Grand Princess Coronavirus Discussion (retitled after merger of several topics)

[CruisinCindy]

Here’s the email we received from Princess today:  

 

Dear Princess Guest:

 

 

I wish to advise you that we have been notified by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that they are investigating a small cluster of COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Northern California connected to your Grand Princess voyage that sailed roundtrip San Francisco from February 11 to February 21. We are working closely with our CDC partners and are following their recommendations.

Please be assured that the health, safety, and well-being of all guests and crew are our absolute priority. The CDC is continuing to actively collect information and we have shared essential travel and health data with the CDC to facilitate their standard notification to the State and County health authorities to follow up with individuals who may have been exposed to people who became ill.

The CDC has asked that we share with you an information card on COVID-19, which you can view by clicking here.

COVID-19 causes mild illness in about 80% of cases, typically with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath, like the common cold or flu. About 20% of people develop more severe symptoms. The more severe symptoms typically occur in more susceptible individuals that have higher risk factors, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions, as it does with regular flu. The illness is mainly spread by droplets from close person-to-person contact. It is possible for the virus to spread by hand touch surfaces, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Updated information on the illness can be found at the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

As with all respiratory illnesses, particularly during cold and flu season, you can take steps to reduce your risk of illness: 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
• Supplement hand washing by regularly using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid close contact with people suffering from respiratory illness.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze using a tissue or your bent elbow.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

If you have experienced any symptoms of acute respiratory illness with fever, chills, or cough since your return home, please immediately contact your medical provider.

Thank you for taking the time to read this important information.

Yours in health,

Grant Tarling, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer 

[Journey99999]

Cindy thank you for sharing your information!
I'm sorry this has happened. 😞  

 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Current passengers onboard Grand Princess may want to self quarantine. 

[azbirdmom]

I just read something on another forum that the passengers on the current sailing of the Grand have been told that that the ship is skipping Ensenada and returning early to San Francisco at the direction of the CDC.  Here's hoping that it's just being done due to "abundance of caution".

[resistk]

17 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

I just read something on another forum that the passengers on the current sailing of the Grand have been told that that the ship is skipping Ensenada and returning early to San Francisco at the direction of the CDC.  Here's hoping that it's just being done due to "abundance of caution".

 

Logically, the crew would have been exposed to passengers on the implicated sailing.

[mbglib]

following

 

[dchip]

Also following. 

[strobellayjam]

42 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

I just read something on another forum that the passengers on the current sailing of the Grand have been told that that the ship is skipping Ensenada and returning early to San Francisco at the direction of the CDC.  Here's hoping that it's just being done due to "abundance of caution".

Very concerning. Do you mind linking us to that forum? 

[rocklinmom]

I live near Lincoln CA (Placer County) and the news here is reporting a local man from that cruise who is now hospitalized with it.  No other details other than he was on a Princess ship from SF to Mexico on those dates. 

[strobellayjam]

15 minutes ago, strobellayjam said:

Very concerning. Do you mind linking us to that forum? 

Never mind. It’s been posted to Princess:

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/grand-princess-updates.html

[Sea Hag]

9 minutes ago, strobellayjam said:

Never mind. It’s been posted to Princess:

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/grand-princess-updates.html

Thanks for posting this. We're booked on the 3/29 sailing, and we're certainly wondering how this is all going to pan out.

[strobellayjam]

Just now, Sea Hag said:

Thanks for posting this. We're booked on the 3/29 sailing, and we're certainly wondering how this is all going to pan out.

We sail this Sat and are in limbo as to how this impacts our plans. Just got off the phone with Princess and it’s the status quo response that they are meeting with the CDC and will inform passengers of any changes. This is very unnerving. 

[azbirdmom]

2 minutes ago, strobellayjam said:

We sail this Sat and are in limbo as to how this impacts our plans. Just got off the phone with Princess and it’s the status quo response that they are meeting with the CDC and will inform passengers of any changes. This is very unnerving. 

 

Hopefully they will release information soon.  I do think they learned something from what happened with all of the Asia cruises and suspect that they will be informing affected passengers of the status of their future cruises as soon as possible.

