How NCL treats you when you catch Covid on their ships ...

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, Yinster said:

When we sail we RC in May, a couple tested themselves and found out the wife had COVID. So went to the ship's doctor.  They give you the test and if you have COVID you don't need to pay. But if you don't, then it $199.

If you already know you have Covid, and are not experiencing any bad symptoms, why go to the doctor?

[graphicguy]

While I am empathetic to the OP's plight, this seems to be more a confluence of events that no one, not even NCL could rectify.  You can't stay on the ship.  The hotels won't let you check in early.  Guesthouses would have been my choice in all honesty.  I'd have stayed there for a few hours, used the antiseptic wipes everywhere you could in the room and/or bathroom.  Do the same when you are able to check into your hotel.  Aside from that, don't know that there's much more you could have done.

 

What they did right after the Pandemic had subsided really has no bearing on today, given the amount and the severity of cases have dropped dramatically.  Paxlovid knocks out the virus pretty quickly.  So, by now, I think you've probably recovered.

 

It's just one of those circumstances that what could go wrong, did go wrong.  Happens in life.

[kitkat343]

You mentioned having trip insurance.  Since you went to medical and have documentation of your positive covid case, and your airport transfer was cancelled due to covid I wonder if insurance will cover the cost of your new transfer (especially the increase in price in going from a ship transfer to a cab) and the cost of the hotel.  It's probably worth trying to submit a claim.  So sorry you got sick and hope you are doing better now.  

[kitkat343]

2 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

If you already know you have Covid, and are not experiencing any bad symptoms, why go to the doctor?

only if you want Paxlovid and didn't bring it on the ship with you.  The OP mentioned she is 60; she may have felt it was necessary for her since she noted wanting to bring it herself next time.  Also, you'd need to pay for room service if you don't have covid, so that might be a factor for some people, but it will be outweighed by the significant expected cost of the medical visit (unless you have insurance, which you can't use without a doctor documenting you have covid).  I do agree she could have easily self isolated and simply told rher steward to just leave towels outside her room and not service the room.  IF you aren't in a balcony room, perhaps they would move you to one if it is empty if you are stuck in quarantine.  But I do agree that self-isolating and masking upon disembarkation seems like a reasonable choice for most people with mild symptoms.

[Barb Nahoumi]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

While I am empathetic to the OP's plight, this seems to be more a confluence of events that no one, not even NCL could rectify.  You can't stay on the ship.  The hotels won't let you check in early.  Guesthouses would have been my choice in all honesty.  I'd have stayed there for a few hours, used the antiseptic wipes everywhere you could in the room and/or bathroom.  Do the same when you are able to check into your hotel.  Aside from that, don't know that there's much more you could have done.

 

What they did right after the Pandemic had subsided really has no bearing on today, given the amount and the severity of cases have dropped dramatically.  Paxlovid knocks out the virus pretty quickly.  So, by now, I think you've probably recovered.

 

It's just one of those circumstances that what could go wrong, did go wrong.  Happens in life.

I was told by my nurse practitioner, that Paxlovid can cause a relapse of Covid.  I chose not to take Paxlovid and recovered within the 5--10 days.  My case was very mild, no more than a cold in 2022.

 

[graphicguy]

31 minutes ago, Barb Nahoumi said:

I was told by my nurse practitioner, that Paxlovid can cause a relapse of Covid.  I chose not to take Paxlovid and recovered within the 5--10 days.  My case was very mild, no more than a cold in 2022.

 

I asked my Doc about that because I had heard that also.  He said the Covid relapse could occur regardless of the treatment (or no treatment at all).  As a virus, it mutates.  So, yeah, it could r occur.  But not because of Paxlovid!

[junglejane]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

 He said the Covid relapse could occur regardless of the treatment (or no treatment at all).  As a virus, it mutates.  So, yeah, it could r occur.  But not because of Paxlovid!

That's what my husband was told too when he got rebound Covid despite no treatment.

[Casey2]

In view of the fact that there is an up tick in COVID, is anyone wearing masks on the ships?  I don't mean all the time, but in croweded areas like the theater or atrium.
 

[Ellis1138]

1 hour ago, Casey2 said:

In view of the fact that there is an up tick in COVID, is anyone wearing masks on the ships?  I don't mean all the time, but in croweded areas like the theater or atrium.
 

I'll be wearing my masks on the Escape in a week. I'm sure some people will, but most people to be really resistant to the idea of wearing them, no matter what or why. 

[graphicguy]

I think if you believe you are susceptible to potentially spreading  COVID, you should wear a mask.  Then again, if you believe you have COVID before you board, let NCL know and get their specific instructions!

