Quarantine on a cruise ship

[ael123]

Immediately after getting fully vaccinated we planned and paid for 4 upcoming cruises. I recently read where there are cases of people who are fully vaccinated testing positive albeit asymptomatic and having to be quarantined from other passengers. I am trying to understand what does being quarantined now look like if you are a vaccinated passenger who tests positive? Are you restricted to your room? Do they move you to a different cabin. What happens if two people are sharing a cabin, both fully vaccinated and one tests positive? Do they separate them and one goes to quarantine and the other doesn't. The reason I am asking is I am very  claustrophobic. I am afraid if I were quarantined in a small inside cabin I might not be able to do it and I would panic. I also was made aware that you can't fly between some countries in Europe without a negative covid 19 test. We are booked to sail on Oceania from Miami to Barcelona and then fly from Barcelona to Amsterdam and board a Viking River cruise. But Amsterdam requires a negative Covid test administered within 72 hours of the flight. I am not sure where I would get the test and what would happen if I got off Oceania then tested positive and could not get on the plane to Amsterdam. I checked my trip insurance and it doesn't cover costs related to Covid i.e., quarantine costs related to Covid or missing a cruise due to a positive Covid test. If I were ill it would pay for medical care but being that I am fully vaccinated I am not expecting my risk is suffering illness.   Any help or thoughts are appreciated.  I don't know if I should cancel. 

[SuiteTraveler]

From what I read, the Celebrity ship out of St. Martin that had passengers with Covid, they were doing the final PCR test to get into St. Martin and return to the US about 3 days before the disembarkation.  When they were found to have Covid, they were moved to a cabin near the sickbay and received room service for the final days of the cruise. And yes they were confined to their quarantine cabin. On the Millennium, they expanded the sickbay to add quarantine cabins.  I don't know if they are inside or outside.  When the ship returned to the disembarkation port (St. Martin) the two with Covid were put on a chartered flight and flown home.  The two who were Covid-positive on the Celebrity cruise were cabin mates.  They also did contact tracing but no one else onboard had Covid.  All of this is so new it is hard to know what the various cruise lines will do.  But the great news here is 1. The two that had Covid were fully vaccinated and therefore asymptomatic.  2.  They took a PCR test to get into St. Martin and it was negative, so this is something that they caught back home most likely.  3.  No one else on the ship had Covid.  So either it did not spread at all or if it did it will turn up after the passengers get home.  If you go to Youtube, you can see videos from people who were on that cruise.  They are quite interesting and informative.

 

 

What I learned from this instance: It is imperative to purchase health insurance that covers Covid in case you need to be evacuated via a chartered plane home.  Medical flights ARE expensive.  

 

Here's where to get a PCR test for air travel/cruising in Barcelona - you will need to make an appointment but there are plenty of locations and one that does a 2 hour test: https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/covid/covid-19-pcr-test-in-barcelona.html

 

In regards to the quarantine cabins, if you are claustrophobic, there is medication that the doctor onboard could prescribe to help you if you somehow wind up with Covid.  Otherwise, if you are really scared about what could happen, you would be better off cancelling the ocean part of your trip and just going on the river cruise instead. In fact, you could go on a couple of river cruises.  That way you won't have anxiety about what would happen if you get on a big cruise ship and turn up Covid positive.  

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, ael123 said:

Immediately after getting fully vaccinated we planned and paid for 4 upcoming cruises. I recently read where there are cases of people who are fully vaccinated testing positive albeit asymptomatic and having to be quarantined from other passengers. I am trying to understand what does being quarantined now look like if you are a vaccinated passenger who tests positive? Are you restricted to your room? Do they move you to a different cabin. What happens if two people are sharing a cabin, both fully vaccinated and one tests positive? Do they separate them and one goes to quarantine and the other doesn't. The reason I am asking is I am very  claustrophobic. I am afraid if I were quarantined in a small inside cabin I might not be able to do it and I would panic. I also was made aware that you can't fly between some countries in Europe without a negative covid 19 test. We are booked to sail on Oceania from Miami to Barcelona and then fly from Barcelona to Amsterdam and board a Viking River cruise. But Amsterdam requires a negative Covid test administered within 72 hours of the flight. I am not sure where I would get the test and what would happen if I got off Oceania then tested positive and could not get on the plane to Amsterdam. I checked my trip insurance and it doesn't cover costs related to Covid i.e., quarantine costs related to Covid or missing a cruise due to a positive Covid test. If I were ill it would pay for medical care but being that I am fully vaccinated I am not expecting my risk is suffering illness.   Any help or thoughts are appreciated.  I don't know if I should cancel. 

