Holland America Isolation Policy

[Balboa1978]

30 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

That is good that you no longer test positive .You are correct the CDC has "no cruise guidelines any longer " .You are also correct that HAL's web site should have clear definitions about quarantine . Not having clear guidelines  gives the cruise line a great deal of latitude & nothing for the infected passengers .imo this is wrong .Best of Luck going forward

Thanks. The following is the exact wording provided by the office of president at HAL regarding the isolation protocol for the 35 day cruise we are on;

 

“ABG Protocol: isolate 5 full days. Antigen test daily starting on the morning of day 6. Release on the first negative test”.

 

Thats the exact wording.

 
I know people who tested positive for a month after having COVID. They were no longer contagious but continued to test positive. Based on the HAL protocol we could have tested positive on day one and quarantined though day 35. 
 

They told us onboard the duration limit was 10 days and they were following CDC guidelines. Neither is true based in their actual protocol. We thought the limit was 5 days when we purchased the cruise. The honest thing to do is publish the protocol for all to see.

 
 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by Balboa1978

[fellswoop]

My husband got covid last month on Kdam. We both self tested and I did the proper and correct thing and reported it. I was negative so had to test 2 consecutive days then every other day. I remained negative and could leave the room with a mask. They came to room and retested him on day 6 and he was negative. Luckily his quarantine was during 5 sea days on our return from Hawaii. For those of you saying you won't report please consider your room steward  and all the other older people on the cruise that you will infect. Just because you don't have symptoms does not mean you aren't spreading it. They were very kind to us and the upgraded food menus were great. Also bring lots of OTC meds just in case....Advil,tylenol, mucinex, cough meds . I'm an RN and was prepared for "just in case. I did a thread on CC on our experience experience if you goggle Navigating Covid on Koningsam.

[0106]

Here is the link to @fellswoop post.

 

[syesmar]

On 3/2/2023 at 8:08 PM, Balboa1978 said:

…They told us onboard the duration limit was 10 days and they were following CDC guidelines. Neither is true based in their actual protocol. We thought the limit was 5 days when we purchased the cruise. The honest thing to do is publish the protocol for all to see.

This is on the CDC’s website under COVID-19 Maritime Guidance, subsection Discontinuation of Isolation for Travelers (Crew and Passengers), “Although a minimum of 5 days of isolation is recommended for most people with COVID-19 in community settings, cruise ships should consider 10 days of isolation due to their congregate nature and potential for limited access to higher levels of medical care.[6]”

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/maritime/covid-19-ship-guidance.html#quarantine-considerations

 

When CDC’s general isolation guidance was changed to 5 days due to various pressures, though nothing had changed with how long most are contagious, it caused confusion on many fronts. If someone is still testing positive on an antigen test, they should continue isolating (PCR is different).

 

@Balboa1978 best wishes to you and your wife. Hope she tests negative soon and the remainder of your cruise goes well. Agree that protocols should be available for travelers to review prior to booking and boarding.

Edited March 4, 2023 by syesmar

[aaaaa]

Are guests isolated in their original cabin or in a different cabin?  I've read both that there's an isolation "wing" on the ships but also that some guests have been isolated in their original cabin. 

[Noesja]

1 hour ago, aaaaa said:

Are guests isolated in their original cabin or in a different cabin?  I've read both that there's an isolation "wing" on the ships but also that some guests have been isolated in their original cabin. 

In October I was isolated in my original inside cabin. Being a solo traveller that was really tough, no daylight and fresh air for 8 days! The only conversations were ordering roomservice.

[Balboa1978]

3 hours ago, syesmar said:

This is on the CDC’s website under COVID-19 Maritime Guidance, subsection Discontinuation of Isolation for Travelers (Crew and Passengers), “Although a minimum of 5 days of isolation is recommended for most people with COVID-19 in community settings, cruise ships should consider 10 days of isolation due to their congregate nature and potential for limited access to higher levels of medical care.[6]”

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/maritime/covid-19-ship-guidance.html#quarantine-considerations

 

When CDC’s general isolation guidance was changed to 5 days due to various pressures, though nothing had changed with how long most are contagious, it caused confusion on many fronts. If someone is still testing positive on an antigen test, they should continue isolating (PCR is different).

 

@Balboa1978 best wishes to you and your wife. Hope she tests negative soon and the remainder of your cruise goes well. Agree that protocols should be available for travelers to review prior to booking and boarding.

I wonder why they have chosen not to follow the first 2 bullets. Could it be profit over health.

 

• Isolating travelers in single-occupancy cabins, with private bathrooms, with the door closed.
• Designating isolation cabins in areas separate from other cabins.

 

 

 

 

[FlorenceItaly]

27 minutes ago, Noesja said:

In October I was isolated in my original inside cabin. Being a solo traveller that was really tough, no daylight and fresh air for 8 days! The only conversations were ordering roomservice.

Was this on HAL or another cruise line?  How awful for you!  I can not imagine.

[Balboa1978]

1 hour ago, aaaaa said:

Are guests isolated in their original cabin or in a different cabin?  I've read both that there's an isolation "wing" on the ships but also that some guests have been isolated in their original cabin. 

