Blogging from the Ruby Princess

[BabySarge]

Sending nothing but good thoughts your way for a smooth and easy journey home and that G will be fully recovered soon and also able to return home.  

 

  

 

 

 

[DavidsNana]

@PescadoAmarilloYou don't know me but I have always followed your posts and your blogs.  Thank you so very much for posting this information.  I have a solo cruise coming up on 4/16 on the Majestic Princess.  If anything happened to me and I got sick and tested positive, I wouldn't have anyone onboard to advocate for me.  I have been thinking about canceling when I read about the outbreak on the Ruby earlier but couldn't make up my mind.  After reading the ugly truth that you and the others in isolation/quarantine are experiencing, I think I will just cancel.  I won't get my money back but my funds will be kept as a FCC and maybe by the end of the year things will be better.  Thank you again and I wish that your husband doesn't get any worse, recovers quickly and tests negative on his next testing.  I also wish you safe travels home and hope that you do not test positive.  Hopefully that 2nd booster will carry you through to being negative.  I just got my 2nd booster yesterday and was hoping that it would protect me along with wearing my mask everywhere but I don't think I want to chance it.  Please take care of yourself.

[smf81]

@PescadoAmarilloThank you for honestly reporting what's really happening to people quarantined mid-cruise right now.  It doesn't sound pleasant, nor does the crowding and lack of preventative measures onboard.

 

We have much to consider before deciding about our Alaskan cruise planned for late summer; fortunately we still have a couple months before final payment is due to see if anything improves.

 

Best to you and G, I hope both of you come out of this healthy and strong.

[ProfMHC]

So sorry about all you’ve been through after waiting so long to begin cruising again. 
Unhappily you are now solo and so is your DH. Can’t imagine a worse scenario after having been separated for so long.  May you continue to test negative (and your experience moved my DH to schedule #4 — I got mine Wednesday). You may be scraping through freezer and pantry (remember grocery stores often offer delivery) but you can control when and what.  And you can enjoy Bridgerton as a binge now that you’re home!

[Host CJSKIDS]

@PescadoAmarillosafe travels home and hope you remain negative. Hope G recovers quickly. 

[mellon1]

19 hours ago, Joy_K said:

Only thing I have asked for and can't get is soft kleenex and we have a friend picking up some tomorrow when we get to Hawaii.

So  very sorry for all you are going through and yet you are reaching out to all of us to help us know what is going on.  We thank you for that.  I hope you and your husband will get better very soon. 

 

 I have been counting down to 50 days starting January of 2023 and now am so worried.  Hubby is high risk.  We are vaccinated and boosted, but they say you can get it anyway and be in quarantine.  

 

Any thoughts on us going on the trip good or bad based on your experiences?

[CAZephyr]

22 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I tested negative this morning  but fully expect to test positive at some point and be in isolation myself. If I don’t ever test positive, it will only be because I received my second booster shot a month ago, and the strongest endorsement ever for the effectiveness of the vaccine and boosters.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.  No joy.  Based on your experience, DW and I are getting our second booster next week for a cruise two weeks later.  We live within 100 miles and will be parking near Pier 27, so we can make our way home with little person-to-person interaction.  A full tank will get us to the cruise port and back.  BTW...You truly deserve First Class.  Hopefully that will be the first step to a brighter couple of hours that will stretch long term.

[BLJBLJ]

Be well and a good trip home.  All the best to G.     Brenda

[PescadoAmarillo]

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

tough decision made for a spouse to leave their spouse in quarantine... 

j/s

 

flame broiled just rare please, not well done

Yeah, thanks for pointing that out. 🥹

 

It hasn’t been anything less than grueling to arrive at that decision. The high heart rate warning on my Apple Watch has become a multiple times daily occurrence. Bottom line:  he wanted me to leave. I left. 

[wallyj]

@PescadoAmarillo, your experience is a little different than what is being reported on the Caribbean Princess. I have been in contact with a passenger who tested Positive a couple days ago. This passenger was put in quarantine, the spouse tested negative , so negative spouse was  under no restrictions and could still eat anywhere on the ship unlike you?

When you get home, please ask Princess to investigate why they seem to have different protocols for negative spouse? Of course, this is heresay as I am not on the ship with first hand knowledge, but this is what is being told to me.

 

The Caribbean Princess followed the Ruby thru the Panama Canal, behind by a few days,  and is now scheduled to dock in SF on Sunday. It seems cases started showing up also after Costa Rica stop. So I believe for my friends traveling party the cases did not start showing till about 10 days into the sailing. It is reported those that are positive will be disembarked in SF, as Princess said they can not bring positive passengers into Canada? 

I hope you remain healthy and negative.

 

if you have a chance to reply, is your spouse ‘G’ suppose to isolate for 5 or 10 days as it seems @Joy_Khusband was hoping to only quarantine/isolate for 5 days if he tested negative days 4 and 5, but I see he tested positive on day 5 so now has to isolate for 10 days and now his wife has tested positive on his day 4 of isolation and is joining him.

 

It was not clear to me or I did not read correctly, but it seemed @Joy_Kwas not restricted from eating in the dining room after her husband tested positive or maybe she just did not post she was under this restriction?

 

@Joy_K would you confirm if you also were barred from eating anywhere else, except your cabin, on the ship after your husband tested positive and you were still negative.

 

 

 

[Buckeye10640]

25 minutes ago, dog said:

i truly hope this is a lesson for all of us to know what might occur and come up with a back up plan.  Travel insurance is top on my list.

