Hi from iso on the Riviera

[jakes47]

I would like to share my covid experience on our current B2B Cruises.

We are doing B2B cruises on the Rivera.  We left Oslo on the 5th August for the first leg - then on the Wednesday 23rd departing Portsmouth for the second  cruise.  The first was most enjoyable and went with out a hitch but when the new passengers boarded in Portsmouth it was a different story.  The ship was full and it was obvious to my husband and I that many boarded with sniffles and coughs.  We would move seats to avoid them and joked about it being “Covid Central”.  The main problem was no one seem to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing   We witnessed on several occasions people blowing their noses on the cloth serviettes in the Terrace Cafe.  It would seem that all the lessons we were taught during covid have gone out the window.

 

The day before and after embarkation were sea days and the second cruise day was at the port of Newcastle.  I awoke on the third day (Saturday) feeling unwell and doing the right thing decided to do one of the Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) we had bought from home.  It was positive.  My husband and I went on the Oceania site and Googled in search of up to date Covid protocol on board and found nothing. I decided I needed to report this as there are a lot of elderly passengers on board and we should do the right thing.  We had an appointment with the medical teem that confirmed I was positive but my husband was negative and we were told we had to isolate until the 1st September - the day before we disembarked. I asked how many others had reported in and they said none.  We believe there are people with symptoms among the passengers on this ship that have continued to go out and about and that time will tell a different story.

My husband and I are not terribly social especially since Covid .  We dine at a table for 2.  We might chat to the couple at the next table but pretty much keep to our selves.  The only time we mixed with others was the night we left Portsmouth when we went to the Riviera lounge for the show. We move seats twice to get away from the coughing.  And the following night at the Captains cocktails in Horizons where we joked about Covid Central and left after 1 drink.

 

As I write this I feel back to normal but we still have 3 more days of isolation only to come out in time to pack our bags and leave the ship.  My husband is still negative but he has missed the cruise but for 1 port also.

I can’t confirm where I got this from - only have strong  suspicions.

Yes -we do sanitise and wash our hands at every opportunity.

No - we did not wear masks but would avoid crowded situations.

Yes - we are 5x vaccinated

 

What would we do next time :  Wear a mask in crowded venues.  Always carry RATs with us and test if symptoms appear.  If positive stay in our cabin until symptom free  - then wear a mask when out of our room.

 

To our fellow passenger and future passengers - Please, Please, Please -cover you mouths when coughing and sneezing. Wash your hands.  Use the sanitising stations.  Wear a mask if you have suspicious symptoms then test yourself and take appropriate precautions to not spread this to others. Nobody wants to miss a cruise due to illness but it is so incredibly selfish to ignore your symptoms and infect others. Serviettes are not for blowing your nose.

 

The advantages of reporting the positive covid test are -  all our O tours were refunded and documents are supplied to claim on insurance.  I was prescribed antiviral and antibiotic meds. The medical team are great and check in daily.

 

Could Oceania do anything differently? I think they could be proactively offering masks again and check on people who are showing symptoms.  I would like to hear daily announcements on the importance of hygiene with specific instruction on health care and recommended procedures for those feeling unwell.

 

Covid is still out there so please take precautions and be mindful of others.

[Pandazoo]

So sorry for your ruined trip!  DW and I experienced the same IMO selfish inconsiderate behavior on two O cruises.  Fortunately we did as you did masks, washing hands, use of sani gels etc. and did not get infected…most surprising were sick people coughing and showing up in dining rooms and cafe when they could have room service!  We also had people roll eyes, laugh or made comments at our precautions.   Infuriating as it protects them as well as us.  Thank you for doing the right thing all around.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[ToxM]

Sorry to hear about your experience. 

 

The new Eris variant is taking a toll in the US and the UK, infection numbers are creeping up. 

 

People have short memories.

[SteelCity Cruiser]

I'm sorry this happened to you.  Sadly, your experience is not unique to Oceania - we've seen the same behavior on other cruise lines in the past 18 months - even when masking was still "required".  I picked up a cold and miserable cough (not Covid-I tested for that repeatedly) from a man who was coughing and blowing his nose continuously during our time on the bus during an excursion.  I did get Covid during a land trip last fall.  I hear and see people in restaurants and theaters locally exhibiting the same horrid sense of entitlement, and a lack of manners, and self-awareness.

