bananavan

6 hours ago, Tony UK said:

Evana so sorry to hear your news. You are constantly in our thoughts and prayers. 

Research I have done indicates you can incubate covid for up to 12 days before symptoms show and you can start being infectious with omicron 2 to 3 days before symptoms show. Omicron is said to become non infectious after around 5 days but much longer in older folks.

So all this is no-one's fault. No point trying to find out where it came from etc. 

I am going to write to the cruise line asking them to produce a minimum standard going forward to apply to ALL ships as we have a right to know what to expect. Things I am thinking of suggesting are:

a choice to stay isolated in your own room with all necessary precautions. A choice for your spouse / partner to stay isolated with you even if negative. A specified person to contact morning and evening by phone at fixed times along with an emergency phone number. An agreed and pre timed meal service 3 times a day with pre order the evening before. Internet access to keep in touch with family friends and medical support at home and to access music movies and reading material on line.

Yes we all have to live with covid. It is all around us but people are wary of reporting it because of unknown and sometimes awful consequences. Celebrity should take a lead here and set a high standard. If we had Flu or Norovirus we wouldnt be treated like Evana has. A new approach is needed to stop travel confidence falling again!

I'd be interested in your thoughts and any additions before I put fingers to keyboard!

Tony and Angela, 
Totally agree vis a vis the opportunity to order Room Service  in advance . 
Not everyone would agree to this because some would declare that they dont know what they want to eat 24 hours hence. 
Embarkation day there is limited to NO room service available. 
As we are not officially sailing on this voyage, we do not have access to the app to even find out what is on the Daily menus. 
And definitely a direct line to whomever is the COVID Concierge. 
I have lost confidence in International travel. 
BUT, not in Celebrity. Xx
 

5 hours ago, donna1009 said:

I don’t think this is true anymore. I believe you can choose your own hotel accommodations in Italy, but I believe you are then on their radar if took an “on the record test” snd must follow current official procedures of testing before you can go home. Someone said we need to treat this more like an endemic without all the hysteria. Exactly 100%. This virus has spread enough that we can all now be responsible for ourselves as it’s far less dangerous than originally.. This is why so many no longer report and figure it out on their own. It’s too chaotic and damaging to let the “system” determine when you can go home or back to your life. US needs to get with the program and immediately cease pre-testing to fly home. No more testing unless someone has serious symptoms and seeks it. Leave the contact tracing alone too. 

Donna, we might have considered disembarking but it was very clear that the hotel and further arrangements were to be OUR responsibility. 
I have no idea where the Quarantine hotels are in Rome but we will be spirited off the ship on May 21 and flown home. 
A young Junior Officer, Caitlin has been a rockstar in trying to arrange repatriation at no expense to us. 
Our original tickets were business class and these will also be business class. 
I am so glad that you made it through this mess and are home. 

Hi again:
To answer some questions: 
DO I think that I am losing my mind? Hell, no I doubt very much I was suffering from sanity before we embarked on this cruise. 
Should we have just hunkered down and fingers crossed, shown up at the next cruise ship, in Civitavecchia and hoped for the best.? 
NO, that exposes everyone and you have the possibility of testing positive when you are no longer Celebrity's problem.  
Our situation is dreadful but Celebrity is taking amazing care of us. 
Flights are being rebooked once again. 
Our earliest departure is May 21. 
I think that the issue is that the Global response to Civid is inconsistent. 
Italy's rules are difficult to comprehend from afar. 
Were I to advise as to whether to cancel a cruise originating in Rome I would suggest that you give it some thought. 
Of course other people managed to avoid this completely. 
If you have suggestions as to what they did differently, then think away, just dont vocalize them. 
There is no rhyme nor reason. 
Of course the USA has to reconsider the re entry requirements, but my husband and I are in the midst of what is happening now. 
Yesterday someone suggested to me that things could be much worse, my husband could be on a ventilator. 
I replied: 
Things could also be much better. We are both vaccinated and boosted. We have both taken precautions and we do not fall into the category of morbidly obese. 
My only complaint with the Medical manner in which we are treated is that there are no provisions onboard for antivirals. 
When I had the flu in 2018 on Queen Elizabeth World cruise I was given Tamiflu, visited twice a day and after 5 days when my temperature had broken, I was cleared to leave my cabin. 
This is being treated like I have Ebola. (without the life saving efforts of Missionary Doctors from the USA.) 
We, too have Concierge Medicine but I cannot imagine how they would be able to help in this situation. 
We cannot even leave our cabin, let alone go ashore to be examined by a Dr that our MD suggests. 
For our 2020 South America circumnavigation I was able to bring Tamiflu with me. 
I did not need it. 
I wish that we had brought antivirals for Omicron.
When Celebrity Edge was sailing in Caribbean waters it was for 7 day trips. 
People were testing at home on the second day of arriving home. 
Offloading passengers to their home country is easy. 
Trying to get us home from Italy is not so easy. 


