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Recent travelers...what are some helpful tips to avoid getting Covid?

manycruises1_

Our trip is approaching and we were hoping to hear from recent travelers about how they avoided getting Covid when traveling. We will be wearing our masks, but it sounds like we may be in the minority. How did you handle shared meals? Did everyone sit together or did some sit at their own table? Any tips you can share will be appreciated!

Comments

Terrye

Basically the same article was in The NY Times.

TEF

Unfortunately it is everywhere and so contagious. 30% of our Grand Alaska Land/Cruise tour tested positive on mandatory testing the night before the cruise. They were not able to board the ship.. told to quarantine at the hotel in Fairbanks. . We had spent 7 days together on the land portion and were diligent to always wear masks, hand sanitizer, small groups for dinner. I am sure some who tested negative will be positive once on the ship since sometimes it takes a few days to come up. Very disappointing, but you can only do what is necessary and hope for the best.

British

Crikey, I better not let my husband read this, we are leaving for Alaska in four days. The testing before getting on the ship is what we are concerned about. It will be interesting to see if Tauck make any effort to help, like separate tables at the Welcome reception for those of us who would like that. I have to say that most people don’t care. I’m amazed that I can walk into a small theater packed with parents and kids to watch a theatre camp show and us two be the only people wearing masks like a few days ago. Just one example. The people we know who have had Covid in the past few weeks have all been really ill for days, one even lost taste and smell which I haven’t heard of for ages.We have still not knowingly had Covid despite being back to ‘normal’ in our lives but wearing masks. I did hug my entire family yesterday, maskless, the nearest I intend to get to anyone before we leave. Murphy’s law if we test positive.
Maybe the tour director bribed the testers because he didn’t want a big group….ah, no that can’t be right, he will lose all those tips 😂😂😂

British

I just broke this news to Mr B. How many were positive? I’m unsure how big the group might be for this tour.
So I assume quarantine will be for five days. Was there a doctor available to prescribe Paxlovid and a pharmacy at hand that stocks it, only certain pharmacies have it on hand and even then, for a large group, there may not be enough.
Did anyone show symptoms, most people we know who have recently gotten Covid have multiple quite bad symptoms, headache, runny nose, fever, cough, congestion, trouble breathing. One quadruple vaxed friend was even suspected to have a pulmonary embolus, thankfully he is ok.

ChrisW12

My wife and I go into hermit modes for 10 days before a trip which requires testing. No inside gatherings during this time. No close exposures. We just want to give ourselves the best chance of showing up for the "Get on the ship/tour" test as negative. Yes, some of our friends don't really understand why we do this, but hey, it's not their money on the line.

TEF

British, our tour had 41 people. Some self tested prior because they felt symptoms, others had no symptoms when tested the night before the cruise and were stunned they were positive. The group left at 6am Saturday morning leaving all positive behind. There were no doctors or pharmacies recommended. Princess hotel offered 5 free days with free meals delivered to your room. Tauck director gave a sheet of paper with numbers to call for emergency needs. The Tauck office is closed for the weekend. After that you are on your own. We booked our own flights home since we initially did not book through Tauck. I am going to contact some people we met once they return from the cruise to see if others got sick. I can only imagine the spread on a ship of 3500 guests and additional crew. When you go on a Tauck trip, socialization and meeting new people is a great part of the trip you can try as best you can to distance and be diligent, but this variant is so contagious.our symptoms and most others were a scratchy throat and head congestion nothing severe. As I mentioned my husband was positive and I was negative, but 40 hours later I was positive so I could have been on the ship. It all depends at what point you get tested and the viral load in your system. This was our 7th Tauck trip so we are loyal customers. We were supposed to do this trip 2 years ago so were excited to get to start it. .possibly doing the cruise portion first would be better. I do not know. I am glad we got to see interior Alaska, the tours were great. I guess the cruise part we can do another time if we choose. . I will avoid group travel for a little longer. longer Good luck.

British

I hope if we get sick, we will be on the ball and not stunned. Did you have more testing kits with you? How could you obtain testing kits if you did not have them with you, were there pharmacies nearby? The CDC recommends five days quarantine if no symptoms, but if symptoms begin, start again for the five days. After that mask for five more days when going out. Not supposed to fly for ten days, but no testing now anyway. I would want an official Drs letter of recovery for future travel because it is good for 180 days. I would suggest taking photos of any positive test with your name and date showing, to see if that is good enough to show a dr for one of these certificates of recovery.
Were you negative on the flight home, did you wear masks? How many days after testing positive did you fly home?

terrilynn

SO -- is Tauck testing everyone before ocean and river cruises?

