Isolation cabins on Iona?

[molecrochip]

Yes cabins don’t change cruise by cruise but they have certainly changed once. Also there is the possibility of the number of cabins decreasing after Easter.

 

Location is determined by a number of factors including access to medical centre but also ensuring there is adequate evacuation routes and ensuring all quarantine cabins remain in the red zone.

 

Number of cabins is significant as new crew still isolate on arrival, in single balcony cabins even if they eventually share below deck. Incoming/precautionary quarantine is a set of cabins in a designated area. Essentially an Amber zone.
 

Beyond that number of cabins is based on the ability to quarantine an agreed percentage of passengers and crew.

 

 

[Cpt Pugwash]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

A bit off key but having just booked a Celebrity cruise for June I tried to find out their policy on quarantine cabins to avoid detours and they refused the information based on "changing needs".   I don't think any line can say definitely what they may require.

 

One other point of interest from that conversation was that apparently Celebrity are going to continue to require passengers to take a PCR test 48 hours before they sail and interestingly UK guests may continue to need this for fly cruises in particular due to the new non testing if positive rules coming in. 

 

I assume P&O will possibly continue testing for the foreseeable - I guess I find out come 1 April.

I think it safe to  guess that P&O will continue 48hr PCR tests after April 1st as though the rules may change in the UK the countries you visit may have more stringent rules and don't want any holiday makers bringing Covid into their country more than they already have.

[SarahHben]

8 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Yes cabins don’t change cruise by cruise but they have certainly changed once. Also there is the possibility of the number of cabins decreasing after Easter.

 

Location is determined by a number of factors including access to medical centre but also ensuring there is adequate evacuation routes and ensuring all quarantine cabins remain in the red zone.

 

Number of cabins is significant as new crew still isolate on arrival, in single balcony cabins even if they eventually share below deck. Incoming/precautionary quarantine is a set of cabins in a designated area. Essentially an Amber zone.
 

Beyond that number of cabins is based on the ability to quarantine an agreed percentage of passengers and crew.

 

 

Molecrochip, we have a mid ship, deck 11, deluxe balcony cabin, for a cruise this May, I know you have no crystal ball but if it were you would you sit tight and hope the isolation cabins change or would you ask to move now?

My worry with moving cabins now is we might end up with a cabin in a new quarantine zone and our original cabin would have been fine 😏

 

Sarah
 

[bee-ess]

This thread has got me thinking - does anyone know where the quarantine cabins are located on Azura ?

[Selbourne]

9 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Yes cabins don’t change cruise by cruise but they have certainly changed once. Also there is the possibility of the number of cabins decreasing after Easter.

 

Location is determined by a number of factors including access to medical centre but also ensuring there is adequate evacuation routes and ensuring all quarantine cabins remain in the red zone.

 

Number of cabins is significant as new crew still isolate on arrival, in single balcony cabins even if they eventually share below deck. Incoming/precautionary quarantine is a set of cabins in a designated area. Essentially an Amber zone.
 

Beyond that number of cabins is based on the ability to quarantine an agreed percentage of passengers and crew.

 

 

I wonder when P&O will adopt the “learning to live with Covid” approach? Whilst the current levels of controls, monitoring, restrictions, quarantine etc have been completely understandable up until now, if it continues much longer it is rapidly going to become way out of kilter with where we are in the U.K. and more and more people will start to become less sympathetic to it all. 
 

Unless I am missing something, those who remain at serious risk broadly fall into two categories. Those who are unvaccinated (who cannot cruise anyway) and those with serious underlying conditions (who would be foolish to go on a cruise at present, even if fully vaccinated). Therefore the current P&O approach is now starting to look way over the top. Surely we are getting to the point where anyone who tests positive should just be asked to quarantine in their own cabin, rather than be moved, just as is the case with Norovirus? 

[davecttr]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I wonder when P&O will adopt the “learning to live with Covid” approach? Whilst the current levels of controls, monitoring, restrictions, quarantine etc have been completely understandable up until now, if it continues much longer it is rapidly going to become way out of kilter with where we are in the U.K. and more and more people will start to become less sympathetic to it all. 
 

Unless I am missing something, those who remain at serious risk broadly fall into two categories. Those who are unvaccinated (who cannot cruise anyway) and those with serious underlying conditions (who would be foolish to go on a cruise at present, even if fully vaccinated). Therefore the current P&O approach is now starting to look way over the top. Surely we are getting to the point where anyone who tests positive should just be asked to quarantine in their own cabin, rather than be moved, just as is the case with Norovirus? 

The problem with the norovirus cabin quarantine was it only applied to the person with the symptoms. The cabin partner was free to wander and spread the disease around the ship. Apparently norovirus is spread by contact so even a full cabin confinement does not work. I was confined to my cabin TWICE on an Oceana cruise and the cabin cleaning was poor, for example not all the surfaces or drawer handles etc.

[terrierjohn]

4 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I wonder when P&O will adopt the “learning to live with Covid” approach? Whilst the current levels of controls, monitoring, restrictions, quarantine etc have been completely understandable up until now, if it continues much longer it is rapidly going to become way out of kilter with where we are in the U.K. and more and more people will start to become less sympathetic to it all. 
 

Unless I am missing something, those who remain at serious risk broadly fall into two categories. Those who are unvaccinated (who cannot cruise anyway) and those with serious underlying conditions (who would be foolish to go on a cruise at present, even if fully vaccinated). Therefore the current P&O approach is now starting to look way over the top. Surely we are getting to the point where anyone who tests positive should just be asked to quarantine in their own cabin, rather than be moved, just as is the case with Norovirus? 

Quite acceptable to me Selbourne, but I am sure there will be many who will object strongly, although most of the posters who might object have also said they would not cruise at present, so maybe their vote should not count.

