Covid policies on board MSC divina

[CruiseSDwise]

Hello all, 

just got off an 18 day Caribbean cruise as of Jan 6, 2022 on MSC divina 

 

first you should know that Covid policies change while at sea on a day to day basis. Can also change what ports you may go too or change itinerary completely. 
 

getting on ship, be prepared for it to take time, everyone gets Covid tested before getting on ship (at ship cost) but you also have to bring your neg test dated within 2 days. 
 

you will have to show your vaccine card before getting on board and should have it with you when you go ashore on islands. 
 

be prepared to have to be Covid tested while onboard our whole ship was several times. 
 

temperature checks Daily at all entrances to any food area. 
 

Contact tracing is done when they scan ship card. Which they do often in any area you are seated at like bars, restaurants, pool and places like gym or casino.  MSC has people going around with card scanners to “check” you into a location you look like your going to stay at awhile. 
If someone on board ship becomes positive for Covid and you can be “contact traced” to that other person you will be quarantined to your room for 14 days. Regardless of  if you test positive or not. 
everyone in a room or if adjoining room has been unlocked all people in room/rooms will be quarantined. 
they will not separate people rooming together. So if one person tests positive for Covid or been contact traced it will effect all in same room(s).  One family spent whole cruise after day 2 in room and never tested positive. They were contact traced. They were allowed back out of room day before we arrived back to Miami. 
 

if your ship has Covid positive people on board many islands will not let you into port so your itinerary will change. We spent 3 days at sea while changes were made based on which island would allow us to come into port. Then all shops at island knew we had Covid positive people onboard.  So masks become a big deal to shops. 
 

when you get back to USA customs anyone who was quarantined, have kids not vaccinated, or other random people( like me)  had to go thru another Covid test getting off ship for customs and I tested neg but some other people didn’t and they were ushered into another area of customs. Where they will be quarantined (was all I was told by customs agent)

 

all in all cruising right now is what you make of it. Stay away from other people, avoid crowds (don’t try to get off ship as soon as you can)  masks are required anytime not sitting. Masks are required when seated in crowds like theater. 
 

they use a spray chemical for disinfecting in like this “fog” machine. ( I was highly allergic to the chemical used) this fogger is used multiple times a day along halls, and everywhere even in your room (until I said they couldn’t use in my room due to allergy to it) then had to prove it was allergy to onboard Dr. And not Covid. 
 

they then did our hallway during late evening and early morning. We put a pillow by door to keep it from coming into cabin under door. 
 

bring lots of masks and plan on washing them in sink. You will use more each day then you think. Here in USA usually we only have mask on for a store for 30mins if at all.  Onboard you will have one on more then off, outside and inside, some islands it’s law to have them on always even outside and police are there to tell you to have it over nose/mouth or get escorted to jail. Belize  isn’t messing around… have mask on fully or police will be harassing you.
 

for parents They also don’t care if your child doesn’t like one,  Cruise ship or islands. They either have one on or stay in your room. 
 

 

unvaccinated people can not get off ship unless on ship tour. If you “leave” tour and don’t get escorted right back on ship you will be quarantined to your room for rest of trip. 
 

while different people are on both sides of Covid issues and have strong feelings one way or another… the fact is onboard ship and in international ports your feelings on the subject don’t matter.  Captain is boss on ship and port authorities are not messing around. 
 

knowing this, follow the rules, stay Away from people and know you will wear a mask, stay flexible and you can have an enjoyable cruise 

[sidari]

Passengers on Queen Mary 2 for luxury cruise spend days locked in cabins after catching Covid | Daily Mail Online

[mcoler181]

We are on Divina in April for 10 nights, reading that really makes me feel like cancelling. The potential of being stuck i the cabin with two kids for days on end just because you have been near someone who tests positive?

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, CruiseSDwise said:

Hello all, 

just got off an 18 day Caribbean cruise as of Jan 6, 2022 on MSC divina 

 

first you should know that Covid policies change while at sea on a day to day basis. Can also change what ports you may go too or change itinerary completely. 
 

getting on ship, be prepared for it to take time, everyone gets Covid tested before getting on ship (at ship cost) but you also have to bring your neg test dated within 2 days. 
 

you will have to show your vaccine card before getting on board and should have it with you when you go ashore on islands. 
 

be prepared to have to be Covid tested while onboard our whole ship was several times. 
 

temperature checks Daily at all entrances to any food area. 
 

