Four vaccinated, two unvaccinated passengers test positive for COVID on Royal Caribbean ship

[12thman]

Hopefully everyone is experiencing mild symptoms. Another good example of how the company is ready to handle this situation. 

https://amp-freep-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.freep.com/amp/5427475001?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#aoh=16276540615188&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From %1%24s

[smokeybandit]

I'm on this ship and our son is currently quarantined due to contact tracing (adventure ocean) until a round of retesting this afternoon.

[columbus_cruiser]

I am curious for those that are vaccinated that tested positive; what vaccination did they have?

[JeffB]

Once again, protocols are working. The concern on the part of the lines and the communities hosting home ports and ports of call has to be an increasing number of these events. Until the peak of infections occurs locally and starts to decline - and it will - the math suggests there will be more of these. The next question becomes, not as a matter of health policy but as matter of business, how long can RCL continue to pay for medical evacuation on private carriers of guests that become infected with COVID on board. This is an enormously expensive undertaking for just a few. Dozens are going to be cost prohibitive. Let's hope the numbers stay low. WHne viral prevalence in a home port or port of call is high, establishing pre-cruise negative antigen testing for boarding is one good way to keep these events low in number. Another is limiting tours to those offered by the ship.  

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, columbus_cruiser said:

I am curious for those that are vaccinated that tested positive; what vaccination did they have?

If the worst they get is mild cold symptoms then any vaccine they got is working. The article said all but one were asymptomatic and the other just mild symptoms 

[JeffB]

11 minutes ago, columbus_cruiser said:

I am curious for those that are vaccinated that tested positive; what vaccination did they have?

Not released to the public and I doubt it will be. I would further offer, this is not a reasonable rabbit hole to go down. All the approved vaccines are fundamentally equal in terms of both efficacy and effectiveness. While there are news stories that suggest some vaccines are better than others, there's no solid research that is peer reviewed and suitable to draw conclusions from wrt one US approved vaccine being better than another. 

[MLH]

30 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm on this ship and our son is currently quarantined due to contact tracing (adventure ocean) until a round of retesting this afternoon.

Hopefully your son will be okay.

[Marlena]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm on this ship and our son is currently quarantined due to contact tracing (adventure ocean) until a round of retesting this afternoon.

Fingers crossed he is ok!

I believe this is gonna solidify my plans to not let my daughter go to AO...

So sorry you guys are dealing with this. 

[smokeybandit]

I have no doubt he'll test negative again, especially since the kid in question was asymptomatic. 

 

I haven't been thrilled with the communication about the quarantine though. 

[12thman]

16 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I have no doubt he'll test negative again, especially since the kid in question was asymptomatic. 

 

I haven't been thrilled with the communication about the quarantine though. 

Are you under quarantine as well? Did your son get moved to one of those isolation cabins?

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, 12thman said:

Are you under quarantine as well? Did your son get moved to one of those isolation cabins?

We're not under quarantine (thankfully). No isolation cabin for him (also thankfully).

[smokeybandit]

Now they are collecting various official documents from us.  I assume they're prepping for the worst with tonight's tests. But still no communication about what's really going on.

[12thman]

44 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

We're not under quarantine (thankfully). No isolation cabin for him (also thankfully).

That's good news. Hoping everything turns out well for you. 

[JasonOasis]

2 hours ago, columbus_cruiser said:

I am curious for those that are vaccinated that tested positive; what vaccination did they have?

The type of vaccine they were vaccinated with doesn't matter because none of the vaccines offer 100% protection but all of the vaccines will in 99.99999999% of people prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and/or death from COVID.

[JasonOasis]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm on this ship and our son is currently quarantined due to contact tracing (adventure ocean) until a round of retesting this afternoon.

I hope everything is okay.  I've got my fingers crossed and saying a prayer

[Reigert2008]

This probably provides some context for the recent policy changes.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cruise-ship-covid-cases-royal-caribbean/index.html

 

[RCIfan1912]

And just like I was saying the other day. This, this right here is why cruises are coming to and an end for me. This is my absolute nightmare scenario. I can't fly, serious phobia. I don't know what I would do in this situation. I can't have this kinda thing hanging over my head every time I cruise. 

I just would like to say the media sucks. They love this bullshit. They don't report every successful cruise but this one is top news. 

