On Britannia January 1st to 15th. Now in isolation!

[tring]

7 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

It is ship preference to separate couples to try and protect the negative testing person. However it is fully understood that its not always possible. Given what I know from your previous postings Selbourne, you would not even be asked by ship crew.

 

Thank you for that information, which has confused a number of people, including me.  On reflection, it would also mean there is no problem releasing the negatively testing person and it will be a shorter isolation for her as well. 

 

I am thinking if she continues to test negative, then she would still be a contact of her positively testing husband after he is eventually clear of the infection.  This would seem to mean she would then have to isolate a further week after him, as she could still develop the disease.  Am I right in that assumption?

[molecrochip]

27 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I seem to remember Moley saying that quarantine hotels in Barbados were full, hence allowing passengers to quarantine on board.

I did. QV may also have some crew for/from Britannia.

Edited January 8, 2022 by molecrochip

[Izzywiz]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

A well balanced review but I had no idea that couples would be separated if one tests negative and one tests positive. It just goes from bad to worse. We have had several family members where one has had Covid and the partner hasn’t, even though they haven’t been apart at any time throughout. If only one of us tested positive, there’s no way that we’d be happy leaving the other on their own. Quarantine in a small cabin sounds hideous enough without it being solitary confinement as well!

Again, thank you all for your positive (hahaha not my favourite word right now) comments. I have quoted Selbourne's post as it is the first of many concerning my DH and I being put in separate cabins.
Had we both tested positive then we would have been quarantined together in the same cabin. The problem with putting someone with a negative test in the same cabin as someone who tested positive is that, should the negative person then contract covid, both would then have to endure further days in quarantine. The days are counted from when the first symptoms are noticed so should I, for example, develop symptoms on the 6th day of our joint confinement then we would both have to remain quarantined for another 10 days making 16 in all.

It isn’t the best situation that I have been in but the end is in sight and, as I said before, DH hasn’t been particularly ill….just a bit delicate with a cough and blocked nose…….so thank goodness for the vaccines.

 

'

[Izzywiz]

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Hello Izzywiz. I'm really sorry to hear your husband is unwell, I hope he makes a speedy recovery and you get to fly home on the day you should. ITT must be very disappointing being separated.

 

May I ask whether any close contact of you both have been tracked and traced to be quarantined as well? On our Britannia Christmas cruise a solo lady tested positive, again in St Vincent, and six other people ended up being quarantined as her contacts through table sharing, a bus in Aruba and sitting on the next table in the atrium.  I just wonder if you are questioned about this or whether they just make a judgement. 

 

 

Hi Megabear2, we were questioned in detail about our movements both on the ship and ashore. We have deliberately kept away from close contact with other passengers so had no names to give for tracking. We haven’t been given any information about the number of people in quarantine but I suspect there are quite a few, both passengers and crew members.

Another poster queried the fact that our names were put out over the PA system but I think it was the only way to contact us quickly on such a large ship. 

[Megabear2]

Thank you Izzywiz, I was just wondering how they did it because our "captives" weren't called apart from one cabin on Deck 16 which I think was our solo positive traveller as that's where the solo balconies are.  I think that's why no one guessed we had isolation going on until the six close contacts were released.

 

I assume you are now on day 8 of your original cruise.  Is that by any chance St Lucia or thereabouts?  We understand Queen Victoria who has quarantined passengers on board is to make a rendezvous with you and I think St Lucia is where it's all been going down so to speak.

 

I notice you said you are in deck 15. I hope they're keeping the on deck parties to entertain you. Perhaps you can make a request to the band - Please Release Me might be good ...

 

Hope it continues to go well and your husband feels better soon. Thanks for all your information.

[Fionboard]

Lateral flow can be false positive as I found out on Ventura! Faced being disembarked in Spain. Very scary. However second PCR test proved negative so I was OK. Apparently about 2 in every 1000 tests are false positives but I presume you are tested regularly to make sure. Get well soon.

[Gizmo19]

13 hours ago, Selbourne said:

A well balanced review but I had no idea that couples would be separated if one tests negative and one tests positive. It just goes from bad to worse. We have had several family members where one has had Covid and the partner hasn’t, even though they haven’t been apart at any time throughout. If only one of us tested positive, there’s no way that we’d be happy leaving the other on their own. Quarantine in a small cabin sounds hideous enough without it being solitary confinement as well!

I think the lady said that both she and her husband were now in balcony cabins on deck 14 and 15. So that is a big plus point, they have balconies. 

[Gizmo19]

30 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Lateral flow can be false positive as I found out on Ventura! Faced being disembarked in Spain. Very scary. However second PCR test proved negative so I was OK. Apparently about 2 in every 1000 tests are false positives but I presume you are tested regularly to make sure. Get well soon.

