Problem on the breakaway in NO

[Cruise Raider]

Just now, butterfly4108 said:

I'm in Nevada and our news here mentioned that the crew member with Omicron was from South Africa....wish they would all have the same info 😄 

 

That's what our news stated as well.  

[vettprincess]

3 minutes ago, ShowMeCruise said:

 

Correct.....we are sailing to Roatan now.

 

Incorrect......we are not skipping Cozumel....we are going as planned. 

 

The port we are skipping is Costa Maya.

 

Relax folks.....have fun and don't spread disinformation!

You are so right. Constant misinformation by the pundits on here that think they know everything.

Keep having a good time and enjoying yourself, we are on next week and looking forward to the great entertainment NCL has.

[jerseyralph]

I am a stem cell transplant patient who found out on 11/6/21 that my 2 doses of the Monderna covid vaccine produced no antibodies in me. I immediately was given a third full dose. I wear masks everyhere I go. Many of us with health issues are having issues with the vaccine and the press is not paying much attention to it.

 

We booked two cruises back when we thought the vaccine was going to bring this pandemic to a close. We were booked on the Gem to depart NYC on 12/19 and head south. We are gold on NCL. We also booked A February cruise on Carnival ( we are Platinum and had lots of credits because of the pandemic ) out of Baltimore to once again head south. This morning we got up and the NYC news reported that at least 10 people tested positive for Covid on the cruise that returned to NOLA yesterday. 

 

I called NCL. They told me that there was an outbreak and that it started with a crew member from South Africa. Yes folks, NCL told me that and a supervisor confirmed it. I was stunned. How could a crew member board the ship covid positive? My husband asked me to cancel. He is even willing to take the financial hit. He is afraid for me to board a ship. WE believed NCL's protocols would protect us. 

 

NCL Miami is refunding things like our wifi upgade. We have to go to insurance to make a claim for about $2500. If insurance declines the claim ( my doctors will help me with this.), NCL will give us 70% back in cruise certificates. Trying to transfer the cruise to sometime next fall or winter would have cost me 3500! 

 

Carnival was different. They transferred our paid in full cruise to one that sails out of NYC in Sept.They waived the fees. Much easier to deal with. We can change it again if we need to. 

 

I share this to remind everyone that some people who believe they are fully vaccinated find out they are not and everyone PLEASE buy that insurance. Without it, my husband and I would be out $2500. 

 

Be safe and well! 

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

What makes you think that masks will be required?

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/6639/

[DrSea]

24 minutes ago, jerseyralph said:

I am a stem cell transplant patient who found out on 11/6/21 that my 2 doses of the Monderna covid vaccine produced no antibodies in me. I immediately was given a third full dose. I wear masks everyhere I go. Many of us with health issues are having issues with the vaccine and the press is not paying much attention to it.

 

We booked two cruises back when we thought the vaccine was going to bring this pandemic to a close. We were booked on the Gem to depart NYC on 12/19 and head south. We are gold on NCL. We also booked A February cruise on Carnival ( we are Platinum and had lots of credits because of the pandemic ) out of Baltimore to once again head south. This morning we got up and the NYC news reported that at least 10 people tested positive for Covid on the cruise that returned to NOLA yesterday. 

 

I called NCL. They told me that there was an outbreak and that it started with a crew member from South Africa. Yes folks, NCL told me that and a supervisor confirmed it. I was stunned. How could a crew member board the ship covid positive? My husband asked me to cancel. He is even willing to take the financial hit. He is afraid for me to board a ship. WE believed NCL's protocols would protect us. 

 

NCL Miami is refunding things like our wifi upgade. We have to go to insurance to make a claim for about $2500. If insurance declines the claim ( my doctors will help me with this.), NCL will give us 70% back in cruise certificates. Trying to transfer the cruise to sometime next fall or winter would have cost me 3500! 

 

Carnival was different. They transferred our paid in full cruise to one that sails out of NYC in Sept.They waived the fees. Much easier to deal with. We can change it again if we need to. 

 

I share this to remind everyone that some people who believe they are fully vaccinated find out they are not and everyone PLEASE buy that insurance. Without it, my husband and I would be out $2500. 

 

Be safe and well! 

