What is 'life' like on board a quarantined ship?

[rattanchair]

Is it business as usual, or do most keep to their cabins and order room service?  (Kind of tough on staff and no service?) Anyone that is experiencing this situation at this moment can elucidate?

[leaveitallbehind]

Based on our past experience on a ship with reported noro cases, only those suspected of being directly affected would actually be quarantined to their stateroom.  Extra measures are taken with food service at the buffets, typically with staff serving v self service.  Other than that, it is business as usual on board.  

Edited February 4, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[KnowTheScore]

1 hour ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Based on our past experience on a ship with reported noro cases, only those suspected of being directly affected would actually be quarantined to their stateroom.  Extra measures are taken with food service at the buffets, typically with staff serving v self service.  Other than that, it is business as usual on board.  

 

 

That's all well and good for Norovirus as it's generally transmitted through touch, people touching hand rails, lift buttons and so on.

 

In respect of Coronavirus which may be airborne then sitting in your cabin with an airconditioning system you can't ever turn off is a very different prospect.   It means imo that one by one people will go down with the virus.  Just my opinion.

I most certainly wouldn't want to be stuck on a quarantined ship waiting to be infected and even if you managed to escape being infected you've basically spent £000s on a cruise which turns out to be nothing more than a prisoner ship.   One wonders also what happens to all the passengers once they come back home.  Presumably they all get transferred to some holding/military facility for days until they get the all clear.  

 

Case in point as we speak:

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/04/asia/coronavirus-japan-cruise-intl-hnk/index.html

 

"The ship, the Diamond Princess, ended its planned 14-day itinerary early and is currently docked off the coast of Yokohama, not far from the Japanese capital. Medical officials are going room-by-room to check each guests' temperature and medical condition, Japan's health ministry said in a statement. Several passengers have reported feeling ill, and the tests to check if they contracted the virus will take four to five hours, the ministry said.

Passengers and crew will now be required to stay on board until at least Tuesday night."

 

Thanks but no thanks.  I don't want to spend £000s for that experience esp given there is unlikely to be any compensation for it.

Edited February 4, 2020 by KnowTheScore

[Kartgv]

Just read an article about life on the quarantined ship - not sounding like fun:

 

https://news.yahoo.com/japan-coronavirus-cruise-ship-121120672.html

[Aquahound]

Life aboard a quarantined cruise ship:  😉

 

 

[rattanchair]

10 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

Life aboard a quarantined cruise ship:  😉

 

 

Dear Ah,

   Thank you... Pictures are certainly "worth a thousand words".

 

 P.S. I wonder if renting a cabana for the week includes nights as well.

Edited February 4, 2020 by rattanchair
P.S.

[Aquahound]

4 minutes ago, rattanchair said:

Dear Ah,

   Thank you... Pictures are certainly "worth a thousand words".

 

You're welcome.  But just so you know, the pictures are more in jest than they are reality.  They're from the Carnival Triumph fire.  I was just trying to lighten the mood a little.  

[rattanchair]

3 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

You're welcome.  But just so you know, the pictures are more in jest than they are reality.  They're from the Carnival Triumph fire.  I was just trying to lighten the mood a little.  

Dear Ah,

   Still poignant.  Reminded me of a cruise in the 1980's on Regent Sea. A ship fire knocked out all electrical power. Crew running to the pool deck with buckets to put out fire. Passengers fighting over deck lounges to sleep on deck. No emergency lighting to get back to cabin, no a/c in the Caribbean summer. Freighter S.O.S pulls up along side. Fiasco, but short lived. Thank God.

[TNcruising02]

It would probably be a good idea for anyone going on a 7 day cruise to take 14 days worth of prescription medication.

[Markanddonna]

I would recommend taking your usual amount plus 14 days. The problem could surface on day 6 or 7.  

[gerryuk]

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-51383458/coronavirus-life-in-quarantine-on-a-cruise-ship

 

[K32682]

1 hour ago, gerryuk said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-51383458/coronavirus-life-in-quarantine-on-a-cruise-ship

 

 

This item simply reinforces why a balcony is mandatory when we cruise.  Being locked up in your cabin 24/7 would be somewhat less onerous with a balcony.  It would be a gruesome prospect deep in the bowels of the ship in an inside cabin.  A stretch in solitary confinement in Supermax would be more appealing. 

[perditax]

 

People are posting from the quarantined Diamond Princess in this thread ...

