Covid Experience - Nieuw Statendam September 7th – 17th, Quebec City to Boston

[12cruise2]

5 hours ago, windsor26 said:

So sad that a Carnival Group company should behave so irresponsibly when people in their charge are ill.  Knowing that there was covid on board I do not understand their reluctance to ensure masks were worn

 

On Princess this last week everyone without exception (EXCEPT children) had to be masked and there were staff walking around with boxes of masks and giving them to you watching you don them if you had forgotten them.  They were also diligent at the Buffet entrance ensuring that everyone washed their hands.

All areas where there were drinks were sip and cover areas except the restaurants and even there you had to be masked going to and from your table.

To my knowledge there was no covid on board so obviously Princess have in this instance got it right.   Off on P&O Australia next month and hope they are as diligent.

Great for Princess and those passengers.  That's the way it should be.

[Mary229]

As long as they have that Covid policy on their website they are responsible for the expenses outlined there.  I would demand reimbursement but by their policy which does state 

 

2. All elements of the Covid-19 Plan are excess over any valid and collectible insurance.  Guests will be reimbursed for reasonable expenses, as defined below, incurred but not covered by their insurance meaning that the guest must file a claim with their primary insurer, and submit any excluded or uncovered expense.
 

 

expect this to disappear January 1, 2023. You should immediately download a pdf copy of that page for your future reference.
 

I looked at RCCL’s  policy and it only covers Covid medical treatments onboard with a proration.   I think CCL bit off more than it can chew and is trying to offload its responsibilities- too bad- next time don’t offer such a generous policy for the sake of bookings. So that you know they offer medical onboard treatment, direct Covid treatment not complicated or due to a preexisting condition, reasonable hotel expenses for the stated quarantine period  (nothing about them booking the hotel), air change fees(nothing about them booking the flight more paying for the flight), a food per diem and a proration of cruise expenses .

 

*one thing to note, in isolated areas such as Alaska those travel fees can be quite expensive and may not be covered by this policy.  This policy covers the airline fee not additional airlines or transport. 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Mary229

[silversneakers]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

As long as they have that Covid policy on their website they are responsible for the expenses outlined there.  I would demand reimbursement but by their policy which does state 

 

2. All elements of the Covid-19 Plan are excess over any valid and collectible insurance.  Guests will be reimbursed for reasonable expenses, as defined below, incurred but not covered by their insurance meaning that the guest must file a claim with their primary insurer, and submit any excluded or uncovered expense.
 

 

expect this to disappear January 1, 2023. You should immediately download a pdf copy of that page for your future reference.
 

I looked at RCCL’s  policy and it only covers Covid medical treatments onboard with a proration.   I think CCL bit off more than it can chew and is trying to offload its responsibilities- too bad- next time don’t offer such a generous policy for the sake of bookings. So that you know they offer medical onboard treatment, direct Covid treatment not complicated or due to a preexisting condition, reasonable hotel expenses for the stated quarantine period  (nothing about them booking the hotel), air change fees(nothing about them booking the flight more paying for the flight), a food per diem and a proration of cruise expenses .

 

*one thing to note, in isolated areas such as Alaska those travel fees can be quite expensive and may not be covered by this policy.  This policy covers the airline fee not additional airlines or transport. 

This is why you should have travel insurance that includes COVID coverage AND be your own gatekeeper with a "just in case" plan.

[WFBgal]

We were on the VOV July & Aug. COVID arrived about the 5th day & we all masked up for next 3.5 wk. All excursions were small private ones except for one. Wore the masks except outdoors walking the Promanade or on tour. Wore them on the bus. Came home healthy & only have worn one to dr & dental appointments.I’m done with it.

[sprockie]

On 9/22/2022 at 2:15 PM, Suzy Bell said:

My husband and I were on that cruise and I also became ill and tested positive for Covid, my husband had no symptoms and tested negative.I didn't have to move to an isolation cabin since there were only 2 days remaining of the cruise.My husband couldn't leave our cabin either. He was retested and still negative.

We received no proof of our tests, no documentation as to the dates my quarantine should begin and end. Being from Canada which requires a 10 day quarantine we are having an extended stay in Boston. 

I also received the letter on Friday night with the suggestion to use a different Marriott Hotel in Boston. No transportation assistance provided by HAL. Took taxi to hotel to find no reservations made, HAL had never notified them about any passengers needing rooms. There were several other quarantine passengers there in the same situation.

Fellow passengers tried various other hotels only to be told no rooms were available anywhere and if they heard Covid mentioned they wouldn't take you period.

The front desk clerk at the Marriott Hotel managed to find accomodation elsewhere and ordered 2 taxis to take 5 of us. However it was far from downtown Boston out on a highway and it is not the best place we ever stayed. After spending 2 nights there we were able to book another place, requiring another taxi ride back into Boston.

Our travel agent booked us flights to go home this Sunday, the 25th.

 

We also are double vaccinated, wore our masks except when eating, avoided crowds. This was our first cruise since 2019. We have always cruised with Holland America.

This experience was very frustrating to say the least.

 

I hope your wife is feeling better and that you stayed well.

