample (swab) themself, that sample is processed through a lab machine just like if you went to the hospital or doctor’s office.

 

[dianerroy]

oh my goodness-I hope all this is changed by my March 7 sailing date-this is craziness

 

[Cheburashka]

All I can say is it most people assume it’s a Antigen, at least based off of my cruise groups. I think people assume if you self swab it’s antigen.

Which is not a reasonable assumption for them to make. When I go to the drugstore to take their PCR test (I get them periodically because I'm a teacher), it's always self-swab.

 

[Cheburashka]

oh my goodness-I hope all this is changed by my March 7 sailing date-this is craziness

There is about a 0% chance that DCL will change their pre-cruise testing procedure within the next 6 weeks.

 

[dianerroy]

you never know. the cdc was telling everyone not to cruise that you are taking your life in your hands and then literally 2 weeks later they let the conditional sailing order expire. so its confusing. 6 weeks is a long time for things to change. I am hopeful.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So in thinking about the logistics of this process, if we have a hotel that is 5 minutes from the NOLA port which our Wonder sailing departs next month, would it make more sense to leave our bags with bell services, head over to swab and then await the email giving us the green light to head to terminal. (would then backtrack to retrieve bags prior)?

I've read so many reports of guests waiting hours in a tent while their bags were retrieved from DCL and want to ensure that if we happen to test positive that I am not stuck there like in that situation.

So to clarify my question - at the NOLA port is it possible to check in for the testing without dropping our bags off first?

Is this a strange question? It doesn't seem like anyone has done it this way but with the proximity to the hotel it seems easy enough to go retrieve the bags from bell services once given the all-clear.

It seems to me, when you go to get tested you're entering the "bubble". Returning to the "real" world to get your bags means you leave the bubble and would risk exposure after being cleared.

 

[DisneyPrince22]

you never know. the cdc was telling everyone not to cruise that you are taking your life in your hands and then literally 2 weeks later they let the conditional sailing order expire. so its confusing. 6 weeks is a long time for things to change. I am hopeful.

Can guarantee it won’t happen. Disney is all about their image, and having a superspreader situation on a cruise is the last thing they want. I also believe the ports are requiring certain standards.

 

[Cheburashka]

you never know. the cdc was telling everyone not to cruise that you are taking your life in your hands and then literally 2 weeks later they let the conditional sailing order expire. so its confusing. 6 weeks is a long time for things to change. I am hopeful.

The CDC is one thing. DCL is another. DCL is all about image management, and they're not going to go back and forth in their policies and in the process make themselves look ridiculous the way the CDC does.

 

[TestingH2O]

you never know. the cdc was telling everyone not to cruise that you are taking your life in your hands and then literally 2 weeks later they let the conditional sailing order expire. so its confusing. 6 weeks is a long time for things to change. I am hopeful.

The CDC said they were letting the order expire because the cruise lines were already doing more prevention than was outlined in the order. They did not change their position on whether people should be cruising.

 

[Freeman867]

oh my goodness-I hope all this is changed by my March 7 sailing date-this is craziness

This is absolutely not happening. You need to realize that the testing is to satisfy requirements of docking in the Bahamas and other countries, not that of the US. In 6 weeks there is NO chance those countries will relax their requirements. This was very, very clearly outlined throughout the DCL website for a long time now and isn't going away anytime soon.

 

[Freeman867]

The CDC said they were letting the order expire because the cruise lines were already doing more prevention than was outlined in the order. They did not change their position on whether people should be cruising.

Exactly right. Apparently Florida told them they could defy the CDC if they wanted to this whole time and none of the cruise lines did it because no way they were going to open themselves up to that sort of negative press and liability without being able to point to the fact they were doing everything in their power to prevent a COVID outbreak on their ships.

 

[dianerroy]

There is about a 0% chance that DCL will change their pre-cruise testing procedure within the next 6 weeks.

lol-never say never

 

[MoonFaerie]

It's definitely a rapid PCR. Here's the results page from my test on Monday

 

[hogcruiser]

Does your entire party have to be together for Covid test at port? We will have a rental car and in the past one person would drop 4 of us and all luggage off at terminal and then returning the car and taking shuttle back to terminal. Is that currently allowed?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Does your entire party have to be together for Covid test at port? We will have a rental car and in the past one person would drop 4 of us and all luggage off at terminal and then returning the car and taking shuttle back to terminal. Is that currently allowed?

I believe you're asked for the whole party to be together to start the testing/boarding process now.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I believe you're asked for the whole party to be together to start the testing/boarding process now.

Yes, all together now. Otherwise, there is a small risk that the group testing early could all test negative, but that group cannot be cleared to board until the driver also gets tested when he/she arrives. The entire party gets cleared to board as a group. Testing the entire party at the same time avoids a possible complication if the driver tests positive.

 

[LeslieG]

This is absolutely not happening. You need to realize that the testing is to satisfy requirements of docking in the Bahamas and other countries, not that of the US. In 6 weeks there is NO chance those countries will relax their requirements. This was very, very clearly outlined throughout the DCL website for a long time now and isn't going away anytime soon.

Princess, Carnival and HAL are not requiring testing at the port, only 48 hours before, so testing at the port is something DCL is deciding to do on their own. Other countries are not requiring it. I would like to see DCL go to at least a 24 hour before boarding test. That would give a lot of people the option to stay home if they test positive. You'll probably miss a few positive cases, but there will probably be some slip through with the at-port testing based on contracting the virus traveling to the port, so I think it's a wash.

 

[Happy100]

Princess, Carnival and HAL are not requiring testing at the port, only 48 hours before, so testing at the port is something DCL is deciding to do on their own. Other countries are not requiring it. I would like to see DCL go to at least a 24 hour before boarding test. That would give a lot of people the option to stay home if they test positive. You'll probably miss a few positive cases, but there will probably be some slip through with the at-port testing based on contracting the virus traveling to the port, so I think it's a wash.

This is what I am thinking may occur as well at some point.