Wrinkle in our plans - Rotterdam Southern Seafarer, January 25 - February 4

[ksmaxey]

We have been really enjoying our cruise (#12 with HAL) and enjoying the time away from snow and gray skies!   Last night we stayed in our stateroom to watch the championship games and toward the end of the evening we both began to feel cruddy.  This morning was no better so we took a Covid test we brought and both of us tested positive.  We called medical and they confirmed the dx after we went for a second test there.  We are now in isolation until we disembark.  We are both fully vaxed and so far the symptoms are mild.  We are taking it in stride.  We have room service and someone to cook for us.  Both the medical center and guest services said we were taking it better than other passengers who have been testing positive.  We made it nearly 3 years without catching it and we know many who have had it 3 times now. 

Kevin

[StLouisCruisers]

5 minutes ago, ksmaxey said:

We have been really enjoying our cruise (#12 with HAL) and enjoying the time away from snow and gray skies!   Last night we stayed in our stateroom to watch the championship games and toward the end of the evening we both began to feel cruddy.  This morning was no better so we took a Covid test we brought and both of us tested positive.  We called medical and they confirmed the dx after we went for a second test there.  We are now in isolation until we disembark.  We are both fully vaxed and so far the symptoms are mild.  We are taking it in stride.  We have room service and someone to cook for us.  Both the medical center and guest services said we were taking it better than other passengers who have been testing positive.  We made it nearly 3 years without catching it and we know many who have had it 3 times now. 

Kevin

Sorry to hear Covid finally caught up with you!  We hadn't had it before either until we went on our first cruise since the shutdown. - June/July 2022 Island Princess.  Are you able to stay in your own cabin?  We had to move to a less desireable cabin last year with no fresh air.  It was nice having room service deliver every meal to us though.  Be sure to rest as much as possible because fatigue was the worst symptom we had.  Take care!

[TiogaCruiser]

Sorry to hear that you are sick. Hope you both feel better soon.

[*Miss G*]

Sorry to hear you are in quarantine for the rest of your trip.  I hope you are feeing better soon.

[cookingmom]

We disembarked from the Noordam in Auckland on 01/27 and managed to get on our flight before extreme flooding closed the airport and caused a state of emergency in the city. During our 18+ hour flights I began feeling unwell. Once home, I tested, was Covid negative and decided I was just getting a cold. My symptoms worsened, so yesterday I retested and was positive! I’m taking Paxlovid and finally feeling better. So far, my husband and our other eleven traveling companions are still feeling well.

[Riversedge]

Been there, done that.  It’s no fun.  That cabin grows smaller every day.  Are they bringing your food on actual plates with real silverware?  Those wooden utensils got old really fast.  I’ve gotten Covid on my last two cruises.  The neighbors went recently and their whole traveling group came down with Covid the day after returning.  I’d like to say it’s never for me again, but…..there are those travel credits to use.  

[ksmaxey]

We are getting full silverware service and real plates.  We ordered from the Canaletto last night and they only charged us for one because we only ordered one entree.  Yesterday we were told we would get an expanded breakfast menu and then lunch and dinner menus in our mailbox with deadlines to order. Lunch and dinner arrived today after the lunch deadline and with about half of the options on the regular menu in the dining room.   Yesterday we had great luck just pointing out what we wanted and writing things in on the in room breakfast menu so we will keep doing that. 

We had a little trouble getting beer and wine yesterday because room service wanted to charge.  I called the front desk and got that fixed.  They will only bring 2 drinks each at a time.  We aren't drinking to oblivion but given we have 4 more days we tried to get a bottle for each of us (white and red) to save on staff work and exposures.  Not an option to get a bottle instead of five glasses.

Btw the staff want to bring food into the room.  They aren't all masked.  We think most of them have not only been vaxed but have also had covid. 

We have all vaccines and the bivalent booster and have had relatively mild symptoms so far.

Edited January 31, 2023 by ksmaxey

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, ksmaxey said:

We are getting full silverware service and real plates.  We ordered from the Canaletto last night and they only charged us for one because we only ordered one entree.  Yesterday we were told we would get an expanded breakfast menu and then lunch and dinner menus in our mailbox with deadlines to order. Lunch and dinner arrived today after the lunch deadline and with about half of the options on the regular menu in the dining room.   Yesterday we had great luck just pointing out what we wanted and writing things in on the in room breakfast menu so we will keep doing that. 

