How are Covid cases on NCL ships?

[kayjaypea42]

On 5/20/2022 at 3:01 PM, dman07 said:

Wow. Seems like there was a big outbreak on the ship but it went unreported because everyone tested positive after they got off 

 

I tested positive the day after we disembarked 

Yes, we all got it on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, too.  My grandmother and mother tested negative the day before we disembarked to fly home to the US (it was a Med cruise), but I tested positive.  (So here I am, still in Italy waiting for my time to be up to go back home....)  I also feel like there was a major outbreak on the ship that happened off the ship... There was lots of sneezing and some coughing onboard.

[dcipjr]

11 hours ago, Quencups said:

Off the Joy 5/22 (yesterday) and hubby and daughter tested positive today. Mild symptoms  I tested negative but going for pcr because I feel that’s a false negative as I feel mildly sick. I think we were a little too lax with our mask wearing 😞

 

I came down with symptoms after arriving home the evening of disembarkation day, but didn't test positive until two days later.

 

I woke up Tuesday with a fever, and that's when I tested positive. The PCR may detect it, but try again in a couple days if it doesn't—or as soon as you get a fever.

[MidCitiesMan]

Q: How are Covid cases on NCL ships. 
 

A: Underreported 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, MidCitiesMan said:

Q: How are Covid cases on NCL ships. 
 

A: Underreported 

Probably true for all cruise lines, not just NCL.

[Quencups]

2 hours ago, dcipjr said:

 

I came down with symptoms after arriving home the evening of disembarkation day, but didn't test positive until two days later.

 

I woke up Tuesday with a fever, and that's when I tested positive. The PCR may detect it, but try again in a couple days if it doesn't—or as soon as you get a fever.

Gm dc. Tested positive this morning. How long were you sick and are you still positive?

[Quencups]

6 hours ago, kayjaypea42 said:

Yes, we all got it on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, too.  My grandmother and mother tested negative the day before we disembarked to fly home to the US (it was a Med cruise), but I tested positive.  (So here I am, still in Italy waiting for my time to be up to go back home....)  I also feel like there was a major outbreak on the ship that happened off the ship... There was lots of sneezing and some coughing onboard.

Oh no! How long do you have to stay in Italy?

[Spring58]

I just returned from the May 12 cruise to Bermuda on the Pearl. We didn't hear about any cases while we were on the ship. We never take the elevators, which were crowded, as we are trying to walk off all those calories! And we didn't go to any shows. We heard that the ship was only 60% full, so it never seemed crowded. We always tried to socially distance, even at the ports. We were fine and didn't catch anything. Of course, the flights to and from the port, you are sitting inches away from lots of people. What are you going to do?

[dcipjr]

24 minutes ago, Quencups said:

Gm dc. Tested positive this morning. How long were you sick and are you still positive?

 

I tested positive a week ago. Today I'm still a little under the weather, but mostly recovered. I had flu-like symptoms for a couple days, then I lost my sense of taste and smell just as I was starting to feel better. 

 

My taste and smell are back, but not all the way back yet. I was still positive as of yesterday.

 

My experience will no doubt differ from yours. For me, even a "mild" case hasn't been much fun. But being vaxxed and boosted, we don't have much to worry about...just have to stick it out.

 

I hope you feel better soon!

 

I still think the cruise was worth it. 🙂 

[Quencups]

14 minutes ago, dcipjr said:

 

I tested positive a week ago. Today I'm still a little under the weather, but mostly recovered. I had flu-like symptoms for a couple days, then I lost my sense of taste and smell just as I was starting to feel better. 

 

My taste and smell are back, but not all the way back yet. I was still positive as of yesterday.

 

My experience will no doubt differ from yours. For me, even a "mild" case hasn't been much fun. But being vaxxed and boosted, we don't have much to worry about...just have to stick it out.

 

I hope you feel better soon!

 

I still think the cruise was worth it. 🙂 

Hope you are 100% soon!!  I kinda think it was still worth it. I just wish we hadn’t run around like it was pre-pandemic 2018 lol. 

[dcipjr]

25 minutes ago, Quencups said:

Hope you are 100% soon!!  I kinda think it was still worth it. I just wish we hadn’t run around like it was pre-pandemic 2018 lol. 

 

If it makes you feel better, I stayed in my stateroom a lot and did a lot of reading on my balcony, avoided crowded spaces, masked in the Theater and Comedy Club, mingled with people outside instead of inside, and I still got it. So honestly, it might not have made a difference! 😄 

 

I hope you have a speedy recovery. 🙂

[drumming cruisers]

Wonder if it's passed thru the air conditioning. So many people on lots of ships getting it and those that were super careful to. 

