Contact quarantine questions

[daveb9]

Wife and I are due to embark on the Divina on February 13th. We are reading about passengers being quarantined for contact (contact tracing). Needless to say this is very concerning. What we do not like is that no one from the cruise line has laid out the protocols or conditions that trigger these quarantines. This is the one thing, right now, that has us seriously considering changing our cruise out to the future. Frankly I am quite surprised that there is very little chatter on Cruise Critic or other outlets about this possibly happening to passengers. What I am looking for is some first hand feedback from recent passengers about how this is being handled. 

Thanks in Advance,

Dave

[Happygcruiser]

We were in February on the Grandiosa. We encountered 2 last minute itinerary changes, and also managed to end the cruise in an interesting way, with the activated "COVID measures".

First the order of the ports were changed, then we were not allowed to leave the ship in Naples, so we sailed instead  of a sea-day to Messina also.

We had a test 48 hrs before leaving, and at the  port in Genova. Then one on the ship in Valetta, and an optional PCR test in Palermo (to be able to return home), the PCR costed 80 EUR/person.

During the cruise you HAVE  to wear the wristbands they provide.

Friday night around 23:30 we received a call in our cabin, that one of my family members was indentified as a contact to a"possible COVID" case, and they need to isolate that person. (10 minutes/24hrs close to someone) We can choose whether we join as a family, or let go that person alone. They were not sure what will happen afterwards, so we decided to stick together.

During the night, we had to pack, and we were moved to a closed area of the ship, to another balcony cabin. (We got 2 interconnecting cabins.) We were allowed to use the internet for free, the pay-tv, order room service, and we ordered food from the restaurant. But we couldn't leave our rooms.

We were told that Italian authorities will decide whether we can go home with our car, or they will transport us.

Whatever we ordered they brought to us, by people in full HAZMAT suites...

We noticed, that we left a pair of shoes in the old cabin- we were in a rush to leave- and we asked them to check it for us, but they said that the cabin is locked for 72 hrs... So we left shoeless.

After all for disembarkation we were escorted off the ship as priority, but we had to wear also full HAZMAT suits. Then they brought us to our car with a van. As a nice touch we were given packed lunches, so we didn't need to stop for anything.

 

And they didn't told me who get "close" to my wife... 🙂 Although I tried...

[daveb9]

Thanks for the reply. What I am worried about is what constitutes close contact. Could you be in the casino and someone else in there becomes ill do they assume you were near them and just quarantine you? I believe that not all ships have the tracking bracelets. Just looking for some clarity. This should be coming from MSC but not hearing anything.

[Happygcruiser]

In the casino your location is exactly registered. Either by sitting at the table, or at the slots. 

[JAGR]

I don't know about contact tracing on Divina.  They don't use the bracelet technology, so I doubt she is equipped with RFID capability.

 

That being said, your card could be tracked in the casino.  In theory, they could augment the technology to see who may have been sitting next to someone on a slot machine who came down with COVID, I suppose.

Edited January 16, 2022 by JAGR

[styles27]

2 hours ago, JAGR said:

I don't know about contact tracing on Divina.  They don't use the bracelet technology, so I doubt she is equipped with RFID capability.

 

That being said, your card could be tracked in the casino.  In theory, they could augment the technology to see who may have been sitting next to someone on a slot machine who came down with COVID, I suppose.

When on Divina in November they “sometimes” scanned our cards going into venues or when seated at the coffee bar but it was very random. 
The issue with that is when we left the Black and White Lounge I asked if they needed to scan our cards again since we weren’t staying and they said no. 

It just didn’t make sense but then again not much does at this point. 

 

@daveb9 your concerns are exactly why we postponed our Jan cruise.
 

If MSC would be transparent about their contact tracing protocols we may have gone on the cruise. But at this point I don’t believe they even have a standard that they’re sticking to.
Seems like whatever happens today they’ll do but it will probably change tomorrow. I can’t deal with that. 

