Got Covid from NCL Breakaway 12/23-30 from NOLA

[SimplyAlbert]

We've cruised several times since the restart on two different lines (NCL & RCCL) and have not gotten sick.  However, we have continued to wear masks when not actively eating or drinking (personal preference).  I'm not afraid of getting sick (vaccinated and boosted), but am trying to reduce my risk.  Viruses are everywhere and I refuse to stop living my life.

[graphicguy]

19 hours ago, KKB said:

It's a risk of an endemic virus now.

I was on the Caribbean Princess for 2 weeks in July--definitely not full. 

Was quite tired the last day but assumed it was just 2 weeks of fun vacation getting to me.

Disembarkation day I had a lot of throat drainage. Wore a mask for my travel home JUST in case.

Took a test when I get home as I have an elderly father.

Yep, COVID. 

Rested the next day. 

Cleaned the garage the next!

I keep up on my shots, wash my hands a lot, but I'm not giving up travel!

Agree.

 

Do what you can, when you can.

 

But, airports, flights, excursions, and being on the ship....all are potential breeding grounds for a multitude of illnesses.  Keep up on your vaccines, wash your hands, stay away from people who are obviously ill. That's the best you can do.

 

The good news is, I'm thinking the passenger vaccinated percentages sailing on ships these days has to be higher than the general population in U.S. and Canada (81% of the entire population).  My guess is on a cruise ship, where the average age of passengers is considerably higher, that number is probably closer to 97%+.

 

Point being, short of not cruising, a cruise ship is probably a relatively safe place to be with regards to Covid because of the high vaccination rates.

[EngrJones]

2 hours ago, Lupush said:

I've been on 3 cruises post COVID and surprisingly have not gotten sick after any of them.  

Me too!!  3 fun cruises and I never got sick.  I did test positive for Covid after the last, but I didn't feel "sick" for a moment.

[Crazy planning mom]

54 minutes ago, EngrJones said:

Me too!!  3 fun cruises and I never got sick.  I did test positive for Covid after the last, but I didn't feel "sick" for a moment.

Just curious - why did you test if you didn't feel sick?

[EngrJones]

7 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Just curious - why did you test if you didn't feel sick?

My sailing partner had symptoms and I had been a bit congested.  Since we had a bunch of the free tests, we both took them.  She was negative, but I was (surprisingly) positive!  The congestion only lasted for about a day and I felt great the entire time, despite testing positive for another week or so.   I read about a lot of people testing positive, but fortunately most postings haven't reported people getting seriously sick or having to go to the hospital.  I don't think Covid is anything to worry about for most reasonably healthy people anymore.

[sunkey1]

4 hours ago, Lupush said:

I've been on 3 cruises post COVID and surprisingly have not gotten sick after any of them.  As much as people will disagree, I do think the additional sanitizing measures that the industry has put in place are working as well as they can.

Yep, post covid we cruised in October of 2021 and April, June and October of 2022. Felt as safe on any of those from getting sick as I did going to the mall or a local restaurant. No issues at all.

 

[Jerseygich]

Just got off one 2nd cruise in last 4 months with no precautions. Very few had masks and most of those elderly. Did not hear of any illnesses on either one and last one was 11 days. Absolutely no issues. 

[tonit964]

I’ve been on three cruises since April 2022, I only wore masks when required getting on and off the ship on the first cruise. I was fine, caught it on my second cruise, in September

( very mild)then I was fine for my November cruise. Didn’t have to fly for any of them. 
 

It’s just something we have to learn to live with now. It’s not going away. 
Going to Alaska in July on the Encore and I can’t wait. If I get it again, so be it.

[eileeshb]

I’ve been on 2 cruises since the resumption, the first in Europe on Epic and the number of guests was something like 1500, the second was on Epic again but on the southern Caribbean itinerary when it was definitely busier but certainly not at full capacity. 
However on both of those itineraries some of the ports still had active covid restrictions in-place as did the airlines. 
I’ve been vaxxed and got my first booster after the European cruise so it was soon enough before the Caribbean cruise with the long haul flights that I was well protected.

However Covid finally caught me in late October at home and I suffered badly for the first week of it as I’m asthmatic, the irony is about 5 days after I recovered I got the notification that I was eligible for the second booster but here you can’t get a booster until 4 months after having had the virus.  I’ll be having a conversation with my doctor as to whether I should get the booster in March when I’m eligible for it or leave it to late summer so I’ll have better protection for the autumn and winter.

