Off the Bliss May 28th, tested postive for Covid on the 29th

[kjquilts]

We got off the May 21st Norwegian Bliss 7 night cruise round trip from Alaska on Saturday.   We have all had four doses of Moderna vaccine with dh and my 2nd booster administered two and a half weeks prior to the cruise.  We are all in our 70's and two of us have had heart issues so we still social distance and wear kn95 masks when shopping or in public places.    We were extra careful before the cruise because a negative test is required to board the ship.  Getting the negative test was such a relief.  We drove just under four hours to Seattle and parked across from the port.  Traffic was light and we would choose same method when sailing from Seattle again.

 

The Bliss was probably at 65% capacity for passengers and fully staffed with crew so service was even better than usual.  Although not required and we were certainly in the minority we wore masks in elevators, the theater, the buffet, entering restaurants and any areas where people were congregated.   Friday was our last full day and I was very tired.  Our entry into Victoria Friday night was delayed due to rough seas (only one day of that) and clearance to debark took longer than usual so a lot of us who had shore excursions were crammed together in the elevator lobby. 

 

Saturday morning woke up with a scratchy throat and some congestion.  We did early walk off the ship taking our luggage with us which was absolutely great.  No lines, no waiting.  We were on I-5 heading home by about 7:25 am. Stopped at Burger King for breakfast sandwich and coffee.    When home I unpacked and then laid down on the couch and slept for 6 hours.  Woke up with very stuffed head, sore throat, chills and so so tired.  Took a Covid test Sunday morning and it turned positive in about 4 minutes.  I do feel somewhat better tonight, not quite as stuffed up and throat is much better. DH has had no symptoms and tested negative today.  Our best friends who were with us are testing tomorrow.... they have some symptoms but think it is just their usual after cruise cold.  They as well as us are quarantining at home.  None of us are sorry we took the cruise as it was just what we needed.

 

We dearly love cruising and it has been such a long two years ..... there are some great deals out there right now but with Covid numbers picking back up and so many airline issues making plans is difficult.

 

[Mira28]

7 hours ago, kjquilts said:

We got off the May 21st Norwegian Bliss 7 night cruise round trip from Alaska on Saturday.   We have all had four doses of Moderna vaccine with dh and my 2nd booster administered two and a half weeks prior to the cruise.  We are all in our 70's and two of us have had heart issues so we still social distance and wear kn95 masks when shopping or in public places.    We were extra careful before the cruise because a negative test is required to board the ship.  Getting the negative test was such a relief.  We drove just under four hours to Seattle and parked across from the port.  Traffic was light and we would choose same method when sailing from Seattle again.

 

The Bliss was probably at 65% capacity for passengers and fully staffed with crew so service was even better than usual.  Although not required and we were certainly in the minority we wore masks in elevators, the theater, the buffet, entering restaurants and any areas where people were congregated.   Friday was our last full day and I was very tired.  Our entry into Victoria Friday night was delayed due to rough seas (only one day of that) and clearance to debark took longer than usual so a lot of us who had shore excursions were crammed together in the elevator lobby. 

 

Saturday morning woke up with a scratchy throat and some congestion.  We did early walk off the ship taking our luggage with us which was absolutely great.  No lines, no waiting.  We were on I-5 heading home by about 7:25 am. Stopped at Burger King for breakfast sandwich and coffee.    When home I unpacked and then laid down on the couch and slept for 6 hours.  Woke up with very stuffed head, sore throat, chills and so so tired.  Took a Covid test Sunday morning and it turned positive in about 4 minutes.  I do feel somewhat better tonight, not quite as stuffed up and throat is much better. DH has had no symptoms and tested negative today.  Our best friends who were with us are testing tomorrow.... they have some symptoms but think it is just their usual after cruise cold.  They as well as us are quarantining at home.  None of us are sorry we took the cruise as it was just what we needed.

 

We dearly love cruising and it has been such a long two years ..... there are some great deals out there right now but with Covid numbers picking back up and so many airline issues making plans is difficult.

 

I’m so sorry to hear that you got Covid.

