Curious - transparency on current cruises regarding the # of covid cases

[coloradocruiselover88]

Just off the Emerald Princess and we were notified a day after they cancelled Jamaica that there was cases of covid on board, but all were quarantined.  They never told us how many cases and we felt like they were not transparent about why Jamaica was cancelled.

 

Has anyone been given a number of cases onboard a ship?  Have you felt like the cruise line was providing you with transparent information?

 

Just curious.

[Potstech]

Nothing you can do about the number of cases on a cruise. Ys I would want to be informed that there are cases but numbers would not make a difference.  Wonder why you think the Captain needs to tell the passengers this information.

[Loveh2ofl]

3 minutes ago, Potstech said:

Nothing you can do about the number of cases on a cruise. Ys I would want to be informed that there are cases but numbers would not make a difference.  Wonder why you think the Captain needs to tell the passengers this information.

I asked an assistant cruise director on the Enchanted Princess when I saw we'd turned 'yellow' on our cruise (and after I walked passed a marked off area on deck 9) - she was open that there were a few passengers on board in isolation in balcony cabins.  

[coloradocruiselover88]

9 minutes ago, Potstech said:

Nothing you can do about the number of cases on a cruise. Ys I would want to be informed that there are cases but numbers would not make a difference.  Wonder why you think the Captain needs to tell the passengers this information.

I don't care one way or the other about the number of cases, but a gal traveling with me wanted to know.  We knew the risks boarding, but she felt Princess was not transparent so I said I would ask.

The ship was in CDC yellow status when we boarded so we knew going in.

[let's go cruising]

12 minutes ago, Potstech said:

Nothing you can do about the number of cases on a cruise. Ys I would want to be informed that there are cases but numbers would not make a difference.  Wonder why you think the Captain needs to tell the passengers this information.

Wonder why you don't think the number of cases on board would make a difference. Wonder why you don't think the passengers should know this information.

[Rick&Jeannie]

15 minutes ago, Potstech said:

 but numbers would not make a difference.  

Numbers have been front and center since the very beginning of the pandemic...

[Coral]

I personally would want to know. I think it is important.

 

We were on a cruise several years ago with norovirus. We saw caution tape everywhere, people in hazmat suits, etc... Princess paid for us to get off the ship to do an excursion on turnaround day as we were not allowed on the ship. We knew the cases were high and I later saw a CDC report which had a percentage.

 

My employer sends us an email each week with the number of new cases of COVID - that gives us knowledge of how good or how bad things are. Knowledge is power. When we have knowledge - we can be more prepared. We can be more proactive.

 

I was recently on the Grand Princess and when I got on the ship, the color was Green and when I got off, the color was yellow. I had not heard of any cases. It would have been good to know if we were looking at 2% or 20%.

 

I do think if Princess wants us to trust them in selecting them for our holiday - they should be transparent. Just a % of crew and passengers. Not anything more specific. I am definitely going to act differently if 2% are affected or 20%. Just as an example - I did bring KN95 masks but wore masks made my a medical scrub company. If I knew there was 20%, I would have switched to a KN95 mask. Another example - at the MTP - we sat at a shared table of 8. If I knew cases were high - I probably would only eat at a table with the people I traveled with. Knowledge is power. If the truth is out there - we can make better, informed decisions. Same as many of act differently in our cities and counties when cases are high vs if cases are low. My county is very high right now and I went shopping with my KN95 mask. In November, I wore a different mask.

 

Princess - if you want to trust us with our vacation money, please be transparent.

Edited January 9, 2022 by Coral

[nocl]

23 minutes ago, Loveh2ofl said:

I asked an assistant cruise director on the Enchanted Princess when I saw we'd turned 'yellow' on our cruise (and after I walked passed a marked off area on deck 9) - she was open that there were a few passengers on board in isolation in balcony cabins.  

Keep in mind that any crew that joins a new ship has to quarantine for (under the old rules) for 10 days if they were fully vaccinated prior to joining the ship and 14 days if they needed to be vaccinated (J&J) before going to work.  So all of the ships have had a portion of passenger space set aside as a quarantine area even before the current Omicron wave.

 

One can expect that there will be some cases on board any cruise ship until this current wave ends.  Omicron is too infectious and can often avoid being picked up by testing for all cases to be caught before boarding.

[nocl]

3 minutes ago, Coral said:

I personally would want to know. I think it is important.

 

We were on a cruise several years ago with norovirus. We saw caution tape everywhere, people in hazmat suits, etc... Princess paid for us to get off the ship to do an excursion on turnaround day as we were not allowed on the ship. We knew the cases were high and I later saw a CDC report which had a percentage.

