My Recent Covid Experience on the Equinox September/October 2022

[sjb317]

OP, thanks for sharing your experience.  We brought covid home with us after our Sept. 21 cruise on Summit.  My husband started having cold symptoms on disembarkation day, I started the next day.  On day 10 of the cruise, the captain announced since we had reached the threshold of cases, masks were now mandatory and passengers were pretty compliant. 

This was our 14th cruise since Aug, 2021 but the first cruise that we did not consistently wear a mask.  We were diligent about hand washing and I thought we did a fairly good job of keeping distance between us and others.  We did wear our masks leaving the ship, in the airport and on the plane in hopes that we would not spread this to others.

 

For everyone who says covid is just a cold, I would agree as our symptoms were that of a cold , but it seems to be the cold that just won’t go away.  Two weeks later, we are both still coughing and still experiencing upper respiratory congestion at times.  Tests are negative so we are no longer isolating but would love to get rid of this cough.😂

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

 

[39august]

We were on this and the following cruise and noted that there were no closed off areas on deck 3 or 6. I checked that out early the first cruise. Glad to see you were allowed to stay in your cabin. I was so glad there was no testing for b2bs and even  happier that crew were allowed to get rid of masks for the Oct. 6 cruise. Nearly every cruise I have taken in the past 15 years, I or my husband, or both of us, have experienced some sort of cold or bronchial symptoms after debarking the cruise. Germs are everywhere and we need to get on with life and cruising. 

[mayleeman]

10 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

For all those who reported here: I'm sorry you caught this iteration of the virus and get well soon. 🙏 I am happy the concierge seems to be working well, but distressed that the bivalent booster seems  to be less effective than expected against symptomatic disease.

Can't really draw any conclusions from a sample of CC reports, I would guess.

[RichYak]

14 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

...we were both escorted back to our cabin and instructed to stay in our cabin.  My DW did not have the option of moving to another cabin because no cabins were available.

To be clear, your wife, who was covid negative for the duration of the cruise, was also placed in mandatory confinement?

[Virginia100]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

What a small world this is - we're on the same cruise! 😃 I got my bivalent booster about a month ago, so I'm as prepared as I can be. Let's hope the ship isn't too crowded. 🙏

Hope going out San Juan does cut down on number of passengers! Getting my bivalent Moderna shot on Monday. Suppose to be a little stronger. No Covid yet… Crossing my fingers. Probably no elevators or theater. Will wear a mask in transit. Got 2 flights from Virginia to get there.

[Midlo]

For what it’s worth, both my wife and I had managed to avoid Covid for the past three years. We both got the Latest Moderna booster two weeks before the Oct 6 sailing. We also flew first class on the way to Ft. Lauderdale to try to minimize contact. Our cabin was on deck 11 so it was difficult to avoid elevators. My symptoms began on the ninth night so probably got it mid week. 
Would I do anything differently? No, I don’t think so. I agree with the original op statement that you should expect to get it and plan accordingly. It was great to get back to cruising after a three year hiatus.

[JFontaine]

2 hours ago, Virginia100 said:

 Now I wonder about us.we are getting our omicron booster 12 days prior. Hmmmm.

 

The people on this thread reporting that they got Covid after the bivalent booster are also reporting that they are basically OK now.  No terrible lasting illness, no hospitalization,  no worse than that. I credit their booster for that part of their good news. 

[sdnich]

2 hours ago, sjb317 said:

OP, thanks for sharing your experience.  We brought covid home with us after our Sept. 21 cruise on Summit.  My husband started having cold symptoms on disembarkation day, I started the next day.  On day 10 of the cruise, the captain announced since we had reached the threshold of cases, masks were now mandatory and passengers were pretty compliant. 

This was our 14th cruise since Aug, 2021 but the first cruise that we did not consistently wear a mask.  We were diligent about hand washing and I thought we did a fairly good job of keeping distance between us and others.  We did wear our masks leaving the ship, in the airport and on the plane in hopes that we would not spread this to others.