Yes, this false positive on a LFT happened to my daughter in law. A PCR subsequently done that same day confirmed she was actually negative. 

[Gizmo19]

Dreadful to be confined to cabin for so many days, but on a positive note the overall facilities, cabin grade and handling by P&O sounds excellent in the circumstances. Quite re-assuring that caribbean passengers are not required to move to a land based quarantine facility on this cruise.

 

We were on a Canaries and Madeira fly / cruise (not P&O) just before Xmas and everyone flying back to UK the next day had to report to the main theatre at either 0730 or 0830 for the LFT tests. We were also instructed to immediately return to our cabins after the tests, and stay there for 30 minutes. If  we had not heard from the medical teams within 30 minutes, we were all free to leave our cabins and proceed with the planned day. 

We didn't get a call, so left our cabin after the required time, and went for breakfast.

A little later that morning a ship wide announcement went out asking passengers Mr and Mrs X on deck 10 to return to their cabins immediately and call XXX. We could only assume that the couple in question had received a call from the medical team, but not been in their cabin when the call came in. Hence the ship wide announcement.   

Later that same day I was on our balcony and saw an ambulance draw up to the ship, and some bio suit people appeared. A couple then walked off the ship with their cases, entered the ambulance, and it drove away. They were no doubt being moved to a land based facility on the island we were docked at that day. Luckily, on our 7 day cruise, only 3 people in total tested positive (again announced on tanoy) out of all passengers and crew.  

 

[Selbourne]

19 minutes ago, Gizmo19 said:

I think the lady said that both she and her husband were now in balcony cabins on deck 14 and 15. So that is a big plus point, they have balconies. 

Yes, of course that’s significantly preferable to an inside cabin, but would still drive me nuts. It’s still a very small space to be confined in and whilst the beds on cruise ships are very comfortable the seats are not, facilities are limited and the TV’s are pretty rubbish. Neither of us sunbathe so whilst we always book balcony cabins it is for the views, not to sit on for prolonged periods.
 

As I’ve said before, I could cope with isolation in our house and garden, but not in a cruise ship cabin. Even if my wife wasn’t disabled, there’s no way that we would spend thousands on a holiday whilst the risk of cabin quarantine still remains, let alone the risk of being offloaded overseas. Statistically, the risk is small, but it exists none the less. I fully appreciate however that this is a risk that many are prepared to take, so I’m certainly not criticising others for doing so, just saying that we aren’t prepared to cruise again ourselves until this risk has passed.
 

In all other respects we are leading a normal life. We eat out two or three times a week, visit friends and relatives, go on holidays (in the U.K. only for now, which is no hardship) and being triple jabbed aren’t stressing over Covid. However, if we test positive we want to be able to isolate at home. 

[bee-ess]

Thanks for your detailed report Izzywiz. I'm sorry to read that you and your husband are in isolation, although it's not an ideal situation it seems from your report that it is a better scenario than being quarantined in Spain and that P&O are looking after you. Incidentally we were originally booked on this cruise but moved it on payment date.

[Izzywiz]

It’s lovely to hear from you all and to 'catch up' with so many of you who posted photographs on the threads last year…..those threads were such fun to take part in and certainly passed the time during the lockdowns!!

I’ll try to answer some more of the questions that have arisen.

 

MEGABEAR2 posted about the possibility of the Queen Victoria rendezvousing with Britannia to take our quarantined passengers.

We were in St. Lucia yesterday and saw one of the Cunard Queens tucked away in an area a long way from Castries. My cabin faced the terminal building and, as it was in the shade but lovely and warm, I spent most of the day on the balcony and did a lot of people watching. I didn’t see anyone leaving the ship with cases except for 'Eric and Ern' (so glad we managed to see them at the Limelight Club as they were  amazing!) who were probably off to the airport. 

Celebrity Silhouette and a Viking CL ship were docked near us so whether they were linked to the Cunard ship. It’s a mystery!

 

TRING….Thank you for that information, which has confused a number of people, including me.  On reflection, it would also mean there is no problem releasing the negatively testing person and it will be a shorter isolation for her as well.  

I am thinking if she continues to test negative, then she would still be a contact of her positively testing husband after he is eventually clear of the infection.  This would seem to mean she would then have to isolate a further week after him, as she could still develop the disease.  Am I right in that assumption?

FIONBOARD

Lateral flow can be false positive as I found out on Ventura! Faced being disembarked in Spain. Very scary. However second PCR test proved negative so I was OK. Apparently about 2 in every 1000 tests are false positives but I presume you are tested regularly to make sure. Get well soon

Hi TRING and FIONBOARD.

