NCL and Quarantines: What Does "dedicated isolation accommodations" mean?

[vicpylon]

Doing some research for an upcoming trip on NCL and noticed the term "dedicated isolation accommodations should the need arise" mentioned as an option if you test positive for Covid. What does that mean? Do they move the infected to a "plague deck" to more easily isolate them?  I am not keen to move to another cabin as it would be a downgrade to what we booked. Or is it meant to provide a  (voluntary) option to move the infected person out of a shared cabin to protect the uninfected in the cabin to a solo room?

 

Anyone have first hand experience with this?

 

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by vicpylon
more info

[sanger727]

From what I have seen other people post - yes, plague deck is a good descriptor. To prevent people from risking exposure they have a set of cabins set aside to make you too in a section of the hall that is closed off from the rest of the guests. I don’t think you have the option to stay in your cabin.

[hallux]

51 minutes ago, vicpylon said:

I am not keen to move to another cabin as it would be a downgrade to what we booked

Once you test positive you're at the mercy of the COVID protocols in place at the time, doesn't matter what cabin you booked.

 

Oh, it also wouldn't matter anyway since the "unused portion" is refunded if you test positive during the cruise, so that cabin you initially paid for is no longer "paid for" after you test positive.  I suppose that prorated refund is an effort to avoid these types of arguments.

https://www.ncl.com/refund-and-cancellation-policy-covid-19

• If you, your family members, travelling companions or other close contacts are denied embarkation or reboarding, or are quarantined or disembarked during the voyage, due to a positive COVID-19 test or being suspected of having COVID-19, you and they are entitled to a prorated refund, or an optional Future Cruise Credit (“FCC”), for the amount paid to Norwegian in the event of denial at embarkation, or the unused portion of your fare in all other cases

I suggest that you NOT use this clause as a reason to not self-report illness while on-board.

 

[sanger727]

11 minutes ago, hallux said:

Once you test positive you're at the mercy of the COVID protocols in place at the time, doesn't matter what cabin you booked.

 

Oh, it also wouldn't matter anyway since the "unused portion" is refunded if you test positive during the cruise, so that cabin you initially paid for is no longer "paid for" after you test positive.  I suppose that prorated refund is an effort to avoid these types of arguments.

https://www.ncl.com/refund-and-cancellation-policy-covid-19

• If you, your family members, travelling companions or other close contacts are denied embarkation or reboarding, or are quarantined or disembarked during the voyage, due to a positive COVID-19 test or being suspected of having COVID-19, you and they are entitled to a prorated refund, or an optional Future Cruise Credit (“FCC”), for the amount paid to Norwegian in the event of denial at embarkation, or the unused portion of your fare in all other cases

I suggest that you NOT use this clause as a reason to not self-report illness while on-board.

 

there are a lot of people saying that they will book a balcony or suite so they aren’t stuck in an interior cabin if quarantined. FCC for the cruise won’t make up being moved to and quarantined in an inside cabin for many people.

[hallux]

57 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

so they aren’t stuck in an interior cabin if quarantined

Not like you have much of a choice.  If you're quarantined the COVID response team will pick the cabin you go into.

[ktpc2005]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

there are a lot of people saying that they will book a balcony or suite so they aren’t stuck in an interior cabin if quarantined. FCC for the cruise won’t make up being moved to and quarantined in an inside cabin for many people.

Doesn’t matter which cabin you book they will quarantine on the floor they have designated as the Covid floor.

[BermudaBound2014]

To be fair to Ncl (and the other cruise lines) I have only read of one couple being quarantined in an inside cabin. It appears the  majority are quarantined in an outside cabin on the same floor as the medical center. There have been numerous reports of lucky folks being quarantined in a balcony cabin also. I have not read of anyone quarantined in a suite.

 

If you are still required to quarantine after you debark, NCL is supposed to have arrangements for you at a pre-approved hotel, but there has been at least 2 reports of NCL dropping the ball on this. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

That's why I book inside.  If I test positive, I get a free upgrade. 😎

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I have only read of one couple being quarantined in an inside cabin.

Yep.  And we have no idea if that report was true.

[sanger727]

7 hours ago, ktpc2005 said:

Doesn’t matter which cabin you book they will quarantine on the floor they have designated as the Covid floor.

 

right, that what’s I said in my first post. I was pointing out that if you booked a suite so that you would have a comfortable place to quarantine; you probably wouldn’t consider FCC sufficient compensation when you got bumped to an inside room.