[CrazyTrain2]

38 minutes ago, drumming cruisers said:

Wonder if it's passed thru the air conditioning. So many people on lots of ships getting it and those that were super careful to. 

Doubtful because the cruise ships have not changed since the early return to service.  More likely, the virus has changed.  It's just a beast for transmissibility.

 

The difference between Delta -> Omicron BA.1 -> Omicron BA.2 -> Omicron BA.2.1.21 regarding transmissibility is profound.  As viruses evolve, more transmissible variants tend to dominate less transmissible variants.  So BA.2.1.21 will run its course across the globe and there is little anyone can do about it.

 

Hold on to your hankies, it's gonna be a bumpy few months.

 

When you look at the cruising environment compared to your everyday environment, the cruise is a concentrated set of opportunities to get infected. Three meals a day out and generally with other people, closed in rooms, activities, karaoke, laughing, singing, interacting with people all offer an opportunity for viral spread.  Combined with a virus that has more subtle symptoms you have a daily cocktail special ripe for transmission.

 

The general population has LITTLE immunity to catching BA.2.XXX.  Omicron gets past your short term protections (exposure or vaccines) from Alpha and Delta.  You are protected by the long term T-Cells from serious illness but not from catching Omicron.

 

Hang in there cruisers, we'll get through this together.

Edited May 24, 2022 by CrazyTrain2

[hal2008]

On 5/12/2022 at 12:14 PM, lorif said:

I saw a La Lido Loca youtube video about a week ago addressing reports of those who had been quarantined.  You might want to have  a look at that, and maybe they've had an update.

I think it is in the ships interest to not advertise or make covid numbers widely available.  There is the push/pull between those who want to cruise like it's 2019, and those that would like to cruise again if safety protocols are in place and effective.

 

Thank you very much for additional source information and god bless to all of you who have shared honestly.

 

Trying to assess risk on European cruises before booking one from three angles

a) idea about the spread on the ships

b) what happens when you do get sick on ship

c) how to handle return to US test turns up positive 

(logistics surrounding getting corvid in foreign land is sometimes more daunting then actual disease)

 

On this boards, I am even afraid to even ask questions.

 

Thanks again for hekpful posts.

[rjm11]

Wow. I wish they would consider bringing back mask requirements- it seems like this is much higher rate (though of course we don't know for sure) than it was even last november and december when the omicron spike was at its highest- but back then they required masks.

[hal2008]

11 minutes ago, rjm11 said:

Wow. I wish they would consider bringing back mask requirements- it seems like this is much higher rate (though of course we don't know for sure) than it was even last november and december when the omicron spike was at its highest- but back then they required masks.

 

What you say makes perfect sense to me but I am afraid to even suggest that here. I am going to restrict myself to very cautiously worded questions only.

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by hal2008

[rjm11]

13 minutes ago, hal2008 said:

 

What you say makes perfect sense to me but I am afraid to even suggest that here. I am going to restrict myself to very cautiously worded questions only.

 

well I definitely don't mean it to be inflammatory! But that's the only difference as far as I can see- there seem to be tons of people coming back right now and testing positive- and if that was happening before people were much quieter about it. Maybe it's because they did away with testing at the pier? I don't know what it is, but something seems riskier right now.

[The Shrike]

I'd prefer they just do away with testing altogether and let this thing run its course.

[rjm11]

3 minutes ago, The Shrike said:

I'd prefer they just do away with testing altogether and let this thing run its course.

I don't disagree- I just think course "singular" won't be it- it will continue to cycle since the antibodies don't last very long.

[hal2008]

On 5/12/2022 at 1:54 PM, TheJamesGang said:

My husband and I just returned from a sailing on the Encore. We both tested positive for Covid after 2 years of being beyond careful. We even masked on the ship. The cruise was 15 days and after day 5, there were tons of people coughing, sneezing, etc....all over the ship. NCL will keep that very quiet. I should also note that the medical center cannot deal with any kind of outbreak, illness, or even small emergencies. It's a step above going to the nurses office in high school.

 

I originally went to the medical center with severe abdominal pain and vomiting. After they tested me and found I was positive for Covid, they told me all my symptoms and pain were due to Covid and to go back to my room and quarantine, which we did. About 8 hours later I could no longer walk, sit or stand as the pain had become intolerable. My husband called the medical center and they came in hazmat suites with a wheel chair and took me back down to the medical center. Took my vitals, etc...then gave me an IV...which was put in wrong....they didn't get it into the vein, just under my skin so the fluid built up in my arm for a few hours causing my right arm to swell massively. The pain continued. They have no capability to do any kind of scan or ultrasound. They originally wanted me to stay on board and get off in LA as planned, then head to the hospital.

