Recent COVID experience onboard

[foze]

Hi all,

 

On a cruise over C&NY recently my wife started to present symptoms of COVID and we thought "go to medical centre and get tested". Quite an experience.

 

Was advised that a consultation with a doctor is required, and the cost would be $219. If you tested positive, that fee would be waived. If negative, it would not. Quite shocked because LFT's cost about £1.50 and are easily administered at home. Nope, the doctor conversation could not be waived. Okay, thanks but no thanks. We walk out.

 

First I was very surprised that they'd allow that, especially with a new COVID wave underway. We're walking around the ship with a potential COVID carrier and, well, there's the cruise demographic. We go about our usual things for 3 more days. Get home, test, and (at that stage) negative.

 

On the ship though, I contacted Celebrity over Twitter to ask what the policy on COVID is right now. They reiterated the need for a consultation and the test rules. Was this interaction "normal and expected"? Long thread with them and eventually said, "yes, that is the company policy" including allowing potentially infected customers to leave the medical centre and move normally about the ship.

 

It struck me later that Celebrity has made a decision to not care about COVID, at least no more than other viral respiratory diseases.

 

Amazing!

[gcornell]

I’m not sure they don’t care I think it’s more that many have accepted it’s part of our lives now like the cold and flu.  

[foze]

@gcornellagreed, that does appear to be the decision. Just somewhat surprised given the latest strain appears to be quite a nasty one. Plus the UK guidance remains to self isolate if infected. Ho hum, all's well, that ends well... etc.

[jelayne]

Amazing! Your wife felt she had sufficient Covid symptoms to seek testing, but when there was a charged opted to “go about our usual things for 3 more days”.  
 

Seems to me that you made the same decision as Celebrity. 

[gcornell]

Yes.  But look at it this way.  You didn’t have Covid which is great. But what if you had the flu which we don’t test for and can be just as dangerous to others.  I think we’ve reached the point where we hope others will do the right thing instead of depending on a test for a single viral infection, amoung many, to make the decision for us. Tall ask I know. 

[PTC DAWG]

Seems fine to me..both parties made a decision.  I haven’t tested myself since I had to for a cruise when they started back up..

Edited January 6 by PTC DAWG

[shavdog]

I'm of the opinion that there is stuff going around but it is not severe enough to get too excited about....we got off Equinox on 12/19 after 19 days aboard....during the cruise we both had some GI issues that we have never had on 45 cruises....and about 3-4 days after getting off the ship, I had the chills and cold like issues and a few days later my wife lost her taste...None of this was of serious nature but I do think some things are going on  kind of kept under the rug....my opinion...

[Tyler414]

I got the impression on my last two cruises, they are under the don't ask don't tell program.

[shavdog]

26 minutes ago, shavdog said:

I'm of the opinion that there is stuff going around but it is not severe enough to get too excited about....we got off Equinox on 12/19 after 19 days aboard....during the cruise we both had some GI issues that we have never had on 45 cruises....and about 3-4 days after getting off the ship, I had the chills and cold like issues and a few days later my wife lost her taste...None of this was of serious nature but I do think some things are going on  kind of kept under the rug....my opinion...

I forgot to mention, after getting home we both tested positive....

[CruiseRQA]

1 hour ago, foze said:

 

 

Was advised that a consultation with a doctor is required, and the cost would be $219. 

 

 

I wonder if that fee would have been covered by travel medical insurance??

[Mrdell]

4 minutes ago, CruiseRQA said:

I wonder if that fee would have been covered by travel medical insurance??

I’m guessing that it probably would be. Most insurance companies would pay as long as proper documentation is provided.

[foze]

11 minutes ago, shavdog said:

I forgot to mention, after getting home we both tested positive....

we both tested negative! i do though have a stinking cold, still!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

With the potential cost involved to get tested it is wise to be proactive and take a couple of test kits with you so you can self test.