 

BTW the hospitals here are getting hammered with heaps of patients suffering with Covid, Flu or RSV, it’s so bad the health authorities have issued advice telling folks to stay away from the emergency departments unless you have no other choice. This after they closed down the emergency departments in multiple smaller hospitals and general practitioners are decreasing in numbers through retirement and burnout and our population is at it’s highest since the potato famine genocide committed by the British.  The Irish Public Health Service is an absolute disaster at this stage. 

[Crazy planning mom]

1 hour ago, EngrJones said:

My sailing partner had symptoms and I had been a bit congested.  Since we had a bunch of the free tests, we both took them.  She was negative, but I was (surprisingly) positive!  The congestion only lasted for about a day and I felt great the entire time, despite testing positive for another week or so.   I read about a lot of people testing positive, but fortunately most postings haven't reported people getting seriously sick or having to go to the hospital.  I don't think Covid is anything to worry about for most reasonably healthy people anymore.

Unfortunately, that wasnt the case for me.  I have some lung issues as a result of catching covid in late October.  I am hoping they arent permanent.

[schmoopie17]

Places you can get COVID:

 

Cruise ships

Airplanes

Airports

Buses

Subways

Restaurants

Grocery stores

Department stores

Theaters

Sporting events

Hospitals

Doctors offices

At home from guests or family

Pretty much anyplace else

 

Live your life and don't live it in fear.

 

I will now crawl back under my rock...

 

[BarnCat1]

20 hours ago, AwesomO said:

Does anyone know if they still move COVID cases to a separate isolation area? 

 

I am curious about this too. 

 

Also, way off topic, but have they switched to paper straws for drinks or do we need to bring our own stainless steel if we want to use a straw?

Edited January 3, 2023 by BarnCat1

[NikiPinkston]

We had some type of biodegradable straws on the POA in November that held up really well. They were a big improvement on the paper straws.

[david_sobe]

Covid will never stop replicating to new variants and those variants will never stop spreading.  You must take care of yourself and get vaccinated.  With the vaccine you greatly limit your symptoms.   The world will continue to spin and life must go on and that includes cruising.  Anytime you leave your house there is a chance of something happening.

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

Places you can get COVID:

 

Cruise ships

Airplanes

Airports

Buses

Subways

Restaurants

Grocery stores

Department stores

Theaters

Sporting events

Hospitals

Doctors offices

At home from guests or family

Pretty much anyplace else

 

Live your life and don't live it in fear.

 

I will now crawl back under my rock...

 

Well you forgot Church…or, heaven forbid…Wally World. (I guess that’s summed up under Dept/Grocery store).

[laudergayle]

Covid is the virus de jour.  yes, it’s everywhere, as is the common cold, influenza, RSV.  But…don’t forget about Norovirus. When it’s onboard,  it is highly-transmitted and will make your cruise experience the worst ever.  Therefore, pack Imodium, if you can get Zofran, take it with you every vacay.  It’s a short 24-36 hour virus…but having the right meds will save you $$$$.  Cruising in a closed environment is always a risk for illness.

[uneamie]

On 1/2/2023 at 5:53 PM, Medgirl2001 said:

I’m fairly certain it was. We live in 4 different households, came on different flights, due to NCL air, and were perfectly fine until day 8-9. It rained for most of the cruise, so we didn’t do excursions like we had planned.  We got off in Cozumel, day 6, so while it’s possible we picked it up there, that incubation period would be rather short. (Anyway, when I say we got it on the cruise, I mean the whole thing—cruise and ports)  I’m not sure why you are all having a hard time believing we got it on the cruise, when that is the likely source. It’s generally transmitted when people are in close range with other people, and for more than a few minutes, like on a crowded ship.  I’m not blaming anyone!

You do know that many people have to find blame with YOU if you accuse NCL of ANTHING at all. So pay them no mind. You weren't complaing about NCL, you were just making a point that people need to be cautious if they are high risk ect. I knew when I read your post what you meant and that you were just narrowing it all down. In the end....you were trying to be helpful. I don't know what's wrong people anymore. 

[eileeshb]

2 hours ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Unfortunately, that wasnt the case for me.  I have some lung issues as a result of catching covid in late October.  I am hoping they arent permanent.

I know a few people who’ve had lengthy recoveries and one friend who has serious permanent damage.

I was kinda surprised that I recovered as quickly as I did, after about a month I was back to normal. But a friend who’s far fitter than I and without asthma was feeling the effects for at least 3 months. both of us were fully vaxxed and boosted.
Whereas another friend who was more severely asthmatic than I and working in a blood lab in the early days of the Irish outbreak in 2020 has permanent heart and lung damage and hasn’t been able to return to work.  

[Crazy planning mom]

29 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

I know a few people who’ve had lengthy recoveries and one friend who has serious permanent damage.

