nlcruiser01

Hi FM, you call it "fortuitous" but prior to this cruise, my husband always described my planning as "obsessive". Not anymore!! I've been home almost a month and still no sign of the remaining refunds RCL owes us. I'm still waiting on a call back from 2 weeks ago re: this. I'm glad I didn't agree to pay up front for the costs RCL ultimately paid as per the contract. He was given Acetaminophen for his fever, Nyquil and cough drops. Thankfully he didn't become ill enough to require Remdesivir or any other anti-virals.

Hi Tottenhamfc, I thought you were on board with us as I'd seen your name in the CC group for that sail date. I agree with your comment with respect to the "reckless element". People looked at my husband and I like we were from another planet as we walked around inside wearing our KN95 masks. I noticed many staff who weren't wearing them correctly either. I very politely asked our waiter in Giovanni's to pull his mask up over his nose and he was none too impressed. Glad you avoided the virus on your B2B.

Sure, it was the Vancouver Sheraton Airport Hotel. He was very pleased with the service and the food; however, the geese who served as his wake up call every morning were rather annoying!! At check out he met a Canadian gentleman from a HAL cruise who was also quarantined there.

Yes, overall things went pretty well and we certainly have no complaints with the Guest Services staff. I’m just glad that I reviewed and saved their COVID-19 policy before all of this happened. Good luck with your Alaskan cruise.

Hi, yes we took a 5 pack of tests with us as a precaution. Although we’ll never know, my husband thinks he contracted the virus in an airport or on one of our flights between St. John’s and Los Angeles. Good luck with your upcoming cruise...sounds lovely.

