# Friends Not Allowed On Cruise Ship - Positive Covid Tests



## win231 (Apr 11, 2022)

Friends of mine planned a cruise; probably their last one because he's 78, she's 70, both in not-so-great health.  They love to travel.
They're both vaccinated & had boosters - of course required for cruise ship.
After testing positive for Covid, they couldn't board.  Neither are sick.
I just got off the phone with them; he's really mad.


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## Jules (Apr 11, 2022)

win231 said:


> I just got off the phone with them; he's really mad.


If I were another passenger and found out they’d been let on, I‘d be really really mad.

Four British people flew to Miami to cruise.  The first pair got on and the second pair were refused because they has been seated behind people on the shuttle bus from the hotel to the ship who had just tested positive.


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## Jeni (Apr 11, 2022)

That seems like a risk people are taking to travel .... faced with those tests that can cancel your plans.


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## Alligatorob (Apr 11, 2022)

win231 said:


> Friends of mine planned a cruise; probably their last one because he's 78, she's 70, both in not-so-great health.  They love to travel.
> They're both vaccinated & had boosters - of course required for cruise ship.
> After testing positive for Covid, they couldn't board.  Neither are sick.
> I just got off the phone with them; he's really mad.


Something similar happened to some friends of mine, they just went for a second test and came back negative and they got to travel. 

These tests are not perfect, if they have no symptoms might pass a retest.


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## Packerjohn (Apr 11, 2022)

There are much better ways of traveling than being packed like sardines in some huge floating city of 5,000 passengers plus staff.  A driving holiday is much better or fly to some great spot and rent a Air bnb home and just enjoy the place.  I understand that the floating cities where you are confined in an enclosed space with thousands of people, there is no charge for Covid 19, no charge for the Omacron variant or any other of the variants of interest or concern.  You pay for the cruise but some things (read: Covid) are free for the guests!


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## CarolfromTX (Apr 11, 2022)

Not every cruise ship has 5,000 souls on board. But you pay for your thrills, or in this case, the population density.


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## win231 (Apr 11, 2022)

They are both participants in my diabetes support group that meets twice a month.  The meeting was this morning.
I just sat next to them - one inch away for 2 hours.  That makes me now a raging epidemic.   
Uh Oh....better get tested, vaccinated & drugged.


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## Pepper (Apr 11, 2022)

Well, you definitely need to get drugged


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## Nosy Bee-54 (Apr 11, 2022)

win231 said:


> Friends of mine planned a cruise; probably their last one because he's 78, she's 70, both in not-so-great health.  They love to travel.
> They're both vaccinated & had boosters - of course required for cruise ship.
> After testing positive for Covid, they couldn't board.  Neither are sick.
> I just got off the phone with them; he's really mad.


I just returned from a 10 day cruise to the Southern Caribbean two days ago. It was my first cruise in two years to the month. It was great to get back on the ocean. I had a good time. I exercised for an hour 8 of the 10 mornings. Plus I did a lot of walking in ports.

Anyway, every passenger had to present a negative COVID test result to board the ship at embarkation. That test had to be done by an approved facility like CVS or Walgreens. Not some mobile medical truck or whatever. 

The test had to be done within 2 days of embarkation. So basically, I took the test on Monday with a pending flight to NYC on Tuesday, and finally ship departure on Wednesday. I took the test like at 9 a.m. and returned home. About 45 minutes later my anxiety immediately dissipated when I got a text and email from CVS with the negative result. It was then and only then that I knew for certain, I would be cruising. Had I tested positive, I would have been disappointed. _However, before I booked the cruise, I knew what was required. _

It's the same for ALL passengers. Why would you expect the cruise line to allow known infected passengers to board a ship? Your friends could have gone to Cancun or Cozumel without a test for their vacation.


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## win231 (Apr 11, 2022)

Nosy Bee-54 said:


> I just returned from a 10 day cruise to the Southern Caribbean two days ago. It was my first cruise in two years to the month. It was great to get back on the ocean. I had a good time. I exercised for an hour 8 of the 10 mornings. Plus I did a lot of walking in ports.
> 
> Anyway, every passenger had to present a negative COVID test result to board the ship at embarkation. That test had to be done by an approved facility like CVS or Walgreens. Not some mobile medical truck or whatever.
> 
> ...


Just as ridiculous.  A negative test within 2 days of boarding a ship is useless.  You can test positive a few hours after the test.