We had a little trouble getting beer and wine yesterday because room service wanted to charge.  I called the front desk and got that fixed.  They will only bring 2 drinks each at a time.  We aren't drinking to oblivion but given we have 4 more days we tried to get a bottle for each of us (white and red) to save on staff work and exposures.  Not an option to get a bottle instead of five glasses.

Btw the staff want to bring food into the room.  They aren't all masked.  We think most of them have not only been vaxed but have also had covid. 

We have all vaccines and the bivalent booster and have had relatively mild symptoms so far.

 

Glad to hear your symptoms are mild. I know that the number of drinks you can order is limited to keep people from sharing the beverage plan, but who are you going to share with when you're quarantined????? 

 

[Riversedge]

I’m curious how many days you are in quarantine.  In your original room?  I was moved to a special hallway by people in hazmat suits.  When they delivered food it was to the table in the hallway.  They would knock and RUN!  HAL did deliver a bottle of wine about halfway thru quarantine, chocolate covered strawberries once, little gifts once in awhile.  That was a year ago.  I suspect the “special” treatment has dwindled since then.  My biggest problem was the food was not hot.  And wine out of a paper cup.  Yuck! They forgot and brought it in a wine glass once and that became a favorite possession for the rest of my quarantine.  I had to do 10 days.  I’m glad you are feeling relatively well but BOREDOM was one of the worst symptoms!

[Ipeeinthepools]

Do you have any idea how many people are currently infected on the Rotterdam?

[westcoastcruiser]

Curious if you watched the game out by the pool as I imagine it was very crowded there.  And, by chance, have you been wearing a mask in crowds?

 

the ship seems quite healthy overall as I hear minimal,if any, coughing and sneezing.  We are masking in elevators and crowds even though we are vaxed and boosted.  No guarantee but hoping it gives us extra protection 🤷‍♀️

 

glad to hear your symptoms are mild but sorry you are missing great ports…Curacao and Aruba are favorites .  

[ksmaxey]

They won't let you know how many are positive but the medical center staff seemed to indicate there was more than a few.

We are in our original cabin.  All food comes just like room service with real dishes and siverware and glassware.  We can order from any menu on the ship but if we order from Tamarind, Canaletto, or Pinnacle we are responsible for the cost.  Canaletto was delicious last evening.  Stewards prefer to bring meals into the room and don't all have masks on.  We have held onto a few things like salt and pepper shakers.

Our isolation is 5 days with the first day of symptoms day 0.  On day 6 they test again and if negative you are free.  We head home that day and with early flight will test ourselves and mask for the Uber, airport and flight.

[BetsyS.]

Thanks for the updates. I wish you both good luck with everything.

[Ipeeinthepools]

47 minutes ago, ksmaxey said:

They won't let you know how many are positive but the medical center staff seemed to indicate there was more than a few.

We are in our original cabin.  All food comes just like room service with real dishes and siverware and glassware.  We can order from any menu on the ship but if we order from Tamarind, Canaletto, or Pinnacle we are responsible for the cost.  Canaletto was delicious last evening.  Stewards prefer to bring meals into the room and don't all have masks on.  We have held onto a few things like salt and pepper shakers.

Our isolation is 5 days with the first day of symptoms day 0.  On day 6 they test again and if negative you are free.  We head home that day and with early flight will test ourselves and mask for the Uber, airport and flight.

I hope you recover quickly.  Does HAL offer any additional services on disembarkation day?  Perhaps, you can bypass customs and go straight to the airport.  Does HAL get you a ride to the airport?

[ksmaxey]

5 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I hope you recover quickly.  Does HAL offer any additional services on disembarkation day?  Perhaps, you can bypass customs and go straight to the airport.  Does HAL get you a ride to the airport?

They haven't indicated that they do.  I don't think they can do anything with Customs and that has always been easy and quick.  We plan to self-disembark early and get a ride to the airport.  I would expect that HAL could not get us there nearly as quickly and easily as we can ourselves.

[Ipeeinthepools]

Everything with Covid changes by the day.  We caught Covid in October on the Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity copied our passports and took us off the ship through a gangway that is used by the crew.  Celebrity arranged for limo service and picked us up by the dock.  We only needed to go to downtown Fort Lauderdale but I think they would have taken us anywhere reasonable.