 

56 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

I am SO glad things have turned around for you guys!! 🙌

And they have done another turn. 
I had a froggy throat today. 
Alan and I decided that I should test. 
I did. 
And I tested positive.  I called the medical department. 
I tested positive on pcr. 
I have joined my husband. 
Thankfully I had arranged this morning to get him into a cabin with the ability to have fresh air. 

The rules are supposedly Italy's rules. 

We decided to go this route because we are not going to be able to beat the system. 

Flying back to the USA requires the negative test or the certificate of recovery. 
I am beyond saddened. 
I think that my exposure occurred either when I went to the Hospital in Palma de Mallorca and then was taxied back to the ship, (Seriously, you do not want to know about the chaos of that day!!) or from passengers who decided to act like they were fine. 
Anyone who decides to sail from Civitavecchia this year needs to be aware of their options and plan accordingly. 
I will post more tomorrow, but for now I am simply exhausted. 
Oh, and we are next door neighbors to the Bickersons. 🙂

He tested negative today in his cabin. 
I immediately told the people in charge but they have stated that he cannot test again until May 12. ??????
What happened to the CDC 10 day isolation? 

And then I just returned to the suite to discover that the in room phone does not work/. 
It is after 11 pm. I informed Customer service. 
They are working on it. 
The ONE phone in the entire ship(0ther than the Captain's)  that really should work, and it does not. 
ARGHHHHHHHHHH

2 hours ago, VitaminSea53 said:

What are the accommodations for the Covid negative spouse?  Do you stay in the category of cabin that you originally booked or do they move you to a lower class?

I need to post an update. 
Things TURNED AROUND AMAZINGLY TODAY!! 
From what I was told there are now only 700 passengers onboard. 
I was permitted to stay in my original suite. 
I lost my Premium Internet package and lost the Premier drink package. I can only drink two alcoholic drinks a day at the most and considering that my husband only drinks water or Roibos tea, the drink package was useless for him on the last cruise anyway. Celebrity made money on us on the Transatlantic. 
I purchased the Unlimited Wifi anyway. I figured that I would claim it as part of my trip interruption claim. 

I missed the Captains club cocktail party. Something about having it at 10:30 on the morning after a time change made this inconvenient. 
I was wandering around on Deck 4 and was aimlessly walking to my cabin when one of the officers asked me if I was enjoying the cruise. 
I was calm and explained my situation. He was stunned and saddened.
Lately tears come easily and my eyes will up when I least expect them to, 

