otbc Posted March 2, 2022 #1 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Hi all, apologies if this is the wrong place to ask but I've checked the board & can't see anything similar having been asked recently! I'm looking at booking a cruise for a (very) late honeymoon over Easter this year with P&O (to Spain & Portugal) but we're a bit confused by their policy around what happens if you get Covid whilst onboard. It sounds like they isolate you (fine), but then there's a sentence about 'or you will be disembarked'... Does anyone know what this actually means in practice? We'd not have a problem isolating if we caught it onboard, but being made to disembark and then have to isolate in a different country & get a flight home isn't great - especially as my other half is terrified of flying. It's why we go on cruises! Anyway - hoping someone may be able to help. It's been 18 months since we got married and we're wanting to (finally!!) have our honeymoon, but not wanting the stress of the fear of potentially being thrown off the ship! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted March 2, 2022 #2 Share Posted March 2, 2022 (edited) Currently the procedure is that if you test positive, you and your partner will be moved to an isolation cabin, and then you will be both be disembarked at your next port of call, to stay in a quarantine hotel. Obviously if you test positive after your last port stop, there is no requirement to isolate in Southampton. Edited March 2, 2022 by wowzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretktf Posted March 2, 2022 #3 Share Posted March 2, 2022 it depends on the country/countries you are visiting. Spain (at least in both November and January) were demanding disembarkation.... however this does not mean this will still be the case at Easter as Covid rules across Europe start to relax. Caribbean (most notably Barbados) demands isolation as they do not have the infrastructure to cope - which is why Carnival is useing the Queen Victoria as a quarantine ship down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted March 2, 2022 #4 Share Posted March 2, 2022 2 minutes ago, ferretktf said: it depends on the country/countries you are visiting. OP has said Spain and Portugal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tring Posted March 2, 2022 #5 Share Posted March 2, 2022 2 minutes ago, wowzz said: OP has said Spain and Portugal. Agreed, but I do feel the OP may welcome information if it is still just some countries demanding disembarkation as they may decide to try to change their destination, if that is the case. Perhaps the OP will confirm their thoughts on that. I for one would be very happy to hear any up to date information about any country regards this matter, including if Spain is still demanding this and if it is always the case for Portugal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted March 2, 2022 #6 Share Posted March 2, 2022 30 minutes ago, tring said: Agreed, but I do feel the OP may welcome information if it is still just some countries demanding disembarkation as they may decide to try to change their destination, if that is the case. Perhaps the OP will confirm their thoughts on that. I for one would be very happy to hear any up to date information about any country regards this matter, including if Spain is still demanding this and if it is always the case for Portugal. That's a fair point, although the Caribbean will not be an option at Easter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otbc Posted March 2, 2022 Author #7 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Hi all, thanks for the replies. Was looking for Spain/Portugal to be honest! It's quite frustrating there doesn't seem to be (from what I've found) any good source of info as to what countries have what rules if you are on a cruise & catch covid whilst onboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionboard Posted March 2, 2022 #8 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Agree. Am off to Spain and Portugal in two weeks and apprehensive following a disembarkation near miss in November. However, you have to weigh up the risk versus the reward! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted March 2, 2022 #9 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Playing devil's advocate, but if I got the "sniffles" on board, I would stay quiet and keep myself to myself. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionboard Posted March 2, 2022 #10 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Had no sniffles just tested to go ashore. 900 pax tested - only me positive! Was a false positive and second test negative. Very scary. To add insult to injury, GiB dropped requirement the next day and then we could not dock anyway due to wind. And I do not even like GiB! Lesson is - do not test voluntarily! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted March 2, 2022 #11 Share Posted March 2, 2022 1 minute ago, Fionboard said: Had no sniffles just tested to go ashore. 900 pax tested - only me positive! Was a false positive and second test negative. Very scary. To add insult to injury, GiB dropped requirement the next day and then we could not dock anyway due to wind. And I do not even like GiB! Lesson is - do not test voluntarily! Fortunately Spain and Portugal now don't require testing. I agree with you about avoiding voluntary tests ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretktf Posted March 2, 2022 #12 Share Posted March 2, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, wowzz said: OP has said Spain and Portugal. I was demonstrating that the decision is not down to P&O, plus that it is variable based on individual countries policies at that moment in time. The examples I gave were the ones that i have personal knowledge/experience of (sadly i have not travelled everywhere in the world in the past 6 months!) Edited March 2, 2022 by ferretktf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancos Posted March 2, 2022 #13 Share Posted March 2, 2022 I can confirm that Spain requires you to isolate on the mainland. We have just experienced this last month. P&O were excellent in covering costs but definitely not an experience to be repeated! I would concur with the comments regarding keeping quiet and staying in the cabin. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otbc Posted March 2, 2022 Author #14 Share Posted March 2, 2022 So I'm assuming the only way they'll force you off the ship etc is if you have a temperature when trying to embark/disembark the ship at a port, at which point they'd make you take a test? No daily testing etc unless you start displaying symptoms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted March 2, 2022 #15 Share Posted March 2, 2022 12 minutes ago, otbc said: So I'm assuming the only way they'll force you off the ship etc is if you have a temperature when trying to embark/disembark the ship at a port, at which point they'd make you take a test? No daily testing etc unless you start displaying symptoms? There is no temperature checking that I am aware of. Certainly no daily testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu UK Posted March 2, 2022 #16 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Currently on Iona. Daily temp checks at restaurants and gangways. They have offloaded positive people today in Cadiz and moved close contacts into isolation zone on ship. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionboard Posted March 2, 2022 #17 Share Posted March 2, 2022 This is the worry. As a solo traveller I like to have a shared table and if one of them tests positive the whole table is quarantined even if testing negative. And you cannot stay in your own stateroom. However, still prepared to take the risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otbc Posted March 2, 2022 Author #18 Share Posted March 2, 2022 3 hours ago, Stu UK said: Currently on Iona. Daily temp checks at restaurants and gangways. They have offloaded positive people today in Cadiz and moved close contacts into isolation zone on ship. Do you know if there are many positive cases onboard? I've not really seen much info (I get why they'd want to keep it quiet!) about whether there have been many/any cases on ships recently... My OH has a fear of flying, so the risk of being disembarked is really, really putting us off! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUISENSNOOZE Posted March 2, 2022 #19 Share Posted March 2, 2022 17 minutes ago, otbc said: Do you know if there are many positive cases onboard? I've not really seen much info (I get why they'd want to keep it quiet!) about whether there have been many/any cases on ships recently... My OH has a fear of flying, so the risk of being disembarked is really, really putting us off! We are due on Iona this weekend. We are taking enough Lateral Flow Kits with us. We will do a test on the morning of each port and if test positive..we won't be doing the ships test. We will stay quiet and stay in our cabin. Lesser of 2 evils I'm afraid. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janny444 Posted March 2, 2022 #20 Share Posted March 2, 2022 3 minutes ago, CRUISENSNOOZE said: We are due on Iona this weekend. We are taking enough Lateral Flow Kits with us. We will do a test on the morning of each port and if test positive..we won't be doing the ships test. We will stay quiet and stay in our cabin. Lesser of 2 evils I'm afraid. I suspect that quite a few could be doing that....laying low ....so unfortunately the OP question about how many onboard with a positive covid test can't be answered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted March 2, 2022 #21 Share Posted March 2, 2022 (edited) 26 minutes ago, CRUISENSNOOZE said: We are due on Iona this weekend. We are taking enough Lateral Flow Kits with us. We will do a test on the morning of each port and if test positive..we won't be doing the ships test. We will stay quiet and stay in our cabin. Lesser of 2 evils I'm afraid. No tests required for Spain or Portugal. Edited March 2, 2022 by wowzz 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu UK Posted March 3, 2022 #22 Share Posted March 3, 2022 (edited) Iona is unexpectedly diverting to Lisbon for a medical emergency. Captain has announced we will be late into Southampton but has not yet confirmed a time. Edited March 3, 2022 by Stu UK 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otbc Posted March 8, 2022 Author #23 Share Posted March 8, 2022 (edited) So, small update - unfortunately I've now tested positive and assume the wife will do in the next few days. Does that essentially mean if we were to go on the cruise over Easter we couldn't be disembarked because we've already had Covid so can't catch it again within a month of the first infection? Edited March 8, 2022 by otbc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacktle Posted March 8, 2022 #24 Share Posted March 8, 2022 On 3/2/2022 at 6:22 PM, wowzz said: No tests required for Spain or Portugal. Where is this information please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted March 8, 2022 #25 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Just go to the UK government website or alternatively the P&O fact sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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