[LHT28]

Hope you are feeling better

Sorry  you caught covid   most people now  just  say it just a cold  but  sorry it can have  detrimental effects on older people

 

I am packing masks & RAT tests   & will be careful

 You did the right thing  but others did not

 

Safe travels

[Harters]

On 8/28/2023 at 12:48 PM, SteelCity Cruiser said:

I picked up a cold and miserable cough

Within a couple of days of returning from our Nautica cruise at the end of June, I started with a cold. Or was it Covid (I didnt test). Two months on, I still have a bad cough and often feel short of breath - just as I am  when I have a flare-up of my COPD or get a chest infection. A course of antibiotics has done nothing (so presumably, not a usual chest infection). I have an appointment with the practice nurse tomorrow for my annual review of my long term conditions but am starting to think this might be a step change with my COPD. Or something else depressing.

[Pandazoo]

@Harters  Personally I wish they would still require testing, masks, etc.  people don’t realize how dangerous Covid still is.  I wish you well hang in there!

[MEFIowa]

31 minutes ago, Pandazoo said:

...Personally I wish they would still require testing, masks, etc....  

Though that has me thinking of the "magical" brief period of time where O did and paid for the testing at the tent next to Terminal J. That is what we had on Riviera 12/13-23/2021. No one masked on board. We all had our proof of vaccination and the negative test result from the day of embarkation. Remember people joking on the full elevators as we crammed into them.

 

Then when we returned all COVID hell broke loose with a new more aggressive strain. The horror stories I remember reading from the very next cruise on Riviera continuing into 2022.

[ToxM]

The new Eris strain, plus going into Autumn and Winter is going to change the covid landscape once again. Eris is apparently incredibly transmissable, this means everything we have flung away from us with gleeful abandon will have to be relearned until the spring probably. 

 

Anyone travelling is going to have to buckle (and you should mask) up and deal with what could possibly happen. 

 

Please be aware of what your chosen cruiseline says will happen if you test positive, be a responsible traveller, be prepared to isolate if you are positive and be mindful in crowded situations. 

 

Everyone here is almost certainly a grown up, time to act like it. 

 

Can you imagine if OP had decided not to act like an adult and had instead carried on as if nothing was wrong and told people “it’s just a cold”. Possibly the most selfish act possible - especially in a confined area with a demographic that could include people who would be at risk from getting severe symptoms of covid? Doesn’t bear thinking about. 

 

If you do feel like you can just carry on - don’t put others into a situation you wouldn’t put your elderly asthmatic granny in. You could be causing great harm - even death. I doubt anyone would want that on their conscience, and if they don’t care, then I am aghast. 

[Harters]

4 minutes ago, ToxM said:

then I am aghast. 

I suspect you need to be prepared to be aghast. As indicated in the OP, lots possibly had Covid but did nothing. They either thought it was just a cold, fooled themselves into believing it was a cold or couldnt care less if it was a cold or not . The latter stance probably being "This cruise has cost me thousands. I'm going to enjoy it and not spend it confined to my cabin". It saddens me to know that I'm not sure what category I would put myself in, if it happened. 

[ToxM]

12 minutes ago, Harters said:

I suspect you need to be prepared to be aghast. As indicated in the OP, lots possibly had Covid but did nothing. They either thought it was just a cold, fooled themselves into believing it was a cold or couldnt care less if it was a cold or not . The latter stance probably being "This cruise has cost me thousands. I'm going to enjoy it and not spend it confined to my cabin". It saddens me to know that I'm not sure what category I would put myself in, if it happened. 

Over Christmas Marital Unit and I were on Riviera. I caught a cold, a terrible streaky blue urge cold. I did two tests a day to make sure it wasn’t covid. Sauna and steam room twice a day and the shed full of OTC medication I bought with us dealt with it, but I know I would have stayed in the cabin if I had tested positive. I think it was particularly bad because I hadn’t had any sort of illness in over two years - because marital unit and I are considered at high risk for covid potentially so we have been very careful.  

 

If people are wandering around with covid, or think they have a right to be doing so then it’s really sad. 

[Brentwood Bay]

I would have thought a "terrible" cold would prompted self-isolation in one's cabin, regardless of being Covid or not.  Regular visits to the sauna and steam room would surely help to pass the germs around.

[MEFIowa]

31 minutes ago, ToxM said:

The new Eris strain, plus going into Autumn and Winter is going to change the covid landscape once again. Eris is apparently incredibly transmissable.... Everyone here is almost certainly a grown up, time to act like it. ... If you do feel like you can just carry on - don’t put others into a situation you wouldn’t put your elderly asthmatic granny in. You could be causing great harm - even death. I doubt anyone would want that on their conscience, and if they don’t care, then I am aghast. 

