Catching Covid mid cruise and getting home

[A Tucson Guy]

I asked my TA but she does not know. What happens if us folks that naturally have had both jabs, catch covid mid cruise and then we are not allowed to get back on the ship. I just called SS ressie dept. and asked the same question. The agent I spoke with said they just had a meeting regarding this same issue. He said that SS has partnered with a "company" that would take care of this issue and fly us back home. I asked which insurance company it was and what was the cost. The surprising answer was no cost as SS is taking care of this. I then asked if any of this info was on the website and the answer was not yet. This is a big concern to us and I am sure I am not the only one. Has anybody else have similar information or new facts. And no, I don't believe everything that somebody tells me- show me the four corners of the document.

 

[Silver Spectre]

21 minutes ago, A Tucson Guy said:

I asked my TA but she does not know. What happens if us folks that naturally have had both jabs, catch covid mid cruise and then we are not allowed to get back on the ship. I just called SS ressie dept. and asked the same question. The agent I spoke with said they just had a meeting regarding this same issue. He said that SS has partnered with a "company" that would take care of this issue and fly us back home. I asked which insurance company it was and what was the cost. The surprising answer was no cost as SS is taking care of this. I then asked if any of this info was on the website and the answer was not yet. This is a big concern to us and I am sure I am not the only one. Has anybody else have similar information or new facts. And no, I don't believe everything that somebody tells me- show me the four corners of the document.

 

You could take out travel insurance with a company that provides Covid cover. A number of the U.K. travel insurance providers are now including cover for getting Covid before and having to cancel and also mid voyage.

[A Tucson Guy]

I think the insurance costs for a covid policy in the USA are really high if even available. 

[Stumblefoot]

7 hours ago, A Tucson Guy said:

The surprising answer was no cost as SS is taking care of this.

If this turns out to be true, then I'm super impressed.  With that said, sounds like a good question for the Barbara Muckerman forthcoming event.

[SSCAF001]

This is what can be found on SS website :

 

 

Safe, Timely Return Home

Silversea has developed a robust repatriation plan should any guest or crew member fall ill with COVID-19 while on board one of our ships. We have worked closely with local authorities to ensure that immediate medical attention is provided should the need arise, and have strengthened and upgraded our telemedicine consultations. Silversea will cover COVID-19-related expenses for onboard medical and repatriation costs.

[Fletcher]

I think if people who have had two jabs start to catch Covid then I guess the world will go into permanent lockdown because the virus will be saying, 'You can't kill me that easily but I can kill you.'

[OlsSalt]

There are encouraging reports of successful therapeutics for "covid".  Prevention along with treatment are now part of the "covid" package. As these therapeutics develop and are confirmed, it will bring more security to the post-covid travel world.

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33278625/

Edited May 11, 2021 by OlsSalt

[sea bright]

It will be interesting to see what Silversea provides. Medjet Assist insurance (taken for the year, not a specific trip) includes transport home for covid and is relatively reasonable. However, it does have an age cut off (not sure what it is).

[turtlemichael]

4 hours ago, sea bright said:

It will be interesting to see what Silversea provides. Medjet Assist insurance (taken for the year, not a specific trip) includes transport home for covid and is relatively reasonable. However, it does have an age cut off (not sure what it is).

And is most likely not available to residents of many countries and certainly not for covid related illnesses.  Subject to knowing the detail, the Silversea plan is very reassuring for many of us.

[sanne]

Global Rescue which is very similar to Medjet Assist is available for non North Americans. It had cover for over 80 subject to medical questions and I believe reduced benefits. 

 

 

 

[carefreecruise]

6 hours ago, sea bright said:

It will be interesting to see what Silversea provides. Medjet Assist insurance (taken for the year, not a specific trip) includes transport home for covid and is relatively reasonable. However, it does have an age cut off (not sure what it is).

I know it feels good to have a Medjet subscription. If you want to use them, you much be in a hosiptial and after a few days a doctor MUST provide paperwork stating, that you can not be treated at that hospital or any near by hospital. After that Medjet will call that doctor and see what's the problem with local hospitals. Only then will they consider moving you back to your original country. 

 

So yes we have had a couple of times that emergency services were required in other countries and now have a clearer picture of what's needed when you are visiting other countries. All I can recommend is lots of cash or credit cards with no limit, don't count on insurance companies for much help at first.  

[sanne]

With Global Rescue you make the call to be transported back to your hospital of choice. If necessary they will use their planes if commercial flight is not possible. 

[turtlemichael]

2 hours ago, sanne said:

With Global Rescue you make the call to be transported back to your hospital of choice. If necessary they will use their planes if commercial flight is not possible. 

Sanne, if you don't mind, I'm wondering what country you are in and what you do for other aspects of travel insurance ? It is an issue of concern for us.

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, carefreecruise said:

I know it feels good to have a Medjet subscription. If you want to use them, you much be in a hosiptial and after a few days a doctor MUST provide paperwork stating, that you can not be treated at that hospital or any near by hospital. After that Medjet will call that doctor and see what's the problem with local hospitals. Only then will they consider moving you back to your original country. 

 

So yes we have had a couple of times that emergency services were required in other countries and now have a clearer picture of what's needed when you are visiting other countries. All I can recommend is lots of cash or credit cards with no limit, don't count on insurance companies for much help at first.  

Have you actually used Medjet?  The limitations you describe sound like those of a regular Travel Insurance policy.  Medjet specifically says that as long as you have been admitted to a hospital, you and only you decide whether to be transferred and you and only you decide which hospital to be transferred to.  There is not requirement that the attending physician admit they can't treat you – that's the big Catch 22 on regular insurance policies.

