No one wants to get COVID on a cruise ship or in general while they’re traveling. For two years, we have watched as cruises were unavailable to the general public and really viewed at a higher level of concern than other travel destinations. There is a certain level of risk in being on a boat with several thousand of your new closest friends. This has always been the case with Legionnaires disease, norovirus, and other things that have happened on cruise ships. But we looked at the numbers and felt that likelihood of catching COVID was about the same as going to the grocery store. So we decided to take the plunge.
As it turned out, even with all the vaccinations, my wife actually did get COVID and I did not. Figure that one out. Somewhere between a half of a percent and 1% of the people on board ended up with COVID. Now this is not to say that we got it from the boat. We could have gotten it before the boat, we don’t know. We each had multiple COVID tests before getting on the boat and while on the boat. And up until the point of being diagnosed, we had a wonderful time on the Carnival Mardi Gras. It’s an amazing boat and I highly recommend it.
Even the COVID experience was not or horrible. Other than being confined to your room they provide with complimentary movies complimentary internet and and room service. It’s probably about the same experiences as going skiing on a ski trip and breaking your legs and being stuck in the lodge the whole time. Basically, it’s a first world problem. The cruise line was very attentive, they maintained the sanitation and safety of other members to the extent possible and tried to make those that were quarantined as comfortable as possible.
Be Prepared for COVID before you Cruise
Some things to think about before you decide to take a cruise. First, based on our experience, there’s about a 99% chance you will have a great time with no problems what so ever. And if you do get sick, there are worse places to be. Being quarantined on a cruise ship is not bad all things considered. And it’s relatively inexpensive.
Once you get off the boat, you still have to be quarantined. And this is where costs can be very expensive. Most people don’t realize what they’re looking at. Before you take a cruise, you should make sure you have travel insurance that has a port quarantine rider as part of the coverage. Most travel insurance have removed them, but you can still get them added at a slightly higher cost but it is worth it. Being quarantined for a week in Florida will run you upwards of $1000 to $3,000 between hotel room service deliveries etc. And if you need transportation, a $35 shuttle ride quickly becomes a $325 private car for the same type trip.
Make sure that you have sufficient clothing for additional time that you may need to spend in a port. Also make sure that you have any medications that you may require regularly. Most people bring the amount of medications they need for the duration of their trip. But plan on bringing at least a week’s worth because getting medications transferred, delivered, etc. is quite the challenge. Some states/countries have laws about certain medication. While you might be able to get your most drugs picked up by a service and brought to you at a hotel. Florida law does require signatures on many of the drugs that you might take otherwise, and getting somebody to pick these up is very challenging.
How did the Cruise Line do?
In general, I thought that Carnival did a excellent job of screening and protecting against the disease. But there’s still so many unknowns about incubation period and why some people are affected and others aren’t. It’s something that’s going to happen to some people and you just need to take precautions as best you can. We actually worked with Carnival after the cruise to make some improvements to their quarantine procedures so it’s a better experience for the families that have to go through it.
Cruise lines obviously encourage mask wearing, social distancing, etc. and they have their own issues to deal with too. We learned that crew were also affected by COVID. They were actually making up some of the shows on the fly, because several of the entertainers had COVID and but it was done seamlessly. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen opera performed on a cruise ship. And the carnival entertainers did Nessun dorma flawlessly. Apparently this was not even planned. It was a “what can we do with the people we have?” type situation.
If you’re thinking of taking a cruise, definitely do it if you’re comfortable, but take precautions. Think through the logistics of what getting sick might be. This applies to any situation, not just COVID. This could requiring either transport back to your home port or home of origin. It could also require being quarantined in a different city or even a different country for up to 10 days. You may want to leave extra food and water for the cat before you leave.
Go out there and explore the world to the extent possible and do it safely.
