COVID Quarantine on Italy Departures

[Wendyg]

If you are sailing out of Italy on Royal Caribbean as of summer 2022, there are some things I'd like to make sure you know before you come. And, I'd like to share my experience. Myself and my family of 4 are currently in quarantine on Odyssey of the Seas that sails out of Civitavecchia, Italy. My son became sick on day 4 of the cruise. He tested negative for covid. But was required to isolate in our room. We do not have a multi-room suite, but a regular balcony. So, keep in mind there really is no isolation in a regular room. Plus, he is 7. So he has to be attended to and kept company. Similar to the YouTube video by the Royal Carribean blog, my daughter and I were still able to leave the room. We had to remain masked and could no longer eat in any of the restaurants. The next day he was required to test again. At that point he came up positive, and so did my husband who spent the isolation time with him. The rest of the family was required to come to medical and test immediately. My daughter and I came up negative. Both my husband and son were moved to deck 3 in the ships locked off quarantine zone, while my daughter and I were allowed to stay in our room. Same rules in place. We could leave the room, but had to continue to wear masks and not allowed to eat in restaurants. The following day, my daughter and I were required to re-test. We both tested negative again. However, we had a new physician who said b/c of our close contact we needed to be moved and join my husband and son in quarantine. So now we have two confirmed positive covid guests being put in the same room, the size of a large walk-in closet, with two covid negative guests. We requested multiplied times to guest services that we be separated into 2 rooms. We were always told they were working on it. Nothing ever happened. We were then told we could get off the boat in Civitavecchia and there is a hotel they will put us in there and we could finish our quarantine. The day before we got off the cruise, guest services called and said all the hotels in Civitavecchia were full. So we have to stay on the boat for the next sailing. This really concerned us as we were all put in the same room, and if one of the negatives comes up positive later...then we get stuck fulfilling a whole new quarantine requirement. Here is what I didn't expect...Sure enough on day 3 of quarantine. I turn up positive. Keep in mind all 4 of us have had covid more than once and are fully vaccinated with boosters and all. Even my 7 yo. So I turn up positive, and now they reset quarantine for EVERYONE in the room. Even though my husband and son tested positive and were put in quarantine 3 days prior to my positive (and I had also been in quarantine for 2 days) , they reset the quarantine period for the entire party based off the most recent positive test. Which means, if my daughter tests positive at any point before the end of the quarantine then we start ALL OVER again. Now per the ship protocol, they retest you on day 5 and day 6 (keeping in mind the first day of your positive test is day 0). But that is day 5 and day 6 of the person who has the most recent positive test. So that moved my husband and son to day 7 & 8. If you test negative and both days you can come out of quarantine, but you still have to wear a mask and cannot eat in any of the restaurants. However, if you test positive, then they extend the quarantine to 10 days. The room we are in does have a window, which we appreciate. However, it is extremely tiny. Especially for 4 people. No room to exercise, or do anything but be in bed or the sofa pull out. So just keep in mind you're really in confinement. We do get food delivered 3 times a day. The room does not get cleaned, or the towels exchanged. Perhaps packing extra underwear and comfy clothes just in case isn't a bad idea. The rules in Italy are VERY strict for quarantine. So if you test positive the port authority has to agree to let you off the ship. So, yes, quarantine will happen one way or another. In Italy it is a mandatory 7 days quarantine. You have to retest on day 7 and if you are still positive then you have to extend quarantine to 10 days (again with the day you tested positive as day 0. Both the cruise and Italy count from your first positive test, not when you started having symptoms (like the US).  The idea that quarantine is based for all parties on the most recent positive for the group is something I have never heard of before, and I am a medical professional myself, who has been providing anesthesia care for over 15 years and worked in Intensive care units with covid positive patients. It appears that the rules for quarantine are very fluid and change by the day. I have zero idea what the science is behind this protocol. In regards to what to expect from day to day, we never hear from medical. A nurse does come to take vitals once per day, but when we ask questions we get answers that defer to the doctors that never appear to be available. With Guest Services, each person we talk to tells us something completely different, and getting answers that are consistent has been extremely challenging. Please be careful!! I know no one likes to wear the n95 masks (not the same as the k95 masks). But if you're traveling to Europe right now, Covid is really spiking. To prevent your vacation turning into a nightmare, consider wearing the masks. Protect yourself!!! I am curious if anyone else has had an experience like this? Where is the Royal Caribbean quarantine protocol? Not just something fluid, but an actual written and available for public viewing protocol? If anyone can find it that would be amazing!! Has anyone else had covid neg and covid positive mixed together in the same quarantine room? I feel like they put the negative guests as risk big time. Especially my daughter, who clearly wasn't infected. She has been asymptomatic and has tested negative 4 days in a row. Can I refuse to let them test her anymore if she isn't symptomatic? Thanks!!

[Pattycruise]

Crazy.  Back in the beginning of this hell the US (or at least the county I live in in NY) had a reset  policy based on the last positive in the home…..what a nightmare.  Makes NO SENSE.

Im sorry this has happened to you and your family.  I bet there’s no room on the ship for additional quarantine for close contacts  I hope your nightmare ends soon

[smokeybandit]

That's one big reason I'd want no part of a European cruise right now. 

[Squid]

But why did you admit it to the ship?

I think there's an unwritten rule now...

[Matt]

4 hours ago, Squid said:

But why did you admit it to the ship?

I think there's an unwritten rule now...

Because if you're showing symptoms of a highly communicable disease, walking around the ship and/or pretending you don't have it and spreading it around is irresponsible and selfish.

[Ubiquitous Cruiser]

Yikes! Your experience is one of the reasons we cancelled our Eastern Med cruise that was to be a celebration for our 25th anniversary. We did not know the full extent of the protocols at the time but reasoned that Europe was much more restrictive in general and decided against risking it. Booked an 8 night out of FLL and didn't regret it one bit ... All the best to you & your family.