Rotterdam and Covid

[hal lover]

Dear husband and I disembarked the Rotterdam on Wednesday.  He had been sick a few days and we figured it was his COPD acting up and that I was fine.  Well.... driving home from FL to NC we had to go to the emergency room.  A day later, still on our way home, he gets the call that he has tested positive.  Oh NO!  Next day I get a sore throat and cough.  Have tested positive myself this morning!

I am not writing this to say that it is or was anyone thing on the Rotterdam that brought it on but I want my fellow HAL lovers to know that Covid is STILL very much alive and I hope that you all will consider wearing your masks!  

The trip itself was good except for in room dining.  I won't go into that issue except to say that you should look at your order before you tip the room service person.  Three times they got away with very bad food.  (our fault for not checking).  Also, the smell of cigarette smoke was so apparent in the lido, not to mention the casino area.  I was shopping in one of the stores and it was so strong!  HAL needs to restrict the indoor smoking. 

Rotterdam is a beautiful ship!  The best yet, in my opinion.  

[Cruise Suzy]

@hal lover So sorry you have tested positive. Hope it is mild and short. DH and I were on the same cruise. No problems for us. Even without symptoms, we tested this morning - negative. I wore a mask only in the theater, DH did not wear one at all. Went on 3 excursions - one on a open-air tram, one on a 14-passenger glass-bottom boat and one in a 12-passenger van. No one was masked on any of them

 

We ate in Lido for all breakfasts and lunches except for 1 each - never smelled smoke. Never ate there in the evening.

 

I agree, everyone still needs to be careful.

[BetsyS.]

hal lover  I hope you and your husband will be better soon.

[rafinmd]

Oh no.  Wishing you mild cases and a speed y recovery.

 

Roy

[rtdiva]

Get well soon!

After contacting Covid on a cruise in July ( haphazardly wearing mask) on our recent cruise we diligently wore mask, stayed out of crowded elevators, stayed out of packed rooms. Used sanitizer cloths. Cleaned our hands often. We didn’t even have the usual cough or contracted Covid.  We got home safely. 
While having Covid wasn’t severe it does linger and sometimes have after effects.

 

Take care.

[ToBe]

8 hours ago, hal lover said:

Dear husband and I disembarked the Rotterdam on Wednesday.  He had been sick a few days and we figured it was his COPD acting up and that I was fine.  Well.... driving home from FL to NC we had to go to the emergency room.  A day later, still on our way home, he gets the call that he has tested positive.  Oh NO!  Next day I get a sore throat and cough.  Have tested positive myself this morning!

I am not writing this to say that it is or was anyone thing on the Rotterdam that brought it on but I want my fellow HAL lovers to know that Covid is STILL very much alive and I hope that you all will consider wearing your masks!  

The trip itself was good except for in room dining.  I won't go into that issue except to say that you should look at your order before you tip the room service person.  Three times they got away with very bad food.  (our fault for not checking).  Also, the smell of cigarette smoke was so apparent in the lido, not to mention the casino area.  I was shopping in one of the stores and it was so strong!  HAL needs to restrict the indoor smoking. 

Rotterdam is a beautiful ship!  The best yet, in my opinion.  

We are on the Rotterdam currently and wear our masks but are definitely two of the few. 

[sparks247]

Disembarked from R'dam on 11/20 (post Nicole cruise), guess 3 to 4 days before disembarkation came down with a cold, just nasal stuffiness. While having something to eat at FFL airport noticed that my smell was not as good as it normally is. Upon arrival at home did selftest and yes positive. Never felt sick or had a fever and I have been negative for 6 days now and my smell is good. Have been jabbed 5 times, it works. Never wore a mask, was on tours (some of them crowded) in every port. From now on wil wear a mask on cruises!

One thing I did notice was that the tables in the Lido were hardly cleaned, just barely wiped, if at all, and definitely not with disinfectant...........same with the bars.

Was on a cruise last Xmas and New Year with another cruise line and all tables incuding chairs, when vacated, were cleaned with disinfectant! The ship was Covid free!

Edited December 4, 2022 by sparks247

[HALcruiser2001]

33 minutes ago, sparks247 said:

Disembarked from R'dam on 11/20 (post Nicole cruise), guess 3 to 4 days before disembarkation came down with a cold, just nasal stuffiness. While having something to eat at FFL airport noticed that my smell was not as good as it normally is. Upon arrival at home did selftest and yes positive. Never felt sick or had a fever and I have been negative for 6 days now and my smell is good. Have been jabbed 5 times, it works. Never wore a mask, was on tours (some of them crowded) in every port. From now on wil wear a mask on cruises!

One thing I did notice was that the tables in the Lido were hardly cleaned, just barely wiped, if at all, and definitely not with disinfectant...........same with the bars.

Was on a cruise last Xmas and New Year with another cruise line and all tables incuding chairs, when vacated, were cleaned with disinfectant! The ship was Covid free!

I have traveled with disinfecting wiptes for decades.

