Experiences on current Caribbean cruises

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, davecttr said:

Er!, yes. Who wants to sit for several hours in an enclosed tube with maybe several people that are positive. Those masks are not that good

But the air filtration system is excellent.

Having said that,  the whole system is a complete mess.  

[Megabear2]

4 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Test positive on the cruise then and fly home immediately?  

 

I was answering Johns post that brought up that option to avoid quarantine?

 

 

 

Ps I think RC cruisers test on arrival in Barbados before being allowed to board and 1 per cent are testing positive.  According to RC?

 

There must be Brits amongst them who would much prefer to fly hometown quarantine and then fly home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The RC cruises out of Barbados are a new thing and in their first season. Many Americans joining the ship are not happy with Barbados immigration at the airport, it's all a bit alien to them.

 

If you want to read about a Brit's experience with RC read the Northern Irish lady's cruise blog entitled December 25th (I think it was Explorer) on the RC boards.  She was in Costa Rica, now that one really is a saga and what a hero she has been.

 

For P&O fly cruises its PCR 72 hours before flying and lateral flow at UK departure airport. The first is a Barbados requirement. 

 

A lot of Americans are falling foul at the airport on the PCR, they're not having the correct test as per Barbados Government requirements.  Unfortunately they then start arguing with the checkers who become aggravated and make their life difficult.

 

ICF's outraged land based UK passengers again are falling over on the type of testing that is acceptable to Barbados.  It cannot be a home based self administered test and only certain types of in person ones are accepted. I mentioned here months ago an agent from Cover for You telling me Barbados was proving a very sticky wicket for visitors at the time it reopened.

 

For P&O charter flight passengers it should be plain sailing as quite simply you won't get on the plane unless both those tests are negative.  No worries at that point about quarantine or isolation there.

 

Finally, yes you are tested to arrive back into Barbados, again a requirement of their Government. Until we changed our rules that doubled as your UK entry as well. Now, well let's wait and see because if it's Covid passengers on Azura which have closed the spa and gym, we may have a very interesting situation developing.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Megabear2

[zap99]

5 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I was hoping that might be the case, but somehow I doubt that Boris will be brave enough to allow positive passengers to fly, but honestly with omicron so prevalent, does it really matter?

There isn't a government requirement to test before you fly home, so if Barbados and P&O follow those requirements, you won't know if you are positive. Just the same as if you fly home from a hotel stay.

[Megabear2]

Barbados are looking to tighten their rules, not relax them unfortunately.  You most likely will require the onboard test 24 hours before arrival into Bridgetown for the forseeable future and to date no P&O passenger has apparently been quarantined in Barbados following this test. 

[Angel57]

56 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

The RC cruises out of Barbados are a new thing and in their first season. Many Americans joining the ship are not happy with Barbados immigration at the airport, it's all a bit alien to them.

 

If you want to read about a Brit's experience with RC read the Northern Irish lady's cruise blog entitled December 25th (I think it was Explorer) on the RC boards.  She was in Costa Rica, now that one really is a saga and what a hero she has been.

 

For P&O fly cruises its PCR 72 hours before flying and lateral flow at UK departure airport. The first is a Barbados requirement. 

 

A lot of Americans are falling foul at the airport on the PCR, they're not having the correct test as per Barbados Government requirements.  Unfortunately they then start arguing with the checkers who become aggravated and make their life difficult.

 

ICF's outraged land based UK passengers again are falling over on the type of testing that is acceptable to Barbados.  It cannot be a home based self administered test and only certain types of in person ones are accepted. I mentioned here months ago an agent from Cover for You telling me Barbados was proving a very sticky wicket for visitors at the time it reopened.

 

For P&O charter flight passengers it should be plain sailing as quite simply you won't get on the plane unless both those tests are negative.  No worries at that point about quarantine or isolation there.

 

Finally, yes you are tested to arrive back into Barbados, again a requirement of their Government. Until we changed our rules that doubled as your UK entry as well. Now, well let's wait and see because if it's Covid passengers on Azura which have closed the spa and gym, we may have a very interesting situation developing.

Good grief - just read some of that post from the lady on explorer . They had a lot of patience and seemed to deal with an appalling situation really well.

