On the Zuiderdam, tested positive, booted off

[muffin]

Never thought of a b@lcony!   Do hope I jumped to the wrong conclusion….also all my best wishes to our friend in need.

[cccole]

15 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Marriott Coral Springs outdoor dining looks pretty nice, but menu not so much. Hope it improves:

 

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/fllmc-fort-lauderdale-marriott-coral-springs-hotel-and-convention-center/dining/fairway-grill/

Yes, not a bad location.  No ocean view though.  I thought that if you were in quarantine in a hotel they did not let you out.  You are not given a key so if you leave you are in trouble, no way to get back into your room.  Possibly Florida is more lenient with positive Covid persons than HAL?  Cherie

[TiogaCruiser]

9 hours ago, seaoma said:

 

I'm assuming it's because they both had some symptoms. Even though she tested negative today, she may well test positive tomorrow. I think it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

@IPB4IGO When you feel better, would you mind sharing HAL's procedures for disembarking you to a quarantine hotel? 

Yes. Viral load may not be high enough yet, or can be a false negative.

2 hours ago, IPB4IGO said:

The ship's doctor said that if I have it, there is virtually no chance that my wife doesn't. She said something about a "delayed response".

 

She’s a SYMPTOMATIC close contact (as in close HH contact) to a test positive case. 

2 hours ago, cruzin4us said:

Well darn it anyway....My parents are on this cruise doing the same B2B as you.  I spoke with this this morning and so far they are both testing negative.  

I'm sure they gave you the boot just to keep their numbers on board down, not that they care so much as the CDC would put them in a different colored covid bracket and that's where the problem comes in.....just my thought anyway.

 

I truly hope you both have a quick recovery!

 

Another thing to consider is the other pax, who also are onboard and hoping to see some ports. If the Covid “load” is too high, they might be more likely to turn the ship away. 

[iflyrc5]

21 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Yes. Viral load may not be high enough yet, or can be a false negative.

She’s a SYMPTOMATIC close contact (as in close HH contact) to a test positive case. 

Another thing to consider is the other pax, who also are onboard and hoping to see some ports. If the Covid “load” is too high, they might be more likely to turn the ship away. 

Please keep us updated.  We will are doing a B2B2B2B out of FLL starting Feb 2 and may end up in your same situation if we get a positive test during a turn around test and would like to know what we are in for if that happens.  Thanks and hoping for the best for you both.

[Hlitner]

I keep asking the same question regarding cruising and travel.  For those that say they will simply wait I wonder how many years they are prepared to wait?  Please understand that I do not question their decision but wonder about the commitment to wait for many years (if not forever) until things return to anything like the old norms.  I have lived long enough to have seen travel norms change and we have simply "rolled with the waves."  I believe we are now seeing another major change in norms and it has changed cruising forever!  The cruise lines have become very risk adverse (who can blame them) so rather then dealing with illness onboard it seems that many lines toss off the ill passengers at any port of convenience.  I have posted elsewhere that this is also an issue with River Cruises, land Tour Groups, etc.  About the only folks who keep some control our we independent land travelers but that also comes with its own challenges.

 

If a cruiser gets Omicron onboard a long cruise they might expect to simply be quarantined onboard for a few days until they are symptom-free and test negative on an antigen test (a PCR test might show them positive for several months).  But some lines prefer to avoid that situation by simply tossing those folks ashore (at the next port) where they are quarantined in a hotel.   Consider the long history of cruise lines and Norovirus!  How many of those folks were tossed off ships to quarantine at a local hotel?   Is Omicron more serious than Noro or Influenza? 

 

DW and I love cruising and have several future cruises on the horizon.  But I am starting to wonder if we should simply stick to independent land-trips.  We are comfortable flying to most places of the world, renting/leasing a car, and just doing our own thing.  As much as we love to cruise we are now starting to wonder whether it is worth the risk.  And I am not talking about the risk of COVID or getting sick but the risk of having to deal with the cruise lines and their constantly changing protocols.

 

Hank 

 

 

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, DrKoob said:

I think someone told me that in mid 2020. How long are we supposed to wait? BTW: I am totally serious. If we wait until COVID is completely gone, it might be 2024 or 2025. Do we wait that long?

No, it will be over soon, I think we have hard enough about it..

[Hlitner]

9 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

No, it will be over soon, I think we have hard enough about it..

