Merged:Outbreak on QM2 as it pulls into New York?

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

Nobody apart from you is talking good or bad 'guys'.

 

There are those who look at the positive things in life's situations, and there are those who don't. That's all.

Just like some on a cruise ship test positive and some test negative

[LewiLewi]

I feel badly for anyone who tests positive and is quarantined on board. However, I would also be concerned for “future positive passengers” who may start to show symptoms or test positive because of contact with the 16 already positive passengers. The ship could then become a prison and all passengers are under the control of the captain of the ship who then decides whether passengers are quarantined on board or put off on an island with questionable medical back up. If that were the case, I don’t see a happy scenario for the future of this cruise. Hopefully, this will not happen, however, I would not want to be a passenger on this or any other ship at this time.

We are concerned for our friends who are on board now. They are making the best of it and I hope they will continue to have a Covid free experience.

[exlondoner]

I don't think it is necessarily the captain who decides whether passengers are disembarked, some governments, for instance Spain, have a stance.

[gkerlin]

My friends have stated that they “knew and accepted the risks“ before they boarded. Not only are they “making the best of the situation“, but they are having a genuinely great time!

Here is the relevant excerpt from today’s message from them:

 

We are in Barbados and are being let off, so that is a result. They are restricting us to just arranged trips.  I think the service has been good and the food has been great in the Britannia. We decided it was safer to eat in there rather than the Kings Court.  It’s a feeding frenzy in there.😂 Miss you! That is my update for today. 
 

 

 

 

 

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Just like some on a cruise ship test positive and some test negative

Bang on the button there.

The two usual outcomes are either positive or negative, whether at sea or not.

[Host Hattie]

35 minutes ago, gkerlin said:

My friends have stated that they “knew and accepted the risks“ before they boarded. Not only are they “making the best of the situation“, but they are having a genuinely great time!

Here is the relevant excerpt from today’s message from them:

 

We are in Barbados and are being let off, so that is a result. They are restricting us to just arranged trips.  I think the service has been good and the food has been great in the Britannia. We decided it was safer to eat in there rather than the Kings Court.  It’s a feeding frenzy in there.😂 Miss you! That is my update for today. 
 

 

 

 

 

That's good to hear, thanks again for the update.

[ace2542]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

QV isn't sailing with passengers, she is in the Caribbean as a Support ship for other Carnival vessels.

That is an interesting move but she is not that big she can only be of support in collecting/isolating infected passengers or close contacts. She isn't large enough to allow for rotation of crews between sailings.

[Dermotsgirl]

I've had a text from my friends on this cruise.

 

They are aware of a  'few passengers and a few staff' isolating, but they are generally enjoying the cruise.

 

They don't seem to have any awareness of passengers being offloaded in New York, or or anybody being moved from the ship to QV.

 

I'm glad they are enjoying themselves, but can't help suspecting that Cunard are being economical with the information that is given to passengers. I'm not going to tell them anything until they get home 

[ace2542]

16 minutes ago, kohl1957 said:

Sure she is.  Crews don't rotate en masse.... it's usually 300 or so "sign ons/sign offs" per fortnight depending on when contracts run etc. QV is plenty big enough to do that for P&O/Cunard based on Barbados.  And plenty big enough to provide, if necessary, quarantine accommodation if the numbers that have been floated about are any indication. Especially when the duration of this has been drastically reduced.  

Ok crews maybe don't rotate on mass in normal circumstances. But how is the QM2 to eliminate Covid onboard? Offloading passengers is one thing but it will just fester among the crew onboard until all the crew have caught it. A process which will probably take and disrupt several sailings?

[comcox]

Cruisemapper shows Queen Mary in port at Bridgetown and Victoria anchored off shore.

[navybankerteacher]

7 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Ok crews maybe don't rotate on mass in normal circumstances. But how is the QM2 to eliminate Covid onboard? Offloading passengers is one thing but it will just fester among the crew onboard until all the crew have caught it. A process which will probably take and disrupt several sailings?

It seems that Cunard may have made a bad bet on this sailing.  It may contribute to prolinging the Omicron surge - and certainly may make many potential future cruisers a tad more reluctant.

 

Pandemics suck -- but pretending they are not happening may not be the wisest approach.

[Bell Boy]

18 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Out of interest, where are you seeing all the reports from those on board? There appears to be virtually nothing on these boards since New York. I would have thought that there would be a lot more posts if there was a sizeable outbreak on board or something significant to report.