Contact tracing is done when they scan ship card. Which they do often in any area you are seated at like bars, restaurants, pool and places like gym or casino.  MSC has people going around with card scanners to “check” you into a location you look like your going to stay at awhile. 
If someone on board ship becomes positive for Covid and you can be “contact traced” to that other person you will be quarantined to your room for 14 days. Regardless of  if you test positive or not. 
everyone in a room or if adjoining room has been unlocked all people in room/rooms will be quarantined. 
they will not separate people rooming together. So if one person tests positive for Covid or been contact traced it will effect all in same room(s).  One family spent whole cruise after day 2 in room and never tested positive. They were contact traced. They were allowed back out of room day before we arrived back to Miami. 
 

if your ship has Covid positive people on board many islands will not let you into port so your itinerary will change. We spent 3 days at sea while changes were made based on which island would allow us to come into port. Then all shops at island knew we had Covid positive people onboard.  So masks become a big deal to shops. 
 

when you get back to USA customs anyone who was quarantined, have kids not vaccinated, or other random people( like me)  had to go thru another Covid test getting off ship for customs and I tested neg but some other people didn’t and they were ushered into another area of customs. Where they will be quarantined (was all I was told by customs agent)

 

all in all cruising right now is what you make of it. Stay away from other people, avoid crowds (don’t try to get off ship as soon as you can)  masks are required anytime not sitting. Masks are required when seated in crowds like theater. 
 

they use a spray chemical for disinfecting in like this “fog” machine. ( I was highly allergic to the chemical used) this fogger is used multiple times a day along halls, and everywhere even in your room (until I said they couldn’t use in my room due to allergy to it) then had to prove it was allergy to onboard Dr. And not Covid. 
 

they then did our hallway during late evening and early morning. We put a pillow by door to keep it from coming into cabin under door. 
 

bring lots of masks and plan on washing them in sink. You will use more each day then you think. Here in USA usually we only have mask on for a store for 30mins if at all.  Onboard you will have one on more then off, outside and inside, some islands it’s law to have them on always even outside and police are there to tell you to have it over nose/mouth or get escorted to jail. Belize  isn’t messing around… have mask on fully or police will be harassing you.
 

for parents They also don’t care if your child doesn’t like one,  Cruise ship or islands. They either have one on or stay in your room. 
 

 

unvaccinated people can not get off ship unless on ship tour. If you “leave” tour and don’t get escorted right back on ship you will be quarantined to your room for rest of trip. 
 

while different people are on both sides of Covid issues and have strong feelings one way or another… the fact is onboard ship and in international ports your feelings on the subject don’t matter.  Captain is boss on ship and port authorities are not messing around. 
 

knowing this, follow the rules, stay Away from people and know you will wear a mask, stay flexible and you can have an enjoyable cruise 

So are they making you stay in your own room or a special room or area of the ship?

So if YC, do you stay in YC with YC food and drinks?

[pghflyer]

thanks for the report, wow, a lot to take in there.

 

I appreciate the need for the caution and why they do it, but the implementation of contact tracing when all of us are sharing a small amount of square footage seems ripe for false positives and unnecessary quarantines if not done with a lot of care and caution. I don't have a better solution, but that would have me (a very pro-science, pro-COVID precaution person with all 3 shots and normally double masked) avoiding staying anywhere longer than seconds at a time out of fear of getting traced later.....which ends up meaning I end up quarantining in my room anyhow. ugh. 

[brandy3415]

Sailing on the Divina on Sunday and feel  more confident after reading your post.  We do little in the way of mingling with other passengers and spend a lot of time on balcony and in the YC outdoor areas.  I am glad to hear that MSC really follows through with their stated policies on Covid.   So many businesses do not for fear of offending customers, especially here in Florida. 

 

So I am breathing a bit easier at this moment!

