Covid Positive Complete Nightmare - Getaway

[cusematt4]

Hi,

 

Going to write a detailed review of our experience today but I am completely at a loss for the chaos and disorganization by NCL after booking with them based on their guarantees and assurances.

 

Our family tested negative on Sunday and again yesterday.  Today at the pier one family member tested positive and we were all ushered to the retesting corner where NCL should be embarrassed at the failure of policy and procedure.

 

-The entire family of each Covid positive person was forced to wait in a small roped off open retesting area, exposing negative family members of each group’s positive Covid family member.

-A contracted security company of 4 guards roamed to answer questions but had no answers and said to call NCL.  One family member had a panic attack and they called a cop because they thought he was being rude while just freaking out of being exposed to Covid and being forced to wait on this tiny area among 15 Covid positive people

-Bags are required to be checked before entering the Covid testing terminal so it took 3-4 hours for each of the approximately 15 Covid positive families to retrieve their bags.

-No food or drink was offered in these 5 plus hours

-When each covid positive person was retested and confirmed positive, there was no separate area for them to isolate in, and we were required to wait in a very small roped off area with 14 chairs.  So the 15 positive Covid people were forced to expose family and all negative guests going to board who walked by within inches on the other side of the rope to Covid.  I’m sure by forcing us to wait in this open roped off area that family and negative guests will have Covid in the next few days due to not isolating and separating positive people

-There was one NCL staff member helping all 15 families and he had no answers.  No assurance that we would get reimbursed the 100 a day they claim.  Also their contracted hotels were sold out.  They said they may be able to find us a hotel an hour away.  We asked about booking a hotel on our own but couldn’t be guaranteed we would be reimbursed as assured prior to the cruise with NCL sail safe guarantees.

-we were told to call ncl corporate.  We were connected to guest relations who told us they didn’t have answers but the care team on site would help us.  We told them there was no care team on site and were assured someone would call us and continue checking in on us.  This hasn’t happened.  We booked a hotel and finally had dinner on our own and are hoping NCL will eventually honor their promises.

 

It’s noones fault one of us tested positive for Covid.  If this was RCL we would be on the ship since we tested negative within 48 hours. But we booked NCL for the extra safety precautions and assurances of booking.

 

What I am outraged about is the chaos that unfolded upon testing positive.  One rep with zero answers.  No care team.  No help from guest services by phone and no promised followup call.  Exposure of other negative guests and family to Covid positive people and not isolating the positive people from their family and negative guests.  The lack of help and answers of where to go from the pier and where to stay and how to get home.

 

If NCL is going to operate in a Covid world then they need to align policies and have the support that they promise or they are going to expose a number of people to Covid and lose guests due to unfulfilled promises.

 

Completely disgusted for a company we trusted.

[HappySails19]

19 minutes ago, cusematt4 said:

Hi,

 

Going to write a detailed review of our experience today but I am completely at a loss for the chaos and disorganization by NCL after booking with them based on their guarantees and assurances.

 

Our family tested negative on Sunday and again yesterday.  Today at the pier one family member tested positive and we were all ushered to the retesting corner where NCL should be embarrassed at the failure of policy and procedure.

 

-The entire family of each Covid positive person was forced to wait in a small roped off open retesting area, exposing negative family members of each group’s positive Covid family member.

-A contracted security company of 4 guards roamed to answer questions but had no answers and said to call NCL.  One family member had a panic attack and they called a cop because they thought he was being rude while just freaking out of being exposed to Covid and being forced to wait on this tiny area among 15 Covid positive people

-Bags are required to be checked before entering the Covid testing terminal so it took 3-4 hours for each of the approximately 15 Covid positive families to retrieve their bags.

-No food or drink was offered in these 5 plus hours

-When each covid positive person was retested and confirmed positive, there was no separate area for them to isolate in, and we were required to wait in a very small roped off area with 14 chairs.  So the 15 positive Covid people were forced to expose family and all negative guests going to board who walked by within inches on the other side of the rope to Covid.  I’m sure by forcing us to wait in this open roped off area that family and negative guests will have Covid in the next few days due to not isolating and separating positive people

-There was one NCL staff member helping all 15 families and he had no answers.  No assurance that we would get reimbursed the 100 a day they claim.  Also their contracted hotels were sold out.  They said they may be able to find us a hotel an hour away.  We asked about booking a hotel on our own but couldn’t be guaranteed we would be reimbursed as assured prior to the cruise with NCL sail safe guarantees.

-we were told to call ncl corporate.  We were connected to guest relations who told us they didn’t have answers but the care team on site would help us.  We told them there was no care team on site and were assured someone would call us and continue checking in on us.  This hasn’t happened.  We booked a hotel and finally had dinner on our own and are hoping NCL will eventually honor their promises.

 

It’s noones fault one of us tested positive for Covid.  If this was RCL we would be on the ship since we tested negative within 48 hours. But we booked NCL for the extra safety precautions and assurances of booking.

 

What I am outraged about is the chaos that unfolded upon testing positive.  One rep with zero answers.  No care team.  No help from guest services by phone and no promised followup call.  Exposure of other negative guests and family to Covid positive people and not isolating the positive people from their family and negative guests.  The lack of help and answers of where to go from the pier and where to stay and how to get home.

