Information from current cruisers on how Cunard ships are now dealing with on-board COVID please.

[bbtablet]

I found that P&O seem to be relaxing their restrictions on board as they bow to the inevitability of Covid cases, irrespective of all passengers boarding with negative test results. On Aurora to the Baltic last week there was no mention of:

1) any on-board testing

2) needing to report suspected Covid to the Medical Centre;

3) isolation cabins,

4) any overt comments about wearing masks until day 12 when the presence of "covid-like symptoms" was annouced by the captain and masks were "recommended" when moving about.

 

It felt that P&O were giving in to the inevitable and treating Covid as they might a flu outbreak or similar. There was certainly plenty of Covid about by day 16 but nothing formerly discussed with the passengers apart from the belated mask-wearing request which some still ignored as the word "compulsory" was not used.

Are Cunard ships now into this phase too, or is there evidence still of isolation of cases, and compulsory notification to the Medical Room, and testing? Experiences from current passengers on Cunard ships would be welcome.

[exlondoner]

I have just got off QM2, with Covid.

 

We were told to report symptoms to the medical centre, who sent someone round to do a LF test almost immediately. When I was positive, we were moved to Quarantine row. I was checked on everyday, as was my husband. I had a call about contact tracing.

 

Masks were highly recommended in various situations, but some passengers arrogantly ignored the recommendations, and nothing was made of it.

 

QM2 carries antivirals, but they are not suitable for everyone.

[mcloaked]

If there is a recommendation, but not a requirement, then everyone has the choice as to whether or not to wear a mask. So there is no arrogance if anyone does not choose to follow the recommendation. It is exactly equivalent to your waiter recommending a particular main course or dessert, but you choose to opt for a different dish. It does seem that little by little the Covid protocols are being relaxed on board, and hence the recent announcement that Cunard will not require certified LFT negative results ahead of embarkation from later this summer.

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, mcloaked said:

If there is a recommendation, but not a requirement, then everyone has the choice as to whether or not to wear a mask. So there is no arrogance if anyone does not choose to follow the recommendation. It is exactly equivalent to your waiter recommending a particular main course or dessert, but you choose to opt for a different dish. It does seem that little by little the Covid protocols are being relaxed on board, and hence the recent announcement that Cunard will not require certified LFT negative results ahead of embarkation from later this summer.

 

I don't think it's similar at all. It is much more akin to, say, ignoring a doctor's strong recommendation to give up smoking. Sometimes you have to accept that others know more than you. And I think it is arrogant in the extreme to put your interests ahead of those of the other passengers and crew.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

17 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

I don't think it's similar at all. It is much more akin to, say, ignoring a doctor's strong recommendation to give up smoking. Sometimes you have to accept that others know more than you. And I think it is arrogant in the extreme to put your interests ahead of those of the other passengers and crew.

I agree and would go a step further since masking isn’t all about the person who uses one. It’s meant to protect others. 

[mcloaked]

That may be so but it looks like the world is indeed moving towards increasingly relaxed protocols.

[MCC retired]

Fully vaccinated and masked indoors , wife and I got Covid last night of 7/01 QM2 cruise .

We Lived , as most all do now thanks to vaccines .

Relaxed requirements will continue I hope but keep up the vaccine requirement .

Edited July 29, 2022 by MCC retired

[LittleFish1976]

7 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

I don't think it's similar at all. It is much more akin to, say, ignoring a doctor's strong recommendation to give up smoking. Sometimes you have to accept that others know more than you. And I think it is arrogant in the extreme to put your interests ahead of those of the other passengers and crew.

 

I totally agree with you and because one's actions in this case affect others, I would liken it to ignoring a 'recommendation' to wash one's hands before departing the public lavatories on board.

 

[LibertyBella]

All travel is at one's own risk. Covid is one more item on the plate.  If you are fully vaccinated, avoid crowds, wash your hands , and wear masks everywhere and are diligent, then you are doing the best you can to keep yourself healthy.  However, nothing is foolproof. Choosing to cruise may increase your risk factor, so you must consider that before traveling. 

