rugerdog

To the OP or any others that were on this sailing : I have read there were many pax displaying symptoms whilst on board.  It has also been said that you were told no one on the ship was sick.  Do you have any knowledge if the Eclipse had C19 tests on board?  

I'm sure passengers had to be concerned, and no doubt it was widely discussed.  Every time someone coughed or sneezed, it would be impossible not to wonder.  Was the question ever directly asked to the staff or crew?  I'm thinking either at GS or maybe during one of the Q&A sessions.  

From most accounts I've seen, the ship's atmosphere was upbeat and happy, free internet, full refund, free beverages, etc.  I'm just putting myself on board and wondering if I would have been asking everyone with a name tag about how they could say the ship was healthy?

23 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Funny thing my wife and I had thoughts of doing the San Diego to Vancouver leg just for a chance to enjoy Eclipse again.

I really wanted to do this leg too, since it would be a quick flight to SD, and Vancouver is within driving distance.  

I kept watching each once of the cruises, trying to decide if I should pull the trigger and book since I knew it was going to be getting worse and worse.  I thought if I waited and just did the last leg, it would be okay by then.  Maybe it will be repeated next year.

On 3/31/2020 at 10:27 PM, goofysmom99 said:

I'm of the opinion Covid19 was suspected.  Keeping everyone onboard with nowhere to go is horrible.  Letting pax disembark equally horrible.  Damned if you do; damned if you don't.  The only thing I can control is my own behavior so have decided to forego cruising until there is a vaccine.  Then I won't have to trust a cruise line to watch out so solicitously for pax and crew.

I agree 100% with each of your statements.  It will take a while before the risk/reward ratio is acceptable for me.

1 minute ago, Blackduck59 said:

There was more content but I think it was getting nasty so part of it was rolled back. I know there were a couple of call outs including from me but I think some were getting quite personal so were removed.

Okay, thanks.  I've been looking at several different threads and figured I must have confused which was which.  I came to check back to see if the OP had answered my question, but I couldn't find my question!

As for my earlier response to you regarding the January 20 date, it wasn't intended as a contradiction at all, I just wanted to explain how long ago people in our part of the world (you're just a few hours North of me) were more keenly aware of the speed with which C19 was spreading.  Thus our much earlier isolation.

I had been looking at booking this very cruise, as well as the Eclipse from Santiago to San Diego, then from San Diego to Vancouver.  Since I decided I wasn't comfortable with the way things were rapidly heading, I chose to follow along with these sailings vicariously, enjoying the updates along the way from the pax onboard.  I was so relieved when they were allowed to begin disembarking in San Diego.

Positive thoughts and good wishes for the OP and all the others going forward.

3 hours ago, Christine13020 said:

Would I do it over, maybe not. 

First of all, I'm glad you made it back home safely.

I, too, had been following since the beginning, as I was looking to go on a spring cruise.  In fact, I had been invited by friends to join cruises that now have had serious issues.  I just wasn't comfortable with what I was seeing, and decided that, for me, it just wasn't worth the risk.

26 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

I take it you and everyone you know has of course self quarantined after the first cases of the virus was discovered in Seattle in February?

Just a point of consideration.  The first DOCUMENTED case of COVID19 was in the Seattle area on January 20, 2020.

And I know you were not asking me about self quarantine, but I have been self isolating for 6 weeks.

Looking back at the OP, which was January 30, 2020, and reading all the responses, gives an interesting perspective.

Quoting from another thread:

"Anyone who didn't foresee that ships would be coming back to home ports with passengers on board was being very optimistic/unrealistic at best or callous at worst. Certainly the Grand Princess issue should have put them on notice."

This is an interesting point.  I know there were passengers that were in Chile, ready and willing to embark on the Eclipse on March 15, and were advised of the cancellation that very morning, as well as other passengers in different ports on different cruise lines.  

2 hours ago, Va man said:

I don ‘t think the coughing on board was symptomatic of anything specific.  I have done about a dozen cruises and at the end of every cruise a lot more people are coughing than at the beginning. I can remember coming home with an upper respiratory infection from about half of my cruises.

10 hours ago, markpc17 said:

Anyway, I did see many people who were sick onboard, coughing, etc...did seem like there was something going around but certainly did not have to be C19.  Any ship I've ever sailed on with a lot of people I see similar. 

I've never been on a cruise ship, an airport, an aircraft, a restaurant, a theater, a subway, a train, a bus or a grocery store where there haven't been people coughing/sneezing, although there can obviously be many, many reasons why.  We've all encountered people at work or elsewhere in public who don't stay home when they're sick. 

When all this was first starting and cruise lines were talking about denying boarding to anyone with a cough, I read lots of people on CC concerned they'd be denied due to symptoms of allergies, medication side effects, emphysema, COPD, etc.  