 

My husband and I knew something was really wrong and not Covid related. After my husband repeatedly insisted, they let us get off the ship in Cabo and I was taken to the hospital there. Once I reached the hospital and they took out the IV line from the ship, the fluid starting squirting out of my elbow where the line had been inserted. The doctors there did a CT scan and discovered my appendix had ruptured. The infection had spread thru my abdomen (peritonitis) and caused my kidneys to go into failure. I went into surgery that day. I spent 5 days in the ICU at the hospital in Cabo where I received the most incredible medical care I could have ever hoped for. 

 

We are home now and very grateful for the care I receive in Cabo. Had I taken the advice of NCL and stayed on the ship for 2 more days, the odds are that I would have went into septic shock and died. The point I'm trying to make is please know that if something does go wrong, the ship's medical center is not equipped to handle it.

 

 

 

 

OMG

 

And here I was thinking that cruise ship is safer if you just use it as floating hotel with room service and do not expose to any crowd (elevators, theater, bars, dinning places, bus tours) with advantage of having medical center access in foreign country.

 

Didnt think of medical center as a liability.

 

Thank you for posting.

[styles27]

On 5/23/2022 at 4:02 AM, KateQ22003 said:

Thank you for this link! Interesting site for sure. 

 

I am currently in the throes of Covid; my wonderful husband brought it home to me from his workplace. It just kills me that for over 2 years I have gone nowhere but the cancer center, and I still couldn't avoid it. I'm feeling really lousy this morning and have been up since 2 because I couldn't stop coughing. This is a miserable virus, and anyone who says it's like a cold must have horrible colds! I don't think I have ever felt so lousy. Trying to look on the bright side - maybe now I can cruise soon!

Oh no I’m so sorry. It sounds like you’re having the same symptoms my husband had. My Covid experience was more like a sinus infection  but he was down and pretty sick for a couple of weeks. 
Sending positive healing thoughts your way❤️

[MidCitiesMan]

2 hours ago, hal2008 said:

 

OMG

 

And here I was thinking that cruise ship is safer if you just use it as floating hotel with room service and do not expose to any crowd (elevators, theater, bars, dinning places, bus tours) with advantage of having medical center access in foreign country.

 

Didnt think of medical center as a liability.

 

Thank you for posting.

When I went to the medical center, eventually testing positive for Covid, they made me change my mask. Which was perfectly fine. What wasn’t fine is I reached into a box of masks and fished one out. I touched other masks that other people would later put on their face. Think about that. 

[TheJamesGang]

3 hours ago, hal2008 said:

 

OMG

 

And here I was thinking that cruise ship is safer if you just use it as floating hotel with room service and do not expose to any crowd (elevators, theater, bars, dinning places, bus tours) with advantage of having medical center access in foreign country.

 

Didnt think of medical center as a liability.

 

Thank you for posting.

Yeah, the medical center is not equipped to handle anything except maybe a cut or sprained ankle. I never imagined with so many people, particularly older people with possible conditions, that the ship's medical center would be so lacking. 

 

They told me when I was there that I was the only patient in there....but when my husband came down just an hour later he said the place was packed. NCL is hiding what's really happening with COVID on the ships. There were 2 nights that I thought I heard vacuuming happening in the hallway around 1-2am. It turns out, that's the chemical sprayer they use when they take someone out of the room with COVID. It's exactly what they did to me. Sprayed everywhere I went. That said, I know for a fact that 2 sets of our neighbors on deck 10 were removed from their rooms. I don't know where they went, but they didn't return to the room before I was taken off the ship on April 30th.

 

The worst part was being told that COVID was the reason I had unholy abdominal pain and couldn't walk. They just think every symptom is COVID related and then send you to quarantine. I asked my doctor when I returned to the US and she said there is no way that kind of pain and symptoms would ever be COVID.

 

This was such an awful/traumatic experience that I don't know if we will cruise again, which is a pity because we really, really enjoy it. 

 

Please be safe!

[MidCitiesMan]

TheJamesGang, what cruise? We were deck 10 on the Bliss last week when we got Covid. 
 

edit: n/m, I missed you gave the date. 

Edited May 25, 2022 by MidCitiesMan

[Mira28]

15 hours ago, hal2008 said:

On this boards, I am even afraid to even ask questions.

This.

Too bad it's so often like this as the site really can be helpful. It's best to try to ignore the negative back and forth and focus on finding the information you need. I guess there are those that enjoy the rudeness.

 

[KateQ22003]

13 hours ago, styles27 said:

Oh no I’m so sorry. It sounds like you’re having the same symptoms my husband had. My Covid experience was more like a sinus infection  but he was down and pretty sick for a couple of weeks. 
Sending positive healing thoughts your way❤️

Thank you so much! I started Paxlovid on Monday and am feeling a little bit better. I am still coughing like crazy and I wake up in the night in coughing fits. It's kind of scary!