Afraid of Quarantaine/Isolation in OV or inside - consider cancelling ?

[papaflamingo]

17 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I personally know of 2 groups.  I solo and 1 couple who were not allowed to continue on the second leg of their back to back after being identified as close contact and testing negative.

 

The ship uses an interview and seapass data to identify the patterns of the person testing positive then uses video and facial recognition to identify those "random" passenger whom the target passenger was in close contact with.   They then contact your stateroom, watch your seapass activity and send security with photo searching the ship to find you to test.

 

I have seen security with photos many times walking around the ship looking for people.

 

Facts learned onboard 9 Celebrity sailings July through 2 weeks ago.

Thank you for the info.  When did this happen and what cruise line? 

[papaflamingo]

17 hours ago, canderson said:

 

You won't make all of the associations, but thanks to lists, interviews and a LOT of video, it's not that hard to get caught up in the procedure.

 

We have had plenty of first hand reports of passengers caught up in contact traces who were confined to their cabins for 2 days of negative testing, and only then let loose into the general population with masks afterward.

 

And yes, we have first hand reports of passengers who were on B2B cruises, got caught up in a contact trace, subsequently tested negative, and were still left at the pier at the 'turn' between their B2B legs because they could not answer "No" to the question regarding contact with a positive case in the last 14 days.  It happens. 

Thanks for. the info.  My experience onboard Reflection in Dec. was completely opposite.  I have friends who have cruised (multiple lines) numerous times since the cruise lines reopened, and yes, B2B also.  NO ONE I know has EVER had a single problem regarding Covid or contact testing on board the ships.  So I guess we just make our decisions based on first hand knowledge and actual experience. Sounds like you'l be staying home.  We, on the other hand,  leave in 6 weeks for a 40 night cruise.   

[wrk2cruise]

5 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

Thank you for the info.  When did this happen and what cruise line? 

Celebrity Equinox August 8.   There have been several other posts on the Celebrity boards with first hand accounts.   It has been happening pretty regularly.  Not every sailing but it's not an unusual event.   As I have said I have been on 4 b2b since July and thankfully has not happened to me.

[morpheusofthesea]

6 hours ago, sunlover33 said:

But it seems very clear to me there is no consistency with the way Celebrity is handling covid 19 cases onboard various ships,

You are correct. We also contacted Celebrity Engagement Center about the self service of plates in the Oceanview Cafe on the Equinox, where on the Edge the plates were individually handed to the guest, in the middle of restart. To no avail. Went back on Equinox for Christmas/New Years and the same until New Years day when we were hit with an outbreak, then the self-serve plates disappeared and the masks were again implemented.

  We have recently switched cruise lines and had our TA ask them 'point blank' , what happens to a passenger that contracts covid while on board in a suite ? Answer "It will be dealt with on a case by case basis." (It gives the staff all the leeway in the world).

P.S. We haven't 'jumped ship' permanently. Just a hiatus, booked the Beyond for later this year in Retreat. (Heard all the 'good' staff will be on board).

Edited April 20, 2022 by morpheusofthesea

[sgmn]

14 hours ago, stevetod said:

As of May 1st, 2022 the celebrity covid coverage expires. Lets let that sink in. Any customer travelling and needs to get a covid test 2 days prior to sail date and gets a positive result cannot board the ship and cannot cancel the cruise. Therefore you will lose money paid. Royal Caribbean who is the parent company has already extended the coverage till next year. Lets let that sink in. Celebrity as of this writing has not and after speaking with Celebrity on the phone they do not know if they will.

All I am looking for is for Celebrity to extend the cancellation coverage if you test positive prior to the cruise. If you decide to still go the rest is on the customer. Without this assurance from Celebrity I will not gamble with the $4500 I have paid.

I agree that if they are have mandatory testing for a specific condition and you have it they should reimburse. Out of interest, in the good ol days pre covid, if you answered affirmative to a health question and was refused did they reimburse ?  Anyone know?

We do have covid cover on our yearly travel plan that covers interruption of travel due covid

[Torfamm]

1 hour ago, papaflamingo said:

What was the reason given?  And this is certainly not the norm.  One can always find an exception to the rule.  This is not policy fleet wide, may have been due to destination port.  Our cruise in Dec. cancelled San Juan because they changed the rules that a negative test within 3 days had to be performed and we'd be more than 3 days since we had our pre-cruise testing.  So rather than testing the whole ship, the port was cancelled.

Again, this is a fluid situation highly impacted by local rules. Not the normal rules of the cruise line. 

 The best thing to do is check the Celebrity website for details on testing requirements for various destinations.  There are many variables. I simply answered your question about why someone who is asymptomatic would ever be tested. 