[foze]

1 hour ago, gcornell said:

Yes.  But look at it this way.  You didn’t have Covid which is great. But what if you had the flu which we don’t test for and can be just as dangerous to others.  I think we’ve reached the point where we hope others will do the right thing instead of depending on a test for a single viral infection, amoung many, to make the decision for us. Tall ask I know. 

I'd simply like to be able to buy a test kit. We're on another cruise in 28 days and will be taking our own! Completely blanked that they aren't (much) bothered by it now!

 

"What if I presented with symptoms of norovirus?" oh, yes... we'd isolate you immediately!

[foze]

2 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

With the potential cost involved to get tested it is wise to be proactive and take a couple of test kits with you so you can self test.

yup. we just assumed that you'd be able to do it on board. we have a bunch for the next cruise!

[foze]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

Amazing! Your wife felt she had sufficient Covid symptoms to seek testing, but when there was a charged opted to “go about our usual things for 3 more days”.  
 

Seems to me that you made the same decision as Celebrity. 

All to give us a $1.50 test kit that they have in stock. As for a choice, when we left it was abundantly clear that the medical centre didn't care.

[Folsomdoc]

We will take our own test kits and our Paxlovid which we finally were able to get as a precaution. We are both up there in age and I’d want to know so I can take it. Got COVID traveling in Spain two years ago and Paxlovid was a miracle drug. Several people on our tour had symptoms. No discussion, just lots of coughing. Don’t ask don’t tell sums it up.

[foze]

I have been reminded that my wife did indeed self-isolate for 2 days because she felt so awful, including over new year's eve. the retreat folk were amazing as they delivered NYE dinner to our room.

[Frenchkona]

I wonder what percentage of people are getting Covid boosters today. I would say that number is very low. Why wear a mask when you are not vaccinated?

[foze]

9 minutes ago, Frenchkona said:

I wonder what percentage of people are getting Covid boosters today. I would say that number is very low. Why wear a mask when you are not vaccinated?

We're getting them whenever they come available. That hasn't happened for a while though. My guess is that what will happen in the future is that a yearly COVID/flu vaccine will be produced and it'll become routine.

[TeaBag]

We always take a testing kit with us when we travel.  We went yesterday to get the vaccine for the new strain and couldn't have it because it's not 5 months since we had the last booster.  So we have to wait till Feb.

[foze]

1 minute ago, TeaBag said:

We always take a testing kit with us when we travel.  We went yesterday to get the vaccine for the new strain and couldn't have it because it's not 5 months since we had the last booster.  So we have to wait till Feb.

5 months! wow! that's a rapid turnaround! but it is in the "can't hurt" world. our last one was 12 months ago, at least.

[dreamer321]

It's also possible you had RSV virus which they don't normally test for. Similar symptoms to COVID-19.  I just had RSV the week before Christmas and thought the symptoms including lung congestion and runny nose were worse than when I had COVID last year.  I passed it on to some family members since I kept testing for COVID but kept getting negative test results.  That led me to believe I just had a common cold.  It was only when my 90 year mother got it and got tested did I realize it was RSV.

[GlitterFemme]

15 minutes ago, foze said:

We're getting them whenever they come available. That hasn't happened for a while though. My guess is that what will happen in the future is that a yearly COVID/flu vaccine will be produced and it'll become routine.

This has already happened. The latest shot came out around the beginning of October and is not considered a booster; it is this year's vaccine. From now on they're expected to come out yearly and be tailored to the currently circulating strains, just like a flu shot. They're not combined in a single shot (yet?) but they should both come out every year in the fall before the winter virus season.

[CruiseRQA]

53 minutes ago, Frenchkona said:

I wonder what percentage of people are getting Covid boosters today. I would say that number is very low. Why wear a mask when you are not vaccinated?

I got all the Covid shots and boosters up through #4.   This fall I got my flu shot (do that every year, view that as more of a risk than Covid) and overdue shingles #1.   Will get shingles #2 before leaving on my cruise in a couple of weeks.   Ambivalent about another Covid booster.    I always say that if you think masks protect from respiratory viruses then wear one.