I promise that I will find out the names of the Officers who were so helpful today. I will post their names in order to give credit where credit is due. 
They are to be commended and Celebrity is lucky to have them. 
He promised me that this would be taken care of immediately. 
I went back to my stateroom and called my husband. 
He did not answer.  He called me back about ten minutes later. 
He had been on the phone with this Officer who was incredibly caring and understanding. He was head of Food and Beverage. 
My husband explained that the menus on the app were of no use to him, especially considering  I was the keeper of the app and he did not have one set up on his phone 
Menus were delivered to his room. 
The food that he has ordered today has been stellar. 
When you are in Solitary confinement thinking about food, ordering food and eating food is your entire existence. 
I had told him last night that he should order extra food at breakfast so that he at least had something to eat in the event he experienced what he did last night.. Room service is not open until 6pm on embarkation day. He could not get through to Customer Service because there were lineups of high maintenance passengers demanding explanations as to why there was no Alcohol free wine options as they had been assured, (Try grape juice.) or demanding a taxi at 6 am when we disembark. The Customer service team were being run ragged.
Just like Annie promised, the sun did indeed come up tomorrow. 
He ordered hard boiled eggs to place in the fridge. It made me think of when we had just started out in life  traveling with our kids, staying at a Holiday Inn and making sure that we took a couple of extra eggs at the breakfast buffet to eat for lunch. 
That will not be needed any more. 
He has become a priority with the ship's company. 
Tonight I was at supper in Luminae when the same officer and the head of Room service sought me out. They surrounded me and were amazing in their genuine concern. 
Both are from Turkey,  So we joked that I had been visited by a box of Turkish delights. They promised that they would take care of us. 
I have also been the recipient of so much love from fellow passengers today. 
I had been isolated as well for the past 8 days, unable to eat in public, unable to drink in public, unable to remove my mask. 
My story started to spread. 
Tonight people approached me at my table and told me that they were sun my corner, that they would love to have me join them at meals or over a drink. 
I have been stopped in the main areas and asked how things are going. 
I am amazed at the love. 
We still have no idea what to expect tomorrow but the Edge administration has been wonderful. 
And tonight I was told that my Premium internet had been comped to me and that I was going to have the Classic drink package. 
It has made life a lot less stressful and frightening. 
And Celebrity is making all of our flight arrangements in the same class of airfare as we had booked originally. They will arrange to get us to the airport etc. 
I am very grateful. 
I can only hope that our experience will serve as a template for future responses. 

 

7 hours ago, macaroni said:

They will actually allow covid positive passengers to stay on after their paid cruise has ended without extra cost?

Considering the cruise that we paid for was not the cruise we got as a result of my husband developing Covid onboard the ship, would you expect anything less? 
What would your comments be if you heard that Covid positive cruisers were wandering around free to infect anywhere they wanted to? 

1 minute ago, asnaleah said:

I’m so sorry this is happening to you! Best wishes for his complete healing and for strength for you both!

Thank you.
I finally broke down in the Retreat this afternoon when I was waiting to find out what my benefits would be. I had lost the Wifi. I need to be able to communicate with our travel agent, our newly canceled travel arrangements etc. No Wifi is not a good idea. SO I paid over $300 for the one week of Premium Wifi. 
And no, I am not lucky that I am able to stay on etc. 
I had a Corner Aft Suite on Regal Princess that should have started tomorrow. That had Wifi,  drinks, laundry , gratuities included in the cost of the cruise. So I am more that willing to pay for services. 
 I broke down because I was so upset for my husband who is alone. Covid has sucked big time for everyone but throw in aging and a cancer diagnosis and all of a sudden you have dark days. 
I had to ask repeatedly for him to have feather pillows and an extra blanket. 
Today I stood in the Customer service line as I watched two twenty somethings pulling rank  at customer service because CS could not guarantee a 7;30 taxi for them when they disembark in 8 days. After all these flight arrangements had been self made and not  by Celebrity. Somehow they were expecting to make a flight home at 10;30 am. And somehow Celebrity deserved their disgust for not cooperating. 
They should have to walk a mile in my sandals. Today I actually set a new record for me. 6.5 miles!! 
Anyway, Thank you again. 
 

21 hours ago, Susanb10567 said:

Omg …sending healing and positive  thoughts your way..i was not aware Italy has a 21 day quarantine..that seems so long..we are scheduled to sail from Rome this summer and have been nervous..but this takes it to a new level…good luck with everything 

Please check those timelines to be certain. 
Yesterday that is what I was told by a Retreat Hostess. And now I cannot find the written directive that she presented to me. 
I have so many pieces of paper and so few that make any sense. 
It is amazing how many times I have been informed by customer service that I was told something and I have not been. I have not been given much information in writing. 
Considering our experience and how close to the EDGE we had to be before we had any answers I wish we had been aware of the consequences of cruising. with the conditions that are present now. 

