Potential for Denied Boarding

[abacus2283]

I am on Seashore in February and looking forward to my first MCS experience.

 

In preparation, I have started reading and digesting all the requirements and restrictions in these COVID times. However, I now have a concern that I could get denied boarding,

 

On the MSC Website, they have a section for "Health and Safety for Cruises to Caribbean etc" . There is then the section "We will deny boarding if". This includes all the usual detail about symptoms, proof of vaccine etc plus one that is of concern to me:-

 

Have had potential exposure to a suspected or confirmed case of of COVID-19 within 14 days of embarkation

 

Does this mean that any health worker, people working in Doctors offices, Pharmacies, COVID testing stations etc are not eligible to board the cruise?

 

Discuss..........

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, abacus2283 said:

I am on Seashore in February and looking forward to my first MCS experience.

 

In preparation, I have started reading and digesting all the requirements and restrictions in these COVID times. However, I now have a concern that I could get denied boarding,

 

On the MSC Website, they have a section for "Health and Safety for Cruises to Caribbean etc" . There is then the section "We will deny boarding if". This includes all the usual detail about symptoms, proof of vaccine etc plus one that is of concern to me:-

 

Have had potential exposure to a suspected or confirmed case of of COVID-19 within 14 days of embarkation

 

Does this mean that any health worker, people working in Doctors offices, Pharmacies, COVID testing stations etc are not eligible to board the cruise?

 

Discuss..........

 

Only an idiot would check that off.

That would mean you lose your whole cruise with no refund.

 

The person coughing on the plane over and over would be "Suspected"

All your examples above are perfect examples as well.

 

Just like the forms years ago at the port pre board.  Do you think anyone checked yes?

[Bluewake]

28 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

 

Only an idiot would check that off.

That would mean you lose your whole cruise with no refund.

 

The person coughing on the plane over and over would be "Suspected"

All your examples above are perfect examples as well.

 

Just like the forms years ago at the port pre board.  Do you think anyone checked yes?

I believe you are correct that most people would not check that box acknowledging their exposure.  Unfortunately, perhaps that also inherently means cruisers should not trust their fellow passengers to be honest about being "at risk" for, or having the potential to spread, the illness to others on the ship. Caveat Emptor.

Edited December 31, 2021 by Bluewake

[Markanddonna]

1 hour ago, abacus2283 said:

I am on Seashore in February and looking forward to my first MCS experience.

 

In preparation, I have started reading and digesting all the requirements and restrictions in these COVID times. However, I now have a concern that I could get denied boarding,

 

On the MSC Website, they have a section for "Health and Safety for Cruises to Caribbean etc" . There is then the section "We will deny boarding if". This includes all the usual detail about symptoms, proof of vaccine etc plus one that is of concern to me:-

 

Have had potential exposure to a suspected or confirmed case of of COVID-19 within 14 days of embarkation

 

Does this mean that any health worker, people working in Doctors offices, Pharmacies, COVID testing stations etc are not eligible to board the cruise?

 

Discuss..........

The biggest issue to me (cruise Jan 15 for three weeks) is the mandatory testing once onboard- yes they are doing this. Non compliance means an escort off at the next port (they did this to a family.) If I have the sniffles on day 2 and test positive, I am destined for quarantine.  That means the fantasy of laying around the pool or frequent visits to the buffet are out the window. That is the reality we now face. Once again, not the cruise lines' fault. 

[styles27]

6 minutes ago, Couple-Somerset said:

 

I would not trust my own mother to be honest if it impacted her ability to go on vacation.

 

That's why they MUST do pre-boarding testing at the docks. All lines do it in Europe but it seems not to be the case in the US.

Exactly!!

All of us showing a negative test from 2-3 days before embarkation is useless. We could become positive in those 2-3 days. 
Also the at home guided tests many of us have used to get on MSC ships have shown questionable results in detecting the Omicron variant. 
So who knows how many false negatives have gotten on a cruise ship (and this could include me and DH because we used those tests last month)

 

Unless they test everyone at the pier before embarking and every other day on the cruise they’ll never really know how many positives are on board. 
 

*I’m not suggesting they test every passenger every other day because there is already a shortage of tests so it’s probably impossible at this point but I think you see my point. 

A negative test is just a moment in time it could change the next day. 

 

[mscdivina2016]

2 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

The biggest issue to me (cruise Jan 15 for three weeks) is the mandatory testing once onboard- yes they are doing this. Non compliance means an escort off at the next port (they did this to a family.) If I have the sniffles on day 2 and test positive, I am destined for quarantine.  That means the fantasy of laying around the pool or frequent visits to the buffet are out the window. That is the reality we now face. Once again, not the cruise lines' fault. 

I was b2b on 12/4-12/18

The b2b testing was a joke. 2" qtip never felt them even touch inside. I doubt they wanted to refund a YC booking.

Also if you tested positive on cruise 1, you are not allowed on 2 or 3. 

 

[Markanddonna]

11 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

 

Also if you tested positive on cruise 1, you are not allowed on 2 or 3. 

 

That makes sense. I've read others say that they thought the swab was normal, but I can see the temptation for the ship to want more negative results.

