Has anyone done this? - testing before flying

[DisneYE]

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?

Everyone working at hospitals during these times are heroes in my eyes. - So thank you again.
I was hospitalized for a couple of weeks in July due to an emergency and I saw up close how hard everyone works despite having the burden of the pandemic (although I was lucky that in July covid was down and hospitals were in very good shape)... My DD will 'only' miss a week as the other is spring break.

 

[DisneYE]

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.

Thank you
Are these in-store tests or take home? There are no take-home rapid tests in any Walgreens or CVS in Central FL
Do you know if they are still doing PCR? I did one of those drive-up tests at CVS in September for travel purposes and loved it, went thru in a breeze and got results in 24 hrs... I think I'll go with those despite the price...more reliable I think.

What are you doing test wise before flying to NOLA for this cruise?

 

[sethschroeder]

I have a number of the self tests just in the closet. For cruises we test before leaving home. Additionally if you are worried and have never really tested I would suggest testing 15 days out personally and if you test positive find a place to test you same day that way you have the record of the positive test and you can still cruise.

I also suggest testing when you get back home as well just so that if you did end up getting sick you can just do the quick quarantine and not spread. The hard part is when you choose to test since if you got sick on the plane you don't instantly test positive.

 

[sethschroeder]

The ID NOW diagnostic test and BinaxNOW antigen test. The antigen test has lower sensitivity, so I would skip it.

I saw research showing basically a 95%-96% vs a 99% difference. I think it depends on how much peace of mind you need.

So I wouldn't say skip it and I would also say BinaxNOW is instant (well 15 mins later), can be performed anywhere, and you never have to worry about there being no openings at testing locations.

BinaxNOW seems to be a little lower in children. I haven't done too much research though so people should look it up themselves but what I saw was good enough for me to feel confident to head to the port. I am 2 for 2 (knock on wood) for cruises.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Another rapid test we did was Flowflex. Flowflex is designed to be one and done. No retest needed. Flowflex was sold at CVS but I believe Walgreens also sells them.

BinaxNow is designed as a serial test which is why it includes 2 in each kit (each kit is for ONE person). You do 1 test then do another at least 24 hours later although 36+ hours is listed on the instruction it's just a minimum of 24 hours later. Just understand that with serial tests they are designed this way so you are supposed to retest yourself within that time frame.

Both of the above companies have come out and said they can detect omicron although they've done tests with heat-activated vs live viruses still something to know.

Rapid do have a lower sensitivity but shouldn't be seen as skipping IMO. A lot comes down to timing. From what I've seen generally speaking if you're positive and testing when your body has the higher viral load it's almost instantaneously popping up as positive. The timeframe is a little more compact with rapid vs a longer timeframe for detection with PCR.

People do have to understand that while there are inaccuracies with both rapid and PCR a negative test on a rapid that subsequently you retest later on and are positive does not mean the test didn't work the first time. It's also why isolation can help. Both a rapid and a PCR are designed for moments in time so the results are not going to be able to measure later exposures or when your body isn't at it's highest viral load such that rapid helps the most there.

In recent weeks there's been a lot of news articles discussing the pros and cons to rapid vs pcr as well as the practicality of rapid vs pcr. For many rapid serve a good purpose with pcr acting as a backup detector for when there's higher suspicion of covid. When test results take more than a day or two with PCR that needs to be included in decision making. Right now many places are 3-7 days out for PCR results making it less useful for in the moment decisions, by March though (actually I would anticipate in a few weeks my guess though) PCR results should be back down in results time.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

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

Sounds likely. Personally, I’d rather have root canal than deal with being in a car for 20+ hours.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Another rapid test we did was Flowflex. Flowflex is designed to be one and done. No retest needed. Flowflex was sold at CVS but I believe Walgreens also sells them.

BinaxNow is designed as a serial test which is why it includes 2 in each kit (each kit is for ONE person). You do 1 test then do another at least 24 hours later although 36+ hours is listed on the instruction it's just a minimum of 24 hours later. Just understand that with serial tests they are designed this way so you are supposed to retest yourself within that time frame.

Both of the above companies have come out and said they can detect omicron although they've done tests with heat-activated vs live viruses still something to know.