It is kind of hard for me to believe HAL does not clean with disinfectant.

3rd time I traveled post mask mandates, I got it.  I now mask on trains in the airport and during boarding deboarding.   I will at least do that for the cruise.  Has worked well thus far.   Not sure what I will do for the cruise.

Do you have to show proof of vaccination to board the ships?   If so do you have to be boosted?

[crystalspin]

23 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

Do you have to show proof of vaccination to board the ships?   If so do you have to be boosted?

Each sailing is specific:

https://book2.hollandamerica.com/protocols/

[REOVA]

44 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

It is kind of hard for me to believe HAL does not clean with disinfectant.
 

Unfortunately, like any industry, nothing is consistent and finding staff and monitoring set protocols is not 100% possible. There will be gaps in processes, which is a reason you should never believe any claim of an organization that they have protocols in place for this and that. As long as you protect yourself, (mostly sanitizing hands and masking as needed) you should be OK. Even before pandemic we watched crew wipe chairs with towels and THEN wipe tables off which does not follow sanitary protocol (top down). No one wants to eat off of table wiped from where someone sat. But it happens everywhere. Protect yourselves and understand that gaps will always exist. 

[12cruise2]

6 hours ago, bdd123 said:

I have traveled with disinfecting wiptes for decades.

It is kind of hard for me to believe HAL does not clean with disinfectant.

3rd time I traveled post mask mandates, I got it.  I now mask on trains in the airport and during boarding deboarding.   I will at least do that for the cruise.  Has worked well thus far.   Not sure what I will do for the cruise.

Do you have to show proof of vaccination to board the ships?   If so do you have to be boosted?

When we came in to board the Nieuw Amsterdam a few weeks back, there were five ladies in a row in the very first area; they ASKED if we had been vaccinated, we said yes, and they waved us through!  Didn't have to show proof.  HOwever, we were told by HAL to bring the vaccination record with us.  Of course have it handy to show along with passport and boarding pass, and covid test result if required for your cruise.

[hal lover]

9 hours ago, sparks247 said:

Disembarked from R'dam on 11/20 (post Nicole cruise), guess 3 to 4 days before disembarkation came down with a cold, just nasal stuffiness. While having something to eat at FFL airport noticed that my smell was not as good as it normally is. Upon arrival at home did selftest and yes positive. Never felt sick or had a fever and I have been negative for 6 days now and my smell is good. Have been jabbed 5 times, it works. Never wore a mask, was on tours (some of them crowded) in every port. From now on wil wear a mask on cruises!

One thing I did notice was that the tables in the Lido were hardly cleaned, just barely wiped, if at all, and definitely not with disinfectant...........same with the bars.

Was on a cruise last Xmas and New Year with another cruise line and all tables incuding chairs, when vacated, were cleaned with disinfectant! The ship was Covid free!

Yes Sparks, I noticed that as well.  They have a lot of work to do but cleaning should not be shotty at best.  

 

[2LoveBikes]

We have all heard the term HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT?  Ever observe how few people passing by the hand washing sinks on the Lido deck ever stop to wash their hands?

 

Hiding in plain sight are the self help utensils (although few) where germs can be easily transmitted.  Then...unknowingly we eat and put our hands to our face or shake hands with others.

We always wear our mask but the enemy is still hiding in plain sight.

[cwd79]

We wished the Rotterdam had the automatic hand washing machines at the Lido like the Koningsdam had previously on our August Alaskan cruise. That was an experience that I've never had. Hands felt super clean after using it. 

[HALcruiser2001]

16 hours ago, REOVA said:

Unfortunately, like any industry, nothing is consistent and finding staff and monitoring set protocols is not 100% possible. There will be gaps in processes, which is a reason you should never believe any claim of an organization that they have protocols in place for this and that. As long as you protect yourself, (mostly sanitizing hands and masking as needed) you should be OK. Even before pandemic we watched crew wipe chairs with towels and THEN wipe tables off which does not follow sanitary protocol (top down). No one wants to eat off of table wiped from where someone sat. But it happens everywhere. Protect yourselves and understand that gaps will always exist. 

 

Of course I can protect myself.   Been doing it for decades, but if cruise lines are so lame that they do not disinfect tables WE need to speak up about it and I will.   

 

Does MDR and other dining venues change table clothes?   Rhetorical to make a point.

 

The airline and hotel industry stepped up, cruise lines should too.

[REOVA]

5 hours ago, cwd79 said:

We wished the Rotterdam had the automatic hand washing machines at the Lido like the Koningsdam had previously on our August Alaskan cruise. That was an experience that I've never had. Hands felt super clean after using it. 

I thought they had them next to the sinks in the Lido. 

[cwd79]

9 minutes ago, REOVA said:

I thought they had them next to the sinks in the Lido. 

I thought I only saw the sinks there for hand washing. I didn’t see the automatic ones. Maybe I missed it? 

[oakridger]

Just regular sinks on Rotterdam Lido a couple weeks ago.

 

~Nancy