Blogging from the Ruby Princess

[AZjohn]

I apologize tagging on this long thread but it’s a follow up on Ruby who had the disembarkation in SF before continuing on to Hawaii. That thread got closed but I posted on that thread several times about texts between my golf buddy (with his wife) who were onboard when it became apparent there was a lot of Covid cases.

 

I finally saw him this afternoon after they disembarked healthy from the Ruby a week ago. He told me that they drove home to San Jose that afternoon and because of our texting about Covid cases they went ahead and did a home test as soon after they unloaded their luggage (both felt fine at that time).

 

They both tested positive. Next morning got tested at their medical center and confirmed they were both positive. They wore masks 100% of the time onboard except for at dinner. He was asymptomatic and his wife mild flu symptoms (both vaccinated and booster). He tested negative yesterday so that is why he was on the golf course. His wife tested still positive so she wasn’t golfing with him.

 

I just wanted to follow up from the thread that was closed and anyone can do whatever with the info from my post.

 

I’m undetermined what to do with our cruise in 6 months because how in the world do we enjoy our meals onboard without dropping our masks.

 

I hope everyone stays healthy,

John

[HaveDogWillTravel]

45 minutes ago, AZjohn said:

I apologize tagging on this long thread but it’s a follow up on Ruby who had the disembarkation in SF before continuing on to Hawaii. That thread got closed but I posted on that thread several times about texts between my golf buddy (with his wife) who were onboard when it became apparent there was a lot of Covid cases.

 

I finally saw him this afternoon after they disembarked healthy from the Ruby a week ago. He told me that they drove home to San Jose that afternoon and because of our texting about Covid cases they went ahead and did a home test as soon after they unloaded their luggage (both felt fine at that time).

 

They both tested positive. Next morning got tested at their medical center and confirmed they were both positive. They wore masks 100% of the time onboard except for at dinner. He was asymptomatic and his wife mild flu symptoms (both vaccinated and booster). He tested negative yesterday so that is why he was on the golf course. His wife tested still positive so she wasn’t golfing with him.

 

I just wanted to follow up from the thread that was closed and anyone can do whatever with the info from my post.

 

I’m undetermined what to do with our cruise in 6 months because how in the world do we enjoy our meals onboard without dropping our masks.

 

I hope everyone stays healthy,

John

Thank you for coming back and letting us know the end of your friends’ story. I hope she recovers soon. 

[mthomp5]

44 minutes ago, AZjohn said:

I apologize tagging on this long thread but it’s a follow up on Ruby who had the disembarkation in SF before continuing on to Hawaii. That thread got closed but I posted on that thread several times about texts between my golf buddy (with his wife) who were onboard when it became apparent there was a lot of Covid cases.

 

I finally saw him this afternoon after they disembarked healthy from the Ruby a week ago. He told me that they drove home to San Jose that afternoon and because of our texting about Covid cases they went ahead and did a home test as soon after they unloaded their luggage (both felt fine at that time).

 

They both tested positive. Next morning got tested at their medical center and confirmed they were both positive. They wore masks 100% of the time onboard except for at dinner. He was asymptomatic and his wife mild flu symptoms (both vaccinated and booster). He tested negative yesterday so that is why he was on the golf course. His wife tested still positive so she wasn’t golfing with him.

 

I just wanted to follow up from the thread that was closed and anyone can do whatever with the info from my post.

 

I’m undetermined what to do with our cruise in 6 months because how in the world do we enjoy our meals onboard without dropping our masks.

 

I hope everyone stays healthy,

John

Thank you for sharing your friend’s experience.  It does seem that the dining room can be an area for high risk of transmission since everyone needs to take off their masks to eat.  I’m assuming tables are the typical (close) distance to each other.  
 

[Desert Diamond]

Huge appreciation here to Pescado Amarillo for this super informative thread. I can only imagine how stressful the experience has been and yet you were able to concisely share so many pertinent details. It’s also a relief that the moderators have let the information flow.

