Know Before You Go Updated - May 17 - Testing rule changes

[MomOTwins]

Has anyone gone to an Urgent Care for the antigen test and have been able to upload the results to Safe Passage? I would prefer to go to the testing sight than do the Etest via Zoom but not sure if it has been done or would be accepted.

We did this for our kids who needed testing and it was accepted—so I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t be accepted for the broader pre-cruise testing.

 

[Donna3271]

Has anyone gone to an Urgent Care for the antigen test and have been able to upload the results to Safe Passage? I would prefer to go to the testing sight than do the Etest via Zoom but not sure if it has been done or would be accepted.

I was wondering this as well. CityMD does an antigen test and emails the results in about an hour. The Disney site says rapid antigen not accepted, but the PCR test takes 3-4 days to get results. I am so confused!

 

[Doingitagain]

I was wondering this as well. CityMD does an antigen test and emails the results in about an hour. The Disney site says rapid antigen not accepted, but the PCR test takes 3-4 days to get results. I am so confused!

Per Know Before You Go for unvaccinated Under 5's: The test should be a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), a rapid PCR test or a lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted.

We have a medical center by us who guarantees PCR results by midnight the day you take the test. Try Walgreens if child is 3 or 4.

 

[lanejudy]

The Disney site says rapid antigen not accepted, but the PCR test takes 3-4 days to get results. I am so confused!

Rapid antigen isn't allowed for the unvaccinated -- kids under age 5. They must have a PCR or NAAT test 3 days prior to boarding.

Vaccinated passengers (age 5+) have the option to do a rapid antigen up to 2 days prior to boarding. It must be performed or monitored by a healthcare provider or lab. Or they can test at the port.

 

[Donna3271]

Rapid antigen isn't allowed for the unvaccinated -- kids under age 5. They must have a PCR or NAAT test 3 days prior to boarding.

Vaccinated passengers (age 5+) have the option to do a rapid antigen up to 2 days prior to boarding. It must be performed or monitored by a healthcare provider or lab. Or they can test at the port.

Lanejudy,
Sorry for the redundancy. I am triple vaxxed, So I can go to City MD 2 days before to get a monitored rapid antigen?

 

[nancipants]

Lanejudy,
Sorry for the redundancy. I am triple vaxxed, So I can go to City MD 2 days before to get a monitored rapid antigen?

Correct.

 

[nancipants]

We did this for our kids who needed testing and it was accepted—so I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t be accepted for the broader pre-cruise testing.

Thank you - this is one of the options we're considering for our two-year-old if he can't get a PCR at his pediatrician's office.

 

[readyplayer]

Sharing an update re Safe Passage site after uploading our test results - we are showing Cleared to Sail, which means they accepted our test results report from OnPoint. We are on the 6/7 Dream sailing, the first sailing day for this new process of self-testing in advance.

We got emails when each of the test results were uploaded. We each got two emails 10 hours later - first advising the third party test results had been approved, and another email after all parties were approved showing our party is cleared to sail.

Thanks so much @Mathmagicland. It helps to know exactly what the process is. Have a great cruise.

 

[Mitura]

I think this thread needs to be pinned for all of the great info given.

Also if a FAQ could be gathered from the answers here and posted to page 1 that would be awesome. (I'd do it but I don't know how.)

Thanks to all that have faithfully replied with their answers. I still have anxiety over the process, but at least I know and understand the process, costs and timelines.

 

[AprilsZoo]

Depending on the brand you got, the free government ones could be used for a virtual test, but they no longer seem to have the option to schedule an appointment.

This is sort of what I was wondering…. I have the free “government” tests (the ones ordered via USPS— I think the first four were binax but the others were another ‘brand’? I’m not home to check right now)
My doctor is willing to watch me administer the test during a tele-visit, and provide a letter stating that I had a negative result. I’d just have to pay my normal visit co-pay.
I wonder… would this be accepted as a proctored/monitored test?

{I know that no one here can definitively answer my question … I need to call DCL and ask. I’m mostly wondering “aloud” . Plus, my cruise isn’t for a while yet… for all I know, they’ll change things again by then.}

 

[Geomom]

This is sort of what I was wondering…. I have the free “government” tests (the ones ordered via USPS— I think the first four were binax but the others were another ‘brand’? I’m not home to check right now)
My doctor is willing to watch me administer the test during a tele-visit, and provide a letter stating that I had a negative result. I’d just have to pay my normal visit co-pay.
I wonder… would this be accepted as a proctored/monitored test?

{I know that no one here can definitively answer my question … I need to call DCL and ask. I’m mostly wondering “aloud” . Plus, my cruise isn’t for a while yet… for all I know, they’ll change things again by then.}

That should work. I would actually contact safe passage vs DCL since that's where you would upload results and they're the ones verifying all the vax and Covid docs.

 

[AprilsZoo]

That should work. I would actually contact safe passage vs DCL since that's where you would upload results and they're the ones verifying all the vax and Covid docs.

Thanks.

I posted before I read thru to the last several posts in the thread, and saw the walkthrough for using the OnPoint tele-med visit. $15 is less than my office visit copay, so I may go with that… unless things end up coinciding with one of my normal zoom visit with my PCP. It’s good to know there are options that don’t involve highly cost-inflated tests.
(I mean, I get the reasoning behind the companies doing the $75 proctoring— after all cruises are a luxury— but it does seem excessive.)

 

[Geomom]

Just wanted to thank everyone who suggested Onpoint testing telehealth rapid antigen appts.

