COVID Testing on Iona

[Eddie99]

Big issue with AidaNova - pax anticipating a Canaries cruise but all disembarked in Lisbon

 

Full report in the link - once again, trying times for everybody and really tricky for the cruise industry.  Aida is under the Carnival umbrella, isn’t it?

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/passengers-leave-covid-hit-cruise-ship-after-5-days-stuck-lisbon-2022-01-03/

 

 

[terrierjohn]

27 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

Big issue with AidaNova - pax anticipating a Canaries cruise but all disembarked in Lisbon

 

Full report in the link - once again, trying times for everybody and really tricky for the cruise industry.  Aida is under the Carnival umbrella, isn’t it?

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/passengers-leave-covid-hit-cruise-ship-after-5-days-stuck-lisbon-2022-01-03/

 

 

I just viewed an interesting comparison on a US cruise vlog, Aidanova had 59 cases as a result cruise cancelled, US  cruise lines have had several instances well above that level,  but so far no cruise has been cancelled.

[Gettingwarmer]

44 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I just viewed an interesting comparison on a US cruise vlog, Aidanova had 59 cases as a result cruise cancelled, US  cruise lines have had several instances well above that level,  but so far no cruise has been cancelled.

I think it depends on percentage of people aboard and what proportion is crew and if they are irreplaceable crew. 

[wowzz]

5 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

I think it depends on percentage of people aboard and what proportion is crew and if they are irreplaceable crew. 

The CDC put ships on the yellow watch list if they record 0.1% positive test results, (including crew and pax).  So, 5 people if a ship has a total of 5000 on board - seems an unreasonably low figure.  

[jeanlyon]

Interesting to read about MSC Grandiosa.  150 covid cases on the ship in Genoa.  Italians will be put on buses to go home.  foreigners will be put in a care home in Genoa!  LOL

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Interesting to read about MSC Grandiosa.  150 covid cases on the ship in Genoa.  Italians will be put on buses to go home.  foreigners will be put in a care home in Genoa!  LOL

 Could be a good option for when Arcadia and Aurora commence cruises again Jean? 😉 

[jeanlyon]

19 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

 Could be a good option for when Arcadia and Aurora commence cruises again Jean? 😉 

Ha ha, did cross my mind!

[PEMCO007]

On 1/2/2022 at 2:12 PM, Megabear2 said:

They did do some very nice things for me and also my family. I'm not subject to non disclosure so they include extremely large upgrades on my cabins, upgraded flights, free cancellation of a cruise I no longer wished to take, speciality dinners on my cruise just passed, priority seating in the Limelight Club, welcome on board gifts for my family on their Iona cruise including the breakfast in bed/bathrobes, obc for forthcoming cruises by way of apology for any stress. I also have a letter with two personal contacts at the CEO's office who will look after me and my extended family in the event we have problems with covid or offloading.

 

Most importantly from my point of view I now have a new personal friend at P&O and that is probably the nicest thing of all.

That is wonderful that they did that for you, and rightly so for all the hard work you have put in.  I do think that every customer however should be given a contact if the worse happens though. After  chatting to a family that were removed in Tenerife, they were left very high and dry with no idea of who to contact, which must feel quite daunting.  I think that is the least P&O can offer x

[Megabear2]

I assume they offer assistance on a situation by situation basis.  It would assumedly degrade the contact's usefulness if it was given to every passenger sailing.

 

Part of the reason I have been given individual names and contacts is because I was considered reasonable and responsible and would use this route only if I could see a situation failing.  I certainly would not take advantage of this availability in a normal situation.

 

[PEMCO007]

14 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I assume they offer assistance on a situation by situation basis.  It would assumedly degrade the contact's usefulness if it was given to every passenger sailing.

 

Part of the reason I have been given individual names and contacts is because I was considered reasonable and responsible and would use this route only if I could see a situation failing.  I certainly would not take advantage of this availability in a normal situation.

 

I totally agree, and please don't think I am discrediting you in anyway.  I can just imagine how difficult it must be when you find yourself being removed and finding it difficult to get any answers or who to contact.  

