Covid cruise ship just docked in New Orleans

[audreyh1]

I can tell you what UnCruise did on my trip to Alaska in August. All of us had been vaccinated and tested and had to provide proof. One passenger picked it up when he and his lady friend went bar-hopping the night before we embarked. We sailed out Saturday and Wednesday we got the announcement at 6 AM. One other passenger had tested positive- they had sat at dinner with Patient Zero. The rest of us and the crew tested negative but we had to stay in our cabins till Thursday AM. The crew went above and beyond, distributing menus, bringing food, adult beverages, DVDs and books. The passengers who tested positive were taken off the ship and went somewhere to quarantine.

Thursday AM they told us the cruise was terminated; it was supposed to go till Saturday. We were back in Juneau where we'd started and which was also our planned end point. We could stay till Friday at noon but if we left the ship we couldn't come back on.

We got a 50% refund- not a credit, an actual refund.

I got a late- afternoon flight out Friday but was able to leave my bags at the UnCruise office and take a nice long hike up into the mountains and throw some more money into the local economy at the shops before heading back to the airport. All in all a good trip despite what happened, and everyone on the ship pretty much said the same thing- they were mostly angry at the bar-hoppers' risky behavior, especially since the guy hadn't been feeling well when they came down to dinner Tuesday night.

I got tested a couple of days after I got home- still negative.

That was a 50-passenger ship so bigger lines may do something different. I was very happy at how they handled a bad situation.

Still, a bummer! Especially for such an expensive cruise.

Only 50 passengers and you still had this happen! Only one (pair) make a poor judgement call right before the cruise leaves and it messes it up for everybody. With more passengers it's even more likely this happens.

 

[Sunset]

Symphony of the Seas docked in Miami with 48 confirmed cases. Not sure if the 48 include 6 others that were dropped off earlier.

This is a huge cruise ship, so it's a tiny percentage only .78% which is good and shows so far things are not spreading like a wildfire.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Symphony of the Seas docked in Miami with 48 confirmed cases. Not sure if the 48 include 6 others that were dropped off earlier.

This is a huge cruise ship, so it's a tiny percentage only .78% which is good and shows so far things are not spreading like a wildfire.

Out of curiosity, was this published as a news story? I hope not, because that is one of the worst non-news stories. Did anyone have the flu? Get a cold?

 

[rodi]

Out of curiosity, was this published as a news story? I hope not, because that is one of the worst non-news stories. Did anyone have the flu? Get a cold?

It's pretty widely reported. Here is a CNN article.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cruise-ship-royal-caribbean-covid/index.html

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

It's pretty widely reported. Here is a CNN article.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cruise-ship-royal-caribbean-covid/index.html

Interesting. Still, with such low numbers I wouldn't think it would be very newsworthy.

So... 46 out of 6,000 passengers or 0.8%; that is a sensationalist story as far as I am concerned. Especially since I assume that they had port calls which meant they interacted with the unvaccinated. The story also shows that 95% were "fully vaccinated" (but doesn't mean they had booster shots)...so about 300 people weren't fully vaxxed. Also, the required test prior to the cruise is two days prior to departure with no additional test for adults on day of departure, so it is very possible that someone came on board with COVID.

Despite stringent measures supposed to keep ocean cruises Covid-free, operator Royal Caribbean says at least 48 people on board one of its ships that docked in Miami at the weekend have tested positive for the virus.
The Symphony of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship, was carrying more than 6,000 passengers and crew on a week-long journey around the Caribbean when a guest tested positive, prompting wider contact tracing, according to Royal Caribbean.

 

[athena53]

Only 50 passengers and you still had this happen! Only one (pair) make a poor judgement call right before the cruise leaves and it messes it up for everybody. With more passengers it's even more likely this happens.

Yeah, you can't fix stupid. I was happy to see that all the passengers focused their anger and frustration where it belonged- on the careless couple (who were offloaded in Juneau as soon as they found a place where they could quarantine). A few said they should have been made to walk the plank.

I'd had lunch in Juneau before embarcation. People wore masks while walking to and from tables and that was it. I was at a small high table by myself and the nearest table, a regular rectangular one, had a bunch of guys eating, drinking and talking the whole time- no masks in sight. I was far enough away that I felt safe but I can't imagine sitting elbow-to-elbow at a bar with unmasked people eating, drinking and talking.

 

[audreyh1]

Well Omicron is going to teach more lessons! It’s apparently way easier for people to catch it and quickly regardless of vaccination status unless masked with a high quality mask.

 

[harllee]

Well Omicron is going to teach more lessons! It’s apparently way easier for people to catch it and quickly regardless of vaccination status unless masked with a high quality mask.

But hopefully if you have had 3 vaccines you will have a much milder case.

 

[audreyh1]

I’m talking more about transmission.

