In quarantine on Equinox. Ask me anything. I’m bored.

[luv4cruises]

I originally found MoJo’s post about her post disembarkation experience and referred to it Bjerknes and even started my own thread. I did not mention her name as Celebrity Captain’s club FB page uses real names.  When I searched for her post again it was gone. Oddly my comment to  her post referring to the hotel was there. Her original pre-disembarkation post is there about her experience on the ship, 

[NutsAboutGolf]

8 hours ago, Kirsten T said:

I can tell you what’s currently happening on Reflection. On departure we had St Croix dropped and Nassau substituted. Today we had Grenada and St kitts dropped and Barbados and St Maarten substituted. They’re trying hard to not do a cruise to nowhere and are letting people call tour operators on the dropped islands to cancel, ostensibly for free. If you care deeply about the ports, you might be disappointed. We came knowing everything could change and we’re having a great time.

 

Overall a dropped port or two isn't all that big of a deal, however, an entire itinerary change, say you booked the ABC islands and they're replaced with Cozumel, Nassau and Jamaica, that would disappoint many.

[micruiser2002]

If that is the 4 Points off of highway 1, I stayed there post cruise a couple of years ago and it was fine.  What exactly did they say was the issue? 

 

[Desert Diamond]

20 hours ago, canderson said:

To be fair, there are several points along the line where the process might have broken down.  It may or may not have been related to planning.  It could have been any of

 

a) Celebrity didn't formulate a plan specifically to deal with quarantined passengers.  Well, we know that's at least partially false, as based upon the first hand accounts here, they did manage to execute on a number of facets of a plan that must have been in place.  So perhaps

b) in Celebrity's plan to deal with quarantined passengers, there was no provision for clear and regular communication with the these passengers.  We can't know if that was the case or whether

c) the plan existed and covered this contingency but was not properly communicated to the fleet, or

d) the plan was communicated to the Equinox staff, but staff did not follow through with tasking staff and crew to implement the plan, or allocated too few to properly execute it, or

e) individuals tasked with implementation were insufficiently trained to perform these communication tasks, or

f) the individuals tasked with this job simply didn't perform.

 

Doesn't really matter now, but I would imagine that LLP's office now has someone working through the chain to see where it broke down, which is good.

Another point to consider is that many crew members may have also tested positive on Equinox and are quarantined. It is perhaps a skeleton crew that is attempting to accomplish the additional work of caring for quarantined/positive passengers.  I don't know exactly how often crew on X is tested but on a Princess cruise we did in early December, we were told that all crew was being tested weekly and crew who interacted with passengers were being elevated to every three days for testing. I've read reports that Harmony and Allure of the Seas have recently had many positive cases amongst the crew.

[getawayfromitall]

Sorry to hear about your experience.  What is the criteria for release from quarantine?  Does the cruise line specify how many days?  Do you need to test negative prior to release?  Will the line provide lodging for you if you are still positive upon disembarkation and cannot travel on an airplane?   Thank you. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

7 hours ago, Spence32 said:

Sorry to hear your positive but glad to hear your symptoms are mild. Just curious as to what happens now? Do you get refunded at all? Or a future cruise credit? I am scheduled to leave on the 14th to Southern Caribbean. It’s a huge expense to be quarantined. This is the first cruise and most expensive vacation my husband and I have ever been on. So excited but getting a bit nervous about being out the money with no vacation. 

Seems you are a bit confused.  If you do not cruise you get a FCC or refund depending on the circumstances.   If you take the cruisecthere is no refund, however, Celebrity will pay for required quarantine after a cruise up to $350 per night and $100 for meals according to this thread.  Also private transport home as needed.

You need to decide your comfort level in dealing with the continuing changes and decide to cruise now or later.  We are hoping for August.  Omicron has sadly reared its ugly head on almost every recent cruise.  Crew shortages seem to be a big problem on board.

[IrieBajan54]

On 1/1/2022 at 7:24 PM, Parkerson said:

Just standing on our balconies, like any other cruise, lol. 
 

We’re not supposed to leave our rooms, of course. 
 

The halls have a stick-down plastic on them so you can hear employees walking back and forth. 
 

When they bring food, drink or luggage, they knock and run!

LOL with "knock and run!"

[NutsAboutGolf]

20 minutes ago, Desert Diamond said:

Another point to consider is that many crew members may have also tested positive on Equinox and are quarantined. It is perhaps a skeleton crew that is attempting to accomplish the additional work of caring for quarantined/positive passengers.

 

While X isn't RCL, what RCL is already doing is dropping off the infected crew at ports who are later picked up/transferred to a passenger-less ship that's exclusively a quarantine.  They're being called "plague ships" by the crew.  Not sure if X is following suit.

