Has anyone done this? - testing before flying

[DisneYE]

We live in Montreal and always drive to FL. Most of the time all in one shot. Our longest drive was from Port of Miami to home after our first DCL cruise, a 25h drive (+stops to eat, fuel and restroom stops) with 2 drivers.

In one shot? Holy smokes that's brave. That's what 2000 Km? That's 12 hrs+ drive each of you. I'm in awe

 

[DCLMP]

We live in Montreal and always drive to FL. Most of the time all in one shot. Our longest drive was from Port of Miami to home after our first DCL cruise, a 25h drive (+stops to eat, fuel and restroom stops) with 2 drivers.

I'm guessing someone doesn't like to fly?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The advice is to rapid test as close to the event as possible. If you test with a PCR but don't isolate at home you could be subsequently exposed. If you rapid test a day or two before but don't isolate at home you could be subsequently exposed. So if you're looking to feel more comfortable about flying you need to do either test and isolate and ideally rapid test again before going to the airport or rapid test right before the airport.

For someone's experience just look to the news where the woman flew to europe and tested positive on the plane (rapid test after a sore throat started) after 2 PCR tests and 5 rapid tests with an unknown time interval in between. All tests were negative.

 

[Cheburashka]

We'll try the public ones available for free but if lines are too long we'll just pay for one at CVS. Peace of mind, kind of.

Rapid testing at CVS was free for me. There is a box to check in the intake form, for "recommended testing prior to travel" or something like that. It is recommended that you test prior to travel so it's valid to check that. No cost.

 

[DisneYE]

Rapid testing at CVS was free for me. There is a box to check in the intake form, for "recommended testing prior to travel" or something like that. It is recommended that you test prior to travel so it's valid to check that. No cost.

Rapid test, you mean take home? - nothing available now at CVS or Walgreens. I don't mind paying the $20-$25/ea but there's nothing available, not even online. PCR yes. Would be covered by insurance but not if its for travel.. Looks like I'll pay $139 pp for "peace of mind". **sigh**

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Rapid test, you mean take home? - nothing available now at CVS or Walgreens. I don't mind paying the $20-$25/ea but there's nothing available, not even online. PCR yes. Would be covered by insurance but not if its for travel.. Looks like I'll pay $139 pp for "peace of mind". **sigh**

A lot of the places around us are/were out because of Christmas and NYE but if your trip isn't until March you have plenty of time for it to come back in stock. You could always call around in your area too. We did that and knew when a CVS (less frequented one) was getting in a truck and they told us to call back in 2 days, we did and they advised they had just gotten more in.

Be aware that both CVS and Walgreens are limiting how many you can buy in one visit. You can also see if non-pharmacy places in your area have them, Walmart, etc. Right now it's really tight for a lot of places but that's due to these two holidays being back to back. Also around us at least a lot of the PCR (and some of the rapid test drive-thru) locations were closed Christmas Eve, Christmas, NYE and NY Day so that further strained it since people wanted those rapid tests in part for these reasons.

 

[CrowMomma]

Looks like I'll pay $139 pp for "peace of mind"

Do you have any locations near you run by your state or county health department? That's how I got my PCR before Xmas and will do again this week prior to embarkation all for free.

 

[Cheburashka]

Rapid test, you mean take home? - nothing available now at CVS or Walgreens. I don't mind paying the $20-$25/ea but there's nothing available, not even online. PCR yes. Would be covered by insurance but not if its for travel.. Looks like I'll pay $139 pp for "peace of mind". **sigh**

No, many CVS locations offer an onsite rapid test that they administer, and it's free if you're testing prior to travel. You get the results within an hour. Make a reservation in advance- they usually start booking a week or two in advance.

 

[DisneYE]

Do you have any locations near you run by your state or county health department? That's how I got my PCR before Xmas and will do again this week prior to embarkation all for free.

yes but the lines are insane. 3-4 hour wait. only allowed to go to a testing site that's in my county and there's only 2
hopefully by mid February it'll be less crazy and if not will have to buy them at a pharmacy,

 

[Freeman867]

Yah I was gonna say... what hotel will you stay in if it turns out there's a true positive in your party?