MikeHenderson

I don't know about Tauck but we're going on a cruise soon (Regent) and they require a negative test no more than 72 hours before boarding.

MikeHenderson

@ British - I don't think one of those doctor's certificates of recovery are of any use. They were used for boarding an aircraft back to the US and now you don't have to be tested for that anymore. I don't know where else you could use it.

For example, I don't think a cruise ship will accept that in lieu of a negative test.

You might be able to use it in lieu of a vaccination certificate.

kfnknfzk

terrilynn,

I only have experience with the river cruises. Tauck does not test before embarkation. Testing to enter a country is at the discretion of that country. More and more countries are relexing their entry requirements as of late.

Gourmet Gal

That Dr’s note works for SilverSea, otherwise you must show a negative test.

TEF

Terrilynn, I do not know if they do it on River cruises, but the Princess cruise line is the one that requires the testing, not Tauck.

TEF

We were told if you got a positive test but had a Drs. Note that you had covid within 90 days you were ok to go since it just may be leftover “shedding”.

OurTravels34

Terrilynne, we were on a river cruise in May/June on the MS Savor and there was not any testing to board the river boat.

Noreen

Recently, we were on a Viking Douro river cruise in Portugal. The US had just ended the requirement for testing to return to the US. Viking dropped their testing prior to boarding and we were not tested the eight days we were on the river

British

Yes, it is a Princess requirement! It is on our supposed up to date paperwork and they now require masks. And yes, TEF is correct, even Tauck mentions that.

SGF

Gourmet Gal - I'm on a Silversea Arctic cruise presently. Silversea requires a negative Covid test. Nowhere in our paperwork did it allow for a doctor's letter of recovery. Luckily, my husband tested negative (E Med test) before embarkation, despite having Covid last month.

British

This is the latest from Princess,you don’t even need to be vaccinated!

We're Ready to Welcome You
Updated July 1, 2022
At Princess, we want to make your vacation as easy, hassle-free and safe as possible. We respect that every guest has choices, and regardless of your vaccination status, we have amazing vacations for you to enjoy.

With the recent easing of CDC vaccination requirements, the options available to unvaccinated guests continue to expand. We can now include up to 10% of unvaccinated guests on most sailings without burdensome exemptions or vaccine status justification, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

We look forward to serving all your vacation needs and welcoming you on board soon.

Terrye

My neighbors across the street just returned home from a Viking Alaska cruise. They both came home with Covid but were not tested on the ship they tested themselves when they got home.

manycruises1_

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! We are hoping an updated booster shot is available before our trip begins.

itskr

My sister, her husband, and another couple just returned from a Holland America Alaska land tour and cruise. 3 out of the 4 tested positive for Covid when they got home . They didn’t test on the ship

Choc

My husband and I just returned from a Columbia River / Snake River cruise. They didnt test. We wore our masks and still tested positive this morning. It’s everywhere.

carolv

TEF-Were you quarantined back in an Anchorage hotel? Any paxlovid available? Any refunds or offers from Princess or TAuck re: missed portion of trip? Did you hear from others in your group as to how Princess handled Covid on the ship?

British

You get a refund if you test positive. The testing is in Fairbanks, so that is where you are made to leave the tour. You will have to seek out a dr to get Paxlovid I would think. I’m not sure pharmacists can prescribe it yet, so getting flights back home etc. will post of this happens to us.

TEF

CarolV We tested positive in the Fairbanks Princess. They offered everyone five free days with meals delivered to your room if you want to quarantine. No one makes you stay you can leave and fly home if you like, no testing to get on the plane. Tauck is giving us a refund for everyday beginning with the day we got the positive test, which I guess will be 8 days, not sure. We also had insurance and I have just received the paperwork for the travel interruption. I will submit plane fair since that is all the only added expense we had. You can submit meals, more hotel days, Dr. Pharmacy etc. the tour leaves you there and you really do not receive much guidance other then a sheet of paper with numbers to call for help or medical emergency. Hotel staff is nice but rather uniformed. No real protocol in place unfortunately you need to fend for yourself.

carolv

Thanks British and TEF. Appreciate your responses. We had COVID in June and thought we were safe. HA!

TEF

Carolv,,,, I would think you should be. You may want to bring a doctors not saying you had it and the date. Some times you can test positive for up to 90 days after you have had it . Tour director said if you had Doctors note and tested positive you would be allowed to go on.