Covid diagnosis after recent cruises

[styxfire]

Does anyone know if Paxlovid is available for a passenger that tests positive on board?

[CptAleSpill]

2 minutes ago, spanishguy1970 said:

your question is for someone else, but i will respond, Why not? we get flu shots every year, we have gotten pretty much every vaccine available throughout our lives. I also have military family that get jabs constantly and they don't' complain, as long as vaccines help, is up to the family and person to decide for themselves specially if is not affecting others.  IMO

Bravo!  If I had crappy (or no) insurance, I might invest more mental energy.  Fortunately (thank God), I have access to good insurance and an outstanding Doctor (I only have access to her because she changed networks years ago and there was about a ten minute period where new patients were being accepted).  I think some folks are just big babies who are afraid of needles.  🤣

[susiesan]

10 minutes ago, styxfire said:

Does anyone know if Paxlovid is available for a passenger that tests positive on board?

No. it is very expensive, a 5 day course runs over $530 from a discount pharmacy like Walmart. If you are worried about testing positive on board you will need to bring your own Paxlovid if your doctor will give it to you before you are sick.

[styxfire]

I meant can you go to the ship physician & get a Rx for Paxlovid?  They provide other medical care, I'm wondering if they can also prescribe Paxlovid?  

 

If not, that's an asinine oversight by the cruise industry.

Edited October 8, 2022 by styxfire

[Traveling Fools]

On 10/6/2022 at 11:56 PM, davencl said:

Caught covid on the galactic star cruiser at Disneyworld while "cruising" thru outerspace.

Did you pass by uranus???😝

[Traveling Fools]

When people say the caught COVID on their cruise do they mean:

 

• They caught en route to the cruise or on the trip home?
• If they took some form mass public transportation did they catch from anyone they came in contact with during their trip?
• Did they catch it from the cab driver who transported them either to their hotel from the airport, from the their hotel to the pier, from the airport to the pier?
• If they stayed in a hotel pre cruise, did they catch from anyone they came in contact with at the hotel or places they may have gone to during their layover?,
• They caught it from NCL shore side staffer while checking in for the cruise?
• After boarding the ship did they catch it from anyone they came in contact with aboard the ship?
• Or, while ashore is it possible they were exposed to it thru contact with anyone they came in contact with who was not part of the ship's company?
• Etc, Etc. Etc.

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, susiesan said:

..and 7 and 8 and 9 and on and on into infinity forever and ever.

 

 

You bet!

And if there are new vaccinations for some other nasty diseases, we'll be getting those, too.

(We are both tangentially in the medical field, and know some of the researchers working on these... and other prevention and treatment options.  We read about contra-indications and also pay good attention to our physicians.)

 

And we get shots such as for pneumonia, and those flu shots, too... et cetera...

And help with reminders (if needed) about the vaccinations for our grandchildren as well.

 

There was *one* vaccination that our medical providers recommended that only one of us get; it was contra-indicated for the other.  We are (all) watching to see if a new version will be appropriate for the other one of us.

 

Polio is "baaack" in the USA, and spreading because of low vaccination rates in some areas.  We remember when our neighbors, decades ago, got polio.  Two became paralyzed for life, one with leg braces, and the other more seriously, wheelchair-bound, with other issues as well. For life.

Others just... died...

A friend of ours got polio as a young adult, and although leg braces were used, most of the stress was from complete weight from the crutches, for decade after decade.  About a year or two ago... *two* full shoulder replacements were needed.

 

Yup, we'll take preventive and treatment medications, be they "shots/jabs" or otherwise, unless there is a specific contra-indication.

 

A serious problem is that having higher percentages of those who are *not* vaccinated who could have been... they can directly impact many others, including those who are not eligible to be vaccinated (for a variety of reasons).

And then there are the indirect effects, such as... well, the past couple of years come to mind...

 

Oh... but you have a point:  It's probably not "into infinity forever and ever"... unless there are some other even more remarkable medical advances! 😉 

 

GC

 

[turbulentwaters]

2 hours ago, styxfire said:

I meant can you go to the ship physician & get a Rx for Paxlovid?  They provide other medical care, I'm wondering if they can also prescribe Paxlovid?  

