Thoughts IF DCL Covid tests Children

[spiders]

Yup

 

[FightingIrishman]

I won't be booking DCL or any other company's cruise if they are requiring tests at the port. I can't fly a family of 7 to Florida only to find out one of my asymptomatic kid's test is positive and the whole family is kicked off the ship before embarkation, or worse coming back from a shore excursion. With potentially a thousand kids on a ship and a 99% accurate test, there are going to be 10 unhappy families booted for a false positive test.

I will wait until they require proof of receiving a vaccination or the pandemic is over.

 

[anricat]

I won't be booking DCL or any other company's cruise if they are requiring tests at the port. I can't fly a family of 7 to Florida only to find out one of my asymptomatic kid's test is positive and the whole family is kicked off the ship before embarkation, or worse coming back from a shore excursion. With potentially a thousand kids on a ship and a 99% accurate test, there are going to be 10 unhappy families booted for a false positive test.

I will wait until they require proof of receiving a vaccination or the pandemic is over.

They have to know that there are false positives though (and unfortunately, false negatives). I mean, in theory, with one of the new cheap rapid tests, you could retest any positives for a second shot. Like they do with the temperature scan. You wait and you rescan. I can't imagine DCL couldn't pony up a second $5 test for families to have a positive test. Just to be sure.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

A few seconds of uncomfortable swab versus a vacation? I haven't had a test, but people who I spoke to who had said, yes, uncomfortable, but not painful.

If I had children, yes, I would take them and prepare them for what is going to happen and why it is happening. Like you would do with shots. Yes, it's unpleasant and can be a little scary, but it is for a reason and the outcome of the test (let's go with they test negative) is a pleasant one.

Shielding your children from unpleasant/uncomfortable things in life is good when it comes to wait till they are ready to hear about war and death and other complicated things. Shielding them from this is not necessarily beneficial, in my opinion.

Very easy to say what you would do until you actually have a child. My 5 year old had a covid test a couple weeks ago when she ran a random fever. She is a tough kid. She gets vaccinated with ease - does not cry over shots. Didn’t cry when she flew over the handlebars of her bike and took a header and a very hard fall.

The NP prepared her for the covid test. And she screamed bloody murder as the NP jammed the Covid swab up her nose. I won’t do it again for either of my children unless we have to due to exposure or symptoms. It was clearly physically painful. It was not just discomfort. My child was in pain.

I would not put either of my children through that just to board a cruise ship. Also, most importantly, what about the chance you test POSITIVE at the port? You just put your children through a painful test and now they can’t even go on their Disney cruise - the payoff. You’re stuck. You can’t fly home. You can’t go rent a car to drive home because you’re covid positive. You now need to somehow quarantine with your small children somewhere near port, far away from home. Where do you stay? You’re away from your doctors. You have no timeline for being able to travel home. There is SO MUCH to consider as a parent that you haven’t even thought of.

Although, I’ll have concerns about cruising either way if a covid test is required to board. Someone could turn positive days into the cruise since you can test positive up to 14 days after exposure. Testing only while boarding the ship is not a 100% guarantee.

 

[mevelandry]

If DCL follows suit per article below and requires Covid testing at embarkation would you still take your young children on a cruise? The article refers to 2 tests performed so not sure if includes nasal swab and/or blood test. We have a 4 & 5 year old; I think any test might frighten them like a shot at the doctor and possibly cause them to not want to cruise the next time unless it is non-invasive. So if the nasal swab goes uncomfortably far up there or if there is a needle for blood test we would not be cruising.

First giant cruise ship takes off since COVID-19 — with new rules

I’ve had the nasal swab. Yes, it tickles at the back of your nose but it’s really not as bad as people think it is. It doesn’t hurt at all. I could do that test every single day if I needed to.

 

[mevelandry]

I won't be booking DCL or any other company's cruise if they are requiring tests at the port. I can't fly a family of 7 to Florida only to find out one of my asymptomatic kid's test is positive and the whole family is kicked off the ship before embarkation, or worse coming back from a shore excursion. With potentially a thousand kids on a ship and a 99% accurate test, there are going to be 10 unhappy families booted for a false positive test.

I will wait until they require proof of receiving a vaccination or the pandemic is over.

I’m sure they’ll have you pass a second test to make sure it’s not a false positive.

 

[lanejudy]

I’m sure they’ll have you pass a second test to make sure it’s not a false positive.

But then would a 3rd test be necessary? To confirm the 2nd wasn’t a false negative.

 

[mevelandry]

But then would a 3rd test be necessary? To confirm the 2nd wasn’t a false negative.

Maybe. I wouldn’t mind doing it 3 times if necessary.