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/travel

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/transatlantic-travel-requirements.pdf

[canderson]

1 hour ago, papaflamingo said:

Thanks for. the info.  My experience onboard Reflection in Dec. was completely opposite.  I have friends who have cruised (multiple lines) numerous times since the cruise lines reopened, and yes, B2B also.  NO ONE I know has EVER had a single problem regarding Covid or contact testing on board the ships.  So I guess we just make our decisions based on first hand knowledge and actual experience. Sounds like you'l be staying home.  We, on the other hand,  leave in 6 weeks for a 40 night cruise.   

I do not understand.  Opposite of what.  Contact traces were not required to quarantine in their cabins for 2 days of negative testing?  B2B passengers with contract traces were not obliged to disembark at the turn?  What?

 

The fact that you were unaware of any of these sorts of events on your particular cruise, and they've all been different in terms of case counts, doesn't change the protocols in place.  You just weren't aware of them.

 

Actually, we're not staying home.  Not sure what led you to that conclusion.  We have already taken two X cruises since the restart, and have others booked.

 

[sunlover33]

15 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

You book a cruise for thousands of dollars and don't even read the contract? You have no idea what rights and freedoms you have surrendered and then you complain bitterly about it? 

About the most accurate thing you have ever said with the exception we have read the  cruise contract and still don’t know what rights and freedoms we would  surrendered  because Celebrity won’t publish their protocol when pax tests positive, instead we see an amalgam of actions to cope with the same disease. Go figure. 

[papaflamingo]

2 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

Celebrity Equinox August 8.   There have been several other posts on the Celebrity boards with first hand accounts.   It has been happening pretty regularly.  Not every sailing but it's not an unusual event.   As I have said I have been on 4 b2b since July and thankfully has not happened to me.

August 8 was a very long time ago (Covid wise).  We sailed Dec. 26 and had no issues whatsoever. About 150 cases were identified aboard and no changes to any activities, including an unmasked New Year's Eve Party on the pool deck for all passengers.  No masking, no social distancing, no testing at all. 

[papaflamingo]

49 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

 The best thing to do is check the Celebrity website for details on testing requirements for various destinations.  There are many variables. I simply answered your question about why someone who is asymptomatic would ever be tested. 

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/travel

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/transatlantic-travel-requirements.pdf

The links you provide are strictly country based.  The testing is NOT Celebrity's policy, it's country policies. This entire discussion is about contact tracing.  Everyone acknowledges that international travel has various Covid testing requirements.  That was NEVER the subject of the conversation. 😏

[papaflamingo]

35 minutes ago, canderson said:

I do not understand.  Opposite of what.  Contact traces were not required to quarantine in their cabins for 2 days of negative testing?  B2B passengers with contract traces were not obliged to disembark at the turn?  What?

 

The fact that you were unaware of any of these sorts of events on your particular cruise, and they've all been different in terms of case counts, doesn't change the protocols in place.  You just weren't aware of them.

 

Actually, we're not staying home.  Not sure what led you to that conclusion.  We have already taken two X cruises since the restart, and have others booked.

 

To my knowledge, the only contact tracing was the cabin mates and travel companions.  And no, there were no reports of any B2B issues. The indication that the whole ship, or those "caught" on camera, etc. is what I was referring to.  As for my assumption that you were staying home, that was simply based on how concerned you seem to be about any testing,.  Your comments simply led me to believe that you think getting caught up in the "net of contact tracing" is happening to many passengers all the time, so it made me believe you wouldn't put yourself in that situation.  And again, my experience was the opposite.  No one was getting caught in random contact tracing, only those known for sure to have been in contact, that would be cabin mate and traveling companions.  

Edited April 20, 2022 by papaflamingo

[Torfamm]

13 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

The links you provide are strictly country based.  The testing is NOT Celebrity's policy, it's country policies. This entire discussion is about contact tracing.  Everyone acknowledges that international travel has various Covid testing requirements.  That was NEVER the subject of the conversation. 😏

Okay.  I can tell you though that the tour provider kept a seating chart of where everyone was on our Celebrity excursion last month. You asked why anyone would ever be tested if they are asymptomatic.  The answer is that there are a number or reasons why someone who is asymptomatic could be tested for COVID and wind up quarantined onboard or unable to return to their home after the cruise. It is a risk that everyone has to consider.

[angelsil]

16 hours ago, stevetod said:

As of May 1st, 2022 the celebrity covid coverage expires. Lets let that sink in. Any customer travelling and needs to get a covid test 2 days prior to sail date and gets a positive result cannot board the ship and cannot cancel the cruise. Therefore you will lose money paid. Royal Caribbean who is the parent company has already extended the coverage till next year. Lets let that sink in. Celebrity as of this writing has not and after speaking with Celebrity on the phone they do not know if they will.

