Port COVID Testing

[Dis_fool]

My wife and I have discussed doing rapid tests leading up to the cruise. What is the point?. They’re not definitive, and just will freak us out as we are in Florida two weeks prior to the cruise. Triple vaxxed, boxes of KN95 masks and be careful.

 

[Snowwhyt]

I’m not trying to circumvent any rules, just looking for some info. I tried googling which often sends me to a disboards thread, but not this time.

If we test positive at the port can we return to WDW? Our original plan was to rent a car and drive 1200+ miles home, but with CDC decreasing the quarantine time to five days we’d rather stay in FL.

We’ll drive if we have to, but we’re old and don’t like the potential of running into snow storms.

Thoughts?

Wisconsin here, we are flying out on January 7, sail January 8. Testing on January 3 or 4 at home pharmacy so we are not stuck with a long 22 hour drive also. Got to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

 

[DisneyMom_13]

Now that omicron is so much easier to catch, I'm starting to wonder if Disney will keep their lax cancellation policy for the Maiden voyage in June. I know a lot can change, but if you can still be denied boarding it only seems fair...

I honestly wonder if its the same then as now or not much better what they will do. Launching a brand new ship with less doesn't seem like a good start to the new ship. But I also don't believe there will be many restrictions come summer, at least not on board.

 

[axfather]

Update: negative tests for all 6 of us at port. fantastic cruise on 12/26/21 but honestly a bit more stressful than I thought beforehand due to Omicron. Home test the day before was helpful in that regard.

 

[twopackages]

The only difficulty we ran in to was finding availability for an extended stay. We ended up driving to Kissimmee and getting a 2 bedroom/2 bath condo type unit at a timeshare resort. This allows us a kitchen for meals and for my (still completely asymptomatic) husband to isolate himself. They do not ask anything about Covid at the time of check in. Since we have stayed here before I know there is no daily housekeeping and I have plenty of clorox wipes and cleaning supplies to spray everything down as we are leaving. I also booked our room 1 day longer than we need it to allow an extra day to air out when we leave. I am familiar with the area so I knew I could do Target drive up for groceries etc.

I know everyone has different opinions on this subject but when you are in this situation you have no other choice but to find a place to stay. We are taking all the precautions possible and being very aware not to put staff or other guests in harms way.

Did your husband ever develop symptoms?

 

[zuzu310]

Update: negative tests for all 6 of us at port. fantastic cruise on 12/26/21 but honestly a bit more stressful than I thought beforehand due to Omicron. Home test the day before was helpful in that regard.

Thanks for the update! I have some renewed hope for our 1/31 cruise!

 

[ej119]

We sail out on Friday, January 13 on the Wonder. My DH and I got a PCR test today, and we will be getting another PCR test next Wednesday before flying to Houston on January 12. I'll also be bringing a set of rapid tests to take the morning of the 13th.

I know this may sound like overkill (especially because we're vaxxed and boosted), but since we're flying in from San Francisco, I would much rather be grounded here than find out we're positive when we arrive in Galveston.

As others have suggested, I also switched to wearing KN95 masks for the past couple of weeks and we even cancelled my DH's birthday outings that were planned for the end of this week. My singular focus for 10 days is to get on board this ship!!

 

[Elsa75]

We are coming from Canada for a cruise in Feb - we need PCR testing 72 hours before flying home - This might be a silly question but has anyone been able to get tested in the last 72 hours of the cruise? Wondering if we need to extend our post cruise stay, to have time to test in Orlando before flying home.

 

[Elsa75]

Its almost at the point that if you have had Covid and recovered you are better off as you won't have to test at port. I think it is within 90 days prior to cruise with a positive test and a note from doctor saying you are recovered.

MJ

This is exactly what we are thinking - in our COVID + household. Planning on going out as soon as quarantine ends to get a PCR test to document if we are still positive. I read somewhere on the Disney site that if you can produce evidence of a positive test in the 10-180 d before sailing, you dont need to re-test. I dont think an at home test will work. Fingers crossed - I dont know for what though - a positive test for documentation, or a negative test!!

 

[lanejudy]

We are coming from Canada for a cruise in Feb - we need PCR testing 72 hours before flying home - This might be a silly question but has anyone been able to get tested in the last 72 hours of the cruise? Wondering if we need to extend our post cruise stay, to have time to test in Orlando before flying home.

DCL is only testing onboard for those with symptoms or unvaccinated (children) on cruises of 5+ nights. They are not doing testing for post-cruise travel. At this time (though I don't expect that to change in the next month)...

