We just got back from Maui last week, and let’s just say that things were a bit different from previous visits. Although it was a bit stressful leading up to the trip, landing, and the day following landing, we had a ton of fun still. As you all already know, we are facing a pandemic that is fairly new to all of us and the world is trying to feel out cope mechanisms as to how to get rid of it and/or handle it the best way that we possibly can. This post is a bit on the longer side than my norm, so I went ahead and bolded the more important sections if you are not big on reading 🙂

One of Hawaii’s regulations that had been put into place due to the Covid-19 Virus is to take a NAAT Covid-19 Test within 72 hours of landing to the island. Log onto https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/welcome to read up on all the things to know prior to booking your Hawaii trip. {Through this site, you will be navigated to fill out a safe travels page.} We followed the guidelines according to this website, but it wasn’t the piece of cake that we had thought it would be. Entering a territory that isn’t really your familiar domain is nerve wrecking to begin with; now that they have added rules and regulations only makes it that much more intimidating.

Wear your masks at all times on the plane and at the airports, unless eating or drinking

On the website, once navigating through their web page links, you will find a list of places where you can take the NAAT test that works hand in hand with their island correspondence. What we had learned was that just because it was on that list, didn’t necessarily mean that they provided the NAAT test. (Please note that an NAAT test is different than a RAPID test.) I called Walgreens, Urgent Care, CVS, my own doctor, and Quest Diagnostics. We made appointments with Urgent Care, Quest Diagnostics and CVS. I made appointments with all three because after calling around, most of the pharmacists weren’t familiar with what an NAAT test was and the other’s were all automated or online to where I couldn’t ask any questions. I didn’t want to miss our 72 hour window by booking an appointment with someone that didn’t offer the “NAAT Test.” Thank God I did make appointments with all three places, because the third one was the charm. My doctor didn’t refer me over to a lab because I didn’t show any symptoms or have a justified cause to getting a test done. The Walgreens pharmacist told me that I wouldn’t have the results within 3 days, and the thought of dealing with the possibility of not getting the results in time wasn’t something that I was willing to risk.

We made it to our Urgent Care appointment, which was disappointing. The test was on Saturday evening, our flight left Tuesday and we had to keep the 72 hour time frame in mind. The woman who helped us had no knowledge as to what an NAAT test was and told us that their results can take up to a week. To top it off, it would cost us $269.00 per test. Spending $269.00 per test wasn’t something that we were willing to spend and it possibly not work out. Sunday was off, due to the simple fact that nothing is operates on Sundays. Our next appointment was on Monday at Quest Diagnostics. After arriving at Quest Diagnostics, we had to wait almost an hour to be seen, just so they can tell us that our doctor needed to send over a referral, they didn’t know what an NAAT test was either, and all of their tests are blood drawn, not through swab. I was shocked that many of these pharmacists had no idea what an NAAT test was.

CVS was an appointment that we made online. This test was also booked for that Monday prior to our departure. THANK GOD I MADE THIS APPOINTMENT!!!! It was a bit of a headache, but worked out!!! You will need to make your appointment three days in advance to when you need the test done. The slots fill up VERY, VERY quickly!!!! When you fill out the appointment online, through their CVS site, time slots will then appear. Book your time slot immediately and don’t be late. The voluntarily COVID-19 testing will cost you $139.00 per test. Log into https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing/voluntary-testing to book your appointment. Prior to taking this test, create a CVS Health MyChart. Your results will be uploaded here and from this page you will be able to transfer your results to your Safe Travels.

Appointment Confirmation

We got lucky and our insurance covered the cost of the test. From what an employee shared with me, prior to me pressing the very kind woman that helped us to please try and take our health insurance, “getting a voluntary test is strictly out of pocket and up front, and there is no way around that cost.” I made the mistake of booking our appointments through CVS.COM, @https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing, and because of that, she was patient with me and took our insurance. By originally booking our appointment through this site (CVS.com) opposed to the volunteer testing site (the Hawaii Traveling Page) that they said we needed the appointment through, we got around the upfront cost.