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

Good grief - just read some of that post from the lady on explorer . They had a lot of patience and seemed to deal with an appalling situation really well.

Yes seemed like they felt guilty for everybody having to help them!

 

 

[Megabear2]

9 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Yes seemed like they felt guilty for everybody having to help them!

 

 

Total stars, and RC actually come out of it quite well.  It certainly seems that everyone involved had no clue what was happening and the couple just stayed patiently waiting for decisions. Shame she never got her extra time in Orlando, perhaps RC should offer to take her back there one day because she was so good!

[Bazrat]

I mentioned before after watching some of the bloggers on YouTube doing USA cruising, as soon as they get on the ship mask come off and they just wander around than the obvious happens.

[lindyloo22]

Trying to find the Irish lady’s blog on the RC board, is there a link for this as I can’t seem to find it.

thanks

Lyn

 

[Dermotsgirl]

2 minutes ago, lindyloo22 said:

Trying to find the Irish lady’s blog on the RC board, is there a link for this as I can’t seem to find it.

thanks

Lyn

 

I tried to find it and couldn't. They seem to delete a lot of threads on the RC board, so perhaps it is gone 

[lindyloo22]

That’s a shame Dermotsgirl, your probably right.

[Angel57]

7 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I tried to find it and couldn't. They seem to delete a lot of threads on the RC board, so perhaps it is gone 

Cannot do the link but thread is titled - “ Explorer of the seas - positive cases “ and is currently on the bottom of page 2 of RC threads.

[Dermotsgirl]

19 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

Cannot do the link but thread is titled - “ Explorer of the seas - positive cases “ and is currently on the bottom of page 2 of RC threads.

thanks, I'll have a look 

[Megabear2]

For those who are interested:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2820359-explorer-of-the-seas-positive-cases/

 

An amazing story.

[Dermotsgirl]

I’ve had a read now, what an experience, and she coped very well.

 

I would have found the whole experience very stressful, but because I know myself, I wouldn’t have done that particular cruise - my risk assessment would have said ‘don’t do it’ 

[Eddie99]

😳

She deserves a medal

Imagine if the RC care team hadn’t been as helpful

[zap99]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

But the air filtration system is excellent.

Having said that,  the whole system is a complete mess.  

I have been looking at our BA holiday to Lanza. As things currently stand, 2 weeks in the sun. 4 hours each way in their plane wearing a mask when not eating or drinking. I imagine the meal will take around an hour. So 3 hours wearing a mask is ok.

[cdm123]

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Barbados are looking to tighten their rules, not relax them unfortunately.  You most likely will require the onboard test 24 hours before arrival into Bridgetown for the forseeable future and to date no P&O passenger has apparently been quarantined in Barbados following this test. 

Is that a PCR or LTF before Bridgetown ?

 

[Megabear2]

23 minutes ago, cdm123 said:

Is that a PCR or LTF before Bridgetown ?

 

On the return into Barbados it is currently lateral flow. 

[zap99]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Barbados are looking to tighten their rules, not relax them unfortunately.  You most likely will require the onboard test 24 hours before arrival into Bridgetown for the forseeable future and to date no P&O passenger has apparently been quarantined in Barbados following this test. 

I Had a look at the updated requirements for Barbados, Bahamas and BVI. They didn't seem to be much different, but as you will know what they say and what they actually do may not be the same thing.

[Megabear2]

RCI are busy cancelling lots of cruises until March as we speak!

Edited January 7, 2022 by Megabear2

[Eddie99]

and Covid on Ruby Princess in San Francisco after Mexican trip.  Princess don’t need any more bad publicity after the Diamond outbreak at the start of Covid.  This article goes straight for that bit of history

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jan/07/ruby-princess-sparks-covid-concerns-after-a-dozen-passengers-reportedly-test-positive-in-us

 

[jeanlyon]

Just read that.  It's getting worse and worse.  Just waiting to see what happens with Ventuira.

[Megabear2]

🤞

[NoFlyGuy]

Is there a blackout on Ventura posts?

Plenty of posts from Iona on FB groups but nothing I can see from Ventura that's been in Madeira today.