 

My employer sends us an email each week with the number of new cases of COVID - that gives us knowledge of how good or how bad things are.

 

I was recently on the Grand Princess and when I got on the ship, the color was Green and when I got off, the color was yellow. I had not heard of any cases. It would have been good to know if we were looking at 2% or 20%.

 

I do think if Princess wants us to trust them in selecting them for our holiday - they should be transparent. Just a % of crew and passengers. Not anything more specific. I am definitely going to act differently if 2% are affected or 20%. Just as an example - I did bring KN95 masks but wore masks made my a medical scrub company. If I knew there was 20%, I would have switched to a KN95 mask. Another example - at the MTP - we sat at a shared table of 8. If I knew cases were high - I probably would only eat at a table with the people I traveled with. Knowledge is power. If the truth is out there - we can make better, informed decisions. Same as many of act differently in our cities and counties when cases are high vs if cases are low. My county is very high right now and I went shopping with my KN95 mask. In November, I wore a different mask.

 

Princess - if you want to trust us with our vacation money, please be transparent.

I would expect you are dealing with much closer to 1 or 2% than 20%.   Considering that there have been far more crew cases then passenger cases anything that would even approach 5% in the crew would be very noticeable, as in the RCL ships that canceled pretty much all entertainment.

[Coral]

7 minutes ago, nocl said:

I would expect you are dealing with much closer to 1 or 2% than 20%.   Considering that there have been far more crew cases then passenger cases anything that would even approach 5% in the crew would be very noticeable, as in the RCL ships that canceled pretty much all entertainment.

I think you are right.

 

I heard from someone that crew had arrived on our ship and were quarantining for 14 days.

 

Our ship had very little entertainment in the beginning of the cruise but much more at the end. It was really weird.

 

I would expect more crew cases due to close quarters. Plus - I was informed that they take the crews temps daily and also test them every week (I think it was every week but with Hawaii, everyone has to be tested 2x during that cruise including crew). Testing - it may have been every cruise but the cruises were not that long previously on that ship. Regardless - crew are tested frequently. It would be easy for a passenger who tested negative before the cruise to get it on the ship and not realize it as they are not tested as frequently. They may have very mild symptoms or no symptoms.

 

I just wish they would be more transparent.

Edited January 9, 2022 by Coral

[nocl]

Just now, Coral said:

I think you are right.

 

I heard from someone that crew had arrived on our ship and were quarantining for 14 days.

 

Our ship had very little entertainment in the beginning of the cruise but much more at the end. It was really weird.

 

I would expect more crew cases due to close quarters. 

 

I just wish they would be more transparent.

I would also like more transparency.  

 

However, look at the case with the Ruby in SF where the couple basically went a bit over the top when they heard that there were some cases on board, hid out in their room and proceeded to call everybody they could think of acting like it was March 2020.

 

The balance is how to be transparent without generating an over reaction.

 

Considering how I have seen passengers act on other cruises to minor issues, I can imagine the scene at customer service if they added the  numbers in quarantine to the daily noon announcements, and the number went up each day, even by a small number (which they likely would on a cruise).

 

might be better to just assume their are cases and then watch and see if one notices any changes in level of service, entertainment, swapping of waiters, etc.

[Coral]

5 minutes ago, nocl said:

However, look at the case with the Ruby in SF where the couple basically went a bit over the top when they heard that there were some cases on board, hid out in their room and proceeded to call everybody they could think of acting like it was March 2020.

You have a point.

 

Ruby in SF - I somehow missed this. I was on the cruise and then when I got back, was crazy busy. I will look this up.

 

------

 

Just read about the Ruby - yes, over reaction. 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Coral

[bigeagle12]

If you are cruising during Covid you should do your homework.  There are cases of Covid on every ship for every cruise line. If you are concerned then don’t cruise.  If you are not concerned then go an adhere to the guidelines and HAVE FUN.

[ozziebound]

Just read the article in the Washington post titled "Bare rooms, rotten fruit and boredom: Quarantine life on infected cruises."

Pretty long 

https://s2.washingtonpost.com/35b5bd1/61da4ba41ddec2623db35c79/596d9a90ae7e8a1845f9c3d2/4/44/61da4ba41ddec2623db35c79

 

It doesn't mention princess but I'm wondering how quarantine conditions have been on princess ships... Or is there a thread already? 

Adam 

 

[Coral]

49 minutes ago, ozziebound said:

Just read the article in the Washington post titled "Bare rooms, rotten fruit and boredom: Quarantine life on infected cruises."

