On Celebrity Equinox quarantined in my cabin with Covid

[terrydtx]

5 hours ago, Flyonby said:

My husband refuses to try and gamble again and won't cruise until this pandemic is in the books. I think that the protocols are sound and that we just got unlucky, I'd be willing to try again sooner. Your mileage will vary of course 

That is so unfortunate, but I hope your DH realizes this pandemic will never be in the books, it is here for many many years to come like the seasonal flu. The only way to get back to the new normal is to learn to live with Covid. My DW and I figure we have maybe 10 more prime years of travel, we are both 72, and we already lost 2 of them since I retired in 2020, can't afford to lose any more, so we will just have to accept the risks.

[terrydtx]

6 minutes ago, CaliforniaAC said:

We caught Covid-19 while on the Equinox in March/April this year. We did a 20 day B2B and caught it on the second leg. Since we were on the next cruise, we were tested for covid on the first leg (the tests were negative) . The Captain had a very carefree attitude about all the reported cases (over 1%). We vaccinated, boostered, masked (and masked and masked), hand washed, hand sanitized,  we did everything whether everyone did, or not. This was our third cruise since the return, with no problems.

 

What is it with the Equinox? 

We were on one of the first Equinox cruises last August and with 1400 passengers,  there were only 6 positive reported cases, 4 passengers and 2 crew members all tracklet traced to the Martini bar and the two bar tenders. 

[hrhdhd]

1 hour ago, CaliforniaAC said:

We caught Covid-19 while on the Equinox in March/April this year. We did a 20 day B2B and caught it on the second leg. Since we were on the next cruise, we were tested for covid on the first leg (the tests were negative) . The Captain had a very carefree attitude about all the reported cases (over 1%). We vaccinated, boostered, masked (and masked and masked), hand washed, hand sanitized,  we did everything whether everyone did, or not. This was our third cruise since the return, with no problems.

 

What is it with the Equinox? 

COVID is a virus. The variant now is incredibly contagious. 

 

I wish people (general "people") would stop feeling like failures by catching it. Eventually, pretty much everyone is going to get it. 

[raudacruise]

I caught covid on the second leg of my BTB on Silhouette in March. Was moved from my suite to a balcony cabin. My 8 days in quarantine weren’t fun but not torture either. Sailing Silhouette again in January 2023. Not staying home. 🚢
 

[TeeRick]

14 hours ago, Flyonby said:

Capt made an announcement. He said 1% of people on ship are in quarantine. He said they did contact tracing and no one had gotten sick from contact with the positive passengers 

It seems that 1% infected on a ship is a common number seen here on CC from the occasional reporting by Celebrity.  And that unfortunately does not include the people not reporting symptoms and infecting fellow passengers.  And it does not include the people reporting positive post-cruise.  

[C4HCG]

9 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

COVID is a virus. The variant now is incredibly contagious. 

 

I wish people (general "people") would stop feeling like failures by catching it. Eventually, pretty much everyone is going to get it. 

I reckon most of us have already had it! And will get it again and again.

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, C4HCG said:

I reckon most of us have already had it! And will get it again and again.

Yes, and this is how we should look at it and just move forward living day to day, normal precautions of course, just like we do with the flu.

[latserrof]

12 hours ago, terrydtx said:

This pandemic will never be in the books, it is here for many many years to come like the seasonal flu.

The last influenza pandemic was in 1968-69.

[CaliforniaAC]

12 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

COVID is a virus. The variant now is incredibly contagious. 

 

I wish people (general "people") would stop feeling like failures by catching it. Eventually, pretty much everyone is going to get it. 

We were shocked and embarrassed. The cabin two doors down from us was moved to a quarantine cabin a few days before we disembarked. They used the same hallway, elevator buttons, etc., so we did have exposures in small common areas.

My Husband now says "It's not a matter of "IF" you get Covid, it's a matter of "WHEN" you will get covid.  

[CaliforniaAC]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

It seems that 1% infected on a ship is a common number seen here on CC from the occasional reporting by Celebrity.  And that unfortunately does not include the people not reporting symptoms and infecting fellow passengers.  And it does not include the people reporting positive post-cruise.  

1% is the number that makes it mandatory to notify the CDC.

[LGW59]

14 minutes ago, CaliforniaAC said:

We were shocked and embarrassed. The cabin two doors down from us was moved to a quarantine cabin a few days before we disembarked. They used the same hallway, elevator buttons, etc., so we did have exposures in small common areas.

My Husband now says "It's not a matter of "IF" you get Covid, it's a matter of "WHEN" you will get covid.  

Surprised you even leave the house 

[Jim_Iain]

27 minutes ago, CaliforniaAC said:

1% is the number that makes it mandatory to notify the CDC.

True -  but only if the ship is sailing in U.S. waters.   Many if not all the ships in Europe aren't reporting or if the do they report to the EU and while they do have covid protocols for cruise ships I don't believe they report cases on ships. 