We are probably canceling our upcoming ten day cruise that ends in Vancouver. The chance of having to isolate either onboard or for longer in Canada isn’t one we want to risk, especially with the mask mandates dropped. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Desert Diamond
Post is hidden?

[sfaaa]

Oh man, this is discouraging news. Sounds like getting food at buffet and eating outdoor around the pool or ordering room service may be the only two less risky options.

 

My upcoming cruise this month suddenly looks a lot less enjoyable.

[Gettingwarmer]

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/frequently-asked-questions/us-cruises/
 

@PescadoAmarillo This states close contacts do have FCC for quarantine. Third item under Health and Safety. Maybe because you were only semi quarantined it doesn’t apply. Not sure that you would want any FCC anyway, maybe not likely to cruise again. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Gettingwarmer

[dog]

3 hours ago, Gettingwarmer said:

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/frequently-asked-questions/us-cruises/
 

@PescadoAmarillo This states close contacts do have FCC for quarantine. Third item under Health and Safety. Maybe because you were only semi quarantined it doesn’t apply. Not sure that you would want any FCC anyway, maybe not likely to cruise again. 

I believe if the close contact does not comply/ complete isolation requirements they are no longer entitled to any compensation from Princess.  Same for passengers who test positive.

[pompeii]

8 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I apologize tagging on this long thread but it’s a follow up on Ruby who had the disembarkation in SF before continuing on to Hawaii. That thread got closed but I posted on that thread several times about texts between my golf buddy (with his wife) who were onboard when it became apparent there was a lot of Covid cases.

 

I finally saw him this afternoon after they disembarked healthy from the Ruby a week ago. He told me that they drove home to San Jose that afternoon and because of our texting about Covid cases they went ahead and did a home test as soon after they unloaded their luggage (both felt fine at that time).

 

They both tested positive. Next morning got tested at their medical center and confirmed they were both positive. They wore masks 100% of the time onboard except for at dinner. He was asymptomatic and his wife mild flu symptoms (both vaccinated and booster). He tested negative yesterday so that is why he was on the golf course. His wife tested still positive so she wasn’t golfing with him.

 

I just wanted to follow up from the thread that was closed and anyone can do whatever with the info from my post.

 

I’m undetermined what to do with our cruise in 6 months because how in the world do we enjoy our meals onboard without dropping our masks.

 

I hope everyone stays healthy,

John

This was pretty much exactly our experience after disembarking the Grand in LA on March 25.  I started feeling off on the way home and tested positive the next day.  DH tested negative at home that day but positive at his dr's office 2 days later.  I heard tons of coughing in the disembarkation lounge so I believe there is a lot of Covid on board that is not being reported and tracked.  Either because people ignore the symptoms or they (understandably but unfortunately) don't want to deal with a ship or hotel quarantine.  

[Cruiser933]

I would like to thank @PescadoAmarillo and others who have posted their experiences on this and other threads. It has allowed me to make an informed decision on whether or not to make my final payment.

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

10 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

How in the world are you running into people every night looking for things for free if you’re quarantined?  No one on this thread has mentioned free things, of course it was an attack. Why mention it otherwise?

Been on for several months on different ships.  Was fine until after our bus ride with others who also ended up being disembarked on the first leg.  I understand the anger element but will just say you have overreacted.  Only telling my story.  Over and out.  

[Ken the cruiser]

10 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

How in the world are you running into people every night looking for things for free if you’re quarantined?  No one on this thread has mentioned free things, of course it was an attack. Why mention it otherwise?

If I might ask, does Princess email everyone an after cruise survey like other cruise lines do and if so, did both your DH and yourself fill them out expressing the horrid conditions you incurred while you were in quarantine on the ship? 

