We Tested Positive For Covid at the Port and Here's What Happened

[insureman]

Doing parks then cruise is less desirable nowadays since the parks are so hugh-risk right before a cruise.

I was thinking this also and was going to change our 3 day pre cruise WDW trip then I realized with 2 daughters being elementary school teachers our chance getting Covid are just as great or greater staying at home.

 

[PendingPeril]

Wow what a nightmare. I was on the fence, but this pushed me to the side of not wanting to cruise until restrictions are looser. After all that build up and travel any kid would be devastated. Sorry it happened to you.

 

[Sleepyluke]

god no! As somebody who dabbles in airline IT, we do not have access to medical or health department records (no fly list a different process) nor have a process to match this to your reservation. and nor have staff to start calling random health departments to find the few PCR tests that are reported ( how many tests are not reported??). From an IT side: I assume also that there is not one central database for all health, testing data. A nightmare and expense to deal with all the various data sources. From a lega side I highly doubt medical records from either a testing facility or health department can be made public with person informatin. There's a difference if the health department makes statistics publics vs. just giving any random person on the phone Mr. So and so's test result.

Airlines are required by some goverments to check vaccination or test results ( flying in to the US), this is done manually at check-in where the pax submits the paperwork and the check-in and often second security check do it manually, hench long lines!!! Airlines have developed apps to upload this stuff, but it took a year to do this and there are still hiccups. But this is data you are submitting- the airline is only the recipient.

And the FAA are keeping their hands off this too, IF they are interested in any medical records, its that of pilots medical histories and this isnt easy as making a phone call either.

Fact are hard.....

 

[TestingH2O]

As far as people booking a WDW vacation as a back up after testing positive at port, I don't want to be at WDW with a bunch of people who are knowingly walking around positive. Unless you're going to get a room and stay there, find somewhere else to go, don't go to the parks and spread it around there and cause other people more grief.

Isn't WDW still asking people to fill out the health declaration? Yes, yes, I know, people lie all the time, but somehow lying on that while KNOWING you tested positive seems even worse. Disney has made it very clear that if you have COVID, they don't want you engaging with any of their in-person products. Watch all the Disney+ you want. Lol.

 

[jon185]

So sorry to hear this story. We were on the cruise going out the following day (Jan 3). In our experience we found some of the testing people to be pretty rude/pushy. Does anyone know if these ppl are actually DCL workers? Or are they just contracted through DCL to do the testing portion? Might be a reason why there’s such a disconnect with the communication on when/if folks test positive.

It’s no excuse for sure. They need to do better to accommodate people if they test positive. A box meal with a dang uncrustable would be better than what they got.

 

[Kwami]

So sorry to hear this story. We were on the cruise going out the following day (Jan 3). In our experience we found some of the testing people to be pretty rude/pushy. Does anyone know if these ppl are actually DCL workers? Or are they just contracted through DCL to do the testing portion? Might be a reason why there’s such a disconnect with the communication on when/if folks test positive.

The testing is done by Inspire Diagnostics.

 

[LSUDis]

How awful! THAT is my nightmare….makes you completely rethink if it is worth it…the disappointment!
3 days prior testing does make MUCH more sense…gives time for cancellations and makes the bus ride safer!
Also, why not give 25% additional credit as some have done in the past? That would help with the pain and give more flexibility in rescheduling at, possibly, a higher-rate time…

 

[Kwami]

How awful! THAT is my nightmare….makes you completely rethink if it is worth it…the disappointment!
3 days prior testing does make MUCH more sense…gives time for cancellations and makes the bus ride safer!
Also, why not give 25% additional credit as some have done in the past? That would help with the pain and give more flexibility in rescheduling at, possibly, a higher-rate time…

Sure, but testing 3 days earlier also makes the tests less useful by quite a bit. Besides, some people live in places where it's still (somehow!) difficult to get tests, especially rapid tests.

Why should Disney give you 25% extra credit? It's not their fault that you can't cruise. The extra credit made sense when it was Disney cancelling the sailings.

 

[DLgal]

How awful! THAT is my nightmare….makes you completely rethink if it is worth it…the disappointment!
3 days prior testing does make MUCH more sense…gives time for cancellations and makes the bus ride safer!
Also, why not give 25% additional credit as some have done in the past? That would help with the pain and give more flexibility in rescheduling at, possibly, a higher-rate time…

The incubation period of the omicron variant is 3 days. Testing 3 days ahead of time is basically the same as not testing at all. We are very far removed from the days of a 14 day incubation period.

 

[KVacc]

All in all it was a horrible day and experience. You'd think they'd at least have something little for the kids stuck in this. Maybe a coloring kit and micky bars?? Small lunches or something???