This!!  Recent Covid-related posts, coupled with being stranded in FLL for 2 days in March after a cruise when all flights were cancelled, has made me acutely aware that I need to better understand my travel insurance! I always purchase it. Until last month I had never had cause to use it. We are scheduled for Alaska in May and plans are to go as of now.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Buckeye10640

[canadianbear]

6 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

 

It hasn’t been anything less than grueling to arrive at that decision. The high heart rate warning on my Apple Watch has become a multiple times daily occurrence. Bottom line:  he wanted me to leave. I left. 

I’ve been reading about your journey (including your blog).  I honestly don’t know what I’d do in your situation but I think you’ve made the right decision for you.    I think your husband is wanting you safe.  And I think my husband would also do the same.   
 

This has been anything but easy for you.  Not what you expected at all.  Please have a safe journey home.  Hoping your husband also continues to improve. 

[Thrak]

9 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Bottom line:  he wanted me to leave. I left. 

 

Most of us figured that was a given... In his position I would be worried more about my wife than myself.

[PescadoAmarillo]

@Joy_K has started that she was restricted like I was. She initially had similar issues getting food for her spouse and herself I think.  She only left the cabin to go to medical to test. On day 4 she tested positive and joined her husband.

 

 Day 0 is the day you test positive and quarantine begins. You are not tested again until day 5. If you test positive on day 5, you are isolated until day 10 and then allowed to go free without further testing.if the cruise ends before day 10, you have to either drive home or finish quarantine at a Princess chosen hotel on land. 
 

I think. I’m not sure we’ve received anything in writing that spells it out. 
 

if you test negative day 5 you are tested again at least 24 hours but no more than 48 hours later. If that’s negative, you’re free to go. The senior doctor told us most people don’t achieve freedom in six days. 

[CruisinMinnie]

8 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Yeah, thanks for pointing that out. 🥹

 

It hasn’t been anything less than grueling to arrive at that decision. The high heart rate warning on my Apple Watch has become a multiple times daily occurrence. Bottom line:  he wanted me to leave. I left. 

I believe you made the right decision for you and your spouse.  No one truly knows what is going on in another person’s life.  No one has the right to pass judgement on someone else and their decisions.  I speak from personal experience.  Good luck to you both.

[ceilidh1]

2 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

@Joy_K has started that she was restricted like I was. She initially had similar issues getting food for her spouse and herself I think.  She only left the cabin to go to medical to test. On day 4 she tested positive and joined her husband.

 

 Day 0 is the day you test positive and quarantine begins. You are not tested again until day 5. If you test positive on day 5, you are isolated until day 10 and then allowed to go free without further testing.if the cruise ends before day 10, you have to either drive home or finish quarantine at a Princess chosen hotel on land. 
 

I think. I’m not sure we’ve received anything in writing that spells it out. 
 

if you test negative day 5 you are tested again at least 24 hours but no more than 48 hours later. If that’s negative, you’re free to go. The senior doctor told us most people don’t achieve freedom in six days. 

What are "G's" plans moving forward? I believe he was staying on for the next cruise - is he still planning on doing so, or is this it for him right now? Whatever he decides, hoping for a speedy recovery!

[wallyj]

@PescadoAmarillo, thank you so much for your prompt answers to my questions. Seems strange Caribbean Princess is allowing negative spouse to roam freely without restrictions and Ruby made you have meals in your cabin.

 

Thank you also for the info shared regarding ‘most’ passengers are not getting released from isolation around day 6, according to senior doctor? I did understand day 0 is the day you test positive and Day 1 is the full day after testing positive. I misunderstood as I thought Joy_K was hoping husband would be released on Day 5 if he tested negative, but if I understand your reply, if you test negative on Day 5,  you should be tested after 24 to 48 hours and only then if you test negative again you are released, otherwise, you have to isolate for 10 days and are not tested again, which seems strange but wondering if the science says yes you can still test positive after 10 days in quarantine but are most likely not contagious?

Edited April 2, 2022 by wallyj

[PescadoAmarillo]

16 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

What are "G's" plans moving forward? I believe he was staying on for the next cruise - is he still planning on doing so, or is this it for him right now? Whatever he decides, hoping for a speedy recovery!

I really can’t comment and thanks!

[FlorenceItaly]

@PescadoAmarillo Imo, you absolutely made the best decision for you and your dh.  I am so sorry for what you are going through.  Your transparency has been valuable to us all.  Thank you!  Today I cancelled our August 24 day cruise.  It was the best decision for us.  I feel a weight has been lifted as I have been agonizing over it.

[Karma22]

5 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I really can’t comment and thanks!

travel safe @PescadoAmarillo

[Solara]

Safe travels to you. Praying your 4th booster keeps you healthy & your husband health improves quickly. 

[BLJBLJ]

Please let us know when you are home safe and sound.  Brenda

[Joy_K]

@wallyj really strange that there is different policies on differect ships.  After they told me the spouse usually ends up with covid too it is probably a good policy to have them eat in their room IF THEY are going to see that both people gets food easily and timely.  Although they told me I could go get food to bring back to my room it just was not practical with my scooter.  Much easier to order.  As i was instructed one step futher and that was no drinking while out.....mask had to remain on any time I was outside my room.  Even on same ship I believe OP was told she could sip and cover when out.

[that]

1 hour ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I really can’t comment and thanks!

Your respectful attitude of allowing G privacy and autonomy  is so admirable. I applaud you for your honesty and discretion. May you and G reunite at home soon. 

Safe journey

positive vibes

and prayers,

[ceilidh1]

1 hour ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I really can’t comment and thanks!

Understood - and I apologize. I was not meaning to pry, just genuinely curious. Sometimes I type before I think....