A lot of people not taking precautions are sitting ducks, and they will pass it on if they continue not to take precautions. Thus includes eating in restaurants, drinking in bars.

 

[Sunset]

Interesting. Still, with such low numbers I wouldn't think it would be very newsworthy.

So... 46 out of 6,000 passengers or 0.8%; that is a sensationalist story as far as I am concerned. Especially since I assume that they had port calls which meant they interacted with the unvaccinated. The story also shows that 95% were "fully vaccinated" (but doesn't mean they had booster shots)...so about 300 people weren't fully vaxxed. Also, the required test prior to the cruise is two days prior to departure with no additional test for adults on day of departure, so it is very possible that someone came on board with COVID.

Actually the low numbers even with an outbreak might be the newsworthy part.
Perhaps this shows that the rules they have on board for cruising are pretty effective at slowing the spread.

 

[Alan]

But hopefully if you have had 3 vaccines you will have a much milder case.

We bumped into a friend on the High Street yesterday and had a good natter. He has a 78 year old Aunt who has just died from Covid after 5 weeks on a ventilator. No underlying conditions other than her age and she had had her booster a couple of weeks before she caught it.

 

[Badger]

Well Omicron is going to teach more lessons! It’s apparently way easier for people to catch it and quickly regardless of vaccination status unless masked with a high quality mask.

+1
Since joining the forum I have read a huge number of posts to establish a group of members who gave me confidence in their thinking processes, rational assessments, and knowledge. Their posts have served me well to achieve FI beyond anything I imagined.
Posts regarding Covid have now affirmed my confidence in the perspective of most of those people.



Cheers!

 

[neihn]

+1
Since joining the forum I have read a huge number of posts to establish a group of members who gave me confidence in their thinking processes, rational assessments, and knowledge. Their posts have served me well to achieve FI beyond anything I imagined.
Posts regarding Covid have now affirmed my confidence in the perspective of most of those people.



Cheers!

+1

 

[Chuckanut]

unless masked with a high quality mask.

+1

Most people in my area are masked but I would bet next months' SS check that at least half are wearing cloth masks or the non-surgical quality blue masks. Not so good. I have a supply of KN95 masks and I use them. I just ordered some N95 masks also for use in crowded places I can't avoid (like airports, long waiting lines, and Pro-Accordion demonstrations at various government buildings).

Interestingly, Dr. Gottlieb in his recent interview on the Call Me Back podcast mentioned that their modeling shows that simply reducing grocery store visits from two a week to one a week would significantly reduce spread of Covid. I assume (<--a dangerous word) that was pre omnicron.

By the way, that is a very interesting one hour interview. It is much better than the usual 5 minutes or less interviews done on the TV news shows. And non medical lay people can understand it.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/call-me-back-with-dan-senor/id1539292794

 

[gattara]

+1
Since joining the forum I have read a huge number of posts to establish a group of members who gave me confidence in their thinking processes, rational assessments, and knowledge. Their posts have served me well to achieve FI beyond anything I imagined.
Posts regarding Covid have now affirmed my confidence in the perspective of most of those people.

Well said; I feel the same.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

... simply reducing grocery store visits from two a week to one a week would significantly reduce spread of Covid...

Oh mercy. I can barely going to the store once a week...but TWICE a week? Oh, no...I don't think so. Covid or no covid.

 

[Sunset]

Oh mercy. I can barely going to the store once a week...but TWICE a week? Oh, no...I don't think so. Covid or no covid.

Pre-Covid, I used to do a circle loop visiting 2->3 grocery stores about twice a week as each store has its specialty.

I dropped that to 1 store once every week or two , often just grocery pickup from Walmart.

 

[Sunset]

I'm glad I have 40 KN95 masks and 10 N95 masks.

Just last week I decided I'd wear the N95 one when going into grocery stores. Last week the grocery packing person was wearing a bandanna for a mask.

 

[gayl]

Just returned from my 2nd recent cruise (8/15/21 Alaska, 12/9-19/21 Partial Panama Canal [Cartagena, Panama, Limon, Falmouth Jamaica]) and had a great time but I was on a fully vaccinated / tested ship. Crew tested weekly. No cases as far as I know plus Aloha Deck closed off as potential quarantine deck divided in 3rds: (1) New crew for 7 days with 2 tests, (2) suspected waiting for 2nd test results, (3) positive waiting to be disembarked in Fort Lauderdale when we return. New crew there but other 2 areas vacant.

Ships with positive results had a low positivity rate. NCL 44 positive / 3400 onboard = 1.2% positivity rate. Whats your area's rate??

