Fantasy 9-night Southern Caribbean + Covid

[DisneYE]

Just got back on Saturday from our 9-night Southern Caribbean cruise.
I really liked it, but it felt so full - heard there were 3200 passengers.
I hated that part - having done a 1/2 capacity cruise, I felt overwhelmed on this cruise.
I also now understand the folks who do the Panama cruises only, or only do cruises not during school vacation.
There were WAY too many kids - tons of toddlers, crying babies, strollers, babies with swim diapers on the main pool, babies coughing... ughhhh.
I'm never going on a Disney cruise again during the Summer (at least not out of the USA - hoping there's less kids in Europe).
It's basically a floating daycare. No thanks. As I said, I got a taste of sailing with mostly adults and a few teens/tweens and I loved it.

I really enjoyed the ports, especially St Marteen. I loved the French portion of the island. Spent all day in Marigot which has a very real French vibe with the language being spoken everywhere and real nice boulangeries, stores and bistros.

On the last day of the cruise I felt super weak and started sneezing and sniffling. - I thought I got a sort of flu because as I said, there were tons of people sneezing and coughing, especially toddlers in the WD theater.
Decided not to get off the ship in CC because I was too tired.

Today I decided to get tested the moment I couldn't taste food.
Sure enough, positive.
I'm ticked off because I was undefeated for the whole pandemic (vaxxed but not boosted)
Not a hint of Covid for almost 30 months, and now I got it. probably from one of the dozens of coughing babies around the ship.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

If you are sailing with Disney soon, be prepared to come back positive.
The ships are now almost 100% full and there is zero distancing, zero restrictions, and it feels like half the passengers on the ship are sick with all the coughing, sniffling, sneezing.

We don't have another cruise till summer of 2023, hopefully Covid is gone by then because I'm not in the mood to go on a floating clinical trial for Covid again.

 

[I Run Long]

Oh no - so sorry you got sick. Have to admit, I'm really worried. Have managed to avoid COVID and I'm hoping since we'll be on a three day Wish cruise this September, we will not get it since it's so short??? I hope so, because we've got 2 weeks in DW after the cruise.

 

[cvjw]

We had that cruise booked and cancelled due to covid exposure right before sailing. After reading reports of those on the ship, it makes missing it a little easier!

 

[AquaDame]

I want to go to Martinique on our next southern but it isn't part of the Dream's itinerary next year... hopefully sometime soon it will be back!

FWIW my husband and I also caught covid after getting through the entire pandemic... I had a sore throat the night we disembarked and tested positive two days later. We didn't have a ton of kids onboard but there were still a lot of sick folk around - I doubt age had much to do with that part at least! My last booster was in October and my husband got his second a few weeks before our cruise, but he caught it also. Symptoms were less, and he never came up + on the home test, just the PCR he took when I asked him to since he was coughing.

To be fair with the short turnaround on omicron infection I can't be certain it was the ship and not the parks where there was infinitely less masking, and far more folks in general which meant more hacking and crud in the air. I'm rooting for you, @I Run Long ! I thought I had a pretty OK immune system but I crumbled faster than a dry shortcake once I was in the thick of it despite wearing a KN95 except while eating!

 

[I Run Long]

I want to go to Martinique on our next southern but it isn't part of the Dream's itinerary next year... hopefully sometime soon it will be back!

FWIW my husband and I also caught covid after getting through the entire pandemic... I had a sore throat the night we disembarked and tested positive two days later. We didn't have a ton of kids onboard but there were still a lot of sick folk around - I doubt age had much to do with that part at least! My last booster was in October and my husband got his second a few weeks before our cruise, but he caught it also. Symptoms were less, and he never came up + on the home test, just the PCR he took when I asked him to since he was coughing.

To be fair with the short turnaround on omicron infection I can't be certain it was the ship and not the parks where there was infinitely less masking, and far more folks in general which meant more hacking and crud in the air. I'm rooting for you, @I Run Long ! I thought I had a pretty OK immune system but I crumbled faster than a dry shortcake once I was in the thick of it despite wearing a KN95 except while eating!