And herein lies the real problem.... Even with travel insurance to pay for any costs associated, how are you going to effectively quarantine? Disney would be wise to have pre-determined options available (not required) to present to guests turned away at the port to help ease the stress of an already horrible situation. Not doing so leaves an even more sour taste in the customer's experience and also will resort a lot of people to a "survival of the fittest" mentality that will let them do mental gymnastics to come to a conclusion to "omit" some information on a hotel stay about recent COVID exposure and status because all they want to do is get home and they don't have any other options nor the resources available to find out what those options may be.

 

[lanejudy]

...do mental gymnastics to come to a conclusion to "omit" some information on a hotel stay about recent COVID exposure and status...

No need to do that. Some hotels do allow covid-positive folks to stay. You'd be required to remain in your room and no housekeeping, but you can stay.

 

[Freeman867]

No need to do that. Some hotels do allow covid-positive folks to stay. You'd be required to remain in your room and no housekeeping, but you can stay.

I don’t doubt they do exist.They just aren’t easy to find to that point where an average person would find one.

 

[AquaDame]

I don’t doubt they do exist.They just aren’t easy to find to that point where an average person would find one.

One would hope the testing centers would have that kind of information on hand..? It doesn't seem to be that rare anymore, does DCL/the port really not have a list of places handy?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Meaning, testing before flying to get on the ship... to see whether you should continue on.

We have a WBPC cruise in March and obviously we'd get tested on the cruise terminal
But we have to take a flight to NOLA (it's a long one) & was wondering if people get tested before flying to the city where they go to port.

Just to see if you're positive - and then if you are, better to postpone the cruise before you grab that flight.

Anyone done this or just play it and see what happens at the port?

I'd h8 to fly 4 hours, get told at the port someone in our party is positive and then have to fly another 4 damn hours back.

We are on this same cruise.
I plan to do a PCR at around 20 days prior, just in case it's positive from an asymptomatic case from who knows when, that still gives me time to get a note from my doctor that I'm recovered. If that first one is negative, at the 2 week mark, do another PCR *(just in case we're becoming sick & not actually recovered) before we start hunkering down, limiting contact with anyone except required by work and still need to have contact with my grieving father but I'd wear a mask, just in case. No restaurants, gatherings, etc.
Maybe, I'd do another PCR before leaving home, just to double check if we should even leave. If that is still negative, we fly.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Rapid test, you mean take home? - nothing available now at CVS or Walgreens. I don't mind paying the $20-$25/ea but there's nothing available, not even online. PCR yes. Would be covered by insurance but not if its for travel.. Looks like I'll pay $139 pp for "peace of mind". **sigh**

It won't always be at this high level. Look at South Africa's numbers. (where Omicron origninated.) It's almost a straight up spike then back down again. It's like a fast-moving storm. Our high numbers now are from holiday gatherings.
Heck with Mardi Gras. I don't need that to ruin my cruise. We were planning to go early to visit the WW2 museum but I think we might even skip that. We can always return to NOLA for another trip that is not cruise-related. It will all still be there. Will DCL offer you another WBPC? None on the horizon. None for 22 or 23.

 

[DisneYE]

We are on this same cruise.
I plan to do a PCR at around 20 days prior, just in case it's positive from an asymptomatic case from who knows when, that still gives me time to get a note from my doctor that I'm recovered. If that first one is negative, at the 2 week mark, do another PCR *(just in case we're becoming sick & not actually recovered) before we start hunkering down, limiting contact with anyone except required by work and still need to have contact with my grieving father but I'd wear a mask, just in case. No restaurants, gatherings, etc.
Maybe, I'd do another PCR before leaving home, just to double check if we should even leave. If that is still negative, we fly.

After reading the responses here and yours I will have similar mechanics for tests before flying. Might start at the 30 day mark and do another PCR round 10 days before and if all are negative we will avoid going to restaurants, stores, etc....but then again, DD goes to high school in person, no online available so there'll always be a risk of exposure.
If we make it NOLA, we'll avoid big crowds at Mardi Gras... I really want to go to the WWII museum, will check how busy it is and if its super crowded, we'll skip it... Hope to see you on the ship... I'll be the one wearing BlueJays gear most of the time... if you see me say hi..

