Possibly the end of daily testing?

[Squawkman]

I don’t understand this at all. Doesn’t everyone check the name on the tube to make sure they have theirs and not their partner’s / roommate’s tube?

[duquephart]

11 hours ago, Squawkman said:

I don’t understand this at all. Doesn’t everyone check the name on the tube to make sure they have theirs and not their partner’s / roommate’s tube?

 

Apparently not.

[milling73]

On 5/3/2022 at 3:26 PM, Canadian Sunset said:

I don’t get why people are so upset with daily testing. How hard is it to spit in a tube every morning?  My husband and I did it for 25 days and survived.  We also continue to wear masks now that we’re home.  Not a big deal.

The "big deal" is that a positive test result means that a trip costing thousands just ended..  Not all of us are relaxed or thrilled with the "dream vacation confined to cabin scenario".  Nor does the daily testing make us feel happily safer!  One can have every vaccine and booster there is, live in a mask, and still catch COVID,  probably a mild case similar to bad cold / flu.  Furthermore before COVID, no one was  tested, quarantine or removed from a Viking ship for being sick, unless they requested to do so or required doctor care. 

 

It is also true that many of us have vouchers with Viking from cancelled cruises - so it isn't like we can just jump to any other cruise line that doesn't do this daily testing.  Bizarrely enough, they won't accept a Viking voucher, so we are stuck with taking a Viking cruise before the voucher expires, or donating our money to them.

 

[cmaasfamily]

13 minutes ago, milling73 said:

The "big deal" is that a positive test result means that a trip costing thousands just ended..  Not all of us are relaxed or thrilled with the "dream vacation confined to cabin scenario".  Nor does the daily testing make us feel happily safer!  One can have every vaccine and booster there is, live in a mask, and still catch COVID,  probably a mild case similar to bad cold / flu.  Furthermore before COVID, no one was  tested, quarantine or removed from a Viking ship for being sick, unless they requested to do so or required doctor care. 

 

It is also true that many of us have vouchers with Viking from cancelled cruises - so it isn't like we can just jump to any other cruise line that doesn't do this daily testing.  Bizarrely enough, they won't accept a Viking voucher, so we are stuck with taking a Viking cruise before the voucher expires, or donating our money to them.

 

Certainly agree that testing positive would be a monumental disappointment and would spoil an expensive vacation. But not knowing you are positive and not being postive are not the same thing.

 

As disappointed as I would be to learn I was positive, I would feel worse learning that I was the anonymous vector spreading the virus to other passengers. And I wouldn't particularly appreciate another passenger (unintentionally, of course) spreading it to me, because "they didn't know".

 

While most people have very mild symtoms these days, there are still many who have complications - hospitalizations are again on a pretty steep rise lately.

 

It is frustrating and complex, with no easy solutions. A little spit in the morning? Well, to coin a phrase, spit happens. 🙂 

[duquephart]

1 minute ago, cmaasfamily said:

Certainly agree that testing positive would be a monumental disappointment and would spoil an expensive vacation. But not knowing you are positive and not being postive are not the same thing.

 

As disappointed as I would be to learn I was positive, I would feel worse learning that I was the anonymous vector spreading the virus to other passengers. And I wouldn't particularly appreciate another passenger (unintentionally, of course) spreading it to me, because "they didn't know".

 

While most people have very mild symtoms these days, there are still many who have complications - hospitalizations are again on a pretty steep rise lately.

 

It is frustrating and complex, with no easy solutions. A little spit in the morning? Well, to coin a phrase, spit happens. 🙂 

 

Clever.

[jasardeax]

1 hour ago, cmaasfamily said:

Certainly agree that testing positive would be a monumental disappointment and would spoil an expensive vacation. But not knowing you are positive and not being postive are not the same thing.

 

As disappointed as I would be to learn I was positive, I would feel worse learning that I was the anonymous vector spreading the virus to other passengers. And I wouldn't particularly appreciate another passenger (unintentionally, of course) spreading it to me, because "they didn't know".

 

Thank you for such a thoughtful and civil post. 
I certainly hope that anyone who is on any cruise would feel the same way. 