[Flyonby]

So disembarkation was pretty much a non- event. They asked that we leave the ship between 7:30-8. My understanding is that the ( non- quarantined) people who wanted to self carry off the ship gathered in deck 2 to exit. We were told to leave off deck 5. At our appointed time we just simply walked out of our cabin. We definitely mixed with the general population waiting for the packed elevators. We scanned our cards and rolled out the door. No one made any mention of covid as we left. We were among the first (assuming all others were also in the quarantine group) to go through customs. That was super fast ( and more than a little scary) due to the facial recognition scanners. 

 

I am not sure what the procedure would have been if we had not been quarantined for more than 5 days. That seemed to be a number they keyed in on. 

[OT-Miami]

1 hour ago, Flyonby said:

So disembarkation was pretty much a non- event. They asked that we leave the ship between 7:30-8. My understanding is that the ( non- quarantined) people who wanted to self carry off the ship gathered in deck 2 to exit. We were told to leave off deck 5. At our appointed time we just simply walked out of our cabin. We definitely mixed with the general population waiting for the packed elevators. We scanned our cards and rolled out the door. No one made any mention of covid as we left. We were among the first (assuming all others were also in the quarantine group) to go through customs. That was super fast ( and more than a little scary) due to the facial recognition scanners. 

 

I am not sure what the procedure would have been if we had not been quarantined for more than 5 days. That seemed to be a number they keyed in on. 

So sorry this happened – what a disappointing way to spend one’s hard-earned vacation!  Thank you so much for sharing your story.  Your experience has given us much to think about as we approach final payment for our October sailing.  The fact remains that, despite all of the precautions, covid is still an issue to contend with.  Wishing you an uneventful trip home 😊

[Flyonby]

How our covid contingency plans worked out when actually put to the test.

 

1. We booked during what we assumed would be a lull in the covid numbers. Obviously that didn't happen as the US is in an Omnicron surge. Nothing that could have been done about this. Plan was solid, but can't control the path of the virus.

 

2. We booked adjoining balcony cabins. Booking a balcony cabin was a splurge from our normal ocean view cabin. Putting 3 people in 1 cabin was going to be almost as much as 2 separate cabins for 4, so getting 2 cabins was a no brainer. Our booking agent worked with us to get adjoining cabins knowing that we would put my daughter in the cabin with us and let my mother have her own space. 

 

This contingency plan turned out to be the most life saving. Opening the divider between the verandas made the space feel less confining. We were able to send my daughter from cabin to cabin when she needed a break. I would definitely book a balcony if quarantine was a possibility.

 

3. We did not book our excursions through Celebrity, but we did buy cancellation insurance. We notified the company as soon as we were quarantined that we needed to cancel. Despite this, we had the tour guides call us directly in 2 ports to see if we were going to show up. We are still working with the company to see what can be refunded.  Bottom line, probably should have booked through Celebrity based on the possibility of quarantine.

 

4. We had a covid prep bag packed. This had the aforementioned medicines, extra crafts and books for my daughter, and some books for the adults.  We were lucky to not need many of our meds. The medical office had some medicine available, but I like having my own selection, especially for my 5 yo. I did not pack enough books and crafts for my daughter. She is not a screen child, and her main entertainment is running around and playing and books. She is good about playing by herself, but this trip pushed her past that limit. 

 

Things that we did not plan for, but made the quarantine bearable. 

 

We carried on 8 bottles of wine, per the 2 bottles per person noted on the website. The screener tried to protest the amount, but my husband pointed out the policy. Not sure Celebrity planned on a 5 yo carrying on 2 bottles 🤪.  

 

Celebrity gave us each unlimited internet.  My husband had already purchased an unlimited package for himself, but having unlimited internet really helped us all.  

 

Being able to order food not just from the room service menu. Guessing what might be on the buffet and seeing what arrived was always interesting. Getting to order from the main dining room and not missing lobster night was great. 

 

Room service brought us free waters, afternoon cocktails, and often wine with dinner. Definitely a nice break from the sameness

 

 

 

 

 

[IkeBo3]

We disembarked the Equinox this past Sunday June 12th and I tested positive today. I tried to call CC customer support to report it, but hung up after 58 minutes on hold. I also can’t find any post-cruise covid reporting information online. I am reading between the lines that once you’re off the ship they don’t want to know. Am I wrong?

 

[Tony UK]

21 minutes ago, IkeBo3 said:

We disembarked the Equinox this past Sunday June 12th and I tested positive today. I tried to call CC customer support to report it, but hung up after 58 minutes on hold. I also can’t find any post-cruise covid reporting information online. I am reading between the lines that once you’re off the ship they don’t want to know. Am I wrong?

 

If you contract covid within 14 days of debarkation you are required to report it to Celebrity under the terms and conditions small print. Not many do! There isnt a specific link to contact. 

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, IkeBo3 said:

We disembarked the Equinox this past Sunday June 12th and I tested positive today. I tried to call CC customer support to report it, but hung up after 58 minutes on hold. I also can’t find any post-cruise covid reporting information online. I am reading between the lines that once you’re off the ship they don’t want to know. Am I wrong?