7 hours ago, macaroni said:

Also, can’t you get a letter of recovery after the 10 days and no fever? 

Covid seems to be so fluid. 
We get so many differing scenarios. 
I was allowed to stay in my Suite. 
I found this out when I checked in for the B2B passenger checkin. 
I had packed all of my husbands items into a suitcase just in case he tested negative and we were permitted to disembark. Had that happened he would not have been permitted to return to the suite after release from the Red Zone. So he would have walked out wearing the same clothes that he walked upstairs in. 
I had packed all of my clothes into the remaining bags. 
I was extremely grateful to be permitted to stay in the same suite. 
I lost many of the perks that I had experienced and paid for on the prior cruise. I lost the drink package. I lost Wifi. My husband is allowed to have the unlimited Wifi. 
He was moved into the Yellow zone on Deck 6. His view is of the top of the lifeboats. He is hoping that the two tender ports are going to use the lifeboat below his window. The window does not open. 
He is unable to exercise anywhere. He still cannot leave the cabin. His meals are from the Room service menu. He is post cancer surgery and seriously how tough would it be to allow him to have the occasional vegetable.? 
And before anyones jumps on me and tells me that we should probably have considered that when we came onboard, please get a life and go and harass someone else. The rules have been changed more frequently than the Pampers on a two week old baby. 
So to recap: 
He has no ability to build up his health
He has no air circulation
He has no variety in his meals 
He has no entertainment. Until you have had the limited television choices that are presently being offered, you have no idea 
We did not purchase the Retreat as part of the  Move up. We purchased the vacation as a Retreat experience in March of 2021 and paid full fare. 
My husband completely missed the cruise experience for 7 complete days. 
I missed the Retreat experience for 6 days. 
I was unable to dine anywhere except in my room. 
I was not able to drink any beverages anywhere except in my room. 
Oddly, the close contacts of the Positive Casino Passengers were permitted to drink in the bars. That is what one of them told me. 
If we had left the ship today we would no longer be the responsibility of Celebrity. Considering he had tested positive  in our suite before the ship docked at our first port, there is no doubt as to his acquiring the virus while we were guests of Celebrity.  All of the expenses incurred from the moment we disembarked would be our responsibility. 
As of this moment, my husband will be tested again on May 11. If he is negative he will be able t rejoin me. Celebrity is arranging for flights home for us effective May 14 in the same class of flight that we had originally booked with Princess for our now canceled 3 week cruise starting on May 7. 
These were business class tickets. 
I am mentally drained and physically exhausted so if I am not answering as you might like me to, please understand that . 

 

360Guy and Jim_lain 
You guys have been rockstars, my heroes. 
Apparently things changed on May1. 
Celebrity no longer provides compensation for lodging when you are removed from the ship. 
That is supposedly on your own dime. 
We could disembark if my husband tests positive but then Italy's regulations are that he has to quarantine until he is negative or has been in isolation for 21 days, whichever comes first. 
We thought of doing that but we have no idea how he might test in the future and that puts me at risk of developing Covid while I am in Italy. At that point we have no options. 
At least staying on the ship we are still Celebrity's resonsibility. 
 It is after midnight here and we are waiting for the results of his midnight test.
@@@@@@ Edited to add. He is positive. We are staying on. @@@@@@@
This is like waiting for the call from the Governor to find out if there is a stay of Execution . 
If he tests positive he gets to play the game of Traffic light 
He will go from being in the Red Zone on Deck 12 to the Yellow Zone on Deck 6. 
We have no idea what the terms of that one are. 
He will then test again on May 11. If he is Negative, he can join me in whatever cabin I am placed. 
If he is Positive, then we stay on until May 21. 
By then he will have satisfied Italy's requirement of 21 days quarantine. 
Now if you will excuse me, I have a few tears to shed and a few phone calls to make regarding the next cruise of 21 days that will have to be canceled post haste. 
Arghh
And yes, I have tested NEGATIVE every time. 
 