 

If not, that's an asinine oversight by the cruise industry.

 You may have difficulty getting the prescription filled at an outside pharmacy if you are under isolation.  

 

Also, if they do not have the Paxlovid on the ship, most ship physicians are not licensed in every state and country the ship sails to.  Some places will allow outside prescriptions, but some will not.  

 

As was mentioned before, you should only get Paxlovid if you are high risk.  For others there is very little if any benefit and it has some nasty side effects and increased risk of rebound COVID, as well as the very high expense.  If you are such high risk, you will likely be disembarked at the next port, to a hospital or a hotel under isolation.  Remember too, that your insurance may not cover Paxlovid if you do not meet the indications for it.  Likewise if you just get the medication 'just in case' prior to a cruise without a positive diagnosis.  

 

Asinine perhaps, but it makes sense to me.  

[victory2020]

6 hours ago, MeHeartCruising said:

Noticed my Covid symptoms on disembarkation day of my September 10-day British Isles cruise.   So, PROBABLY caught it on the cruise, but could have caught it in port or elsewhere.  The coughing woman behind me on an excursion vehicle is a suspected cause, but who knows.  On the last night of the cruise, I could hear people in the cabins on both side of me coughing all night.  So I'm guessing they had it too.  

 

I was fully vaccinated and had 2 booster shots (most recently in early June).  My symptoms were obvious, but mild.  You can catch it anywhere, anytime.  It won't stop me from cruising.  Next up... Mexican Riviera in February.

Was this Sept 15 Amsterdam to Southampton?

[victory2020]

2 hours ago, Traveling Fools said:

When people say the caught COVID on their cruise do they mean:

 

• They caught en route to the cruise or on the trip home?
• If they took some form mass public transportation did they catch from anyone they came in contact with during their trip?
• Did they catch it from the cab driver who transported them either to their hotel from the airport, from the their hotel to the pier, from the airport to the pier?
• If they stayed in a hotel pre cruise, did they catch from anyone they came in contact with at the hotel or places they may have gone to during their layover?,
• They caught it from NCL shore side staffer while checking in for the cruise?
• After boarding the ship did they catch it from anyone they came in contact with aboard the ship?
• Or, while ashore is it possible they were exposed to it thru contact with anyone they came in contact with who was not part of the ship's company?
• Etc, Etc. Etc.

I'm thinking if you noticed someone who was coughing close to you for a few minutes or longer, that could be a possible source. I wonder how many people get it by just being in close proximity for a short time without any expenditures of breath from infected person

[susiesan]

3 hours ago, styxfire said:

I meant can you go to the ship physician & get a Rx for Paxlovid?  They provide other medical care, I'm wondering if they can also prescribe Paxlovid?  

 

If not, that's an asinine oversight by the cruise industry.

If you go to the ship doctor, test positive for covid, you won't be able to go fill a prescription at a pharmacy in port since you will be locked in a quarantine cabin. You will get limited medical care with OTC meds but no paxlovid. if you are very very sick you will be offloaded at the next possible port and sent to a hospital, all at your own expense.

[LaCal]

4 hours ago, susiesan said:

No, you have to see a doctor and have it prescribed. Paxlovid is not sold over the counter, it's a prescription only medicine. And not everyone can get a prescription, they are mostly for people over 50 and/or at high risk for developing serious covid.  If you go to a doctor in Juneau and you test positive for covid, you might not be allowed back on the ship if you let NCL know this.

The FDA approved that Paxlovid can be prescribed by a pharmacist 

 

No need to see a doctor 

[njhorseman]

40 minutes ago, susiesan said:

If you go to the ship doctor, test positive for covid, you won't be able to go fill a prescription at a pharmacy in port since you will be locked in a quarantine cabin. You will get limited medical care with OTC meds but no paxlovid. if you are very very sick you will be offloaded at the next possible port and sent to a hospital, all at your own expense.

NCL has paxlovid vailable in its onboard medical center. From what I've read they charge $800 for it.