Edited January 31, 2022 by sanger727

[missnd]

I tested positive on the 12/27 Getaway and was moved from a balcony on 8 to a balcony on 9.  I was by myself, so they didn't move me to separate me from anyone.  I know of at least 3 other people who also tested positive and were also moved to balconies on 9.  I believe there were also a number of crew either isolating or quarantining there as well.  However, I don't believe everyone in that area was Covid+ or crew quarantining.  There were people in the aft Haven suites with Covid+ people next door.

[bortman23]

23 hours ago, sanger727 said:

there are a lot of people saying that they will book a balcony or suite so they aren’t stuck in an interior cabin if quarantined. FCC for the cruise won’t make up being moved to and quarantined in an inside cabin for many people.

 

They probably shouldn't be cruising right now then.

 

 

[BirdTravels]

On 1/30/2022 at 7:06 PM, vicpylon said:

Doing some research for an upcoming trip on NCL and noticed the term "dedicated isolation accommodations should the need arise" mentioned as an option if you test positive for Covid. What does that mean? Do they move the infected to a "plague deck" to more easily isolate them? 

The plague deck depends on the class of ship you are on. The medical team also wants to be able to do wellness checks. Remember, not everyone is asymptomatic. Many vaxxed and boosted people get sick and very sick. And the worst case is the Carnival passenger who passed away after being transferred to a hospital in Belize and medivaced back to the US. In our city, about 10% of the hospitalized COVID patients are boosted individuals (i.e., sick enough to require hospitalization).  

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, missnd said:

I tested positive on the 12/27 Getaway and was moved from a balcony on 8 to a balcony on 9.  I was by myself, so they didn't move me to separate me from anyone.  I know of at least 3 other people who also tested positive and were also moved to balconies on 9.  I believe there were also a number of crew either isolating or quarantining there as well.  However, I don't believe everyone in that area was Covid+ or crew quarantining.  There were people in the aft Haven suites with Covid+ people next door.

 

Are you sure that those in the aft Haven suites, the ones NOT separated from balconies used for quarantine, weren't also for someone needing quarantine, but already having paid for Haven?

 

GC

[attila99]

I got infected by COVID in mid-cruise.  I was moved to an inside cabin in a section reserved for infected guests. Staying in a very very small cabin with no windows for 2 days without the possibility of going  out of the cabin is a bit  traumatizing but it is necessary to prevent an outbreak on the ship.

The first day after the cruise was also a bit  traumatizing but it was absolutely not necessary.

At the end of the cruise, Norwegian took me in charge and they sent me to a hotel selected by Norwegian for the beginning of a quarantine.  And that hotel was HO-RRI-BLE:  30 miles south of Miami in no mans land by a freeway,,,,In the room, the AC ventilator was so loud and there was no way to stop it ! Can't sleep there. AWFULL !    

The worst thing is that I phoned Norwegian to complain about that. They refused to talk to me and suggested to write a letter or answer a survey on the Net.  Better to send messages by pigeons.... Norwegian has plenty of staff to sell you stuff but once you paid and left the ship, they don't care about you...... 

[luckyinpa]

so are people not getting sick anymore or are threads just not being written about it because it's the new norm. havent seen any complaints in a while here. very strange. encourages me about cruising uninterrupted

[BermudaBound2014]

5 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

so are people not getting sick anymore or are threads just not being written about it because it's the new norm. havent seen any complaints in a while here. very strange. encourages me about cruising uninterrupted

 

I think there is reason to be encouraged for cruising uninterrupted especially given the data over the last two weeks. I am very hopeful that we have crossed the Covid hump and are finally moving toward a flattened curve. It will likely take cruising a bit of time to relax their strict covid protocols, but Maui just removed their booster mandate and I take that as turn in the right direction. 

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I think there is reason to be encouraged for cruising uninterrupted especially given the data over the last two weeks. I am very hopeful that we have crossed the Covid hump and are finally moving toward a flattened curve. It will likely take cruising a bit of time to relax their strict covid protocols, but Maui just removed their booster mandate and I take that as turn in the right direction. 

Let us hope you are correct, but remember we were here before in this situation. Remember when the CDC said those of us fully vaccinated no longer generally needed to mask up. And then delta hit, and that recommendation soon came to an end.

 

But 🤞 it will be different this time.

[BermudaBound2014]

There were more reports of mandatory quarantines on social media today so, unfortunately, it is still happening 😞. The Pointsguy published this article a few hours ago which does attempt to explain what quarantine isolation looks like. I like the list at the end of what to bring in the event of a quarantine. Better to be safe.....

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/cruise-ship-quarantine/

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by BermudaBound2014