 

My Daughter only tested positive at Southampton whilst we were still at the hotel on the day we were meant to cruise, and even that was stressful! I was unsure of who to contact to notify to let them know we wouldn't be boarding, and you wouldn't believe how difficult even that was, no one wanted responsibilty.  I eventually got some joy through Twitter of all places, but not everyone has access to these social media sites, or even access to a smart phone.  

 

Again I am very grateful for all the questions you managed to get clarified for us all xxx

[Megabear2]

On 1/2/2022 at 1:05 PM, Bin man said:

I guess yes we are but that suggests Positive case and not your partner or family who test negative and that's what we all need to 

It may be of interest to know that in a general chat with my P&O friend about issues surrounding the update on the website on offloading at port request, I have been told that there was a particular problem with a Spanish hotel for the Iona Christmas guests and that on being informed of the problems P&O insisted on a better hotel and arrangement.  

 

Whilst not ideal perhaps this does indicate that P&O support team have more influence than we possibly thought.  

 

Meantime, fingers crossed, we currently have no reports of problems so far for Iona, Britannia, Azura and Ventura on their current voyages unless of course anyone knows differently...

[wowzz]

9 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Meantime, fingers crossed, we currently have no reports of problems so far for Iona, Britannia, Azura and Ventura on their current voyages unless of course anyone knows differently...

Spa and gym now closed on Azura due to Covid, according to a report "elsewhere".

[Megabear2]

I suppose it is inevitable. Some of them will have been on for over three weeks now.  

[zap99]

39 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Spa and gym now closed on Azura due to Covid, according to a report "elsewhere".

Dangerous places those Gym's. Best to avoid them.

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

Dangerous places those Gym's. Best to avoid them.

ICF might get his first P&O passengers into those cages in Barbados tomorrow or Saturday then!  Could get interesting to see where any P&O offloaded go in that area.

 

[bobstheboy]

Iona currently in Alicante and there was no testing prior to Arrival. Passengers are being temperature checked prior to enter the restaurant but it appears compulsory tests prior to arrival at a Spanish port has stopped. 

[Gettingwarmer]

15 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Iona currently in Alicante and there was no testing prior to Arrival. Passengers are being temperature checked prior to enter the restaurant but it appears compulsory tests prior to arrival at a Spanish port has stopped. 

I think the problem was before that they were tested before Portugal. Those testing positive etc were not allowed off in Madeira but were not made to quarantine in hotels. However the ship had to declare to the Spanish authorities when they arrived in Spain and they insisted that they were offloaded to quarantine hotels. This time the did not visit Portugal first. 

[wowzz]

34 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Iona currently in Alicante and there was no testing prior to Arrival. Passengers are being temperature checked prior to enter the restaurant but it appears compulsory tests prior to arrival at a Spanish port has stopped. 

I didn't think that testing prior to arrival in Spain was ever needed.

[yorkshirephil]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I didn't think that testing prior to arrival in Spain was ever needed.

It isn't now, not sure if it was previously. I think complications have occured because  there have been known cases onboard which would need reporting. Ironically if nobody was tested before arrival in Spain they would have been allowed entry as long as they met the other requirements.

[bobstheboy]

Just read that info in cabin is that testing will be done prior to arrival in Lisbon for those wishing to go ashore, no mention of other compulsory testing which was happening during the previous cruise.  Procedures seem to be changing all the time.

[Son of Anarchy]

There was no testing for going ashore in Spain when we were on board early December.

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

There was no testing for going ashore in Spain when we were on board early December.

Or for us in October/November.

[bobstheboy]

No compulsory testing at all during the cruise?

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, bobstheboy said:

No compulsory testing at all during the cruise?

Can't speak for P&O, but not on our Princess cruise. I believe P&O only offer testing if a negative test is required by the next port to be visited.

[Son of Anarchy]

2 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

No compulsory testing at all during the cruise?

Only for those going ashore in Portugal and the pre-departure test for returning to the UK (was introduced a couple of days before we embarked),