All I am looking for is for Celebrity to extend the cancellation coverage if you test positive prior to the cruise. If you decide to still go the rest is on the customer. Without this assurance from Celebrity I will not gamble with the $4500 I have paid.

 

We took an Edge cruise last November under the CWC (and driving distance to the port) program because we knew if we tested positive we'd be made whole and could just not drive over. Great cruise with no issues at all. Our upcoming Panama Canal cruise got canceled and we have a hold on a September cruise to the British Isles to replace it. The reluctance of Celebrity to extend these protections has me reconsidering.

 

This is not going to make people comfortable with cruising with them, especially when they (or I) could just book a Royal cruise or another line that is more flexible. It's great to say "well just get travel insurance" but getting a policy that covers last-minute Covid cancellation is quite expensive, especially when other lines are, again, being proactive and flexible.

[ScubesDad]

Wow, what a contentious topic. The crux of the issue is the lack of transparency by Celebrity in what their course of action will be in certain situations. This is not a new issue, Celebrity is known for their ability to be consistently inconsistent.  At the present time their focus is getting as many people to sail and hopefully in the highest profit margin cabins...suites, then Aqua, etc. If they are "forced" to hold vacant high margin cabins empty just in case they will be needed, it will only force the fare to increase to cover the new cost. Complaining does nothing, unless there is corresponding action. To complain about not being happy with the potential quarantine cabin and continuing to book cruises is an implied consent for Celebrity to keep doing what they are doing. If you want change, there needs to be a significant cancelation of booked cruises to show how displeased you are......however, it would be a moot point because as evidenced by the comments in this discussion there are more than sufficient numbers to step up and take your place. Essentially Celebrity can do what they want because there is no incentive to change.

[mikewomb]

47 minutes ago, ScubesDad said:

Wow, what a contentious topic. The crux of the issue is the lack of transparency by Celebrity in what their course of action will be in certain situations. This is not a new issue, Celebrity is known for their ability to be consistently inconsistent.  At the present time their focus is getting as many people to sail and hopefully in the highest profit margin cabins...suites, then Aqua, etc. If they are "forced" to hold vacant high margin cabins empty just in case they will be needed, it will only force the fare to increase to cover the new cost. Complaining does nothing, unless there is corresponding action. To complain about not being happy with the potential quarantine cabin and continuing to book cruises is an implied consent for Celebrity to keep doing what they are doing. If you want change, there needs to be a significant cancelation of booked cruises to show how displeased you are......however, it would be a moot point because as evidenced by the comments in this discussion there are more than sufficient numbers to step up and take your place. Essentially Celebrity can do what they want because there is no incentive to change.

I would say the issue is what the title of this thread. It can be interpreted anyway you like. I think people are just tired of the whole subject and anyone know what consequences of testing positive on board. I am not sure how you feel this has anything to do with Celebrity’s transparency. 

[ScubesDad]

1 hour ago, mikewomb said:

I would say the issue is what the title of this thread. It can be interpreted anyway you like. I think people are just tired of the whole subject and anyone know what consequences of testing positive on board. I am not sure how you feel this has anything to do with Celebrity’s transparency. 

I guess the issue of transparency lies in the fact that you can talk to 5 different people at Celebrity and get 5 difference answers. Information reported on this thread indicates quarantine on one Celebrity ship is deck 3, another ship is deck 6, some Captains report the cases others do not. While I am sure the master of the ship has significant latitude in how his ship is managed; I would expect corporate guidelines detailing specific procedures for operational functions. I would hope there are specific guidelines in place across all ships relating to Covid issues, however, given the reports of the differences on various ships it does make one wonder. Also, information posted on the website should be consistent.

[Guppy99]

5 hours ago, sunlover33 said:

About the most accurate thing you have ever said with the exception we have read the  cruise contract and still don’t know what rights and freedoms we would  surrendered  because Celebrity won’t publish their protocol when pax tests positive, instead we see an amalgam of actions to cope with the same disease. Go figure. 

If you have read it then you know they have pretty much freedom to do whatever they think is necessary at the time to protect you and others. It is not possible to be more specific because they can not possibly predict for all eventualities.  There is no answer to what you are looking for. You need to accept that. That is what you have agreed to. You are allowing them to do what they they decide is in the best interests of all parties at the time.  You should never have agreed if you can't live with that. Is it somewhat vague? Yes. Oit of necessity.  You have to decide if you an live with it being so. Bitching and moaning that it's too vague is a worthless effort and it can not possibly change.