 

 

 

 

 

In our experience, HAL is quick to wash their hands of passengers as soon as possible.  A whole different story and set of circumstances, but we missed our ship in St. Thomas about 20 years ago and even then HAL wouldn't help us whatsoever.  After numerous calls to the ship, their only offer was to pack our cabin up and send our luggage to the pier.  I see similarities in this story with the treatment of Covid passengers.

[Mary229]

49 minutes ago, sprockie said:

In our experience, HAL is quick to wash their hands of passengers as soon as possible.  A whole different story and set of circumstances, but we missed our ship in St. Thomas about 20 years ago and even then HAL wouldn't help us whatsoever.  After numerous calls to the ship, their only offer was to pack our cabin up and send our luggage to the pier.  I see similarities in this story with the treatment of Covid passengers.

Those are pretty much the rules if you missed your ship.  Your TA should have educated you before you left if you were unfamiliar with cruising.  
 

there are clear specified rules about Covid.  The unfortunate thing is the onboard ship staff tries to help beyond the limits of those rules and sets up expectations.  Those staff need better training.  
 

[Vict0riann]

We are just back from a 2-week Alaska cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam, and both have Covid.  I must say, the staff on board the NA did themselves proud in comparison to what seems to be happening on some of the ships!  

 

But I think that this pandemic thing is going the way of the dodo.  It will end up like noro used to be, a lot of people will get sick, the Captain will be very annoyed, and it will fall to the passenger to look after himself, with perhaps a couple of days stuck in his room. Canada seems to be dropping all restrictions, even ArriveCan, as of October 1, so we're on our own now.  It just takes a few irresponsible people to ruin a cruise for the rest.  

 

We wore our masks diligently,  we social-distanced as much as we could, we only took the masks off to eat or drink.  We didn't get on the elevator if there was anyone in it without a mask.  I have no idea how I picked it up first, and of course I generously passed it on to DH, who tested positive 3 days after I did.  I called the Medical Centre when I had a scratchy throat (we tested ourselves first, I had a very faint positive and DH was negative), and the nurse got the same results as I had.  I was moved to a different room, and DH was free to go about the ship.  I got super treatment, the nurse called daily to check on me, I got reams of paper to read;  all the orders and procedures, treats kept arriving from Room Service,  a special tea from the Cellar Master.  When DH called the Medical Centre to say he also had a bit of a sore throat (he had tested himself and was still negative), the nurse went up to do a PCR test, which was positive and he quickly joined me in my isolation cabin.  I had to tidy up, pdq!  More treats, paperwork, teas, etc.  Phone calls from the Front Office to explain things, I could not have asked for more.  We received certificates of our Covid testings, forms to fill out for re-imbursement of expenses, and were told we would receive FCC for cruise days missed.  

 

There must have been hundreds with Covid!  Our bus - to just one hotel in Vancouver, plus DH and myself to the car rental office - was full (60?) and I think there were 2 other hotels being used, plus other independents, I guess.  So, if everyone got the same treatment as we did, the staff did extremely well.  

 

But cruising is still going to be a problem, ships are petri dishes.  Everyone in charge is fed up with the whole thing and just wants it to go away, and it's getting expensive to have to look after the sick to the extent they have been.

[BetsyS.]

7 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

We are just back from a 2-week Alaska cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam, and both have Covid.  I must say, the staff on board the NA did themselves proud in comparison to what seems to be happening on some of the ships!  

 

But I think that this pandemic thing is going the way of the dodo.  It will end up like noro used to be, a lot of people will get sick, the Captain will be very annoyed, and it will fall to the passenger to look after himself, with perhaps a couple of days stuck in his room. Canada seems to be dropping all restrictions, even ArriveCan, as of October 1, so we're on our own now.  It just takes a few irresponsible people to ruin a cruise for the rest.  

 

We wore our masks diligently,  we social-distanced as much as we could, we only took the masks off to eat or drink.  We didn't get on the elevator if there was anyone in it without a mask.  I have no idea how I picked it up first, and of course I generously passed it on to DH, who tested positive 3 days after I did.  I called the Medical Centre when I had a scratchy throat (we tested ourselves first, I had a very faint positive and DH was negative), and the nurse got the same results as I had.  I was moved to a different room, and DH was free to go about the ship.  I got super treatment, the nurse called daily to check on me, I got reams of paper to read;  all the orders and procedures, treats kept arriving from Room Service,  a special tea from the Cellar Master.  When DH called the Medical Centre to say he also had a bit of a sore throat (he had tested himself and was still negative), the nurse went up to do a PCR test, which was positive and he quickly joined me in my isolation cabin.  I had to tidy up, pdq!  More treats, paperwork, teas, etc.  Phone calls from the Front Office to explain things, I could not have asked for more.  We received certificates of our Covid testings, forms to fill out for re-imbursement of expenses, and were told we would receive FCC for cruise days missed.  

 

There must have been hundreds with Covid!  Our bus - to just one hotel in Vancouver, plus DH and myself to the car rental office - was full (60?) and I think there were 2 other hotels being used, plus other independents, I guess.  So, if everyone got the same treatment as we did, the staff did extremely well.  

