COVID-19 Pre-Cruise Testing Is Easier With At-Home Testing Options from Royal Caribbean

Learn about Royal Caribbean's new stress-free option for pre-cruise COVID-19 testing in the comfort of your home

Box of BinaxNOW COVID-19 home tests

An Easier Way to Obtain COVID-19 Test Results Prior to Boarding

Royal Caribbean recently announced a new easier way to complete your required pre-cruise COVID-19 tests. Instead of the hassle of booking an appointment at your local pharmacy, you can now order at-home Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests to complete the testing requirement in the comfort of your home on your own schedule. We decided to take advantage of this new program and ordered two sets of three at-home tests directly from Royal Caribbean/Optum. Each set of tests is $99.99 with free expedited shipping. If you have an HSA or FSA, you can pay for these tests with that account or use a credit card of your choosing.

We received our box of tests about two days after ordering. We're located in Florida and the tests were shipped from California for reference.

How It Works:

1. Wait to open the tests until you're instructed to do so. There is a tamper evident seal that will be checked prior to testing.

2. Once you're ready to begin the pre-cruise test procedure, scan the QR code on your test kit box to start your virtual visit. A certified eMed guide will help you through the testing process and provide further instructions once you start your video session.

3. After completing the easy and painless swab process, you'll get your test results within minutes via the app.

4. Present the official test results during the boarding process on the day of your cruise.

Here’s a video from Royal Caribbean and eMed to help guide you through the process:

We’re looking forward to trying this at-home test kit in a few weeks. We’ve completed several BinaxNOW tests at home, but this will be our first time using the eMed certified guide. This is a much less stressful way to get results since you are in charge of your own timeline for getting the test done and receiving results.

Our last pre-cruise COVID-19 test experience was really stressful since our pharmacy testing location cancelled our appointments within 12 hours of the test. We had to scramble to find a last minute testing location that was able to return our results that same day. This new at-home option helps take the stress out of preparing for a cruise.

To learn more about the telemedicine option, see Royal Caribbean’s FAQ page.

May your testing experience be positive and your test results negative. Happy testing!