I can't imagine in any grouping of 3,000 people, there isn't going to be someone who is sick.  Clearly there is no way the Eclipse had zero sick persons on board.  Now, if they claimed to have zero COVID19 positive cases on board, that could be true if they hadn't tested anyone.  I don't know if anyone was tested onboard.  

Where I live, we've been told to "assume" you've been exposed, and since testing is not readily available (or reliable), stay home, stay isolated, and monitor symptoms.  I'm in my 6th week of doing just that, as are most of us.

Moving forward from what was done, done incorrectly, or not done, my thoughts and concerns are with the Eclipse passengers and crew, as well as the thousands of others in similar situations worldwide.  

markpc, thank you for detailing your experience, and may you and your wife be healthy.   Lots of us at home have been anxiously following the Eclipse, holding our breath for safe passage.  Welcome home.

2 minutes ago, hcat said:

He did 360 deg turn.

360?

On 3/27/2020 at 7:50 AM, Aquahound said:

It's interesting, knowing what we know now, to go back and read through this thread again.  

After seeing your post, I went back to the beginning and re-read this thread.  Indeed surreal. 

Many of us in the PNW and Washington State especially were perhaps more aware of the situation earlier than others.  I first became keenly aware on January 21, 2020 when the first case in the US showed up in Washington State.  Suddenly, "over there" became right at our front door.

10 hours ago, gold1953 said:

Hi!!!!   hope you are staying safe!    Bill kissed the fish ..not me!!!

10 hours ago, gold1953 said:

We miss you!!!

Bill always gets all the fun!

Michael is on this cruise and it seems to be a great time is being had by all.  I hope they all stay healthy and have a great disembarkation in San Diego.

I've been following along this thread to vicariously enjoy the cruise, since who knows how long it will be before any of us get to cruise again!  Plus, it helps with the cabin fever 😀.

25 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

Our kiss the fish on this trip actually had the fish and Noro virus ….   don't know why as we were on restrictions

Hi Pat - I want to see that picture!

Very nicely said.

Wishing you and your husband the best in getting through the quarantine, and staying healthy.

15 hours ago, hobbyfarmer2 said:

baconist

My new favorite word!

10 minutes ago, flyguyjake said:

Updated March 5, 2020 10:00PM PT

Grand Princess Update

Thank you for posting.

3 hours ago, JennyB1977 said:

CNN has the following nice post online:

Thanks for posting this, Jenny.  Very nice article indeed.  Refreshing to read some "good" news for a change.

On 3/2/2020 at 3:22 PM, 4cats4me said:

This is a little disturbing.   In the article they don’t name the Grand.  However, she was the only ship in port that day,

and I know a few people who were on that sailing.

You posted this Monday, which in today's environment seems like a lifetime ago. 

Your post was the first mention of this situation that I had seen, and despite some posters having a negative reaction, I appreciate you putting the information out there.  Perhaps those extra two days between your notification, and official information coming from Princess have helped others.  To me, that is the true purpose and value of Cruise Critic.  Thank you for stepping up.

30 minutes ago, Hllb said:

I have a cruise from Venice to Rome booked in July. Hoping things will look better by then, but kind of doubt it. Cruiselines should refund in full. I emailed my travel insurance to ask if the rest of my trip is covered.

 

Is it too late to add on CFAR once I have a regular policy?

If you haven't already, there is a lot of good information and discussion on the Travel Insurance forum regarding this new situation.  Simply having CFAR insurance is not a cure-all, and has many exclusions, restrictions, exceptions, etc.  Just a suggestions.  Good luck.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

4 hours ago, momofmeg said:

Anyway, needless to say we  really do need this trip!

I went through the same thing with my mother, and I can empathize with everything you experienced.  Interestingly, we live in Washington, which has the same law as Oregon.  My parents fought very hard to take advantage of said law, but in the end it really was of no use.  

After two years of continuous care giving, I was at my wit's end.  Once I was able to take a long, relaxing cruise, I can't tell you how much it helped to restore my sanity.  To be able to completely let go, unwind, relax, and have no expectations placed on your shoulders is the therapy that I really needed.

Please take the time you all need to recharge, reset, and relax and enjoy your trip, guilt free.  For me, cruising cures a magnitude of ills, and is very cathartic.  Wishing you a wonderful voyage!

6 hours ago, momofmeg said:

Well she passed 3 weeks ago.

I'm sorry for the loss to you and your family. 😢

34 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

A great song is a great song...and "White Rabbit" IS a great song.

Agree. 

In the last couple of weeks this commercial is being shown much more frequently, along with adverts from several other lines.  I'm guessing this is due to wave season, together with the current virus situation bringing negative publicity.

Regardless, I love the song, and I love the advert itself.  

5 hours ago, Cruisingformetime said:

How did you deal with this

Beverage package 😀