 

I read these boards a lot.  There are many other cruise lines where Covid is running rampart, but there is no protocol anymore to deal with it.  Since the U.S. no longer requires negative testing to enter, and many cruise lines are dropping their requirements, then we are at the level of individual choice and responsibility.  

 

I was on the Cunard QM2 at the beginning of July. We social distanced, wore masks every day, and constantly used sanitizer while on the ship. The ship mandated this and was firm with all travelers.  Yet at one of our ports, NOBODY wore masks anywhere!  There were lots of crowds and it would be easy to become infected.  Yes, husband and I stayed healthy, thank goodness. Of course, masks are not required on airlines anymore, either.

 

This is a time of transition, and at this point we cannot call those who will not wear masks arrogant.  Just as some people refuse to use sun tan lotion and wake up red and baked, there will be those who will not put on masks because it is a recommendation. Putting blame on other travelers does not ensure one's own health.  As with all endeavors, one has to evaluate one's own level of risk tolerance before undertaking the activity. 

 

 

 

 

[exlondoner]

10 hours ago, MCC retired said:

Fully vaccinated and masked indoors , wife and I got Covid last night of 7/01 QM2 cruise .

We Lived , as most all do now thanks to vaccines .

Relaxed requirements will continue I hope but keep up the vaccine requirement .

 

We too are fully vaccinated and wore our masks indoors and avoided public gatherings. I suppose the best that can be said is that this behaviour may have helped stop us passing the pesky germ to others.

[exlondoner]

4 hours ago, LibertyBella said:

 

 

This is a time of transition, and at this point we cannot call those who will not wear masks arrogant.  Just as some people refuse to use sun tan lotion and wake up red and baked, there will be those who will not put on masks because it is a recommendation. Putting blame on other travelers does not ensure one's own health.  As with all endeavors, one has to evaluate one's own level of risk tolerance before undertaking the activity. 

 

 

 

 

 

The arrogance lies not in the wearing or not wearing masks, but in ignoring the strong recommendation, presumably on the grounds one knows better. In evaluating risks, I tend to expect my fellow travellers will behave responsibly, which most of them do, but alas not all.

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

 

We too are fully vaccinated and wore our masks indoors and avoided public gatherings. I suppose the best that can be said is that this behaviour may have helped stop us passing the pesky germ to others.

and as one who has a vulnerable other half but with the determination to 'live' and not continue as a hermit as he did for well over  eighteen months, thank you.

We too will mask up, for ourselves and for others.

[Windsurfboy]

I believe  masks work . 

 

However on ships there are so many places indoors where you sit down have a drink or something to eat in front of you and take your mask off. No one puts their mask on in between courses. People "legitimately " spend much much more time with mask off than on. Making current mask wearing protocols even if compulsory next to useless. 

 

Either ships should very significantly tighten up on mask wearing and social distancing , which they are very reluctant to do, or admit it's just symbolic. 

 

Going on a ship is a risk , for some it is a bigger risk than others.

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Hi all,

Can we please stick to answering the original question rather than straying into red banner territory ?

 

Thank you 

[Windsurfboy]

4 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Hi all,

Can we please stick to answering the original question rather than straying into red banner territory ?

 

Thank you 

 

Sorry

[Twinkletoes101]

My husband and I tested positive while onboard the QM2. We were tested by Cunard, told to pack up our stuff, a hazmat team was sent to pick us up and transfer us to their isolation area. We called it the Covid Walk of Shame. We were in a sheltered balcony room in a wing that was not fully renovated I think. The carpets were dirty, dingier room. Cunard medical checked on us every day. We were pretty much symptom free so it really was not a big deal. Food was delivered 3 times a day, hot and delicious right off the main menu I believe. Eating was about the only thing we looked forward to. We could be out on the balcony, but you could only enjoy any of it if you stood at the rail as the sheltered balconies are such that you can’t sit and enjoy the ocean. This was a huge disappointment to us as we had paid dearly for a full balcony room. Cunard staff was friendly and did try their best to make our stay in isolation doable. That said, they were not transparent about anything once you landed and were disembarked into isolation in NYC. They told us we could not travel, which was NOT true. They were only concerned about their interests. We were told only after we were shipped by bus to a hotel in Queens (the biggest nightmare of our whole trip) and dropped outside with no information other than a phone number of someone that would get us to the airport after our mandatory 10 days….which was the agreement Cunard had with the CDC. We were told 3 days into isolation in NYC that Cunard would not pay for our tickets home or any other arrangements until after the 10 days, neglecting to tell us that we could pay for it on our own and we could legally travel. This is eventually what we did done and would have done far sooner as we had an emergency at home. Even though Cunard knew of our situation at home they still were unwilling to give us any information except that they required us to remain in isolation. 
while I cannot say the experience will be a deal breaker with cruising with Cunard in the future I will be armed with far more information in the future.