 

If NCL is going to operate in a Covid world then they need to align policies and have the support that they promise or they are going to expose a number of people to Covid and lose guests due to unfulfilled promises.

 

Completely disgusted for a company we trusted.

I’m so sorry you went through that. What port were you at?

 

I hope you are all healthy now!

habe a safe and healthy 2022!

[cusematt4]

Thanks so much.  Port of Miami

[milolii]

Oh my goodness.  So sorry this happened to you and your family. Good luck.  I hope your family member is doing Ok.

[ChiefMateJRK]

Why didn't you just walk out?

[cusematt4]

Didn’t walk out because 1) we needed our bags that we were required to check prior to entering the Covid testing section of the terminal which took 4 hours to retrieve, 2) we were told if we left no one would help us secure a hotel and we had to wait for the one NCL staff member to help each family which never ended up happening since all contracted hotels were sold out, and 3) we needed to wait for the care team to take our info for followup calls and support (of which no one came or has since followed up)

[ChiefMateJRK]

Did you walk out after they returned your bags?

[Sand and Seas]

I hope someone at NCL will come through for you.    Hopefully your family member has a very mild case and you can all get through this as safe as possible.   Please keep us posted. 

 

[cusematt4]

Thank you.  And yes we walked out as soon as we received our bags 4 hours after the second positive Covid test and after 5 hours total without any clarity of hotel, lodging or transportation assistance or answers from NCL.  Couldn’t fathom keeping our non Covid family members surrounded by the Covid positive people for a minute longer than required.

[tinkr2]

Did you not arrive with your positive family member? You'd already been exposed at that point. I am disappointed to hear they had no hotel

plan for you . But that doesn't surprise me in Florida. 

[CroozFanatic]

Thank you for posting this. First account I've heard of testing positive at the pier. Good information for those planning to cruise.

[Old & Retired]

Your first mistake was trusting NCL to do the right thing.  They are bleeding money right now and revenue comes first.  Customers come in a distant ninth or tenth on their priorities scale.

[Babr]

8 hours ago, cusematt4 said:

Thank you.  And yes we walked out as soon as we received our bags 4 hours after the second positive Covid test and after 5 hours total without any clarity of hotel, lodging or transportation assistance or answers from NCL.  Couldn’t fathom keeping our non Covid family members surrounded by the Covid positive people for a minute longer than required.

Where did you go and how did you get there? 

[JamieLogical]

12 hours ago, cusematt4 said:

If this was RCL we would be on the ship since we tested negative within 48 hours. But we booked NCL for the extra safety precautions and assurances of booking.

 

Thank goodness it wasn't RCL. Otherwise 15 COVID-positive people would have gotten on board! This is probably how they ended up with 48 positive cases on board last weekend!

 

I do feel horribly for how you were treated. NCL should be MUCH better equipped to deal with this situation and should have taken much better care of you.

 

I do still feel that this illustrates why it is so important to be testing at the pier rather than just relying on tests conducted 48 hours prior, though.

[MsTabbyKats]

2 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Thank goodness it wasn't RCL. Otherwise 15 COVID-positive people would have gotten on board! This is probably how they ended up with 48 positive cases on board last weekend!

 

I do feel horribly for how you were treated. NCL should be MUCH better equipped to deal with this situation and should have taken much better care of you.

 

I do still feel that this illustrates why it is so important to be testing at the pier rather than just relying on tests conducted 48 hours prior, though.

Agree completely....and this is why I hope NCL continues to test at the pier instead of "get your own test" before the cruise.

Only reading this board, I was unaware that other lines didn't test at the pier.

[Beach Life 1]

So until January 31,  you will be tested at the pier.  But they suggest you get your own test prior to arrival at the pier.   I think they will probably extend this. If you are getting tested at the pier,  but don't get prior testing on your own, and test positive at the pier,   are you covered by NCL  peace of mind?  Also,  if you don't test prior to your arrival, and are tested at the pier and are negative,  but then test positive during the cruise, are you covered by NCL peace of mind?   Has anyone had any experience with this.   Thanks for any info

[dexddd]

10 hours ago, tinkr2 said:

Did you not arrive with your positive family member? You'd already been exposed at that point. I am disappointed to hear they had no hotel

plan for you . But that doesn't surprise me in Florida. 

Yeah, I don't get the family part.  Have they not already been in contact?

[Firstin87]

How awful for everyone involved!  I hope those who tested positive recover quickly and have no complications.

 

One would expect that at such a busy port as Miami that NCL would have better processes and procedures in place.  No truly separated area for COVID passengers?  That large a port should have a room/s for keep those passengers completely separate from others.  If they can't do it right in Miami, where can/do they do it right?  Wonder what hotel chain they contracted with that was full.  I would have thought that NCL's contract with that chain would require always having a set number of room available for passengers who test positive at the pier and have to be quarantined.

 

No excuse for not offering food and drink during the 5 hour wait for answers and luggage return.

 

Hope you are all able to have a happy holiday in spite of all this.