[MiniJeffrey]

Why would you do a Covid test, unless you're feeling really unwell? Just put on a mask and go on with your life.

[leseriksen]

just got off HAL ship, same experience. very same experience.

[DrSea]

On 9/8/2023 at 5:22 PM, DMH15 said:

First, so sorry you got sick on your vacation.  Several years ago my sweet mother got sick on our Jewel Transatlantic.  We knew exactly when and how.  We were seated at dinner with “Nick” who was sick, he told us… and he sneezed all over his hands and handed the bread basket to mom.  It was all over…
 

She missed excursions in Italy and Greece, was stck in the outside cabin with room service and did not see Athens except our hotel room.  So, I know how disappointing it can be.  She saw ship doc and doc in Athens twice.  She had insurance but her asthma complicated the claim.  We were just happy she recovered.  That was pre-Covid.  Since my mom was in her late 60’s she bought insurance and as her roommate I did too.  
 

I visited my brother in South Carolina last year in June for his birthday and was fully vaccinated but I, without question, caught covid on the plane.   Sure it was that lady coughing behind me.  After a few days, I was sick as a dog and shared it with my brother and his wife.  My 4 day trip became 11.  I was able to change my flight home because I included trip insurance… just in case.
 

Anyways, the ship did not give you COVID, most likely it was a pax. Our world has changed.   You said you packed your own COVID test since there was a possibility you would need it.  Once you tested positive it became NCL’s problem, inasmuch as to protect everyone onboard.  Unlike a land vacation they could not just pull over and “let you off” and of course their prime concern HAD TO BE minimizing the chance of your spreading covid.   It does make more sense for you to be in a taxi than on a bus.   The way people wear masks improperly alone is one way it spreads.  
 

COVID is here.  We can all stay locked in our homes remotely or live our lives, taking precautions where necessary.  The responsibility lies with each of us.  And if we get COVID once, twice, three or more times we take accountability and responsibility.  We are proactive with insurance and reactive with an emergency fund or alternative plans.  It is not the cruiselines job to help us or expedite on our behalf over the normal contract or provisions of the additional insurance purchased. 
 

The ship’s Doctors are not part of NCL by the way.   And yes, they are very expensive.  You did not mention if you had trip insurance.  Did you?  
 

Wishing you a speedy recovery.   Again, so sorry.  It is terrible to be sick on vacation.  And COVID even worse.  

Doctors are employed by NCL. Staff (like managers and captain etc) try recruiting me every time they find out I'm a doctor. 

[DMH15]

34 minutes ago, DrSea said:

Doctors are employed by NCL. Staff (like managers and captain etc) try recruiting me every time they find out I'm a doctor. 

This may have changed since my mother was rewated on thr Jewel.  Sorry if I was incorrect. 

[DrSea]

9 hours ago, DMH15 said:

This may have changed since my mother was rewated on thr Jewel.  Sorry if I was incorrect. 

No need to apologize. Sometimes cruise lines use temp agencies to get doctors to fill in bc it's hard to hire doctors willing to sail. But they are very expensive. Hence, they pounce when they see me. 

Edited September 10, 2023 by DrSea

[eileeshb]

If you have underlying conditions you should be talking to a doctor if you catch covid. I caught it from a colleague last October and my doctor just prescribed steroid tablets in addition to stepping up my usual asthma regimen. I was fully vaxxed and had 1 booster done, I was offered my second booster a week after I had the virus but put it off until this summer so I’d be covered for a family wedding, family reunion and my next cruise (July, September, October respectively). I couldn’t have gotten the booster immediately after having the virus anyhow, the guideline here is to wait 6 months before getting a booster. I will say that I had a bout of bronchitis for the first time in years in between having had covid and getting the next booster so I suspect covid did leave me more susceptible to other respiratory illnesses in the short term. 

[BirdTravels]

On 9/9/2023 at 7:22 PM, Casey2 said:

In view of the fact that there is an up tick in COVID, is anyone wearing masks on the ships?  I don't mean all the time, but in croweded areas like the theater or atrium.
 

Yes. We were just on the Encore and mask use notably increased during the cruise. Also, the respiratory illness increased. 
 

And there were passengers disembarked at most ports for undisclosed medical reasons. 

[Ellaleah]

Paxlovid is the leading oral medication for preventing severe cases of COVID-19 in high-risk individuals. However, symptoms returned in some patients after treatment was completed, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a health advisory on this so-called “COVID-19 rebound.”Jun 2
i, too, had a mild case and opted not to take it.  It was less than a bad cold.

