How prevalent is covid?

[REOVA]

On 10/31/2022 at 5:07 PM, SumoCitrus said:

Sailing with my parents in December and they are understandably concerned about covid (ages 70 and 78). Both of them are vaxxed and boosted which gives them comfort. I had covid over the summer and it was mild which has been the report of most people who get it lately. I think it might just be unavoidable on ships, meaning there will always be a few cases. My parents tried to get a prescription for Paxlovid (just in case) but received resistance from their doctors who didn't want to preemptively prescribe it in that way.

 

We've discussed it and the current strategy is: bring a mask and wear it if it feels necessary; take the stairs/avoid elevators; wash hands often. Probably good advice from now on.

Yes good advice to wear mask and wash hands/sanitize regularly. Its amazing how many people are not even washing hands (even after using restroom) and then touching counters and  food items. But its not just on ships, its in life in general. The number of people in World Stage coughing with no regards for others (not covering mouths) is unfortunately high. Not just relating to COVID but respect for others on any level. And as stated, many people will not get tested for fear of having to quarantine. (Yes some are non symptomatic but others are not). Just off Rotterdam and midway it was announced that if you feel sick, go to medical (hint hint). Then more crew began masking. But infection cases were either not announced or said to be low. Fortunately we did not catch anything (we think) as we were not as lucky on Zaandam in July when cases went up over 200, requiring masking mid way.  In my experience with folks taking Paxlovid is that it calms the symptoms but extends the time people feel sick. (I'm not a doctor nor not a large sampling study but just expressing real life observation of people I know). 

[aliaschief]

If one follows regularly on these Hal CC boards there have been many of us who have tested positive and quarantined with minimal or mild symptoms while on cruises in the past year. It’s not over and in some areas annual flu cases are also quite prolific.

Still looking forward to our next cruise. Just need to be aware it can happen again but it’s definitely not over.

[HAL4NOW]

Sorry if this is a repeat from other threads.

On Circle Hawaii cruise out of Vancouver in October my DW and I would alternate days for taking Covid tests we brought on board with us. Ten days into the cruise I tested positive. We contacted ships medical, and it was confirmed with a PCR test. My DW and I isolated in our cabin for the duration of the cruise; she tested positive three days later than me, and we both continued testing positive until arriving back in Vancouver.

Because we had been identified as having Covid, we were told to remain in our cabin until someone from the ship would come and escort us to the terminal for a taxi HAL had arranged (with extra cleaning charge). We were escorted to the BB King's venue, along with 80-100 other passengers that had been in isolation at the end of the sailing. I don't know how many other passengers had been identified with covid prior to us, or how prevalent it was on the Koningsdam. I am quite certain that many on the ship had covid and didn't report it because they didn't want to isolate.

Both DW and I are doing well; we had very minimal symptoms for a short time.

[Highway27]

As a bit of a counterpoint, we are on day 6 of 11 on Rotterdam, and I have been keeping an ear out for people coughing in gathered spaces, and there really hasn't been much if any. We see some people masking, some crew masking, but in general there doesn't appear to be much concern for respiratory viruses. This cruise may be cursed in OTHER ways, but not with COVID.

[keeponcruising]

I got off the NS on Nov 5th. My travel partner and I never had covid before and were up to date with all vaccines and boosters. The next to last day we both started to get cold symptoms in the evening. Tested ourselves the last day and were positive. We stayed in the room after that and wore our masks off the ship.  We stayed in a hotel for 3 nights because we didn't want to bring it home to the family. Still feel crappy.  I have a cruise booked in Feb. that I will most likely cancel.  It's just not worth worrying about and going through it gain. I wish I wore my mask and especially on the elevator. Some lady sneezed and coughed the very first day on a full elevator and didn't cover up.  I wonder if that is who gave it to us. We will never know.

[ottahand7]

21 hours ago, REOVA said:

Yes good advice to wear mask and wash hands/sanitize regularly. Its amazing how many people are not even washing hands (even after using restroom) and then touching counters and  food items.

I loosened up on the NS last February when they took off the mask mandate for part 2 of our B2b.  Handwashing and avoiding touching surfaces are something I did including using the towel to open the public bathroom door.   As people loosen their guard the norovirus will begin to rear its' ugly head.   That makes you wish you would die.....   I will be masking on our upcoming Grand SA unless they give us the all clear that the crew is not required to wear them.  I still will avoid crowds.   

[swin26]

800 cases on a Princess ship was reported on CNN

 

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/11/13/australia/australia-covid-majestic-princess-cruise-passengers-intl-hnk/index.html

[WriterOnDeck]

I'm on the Westerdam and our captain gives the covid numbers every day. At its high, during the Seattle to Sydney 36 days, there were as many as 50-something in isolation at a time. I think some came off and others went on. In Sydney we picked up 700 people (dropped off 500), and no one was wearing masks much. After the Majestic Princess case of 800 last week, HAL instituted masks required indoors for all its ships in this area (Australia/NZ). On my shipboard excursion this morning everyone on our bus wore masks for the entire bus journey.

 

Earlier in the cruise I was one of the covid isolations, and probably one of the bloggers mentioned earlier. I do not monetize my blog or use click bait (and feel mildly offended for the previous comment, as I know the bloggers and none of us do -- anyone who has read our blogs would know they have no ads, as we are regular CC posters). I was consistent in always wearing a mask until seated at a meal, on excursions, in elevators, in the show and bars, etc. Always washed hands thoroughly (700+ cruise days and you know how to do this!). And still I had slight cold symptoms one morning, tested myself. Positive, so called medical. Eight days in isolation until I could test negative. You can do everything right and still get covid. Thank goodness after a couple of days I had no symptoms, so at least I felt OK.

 

I've written about the experiences on my blog (www.WriterOnDeck.com) if anyone wants to read it.

 

Yesterday the captain announced our isolations had risen to 23, from 19, 10, 3 the days before. I am very pleased our captain gives us the daily numbers. I wish they all would.