Think back to your days in school. You had a big test the next day and you couldn't sleep. That's what it's like when you are cruising on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady in the midst of this pandemic. The difference is that you can't study for this test and it's either pass or fail. Currently an antigen test is administered at the pier. You must test negative for Covid-19 to board the ship. No other test results can be used.
Note: At the time of this writing, Virgin Voyages Terminal V has not been completed. It will be ready soon, and your experience will differ from ours.
We arrived at the terminal and proceeded to check in. You show the agent your app on your phone and they scan each passenger's boarding pass. Prior to arrival, you need to complete several steps using the app including health questions which can only be done on embarkation day. You've uploaded your vaccination card, passport information, and a photo already.
Our Sailor bands had been mailed to our house, so they just needed to scan them to activate them. Next we were onto the next station to go through security. After security, it's time for the all important test. A few swirls of the swab and we were done for now.
Tip: Make sure you have your phone, because you'll be checking for an email with your results. Within 15 minutes you should receive an email with a PDF file attached. Download the file, hold your breath, and if you pass, go on to show your results and head towards the waiting room.
The picture above means we passed our test and were heading towards the waiting room. It was around noon when we arrived at the terminal and now it was about 12:30 PM. We were handed a group number (#3) and directed to the seating area. We met some of our friends, who had already had their results, and were in the group ahead of us.
Jacob was one of the greeters who kept us amused in the 1.5 hour wait. They don't let anyone on the ship until around 2 PM. Every now and then there would be a cork pop and he'd be celebrating a birthday or other event for a passenger. There was a constant parade to the vending machines to get some food or drink. We've been told there will be food and drink in the new facilities when they open.Once onboard we headed to our cabin to drop off our luggage and then off for some lunch. There were plenty of crew around to direct you to your cabin and help you get around the ship. The story continues in our next post. Welcome aboard Scarlet Lady!
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