If you are quarantined on a ship, it’s most likely going to be in your own cabin and your partner will be stuck there too. 

“plan A #1”: Do not book an inside cabin. Get a balcony.

As for adding a River Cruise, my understanding is that O will do testing prior to disembarkation. And the challenge is having a “plan A #2”: that can handle a “worst case scenario” (of a positive test) which is spending time in the disembarkation city (that may last longer than planned) and having “no change fee” air tix should that two day land stay in the disembarkation port turn into two weeks.
 

[Essiesmom]

Have you brought this up on the Oceania board here?  Several of the cruise lines are giving COVID-19 tests onboard near the end of the cruise, particularly for those flying back to the USA.  What are the folks on your roll call doing?  EM

[CruiserBruce]

Tons of over reacting here. "I can't quarantine in an inside cabin". If you happen to test positive...a very, very, verylow chance...you need to do whatever protects others. You know...the good of many outweighs the good of the few.

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, ael123 said:

Immediately after getting fully vaccinated we planned and paid for 4 upcoming cruises. I recently read where there are cases of people who are fully vaccinated testing positive albeit asymptomatic and having to be quarantined from other passengers. I am trying to understand what does being quarantined now look like if you are a vaccinated passenger who tests positive? Are you restricted to your room? Do they move you to a different cabin. What happens if two people are sharing a cabin, both fully vaccinated and one tests positive? Do they separate them and one goes to quarantine and the other doesn't. The reason I am asking is I am very  claustrophobic. I am afraid if I were quarantined in a small inside cabin I might not be able to do it and I would panic. I also was made aware that you can't fly between some countries in Europe without a negative covid 19 test. We are booked to sail on Oceania from Miami to Barcelona and then fly from Barcelona to Amsterdam and board a Viking River cruise. But Amsterdam requires a negative Covid test administered within 72 hours of the flight. I am not sure where I would get the test and what would happen if I got off Oceania then tested positive and could not get on the plane to Amsterdam. I checked my trip insurance and it doesn't cover costs related to Covid i.e., quarantine costs related to Covid or missing a cruise due to a positive Covid test. If I were ill it would pay for medical care but being that I am fully vaccinated I am not expecting my risk is suffering illness.   Any help or thoughts are appreciated.  I don't know if I should cancel. 

 

The response for anyone testing +ve on a ship, may be outside the control of the cruise line, who may have to follow the requirements of the local authorities.

 

Example - Bermada, all +ve cases must be landed ashore for 14-day quarantine in a Govt approved facility. They may also require any identified close contacts to quarantine ashore.

 

If the local authorities permit the cruise line to quarantine on board, you should confirm with the cruise line whether that would be in the existing cabin, or a quarantine zone. A previous poster mentioned Celebrity expanded the Medical Centre, which is normally on the uppermost continuous deck, 1 deck below the lowest pax deck. It is normally adjacent to a set of lifts and the crew M-1/I-95 alleyway. Any additional cabins in that location are most likely inside crew/shore staff. Similar cabins we have used on Princess ships were smaller, with bunk beds.

 

DW is also claustrophobic and has been in these types of cabins a few times without issue.

 

Before booking any cruises or land holiday, at this time, I would definitely thoroughly research local govt requirements for travel. You then need to monitor for updates, as they change frequently.

[ael123]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Tons of over reacting here. "I can't quarantine in an inside cabin". If you happen to test positive...a very, very, verylow chance...you need to do whatever protects others. You know...the good of many outweighs the good of the few.

Cruiser Bruce, I agree totally. If I were to test positive I definitely would not want to infect others. Why would you think I would not want to be respectful of others? I didn't say that in my post.  I did cancel my cruises because I don't know where I would be put if I were in quarantine. I can tell you don't know how bad claustrophobia can be. I literally go in full panic mode and fight my way out without having any control to the point where I have to be sedated. Most people who are claustrophobic have a past history of near drowning or have been in a situation where they could not breathe. It is a real thing. The reason I was asking the question is that it is better to know what the options are ahead of time then to get into a situation that could be problematic. Thank you to all that provided helpful information. 

