Blogging from the Ruby Princess

[PescadoAmarillo]

8 hours ago, AZDee said:

Someone told me iI needed to read your story if we changed the names it could be my story. We are currently on the Caribbean and my husband tested positive and I am neg but in our case my Husband has Aphasia  ( the very same thing that they announced Bruce Willis has) so I needed to come up to the 12 th floor that was 3 nights ago but our story has a turn we are being sent to a hotel for an additional 7 days tomorrow when the cruise is cut short due to the COVID outbreak. Turns out Canada will not allow the ship in. Everything thing you have experienced I have too. I do understand they are so overwhelmed that they can’t give us the attention needed but even now I am in the dark as to what happens tomorrow. Wishing you and your husband well…

I am glad you found this, but very sorry to hear you’re another victim. Your story doesn’t surprise me in the least, but with your husband’s underlying health condition it is especially troubling. And, as you know, they just don’t care. I’m glad they at least allowed you to join him. Stay strong. 
 

The story about additional dry dock days for the Caribbean Princess is the biggest crock of all. Dry docks are arranged years in advance, and they just decided now to tack on a few more days at the start?  It will be interesting to watch the ship’s positioning online once passengers are disembarked. Good luck with the transition, and God speed in your next adventure in the hotel. 
 

I wish we could pull together all the similar stories I’m reading online in one place, but they are too dispersed to find them all again.  But I’m glad people are speaking up. We all knew the risks, but no one knew the reality of being quarantined on a Princess cruise ship. 

[Ken the cruiser]

8 hours ago, AZDee said:

Someone told me iI needed to read your story if we changed the names it could be my story. We are currently on the Caribbean and my husband tested positive and I am neg but in our case my Husband has Aphasia  ( the very same thing that they announced Bruce Willis has) so I needed to come up to the 12 th floor that was 3 nights ago but our story has a turn we are being sent to a hotel for an additional 7 days tomorrow when the cruise is cut short due to the COVID outbreak. Turns out Canada will not allow the ship in. Everything thing you have experienced I have too. I do understand they are so overwhelmed that they can’t give us the attention needed but even now I am in the dark as to what happens tomorrow. Wishing you and your husband well…

Interesting. That actually makes a lot of sense. May I ask where or from whom you heard this?

[SSAtlantic]

I am sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Hopefully you will stay negative and it is just a URI. I too would be questioning the 10 days with no symptoms. I am an RN and our corporate policy is if we test positive we quarantine for 5 days and return to work with no repeat test as long as we are fever free for 24 hrs and symptoms are improving if we had any. And eat away from coworkers for 5 more days. 
it is very disheartening to read all these posts of increasing cases and the lack of care people are receiving. 
Thoughts  and prayers are with everyone affected by this and hope all get home safely. 

[LACruiser88]

There is definitely a lot of inconsistent protocols among the Princess fleet.  In our case, I was also asymptomatic and only had to isolate for 5 days, albeit in a hotel on land.   Why would G have to isolate for 10 days?  I don't think the rules are different for land vs sea isolation?

 

What am I missing???  🤔🤔🤔

[HaveDogWillTravel]

@PescadoAmarillo Thanks for keeping us updated. I am hoping that you stay covid negative (I got my 2nd booster too) and I’m sorry you are not feeling well. 
With G being asymptotic and testing negative on turnaround day, I’m wondering why he was tested again?
 

Thank you again for giving us information we need to assess our own tolerance to what might happen once we board.  

[Sunwanabe]

49 minutes ago, SSAtlantic said:

I am sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Hopefully you will stay negative and it is just a URI. I too would be questioning the 10 days with no symptoms. I am an RN and our corporate policy is if we test positive we quarantine for 5 days and return to work with no repeat test as long as we are fever free for 24 hrs and symptoms are improving if we had any. And eat away from coworkers for 5 more days. 
it is very disheartening to read all these posts of increasing cases and the lack of care people are receiving. 
Thoughts  and prayers are with everyone affected by this and hope all get home safely. 

It would be safe to say that passengers should lower their expectations on cruising presently. Understaffed means less attention and care. 

[geocruiser]

1. Princess knows that there is covid.

2. Princess had dealt with covid before.

3. Princess knows that PAX and crew might come down with covid on a cruise.

4. Princess has a obligation to care for the sick on board.

5. Princess has a  obligation to feed all on board in a timely manner.

6. Princess knows that a out break could happen on board their ship, and they should have enough personal to handle the out break. 