 

[Hlitner]

I have just watched a video report from a British passenger currently on the Diamond Princess.  The situation sounds awful as all passengers are confined to their cabins with only sporadic food deliveries.  They have put out to sea so the ship is able to manufacture more water to overcome a shortage.  At this point it is possible that these 2600+ passengers may be confined for at least 14 days.  One wonders what happens if others come down with the virus during their 14 day quarantine (would this mean an additional 14 day quarantine?).

 

Hank

[Markanddonna]

I guess if they allowed the passengers to mingle, the quarantine could be reactivated again. I suppose that is why everyone is confined to their cabin.

[Ava79]

Just imagine: you've been waiting for a vacation for a long days, so you earn money, book a cruise, take your family in a perfect trip and happens this awful quarantine.... So terrible! 

[ontheweb]

17 hours ago, Ava79 said:

Just imagine: you've been waiting for a vacation for a long days, so you earn money, book a cruise, take your family in a perfect trip and happens this awful quarantine.... So terrible! 

And you wonder if this happens to someone on their first cruise, will they ever cruise again? Will they think this is what normally happens?

 

We were on a cruise once they ended up 2 extra days because a hurricane kept us out of Fort Lauderdale. Basically every one who needed an airplane back needed the first embarkation time so as to get a new flight. And there were several ships docking (plus it was a holiday weekend) so immigration was very short handed. Especially after they called the second color, the lounge was so crowded you could hardly breathe. I know I heard some first time cruisers wondering if this was what disembarkation was always like. You could sense that they were not ready to cruise again. Oh, to make it even worse, there was an announcement. Everyone expected it to be disembarkation would start; instead it was this is your last chance to buy pictures! 

[rattanchair]

Very uplifting, ongoing, daily video reports from Diamond Princess passenger with all my answers coming from him in real time. He feels fortunate to have booked a cabin with a balcony, he says worth the added expense in this situation, confined to cabins. Only two hot drinks at present (Feb 6) one in morning one in afternoon. No room service outside of meals being brought to cabin. No alcohol being served at any price. . ( personally I do not drink, but in this case I would make an exception and plan on packing at least 2 weeks worth if I were to ration it .  Could always bring it home for the next cruise). Water available. No laundry service, no change of towels, linens, no making up by room stewards no cleaning, all left up to passenger.

  Spirits are high, though not being given announcements (perhaps the less said the less panic).10 more passengers removed from ship, total 20 so far. Questions he asked will this extend the 14 day quarantine as more passengers are infected?

  I question when 'the powers that be' cut off his internet.?

Edited February 6, 2020 by rattanchair
syntax

[rattanchair]

This really makes one think about everything we normally take for granted while on a cruise. Should we bring our own bar soap, laundry detergent, cording to hang laundry to dry, toilet paper? The ships normal supplies could be a different port and food and water are sure to be available at any port, but toiletries might be overlooked in an emergency situation and considered an unnecessary luxury.  This is a very interesting and serious situation. 

[George C]

There is a thread on the princess cruise critic on this that is very interesting, terrible experience for all, worse for those in a tiny inside cabin with multiple passengers. I am sure the passengers that booked a suite are thankful for the extra space. 

[Markanddonna]

I imagine the internet would be running pretty slow if they must use the ship tower. We brought an extra two weeks of our prescription meds just in case things get crazy. So far so good.

I thought I would see some face masks at the airport. Zero at cmh and fll.

[burm]

On 2/5/2020 at 10:22 AM, K32682 said:

 

This item simply reinforces why a balcony is mandatory when we cruise.  Being locked up in your cabin 24/7 would be somewhat less onerous with a balcony.  It would be a gruesome prospect deep in the bowels of the ship in an inside cabin.  

I agree. Two weeks (or even a day) without fresh air and sunshine would be hell. Send good food to my cabin several times a day and I can be quite happy on the balcony with a good book. I would just prefer the quarantine to come at the end of the cruise, rather than the beginning. 

[George C]

We sail in 8 days on celebrity have gotten a couple of emails on this problem, I am sure they will be checking passengers more carefully until this crisis is over. 

[jocap]

I hear that inside and outside cabin passengers are being allowed outside for fresh air; the crew have delivered videos, games etc to occupy the passengers in their cabins.

[Markanddonna]

I feel sorry for everyone on that ship, but surely there are hundreds of crew who have nothing to and can pitch in to make food deliveries. The specialty restaurant staff, kids crew, cruisenext, and shore excursion staff. The chefs should have been given a day to develop a menu of standard far with some choices. I am so glad that the inside and ocean view passengers have a chance to get some sun and fresh air.