bnickle

They don’t want you coming to the med center. They want to come to you. Yes, the slightest issue, call them. They will take it from there. Sniffles, cough, headache, anything out of the ordinary. They have beefed up the staff, and they are amazingly quickly responsive and very helpful. Making that phone call as soon as anything seems off is what helps to keep it from spreading at such a rapid rate.

Wow. I’ve looked too; seems like it’d be a good idea to keep crowds down a little in the theatre. If you find them let me know!

One thing (not a complaint, just a thought,) my handsome boyfriend and I were talking about, is that it would be nice if they could show the shows on TV like they do the morning show. We have loved the shows so far and would love to see tonight’s. Pretty sure having a separate “covid section” would defeat the purpose of isolation, but we do miss seeing the shows.

I am so sorry that happened to you! I think Princess has refined and firmed up several policies for dealing with Covid; the medical team is very accessible and they also reach out to check on us.

We were in a mini-suite, and we went to a balcony cabin. Do not think a mini-suite is an option. But, in a letter that was given to us when we were moved, several salient points were outlined for our info. Among the information shared was that Princess will pro-rate the cruise into days, and the days that we are in isolation will be applied as future cruise credit. Also, they handle all bookings and cancellations for anything we had previously scheduled and paid for, and no penalties for cancelling. We have access to daily laundry service, Princess waives all costs of care and medications (unless you want Paxlovid, and that really should be considered carefully).

Yeah! We were all out there chatting yesterday! And totally agree; the crew is full of empathy and kindness and frankly they are working their behineys off.

I can’t say; the most we can do is poke our head out the door and glance up and down the hallway. They have tables in front of our doors (we call it the DMZ) where the staff puts anything they are dropping off, like dinner, or laundry, or anything we’ve ordered. But when I do the glance, it seems like all the doors up and down the hallway has it’s own DMZ and we really don’t know how many are actually filled.

Yes, I think all of the iso cabins have balconies. We’ve been hanging out, chatting with other people along the deck also hanging out on their balconies. It’s a special club. (That no one really wants to be in, but here we are.)

Welp, it’s been a voyage. Highs and lows of waves, temperatures, and enough phlegm to keep the CDC busy for decades to come. We’re on the Emerald (comin’ at ya LIVE, ya’ll!) headed from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale. We had sipped our way through Bordeaux, enjoyed the Cherbourg Countryside, sampled tapas in Spain, and enjoyed Portuguese pixtos and wine. We were looking forward to relaxing, enjoying some sea days, and heading home after a delightful finish to a long retirement tour. Then….sniff sniff. Cough cough. I had a sore throat and congested head suddenly one evening. Next morning, called the medical center. They were at the door promptly, and gave each of us a test. I had several self test kits with us, and we had tested every three days since we had left home several weeks before. The last test, taken two days before, had been negative, and we had no symptoms, so when my test was positive I was surprised. And probably a little curt with the poor Princess med tech. “Are you **** kidding me” was probably not a shining moment for me, but there it was. Once you test positive, things move quickly. We were given the choice of my husband staying in the cabin, enjoying some freedom of movement around the ship, and being monitored by testing every few days, or he could come with me to the isolation deck and he would also be completely isolated. He said there was no choice; he was coming with me. Which was sweet of him (and I already think the sun shines because he lets it) but I have worried the entire time we’ve been in our iso digs that he’d get sick. Anyway…the decision was made, belongings were randomly thrown into suitcases, and we were taken up to the Aloha deck to our new palace on the sea. That was Tuesday, Nov 15, and we are still in our comfy cozy quarters, awaiting tomorrow morning’s test, which will determine if we stay longer or go back to our original quarters. Things to know: - I need to write a letter of apology (I was angry and felt crappy and took it out on people who were simply following policy) and of gratitude to Princess. The staff has, without exception, been kind and understanding and patient. All the things I try to be, but failed at this last week. - Once you test positive, Princess works hard to soften the sharp edges of a bad situation. The medical staff was in continual contact with us, patiently answering questions. Guest services checked on us a couple of times each day, ensuring that all our needs were met. The room service team was kind and patient and always offered a cheerful query as to how we were feeling. - You can order anything off of any of the menus (Supplemental charges still apply for premium restaurants), and Princess does it’s best to see that your choices are varied as if you’re sitting at a table in the Main Dining Room. - The crew that works the iso floor, delivering food, messages, drinks, laundry, and just random stuff that you suddenly need right now because YOU ARE SICK, DANG IT simply does not get paid enough for the patience and kindness they show in their front-line duties. We are appreciative of their sunny smiles and cheerful tolerance of my sick-bed grumpiness. - My outlook improved tremendously when I realized that I may be ill, and feeling crappy, but I’m still sitting on a balcony in 74 degree weather, looking out over a calm ocean, sitting beside my handsome boyfriend and sipping down all the cold water I can get my hands on. Life is still good. - Lastly, I did not know the human body could produce so much phlegm. Seriously. TMI, I totally get, but…dude. I’m expecting a call from Ripley’s Believe it or Not any day now. Any questions, drop ‘em here. Happy to answer ‘em. In the meantime, wash your hands. Then wash them again. And, like we were told at our CC Meet and Greet, if you have the slightest indication something is not quite right, call the med center. That is all.