Many of us are reading 'First Hand' updates of life onboard the QM2 at the present moment  from our FB accounts,   my self, I'm receiving DM's from friends and family (including crew member friends) who are onboard at the moment     One can't get better than that .   

Edited December 28, 2021 by Bell Boy

[Selbourne]

11 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

Many of us are reading 'First Hand' updates of life onboard the QM2 at the present moment  from our FB accounts,   my self, I'm receiving DM's from friends and family (including crew member friends) who are onboard at the moment     One can't get better than that .   

I don’t use FB, so could you share a summary of what is going on? All seems to be a bit of a mystery!

[exlondoner]

18 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

It seems that Cunard may have made a bad bet on this sailing.  It may contribute to prolinging the Omicron surge - and certainly may make many potential future cruisers a tad more reluctant.

 

Pandemics suck -- but pretending they are not happening may not be the wisest approach.

 

Presumably Cunard aren't the only company operating cruises at present. You make it sound as if they are the only ones in this position.

[Bedruthen]

A journalist currently onboard has just posted this on Twitter

[comcox]

In response to kohl1957's first paragraph.  I agree if QM2 has about a 1-5% infection rate at the moment that is certainly better than Maryland which is reporting a 15%+ rate.  Although that may be a bit of comparing apples to oranges, as QM2 is testing entire "population" on board while state is only testing those individuals who ask for a test or are ordered to have one by doctor.

As someone who is suppose to board this ship next Monday, I would like to know for sure masks are required everywhere (except when eating or drinking) on the ship, in the terminals, and on shore tours as well as social distancing, and that those protocols are being strictly enforced.

[comcox]

50 minutes ago, comcox said:

Cruisemapper shows Queen Mary in port at Bridgetown and Victoria anchored off shore.

I wonder if Queen Victoria is going to accompany Queen Mary all the way back to New York and then on to Southampton?

[mcloaked]

The big difference between Norovirus and Covid is that although Norovirus is certainly very unpleasant for a couple of days, it is rare that people die from it or have long term suffering. There is no comparison possible with Covid other than both are caused by a virus. People getting Covid may, if lucky, only have relatively mild symptoms but even then can be unpleasant, but some fraction, even if a small fraction, are sufficiently severely ill, that they need medical treatment to keep them alive, and some of those people will not survive. Even at the level of 'only' a few percent of those infected, it means some people will suffer terribly and may die. That is why it is so very different from Norovirus. Of course you can help yourself as well as everyone around you by getting the recommended level of vaccination, and do what you can to reduce the level of spread to others, and to reduce your own chances of being infected. Of course the cruise lines are doing their level best to prevent transmission too, but unless everyone plays their part correctly there will still be cases on board, and some of those will be very serious. Omicron will run its course - and hopefully there will be a period when cases are lower and any future variants may be less problematic than Omicron - but whether you wish to ignore the reality of Covid or not, it is there ready to strike in any community where the population is exposed. Hopefully Cunard will be on top of this and reduce case rates - because whether people continue to book in the future will depend on passengers feeling safe if they go ahead with embarking for a voyage. Currently I expect that for a lot of people confidence will be waning. Confidence needs to grow again - and that depends on how well the current outbreaks are managed.

Edited December 28, 2021 by mcloaked

[Host Hattie]

She was happy a few days ago but seriously what did she expect .... ?

 

 

 

[exlondoner]

I must say I thought journalists were made of sterner stuff. I can understand she may have had a horrid experience,  but one of the most terrifying and humiliating? Really? 

[mcloaked]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

I must say I thought journalists were made of sterner stuff. I can understand she may have had a horrid experience,  but one of the most terrifying and humiliating? Really? 

 

Are journalists not there to sensationalise every piece they write? That is their modus operandum!

[PORT ROYAL]

3 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

She was happy a few days ago but seriously what did she expect .... ?

 

 

 

Think Claire was expecting to be treated better, by being escorted with compassion, rather than being allegedly “Frogmarched by a hit squad”.  Just one’s opinion.

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Think Claire was expecting to be treated better, by being escorted with compassion, rather than being allegedly “Frogmarched by a hit squad”.  Just one’s opinion.

 

You don't really think she was taken at gunpoint, do you? That is kind of what hit squad implies.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, mcloaked said:

 

Are journalists not there to sensationalise every piece they write? That is their modus operandum!

 

You don't really think she could be exaggerating, do you? I'm shocked, shocked. 

[LewiLewi]

37 minutes ago, Bedruthen said:

A journalist currently onboard has just posted this on Twitter

How frightening. I really worry about the other passengers, including our friends on board. I hope that they do not see this post.