[FlorenceItaly]

42 minutes ago, HUNGRYGREEK said:

Just off the Caribbean Princess in SF. Tested positive after arriving home. Like hundreds who tested positive either on the ship of in SF before heading home. Seems like it came aboard in either Panama of Costa Rica doing the math. Dining on the ship was a joke, tables crammed close together again and you sit near different people at every meal. Constant coughing and sneezing in the dining room and theater . We got a letter about the covid cases on board and they want back to mandatory mask wearing indoors but it did not help stop anything. No way this ship would have been allowed into Canada and the right thing to do was stop the cruise and prevent another 800 fresh passengers from coming aboard in SF just to be infected by those 400 of us already onboard the the second leg.

Appreciate your firsthand account.  Best wishes as you go through recovery.

[PescadoAmarillo]

This doesn’t mean I’m not angry,  very angry about it, all of it. But there are so many levels of angry that I can’t even process it right now. Most recently is that damn connecting door without so much as a gasket to a cabin where someone who was COVID positive coughed and sneezed for four days after my husband was put next door. Open both balcony doors and it became a wind tunnel. That’s insanity. The rumor mill (which is as rife as it can be…detainees communicate on the balconies without ever seeing the person they’re talking to.) is that he was taken off the ship by ambulance in Maui. I certainly hope so for his sake. 
 

As for getting any FCC for the days I was unable to eat in the dining room, I had read from two others’ experiences that that was a no go. Clearly, Princess should have spelled out all of this in writing. Then there would be no guessing. They should have said, yes, you can order from the dining room, and yes, you can order from specialty dining, but pizza in the cabin will cost you. And it’s safe or not safe to take dishes back to the buffet. And it is sip and cover and no sips at all?  We should not be guessing about any of this. 
 

As for commenting on a survey, why should I even bother?  Princess clearly does not care. Princess wants to operate cruises without having in place the protocols for adequately dealing with COVID affected passengers. Princess willingly dropped the mask mandate, which brought all of this on. At the same time, they dropped on board testing on longer cruises and made the Ruby Princess buffet self serve (which we avoided because of that even before this happened). 
 

They do not care. I understand it’s harsh to believe that about a business with whom we previously enjoyed some wonderful experiences and spent a lot of money, but they have let down nearly everyone in this situation on every ship. 
 

It will be interesting to see if all of the passengers are tested on the Ruby Princess on the first sea day back to Ensenada. There is very clearly COVID on the ship. People have largely been unmasked and not socially distanced. If Princess cares about managing COVID, they will test. If they do not test, it’s because they realize there is no reining it in, and they are not equipped to deal with it. 
 

As for dining, my husband has given it a lot of thought and feels that sharing a large table in the dining room is the only place he could have caught it. He was masked 100% of the time otherwise. 8 people at a table is a recipe for COVID. If you cruise, please be aware of that and try to protect yourself. 
 

And, finally, I think people complete post cruise surveys to comment positively on the cruise experience (ironically, the most glowing survey I ever completed was for the cruise just before this one) or because they expect their bad experience might bring about change, or because they want some kind of compensation. There is nothing good to say about this one, I don’t expect Princess will learn one darn thing as a result, and I am most seriously disinterested in any type of compensation intended to incent me to again take a Princess cruise. After 125 of them, it’s time to move on. 

[Steelers36]

13 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

As for dining, my husband has given it a lot of thought and feels that sharing a large table in the dining room is the only place he could have caught it. He was masked 100% of the time otherwise. 8 people at a table is a recipe for COVID. If you cruise, please be aware of that and try to protect yourself. 

 

I recall he was dining alone initially from a report and photo.

 

And, finally, I think people complete post cruise surveys to comment positively on the cruise experience (ironically, the most glowing survey I ever completed was for the cruise just before this one) or because they expect their bad experience might bring about change, or because they want some kind of compensation. There is nothing good to say about this one, I don’t expect Princess will learn one darn thing as a result, and I am most seriously disinterested in any type of compensation intended to incent me to again take a Princess cruise. After 125 of them, it’s time to move on. 

