In Covid isolation on the Nieuw Amsterdam

[Florida_gal_50]

4 minutes ago, SweetsugarNL said:

I wear masks all the time and got covid on my first cruise. 

I have a colleague that used the same disposable mask for months.  He got Covid.  I’m also very careful how I touch mine.  I don’t touch it with anything but clean hands. I don’t use it as a chin mask or store it in a dirty pocket.  Not saying you do but this is some of the behaviour I’ve noticed.

[SweetsugarNL]

17 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I have a colleague that used the same disposable mask for months.  He got Covid.  I’m also very careful how I touch mine.  I don’t touch it with anything but clean hands. I don’t use it as a chin mask or store it in a dirty pocket.  Not saying you do but this is some of the behaviour I’ve noticed.

Clean ffp 2 masks. No flights before cruise. Avoid crowded area’s.  And sanitaze hands all the time. Clean the room often with detttol. But almost nobody wear masks and people passing by couging on your food, drinks when eating.

I have learned that only be carefull is not enough.

Edited November 17, 2022 by SweetsugarNL

[Banditswife]

We have cruised 31 days since the restart.  We have not gotten sick yet, but that doesn't mean we won't.  We try to keep to ourselves, & wash hands frequently, have been vaccinated as much as is allowed.  But there is still a risk.

We were on a 17 day CCL cruise that had a covid outbreak.  No numbers were ever posted or announced, but there were red bags along hallways & rumors were flying.  The sad thing for us was that everyone had to test at home & then again in terminal & all pax were required to be vaxed & boosted.  You would have thought that cruise would be safer.  But it wasn't.

For us, we know there are risks in cruising.  But there are also risks in going to your local grocery or anywhere.  There are risks in driving down the street too.  We just have to choose which risks we are willing to take.

To Birdie 16- sorry you & your husband are in isolation, hope things get better for you soon.

[dwc13]

OP, sorry to hear about you and your husband. Hope both of your recover quickly and completely. 

 

We were on Zaandam last month for 10 days. I spent much of the time outside, doing laps on deck 3, playing pickleball/shuffleboard/basketball, and staying outside watching the world slowly pass by when I wasn't hanging out in the room. Thankfully, there were hardly any people on the deck with the sports courts, so plenty of room for the players. For me, being outside in the constantly circulating fresh air and sunshine was the best preventative measure. If I was roaming the corridors or at the casino, I always wore a mask. I didn't attend any shows or use the gym/pools/hot tubs. Thoroughly washed my hands too many times to count and always before eating. Zaandam has convenient hand washing stations in Lido and other locations. On port days, my wife and I made our own plans so we wouldn't be stuck in a crowded tour bus. 

 

Part of not contracting Covid (or the flu/other virus) is simply the luck of the draw. You can't always tell if the person seated next to/near you is ill and possibly contagious. It's not always possible -- or desirable -- to completely avoid others, especially when eating at Lido. Being fully vaxxed increases the likelihood symptoms won't be as severe if Covid is contracted, but it doesn't provide immunity nor does it prevent transmission. 

 

Absent continuous daily testing of everyone on the ship, I doubt anybody can say with a high degree of certainty how many actual Covid cases there are on a ship at a given time. Such daily testing isn't happening, so there are big gaps in the data. Some people are asymptomatic and thus don't test. Others might have symptoms but decline to test, disclose or seek medical assistance unless their situation is dire. Adding to the uncertainty, many Covid symptoms are also very common for many other non-Covid illnesses. At best the on-board medical staff could say they are aware of X cases of Covid as of a certain date/time -- if they decided to take that approach.

[dwc13]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I think a lot of people think this makes them bullet proof.  I’m still very careful along with my family.  None of us have had Covid.  I don’t know your personal situation but I can tell you about 98 percent of the people I’m cruising with are not wearing masks. 

 

There were very few wearing masks during our cruise on Zaandam last month. At the end of the day, each individual has to take primary responsibility of his/her health. Do the best you can with what you have at your disposal, including information, and take appropriate action as warranted. It sounds like you have been doing just that on your cruise(s). Unfortunately, even that might not be good enough at some point. As I mentioned in a previous post, sometimes it's the luck of the draw. That person sitting next to you in MDR might be asymptomatic and you probably wouldn't have any way of knowing that was the case. 

 

Stay healthy and enjoy your cruise.

 

 

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, dwc13 said:

 

There were very few wearing masks during our cruise on Zaandam last month. At the end of the day, each individual has to take primary responsibility of his/her health. Do the best you can with what you have at your disposal, including information, and take appropriate action as warranted. It sounds like you have been doing just that on your cruise(s). Unfortunately, even that might not be good enough at some point. As I mentioned in a previous post, sometimes it's the luck of the draw. That person sitting next to you in MDR might be asymptomatic and you probably wouldn't have any way of knowing that was the case. 

