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

[Kwami]

Yes and it makes sense why they do it, but if that's their policy they definitely need to do a better job of handling the positive cases.

NCL is changing their policy beginning March 1, to a test within 2 days of arrival at the pier. No more testing at the pier. I assume due to the logistical issues of testing positive upon arrival.

Cruises with embarkation dates beginning March 1, 2022:
At time of check-in, all guests will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test result administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test (i.e. https://www.emed.com/ or BioReference's Scarlet service - BioReference sends a trained Scarlet Health Professional to your home to collect your COVID-19 test specimen), within two days prior to boarding for cruises originating in a U.S. port and three days prior for voyages departing from a non-U.S. port. Guests are also responsible for complying with all local health and safety requirements which may include additional testing.

That's a lot less strict than Disney's policy, though. They're accepting tests from two days ago, which are less reliable than tests on day of departure, and they're accepting antigen tests, which are known to results in false negatives for asymptomatic people. I think I like Disney's stricter policy better, even if it does include the risk of being stranded in Florida.

 

[MsSimone]

I highly highly recommend cruisers look at someone other than Disney for trip insurance and cover their whole trip (flights to/from as well as the cruise). We got a policy that would provide hotel coverage in the event that our trip was interrupted due to health issues, with COVID explicitly included. That way, if we'd ended up in the OP's situation and had to quarantine/isolate in Florida we could at least file a claim for the cost of the hotel.

Because we cruised right after Christmas we were on the hunt for at-home tests at the same time everyone else also decided they needed an at-home test, but if you can find one, get it! We took our tests two days before our flight and scheduled urgent care tests for the day before, in case one of us popped a positive on the at-home test. (Happily no one did, so we canceled the urgent care appts). We were still terrified one of us would test positive at the port and we've definitely done our last cruise until all of this settles down.


OP, I am so so sorry your vacation went sideways. And how disappointing that DCL didn't do more to help you. That really sucks.

 

[Kwami]

I highly highly recommend cruisers look at someone other than Disney for trip insurance and cover their whole trip (flights to/from as well as the cruise). We got a policy that would provide hotel coverage in the event that our trip was interrupted due to health issues, with COVID explicitly included. That way, if we'd ended up in the OP's situation and had to quarantine/isolate in Florida we could at least file a claim for the cost of the hotel.

Does your insurance still cover you if you travel to a place listed as high risk by the government, though? I've seen a lot of insurances have an exclusion for that and right now, cruising is listed as high risk.

 

[DLgal]

Not true. The quarantine period is changed to 5 days. You can return to work if you are asymptomatic. You know there are thousands of people getting on planes that Covid positive.

If they get in a plane knowingly infected and they have flown before the required 5 day quarantine period, they can be fined and banned from the airline for life. It has already happened to several people. Positive PCR tests go into databases and the airlines can cross check if they suspect someone violates the rules.

I'm sure plenty of people fly UNKNOWINGLY infected, but anyone who does so knowingly is taking quite a risk of being found out.

 

[braysmommy]

And let's not forget that you could be totally recovered from Covid yet still test positive at the port....I read between 10 and 30% of people, for whatever reason, can still test positive on a PCR (not rapid antigen) up to 12 weeks post infection. That is crazy. So, you could technically test negative on a rapid test the day before you fly but test positive at the port the next day.

Pretty sure those that have recently had covid upload postive PCR test and are waived from testing for this reason.

 

[MsSimone]

Does your insurance still cover you if you travel to a place listed as high risk by the government, though? I've seen a lot of insurances have an exclusion for that and right now, cruising is listed as high risk.

Our policy did not list any exclusions like that.

 

[TreeFalls]

Can you expand on how you kept the luggage and how you dropped off after testing? Did you walk it down after the negative and clear to sail?

How to keep luggage with you when parking at Port Canaveral:

We drove into the port following signs for parking, and they checked our port arrival time and directed us to where to drop of luggage on the curb. If you're not familiar with it, it looks kind of like an airport arrivals place where you would drop off passengers, and you can pull over and drop off the luggage. The parking deck is on the left as you pass through the luggage drop off area. We told the attendant we weren't ready to drop off luggage yet, that we wanted to park first. They suggested we could just pull over and deal with it there before entering the parking deck, but we asked to park first and they said it was ok.

You are tested as you enter the parking deck, then you park, and once the phone says you are cleared to sail, you walk a bridge on the third floor across the street, then take the elevator or escalator down to check in. There are a few people along the way to check that you are cleared to sail and direct you where to go. The check in building is right next to where the porters are taking luggage at the curb, so before entering check in, you can walk about 15 yards and drop your checked luggage with the porters.

 

[cpep42]

So very sorry for everyone going through this. I can't believe Disney responded this way under the circumstances. I know they have thousands of people to attend to but just having something to eat and drink would not be asking too much. Maybe if a staff member reads some of these comments changes will be made. Glad you're all doing well though.

 

[MomOTwins]

I keep seeing people getting upset about at-port testing, but these ships are going to Caribbean islands with vaccination rates ranging from 35-90% of eligible 12+ citizens. It's not just about being on a boat full of vaccinated people, it's about the people whose country you will be porting at.