No isolation wing, this cruise is sold out, 14 days in now and they seem to be dealing with  a major breakout. Many crew members missing from the dining room last night and now the entire crew is masked up.

[FlorenceItaly]

9 minutes ago, Balboa1978 said:

No isolation wing, this cruise is sold out, 14 days in now and they seem to be dealing with  a major breakout. Many crew members missing from the dining room last night and now the entire crew is masked up.

I wonder if it started out as a sick ship?  This is what happened to me on the Summit in July 2022.  I had avoided COVID until I took this cruise.  I just had a feeling it was going to happen as I had observed it was a sick ship.  Sure enough, as soon as I got home I tested positive.  My dh stayed well.  I had very minimal symptoms.  However, I tested positive for ten days.  For a point of reference I was vaccinated and boosted.  I had my booster about 3 weeks before leaving.  We did not mask up.  I guess I have read too many cases where people faithfully masked and still got sick so I am not a convert.  But, I don't want to open that can of worms!

[Noesja]

14 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Was this on HAL or another cruise line?  How awful for you!  I can not imagine.

Yes, this was HAL Rotterdam 😒

[FlorenceItaly]

Just now, Noesja said:

Yes, this was HAL Rotterdam 😒

This is AWFUL.  I find it hard to believe they did not have one spare room where at the very minimum you could have a window although preferably a balcony.

[Turtles06]

4 hours ago, aaaaa said:

Are guests isolated in their original cabin or in a different cabin?  I've read both that there's an isolation "wing" on the ships but also that some guests have been isolated in their original cabin. 

 

I would appreciate knowing this as well.

 

And for those who are in isolation now, I wish you all good health and a speedy negative test.  

[fellswoop]

When my husband tested positive last month on Kdam and I was negative, I asked if I could move to another room and was told "we no longer do that". I had a total of 8 negative tests.

[syesmar]

@fellswoopThat’s very interesting, thanks for sharing. Did they say if it was because they had no more rooms? I know at one time, when they were marketing the Worry-Free Promise, being able to quarantine / isolate in separate cabins was part of the protocol (I’m not sure when the official end date for that was, though I recall some passengers were irked because certain protocols for their particular sailings when they booked were no longer active when they sailed).

Edited March 6, 2023 by syesmar

[Haljo1935]

Koningsdam Nov - Dec 14 days there was a quarantine ward - a large amount of cabins.

Nieuw Amsterdam last month 14 days no quarantine ward - it was done in place in original cabin.

With the ships now at/near capacity, I believe rooms are no longer being blocked off "just in case."

Since CDC is no longer monitoring Civic cases on ships, they're no longer publishing the "report cards" so number of active cases is not made public. When cruising first started back, you could see the "grade" (green, yellow, red) per ship with the number of active cases; it was broken down by passenger and crew.

[harrodsfan]

I tested “positive “ for three Weeks after a no symptom case of Covid. Missed one cruise and almost missed the second btb. 

[nw gardener]

SIL got off the Westerdam last week,  cruising with her adult  daughter.  Daughter got Covid on second day of cruise (thinks she picked it up on flight there even though she masked). Daughter quarantined in their inside cabin until she tested negative on day 8. SIL never got Covid,  tested every morning by medical and was allowed out of cabin masked.  Daughter got FCC's for the quarantined days, said room service was great for her, but will never do an inside again. Was told you are quarantined in the cabin you booked.  She had fairly mild symptoms and always packs meds with her, just upset that she missed some ports important to her.  Covid will be with us for the foreseeable future,  along with flu, norovirus,  and other bugs to catch when traveling.  Prepare as best you can,  pack extra OTC meds, have travel insurance,  and book a cabin you don't mind being quarantined in. 😉

[albingirl]

I can't imagine being quarantined in an inside cabin or even an ocean view. I came home horribly sick with upper respiratory for the past two weeks and that's enough to keep me from cruising. This was on the NS. It would be a nightmare if I were this sick on the ship.

 

 

[AKJonesy]

I have been on multiple sailings since HAL reopened after pandemic.  After pandemic many of the ships were not at full capacity and people at that time were moved to balcony staterooms.  Since then, ships are sailing with more passengers and it has been the policy on sailings to isolate in original stateroom.  At least, that is what has happened on MY sailings since reopening.  We have been booking balcony rooms since this happened; just in case we have to isolate.  I grab a few books from the libary or from the Crow's Nest (depending on ship) as soon as I get on board, and have a backup plan on entertaining myself in my stateroom in case I am isolated.  I have a sailing coming up on the 18th, and this time, I am bringing my laptop; not to connect to internet, but work on organizing all of my documents, photos, etc.  It's a mess.  With little enrichment on HAL, I need something more to do on cruise days other than the "been there did that many times" enrichment.  From now on for me, it's port heavy cruises.  

[riverrat]

16 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Koningsdam Nov - Dec 14 days there was a quarantine ward - a large amount of cabins.

Nieuw Amsterdam last month 14 days no quarantine ward - it was done in place in original cabin.

With the ships now at/near capacity, I believe rooms are no longer being blocked off "just in case."

 

 

Zuiderdam  Oct - Nov 14 - there were no quarantine cabins.