Edge Transatlantic Testing positive for Covid

[hcat]

Wow..a Kafka nighmare for sure

Just not worth it.......

 

To All those caught in the web..hope you are healthy and freed soon.

To those with a chance to cancel or postpone... heed warnings & beware!

 

Not everyone  will get caught up in this type of scenario .but ........????

[helen haywood]

12 minutes ago, drarill said:

You did everything right.  Right now, theoretically, no-one could be traveling with Paxlovid or Molnupilavir, just in case they get sick.  Both medicines only have EUA and you need a positive COVID test to get a prescription filled in the US. Does anyone  know if Celebrity can buy these antivirals? I do know that Greece and the rest of the EU also approved the use of Paxlovid a couple of months ago.  What are the rules in the countries you are visiting? Maybe Celebrity can take the positive passengers that qualify for the treatment to a doctor ashore. 

For those of you returning home from Italy, keep in mind that the rules might change, but right now people should travel with lots of home tests, I bought five for only $25 last week in COSTCO, If  you have any symptoms, please don't think is allergies, test yourself. If you don't have any symptoms, start testing yourself two days before the last day of the cruise.  If you or any member of your family tests positive then you have to make some decisions.  After a friend of mine was taken to a COVID hotel after testing positive in Fiumicino, I really think that @bananavan made the right decision staying on the ship, our bilingual friend had a really hard time communicating with the personnel in charge at the airport when he tested positive.  Please read the article linked at the end.  Not my friend's story but similar.  

@bananavan thanks for sharing your experience with us,  hope your story helps Celebrity establish better protocols and your cruise critics family, prepare for a safer cruise experience.  I really hope you test negative  fast. Stay hydrated, take your vitamins and try to rest. 

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/carlsbad-woman-forced-quarantine-in-italy-after-testing-positive-covid/509-48466f0f-b20b-4d9e-9093-e60f4e9e7f28

From reading that article, if one only has 10 minutes to find an AirBnB, I’d suggest researching some places in your debarkation port and bookmarking several possibilities ahead of your last day so you could at least try to have that option. 

[Nashna]

Evana...Thank you for sharing your story.  I have been following since the beginning and am so sorry for all you have been through.  Seriously, you have been amazingly calm during this entire episode.  Life has thrown you way too many lemons and you are dealing with the onslaught so well. Please know that many of us on Cruise Critic are following and wishing you and your dear husband well.  I have to admit that I would be totally using that Classic Drink Package.  Take care.

 

[Covepointcruiser]

Since you decided to stay on the ship for another voyage, were some passengers refused boarding because of cabins now occupied by passengers from the previous voyage?    This could definitely present a problem on future cruises especially since infected passengers are demanding balcony staterooms.    If older passengers can test positive for many, many days we could end up with a quarantine ship.   Perhaps Celebrity should take a ship out of service in the Mediterranean and have it serve as a quarantine/isolation ship.    Very glad our next voyages will not be near Italy.

[Susanb10567]

1 hour ago, drarill said:

You did everything right.  Right now, theoretically, no-one could be traveling with Paxlovid or Molnupilavir, just in case they get sick.  Both medicines only have EUA and you need a positive COVID test to get a prescription filled in the US. Does anyone  know if Celebrity can buy these antivirals? I do know that Greece and the rest of the EU also approved the use of Paxlovid a couple of months ago.  What are the rules in the countries you are visiting? Maybe Celebrity can take the positive passengers that qualify for the treatment to a doctor ashore. 

For those of you returning home from Italy, keep in mind that the rules might change, but right now people should travel with lots of home tests, I bought five for only $25 last week in COSTCO, If  you have any symptoms, please don't think is allergies, test yourself. If you don't have any symptoms, start testing yourself two days before the last day of the cruise.  If you or any member of your family tests positive then you have to make some decisions.  After a friend of mine was taken to a COVID hotel after testing positive in Fiumicino, I really think that @bananavan made the right decision staying on the ship, our bilingual friend had a really hard time communicating with the personnel in charge at the airport when he tested positive.  Please read the article linked at the end.  Not my friend's story but similar.  

@bananavan thanks for sharing your experience with us,  hope your story helps Celebrity establish better protocols and your cruise critics family, prepare for a safer cruise experience.  I really hope you test negative  fast. Stay hydrated, take your vitamins and try to rest. 

