Crew tests positive for COVID-19 on Viking Star

[Captain_Morgan]

https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/7753-crew-tests-positive-covid-19-viking-cruises-viking-star-ship

[TayanaLorna]

If the chain of events as reported in Cruise Mapper are accurate, this is a situation with many questions.  Was it the pre-travel test a false negative?  Was the post 10 days in quarantine test another false negative? Or does the virus need to multiply in a body to a certain level before a test shows a positive.  If no crew members went ashore since May and this is the first crew addition since then, how was the virus contacted?  Was it through supplies delivered to the ship?  I am sad to read about a Viking ship in the news for Covid 19.

[JeriGail]

I'm wondering if a different crew member was an asymptomatic carrier?  All 36 crew on the Hurtigruten ship who tested positive were asymptomatic.

[CCWineLover]

4 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

If the chain of events as reported in Cruise Mapper are accurate, this is a situation with many questions.  Was it the pre-travel test a false negative?  Was the post 10 days in quarantine test another false negative? Or does the virus need to multiply in a body to a certain level before a test shows a positive.  If no crew members went ashore since May and this is the first crew addition since then, how was the virus contacted?  Was it through supplies delivered to the ship?  I am sad to read about a Viking ship in the news for Covid 19.

 

Tayana:   the person testing positive had only come aboard on July 17 and from abroad, not back in May.

 

"The company said there had been minimal contact between the crew onboard, and it was further limited until everyone had been tested. There were no other people onboard with COVID-19 symptoms.

The person is part of a crew of 105 people onboard, according to the press release.

Aleksander Linge Sommerdalen, the acting municipal chief physician, said the person had come onboard the ship on July 17 from abroad and was then quarantined in his cabin for 2 weeks.."

 

 "After 10 days onboard, the person was tested again for Coronavirus and that test was also negative. He was then at work,"

 

But up above it had said he was quarantined for 14 days in his cabin and then it said he was then at work after 10 days.

Something's not right.

[TayanaLorna]

CCWinelover.  Yes I know he boarded on July 17. That is why I said "If no crew members went ashore since May and this is the first crew addition since then..."

 

They also did not say specifically if he went to work immediately after the negative test at the 10 days onboard mark or if he still quarantined for the full 14 days.

 

BTW CC, hello and hope you are well and keeping busy with things you love.

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

CCWinelover.  Yes I know he boarded on July 17. That is why I said "If no crew members went ashore since May and this is the first crew addition since then..."

 

They also did not say specifically if he went to work immediately after the negative test at the 10 days onboard mark or if he still quarantined for the full 14 days.

 

BTW CC, hello and hope you are well and keeping busy with things you love.

Thanks Tayana!  It was good to see you posting!  Those South America cruises seem so far ago don't they?

I hope that you are staying safe - and sane down in Puerto Rico.

 

Viking / and we   have cancelled our 4 cruises planned for 2020/2021 - sad - but the right decisions.  The one that hurt was the Panama Canal from Miami to Los Angeles - that was on the bucket list.  But perhaps in the future.   Hoping you have some thoughts in mind for the long term future travel!

[Tom O.]

This is a little off topic, but when I read this article, I was surprised  at how many crew were on board. This ship is out of service right now, but still had 105 crew members on board. I guess they need that many to maintain systems and keep things looking nice. And this is a small Viking ship, how many are on board the big mega ships?

Meanwhile the cruise lines are paying all these people while no money is coming in. No wonder Carnival has sent several ships to be scrapped.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Tom O.

[Peregrina651]

52 minutes ago, Tom O. said:

This is a little off topic, but when I read this article, I was surprised  at how many crew were on board. This ship is out of service right now, but still had 105 crew members on board. I guess they need that many to maintain systems and keep things looking nice. And this is a small Viking ship, how many are on board the big mega ships?

Meanwhile the cruise lines are paying all these people while no money is coming in. No wonder Carnival has sent several ships to be scrapped.

 

It is also possible that there are crew on board who have been unable to return home.

[TayanaLorna]

11 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Thanks Tayana!  It was good to see you posting!  Those South America cruises seem so far ago don't they?

I hope that you are staying safe - and sane down in Puerto Rico.

 

Viking / and we   have cancelled our 4 cruises planned for 2020/2021 - sad - but the right decisions.  The one that hurt was the Panama Canal from Miami to Los Angeles - that was on the bucket list.  But perhaps in the future.   Hoping you have some thoughts in mind for the long term future travel!

Can't believe 6 months ago we were in Argentina.  Feels like 6 years with the changes in our world.  Missing the cruise critic chatter about upcoming cruises and excursions.  All I see are talk about cancelling, refunds, will it cancel, should I book.  Never booked another cruise so just dreaming the future.  Sales are tempting but do not want to tie up $$ for a year or more.  

 

It is easy to stay isolated and sane where we live in PR.  Always something to do around house or gardens.  Still working on my South America journal. Just the stress of hurricane season mars our peace.

15 hours ago, JeriGail said:

I'm wondering if a different crew member was an asymptomatic carrier?  All 36 crew on the Hurtigruten ship who tested positive were asymptomatic.

 

[Heidi13]

54 minutes ago, Tom O. said:

This is a little off topic, but when I read this article, I was surprised  at how many crew were on board. This ship is out of service right now, but still had 105 crew members on board. I guess they need that many to maintain systems and keep things looking nice. And this is a small Viking ship, how many are on board the big mega ships?

Meanwhile the cruise lines are paying all these people while no money is coming in. No wonder Carnival has sent several ships to be scrapped.

 

As the ships are on hot layup and ready to resume service on fairly short notice, all scheduled maintenance of the structure, lifesaving, fire-fighting, machinery and the numerous Flag State and company documents must be maintained. In addition, they will be working on projects normally completed in the shipyards.

 

Therefore, I suspect they are maintaining full deck & engineering crews and a minimum number of hotel. They require a couple of cooks and with > 100 crew the Doctor must also remain.

 

With the infected crew member, false negatives are possible, but 2 of them, I suggest make that less likely. Assuming the crew are not getting shore leave that is also an unlikely cause. However, the crew do have interaction with people from the shore - taking stores, bunkers, water, etc and also shipping off garbage, recycling, used oil, etc. The ship's agent will also visit the ship on a regular basis.