Avery's Gram

My experience (in May this year) was not on HAL, but may be relevant in some details. Ours was a 21 day cruise, a TA, a week in Norway, followed by another TA back to home port. We are both vaccinated and double boosted, I’m 75 and DH is 77. I tested positive on day 6 during a routine screening….. had no symptoms whatsoever. My husband tested negative, and continued to test negative for 5 consecutive days, testing every day in the Medical Center. (He actually saw the people in the Med Center, which is more than I did…..) Someone on this thread mentioned being separated by choice. We did choose to separate, but our choice was influenced by being told we would need to sign a special waiver if he came with me into quarantine, as we would be “knowingly exposing him to the virus.” We were given 10 minutes to talk it over and choose. I found quarantine to be boring…… I was in isolation for the full ten days as when I was retested (on days 5 and 7) I still showed positive, although I continued to feel fine and had no problems. I did have a well loaded kindle, and my knitting, and the isolation room had a balcony so I had access to fresh air. I got to enjoy looking at the Norwegian fjords, but it was sad not to be able to leave my cabin or interact with anyone. (I was so bored I watched the Downton Abbey movie 3 consecutive days, the third time on the French language channel….my ancient college French was still reasonably good, I found!). After the full ten days, I was turned loose and sent back to my husband and had no restrictions whatsoever. As I was fine the entire time, I never needed or asked for any Medical Services nor were they ever offered. I have relatively severe asthma but did not even find I was having my normal breathing issues, so I know I was very lucky…… Barbara M. In NH

It was not an inside cabin: It was a sheltered balcony, with a better view than the obstructed balcony we had booked. I spent a lot of time out there, getting fresh air and enjoying the views of the fjords, even if I was not allowed ashore.

No options were offered. This trip was in May-early June, so things may have changed since then. The only option offered was whether my husband would come with me into isolation. We were told we’d have to sign a waiver if we chose to isolate together, we’d be choosing to expose him to the virus carrier (me!). They gave us 10 minutes to make our choice before hustling me off to quarantine. It was interesting: no testing for entering the UK or the US. Just for staying on the ship.

Our QM2 cruise started in Brooklyn, to Southampton, on to Norway, back to Southampton and home to Brooklyn. Passengers staying on the ship past Southampton were tested on the 6th day. Then after the Norway trip, tested again on the day before Southampton…..if staying on. I remember it well as I tested positive on day 6 of our 21 night trip and spent 10 nights in isolation before returning to real life for our last 5 days into Brooklyn. (Yes, I missed every port!) I had no symptoms. My husband, a close contact, was tested every day for 5 days and remained negative so he was not quarantined. Barbara M.

On our May 15-June 5 round trip from NY to Norway and back to NY, I spent ten full days in an isolation cabin, #5079. Day 10 of isolation, I was allowed to return to normal….no masks required, allowed to eat/drink anywhere on the ship. (My husband, a “negative close contact,” was tested every day for 5 days. He remained negative, and was allowed to use all the ship’s facilities as long as he was masked and did not eat or drink anywhere except in our original cabin. After 10 days, his restrictions were lifted as well.) There were others on the isolation floor….. all with small tables (balcony coffee tables) outside the door of the cabin. Trays were left there so we had no contact with any member of the staff. I did not see a single human face except the member of the medical staff who came to retest me on day 5 and 7. As I was asymptomatic, I did not need any medical care but was surprised no one ever checked on me in person.