Thanks @AquaDame - I'm rooting for myself too. I'm triple vaxxed while DH is quadruple vaxxed. I know it won't prevent me from getting the infection. If after our 3 weeks of being there, I come back COVID free - I'm buying a lottery ticket!

 

[anricat]

I want to go to Martinique on our next southern but it isn't part of the Dream's itinerary next year... hopefully sometime soon it will be back!

Martinique is amazing. We went on the Wonder on a Southern out of PR. It was one of our favorite ports. I have to say that the terrain and foliage of Dominica reminded me a lot of Martinique. Both really forested with a lot of natural beauty.

 

[loislane]

We *just* got over Covid here - and I'm glad we got it out of the way before our cruise later this month - but I felt the same as you. Been dodging it since March 2020 and it finally found us! We think we were exposed at a comedy event went went to on a Friday. DH started to feel sick by Monday afternoon and me by Tuesday afternoon.
Hope you feel better soon!

 

[anricat]

We were on that sailing. My main gripe were the unruly tween/teen boys hanging out and being a menace EVERYWHERE. They were awful: loud, roughhousing, rude, and doing dangerous things (like making a game of sliding down railings and such). Someone needed to tell them to get into Edge or Vibe or wherever. My DD (14) rolled her eyes every time we ran across them.

And yes, there are so many sick people on our FB group. My daughter just tested positive yesterday. It's really so tough. We wore masks everywhere except to eat in the MDRs. We ate all other meals outside on the aft deck of Cabana's. I skipped the gym and only worked out on deck 4. The Frozen show was absolutely packed. Like nearly every seat FULL. DH left. I hung in there (in my KN95).

DH and I are still negative *fingers crossed* I hope you recover quickly!

 

[Clarkson U]

I was on this sailing. At least one rowdy kid sprained his ankle for riding down the banister. That group of kids was very annoying every where you went.

So far we are all negative but we know of at least one person in our extended party of 17 who tested positive after coming home!

The four ports of call besides CC were great and we really enjoyed them! The Frozen show was packed but the Believe show was half empty (first seating for dinner).

We too wore masks everywhere except when eating and tried to eat outside as much as possible elsewhere. We even kept masks on sitting in chaIrs on deck 11 in adult section.

It had 3145 passengers and 1378 crew on board our sailing - this is directly from a Disney Security person at one of the gangways! It felt full and also like DCL was not ready for this level of fullness.

Overall we had a nice time but DCL either needs to get fully staffed or cut back on capacity.

The pirates night buffet was a complete mess - worse than pre pandemic for sure.

Happy to answer any questions!

 

[nancipants]

I’m sorry you got sick. We got it for the first time last month and it was a bummer to finally succumb. However I’m not sure why you think it was from kids and not adults, when anecdotally kids have been getting less sick throughout the pandemic. Our son didn’t catch Covid, but we did.

Sadly, with less precautions and more guests, catching Covid is more likely than not on cruises.

 

[Kwami]

DCL either needs to get fully staffed

Ugh, good luck to them! Finding people to hire is so hard these days...

 

[anricat]

The pirates night buffet was a complete mess - worse than pre pandemic for sure.

There's something about that pirate night buffet. It's like it brings out the worst humanity has to offer.

 

[Clarkson U]

There's something about that pirate night buffet. It's like it brings out the worst humanity has to offer.

Yes I totally agree. It’s like people are not fed all cruise or folks have never seen tacos before. At one point I saw a line from cabanas to the pools. Totally crazy. No food is worth that much time!

 

[bcwife76]

We were on that sailing. My main gripe were the unruly tween/teen boys hanging out and being a menace EVERYWHERE. They were awful: loud, roughhousing, rude, and doing dangerous things (like making a game of sliding down railings and such). Someone needed to tell them to get into Edge or Vibe or wherever. My DD (14) rolled her eyes every time we ran across them.