 

Although not totally surprised after reading your recent posts, I have to say I am shocked by final sentence.  But also shaken if Princess is truly just turning blind eyes to what is going on around them on the ships.  Not yet stirred to cancel Fall plans, but a little less cavalier about them.

 

 

[PescadoAmarillo]

Just now, Steelers36 said:

 

 

He ate lunch at least one time at a table for 8. 

[arizonaperson]

PescadoA- well said about post #313. 

 

[ebeluga]

1 hour ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

He ate lunch at least one time at a table for 8. 

If that's the case, the other 7 would be close contacts as well...

[dog]

15 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I apologize tagging on this long thread but it’s a follow up on Ruby who had the disembarkation in SF before continuing on to Hawaii. That thread got closed but I posted on that thread several times about texts between my golf buddy (with his wife) who were onboard when it became apparent there was a lot of Covid cases.

 

I finally saw him this afternoon after they disembarked healthy from the Ruby a week ago. He told me that they drove home to San Jose that afternoon and because of our texting about Covid cases they went ahead and did a home test as soon after they unloaded their luggage (both felt fine at that time).

 

They both tested positive. Next morning got tested at their medical center and confirmed they were both positive. They wore masks 100% of the time onboard except for at dinner. He was asymptomatic and his wife mild flu symptoms (both vaccinated and booster). He tested negative yesterday so that is why he was on the golf course. His wife tested still positive so she wasn’t golfing with him.

 

I just wanted to follow up from the thread that was closed and anyone can do whatever with the info from my post.

 

I’m undetermined what to do with our cruise in 6 months because how in the world do we enjoy our meals onboard without dropping our masks.

 

I hope everyone stays healthy,

John

Thanks for sharing.

glad your friend is well enough to golf.

 

This seems to be a never ending story for some.  So stressful.  

[DavidsNana]

@PescadoAmarilloI would again like to thank you for all your information past and present and especially for telling it like it is/was with you and your husband on the Ruby.  Because of it, I just cancelled my April 16th cruise on the Majestic.  I was a little on the fence about it as it was only a 7 day cruise and was thinking I could just spend more time by myself, eat alone, no shows if crowded etc.  But what fun is that.  Then I called my son and asked his opinion.  He is one of these "you can't live your life on what ifs mom" but when I told him the situation with the covid cases on the various ships and the quarantine treatments and conditions, he told me no way would he want me to go given that information.  He felt this way even though he and I just completed a 7 day Caribbean Princess cruise on March 6th and had an absolutely wonderful time.  I will say that most of that cruise, the masking mandate was in place and the other protocols,  plus we only had about 1400 passengers onboard.  We also ate by ourselves.  We did spend some time in the casino and at a couple of shows and took tours at the ports but we wore our masks even if not required ashore.  Thank you again.

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 hour ago, ebeluga said:

If that's the case, the other 7 would be close contacts as well...

And they were likely off the ship a day or two later. As far as we can tell, there is no contact tracing being done. I very much doubt that they’ve been notified. 
 

My husband has, astonishingly, tested negative two days in a row. He is out of isolation and totally free to wander the ship, and eat and drink anywhere (so he was told, and he recorded this conversation). This differs from what he originally received in writing, which said he’d have to eat only in the cabin for an additional 4 days. He was released without written information about anything…rules to follow, reimbursements, his negative test results, nothing. He is on his way to get a drink. 
 

He’s either had a miraculous recovery or we’ve become too much of a liability with him there. Or he never actually had it to begin with. We will simply never know.  

[Host CJSKIDS]

4 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

And they were likely off the ship a day or two later. As far as we can tell, there is no contact tracing being done. I very much doubt that they’ve been notified. 
 

My husband has, astonishingly, tested negative two days in a row. He is out of isolation and totally free to wander the ship, and eat and drink anywhere (so he was told, and he recorded this conversation). This differs from what he originally received in writing, which said he’d have to eat only in the cabin for an additional 4 days. He was released without written information about anything…rules to follow, reimbursements, his negative test results, nothing. He is on his way to get a drink. 
 