[Twitchly]

1 hour ago, cmaasfamily said:

Certainly agree that testing positive would be a monumental disappointment and would spoil an expensive vacation. But not knowing you are positive and not being postive are not the same thing.

 

As disappointed as I would be to learn I was positive, I would feel worse learning that I was the anonymous vector spreading the virus to other passengers. And I wouldn't particularly appreciate another passenger (unintentionally, of course) spreading it to me, because "they didn't know".

 

While most people have very mild symtoms these days, there are still many who have complications - hospitalizations are again on a pretty steep rise lately.

 

It is frustrating and complex, with no easy solutions. A little spit in the morning? Well, to coin a phrase, spit happens. 🙂 

About those hospitalizations … most (all?) hospitals now test inpatients for Covid as a matter of course. Unfortunately, most reported statistics don’t differentiate between patients hospitalized due to Covid vs. patients hospitalized for other reasons who also test positive for Covid. It would be far more informative if they did.

 

The death rate, thank God, continues to go down and is now at the lowest rate since the pandemic started, according to WHO. That’s very good news!

[jasardeax]

3 hours ago, Twitchly said:

Unfortunately, most reported statistics don’t differentiate between patients hospitalized due to Covid vs. patients hospitalized for other reasons who also test positive for Covid. It would be far more informative if they did.

 

Would you please state your source for this statement. 

[cmaasfamily]

3 hours ago, Twitchly said:

About those hospitalizations … most (all?) hospitals now test inpatients for Covid as a matter of course. Unfortunately, most reported statistics don’t differentiate between patients hospitalized due to Covid vs. patients hospitalized for other reasons who also test positive for Covid. It would be far more informative if they did.

 

The death rate, thank God, continues to go down and is now at the lowest rate since the pandemic started, according to WHO. That’s very good news!

True, very good news on very low death rates. I cling to a slightly higher bar than "not dead" 🙂, but still, very welcome. 

 

We are collectively not good at statistics - keeping them, communicating them, understanding them. Covid hospitalizations and deaths have always had a high co-morbidity factor. So in addition to the questions you raise, you'd really want to also understand if the non-Covid thing that got someone admitted would have warranted admission had Covid not also been present. And, I'm sure,  a vast number of other complications and correlations that are beynd the reach of my 30 year old  B+ in stats brain. Anyway, we're here to cruise, so I think I'll revert to discussions of drink and food. and drink. 

 

[milling73]

You are all correct in that we should work together to protect others as well as ourselves. However, we have all lived  with the risk of getting COVID everyday for over 2 years, and I am betting very few, if any —  living their normal life off the Viking cruise, tests themselves every - before going to the grocery store, gym, playground, restaurant or work.  And how many people do we all meet and possibly expose each day?  How many have had COVID with no symptoms at all? Or had such mild cases as to assume a cold or allergy? 
 

If we are okay with going out with others, and  living without daily testing precautions off the ship, shouldn’t a vacation be the same?  
 

neither us nor Viking  have any control on who we meet on excursions off the ship, our flight, in hotels etc.-  Or what virus exposed to,  The cruise is not a controlled group scenario, or even a fair playing field of meet all requirements, follow all rules,  and everyone will test negative.  In all likelihood, through no fault of their own or maybe even aware - someone will test positive. 
 

It’s more like that line from an old Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood movie —- “Do you Feel Lucky, Punk?”

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, milling73 said:

You are all correct in that we should work together to protect others as well as ourselves. However, we have all lived  with the risk of getting COVID everyday for over 2 years, and I am betting very few, if any —  living their normal life off the Viking cruise, tests themselves every - before going to the grocery store, gym, playground, restaurant or work.  And how many people do we all meet and possibly expose each day?  How many have had COVID with no symptoms at all? Or had such mild cases as to assume a cold or allergy? 
 

If we are okay with going out with others, and  living without daily testing precautions off the ship, shouldn’t a vacation be the same?  
 

neither us nor Viking  have any control on who we meet on excursions off the ship, our flight, in hotels etc.-  Or what virus exposed to,  The cruise is not a controlled group scenario, or even a fair playing field of meet all requirements, follow all rules,  and everyone will test negative.  In all likelihood, through no fault of their own or maybe even aware - someone will test positive. 
 