[smokeybandit]

This whole situation is getting weird fast. Now there's concern that bahamas won't waive its 14 day close contact quarantine rule for a commercial flight and they're looking into private flights for all quarantined kids.

[basil]

I'm not a doctor,  and I don't play one on TV, but 6 out of how many? Aren't my odds just as high if I go to Disney or Universal? At least on the cruise ship there is contact tracing and testing. I personally like those odds a little better.

[VoidoftheSeas]

33 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

This whole situation is getting weird fast. Now there's concern that bahamas won't waive its 14 day close contact quarantine rule for a commercial flight and they're looking into private flights for all quarantined kids.

Does this mean even if the test is negative you'll be flying on a private flight home? I mean, that sounds cool, but holy cow that's expensive for them.

[Ampurp85]

I hope everything works out with your son @smokeybandit

The private plane situation is crazy but say what you want about the protocols, at least we know they work.

[MLH]

43 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

This whole situation is getting weird fast. Now there's concern that bahamas won't waive its 14 day close contact quarantine rule for a commercial flight and they're looking into private flights for all quarantined kids.

Wow.  Thanks for keeping us posted.  I am glad it happened towards the end of the cruise versus the beginning.  Best of luck, you have a great attitude.

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, VoidoftheSeas said:

Does this mean even if the test is negative you'll be flying on a private flight home? I mean, that sounds cool, but holy cow that's expensive for them.

In hindsight a private direct flight home sounds great. But in the mean time I'd rather it not come to that.

 

And yes very expensive since there are at least 5 others

[Dad2Cue]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

This whole situation is getting weird fast. Now there's concern that bahamas won't waive its 14 day close contact quarantine rule for a commercial flight and they're looking into private flights for all quarantined kids.

First ... I hope everything works out!!!

Second ... should I be rethinking my plan for my cruise this coming October?  My kids are adults now and we all all vaccinated but everything seems so "weird" as you say.  This all sounds like something will go wrong but I still want to be optimistic.

[smokeybandit]

 

[smokeybandit]

2 hours ago, Reigert2008 said:

This probably provides some context for the recent policy changes.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cruise-ship-covid-cases-royal-caribbean/index.html

 

Not really since adventure already requires pre cruise testing 

[AshleyDillo]

46 minutes ago, basil said:

 Aren't my odds just as high if I go to Disney or Universal? At least on the cruise ship there is contact tracing and testing. I personally like those odds a little better.

That's been my feelings about being safe on a cruise ship as well.  Even without vaccines required, Royal threw out 90% vaccinated figures on some of the sailings they have had.  That's better odds than the percentage of vaccinated people on an airplane or even in a grocery store these days.

[smokeybandit]

Michael bayley:

Yesterday six guests on Adventure of the Seas tested COVID positive during routine testing required of all guests before returning home. 

Four of the guests are vaccinated, three are asymptomatic and one has mild symptoms.  Two of the guests are kids in the same traveling party and are unvaccinated and asymptomatic.

They all were immediately quarantined, and all close contacts were traced and all tested negative.  All of the other 1,000 plus guests tested negative. 

Each guest and their immediate travel parties were disembarked yesterday and traveled home via private transportation. 
 
To sail aboard Adventure, which departed from the Bahamas on July 24, on a seven night cruise, travelers 16 and older were all fully vaccinated and test negative before boarding. Children ineligible for the vaccine must test negative as well and all crew are fully vaccinated.

And so it continues !  The good news is everyone is home and doing fine.  Four are vaccinated of which three are asymptomatic and the two kids are asymptomatic.

[cruisinghawg]

Smokeybandit, do you think this was "caught" on the plane over? Funny how they were negative getting on the ship and then 5 days later positive. Some one else can jump in here but it seems to take 3-5 days to show, and I will stand corrected on this point.

[AlmondFarmer]

So in theory, (I’m not suggesting one tries this) a family could book one way airfare to Nassau, test negative before cruise and then find a way to test positive right before final stop in Grand Bahama and get a private flight home? 

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, cruisinghawg said:

Smokeybandit, do you think this was "caught" on the plane over? Funny how they were negative getting on the ship and then 5 days later positive. Some one else can jump in here but it seems to take 3-5 days to show, and I will stand corrected on this point.

I assume this and all cases found on board were due to pre arrival exposure.  Possibly the plane but probably before that.