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## Nosy Bee-54 (Apr 11, 2022)

win231 said:


> Just as ridiculous.  A negative test within 2 days of boarding a ship is useless.  You can test positive a few hours after the test.


Pretty simple! Follow the business' rules or take you money elsewhere.


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## Tish (Apr 11, 2022)

Have they offered them another cruise for when they are over covid?


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## Nosy Bee-54 (Apr 11, 2022)

For cruises leaving from US ports, cruise lines expect passengers to test before leaving home. At least, it saves from the agony of going all the way to the port of embarkation by car or plane (if positive). For some reason, some people don't test in advance and as a result have to be tested at the terminal which is also more expensive.


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## Don M. (Apr 11, 2022)

There can be "false" positives AND negatives with these Covid tests.  Even if a person tests negative, they can be exposed an hour later.  Unfortunately, staying distant from crowds will remain almost necessary for quite some time.


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## OneEyedDiva (Apr 12, 2022)

Why is your friend mad....because they couldn't board or is he mad at himself for getting COVID? Of course the cruise lines are not going to allow anyone who tests positive to board...that's just common sense. Not only could that wind up ruining the cruise for everyone on board, the line could be sued if it were made known they knowingly let a positive passenger to board. I've been seeing warnings for the past several months from health officials that plainly state *cruising is not recommended during this time.*


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## win231 (Apr 12, 2022)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Why is your friend mad....because they couldn't board or is he mad at himself for getting COVID? Of course the cruise lines are not going to allow anyone who tests positive to board...that's just common sense. Not only could that wind up ruining the cruise for everyone on board, the line could be sued if it were made known they knowingly let a positive passenger to board. I've been seeing warnings for the past several months from health officials that plainly state *cruising is not recommended during this time.*


He explained that he's mad for both reasons - and also because he was coerced into getting a useless vaccine.


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## Jules (Apr 12, 2022)

win231 said:


> because he was coerced into getting a useless vaccine.


Or maybe that vaccine was the thing that kept him feeling well, even though he’s positive.  

Did he tell all the others at your Diabetes meeting that they had tested positive.  They might not have been so pleased to have him there.


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## win231 (Apr 12, 2022)

Jules said:


> Or maybe that vaccine was the thing that kept him feeling well, even though he’s positive.
> 
> Did he tell all the others at your Diabetes meeting that they had tested positive.  They might not have been so pleased to have him there.


Yes, of course he had to tell everyone at the meeting; how else could he have described what happened?
No one was concerned; like most of us, they've had enough of this crap.


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## Packerjohn (Apr 12, 2022)

CarolfromTX said:


> Not every cruise ship has 5,000 souls on board. But you pay for your thrills, or in this case, the population density.


I have been reading about cruises.  Yes, there are some with only a couple of hundred passengers but they are expensive.  I have read that with those floating cities, you have long line ups for your buffets, long line ups to get off the boat and long line ups for finally getting off the boat at the end of the cruise.  This is not my idea of a holiday.  Anyway, at my age why in the world would I want to zipline, conga dance with a bunch drunks or climb those artificial walls.  I love to travel but not with a pack of 5,000 strangers.  I also read that some ships blast music at you all over the ship.  Great if you love rap!  Leave me out.  I want a holiday to relax; not a holiday where they are going to stress me out and jangle my nerves everyday.  Each to their own; I guess!


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## Don M. (Apr 12, 2022)

We took a week long cruise from Florida through the Bahama's a few years ago.  That was a Zoo!.....hurry up and wait on everything.  After that, we have Never had a desire to try another one.


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## Jules (Apr 12, 2022)

win231 said:


> Yes, of course he had to tell everyone at the meeting; how else could he have described what happened?
> No one was concerned; like most of us, they've had enough of this crap.


If they’re still testing positive, then they can be spreading ‘this crap’.  That’s why it goes on.  

If this was a week or so ago, that’s different.


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## dseag2 (Apr 12, 2022)

Cruise companies require negative Covid tests to board their ships.  I sailed on one in mid-March.  I took a HOME Covid test prior to even heading to the airport because I certainly didn't want to get to Ft. Lauderdale, have a positive Covid test and be denied boarding.  The government sent out home Covid tests.  Why didn't your friends take one prior to leaving on their flight, and why are they mad?  Seems like common sense to me.


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 12, 2022)

Jules said:


> If they’re still testing positive, then they can be spreading ‘this crap’.  That’s why it goes on.
> 
> If this was a week or so ago, that’s different.