Though the flipside to this is that those at higher risk or high risk for serious complications should NOT be cruising. They shouldn't be going on a vacation on an airplane. Or take excursions in group settings. Traveling as if you have some right to without a realistic concern for the probabalistic impact of known communicable diseases and viruses is to act as a child. In such cases, the traveler has themself to blame up front!

[ToxM]

2 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Though the flipside to this is that those at higher risk or high risk for serious complications should NOT be cruising. They shouldn't be going on a vacation on an airplane. Or take excursions in group settings. Traveling as if you have some right to without a realistic concern for the probabalistic impact of known communicable diseases and viruses is to act as a child. In such cases, the traveler has themself to blame up front!

 

I’d agree with you, but then we would both be wrong 🙂

[shepherd really]

36 minutes ago, ToxM said:

 

I’d agree with you, but then we would both be wrong 🙂

Agreed, essentially that argument is "It's their own fault for having the temerity of traveling with pre-existing conditions and expecting other people to behave with decency and responsibly".   

 

Defending people acting like Typhoid Mary is a weird flex.

[MnDAL]

On 8/28/2023 at 5:33 AM, jakes47 said:

The advantages of reporting the positive covid test are -  all our O tours were refunded and documents are supplied to claim on insurance.  I was prescribed antiviral and antibiotic meds. The medical team are great and check in daily.

 

Thanks so much for your post. We are on the Riviera in October and were wondering about the way Covid would be handled now. I have a couple of specific questions for you if I you don't mind:

 

1. Did you ever find, or were you ever given, a complete document covering O's protocol? If so, could you share it?
2. You mention "antiviral and antibiotic meds prescribed" - could you be specific?
3. Was Paxlovid available?
4. You say the medical team "check in daily" - did they, or anyone else, actually monitor/enforce your isolation?
5. Any suggestions on things you wish you knew before and/or brought with you to make isolation more bearable?

 

The insights you posted were most helpful. I encourage others to post their recent, specific experiences.

[LHT28]

Also  is Oceania giving you any compensation for  isolation time ?

 Or just lost days at see in confinement?

[Pandazoo]

@Jakes47 The ticket contract clearly states Covid rules/protocols.  It is not fun to get sick on vacation but leaving your cabin spreads the illness.

[jakes47]

16 minutes ago, Pandazoo said:

@Jakes47 The ticket contract clearly states Covid rules/protocols.  It is not fun to get sick on vacation but leaving your cabin spreads the illness.

Agree - but i think Oceania failed in there duty of care. 

[basor]

8 minutes ago, jakes47 said:

Agree - but i think Oceania failed in there duty of care. 

How?

[avalong]

I have relatives who were on Riviera's Oslo to Portsmouth cruise. Came down with covid on the last day of the cruise.

[MEFIowa]

2 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Agreed, essentially that argument is "It's their own fault for having the temerity of traveling with pre-existing conditions and expecting other people to behave with decency and responsibly".   

 

Defending people acting like Typhoid Mary is a weird flex.

Really, you think that people who are at serious or high risk for COVID-related issues and complications should be cruising and flying in airplanes given the known risks? Traveling for vacation in ways that threaten their health? Maybe they better check with the doctor first? And do what their medical provider says?

 

And who is defending anyone doing silly things that might spread COVID? I've had my 5 vaccine shots and probably will get my 6th when they authorize the update. I was on Riviera 12/2021 and Sirena 11/2022. I know what an assumption of reasonable risk entails. We'll be back on Riviera for 20 nights starting 10/30/23.

 

But NO one who is at a significant health risk due to COVID should be cruising expecting to be SAFE. That's just foolish. To think like a child. It is silly to think it can be prevented completely and that their exposure risk is zero.

 

Decency and responsibility cut both ways. 

[Pandazoo]

The ticket contract has several pages of Covid rules and regulations.  You are not to board if sick, report it if you are sick, isolate, they may ask you to get off ship.

[Harters]

2 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Traveling for vacation in ways that threaten their health?

During the initial stages of the pandemic, we followed our country's advice for folk with serious medical conditions. The government called it "shielding". We called it being under house arrest. It went on for months. I still follow my country's advice - which is now, basically, to get on with life. Which I'm doing - with two holidays to Spain in the remaining months of this year and a cruise booked for next year. I have absolutely no intention of hiding away for however many years I may have left. Full stop. 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Harters

[MEFIowa]

30 minutes ago, Harters said:

...I have absolutely no intention of hiding away for however many years I may have left. Full stop. 

Fantastic, that's your call. And you realize that COVID can happen. To anyone at any time anywhere and any place. The assumption of risk.