 

Stay healthy and enjoy your cruise.

 

 

 

 

Agree with you 100 percent.  I try to avoid the Lido as much as possible.  I go early and try to sit as far as I can from others but someone just has to sit right next to me even though there are tons of other spots.  I eat primarily at club orange and specialty restaurants and don't go in tenders.  Like you say it's definitely the luck of the draw.

[idiebabe]

2 hours ago, Sea42 said:

Yikes, that's something I would have complained about to the manager on duty and in the Navigator app!

We did. They sent someone within 1/2 hour who walked through, cleaned off three tables but never wiped them.  He didn’t clear off the glasses and cups left on some of the other Tables even though it was obvious they didn’t belong to the people sitting at those Tables.   It  was the first day we let them know on the Let Us Know App.  It never improved!  This was on Lido Aft.  A few times in Dutch Cafe the tables clearly hadn’t been wiped.  It was pretty bad and Yikes is right!   

[Florida_gal_50]

What is wrong with people blowing their nose and leaving the dirty tissues on the table.  I would go to my room or bathroom but clearly lots of people are raised by wolves.

[iflyrc5]

We are on this cruise of the NA that started Jan 6 and will be staying on until Dec 4.   We were also on the NS for 42 days in Feb/Mar 2022.  On the NS cruise we had to wear masks indoors, vaccination was required and we had to be tested within 3 days of boarding and every time we did the turn around in FLL.  This trip no vaccination required (we have had the 2 original plus 3 boosters plus our fall flu shot), no testing required.

 

My wife developed her semi-annual sinus infection early on this cruise.  We used one of the Covid tests we brought from home and she was negative.  She called medical to see the doctor to get some medication (have done this on several of our previous cruises over the last 20 years).  The med center told us to stay in the cabin.  They sent a med tech that arrived within 20 minutes and did the antigen test on both of us and we were both Covid negative.  Even though my wife was negative she was told to remain in the cabin until the next day and they would come again and do the PCR test and if that we negative she could go out.  I was allowed to go out.  She received the medication after talking to the doctor on the phone and after 2 days is feeling much better.  The med tech came the next morning and did the PCR test which was negative and so we are both again now out and about.

 

I got Covid back in late April (2 both vaccination and 2 boosters at the time) and have no idea where I picked it up and had only a slight cough.  Would not have known I had it if I had not tested.  I personally believe that Covid is here to stay just like the Flu.  We will be getting our Flu shots every fall and periodically, Covid boosters as variants appear.  Some people will have a more severe case than others depending on their situation.  We plan to continue cruising (have 4 more currently booked) and will just be careful and take precautions.  We are not going to stop doing what we enjoy.  We did wear masks on the plane and try and stay distant from folks while on the ship. 

 

As far as currently on the ship I see about 2% of guests wearing masks and about 5% of the crew wearing masks.  Masks recommended signs are all around the ship.

 

As an aside - we had a medical debark last night before we left San Juan and another today just before leaving St Thomas.

Edited November 18, 2022 by iflyrc5
added info

[swin26]

In addition to Covid and the flu, RSV infections are at an all time high. While RSV is often thought of as just an early childhood illness (and children’s hospitals across the country are overwhelmed), RSV can be very dangerous for those over 60.  RSV symptoms are much like Covid and can be spread from infected surfaces. I recently had RSV (from my granddaughter) and it turned into bronchitis.  I have no preexisting type conditions, but was sick for over 2 weeks and had a cough for almost 5 weeks.  A risk from RSV is extreme shortness of breath, requiring hospitalization. While most healthy adults just have cold symptoms, older adults are more at risk. I wonder how many of the negative Covid cases are actually RSV.  

Edited November 18, 2022 by swin26

[Catlover54]

1 minute ago, swin26 said:

In addition to Covid and the flu, RSV infections are at an all time high. While RSV is often thought of as just an early childhood illness (and children’s hospitals across the country are overwhelmed), RSV can be very dangerous for those over 60.  RSV symptoms are much like Covid and can be spread from infected surfaces. I recently had RSV (from my granddaughter) and it turned into bronchitis.  I have no preexisting type conditions, but was sick for over 2 weeks and had a cough for almost 5 weeks.  A risk from RSV is extreme shortness of breath, requiring hospitalization. While most healthy adults just have cold symptoms, older adults are more at risk. I wonder how many of the negative Covid cases are actually RSV.  

