trying to get an overview of COVID on ships

[suec12]

We are hoping to cruise in Sept. in the Med. I know ships are sailing there now, and in other places around the globe. I keep seeing warnings and such but is any concrete  info anywhere how many cases are actually being reported on the ships? I would think many people would like facts! and not just ambiguous warnings. Thanks!

[chengkp75]

Given that the EU relies on each member nation to set it's public health and immigration policies, there is no central reporting repository for this data, so I doubt you'll ever see an accurate set of data.

[suec12]

well I would take any experiences that cruisers can relate on EU cruises or US / Alaska. But since there have been none or few news reports I'm thinking there have been few, because we know the news would love to report on a cruise ship issues!

[Taters]

Cruise Law News is a great site for information about COVID on cruise ships.  There is a website as well as a FB page.

[Cajuntraveler]

Although we were negative for COVID, I thought it might help to share our experience with the ships medical procedures. DH and I were on the 8/14 Alaska sailing and developed cold like symptoms on day 2 of the cruise.  We were not booked on any tours after Juneau, so we were able to avoid crowds.  We were seated at a table for 2 in the dining room and we made sure to sit away from people in the theater and music venues, just in case.  On Thursday evening I had a 101 degree temp. and called the ships medical center. A nurse came to our cabin and checked our vitals/lungs etc.  The doctor called a short time later and told us he was sending a nurse to take a Covid19 swab and we were to isolate in our cabin and that we may be required to isolate in a hotel in Seattle, under supervision from the Seattle health authorities, after disembarking the ship.  Within an hour of the swab the doc. called with the negative results, but said we had to isolate until a 2nd test(24 hrs later) also showed negative. He sent antibiotics and cough meds for me. The 2nd test also showed negative and the doctor examined us and released us Friday night after being in isolation for 24+ hours.  The day of forced rest really helped us feel well enough to fly home Saturday.

[12cruise2]

18 minutes ago, Cajuntraveler said:

Although we were negative for COVID, I thought it might help to share our experience with the ships medical procedures. DH and I were on the 8/14 Alaska sailing and developed cold like symptoms on day 2 of the cruise.  We were not booked on any tours after Juneau, so we were able to avoid crowds.  We were seated at a table for 2 in the dining room and we made sure to sit away from people in the theater and music venues, just in case.  On Thursday evening I had a 101 degree temp. and called the ships medical center. A nurse came to our cabin and checked our vitals/lungs etc.  The doctor called a short time later and told us he was sending a nurse to take a Covid19 swab and we were to isolate in our cabin and that we may be required to isolate in a hotel in Seattle, under supervision from the Seattle health authorities, after disembarking the ship.  Within an hour of the swab the doc. called with the negative results, but said we had to isolate until a 2nd test(24 hrs later) also showed negative. He sent antibiotics and cough meds for me. The 2nd test also showed negative and the doctor examined us and released us Friday night after being in isolation for 24+ hours.  The day of forced rest really helped us feel well enough to fly home Saturday.

Thank you so much for being willing to share your experience.  Hope you're feeling better.

Edited August 22, 2021 by 12cruise2
added words

[suec12]

Thanks Tater! excellent referral.

[chengkp75]

18 minutes ago, suec12 said:

Thanks Tater! excellent referral.

Jim Walker's site should be treated with some skepticism, as he has a decidedly anti-cruise slant, and his facts are frequently incorrect.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Thank you Cajontraveler for detailing your experience.  It explains to the rest of us HAL's procedures when one experiences the symptoms you mentioned.

[Taters]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Jim Walker's site should be treated with some skepticism, as he has a decidedly anti-cruise slant, and his facts are frequently incorrect.

I am in agreement with you, but I have found his information regarding COVID cases more focused than other sites.  He is the only person I saw that reported on the 77 year old woman who was disembarked in Belize with COVID, went to a hospital there, was medivaced back to the US, then died, among other stories.  I wouldn't call him a liar, though...  Just a lawyer who really likes making money suing the cruise companies.🤪

[Aquahound]

I am privy to reports on the AK cruises.  There have been positive cases on Celebrity Millennium, Norwegian Encore, and Majestic Princess.  There might be 1 or 2 more, but that's what I'm remembering off the top of my head.   All have been isolated and contained.  No indications of spread.  

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

3 hours ago, Aquahound said:

I am privy to reports on the AK cruises.  There have been positive cases on Celebrity Millennium, Norwegian Encore, and Majestic Princess.  There might be 1 or 2 more, but that's what I'm remembering off the top of my head.   All have been isolated and contained.  No indications of spread.  

 

Your comments indicate the cruise companies have procedures in place when the need arises.