[C&K2Cruise]

We are cu

49 minutes ago, ksmaxey said:

They haven't indicated that they do.  I don't think they can do anything with Customs and that has always been easy and quick.  We plan to self-disembark early and get a ride to the airport.  I would expect that HAL could not get us there nearly as quickly and easily as we can ourselves.

We are currently on the Rotterdam 22 days 1/14-2/4.  My husband came down with COVID the night of 1/25.The six day test this morning was positive. He will be day 10 on disembarkation day at which point he is cleared. our understating from Guest  Services  if you are COVID positive on disembarkation  day, you will be escorted off ship in an isolated disembarkation process.

if you call during dining room hours, you can order whatever you want fro m the menu for the day.

[C&K2Cruise]

Just now, C&K2Cruise said:

We are cu

We are currently on the Rotterdam 22 days 1/14-2/4.  My husband came down with COVID the night of 1/25.The six day test this morning was positive. He will be day 10 on disembarkation day at which point he is cleared. our understating from Guest  Services  if you are COVID positive on disembarkation  day, you will be escorted off ship in an isolated disembarkation process.

if you call during dining room hours, you can order whatever you want fro m the menu for the day.

I should add they testdailyfrom day 6 on. 

[C&K2Cruise]

23 minutes ago, C&K2Cruise said:

I should add they testdailyfrom day 6 on. 

Sorry for all the misspellings … not very good on IPAD.

 

[Ipeeinthepools]

Are the spouses also quarantined to the room if they don’t test positive?

[C&K2Cruise]

No I am free to go wherever including dining room and off at ports.  I do not want to take the chance of possibly exposing other passengers so I spend my days outside in the sun away from others.  I take a long walk on the promenade deck at night.  We order all meals from in room dining and eat on our balcony,  we leave our balcony door open for fresh air and if I do go somewhere on ship, I wear a mask.  I am tested by medical service every two days and I self test in between.  
I have heard that others in a similar situation are not taking any precautions and one in particular is going unmasked to the dining room to eat at a table with others.  

18 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

Are the spouses also quarantined to the room if they don’t test positive?

 

[C&K2Cruise]

4 minutes ago, C&K2Cruise said:

No I am free to go wherever including dining room and off at ports.  I do not want to take the chance of possibly exposing other passengers so I spend my days outside in the sun away from others.  I take a long walk on the promenade deck at night.  We order all meals from in room dining and eat on our balcony,  we leave our balcony door open for fresh air and if I do go somewhere on ship, I wear a mask.  I am tested by medical service every two days and I self test in between.  
I have heard that others in a similar situation are not taking any precautions and one in particular is going unmasked to the dining room to eat at a table with others.  

 

We also make sure we have masks on when meals are delivered to our room

[C&K2Cruise]

17 minutes ago, C&K2Cruise said:

We also make sure we have masks on when meals are delivered to our room

And just to add … we are triple boosted and had Covid last May after a trip to Paris.  There are no certainties .., 

[Iamthesea]

Ditto for us last July, although we did not do a cruise.  We went to London and Paris.  DH became ill the day before we left, but tested negative until we got home...and I got sick.  Tested at a pharmacy and both were positive.  We were both quite sick.  No mild symptoms for us.  We had taken the third vaccine about 4 weeks before the trip and were gone for 11 days.   

 

We are now due for the Benevolent vaccine, but have to wait two more weeks because we had the 2nd Shingles vaccine yesterday.  Hopefully, we will be more protected for our first cruise, post pandemic, this May. 

 

I really think that our immune systems have taken a beating.  We both got RSV or the flu (tested negative for Covid) during Christmas that has lingered on. Fevers, chills, coughing, runny nose, etc. Still coughing with nose trouble.   I believe that we had Covid again last week because our grandson, daughter and SIL had it and we were around them.

[C&K2Cruise]

4 hours ago, C&K2Cruise said:

We are cu

We are currently on the Rotterdam 22 days 1/14-2/4.  My husband came down with COVID the night of 1/25.The six day test this morning was positive. He will be day 10 on disembarkation day at which point he is cleared. our understating from Guest  Services  if you are COVID positive on disembarkation  day, you will be escorted off ship in an isolated disembarkation process.

if you call during dining room hours, you can order whatever you want fro m the menu for the day.

Just to clarify … if you are confirmed Covid positive  no further testing until day 6. From day 6 to 10,  daily test  until you test negative at which point you are cleared.  You are automatically cleared at day 10 regardless of test outcome.