Isolation Cabins?

[jtntx34]

Ok, so I just watched the video posted on another threat from Carnival Cruises’ President. She mentioned having specific isolation cabins.

I am wondering now if they would tell you what kind of cabins are set aside as isolation cabins. I am a person who CANNOT do an inside cabin. In fact, part of my justification for booking a one-bedroom Concierge class room was: if I had to be locked in my room, at least it would be a nice one.

Now that I’ve heard at least one cruise company is planning on marking specific cabins as isolation, it makes me have so many more questions. For example, I will be traveling with my mom who needs a handicapped accessible room. Will they have cabins of this type for isolation? What if they don’t have enough for the number of people needing them? Also, they would then be limiting an already very limited inventory.

Will everyone be forced into an inside room no matter the type of room you booked? Or, will they have some rooms inside, some oceanview, some Verandah?

I am guessing they’d most likely want the isolation cabins actually isolated as much as possible which would mean lower deck cabins with no Verandah.

Am I the only one who HATES the idea of being locked in a cabin without access to the fresh air? I can do an Oceanview room just fine if I am not locked in.

This is making me wonder if I will be cruising as soon as I had hoped. “Isolation cabins” sound like another word for purgatory to me.

Are these only for people with positive tests? Or do you get isolated if you had dinner with someone who tested positive or rode the elevator with them or sat too near them at bingo or had a Disney sponsored excursion with them? (My niece is currently in isolation due to a student in one of her college classes testing positive, so I believe it’s a valid concern.)

If Disney takes a similar approach, I hope they are able to provide specific details.

Like I said, I booked my next cruise knowing in the past quarantines were in the guests‘ own cabins. So, it makes a difference to me if I’d have to move rooms. Am I alone in my concerns?

 

[FigmentSpark]

I would have thought "isolation cabins" might mean that you need medical care, but they don't want you in the medical bay. But you bring up some really good points. Just because we all envision it one way, doesn't mean that's the way the ship envisions it.

 

[Intr3pid]

The EU guidelines that came out in the summer recommended using verandah cabins for isolation.

Most cabins on a cruise ship are verandahs, so this shouldn't be a tough ask - except, of course, for taking a hit to the bottom line.

 

[o&smom]

Good quiestions, and things we will all need to consider. My family and I were booked in an inside stateroom on the last PC cruise. We have cruised inside before, and it was not a big deal since we are rarely in our room. With all that was going on with Covid we upgraded at the port to oceanview just in case we got quarantined. Luckily, it did not happen!

 

[laceltris3]

I can say that we have routinely booked 2 connecting insides on Deck 1 of the Wonder for our Christmas cruises out of Galveston, mainly because the ship sails largely through the Gulf of Mexico which isn't really much to see. We have had the same pair of cabins for many years, and we love them because it is super quiet and easy to catch an elevator.

For Christmas 2021, we booked on opening day for Gold and the rooms were not available. So I am guessing that Deck 1, which is isolated and closest to medical is where the isolation rooms are.

 

[Starwind]

FYI, this is what the Healthy Sail Panel recommendations have to say about isolation on board (p 46-47):

https://www.royalcaribbeangroup.com...-Panel_Full-Recommendations_9.21.20_FINAL.pdf
QUOTE

Isolation/Quarantine

Ideally, appropriate case management on board a ship will stop a COVID-19 outbreak by containing the spread of the virus. Integral to containing spread is reducing the chance that uninfected guests and crew will be exposed to infected guests and crew. Therefore, it is critical that cruise operators have the capacity and facilities to allow for quarantine of exposed individuals and isolation of infected individuals.

The decision about whether an individual has been in contact or close contact with someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection will drive the decision about whether they need to quarantine. In making the decision about when and where to quarantine, medical staff should assess an individual’s symptoms, exposure risk level, stateroom occupancy, preexisting conditions, and a variety of other factors. Any infected person must be isolated. As such, the Expert Panel believes that cruise operators should provide clear guidance in advance that can be used to make these decisions when the need arises.

Recommendation 48: Cruise operators should designate certain cabins on the ship as isolation and quarantine spaces.

Cruise operators should dedicate a number of cabins to remain open in case individuals need to be isolated or quarantined. In some cases it may be appropriate for SARS-CoV-2 exposed guests or crew to remain in their own staterooms to quarantine. However, availability of some dedicated quarantine space is advisable so that individuals can adequately separate from their traveling companions or other crew in shared living quarters. Food and beverage should be delivered, and medical personnel should check on them by phone or in-person visits at least once daily.