Edited January 16, 2022 by styles27

[Markanddonna]

7 minutes ago, styles27 said:

When on Divina in November they “sometimes” scanned our cards going into venues or when seated at the coffee bar but it was very random. 
The issue with that is when we left the Black and White Lounge I asked if they needed to scan our cards again since we weren’t staying and they said no. 

It just didn’t make sense but then again not much does at this point. 

 

@daveb9 your concerns are exactly why we postponed our Jan cruise.
 

If MSC would be transparent about their contact tracing protocols we may have gone on the cruise. But at this point I don’t believe they even have a standard that they’re sticking to.
Seems like whatever happens today they’ll do but it will probably change tomorrow. I can’t deal with that. 

This next week will be interesting since the last sailing with this itinerary missed so many (maybe all?) of their scheduled ports.

[Markanddonna]

4 hours ago, daveb9 said:

 Frankly I am quite surprised that there is very little chatter on Cruise Critic or other outlets about this possibly happening to passengers. What I am looking for is some first hand feedback from recent passengers about how this is being handled. 

 

Dave, I've noticed a sharp drop in reporting. I suspect that many of us who don't want to cruise with those extreme variables have already canceled our cruise. Also, MSC seems to have changed their policy of testing to minimize detecting COVID. They now test before you come onboard and last week didn't test those two days in like they did the week before. It appears when they did the two day cruise testing, their were quite a few passengers who tested positive on day two and their travel companions were put in isolation. So, from MSC's point of view, they were sort of shooting themselves in the foot. Now, they will deny you entry if you don't test negative at the port and then they are just assuming that any new cases will be so severe that passengers will ask for a test. Since Omicron is more like a cold, most people will self medicate and use Tylenol to keep their temps reduced. 

 

So, it is likely we won't hear about the situations onboard. Those who are sailing have their reasons to take the chance of getting COVID or having a disappointing cruise. 

[karmamule]

The main reason we didn't reschedule was because getting the same room on a similar cruise later in the year would have cost at least $3000 more. We'd rather take a slight risk of quarantine over a definite hit of several thousand dollars.

 

We're also counting on cruises for the next few weeks having very low passenger counts so it'll minimize that risk and we'll essentially have the run of the ship with very little if any crowds.

Edited January 16, 2022 by karmamule

[Sixtytwo]

Dave, what I have seen from different sources (non-medical, non-cruise employee) is that if you are in, or have been in, close proximity to someone who tests positive for 15 minutes or more, you will be tested and/or quarantined for a "short" time. You know as much as I do now.

[styles27]

1 hour ago, Markanddonna said:

Dave, I've noticed a sharp drop in reporting. I suspect that many of us who don't want to cruise with those extreme variables have already canceled our cruise. Also, MSC seems to have changed their policy of testing to minimize detecting COVID. They now test before you come onboard and last week didn't test those two days in like they did the week before. It appears when they did the two day cruise testing, their were quite a few passengers who tested positive on day two and their travel companions were put in isolation. So, from MSC's point of view, they were sort of shooting themselves in the foot. Now, they will deny you entry if you don't test negative at the port and then they are just assuming that any new cases will be so severe that passengers will ask for a test. Since Omicron is more like a cold, most people will self medicate and use Tylenol to keep their temps reduced. 

 

So, it is likely we won't hear about the situations onboard. Those who are sailing have their reasons to take the chance of getting COVID or having a disappointing cruise. 

Also the CDC let their order expire on the 15th so the cruise lines don’t really have anyone to answer to going forward.

They can voluntarily continue using the CDC guidelines but I’m not expecting MSC to do that. 

That alone makes me not want to cruise anytime soon. 

[dexddd]

We sailed Mera and Divinia in September.  Mera has the bracelets so contact tracing possible.  Divina, no, not really.  They did take Temps and scan cards at dinner.  They did have at least one lonely self reporting station outside sports bar in lounge.  If they had others, I didn't see them.