Rapid do have a lower sensitivity but shouldn't be seen as skipping IMO. A lot comes down to timing. From what I've seen generally speaking if you're positive and testing when your body has the higher viral load it's almost instantaneously popping up as positive. The timeframe is a little more compact with rapid vs a longer timeframe for detection with PCR.

People do have to understand that while there are inaccuracies with both rapid and PCR a negative test on a rapid that subsequently you retest later on and are positive does not mean the test didn't work the first time. It's also why isolation can help. Both a rapid and a PCR are designed for moments in time so the results are not going to be able to measure later exposures or when your body isn't at it's highest viral load such that rapid helps the most there.

In recent weeks there's been a lot of news articles discussing the pros and cons to rapid vs pcr as well as the practicality of rapid vs pcr. For many rapid serve a good purpose with pcr acting as a backup detector for when there's higher suspicion of covid. When test results take more than a day or two with PCR that needs to be included in decision making. Right now many places are 3-7 days out for PCR results making it less useful for in the moment decisions, by March though (actually I would anticipate in a few weeks my guess though) PCR results should be back down in results time.

From what I was told, the rapid antigen test works best when taken at least 5 days after a known exposure and if the person is having symptoms.
If someone is asymptomatic and is unsure if they were exposed, PCR would be better.

 

[lanejudy]

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?

I've read conflicting reports as to whether DCL is actually sharing a list of suggested accommodations or not. Some reports have said they were given a list, others said they received nothing.

However, from online research as well as speaking with some hotel managers during the past 2 years - I do know that many if not most of the major hotel chains do not have a blanket policy on the issue, and most will indicate something along the lines of "following local guidance." Many are simply dealing with such requests on a case-by-case basis -- meaning they don't advertise "covid positive can stay here!" (imagine how many people would not book at that hotel) but instead will deal with the individual party at the time of check-in or during their stay. The managers I spoke with would allow a covid-positive party to check-in and stay at their hotel, with the understanding there would be no housekeeping service, hotel personnel would not be entering the room, and the infected person was expected to remain in the room and not use any public facilities (dining, lounges, pool, fitness center, business center, etc.). They would help facilitate Door-Dash or other types of meal delivery if needed. Many people have used hotels as a means to quarantine away from family.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I also suggest testing when you get back home as well just so that if you did end up getting sick you can just do the quick quarantine and not spread. The hard part is when you choose to test since if you got sick on the plane you don't instantly test positive.

My employer makes us test 5 days after returning home from international travel.
Taking any covid test immediately after exposure (ie: a couple days later) is like taking a pregnancy test the day after having sex. The human body requires more time for any of these bodily changes to be measurable.
We are just impatient these days and want to know things right away.

 

[Freeman867]

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?

One would think they do? Especially with 400 people who now have a known exposure or tested positive from one cruise. My understanding is Disney just puts you in a room, asks where you want to go and will help arrange transportation to somewhere close, but hasn't been able to say where you can stay, recommend a rental car partner for a one way rental, anything.

I've read conflicting reports as to whether DCL is actually sharing a list of suggested accommodations or not. Some reports have said they were given a list, others said they received nothing.

However, from online research as well as speaking with some hotel managers during the past 2 years - I do know that many if not most of the major hotel chains do not have a blanket policy on the issue, and most will indicate something along the lines of "following local guidance." Many are simply dealing with such requests on a case-by-case basis -- meaning they don't advertise "covid positive can stay here!" (imagine how many people would not book at that hotel) but instead will deal with the individual party at the time of check-in or during their stay. The managers I spoke with would allow a covid-positive party to check-in and stay at their hotel, with the understanding there would be no housekeeping service, hotel personnel would not be entering the room, and the infected person was expected to remain in the room and not use any public facilities (dining, lounges, pool, fitness center, business center, etc.). They would help facilitate Door-Dash or other types of meal delivery if needed. Many people have used hotels as a means to quarantine away from family.