Exactly! I think they had worked out very well how to handle getting someone who tested positive into quarantine, but hadn’t quite worked through the process of dealing with the end of quarantine. Who decides when you are OK? Med Center, presumably. But who decides when to release you? Who actually carries that out? How is it communicated to Housekeeping to help you with your luggage back to your original room? Who communicates this information to you? And who do you contact if the whole process breaks down? The front desk told my husband I should have called the emergency number to get someone’s attention when no one contacted me. I was horrified! I would NEVER do that: that number is for real emergencies, not this level of inconvenience. (I worked in a hospital before retiring, and know what a true medical emergency could be!) I just hope they think it through a bit more, and realize that the quarantine procedures and protocols are not finished until the process is completed. Otherwise more people are going to be frustrated, as you and I were. Barbara M. In NH

My husband asked why I didn’t just walk out on my own. But I took the isolation seriously, and felt that too just leave would be the wrong way to end the ten days, by ignoring the rules. I don’t have any problem with being quarantined as I certainly did not want to pass a disease on to anyone. For me, it was nothing but I know people are still getting sick and some are dying. A good friend is dealing with the bad effects of long Covid. So being in quarantine, as annoying as it was, felt like a way a safeguarding others. Being forgotten at the end of it, though…..seemed to trivialize what was actually a sacrifice for me. Sorry if this sounds petty or like I was feeling sorry for myself. As I told friends, it was a 21 night cruise. The first 6 days were good, the last 5 were good, but the 10 in the middle were pretty lonely. Barbara M. In NH

Oh, right….I’m not holding my breath though! I got very annoyed with Cunard and the way things were not communicated very well during my isolation time. I was never contacted by Medical Center and it took my husband standing in front of the pursers’ office to get me released from quarantine after my ten days was up…. I felt like they were very efficient in getting me into isolation, and then sort of checked me off their list and forgot about me. (I was told someone would come to release me between 10 am and 1pm …..I called at 1pm, at 2, my husband asked the purser, at 4 he called again and at 4:15 someone finally came.) And when I did call the Medical center that day, I got the message that their voice mail box was full and couldn’t even leave a message.

Ah, yes…..lots of room service, but for 10 days no one entered my room so I cleaned my own toilet and basin, made my own bed, washed my own mugs, emptied my own trash, etc. All of which I do at home, no problem….but not the service I am used to on a cruise! Off the ship on June 5 with the same letter promising future cruise credit soon but nothing yet. Too bad…..I’m still getting lots of “Sign up now!” Notification emails advertising lovely trips! Barbara M. In NH

QM1, I empathize with you! I spent 10 days in #5079, looking at Norway, while my husband who tested negative got to take tours and enjoy himself in Norway. We were on the 21 day, NYC to Southampton to Norway and back to NYC, May 15-June 5. I tested positive on May 21 and was isolated that day, not released until May 31. I never even felt sick….no aches, fever or cough (and I have asthma so I normally cough a lot with any infection.). It was a very weird experience, and to be turned loose after 10 days with no restrictions at all felt even weirder! An interesting point that I don’t think has been made here: we were told that if my husband had opted to isolate with me, we would have to sign a waiver as we were choosing to expose him and thus increasing his risk of getting Covid himself. (He was tested every morning for 5 days to make sure he was not infected.). That is why we chose to separate, as Cunard’s medical staff strongly recommended it. The hardest part for me was opening the door and carrying the heavy tray over to the table in my room. I stopped ordering coffee or tea as they always sent a big heavy carafe and two cups and saucers with it….too heavy! From then on I just requested tea bags and boiled water in the room myself. Sorry it happened to someone else…..Olden looked lovely from the balcony, and I hope to get back there someday! Barbara M. In NH

Just off the QM2, 21 night NYC to Southampton to Norway to NYC, May 21 - June 5. We tested on May 14, negative. But on May 21 I tested positive and was put into an isolation cabin for 10 days. At the end of the trip, Cunard’s medical center issued me a “Letter of Recovery” stating that I had completed the 10 day isolation and thus was safe to travel. I hope this helps….if they say I’m safe, it seems they should accept yours. (Mine included dates and times of positive test and info on what type of test was used, what lab and what doctor was responsible for each.) My husband tested negative….continued to test negative for 5 days and was never isolated. So he got to tour Norway, while I only got to look at it from the balcony. The good news (and the infuriating news!) is that I never felt sick, just lonely. Barbara M. In NH