FORCED DISEMBARKATION

[Tablelamp]

I am going on a 35 night cruise in March 2023 from Southampton to New Orleans and then to Miami and up the Florida Coastline.  Whilst I accept the fact that should the onboard doctor consider I need hospitalisation, I would be disembarked to hospital.   What worries me is that I may be disembarked because I contract COVID-19 during the trip and forced to spend time in a quarantine hotel.  Does anyone have any thoughts.

[Interestedcruisefan]

I think by then you would only be disembarked with Covid if you became badly ill

[ElmaLee]

Recently Carnival positioned Queen Victoria in Caribbean as a “hospital ship”.  Passengers testing positive on other cruise ships were transferred to QV.

[Megabear2]

11 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

I am going on a 35 night cruise in March 2023 from Southampton to New Orleans and then to Miami and up the Florida Coastline.  Whilst I accept the fact that should the onboard doctor consider I need hospitalisation, I would be disembarked to hospital.   What worries me is that I may be disembarked because I contract COVID-19 during the trip and forced to spend time in a quarantine hotel.  Does anyone have any thoughts.

It's so far off, I really wouldn't worry for now.

[Harry Peterson]

37 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

I am going on a 35 night cruise in March 2023 from Southampton to New Orleans and then to Miami and up the Florida Coastline.  Whilst I accept the fact that should the onboard doctor consider I need hospitalisation, I would be disembarked to hospital.   What worries me is that I may be disembarked because I contract COVID-19 during the trip and forced to spend time in a quarantine hotel.  Does anyone have any thoughts.

As Megabear says, it’s a long way off. She knows far more than I do about the insurance aspects, but make sure you get as comprehensive a policy as possible. There could also be the risk of disembarkation, even though you’re negative, if you’ve had close contact with someone positive.

 

Who knows what’s going to happen next year though. Could be all over, but there could equally well be a nasty variant. Then again, antivirals and vaccines are improving all the time.

[Guest ccpm]

I agree with Megabear its a long way off. BUT from threads you started and contributed to I sense your hyperanxiety. I have cruised last year and I found it different but was insured up to what I could to cover Covid and prepared to be in quarantine on land/quarantine ship in a worse case scenario. It was fine. Going forward I have decided not the Caribbean as yet and as no-one knows what will happen. This year I am taking the same stance I am OK with whatever quarantine arrangements. Hopefully it will be better but if not my tolerance levels are the same. I live alone I have always brought with me stacks of stuff to entertain me on the ship outside of ship based activities Covid or no Covid and I spend a fair bit of time in my cabin usually a balcony. That seems to me to be the question you need to ask yourself. Could you plan for and manage a good amount of time on your own? That may well mean ensuring your kindle is loaded to the hilt, I have films etc saved and an old fashioned DVD player and DVDs. If not and isolation is not for you then it is maybe a deal breaker even if only a remote chance.

[indiana123]

7 minutes ago, ccpm said:

If not and isolation is not for you then it is maybe a deal breaker even if only a remote chance.

 

 

Not sure which bit to quote CCPM as I agree with every word of the above.    I have been on a couple of short cruises over the last year, and considered what isolation would mean, and I know in the unlikely event I would cope with it.   Good post IMHO which gives something to think over and help a decision.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, ElmaLee said:

Recently Carnival positioned Queen Victoria in Caribbean as a “hospital ship”.  Passengers testing positive on other cruise ships were transferred to QV.

She is no longer there she is now on her way back to the UK and Tablelamp is talking about a cruise next March where nobody has any idea what might happen next year.

[ElmaLee]

43 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

She is no longer there she is now on her way back to the UK and Tablelamp is talking about a cruise next March where nobody has any idea what might happen next year.

All true, but OP ask if passengers could be forced to disembark and I indicated that this had happened recently. 

"Best indicator of future behavour is past pehaviour"

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, ElmaLee said:

All true, but OP ask if passengers could be forced to disembark and I indicated that this had happened recently. 

"Best indicator of future behavour is past pehaviour"

I do not think what has happened this year will happen next year. It was convenient that QV wasnt sailing due to the pandemic to move her to the Caribbean and use her as they did. Unless there is a major escalation of Covid with a new variant that is not controlled by vaccines then I cannot see cruising stopping completely like it did and having lockdowns in many countries again.

[Megabear2]

I have posted this elsewhere but the Spanish Protocols have been updated. Notably no one is now disembarked from the ship when positive unless in medical need of care.  The document is on the topic Remember the Spanish Protocols if anyone wishes to see it.

Edited April 1, 2022 by Megabear2

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I have posted this elsewhere but the Spanish Protocols have been updated. Notably no one is now disembarked from the ship when positive unless in medical need of care.  The document is on the topic Remember the Spanish Protocols if anyone wishes to see it.

That’s very good news. Was Spain the only country wishing to import Covid cases or are there any other remaining countries that insist on infected passengers being disembarked (assuming that the disembarkation is the countries and not the cruise lines requirement)?

[Megabear2]

There were disembarkation over the winter in Greece, Italy and I believe Croatia (from MSC ships of I recall correctly).  It should be noted in the Spanish protocols there is still a requirement for designated quarantine areas on the ships and various other distancing, masking requirements as decided).

 

I am trying to locate a copy of the EU sailing protocols as I assume these too may have been updated.