Thanks for this info. I can definitely see the hotel's reasoning for doing a vague policy and not publically staying "COVID-19 welcome!". Every adult in our party has had their booster shot, every kid over 5 has been fully vaccinated, masks worn at all times, don't take the kids to the store with us anymore, extremely careful the past 2 years and completely respect Disney's policy to test at the port and allow only vaccinated passengers when possible. Honestly, Disney's attention to this is what led us to book a cruise in the first place since we do feel safe if we do make it on board. The rise in Omicron cases in Florida lately and the ridiculous stats coming out of Florida on new cases and positivity rates (Near 26% right now!!) just makes it more and more likely we got turned away for what will be a very mild or asymptomatic case of COVID being we're all healthy with no underlying conditions, the weaker nature of Omicron compared to other COVID strains, and our up to date as possible vaccinations against COVID. What used to be a rare turn away at the port in what I was hearing to be in the 25 or so range has obviously skyrocketed along with the case and positivity rates Florida is seeing. Nothing Disney "has" to do, per se, but the more they can try and mitigate the damage from a customer service perspective by helping people with options in a time where they've just learned they're not going on the cruise they've been looking forward to for a long time, well, that just makes sense to me.

Personally, I'm a planner and know the exact route we'll take home, what cities we'll overnight in, and call the hotels with our situation before booking. I'm just interested to hear from future cruisers how many were turned away and how fast this Omicron variant is going to sweep through Florida and hopefully this all calms down in the next 4 weeks before our cruise.

 

[Freeman867]

My employer makes us test 5 days after returning home from international travel.
Taking any covid test immediately after exposure (ie: a couple days later) is like taking a pregnancy test the day after having sex. The human body requires more time for any of these bodily changes to be measurable.
We are just impatient these days and want to know things right away.

Exactly, especially for a vaccinated person. If you're careful the week leading up to your cruise and you fly in the day before, there's very, very little chance you catch COVID on the airplane or hotel the day before the cruise and test positive at the port. If you test positive, you got it at home somewhere.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

From what I was told, the rapid antigen test works best when taken at least 5 days after a known exposure and if the person is having symptoms.
If someone is asymptomatic and is unsure if they were exposed, PCR would be better.

That was more true with Delta. Omicron is acting differently when it comes to testing and symptoms (quicker symptom onset, quicker symptom recovery, etc which means waiting too long for testing you'd have less of a chance for it to pick up covid) at least the growing evidence is showing. Also keep in mind the new CDC guidelines which shorten the quarantine to 5 days depending on situation (+masking afterwards) as evidence is showing most people are most contagious 2 to 3 days into their symptoms.

I don't mean to have this thread go astray so all this other stuff is sorta not the point. What was my point was I wouldn't tell the OP to skip rapid as casting it aside, rapid has it's uses and for a situation like they are asking with respects to travel it's one of the more used ways, rapid is used in schools often for coming back from breaks, etc. It's impractical for the vast majority of people to get a PCR every few days for the purposes of travel especially when it's taking too long to get the results. I will always advocate to use PCR as your checker but I wouldn't say don't go with rapid either. It's just important to understand the limitations of any of the tests you take so you can make an informed decision.

Right now the OP is thinking about testing before continuing on to the port, no test is 100% but for a situation like that it can be useful for a rapid right before they leave, if there's any chance of a positive (which with rapid tests a faint line is considered positive) the OP can make an informed decision. That's all

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Exactly, especially for a vaccinated person. If you're careful the week leading up to your cruise and you fly in the day before, there's very, very little chance you catch COVID on the airplane or hotel the day before the cruise and test positive at the port. If you test positive, you got it at home somewhere.

This has convinced me to just fly in the day before, skip the WW2 museum, and just focus on staying safe for the cruise.

 

[Freeman867]

That was more true with Delta. Omicron is acting differently when it comes to testing and symptoms (quicker symptom onset, quicker symptom recovery, etc which means waiting too long for testing you'd have less of a chance for it to pick up covid) at least the growing evidence is showing. Also keep in mind the new CDC guidelines which shorten the quarantine to 5 days depending on situation (+masking afterwards) as evidence is showing most people are most contagious 2 to 3 days into their symptoms.

I don't mean to have this thread go astray so all this other stuff is sorta not the point. What was my point was I wouldn't tell the OP to skip rapid as casting it aside, rapid has it's uses and for a situation like they are asking with respects to travel it's one of the more used ways, rapid is used in schools often for coming back from breaks, etc. It's impractical for the vast majority of people to get a PCR every few days for the purposes of travel especially when it's taking too long to get the results. I will always advocate to use PCR as your checker but I wouldn't say don't go with rapid either. It's just important to understand the limitations of any of the tests you take so you can make an informed decision.