22 hours ago, Member123 said:

@bananavan I'm so frustrated that this thread has moved away from supportive information for you and your situation and I sincerely hope this hasn't discouraged you from posting. The last that I heard was a post from you on Jim_Iian's thread indicating that you are trying to obtain a longer rental in Civitavecchia. 

How are you doing with that? How is your husband feeling? Did you test negative on your last/final day of the 5-day mandatory testing period?

 

I have traveled to Rome a number of times and know one terrific tour guide. I couldn't promise that he would be able to assist with information on Civitavecchia but I'm pretty sure that he would have contacts who could as he seems to know everyone in that part of Italy. I don't think I'm the only one who has some information about the region that would be of help to you, if needed. Just please let us know.

Thank you. 
Yes, the diversion to debating the transmission via the air ducts is not very helpful. 
Between trying to find out what our options are...apparently Celebrity is going on a situation by situation based approach, and trying to let our children know what is going on, I have had little time to post.
 Having a uniform policy is seemingly not in Celebrity's wheelhouse. 
I get told that they have been having meetings via the internet as to options, I wish they would start using real communication methods because things change every day. 
On this ship, we are tested in different locations every day. And nobody tells us where that is. Kind of like a Scavenger hunt but there are no treats nor are there clues. 
If my husband tests positive at midnight tonight we have chosen to stay on the ship for the next cruise. 
I have the option of going to his cabin, not going to happen. That is insane.  
I can disembark.  Also insane if you knew what I have been through the last two days. 
I can stay on, albeit not in my original cabin, and not  necessarily in the same Category. 
I cannot stay as I have to go to the computer area to recharge my laptop. 
We brought one chase cord between us and I sacrificed it to him. 
And packing tip #1. Dont bring the big Costco toothpaste. #1, you will never go through that huge tube on a cruise anyway and #2 If you are placed in different environments you have to make the Job like decision of who gets the tube. HINT: The Quarantined patient should get first dibs. 
Evana

 

2 hours ago, Salt Lifer said:

 

 

What I find interesting is the number of people who test positive on day 7/8, regardless of the length of the cruise.  This makes me think the majority are catching it at the start of the cruise possibly.  I hope people smarter than I are looking at this and trying to determine the common denominator so we can continue to try to take steps to reduce the risk.  

I totally agree. And this should not be too hard for a qualified Public Health official to determine. 
Heck,  have not cruised since the Pandemic shut the world down on March 17, the day we returned from a 60 day South American voyage and I have my theories. 
The average cruise is a 7 day one. So the infected passengers are home by the time it hits 
Surely this cannot be THAT difficult to figure out. 

29 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Let's face it, to an extent life is a crap shoot. There are things we can do to minimize our risk, but much if beyond our control.

 

Thanks for telling your experience. No, I don't blame you at all for feeling very disappointed. We are your age or a little older, have been married a few more years, and we're scheduled for a TA in October. I'd be very upset also.  I hope at least physically you are okay, understandably emotionally you are not.

 

Hope you get that negative test so you can enjoy at least some time on the ship with your spouse.😎

 

Doug

You will be fine. You will at least be ending in "home territory" I assume.
Our issue is that we used the Edge as a transportation means to get us to the Med for a fabulous 21 day cruise. 
Now we doubt that will happen and we also have no idea as to how we will get home 
My husband and I discussed this scenario this afternoon. We determined that at least returning to the USA, if you were quarantined at the end you would have the opportunity to get home.
We are both good swimmers, but at our age, the Atlantic Crossing has to happen via Cruiseship or Airplane.
Physically I am fine. 
Granted my duodenal ulcer has flared again and my hiatal hernia is sliding all over the place .I am getting 3 hours sleep a night, but at least being in a Sky suite I can run a warm bath and soak in it in the middle of the night. It is not like I will be disturbing anyone in my suite. 
I will not sugar coat it anymore. We wish that we had canceled. 