we still after more than 60 days have not received the FCC promised by Cunard and have just gotten a string of we will check on that emails to inquiries. I get that there were many people affected by Covid on the ships, but I think Cunard’s lack of transparency does not help their “white glove service” that they hold so high. The biggest problem is it seems that there is no way to even track it yourself. We were told that we probably would not get an email or notification about it, that we just have to keep checking. 
the saddest part about this kind of situation is that word gets out about the hassles you go through and people will just stop reporting that they have Covid. This practice could result in exactly the thing they were afraid of, being shut down totally. It will happen when the ships are full of sick people again because the cruise line dropped the ball on customer service for those unfortunate enough to get Covid.

fortunately our Covid cases was mild (even for 2 high risk seniors) so I think the one thing people should do is continue to ask the cruise lines to limit sailing for fully vaccinated persons.  I think that is going to protect the cruise lines far more than testing and all of that stuff. I tested negative on Saturday and got on the ship on Sunday and Tuesday morning I self tested and had a positive test. My husband tested positive on Thursday. So, no testing does not mean you have not been exposed by someone that has been tested. There are lag time, usually a couple of days is all. 
Good luck and go in armed with information that you need to know, not just what Cunard is going to tell you, because that was zilch. 
 

[alibabacruisers]

I am sorry you had to go through all of that but thank you sincerely for letting us know of your experience.

[elmsliebev]

Currently on QE. Masks are compulsory indoors except when eating or drinking or in your own cabin of course. We have been in isolation since the day after San Francisco when there was shipwide testing for those who had embarked before SF and were staying on until at least LA. I had no symptoms and oh started with a slight cough that very day! We were moved from our inside cabin to a very nice balcony cabin. Full Britannia menu for lunch and dinner, and room service menu for breakfast, drinks etc. We tested negative today, after 5 days and assuming we test negative tomorrow we will go back to our original cabin (we'll really miss the balcony!). Then we can go about the ship as usual, wearing our masks of course but can't eat or drink inside the ship, except our cabin, until 10 days are up. We've had daily calls from hotel services and they've looked after us really well. We wore our masks on board but may well have picked it up onshore, who knows. Its a risk we take travelling now with the protocols on board. Fortunately most of our daily in isolation have been sea days and we've very much appreciated the balcony! 

[Craigrlewis]

we still after more than 60 days have not received the FCC promised by Cunard and have just gotten a string of we will check on that emails to inquiries. I get that there were many people affected by Covid on the ships, 
 

We tested positive 21 June on QE. This week we finally got our FCC

 

I ran into “you've have called the wrong team” which I replied “Your offshore support team gave me this number” to “well there are many people waiting for their FCC”

 

Typical Cunard though then got through to a well trained, helpful, delightfully polite lady in the main call centre who assisted.
 

She apologised  for me catching it, the delay in the FCC and the wrong phone numbers. She assured me whilst I was on hold she would message the team directly and rectify asap.

 

3 days later it was given. No email confirmation etc just did a dummy booking and it popped up.