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/carlsbad-woman-forced-quarantine-in-italy-after-testing-positive-covid/509-48466f0f-b20b-4d9e-9093-e60f4e9e7f28

This story is really enlightening…making me more anxious about my cruise out of Rome…I think I will try and test when we are in Naples the last day of the cruise..either at a pharmacy or find good WiFi on land…that way we know what we are dealing with…either to find an Airbnb or decide to stay on board if someone tests positive …especially based on the reports of the quarantine hotels.

[mimbecky]

2 hours ago, Susanb10567 said:

This story is really enlightening…making me more anxious about my cruise out of Rome…I think I will try and test when we are in Naples the last day of the cruise..either at a pharmacy or find good WiFi on land…that way we know what we are dealing with…either to find an Airbnb or decide to stay on board if someone tests positive …especially based on the reports of the quarantine hotels.

We are testing in Naples- ck testfortravel site

[renji]

18 hours ago, Tony UK said:

Evana so sorry to hear your news. You are constantly in our thoughts and prayers. 

Research I have done indicates you can incubate covid for up to 12 days before symptoms show and you can start being infectious with omicron 2 to 3 days before symptoms show. Omicron is said to become non infectious after around 5 days but much longer in older folks.

So all this is no-one's fault. No point trying to find out where it came from etc. 

I am going to write to the cruise line asking them to produce a minimum standard going forward to apply to ALL ships as we have a right to know what to expect. Things I am thinking of suggesting are:

a choice to stay isolated in your own room with all necessary precautions. A choice for your spouse / partner to stay isolated with you even if negative. A specified person to contact morning and evening by phone at fixed times along with an emergency phone number. An agreed and pre timed meal service 3 times a day with pre order the evening before. Internet access to keep in touch with family friends and medical support at home and to access music movies and reading material on line.

Yes we all have to live with covid. It is all around us but people are wary of reporting it because of unknown and sometimes awful consequences. Celebrity should take a lead here and set a high standard. If we had Flu or Norovirus we wouldnt be treated like Evana has. A new approach is needed to stop travel confidence falling again!

I'd be interested in your thoughts and any additions before I put fingers to keyboard!

This is a great list.  Ability to stay in your room and self-isolate is key, as is access to proper medical care and anti-virals. I was negative 4 days after starting Paxlovid (which I first got 2 days after testing positive). My state dept of health said I was free to leave quarantine 5 days after symptoms, and just mask 5 more days.  

 

The big issue is if reporting to Celebrity means their reporting to Italy and a 7-10 day quarantine on land before eligible to go home.  I can understand why one would choose to self-isolate, then self-quarantine on land until negative, and get home much faster. 
 

(Better yet, we should be able to travel with our own supply of Paxlovid because our own Dr is best able to determine if it’s contraindicated for our health, and we should be able to travel home once we are not contagious, no reason for vaccinated and boosted citizens to be treated differently in international travel than domestic travel but that is not on any cruise line).

[bananavan]

9 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Sorry, Evana, my comment was actually to OP, bananavan.

Please, no offense taken. 
I understand that I am seeing things differently from my vantage point 
We purchased Med Jet as well, but from reading this boards it appears that Italy would not let us leave anyway. 
And hilariously my MDVIP bill was due to be paid May 1. 
I had set it all up prior to leaving the USA but something happened. 
I received an email yesterday saying, :OOOPS, we are missing your payment. 
I replied: 
I realize that this is an excuse that you hear all of the time, but I did post the payment, and right now I am in Covid quarantine in the Mediterranean on a ship. 
Considering I have been a a card carrying member for the past 5 years, I would like to have an exception made. 
They agreed to that. 
The story about the woman from Carlsbad is horrifying .
Evana

[bananavan]

8 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Since you decided to stay on the ship for another voyage, were some passengers refused boarding because of cabins now occupied by passengers from the previous voyage?    This could definitely present a problem on future cruises especially since infected passengers are demanding balcony staterooms.    If older passengers can test positive for many, many days we could end up with a quarantine ship.   Perhaps Celebrity should take a ship out of service in the Mediterranean and have it serve as a quarantine/isolation ship.    Very glad our next voyages will not be near Italy.

This ship is not even  half full.
Passengers can demand a balcony all they want but that does not mean they will get them. 
We are all on the 6th floor. 
My husband was initially on Deck 12. 
Armchair quarterbacking a fluid situation is not going to change it. 