 

No way to know you caught it on the ship…I wouldn’t worry about it…did you have symptoms?  Is that why you tested? 
 

get better soon..

Edited June 15, 2022 by PTC DAWG

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, IkeBo3 said:

I am reading between the lines that once you’re off the ship they don’t want to know. Am I wrong?

I think you're closer to the truth than most people want to admit. But thank you for trying to do the right thing.

[abbydancer2003]

2 hours ago, IkeBo3 said:

We disembarked the Equinox this past Sunday June 12th and I tested positive today. I tried to call CC customer support to report it, but hung up after 58 minutes on hold. I also can’t find any post-cruise covid reporting information online. I am reading between the lines that once you’re off the ship they don’t want to know. Am I wrong?

 

As others have said, you're probably not wrong.  That said, maybe their putting it in there was before the current version.

[CaliforniaAC]

On 6/15/2022 at 12:34 PM, IkeBo3 said:

We disembarked the Equinox this past Sunday June 12th and I tested positive today. I tried to call CC customer support to report it, but hung up after 58 minutes on hold. I also can’t find any post-cruise covid reporting information online. I am reading between the lines that once you’re off the ship they don’t want to know. Am I wrong?

 

I called Celebrity the day we tested, and got through right away. It seems I did find a number on the Celebrity website, but it was pretty vague- something like "Past Passengers". I spoke to a woman who read off a million questions, and I could hear her typing my answers on a computer keyboard.

Just glad your home. We have a long cruise booked with another cruise line in the spring.

[Surfguyxxx]

This is my biggest fear.  Thanks for sharing with us.  Good luck!!! 

[BJW123]

On 6/13/2022 at 12:39 PM, Flyonby said:

How our covid contingency plans worked out when actually put to the test.

 

1. We booked during what we assumed would be a lull in the covid numbers. Obviously that didn't happen as the US is in an Omnicron surge. Nothing that could have been done about this. Plan was solid, but can't control the path of the virus.

 

2. We booked adjoining balcony cabins. Booking a balcony cabin was a splurge from our normal ocean view cabin. Putting 3 people in 1 cabin was going to be almost as much as 2 separate cabins for 4, so getting 2 cabins was a no brainer. Our booking agent worked with us to get adjoining cabins knowing that we would put my daughter in the cabin with us and let my mother have her own space. 

 

This contingency plan turned out to be the most life saving. Opening the divider between the verandas made the space feel less confining. We were able to send my daughter from cabin to cabin when she needed a break. I would definitely book a balcony if quarantine was a possibility.

 

3. We did not book our excursions through Celebrity, but we did buy cancellation insurance. We notified the company as soon as we were quarantined that we needed to cancel. Despite this, we had the tour guides call us directly in 2 ports to see if we were going to show up. We are still working with the company to see what can be refunded.  Bottom line, probably should have booked through Celebrity based on the possibility of quarantine.

 

4. We had a covid prep bag packed. This had the aforementioned medicines, extra crafts and books for my daughter, and some books for the adults.  We were lucky to not need many of our meds. The medical office had some medicine available, but I like having my own selection, especially for my 5 yo. I did not pack enough books and crafts for my daughter. She is not a screen child, and her main entertainment is running around and playing and books. She is good about playing by herself, but this trip pushed her past that limit. 

 

Things that we did not plan for, but made the quarantine bearable. 

 

We carried on 8 bottles of wine, per the 2 bottles per person noted on the website. The screener tried to protest the amount, but my husband pointed out the policy. Not sure Celebrity planned on a 5 yo carrying on 2 bottles 🤪.  

 

Celebrity gave us each unlimited internet.  My husband had already purchased an unlimited package for himself, but having unlimited internet really helped us all.  

 

Being able to order food not just from the room service menu. Guessing what might be on the buffet and seeing what arrived was always interesting. Getting to order from the main dining room and not missing lobster night was great. 

 

Room service brought us free waters, afternoon cocktails, and often wine with dinner. Definitely a nice break from the sameness

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing your experience with lots of detailed tips - good to know as I just submitted final payment yesterday for an 18 day Honolulu/Sydney cruise in October with lots of sea days, so am concerned about Covid and want to be prepared.  Did the ship's medical team offer you paxlovid after you tested positive?  I asked my doc for an Rx we can bring on board, but currently it's available only if you're positive, although he said that may change by October.  

[bnurick]

@Flyonby We got COVID after three shots in January.  Two days of the sniffles and that was it.  After, 90 days of immunity so we went on two cruises.  Got a 4th shot before our last cruise, all was good, just tested negative after.  Enjoy your 90 days!  🙂

[Redtravel]

Over 2 years with no Covid, we booked our first pandemic cruise.  Reviewed protocols for various cruise lines, and decided Celebrity Summit was a good fit for us. On paper, it sounded safe. In reality, it wasn’t.  Got Covid.