I'm happy to answer any questions you have, just wanted to share a real life experience.

I’m soo sorry this happened. We have rescheduled 3 times now hoping to avoid this stuff! I feel bad for your kids. That’s just heartbreaking.

 

[WDW Lover]

I will say, I read this entire thread with interest even though I have never taken a cruise, nor will I likely ever take one! Cruise ships seems to be the worst case scenario for catching things! I definitely feel as though the original poster and her family were mistreated. But, I guess, I can't believe people even want to take a cruise with COVID going on! Anyway, I loved reading everyone's responses!

 

[TreeFalls]

The incubation period of the omicron variant is 3 days. Testing 3 days ahead of time is basically the same as not testing at all. We are very far removed from the days of a 14 day incubation period.

Our person who tested positive at the port is an unvaccinated child, and they had a negative PCR test (as was required by DCL for unvaxed kids) less than 48 hours earlier. There are definitely still surprises even if you test ahead of time.

 

[TheWittyNP]

No one mentioned a retest and we didn't ask but I assume no. It is a PCR test so likely fairly accurate.

PCR tests can be positive for a very long time. Well after the threat of infecting others has passed. I’m not understanding why they would not do additional rapid antigen testing if the PCR was positive? Why wouldn’t they ask for a PCR test to be done in your community prior to travel with results uploaded to them? It just seems like this could have easily been avoided with a better process in place.

I would recommend getting a PCR test prior to traveling to the port. If it is negative at home and positive at the port you very likely are positive. If it is positive at home you potentially could reach out to your physician for additional serum testing to clear things up. I’m so sorry you all went through that. Your poor kiddos

 

[ChicosWife]

This is an awful situation.

What happens if you booked an OBB, do you lose your discount?

 

[dreynolds1982]

Apologize if this has already been answered, but regarding the 90-day exemptions. My wife just tested positive and we're less than 90 days out (we cruise in late March). Her test was a PCR, but it was a rapid one (45 min results). It was not take-home, so she has her official results sheet and all that. I'm thinking that's the same test that DCL is using at the Port, so I'm guessing it qualifies, but I know there are lab PCR tests that aren't rapid, so wasn't sure if a rapid PCR test qualifies for exemption.

 

[jujubiee4]

Apologize if this has already been answered, but regarding the 90-day exemptions. My wife just tested positive and we're less than 90 days out (we cruise in late March). Her test was a PCR, but it was a rapid one (45 min results). It was not take-home, so she has her official results sheet and all that. I'm thinking that's the same test that DCL is using at the Port, so I'm guessing it qualifies, but I know there are lab PCR tests that aren't rapid, so wasn't sure if a rapid PCR test qualifies for exemption.

Just wanted to say I hope she is feeling ok and I hope you get the answers you need.

 

[BmarieT]

I'm writing this to give information to all of you considering cruising DCL during pandemic times. We had a cruise booked Jan 2-8th. We had two connecting staterooms and are a family of 5. All of us are vaccinated and had no symptoms. We used Disney transfers and boarded a bus to the port at approx 9am. The bus was full. We arrived at port at 10ish and were led to a testing site where we each tested then were assigned a tent to wait for results.

To get results you log into the safepassage website. Effectively we found out on the website that our 18yo (who is vaccinated and had no symptoms) tested positive and we weren't clear to sail. Everyone around us were high fiving and making thier way to the port and my kids were devestated. There were no instructions on what to do if you weren't clear to sail. We told the woman at the front of the tent that we were not clear to sail and she must have misheard us and asked us to walk to the cruise port but there were big signs saying not to unless you are clear to sail. My husband wanted to ignore the sign because we were told to walk to the port. I went back and told the lady the signs say we shouldn't walk to the port because we weren't clear to sail. I then told her we had a positive test and she directed us to stay still and someone would get us.

They brought us to a waiting room in a mobile home and a Dr came to talk to us. They could clearly see my son who tested positive was doing well. Then they officially told us we couldn't sail and they offered a full refund OR credit. I chose credit but after reading the letter (non transferable etc) asked to switch to refund because I wasn't sure if my college age son could sail with us again. They switched it no problem. And did put both connecting reservations on the form. I am working on rebooking and found out I am no longer eligible for the 10% discount due to getting a refund. I plan to call tomorrow to see if I can get a refund for one room and credit for the other but I'm not holding out hope. They made us decide there in the moment which option we wanted and gave us very little info.

Then they asked us to describe our luggage and said they would provide free transport back to the airport once luggage was collected. We arrived a bit before 10am and all this happened before 11am.

