do all ships now have "isolation" cabins?

[minnesotasisu]

I have been reading on various postings that many ships sailing during this COVID times have specific decks or cabins reserved to isolate cruisers who may become infected during sailing. I am wondering how far out Princess is reserving space for these "isolation" cabins. We are sailing in Feb 2022 so I am wondering if things improve drastically by then, and if they have decks or cabins reserved for isolating guests, that these cabins may be released to be sold to cruisers? There doesn't appear to be too many cabins left on this cruise but I'm not sure if it is because they are holding some back for use as isolation cabins.

 

Thoughts?

[kiwimum]

The isolation cabin locations are supposedly dictated by the CDC for cruises sailing out of a US port.   Currently on the Majestic with crew are being quarantined in balcony cabins when they check onboard.   The cabin we booked for  our cruises now has a crew member in it as of 10/28 San Diego.   From our ‘upgraded’ cabin we can see him exercising.  
Also the Symphony dining room is being utilized as a crew dining room.

 

[minnesotasisu]

so I wonder how many cabins they are reserving for these isolation areas? I would think there would be less and less of them needed as the virus winds down (hopefully...)

[JF - retired RRT]

35 minutes ago, minnesotasisu said:

so I wonder how many cabins they are reserving for these isolation areas? I would think there would be less and less of them needed as the virus winds down (hopefully...)

I've checked on a couple of ships and, for the most part, all the cabins that were aft & mid-aft on Aloha deck were unavailable. On both ships there were still suites, minis, OVs and insides galore with sail dates in Nov & Dec.

I'm guessing those "fully booked" cabins on Aloha were for isolation.

[GonzoWCS]

Good question.  Listening in here

 

Cheers

[minnesotasisu]

9 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

I've checked on a couple of ships and, for the most part, all the cabins that were aft & mid-aft on Aloha deck were unavailable. On both ships there were still suites, minis, OVs and insides galore with sail dates in Nov & Dec.

I'm guessing those "fully booked" cabins on Aloha were for isolation.

it is hard to know if they are reserved as isolation cabins or if those cabins were booked for guests. I'm sure it is difficult for them to know how many cabins to reserve for isolation cabins. It is totally a guessing game. 

 

Does anyone know what percentage full they are planning for the various upcoming months?

[JF - retired RRT]

1 minute ago, minnesotasisu said:

it is hard to know if they are reserved as isolation cabins or if those cabins were booked for guests. I'm sure it is difficult for them to know how many cabins to reserve for isolation cabins. It is totally a guessing game. 

 

Does anyone know what percentage full they are planning for the various upcoming months?

One of the ships was reported about on a recent Live From that a staff member told her that that particular cruise had <400 booked.

[jimbo1683]

Im not sure where your optimism for things improving drastically by February come from. In the UK we are braced for a very difficult winter with the health service expected to be under extreme pressure and the possible/likely (depending on your political leaning) reintroduction of at least some covid restrictions. We're well expecting things to get worse not better in the coming months.

[Cruise Raider]

I'm sure that isolation cabins will be around for quite some time.  From what I've read, Princess is currently using one side of the Aloha deck for these cabins .. maybe in the aft section of the ship??  I would just assume that could be a moving target.  I would also assume the number of cabins needed for isolation is based on the number of passengers that are booked on a particular sailing.  I've recently read that passengers are getting bumped from the cabins they've long had booked....but those passengers got some sweet deals, IMO.  My only advice is to practice patience during the restart as I'm sure the CDC guidance they have to follow changes on cruiselines on a continual basis.  

Anyway, I think more vs less cabins will be made available for isolation in the upcoming months as bookings increase.  

 

[jimbo1683]

5 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

I'm sure that isolation cabins will be around for quite some time.  From what I've read, Princess is currently using one side of the Aloha deck for these cabins .. maybe in the aft section of the ship??  I would just assume that could be a moving target.  I would also assume the number of cabins needed for isolation is based on the number of passengers that are booked on a particular sailing.  I've recently read that passengers are getting bumped from the cabins they've long had booked....but those passengers got some sweet deals, IMO.  My only advice is to practice patience during the restart as I'm sure the CDC guidance they have to follow changes on cruiselines on a continual basis.  