I was kinda surprised that I recovered as quickly as I did, after about a month I was back to normal. But a friend who’s far fitter than I and without asthma was feeling the effects for at least 3 months. both of us were fully vaxxed and boosted.
Whereas another friend who was more severely asthmatic than I and working in a blood lab in the early days of the Irish outbreak in 2020 has permanent heart and lung damage and hasn’t been able to return to work.  

That's really unfortunate.  I am vaxed and boosted as well.

[LloydJr]

I have had five Covid shots, actual Covid and I grew up on a farm where there was every kind of virus and bacteria known (or unknown) to man.  I'm talking livestock and manure everywhere.  I never get sick and I cruise like it's 1999.🥳

[Pitzel]

We got covid while on our Royal Caribbean sailing to Alaska in August. I got sick on the day we disembarked. My husband got sick a day or two later, as did my in-laws. Unfortunately, my father (who lives with us, but who did not go on the cruise) got sick from us after we returned. The biggest problem for all of us is that we tested negative on the home tests for the first few days, even though we had symptoms. I didn't know it was actually covid until I had been home for 3 or 4 days and, as such, we weren't taking the precautions that we should have. The home tests gave us a false sense of security. Had we masked up at the first sign of symptoms, we probably could have minimized its spread through our family.

All of that said, we are still traveling. We have all gotten boosters recently and, having been through covid once, we now know what we would do differently if we caught it again. 

[YVRteacher]

3 hours ago, BarnCat1 said:

 

I am curious about this too. 

 

Also, way off topic, but have they switched to paper straws for drinks or do we need to bring our own stainless steel if we want to use a straw?

NCL straws are now made from agave, not paper.

[mking8288]

Different points of views, different exposure (some haven't gotten it) and just to put things in our perspective.  We resumed cruising in late March 2022 while the winter surge here in the Northeast was still happening and being careful pre-cruise ... comfortable to do a 7 nights.  Still hit the jackpot toward the end of the cruise with 2 lines ... DW "blamed" me for sharing as she turned positive several days later after coming home - self-isolated for basically 2 weeks.  Among the first to get the bivalent booster once available at local CVS, in time for our mid September cruise on NCL - this time, tested negative before the cruise & also post-cruise, not catching anything onboard - exercised same precautions, masks & hand sanitizer use, social distancing when practical.  

 

Ready to cruise later this month, 12 nights this time and NCL again - extra natural immunity should be good for us.  Reasons being that, despite being careful in the late Fall, exposed somehow & initially felt like a cold or seasonal flu - nearly asymptomatic, minor sore throats & coughs, no fever and wasn't tired.  DW tossed me to 2nd bedroom/my home office to camp, sleep & stayed home for 10+ days ...  Forget lottery, 5 or 6 days later, 2 lines on her 3rd rapid test results, clearly ... and was me, again.  Had the HEPA filters running plus everything else, except for negative air flow in the house as it isn't central HVAC.  DW recovered faster ... despite other risk factors and given both of our health factors. 

 

Used up 3 to 4 tests each during our "shelter-at-home" period until results were negative ... one of the BIL recently recovered from prostate surgery.  Walked to local CVS and Walgreen stores last week, saw the entire section of cold/flu OTC racks being nearly empty aren't positive signs, as I picked up some extra free test kits (thanks to our insurance for covering, zero out-of-pocket costs).  

 

Odds are that we could be "exposed" onboard but perhaps not catching it, universal precautions & measures, etc. but we are prepared and let the body's immune system do its job.  Pack a bottle of Vitamin C's.   Perhaps, we are at the early stage of moving into a pandemic but the trifecta indicators aren't looking pretty  - we live in a NORC and seeing plenty of older neighborhood folks masking up.  If only we can tell several of the friends we lost due to Covid that it's gradually becoming business as usual, maybe ... kind of.   

 

Happy & healthy cruising - cheese empanadas from our local bakery tasted wicked good.  

[schmoopie17]

16 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Well you forgot Church…or, heaven forbid…Wally World. (I guess that’s summed up under Dept/Grocery store).

Actually, church was one of the top things I had in mind when I wrote this but I somehow managed to leave it off the list. Old age strikes again...

[J0Y0US]

18 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Places you can get COVID:

 

At full capacity a cruise is the most people in a confined indoor space I am ever in for a prolonged period. You also don't have people continue to circulate through the area spreading things if they are sick for most of your list.

 

I can go to Lambeau and only have extended time around like 20 people in my seats, its all open air, and after 4 hours I am completely away from the crowds. (season ticket holder)

 

A cruise and other locations are not exactly comparable as far as risk. Still have cruised a number of times since shutdown and will continue to do so (as long as the don't degrade the offering) but I just expect to possibly be sick afterwards.