[davencl]

Thanks for the detailed update.  I set sail on Jan. 14 and had assumed if tested positive at pier it would be a nightmare. So I'm prepared mentally.  It's tough for NCL to have procedures in place when local authorities have no procedures themselves.  The CDC has nothing to do with on the ground help, only the local state is responsible for that. Still looking forward to my cruise, will test before flying to Miami and hoping for the best.

[thepla]

I ran into similar in new Orleans last month. Negative 48 hours beforehand, positive at Pier. 

 

Mine turned out to be false positive and secondary check was so screwed up after four attempts of equipment testing failure I was called positive.

 

We did get hotel, letter about support company, that was never informed by ncl we were at hotel.

 

I took test in new Orleans and it was negative. We drove home, room they gave me and my minor son was impossible to stay distanced, they could get found suite or adjoining rooms 

 

Now they are not refunding money. It is part of their t&c if negative in advance and positive at Pier refund. 

 

Personally I just don't see why to trust ncl  

[pcakes122]

13 minutes ago, davencl said:

Thanks for the detailed update.  I set sail on Jan. 14 and had assumed if tested positive at pier it would be a nightmare. So I'm prepared mentally.  It's tough for NCL to have procedures in place when local authorities have no procedures themselves.  The CDC has nothing to do with on the ground help, only the local state is responsible for that. Still looking forward to my cruise, will test before flying to Miami and hoping for the best.

Even so, I would still test with a home quick test at your hotel before leaving for the pier.  You don't want to find out that you are positive after you have checked your luggage, etc.

[Babr]

2 minutes ago, pcakes122 said:

Even so, I would still test with a home quick test at your hotel before leaving for the pier.  You don't want to find out that you are positive after you have checked your luggage, etc.

Doesn’t that just create a new set of problems? If you are positive at the hotel, then what? 

[david_sobe]

41 minutes ago, Babr said:

The bigger problem is what happened after the testing was complete. It appears that NCL did not assist in finding appropriate housing and transportation since people who test positive are prohibited from using public facilities. Big fail in terms of customer service and public health.

 

We have not heard from the OP so no information on how NCL will assist with quarantine and onward travel.

Fair point.  But lets say someone was sick and got the flu prior to boarding in the days pre-Covid.  The cruise line would never secure hotels for people that could not board.  Is this not something that is covered in an insurance policy?  I dont want to sound harsh because its a 10 on the disappointment scale. A family going on a Christmas cruise and a COVID nightmare sends them home.  These ports were built prior to Covid so there are no "COVID safe rooms."  The port and cruise lines are dealing with what everyone else is dealing with when customers or employees test positive.  Is it a hassel and drama free process?  Oh hell no.  You could spend all day finger pointing and things that could be done better, etc.  However the bottom line is if this family made it on board, it could have been a really bad situation for all those who tested negative to board.  It could have spread to hundreds of passengers.  Tough decisions must be made to keep ships sailing safely.  Even if it was loud and a bit messy, its still a success story of the system working in the crazy world of Covid living.

Edited December 23, 2021 by david_sobe

[davencl]

15 minutes ago, pcakes122 said:

Even so, I would still test with a home quick test at your hotel before leaving for the pier.  You don't want to find out that you are positive after you have checked your luggage, etc.

That's a great idea...  I suppose you'd still want to show up at the pier.  Just not check you luggage.   The reason is you wouldn't get reimbursement or help from NCL otherwise.

Edited December 23, 2021 by davencl

[Babr]

4 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Fair point.  But lets say someone was sick and got the flu prior to boarding in the days pre-Covid.  The cruise line would never secure hotels for people that could not board.  Is this not something that is covered in an insurance policy?  I dont want to sound harsh because its a 10 on the disappointment scale. A family going on a Christmas cruise and a COVID nightmare sends them home.  These ports were built prior to Covid so there are no "COVID safe rooms."  The port and cruise lines are dealing with what everyone else is dealing with when customers or employees test positive.  Is it a hassel and drama free process?  Oh hell no.  You could spend all day finger pointing and things that could be done better, etc.  However the bottom line is if this family made it on board, it could have been a really bad situation for all those who tested negative to board.  It could have spread to hundreds of passengers.  Tough decisions must be made to keep ships sailing safely.  Even if it was loud and a bit messy, its still a success story of the system working in the crazy world of Covid living.

I’m not saying the family should have made it on board. Not at all.

 

The issue is what happens to people after a positive test because they are required to quarantine if they do not have their own car at the port to drive themselves home. That may not even be allowed if it requires a multi-day cross country drive. These are provisions set up by the CDC as part of the Conditional Sail Order so that ships could resume sailing. Not having assistance available at the port is a major breakdown of the system intended to prevent the spread of a highly contagious illness.

 

Adherence to testing requirements is part of NCL’ s own written policy for cancellation and  refund. In addition, insurance requires documentation which includes confirmation of the diagnosis and orders not to travel. Otherwise the claim will be denied so any expense for quarantine an travel home will not be reimbursed.

 

I’m sure the testing procedure was set up within the limitations of the facility, but a person in a position of authority-whether port personnel, health department representative, or NCL agent- should have been on hand to direct people to appropriate transportation and housing.