Anyway, I think more vs less cabins will be made available for isolation in the upcoming months as bookings increase.  

 

Curious to know why is it that you wouldnt just be isolating in your own cabin rather than moving to another part of the ship?

[Ombud]

On my cruise it was around 1/4 of the Dolphin Deck. 

16 minutes ago, jimbo1683 said:

Curious to know why is it that you wouldnt just be isolating in your own cabin rather than moving to another part of the ship?

Because it might be easier to make sure they staff behind a firewall while still having a somewhat reasonable room. If asymptomatic they could enjoy the balcony while controlling a 6' space between asymptomatic & non-infected personnel & cruisers??

[Lizabu]

I’m booked on the Regal princess for November 29 and I had D530 booked and they recently moved us up a floor. The rooms are exactly the same category. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law were on the same deck and moved up as well. No one emailed us or offered any explanation but a part of me thinks maybe they might use this part of dolphin deck for isolation cabins. 

[minnesotasisu]

16 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

I'm sure that isolation cabins will be around for quite some time.  From what I've read, Princess is currently using one side of the Aloha deck for these cabins .. maybe in the aft section of the ship??  I would just assume that could be a moving target.  I would also assume the number of cabins needed for isolation is based on the number of passengers that are booked on a particular sailing.  I've recently read that passengers are getting bumped from the cabins they've long had booked....but those passengers got some sweet deals, IMO.  My only advice is to practice patience during the restart as I'm sure the CDC guidance they have to follow changes on cruiselines on a continual basis.  

Anyway, I think more vs less cabins will be made available for isolation in the upcoming months as bookings increase.  

 

Well I have an interior cabin on the Aloha deck in the aft section booked on the Enchanted Princess in Feb 2022. Maybe they will just upgrade me to a balcony cabin if they want to use the space for isolation cabins...

[franktown]

13 minutes ago, minnesotasisu said:

Well I have an interior cabin on the Aloha deck in the aft section booked on the Enchanted Princess in Feb 2022. Maybe they will just upgrade me to a balcony cabin if they want to use the space for isolation cabins...

They seem to be using balcony cabins as isolation cabins.

[Cruise Raider]

30 minutes ago, minnesotasisu said:

Well I have an interior cabin on the Aloha deck in the aft section booked on the Enchanted Princess in Feb 2022. Maybe they will just upgrade me to a balcony cabin if they want to use the space for isolation cabins...

 

I will keep my fingers crossed for you.  Although, it looks like all the isolation cabins have a balcony.  From what I can tell, they are blocking off a section with no inside cabins across from them ... just forward of the aft stairs.  

[K.T.B.]

19 hours ago, minnesotasisu said:

so I wonder how many cabins they are reserving for these isolation areas? I would think there would be less and less of them needed as the virus winds down (hopefully...)

 

Based on how many people have gotten Covid while sailing so far, they really do not need a lot of cabins.  Based the averages, they'd only need 3 or 4 at most.

[kiwimum]

32 minutes ago, K.T.B. said:

 

Based on how many people have gotten Covid while sailing so far, they really do not need a lot of cabins.  Based the averages, they'd only need 3 or 4 at most.

You are forgetting crew coming in board need to be isolated as well.  

[K.T.B.]

39 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

You are forgetting crew coming in board need to be isolated as well.  

 

They will have been isolated long before getting board.  The isolation cabins being culled out are for passengers only.

[kiwimum]

44 minutes ago, K.T.B. said:

 

They will have been isolated long before getting board.  The isolation cabins being culled out are for passengers only.

Yes, they have been quarantined prior to boarding but they fly in commercial and need to quarantine again.  Speaking from direct observations of crew in balcony cabins on the Majestic Princess.   We were moved from our Dolphin deck balcony to Caribe.   Can see our original cabin is occupied by a young man.