Interesting that they told you that someone from south africa boarded the ship and made its way.

 

I still have a hard time convincing myself to buy cruise insurance as I am in my early 30s. I will maybe suggest that those in my party over the age of 50 to buy insurance tho, but many are resistant to it.

 

Stay safe and healthy.

Edited December 6, 2021 by DrSea

[Fredric22]

I had a feeling this all had to do with a crew member who was either from or traveled to South Africa. This is why the CDC got involved immediately even though there have been more cases on other ships with little attention. My hunch is that the crew member is suspected omicron positive but will not likely know for sure until today or tomorrow after sequencing is completed. I'm assuming the crew member was in quarantine (perhaps just starting a contract?) and the positive test could have been picked up through routine testing. 

[GeezerCouple]

5 minutes ago, DrSea said:

Interesting that they told you that someone from south africa boarded the ship and made its way.

 

I still have a hard time convincing myself to buy cruise insurance as I am in my early 30s. I will maybe suggest that those in my party over the age of 50 to buy insurance tho, but many are resistant to it.

 

Stay safe and healthy.

We are older, with some medical 'conditions', plus the increasing vagaries of age...

We've purchased travel insurance since learning about it here on CC.

And thank goodness, as one of our largest claims was for that very first planned trip!

 

If you do suggest coverage to others (or even for yourself) make sure that the specific policy chosen covers precisely whatever concerns you have.  The "coverage" can vary from insurer to insurer and from policy to policy.

 

You might want to browse on the travel insurance section of CC:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

 

And you/others may want to speak directly with specialists.

We strongly recommend

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

 

They are a broker and help with several different vetted insurers. (No extra cost to traveler.)

Explain your concerns and they'll help find policies that best fit your needs.

They are very low pressure and don't try to upsell.

 

It's definitely an easier decision for those who are older or have pre-existing medical conditions.

 

Timing matters: To get the best choice of plans, the coverage should be started within 10-20 days of the FIRST payment (refundable or not), but one only needs to insure that initial amount, not the full trip cost.

 

GC

 

[DrSea]

4 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

We are older, with some medical 'conditions', plus the increasing vagaries of age...

We've purchased travel insurance since learning about it here on CC.

And thank goodness, as one of our largest claims was for that very first planned trip!

 

If you do suggest coverage to others (or even for yourself) make sure that the specific policy chosen covers precisely whatever concerns you have.  The "coverage" can vary from insurer to insurer and from policy to policy.

 

You might want to browse on the travel insurance section of CC:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

 

And you/others may want to speak directly with specialists.

We strongly recommend

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

 

They are a broker and help with several different vetted insurers. (No extra cost to traveler.)

Explain your concerns and they'll help find policies that best fit your needs.

They are very low pressure and don't try to upsell.

 

It's definitely an easier decision for those who are older or have pre-existing medical conditions.

 

Timing matters: To get the best choice of plans, the coverage should be started within 10-20 days of the FIRST payment (refundable or not), but one only needs to insure that initial amount, not the full trip cost.

 

GC

 

Thank you for those recommendations. Yes, I will give this to my guests who are over the age of 50 for them to look at. Thank you.

[ChiefMateJRK]

40 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/6639/

This has nothing to do with your cruise.

[Beach Life 1]

25 minutes ago, DrSea said:

Interesting that they told you that someone from south africa boarded the ship and made its way.

 

I still have a hard time convincing myself to buy cruise insurance as I am in my early 30s. I will maybe suggest that those in my party over the age of 50 to buy insurance tho, but many are resistant to it.

 

Stay safe and healthy.

Insurance is not just for cancellation or Covid.  It can cover you for illness, injury or medical evacuation,  which can be very expensive on a ship. 

[Old & Retired]

3 hours ago, raitch said:

My biggest question is whether or not you were informed on the ship- officially, not by offhandedly chatting with a crew member- that someone onboard had tested positive.  Some people are saying they were never informed and only found out when they got off the ship.  

When we were on the Encore, several crew had positive tests and we were never 'officially' informed.  We only found out because a few crew had loose lips.  We got the feeling the crew were ordered to say nothing to passengers regarding covid exposures or positive tests.

