Cruising choices with an active Pandemic

The problem is that this has been deemed necessary by Tasmanian Heath. They do not consider the greater public good. They did not want Covid restrictions ceased in the first place and with the recent uptick in cases called for the return of the mask mandate. The Premier didn't cave though.

It really is time that we got rid of the Emergency under the Public Health Acts of various States so the bureaucrats can no longer call the shots. Tasmania's Emergency was extended a month ago for an indefinite period. However the actual words in the notice of extension seem to contradict what is going on in this example.
Point 3 says that entry to Tasmania on a cruise ship is prohibited unless approval granted by the Deputy State Controller but that persons entering Tasmania no longer have to quarantine.
Here is the order.
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drron said:
The problem is that this has been deemed necessary by Tasmanian Heath. They do not consider the greater public good. They did not want Covid restrictions ceased in the first place and with the recent uptick in cases called for the return of the mask mandate. The Premier didn't cave though.

It really is time that we got rid of the Emergency under the Public Health Acts of various States so the bureaucrats can no longer call the shots. Tasmania's Emergency was extended a month ago for an indefinite period. However the actual words in the notice of extension seem to contradict what is going on in this example.
Point 3 says that entry to Tasmania on a cruise ship is prohibited unless approval granted by the Deputy State Controller but that persons entering Tasmania no longer have to quarantine.
Here is the order.
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So you mean the pax are being quarantined in breach of the state's own rules?
 
drron said:
Seems like it. Though probably she just rescinded their cruise approval.
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We were in Tasmania before boarding the ship, and were only in Tasmanian waters. So we were not actually “arriving” in Tasmania as such. I agree it does sound like our incarceration is against the rules. Maybe I should make some notes to quote tomorrow?

Also, a small expedition ship might operate under different rules to a cruise ship, as Coral has been operating in Tasmania for three months already this season.
 
Port Power said:
I’ve just disembarked Coral Discoverer in Hobart today. 57 passengers only. We had a PCR 72 hours prior to boarding and a RAT quayside before embarking. A passenger reported flu-like symptoms before breakfast yesterday, day 6, and tested positive on RAT. Everyone returned to cabins and everyone on board did a RAT. 7 positives (passengers). The couple concerned either didn’t notice symptoms earlier or caught it at Port Arthur where we only walked past other visitors. Result is that even fully vaccinated, negative-tested passengers and non essential crew have been directed by the Tasmanian health authorities to hotel quarantine for 7 days!
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I know someone else on that cruise! They reported 15 pax and crew positive. Had to go into hotel quarantine (they said) as a close contact. You moored off my place .... (Spring/Prossers Bay)

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RooFlyer said:
I know someone else on that cruise! They reported 15 pax and crew positive. Had to go into hotel quarantine (they said) as a close contact. You moored off my place .... (Spring/Prossers Bay)

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After the first report and we all did RATS, there were seven positive passengers but no crew. As several were one of a couple, it might have appeared to be more positives. After PCR testing there were two more passengers. I have this from the man running the cruise, who was kept informed as tour leader and as he feels we are his responsibility. We all, passengers and non essential ship’s crew, came to the Ibis Styles in Hobart as “close contacts”. Some were released after a negative PCR if they had had Covid-19 within last 8 weeks.

We are being released on Sunday, but only told that at 11:00am yesterday. Rather short notice for people rearranging flights!

Lovely photo. What night was that? If Monday night, it was an empty ship bar necessary crew. All day Sunday and Sunday night we were moored in Great Ouster Bay, and docked in Sullivan’s Cove on Monday morning.
 
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Port Power said:
Lovely photo. What night was that? If Monday night, it was an empty ship bar necessary crew. All day Sunday and Sunday night we were moored in Great Ouster Bay, and docked in Sullivan’s Cove on Monday morning.
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Saturday night, off Orford. I texted that pic to my friend on the cruise and asked them to keep the noise down :rolleyes: Must have been just before the poo hit the fan ...
 
RooFlyer said:
I know someone else on that cruise! They reported 15 pax and crew positive. Had to go into hotel quarantine (they said) as a close contact. You moored off my place .... (Spring/Prossers Bay)

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My sincere apologies to your friend. The event coordinator was not told all. At the airport this morning I met up with several others also released today from quarantine. All had tested positive. Apart from a handful who had had Covid in the last few months, there was only one other passenger there who also negative. And he had Covid not long back too. Lots of crew were positive too. A couple of pax tested negative on PCR but positive on RAT two days later. Perhaps I just have some sort of natural immunity?