2 hours later she came into check on us and provided a letter showing the refund for both staterooms. We asked on status of our luggage and she wasn't sure. I mentioned we hadn't had breakfast (we expected a big lunch on board) and she brought us each one little bags of chips and bottles of water. I finally got my 11yo calmed down.

Then another 2 hours passed. So it was then 3pm. No one had given us an update or checked on us. We were in a sterile room with just chairs. I posted a photo. My husband went looking for someone and mentioned it is 3pm and we have 3 kids and we're hungry. Seems they don't really have anything simple like boxed lunches nor anywhere to purchase food. My 11yo was very upset and we finally had him feeling better a couple hours later, but then he was crying again. Being put alone in a sterile room for 4 hours after the devastation of not being on the cruise was about the most unDisney like thing that could happen. He could also see the ship and people having fun on the ship deck outside the window.

At 3:30 I took my 11yo son for a walk to calm him down even though I don't think we were supposed to leave that room for anything but going to the restroom. The lady who gave us chips/water earlier in the day saw us and asked why we were still there. I told her we'd been left alone and no luggage and she called someone on her walkie talkie. Finally at 4:15pm someone came to get us. They put us on a Disney bus with our luggage and drove us back to the airport. We arrived back at the airport at 5:30pm. 8 and half hour ordeal.

No one helped us arrange for lodging or rental cars or anything. We of course had our phones and figured it out. The internet at the port wasn't very good so booking everything was a pain.

We bought insurance through the Disney Cruise Line which was closed on Sundays. I called the next day and while I haven't filled out the report seems likely our rental car and lodging won't be covered since it wasn't an official Trip interruption if we never boarded the cruise and we're being told only the cruise fare itself us eligible for trip Cancellation coverage. Note: I would not buy Disney trip insurance...look elsewhere.

All in all it was a horrible day and experience. You'd think they'd at least have something little for the kids stuck in this. Maybe a coloring kit and micky bars?? Small lunches or something???

I'm happy to answer any questions you have, just wanted to share a real life experience.

We had almost the EXACT thing happen to us. We were starving by the time they found our luggage around 3pm. We were also expecting a big lunch on the ship and just had a snack for breakfast and had the earliest PAT so it was a LONG day for us as well. We were driven to the airport to pick up a rental car and had to figure things out on our own as well. I had ordered the romance package and wish now I had asked them to at least grab my DCL robe out of our stateroom. We also asked for a refund as they would only give us until 9/2022 to use the credit and we knew we would not be able to rebook in that timeframe (we live in MN). We had two cruises booked with one day in between - two MerryTime Cruises with 3 stops at Castaway Cay planned..............disappointment is putting it lightly. I will also add that the person that tested positive never had a symptom - EVER. We were told you can test positive for 3 months with the test they use so she could have had Covid months ago and been perfectly healthy when she tested positive. We are Platinum with DCL but this experience put a very bad taste in our mouths and it will be a long time before we book another cruise with Disney.

 

[BAIC03]

Apologize if this has already been answered, but regarding the 90-day exemptions. My wife just tested positive and we're less than 90 days out (we cruise in late March). Her test was a PCR, but it was a rapid one (45 min results). It was not take-home, so she has her official results sheet and all that. I'm thinking that's the same test that DCL is using at the Port, so I'm guessing it qualifies, but I know there are lab PCR tests that aren't rapid, so wasn't sure if a rapid PCR test qualifies for exemption.

Hi friend! I asked Safe Passage this question and they don’t care what type of test was conducted by your doctor. The only test that isn’t accepted is an at-home test. If you have the letter with all the appropriate verbiage and that test you should be fine to request (and hopefully get) and exemption.

 

[ChicosWife]

Hi friend! I asked Safe Passage this question and they don’t care what type of test was conducted by your doctor. The only test that isn’t accepted is an at-home test. If you have the letter with all the appropriate verbiage and that test you should be fine to request (and hopefully get) and exemption.

Wait, there is a 90-day exemption? Please tell me more as I tested positive last week and we cruise in less than 90 days (barely).

 

[dreynolds1982]

Hi friend! I asked Safe Passage this question and they don’t care what type of test was conducted by your doctor. The only test that isn’t accepted is an at-home test. If you have the letter with all the appropriate verbiage and that test you should be fine to request (and hopefully get) and exemption.

Thanks for the info! Yeah it was a (rather expensive) rapid PCR test so sounds like that will work. I'm currently awaiting my results from a mail-in PCR test as well. And she is doing well, just symptoms akin to a mild cold. Right now I don't any symptoms at all (except for typical allergy stuff) so who knows what my results will show. We were both vaxxed and boosted so imagine that helped keep it mild.