COVID Treatment on Board

[doug618]

Hi All-

We are booked on the Symphony Dec 23rd.  Looking forward to the cruise but we are getting concerned over the current increase in COVID.   What treatment does Royal offer if you are test positive while on the ship?  Do they have the Monoclonal Antibodies?

Thanks

-Doug

 

 

[ryano]

12 minutes ago, doug618 said:

 What treatment does Royal offer if you are test positive while on the ship? 

 

 

 

Maybe this will help.  I seriously doubt they have the monoclonal antibodies.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/how-is-the-medical-center-equipped-to-handle-a-covid-19-case

[OnTheJourney]

47 minutes ago, doug618 said:

but we are getting concerned over the current increase in COVID. 

I share this same concern and, while looking forward (somewhat) to getting back to some cruising, it's a mixed bag at best - especially having not even eaten in a restaurant since June. It's sad anticipating a cruise with such apprehension rather than the usual excitement and anticipation of a relaxed 'vacation'. By now I would have pored over and booked excursions, but I'm just not motivated to do it. I anticipate this just isn't going to be the same experience or feeling. We'll see how it plays out. If we discover that it just isn't a good 'fit' for us anymore (at least as long as there are significant covid concerns), we'll just bag it and stick to car trips until (if?) things really start to get 'back to normal', if there even is such a thing anymore. If we find outselves worrying for the bulk of the time we're aboard or even ashore....what's the point? 

Edited December 15, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[alfaeric]

Instead of ignoring reality, you can also prepare yourself more, too.  As in- make sure you minimize your exposure to people over the next week.  Make sure you are wearing a mask, try not get into big groups, etc...  

 

That will make sure your negative test to board is not hiding a surprise, and when you get on the ship, the odds of you getting infected stays as low as possible.  And remember that the vaccine is incredibly effective at keeping you not sick when you do get infected- which is the main reason vaccines are required.

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, alfaeric said:

Make sure you are wearing a mask, try not get into big groups, etc...  

I've been doing this since day one - even with being fully vaccinated. Tell it to the people in my church who basically don't mask at all anymore. 

 

1 hour ago, alfaeric said:

instead of ignoring reality,

wow...really???  Not sure how to take that one...

 

1 hour ago, alfaeric said:

remember that the vaccine is incredibly effective at keeping you not sick when you do get infected- which is the main reason vaccines are required.

this point is well taken. Fact remains that, if it's not the relaxing experience we've all come to know and love, why do it - at least for me - when there are less-stressful options out there, even it means staying closer to home. I have 3 cruises booked thus far - two in spring and one in Jan. '22....all with different lines. See how this first one goes. I'm not in any way feeling desperate to cruise. Let's see what RCL is doing in the way of requiring masking. I suspect all this will become more 'loosey goosey' as cruising starts to resume. Just like 9/11 with the airport security - tight at first, then gradually less so (which is not a good thing since now people are trying to smuggle loaded guns in carry-on luggage...talk about being out of touch with reality). Money always talks. 

 

In fairness to your comments, however, with no vaccines, no masking, etc. IN normal pre-covid times, one's chances of getting sick on a cruise ship from norovirus was probably significantly greater than currently getting sick from covid with whatever precautions are (still) in place. We can always do room service since sitting down in a dining room with other people is where I know I'll probably feel really uncomfortable.

 

We have the three cruises booked so we'll see how they go - no need to book anything beyond that if we find things aren't what we want. Hoping by  winter of '22 that some of this crap might even be a distant memory. The other thing we deal with is still a tad of PTSD from the Viking Sky episode of March '19. That'll probably never go away. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[alfaeric]

13 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

 

wow...really???  Not sure how to take that one...

 

One of the suggestions was to not watch the news.  Which is ignoring reality.   That seems like a bad idea, to me.  Especially when it's really easy to be careful and prepared.