7. If they can't handle the outbreak and care for the sick, then they should return to port, or transport the sick back to port..

 

[PescadoAmarillo]

40 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

@PescadoAmarillo Thanks for keeping us updated. I am hoping that you stay covid negative (I got my 2nd booster too) and I’m sorry you are not feeling well. 
With G being asymptotic and testing negative on turnaround day, I’m wondering why he was tested again?
 

Thank you again for giving us information we need to assess our own tolerance to what might happen once we board.  

He received a letter in the cabin Monday night that all in transits would be tested again Tuesday morning. Otherwise, he would have had no reason to retest as he had no symptoms. That makes everything that has happened since especially shocking to us. It took us a day to get our heads around what was even going on. 
 

That is why I said that everyone on the ship is a nasal swab away from going through the same thing. They can decide to test you anytime, and the longer the cruise, or the more B2B cruises you’re stringing together, your odds of ending up in quarantine continue to increase. He wore a mask all the time. I wore a mask all the time. It’s very disheartening to be so proactive, and then see others out enjoying their cruise maskless, knowing that they could very well test positive now for COVID, but are instead totally unaffected. 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

6 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

He received a letter in the cabin Monday night that all in transits would be tested again Tuesday morning. Otherwise, he would have had no reason to retest as he had no symptoms. That makes everything that has happened since especially shocking to us. It took us a day to get our heads around what was even going on. 
 

That is why I said that everyone on the ship is a nasal swab away from going through the same thing. They can decide to test you anytime, and the longer the cruise, or the more B2B cruises you’re stringing together, your odds of ending up in quarantine continue to increase. He wore a mask all the time. I wore a mask all the time. It’s very disheartening to be so proactive, and then see others out enjoying their cruise maskless, knowing that they could very well test positive now for COVID, but are instead totally unaffected. 

Thank you for this informative.  It seems punitive almost to only test the in transits again. If they needed to be tested again then everyone should need to be retested. Many passengers engage in riskier activities than G did in the days just prior to embarkation.  They may have tested negative 2/3 days before  or even day of but they are incubating covid. 
 

I board again in a few days and while I am not doing a B2B I have only 6 days in between sailings.  

[PescadoAmarillo]

22 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

It seems punitive almost to only test the in transits again. If they needed to be tested again then everyone should need to be retested.

 That was exactly the point I made on the thread that got derailed and then closed (has it now disappeared?  I haven’t looked for it recently.). As a new passenger, I was PCR tested on Thursday. He was tested Saturday and tested negative. Meanwhile, in between, I had flown and stood in line outside the terminal for hours to check in (no social distancing, minimal masking by others). He was retested. I was not until he tested positive. Where is the sense in any of that?

[PescadoAmarillo]

On 4/1/2022 at 8:38 PM, Joy_K said:As i was instructed one step futher and that was no drinking while out.....mask had to remain on any time I was outside my room.  Even on same ship I believe OP was told she could sip and cover when out.

 

I am just getting caught up with some of the posts since I boarded the plane in Hawaii, and this one is one of them. I was told by the medical assistant who did my test that I could not drink outside the cabin. Then the senior doctor herself told me I could sip and cover. She said I should be out enjoying myself, going to shows, etc. She did NOT tell me (as she did you) that most spouses eventually test positive. Those two statements seem totally incongruent to me. As you know, Joy, your cruise really ends when you’ve been identified as having close contact with someone who tested positive. Go out and party?  No. It doesn’t work that way.  And it shouldn’t be encouraged by the senior doctor. 
 

I specifically mentioned my concerns to the senior doctor with regards to my lifelong asthma and tendency to get nasty URIs and LRIs. She assured me I would be taken care of. Of course, at that time, I was not yet aware that no one had even done a medical assessment of my husband at all when he tested positive or any time since then. People in isolation are not getting medical care. To think otherwise is just wrong. 

[PescadoAmarillo]

On 4/1/2022 at 9:35 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Malama Pono to you and your DH.  That is real love that he wanted you to leave while you still could.  I admire him for helping you make that decision.  Safe Travels.

I had to Google this. What a lovely thought. I am touched by your post. Thank you. 💕

[caribill]

3 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

 

The story about additional dry dock days for the Caribbean Princess is the biggest crock of all. Dry docks are arranged years in advance, and they just decided now to tack on a few more days at the start?