[PG Cruiser]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

The good news is everyone is home and doing fine. 

Are you home now?

[PG Cruiser]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

 

All of the other 1,000 plus guests tested negative. 

 

Of these 1,000 plus guests who tested negative, how many have COVID, still undetectable on tests, will fly home to their home states and possibly infect others?  There is a "window of uncertainty" 5-7 days after exposure.

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, PG Cruiser said:

Are you home now?

No, that quoted text was re: those that tested positive. The close contacts are quarantined all day until their 2nd covid test tonight at 11pm

[Vancity Cruiser]

CAN WE PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT EVERY CASE OF COVID FOUND ON A CRUISE SHIP ON THIS FORUM

 

its bad enough the media has to do it

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, PG Cruiser said:

Of these 1,000 plus guests who tested negative, how many have COVID, still undetectable on tests, will fly home to their home states and possibly infect others?  There is a "window of uncertainty" 5-7 days after exposure.

No doubt.  But that happens every day all over the country.  Surely someone has tried to trace land covid cases to a cruise exposure (just like they did for spring break and concerts and sturgis). And the faxt we haven't heard about it is telling. 

[Vancity Cruiser]

2 hours ago, Dad2Cue said:

should I be rethinking my plan for my cruise this coming October?  My kids are adults now and we all all vaccinated but everything seems so "weird" as you say.  This all sounds like something will go wrong but I still want to be optimistic.

If you struggle with flexibility you should be rethinking your plan. Anyone with a cruise booked or thinking of booking a cruise for at least the next year yet should be prepared for things to change. From ports of calls to requirements to processes the industry is going to be very fluid for at least a year yet. If you are looking for a vacation where you are certain things aren’t going to change you should be looking for a land based vacation (I.e. resorts or hotels) where your chance of contacting covid is much higher but ignored by the media.

[twangster]

Nearly 16,000 new cases in Florida announced today.  Six cases on a ship.  

We know the virus has not been eradicated.  We know unvaccinated are the primary transmission vector and we know that even some vaccinated will get the virus because the vaccines are not 100% just like other vaccines do not guarantee 100% protection.

It is strongly possible that the infected guest "zero" could have become infected before leaving for the cruise.  If those infected individuals did not cruise they would likely have never known and continued to spread it back home.  Another example of spread being stopped because they went on a cruise.  Now they know and can take appropriate measures at home while they recover.  

Protocols worked and cruising helped to limit the effect these individuals would have on their community.  Sounds like a win, except for the innocent bystanders caught up in it on the cruise.

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

t is strongly possible that the infected guest "zero" could have become infected before leaving for the cruise.

I'd say this is a near guarantee 

[JeffB]

No need to panic .........

From this morning’s Washington Post, they are reporting that an internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention slide presentation has a lot of people freaked out. It says “........there are 35,000 symptomatic infections per week among 162 million vaccinated Americans.”

That comes out to 1 out of every 4,628.57 people. I like those odds! If you are vaccinated you are highly unlikely to suffer from COVID. If you are unvaccinated, you are in COVID's cross-hairs.

I’m sure someone would say “yes, but that’s per week, meaning you face the same risk the next week!” Okay, so every week, I face a new metaphorical lottery of being that one person out of 4,628 or so who has a symptomatic breakthrough infection. I can live with that, and you can, too. Yes, it will stink to feel sick for a couple of days, but symptomatic breakthrough infections almost never results in hospitalization or death (something like 95%/99%.

People accept that much higher level of risk all the time. The chances of dying in a car crash are roughly one in 107, and the average person is involved in three motor vehicle accidents in their lifetime. If someone told you they refused to ever get into a motor vehicle because the odds of dying in an accident were too high, you would urge them to get counseling for runaway anxiety.

People are suffering from what is called "recency bias." What this means is that based on what you hear on day one, hour one or hour7, and so forth, influences your perception of future events. Is there any doubt, based on the "dire consequences" media narrative that people are scared?

I absolutely do not want to be dismissive of those who are close to acquaintances, friends or loved ones who have suffered from COVID or health care workers in hiospital who see the surge and suffering first hand. I am continually struggling with how this group perceives the threat of COVID compared to those of us, including myself that have been fortunate enough to not be burdened by it.

Still, in the big picture .........PERSPECTIVE PLEASE.