Pretty long 

https://s2.washingtonpost.com/35b5bd1/61da4ba41ddec2623db35c79/596d9a90ae7e8a1845f9c3d2/4/44/61da4ba41ddec2623db35c79

 

It doesn't mention princess but I'm wondering how quarantine conditions have been on princess ships... Or is there a thread already? 

Adam 

 

This is awful.

[Rick&Jeannie]

I tend to agree with @Coral in that *anything* that alters or can potentially alter the itinerary or what we signed up for should be disclosed either before sailing (if possible) or while on board.  Like you said...it's a matter of trust and knowledge is power.  If the information that you need to protect yourself in a given situation is denied to you then how can you react properly in questionable situations?

[nocl]

1 hour ago, ozziebound said:

Just read the article in the Washington post titled "Bare rooms, rotten fruit and boredom: Quarantine life on infected cruises."

Pretty long 

https://s2.washingtonpost.com/35b5bd1/61da4ba41ddec2623db35c79/596d9a90ae7e8a1845f9c3d2/4/44/61da4ba41ddec2623db35c79

 

It doesn't mention princess but I'm wondering how quarantine conditions have been on princess ships... Or is there a thread already? 

Adam 

 

There have been a couple of people report from quarantine on HAL.  HAL operating in the same fashion as Princess (they even share the Crown Princess as a quarantine ship for crew).  There is one person that mentioned being quarantined on Majestyk in the recent cruise stream.  But nothing like what is being communicated about quarantine on Royal Caribbean and NCL in their streams.

[nocl]

21 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I tend to agree with @Coral in that *anything* that alters or can potentially alter the itinerary or what we signed up for should be disclosed either before sailing (if possible) or while on board.  Like you said...it's a matter of trust and knowledge is power.  If the information that you need to protect yourself in a given situation is denied to you then how can you react properly in questionable situations?

The problem is that in most cases the denials are not known in advance, they depend upon what gets reported to the port when they arrive, so as a result even the cruise lines do not know in advance, unless the port has changed their requirements for all arrivals, like Cartagena, where they changed their requirements to require tests for all passengers going ashore.

 

Most of the port denials are based upon the number of cases on that particular cruise.  The tipping point seems to be about 1%.

[Rick&Jeannie]

43 minutes ago, nocl said:

The problem is that in most cases the denials are not known in advance, they depend upon what gets reported to the port when they arrive, so as a result even the cruise lines do not know in advance, unless the port has changed their requirements for all arrivals, like Cartagena, where they changed their requirements to require tests for all passengers going ashore.

 

Most of the port denials are based upon the number of cases on that particular cruise.  The tipping point seems to be about 1%.

Agreed

[eclue]

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I tend to agree with @Coral in that *anything* that alters or can potentially alter the itinerary or what we signed up for should be disclosed either before sailing (if possible) or while on board.  Like you said...it's a matter of trust and knowledge is power.  If the information that you need to protect yourself in a given situation is denied to you then how can you react properly in questionable situations?

If your concern is so great, maybe you should not be cruising - checking the color status of the ships will give you an idea.. . I do not think Princess is denying any info to anyone.

 

[nocl]

5 minutes ago, eclue said:

If your concern is so great, maybe you should not be cruising - checking the color status of the ships will give you an idea.. . I do not think Princess is denying any info to anyone.

 

The color status really says nothing.  All ships with passengers have cases, all are yellow.  But there seems to be a number of differences in the number of cases between ships with different cruise lines.  However, all we can get here is individual reports from some on the ships.  No way to tell if there is variation between cruise lines, ships, or departure states.

[Coral]

32 minutes ago, eclue said:

If your concern is so great, maybe you should not be cruising - checking the color status of the ships will give you an idea.. . I do not think Princess is denying any info to anyone.

 

The cruise lines would not report anything medical (covid, norovirus) unless they were required to by the CDC. That is the only reason there are reports.

[Rick&Jeannie]

3 hours ago, eclue said:

If your concern is so great, maybe you should not be cruising - checking the color status of the ships will give you an idea.. . I do not think Princess is denying any info to anyone.

 

I appreciate your concern over *my* concern.  In fact, we *did* cancel an upcoming cruise (less than 2 weeks) because of our concern that now just does not seem to be the time to cruise...at least for us.  I totally respect the decisions of others who have chosen to maintain their booking.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

If they’re not telling passengers how full a ship is before a cruise, don’t expect for them to tell you how many quarantined passengers there are on the ship.

[Potstech]

9 hours ago, let's go cruising said:

Wonder why you don't think the number of cases on board would make a difference. Wonder why you don't think the passengers should know this information.

Because there is nothing you can do about it. Why create a panic when there is probably no reason for it.  What would you do if you knew the numbers?