I hope you all feel well again soon. It certainly has been a long and difficult two years. Thank you for sharing you experience. Sadly, there are those who seem to be able to express little empathy and I find that most discouraging.
Get well and stay well! 🌞

[Markanddonna]

It reminds me of the scripture "Rain falls on the righteous and unrighteous." So does Covid. We just finished up a 16 day trip in Europe with 11 on a cruise. The coughing began percolating on day six which matches your experience.

 

We (vaxxed and double boosted) have never had Covid but then neither has my very active daughter and her unvaxxed family. At this point, it seems unscientific and silly to be upset with unvaxxed people since only vaxxed people are cruising and there are many cases onboard every ship. 

 

I wish those who have persistent coughing and sneezing would mask up! Most blame their cough on seasonal allergies but that is likely hogwash. 

[KateQ22003]

1 hour ago, Markanddonna said:

It reminds me of the scripture "Rain falls on the righteous and unrighteous." So does Covid. We just finished up a 16 day trip in Europe with 11 on a cruise. The coughing began percolating on day six which matches your experience.

 

We (vaxxed and double boosted) have never had Covid but then neither has my very active daughter and her unvaxxed family. At this point, it seems unscientific and silly to be upset with unvaxxed people since only vaxxed people are cruising and there are many cases onboard every ship. 

 

I wish those who have persistent coughing and sneezing would mask up! Most blame their cough on seasonal allergies but that is likely hogwash. 

Does anybody really believe that everybody aboard these ships has been vaccinated? I guarantee there are some purchased vaccination cards being flashed about as if they were real. What do they do about those with "medical exemptions"? Are they allowed to cruise? Also, kids under 12 have no vaccine requirement at this time.

[LaCal]

3 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

It reminds me of the scripture "Rain falls on the righteous and unrighteous." So does Covid. We just finished up a 16 day trip in Europe with 11 on a cruise. The coughing began percolating on day six which matches your experience.

 

We (vaxxed and double boosted) have never had Covid but then neither has my very active daughter and her unvaxxed family. At this point, it seems unscientific and silly to be upset with unvaxxed people since only vaxxed people are cruising and there are many cases onboard every ship. 

 

I wish those who have persistent coughing and sneezing would mask up! Most blame their cough on seasonal allergies but that is likely hogwash. 

I think when guests are totally hacking and coughing on a cruise they should have to take another mandatory Covid test onboard so if they are positive they’ll be isolated 

 

WAYYYYY to many coughers and hackers on my cruise who wouldn’t even cover their mouths 🤬🤬

[LaCal]

So sorry you got Covid and glad the symptoms aren’t to bad 

 

We both also got off our cruise w Covid 😓😓. 
 

Mask mandates are definitely still needed 

[julig22]

Pretty much the same story on the previous cruise.  I think it may be an issue with excursions as much, if not more, then the ship.  We had a bus driver/tour guide in Victoria that was very obviously sick with a "cold" in his words.  Just like the "cold" that turns out to be covid I'm guessing.

As a reminder, vaccinations don't prevent the disease, they only lessen the effects.

[ace2542]

13 hours ago, kjquilts said:

We got off the May 21st Norwegian Bliss 7 night cruise round trip from Alaska on Saturday.   We have all had four doses of Moderna vaccine with dh and my 2nd booster administered two and a half weeks prior to the cruise.  We are all in our 70's and two of us have had heart issues so we still social distance and wear kn95 masks when shopping or in public places.    We were extra careful before the cruise because a negative test is required to board the ship.  Getting the negative test was such a relief.  We drove just under four hours to Seattle and parked across from the port.  Traffic was light and we would choose same method when sailing from Seattle again.

 

The Bliss was probably at 65% capacity for passengers and fully staffed with crew so service was even better than usual.  Although not required and we were certainly in the minority we wore masks in elevators, the theater, the buffet, entering restaurants and any areas where people were congregated.   Friday was our last full day and I was very tired.  Our entry into Victoria Friday night was delayed due to rough seas (only one day of that) and clearance to debark took longer than usual so a lot of us who had shore excursions were crammed together in the elevator lobby. 