[micruiser2002]

14 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Seems you are a bit confused.  If you do not cruise you get a FCC or refund depending on the circumstances.   If you take the cruisecthere is no refund, however, Celebrity will pay for required quarantine after a cruise up to $350 per night and $100 for meals according to this thread.  Also private transport home as needed.

You need to decide your comfort level in dealing with the continuing changes and decide to cruise now or later.  We are hoping for August.  Omicron has sadly reared its ugly head on almost every recent cruise.  Crew shortages seem to be a big problem on board.

I believe somewhere in this post there is something about getting FCC for each day in quarantine on the ship also.

 

[nocl]

1 hour ago, Desert Diamond said:

Another point to consider is that many crew members may have also tested positive on Equinox and are quarantined. It is perhaps a skeleton crew that is attempting to accomplish the additional work of caring for quarantined/positive passengers.  I don't know exactly how often crew on X is tested but on a Princess cruise we did in early December, we were told that all crew was being tested weekly and crew who interacted with passengers were being elevated to every three days for testing. I've read reports that Harmony and Allure of the Seas have recently had many positive cases amongst the crew.

Crew have to be tested at least every 7 days on ships sailing out of the US

[gold1953]

20 hours ago, Spence32 said:

Sorry to hear your positive but glad to hear your symptoms are mild. Just curious as to what happens now? Do you get refunded at all? Or a future cruise credit? I am scheduled to leave on the 14th to Southern Caribbean. It’s a huge expense to be quarantined. This is the first cruise and most expensive vacation my husband and I have ever been on. So excited but getting a bit nervous about being out the money with no vacation. 

It is a tough decision for many. It does not take much to set off an omicron run. Personally not a risk I would take. You need to make a pros and cons list.. then decide for yourself

[wendycook22]

12 hours ago, Desert Diamond said:

Another point to consider is that many crew members may have also tested positive on Equinox and are quarantined. It is perhaps a skeleton crew that is attempting to accomplish the additional work of caring for quarantined/positive passengers.  I don't know exactly how often crew on X is tested but on a Princess cruise we did in early December, we were told that all crew was being tested weekly and crew who interacted with passengers were being elevated to every three days for testing. I've read reports that Harmony and Allure of the Seas have recently had many positive cases amongst the crew.

I can't substantiate the validity of the comment but on my sailing I heard staff was being tested every 4 days.  

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by wendycook22

[TeeRick]

14 hours ago, cangelmd said:

I think all the lines may have been a bit blindsided by Omicron. They had been cruising for months with a low and manageable level of illness. Then there is this overnight, literally, change. -a much more contagious virus that infects vaccinated people, a crew with waning immunity and increased numbers of passengers because of the holidays. The system that worked well with a handful of people, broke down when dozens had to be accommodated. 
 

Question is for Celebrity is will masking and back to reduced numbers be enough to slow spread and control the virus. Pre-cruise testing helps, but passengers are still going to board with asymptomatic infections and omicron progresses fast enough that will become symptomatic within a 7 day cruise.

@cangelmdI agree with your comments.  Omicron created a perfect storm on land and at sea hitting in the holiday time frame and in a time of waning immunity and with people tired of COVID and letting their guard down.  I think we all have to just wait it out and those cruising Celebrity ships at least in January should be prepared for a number of disruptions.  Even if they are vaccinated and boosted. 

 

Vaccines are working and the most relevant indicators are hospitalizations and deaths for tracking purposes.  Positive cases are much less relevant now when just about everybody is being infected with Omicron.  But cruise ships are locked into the positive case number metric and the need to isolate and quarantine passengers and crew.   Hopefully this wave will pass rather quickly.  I agree with masking and particularly with the proper masks and fits, but I really do not think masks on Celebrity ships will make a major impact at this point.  But time- waiting it out - will have the impact.  The surge will be over soon and the amount of natural immunity generated (particularly upper respiratory immunity) will make a big impact on the pandemic.  

[Bo1953]

19 hours ago, Parkerson said:

That’s just wrong.  😕

I appreciate you as well, taking one for the team and letting your wife get on with cruise as best as possible without you...

 

I Am sure she thought about you each day and worried about you, until evening cocktails, possibly? LOL

 

Still happy that you are getting on well enough and not disembarked...

 

In health and bon voyage

[Sunny Pearl]

26 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

@cangelmdI agree with your comments.  Omicron created a perfect storm on land and at sea hitting in the holiday time frame and in a time of waning immunity and with people tired of COVID and letting their guard down.  I think we all have to just wait it out and those cruising Celebrity ships at least in January should be prepared for a number of disruptions.  Even if they are vaccinated and boosted. 