20 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I've seen countless posts saying exactly this. I can only conclude that doing the "right things" might make one feel better but isn't really effective.

You will get no argument from me.
I do not believe in the Theater that we are supposed to endorse, but I also realize that there are many who do. 
I respect the opinions and fears of others, so I try to stay on the straight and narrow. 

30 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Sounds pretty good, but do you have evidence of that? Many of us are trying to decide when to get that second booster, and there doesn't seem to be much empirical data to help us. I suppose there are not a lot of data on that yet.

 

We would all probably like to hear more about the treatment of COVID also. Sure would be nice to toss a few "COVID pills" in the shaving kit before setting off on an ocean journey!😎

 

Doug

We are currently on The Edge. 
We did all the right things, 
I actually stand at any sink and wash my hands religiously because I have a medical background and this makes sense to me. 
We were at sea for 8 days before we saw land, 
We do not go to the bars, we do not go to the casino, we do not go anywhere near pools or hot tubs. 
I am allergic to the sun and as a result spent most of my time in our Sky suite. 
Guess what happened? 
My husband got Covid on Day 8. 
We are vaccinated and boosted. 
Read the threads of other Transatlantic cruise passengers who developed Covid while onboard. 
Prior to these TA's Celebrity was doing 7 day cruises. 
Read the. threads of people who disembarked and developed Covid when they got home. 
It seems that it is fairly common to develop it on Day 7-8. 
There is no anti Covid medication onboard. 
The covid positive passengers are treated like they have Ebola. 
Their partners are not much better except we are permitted to leave the stateroom if wearing masks and ewe have to wait for erratic room service to show up with whatever we try to order. 
Until you stay in a Suite to celebrate your 70th birthday and 50th Wedding anniversary and the successful course of treatment for cancer and then have to be alone you will not understand the full impact. 
I did not have a clue as to the Isolation experience . That is because any threads on here were relating to US based trips of  days. 
If we were to have done this over again, we would have tried to fail  the test prior to embarkation. 
I have one more negative test hurdle to overcome before I can eat in a dining room again. 
We are three days out of Civitavecchia and have no information as to what is going to happen. 
We have no idea how we are getting home Or if we can. 
If I sound bitter, I actually am. 
I am not getting any information from Celebrity Concierges as to next steps. 
So , to everyone right now waxing lyrical on how they stayed healthy, wax on, wax off, 
We did all the right things too. 
 

So jealous that you get to isolate in the South of England. 
I emigrated to Canada 65 years ago and arrived on April 27, 1957. 
My husband and I live in the USA now. 
We will be looking for lodging in the Civitavecchia area on Friday =. 
I have a lovely boutique hotel already paid for (Actually paid for it in July of 2021) but that is for one night as we were to board Regal Princess for the next portion of our Odyssey. We have a B2B2B on the large Aft corner balcony. I think that was not meant to be. 
My husband is now entering Day 4 in Quarantine.I am still testing negative for now. One more test to go. (Cue the soundtrack of Les Miserables) 
We must find the elusive Covid Concierge on the Edge to find out next case scenario .
So where are all of us Covid Cruise survivors meeting up next year for the Inaugural cruise? 
I am glad that I still get to use the suite. 
I test every morning before my breakfast is delivered. That way I time for One last soak in the lovely tub before I am hauled off to the dungeons. 
I hope that you are back home soon enough .
And as I have a small medical background, I concur that Covid recovery removes the need for excise and increases the need for prophylactic scones with clotted cream. 
Virtual Hugs to  fellow warriors. 

5 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

Where are the ship photographers when you need them?