Currently more nervous about going through Miami Airport than getting on a fully vaccinated / tested / masked ship

 

[gayl]

Just returned from my 2nd recent cruise (8/15/21 Alaska, 12/9-19/21 Partial Panama Canal [Cartagena, Panama, Limon, Falmouth Jamaica]) and had a great time but I was on a fully vaccinated / tested ship. Crew tested weekly. No cases as far as I know plus Aloha Deck closed off as potential quarantine deck divided in 3rds: (1) New crew for 7 days with 2 tests, (2) suspected waiting for 2nd test results, (3) positive waiting to be disembarked in Fort Lauderdale when we return. New crew there but other 2 areas vacant.

Ships with positive results had a low positivity rate. NCL 44 positive / 3400 onboard = 1.2% positivity rate. What's your area's rate??

Currently more nervous about going through Miami Airport than getting on a fully vaccinated / tested / masked ship

Just looked: my county is at 4.1% positivity rate so much MUCH higher. Over 3× higher.

 

[ElizabethT]

Just returned from our cruise, and we did end up having a wonderful, albeit different, time. Such is cruising in the time of COVID.

Our primary exposure to picking up the virus was during mealtimes, which we did take in the main dining venue. Though we had a table for two, many of the tables were not remotely close to being six feet apart. So this was our primary compromise during the trip.

Otherwise, we spent most of our time outdoors, either upper sun decks, or on our balcony. We attended no shows, nor did we enter any of the club venues. We did spend some time in the spacious multi storied atrium, where we enjoyed the occasional cocktail.

All port stops went off without a hitch because, well, Mexico.
Actually, the adherence to COVID protocols was very, very good in the three Mexico cities we visited. We traveled by foot through each one, remaining outdoors, including when dining.

My primary issue is with some of my fellow passengers, who in spite of agreeing to the terms of the cruise line's COVID protocols when they booked, apparently decided to ignore them once onboard. We found this distressing and disappointing, even though we were not terribly surprised.

The cruise served it's purpose of being a welcome distraction from both DD's and families not being here for Christmas this year, but it is likely our last cruise until the pandemic settles down. Aside from the disruptions in the industry that are currenly occuring due to the Omicron virus, I can only abide so much of my fellow humans at this point in the pandemic.

ETA: And we did stop for COVID tests on the way home, just to be safe.

 

[gattara]

Just returned from our cruise, and we did end up having a wonderful, albeit different, time. Such is cruising in the time of COVID.

Thanks for the report. It's interesting reading about others' travel accounts during these strange times. Glad you did enjoy your vacation.

 

[Sunset]

Just returned from our cruise, and we did end up having a wonderful, albeit different, time. Such is cruising in the time of COVID.

Our primary exposure to picking up the virus was during mealtimes, which we did take in the main dining venue. Though we had a table for two, many of the tables were not remotely close to being six feet apart. So this was our primary compromise during the trip.

Otherwise, we spent most of our time outdoors, either upper sun decks, or on our balcony. We attended no shows, nor did we enter any of the club venues. We did spend some time in the spacious multi storied atrium, where we enjoyed the occasional cocktail.

All port stops went off without a hitch because, well, Mexico.
Actually, the adherence to COVID protocols was very, very good in the three Mexico cities we visited. We traveled by foot through each one, remaining outdoors, including when dining.

My primary issue is with some of my fellow passengers, who in spite of agreeing to the terms of the cruise line's COVID protocols when they booked, apparently decided to ignore them once onboard. We found this distressing and disappointing, even though we were not terribly surprised.

The cruise served it's purpose of being a welcome distraction from both DD's and families not being here for Christmas this year, but it is likely our last cruise until the pandemic settles down. Aside from the disruptions in the industry that are currenly occuring due to the Omicron virus, I can only abide so much of my fellow humans at this point in the pandemic.

ETA: And we did stop for COVID tests on the way home, just to be safe.

Appreciated hearing your cruise experience.

Our Alaska cruise in the Summer sounds similar:

• Dining room, table for 2 at our insistence, but tables are close ~2 feet apart.
• Spent most time on balcony or topside.
• Land ventures were largely outside but was Alaska
• Fellow travelers mostly thought masking was only for staff.
• The experience was less than normal, not as fun or relaxing.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Well, looks like the CDC is recommending against cruising regardless of vaccine status.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/30/us-...-travel-regardless-of-vaccination-status.html

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday advised people against going on cruises regardless of their vaccination status after a recent surge in positive Covid cases onboard ships as the highly contagious omicron variant sweeps the world.

The CDC increased its travel warning for cruises to the highest level as the agency is investigating or observing dozens of ships that have had Covid outbreaks.

Cruise ships operating in U.S. waters have reported about 5,000 Covid cases to the CDC between Dec. 15 - 29, a major spike compared to the first two weeks of the month when 162 cases were reported.

It's never ending.

 

[gayl]

So it's a good time to shop for a cruise?? Hoping they reduce solo supplement like the early Fall.