 

Vaccines are working and the most relevant indicators are hospitalizations and deaths for tracking purposes.  Positive cases are much less relevant now when just about everybody is being infected with Omicron.  But cruise ships are locked into the positive case number metric and the need to isolate and quarantine passengers and crew.   Hopefully this wave will pass rather quickly.  I agree with masking and particularly with the proper masks and fits, but I really do not think masks on Celebrity ships will make a major impact at this point.  But time- waiting it out - will have the impact.  The surge will be over soon and the amount of natural immunity generated (particularly upper respiratory immunity) will make a big impact on the pandemic.  

So well put. Thanks for sharing

[Froufie]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

@cangelmdI agree with your comments.  Omicron created a perfect storm on land and at sea hitting in the holiday time frame and in a time of waning immunity and with people tired of COVID and letting their guard down.  I think we all have to just wait it out and those cruising Celebrity ships at least in January should be prepared for a number of disruptions.  Even if they are vaccinated and boosted. 

 

Vaccines are working and the most relevant indicators are hospitalizations and deaths for tracking purposes.  Positive cases are much less relevant now when just about everybody is being infected with Omicron.  But cruise ships are locked into the positive case number metric and the need to isolate and quarantine passengers and crew.   Hopefully this wave will pass rather quickly.  I agree with masking and particularly with the proper masks and fits, but I really do not think masks on Celebrity ships will make a major impact at this point.  But time- waiting it out - will have the impact.  The surge will be over soon and the amount of natural immunity generated (particularly upper respiratory immunity) will make a big impact on the pandemic.  

I agree with your excellent comments - this is why we have decided to cancel our upcoming January cruise and rebooking for end of March - in hopes that this 'surge' will soon peak and that things will be calmer in a couple of months!

[downsmead]

On 1/5/2022 at 11:49 PM, luv4cruises said:

I originally found MoJo’s post about her post disembarkation experience and referred to it Bjerknes and even started my own thread. I did not mention her name as Celebrity Captain’s club FB page uses real names.  When I searched for her post again it was gone. Oddly my comment to  her post referring to the hotel was there. Her original pre-disembarkation post is there about her experience on the ship, 

It seems that quite a few posts are being deleted from the Celebrity Captains Club FB site, there was another set of posts from someone who was quarantined that were removed.

[jimmybean]

On 1/5/2022 at 6:44 PM, luv2cruise0611 said:

I don't believe I can actually share a FB link here ... but I just took a screenshot.  Maybe that will help you.  Just do a search for ... Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club. The picture might help.  You have to join the group to see the posts.

A post on this FB group said that at the show last night, they were told there are only 600 PAX on this sailing.  That must be a lot less people than you had on your New Year's sailing.  Hopefully, they'll be a lot less Covid cases and better handling of it ... plus masks are now mandatory indoors.

I'm not sure I understand...  Only 600 passengers on which ship?   The Equinox?    On the current cruise?   Thanks for clarifying.

[luv2cruise0611]

6 hours ago, jimmybean said:

I'm not sure I understand...  Only 600 passengers on which ship?   The Equinox?    On the current cruise?   Thanks for clarifying.

Yes … a passenger currently on the Equinox said they were told during the first evening show that there were 600 passengers on board.  

[gordylad]

This has been a super interesting post. Take care everyone who was affected and everyone who is due to cruise.

Edited January 7, 2022 by gordylad

[asnaleah]

I hope you are recovering well Parkerson. Thanks again for the invaluable information.

[Parkerson]

8 hours ago, luv2cruise0611 said:

Yes … a passenger currently on the Equinox said they were told during the first evening show that there were 600 passengers on board.  

Wow. That’s quite the drop from our cruise. We were at 1900. I understand that ours was a holiday cruise, but still. 

[pjdntn]

5 minutes ago, Parkerson said:

Wow. That’s quite the drop from our cruise. We were at 1900. I understand that ours was a holiday cruise, but still. 

Has anyone heard any numbers for the Jan 9 sailing?

[canderson]

7 minutes ago, Parkerson said:

Wow. That’s quite the drop from our cruise. We were at 1900. I understand that ours was a holiday cruise, but still. 

Looks like your thread may have made a difference...

 

 

[Spence32]

On 1/5/2022 at 8:26 PM, micruiser2002 said:

I believe somewhere in this post there is something about getting FCC for each day in quarantine on the ship also.

 

Yes. I did find that. After doing so more research, I found it in the Cruise Ticket Contract as well. Thank you!