 

But cruising is still going to be a problem, ships are petri dishes.  Everyone in charge is fed up with the whole thing and just wants it to go away, and it's getting expensive to have to look after the sick to the extent they have been.

I'm sorry you and your husband have covid. I hope you will both feel better soon.

          That is great that you were treated so well!😊

[Mary229]

54 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

We are just back from a 2-week Alaska cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam, and both have Covid.  I must say, the staff on board the NA did themselves proud in comparison to what seems to be happening on some of the ships!  

 

But I think that this pandemic thing is going the way of the dodo.  It will end up like noro used to be, a lot of people will get sick, the Captain will be very annoyed, and it will fall to the passenger to look after himself, with perhaps a couple of days stuck in his room. Canada seems to be dropping all restrictions, even ArriveCan, as of October 1, so we're on our own now.  It just takes a few irresponsible people to ruin a cruise for the rest.  

 

We wore our masks diligently,  we social-distanced as much as we could, we only took the masks off to eat or drink.  We didn't get on the elevator if there was anyone in it without a mask.  I have no idea how I picked it up first, and of course I generously passed it on to DH, who tested positive 3 days after I did.  I called the Medical Centre when I had a scratchy throat (we tested ourselves first, I had a very faint positive and DH was negative), and the nurse got the same results as I had.  I was moved to a different room, and DH was free to go about the ship.  I got super treatment, the nurse called daily to check on me, I got reams of paper to read;  all the orders and procedures, treats kept arriving from Room Service,  a special tea from the Cellar Master.  When DH called the Medical Centre to say he also had a bit of a sore throat (he had tested himself and was still negative), the nurse went up to do a PCR test, which was positive and he quickly joined me in my isolation cabin.  I had to tidy up, pdq!  More treats, paperwork, teas, etc.  Phone calls from the Front Office to explain things, I could not have asked for more.  We received certificates of our Covid testings, forms to fill out for re-imbursement of expenses, and were told we would receive FCC for cruise days missed.  

 

There must have been hundreds with Covid!  Our bus - to just one hotel in Vancouver, plus DH and myself to the car rental office - was full (60?) and I think there were 2 other hotels being used, plus other independents, I guess.  So, if everyone got the same treatment as we did, the staff did extremely well.  

 

But cruising is still going to be a problem, ships are petri dishes.  Everyone in charge is fed up with the whole thing and just wants it to go away, and it's getting expensive to have to look after the sick to the extent they have been.

Sorry you have Covid, wishing you a speedy recovery.

[VMax1700]

@Vict0riann  Sorry to hear you and Pat got 'the bug'. 😷 I think you are right about how it will progress.... throat lozenges, lemon drinks, paracetamol and a few days TLC.  It will become one of the risks of cruising similar to Noro, Cruise Cough etc.   We will need to learn to accept it or don't cruise.

P.S. we got a certificate on our last cruise too.................

for crossing Arctic Circle 😁   I must say I prefer mine to yours 😉

[Tigrou]

6 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

We wore our masks diligently,  we social-distanced as much as we could, we only took the masks off to eat or drink.  We didn't get on the elevator if there was anyone in it without a mask.  I have no idea how I picked it up first, and of course I generously passed it on to DH, who tested positive 3 days after I did.  I called the Medical Centre when I had a scratchy throat (we tested ourselves first, I had a very faint positive and DH was negative), and the nurse got the same results as I had.  I was moved to a different room, and DH was free to go about the ship.  I got super treatment, the nurse called daily to check on me, I got reams of paper to read;  all the orders and procedures, treats kept arriving from Room Service,  a special tea from the Cellar Master.  When DH called the Medical Centre to say he also had a bit of a sore throat (he had tested himself and was still negative), the nurse went up to do a PCR test, which was positive and he quickly joined me in my isolation cabin.  I had to tidy up, pdq!  More treats, paperwork, teas, etc.  Phone calls from the Front Office to explain things, I could not have asked for more.  We received certificates of our Covid testings, forms to fill out for re-imbursement of expenses, and were told we would receive FCC for cruise days missed.  

 

I'm sorry you also caught covid despite your best efforts, and hope you are both feeling well again soon.

 

Your experience was so different to mine, yet during the same time period, that it's as if it was a different cruise line not just a different ship.  It certainly seems that the medical and management staff on Nieuw Amsterdam could teach those on Rotterdam a great deal about how to manage these situations. 

 

I have to say that reading your account makes me feel even more disappointed and somewhat envious.  I did eventually receive a standard one-page information sheet after I'd been in isolation for 3 days, telling me various things which should have happened but which did not such as the daily welfare calls and extra supplies, including bottled water, being provided in the cabin.  A treat from room service would have been most welcome, if only as a way of knowing that perhaps someone did care about my situation.  However, I was even refused pineapple juice and when I asked for bread rolls (I didn't feel well enough for full meals so tried to get things on my one order each day that I could keep to snack on), I was told they were only available when the main dining room was open for dinner. 

 

Rather than it being expensive for them, in my case they most likely saved money by me being sick!  All it cost them was a PCR test, the price of which was probably more than covered by my unspent, non-refundable OBC.