It’s more like that line from an old Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood movie —- “Do you Feel Lucky, Punk?”

Well stated.  It is all these days just a lottery.  Most win, some lose, but losing you pay a really hefty economic and emotional penalty - and therin lies the issue these days.  The punishment does not fit the "crime" (?)

[lisaatric]

5 hours ago, milling73 said:

You are all correct in that we should work together to protect others as well as ourselves. However, we have all lived  with the risk of getting COVID everyday for over 2 years, and I am betting very few, if any —  living their normal life off the Viking cruise, tests themselves every - before going to the grocery store, gym, playground, restaurant or work.  And how many people do we all meet and possibly expose each day?  How many have had COVID with no symptoms at all? Or had such mild cases as to assume a cold or allergy? 
 

If we are okay with going out with others, and  living without daily testing precautions off the ship, shouldn’t a vacation be the same?  
 

neither us nor Viking  have any control on who we meet on excursions off the ship, our flight, in hotels etc.-  Or what virus exposed to,  The cruise is not a controlled group scenario, or even a fair playing field of meet all requirements, follow all rules,  and everyone will test negative.  In all likelihood, through no fault of their own or maybe even aware - someone will test positive. 
 

It’s more like that line from an old Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood movie —- “Do you Feel Lucky, Punk?”

Seriously considering canceling our Mediterranean cruise.  With the $1000/day, we could travel on our own quite comfortably. I’ve never been to Europe. This is truly “a trip of a lifetime” for us. I’m questioning the reasoning why we would risk having to quarantine in the event we tested positive. At this point, it isn’t looking like a wise decision-Maybe even a stupid one!  

[Vineyard View]

13 hours ago, milling73 said:

The "big deal" is that a positive test result means that a trip costing thousands just ended..  Not all of us are relaxed or thrilled with the "dream vacation confined to cabin scenario".  Nor does the daily testing make us feel happily safer!  One can have every vaccine and booster there is, live in a mask, and still catch COVID,  probably a mild case similar to bad cold / flu.  Furthermore before COVID, no one was  tested, quarantine or removed from a Viking ship for being sick, unless they requested to do so or required doctor care. 

 

 

I agree with some of this statement, however the last sentence is factually incorrect. For instance,  long standing, If a passenger on any ship, regardless of line, was determined to have Norovirus, they were quarantined on that ship. Crew members only entered the infected cabins with fully covered protective materials. I cannot say for sure if any were removed from ships (would think they would have been if determined too ill).  
Personally, after all that has happened with Covid, I agree with the concept it would be better to know, in a smaller and longer term exposure environment such as a cruise ship, that those sailing with me continue to test negative than roll the dice.  

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Vineyard View

[trilobite2]

15 hours ago, milling73 said:

The "big deal" is that a positive test result means that a trip costing thousands just ended..  Not all of us are relaxed or thrilled with the "dream vacation confined to cabin scenario".  Nor does the daily testing make us feel happily safer!  One can have every vaccine and booster there is, live in a mask, and still catch COVID,  probably a mild case similar to bad cold / flu.  Furthermore before COVID, no one was  tested, quarantine or removed from a Viking ship for being sick, unless they requested to do so or required doctor care. 

 

It is also true that many of us have vouchers with Viking from cancelled cruises - so it isn't like we can just jump to any other cruise line that doesn't do this daily testing.  Bizarrely enough, they won't accept a Viking voucher, so we are stuck with taking a Viking cruise before the voucher expires, or donating our money to them.

 

Well said, we (and many others) are in the same situation.  We booked back in 2019, our cruise was for 2020, then 2021, and now 2022 due to Covid postponements by Viking.  The cruise has also been radically changed due to war.  We are dreading the prospect of quarantine if we are unlucky.  Traveling can have enough stresses (airports, etc.) without adding the daily worry of a positive test to it.  At this point we would just like to get the cruise over with and then not sail on Viking again (at least until daily testing is no longer being done, if ever.)  I am sure from reading reviews that many people who have actually been quarantined are not going to return to Viking.