I am in isolation for 7 days and DH is is isolated for 10 days. We have both been Lateral Flow tested several times with my results being negative and his positive. Our confinement countdown starts from the time when DH first had noticeably symptoms which was on January 3rd (he just assumed that he had caught a cold from our son) so I should be released tomorrow (negative test) and guess I will return to our original cabin and will be allowed to access to the rest of the ship. DH, if he tests negative, should be released on the 13th so we should be clear to fly home on the 15th 🤞🤞🤞

 

 MEGABEAR2

notice you said you are in deck 15. I hope they're keeping the on deck parties to entertain you. Perhaps you can make a request to the band - Please Release Me might be good .

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣thanks, Megabear2. This made me laugh so much!!

 

 

 

[Cruisemeister2002]

As the woman who was married to a vampire, left him for a poet said " It just goes from Vlad to Verse"

[Host Sharon]

16 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I've just seen on the Cunard board that Queen Victoria is apparently sailing to pick up people from Britannia to quarantine onboard her.  This is apparently from someone onboard Queen Victoria.  No idea if its guests or crew but as Britannia is now on day 8 of her cruise assumedly if its passengers they are well past the St Vincent testing which should have been day 4/5 I think, correct me if I'm wrong please!

It's both passengers and crew

[Megabear2]

7 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

It's both passengers and crew

Thank you. Izzywiz currently on board Britannia saw the Queen some way off in Castries but no one leaving the ship.  Assuming they moved when no one about.

[davecttr]

3 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Thank you. Izzywiz currently on board Britannia saw the Queen some way off in Castries but no one leaving the ship.  Assuming they moved when no one about.

??? I thought she was in Windsor 😉

[molecrochip]

49 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

It's both passengers and crew

Now. Since Christmas. It wasn't before then - it was only crew.

[pennib]

The Queen Vic was “parked “just outside Barbados harbour on 7 January. Didn’t see anyone being moved between Azura and Queen Vic though. We heard that she is being used as a quarantine ship for Carnival. Big question is if you are on the QV or have been put in a quarantine hotel on the island, who pays and how do you get either back on your ship or home???

[Britboys]

So sorry to hear that Izzywiz - must be so disappointing for you both. At least they seem to be looking after you well on board.

[Presto2]

Just to say that we both really admire the way that you have both faced this challenge and got on with it rather than moan and complain and asking for heads to roll ! Wishing you both all the best and I hope that you manage to have some time back in your cabin together and a very safe journey home.

[Purdey16]

17 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Just to say that we both really admire the way that you have both faced this challenge and got on with it rather than moan and complain and asking for heads to roll ! Wishing you both all the best and I hope that you manage to have some time back in your cabin together and a very safe journey home.

You took the words out of my mouth presto2 exactly what I was thinking, I hope they both are well now and soon be back together in their cabin and enjoy the last 2 days before flying home safely.

[lindyloo22]

Wishing you both well and hope you are soon back together, safe journey home.

[Izzywiz]

Once again, heartfelt thanks for all your good wishes…..they mean a lot.
 

My DH and I are both in our mid-seventies (51years married this year😱…….where did those years go?) with a passion for travelling. We knew we were taking a risk by flying to the Caribbean but decided, after our Kenyan Safari was cancelled for the 3rd time, that we needed to do it as we don’t know how much longer we have to indulge this passion. 
 

Our philosophy is that life is too short to be miserable and having a positive attitude and a sense of humour (not a positive test result🤣🤣) helps to keep us going.

We have just docked in St. Kitts and I have loved watching the sun rise over Nevis while sipping coffee on my balcony.

my very best wishes to you all and stay safe 💖💖

[BestGuessed]

I have such enormous admiration for your attitude.  
If only there were more people like you … You are an inspiration.  
I hope you are reunited with your husband very soon and you are both are able enjoy the final days putting this unenviable event behind you.  
Have a safe journey home. x

[kalos]

28 minutes ago, Izzywiz said:

Once again, heartfelt thanks for all your good wishes…..they mean a lot.
 

My DH and I are both in our mid-seventies (51years married this year😱…….where did those years go?) with a passion for travelling. We knew we were taking a risk by flying to the Caribbean but decided, after our Kenyan Safari was cancelled for the 3rd time, that we needed to do it as we don’t know how much longer we have to indulge this passion. 
 

Our philosophy is that life is too short to be miserable and having a positive attitude and a sense of humour (not a positive test result🤣🤣) helps to keep us going.

We have just docked in St. Kitts and I have loved watching the sun rise over Nevis while sipping coffee on my balcony.

my very best wishes to you all and stay safe 💖💖

 

Glad to hear your still enjoying the sights whilst sipping your coffee.

A pity we were not still running the photo cruise as your pictures like B for balcony 

or Q for quarantine I'm sure would have been amazing 

Best wishes to you and your hubby Izzy and hope this cruise has still given you memories

that you can look back upon