[syesmar]

12 hours ago, suec12 said:

...I keep seeing warnings and such but is any concrete  info anywhere how many cases are actually being reported on the ships? I would think many people would like facts! and not just ambiguous warnings. Thanks!

See Post 230 and following on this Thread, where cases since the resumption of cruising in North America have been chronicled, up until a couple weeks ago. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2778201-would-you-go-iv-everyone-is-not-vacinated/page/10/?tab=comments#comment-61257000

Also, here is the CDC’s Cruise Ship Color Status page, updated Monday-Friday. https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/cruise-ship-color-status.html

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by syesmar

[zgscl]

We just got back from the August 14th sailing and felt quite safe between the 100% vaccinated ship (few with medical exemptions allowed), added testing and added masking. Most were good about wearing masks onboard. There were some who didn't and we were in an elevator when someone without a mask tried to get in and the lady in the front of the elevator said in a very nice way "oh sorry you can take the next one because you aren't wearing a mask."

No masks were worn when seated in dining venues or bars (BB Kings is a free-for-all with people dancing and sitting mostly without masks as they are drinking). The music walk venues were the main places we saw unmasked crowds (since people are drinking mostly). 

There was a medical disembarkation towards the end of the cruise and I was surprised the Captain did not say anything about if it was COVID related. I do not believe it was because we were never notified, and we saw the patient disembark and it appeared to be a cardiac issue, and the coast guard were not taking any added precautions that you might expect if there was a covid patient. 

[Heartgrove]

We strayed and sailed on a Viking cruise around Iceland in July. The cruise before ours and a few of the subsequent cruises have had issues with COVID positive cases. Each was handled differently by Viking and Icelandic authorities. One  cruise even had 26 passengers being contact traced but negative tested disembarking half way through the cruise and flying home the next day. The details can be found on the Viking CC "Live" thread.

 

Interestingly I have not seen any reference in any form of media (print, vlogs, etc.).

 

[esimon]

so no one cares about Noravirus any more?    No one reported on that in the past.  People will get Covid for ever - it's the flu -    the vaccine keeps all from getting sever cases.   

[seaoma]

2 hours ago, esimon said:

so no one cares about Noravirus any more?    No one reported on that in the past.  People will get Covid for ever - it's the flu -    the vaccine keeps all from getting sever cases.   

 

NOT all. Please don't compare Noro with Covid. Noro kills about 1000 people a year. They aren't anywhere comparable and I'm not talking just about the numbers of people affected.

 

Plus when I'm on a cruise, you don't have to tell me there is norovirus onboard, I can tell because of the infection protocols they begin to implement. 

 

Yes, the incidence of severe covid in vaccinated people is low but it does not prevent everyone from getting severe cases. You do know the vaccine isn't 100% effective, don't you?

 

The vaccine also doesn't prevent me or someone else infecting my granddaughter who can't be vaccinated and is immuno-compromised. She's not the only one in the world in this position either.

 

Please continue to practice Covid safety protocols to protect, at least,  the people you may encounter that can't be vaccinated.

[atexsix]

23 hours ago, esimon said:

so no one cares about Noravirus any more?    No one reported on that in the past.  People will get Covid for ever - it's the flu -    the vaccine keeps all from getting sever cases.   

That's what I like about masks, since the age of covid I have not been sick with anything and I'm rather enjoying that. 

[AKJonesy]

23 hours ago, esimon said:

so no one cares about Noravirus any more?    No one reported on that in the past.  People will get Covid for ever - it's the flu -    the vaccine keeps all from getting sever cases.   

On my last Alaska cruise in 2019, I got NORO.  Honestly, I was so sick and was looking forward to getting off the ship and going to the hospital in Juneau.  When I realized that we had a late arrival in Juneau, I was pretty upset about it and just had to suck it up.  About 2 hours before arriving in Juneau, my symptoms had peaked and I had already started feeling better when we docked.  Five days of my trip locked up in my room.  Ahhh, the good ol days of NORO.  JK.  

[AKJonesy]

49 minutes ago, atexsix said:

That's what I like about masks, since the age of covid I have not been sick with anything and I'm rather enjoying that. 

Interesting that I have not been sick AT ALL in 2020 or 2021.  Strange.  I am careful, but not THAT careful.  

[atexsix]

27 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

Interesting that I have not been sick AT ALL in 2020 or 2021.  Strange.  I am careful, but not THAT careful.  

For us it's because we were locked down for half of that time, even when everything reopened there was no place to go, a lot of our favorite restaurants closed for good.  I shop early in the morning to limit exposure.  Many doc appointments are tele-health or video.  Family visits have been limited for one reason or another like waiting on people to get vaccinated, a couple refused at first.  Aside from that, the bank maybe?  This upcoming cruise is like a major adventure compared to the last few years.