As a frequent “lurker” but occasional “contributor” on this forum, I appreciate the respectful and helpful advice it provides. As such, I thought it helpful to share my husband and my recent quarantine experience on Radiance of the Seas. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post. After several cancelled cruises, we booked a 6 night sailing on Radiance of the Seas from Los Angeles to Vancouver on April 23 2022. We are both fully vaccinated and boosted, in our early 50’s and in excellent health. We were very cautious in the weeks leading up to the cruise and tested negative for COVID-19 (at home and in-clinic) in the days leading up to our departure from Canada. I’ll not go into details with respect to embarkation and onboard service other than to say that embarkation was seamless and quicker than our previous cruises but onboard service was “fair”. This was the vessel’s first sailing since March 2020 and it showed. This was my 7th cruise; my husband’s 5th. Prior to the cruise, we had decided that we would wear N95 or KN95 masks inside the ship. We did not use the elevators or attend bars, shows, etc., and wore our masks religiously. We did not eat in the Windjammer, which was “self-serve”. We felt reassured that our decision to cruise on the Radiance (instead of the Anthem, our initial booking) was a prudent one when the captain announced that there were less than 900 passengers on board, out of a maximum capacity of approximately 2500 plus crew. My husband began to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 on Monday, April 25 which he attributed to wearing masks for extended periods and the onboard air quality. By Tuesday, his symptoms were becoming worse. I had a scratchy throat that day and being overly cautious, I completed a Rapid Antigen test the afternoon of Tuesday, April 26 and was immediately negative. My husband then completed a Rapid test and was positive within 3 minutes. He immediately contacted the Medical Centre. What follows is a series of events that is difficult for me to recount. Within 30 minutes, a nurse arrived and we both received PCR tests. I tested negative; my husband, positive. Within 3 hours he was transferred to an Oceanview Stateroom on Deck 4. I was advised that I could remain in our Balcony Stateroom on Deck 9 but after expressing my concern regarding remaining in that room given my husband’s diagnosis, Guest Services allowed me to move to a balcony stateroom two doors down. I quickly packed up our belongings (my husband had left with only his carry on and camera bag) and moved myself to the “clean” room. By this time, my husband had been contacted by the Security Team and questioned regarding his whereabouts while onboard; within an hour l was contacted by the same individual and questioned in order to corroborate the details provided by my husband. On Tuesday night we were provided with a direct line to Guest Services and for the most part, we dealt with the same two managers for the duration of the cruise. They were very professional, courteous and answered my multitude of questions to the best of their ability. My husband received complimentary internet and room service for the duration of the cruise. I was required to eat my meals in my stateroom (room service was also complimentary) but otherwise was permitted to move about the ship as long as I tested negative. However, given my level of anxiety and worry about testing positive, I remained in my stateroom with the exception of two visits to Guest Services. My husband received very good medical care from the Medical Team (at Royal Caribbean’s expense), was tested daily and received medications as required. I was also tested daily. There was some initial confusion with respect to the date his symptoms began (likely due to a language barrier) but by Wednesday morning, I was assured by a physician that this had been rectified. We’ve now received all of our test results and medical records and all is in order. Prior to booking this cruise, I reviewed and was confident that RCI’s “Refund and Cancellation Policy for COVID-19”dated 4/1/2022 would protect us should either of us test positive while onboard. The fact that we were disembarking in Canada also factored in our decision to choose this sailing. However, when I advised the Guest Services Managers on April 27 that this policy required RCI to “coordinate and cover” my husband’s hotel stay in Vancouver (where he remained until Friday, May 6 given the federal government’s 10 day quarantine requirement), his meals and return flight home, I was met with considerable resistance. Guest Services advised that the Shore Office in Vancouver was indicating that we would be required to pay these costs up front and submit invoices to RCI for review and reimbursement. This was quite upsetting, as not only was I worried about my husband’s health, worried that I might test positive or exhibit symptoms (and then be placed in quarantine and/or unable to fly home as planned) but was now arguing about a policy that was designed to protect us from incurring such costs. Having cancelled several cruises in the last two years, I was fully aware of the aggravation and delay that doing so would entail. After numerous conversations with Guest Services with respect to the above-noted policy and a request for contact information for the individual(s) at the Shore Office responsible for this decision, RCI relented and all of my husband’s quarantine-related costs were “coordinated and covered” by RCI. My husband was contacted by an employee of the Public Health Agency of Canada on May 1 and asked whether RCI was doing so, as per Government of Canada requirements. I tested negative on April 27 and 28 but continued to fear that I would test positive on Friday, April 29, just hours before my scheduled flight home from Vancouver. Of note, we live in Newfoundland & Labrador so driving home was not an option. After docking in Victoria on April 28 and receiving my negative test result, I contacted Guest Services and asked if I would be permitted to disembark there instead of in Vancouver. After checking with Canada Customs, I was given 30 minutes to pack our belongings and disembark. I settled our onboard account, handed my husband’s suitcase over to Guest Services and was escorted off the ship and through Customs by a RCI employee (without seeing a Border Services Agent/Customs Officer) and left the terminal just before noon on April 28. I travelled to the ferry terminal in Swartz Bay via taxi and took the ferry and then a taxi to a hotel near Vancouver International Airport. I flew home on Friday, April 29 as I had no signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and a recent negative Rapid Antigen Test. As I had continued to test negative while onboard, RCI would not agree to cover my hotel and meal costs to remain in Vancouver with my husband, and obviously it would not have been prudent for me to share a hotel room with him given his symptomatology. Thankfully he was able to work remotely and flew home on Friday, May 6. RCI will be refunding us the 3 days’ cruise fare while my husband was quarantined as well as our unused specialty dining reservations. RCI rebooked his flight home, although this was not without lengthy hold times and some confusion on RCIs part. On a humorous note, when my husband arrived at the quarantine hotel in Vancouver, the hotel staff advised him that RCI’s credit card had been declined and they asked for his. Needless to say, he did not provide this! I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. Although we have no idea as to whether my husband contracted COVID-19 while onboard Radiance of the Seas, we have since cancelled an upcoming Celebrity cruise and it will be quite some time before we cruise again.