[IRMO12HD]

I was on Norwegian Jewel for her 28 Aug - 4 Sep Seward-Vancouver sailing.  I rode the NCL Shore Excursion train from Anchorage to Seward on the day of embarkation, and heard one or two people coughing.  As a result, I tried to maintain distance from those I heard or saw exhibiting cold-like symptoms.  I was in an interior cabin (solo), used the stairs as much as possible, and stayed away from crowds in the buffet.  Walked outside on the Promenade rather than taking interior routes.  Didn't use a mask (until I boarded the Amtrak bus from Vancouver - Seattle), but did wash my hands a lot, used hand sanitizer.  Despite numerous accounts of people contracting COVID, I tested myself the day of disembarkation and the day after I returned home, and tested negative.  I was irritated by the number of people who were coughing without covering their mouth, and did my best to avoid them.  Had I experienced those symptoms, I would have, without a doubt, contacted the Medical Center.  

[hallux]

6 hours ago, IRMO12HD said:

and heard one or two people coughing

Enough with the "someone's coughing, they must be sick".  I can get into a fit of coughing if I drink something carbonated, doesn't mean I'm sick but by your reasoning you're going to assume I'm deathly ill.  People cough for MANY reasons.

[Asawi]

10 minutes ago, hallux said:

Enough with the "someone's coughing, they must be sick".  I can get into a fit of coughing if I drink something carbonated, doesn't mean I'm sick but by your reasoning you're going to assume I'm deathly ill.  People cough for MANY reasons.

THANK YOU!!!! I was thinking the same! 

[Ellis1138]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

Enough with the "someone's coughing, they must be sick".  I can get into a fit of coughing if I drink something carbonated, doesn't mean I'm sick but by your reasoning you're going to assume I'm deathly ill.  People cough for MANY reasons.

As a GERD-having, allergy sufferer, yes, I cough a lot. But you know what? I cover my mouth, no matter why I'm coughing and use a handkerchief over my nose when I sneeze anyway. And I wear my masks to protect people around me in addition to myself.

 

Everyone coughs and sneezes, but there's no excuse for anyone older than 6 years old to not cover it or at least aim it at the ground.

[DrSea]

4 hours ago, hallux said:

Enough with the "someone's coughing, they must be sick".  I can get into a fit of coughing if I drink something carbonated, doesn't mean I'm sick but by your reasoning you're going to assume I'm deathly ill.  People cough for MANY reasons.

Common things being common,  I wouldn't blame the average American to think of covid when they see someone coughing on a cruise ship. It's not their job to think of the differential diagnosis of what it could be while they are on vacation. But it is their responsibility to mitigate their risk of infection. 

[DMH15]

5 hours ago, hallux said:

Enough with the "someone's coughing, they must be sick".  I can get into a fit of coughing if I drink something carbonated, doesn't mean I'm sick but by your reasoning you're going to assume I'm deathly ill.  People cough for MANY reasons.

If someone coughs constantly during a 3 hour plane trip I would assume so.  Especially if paired with sniffles, a red nose and a box of tissues depleted.  If I were prone to something like carbonated drinks I think I would refrain while flying.  Like it or not, the phrase “Perception Trumps Reality” comes to mind. 
 

I have a friend with a handicapped tag who walks fine but has severe heart issues and people are often questioning her trying to cheat the system.  So, yes, there are exceptions.
 

I got sick with covid flying from Dallas to Charleston last year.  I was masked but lowered it to eat and there was a lady a few rows back doing all the things in the previous paragraph. 
 

Anyone prone to coughing fits who is in close quarters should wear a N-95 mask if they truly care about others.  

Edited September 11, 2023 by DMH15

[Agent999]

@DrSea Thank you for sharing your expertise on the thread, it is really appreciated.

 

I am hoping you can provide insight into the following:

 

The OP laid out the premise of "when you catch Covid on their ships" in the thread title. However, the OP provided no information to support that premise.

 

It is my understanding that Covid can have an incubation period between 2 and 14 days. It would seem that the OP could have been exposed to Covid at home prior to the cruise, on the way to the airport prior to the cruise, in the airport prior to the cruise, on the plane prior to the cruise, on the taxi ride to the cruise terminal prior to the cruise, inside the terminal prior to the cruise, or ashore while on an excurions...IOW, many opportunities for the Covid exposure to be OFF the ship and not ON the ship.

 

From a medical/scientific standpoint, how could the OP know with any degree of certainty that they caught Covid "on the ship" as they claim?