 

For everyone who says covid is just a cold, I would agree as our symptoms were that of a cold , but it seems to be the cold that just won’t go away.  Two weeks later, we are both still coughing and still experiencing upper respiratory congestion at times.  Tests are negative so we are no longer isolating but would love to get rid of this cough.😂

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

 

We were also on the same cruise as you were and ended up spending the last four days in our cabin with Covid. I took a lot of cold medication and hoped that would feel better next morning but  did not so we self-reported and both tested positive. We are fortunate it was mild but glad we made the decision that we did .Not only to not get others sick but to get reimbursed for the last four days. My husband felt better after two days I feel better by the time we disembarked . We are both fortunate to only have a cough for a couple days while we were in quarantine but very tired for two weeks.

[C4HCG]

50 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

The people on this thread reporting that they got Covid after the bivalent booster are also reporting that they are basically OK now.  No terrible lasting illness, no hospitalization,  no worse than that. I credit their booster for that part of their good news. 

In the UK we’ve been told boosters don’t protect us from infection but reduce the symptoms just as you summarise here.

[Jim_Iain]

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.   Things seem to evolving with each cruise and your experience helps all of us set our expectations of what happens if we test positive. 

[miched]

You were on a B2B.   Was it your desire to leave or was it Celebrity that told you you couldn’t sail?  
 

curious as we have a B2B coming up on the Equinox.   
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[colliercruiser]

Thanks for sharing.  As I have posted elsewhere, my wife & I recently experienced (and continue to experience) COVID isolation… on the Summit.  A few comments along with yours:

 

The Summit also has a COVID Concierge… and she has been excellent at keeping us informed, answering questions, helping with our requests, etc.  We are in a suite, and that staff (butler, Retreat manager, Retreat concierge, etc) have enhanced the experience even more.

 

We are on a B2B.  We tested positive during the first sailing, and since our (minimal) isolation period would continue into the second sailing (both sailings are 12 nights), we had the option of disembarking after the first sailing (with full refund for the second cruise) or continuing on the B2B to complete our isolation.  The one “catch” was due to the second sailing’s stop in Bermuda, they had to get the Bermuda authorities ok… which they did.

 

We have continued on the B2B.  My wife tested negative on her Day 5 (first day to be tested) and was able to get off in Bermuda.  I tested positive on my Day 5 and Day 6 (today).  The protocol says that the daily testing will continue until I get a negative test OR I reach Day 10 (at which point the isolation automatically ends).

 

So far, Celebrity Summit has been excellent with their care, and I’m looking forward to a significant refund for the days in isolation.  (I’ve asked the COVID Concierge for details on how that is calculated… particularly given the B2B overlap… and she is checking with the head office.)

[Ipeeinthepools]

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

To be clear, your wife, who was covid negative for the duration of the cruise, was also placed in mandatory confinement?

 

My DW was also in mandatory isolation because she had close contact to a confirmed case.  She could have escaped isolation if she tested negative after 2 days and had no symptoms.  She wasn't interested and didn't go for a second test at Medical.  It's not clear to me if she would have needed to move to a different cabin if she tested negative and wanted to leave the cabin.

[Ipeeinthepools]

34 minutes ago, miched said:

You were on a B2B.   Was it your desire to leave or was it Celebrity that told you you couldn’t sail?  
 

curious as we have a B2B coming up on the Equinox.   
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

I wasn't feeling that great and I was happy to leave after the first cruise.  I never really asked if I could stay.   My thought was that I would eventually infect my DW with Covid and she would be confined to the cabin for at least an additional 5 days of the second cruise.  It just didn't seem like a good idea to explore staying on the ship.  My thought was to take the refund and try again some other time.

[colliercruiser]

1 hour ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

My DW was also in mandatory isolation because she had close contact to a confirmed case.  She could have escaped isolation if she tested negative after 2 days and had no symptoms.  She wasn't interested and didn't go for a second test at Medical.  It's not clear to me if she would have needed to move to a different cabin if she tested negative and wanted to leave the cabin.

In our situation (described previously), my wife tested positive first and I tested negative.  We stayed in the same suite… not separated… and I was told I was free to leave at anytime if I wore a mask.  I inquired further (a bit surprised) and was told the rules changes a few days prior.  I did come down with symptoms the next day and did one of the home tests I brought.  It was positive so I went to Medical who confirmed it.

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

My DW was also in mandatory isolation because she had close contact to a confirmed case.  She could have escaped isolation if she tested negative after 2 days and had no symptoms.  She wasn't interested and didn't go for a second test at Medical.  It's not clear to me if she would have needed to move to a different cabin if she tested negative and wanted to leave the cabin.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm sorry you had to go through this and hope that you're both fully recovering.