Yes, but an alternative would be to require NAAT/PCR testing within 3 days of the sailing that people can do at home and not risk being stranded at a port and unable to fly home. Yes, that has some headaches too (can be hard to get an appointment in some places), but relatively minor compare to at port testing.

And yes, while an at-port test will likely weed out marginally more asymptomatic positive cases than testing 3 days before, the at-port testing is hardly foolproof either given people could have contracted the virus when traveling to the port but it is too early to detect as it usually takes several days between exposure and when you would test positive.

 

[evedein]

Is it possible to keep your luggage when arriving by DCL bus?

 

[Marrila]

So very sorry for everyone going through this. I can't believe Disney responded this way under the circumstances. I know they have thousands of people to attend to but just having something to eat and drink would not be asking too much. Maybe if a staff member reads some of these comments changes will be made. Glad you're all doing well though.

I agree with you. Maybe they are trying to limit exposure and keep room easy to sanitize? I'm going to bring a few snack bars and water just in case.

 

[Kwami]

Is it possible to keep your luggage when arriving by DCL bus?

I don't think so. When you get off the bus, they already have your luggage set aside. You can view it to make sure that it's all there, but at least when I last sailed (September), they weren't really letting anyone get to their luggage after getting off the bus. Like, you could probably ask to get something out of a suitcase if you needed to, but I don't think they'd let you take the suitcases.

 

[Annabell]

So sorry to hear that your family had to go through this. Thanks for sharing. I am disappointed to know that Disney did so little to help.

 

[mousefan73]

Yes and it makes sense why they do it, but if that's their policy they definitely need to do a better job of handling the positive cases.

NCL is changing their policy beginning March 1, to a test within 2 days of arrival at the pier. No more testing at the pier. I assume due to the logistical issues of testing positive upon arrival.

Cruises with embarkation dates beginning March 1, 2022:
At time of check-in, all guests will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test result administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test (i.e. https://www.emed.com/ or BioReference's Scarlet service - BioReference sends a trained Scarlet Health Professional to your home to collect your COVID-19 test specimen), within two days prior to boarding for cruises originating in a U.S. port and three days prior for voyages departing from a non-U.S. port. Guests are also responsible for complying with all local health and safety requirements which may include additional testing.

This though gets rid of one problem ( testing postivie at port and dealing with all what that entails) it creates a new one. Over at other cruise forums where other lines do similar there have been so many issues with people not able to get their tests in time or procted in time. it all comes down to who is " verified third party", mail issues or not getting results in time issues. I am curious what their solution then is for non-US passengers. is Bioreference gonna send me and pick up my sample overseas?

Back when my mom and I decided to do a quick trip beginning of December we were looking at RCI and DCL. RCI was tons cheaper but one of the selling points DCL was they paid for and administrered the testing at port. We didnt have to worry about actually getting a test done, paying and having results in time. I went to look at testing in Orlando and to be honest it was more a gambel us being abel to even get a test done if we flew there, vs testing positive at port. Both cases in our situation, we would have traveled already. In my cruise group so many parents were freaking out as their kids PCR tests were being delayed or results not coming in and they were like " now what". It was no stress for us, except of course the big waiting for results at Port.

 

[anjuan]

That's a lot less strict than Disney's policy, though. They're accepting tests from two days ago, which are less reliable than tests on day of departure, and they're accepting antigen tests, which are known to results in false negatives for asymptomatic people. I think I like Disney's stricter policy better, even if it does include the risk of being stranded in Florida.

First of all, I'm so sorry you went through this experience and that DCL handled it poorly after your son was diagnosed.

We were on a Royal Caribbean cruise over Christmas, and based on our experience I agree with the quote I copied above. We tested 2 days before the cruise with a rapid antigen test and were both negative. Then at 3 days into the cruise my daughter developed symptoms, and we tested positive at the medical facility and were in quarantine in a different stateroom on a lower deck for the rest of the cruise. My daughter's first and biggest concern was whether she could have given COVID to new friends she developed on the ship (she was so upset about transmitting it to others that she was crying). She had to provide specific contract tracing details. They tested the friends she had made, and 2 out of 4 of them did test positive and had to also be quarantined. After we were quarantined we were given free wifi and found out that 6 other girls on her swim team back home had COVID. The likely hood is she got it from the swim team and transmitted it to others on the ship since I've read that symptoms often show up around 5 days after transmission. So just a different perspective on why testing at the port likely reduces the amount of positive cases on the ship and protects others.

Royal had it's good and bad side how they handled things after my daughter was positive. They did transfer us to a hotel after the cruise to finish quarantine, paid for it, our food, and changes to flights. However, the communication on board the ship was terrible and we sometimes had to wait an hour on hold for room service and then another hour to get our food, etc. We had no clue regarding the procedures after we got off the ship (even after calling guest services multiple times) or what time we were getting off until they actually came to get us from the room the morning the cruise was over.