That made me laugh out loud. 
My husband is in Quarantine on Edge. 
I had pre ordered the photo book .
We had taken a dozen good photos. 
Initially I canceled the purchase when he was "sent away" 
I was depressed about the turn of events. 
BUT yesterday my almost forgotten level of insanity reared up again. 
I thought: To hell with that The photo book has lovely photos in it anyway. And the reality of our cruise is that it was spent apart.
 I threw three outfits on the bed and accessorized them 
I then went to all the photographers and we had fun. I have campy photos,, serious photos, totally ugly photos, and one with the big black mask over my face. (but it matched the outfit.) 
This photo book will be a great memory of an aborted 70th birthday and 50th wedding anniversary trip.
I do have a video of the Hazmat guy walking behind my husband, spraying disinfectant behind him as he forced him up to the Executioners Chambers. 
If you dont laugh, the tears fall and your makeup is a mess. Trust me, I know. 
Hugs.

2 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

If I paid to have a balcony with a verandah then learned someone with COVID was out on a nearby

balcony getting fresh air I would be very angry and concerned.   My right to disease free fresh air has now been violated.    I am all for isolation to keep the COVID virus from spreading.   If virus positive passengers are put into a balcony I would hope it is isolated down wind from healthy passengers.

It is all fun and games until it affects you. 
On a transatlantic there are very few days that you will enjoy the balcony. 
They have the isolation patients in the same area. And the Infinite balcony cabin is one in name only. That is not really a balcony.
And wind changes. 
My husband is on Deck 12 beneath the smoke stacks. Yesterday the wind took the smoke into his room. Today the people on the Starboard side were the lucky ones. 
 

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

Per my recollection, they weren't. It was an IV cabin, not a balcony cabin.

Correct. 
But it does have a semi window which allows air to come inside, which is better for the whole ventilation thing. 
According to the Science, fresh air is beneficial to people who are dealing with Covid. 
We had not realized the psychological impact of the forced lockdown. 

12 minutes ago, 360Guy said:

Hugs (socially distanced of course) back to you!  You will get through!  Your TA will become your BFF if not already since they can help with the air deviation, etc.  All the back end stuff regarding refunds (promised in letter..retain all written communication from them about what they will do!) can be sorted out once home.  I have ideas and experience with how to get timely response but will share via personal email exchange if you wish.

Inquire about Celebrity arranged/paid transfer from port to wherever you booked your hotel.  They paid for our transfer from Southampton to London and that was worth some $$$.  If they say they will…reconfirm at least twice with the “COVID Concierge”.  Disembarkation went pretty much according to plan but there were zero Celebrity staff once off the ship to direct or help in any way FYI.  Your experience may be different.

That email exchange would be fantastic. 
I can be reached at my handle here (AT) Aol dot com. 

Thanks so much 
Evana 

1 minute ago, 360Guy said:

I continue to hope for a speedy recovery for your DH and your current symptoms.  Upon disembarkation make certain they provide a copy of the positive lab results as you will need them to obtain a recovery certificate in order to travel if your DH continues to test positive.  If you can locate and purchase the self test lateral flow kits they are helpful if you remain in quarantine prior to travel and you can self test.  If you should test positive and I certainly hope up you do not seek a confirmation test by a test center or proctored test asap if you brought them to return to the US.  This is important as the clock starts the day you test positive with a formal test with a written report for purposes of the recovery certificate. There are many online certificate of recovery websites that will do this for $80-$100 GBP but not sure which country you are finishing in.   I continue to wish you both well and a safe journey home.  These are my thoughts and others may have suggestions!  

Our situation promises to get complicated. 
We are supposed to board the Regal Princess on May 7, after disembarking the Edge May 6 in Civitavecchia. 
We insured each cruise with the cruise line separately .We have very good health insurance etc.  We also purchased MedJet Horizon. The one scenario we did not consider is the one we are probably bogged down in right now. 
The Flight home is attached  to the Princess cruise. 
That cruise will be easily canceled by us due to the situation, but that might be a moot point. Princess might (probably will) deny us boarding. 
Supposedly Celebrity will pro rate the time that we have not been able to be together in the suite etc. but my time being in a suite has not been stellar either. 
I am waiting to hear back from my travel agent. 
Hugs to you. 