For isolation, cruise operators will need dedicated space that has been configured for this purpose. The Panel recommends that isolation rooms be redesigned to limit the risk of transmission through surfaces (e.g., remove carpets so floors can be sanitized, remove throw pillows that can’t be easily washed, use disposable items where possible). Additionally, the ventilation of these rooms should have increased filtration and a negligible risk of contamination for adjacent spaces (see full ventilation recommendations). The decision about whether individuals need to enter isolation or quarantine will be made based on assessment of several factors.

Recommendation 49: Cruise operators should provide guidelines for the determination of whether, when, and where an individual should be isolated or quarantined based on their exposure risk, symptoms, etc.

With the appropriate guidelines in place, cruise operators can rely on the expert medical opinion of the leading medical officer on board to ultimately determine whether an individual should be isolated or quarantined. The following is an example of acceptable guidelines for isolation/quarantine of guests and crew in specific zones:



- Individuals who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 or individuals who are experiencing symptoms consistent with a SARS-CoV-2 infection will be isolated in designated isolation cabins within close proximity to the medical ward. A set of protocols apply to isolation including periodic health checks, cleaning, and meal delivery.

- Individuals who were exposed to an individual with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection will be quarantined in a single occupancy cabin with a private bathroom (unless quarantining with family members or close contacts with the same exposure history), no interconnection with an adjoining room, door closed, and preferably with a balcony.

END QUOTE

 

[jtntx34]

So, my next question is how do they move a person from a quarantine cabin to an isolation cabin without exposing other people? Off time of day/night? HazMat suit? These are the things I wonder about when I let myself.

 

[monkeydawn]

My concern would be having my cabin be on the same air filtration loop as the isolation cabins.

 

[MomOTwins]

- Individuals who were exposed to an individual with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection will be quarantined in a single occupancy cabin with a private bathroom (unless quarantining with family members or close contacts with the same exposure history), no interconnection with an adjoining room, door closed, and preferably with a balcony.

That's going to be tricky with DCL--so many verandah cabins have a connecting door. I expect they would probably need to not sell connecting rooms to different parties period if they plan to follow this guideline.

 

[Snowwhyt]

So, my next question is how do they move a person from a quarantine cabin to an isolation cabin without exposing other people? Off time of day/night? HazMat suit? These are the things I wonder about when I let myself.

Perhaps they would follow your suggestions with that hallway spraying that MCL used. No idea what was in it though.

That's going to be tricky with DCL--so many verandah cabins have a connecting door. I expect they would probably need to not sell connecting rooms to different parties period if they plan to follow this guideline.

It seems like it’s worded so that if a room shared a bathroom it would be a problem but if nothing else is shared, a locked door would be enough separation to meet the rules.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I am wondering now if they would tell you what kind of cabins are set aside as isolation cabins. I am a person who CANNOT do an inside cabin. In fact, part of my justification for booking a one-bedroom Concierge class room was: if I had to be locked in my room, at least it would be a nice one.

I am thinking Deck 0, next to the engine room, solid metal walls, a wood pallet on the floor to sleep on and a little slot in the door where they can slide food to you. Enhanced with one of those 2 way air lock things on it so that they put the food in and close it and then you open it and take the food out.

Seriously though, it's a very good question. If you get 'downgraded' due to being sick, do they refund you (I doubt it)? Since I assume your whole family gets quarantined, do they have rooms big enough? I doubt we will know these things until it happens.

 

[tvguy]

Seriously though, it's a very good question. If you get 'downgraded' due to being sick, do they refund you (I doubt it)? Since I assume your whole family gets quarantined, do they have rooms big enough? I doubt we will know these things until it happens.

Well, at least you have a chance of staying in your cabin. Prior to covid you probably would be isolated to the medical center which I suspect has no windows.

 

[Roughians_satchel]

I can say that we have routinely booked 2 connecting insides on Deck 1 of the Wonder for our Christmas cruises out of Galveston, mainly because the ship sails largely through the Gulf of Mexico which isn't really much to see. We have had the same pair of cabins for many years, and we love them because it is super quiet and easy to catch an elevator.

For Christmas 2021, we booked on opening day for Gold and the rooms were not available. So I am guessing that Deck 1, which is isolated and closest to medical is where the isolation rooms are.

This is very interesting. We are a family of 6 and have booked connecting inside staterooms on numerous occasions. The fact that the rooms weren't available on day one for Gold can only mean they're taken out of circulation (inside staterooms on Deck 1 are not a hot commodity for Platinum guests.). I keep wondering also how they're going to reduce capacity to 70% on ships that are already booked to capacity - are they going to kick everyone out of the inside staterooms? Are they not selling beyond 70% for any sailings right now? Will they use the inside rooms for quarantine (just move the infected party across the hall?)