Some people will never acknowledge that when they began the vaccinations it was made clear that they protected people from serious illness or death from the virus, but just like the flu vaccine, there was no guarantee that you wouldn't get sick or infected at all.

Those same people refuse to acknowledge that if someone tests positive, although they have no symptoms, they can still spread the virus and infect other people.  Some people just complain and stay angry for most of their lives, if it's not being denied to go on a cruise because they tested positive for COVID-19, it's something else.


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## win231 (Apr 12, 2022)

dseag2 said:


> Cruise companies require negative Covid tests to board their ships.  I sailed on one in mid-March.  I took a HOME Covid test prior to even heading to the airport because I certainly didn't want to get to Ft. Lauderdale, have a positive Covid test and be denied boarding.  The government sent out home Covid tests.  Why didn't your friends take one prior to leaving on their flight, and why are they mad?  Seems like common sense to me.


Both the husband & wife tested before their planned cruise.  I don't know exactly when, but I do know they were both vaccinated.


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## terry123 (Apr 13, 2022)

Many years ago my boss gave upper management a cruise for a job well done.  It was the day after Christmas and ended right before New Years.  We were not packed in and never waited for anything.  I guess cruises have changed since then.  I would not go on one now for anything due to the virus.  I mostly stay at home now and if I do go out I wear my mask even though I am vaxxed and boosted.


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## Sunny (Apr 13, 2022)

I agree, Terry.  I've been on three cruises, absolutely loved the first one and reasonably liked the other two (different cruise lines), but that was back in the "old days" before the word Covid even existed. On one of those cruises, a different kind of virus was making the rounds, and a lot of the passengers got pretty sick for a few days. Fortunately, we didn't, but it made me rethink the wisdom of getting onto one of those floating germ factories ever again. 

Since Covid came on the scene, I wouldn't dream of going on a cruise ever again. Just not worth the risk. I probably wouldn't die of Covid, but it's very contagious, and who wants to spend all that money so they can get sick, even slightly sick?

Some people offering their increasingly feeble arguments against this vaccine have "earplug syndrome."  That's a medical condition where you stick your fingers in your ears in order not to hear any facts that argue against your preconceived ideas.  So, maybe it has to be said louder:

THE VACCINE DOES NOT PREVENT ANYONE FROM EVER GETTING COVID. IT IS VERY EFFECTIVE IN KEEPING IT DOWN TO A MINOR ILLNESS, WITH A CLOSE TO ZERO FATALITY RATE. AND THE RATE OF INFECTION DOES GO WAY DOWN. MANY VACCINATED PEOPLE APPARENTLY CARRY THE VIRUS WITHOUT EVEN BEING AWARE OF IT, BUT THEY CAN STILL SPREAD IT TO OTHER PEOPLE. MOST VACCINATED PEOPLE NEVER TEST POSITIVE AT ALL.

"Coerced into getting a useless vaccine?"  I'll take the "useless" vaccine over dying, given that choice.


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## win231 (Apr 13, 2022)

Sunny said:


> I agree, Terry.  I've been on three cruises, absolutely loved the first one and reasonably liked the other two (different cruise lines), but that was back in the "old days" before the word Covid even existed. On one of those cruises, a different kind of virus was making the rounds, and a lot of the passengers got pretty sick for a few days. Fortunately, we didn't, but it made me rethink the wisdom of getting onto one of those floating germ factories ever again.
> 
> Since Covid came on the scene, I wouldn't dream of going on a cruise ever again. Just not worth the risk. I probably wouldn't die of Covid, but it's very contagious, and who wants to spend all that money so they can get sick, even slightly sick?
> 
> ...


Yes, & some people have "Sponge Brain Syndrome."  That's a medical condition where your brain becomes a sponge & soaks up everything that's put in front of it.

Another medical condition:  "Caps Mindset Syndrome" where someone thinks posting in caps validates their opinion.


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## terry123 (Apr 13, 2022)

Sunny said:


> I agree, Terry.  I've been on three cruises, absolutely loved the first one and reasonably liked the other two (different cruise lines), but that was back in the "old days" before the word Covid even existed. On one of those cruises, a different kind of virus was making the rounds, and a lot of the passengers got pretty sick for a few days. Fortunately, we didn't, but it made me rethink the wisdom of getting onto one of those floating germ factories ever again.
> 
> Since Covid came on the scene, I wouldn't dream of going on a cruise ever again. Just not worth the risk. I probably wouldn't die of Covid, but it's very contagious, and who wants to spend all that money so they can get sick, even slightly sick?
> 
> ...


Me too!!


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