Being Quarantined Because of Contact

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, shof515 said:

I was on the Breakaway at the end of October and Gem last month in December, my experience with the facial recognition used at the gangway is that they require you to remove your mask and sometimes hat for the scanner to detect you. I also noticed the scanner seems to take time for it to do the scans, so expect to stand there for like 30 seconds or so. it is not as quick as scanning the key card to get on/off the ship

The gangway scanners are also temp checking you and recording your temp. If you’re feverish upon departure or return, blamo, you’re in quarantine. 

[BirdTravels]

On 1/8/2022 at 4:20 PM, AnitaVacation said:

Ya see, what they're not telling you....when you get your preboarding covid test...they are actually microchipping you so that they can track your every movement 🤣

That’s what they do on Royal if the ship does not have facial recognition. You need to be wearing your tracker (tracelet) any time you are in public. Along with your vaccination bracelet (like the movie Contagion). 

[bstel]

couldn't they also track you through the NCL app?  I know that Virginia rolled out an app at the beginning of Covid that ran in the background and via bluetooth it would id any other phone with the app and if you were near them for 15 minutes and tested positive later, the app would tell you that you had a close contact.  didn't tell you who though.

[CarolinaMamma]

Now that masks are required, there should be fewer “close contacts” having to quarantine. I don’t know what definition of “close contact NCL uses, but our state health department and schools consider close contact >15 minutes < 6 ft apart when one or both parties are not wearing masks. So if kids cram their lunch in in 14 minutes while sitting 3 feet apart, not a close contact. When my daughter sat next to someone for hours who tested positive, she was not a close contact because they both had masks on. These guidelines haven’t been updated based on the increased contagiousness of omicron or whether the person is wearing a cloth mask or an N95, but if that is the definition of close contact that NCL is using, then the theater, teen club, and shore excursions where everyone wears a mask on the bus should not be a huge risk for being quarantined because you sat next to the wrong person. 

[ElizaSTN]

16 hours ago, CarolinaMamma said:

Now that masks are required, there should be fewer “close contacts” having to quarantine. I don’t know what definition of “close contact NCL uses, but our state health department and schools consider close contact >15 minutes < 6 ft apart when one or both parties are not wearing masks. So if kids cram their lunch in in 14 minutes while sitting 3 feet apart, not a close contact. When my daughter sat next to someone for hours who tested positive, she was not a close contact because they both had masks on. These guidelines haven’t been updated based on the increased contagiousness of omicron or whether the person is wearing a cloth mask or an N95, but if that is the definition of close contact that NCL is using, then the theater, teen club, and shore excursions where everyone wears a mask on the bus should not be a huge risk for being quarantined because you sat next to the wrong person. 

This is something that we lack clarity on, which is frustrating.  If masks *do* count as protection against “contact” I would be so relieved and would then have zero qualms about sailing.  I was/am most worried about sitting next to the wrong person in the casino and ruining vacation.  If simply wearing a mask would avoid that…yipee!

 

But I haven’t seen that confined anywhere I don’t think.  Again, clear policies and communication from NCL is not too much to ask.

 

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by ElizaSTN

[pandncruisers]

Does anyone know when they quarantine you for being a 'close contact' are you in your existing cabin until the results are in?  How long do the test results take?  We are not worried about testing positive since we are double vax, had the booster and had covid last November, just don't want to stay locked up for too long. 

[Old & Retired]

13 minutes ago, pandncruisers said:

Does anyone know when they quarantine you for being a 'close contact' are you in your existing cabin until the results are in?  How long do the test results take?  We are not worried about testing positive since we are double vax, had the booster and had covid last November, just don't want to stay locked up for too long. 

Depends on what ship you are one and which way the wind is blowing.  NCL's strong suit with covid is not consistency.

[TNcruising02]

If masks are really the protection that the CDC believes it is, then people who are wearing them should not be considered a close contact.  Close contacts should only be if you are next to someone for more than 15 minutes without wearing a mask.  It would be great if Norwegian can clarify this, but I think this entire contact tracing is vague.  I don't want to be quarantined unless I actually test positive.  That should be the rule.   I am vaccinated and had covid a few months ago.  

[CarolinaMamma]

16 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

If masks are really the protection that the CDC believes it is, then people who are wearing them should not be considered a close contact.  Close contacts should only be if you are next to someone for more than 15 minutes without wearing a mask.  It would be great if Norwegian can clarify this, but I think this entire contact tracing is vague.  I don't want to be quarantined unless I actually test positive.  That should be the rule.   I am vaccinated and had covid a few months ago.  

Agree. Our schools have very clear guidelines from the health department, so we know what a close contact is, and people do everything they can to avoid being a close contact, like cramming lunch down in 14 minutes and keeping masks on. 
 

Not that I think there is anything magical about 6 feet or 15 minutes, but NCL could allay customers’ fears about being close-contact quarantined if they were more transparent about their policies. Some people are probably cancelling, not because of fear of catching Covid, but because they don’t want to risk being unnecessarily locked up. 

Edited January 11, 2022 by CarolinaMamma

[milolii]

This thread is important for many people.  Please let’s not get it locked.  Debating the effectiveness of vaccines and/or masks is not allowed under the CoVID 19 discussion guidelines.  The guidelines are located by tapping on the red banner at the top of the page. 

[CarolinaMamma]

5 minutes ago, milolii said:

This thread is important for many people.  Please let’s not get it locked.  Debating the effectiveness of vaccines and/or masks is not allowed under the CoVID 19 discussion guidelines.  The guidelines are located by tapping on the red banner at the top of the page. 

You’re right. We need to keep this focused on cruise line policies. I wish NCL would share theirs. It would be in their best interest if they want people not to cancel their cruises. 

[TNcruising02]

2 minutes ago, CarolinaMamma said:

You’re right. We need to keep this focused on cruise line policies. I wish NCL would share theirs. It would be in their best interest if they want people not to cancel their cruises. 

I agree.  I thought that is what we were discussing, better communication from Norwegian about their close contact policy.

[knoxfox23]

On 1/8/2022 at 1:52 PM, MsTabbyKats said:

There has been talk that NCL has an amazing facial recognition system....and can identify all those you've been in contact with....leading to more testing and more quarantining.

 

No matter how amazing their system is, it would not work when someone is wearing a mask.  The computer needs to see "the entire face".  Then, add in glasses and hats!

Not completely true. My company installs camera for hospitals and the like. Most companies updated the software to include face mask recognition. Even changed the label in the box. This is true for geovision ,hikvision, and dahua and their clones. The brands are middle tier in cost and ability.