And yes, there are so many sick people on our FB group. My daughter just tested positive yesterday. It's really so tough. We wore masks everywhere except to eat in the MDRs. We ate all other meals outside on the aft deck of Cabana's. I skipped the gym and only worked out on deck 4. The Frozen show was absolutely packed. Like nearly every seat FULL. DH left. I hung in there (in my KN95).

DH and I are still negative *fingers crossed* I hope you recover quickly!

We just got off the Wonder today from a 7 night Alaska (every feels fine so far, let's see how the week progresses lol) and my main gripe was also RUDE and UNRULY teens, both boys and girls in the 15-17 age range. We saw some quite atrocious behaviour and our (just about to turn 14 yr old) kept calling them all hooligans lol Honestly, we usually travel at the end of August and that has never been an issue.

 

[DisneYE]

I want to go to Martinique on our next southern but it isn't part of the Dream's itinerary next year... hopefully sometime soon it will be back!

FWIW my husband and I also caught covid after getting through the entire pandemic... I had a sore throat the night we disembarked and tested positive two days later. We didn't have a ton of kids onboard but there were still a lot of sick folk around - I doubt age had much to do with that part at least! My last booster was in October and my husband got his second a few weeks before our cruise, but he caught it also. Symptoms were less, and he never came up + on the home test, just the PCR he took when I asked him to since he was coughing.

To be fair with the short turnaround on omicron infection I can't be certain it was the ship and not the parks where there was infinitely less masking, and far more folks in general which meant more hacking and crud in the air. I'm rooting for you, @I Run Long ! I thought I had a pretty OK immune system but I crumbled faster than a dry shortcake once I was in the thick of it despite wearing a KN95 except while eating!

I love Martinique, but having now visited St Marteen, it's my new favorite island on the Caribbean.
The dutch/French vibe is really nice and it seems more developed. It almost felt like Europe.
I didn't go to parks prior to this sailing, but we were on the Wish MV. Could've caught it there, but the fact that I started having symptoms on day 8 of the 9 day cruise, I'm sure I got it on the Fantasy.
I've never seen/heard so many sick people bunched together in my life, and I was in the hospital for surgery a year ago in the middle of the pandemic in FL.
It definitely felt like Disney just doesn't care about it anymore.

 

[DisneYE]

I’m sorry you got sick. We got it for the first time last month and it was a bummer to finally succumb. However I’m not sure why you think it was from kids and not adults, when anecdotally kids have been getting less sick throughout the pandemic. Our son didn’t catch Covid, but we did.

Sadly, with less precautions and more guests, catching Covid is more likely than not on cruises.

Thank you! - losing the streak is what upsets me the most - I felt so proud for having avoided it for so long...
Speculating but also from experience.
Most of the small kids that were coughing never covered their mouths, were coughing and sneezing loudly and incessantly and their parents just didn't care.
The couple of times in my life I've been sick like a dog was when I got coughed at by a toddler in the DCL bus who climbed the back seat to 'say hi' to me and a kid sitting behind me coughing non stop in the plane on a 4 hour flight. Both times I got so sick I thought I was going to die. So I think I'm a little predisposed to sick kids.

 

[yowcruiser]

We *just* got over Covid here - and I'm glad we got it out of the way before our cruise later this month - but I felt the same as you. Been dodging it since March 2020 and it finally found us! We think we were exposed at a comedy event went went to on a Friday. DH started to feel sick by Monday afternoon and me by Tuesday afternoon.
Hope you feel better soon!

We're in a similar situation and hope it will provide us with enough immunity for the fairly "agressive" schedule that we have for August. Knowing what we know now, we might have decided to do things differently... but hoping that a cruise in space and two cruise at seas in a span of 3 weeks will go just fine.

 

[gkrykewy]

We're in a similar situation and hope it will provide us with enough immunity for the fairly "agressive" schedule that we have for August. Knowing what we know now, we might have decided to do things differently... but hoping that a cruise in space and two cruise at seas in a span of 3 weeks will go just fine.

I’m sorry— a cruise in space??

 

[Kwami]

I’m sorry— a cruise in space??

The galactic cruiser Star Wars hotel at WDW.

 

[yowcruiser]

I’m sorry— a cruise in space??

Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser