Live From Koningsdam Quarantine

[zelker]

13 minutes ago, Riversedge said:

No my DH is in his new room for the rest of the cruise.  It was only 2 doors down from our original cabin.  The good thing was they gave him the keys and he could carry stuff down instead of having to pack everything.  The next person might not be so lucky tho.  I don’t believe they would give you adjoining staterooms but who knows.  They might have to keep rooms open for the next victims.   All the quarantine rooms are in hallways together.  They are Verandahs but not suites. Doubtful you would remain in a suite. We talk a lot on the phone and he’s bored too but it would have been difficult to be in close quarters for that long even tho we usually do everything together.  We would not be happy with each other by the end of 10 days.  It would be survival of the fittest. 

You sound like us in that we do almost everything together too  ... survival of the fittest! 🤣 Perfect!!  

 

I guess I don’t understand why he had to move out to begin with though.  If they’re worried about your germs, wouldn’t he have carried them to the next stateroom anyway?  Makes no sense.

 

When you get sprung, do you get to join hm in the new stateroom or will they move you both yet again?

 

Thx!  

 

 

[ScoutDiver]

From Hal’s perspective, the quarantine is much easier to enforce and manage if the passengers are placed in known areas of the ship.   If the passengers under quarantine were scattered all over the place,  the crew, and other passengers are more likely to have encounters.

 

By moving them, they can be placed in restricted sections,  othe passengers know, ship crew know, etc.   Its not perfect, non quarantined passengers could still miss the dragnet and spread the virus.   

 

I have 20 people under quarantine, keep in a closed/controlled area. 

[zelker]

3 minutes ago, ScoutDiver said:

From Hal’s perspective, the quarantine is much easier to enforce and manage if the passengers are placed in known areas of the ship.   If the passengers under quarantine were scattered all over the place,  the crew, and other passengers are more likely to have encounters.

 

By moving them, they can be placed in restricted sections,  othe passengers know, ship crew know, etc.   Its not perfect, non quarantined passengers could still miss the dragnet and spread the virus.   

 

I have 20 people under quarantine, keep in a closed/controlled area. 

I get that they are isolating people in certain areas but her husband isn’t in quarantine so not sure what you’re point is.

[RGEDad]

6 minutes ago, zelker said:

I get that they are isolating people in certain areas but her husband isn’t in quarantine so not sure what you’re point is.

 

He has been exposed, and in close quarters with an infested person - but has not (yet) have a detectable infestation of the COVID bug.

So Yea - they are going to quarantine him for a number of days to see what develops (if anything).

Edited January 23, 2022 by RGEDad

[highland cruiser]

Hi.

I just got on CC and noticed your post.  I couldn't believe it.   I am so sorry you are going thru this.  But what a blessing you are feeling well and have your great sense of humor.  When you mention your walking routine I immediately thought you how much you and your husband enjoyed climbing up to fortresses and mountains on the Sept. cruise.  Have you figured out how to do that in your cabin?  LOL!!

 Your information have been invaluable to all of us who are thinking about cruising soon.  Your CC friends will certainly support you while you are in quarantine.  I wish your beer was colder but happy you have a real wine glass.  Great idea about ordering from the Dutch cafe or the Dive.  Might be a good alternative from the dining room menus.  As a retired teacher I certainly never said after the first day that was day zero and tomorrow will be day one.  We started our calendar routine on the first day and our count down to the 100th day of school.  It would have really upset my first graders if I told them today is day zero!  

Tell you husband hello from us.  I read all your posts to my DH.  It is something to discuss with my DH if one of us was to test positive and one didn't.  A conversation we will definitely have in the near future. 

What internet package do you have?  Can you zoom with family or friends?  

I will be following you closely.  Feel free to email me if you need to....mclark49 at yahoo dot com.

May these days pass quickly as possible for you my friend.

Mary

[RGEDad]

We have document that is both our Cruise Packing List, and our Departure Checklist including the things we must absolutely have/do when leaving (ie Passports & Vaccination records).

Given the person going into isolation has just 30 minutes to pack to move, I am sure things may well be forgotten in the frenzy/isolation/consternation of pending isolation & separation.

I have just gone through our packing list and added a new annotation to mark those things to split to take to the person going into isolation, and added a couple of new things to take on the cruise....just in case, (ie second charger and more cables, tableware). 

Of course - the choice of splitting, or not splitting, may or may not be an option.

 

Anyway - i do truly wish you the best, and thank you for your story.

 

[Riversedge]

1 hour ago, Iris5383 said:

@RiversedgeHow is the weather? Both times we cruised to HA, it was cold across the Pacific. Glad you have a real glass for wine! 

 

1 hour ago, Iris5383 said:

@RiversedgeHow is the weather? Both times we cruised to HA, it was cold across the Pacific. Glad you have a real glass for wine! 

Chilly for the first 3 days, better yesterday and beautiful today.  They are calling for sun and low 80’s tomorrow. Balcony day except for football. 

[Riversedge]

3 hours ago, bluesplayer said:

So sad you are in Quarantine. yet happy you are not seriously ill.  Thank you for sharing your experiences as most likely will cancel our upcoming cruise to Bermuda.  I wonder what would happen if you were 1/2 through the quarantine and it was time to disembark?     I started playing a fun game called Wordle..   it is free and there is one word puzzle a day.   Google Wordle..  Wish you the best..  following along..  keep asking for nice things!!   The nicer soap and lotions from Elemis!!   Hang in there..   

it’s hard to say what would happen.  I think they would get you a quarantine hotel if you wanted but if quarantine is only 5 days off a ship I guess no one could hold you hostage.  You’d have to do what you thought was right based on your symptoms. 

[bcummin]

Life is not fair.  But you are learning to cope with this disaster commendably.

Surely your husband could take things to the front desk to be delivered to you?

Keep your chin up.

Barbara

[Riversedge]

Thank you for your good wishes, Mary.  You certainly know how careful Ed and I are on a cruise!  Guess we thot we could keep safe.  I would have been climbing Diamond Head tomorrow.  
 

I have the regular internet package that’s included with Have It All.  That’s really all I need.  They will provide the same for those that don’t have it (no charge)

[Riversedge]

Just now, bcummin said:

Life is not fair.  But you are learning to cope with this disaster commendably.

Surely your husband could take things to the front desk to be delivered to you?

Keep your chin up.

Barbara

I’m sure he could get me whatever I want.  Not sure about food but if there’s something else I need I’m sure front desk would deliver it.
 

 My husband is going to Walmart tomorrow with shopping lists from the crew.  Unless they’ve joined the ship recently, they haven’t been off in 4 months and haven’t been able to buy supplies.   No crew is allowed to leave.  They are trying to be upbeat and are pros at their job.  They live 2 to a room, if the other one is sleeping they aren’t allowed to make noise.  They can’t gather in more than 3 people so no parties or anything special for them. We took a shopping bag of chips to one of the bar staff in the first leg of the cruise and he was so thrilled.  They really appreciate anything you can do for them. They would never ask of course.    I may be in quarantine but at least I don’t have to work!  

[Riversedge]

1 hour ago, zelker said:

You sound like us in that we do almost everything together too  ... survival of the fittest! 🤣 Perfect!!  

 

I guess I don’t understand why he had to move out to begin with though.  If they’re worried about your germs, wouldn’t he have carried them to the next stateroom anyway?  Makes no sense.

 

When you get sprung, do you get to join hm in the new stateroom or will they move you both yet again?

 

Thx!  

 

 

I think they wanted the room sterilized for the room steward’s sake.  I will join him in the new room when I can. 

[boze9999]

6 minutes ago, RGEDad said:

We have document that is both our Cruise Packing List, and our Departure Checklist including the things we must absolutely have/do when leaving (ie Passports & Vaccination records).

Given the person going into isolation has just 30 minutes to pack to move, I am sure things may well be forgotten in the frenzy/isolation/consternation of pending isolation & separation.

I have just gone through our packing list and added a new annotation to mark those things to split to take to the person going into isolation, and added a couple of new things to take on the cruise....just in case, (ie second charger and more cables, tableware). 

Of course - the choice of splitting, or not splitting, may or may not be an option.

 

Anyway - i do truly wish you the best, and thank you for your story.

 

For me, on a longer cruise such as this, if I was the positive passenger, packing in 30 minutes is completely impossible and unrealistic.  When you're quarantined in your purchased stateroom, what difference does 30 or 60 or 90 minutes make - especially when you're trying to ensure you are packing up all your "covid infested" items. When I pack to leave the ship, it takes me 2-3 days to pack without damage to items.  And as a negative tester, if my DH had to switch rooms and pack up his things, as a German, he would insist on impeccably folding and packing each and every item and would not do otherwise. If the rolls were reversed, my DH who takes weeks to hand fold every piece of clothing, would not be able to accommodate unrealistic requests for "throwing things in suitcases" to relocate. I understand the quarantine requirements, but the relocation requirements need to be accommodating. NMMexico said he was asked "how long do you need to pack" - that is reasonable - not "you have 30 minutes to pack". 

[boze9999]

5 minutes ago, Riversedge said:

I’m sure he could get me whatever I want.  Not sure about food but if there’s something else I need I’m sure front desk would deliver it.
 

 My husband is going to Walmart tomorrow with shopping lists from the crew.  Unless they’ve joined the ship recently, they haven’t been off in 4 months and haven’t been able to buy supplies.   No crew is allowed to leave.  They are trying to be upbeat and are pros at their job.  They live 2 to a room, if the other one is sleeping they aren’t allowed to make noise.  They can’t gather in more than 3 people so no parties or anything special for them. We took a shopping bag of chips to one of the bar staff in the first leg of the cruise and he was so thrilled.  They really appreciate anything you can do for them. They would never ask of course.    I may be in quarantine but at least I don’t have to work!  

We did that on our last cruise @Riversedge. Bless your husband for doing so also! 

[Riversedge]

13 hours ago, rothbury said:

 

Just a curiosity question.  I recall several other cruisers talking about their quarantine and got to thinking.  You don't have a room card key.  I know the ships require a room card to keep the lights on.  How have they handled that?  Did they just slide a cardboard cutout into the slot?  Stupid question, I know, but just curious.

They sent me down the hallway by myself and told me to go in the room and shut the door.  That’s when I realized there was no key card.  I yelled back down the hall and they came running down with a blank card to put in the slot.  We always travel with an old room card to keep in the slot but my husband had kept that.  

[Riversedge]

1 hour ago, RGEDad said:

 

He has been exposed, and in close quarters with an infested person - but has not (yet) have a detectable infestation of the COVID bug.

So Yea - they are going to quarantine him for a number of days to see what develops (if anything).

My husband is not quarantined. He never had any restrictions. They never retested him and he was free to move around the ship from the time we said goodbye.  He has pretty much stayed to himself because HE thought it best.  He called the med center the next day to ask about a test and they said not necessary.  He did use one we brought for peace of mind.  (Negative). 

[AFNavigator]

1 hour ago, ScoutDiver said:

From Hal’s perspective, the quarantine is much easier to enforce and manage if the passengers are placed in known areas of the ship.   If the passengers under quarantine were scattered all over the place,  the crew, and other passengers are more likely to have encounters.

 

By moving them, they can be placed in restricted sections,  othe passengers know, ship crew know, etc.   Its not perfect, non quarantined passengers could still miss the dragnet and spread the virus.   

 

I have 20 people under quarantine, keep in a closed/controlled area. 

It has been stated in separate quarantine posts (I believe in the recent Zuiderdam posts) that the quarantine rooms are clustered together because their airflow is managed within a zone.  They close the fire doors at the end of these zones to contain the hall airflow within the quarantine section.  The ships are designed that way for smoke and fire containment purposes.

 

I recall also reading that air is not circulated between cabins.  Cabin air is outside fresh air being pumped in to keep cabins at a slightly positive air pressure.  That is to keep smoke from coming in under your cabin door if there was smoke in the hall.

[highland cruiser]

1 hour ago, Riversedge said:

I’m sure he could get me whatever I want.  Not sure about food but if there’s something else I need I’m sure front desk would deliver it.
 

 My husband is going to Walmart tomorrow with shopping lists from the crew.  Unless they’ve joined the ship recently, they haven’t been off in 4 months and haven’t been able to buy supplies.   No crew is allowed to leave.  They are trying to be upbeat and are pros at their job.  They live 2 to a room, if the other one is sleeping they aren’t allowed to make noise.  They can’t gather in more than 3 people so no parties or anything special for them. We took a shopping bag of chips to one of the bar staff in the first leg of the cruise and he was so thrilled.  They really appreciate anything you can do for them. They would never ask of course.    I may be in quarantine but at least I don’t have to work!  

Brad said he would bring me whatever I needed and giving it to the front desk would work.  Such a great guy!  I told Brad that I wouldn't expect him to quarantine with me!  We also would get on each other's nerves.  LOL! 

Kudos to Ed for going to Walmart to get things for the crew.  Once when we were in Honolulu we found a Target to get a few things and the crew was all over that place.  The crew works so hard and deserve some extra treats. 

Nice to hear that internet is provided for those in quarantine.  

You will get thru this with your great attitude and support from the cc family.  ❤️

[Riversedge]

2 minutes ago, highland cruiser said:

You will get thru this with your great attitude and support from the cc family.  ❤️

Yes, I will.  This thread gives me something to do.  Ed said the shopping list was for personal items such as lotion, toothpaste, hair gel (he won’t have a clue here, lol)

[ksmaxey]

We are on the Eurodam right now and saw the isolation / quarantine cabins on deck 4.  They are used for those who test positive and for crew that are quarantining after joining the ship.

Sorry about the silverware.  After reading about other quarantine experiences my wife grabbed two sets of silverware on the LIDO minutes after boarding to hide in our cabin just in case.  
 

So far I have not heard of many testing positive on this cruise.  I also haven't seen anyone out on the balconies in the section that is closed off.

I realize that with mild symptoms that this is harder on your mental health than your physical health.  We are sorry this happened to you!

[ger_77]

11 hours ago, RGEDad said:

I have just gone through our packing list and added a new annotation to mark those things to split to take to the person going into isolation, and added a couple of new things to take on the cruise....just in case, (ie second charger and more cables, tableware). 

Of course - the choice of splitting, or not splitting, may or may not be an option.

 

 

Thanks for bringing this up - I only bring along 1 charger and cable, as I'm the "techie" in our family, but if one of us ended up in isolation, they would be going with that person so they could stay in touch with the outside world.  Hmmm, will have to add a few things here and there to the "Just In Case" pile.

 

Smooth Sailing!  

[GeezerCouple]

13 hours ago, Riversedge said:

No my DH is in his new room for the rest of the cruise.  It was only 2 doors down from our original cabin.  The good thing was they gave him the keys and he could carry stuff down instead of having to pack everything.  The next person might not be so lucky tho.  I don’t believe they would give you adjoining staterooms but who knows.  They might have to keep rooms open for the next victims.   All the quarantine rooms are in hallways together.  They are Verandahs but not suites. Doubtful you would remain in a suite. We talk a lot on the phone and he’s bored too but it would have been difficult to be in close quarters for that long even tho we usually do everything together.  We would not be happy with each other by the end of 10 days.  It would be survival of the fittest. 

 

Apologies for a question that is really trivial given the significant health issues at hand:  For those who had a suite, if they are quarantined into a verandah/balcony cabin (assume for this purpose that both go together), was there any mention of a pro-rated refund of the cost differential between the original suite and the smaller cabin?  (Same question if anyone has experience with any sort of imposed "downgrade" - thanks.)

I imagine this policy would vary by cruise lines, but I've not yet seen any mention of it, anywhere.  There was one passenger who was posting a really detailed day-by-day (forgetting his name; a great writer!) report about their quarantine, and IIRC, they had been moved from a Neptune suite to another Neptune, so this situation didn't happen.

 

Far more important, obviously, are the health issues, and that includes whether we'd stay together (if allowed) if one was positive and the other negative.  We are already having discussions about what to do if that happens at home.

[We are still strictly self-isolating due to age and other medical conditions.  It is seeming that eventually we'll get it, but we are trying to postpone that until there are therapeutics more readily available.  I was carried off a plane from Hong Kong in mid-December, 2019 and spent 10 days in hospital on oxygen, and it got scary for short time.  We were returning from an absolutely amazing NZ/Oz cruise on Noordam, and then several days in Sydney.  Separate question is, "What did I *really* have back then?"  I was kept in a "contagion precaution" room, and everyone was fully gowned/masked...   I am hoping to avoid a repeat of that, but who knows...]

 

Hope you continue a comfortable recovery and that your husband remains negative.

And good wishes to all in these crazy times!

 

GC

[cruisemom42]

5 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 For those who had a suite, if they are quarantined into a verandah/balcony cabin (assume for this purpose that both go together), was there any mention of a pro-rated refund of the cost differential between the original suite and the smaller cabin?  (Same question if anyone has experience with any sort of imposed "downgrade" - thanks.)

 

See post #8 in this thread.  The OP posted a letter that says there will be an FCC (credit) for 100% of the per-diem rate for each day they have to spend in quarantine. So you are basically not "charged" for a room during quarantine and get a credit for whatever fare you paid for your room. As well, they refund any prepaid items like shore excursions or on board experiences.

 

[Cruising-along]

14 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

15 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

There was one passenger who was posting a really detailed day-by-day (forgetting his name; a great writer!) report about their quarantine, and IIRC, they had been moved from a Neptune suite to another Neptune, so this situation didn't happen.

As I recall he was moved to a regular balcony, not another Neptune.  

[DuffyMcfluffy]

Walmarts in Hawaii have a great selection of Indonesian and Filipino food.

We always find a store employee and ask “If you were away from home for several months, what foods would you be craving?” Somebody will put him on the right track and load him up with treats.