[Babr]

15 minutes ago, jezabel80 said:

Insurance is not just for cancellation or Covid.  It can cover you for illness, injury or medical evacuation,  which can be very expensive on a ship. 

The medical evacuation provided by travel insurance covers hospital-to-hospital transfer in case you need a higher level of care or extended care at a hospital nearer home.

 

Still expensive, but it is not for evacuation from a ship at sea. That is conducted by military/coast guard/ rescue if you are within range and conditions allow. There is not cost to the person being evacuated.

[DrSea]

45 minutes ago, jezabel80 said:

Insurance is not just for cancellation or Covid.  It can cover you for illness, injury or medical evacuation,  which can be very expensive on a ship. 

Yes, it's the medical evacuation that I am concerned about. It can exceed 100k from what I hear. I have bring it up to my guests. I will let them decide as it is their money and health.

[DrSea]

24 minutes ago, Babr said:

The medical evacuation provided by travel insurance covers hospital-to-hospital transfer in case you need a higher level of care or extended care at a hospital nearer home.

 

Still expensive, but it is not for evacuation from a ship at sea. That is conducted by military/coast guard/ rescue if you are within range and conditions allow. There is not cost to the person being evacuated.

Oh wow, I didn't know that. That was my major concern.

[Babr]

2 minutes ago, DrSea said:

Oh wow, I didn't know that. That was my major concern.

Well, now that you put it in bold, I see I should have done a better job of editing.
 

As you can imagine, rescue at sea is a last resort reserved for cases that require immediate attention. The ship has to be near enough to the resource, in the first place. Not all countries can provide the equipment and trained personnel. Sea and weather conditions must allow the flight, in the second place.

 

Most often, passengers who require medical care beyond the capability of the ship’s facilities will be disembarked at the nearest port. From there, an ambulance will take them to the hospital. Travel insurance will cover transportation and care at that point.

[dobiemom]

1 hour ago, DrSea said:

I still have a hard time convincing myself to buy cruise insurance as I am in my early 30s. I will maybe suggest that those in my party over the age of 50 to buy insurance tho, but many are resistant to it.

 

1 hour ago, jezabel80 said:

Insurance is not just for cancellation or Covid.  It can cover you for illness, injury or medical evacuation,  which can be very expensive on a ship. 

It depends on how much you are willing to risk. Except for a last minute 4-day cruise, I’ve always bought insurance. You just never know what could happen. 
 

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

You might want to browse on the travel insurance section of CC:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

 

And you/others may want to speak directly with specialists.

We strongly recommend

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

Also, www.InsureMyTrip.com is a good resource. 
 

If you have medical conditions, make sure the policy covers pre-existing conditions. 

[brookie848]

1 hour ago, jezabel80 said:

Insurance is not just for cancellation or Covid.  It can cover you for illness, injury or medical evacuation,  which can be very expensive on a ship. 

 We booked our first cruise less than a month out and paid in full. We also got NCL's basic insurance. We ended up cancelling the day we were supposed to fly to Tampa (the day before the cruise) because we found out my MIL was in the hospital and not doing well. Insurance isn't just in case something happens to you.

 

Since then, we've made sure every trip was insured through an independent broker. We ended up using it in 2020 not because of Covid, but because my husband got a kidney transplant. THAT was a lot of paperwork, but we ended up getting every cent back.

[seaman11]

i live dangerously without insurance 😛

[FLcruisergrl]

2 hours ago, jerseyralph said:

I am a stem cell transplant patient who found out on 11/6/21 that my 2 doses of the Monderna covid vaccine produced no antibodies in me. I immediately was given a third full dose. I wear masks everyhere I go. Many of us with health issues are having issues with the vaccine and the press is not paying much attention to it.

 

We booked two cruises back when we thought the vaccine was going to bring this pandemic to a close. We were booked on the Gem to depart NYC on 12/19 and head south. We are gold on NCL. We also booked A February cruise on Carnival ( we are Platinum and had lots of credits because of the pandemic ) out of Baltimore to once again head south. This morning we got up and the NYC news reported that at least 10 people tested positive for Covid on the cruise that returned to NOLA yesterday. 

