So Nervous About Testing

[iowadisneyfamily]

With a family of five (three little ones) -- all five of us are vaxed and adults are boosted too. Plus my two parents (also vaxed & boosted), I keep thinking there is a decent shot that we may test positive at the port. We have a long flight from the midwest, so it's a big trip for us. One of my favorite things about a vacation is the anticipation and I'm feeling a bit robbed of that . Anyway, does anyone have any idea of the percentage of families that are being turned away? I'm planning to get PCR tests followed by antigen tests prior to sailing to do everything within our control. Our cruise takes off on March 5.

 

[dreynolds1982]

I know it's super stressful but in reality your odds of testing positive randomly at the port are pretty slim. I know numbers have been higher lately of families getting denied boarding. Something to remember, however. It only takes one person in a party to test positive for everyone to get denied. So if you see that 100 people on a cruise were denied boarding, that doesn't mean they all tested positive If you have a family reunion of 15 people, and you all traveled together, all it takes is one positive.

I say all that to say the actual numbers of people not being allowed to board isn't necessarily indicative of positive tests.

Also, by testing yourself in advance (which is what we are doing as well) you are doing more prep than a lot of people do. So if you do all that and are still negative come time for embarkation, you've hedged your bets even more.

At the end of the day, do all you can do to be safe and knowledgeable and reduce your odds, and hope for the best. More than likely, you'll be just fine!

 

[mmouse37]

This was one group of reservation numbers on the monitor while we were in Miami waiting for our results. The group of numbers before this one had no "Consult" listings. The group after this had about 4 or 5 "Consults"

Our cruise was January 22 which was still in the height of Omicron. I am very hopeful that by the time your cruise is the chances of testing positive are even less.

MJ

 

[iowadisneyfamily]

I know it's super stressful but in reality your odds of testing positive randomly at the port are pretty slim. I know numbers have been higher lately of families getting denied boarding. Something to remember, however. It only takes one person in a party to test positive for everyone to get denied. So if you see that 100 people on a cruise were denied boarding, that doesn't mean they all tested positive If you have a family reunion of 15 people, and you all traveled together, all it takes is one positive.

I say all that to say the actual numbers of people not being allowed to board isn't necessarily indicative of positive tests.

Also, by testing yourself in advance (which is what we are doing as well) you are doing more prep than a lot of people do. So if you do all that and are still negative come time for embarkation, you've hedged your bets even more.

At the end of the day, do all you can do to be safe and knowledgeable and reduce your odds, and hope for the best. More than likely, you'll be just fine!

Thanks--really helpful! I need to just control what i can control....i have a hard time with that sometimes

 

[insureman]

The Fantasy 1/29-2/5 according to another post was supposed to have 1500 passengers and 136 didn't make it because of the screening which is about 9% but that doesn't necessarily mean that many people tested positive. As other people have noted one positive person in a group that travels together can prevent all of them from sailing.

 

[insureman]

We are leaving 2/26 so we are are a little nervous too. I'm just trying to go with the flow here.

 

[insureman]

View attachment 645896

This was one group of reservation numbers on the monitor while we were in Miami waiting for our results. The group of numbers before this one had no "Consult" listings. The group after this had about 4 or 5 "Consults"

Our cruise was January 22 which was still in the height of Omicron. I am very hopeful that by the time your cruise is the chances of testing positive are even less.

MJ

MJ do you have to look at the monitor all the time or does it come through their app simultaneously?

 

[mmouse37]

MJ do you have to look at the monitor all the time or does it come through their app simultaneously?

Great question!!! People kept looking at the board but we actually found out before our reservation number was even on the board by our email which we kept checking. Safe Passage sent an email saying we were clear to sail.

I would guess about every 10-15 minutes a new set of numbers would show up on the board. They seemed to arrive in batches. Here is the email. It went on to say that test results are available at the Safe Passage site but all I needed to know was Clear to Sail!!



MJ

 

[ThinkTink1]

Listen, I know it’s hard not to stress… I’ve been in both Instance… I’ve been booked on 6 cruises since Aug… the first 5… negative… the last, one 2 weeks ago, my son who was not cruising but lives in my house, was sick and tested positive the week before me and his dad were leaving.. we all tested that day and we’re negative… fast forward to Tues night and I picked up my BF from work and he tells me his throat is scratchy and has a slight cough… we tested him at home and sure enough he was positive Needless to say we did not cruise and I wasn’t driving all the way to the port to be told this… of course the very next day after the cruise started he tested negative but … my backstory is I work at Disney in MK in Food and Beverage and am constantly touching people food and drinks and their masks are off.. of course I wash my hands as much as humanly possible…so I feel just like any kind of contagious illness I have a higher percentage of catching it… but I understand the nervousness of not testing positive until you show up at the port and your vacation is “ruined”… that week sucked just sitting around at home… I knew 2 other people going from my work location and one couple, her boyfriend tested positive at the port… try not to stress out because whatever happens is going to happen… just try to wash your hands as much as possible and try to test right before you leave so at least it’s in you’re hands and you’re not waiting…I’ve somehow lucked out and out of 6 people in my household have been the only 1 not to get it knock on wood lol!! I rescheduled for the end of March and trust me as it gets closer I’ll be worried too! I hope everything turns out amazing and positive and you guys have the best trip ever!!

 

[Anthony Vito]

We go on our first Disney cruise April 16, and I also don't know how not to be stressed about it, and I agree that it definitely takes away the excitement and anticipation - I've already told the kids (2nd and 3rd grade) there's a chance we won't go and it won't be anybody's fault. We're still far enough away that it's not as bad, but as it gets closer, I know I will be super stressed about it. Of course, that was just made a lot worse yesterday since it was announced our state mandate for masks in school will end 3/31. So now our kids will be in school around a bunch of un-masked kids in the 2 weeks before we leave! Those two weeks are going to be so more stressful now. Staying away from the policy/health/etc. debate of it all and just looking at the strictly important part - couldn't they at least have waited until after Easter break so as not to affect our vacation???

 

[MissPixieDreamer]

With a family of five (three little ones) -- all five of us are vaxed and adults are boosted too. Plus my two parents (also vaxed & boosted), I keep thinking there is a decent shot that we may test positive at the port. We have a long flight from the midwest, so it's a big trip for us. One of my favorite things about a vacation is the anticipation and I'm feeling a bit robbed of that . Anyway, does anyone have any idea of the percentage of families that are being turned away? I'm planning to get PCR tests followed by antigen tests prior to sailing to do everything within our control. Our cruise takes off on March 5.

I'm feeling the same thing... instead of the excitement for a vacation, we're nervous about all the tests. I got covid last month but my DD and DH didn't. I plan to use the 90 day recovered status, but since we're visiting the parks before the cruise... I think we have a high risk of testing positive at port, so I also plan to test the day before to avoid seeing the ship and not being able to board.
I hope I overcome this bad feeling in the next few days. I also wish you too have a wonderful trip and you all test negative.

 

[Lillebelle]

We had to cancel and reschedule a cruise due to one child testing positive on the 3-day prior test. I'm just glad it happened before we flew halfway across the country, and we were able to find another cruise that was workable for a few weeks later that ended up being an amazing time. The stress of the testing sucks but you have very good odds of making it on, especially with Omicron seeming to be falling off. And once you are walking onto the ship, it will feel that much sweeter!

My recommendation would be to test as frequently as you can reasonably do during the weeks leading up to the cruise before you hit 11 days prior to embarkation, so you can get the 90 day recovered status if someone tests positive but is asymptomatic. After that, like you said, test before you fly for your own peace of mind. The odds that you go from negative to positive in those couple days, after having *not* gotten covid during the last few months, seem very low to me. Good luck and I hope you have an amazing cruise!

 

[Me'Me 9]

We had to cancel and reschedule a cruise due to one child testing positive on the 3-day prior test. I'm just glad it happened before we flew halfway across the country, and we were able to find another cruise that was workable for a few weeks later that ended up being an amazing time. The stress of the testing sucks but you have very good odds of making it on, especially with Omicron seeming to be falling off. And once you are walking onto the ship, it will feel that much sweeter!

My recommendation would be to test as frequently as you can reasonably do during the weeks leading up to the cruise before you hit 11 days prior to embarkation, so you can get the 90 day recovered status if someone tests positive but is asymptomatic. After that, like you said, test before you fly for your own peace of mind. The odds that you go from negative to positive in those couple days, after having *not* gotten covid during the last few months, seem very low to me. Good luck and I hope you have an amazing cruise!

My family is in the same 'boat'. One of our party caught covid the week before we were to sail ( 18 of us in the party total, so it's super stressful to worry that all 18 will make it through!).

We stocked up on tests and had already started the 'pre travel' covid screening. We all scheduled a PCR at Walgreens 3 days prior to travel and performed rapid home tests the same day so we could get a baseline 'negative' before we headed 12 hours to FL. Unfortunately Omicron raged through our area the last two weeks of December, and three more family members tested positive, others were sick but tests were neg.

We are rebooked on the March 5 sailing on the Fantasy. Four of the 18 now have 90 day recovery statuses, and the rest of us will mask up, wash hands, do our social distance best, "pre test" 3 days out and pray for "clear to sail" for all this time around!

