Cathygh Posted October 6, 2021 #1 Share Posted October 6, 2021 (edited) I am sorry to say that it has been reported elsewhere that a passenger has tested positive on Iona. A test was taken in Cadiz- this had to be done prior to leaving the ship in Lisbon 48 hrs in advance as required by the Portuguese authorities. Both the antigen test and pcr were positive. The authorities in Cadiz insisted the passenger and his wife leave the ship and go into a quarantine hotel outside Cadiz in separate rooms. I hope the passenger makes a speedy recovery and that they can return home soon. P&O had no say in this matter and had to follow the instructions given by the Spanish authorities. Edited October 6, 2021 by Cathygh 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Megabear2 Posted October 6, 2021 #2 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I too hope the passengers are well soon. The insistence of removal to a quarantine hotel is interesting. When trying to purchase travel insurance for a Caribbean cruise I cited this very scenario to four travel insurance companies (including P&Os preferred provider) and they all stated no cover for quarantine and they would arrange in that scenario for you to be taken home. I would therefore be interested to know how this quarantine hotel situation is being dealt with from a payment point of view. I thought at the time the insurers would most likely have no power to overrule a Government. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierjohn Posted October 6, 2021 #3 Share Posted October 6, 2021 1 minute ago, Megabear2 said: I too hope the passengers are well soon. The insistence of removal to a quarantine hotel is interesting. When trying to purchase travel insurance for a Caribbean cruise I cited this very scenario to four travel insurance companies (including P&Os preferred provider) and they all stated no cover for quarantine and they would arrange in that scenario for you to be taken home. I would therefore be interested to know how this quarantine hotel situation is being dealt with from a payment point of view. I thought at the time the insurers would most likely have no power to overrule a Government. But if that is stated in their terms, then I guess the passenger will have to foot the bill, since they presumably knew that was the case. However I am still surprised that the local authorities demanded they be disembarked, especially if that was the last Spanish port, which I assume was the case. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of Anarchy Posted October 6, 2021 #4 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I would of thought the easiest thing to do, would have been for the Spanish authorities to not allow the infected passenger off ship. P&O then isolate the passengers in the designated area on the ship until Southampton. Passengers then have to self-isolate after disembarkation. Maybe the Spanish isolation hotel needs the income? 🤔 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picsa Posted October 6, 2021 #5 Share Posted October 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Cathygh said: The authorities in Cadiz insisted the passenger and his wife leave the ship and go into a quarantine hotel outside Cadiz in separate rooms. And your evidence that this was the Cadiz authorities “insisting” and not simply making the necessary arrangements when P&O told them they wanted the passengers disembarked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Megabear2 Posted October 6, 2021 #6 Share Posted October 6, 2021 The lady involved is herself posting on the Iona chat on FB and she states the authorities insisted. She sounds rather scared poor thing. The problem with insurance is of course now being highlighted. I scoured the policies I was looking at and could not find any reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Peterson Posted October 6, 2021 #7 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I wonder what the feeling is on Iona itself, given that the two will have been circulating freely. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecttr Posted October 6, 2021 #8 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I wonder where they caught it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britboys Posted October 6, 2021 #9 Share Posted October 6, 2021 The lady is saying that two pax tested positive, so two couples removed from the ship. She also says that the P&O Care Team has been very good so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel57 Posted October 6, 2021 #10 Share Posted October 6, 2021 3 minutes ago, Britboys said: The lady is saying that two pax tested positive, so two couples removed from the ship. She also says that the P&O Care Team has been very good so far. Dreadful situation but very pleased to hear she is getting supported by P&O. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathygh Posted October 6, 2021 Author #11 Share Posted October 6, 2021 1 hour ago, davecttr said: I wonder where they caught it? They don't know, but it could have been anywhere and they had been on and off the ship during the cruise. The first symptom was a runny nose, and of course in the UK we are not advised to get tested for a runny nose, even though it is acommon sympton of the delata variant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BouncingWheel Posted October 6, 2021 #12 Share Posted October 6, 2021 The end result is no matter how many jabs you have you can still catch the damn thing but hopefully it should be mild symptoms. The game changer here is not the quarantine on the ship - which we all knew about and many accepted as an acceptable risk when going ahead with these cruises - but the fact you could be taken off the ship completely. Never even thought this would occur and this is one risk too far for me now. I know loads of people have said that masks and tests etc... were enough to make it not worth it at all but I had done seacations and thought they were done very well & safe so was all for continuing but not now. Could this lead to another pause? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picsa Posted October 6, 2021 #13 Share Posted October 6, 2021 1 minute ago, BouncingWheel said: The game changer here is not the quarantine on the ship - which we all knew about and many accepted as an acceptable risk when going ahead with these cruises - but the fact you could be taken off the ship completely. Never even thought this would occur and this is one risk too far for me now. Well that is the gamble of international cruising during a global pandemic - you might *think* you know the rules, but do you… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 6, 2021 #14 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Not only will those disembarked have to cover the cost of hotel quarantine they will also need to cover the cost of transfers and flights home From what I can see of reports of other cruises with Covid the passengers are all being disembarked in ports even if only mild cases The ship should also now be testing any passengers who they can confirm were close contacts on the ship or on excursions etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BouncingWheel Posted October 6, 2021 #15 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Just now, picsa said: Well that is the gamble of international cruising during a global pandemic - you might *think* you know the rules, but do you… I obviously didn't and these poor people are very likely holed up in a spanish hotel with a mild dose of Covid worrying about the costs and if they have to pay them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 6, 2021 #16 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I'm assuming the quarantine cabins are for close contacts of known positives to see if they become positive etc including staff but once they know you have it you are off the ship first chance they get As I said in another thread the longer the cruise the more likely positive cases will emerge The shorter cruises most positives won't even know they are positive til they have left the cruise 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Megabear2 Posted October 6, 2021 #17 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Do we know for sure the passenger is having to pay the costs, though? We cant base that on my conversations as some might have different policies of insurance. I think however my mind is made up: no Caribbean cruise in January for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 6, 2021 #18 Share Posted October 6, 2021 (edited) 4 minutes ago, BouncingWheel said: I obviously didn't and these poor people are very likely holed up in a spanish hotel with a mild dose of Covid worrying about the costs and if they have to pay them. As far as I can see even the special Covid insurance you are asked to take out on some cruises just covers the costs of getting you off the boat There's a cruisenews website that is highlighting the disembarkations etc and when they've asked who the cruise lines for who's paying for the hotels and flights theyve not had a reply to date! The cruise lines themselves aren't confirming any Covid queries at all from what you see on that site and all the info is coming from passengers and crew Early signs aren't good IMO Edited October 6, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picsa Posted October 6, 2021 #19 Share Posted October 6, 2021 11 minutes ago, BouncingWheel said: I obviously didn't and these poor people are very likely holed up in a spanish hotel with a mild dose of Covid worrying about the costs and if they have to pay them. Obviously it isn’t pleasant for them, but as before, take an international cruise during a global pandemic and you are gambling. Not only are you gambling with what you think might happen but with what actually happens when the dice are rolled. Don’t like the possible outcomes, then don’t play the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BouncingWheel Posted October 6, 2021 #20 Share Posted October 6, 2021 And what about any poor people that have this happen to them on a Christmas Cruise? If you get taken off late December then it's bad enough being isolated over Christmas / New Year but the staffing levels in hotels and flights back would be more difficult I imagine. People would have paid up in full for Christmas trips now with no chance of getting their money back and many would have been thinking that they would be holed up in a quarantine cabin as a worse case scenario and not left overseas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picsa Posted October 6, 2021 #21 Share Posted October 6, 2021 17 minutes ago, BouncingWheel said: And what about any poor people that have this happen to them on a Christmas Cruise? If you get taken off late December then it's bad enough being isolated over Christmas / New Year but the staffing levels in hotels and flights back would be more difficult I imagine. People would have paid up in full for Christmas trips now with no chance of getting their money back and many would have been thinking that they would be holed up in a quarantine cabin as a worse case scenario and not left overseas. The risk they took *thinking* they knew what might happen. How many times the rules have changed in every country might be a clue that nothing is predictable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 6, 2021 #22 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Dont forget quarantine cabins will be needed for close contacts potentially at risk. And not just positive cases. Covid takes time to incubate. Hence quarantine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierjohn Posted October 6, 2021 #23 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I need to check but I am fairly certain our staysure policy covers all costs of repatriation, which I assume would include hotel costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare P&O SUE Posted October 6, 2021 #24 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I have read this on the ‘other place’ I’m quite gobsmacked that the Spanish authorities wanted them to disembark. Surely from their point of view it would have been better to leave them on the ship? I feel very sorry for them and hope they recover well and get home soon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ccpm Posted October 6, 2021 #25 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Having literally just booked a December cruise yesterday and paid in full hearing this today makes me a little nervous. I will need to revisit the insurance from holiday extras anyway as now the confirmation has arrived it specifically excludes Spain which is a major part of my cruise itinerary. I don't get off the ship and will mainly be on my balcony well wrapped up but I can't do that all day so food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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