 

In this case the dry dock was not scheduled way in advance, but was set up earlier this year. Several Caribbean area voyages were cancelled and the Panama Canal segments and the Victoria segments added to provide income during the sailing from the Atlantic to/from the west coast dry dock.

 

It is highly unusual for a ship that is scheduled to be cruising in the Atlantic Ocean area to have a dry dock then scheduled with three months notice in the Pacific Ocean area.

 

I agree that claiming the Victoria segment cancellation at the last moment is dry dock related is suspicious.

[mellon1]

15 hours ago, Thrak said:

@PescadoAmarillo Question:  Were you allowed any contact with G at all?  Were you restricted from even entering the quarantine area of the ship?  I ask because I'm wondering if it would be possible for a non-positive person to get food/drinks and simply leave them outside the cabin door for the quarantined person to retrieve after the non-quarantined person had left.

 

Example: Get food from the buffet or IC and get drinks from the bar or buffet and take them to where the other person is quarantined. Call on the phone and say, "Your order is here" and then walk away. That way the quarantined person could open the door and retrieve the items without coming in contact with the benefactor.

 

I have the feeling that your answer will be a big, fat "NO" but it's something I was wondering about. If it could be done it would do a lot to alleviate the issues with the lack of service from Princess.

Thrak...I too worry about this.  Hubby has no idea about meds he takes, etc.  I have been taking care of him big time since he had cancer 2015 and he is clear now; however......I couldn't imagine not being there or no one for support.  What is going on????

[Joy_K]

This is day 5 of my quarantine was just tested my medical.  I asked how many in isolation and she did not know.  I asked her how many people she was testing this morning and she said 10.  I came here the same day they were testing all B2B pax, so hopefully today and tomorrow G will test out.

[mellon1]

3 minutes ago, Joy_K said:

This is day 5 of my quarantine was just tested my medical.  I asked how many in isolation and she did not know.  I asked her how many people she was testing this morning and she said 10.  I came here the same day they were testing all B2B pax, so hopefully today and tomorrow G will test out.

Joy, how is this working with B2B2B2B2Bs??  Are you able to stay on the ship?  Are you left at the next port or are you left at disembarkation port?   

I understand if you are overwhelmed and cannot respond, as you have your plate full I know for sure.

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I was not yet aware that no one had even done a medical assessment of my husband at all when he tested positive or any time since then. People in isolation are not getting medical care.

without symptoms, your words, what assessment procedures did you expect for "G" ?

 

Should the onboard medical center have done bloodwork, x-rays, for a person not complaining without symptoms?

 

very curious - as I had EXCELLENT medical attention on the REGAL when I passed out on deck .. we even got flowers in our cabin ... along with multiple calls from the front desk, medical, food services ...

[Joy_K]

@mellon1 in our case we were given a choice to continue on to our next cruise or disembark in San Francisco 

[voljeep]

17 minutes ago, mellon1 said:

Thrak...I too worry about this.  Hubby has no idea about meds he takes, etc.  I have been taking care of him big time since he had cancer 2015 and he is clear now; however......I couldn't imagine not being there or no one for support.  What is going on????

Perfect post, just perfect

[PescadoAmarillo]

3 minutes ago, voljeep said:

without symptoms, your words, what assessment procedures did you expect for "G" ?

 

Should the onboard medical center have done bloodwork, x-rays, for a person not complaining without symptoms?

 

very curious - as I had EXCELLENT medical attention on the REGAL when I passed out on deck .. we even got flowers in our cabin ... along with multiple calls from the front desk, medical, food services ...

Well, a medical history might have been prudent, with a list of current medications and conditions. That way if he didn’t respond to the daily phone call, and they at some point found him passed out in his isolation cabin, they’d have someplace to start. It would be nice if he was asked if he had enough medications on hand for the full ten days of isolation, especially since when he left our cabin we believed it would be for a maximum of six days. 
 

He was just tested on his Day 5, and was told he would not be notified of the test’s results. I guess because it makes no difference to his situation. He’s there until at least tomorrow. Seems pretty harsh to me. Also, he said there were about 50 names on the list. Whether that is just the isolation names or the isolation and close contact people, it’s a lot of names. 
 