[ldubs]

9 hours ago, ael123 said:

Cruiser Bruce, I agree totally. If I were to test positive I definitely would not want to infect others. Why would you think I would not want to be respectful of others? I didn't say that in my post.  I did cancel my cruises because I don't know where I would be put if I were in quarantine. I can tell you don't know how bad claustrophobia can be. I literally go in full panic mode and fight my way out without having any control to the point where I have to be sedated. Most people who are claustrophobic have a past history of near drowning or have been in a situation where they could not breathe. It is a real thing. The reason I was asking the question is that it is better to know what the options are ahead of time then to get into a situation that could be problematic. Thank you to all that provided helpful information. 

 

With the potential severity you explain, I would hesitate to base decisions on what you are told on a forum.   As previously suggested, check with your cruise line.   Even that is going to be very fluid as we are seeing.  

[SuiteTraveler]

ael123, I believe you have made the right decision to cancel your cruises for now.  We are in a situation with a lot of unknowns and that is truly unsettling for many people.  I do want to provide you with some reassurance:  Less than .006 of people have had a breakthrough case of Covid-19, that is 10,262 breakthrough cases in total out of 150 Million people who have been vaccinated in the United States.

 

My suggestion would be that you take other, land based vacations for now and choose situations where you feel confident, comfortable and safe.  There are so many amazing places to vacation in the United States.  Sedona, AZ, Mount Rushmore National Park in South Dakota, The Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX, Santa Fe, NM, Charlotte, NC, Savannah, GA, Bar Harbor, Maine, Rockport, Massachusetts, just to name a few of the wonderful places to visit!

 

I believe that Covid-19 will not be the huge problem it is now in a year or two after the majority of people are either vaccinated or have had Covid-19.  Also, medical researchers will have had the time to learn much more about how long the Covid-19 vaccines last and if we need booster shots or not and then, armed with full information about how to protect yourself from Covid-19,  you should feel much more confident about cruising again.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[evandbob]

Just curious:  Does the short 2 hr + flight present any problems for you?   I do know some friends who hate being enclosed on a plane .  And, are there any medications that can help or ease the panic mode?  Not asking maliciously, just as I said, curious???

[ael123]

On 6/22/2021 at 3:38 PM, SuiteTraveler said:

ael123, I believe you have made the right decision to cancel your cruises for now.  We are in a situation with a lot of unknowns and that is truly unsettling for many people.  I do want to provide you with some reassurance:  Less than .006 of people have had a breakthrough case of Covid-19, that is 10,262 breakthrough cases in total out of 150 Million people who have been vaccinated in the United States.

 

My suggestion would be that you take other, land based vacations for now and choose situations where you feel confident, comfortable and safe.  There are so many amazing places to vacation in the United States.  Sedona, AZ, Mount Rushmore National Park in South Dakota, The Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX, Santa Fe, NM, Charlotte, NC, Savannah, GA, Bar Harbor, Maine, Rockport, Massachusetts, just to name a few of the wonderful places to visit!

 

I believe that Covid-19 will not be the huge problem it is now in a year or two after the majority of people are either vaccinated or have had Covid-19.  Also, medical researchers will have had the time to learn much more about how long the Covid-19 vaccines last and if we need booster shots or not and then, armed with full information about how to protect yourself from Covid-19,  you should feel much more confident about cruising again.  

 

Thank you for your understanding and advice. I appreciate your response.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ael123]

On 6/22/2021 at 4:10 PM, evandbob said:

Just curious:  Does the short 2 hr + flight present any problems for you?   I do know some friends who hate being enclosed on a plane .  And, are there any medications that can help or ease the panic mode?  Not asking maliciously, just as I said, curious???

Thanks for your interest. Actually, I don't have a problem in planes now. I had a mass behind my heart the size of my heart that caused me to have difficulty getting oxygen. Prior to surgery I couldn't ride in an elevator, had difficulty in crowded places and difficulty flying because I wasn't getting sufficient oxygen. After 3 surgeries I breathe well and only have trouble in CAT scan machines and need an open MRI with sedation. I just am not sure how I would feel or if I would panic being put in a small cabin with no windows and not being allowed out for days. That could invoke anxiety or panic unless I was sedated. I had bookings on Oceania, P&O, QM2 and Viking. I called the cruise lines directly to ask them where on the ship they will have quarantine cabins. Oceania said they did not know yet. I was told that there would be space on the ship if someone needed to be quarantined but no one could tell me what type of space it would be. On Viking our cabin was a balcony so if allowed to stay in the cabin I probably would have been ok but no one at Viking could assure me if quarantine was needed that I would be allowed to stay in my cabin. I just don't want to risk going through quarantine either on the ship or when we disembark. When it is time to disembark a positive test I would not know what the country's policy would be or where we would be taken. I felt very bad when I read about those people who were initially ill with Covid and locked in their inside cabin. Just thinking about it made me sick. I love cruising so once there is more data about this I will revisit my decision. The thing I love about cruising is you get a consistent product in a foreign land. Under normal circumstances, I know my meals will be delicious, my room comfortable, and every evening there will be great entertainment. As soon as data is available I will revisit my decision. 