 

[puertorican00676]

Im so sorry this happened to you. But, at least in my experience when I buy the insurance and read it, it says my trip and insurance starts when I get on the car to go to the airport, maybe you want to double check on the terms of the insurance to make sure you do or don’t have a claim that you can claim.
And it’s terrible service not receiving better guidance about what to do or how to proceed after you are turned away at the port. Hope everything works out for you guys.

 

[MomOTwins]

I don't think so. When you get off the bus, they already have your luggage set aside. You can view it to make sure that it's all there, but at least when I last sailed (September), they weren't really letting anyone get to their luggage after getting off the bus. Like, you could probably ask to get something out of a suitcase if you needed to, but I don't think they'd let you take the suitcases.

You could certainly retrieve and take a carry on bag. We did this because we wanted to have our swim stuff with us when we boarded so we could take a dip before the checked luggage is delivered. But yeah, it's not really set up for you to take all your luggage with you into the tents. I supposed you could ask though--it's not as though you wouldn't be able to access your bags after boarding the bus.

First of all, I'm so sorry you went through this experience and that DCL handled it poorly after your son was diagnosed.

We were on a Royal Caribbean cruise over Christmas, and based on our experience I agree with the quote I copied above. We tested 2 days before the cruise with a rapid antigen test and were both negative. Then at 3 days into the cruise my daughter developed symptoms, and we tested positive at the medical facility and were in quarantine in a different stateroom on a lower deck for the rest of the cruise. My daughter's first and biggest concern was whether she could have given COVID to new friends she developed on the ship (she was so upset about transmitting it to others that she was crying). She had to provide specific contract tracing details. They tested the friends she had made, and 2 out of 4 of them did test positive and had to also be quarantined. After we were quarantined we were given free wifi and found out that 6 other girls on her swim team back home had COVID. The likely hood is she got it from the swim team and transmitted it to others on the ship since I've read that symptoms often show up around 5 days after transmission. So just a different perspective on why testing at the port likely reduces the amount of positive cases on the ship and protects others.

Royal had it's good and bad side how they handled things after my daughter was positive. They did transfer us to a hotel after the cruise to finish quarantine, paid for it, our food, and changes to flights. However, the communication on board the ship was terrible and we sometimes had to wait an hour on hold for room service and then another hour to get our food, etc. We had no clue regarding the procedures after we got off the ship (even after calling guest services multiple times) or what time we were getting off until they actually came to get us from the room the morning the cruise was over.

I don't see that necessarily being true--since she didn't develop symptoms until 3 days into the cruise, an at-port test would likely have been too early to detect the virus as well. In 2 out of 3 of the family Omicron cases we had in the past couple of weeks, the first tests (on days 1 or 2 of symptoms) came back negative, but then the second tests taken a few days after symptoms came back positive. It is correct that symptoms often show up 5 days after exposure, but that also is around the same time (for both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases) it takes for viral load to reach the level where it can be detected by testing.

 

[DCLMP]

If they get in a plane knowingly infected and they have flown before the required 5 day quarantine period, they can be fined and banned from the airline for life. It has already happened to several people. Positive PCR tests go into databases and the airlines can cross check if they suspect someone violates the rules.

I'm sure plenty of people fly UNKNOWINGLY infected, but anyone who does so knowingly is taking quite a risk of being found out.

Do you have any links that explain these databases and how airlines cross-check passengers? Regardless there is no testing required to fly. The people that tested positive were probably positive when they flew to the port. It's not a question of what's right or wrong it's just the reality of what is. If you're getting on a plane just expect to be on there with people with Covid or other viruses. It's always been that way.

 

[Freeman867]

Not true. The quarantine period is changed to 5 days. You can return to work if you are asymptomatic. You know there are thousands of people getting on planes that Covid positive.

I really don't think there are that many people who are getting on planes who are knowingly COVID positive and not 5 days asymptomatic. Some? Sure.

Do you have any links that explain these databases and how airlines cross-check passengers? Regardless there is no testing required to fly. The people that tested positive were probably positive when they flew to the port. It's not a question of what's right or wrong it's just the reality of what is. If you're getting on a plane just expect to be on there with people with Covid or other viruses. It's always been that way.

The airlines make you sign/agree to a statement you aren't flying while knowingly positive for COVID. To board the plane after you just received a positive test result at the port seems like you'd have to lie about not knowing you were positive and open yourself up to huge legal liability if it was found out. Not saying it would be found out, but if it was, you couldn't just say "Sorry! I didn't know!".

 

[DCLMP]

I really don't think there are that many people who are getting on planes who are knowingly COVID positive and not 5 days asymptomatic. Some? Sure.


The airlines make you sign/agree to a statement you aren't flying while knowingly positive for COVID. To board the plane after you just received a positive test result at the port seems like you'd have to lie about not knowing you were positive and open yourself up to huge legal liability if it was found out. Not saying it would be found out, but if it was, you couldn't just say "Sorry! I didn't know!".

It's pretty easy to "not know" just don't take a test. I'm sure lots of people flew over the holidays with symptoms. Anyway, airlines don't have access to people's medical records.