Edited May 21, 2022 by trilobite2

[Twitchly]

19 hours ago, jasardeax said:

Would you please state your source for this statement. 

Mostly my husband, who is a hospital physician. Part of his job for a while included tracking statistics.
 

You can also Google “hospitalized due to Covid vs with Covid.” 
 

Some hospitals are starting to differentiate, such as in this article: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/the-difference-between-being-hospitalized-for-covid-and-with-covid New York found that 57 percent of their hospitalized Covid cases were actually there due to Covid. The rest were there for other reasons.
 

Statistics are tricky things, and lazy reporting doesn’t help.

 

And since I’ve probably tread too far off into Covid-land here, I’ll bow out. 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Twitchly

[duquephart]

So there ------

[Heidi13]

On 5/20/2022 at 6:27 AM, milling73 said:

The "big deal" is that a positive test result means that a trip costing thousands just ended..  Not all of us are relaxed or thrilled with the "dream vacation confined to cabin scenario".  Nor does the daily testing make us feel happily safer!  One can have every vaccine and booster there is, live in a mask, and still catch COVID,  probably a mild case similar to bad cold / flu.  Furthermore before COVID, no one was  tested, quarantine or removed from a Viking ship for being sick, unless they requested to do so or required doctor care. 

 

It is also true that many of us have vouchers with Viking from cancelled cruises - so it isn't like we can just jump to any other cruise line that doesn't do this daily testing.  Bizarrely enough, they won't accept a Viking voucher, so we are stuck with taking a Viking cruise before the voucher expires, or donating our money to them.

 

 

Therefore, you prefer not to know you have an infectious disease, so that you can continue with your expensive holiday.

 

How sad, as you clearly have no concerns with infecting other pax and crew.

 

Your comment that pre-COVID no one was quarantined or removed from a Viking ship is not even close to the facts. Any communicable disease, which must be reported by the Master to local authorities, will get you quarantined aboard a ship. Lately, the most common was Noro.

 

With respect to whether you are discharged for medical care, it is not normally the patient's decision, it is the Ship's Doctor operating under the authority of the Master. Even pre-COVID you saw lots of pax being medically disembarked.

[Azulann]

On 5/20/2022 at 7:53 PM, lisaatric said:

Seriously considering canceling our Mediterranean cruise.  With the $1000/day, we could travel on our own quite comfortably. I’ve never been to Europe. This is truly “a trip of a lifetime” for us. I’m questioning the reasoning why we would risk having to quarantine in the event we tested positive. At this point, it isn’t looking like a wise decision-Maybe even a stupid one!  

MY  friend, her adult daughter and HS granddaughter,( had at home tests with them).   took said Granddaughter on her trip of a life time in April  during her Spring break: Paris and then 5 days in  the Bordeaux region at a  French AirB&B  cottage. 

Well, her daughter was coughing while in Paris,  yup, she tested positive, not the other two. By the time they drove to their  French cottage, all three of them were positive. So the owner of ABB was notified and said they could stay the extra days to get their recovery letter back to USA.. She even gave them a gift basket of baguette, croissants, jams, cheese  and a bottle of wine. They  isolated  and only  did day trips into he  the countryside side, not being near any one. They return to Paris and flew home. The granddaughter lost  four days of school. But all was well in the end.

So  go on a land trip to Europe, but bring your home test,  in case  you get a cough or cold etc. Pick you place on ship or in a AirB&B or hotel in Europe ,it is your choice. But do  be considerate of other that you could infect.  

[zalusky]

I am wondering if the people in the various cases know what they did that caused them to catch it and whether they might have changed their behavior.

Did they in fact catch it before they left and went anyways?

 

IE Should they have:

• Masked up more
• Not done certain excursions
• Socially distance more

[Squawkman]

4 hours ago, zalusky said:

I am wondering if the people in the various cases know what they did that caused them to catch it and whether they might have changed their behavior.

Did they in fact catch it before they left and went anyways?