[bananavan]

8 hours ago, Nashna said:

Evana...Thank you for sharing your story.  I have been following since the beginning and am so sorry for all you have been through.  Seriously, you have been amazingly calm during this entire episode.  Life has thrown you way too many lemons and you are dealing with the onslaught so well. Please know that many of us on Cruise Critic are following and wishing you and your dear husband well.  I have to admit that I would be totally using that Classic Drink Package.  Take care.

 

I have not even shared the best part of the story, 
I have a hiatal hernia and a narrowing esophagus. 
I have also been under a little bit of stress lately. (Ya think???) 
When my husband tested positive I tried every home remedy for my GI issues. 
On Monday May 2 I went to the Medical center to ask about medications. the lovely young Dr from South Africa gave me some options and said if I did not get better to come back. 
On Tuesday May 3 I returned, They young nurse told me to allow the meds to work. (UMMMM Mag Citrate generally does in less than a day.) 
I had been up throughout the nights attempting to soak away my intense back pain and what seemed to be splenic swelling. (To me) 
I was going on about four hours sleep a night and trying to contact people in the USA when they were available was problematic. We are 7 hours ahead. 
Wednesday May 4, I was in agony. 
I went to the Medical Center again. 
A doctor saw me and said I had to go to the hospital. I kept mentioning that I could not do that because my husband was in Quarantine and the ship left at 3pm that day. 
The Dr insisted that I had to put myself first. 
So, PCR test, bag packed, ambulance called. 
I was taken to a hospital in Palma de Mallorca. 
I was. one of two people there who spoke English. 
I was placed in an exam room, had a CT scan with contrast, had blood work and I was left. 
My cell phone was running out of charge so I remembered that there are USB ports on the back of tvs. 
I plugged mine into the port and placed the phone on top of the tv. 
And it fell down behind the tv. And I am now sweating. 
I removed the 32" tv from the wall and extricated  the phone. 
I then left the exam room waving my Visa card, asking for the bill, please. 
They looked at me like I was even more demented than I think I am. 
The ship was leaving at 3 pm. All aboard at 2:30 and I had  no idea how far we are. 
At 2 pm. I had paid the bill and went outside for my taxi. 
A woman taxi driver called out my name. A few seconds later a man called out my name. 
I had a decisiont to make. I chose the person who at least knew my name. 
We showed up at the port just before 2:30. Except it was the wrong port. 
I called the Port agent who spoke to the driver and got me to the right place. 
Both my husband and I were told that I would have an agent with me at all times. 
I was alone. I am 70 years old, hardly fragile, but certainly I should not be allowed out on my own in a foreign country for much longer. 
 

[Tony UK]

6 hours ago, bananavan said:

This ship is not even  half full.
Passengers can demand a balcony all they want but that does not mean they will get them. 
We are all on the 6th floor. 
My husband was initially on Deck 12. 
Armchair quarterbacking a fluid situation is not going to change it. 

I agree. Celebrity will need to recognise and own the issues when deciding capacity. I have heard of at least 3 more guest returning home positive today. Of course Celebrity have no idea about them as there is no follow up. 

The suite class was at capacity on our sailing due to people being encouraged to make any move up bid close to sailing...even up to the evening before we sailed people were getting calls. I know they are trying to make money after the no sail period but unless they keep us safe and satisfied with the arrangements people will just try a different vacation which doesnt have these downsides risks and costs.

[Tony UK]

20 hours ago, JFontaine said:

Your daughter must be going nuts, so far away and helpless. If you are reading this, my best wishes to you too. 

 

I wonder if the head of Room Service and Food and Beverage who were so kind to you realize you are still on board and in isolation.   They should both be fired if they know you are still there and haven't fixed food delivery.  It sounds from another poster that the head of the Retreat was not helpful to them.  What a shame.  

I have always loved Celebrity and have travelled in the retreat many times. This time I was so very disappointed. My treatment was awful and inappropriate, and resulted in me being ill and packing to go home. In the end when my illness became VISIBLE to the staff in Luminae I started to be believed and the situation improved.

I spoke to some international guests from Germany and Argentina who were really struggling. There was no international hostess and initially information wasnt supplied to them in their own Language. They were very unhappy with the service from the retreat concierges.

Such a shame....we have had brilliant service in the past.