Perhaps.  But most of the virologists I respect (after spending a lifetime working in the public health sector) think that COVID will become a permanent endemic similar to the many variations of influenza.  There is absolutely no reason to believe that a virus, which is apparently easily able to morph into new variants, is going to simply disappear.  As to vaccines, to quote DW, it is almost like we are chasing our tail.  The amazing scientific community does seem able to develop vaccines, but it can take at  takes many months (or even years).  So we now hear there will be some modified vaccines by the Spring which should be able to better deal with Omicron, but it is likely that by the time we see those vaccines the Omicron variant will be gone and replaced with some other variant (currently unknown).  

 

Consider that Influenza (in its multiple forms) has been around for many decades (as has vaccines) and it is still a constant problem (and killer).  We (as a society) have learned to live with influenza and simply accept that it sickens millions and continues to kill year after year.  But when it comes to COVID we have not reached a level of acceptance even when it involves the relatively mild Omicron variant.  Those that are simply waiting for COVID to disappear are perhaps similar to some folks who are waiting for influenza to disappear.  I think those that say they are waiting for COVID to become less of a problem are simply waiting for themselves to begrudgingly accept that COVID has now become part of our lives just like flu, Noro, and other viruses.  My bigger concern is how we (as a society) have reacted to COVID.  How will cruise lines be able to function in a world where the cruise lines are simply disembarking passengers who test COVID positive...even when they have no serious symptoms?  Are many cruisers willing to accept that risk?  I can accept getting sick on a long cruise and being quarantined until the ship physician says I am safe.  But having that same ship toss me off a ship (even if not symptomatic) is more of a concern.  If I get the flu on a cruise I would normally be confined to my cabin and receive the necessary medical support.  Why is Omicron treated differently?

 

Hank 

[cowmilker]

35 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

 Is Omicron more serious than Noro or Influenza? 

 

Far more serious, potentially.  Far, far, far, more serious.

That said, I believe that drugs like Paxlovid will change the game a bit.  At least, I hope that's the case.  If there is treatment like that which can be given on the spot in the same way they prescribe Tamiflu, we might see a return to something more acceptable in terms of risk.

[cowmilker]

"But when it comes to COVID we have not reached a level of acceptance even when it involves the relatively mild Omicron variant. "

It's still killing people at a very high rate.  Honestly, there is NO comparison to be made between flu (about 20,000 deaths annually) and Covid ( HUNDREDS of thousands of deaths annually).  Really.

And I have had what my doc believes was a breakthrough infection, in spite of being triple vaxxed.  The vaccines are pretty much miraculous, IMHO.  I will quite happily get a shot every few months if necessary for the rest of my life.

I share the concern that I don't want to be kicked off a cruise because of a positive test, and I honestly believe that we'll see a point where they stop doing testing.  When they have a drug to treat it, that reduces it to a minor inconvenience (maybe a couple of days of quarantine, the way the flu is treated on board), and IF they continue to require vaccinations, we should be good to go.

[Boatdrill]

2 hours ago, cccole said:

So, if the restaurant is open for B, L, and D, but you cannot go into the restaurant, can you order room service?  Could HAL have packed you something to eat and drink before the restaurant opened?  An  easy thing for HAL to have done to make the transition more comfortable.    

Can't take food ashore when you disembark....

[cccole]

Boatdrill, thank you.  Good point.  Too bad they can't make arrangements to have guests taken care of once they are off the ship.  Guests could be met with a basket of food and drink to take in the van to the hotel?  Lots of options.  Cherie

[DAllenTCY]

Cruise lines (CLIA) spent a year in dialog with CDC to resume cruising from the US.

 

I doubt very much if snack boxes were part of the discussions.

 

Certainly, hotels who were willing and able to take in Covid positive cases were.

 

And that list is a very short one.

 

David

[highland cruiser]

Very interesting to read all of this.    Hoping that in 5 days,  IPB4IGO, you are headed home to Oregon.  It is cold here..rains start again on Tuesday so enjoy your days in the sun.  Although I am sure it isn't quite what you wanted.  Take care and thank you for posting.  

[IPB4IGO]

12 hours ago, cccole said:

So, if the restaurant is open for B, L, and D, but you cannot go into the restaurant, can you order room service? 

Yes. We had breakfast delivered this morning. They knocked on our door and left the food in a big paper bag, with the coffee and juices in a pasteboard container. The room service receipt, ready for signing and tipping, was in the bag.