[Astrajet]

22 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Notably no one is now disembarked from the ship when positive unless in medical need of care. 

That is a relief - one less thing to be worrying about. 

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, Astrajet said:

That is a relief - one less thing to be worrying about. 

That quote was from Megabear2, not me, but like you, if it’s true, I would consider that to be very good news. I still wouldn’t want to risk quarantine on a ship, but it’s definitely better than quarantine ashore in a foreign country!

[Astrajet]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

That quote was from Megabear2, not me, but like you, if it’s true, I would consider that to be very good news. I still wouldn’t want to risk quarantine on a ship, but it’s definitely better than quarantine ashore in a foreign country!

My apologies.  

[nosapphire]

42 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

That quote was from Megabear2, not me, but like you, if it’s true, I would consider that to be very good news. I still wouldn’t want to risk quarantine on a ship, but it’s definitely better than quarantine ashore in a foreign country!

It has also been posted on the Saga forum, worth a read.

Seems the Spanish policy now is that if 3.5% or more of the ship (passengers and crew combined) are covid positive, then the only people who can get off will be the positive cases and people ending the cruise in Spain - nobody else.

[molecrochip]

On 4/1/2022 at 6:34 PM, Megabear2 said:

There were disembarkation over the winter in Greece, Italy and I believe Croatia (from MSC ships of I recall correctly).  It should be noted in the Spanish protocols there is still a requirement for designated quarantine areas on the ships and various other distancing, masking requirements as decided).

 

I am trying to locate a copy of the EU sailing protocols as I assume these too may have been updated.

Yes but quarantine requirement is down to 5% of total maximum capacity (passengers and crew)

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Yes but quarantine requirement is down to 5% of total maximum capacity (passengers and crew)

Indeed I had noted that, but then again I'm not one of those who was worried about it, although disembarkation for my 83 year old aunt was always my worry.  I assume the 5% is going to have to be flexible however with the amount of cases in the UK?

[Dermotsgirl]

Do we know what percentage of cabins are currently being used as quarantine cabins.

 

Based on some of the reports that we 've had of quarantine cabins being full and people having to isolate in their cabins, it suggests that the current amount isn't enough.

[amajaa]

Do we know what is happening in Norway yet, are they making passengers disembark if they test positive? We are due on Arcadia to Norway in May and would be good to know what the situation is. TIA 

[terrierjohn]

54 minutes ago, amajaa said:

Do we know what is happening in Norway yet, are they making passengers disembark if they test positive? We are due on Arcadia to Norway in May and would be good to know what the situation is. TIA 

From the reports of the first post covid cruise on Arcadia, you might well prefer being disembarked in Norway.🙄🤣

[amajaa]

17 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

From the reports of the first post covid cruise on Arcadia, you might well prefer being disembarked in Norway.🙄🤣

Yes I know I have been reading about that and was hoping it can only get better. 

[Cruisemeister2002]

On 4/1/2022 at 12:59 PM, Tablelamp said:

I am going on a 35 night cruise in March 2023 from Southampton to New Orleans and then to Miami and up the Florida Coastline.  Whilst I accept the fact that should the onboard doctor consider I need hospitalisation, I would be disembarked to hospital.   What worries me is that I may be disembarked because I contract COVID-19 during the trip and forced to spend time in a quarantine hotel.  Does anyone have any thoughts.

I'm supposed to be on the same cruise. I say "Supposed" as we were meant to be on this cruise in February this year. But due to itinerary changes decided to try in the hope that the destinations involving Belize, New Orleans, Key West and Port Canaveral will by then be available. My Brother-in-Law is hoping to fly to the States in the near future but from what I understand they require a PCR test verified by a Doctor 24 hours before his flight which makes it difficult to arrange. I know things are different on a ship but the itinerary changes made this year was I believe due to the difficulties of the requirements made by US ports of call. Whereby ships would have to disembark all passengers whilst the ship was checked over to ensure all Covid Protocols were adhered to. Also there may have been issues with when Covid tests and results were made available to US authorities. That is why I say supposed to go next year as Covid still seems to be about and we are relying on the US to relent or relax  their  current strict rules which may result in us cancelling again. But we hope not as our last cruise was 2018.

[tring]

19 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

I'm supposed to be on the same cruise. I say "Supposed" as we were meant to be on this cruise in February this year. But due to itinerary changes decided to try in the hope that the destinations involving Belize, New Orleans, Key West and Port Canaveral will by then be available. My Brother-in-Law is hoping to fly to the States in the near future but from what I understand they require a PCR test verified by a Doctor 24 hours before his flight which makes it difficult to arrange. I know things are different on a ship but the itinerary changes made this year was I believe due to the difficulties of the requirements made by US ports of call. Whereby ships would have to disembark all passengers whilst the ship was checked over to ensure all Covid Protocols were adhered to. Also there may have been issues with when Covid tests and results were made available to US authorities. That is why I say supposed to go next year as Covid still seems to be about and we are relying on the US to relent or relax  their  current strict rules which may result in us cancelling again. But we hope not as our last cruise was 2018.

 

CDC recently removed all restrictions on cruise ships over there.  Not sure if that affects all ports, but they seem to be happy to leave cruise companies to decide on what restrictions they will, or will not, adhere to.