[MeHeartCruising]

2 hours ago, victory2020 said:

Was this Sept 15 Amsterdam to Southampton?

No.  But the previous week.  Sept 5 Southampton to Amsterdam. 

[pspercy]

June cruise on Bliss, both double vexed plus booster. 
Left ship on a Saturday morning in Seattle.

Home 1am Sunday.

Felt “ off “ Weds pm.

Tested positive for Covid Thursday am. Temp 101F, dreadful sore throat. Fri much better but Doc prescribed Paxlovid (more Pfizer EUA).

DW unscathed.

[styxfire]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

NCL has paxlovid vailable in its onboard medical center. From what I've read they charge $800 for it.

Ouch!  But thanks, that gives me much more peace of mind than a booster would.  (Despite how HORRIBLE it tastes in your throat!) 

 

Geez, at $800 per Rx, NCL could be cashflow positive after 1 on-board outbreak!

 

For those who buy medical insurance, might be worth it to confirm if your coverage includes prescriptions such as that.

[AnitaVacation]

On 10/6/2022 at 11:51 PM, BirdTravels said:

Most people catch covid during air travel. And not from the cruise. 

I've always thought this was a very likely scenerio, since we had to take a covid test 2-3 prior to sailing.

On 10/7/2022 at 4:15 AM, PATRLR said:

A very tiny bit interesting that I haven't read anyone in this thread say they caught Covid on a warm weather cruise.  Or a European cruise for that matter.   Small sample this thread is, I know.  

I think just a coinkydink..... we both brought it home from our May cruise (bahamas)... and then my travel mate caught it on our June cruise....

On 10/7/2022 at 8:10 AM, AviationInScale said:

I would be interested in knowing how many of the people that contracted COVID after their cruise were "vaccinated" vs. un"vaccinated".

well, up until recently...we all had to be vaccinated.

 

 

[marie94949]

I only know a two groups of people who have gone on a cruise this year.  Two caught COVID at the end of a Caribbean cruise ( a few weeks ago)  and one's traveling friends caught COVID on their Alaska cruise in June.   Also it seem that close to half of the people I know who have gone on vacation this year with long flights caught covid.  In my personal circle of friends travel has been a main source of covid transmission.   No one has gotten seriously sick and everyone is vaccinated and boosted.  For me I just hope I get it at the end of the trip and not the beginning like a friend who just returned from Italy.  She thinks she got it from her seatmate on the flight out.  She said lots of people on the flight were coughing, etc.

[cocod08]

I ended up with Covid after my cruise to Alaska but I think it came from the airport and the flight home. My flight was much later in the day so I spent a lot of time at SEA-Tec and then a 5+ hour flight home. My positive test was exactly 5 days after my flight. I tested the day before that and was negative. So I'm attributing to the airport time and the flight which was packed. I have been vaccinated with just one booster and this was my first Covid infection.    

 

[Russiamomm]

Anyone that thinks the Covid didn’t come from the ship is delusional.  Of course it came from the ship.  Maybe from fellow passengers getting it onshore, but either way it was on the ship.  I was also on the 9/6 10 day to NE/Canada and came home with Covid.  My travel mate never tested positive.  That being said, the shots did their jobs.  We both were both fully vaccinated with two boosters.  I had a slight headache and a runny nose for two days starting on disembarkation day.  Never a fever.  Covid will not stop me from traveling.  In a way I’m glad I got it.  Out of the way for a while.   😃

[Russiamomm]

6 minutes ago, CptAleSpill said:

Exactly.  Why would you think I was being sarcastic?  I do what my Doctor recommends, and she strongly recommended the new bivalent booster.  That made two shots plus three boosters for us (which makes some people's heads explode).  You may wish to consider this as well, based upon your other comments.  😎

Sorry if I misinterpreted what you said, but we’re on the same page.  I have a doctor’s appointment this week and if he recommends the fifth shot I will get it.  But I’m reasonably sure that it was Omnicrom from that I came home with in September.  Either way, it doesn’t scare me at this point.  I have three cruises on the calendar and about to book the fourth.  Life is good.  😃

Edited October 9, 2022 by Russiamomm

[cjv22]

First cruise since COVID (10

day NE/Canada):

Day before cruise-tested negative

Day after cruise-tested positive

No air travel involved.

vaccinated/boosted

Symptoms-bad cold, cough, fatigue and loss of smell & taste. No fever. 