[Guppy99]

21 hours ago, Lastdance said:

So, how much of a risk-taker are you?  Do you read your contract, get insurance or just do your own thing?

Bottom line is that cause and effect is reality.  Only you can decide the issue in real time with info' available at that moment.  Yes, it is and has been a huge learning curve for all of us that care to pay attention...these discussion are important for clarity and decision-making.

Are you addressing me?  I don't quantify y risk taking. I  do what I am comfortable with. Absolutely I read every contract, agreement etc.  Failing to do so is just stupid.    Whether I opt to get insurance or not is irrelevant to this discussion.

 

You will never get clarity from an anonymous social media forum. Never. You have no idea who you are talking to and have no tools to assess their statements. The only thing you can hope for is that someone may say something which gives you pause to consider something new, which you had not considered prior. If you are using information you receive here to make decisions, I question your sanity.  

 

[Ommadawn]

7 hours ago, canderson said:

I do not understand.  Opposite of what.  Contact traces were not required to quarantine in their cabins for 2 days of negative testing?  B2B passengers with contract traces were not obliged to disembark at the turn?  What?

 

The fact that you were unaware of any of these sorts of events on your particular cruise, and they've all been different in terms of case counts, doesn't change the protocols in place.  You just weren't aware of them.

 

Actually, we're not staying home.  Not sure what led you to that conclusion.  We have already taken two X cruises since the restart, and have others booked.

 

 

 

O.k.. Canderson, what is your beef with WD 40? I just had to ask. 🙂

[canderson]

1 hour ago, Ommadawn said:

 

 

O.k.. Canderson, what is your beef with WD 40? I just had to ask. 🙂

 

I'll leave you with a link:

 

 

 

 

[papaflamingo]

22 hours ago, Torfamm said:

Okay.  I can tell you though that the tour provider kept a seating chart of where everyone was on our Celebrity excursion last month. You asked why anyone would ever be tested if they are asymptomatic.  The answer is that there are a number or reasons why someone who is asymptomatic could be tested for COVID and wind up quarantined onboard or unable to return to their home after the cruise. It is a risk that everyone has to consider.

Again, tours are country specific.  It's NOT the policy of the cruise line. You seem to indicate that you think being tested is a major likelihood when in reality it is not unless the country you're going to requires it.  We are sailing from Montreal to Southampton next month.  I only have to get an antigen test for boarding.  Then an antigen test to get back to the U.S, from the U.K.  And that may be gone soon.    Other than that it is very unlikely that I'll be tested as none of the countries we will be visiting requires a test.  VERY UNLIKELY we'll be given any other test after boarding except as required for entrance to the U,S.   

But yup, it's a risk that everyone has to consider.  

Edited April 21, 2022 by papaflamingo

[Torfamm]

2 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

Again, tours are country specific.  It's NOT the policy of the cruise line. You seem to indicate that you think being tested is a major likelihood when in reality it is not unless the country you're going to requires it.  We are sailing from Montreal to Southampton next month.  I only have to get an antigen test for boarding.  Then an antigen test to get back to the U.S, from the U.K.  And that may be gone soon.    Other than that it is very unlikely that I'll be tested as none of the countries we will be visiting requires a test.  VERY UNLIKELY we'll be given any other test after boarding except as required for entrance to the U,S.   

But yup, it's a risk that everyone has to consider.  

I will reply one more time to say that I am only answering the question you asked - "Why would someone ever be tested if they are asymptomatic".  I have not said a word about testing frequency or likelihood.  I'm stepping out of this thread.

[canderson]

3 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

I will reply one more time to say that I am only answering the question you asked - "Why would someone ever be tested if they are asymptomatic".  I have not said a word about testing frequency or likelihood.  I'm stepping out of this thread.

Ditto.  The OP seems to have morphed their question when the answer was unexpected/unsatisfactory. 

[papaflamingo]

8 hours ago, Torfamm said:

I will reply one more time to say that I am only answering the question you asked - "Why would someone ever be tested if they are asymptomatic".  I have not said a word about testing frequency or likelihood.  I'm stepping out of this thread.

Ok

[Islander500]

On 4/18/2022 at 12:18 PM, tinaincc said:

Do you know if you are determined to be a close contact if they can force testing on you?  What if you decline?

We were on Edge a few weeks ago.  Got a direct report from a passenger who tried to purchase allergy medicine he had forgotten at home.  Was directed to test; he declined.  Was told he would have to get off the ship the next day.  He therefore agreed to test and tested negative.  Was required to quarantine for 24 hours until retested, and negative again.  Resumed his cruise.  Not judging, just relaying the information.            

Edited April 22, 2022 by Islander500