[Babr]

7 hours ago, bananavan said:

Please, no offense taken. 
I understand that I am seeing things differently from my vantage point 
We purchased Med Jet as well, but from reading this boards it appears that Italy would not let us leave anyway. 
And hilariously my MDVIP bill was due to be paid May 1. 
I had set it all up prior to leaving the USA but something happened. 
I received an email yesterday saying, :OOOPS, we are missing your payment. 
I replied: 
I realize that this is an excuse that you hear all of the time, but I did post the payment, and right now I am in Covid quarantine in the Mediterranean on a ship. 
Considering I have been a a card carrying member for the past 5 years, I would like to have an exception made. 
They agreed to that. 
The story about the woman from Carlsbad is horrifying .
Evana

 

Just a note about your MedJet coverage - It would not help you in this case. It is for hospital-to-hospital transfer. You both have to be admitted as patients before MedJet would apply, but even then -as you stated- if the Italian authorities refused to release you, MedJet can’t violate that order.

[Tony UK]

21 hours ago, bananavan said:

Tonight the Comedy of Errors persisted. 
ISSUE 1: 
We were ordering from YESTERDAY's menu. Send up a new one. 
ISSUE 2:
An order arrived with one correct item. Broccoli soup. The rest were not what we ordered. 
ISSUE 3:
We tried to call Room Service to no avail. I finally took the helm and called Customer Service directly. My husband was irritated more with me than with the fact that the order was screwed up. 
ISSUE 4: 
The next order arrived, 
I had to call to the man who had delivered it and tell him that this was once again NOT our order. 
So another call was dispatched and finally the correct order arrived
This is when there needs to be one employee directly dealing with us who have no other way to get food. 
. 
And as to the implication that there are not many in Isolation, let me simply state that this hallway is increasingly filling up and there are empty trays in front of many many door 
Originallly Alan was in 6227. We are now in 6273 and I have heard from a friend who is now down the hall from us. 

 

I have heard from at least 6 who have tested positive as they arrived home! If you got home you were lucky keep testing!

It isnt surprising. A woman was snexing and coughing near me so I put my mask on until I moved away. She said sneezing isnt a symptom of covid and she hadnt got a sore throat. I said the new varient symptoms were more like cold. There wasnt any point....she didnt want to hear it!

[Tony UK]

16 hours ago, helen haywood said:

From reading that article, if one only has 10 minutes to find an AirBnB, I’d suggest researching some places in your debarkation port and bookmarking several possibilities ahead of your last day so you could at least try to have that option. 

Take a proctored test and do it on the ship the night before debarkation. That way you'll know and be able to make some decisions. Taking a test at the airport is way too risky. Celebrity used to do a test pre debarkation last year. Perhaps all this gives an insight about why they encourage airport testing!!

[bananavan]

50 minutes ago, Tony UK said:

I agree. Celebrity will need to recognise and own the issues when deciding capacity. I have heard of at least 3 more guest returning home positive today. Of course Celebrity have no idea about them as there is no follow up. 

The suite class was at capacity on our sailing due to people being encouraged to make any move up bid close to sailing...even up to the evening before we sailed people were getting calls. I know they are trying to make money after the no sail period but unless they keep us safe and satisfied with the arrangements people will just try a different vacation which doesnt have these downsides risks and costs.

Therein lies the rub. 
We travel in Retreat on Celebrity, Grills on Cunard and full suites on Princess, 
We have always booked the category that we want and dont look back. 
That is because we have always enjoyed the lower passenger counts offered in those situations. 
The people who chose the "Move up" offer are living La Vida Local in the Retreat. Many are very high maintenance. 
I sat in disbelief as one couple proved their ignorance repeatedly on the second day of this Greek Isles  cruise. 
Bottom line, the tables are too small, the plates are too big, "I like Maxwelll house coffee what do you call this crap? " IT was so unpleasant. 
There is a real problem when you are unable to provide staff for the International travelers. 
Alan has finally tested negative and is choosing to remain with me. He is not permitted to mingle despite being negative. I understand that to a degree. 
Our Buttler is a rockstar. His wife is one of the people who answers the Room Service line. She even sent a kettle, brand new to the cabin so that we could make our own tea. 
Our Butler, Jess also calls us daily. He was devastated when I was taken to the hospital. The Retreat manager told me that he was almost in tears when he described my leaving the ship that day. 
I am glad of that Alan is with me because  today was a very tough day for me. I am perpetually healthy and happy and today I have been sleeping like a two month old baby. 
The bottom line is that if you decide to travel to Italy for a cruise or land holiday, make sure that you have an idea as to how you will get home 


 

Edited May 11, 2022 by bananavan

[BEAV]

1 hour ago, Tony UK said:

Take a proctored test and do it on the ship the night before debarkation. That way you'll know and be able to make some decisions. Taking a test at the airport is way too risky. Celebrity used to do a test pre debarkation last year. Perhaps all this gives an insight about why they encourage airport testing!!