 

Be it Covid, flu, or RSV, it is sadly going to be a long, long time before travelers stop thinking of other travelers as cootie-ridden disease vectors.

 

We finally caught Covid on my 7th cruise since the restart (on another line), and DH had just gotten over it last month. Shortly thereafter, riding high on our new immunity,  we then had the brilliant idea to go to New Orleans (via Dallas) to check out the National WWII Memorial Museum (and of course to eat wonderful food in restaurants without masks). We did not catch Covid, but are laid up almost a week now with sore throat, hoarse coughs, laryngitis, and headaches.  We're starting to joke about which virus we'll pick up on our next trip, masked or not, but we're not stopping 😞

[cicadas]

11 hours ago, Djptcp said:

In their rush to return to normalcy the cruise lines, IMHO, deleted the vaccination requirement and the pre-cruise testing. Bring them back, please.

It must depend on what cruise you are going on, because we'll be on the Oosterdam holiday cruise in South America, and we do have vaccination and pre-cruise testing requirements.

[Mary229]

11 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Wow.  Seriously? I'm not a jerk. I would not get on the plane with covid.

According to the genius class you can spread Covid whether you are sick or not.  So unless someone is neurotically testing every step of the way they have no idea whether they are a spreader or not.

 

aside from Florida gal’s comment:   I think these discussions should be had beforehand with your personal physician to determine if you are one of the people susceptible to serious complications and if so then you go no where.  If not then people need to treat it like the flu which is to self-isolate. 

[Lido deck main]

9 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

We are on this cruise of the NA that started Jan 6 and will be staying on until Dec 4.   We were also on the NS for 42 days in Feb/Mar 2022.  On the NS cruise we had to wear masks indoors, vaccination was required and we had to be tested within 3 days of boarding and every time we did the turn around in FLL.  This trip no vaccination required (we have had the 2 original plus 3 boosters plus our fall flu shot), no testing required.

 

My wife developed her semi-annual sinus infection early on this cruise.  We used one of the Covid tests we brought from home and she was negative.  She called medical to see the doctor to get some medication (have done this on several of our previous cruises over the last 20 years).  The med center told us to stay in the cabin.  They sent a med tech that arrived within 20 minutes and did the antigen test on both of us and we were both Covid negative.  Even though my wife was negative she was told to remain in the cabin until the next day and they would come again and do the PCR test and if that we negative she could go out.  I was allowed to go out.  She received the medication after talking to the doctor on the phone and after 2 days is feeling much better.  The med tech came the next morning and did the PCR test which was negative and so we are both again now out and about.

 

I got Covid back in late April (2 both vaccination and 2 boosters at the time) and have no idea where I picked it up and had only a slight cough.  Would not have known I had it if I had not tested.  I personally believe that Covid is here to stay just like the Flu.  We will be getting our Flu shots every fall and periodically, Covid boosters as variants appear.  Some people will have a more severe case than others depending on their situation.  We plan to continue cruising (have 4 more currently booked) and will just be careful and take precautions.  We are not going to stop doing what we enjoy.  We did wear masks on the plane and try and stay distant from folks while on the ship. 

 

As far as currently on the ship I see about 2% of guests wearing masks and about 5% of the crew wearing masks.  Masks recommended signs are all around the ship.

 

As an aside - we had a medical debark last night before we left San Juan and another today just before leaving St Thomas.

Hi, regarding sinus infection, we have successful prevented those by using a salt/ baking soda combination nasal rinse.  Look it up on Google.  You can purchase Nettie pots, but we always make our own mix.

[rodndonna]

5 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

 

Be it Covid, flu, or RSV, it is sadly going to be a long, long time before travelers stop thinking of other travelers as cootie-ridden disease vectors.

 

 

I agree. Not sure when (or if) I could get back to risk dining with a stranger in an MDR setting and be OK with then coughing openly (something that annoyed me previously, but now REALLY bothers me). 

 

We've had 3 cruises since the restart, got Covid on the 2nd. We have a cruise in 2 weeks, and am more worried about now about picking up flu (not had in 30 plus years) or RSV (have never had). Not worried enough to not cruise though,  just enough to take extra precautions.

 

Am happy this cruise is a warm weather one though, last 2 were cooler climate cruises so felt a little  more "cooped-up" with a lot of sick sounding people at times.  

[LocoLoco1]

I am STILL puzzled how being on a Cruiseship is worse than walking the aisles and being in line etc at a WalMart. (Or maybe it isn’t)…

[Crazy For Cats]

11 minutes ago, LocoLoco1 said:

I am STILL puzzled how being on a Cruiseship is worse than walking the aisles and being in line etc at a WalMart. (Or maybe it isn’t)…

IMHO it isn't.  