We'll be using our free government tests (binax now) with them this Thursday before heading to the airport. The cost was $9.99/appt today (it was $13.99 when I researched yesterday, originally priced at $29.99). You can also get a $5 off coupon for signing up for the newsletter, so I paid $24.97 for 3 tests. You can do 2 tests during 1 appt (you still have to pay for each person, it's just the convenience of doing 2 at once vs having separate appts.). User interface could use some work as I had trouble figuring out what I needed to do to set up the appts for 3 people, same with doing the registration part... hopefully I did it right, but I do have 2 zoom appts and filled out patient registration forms for 3 people. DD18 and I are doing the first appt, I made DHs for 1/2 hr later. DD22 is the 'lucky' one with a recovery letter.

We'll see how it goes Thursday...but I'm willing to try it for $25 vs getting charged $129/person at Walgreens (the site no longer says free Covid testing...just free if insurance will cover it...I know mine will not cover travel tests) or the $77/person at port.

Fingers crossed the 3 of us test negative!!!

 

[lucas]

Is the antigen test as CVS acceptable? It states a 3-5 day turn around, so I don't think the results will make it in time, Anyone use CVS?

I didn't see an answer to your question, so I am bumping it up. I am also wondering about CVS.

 

[soniam]

I didn't see an answer to your question, so I am bumping it up. I am also wondering about CVS.

If this is for a person over 5 years old, then you can use rapid antigen. PCR is only necessary for children. The CVS one sounds like a PCR. 3-5 days is too long for the over 5 testing. That must be done at most 2 days, NOT 48 hours, before the cruise leaves. You could do a rapid antigen at CVS though.

 

[SJSloan]

Has anyone used a rapid NAAT test at Walgreens for their unvaccinated child? The website is confusing to me because is specifically said rapid or lab-based PCR but it does not mention rapid NAAT.

I have asked several CM’s and they haven’t been able to confirm.

 

[Doingitagain]

Has anyone used a rapid NAAT test at Walgreens for their unvaccinated child? The website is confusing to me because is specifically said rapid or lab-based PCR but it does not mention rapid NAAT.

I have asked several CM’s and they haven’t been able to confirm.

Walgreen's only does 3 and older, so it won't work for age 0-2.

Not sure where you are looking on the website, but Know Before You Go / Covid-19 Testing / Read More has this which includes NAAT:
Pre-Trip COVID-19 Testing: Guests 4 years of age and under who are not vaccine-eligible because of age must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by a parent or guardian). The test must be taken no more than 3 days before the sail date. Test results must be uploaded to the Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. This will be the first of 2 tests required for Guests ages 4 and under; the second test will be conducted at the terminal prior to embarkation. The test should be a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), a rapid PCR test or a lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted.

 

[SJSloan]

Walgreen's only does 3 and older, so it won't work for age 0-2.

Not sure where you are looking on the website, but Know Before You Go / Covid-19 Testing / Read More has this which includes NAAT:
Pre-Trip COVID-19 Testing: Guests 4 years of age and under who are not vaccine-eligible because of age must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by a parent or guardian). The test must be taken no more than 3 days before the sail date. Test results must be uploaded to the Safe Passage website by midnight prior to embarkation day. This will be the first of 2 tests required for Guests ages 4 and under; the second test will be conducted at the terminal prior to embarkation. The test should be a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), a rapid PCR test or a lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted.

Thanks, yes I have read this probably 20 times. It’s just strange to me that they specifically say a rapid PCR test is fine but they don’t say that with the NAAT. My son is 4 so the rapid NAAT test at Walgreens would be easy for us.

I’m worried about the timing of a rapid PCR since the earliest he can test is Friday and I don’t want the weekend to mess us the timing.

 

[anricat]

Just wanted to thank everyone who suggested Onpoint testing telehealth rapid antigen appts.

We'll be using our free government tests (binax now) with them this Thursday before heading to the airport. The cost was $9.99/appt today (it was $13.99 when I researched yesterday, originally priced at $29.99). You can also get a $5 off coupon for signing up for the newsletter, so I paid $24.97 for 3 tests. You can do 2 tests during 1 appt (you still have to pay for each person, it's just the convenience of doing 2 at once vs having separate appts.). User interface could use some work as I had trouble figuring out what I needed to do to set up the appts for 3 people, same with doing the registration part... hopefully I did it right, but I do have 2 zoom appts and filled out patient registration forms for 3 people. DD18 and I are doing the first appt, I made DHs for 1/2 hr later. DD22 is the 'lucky' one with a recovery letter.

We'll see how it goes Thursday...but I'm willing to try it for $25 vs getting charged $129/person at Walgreens (the site no longer says free Covid testing...just free if insurance will cover it...I know mine will not cover travel tests) or the $77/person at port.

Fingers crossed the 3 of us test negative!!!

Let us know how it goes. This is probably the method we'll use. We have a lot of those free government tests.

 

[Kwami]

Thanks, yes I have read this probably 20 times. It’s just strange to me that they specifically say a rapid PCR test is fine but they don’t say that with the NAAT. My son is 4 so the rapid NAAT test at Walgreens would be easy for us.

I’m worried about the timing of a rapid PCR since the earliest he can test is Friday and I don’t want the weekend to mess us the timing.

The rapid NAAT is fine. But if you're worried about timing, perhaps it's easier to get the test from Inspire through the mail? I'm not sure if it's too late, though.