 

BTW, you can get the flu on a ship, too.  Noro isn't the only thing that can be spread- it's just the one that gets all of the headlines in the past, and is now replaced with COVID.  I got noro visiting a hospital, but never on a ship.  And not influenza (knock on wood).

 

In terms of it being a relaxing vacation- that's the entire point.  If its clearly not going to be that, I would go do that other thing, too.  We postponed our Feb cruise until May for a few reasons- mostly to keep the odds of COVID as low as we can.  And at the same time, we have also scheduled the alternate trips that we have been doing for the last 14 months.

 

I don't think I can handle a cruise if it's stressful just getting on board.  Then again, I don't see the actual cruise as the highest risk part of most cruises- that would be flying.  Where the only requirement is a mask, and the total number of faces you encounter if you have a connection is probably higher than a week on an Oasis ship.

[MommaBear55]

3 hours ago, ryano said:

 

Maybe this will help.  I seriously doubt they have the monoclonal antibodies.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/how-is-the-medical-center-equipped-to-handle-a-covid-19-case

At $2100 a dose, it's a huge up front cost for the ship, not considering the special requirements for administering it.

[Mullwi]

Does anyone knows what happens if you test positive at the end of the cruise? Do they send you to a local hotel to quarantine before you can fly home?

[njkruzer]

1 hour ago, Mullwi said:

Does anyone knows what happens if you test positive at the end of the cruise? Do they send you to a local hotel to quarantine before you can fly home?

So far what we have heard here on cc is if you are diagnosed on board they fly you home on a private plane.  Sometimes from the next port.

[Mullwi]

Thanks for that info NJ. I was worried because the travel insurance I bought, before Covid and last year’s canceled cruise, did not cover Covid. 

[cruisegirl1]

10 hours ago, njkruzer said:

So far what we have heard here on cc is if you are diagnosed on board they fly you home on a private plane.  Sometimes from the next port.

Wonder what happens to those who drove hundreds of miles and hours (or days) and have a car  at the port?   Hope i never need to find out. 

M

[njkruzer]

51 minutes ago, Mullwi said:

Thanks for that info NJ. I was worried because the travel insurance I bought, before Covid and last year’s canceled cruise, did not cover Covid. 

Do you have any insurance?   We always have insurance at least bought through the cruise line.

[njkruzer]

47 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Wonder what happens to those who drove hundreds of miles and hours (or days) and have a car  at the port?   Hope i never need to find out. 

M

The person on the Adventure who reported all this said they eventually paid for a relative to fly to Florida to drive it back for them.  No Royal doesn't pay for that!  They seemed very pleased with how Royal took care of her and her family.

[Babr]

12 hours ago, njkruzer said:

So far what we have heard here on cc is if you are diagnosed on board they fly you home on a private plane.  Sometimes from the next port.

I think what he was trying to ask is what happens if the next port is the homeport. There is nowhere else to get off.

 

Do they fly you home if you get off the ship positive at a US port?

Edited December 16, 2021 by Babr

[Babr]

39 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

The person on the Adventure who reported all this said they eventually paid for a relative to fly to Florida to drive it back for them.  No Royal doesn't pay for that!  They seemed very pleased with how Royal took care of her and her family.

 

That is because they were flown home from the Caribbean. They did not disembark at the port where the car was parked. In that case, I have seen reports that passengers were allowed to drive themselves home.

[njkruzer]

Haven't seen that.  Would seem strange if Royal knew passenger was positive that they just let someone drive or fly home.  Of course I could be wrong. 

[Babr]

13 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Haven't seen that.  Would seem strange if Royal knew passenger was positive that they just let someone drive or fly home.  Of course I could be wrong. 

Not fly. That is what quarantine is about.

 

Escorted to your own car after isolated disembarkation and allowed to drive home. I don’t know if Royal would do it, but other cruise lines have allowed it.

Edited December 16, 2021 by Babr

[njkruzer]

7 minutes ago, Babr said:

Not fly. That is what quarantine is about.