Right now the OP is thinking about testing before continuing on to the port, no test is 100% but for a situation like that it can be useful for a rapid right before they leave, if there's any chance of a positive (which with rapid tests a faint line is considered positive) the OP can make an informed decision. That's all

This has probably been answered before, but is the test at the port a rapid PCR test or antigen test?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This has probably been answered before, but is the test at the port a rapid PCR test or antigen test?

At least online DCL doesn't tell on the embarking front but I feel like from how quickly the results need to be back it would be rapid PCR (my assumption though).

A few of my fellow DISer friends have been on cruises and will be (well presently not sure if they've cancelled or postponed) this month and next month. One of the couples was messaging us the first time they went cruising during this pandemic (they've cruised multiple times before) awaiting their results and then messaged us not too too longer later to say they were all in the clear. My apologies but I don't have the definitive answer on that but am going off of timeframe for when results are needed to board.

For debarking on 5 or more day cruises (for unvaccinated guests) DCL does advise they use a rapid antigen test.

This is what is listed on DCL's website:
Embarkation COVID-19 Testing: All Guests, regardless of age and vaccination status, are required to take a COVID-19 test (paid for by Disney Cruise Line and administered by Inspire Diagnostics) at the terminal before boarding. This will be the second of two COVID-19 PCR tests required for unvaccinated Guests. Guests with positive COVID-19 test results—as well as those sharing the same stateroom and their close contacts—will be denied boarding.

Debarkation Day COVID-19 Testing: All unvaccinated Guests on 5-night and longer sailings are required to take a COVID-19 antigen test (paid for by Disney Cruise Line) on the ship the day before debarking.

Back-to-Back Sailings: All Guests on consecutive, back-to-back sailings, regardless of age and vaccination status, will be required to undergo a COVID-19 antigen test administered by Inspire Diagnostics at the terminal after debarking the ship following their first cruise and before reboarding the ship for their second cruise.

 

[Intr3pid]

Thank you
Are these in-store tests or take home? There are no take-home rapid tests in any Walgreens or CVS in Central FL
Do you know if they are still doing PCR? I did one of those drive-up tests at CVS in September for travel purposes and loved it, went thru in a breeze and got results in 24 hrs... I think I'll go with those despite the price...more reliable I think.

What are you doing test wise before flying to NOLA for this cruise?

We will see if PCR testing backlog clears by March. If so, we will get one done 2-3 days before the flight and then do the ID NOW test on the day of the flight.

Walgreens' tests are drive-through on site. You pull up by the window (as if to pick up your coffee), they give you a DIY swab while they monitor through the window, you deposit your sample into a tray through the window, and that's it. The on-site machine takes about 13 to 15 minutes, but there may be a backlog. The sample can't be older than an hour, however. In all likelihood, you will have your results within an hour or so.

I saw research showing basically a 95%-96% vs a 99% difference. I think it depends on how much peace of mind you need.

So I wouldn't say skip it and I would also say BinaxNOW is instant (well 15 mins later), can be performed anywhere, and you never have to worry about there being no openings at testing locations.

BinaxNOW seems to be a little lower in children. I haven't done too much research though so people should look it up themselves but what I saw was good enough for me to feel confident to head to the port. I am 2 for 2 (knock on wood) for cruises.

Another rapid test we did was Flowflex. Flowflex is designed to be one and done. No retest needed. Flowflex was sold at CVS but I believe Walgreens also sells them.

BinaxNow is designed as a serial test which is why it includes 2 in each kit (each kit is for ONE person). You do 1 test then do another at least 24 hours later although 36+ hours is listed on the instruction it's just a minimum of 24 hours later. Just understand that with serial tests they are designed this way so you are supposed to retest yourself within that time frame.

Both of the above companies have come out and said they can detect omicron although they've done tests with heat-activated vs live viruses still something to know.

Rapid do have a lower sensitivity but shouldn't be seen as skipping IMO. A lot comes down to timing. From what I've seen generally speaking if you're positive and testing when your body has the higher viral load it's almost instantaneously popping up as positive. The timeframe is a little more compact with rapid vs a longer timeframe for detection with PCR.

People do have to understand that while there are inaccuracies with both rapid and PCR a negative test on a rapid that subsequently you retest later on and are positive does not mean the test didn't work the first time. It's also why isolation can help. Both a rapid and a PCR are designed for moments in time so the results are not going to be able to measure later exposures or when your body isn't at it's highest viral load such that rapid helps the most there.