 

[dreynolds1982]

I plan to use the 90 day recovered status, but since we're visiting the parks before the cruise... I think we have a high risk of testing positive at port, so I also plan to test the day before to avoid seeing the ship and not being able to board.

We're going to Epcot the day before our cruise so I plan on doing the same thing (testing before and even testing that morning of embarkation with an at-home test before we leave our Disney hotel to drive to PC). That being said, I think the risk of exposure at WDW isn't much worse than anywhere else, and in a lot of ways is less IMO. Here in So Carolina, we have no mask mandates for indoor dining or anything. So you go out to eat and places are jam packed full of maskless people. Same at any store, grocery store, gas station, etc. At least WDW still has indoor mask requirements and other safety measures.

I've never been super fond of masks and if I don't have to wear them I typically don't. That being said, I plan on sporting my KN95 mask basically everywhere we go during those two weeks leading up, especially during our Disney time and especially indoors or in ride queues. I will be washing my hands like a maniac and spacing myself from other people as much as I can.

After spending a week quarantined at home with my COVID positive wife, being as exposed as one can possibly be, 24/7, and not getting COVID, I'm not sure what exposure levels mean anymore anyways haha.

 

[Sarahslay]

I'm having trouble getting really excited for this cruise, it is a really weird feeling, and I feel like I won't really feel excited or like this trip is happening until I'm on the boat. That said, we're going to be getting tests at CVS 3 days prior (to allow for them to come back in time) just to make sure we're good, with a middle schooler and elementary schooler with busy schedules it just makes sense to double check before we make the drive down. At least it's a 6-6.5 hour drive instead of a flight, so the worst case scenario we reschedule/get a refund and drive home (and then plan another cruise), but hopefully testing right before we leave we can catch anything early and save any of that from happening, and hopefully all the worry is for nothing.

 

[ChicosWife]

I know it's super stressful but in reality your odds of testing positive randomly at the port are pretty slim. I know numbers have been higher lately of families getting denied boarding. Something to remember, however. It only takes one person in a party to test positive for everyone to get denied. So if you see that 100 people on a cruise were denied boarding, that doesn't mean they all tested positive If you have a family reunion of 15 people, and you all traveled together, all it takes is one positive.

I say all that to say the actual numbers of people not being allowed to board isn't necessarily indicative of positive tests.

Also, by testing yourself in advance (which is what we are doing as well) you are doing more prep than a lot of people do. So if you do all that and are still negative come time for embarkation, you've hedged your bets even more.

At the end of the day, do all you can do to be safe and knowledgeable and reduce your odds, and hope for the best. More than likely, you'll be just fine!

The best advice!

 

[SF47]

I'm also so anxious and feel like I'm missing out on the pre-vacation excitement. We were booked for a Jan. 31 sailing, and when my husband and I took our 3-year-old for her initial test, we decided to test at the same time for peace of mind (no symptoms). My husband was positive, which was a huge surprise and big blow because our flight was set to depart 6 hours later.

Since then, two my of my three kids have tested positive (also completely asymptomatic). We're due to sail on Monday (our three positives are all prior to the 11-day cutoff), but I'm so anxious about my oldest and me testing positive. We've had two negatives since the others and have a "final" test scheduled for Friday. But, what sense does it make that we wouldn't catch it? I keep flip flopping between, "If we were going to get it, we would've had it by now," and, "We're just delayed in testing positive and it's going to happen at the last minute again."

I won't be able to relax until I step on that ship. I actually don't even have it in me to pack (again) until after our tests on Friday. But, even then I won't be convinced we're going.

 

[meremac]

From other boards and posts I've read, it seems like roughly 8-10% of passengers have been denied boarding on recent cruises.

 

[Lilias]

I originally had us booked for our first cruise March 11 following a week at the parks. I couldn't handle the stress, especially with the heightened risk being at the parks for a week prior, so I cancelled it.

If I were coming straight from home I probably would've kept it, as it'd be easier to quarantine/test prior to leaving home

 

[dreynolds1982]

We've had two negatives since the others and have a "final" test scheduled for Friday. But, what sense does it make that we wouldn't catch it?

Well I was quarantined for a week with my wife who was symptomatic covid positive. We were not isolating from each other, wearing masks in the house, etc. I tested twice during that time frame (once like 2 days after her symptoms started, then another 5 days later, which was when the doc told me to get tested) and was negative both times. Never developed symptoms.

I have known several other couples/families where one or more people got it, but then someone else in the family didn't.

Comes down to each person's immune system, vaccination status, antibodies from previous (known or unknown) infections, etc.

In other words just because they got it certainly doesn't mean you will!