 

Escorted to your own car after isolated disembarkation and allowed to drive home. I don’t know if Royal would do it, but other cruise lines have allowed it.

Drive home locally or a 2 day drive with rest stops, restaurants,  and hotel on the way?  Hope not.

[Shiraus82]

Wonder what they do with us foreigners who fly in from across the ocean? 

[johnjen]

On 12/15/2021 at 11:21 AM, OnTheJourney said:

I share this same concern and, while looking forward (somewhat) to getting back to some cruising, it's a mixed bag at best - especially having not even eaten in a restaurant since June. It's sad anticipating a cruise with such apprehension rather than the usual excitement and anticipation of a relaxed 'vacation'. By now I would have pored over and booked excursions, but I'm just not motivated to do it. I anticipate this just isn't going to be the same experience or feeling. We'll see how it plays out. If we discover that it just isn't a good 'fit' for us anymore (at least as long as there are significant covid concerns), we'll just bag it and stick to car trips until (if?) things really start to get 'back to normal', if there even is such a thing anymore. If we find outselves worrying for the bulk of the time we're aboard or even ashore....what's the point? 

Exactly the same sentiments we have. I see ample worry posts, justified to say the least. I mean, why stress out over vacation planning that require jumping through hoops, mask wearing whilst on holiday, testing after testing, waiting on results? It sucks the life and wind completely out of cruising. It's just not the same.

[OnTheJourney]

4 minutes ago, johnjen said:

It's just not the same.

ABsolutely agree!  I just emailed our TA to find out what our options would be for canceling our upcoming March cruise on Enchantment out of Baltimore. No way will things be any better by then. I'm thinking another car trip would be far more preferable - less crowd exposure, NO testing hassles, so probably more relaxing. I have a Celebrity cruise in May - maybe can that one too. I'd rather lose the money than incur the stress and worry.  

 

We're starting to really see covid hit hard in the professional sports ranks now. Read that the Eagles are going to mask for their game against Washington on Sunday. Good for them!! 

Edited December 16, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

5 minutes ago, johnjen said:

I mean, why stress out over vacation planning that require jumping through hoops, mask wearing whilst on holiday, testing after testing, waiting on results? It sucks the life and wind completely out of cruising.

That is REALLY well put!!!  You nailed it. 

[OnTheJourney]

Then again, another part of me feels that...just how long are we willing to put the rest of our lives on hold and deny ourselves those things that we enjoy doing (because of continuing covid issues)  Somewhere in the middle is the right balance for each of us. I'm starting to ask myself - just how much do I trust the vaccines and booster that I got? If I'm not going to move back into enjoying activities, etc. why bother having gotten the vaccine?  I vacillate on some of these contradictory thoughts and emotions. 

[Keksie]

9 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

 .just how long are we willing to put the rest of our lives on hold and deny ourselves those things that we enjoy doing  

As long as you let it.  We have decided to live our lives, go out to eat, visit with friends and family, and enjoy the holidays just as before.  We also are choosing to vacation where we don't have to jump through all the hoops a cruise demands.  

[Babr]

25 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Then again, another part of me feels that...just how long are we willing to put the rest of our lives on hold and deny ourselves those things that we enjoy doing (because of continuing covid issues)  Somewhere in the middle is the right balance for each of us. I'm starting to ask myself - just how much do I trust the vaccines and booster that I got? If I'm not going to move back into enjoying activities, etc. why bother having gotten the vaccine?  I vacillate on some of these contradictory thoughts and emotions. 

I don’t think anyone who is vaccinated is worried about getting really sick anymore. It is the possibility of major disruption of plans that has people fretting. A positive test still results in severe consequences - denied embarkation, quarantine, delays, inconvenience. That takes the shine off for me.
 

Even if you enjoyed cruising before, it is not the same experience now.

Edited December 16, 2021 by Babr