 

I called NCL. They told me that there was an outbreak and that it started with a crew member from South Africa. Yes folks, NCL told me that and a supervisor confirmed it. I was stunned. How could a crew member board the ship covid positive? My husband asked me to cancel. He is even willing to take the financial hit. He is afraid for me to board a ship. WE believed NCL's protocols would protect us. 

 

NCL Miami is refunding things like our wifi upgade. We have to go to insurance to make a claim for about $2500. If insurance declines the claim ( my doctors will help me with this.), NCL will give us 70% back in cruise certificates. Trying to transfer the cruise to sometime next fall or winter would have cost me 3500! 

 

Carnival was different. They transferred our paid in full cruise to one that sails out of NYC in Sept.They waived the fees. Much easier to deal with. We can change it again if we need to. 

 

I share this to remind everyone that some people who believe they are fully vaccinated find out they are not and everyone PLEASE buy that insurance. Without it, my husband and I would be out $2500. 

 

Be safe and well! 

Cancellation is definitely the best choice for someone in your situation-stay as safe and healthy as possible. A crew member likely didn’t board positive. A crew member likely contracted COVID prior to boarding but did not have a high enough viral load to register a positive result until after coming on board. 

[CPT Trips]

1 hour ago, Babr said:

The medical evacuation provided by travel insurance covers hospital-to-hospital transfer in case you need a higher level of care or extended care at a hospital nearer home.

 

Still expensive, but it is not for evacuation from a ship at sea. That is conducted by military/coast guard/ rescue if you are within range and conditions allow. There is not cost to the person being evacuated.

That’s the US Coast Guard, don’t count on free if you are out of the US.

[milolii]

2 hours ago, jerseyralph said:

 

I called NCL. They told me that there was an outbreak and that it started with a crew member from South Africa. Yes folks, NCL told me that and a supervisor confirmed it. I was stunned. How could a crew member board the ship covid positive? 

Wow, that is stunning, and might explain the CDC involvement.   This reminds me of the crew members reassigned from the Diamond Princess after her disastrous circumstances in Japan in February, 2020;  to the Grand Princess.  Then the Grand had her own situation in March, 2020, traced back to those crew.  Of course things were a bit different then. 
 

The first CoVID case in our county was a passenger from the Grand Princess. 
 

 

[milolii]

51 minutes ago, dobiemom said:

 

If you have medical conditions, make sure the policy covers pre-existing conditions. 

This is good advice.   Securing A Pre-existing condition waiver has a time widow attached to it. Those dates are usually soon after you put down a deposit of any kind connected to your trip. Consult a professional.  The companies mentioned above get great reviews here on cruise critic. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, jerseyralph said:

They told me that there was an outbreak and that it started with a crew member from South Africa. Yes folks, NCL told me that and a supervisor confirmed it. I was stunned.

How does a phone rep (or NCL doctor) know where an "outbreak" started?

[At Sea At Peace]

4 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

How does a phone rep (or NCL doctor) know where an "outbreak" started?

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/least-17-covid-cases-found-aboard-cruise-ship-new-orleans-2021-12-06/

 

Reuters (3 Hours Ago) ~

Suspected Omicron case aboard Norwegian cruise ship is South African crew member

[Sunshine3601]

3 hours ago, DrSea said:

Interesting that they told you that someone from south africa boarded the ship and made its way.

 

I still have a hard time convincing myself to buy cruise insurance as I am in my early 30s. I will maybe suggest that those in my party over the age of 50 to buy insurance tho, but many are resistant to it.

 

Stay safe and healthy.

travel insurance is best to have no matter how old you are.    We have been cruising since our 30's and have seen many people of all ages get injured while cruising.  Accidents happen we are all human.   The cost for an xray or a cast on board isn't cheap, much cheaper to buy the insurance. 

 

Have you ever checked out prices if for a med evac from a cruise ship?     Doesn't matter how old you are, every age group has accidents or health issues.

 

Add covid to the picture and the expenses you could rack up could be very expensive if a ship drops you off in Mexico, a Caribbean island or somewhere in Europe.    Some of their medical facilities won't even touch you unless you show proof of funds or proof of insurance that they can accept.

 

Have you ever checked out prices if for a med evac from a cruise ship?