[Oxo]

23 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

I was b2b on 12/4-12/18

The b2b testing was a joke. 2" qtip never felt them even touch inside. I doubt they wanted to refund a YC booking.

Also if you tested positive on cruise 1, you are not allowed on 2 or 3. 

 

So, another reason not to cruise. The Cruise Line is more worried about profit than guests?

R U Serious?

[phissy]

10 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

I was b2b on 12/4-12/18

The b2b testing was a joke. 2" qtip never felt them even touch inside. I doubt they wanted to refund a YC booking.

Also if you tested positive on cruise 1, you are not allowed on 2 or 3. 

 

We had same experience.

The administration of the Covid test onboard is an exercise in “slight of hand”.  The tester touched outer nares ( opening to nostril) ONCE and only R side. I questioned their technique and they said this is what they were told to do.

Obviously, they did not want to find positive cases onboard. 

We went back to cabin and did our own tests to confirm  our negative status.

Our cruise did have reports of Covid positive crew members and YC members becoming sick during cruise. Overheard discussion by senior staff regarding this development.  Noticed our ship (Meraviglia) did go to yellow after we got home.
 

This was November..before Omicron variant was a factor.

 

 

[mscdivina2016]

2 minutes ago, Oxo said:

So, another reason not to cruise. The Cruise Line is more worried about profit than guests?

R U Serious?

Yes it seems.

A bunch of us from YC all remarked they did nothing. whole swab was 1 second.

 

48 hours prior to boarding was a different story. Long swab, twirled way up there for a few seconds and I felt that.

[phissy]

9 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

whole swab was 1 second.

 

48 hours prior to boarding was a different story. Long swab, twirled way up there for a few seconds and I felt that.

Exactly right. 

When test done correctly, each nostril ( inner) is swabbed with rotation around nasal cavity, at least, 3-5 times.  Both nostrils.

MSC did one tap to outer nostril, one side only. That was it. 
It was a joke .
I guess they hoped no one would end up in infirmary before cruise ended.

Once you are off,  not their problem.

 

Edited December 31, 2021 by phissy

[JAGR]

17 hours ago, Couple-Somerset said:

...everyone in US seems to spout off about personal choice and rights infringement. 

 

Well, many.  Very many, but not everyone! 😊

[styles27]

It’s quite unsettling to hear the experience some of you have had with testing on board. 
 

It definitely has made me feel better about postponing our Jan 8th cruise. 
 

I like to be in control of situations and right now there’s just too many opportunities to lose control on a cruise ship. 
 

If they’re truly telling their employees administering the Covid tests on board to not touch the inside of the nasal passageway that seems unethical and criminal to me.

They’re knowingly and willingly not following testing protocols?

That should be reported for the safety of all on these ships. 
 

 

[mscdivina2016]

34 minutes ago, styles27 said:

It’s quite unsettling to hear the experience some of you have had with testing on board. 
 

It definitely has made me feel better about postponing our Jan 8th cruise. 
 

I like to be in control of situations and right now there’s just too many opportunities to lose control on a cruise ship. 
 

If they’re truly telling their employees administering the Covid tests on board to not touch the inside of the nasal passageway that seems unethical and criminal to me.

They’re knowingly and willingly not following testing protocols?

That should be reported for the safety of all on these ships. 
 

 

Nobody is going to do anything. SO its useless. Even in YC, nobody wore a mask.

[Fogfog]

Considering the O scari-ant is often asymptomatic and none of the  testing determines variants-- just virus group...

YOU can each choose to sail or not. Jab or not.

If you choose to jab and sail.. then be confident in your choice..

...And Let those who choose differently to be confident in theirs.

IF that jab protects you-- then stop talking. 

 

MSC will certainly turn away someone symptomatic at the port (fever) etc. and will disallow embarkation. It is to their benefit to keep the ships sailing status etc

 

We are scheduled to sail in under 30 days and looking fwd to it

 

 

 

 

[Fogfog]

21 hours ago, styles27 said:

It’s quite unsettling to hear the experience some of you have had with testing on board. 
 

It definitely has made me feel better about postponing our Jan 8th cruise. 
 

I like to be in control of situations and right now there’s just too many opportunities to lose control on a cruise ship. 
 

If they’re truly telling their employees administering the Covid tests on board to not touch the inside of the nasal passageway that seems unethical and criminal to me.

They’re knowingly and willingly not following testing protocols?

That should be reported for the safety of all on these ships. 
 

 

You are making a lot of unfounded assumptions... and accusations. 

It is to MSCs benefit to test and deny boarding to protect sailing status

 

MSC was the first line to develop the onboard testing etc protocols and other lines followed their lead.

[styles27]

3 hours ago, Fogfog said:

You are making a lot of unfounded assumptions... and accusations. 

It is to MSCs benefit to test and deny boarding to protect sailing status

I’m “making a LOT of unfounded assumptions and accusations?”
 

I’ll make 1 assumption right now. Reading comprehension/punctuation recognition isn’t your strong point. 

My post was in response to first hand accounts from two of the most respected members on this board. I didn’t assume anything.

Try to keep up fogx2