That’s exactly what we did. We had an 11:00am flight May 6 from FCO, so I didn’t want to add airport testing to the mix. 
 

Doing the proctored test on board in our stateroom saved a lot of stress and anxiety on disembarkation and a long day of flying to California. We also slept a lot better the night of May 5 knowing testing was complete and we were negative. 

[JFontaine]

To Bananavan - I know this is no help to you, but I fully admire your strength,  composure, moxie and resourcefulness under such considerable pressure.   I hope you feel better soon. 

[tinaincc]

19 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Since you decided to stay on the ship for another voyage, were some passengers refused boarding because of cabins now occupied by passengers from the previous voyage?    This could definitely present a problem on future cruises especially since infected passengers are demanding balcony staterooms.    If older passengers can test positive for many, many days we could end up with a quarantine ship.   Perhaps Celebrity should take a ship out of service in the Mediterranean and have it serve as a quarantine/isolation ship.    Very glad our next voyages will not be near Italy.

This is extremely tone deaf.

[bananavan]

I have heard from a woman who was on our cruise and disembarked in Rome. 
She tested positive in Dublin. Now she is in quarantine there for ten days. 

More people from the Transatlantic, who continued on this back to back are now in Quarantine with us. 
And I remind myself that I am so lucky. 
When I see the news reports I am saddened by the state of the World. 
My situation is not the best, but I am being well cared for and this too shall pass. 

[Tony UK]

15 hours ago, tinaincc said:

This is extremely tone deaf.

Maybe you should fly all your countrymen who are stranded europe wide to a quarantine facility in Texas lol!

 

[Tony UK]

2 minutes ago, Tony UK said:

Maybe you should fly all your countrymen who are stranded europe wide to a quarantine facility in Texas lol!

 

Aimed at the original poster who recommended a quaratine ship.....Seriously though it is the US rules causing the issue for their own citizens. Either change the rules or find a way for people to get home easily and self quarantine there.

[Tony UK]

3 hours ago, bananavan said:

I have heard from a woman who was on our cruise and disembarked in Rome. 
She tested positive in Dublin. Now she is in quarantine there for ten days. 

More people from the Transatlantic, who continued on this back to back are now in Quarantine with us. 
And I remind myself that I am so lucky. 
When I see the news reports I am saddened by the state of the World. 
My situation is not the best, but I am being well cared for and this too shall pass. 

You are right of course but it doesnt ease your pain. I also heard from the couple in Dublin...stranded. I wondered how many planning to cruise are aware of the risks they are taking. OK if you are and accept them. I suspect most are not.

I guess the good part is that your immunity will be super boosted for a few months. Take an antibody test to find out what your levels are when you get home. Still 21st? That's my Daughters birthday!!

[tinaincc]

32 minutes ago, Tony UK said:

Aimed at the original poster who recommended a quaratine ship.....Seriously though it is the US rules causing the issue for their own citizens. Either change the rules or find a way for people to get home easily and self quarantine there.

I agree that the US’s ridiculous rules are causing most of the heartache.

[bananavan]

4 hours ago, Tony UK said:

You are right of course but it doesnt ease your pain. I also heard from the couple in Dublin...stranded. I wondered how many planning to cruise are aware of the risks they are taking. OK if you are and accept them. I suspect most are not.

I guess the good part is that your immunity will be super boosted for a few months. Take an antibody test to find out what your levels are when you get home. Still 21st? That's my Daughters birthday!!

I am asking a question here for the couple stranded in Dublin. 
Does anyone know how they might get the Certificate of Recovery needed in their case. 
I realize that this is not considered cruise related, except they certainly had Covid as result of the cruise on the Edge. 
Obviously developed it prior to disembarkation and were incubating it then. 
I can only imagine that this is a problem across the industry right now. 
I do wish that the US Government would put a little effort into considering how they are going to repatriate us old b@$t@rd$. 
Just when we thought it was safe to get back into the water, so to speak. 
Health update: 
My husband chose to stay in quarantine with me. He has finished his sentence and has tested negative. 
I have never slept as long as I have in the past two days. 
The crew continue to take unbelievable care of us. 
We have no complaints, other than it would really be nice if the Captain could change his parking style. 
Would it be too much to ask to have the sick bay passengers aligned to the Port side? Our view is generally pretty boring. (I am totally kidding, we are truly blessed no matter where we are looking out. )