[BoozinCroozin]

Not sure about quarantine, but the AotS returned to port, disembarked the positive covid test people, and let the port deal with them. I have no clue how they were permitted on a plane and flown home, but that is a different issue. My opinion is they should all have been quarantine at a facility for 14-days once disembarked. I am glad the testing worked and they took steps. I am just not sure I agree with the steps and not sure how the US even allowed the plane to fly to FL with known positive cases onboard. The other question is who gets charged the $136 for the tests for the "close contact" testing (I think this is what RCL charges for the test). I am 100% certain I should not be responsible for the cost of the test because the others were positive. I think that bill should go directly to that cabin.

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Not sure about quarantine, but the AotS returned to port, disembarked the positive covid test people, and let the port deal with them. I have no clue how they were permitted on a plane and flown home, but that is a different issue. My opinion is they should all have been quarantine at a facility for 14-days once disembarked. I am glad the testing worked and they took steps. I am just not sure I agree with the steps and not sure how the US even allowed the plane to fly to FL with known positive cases onboard. The other question is who gets charged the $136 for the tests for the "close contact" testing (I think this is what RCL charges for the test). I am 100% certain I should not be responsible for the cost of the test because the others were positive. I think that bill should go directly to that cabin.

I think the cruise line should be the one responsible for any bills for Covid testing. In a webimar earlier this week Princess has said that all Covid testing will be free to the passengers. This is all part of their protocols and the cruise lines should provide it at no cost. JMHO.

[Honolulu Blue]

2 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Not sure about quarantine, but the AotS returned to port, disembarked the positive covid test people, and let the port deal with them. I have no clue how they were permitted on a plane and flown home, but that is a different issue. My opinion is they should all have been quarantine at a facility for 14-days once disembarked. I am glad the testing worked and they took steps. I am just not sure I agree with the steps and not sure how the US even allowed the plane to fly to FL with known positive cases onboard. The other question is who gets charged the $136 for the tests for the "close contact" testing (I think this is what RCL charges for the test). I am 100% certain I should not be responsible for the cost of the test because the others were positive. I think that bill should go directly to that cabin.

 

I heard that the flight back to Florida was a special medical flight, which is allowed (but pricey, I'm sure).  My guess, worth about what you paid for it, is that the vaccinated passengers who had to test an extra time won't be charged, and neither will any kids involved.

[BoozinCroozin]

Thanks for the honest feedback and opinions. I just wanted to see what the protocols were kind of like after a positive test. Not arguing vax vs unvax, but my hope would be vax won't need to be tested when cruising.

[Tapi]

38 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

…but my hope would be vax won't need to be tested when cruising.

Based on what I’m reading on my (hopefully) upcoming Celebrity cruise from Miami is that for US based cruises, vaccinated guests won’t be required to take a test before returning home. But for cruises departing/arriving at a foreign port, a test will need to be performed, not only to meet the country’s requirements, but also to meet the US requirement for testing of all passengers returning to the US by air from an international destination. 

[Essiesmom]

Those traveling to the Bahamas for vacation or cruise must fill out a visa request form, and part of that form is the COVID-19 insurance required by the Bahamas.  Because of the test requirement before flying out, there is the option to pay up front for that test, and the fee is $25.  You receive a voucher for it which can be used on the ship or at a facility on the islands.  I am on one of the early Crystal cruises from Nassau and if we do not purchase it with the visa, we can get it on the ship for the same price.  So likely all passengers on Adventure had the same option.  Since this was the nearly end of cruise test, they probably did not have to retest the contacts as they had been tested at the same time.  EM

[Joebucks]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I think the cruise line should be the one responsible for any bills for Covid testing. In a webimar earlier this week Princess has said that all Covid testing will be free to the passengers. This is all part of their protocols and the cruise lines should provide it at no cost. JMHO.

 

You mean you want it rolled into the fare vs being nickle and dimed. Right?

 

Back to the OP, if you want us to tell you you will be quarantined to a nice suite, and all will be great, I have some news for you. No one knows for sure. There may be policies. They may change. What happens if a local government steps in? What happens if too many people are quarantined? 