[Heartgrove]

6 hours ago, cicadas said:

It must depend on what cruise you are going on, because we'll be on the Oosterdam holiday cruise in South America, and we do have vaccination and pre-cruise testing requirements.

 

Enjoy your cruise. We have been aboard the Oosterdam for the crossing and it has been one of our best cruises. The crew is very excited about sailing to South America and does an excellent job. The Captain and Hotel Manager had a "Cook Off" the other day which Captain Kevin won. His recipe is one of the MDR offerings tonight!

Edited November 18, 2022 by Heartgrove

[BermudaBound2014]

2 hours ago, LocoLoco1 said:

I am STILL puzzled how being on a Cruiseship is worse than walking the aisles and being in line etc at a WalMart. (Or maybe it isn’t)…

 

Cruise ships have higher population densities over an increased period of time.

 

 

 

 

[seaoma]

2 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

IMHO it isn't.  

 

 Understanding Exposure Risks | CDC  August 2022

 

It's length of time you are exposed to the virus by someone

 

It's whether people are coughing, singing, shouting, or breathing heavily from exertion

 

It's whether they are symptomatic or not It's whether people are wearing a mask, no mask, or a quality mask such as a N95

 

It's the quality of the air in the room as to ventilation and filtration

 

It's how close you are to an infected person and how many infected people there are

 

Nothing like a grocery store.

[SweetsugarNL]

2 hours ago, LocoLoco1 said:

I am STILL puzzled how being on a Cruiseship is worse than walking the aisles and being in line etc at a WalMart. (Or maybe it isn’t)…

I have barely visit shops the past corona years. Orderd everything online. So yeah it was a risk 😞

[Tampa Girl]

18 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

That was because of covid, before that most people stayed in their cabin, by their own choice, because they didn't feel good, but you were never thrown in isolation.

Both of my flu cases were before Covid was diagnosed - one in 2018 and one in late 2019.  I was diagnosed with the flu and isolated because it.    Covid did not become a household word until some weeks later.  Since I was the one isolated, I believe that I have a firmer knowledge of the circumstances.

[Ipeeinthepools]

3 hours ago, LocoLoco1 said:

I am STILL puzzled how being on a Cruiseship is worse than walking the aisles and being in line etc at a WalMart. (Or maybe it isn’t)…

 

Everyone at Walmart hasn't been drinking

[Hlitner]

On 11/17/2022 at 9:26 AM, birdie16 said:

Now that the restrictions have been lifted to cruise, it doesn’t mean Covid is over.

 

We are on a 14 night cruise. Last week I sat next to a man in the theater that was coughing so bad he had to leave. This week I am sick, my husband was fine. I did the right thing, called medical from my cabin and they immediately came to our cabin to test both of us. My husband was positive and I am negative. They will not re test him to see if he had a false positive, they did test me a second time to see if I had a false negative.

 

We have been in isolation. Now that I tested negative, I have been released…although I am still very sick. My husband is still on lock down. How safe is that? I can kiss him good bye in our cabin and go out and dine, go to shows, even get off the ship…spreading his Covid germs as I go. Not that I want to do that.

 

My advice, wait a little longer to cruise. People are boarding sick and not telling medical because they don’t want to ruin their vacation. The ship does not seem to be handling Covid well if they think it’s ok to send me out to spread germs.

 

If you still decide to cruise, get insurance and make sure you have a balcony cabin, in case you are stuck in it for five days or more.

I want to pose some questions?.  You say, "wait a little longer to cruise."  How long?  1 month, 6 months, 6 years, forever?  Do you think that COVID is going to disappear?  What about flu and other viruses?  Will they disappear?

 

Many folks (and health authorities) have come to the conclusion that we must live with COVID just like we live with Flu, RSV, and other viruses.  There is nothing new about folks boarding cruise ships when they are sick.  I am not sure what the medical staff can do?  When we were on the Seabourn Ovation (last March-April) the cruise line still had mandatory pre-cruise testing and also required vaccinations.  If anyone tested positive during our cruise (27 days long) they were immediately quarantined for 7 days.  Despite all the precautions we still had a major COVID problem aboard (Seabourn would not tell us now many cases but it was substantial).  

 

We do not have the answers other than it seems that in order to "live" we must learn to live with this nasty bug.  

 

Hank

[Banditswife]

Just like others have said- Covid, the flu & other viruses are here to stay.  Do we stop living for fear of getting sick?  Not me.  But each of us has to decide for ourselves.