 

 

[Sailing12Away]

On 10/8/2022 at 8:12 PM, njhorseman said:

NCL has paxlovid vailable in its onboard medical center. From what I've read they charge $800 for it.

On the Joy, as soon as you call guest services to inquire about testing they tell you that testing is free if you have symptoms or feel ill, but if you want a "medical consultation" (whatever that is) it will be a minimum $200 charge. I'm guessing a lot of people with symptoms decline any testing or anything if it's mild as soon as they hear there's a potential charge involved, which leads to the problem of folks quickly spreading it around to everyone else.

14 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

Anyone that thinks the Covid didn’t come from the ship is delusional.  Of course it came from the ship.  Maybe from fellow passengers getting it onshore, but either way it was on the ship.  I was also on the 9/6 10 day to NE/Canada and came home with Covid.  My travel mate never tested positive.  That being said, the shots did their jobs.  We both were both fully vaccinated with two boosters.  I had a slight headache and a runny nose for two days starting on disembarkation day.  Never a fever.  Covid will not stop me from traveling.  In a way I’m glad I got it.  Out of the way for a while.   😃

From talking to folks and seeing comments in the FB sailing for that cruise as well, on the official record there were 10 passengers that tested positive. However, within the first few days of folks getting home and getting tested at home, that number was easily triple if not higher. 

 

The biggest issue I have with how NCL handles things is that no one knows the rules and no one is transparent in all the rules. I'm 100% convinced I picked it up from the passenger sitting behind me on an excursion who was hacking up a lung and sneezing the whole time maskless on the bus. Within 2 days I had a bad cold with a nonstop runny nose. Asked for a test just to make sure so I could continue on my way guilt free and it came up positive. No one else in my travel party was required to be tested, and as long as they relocated to a separate room they could go about their trip without any testing or quarantine at all.

 

In talking to the medical staff, they admitted 10 people "that we know of" who were positive, but suspected a much higher count but couldn't force people to be tested. Even if they're sneezing, coughing, runny nose, visibly showing symptoms of something.... they couldn't even ask them to be tested. 

 

This was our 5th trip since Covid, no flights involved in this one despite flights for the others, 3 vaccines each, and blamm-o. Hubby tested positive with a self kit when we got home that day. Was it horrible, no, but 3+ weeks later I still can't shake it. I test negative, but there are days when I'm still symptomatic.

 

We'll certainly handle our next cruises differently. But it sucks when folks don't do the right thing and then get tons of other people sick as a result. Just because it was a mild cold for you doesn't mean it's going to be short or mild for the rest of us. Stay the 'eff in your room and wear a god darn mask if you're sick.

[UKstages]

3 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

On the Joy, as soon as you call guest services to inquire about testing they tell you that testing is free if you have symptoms or feel ill, but if you want a "medical consultation" (whatever that is) it will be a minimum $200 charge. I'm guessing a lot of people with symptoms decline any testing or anything if it's mild as soon as they hear there's a potential charge involved, which leads to the problem of folks quickly spreading it around to everyone else.

 

 

i travel with my own self-test kits.

 

i don't think it's the cost that prevents people from getting tested on board. it's the fear of having to be confined to a cabin, and that is why, as you theorize in your post, that an awful lot of people are walking around spreading it, perhaps innocently, perhaps not.

Edited October 10, 2022 by UKstages

[ljrfrm]

On 10/7/2022 at 4:12 PM, crazycatlady82 said:

Husband was diagnosed with COVID the day after our 10 day cruise on the Star (Iceland and Greenland), July 25-Aug 4. He started to have symptoms while we were flying back. 

Us too.  Definitely a bunch of us on this sailing came home positive.  Such a great trip though!!!!