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Quite acceptable to me Selbourne, but I am sure there will be many who will object strongly, although most of the posters who might object have also said they would not cruise at present, so maybe their vote should not count.

Acceptable to me too, but everyone’s vote should count! 
 

Forgot to add, it will be interesting to see what happens when capacity is further increased - lots of posts refer to half empty ships at the moment, 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Ardennais

[molecrochip]

9 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I wonder when P&O will adopt the “learning to live with Covid” approach? Whilst the current levels of controls, monitoring, restrictions, quarantine etc have been completely understandable up until now, if it continues much longer it is rapidly going to become way out of kilter with where we are in the U.K. and more and more people will start to become less sympathetic to it all. 
 

Unless I am missing something, those who remain at serious risk broadly fall into two categories. Those who are unvaccinated (who cannot cruise anyway) and those with serious underlying conditions (who would be foolish to go on a cruise at present, even if fully vaccinated). Therefore the current P&O approach is now starting to look way over the top. Surely we are getting to the point where anyone who tests positive should just be asked to quarantine in their own cabin, rather than be moved, just as is the case with Norovirus? 

Three things are at play here in my mind.

 

1. Firstly, the government has now agreed that all 5-12 year olds will be double jabbed by the Summer hols. Additionally, the 2nd booster program commences for those 75+/Immunocompromised.

 

2. The new CDC rules where restrictions are relaxed based upon 95% passengers 5+ and crew being vaccinated (and boosted for adults).

 

3. Omicron is starting to calm down in Europe.

 

I think that once these situations are in place, we will now see reduction in other protocols as we move to a ‘learn to live’ state. I still think this will be one step away from

’business as usual’. I wonder if embarkation testing will remain for now.

 

It has been confirmed that ongoing protocols are actively under review.

[Selbourne]

57 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Three things are at play here in my mind.

 

1. Firstly, the government has now agreed that all 5-12 year olds will be double jabbed by the Summer hols. Additionally, the 2nd booster program commences for those 75+/Immunocompromised.

 

2. The new CDC rules where restrictions are relaxed based upon 95% passengers 5+ and crew being vaccinated (and boosted for adults).

 

3. Omicron is starting to calm down in Europe.

 

I think that once these situations are in place, we will now see reduction in other protocols as we move to a ‘learn to live’ state. I still think this will be one step away from

’business as usual’. I wonder if embarkation testing will remain for now.

 

It has been confirmed that ongoing protocols are actively under review.

Thanks as always. That’s good to hear. I’m itching to book something for this Autumn but won’t consider it until all the current testing,  on-board restrictions & policies and risk of quarantine and / or disembarkation are history. The only problem is that our diary for 2022 is getting pretty full, so if we don’t get news of a return to ‘business as usual’ fairly soon we may not have any slots left 😂 

[Megabear2]

Surely it's going to be the countries and ports visited which will set the agenda on this?  At the moment no other countries appear to be throwing caution to the wind. 

[terrierjohn]

33 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Surely it's going to be the countries and ports visited which will set the agenda on this?  At the moment no other countries appear to be throwing caution to the wind. 

The entire EU is just proposing that restrictions should be relaxed to help the tourism industry, so I read somewhere today.

[molecrochip]

36 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Surely it's going to be the countries and ports visited which will set the agenda on this?  At the moment no other countries appear to be throwing caution to the wind. 

You say that but then where the CDC lead, the Caribbean follow.

 

I suspect Europe will be seeking similar rules.

[Megabear2]

14 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

You say that but then where the CDC lead, the Caribbean follow.

 

I suspect Europe will be seeking similar rules.

I'm not sure what you think I am saying?  I am merely observing that every country even within the United Kingdom is handling things differently no matter what guidance they get from elsewhere.

 

 

[terrierjohn]

24 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I'm not sure what you think I am saying?  I am merely observing that every country even within the United Kingdom is handling things differently no matter what guidance they get from elsewhere.

 

 

Agreed but in the UK they generally are back in line after a couple of weeks, although mask wearing has differed.

[Megabear2]

I'm sure it will all work out.  We are due Kefalonia mid July and that looks pretty positive testing on entry will be gone.  Our next cruise 1 April on Aurora looks like we will only need P&O LFT on boarding which has been the norm and no testing en route from what I can see.  My new Celebrity booking for June at present they are adamant they aren't dropping the PCR requirements 48 hours before but we will have to see if that continues once the ships get into Europe.

 

The big one for me is I'm actually booked once more for my abortive trip to Austria in August.  That one is interesting as they have strict rules about number of days after your last Covid jab, booster or not, and I will be two days over their limit with, as far as I can see, no intention of the UK Government to offer anymore jab at this time. It's things like this I was referring to about different countries doing it their way.  Nothing seems to have joined up thinking. If the government of a certain country wants something physically not available to a traveller then you just cant go as was shown by the situation with UK children not being allowed into countries through no fault of their own.

 

 

[molecrochip]

On 2/22/2022 at 10:04 PM, Megabear2 said:

I'm not sure what you think I am saying?  I am merely observing that every country even within the United Kingdom is handling things differently no matter what guidance they get from elsewhere.

 

 

You mentioned destinations dictating the agenda however I feel that the US CDC is starting to set the longer term agenda and worldwide operators will likely fall in line. One set of rules…. Eventually.

[Megabear2]

I assume you mean for cruising.  I was referring to the way different countries landside are handling matters. Very few countries worldwide are handling the pandemic the same way.

[molecrochip]

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I assume you mean for cruising.  I was referring to the way different countries landside are handling matters. Very few countries worldwide are handling the pandemic the same way.

Yes, for cruising.