 

I am attaching the relevant parts of the current FAQ on the Medjet website (from this page:

https://medjetassist.com/faq )

[cruiseej]

21 hours ago, Fletcher said:

I think if people who have had two jabs start to catch Covid then I guess the world will go into permanent lockdown because the virus will be saying, 'You can't kill me that easily but I can kill you.'

 

Not really. The effectiveness of COVID vaccines vary from 70% up to 95%. Assuming everyone on board has the 95% vaccine, it still means that if 100 people are exposed to the virus, 5 of them may develop the virus themselves. Generally, vaccinated people who get the virus may be symptom-free or have only moderate symptoms. They key to the vaccine is that if you do get COVID, it likely won't kill you. But it's not a bulletproof shield that you won't get it at all.

 

I think one of the key questions for cruise lines is: what is the protocol on board if one or more people test positive for COVID? Are they just put in isolation and the cruise continues unchanged, or does everything go on lockdown and the ship heads for port to end the cruise early? Is there a threshold (e.g. one to three persons with COVID, nothing changes, but 4+ and things lock down)?

 

 

[rojaan19]

SILVERSEA'S HEALTHY RETURN TO SAILING

 

https://www.silversea.com/lp-silversea-hrts-consumer.html

[carefreecruise]

16 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Have you actually used Medjet?  The limitations you describe sound like those of a regular Travel Insurance policy.  Medjet specifically says that as long as you have been admitted to a hospital, you and only you decide whether to be transferred and you and only you decide which hospital to be transferred to.  There is not requirement that the attending physician admit they can't treat you – that's the big Catch 22 on regular insurance policies.

 

I am attaching the relevant parts of the current FAQ on the Medjet website (from this page:

https://medjetassist.com/faq )

I know because we are members and it all sound good with sells talk and printed brochures. I talked to them directly from a hospital with the doctor there. That's when they started in with all the hoops I would need to jump through. I probably could have made it happen but would have needed to stay in the out of country hospital for at least four to five more days. So after seeing how it really works in real life we have a much more realistic view on what to do when terrible things happen out of the country. 

 

I am calmed down a now and it makes sense with the very reasonable fee they charge, they can't just fly out when a member requested it. 

 

FYI; while I was in the hospital, Medjet was there to pick up a lady in another room. The biggest problem was the hospital was not going to release her till the very large bill was paid in full with cash or cashier check. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by carefreecruise

[ChutChut]

17 hours ago, cruiseej said:

 

Not really. The effectiveness of COVID vaccines vary from 70% up to 95%. Assuming everyone on board has the 95% vaccine, it still means that if 100 people are exposed to the virus, 5 of them may develop the virus themselves. Generally, vaccinated people who get the virus may be symptom-free or have only moderate symptoms. They key to the vaccine is that if you do get COVID, it likely won't kill you. But it's not a bulletproof shield that you won't get it at all.

 

I think one of the key questions for cruise lines is: what is the protocol on board if one or more people test positive for COVID? Are they just put in isolation and the cruise continues unchanged, or does everything go on lockdown and the ship heads for port to end the cruise early? Is there a threshold (e.g. one to three persons with COVID, nothing changes, but 4+ and things lock down)?

 

 

The J&J vaccine was tested later than Moderna/Pfizer, etc. and it included Covid variants (tested in countries where Covid variants abound) which the others did not. As such, if we compared apples to apples - all the vaccines have a similar effectiveness rate for non-variant Covid strain.

[cruiseej]

14 hours ago, ChutChut said:

The J&J vaccine was tested later than Moderna/Pfizer, etc. and it included Covid variants (tested in countries where Covid variants abound) which the others did not. As such, if we compared apples to apples - all the vaccines have a similar effectiveness rate for non-variant Covid strain.

 

You're right the the J&J tests started and concluded later, and included more of the variants, but I don't think it's correct to say that they all have the same efficacy on non-variant strains. But it's not a useful question to debate, either, since "non-variant" Covid is becoming increasingly rare. The latest estimates are that more than 60% of US cases are now from the B.1.1.7 variant. (And in the US, only about 1% of confirmed COVID cases are genetically sequenced to determine what strain they are, so the actual case counts are only estimates.)

 

In any case, none of that changes the fundamental fact and questions I posed above. Fact: there is a reasonable possibility that a few passengers or crew on a ship with hundreds of people aboard might get the virus, even though they've been vaccinated. Questions: what are the cruise line's protocols when one or multiple Covid cases are confirmed.

[OlsSalt]

From the Washington Post:  National Institutes of Health (NIH) planning drug trials for "covid"  treatment. Assume these will be available onboard, if determined to be therapeutic.

 

"...... It (NIH) is planning a randomized clinical trial to explore whether older, already approved drugs can be repurposed to reduce covid-19 symptoms, according to three individuals who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans have not been announced.

 

Ivermectin is considered a top candidate for the trial, though the details are not final, the individuals said. Other possibilities are fluvoxamine, a decades-old antidepressant, and famotidine, the generic name for Pepcid, outside scientists said. The goal would be to get results within months.

 

 

The outpatient trial would be the latest in a series of studies, conducted with academia and industry, in NIH’s Accelerating Covid-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines program. The initiative has scrutinized monoclonal antibodies, blood thinners and other agents. Such trials, experts say, are as important in determining what doesn’t work, as what does.........."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2021 by OlsSalt