He’s either had a miraculous recovery or we’ve become too much of a liability with him there. Or he never actually had it to begin with. We will simply never know.  

 

I’m glad he is negative and healthy.  Hope you get the same results.  

 

I know you said both of you asked for a PCR test.  Did he get positive on both a rapid test and a PCR test to begin with?  

 

I bet he is so ready to get off. 

 

 

[miagirl]

3 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

...Princess clearly does not care. Princess wants to operate cruises without having in place the protocols for adequately dealing with COVID affected passengers. Princess willingly dropped the mask mandate, which brought all of this on. At the same time, they dropped on board testing on longer cruises and made the Ruby Princess buffet self serve (which we avoided because of that even before this happened)...
 

...They do not care. I understand it’s harsh to believe that about a business with whom we previously enjoyed some wonderful experiences and spent a lot of money, but they have let down nearly everyone in this situation on every ship...
 

...There is nothing good to say about this one, I don’t expect Princess will learn one darn thing as a result, and I am most seriously disinterested in any type of compensation intended to incent me to again take a Princess cruise. After 125 of them, it’s time to move on. 

This is all so heartbreaking and hard to even imagine!  as loyal and appreciative and undemanding as any travelers could be, if it weren't for your highly valued truthfulness it would be  hard to believe that the onboard staff would be treating you two (and everybody else) but particularly you two so horribly!  And yes, I know that you have never ever been the person to insist on special treatment.

 

I sincerely hope his doesn't put you off cruising forever  I know we'll all be waiting to see which line you try next and I imagine that a lot of will follow in your footsteps!

 

Best to you both!

 

Nan (Tahiti, Aus and NZ)

[vickie_bernie]

I am on enchanted right now.  10 day cruise.  I am very concerned with very very few washing their hands or even sanitizing even at the buffet.  First day someone was there making sure you washed, now no one,   

 

I would guess only 20% wear masks on board, including areas where you can't socially distance.

 

The casino is a mess.  Packed, I mean shoulder to shoulder, almost no one I masks.  The place is full of smoke too.  I am scared just going near the place.

 

We have know  J and G a long time.  I have always respected them and have followed them for ever.  If they are disappointed (not the right word, should be stronger ) then that says something considering the hiccups they have dealt with over their years cruising.

 

We are at 800 days with Princess as guests.  Love them, but yes service is inconsistent, they don't really care, we're just a number a dollar number.  Now when I say princess I mean corporate princess.  I truly believe the crew care but their hands are tied.  

 

I am taking precautions on board, lots of washing of hands, masks all the time, and avoiding spaces where we can't socially distance.  This does not guarantee we won't get it.

 

Take care G, J I am sure the twins are making you smile.  

 

Vickie

[CalTexCruiser]

Mid last year when cruising started up again, I recall scratching my head regarding why the CDC did not allow cruises longer than 7 days, and did not allow B2B's.

 

I now understand why based on this thread and the other thread that has been locked.

 

By the way, back in late Dec/Jan, there were quite a number of Celebrity passengers locked up in quarantine who reported similar experiences of being abandoned in their quarantine cabins--so the Princess treatment of quarantined passengers is not unique.

[Steelers36]

17 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

And they were likely off the ship a day or two later. As far as we can tell, there is no contact tracing being done. I very much doubt that they’ve been notified. 
 

My husband has, astonishingly, tested negative two days in a row. He is out of isolation and totally free to wander the ship, and eat and drink anywhere (so he was told, and he recorded this conversation). This differs from what he originally received in writing, which said he’d have to eat only in the cabin for an additional 4 days. He was released without written information about anything…rules to follow, reimbursements, his negative test results, nothing. He is on his way to get a drink. 
 

He’s either had a miraculous recovery or we’ve become too much of a liability with him there. Or he never actually had it to begin with. We will simply never know.  

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date and glad to hear G is free from "Covid Jail".  I bet he won't be eating at anymore shared tables until after end of voyage.