Edited July 31, 2022 by Craigrlewis

[Victoria2]

11 hours ago, elmsliebev said:

Currently on QE. Masks are compulsory indoors except when eating or drinking or in your own cabin of course. We have been in isolation since the day after San Francisco when there was shipwide testing for those who had embarked before SF and were staying on until at least LA. I had no symptoms and oh started with a slight cough that very day! We were moved from our inside cabin to a very nice balcony cabin. Full Britannia menu for lunch and dinner, and room service menu for breakfast, drinks etc. We tested negative today, after 5 days and assuming we test negative tomorrow we will go back to our original cabin (we'll really miss the balcony!). Then we can go about the ship as usual, wearing our masks of course but can't eat or drink inside the ship, except our cabin, until 10 days are up. We've had daily calls from hotel services and they've looked after us really well. We wore our masks on board but may well have picked it up onshore, who knows. Its a risk we take travelling now with the protocols on board. Fortunately most of our daily in isolation have been sea days and we've very much appreciated the balcony! 

So sorry to hear but good to know you're being well looked after.

 

Please could you tell us which cabins are in the quarantine zone on QE?

[Avery's Gram]

7 hours ago, Craigrlewis said:

we still after more than 60 days have not received the FCC promised by Cunard and have just gotten a string of we will check on that emails to inquiries. I get that there were many people affected by Covid on the ships, 
 

We tested positive 21 June on QE. This week we finally got our FCC

 

I ran into “you've have called the wrong team” which I replied “Your offshore support team gave me this number” to “well there are many people waiting for their FCC”

 

Typical Cunard though then got through to a well trained, helpful, delightfully polite lady in the main call centre who assisted.
 

She apologised  for me catching it, the delay in the FCC and the wrong phone numbers. She assured me whilst I was on hold she would message the team directly and rectify asap.

 

3 days later it was given. No email confirmation etc just did a dummy booking and it popped up.

 

Could you please tell me who you called and where you’ve seen that your FCC has been posted?  I was on QM2 and tested positive on May 21…spent ten days in isolation and have had no notice that any FCC has been issued…… Thanks for your help!

 

Barbara M. In NH

[elmsliebev]

5 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

So sorry to hear but good to know you're being well looked after.

 

Please could you tell us which cabins are in the quarantine zone on QE?

We are currently on deck 6 towards the rear. There is a security door between us and the stern so I assume those on the other side are not isolation cabins. Pretty sure the one next to us going forwards is an isolation and was being cleaned last night. I can't tell you any more than that, sorry. 

[Host Hattie]

18 hours ago, elmsliebev said:

Currently on QE. Masks are compulsory indoors except when eating or drinking or in your own cabin of course. We have been in isolation since the day after San Francisco when there was shipwide testing for those who had embarked before SF and were staying on until at least LA. I had no symptoms and oh started with a slight cough that very day! We were moved from our inside cabin to a very nice balcony cabin. Full Britannia menu for lunch and dinner, and room service menu for breakfast, drinks etc. We tested negative today, after 5 days and assuming we test negative tomorrow we will go back to our original cabin (we'll really miss the balcony!). Then we can go about the ship as usual, wearing our masks of course but can't eat or drink inside the ship, except our cabin, until 10 days are up. We've had daily calls from hotel services and they've looked after us really well. We wore our masks on board but may well have picked it up onshore, who knows. Its a risk we take travelling now with the protocols on board. Fortunately most of our daily in isolation have been sea days and we've very much appreciated the balcony! 

Sorry to hear you've been in quarantine but good that you'll be released soon.

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, elmsliebev said:

We are currently on deck 6 towards the rear. There is a security door between us and the stern so I assume those on the other side are not isolation cabins. Pretty sure the one next to us going forwards is an isolation and was being cleaned last night. I can't tell you any more than that, sorry. 

Thanks elmsliebev 

Fingers crossed you'll continue to improve and enjoy the view as you do so

[taxatty]

Currently on QM2. Masks are "strongly encouraged" at indoor venues but very few except the crew are wearing them. We kept our rapid antigen test that had been scheduled for the day before boarding even though we didn't have to and tested negative. I sincerely doubt if many others bothered.

 

As an aside, I wanted to do a "live from" CC thread, but as has been reported here many times, the Internet on the QM2 is so horribly slow it's not worth the effort. It was better on my recent Silversea cruise to Antarctica! The captain said last night there are 2080 pax aboard--the most post-pandemic, with 700+ Brits and 700+ Yanks.