 

For as bad as I want to cruise, I am not going to do so until we let the panic settle. We've overreacted in nearly every scenario (like the recent panic over a handful of asymptomatic  people on a ship of thousands). While letting the panic settle once its proven to be an overreaction (like the rest of life that is back to normal). I'm not interested in hearing any argument as to why you believe we need the panic. It is there, and it is not an ideal time to cruise, for me at least.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

 

You mean you want it rolled into the fare vs being nickle and dimed. Right?

 

Back to the OP, if you want us to tell you you will be quarantined to a nice suite, and all will be great, I have some news for you. No one knows for sure. There may be policies. They may change. What happens if a local government steps in? What happens if too many people are quarantined? 

 

For as bad as I want to cruise, I am not going to do so until we let the panic settle. We've overreacted in nearly every scenario (like the recent panic over a handful of asymptomatic  people on a ship of thousands). While letting the panic settle once its proven to be an overreaction (like the rest of life that is back to normal). I'm not interested in hearing any argument as to why you believe we need the panic. It is there, and it is not an ideal time to cruise, for me at least.

No, I want the law of supply and demand to determine the price while the cruise lines pay for the things that their protocols require.

[cruisemom42]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I think the cruise line should be the one responsible for any bills for Covid testing. In a webimar earlier this week Princess has said that all Covid testing will be free to the passengers. This is all part of their protocols and the cruise lines should provide it at no cost. JMHO.

 

However I do agree with what several cruise lines have announced -- which is that unvaccinated individuals will have to pay for testing (before boarding, potentially mid-cruise, and at disembarkation), while any REQUIRED testing for vaccinated passengers will be provided at no additional cost.

[crzndeb]

On 6/22/2021 at 12:38 PM, SuiteTraveler said:

Less than .006 of people have had a breakthrough case of Covid-19, that is 10,262 breakthrough cases in total out of 150 Million people who have been vaccinated in the United States.

Unfortunately, we will never have a true picture on this number since the CDC quit tracking breakthrough numbers on May 1, and many won’t test, because they are asymptomatic. They are only tracking breakthrough cases that have hospitalization or death. 
I tested early June for data purposes because I had been vaxxed. Had I known it wasn’t even being tracked anymore, I wouldn’t have bothered. Yes, I was positive.

 

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/27/1000933529/cdc-approach-to-breakthrough-infections-sparks-concerns

Edited June 25, 2021 by crzndeb

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

However I do agree with what several cruise lines have announced -- which is that unvaccinated individuals will have to pay for testing (before boarding, potentially mid-cruise, and at disembarkation), while any REQUIRED testing for vaccinated passengers will be provided at no additional cost.

Yes, there is a major difference between someone who has voluntarily not got the vaccine and someone who has been vaccinated and through no fault of their own was exposed, such as being on the same tour as someone who tests positive.

 

The only thing I would add to your post is I would not charge for children under 12 since they are not yet eligible to be vaccinated so their status as non-vaccinated is not voluntary.

[K32682]

Cruising is the travel mode where everyone else's conduct and health status have the greatest impact on you. If I'm on an excursion with a passenger who subsequently tests positive I am required to quarantine in my cabin until tests are completed.  If large groups of people test positive ports may be cancelled or the cruise returns to home base. 

 

Our cruise plans are on the shelf for at least two years after sailing resumes. I can take land vacations without the same concerns. 

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by K32682

[cbr663]

On 6/22/2021 at 2:01 AM, ael123 said:

Cruiser Bruce, I agree totally. If I were to test positive I definitely would not want to infect others. Why would you think I would not want to be respectful of others? I didn't say that in my post.  I did cancel my cruises because I don't know where I would be put if I were in quarantine. I can tell you don't know how bad claustrophobia can be. I literally go in full panic mode and fight my way out without having any control to the point where I have to be sedated. Most people who are claustrophobic have a past history of near drowning or have been in a situation where they could not breathe. It is a real thing. The reason I was asking the question is that it is better to know what the options are ahead of time then to get into a situation that could be problematic. Thank you to all that provided helpful information. 

 

Bravo on contacting the cruise lines directly with your questions.  I think that cancelling your cruises was the best decision for you.  And, I don't think it was an over-reaction at all.  Like you, I have many questions that need answers before I will book another cruise. 

 

Thank-you for updating us all on the cruise lines responses to your questions.  The response is as I feared - even the cruise lines don't know yet.