The senior doctor did contact him yesterday. She said they have much stricter quarantine timeframes because “cruise ships are riskier environments”. So if you’re lucky, you’re less than ten days from the end of your cruise when this happens.  If you’re less than five days, you finish out the time in a hotel. If you’re between 6 and 10 days, you can fly home. If you are unlucky and get this at the beginning of a 15 day cruise, your fate is pretty much sealed. 
 

I’m very happy you were well looked after. Perhaps you can understand the difference in the two situations. 

[Thrak]

I wonder if Princess is not allowed to "force" staff to enter the quarantine wing and has to rely on volunteers to bring food, drinks, etc. to the passengers in that area. If so, it's likely they can't find people willing to risk themselves by tending to the quarantined passengers. I'm not trying to make excuses for the atrocious lack of care but simply wondering if something like this might be part of the problem.

Edited April 3, 2022 by Thrak

[cal56girl]

16 hours ago, okcorral said:

Having been passengers on the 2 previous Ruby cruises (2/25-3/12 & 3/12-3/27) we were shocked at the difference in protocols. On our 1st half, 3 tests were performed (at terminal, 2nd day of cruise, last day before Florida) & masks required at all times. When we left Florida, no testing, & within a few days, all masks requirements were dropped. As someone else previously mentioned, I started hearing of cases after Costa Rica. My husband & I had continued wearing our masks the entire 2nd half as was required on previous cruise. We have now been home for 6 days & remain fine. I wish the original protocols had remained in place.

This information is quite interesting. Thank you for sharing. 

[Steelers36]

5 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

As for pulse ox….I knew I said I wouldn’t discuss his symptoms, but he has none. At all. He is perfectly fine. Has been all along. This is craziness. He keeps asking why the ten days and all he is told by the medical admin is that it is a CDC rule. Well, he has WiFi and is finding all the CDC guidance that says 5 days if asymptomatic. When he goes back and asks them to explain why they are ignoring that advice, HE gets ignored. From everyone. 

This was my thoughts when you first reported.... five days if asymptomatic and my Spidey senses (between the lines of your writing so to say) were telling me G was fine.  Seems another example of  Power-That-Be selecting which science or guidance they choose in a circumstance and then shut you down when call out their absurdity.

[travelers07]

Just wanted to jump in again. Ruby is not the only ship with issues. I was on the Sky until 3/28 but was supposed to continue until 4/9. All B2B (even those like me who had booked as one cruise) were tested before arrival in Southampton. I tested positive and I did have very mild issues. I was sent to quarantine and told I would need to disembark. They said they would get back to me with details.

 

No one ever called me and I spent hours on hold waiting to order food. When food did arrive it was cold. But I only had 2 nights so I was just happy to disembark. 
 

I did have a conversation the second night with the person who was in charge of the quarantines- I had called and insisted on talking with someone. She said there would be a hotel for me but I would need to pay and use my insurance to cover. If it did not, I could come back to Princess and submit a claim. Other option was to go ahead and get my own hotel since UK had no rules now about quarantine. 
 

Later that second night I heard people in the hallway and opened the door to several of my fellow quarantiners. Since we were all positive we started to compare notes. No one had much info. The next morning they told us they would get us individually starting at 11am. We all met in the hallway again. Some people had received letters overnight but I did not. Letters either said you would be taken to a hotel or that you were on your own. No signature on the letter and only an email- no phone number. There were 94 passengers who were positive and disembarked in Southampton.

 

The one letter that did show up was my positive test with the date I could fly back to the US. No other rules or suggestions.

 

I was so glad to get off the ship that I figured I would deal with the details later. I know this has been discussed but I was already upset that we were told our lack of internet was due to the satellite. But our medallions never worked either- and I am a techie who had it working fine at home and on the Majestic in September.

Bottom line- I am Elite and I will never sail Princess again. The lack of respect for the passengers was just too frustrating.

 

Still in quarantine in Europe on my own. Will contact the Princess Insurance at some point.

 

Good luck to all!

 

Sue

[gbolton]

2 minutes ago, cal56girl said:

This information is quite interesting. Thank you for sharing. 

Yes, please continue to give us very valid and useful information, even though some of us seem to be deliberately cantankerous. And its annoying.

 

But there must be others like ourselves who love, love, love cruising, miss it so very much, but are scared to death, as I am, of being tested.  Yes, we are twice vaccinated, and boosted, but that doesn't seem to stop this virus.  It would be nightmare for me to have been in your situation, so I sincerely thank you for this very information posting. Please don't stop!