In recent weeks there's been a lot of news articles discussing the pros and cons to rapid vs pcr as well as the practicality of rapid vs pcr. For many rapid serve a good purpose with pcr acting as a backup detector for when there's higher suspicion of covid. When test results take more than a day or two with PCR that needs to be included in decision making. Right now many places are 3-7 days out for PCR results making it less useful for in the moment decisions, by March though (actually I would anticipate in a few weeks my guess though) PCR results should be back down in results time.

I agree that the antigen tests have their use. They are my go-to when I need to test on an ongoing basis - particularly when the stakes are manageable.

That said, the testing done at the port is rapid PCR. Highly sensitive. If the idea is to have that peace of mind (i.e. to not test positive at the port as a surprise), antigen screening will only go so far. The issue right now with PCR testing is all of timing, availability, and cost. The cases are through the roof, the labs are backlogged, and it's still a point-in-time test. (Let's hope it gets better by March.)

The ID NOW test strikes a better balance between sensitivity and access. If you have one available, there is really no need for an antigen test instead.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The ID NOW test strikes a better balance between sensitivity and access. If you have one available, there is really no need for an antigen test instead.

As far as I understand it's a molecular test requiring machines to run the diagnostic aspect so it runs into the same issue as PCR tests only at least in my area the places that will do ID NOW are less than the places that will do PCR.

I think most of us understand there's limitations to every bit of this. PCR, rapid antigen, rapid PCR (usually cost and availability of places to go), and what you're talking about with ID Now (thank you though for providing the information for all of us to know). None of it is going to be THE solution to all problems and they all come with their pros and cons. But with the OP's question I think we've had a good discussion about the options available (including the ID Now test)

 

[Intr3pid]

As far as I understand it's a molecular test requiring machines to run the diagnostic aspect so it runs into the same issue as PCR tests only at least in my area the places that will do ID NOW are less than the places that will do PCR.

I think most of us understand there's limitations to every bit of this. PCR, rapid antigen, rapid PCR (usually cost and availability of places to go), and what you're talking about with ID Now (thank you though for providing the information for all of us to know). None of it is going to be THE solution to all problems and they all come with their pros and cons. But with the OP's question I think we've had a good discussion about the options available (including the ID Now test)

Agreed, there is no one solution. When stakes are manageable, antigen testing is very cost and time effective. Otherwise, here is a good summary of how and when to use the three types of tests:
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/which-covid-test-is-accurate
The on-site PCR machines you may see are the lab-in-a-box machines used for rapid PCR tests. Those machines are cost prohibitive for most Walgreens, CVS, etc. For PCR testing, these pharmacies instead serve as sample collectors. The actual labs are offsite, where the samples are sent out, and these labs are currently overwhelmed.

In contrast, both BinaxNOW (antigen) and ID NOW tests use on-site diagnostic machines. Abbott sells them both. The pharmacies need only schedule what they can churn as they control the process. Well...except maybe Disney. I have no idea why Disney's on-board testing capability is so lacking when other cruise lines can provide PCR tests to meet destination requirements.

 

[CruisingDad]

My family is booked on a cruise out of Miami in March, and I had never thought of testing before we fly to Miami until now. Thanks to everyone for possibly helping us to avoid a huge disappointment and hassle on embarkation day!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We sailed twice since cruising has resumed and didn’t bother getting test prior to leaving. We knew in the back of our minds that testing positive is always a possibility. We didn't really worry because if we did have a positive test, we’d get a refund and could rebook. Plenty of similar cruises to choose from.

The only reason I plan to start testing a few weeks prior to our March cruise is that I don’t want to just get a refund and get sent home. I really want to sail the cruise we have booked. It’s the last scheduled PC cruise for the rest of 2022 and 2023. We couldn’t do any cruise that long while our kids were in school and now we finally are able. I really don’t want to miss it.

In 2008 they offered it in August but dh balked at the price and ever since then, it was offered only while school was in session, and we regret that we hesitated in 08; it sold out the first day.

Covid is spreading around my coworkers so much that part of me wants to just get it now and be done with it so I can simply get a doctor’s note of recovery and stop stressing.