11 minutes ago, 360Guy said:

It is messy…we are in quarantine waiting to fly home hopefully this week….my thoughts:  

1. Pray (if you do) that the US drops the test to return policy by the end of your cruise.

2.  Bring lateral flow test kits to test on board or once you are off ship.   Extras…not cheap in UK and hard to find.  These are not the proctored version you use to fly. We used them when my partner thought he had a cold.  He was positive and we called medical. Quarantine till disembarkation.  Some chose to ignore symptoms and continue to go out and about unmasked.  The British have moved on and have zero mask, quarantine or return to travel…some reported sick and others did not. Reality.

3.  Read up on peoples experiences in quarantine.  Decide if you can tolerate that or not.  Medical was very good IMHO but partner had mild symptoms.  They may move you to deck 3 no veranda. Depends on case count and symptoms.  Not consistent by ship.

4.  Read all you can about COVID Recovery Certificate.   If you test positive and need to return to the US soon after disembarkation you may have to get the airline or your TA to adjust your flight(s).  Negative test or the certificate is the only way to get home at the moment.

 

Not trying to do anything other than share our experience…to date.  Will deal with Celebrity on refund, hotel and meals when we get home and will be so thankful and grateful when we do.   London is not a bad place to hang out in at all and from my perspective this is all 1st world problem stuff.  Crew were wonderful on Silhouette.  Will cruise again eyes wide open.

Oh, totally agree. 
I have the antigen tests as well. That is how we determined that we needed to contact medical. 
I am testing myself every morning before going down to be tested. I figure that I can at least get a head start  on the packing. 
As I mentioned above, we have not had any information for next steps. 
Praying for you that you get home with few obstacles. 

*** as an aside, I cannot eat anywhere but in my room .
I called for room service as I have not eaten yet today. 
I would be happy to go upstairs and get my own food but am not permitted to do so. 
I ordered their soup of the day and chicken skewers. 
I was told 40 minutes. I have no other option. *****

12 hours ago, hcat said:

I believe  there is a misplaced reliance upon masking..esp the plain paper styles.

Yes, we wear them..but do they really stop the spread?  Social distancing, handwashing probably good ideas,  Wish someone had all the answers !

I think that there is a need for a reevaluation of the entire cruise response. 
All of us have been on other cruises where people have become ill. 
The intelligent and empathetic passengers self identify. 
When I had influenza onboard Cunard in 2018, I was given Tamiflu (onboard Edge right now all my husband has been offered is sinus medication. We have that as part of our normal travel planning) 
They made an effort to make me well . Twice daily visits by the medical staff. My suite was cleaned by a separate team of trained medical cleaners. 
Within five days of isolation, my temperature was checked and I was deemed healthy-(ish. )
My husband is upstairs on his own on his separate cabin. HE has nobody to reassure him. 
I am in my suite, alone, eating meals by myself while also dealing with a stress related gastritis and hiatal hernia attack. 
Yes, he has the ability to open the window, except he is directly below the smoke stacks. 
Last night we refueled in Gibraltar. The refuelling started around midnight and ended around 5 am.
This happened on the Port side of the ship. Guess where the sick bay is?
We have spent the last year missing our usual cruising, dealing with his cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery and the emotional toll that takes on anyone.
I dont expect any sympathy. We chose to take this chance, but if I am able to let others know the reality of all of this then I am glad to share. 
I wish that we had not taken the risk. 
And we are totally in the dark as to next steps. 

 

9 hours ago, hcat said:

Sorry to hear the OP news.

Good  your husb got an inf balc rm rather than an interior.

Infinite balc gives access to  outdoors sort of..good light and fresh air. You have a great attitude..hope all works out.

We will only book shortest cruises possible..just in case we are confined

We NORMALLY (says with fond memories) book the longest cruises possible. We have completed two World Cruises with Cunard and have one planned for next year. 
For us, and this is only for us and not said with any judgement, the short cruises are not how we like t cruise. 
That being said, I will most likely be cancelling the World Cruise in January. 
IT is not just the quarantine aspect but also the fear that we might become ill so far from home. 
We are in a quandary as to how we will get home from Rome at this point. 
We are four weeks away from that flight. Who knows what might happen in the meantime?