[IPB4IGO]

12 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Another thing to consider is the other pax, who also are onboard and hoping to see some ports. If the Covid “load” is too high, they might be more likely to turn the ship away. 

That's exactly what they told us when I asked why we couldn't quarantine on the ship.

[IPB4IGO]

12 hours ago, cccole said:

I thought that if you were in quarantine in a hotel they did not let you out.  You are not given a key so if you leave you are in trouble, no way to get back into your room.  Possibly Florida is more lenient with positive Covid persons than HAL?  Cherie

No, unlike quarantine on the ship, they gave us a room key and directed us to our room unescorted.

[zelker]

2 minutes ago, IPB4IGO said:

Yes. We had breakfast delivered this morning. They knocked on our door and left the food in a big paper bag, with the coffee and juices in a pasteboard container. The room service receipt, ready for signing and tipping, was in the bag.

 

What’s keeping you from just flying home?  That’s what at least one couple did yesterday when they tested positive at embarkation in San Diego.  You can read about it on the January 16 Koningsdam roll call.

 

 

[IPB4IGO]

12 hours ago, muffin said:

What don’t I understand? You were just disembarked early from a cruise liner in a huge city because one  of you tested positive for Covid. You are in a hotel for 5 days and while you cannot wander in the hotel at will,( except to the restaurant?) you CAN GO OUTSiDE  to mingle with the folks there to your hearts content?  Wow.

doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

We can't go to the restaurant or any other public spaces in the hotel. The hotel instructions do say, "You may leave your room to enjoy the fresh air outside the hotel" but to wear a mask and try to avoid other guests.

[IPB4IGO]

Hotel laundry services:

We had planned to send our laundry to the ship's laundry the first day of the westbound cruise, so we are low on clothes. In our closet was a laundry and order form, as you see in most hotels. I dutifully filled it out, seeing that one load will cost more that a week's worth aboard ship at $7.00/day.  Shirts: $7.50, unless you want it folded, then it's $8.50, for example.

When I called to have the bag picked up they told me that, contrary to the form, they only send out dry cleaning. Laundry is self-service: $2.00 to wash and $2.00 to dry. Since we are quarantined, we leave $4.00 on the floor outside our door and they pick it up. So we did.

 

Funny story: When we got up this morning, the clock next to the bed and the power strip I had plugged into an outlet behind the desk were both dead. We discovered that they were plugged into outlets that are controlled by one of the three "light" switches next to the door.

 

Every day an adventure.

[IPB4IGO]

9 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

What’s keeping you from just flying home?  That’s what at least one couple did yesterday when they tested positive at embarkation in San Diego.  You can read about it on the January 16 Koningsdam roll call.

 

 

I wouldn't feel right, getting on a plane knowing that I am COVID positive. The same reason we reported our symptoms to the ship: It's not always just about me (he said self-righteously).

[syesmar]

8 minutes ago, IPB4IGO said:

I wouldn't feel right, getting on a plane knowing that I am COVID positive. The same reason we reported our symptoms to the ship: It's not always just about me (he said self-righteously).

Thank you for having integrity, and concern for other people (she said grateful that there are still people with ethics)!

[TiogaCruiser]

58 minutes ago, IPB4IGO said:

Yes. We had breakfast delivered this morning. They knocked on our door and left the food in a big paper bag, with the coffee and juices in a pasteboard container. The room service receipt, ready for signing and tipping, was in the bag.

Just a thought- if you have a refrigerator and microwave ( or if the hotel can provide one), you could place a well planned grocery delivery order. That might provide more options for you and be less expensive than room service for all your meals.

 

(We travel with a very small microwave for that purpose).

Edited January 17, 2022 by TiogaCruiser

[iflyrc5]

Have you been told how long you need to quarantine?  Do you need to get tested before leaving?  How is you wife doing?  Very interested as we are doing a back to back to back starting Feb 2 and wondering what would happen if we test positive during one of the turn around test days.  Thanks for keeping us all informed.

[TiogaCruiser]

13 minutes ago, iflyrc5 said:

Have you been told how long you need to quarantine?  

Huh?

[dfish]

1 hour ago, IPB4IGO said:

I wouldn't feel right, getting on a plane knowing that I am COVID positive. The same reason we reported our symptoms to the ship: It's not always just about me (he said self-righteously).

Thank you!   It is sad that so many need this reminder.