We were afraid that by making the appointments through this site (CVS.com) instead of the one they said that we needed to make it through, was going to mess up how Hawaii received our results…..BUT IT DID NOT! YAY!!! It will be left up to you on how bad you want the tests done for free or for $139.00 per person. Depending on many people are going on your vacation, this can add up quickly!!!! …. you didn’t hear this from me!

To add to the safe Travels page that I mentioned earlier, another important step prior taking your vacation is filling out a Health Questionnaire with a QR code through the travel.hawaii.gov site that I mentioned earlier. After creating the account, you will receive an email with a QR code. This code will need to be handy throughout the airlines boarding process and at all times in Hawaii. 24 hours prior to your flight, you will need to fill out the Health Questionnaire. Once you are in Hawaii, everyday for the first 14 days of your stay, you will need to check in through your Travel and health form.

Safe Travels is where you upload your test results and fill out your health questionnaire

As I mentioned, we took our test the Monday before our departure. Results can take up to three days to come in, so what happens in this case??? Well, we know from personal experience….. Our results were not in and ready prior to landing so we had to be quarantined until we got the all clear. If you are staying in a Hotel, you are unlikely going to be able to get around this quarantine. Not that you would even dare risk being found wandering out and about without the all clear; if you are, you can be fined up to $7,000.00 and possibly be thrown into jail!!! crazy, right?!?! Don’t risk it.

When we arrived to the state, immediately after getting off of the plane, we were greeted by a line that escorted us to a table of people that were checking QR codes. Because our results weren’t in yet, the woman who checked our codes called our Hotel to verify reservations and told them to quarantine us. To top this off, they didn’t let us check out our car rental; we had to get a cab to our Hotel. Once we arrived to our Hotel, we were given a one time entry key to our room. If we choose to leave our room, the key would not let us back in. We had to order our groceries and pizza for dinner the night that we arrived because we could not leave. At this point we were worried that our results could take up to the full three days, so we panicked grocery shopped and ordered groceries that would last us. Boy, o Boy was God on our side, because that very next morning at 5 am, our results were in and we were FREE! We uploaded our tests results to the Safe Travels page and showed our QR codes to the front desk and from there we were given our regular room key cards.

This what your QR Code will look like after the results are posted

Now we had to go to the opposite side of the island to pick up our car rental, which meant another cab. These were all costs that we were not planning on, so be prepared for the unprepared. Two cab costs, groceries and using food delivery methods costed us almost another $400.00 that we were not expecting. Let me just say that the cab itself was almost $200.00 to the Hotel and back to the Airport.

This doesn’t have much to do with Covid traveling, but to add to our not so great luck, we booked our car rental through Expedia with my credit card and to be safe, we left all of my credit cards at home and only took my husbands. This caused an issue when picking up our car because I did not physically have my credit card to show the clerk. Because of this, we had to cancel the reservation through Expedia and rebook the car rental with a physical credit card in hand. -Just a heads up!

Maui was still as beautiful as always, and yes we still had an amazing time. The masks were a must and we were advised to keep our Safe Travels QR code handy if needed. Maui operated as anywhere else; they didn’t do ID or QR code checks when entering stores or just walking about. I honestly believe that by spreading the word of the consequences for not having the QR codes handy and if caught without the positive Covid test uploaded to the Safe Travels page, was set in place as a scare tactic, not to say that it’s not accurate though. You will be found guilty and more than likely be fined and/or possibly be thrown in jail if out without the positive test results. I just don’t want you to think that there are national guards walking the streets harassing citizens for their codes or ID’s, nor do stores and restaurants ask for these while shopping or dining with them.

All in all, CVS was the best bet for us, we still had fun, and being quarantined on any of the Hawaii islands is real a thing. Taking a trip to Hawaii is a risk regardless nowadays. We (people) usually book our trips far in advance, and anything can happen. Let’s just say that you do have Covid and didn’t show any symptoms, that you felt 100%, you will still be quarantined during your vacation, well… at least for the first 14 days of your stay! I know that this entry was fairly long, but I hope that it was at least a little helpful and Good Luck. Please reach out if you have any questions and/or comments! Thanks for tuning in and remember, as always, Stay Pretty!