 

[TinkLoverSam]

We are coming from Canada for a cruise in Feb - we need PCR testing 72 hours before flying home - This might be a silly question but has anyone been able to get tested in the last 72 hours of the cruise? Wondering if we need to extend our post cruise stay, to have time to test in Orlando before flying home.

They do not have travel testing on board. You will need to either extend your stay or book the testing at MCO and hope it’s not too booked up

 

[mmouse37]

This is exactly what we are thinking - in our COVID + household. Planning on going out as soon as quarantine ends to get a PCR test to document if we are still positive. I read somewhere on the Disney site that if you can produce evidence of a positive test in the 10-180 d before sailing, you dont need to re-test. I dont think an at home test will work. Fingers crossed - I dont know for what though - a positive test for documentation, or a negative test!!

Check out this thread....post #20 has the info I received from Safe Passage and other posts in thread say what you need to have on the letter from the doctor if you are going with the 90 day covid recovered option

90 day recovery status? | The DIS Disney Discussion Forums - DISboards.com


good luck.....we had appts today for PCR tests as my husband tested positive over the Christmas break with a rapid test and I wanted to see what happened with the PCR test. If positive I was hoping in a week or so we could get him his doctor's appoint for clearance to travel.

Our new state-run testing site that I had to scrounge to get appts at cancelled our appts due to icy weather today so back to square one trying to get a PCR test scheduled which is near impossible by us. Our cruise is the 22nd so time is running out.

Our choices now are to still try and get a PCR test/clearance to travel or hope for the best that none of us test positive at the port.....or cancel. I am beyond frustrated.

MJ

 

[lanejudy]

I read somewhere on the Disney site that if you can produce evidence of a positive test in the 10-180 d before sailing, you dont need to re-test.

It's a positive test up to 90-days prior to embarkation. See this thread, @mmouse37 has posted the specifics:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/90-day-recovery-status.3865302/

 

[Intr3pid]

We are coming from Canada for a cruise in Feb - we need PCR testing 72 hours before flying home - This might be a silly question but has anyone been able to get tested in the last 72 hours of the cruise? Wondering if we need to extend our post cruise stay, to have time to test in Orlando before flying home.

Disney ships aren't set up to do on-board PCR testing - which is a bummer. Their rapid PCR test machines are all in the port. Conceivably, someone taking a 3-night cruise could have a sample taken later in the afternoon on the embarkation day and use it for an early morning flight on the debarkation day.

That said, Canada (and several European countries) do recognize the isothermal amplification NAAT tests (such as a supervised RT-LAMP test) for re-entry. The easiest and fastest to get in Florida would be the ID NOW test at any of the Walgreens.

 

[Hadley23]

Did your husband ever develop symptoms?

He never did. Myself and my son retested before traveling home and remained negative.

 

[MomOTwins]

My son and I are Covid+ right now but over 90 days before our April cruise. *sigh*

 

[twopackages]

He never did. Myself and my son retested before traveling home and remained negative.

Makes me wonder if it was a false positive. Did they retest him at the port?

 

[figmentfinesse]

I sail Jan 17 and am now testing every 4 days pretty much and bringing a rapid with me for the morning of. I am unbelievably stressed. My PCR from last night came back negative in just 24 hours, which I was impressed with.

 

[eeg]

We are supposed to sail February 19 and I think we will postpone / cancel. Looks like we missed the golden window where we were all vaccinated and there was no omicron yet. There are six of us, all vaccinated but my four kids are all in school, schools do not require masks (they wear masks but when no one else is it doesn't help much), my community is at like level 4 for spread, and I know TONS of people getting omicron even if vaccinated (they aren't very sick but they are testing positive). I'm not willing to pull them out of school for two weeks leading up to the cruise so that we can stay home and avoid any exposure whatsoever and even if we tested the day before we leave, we live on the west coast and our flight is out of Miami so that's still a day of travel in between before we get to the port.

Only better option is if we all got omicron now to get it over with. Otherwise I think we're going to go to Cancun instead ... I'd rather have to test on the way home at the end of a trip and be stuck in Cancun then test on the way out and be stuck in Miami TBH. Hah! But sad.

 

[Kwami]

Makes me wonder if it was a false positive. Did they retest him at the port?

They retest the same sample. If it comes back positive twice, then you are denied boarding. If the second test comes back negative, then you're good to go. They don't take a second sample, though.