Cruising choices with an active Pandemic

[SydneySwan]

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.

I hate to sound sceptical but any sources?

 

[Port Power]

I hate to sound sceptical but any sources?

I read the same reports from a reputable publisher. Passengers were named and quoted.

 

[woodyren]

I hate to sound sceptical but any sources?

Facebook cruise groups that I am a member of. Reports from USA cruise friends.

 

[tgh]

I accept that someone may have been flown home in classy style..... makes perfect sense from a corporate perspective.
Folks want to cruise and they want to believe ; one example goes a long way ...

 

[woodyren]

I accept that someone may have been flown home in classy style..... makes perfect sense from a corporate perspective.
Folks want to cruise and they want to believe ; one example goes a long way ...

Forums and Social media groups are usually also ready sources of complaints. Many are frivolous or people looking for an angle to get some compensation.

I am regularly on many RCCL sites and must say I can't recall since cruising resumed of anyone posting issues with how they were treated once they contacted covid on board. I have as I said read many times of excellent treatment of positive cases.

Travel Insurance is obviously needed to have the best chance of being looked after and repatriated if required.

 

[woodyren]

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'.

Looks like you were on the money somewhat after reading this post on one of my cruise groups.

"Just got home from our cruise on Wonder of the Seas. I’m sad to say that the ship was packed, with absolutely no Covid protocols in place any more. We contracted Covid halfway into the cruise, and were treated extremely poorly. Moved from our balcony room to an ocean view room, room service took forever to bring our meals, if they did at all. Guest services didn’t answer the phone half the time. The last day, we were called at 6:30 am and told to be ready to leave the shop by 7:15. I said that we had ordered breakfast to arrive at 7:00, and the man said he would call and try to get them to bring it up asap. They finally came to get us to disembark at 7:45, and room service never came. So, we had nothing at all to eat until we got home after noon. And once they accompanied us off the ship, they just put us in a van to get our car, with not even a bye bye. What a way to end a cruise. I am extremely disappointed in Royal Caribbean right now!"

 

[Anna]

Sadly for them, they were probably lucky they got to stay onboard till the end of the cruise and didn't get offloaded immediately they tested positive.

 

[tgh]

Silver Explorer has just arrived in Zanzibar ex Cape town riddled with Covid.
Little ship, no quarantine area, chaos is trumps apparently.
Of course the positives are being offloaded in Zanzibar and will get to sample the delights of the Tanzanian medical system.
The ship reloads and sails off to Mahe still pregnant with infective portent one assumes.

 

[Pushka]

Viking are still doing daily testing. If on a river cruise they offload you next Port and quarantine in a hotel but it seems they look after you as much as they can. If ocean then offloading depends on the port requirements but any positives may see the ship not allowed to berth anyway.

 

[Port Power]

I disembarked Caledonian Sky in Broome yesterday. 74 passengers, 81 total crew. All tested negative with supervised RAT before boarding. We had no contact with outsiders at all, and we all wore masks inside the ship except when eating meals or drinking. On the second last day one of the entertainers /singers tested positive, followed by partner. They were isolated in in their cabin and all crew tested. They must have caught the virus the day they boarded but without enough so early to show up on a RAT.

The state health authorities had no problem with us finishing the cruise and then disembarking to fly home. All because we wore masks inside the ship. Masks were the difference between going home, or going into hotel quarantine for 7 days, so we’ll worth the mild inconvenience.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Silver Explorer has just arrived in Zanzibar ex Cape town riddled with Covid.
Little ship, no quarantine area, chaos is trumps apparently.
Of course the positives are being offloaded in Zanzibar and will get to sample the delights of the Tanzanian medical system.
The ship reloads and sails off to Mahe still pregnant with infective portent one assumes.

@tgh do you know someone on board ? or where did you see this info ??

 

[tgh]

Silversea passengers list on facebook
It was a few days ago the thread is way down the list now

 

[sanne]

Silversea passengers list on facebook
It was a few days ago the thread is way down the list now

I read this too on Silverseas FB. Was posted by someone on board.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

OK I finally found it, dated 12/04
"We are on the Explorer now, Covid on board too, 12 cabins in quarantine this morning, we are in quarantine in our cabin, No dedicated isolation and quarantine areas on board as advertised. Heading to Zanzibar . Changing protocols and inconsistent messaging "

I have very good friends on board who are posting pictures currently with no mention of Covid +/- restrictions, they have sailed SS and Explorer several times, both medical professionals, but they havent said there is a problem. I have texted them to see what they say !!

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

OK just got a text back from my friend on the Explorer, saying yes its true. 4 couples on their deck positive, a lot of staff positive, they have just arrived in Zanzibar. The BIGGEST problem is people saying they are ASYMPTOMATIC when they are COUGHING their guts up !!!

 

[Port Power]

OK just got a text back from my friend on the Explorer, saying yes its true. 4 couples on their deck positive, a lot of staff positive, they have just arrived in Zanzibar. The BIGGEST problem is people saying they are ASYMPTOMATIC when they are COUGHING their guts up !!!

That’s why I was so concerned on Coral Discoverer. The couple next door were also coughing their guts up all night but “didn’t realise” they might have Covid!? I’m so glad that wearing a mask onboard Caledonian Sky prevented us from being close contacts. (Hence no one on board needed to quarantine on disembarkation.)

 

[Anna]

I think an Australian cruise is the most I would consider risking for the next while at least. And probably not even that.

 

[Pushka]

I think an Australian cruise is the most I would consider risking for the next while at least. And probably not even that.

I don't think any cruise is safe until next year. We cancelled a fabulous middle east cruise for this October because we know that positive cases are pretty much dumped off at the next Port which in the middle east is problematic. Europe seems to somewhat better.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I must admit these recent posts have given me the heebie-jeebies - we have a cancelled cruise from 2020 rebooked in 2023 (Mauritius and Seychelles) - now I'm even concerned about that. It's on Ponant and not sure how they, on a small ship, handle positive cases. They have some sort of "Insurance" which repatriates you but when nearly all the "ports" are small isolated islands - who knows. Assuming an outbreak won't happen with all sorts of safety protocols and testing, clearly is wishful thinking at this juncture.

 

[Pushka]

This from someone on a current Viking River cruise in France.
"My cabin mate tested positive on day 3 of our Avignon to Lyon cruise, we were put in a cab for a six hour drive to Paris and this is the view from our room, the picture on the right is the breakfast available (1 of 2 choices) it costs €29 and we are not clear whether we or Viking is paying for it. (The breakfast is basic continental for that price ) We are paying for the room however. We were told that a doctor would contact us to check in every day, so far no, our Viking rep who asked us to text if we have any questions, has not answered us. They will test us again on day 5 and if we are negative they will rebook our flights and send us home. We are not allowed to continue to our post Paris add on. We have been told Viking will refund us our post trip add on once we get home. Why am I telling you all this, so you have the necessary information to make an informed decision as to whether to cancel your trip."