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

After reading the responses here and yours I will have similar mechanics for tests before flying. Might start at the 30 day mark and do another PCR round 10 days before and if all are negative we will avoid going to restaurants, stores, etc....but then again, DD goes to high school in person, no online available so there'll always be a risk of exposure.
If we make it NOLA, we'll avoid big crowds at Mardi Gras... I really want to go to the WWII museum, will check how busy it is and if its super crowded, we'll skip it... Hope to see you on the ship... I'll be the one wearing BlueJays gear most of the time... if you see me say hi..

Will your daughter be cruising with you? If so, all you can do is emphasize the importance of being careful in that last 2 week stretch of time.
When I say hunker down, I don’t mean staying home. I work in a hospital and dh works at a water treatment plant. Neither of us can work from home and we’re always around people but anything voluntary, such as shopping for household things, going into Home Depot, looking at furniture, paint stores, etc. It will all be on hold til after our cruise.
So after hearing how long the PCR test stays positive, and how vaxxed people are having so many mild or asymptomatic cases, got me wondering: if I tested right now, would I be positive? That would be helpful to know in advance so that my doctor feels confident to write a letter of clearance in late February.
I’m not sick now and don’t want to use a test that someone who is sick needs more than me. Once this surge drops, demand for tests will drop too so I’ll get one then.
What are BlueJays? I’ll be on the lookout.

 

[DisneYE]

Will your daughter be cruising with you? If so, all you can do is emphasize the importance of being careful in that last 2 week stretch of time.
When I say hunker down, I don’t mean staying home. I work in a hospital and dh works at a water treatment plant. Neither of us can work from home and we’re always around people but anything voluntary, such as shopping for household things, going into Home Depot, looking at furniture, paint stores, etc. It will all be on hold til after our cruise.
So after hearing how long the PCR test stays positive, and how vaxxed people are having so many mild or asymptomatic cases, got me wondering: if I tested right now, would I be positive? That would be helpful to know in advance so that my doctor feels confident to write a letter of clearance in late February.
I’m not sick now and don’t want to use a test that someone who is sick needs more than me. Once this surge drops, demand for tests will drop too so I’ll get one then.
What are BlueJays? I’ll be on the lookout.

Yes. We're doing this cruise for her. If it was up to me I would cancel. Too much stress.
I'm also worried about testing positive and what to do. But I'll go with PCR instead of rapid test bc antigen aren't as accurate. But then again, what to do if positive and asymptotic.
You work in a hospital? wow. Thank you for what you do in these difficult times.
PS. What are BlueJays? haha... you're not a fan of baseball obviously. It's the baseball team in Toronto. Love them.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yes. We're doing this cruise for her. If it was up to me I would cancel. Too much stress.
I'm also worried about testing positive and what to do. But I'll go with PCR instead of rapid test bc antigen aren't as accurate. But then again, what to do if positive and asymptotic.
You work in a hospital? wow. Thank you for what you do in these difficult times.
PS. What are BlueJays? haha... you're not a fan of baseball obviously. It's the baseball team in Toronto. Love them.

Thanks but I work in breast imaging. Not all that heroic in times of covid; we can send patients away who either fail the screening questions or have a positive test in our system.
I would have rescheduled for sure if there was another PC sailing to move it to. There are none on DCL and I don’t mind trying other cruise lines but 14 nts is a long time. Definitely not the way to try a new line. We’ve sailed Carnival and RC and I wouldn't want 14 nts on either of them.
Is she stressed to miss 2 weeks of school?

 

[Intr3pid]

Rapid test, you mean take home? - nothing available now at CVS or Walgreens. I don't mind paying the $20-$25/ea but there's nothing available, not even online. PCR yes. Would be covered by insurance but not if its for travel.. Looks like I'll pay $139 pp for "peace of mind". **sigh**

We are doing the WBPC as well.

At Walgreens/CVS, there are two types of rapid tests. The ID NOW diagnostic test and BinaxNOW antigen test. The antigen test has lower sensitivity, so I would skip it.

For the ID NOW test, Walgreens open up slots about a week out. Filter the locations now to see which ones are offering this test, Then, set a reminder to wake up early a week from your intended day of testing and book your appointment. Spots at the more central/convenient locations are gobbled up rightaway. Try one a bit out of the way, and you shouldn't have any issue finding one that far out. Book a backup at another location just in case.