[mscdivina2016]

52 minutes ago, brandy3415 said:

Sailing on the Divina on Sunday and feel  more confident after reading your post.  We do little in the way of mingling with other passengers and spend a lot of time on balcony and in the YC outdoor areas.  I am glad to hear that MSC really follows through with their stated policies on Covid.   So many businesses do not for fear of offending customers, especially here in Florida. 

 

So I am breathing a bit easier at this moment!

I was b2b on Seashore in December and they did almost nothing for those in YC. Never had a temp taken. Never wore a mask, no one never said anything.

2nd cruise Covid test. What a joke. 1 second 1 side never touched my inner nose.

[Fla Mike]

Thank for taking the time to let everyone know what's what.

 

So, if Lovey and I go to the covered pool area on deck 14, or the Infinity / Garden pool area on deck 15 and we get our cards scanned and someone that may have been sitting at the other end of the pool tests positive, we will be traced back to them and quarantined?

 

that would stink...

[CruiseSDwise]

So to answer some of the responding questions like from Fla Mike. 
yes if you are scanned in covered pool area and someone on other side of pool tests positive you get contact traced and Q. Even if you retest neg. 
 

we were b2b and our Covid test went into sinus area. Made my nose bleed. The tech stuck that swab at least 6” up my nose. Then had to wait an hour for whole group that was tested at that time had all test results read. You didn’t get to leave after yours was good.  
 

people who get quarantined get moved to new rooms in “Covid” area. Escorted directly there.  They don’t get to pack up old room, staff does this in suits I think you could walk on the moon in.  
they moved them to deck 5 which didn’t have balcony rooms just windows.  Food was delivered to rooms by people in the zuit suits. 
 

anytime staff wanted to scan our card for contact tracing we choose to leave area vs stay and be traced. Only exception was food for us.
we didn’t go to gym or theater type areas either.  
 

not trying to scare people from cruising just helping you do so with eyes open. 
 

not all ships/companies have same rules. MSc divina was strict on Covid polices. It wasn’t a joke and they expected it to be followed. 
 

on a side note anyone with handicap disabilities should know that this ship is not user friendly for handicap. But I will post about that in another post. 

[WestTexasCruiser]

Thanks for the info.  We are scheduled for 11 days on Feb. 13th.  We may re-think our options.

[mscdivina2016]

18 minutes ago, CruiseSDwise said:

So to answer some of the responding questions like from Fla Mike. 
yes if you are scanned in covered pool area and someone on other side of pool tests positive you get contact traced and Q. Even if you retest neg. 
 

we were b2b and our Covid test went into sinus area. Made my nose bleed. The tech stuck that swab at least 6” up my nose. Then had to wait an hour for whole group that was tested at that time had all test results read. You didn’t get to leave after yours was good.  
 

people who get quarantined get moved to new rooms in “Covid” area. Escorted directly there.  They don’t get to pack up old room, staff does this in suits I think you could walk on the moon in.  
they moved them to deck 5 which didn’t have balcony rooms just windows.  Food was delivered to rooms by people in the zuit suits. 
 

anytime staff wanted to scan our card for contact tracing we choose to leave area vs stay and be traced. Only exception was food for us.
we didn’t go to gym or theater type areas either.  
 

not trying to scare people from cruising just helping you do so with eyes open. 
 

not all ships/companies have same rules. MSc divina was strict on Covid polices. It wasn’t a joke and they expected it to be followed. 
 

on a side note anyone with handicap disabilities should know that this ship is not user friendly for handicap. But I will post about that in another post. 

So if you were in Yacht club they would move you out into an ocean view cabin?  Did they continue to serve you unlimited booze? Would they refund the prorated part of the cruise they screwed you out of?

 

[pghflyer]

uh I don't think anyone was intentionally "screwing" anyone here

[mscdivina2016]

11 minutes ago, pghflyer said:

uh I don't think anyone was intentionally "screwing" anyone here

Really?

Quarantine you even if you test negative because someone who happened to be near you tested positive?

How is that not a screw job?

If that is true, then your steward, waiter, Butler, bar tender, and everyone who sat at a slot machine you played should also be quarantined.