 

IE Should they have:

• Masked up more
• Not done certain excursions
• Socially distance more

Let me add to your list:

• Jump off the tour bus when a couple opposite you refuse to wear masks 
• Skip dinner in a specialty restaurant when a group is seated close to you
• Take your private jet rather than a commercial flight to avoid unmasked flyers

 

and I could go on. Point is you are being very judgmental about those who test positive - that they and they alone are in some way totally responsible. If you’re going to blame someone else if you test positive, please cancel and stay home.

 

 

[zalusky]

6 hours ago, Squawkman said:

Let me add to your list:

• Jump off the tour bus when a couple opposite you refuse to wear masks 
• Skip dinner in a specialty restaurant when a group is seated close to you
• Take your private jet rather than a commercial flight to avoid unmasked flyers

 

and I could go on. Point is you are being very judgmental about those who test positive - that they and they alone are in some way totally responsible. If you’re going to blame someone else if you test positive, please cancel and stay home.

 

 

You assume I am blaming them.  I am asking if they knew after the fact where it happened.  Some might and most might not.   I am not saying “You Bad”!

 

I haven’t been on a ship in 3 years and am planning to go next month and every bit of wisdom from current sailers is welcome.  I want to go in educated not afraid.

[tipsygirl]

We are fully vaccinated including 2 boosters. We have traveled on 2 small ship cruises, one ocean cruise, and 1 group land tour in the last 2 years. For all these trips vaccinations and testing prior to the beginning of the trip were required. Also masking was required on any public transportation, and at all times on the ship except when eating and/or drinking.  We felt our risk of contracting the virus was greatly reduced under these conditions. We also limit contact with others for at least a week before leaving for a trip and are still masking, even though our state has long ago done away with masks. We will continue to mask on plane flights and will move from KN95 masks to N95 masks for our upcoming International flight to our Viking cruise.

I do not object at all to daily testing on the ship and appreciate Vikings efforts to keep us all well. We will do our part to avoid being infected, for our benefit as well as others, while knowing we still have some risk. We will carry "at home" tests with us so we can verify a positive test if it occurs. 

 

[Squawkman]

7 hours ago, zalusky said:

You assume I am blaming them.  I am asking if they knew after the fact where it happened.  Some might and most might not.   I am not saying “You Bad”!

 

I haven’t been on a ship in 3 years and am planning to go next month and every bit of wisdom from current sailers is welcome.  I want to go in educated not afraid.

No, that’s not what you said. Every example you have described a fault of those infected.  

[LindaS272]

13 minutes ago, Squawkman said:

No, that’s not what you said. Every example you have described a fault of those infected.  

So what? I don’t think @zalusky is trying to shame people as you imply. Most people who have reported they tested positive have not revealed if they have an idea of how they contracted it. Why not? It would be helpful to everyone if suspected points of exposure were identified. We’re all in this together—how do we keep each other safe?

[SLCSkier]

I have hesitated about posting because I am so weary of talking about our situation. We were supposed to be on the May 19 Homelands sailing (third try). We were going to be traveling on our own in Norway prior to boarding the cruise so we were not required to test before leaving the USA. We are vaccinated and double boosted. The day of our flight SEA to Oslo we did a home test, I thought it was my allergies and my husband had mild cold symptoms, we both tested positive. So we needed to cancel the entire trip, we were shell shocked.

 

We live in Salt Lake but flew to Seattle a week before our flight to Oslo. We mask all the time, especially since we were getting ready for a trip. We had also limited our interaction with folks prior to leaving Salt Lake and while we were in Seattle (we have a small condo so we are able to isolate). I am sure we caught Covid it the airport or plane even though we were masked (N95) since there are very few people wearing masks and I am sure there are people with Covid that think they just have a cold.

 

We traveled last Sep-Oct, a Viking river cruise and on our own in Ireland, masking was still in effect so we had no problems. I am beyond angry that the mask mandate for public transportation was dropped, the airports are so crowded.

 

In the process of rebooking for July 2023. I don't think there was anymore that we could have done, these current strains are just so contagious.