 

[mousefan73]

I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but I was reading the article and found it interesting that the party that was tested positive for the night boarding along with the others in van to transport them to the ship.
so this brings me to my question what about the magical express transfers to the port? They would have to test people before they boarded those buses correct? I mean I would be majorly p’od if I was denied boarding because I happen to be on the same transfer with a passenger that tested positive.

I don’t know if it made the news in the states but in Germany they reported on this cruise of a family that snuck off on their own during a port excursion and were then denied reboarding. As a rule you were allowed to leave ship with only port excursions with vetted companies and you have to stay together in that group.

 

[disneygeek401]

I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but I was reading the article and found it interesting that the party that was tested positive for the night boarding along with the others in van to transport them to the ship.
so this brings me to my question what about the magical express transfers to the port? They would have to test people before they boarded those buses correct? I mean I would be majorly p’od if I was denied boarding because I happen to be on the same transfer with a passenger that tested positive.

I don’t know if it made the news in the states but in Germany they reported on this cruise of a family that snuck off on their own during a port excursion and were then denied reboarding. As a rule you were allowed to leave ship with only port excursions with vetted companies and you have to stay together in that group.

I mean I guess they could always suspend the DCL transfers, if that means it will help them to resume operations.

They are so expensive anyways. Most people traveling to the port are better off with some type of private car service, Uber, etc.

 

[mousefan73]

Double

 

[mousefan73]

I mean I guess they could always suspend the DCL transfers, if that means it will help them to resume operations.

They are so expensive anyways. Most people traveling to the port are better off with some type of private car service, Uber, etc.

I can see that working now as car rentals / über are begging for customers. In normal times the Port could not handle everyone coming in cars.

 

[lanejudy]

what about the magical express transfers to the port? They would have to test people before they boarded those buses correct?

That would be my guess - creating a bubble and then those passengers would not need to re-test at the port.

 

[Calantha]

I have a 5 year old. I would have him do a spit test for sure (he loves spitting, sigh)...but no swab/no blood. He carried on for an hour last time he got a shot.

 

[hnthomps]

If it makes anyone feel better, the newer nasal Covid test no longer goes "deep up the nose". The swab is now gently placed about 1 inch up an adult nose and gingerly spun around 5 times inside each nostril.

This depends on the kind of test available in your area. In my city, some tests are saliva, some are nasopharyngeal, some are nasal... All FDA approved PCR tests with different turn around times and different false-positive/negative rates.

To answer the original question, testing would not be a barrier for us. Our kids are 6 & 9. The 9 year old already had the deep nasal swab once and it was ok. He described it as "really uncomfortable" but I'm confident he would go through it again if it meant getting to go on vacation. The little one would likely freak out, but also be assuaged by the thought of on board ice cream.

But I don't know how we would get to a port without exposure, and the risk of that makes it hard to incur the cost without the guarantee of travel.

I don't think DCL would do this unless they had access to an unlimited supply of fast turnaround saliva tests.

 

[soniam]

Man, I might have a problem if it's a blood test. I am phobic, like recurring nightmares/passing out phobic, of needles. I hate them so much, that I preferred having no pain killers/needles when my son was born. I put off medical treatments, except dental, if I think I will have to deal with a needle. However, I would totally encourage my son to do it, because I don't want anyone to feel like I do about needles. The more you get them, the more comfortable you are. If they already get immunizations, then they would probably be fine with this. I really hope it's a saliva or nasal swab test though. Not looking forward to the vaccine either.

 

[randumb0]

I would have no problem with my 3 year old being tested

 

[isabellea]

I’m 99% certain my kids would refuse to get tested twice with a nasal swab to go on a cruise. They got tested once (luckily both were negative) and it wouldn’t be worth it for them to do it again for a vacation. Wearing a mask, not a problem.

 

[brent02139]

My DS2 had to be covid tested. He was screaming bloody murder from the moment entering the hospital till ... covid testing. The qtip went into his nose, just barely, I could still see some of the "cotton". He stops crying and I asked the DR, she said that's how pediatric covid testing is performed.

I read a thing about covid testing, there's no study that shows sticking 3" up the nose is any more accurate than just swabing the tip of the nose, but since that was how the test was validated, nobody is changing the way it's done unless there's some kind of cost/accuracy benefit.

 

[JM23457]

They have to know that there are false positives though (and unfortunately, false negatives). I mean, in theory, with one of the new cheap rapid tests, you could retest any positives for a second shot. Like they do with the temperature scan. You wait and you rescan. I can't imagine DCL couldn't pony up a second $5 test for families to have a positive test. Just to be sure.

Uh uh. Disney is all about image and liability. They aren't going to let someone board who had any positive test as that would paint them as negligent. Headline: "Passenger with positive Covid test allowed to sail on Disney cruise." Not gonna happen.

Anyway, even if a second test was negative, there would be no way to judge which test was correct. And they aren't going to shrug and say, "Let's do the best two out of three..."