Backup Plan if Denied Boarding?

[mzspaz]

Madeira Beach

Thanks! That is the type of suggestions I am looking for. I will check that area out.

 

[Colo17]

Our next cruise is fifth since cruising restarted. Assuming you are not sick and trying to sneak onboard with it, it is unlikely you will fail the test. If you are that concerned then maybe this isn't the time to cruise again? You will have to put up with various mask rules, ports that isolate your tour group and changes in itinerary/shore rules that happen while you are moving from one island to the next. And you will have a ship staff (and island tour operators) that will treat you like royalty - they are very glad that you are cruising with them.

 

[Rob1872]

Assuming you are not sick and trying to sneak onboard with it, it is unlikely you will fail the test.

I know my concern was that someone in the family had a light case and was not showing symptoms.

 

[mzspaz]

Our next cruise is fifth since cruising restarted. Assuming you are not sick and trying to sneak onboard with it, it is unlikely you will fail the test. If you are that concerned then maybe this isn't the time to cruise again? You will have to put up with various mask rules, ports that isolate your tour group and changes in itinerary/shore rules that happen while you are moving from one island to the next. And you will have a ship staff (and island tour operators) that will treat you like royalty - they are very glad that you are cruising with them.

I get what you are saying. It's not that I am concerned or worried about it. I just want to be prepared and have a backup plan in place. I don't want to be standing in the port saying "now what" and panic.

I have learned many things in 2020 and 2021, but the most important is to expect the unexpected, whether it is good or bad, and be prepared for it. I will assume the worst and prepare for it.

While that attitude may sound negative to some, it has helped me deal with quite the few hurdles. It helped me handle a rare leukemia diagnosis after I went to the Doctor for a blown out knee. It helped me handle another rarity as I had a reaction to one of the drugs treating the leukemia and ended up in the hospital at the beginning of the pandemic (including a lovely 24 hour stay in an isolation room complete with the full safety suits on the staff). It helps me move towards the future knowing that there is no "cure" for my disease and I will be in treatment for possibly the rest of my life.

I am glad that you have had such positive experiences on your cruises. I am looking forward to our positive experience and I know that the crew and staff will be awesome. They were in March of 2020 when we were on the Dream and all facing an uncertain future with the pandemic kicking off. But even though I am looking forward to a positive experience, I want to be prepared for the "what if" because in my experience we have had a lot of "what ifs" actually happen.

 

[cedricandsophie]

if you are truly concerned, why not have everyone take an at home test a couple of days before, just to get a baseline. It’s not as accurate as the other tests, but it will help give you some security…or not, if it turns out to be positive. Or a test at a local pharmacy. we are going on a celebrity cruise over Christmas. all passengers have to be vaccinated but still have a negative test within 48 hours. They allow at home tests if done with a tele health operator who watches you take the test via FaceTime. I have extra tests. I’m going to do a practice run in a few days so I know how it works.

 

[MouseOfCards]

We sailed recently and I had a back up plan for if one of us tested positive at the port for real. First, I booked a rental car through costco out of port canaveral in case we needed it. Then I identified 3 potential nice resorts ahead of time that had little beachfront cottages that would have allowed us to avoid being around other people. And we would have had groceries delivered and quarantined in place for the 10 days. We are all vaxxed, etc.

Wonderful advanced planning!

 

[mousefan73]

My plan is to find a motel where I can curl up in a fetal position and cry for a few days.

 

[mzspaz]

My plan is to find a motel where I can curl up in a fetal position and cry for a few days.

That is what I am trying to avoid doing LOL.

 

[g_ppetto]

We did Binax proctored tests the day before we were scheduled to leave thinking it would be much easier to cancel everything from our kitchen table than at the port.

 

[closetmickey]

We did Binax proctored tests the day before we were scheduled to leave thinking it would be much easier to cancel everything from our kitchen table than at the port.

Are those the at home tests sold in pharmacies that produce a line in 15 minutes if positive? I just bought those for us to use in January.

 

[Kwami]

Are those the at home tests sold in pharmacies that produce a line in 15 minutes if positive? I just bought those for us to use in January.

Yes. The Binax tests come in two flavors. The cheaper flavor has you do the test yourself. The more expensive one has you connect remotely with a doctor who watches you do the test to make sure that you do it right. The second variety is more accepted than the first, I guess.

I used the do-it-yourself version before my last cruise. You're supposed to take two tests about 36 hours apart to make sure that you don't get a false negative/positive result. The box of two tests was about $20 and you get results in 15 minutes. I don't have more information about the fancier, doctor-supervised version, though.

 

[g_ppetto]

Are those the at home tests sold in pharmacies that produce a line in 15 minutes if positive? I just bought those for us to use in January.