[K.T.B.]

28 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

Yes, they have been quarantined prior to boarding but they fly in commercial and need to quarantine again.  Speaking from direct observations of crew in balcony cabins on the Majestic Princess.   We were moved from our Dolphin deck balcony to Caribe.   Can see our original cabin is occupied by a young man.

 

Crew members will all need to have been quarantined prior to boarding.  Isolation cabins are not for the crew.  They'll be in the disembarkation city 2 weeks prior to boarding, so they can get to work the moment they board.

[Jadn13]

20 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

I'm sure that isolation cabins will be around for quite some time.  From what I've read, Princess is currently using one side of the Aloha deck for these cabins .. maybe in the aft section of the ship??  I would just assume that could be a moving target.  I would also assume the number of cabins needed for isolation is based on the number of passengers that are booked on a particular sailing.  I've recently read that passengers are getting bumped from the cabins they've long had booked....but those passengers got some sweet deals, IMO.  My only advice is to practice patience during the restart as I'm sure the CDC guidance they have to follow changes on cruiselines on a continual basis.  

Anyway, I think more vs less cabins will be made available for isolation in the upcoming months as bookings increase.  

 

I was moved from a Plaza deck cabin for Cruises April 16-May 21 (Selected on purpose) to 3 separate cabins with no compensation. I would have loved a deal but instead  had to  argue  just to  stay in  one cabin for those 3 cabins 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Jadn13

[Cruise Raider]

5 minutes ago, Jadn13 said:

I was moved from a Plaza deck cabin for Cruises April 16-May 21 (Selected on purpose) to 3 separate cabins with no compensation. I would have loved a deal but instead  had to  argue  just to  stay in  one cabin for those 3 cabins 

 

Oh no ... moving is such a pain. 

I also just had a canceled cruise and tried to move my perks over with it ... they assigned me to an awful cabin right over the theater with a very obstructed view.  I have been very happy with most of the dealings I've had with Princess but they won't even allow me to keep my perks if I pay to upgrade to a cabin where we would be miserable??  It doesn't really even pay to go in that case.  I would have loved just the smallest of upgrades.  Ever since we've been in a really noisy cabin, we purposely hand pick our cabins now.  

 

[Cruise Raider]

21 hours ago, jimbo1683 said:

Curious to know why is it that you wouldnt just be isolating in your own cabin rather than moving to another part of the ship?

 

I had the same question.  I found out it is so they have everyone that tests positive all in the same section of the ship: 

1) so they can assure these passengers stay in their rooms

2) it is safer for room service staff when they don't have to switch back and forth between guests that are and aren't quarantined (I understand they are in full PPE if there are guests in isolation) 

3) it is easier for the medical staff to check on these people all in one section 

4) the room that was occupied by someone that is positive will need an extensive and very thorough disinfection before allowing any new guests to occupy that cabin on the next sailing

 

I also learned that they are put in at least a balcony room so they have fresh air available and they are all in one section so they don't accidentally infect the people on the next balcony downwind.  It does kind of make sense .. I think for the hallway, the fire door is closed as well ... I'm sure it can be be opened if needed but someone mentioned they saw a fire door closed on the Aloha deck on one side.  This allows those further aft on the deck to still use the aft stairs or the hallway on the other side. 

It sure will be nice when this pandemic is finally under control.  

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Cruise Raider

[mom says]

22 hours ago, minnesotasisu said:

so I wonder how many cabins they are reserving for these isolation areas? I would think there would be less and less of them needed as the virus winds down (hopefully...)

I would love to know what makes you think this pandemic is going to wind down that quickly, with winter setting in (and people moving their activities indoors). There are predictions of an uptick, not down turn.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, K.T.B. said:

 

Based on how many people have gotten Covid while sailing so far, they really do not need a lot of cabins.  Based the averages, they'd only need 3 or 4 at most.

 But they probably have to prepare for the worst case scenario, not the average of what has been happening.