 

Saturday morning woke up with a scratchy throat and some congestion.  We did early walk off the ship taking our luggage with us which was absolutely great.  No lines, no waiting.  We were on I-5 heading home by about 7:25 am. Stopped at Burger King for breakfast sandwich and coffee.    When home I unpacked and then laid down on the couch and slept for 6 hours.  Woke up with very stuffed head, sore throat, chills and so so tired.  Took a Covid test Sunday morning and it turned positive in about 4 minutes.  I do feel somewhat better tonight, not quite as stuffed up and throat is much better. DH has had no symptoms and tested negative today.  Our best friends who were with us are testing tomorrow.... they have some symptoms but think it is just their usual after cruise cold.  They as well as us are quarantining at home.  None of us are sorry we took the cruise as it was just what we needed.

 

We dearly love cruising and it has been such a long two years ..... there are some great deals out there right now but with Covid numbers picking back up and so many airline issues making plans is difficult.

 

I think I caught it on onboard on that crossing. Never went to medical centre. Not a chance was I doing that. Ship was about 50% full so I heard and the cruise director caught it and that is why he wasn't working the last day.

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, LaCal said:

I think when guests are totally hacking and coughing on a cruise they should have to take another mandatory Covid test onboard so if they are positive they’ll be isolated 

 

WAYYYYY to many coughers and hackers on my cruise who wouldn’t even cover their mouths 🤬🤬

And would you want to report them? Perhaps we should encourage rewards for snitching. on fellow passengers but imagine the atmosphere that would create onboard.

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, LaCal said:

So sorry you got Covid and glad the symptoms aren’t to bad 

 

We both also got off our cruise w Covid 😓😓. 
 

Mask mandates are definitely still needed 

Masks would be needed FOREVER and I mean FOREVER if we follow your logic because this will never go away.

[LaCal]

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

And would you want to report them? Perhaps we should encourage rewards for snitching. on fellow passengers but imagine the atmosphere that would create onboard.

First off guests “Should” have the respect for others to get/request a test onboard if they are coughing sick etc 

 

But of course there’s way to many who won’t cause they could care less if they spread Covid so that’s where Staff would come in and have them take a test 

[LaCal]

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

Masks would be needed FOREVER and I mean FOREVER if we follow your logic because this will never go away.

Well if it helped contain the spread than so be it 😷

 

They could at “Least” have people wear them in elevators or other packed areas 

 

We saw elevators packed wall to wall w people and not a mask in sight….what happened to people having even a ounce of common sense 🙈

Edited May 31, 2022 by LaCal

[littlegit]

kjquilts thank you for sharing your story.  Fell better soon!

 

I will be on the Bliss in a few weeks and will be extra careful now.

 

It is great to know you did enjoy the cruise.  How was the entertainment on board?  Do you have any 'must see' or 'must do' recommendations?

[Markanddonna]

Cruise companies have no real interest in insisting upon testing of their passengers once they get onboard. To be fair, the crew keeps everything quite sanitary but this is an air borne illness. They also insist upon pre boarding testing. The last thing cruise companies want are elevated cases of COVID. People who want to travel just need to be aware of what is currently happening and make their own risk analysis.

[vacation44]

23 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

People who want to travel just need to be aware of what is currently happening and make their own risk analysis.

Agree 100%.

[mking8288]

@kjquilts - Thanks for sharing and please get some rest, lots of fluids and vitamins C ... get in touch with your PCP using tele-med if necessary ... For some (most) of us, symptoms remained mild with our baseline vax/booster protection and things ease up by day 3, 4 or 5 - gradually, slowly and feeling not as tired.  

 

Funny thing is that, we ran thru several boxes of home testing kits quickly over the past 2 weeks ... thankfully, USPS just delivered 8 more free tests that we ordered.  We finally left our house for a Sunday brunch, after sheltering in place for nearly 2 weeks.

 

Maybe, cruiselines will be asking us to all sign 😷 a waiver/disclaimer that we cruise with known risks as implied consent, holding them harmless. 