[idahospud]

15 minutes ago, strobellayjam said:

Never mind. It’s been posted to Princess:

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/grand-princess-updates.html

Shame on Princess...I just spoke with a friend who works onboard. He hasn’t heard a word about it and he works all over the ship in passenger areas. Out and about on deck as we speak. Crew need to know.

Edited March 4, 2020 by idahospud

[azbirdmom]

3 minutes ago, idahospud said:

Shame on Princess...I just spoke with a friend who works onboard. He hasn’t heard a word about it and he works all over the ship in passenger areas. Out and about on deck as we speak. Crew need to know.

 

Wow, that stinks.  What I read on the other forum I referenced earlier was that letters were slipped under passenger doors overnight.  So it would seem that if those delivering the letters knew that Princess would have communicated the news to all of the other staff and crew.

Edited March 4, 2020 by azbirdmom

[glam mistress]

Following. 

[Sea Hag]

13 minutes ago, strobellayjam said:

We sail this Sat and are in limbo as to how this impacts our plans. Just got off the phone with Princess and it’s the status quo response that they are meeting with the CDC and will inform passengers of any changes. This is very unnerving. 

Gosh! You sure are in limbo. Are you local to San Francisco or flying in from somewhere?

 

Edit: Silly me. I just looked at your info, and you're surely not local!

Edited March 4, 2020 by Sea Hag
stupdity

[idahospud]

5 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

 

Wow, that stinks.  What I read on the other forum I referenced earlier was that letters were slipped under passenger doors overnight.  So it would seem that if those delivering the letters knew that Princess would have communicated the news to all of the other staff and crew.

You’d think. He knew they were skipping Ensenada but not a word about Coronavirus. Hope they spread the word to everyone soon.

[bluesea321]

Hmm... Hope and pray that this does not turn into another Diamond.

 

"For those guests who sailed with us on our previous voyage, in an abundance of caution the CDC requires you to remain in your stateroom until you have been contacted and cleared by our medical staff. A member of our medical team will be calling you between the hours of 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM this morning. You may order room service while you wait for the medical screening to be completed, and we apologize for any inconvenience."

 

[strobellayjam]

11 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

Gosh! You sure are in limbo. Are you local to San Francisco or flying in from somewhere?

 

Edit: Silly me. I just looked at your info, and you're surely not local!

Nope, not local at all!

[Nn2036]

This is scary. I wonder what will happen to the passenger on the current cruise when they get back to San Francisco.

[jp2746]

We are sailing this weekend on the Royal.  I am not concerned about us getting deathly ill (we are young and healthy) but I am concerned about the cruise itself.  I don't want to be quarantined or have the cruise cut short.  Does Princess compensate if they cut the cruise short?  I'm not trying to be inconsiderate to people who are at risk of dying from this, but I would rather not go than have to come home early and face quarantine. 

[Honolulu Blue]

31 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

Thanks for posting this. We're booked on the 3/29 sailing, and we're certainly wondering how this is all going to pan out.

 

30 minutes ago, strobellayjam said:

We sail this Sat and are in limbo as to how this impacts our plans. Just got off the phone with Princess and it’s the status quo response that they are meeting with the CDC and will inform passengers of any changes. This is very unnerving. 

 

I'm on the 3/22 sailing between yours.  I'm guessing with an extra day plus in port, the ship will get an extra thorough scrub down, which (a) I hope is for nothing because there's nothing of that virus left, and/or (b) gets rid of any nasty bugs that might be hanging around.

[Mittens101]

2 minutes ago, jp2746 said:

We are sailing this weekend on the Royal.  I am not concerned about us getting deathly ill (we are young and healthy) but I am concerned about the cruise itself.  I don't want to be quarantined or have the cruise cut short.  Does Princess compensate if they cut the cruise short?  I'm not trying to be inconsiderate to people who are at risk of dying from this, but I would rather not go than have to come home early and face quarantine. 

I’m on the regal this weekend and have the same concerns.  My hubby can’t be out of work for two weeks.

[jp2746]

6 minutes ago, Mittens101 said:

I’m on the regal this weekend and have the same concerns.  My hubby can’t be out of work for two weeks.

Exactly! My husband's employer is already unhappy that we are leaving for a week.  I can't even imagine if he was gone for three.  Plus we would probably be eating pasta for the next year if he lost two weeks pay! 😮