Could be... We ordered a six pack online after seeing some cruise youtubers doing the tests. I believe there are two types - one you do by yourself, the other is proctored where you are walked through the process in a video call (pc or phone). Don't open the box until you are instructed to do so. We understand the proctored tests are accepted by some cruise lines as the pre-cruise test, according to the cruise youtubers. The self tests without a proctor are not. We didn't need it for DCL. It was more of a 'is it ok for us to go?' test. IIRC they are $25 plus shipping. Small price compared to the cost of a cruise and eliminates the scramble to come up with a plan B should we test positive.

 

[Kwami]

Could be... We ordered a six pack online after seeing some cruise youtubers doing the tests. I believe there are two types - one you do by yourself, the other is proctored where you are walked through the process in a video call (pc or phone). Don't open the box until you are instructed to do so. We understand the proctored tests are accepted by some cruise lines as the pre-cruise test, according to the cruise youtubers. The self tests without a proctor are not. We didn't need it for DCL. It was more of a 'is it ok for us to go?' test. IIRC they are $25 plus shipping. Small price compared to the cost of a cruise and eliminates the scramble to come up with a plan B should we test positive.

It's worth noting that they are not accepted by DCL, for anyone that does need a pre-cruise test.

 

[RedHead0186]

Yes. The Binax tests come in two flavors. The cheaper flavor has you do the test yourself. The more expensive one has you connect remotely with a doctor who watches you do the test to make sure that you do it right. The second variety is more accepted than the first, I guess.

I used the do-it-yourself version before my last cruise. You're supposed to take two tests about 36 hours apart to make sure that you don't get a false negative/positive result. The box of two tests was about $20 and you get results in 15 minutes. I don't have more information about the fancier, doctor-supervised version, though.

The fancier, doctor-supervised one is not much different. I had to take one of those as a pre-cruise test for Princess just last week. It's the exact same Binax test that you do at home. What you do for the "protcored" one is scan the test kit (so there's an official record), then you are on video and someone is talking to you (you don't see them). They talk you through exactly how to do the test and you have to show them on video parts of how you're doing it to be sure it's done right. You also have to leave the video on the test for the 15 minutes it takes to process (so they can ensure there's no funny business). After the 15 minutes is up, they'll tell you how to read it and ask you, then take a look themselves, then you have to scan the barcode again. You get results via email and within the Navica app within about 10 minutes (and that app is what I had to show at port).

As someone else said, DCL doesn't allow those as pre-cruise tests because they're antigen (though Princess did). But, if you want a 'peace of mind' test before you leave, that's a good one (not sure the proctored one is worth the extra money for at-home versus just the one you do yourself, but that's up to you).

 

[DisneYE]

I just want to say that I'm glad you're done with your treatment and that I hope you beat leukemia for good.
I wish you many decades of good health with your family, leukemia free, and many more sailings with DCL.

 

[mzspaz]

I just want to say that I'm glad you're done with your treatment and that I hope you beat leukemia for good.
I wish you many decades of good health with your family, leukemia free, and many more sailings with DCL.

Thank you!!!! Fortunately it was caught early and I have responded well to the treatment. The chemo pill is a bit rough, but I recently switched to another one and it seems to be keeping me in remission while not being too hard on me overall.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Well, how did it all go?

 

[mzspaz]

Well, how did it all go?

We had to deploy the backup to the backup plan......my DH tested positive on a home test the night before we were set to fly out. It was confirmed with a PCR test. He didn't have any symptoms and we were all completely surprised. My son and I were negative.

We were able to get everything rescheduled for October and didn't really lose any money, just an onboard credit from our placeholder.

It certainly was a huge disappointment, but at least we were somewhat prepared for it.

Now we have added on a few days at Disney to catch the new Guardians ride and hopefully Tron. Plus it looks like many things on the ship are returning to normal and my big want, the rainforest room, should be back to normal in October. Just reinforces my belief that everything happens for a reason!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We had to deploy the backup to the backup plan......my DH tested positive on a home test the night before we were set to fly out. It was confirmed with a PCR test. He didn't have any symptoms and we were all completely surprised. My son and I were negative.

We were able to get everything rescheduled for October and didn't really lose any money, just an onboard credit from our placeholder.

It certainly was a huge disappointment, but at least we were somewhat prepared for it.

Now we have added on a few days at Disney to catch the new Guardians ride and hopefully Tron. Plus it looks like many things on the ship are returning to normal and my big want, the rainforest room, should be back to normal in October. Just reinforces my belief that everything happens for a reason!

Glad it was an easy reschedule for you and in trying to look on the bright side, at least you found out before leaving home. JMHO, but personally, I would do the WDW portion after the cruise, so any in-park exposure doesn't ruin your cruise plans. I'd avoid any crowds before the cruise.