Pre-Cruise Testing

I have seen what happens at Galveston Terminal re their testing...if all else fails, or if you show up and somehow didn't know to get tested, it can be done. As a last resort only....there's a word for it, but its unprintable. Not to mention unnecessarily expensive. Saw another couple having to get tested, didn't know where to go or what to do...and I was certainly no help..saw them later...they did get tested...looked dazed and confused to me...Just a suggestion, a few days before your appointment, give AFFINITY a call and reconfirm.. Thats what I did for that particular cruise, only because it was Thanksgiving and I had a severe case of paranoia. (what, you thought you were the only one? hehehhe) They just ask for your birthdate is all, and what I noticed, speaking for myself, it put my mind at ease, big time...(you could even call for your folks if you like)..Like I said before, I would use them again in a heartbeat if circumstances dictated it, but now I go locally when we need a test. I call them in advance just to be sociable, give em my name, and they know me as "the cruise guy".....know the receptionists by their first names..fine with me.....good luck!!!!

HA! Carnival sent an email yesterday for those who can't find testing, they will do it at the port for $100.00 each

I think I will stick with the Urgent care

This group has always been awesome! Chit-chat and all!

Yeh they have a few branches...they're not "huge" like the big box stores or hospitals, but they get the job done. Glad I could help...Most useful thing I'll do all day!!This group isn't all about chit chat, it only seems that way...hehehehe...tell us how it went...

There is one close to us, and I called them this morning! Unless it's a different Affinity Health Care.. but the lady was nice and told me they could help no problem, even said I could book my appt now.

My folks don't live close to us, but I will tell them to go there instead! I'd rather go to a smaller (so to speak) place anyway.. It isn't often that I can tell my pops what to do, so you bet your sweet bippi I am going to take advantage of it!

So he made the same mistake...and you went and ran with it....we used AFFINITY HEALTH CARE, 61ST AND SEAWALL, GALVESTON...so I called them...409-497-2808..x6 on their prompts,,,nice woman answered..all I asked was if they're still doing pre-cruise rapid tests..of course they do...they take appointments and walkins...$60...results while you wait...just like we did....given the same circumstances, I would use them again in a heartbeat...btw, while driving down their main drag, I spotted a couple more...seems like a new industry has sprung up courtesy the cruise lines...call em...now YOU can tell Daddy what to do.....

We live 85 miles or so from Galveston.. we always cruise out from there, much easier.. I have only looked at the big box places and the urgent care by our home. My dad told me last night that they tried to do the rapid antigen test and there were none available within 100 miles of Houston..However, that was thru Walgreens.

NO rapid antigen test in houston??? seriously?... all I googled was "pre-cruise testing houston"...found a whole bunch.. and not the "big box" chains either...get results while you wait...I know Houston is a big place...but...btw, I'm just guessing you're in the Houston area too..either way, what port are you cruising out of? and how are you getting there? all of that can factor into where and when you get your tests..

Ahhh... you all help calm this girl's nerves. My husband didn't understand why I was stressing.. he said we would figure it out!!! We? More like me, but I digress.. I think I am just so over all of this and ready to take the trip we've planned to take since December 2019 that it just got to me a little bit, OK alotta bit.

My parents are leaving on Saturday for their cruise so I asked them what they planned to do. They have appointments at Walgreens for the rapid NAAT test, as there are no Rapid Antigen Tests in Houston

I was genuinely hoping this requirement would have been dropped by now, but I knew we wouldn't be so lucky.

Sigh........................ When I started this topic back in January, I had hoped we were going to be on the back end of pre-cruise testing requirements. At the time I naively thought with the pandemic losing it's grip on our part of the world that testing would have soon been dropped. I recall I even mused that with my luck testing requirements would be dropped RIGHT AFTER we had taken our cruise in early March. Sadly, that is not the case.

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/when-will-royal-caribbean-carnival-norwegian-drop-vaccines-testing

Upon re-reading the posts on this thread (including my own) I can feel the stress and anxiety flowing from the words. I recall that stress. I was under it while our family members took the proctored test. I also recall the gratitude I had for the person who suggested I purchase more than than the [4] that were required for our party (I ordered 6) because our internet connection dropped out during my wife's testing, thus rendering it invalid. Finally, I recall the incredible sense of relief when we all passed our tests, and I had our digital and hard copy verification. After 2 years we were finally going to be able to travel, and take a cruise.

This is a big inconvenience, and although I understand it's necessity, I also resent the fact that the stress negates and/or neutralizes a good deal of the excitement and anticipation that a vacation should bring. It (the stress) is on a level of its own. It's a It's not anywhere near the the anxiety one feels wondering if they remembered to pack their favorite item of clothing. Not to be too dramatic, but metaphorically speaking it was like playing Russian Roulette, where the tests were the "bullets" that could have killed our family vacation. It is not something I look forward to experiencing again (hopefully it will be over by next March). Unfortunately it appears that it is an inconvenience we will have to continue to endure into the foreseeable future.

Again, I am not stating that Covid and peoples safety is not a big deal. It is. I'm just reflecting upon the emotional roller coaster that the pre-cruise tests had brought about.