Live From Koningsdam Quarantine

[Riversedge]

5 minutes ago, dmcfad2 said:

Were you able to get medication from the ship medical center, like Tylenol or cough syrup or cold pills or any prescription medicines? Or do they just stick you in quarantine without anything to treat your symptoms?

They asked me if I needed anything.  There were no suggestions as to how to treat myself.  They asked me when they first put me in and 3 days later.  I think if there was something I needed I could have asked.  I had ibuprofen and cough drops with me.  

[Julia McCoun]

I want to warn you it took me a while to process my experience.  Anger and frustration and exhaustion.   Enjoy time with your husband. Do gentle walks on the Promenade Deck.  Take it easy.  It was a shock to my system to go from a small room to the world.   Big hugs.

[Newly Retired Teachers]

8 hours ago, jones76845 said:

Check your Navigator app the gala nights should now be listed for your cruise under plan / itinerary 

Hmmm.  When I click on plan and then select "My Itinerary", the app crashes every time.

Bob

[zgscl]

1 minute ago, Newly Retired Teachers said:

Hmmm.  When I click on plan and then select "My Itinerary", the app crashes every time.

Bob

I had this before. Logging out, closing the app and then relaunching usually fixes it but I have had to delete and reinstall the whole app also. 

[zgscl]

Thank you so much for sharing your quarantine journey with us and your thoughts on the whole process. I hope that the HAL team have also learned a lot and will be better prepared for the next cruise. I think I am certainly less inclined to book a longer cruise for the next little bit. 

 

Having the information about the FCC for a traveling companion who is not sick is also helpful. I really can see both sides of the argument, but HAL should make it clear in advance. 

 

I hope that this has not completely put you off of cruising (at least when things are better than they are now). Wishing you and your husband a safe and healthy trip home. 

[kayakmom]

19 minutes ago, Newly Retired Teachers said:

Hmmm.  When I click on plan and then select "My Itinerary", the app crashes every time.

Bob

I had to log out and sign in again to get mine to work properly.

[Newly Retired Teachers]

21 minutes ago, zgscl said:

I had this before. Logging out, closing the app and then relaunching usually fixes it but I have had to delete and reinstall the whole app also. 

Thank you Zach and Kayakmom.  Reinstalling the app did the trick!

Bob

Edited January 29, 2022 by Newly Retired Teachers
typo

[jones76845]

Just now, zgscl said:

I had this before. Logging out, closing the app and then relaunching usually fixes it but I have had to delete and reinstall the whole app also. 

Also on a android phone you can go to settings>apps>navigator>storage>delete data

This will cure the crashing problem,  you will need to login again when you relaunch.

[stewardess64]

2 hours ago, boze9999 said:

Your summary of your quarantine is wise, sage and provides insight for all @Riversedge. Following your journey, has helped so many more than you know. Additionally, we all hope your journey has helped HAL understand their deficiencies and their path to improvement as they forage through the onboard reality of dealing with crew and guest covid......from all your friends @Riversedgethank you.....

Thanks for sharing your horrendous experience.  It has certainly given me some eye-opening things to think about as we prepare for our Feb. 2 boarding of Koningsdam.  I hope your health continues to improve.

[Caribbean Chris]

You raised good points. One is the lack of sophisticated medical facilities. Our close friend sailed for decades on world cruises (not on HAL) with her mother until a few years ago when her mother had a heart attack a few days west of Hawaii. Evacuation was not possible out in the Pacific. The ship doctors were great and did what they could but obviously were unable to perform the necessary surgery and could only keep her comfortable until she died. 

 

As you made clear, each individual should examine his or her likely responses to being in solitude. Some people by nature are happy being alone, like to read vs watch TV, are accustomed to living in small places, are used to cleaning up after themselves, aren’t particular about their food, and so. Others are at the other end of the scale, and most of us fall in the middle somewhere. 

 

Uncertainty about what was happening and what to expect would stress me out. I hope that cruise lines are reading posts such as yours to get protocols firmly in place. Communication and services need to be consistent from ship to ship, cruise to cruise, and person to person.

[ger_77]

I also want to thank you for documenting your quarantine period and sharing it with us.  Something I would like to comment on was your reference to a disgustingly dirty bathroom.  Could you have asked for (and hopefully received) things like a toilet brush and cleaner so you could take care of it yourself?  It was my understanding from reading other's experiences in quarantine that they simply put the trash in the hallway and it was removed for them.  Was this not the case for you?

 

I wish you a peaceful rest of your cruise, a joyful reunion with your husband, and a safe trip home where you can fully recuperate in the comfort of your own surroundings.

[Dismomx5]

Thank you @kayakmom that worked, and I see that the missing Flight Ease flights are there. Yeah!

 

@Riversedgethank you for your documentation of life of the quarantine onboard-especially that last post. It gives me pause, and I am grateful(?) that I had to cancel our April cruise due to the impending birth of our newest grandchild. Congratulations on your release and enjoy the time left on the cruise ship with your hubby. Rest and be well. Safe travels.

[conwakr]

I definitely think I would be avoiding long cruises that require secondary Covid testing post embarkation or if we had underlying conditions that put us at risk for the Covid Omicron cold crud. I am hoping beyond hope that the wave as passed for our April trip. Thank you for posting your experience. It is truly helpful for me to examine my own personal tolerances and what my reaction might be to a10 day forced quarantine in a different cabin than I had booked. 

[Iris5383]

Linda - I was supposed to be cruising on the Zuiderdam the same time as your cruise. We cancelled it.  Reading your posts made me glad we hadn't thrown the dice and got on the ship. In the better days ahead, it would be nice to meet you on another 'Dam ship.

Laura

[idiebabe]

18 hours ago, kayakmom said:

Since your husband can send things to your room... could he buy you a glass or a mug in the gift shop and send that to your room?

This is a great idea and thank you for Posting.  I love those Mugs in good times so that would be a solution to the Paper Cups! Hopefully, I won't ever be Quarantined but will have DH do this if it ever happens.   Again, great idea!  

[syesmar]

@Riversedgethank you so much for taking us along on your journey! We’ve been rooting for you. I truly appreciate your honest opinion of how things went in quarantine, and hope you have an enjoyable time the rest of the cruise. Wishing you all the best!

[GrannieNannie]

Thanks for your posts.  Let us know that you get home safely.

 

[Riversedge]

11 hours ago, Julia McCoun said:

I want to warn you it took me a while to process my experience.  Anger and frustration and exhaustion.   Enjoy time with your husband. Do gentle walks on the Promenade Deck.  Take it easy.  It was a shock to my system to go from a small room to the world.   Big hugs.

This is exactly what I am feeling.  My quarantine neighbor and I were talking yesterday about not wanting anyone near us when we get out. Not because we feel we are still contagious but because we feel our bodies are depleted and don’t want to catch anything else.  I feel like a hermit coming out of a cave.  

[Riversedge]

3 hours ago, ger_77 said:

I also want to thank you for documenting your quarantine period and sharing it with us.  Something I would like to comment on was your reference to a disgustingly dirty bathroom.  Could you have asked for (and hopefully received) things like a toilet brush and cleaner so you could take care of it yourself?  It was my understanding from reading other's experiences in quarantine that they simply put the trash in the hallway and it was removed for them.  Was this not the case for you?

 

They were supposed to let us know how to deal with trash but they never did.  We put out our meal cardboard boxes and empty cans on the tables outside our door.  A garbage bag would have been nice for Kleenex and extra things we might want to throw away.   I didn’t ask for a toilet brush but I doubt it would be delivered.  They don’t want anything here that the next person might touch.  

[Joanne G.]

On 1/27/2022 at 8:31 AM, KirkNC said:

And there in lies the problem.  It’s like HAL (and other lines apparently) only went as far as the CDC requirements.  Quarantine rooms required, check but absolutely no thought on the logistics, entertainment, or even well being of those in those cabins.  I hear very few even getting a medical follow up.  The same lack of planning exists with those poor souls put ashore in quarantine.

 

This post from a few days ago has stuck with me.  Everyone cruising these days should know the risks, and no one should expect quarantine to be pleasant.  But Linda's thorough and balanced reporting, as well as reports from others experiencing quarantine on board, has left me convinced that there are things the cruise lines could do, within the guidelines of safety, to make the experience less unpleasant.    Figuring out how to deliver hot meals that are actually hot, as a start.   Improved communication over the many concerns people might have would help.   And, based on Linda's post above, maybe purchasing some extra toilet brushes and cleaning supplies that can be discarded when the passenger leaves quarantine.   In what world is it acceptable for a guest/customer/patient to live with a dirty toilet?  

 

Many thanks, Linda, for sharing your experience.   Whether we decide to cruise in the near future or postpone our cruises, we can do so with valuable information.  And I hope the cruise lines pay attention.    I wish you well as you exit quarantine, finish your cruise, and travel home. 

[DogGoneCruiser]

On 1/21/2022 at 9:05 PM, Riversedge said:

This is day 3 for me (HAL says day 2) so I’m going to back up and post my thoughts by days.  
 

Day ZERO:

I spent almost the entire day in isolation but HAL counts this as day zero.  Which means 11 days quarantine, not 10.  I was an elementary teacher for 34 years, 26 of them in kindergarten. If you have ever been around kindergartners you know the first day is not easy.  I never went home at the end of the first day and said “Well day zero was fun!  Let’s do day 1 tomorrow”….said no teacher EVER!  A little depressing to know they are tacking on another day.  
 

Each day they call you in the evening to ask for your breakfast and lunch choice for the next day.  It is the room service menu for breakfast although I did get an omelet on request. The lunch menu is the same as the dining room.  For 11 days.  Dinner is the same as the dining room and they call in the afternoon to take your order.  They drop everything off at the little table in the hall (actually it’s your verandah table), pound on your door and run away.  I’ll post pictures of the menus.  Sorry, I scribbled on them before I realized these were the only ones I would ever get.  

 

All meals are served in paper cardboard boxes.  Hint: don’t order anything with cheese…like Mac and cheese or an omelet unless you have a preference for cold congealed cheese.  They come with flat wooden silverware.  Personally, I can’t stand the feeling of wooden things on my tongue which is why I quit playing the saxophone in high school band!  I called front desk and asked for real silverware.  Was told they couldn’t but then there was a knock on my door and two soup spoons showed up.  Another call to front desk and the next day a set of real silverware showed up.  I keep them in my room because otherwise I would never see them again.  
 

I quickly figured out that there are 11 steps from my verandah door to the hallway door.  I’m determined to walk 3 miles a day.  Luckily I have my Apple Watch to keep track.  I’m starting to feel dizzy with all the quick turns, lol.  
 

I have found that calls to the front desk get results.  Might take awhile but they are trying. I got two bathrobes along with my silverware.  
 

I have a kindle so lots of books.  And I can always watch one of HAL’s 20 year old movies.  They came out so long ago I wouldn’t remember them anyways.  
 

Day 1 report later.  I’m feeling ok, just bored.  Thanks to everyone for the good wishes. 
 

 

Do you have to pay an up-charge on some of the food choices?

[Newly Retired Teachers]

Just want to add to the best wishes that are going your way.  Please let others who are coming out of quarantine know that your journey has impacted a lot of us, from many places we call home.  I feel better prepared to make our choices because of the experiences you have shared with us.  I'm sure you will be long gone from the pier in San Diego by the time we arrive to check in on Wednesday, but you will definitely be in my thoughts because of this connection.  If you don't mind, please post a picture of your dinner at Tamarind.  I hope it exceeds your expectations, and it better be HOT!!!

[madera1]

Thank you again for your detailed reports of your shipboard experience with COVID. Hoping your final days out of quarantine are enjoyable.

[oaktreerb]

@Riversedge If you do a follow-up with HAL I hope you will emphasize the lack of warm, healthy food while in quarantine.  In fully vaccinated people who test positive for Covid it seems that the symptoms are similar to a head cold/flu where the symptoms are best treated with warm chicken soup, hot tea,  and other warm comfort food.  Neptune Suites guests have the ability to make hot coffee and tea in the room. Maybe they need to find a way to provide that amenity to quarantine rooms.  The lack of warm food for people determined to be sick enough to quarantine is unacceptable.  

 

Thank you for your insightful conclusions.  Safe travels, take care.

[highland cruiser]

20 hours ago, Riversedge said:

Some thoughts on my last night.  I’ve tried to be positive and upbeat but let me leave you with some realities.  This is not fun, not a relaxing 10 and a half days of leisure.  Many of you will say you are going to cruise because, well heck, you could get this from the grocery store, post office, etc.  

 

So ask yourself:

 

Could I manage the stress of getting sick on a ship where you would have no access to a ventilator or advanced care?  Would you put your spouse in that position? You might not get very sick but we don’t get to choose that part. 
 

Can you handle days on end where the only people you talk to are the dining room crew that takes your meal order?  And a traveling companion if you are lucky enough to not be traveling alone.  And remember, they are not having fun either.  
 

Can you handle living in a room where the toilet is disgustingly dirty, the trash is overflowing, the food is lukewarm and the tv channels are limited to political stations? Where food is served heaped in paper boxes, drinks are out of paper cups and you’re expected to eat off from wooden utensils? For days on end. 
 

Are you able to handle the exhaustion and the worry that maybe you will get worse, not better, and don’t have the comforts of home such as your own bed, hot drinks and your own choice of comfort food?  
 

What about the stress of flying back home across the country or the possibility of getting off and quarantining in a hotel?  
 

I have formed a friendship with the 4 cabins to the left of me.   We have supported each other as well as we can when it’s hard to hear each other across a long outdoor space.  Every one of us has said if we had known this was going to happen to us we would never have boarded this ship.  And everyone of us has said an overwhelming NO to cruising again any time in the near future.  I would have to drag my husband on another ship kicking and screaming at this point.  I am still exhausted and although I am looking forward to getting out I know I will tire easily. And I’m the person who was climbing mountains before this cruise.  
 

I hope I have helped you with quarantine decisions to make.  Maybe some day I will reconnect with the friends I had made on other cruises and get to meet those of you who have helped me through this time.  It won’t be right away because this is not for me for awhile.  
 

I think that Koningsdam’s  guest services has tried.  I commend them for the special touches.  The decision to cruise is yours alone to make.  Choose wisely what is best for you and happy sailing if you decide to do so.   And thanks for making my days more bearable 
Linda

 

 

Very well said, Linda.  
As I write this I hope you and Ed are together enjoying something to drink and eat.  You did an amazing job keeping us all informed.  Safe travels home !  blessing to you both.