[carlmm]

Thank you for your interesting reports. They help to make informed decisions.

[TrulyBlonde]

We received our bivalent booster about 3 weeks ago. I was wondering if someone would catch it after getting this booster. Well, now I know 😞  

[pilot]

We got off this cruise Saturday. Friday afternoon my wife and I got a sore throat and started to cough. Both took tests and both were negative. Tested again Sunday and both positive. All shots and boosters. 
 

Never felt terrible. Still have slight cough, but feeling good. 
 

Will text again in a couple of days.

 

Lots of people coughing all over the ship. 

[dlh015]

BTW, many thanks to the OP for sharing and best wishes for a speedy recovery for him and his wife!!

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

We were on the September 16th sailing. We are in our 80’s. I use oxygen 24/7. Two shots, two boosters. Covid for both last New Year’s Eve. 
We did not wear masks. We did not attend shows. We did not go to the casino. We did not take any tours. We dined in Luminae, Murano, Tuscan and Sushi on 5. Spent time at the outdoor pool and our balcony. And shopping.

 We were fortunate and did not get sick. Go figure!  
P. S. We will continue to cruise. Next one starts on November 6th. 

[bunzini]

8 hours ago, colliercruiser said:

Thanks for sharing.  As I have posted elsewhere, my wife & I recently experienced (and continue to experience) COVID isolation… on the Summit.  A few comments along with yours:

 

The Summit also has a COVID Concierge… and she has been excellent at keeping us informed, answering questions, helping with our requests, etc.  We are in a suite, and that staff (butler, Retreat manager, Retreat concierge, etc) have enhanced the experience even more.

 

We are on a B2B.  We tested positive during the first sailing, and since our (minimal) isolation period would continue into the second sailing (both sailings are 12 nights), we had the option of disembarking after the first sailing (with full refund for the second cruise) or continuing on the B2B to complete our isolation.  The one “catch” was due to the second sailing’s stop in Bermuda, they had to get the Bermuda authorities ok… which they did.

 

We have continued on the B2B.  My wife tested negative on her Day 5 (first day to be tested) and was able to get off in Bermuda.  I tested positive on my Day 5 and Day 6 (today).  The protocol says that the daily testing will continue until I get a negative test OR I reach Day 10 (at which point the isolation automatically ends).

 

So far, Celebrity Summit has been excellent with their care, and I’m looking forward to a significant refund for the days in isolation.  (I’ve asked the COVID Concierge for details on how that is calculated… particularly given the B2B overlap… and she is checking with the head office.)

We were on this cruise and thankfully did not get it.  Although we had it last January.  Anyhow, I had wondered if many on our cruise did get covid since it was a longer cruise and that tends to bring about more cases it seems.  However, I did not hear of any cases or see anything that would indicate so.  I suspect there were, but hadn't heard of any.  Hopefully you are feeling better and enjoy this second leg of your trip!

[MarKay525]

Add us to those on the 9/17 Equinox sailing who tested positive when we got home. We both had sore throats, but assumed it was colds because we were rained on so much during the cruise (thank you Hurricane Ian). DH tested positive on 9/27 and was immediately put on Paxlovid. Although I had symptoms, I didn't test + until 10/1. DH was sicker than I was, but it took me longer to recover.

We have another cruise in early Dec., then are traveling for Christmas, and have been told we should have natural immunity through the end of the year. 🤞🤞

 

Hope everyone is now feeling better. Kay & Mark

Edited October 19, 2022 by MarKay525

[Oceangoer2]

13 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

We dined in Luminae, Murano, Tuscan and Sushi on 5. Spent time at the outdoor pool and our balcony.

Very much like our 'routine' onboard;  hopefully a little distancing will help avoid the virus although we do go to the shows (seen so often we could do the routines...LOL) but still enjoy them. 

Edited October 19, 2022 by Oceangoer2

[360Guy]

Glad the OP had an acceptable quarantine experience.   We had about a 180 degree different experience on the Silhouette in April out of Southampton.  Have cancelled cruises since.  Continue to see a large variance in quarantine experiences that demonstrate Celebrity is struggling to deliver a consistent model.   Staffing shortages seem to contribute along with each ship doing some things well and others do not.  Giving the industry more time to settle.   Looking forward to returning to cruising.