 

  

[reeinaz]

2 hours ago, LaCal said:

Well if it helped contain the spread than so be it 😷

 

They could at “Least” have people wear them in elevators or other packed areas 

 

We saw elevators packed wall to wall w people and not a mask in sight….what happened to people having even a ounce of common sense 🙈

Some argue that going on a cruise now indicates a lack of common sense. Outside of mandates/requirements, people are free to determine what level of risk they are comfortable with. But I'm not hearing COVID stories from people who were on packed elevators. Most of the stories I'm reading are from people who seemed to make every attempt possible to stay away from those perceived riskier situations. 

[LaCal]

18 minutes ago, reeinaz said:

Some argue that going on a cruise now indicates a lack of common sense. Outside of mandates/requirements, people are free to determine what level of risk they are comfortable with. But I'm not hearing COVID stories from people who were on packed elevators. Most of the stories I'm reading are from people who seemed to make every attempt possible to stay away from those perceived riskier situations. 

The ones who are on the packed elevators without masks are probably the ones who won’t/don’t test, think they just have a cold or plain old don’t care  that they spread Covid 

 

And you’re right common sense went out the window 

[MidCitiesMan]

Wishing a quick recovery for everyone that caught it. 

[kjquilts]

Thanks for the various comments.  I hope those of you who also contracted Covid are recovering.

I'm feeling better and will continue to take it easy until symptom free.  Our best friends and traveling companions both tested positive today.  They thought their symptoms were just the usual after cruise colds but tests showed otherwise.  DH is still symptom free and after his negative test yesterday will not test again unless that changes.  It is interesting he is the only one of the four of us who uses a CPAP machine.  His thought is that maybe the extra oxygen was helpful.  Who knows???  

 

We're looking at various future cruise options.  One tempting me is the Spirit in late September out of Seattle.  We were on the Spirit many years ago and I'd love to see her as she is now.  Seattle means we can drive and park across from the port.  The 11 day itinerary is really good but 11 days has its drawbacks with Covid due to more chance of illness showing up while you are still on the ship.  Would also like to know what the Sun will be doing this fall after her Alaska season. 

 

 

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by kjquilts

[PTC DAWG]

I’ve yet to test when it wasn’t required for a cruise…

 

 

[julig22]

11 minutes ago, kjquilts said:

One tempting me is the Spirit in late September out of Seattle.  We were on the Spirit many years ago and I'd love to see her as she is now.  Seattle means we can drive and park across from the port.  The 11 day itinerary is really good but 11 days has its drawbacks with Covid due to more chance of illness showing up while you are still on the ship.

I already bit - booked on the Spirit September 21.  Will be driving, works out well, don't have to be concerned about passing germs to anyone else - or picking them up on a plane.

I booked awhile ago and balconies were already GTY, although when I've checked back on pricing (which has gone up) sometimes you can pick your room.  So I'm guessing it's fairly full already.  I'll just keep my GTY - I figure a balcony is a balcony and who knows what kind of an upgrade I might get when they finally lock it down.

[kdawg954]

Also got Covid after my 9 day cruise on the Celebrity Equinox earlier this month.  DW had it worse than I did, her first time catching it.  This was my second, and both times it was a slight cough for 2 days (which is noticeable because I don't cough at all unless I'm sick)

 

The reason why I'm headed back to NCL for my next cruise is because the RCCL brands love to do indoor events and pack the inside entertainment areas . . . where NCL embraces the deck parties more, which obviously is open air.  That was the biggest thing I saw wrong with this last cruise I was on.  Like they had servers at the buffet to pick out your food, but I wish they focused more on activities that limited crowds and were outside more.  You can do an 80s party on the pool deck when its 80 degrees outside (southern caribbean) . . . why on earth would you do that inside the grand foyer?  I dunno.

 

Either way if you get on a cruise and are planning to be in high traffic areas indoors and staying at bars to talk to people, just be prepared to catch it.  Just too many pre cruise obstacles that allow it to get on the ship.

 

 

 

 

[kdawg954]

15 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

I’ve yet to test when it wasn’t required for a cruise…

 

 

 

I only tested because I was going to work the next day and was coming back from international travel.  My cruise in December I flew to San Juan and when I got back I didn't even bother testing because I was WFH.  I just sort of quarantined for a week and stayed away from people.

[wil e coyote]

@kjquilts, I hope you and all your travel party (and everyone else who has caught COVID) recovers quickly and completely.