Why are they not shutting down the casino?

Biggest joke. On Seashore last month they did not have every other machine off. They did not sterilize after each player and most, myself included did not wear a mask because we had a drink.

If they want to be serious, then shut the casino down!

[girli565]

We are in the process of boarding the Divina today for the 3-day cruise. Lines are long. They’re testing at the port. We are waiting for our results now. 

[Fredric22]

4 minutes ago, girli565 said:

We are in the process of boarding the Divina today for the 3-day cruise. Lines are long. They’re testing at the port. We are waiting for our results now. 

Thanks for the update!  What time did you get to the port?  Please keep us updated on how things are once you get on the ship!

[girli565]

While waiting in our “pod” someone tested positive and they had security escort him out. 

[girli565]

6 minutes ago, Fredric22 said:

Thanks for the update!  What time did you get to the port?  Please keep us updated on how things are once you get on the ship!

Our paperwork said 11:30 but then got a text to arrive at 3:30 instead. We got here at 12pm. We are just now clear from testing and waiting to get our passports checked and checked in. 

[Fredric22]

3 minutes ago, girli565 said:

Our paperwork said 11:30 but then got a text to arrive at 3:30 instead. We got here at 12pm. We are just now clear from testing and waiting to get our passports checked and checked in. 

Yikes! 3 hours!?  I am really re-thinking this trip now.... ugh. 

[Fla Mike]

18 minutes ago, girli565 said:

Our paperwork said 11:30 but then got a text to arrive at 3:30 instead. We got here at 12pm. We are just now clear from testing and waiting to get our passports checked and checked in. 

Thanks... Please try to keep us updated

[girli565]

Yes, it was a long check in process today. They only have two people working check in at the testing station so it’s very slow. Once we tested we went to wait for our results. The results took less than 20 min. Then another long line (maybe about 30 min) to have our passports scanned and get our room keys. We were on board by 3:35pm. 

[girli565]

Just heard from a crew member there’s 1000 guests on board this sailing. Normally it’s upwards of 3000. 

[obxlover]

Thank you so much for this post.  It broke my heart but a couple of days ago we moved our Divina cruise that was supposed to depart on 1/9.  I will be living through your posts girli565 and thank you CruiseSDwise for starting this post.  It was a very hard decision to cancel because I was so looking forward to this cruise.  But with the amount of money we would spending (we were in the Yacht club) I do not think I would enjoy the cruise.  I would be constantly worried about testing positive.  We moved our reservation to July.  Enjoy your cruise!!  Stay safe.

[CruiseSDwise]

To answer MScdivina2016 

I don’t know if refunds were issued for anything. 
 

Our family never was in quarantine. I just talked to people, some people who were friends with people in Q and others who were in line for customs who were Q and also talking with room steward.
 

 Any staff in contact with someone who tests positive will also be placed in quarantine. Staff is also Covid tested every 2 days.  

[mscdivina2016]

28 minutes ago, CruiseSDwise said:

To answer MScdivina2016 

I don’t know if refunds were issued for anything. 
 

Our family never was in quarantine. I just talked to people, some people who were friends with people in Q and others who were in line for customs who were Q and also talking with room steward.
 

 Any staff in contact with someone who tests positive will also be placed in quarantine. Staff is also Covid tested every 2 days.  

Thanks.

Clarity in the "piece of mind" policy is unclear.

It states refund if you test positive, but does not address contact tracing with a negative test still resulting in quarantine.

[Markanddonna]

1 hour ago, CruiseSDwise said:

To answer MScdivina2016 

I don’t know if refunds were issued for anything. 
 

Our family never was in quarantine. I just talked to people, some people who were friends with people in Q and others who were in line for customs who were Q and also talking with room steward.
 

 Any staff in contact with someone who tests positive will also be placed in quarantine. Staff is also Covid tested every 2 days.  

 

Thank you so much (and to others who are or were onboard) for keeping us informed. This is the kind of information people need to know. 

 

Also, I fear MSC may try to get around the issue of refunds for isolating people in their cabins if they have been around others testing positive. They will likely say "isolation in your cabin" is not the same as being quarantined.