Annoying to many is that the nurse, who works in emergency medicine in rural Queensland, had no idea of Covid symptoms and wasn’t proactive. She told a passenger who went to her with symptoms the she couldn’t catch Covid from others coughing and refused het a RAT! The nurse herself admitted early on to having a headache and looked under the weather. Obviously she did not do a RAT on herself, which would have been wise.

However Covid founds its way aboard, there are many disgruntled passengers.
 
Heading to Singapore in a few weeks for 18 nights of B2B cruising on RCCL Spectrum of the Seas.

Will be our first cruise since March 2020 and our first international flight since the borders open.

Required to do a pre departure supervised RAT and then another in Singapore on the day of the cruise. Royal will test us on board between each cruise.

Also required to download the Singapore Trace Together app.
 
woodyren said:
Heading to Singapore in a few weeks for 18 nights of B2B cruising on RCCL Spectrum of the Seas.

Will be our first cruise since March 2020 and our first international flight since the borders open.

Required to do a pre departure supervised RAT and then another in Singapore on the day of the cruise. Royal will test us on board between each cruise.

Also required to download the Singapore Trace Together app.
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Viking are still testing - every single day.
 
woodyren said:
Heading to Singapore in a few weeks for 18 nights of B2B cruising on RCCL Spectrum of the Seas.

Will be our first cruise since March 2020 and our first international flight since the borders open.

Required to do a pre departure supervised RAT and then another in Singapore on the day of the cruise. Royal will test us on board between each cruise.

Also required to download the Singapore Trace Together app.
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Why is their policy for passengers who become positive during the cruise? Isolate in cabin or put ashore into a hotel. Or will it just be ignored? As in, that’s why we are vaccinated.
 
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Perhaps a silly question - we are cruising with Ponant later this year, and have purchased their covid insurance (PONANT Repatriation Covid Insurance | Travel with peace of mind | Ponant). But I'm unsure if this means we need to include the cruising option with our normal travel insurance (yet to be purchased). I'm guessing yes, because they won't cover non covid medical? But the price certainly shoots up when you add cruise option.

Any experience in this area?
 
k_sheep said:
Perhaps a silly question - we are cruising with Ponant later this year, and have purchased their covid insurance (PONANT Repatriation Covid Insurance | Travel with peace of mind | Ponant). But I'm unsure if this means we need to include the cruising option with our normal travel insurance (yet to be purchased). I'm guessing yes, because they won't cover non covid medical? But the price certainly shoots up when you add cruise option.

Any experience in this area?
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As you don't say where the cruise is, that will make a difference. You need to read the Ponant insurance policy to see exactly what it does cover. If your usual travel insurance with cruise cover fills your needs, then is it too late to cancel the Ponant insurance? It is usually (but not always) a safe bet that policies bought from the cruise company are always more expensive!
 
Policies issued by other cruise companies seem targeted at managing covid issues, rather than general travel risk.
I suspect that you need to print out both product disclosure statements and go through them with a red pen to see what is in and what is not.
I always study the travel pds closely ; words have meanings but some word combinations need to be interpreted very carefully.
 
Port Power said:
Why is their policy for passengers who become positive during the cruise? Isolate in cabin or put ashore into a hotel. Or will it just be ignored? As in, that’s why we are vaccinated.
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It is quite reassuring I think. Here is the specific section from the cruise contract. This is not an added on insurance. It is RCCL policy. I have read a few reports of people in the USA who contacted covid on a cruise and were flown home in private jets for example.

"Sickness Onboard
If you test positive for COVID-19 when you are onboard, we will provide a full refund of the price of your
cruise for you and your travelling party, we will provide your medical treatment onboard and we will
arrange safe quarantine for you and your travelling party as required. We will also make
arrangements for your return home (repatriation) and for the return home of your travelling party.
We will bear the reasonable costs of these arrangements. We strongly encourage you to take out
fully comprehensive travel insurance for any supplementary costs, in accordance with our standard
booking conditions."
 
we will arrange safe quarantine for you and your travelling party as required

Imo.. this is a form of words pregnant with risk…weasel words really

Define safe ?..
What level of care ?
Flights home in double discount Y on flights nobody wants to use ?

The cruise company may well treat you in the manner you hope , especially if you have status.
If it does not.. whatcha gonna do about it ?
 
I expect that clause means 'if you test positive we will lock you in a cabin of our choosing, not the nice comfortable one you booked, until we are able to offload you at the next port of call, where you won't have any cover for the costs if you need medical treatment unless you are able to claim them on travel insurance. Your flight home from wherever we offload you will be in Y, and it will be up to you to try to get a refund of whatever flights you had booked when you thought you were getting off the cruise at its final destination rather than part-way through. We hope that giving you a full refund of your cruise fare means you will not be so furious about this that you never cruise with us again'.
 

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