What Is Your Preferred Liveaboard COVID-19 Policy?

[Joneill]

How "slight" and how do you know it's going to improve rather than worsen? "Slight" like the kind of symptoms that might prevent any of us from being able to dive? There's nothing "slight" about me being unable to dive on a liveaboard I paid thousands of dollars for because a sick fellow passenger takes no measures to help prevent infecting others. If you're sick with something contagious in a shared enclosed space like a liveaboard's salon, please stay away from others. A mask can help contain your germs.

I was quoting a previous poster's preference for the use of the masks as in Asia for anything from a "slight cold" so I have no idea what he meant - and this was not even in the context of on a LOB. Folks in many Asian countries seem wear them everywhere - even outdoors which, in my opinion is silly (like the folks I see driving around in their car with a mask on when no on else is in the car - lol) unless wearing for air pollution reasons .

However, based on your comments, I guess you have always worn a mask when you had ANY symptom of a respiratory illness regardless how slight???

For me, If I was sick I would stay in my room and away from others when on a LOB and always would have done that. I've cancelled trips and dive days due to cold/flu in the past and would do so in the future.

With respect to LOB's, it sounds like they are not for you as you want zero risk. I'll take my chances, and get good trip insurance to cover the $ loss if there is an issue.

BTW - drop the lecturing/accusatory attitude when you know nothing about the folks you are responding to...

 

[Lorenzoid]

However, based on your comments, I guess you have always worn a mask when you had ANY symptom of a respiratory illness regardless how slight???

No, not "always"--because before covid and its predecessers (e.g., SARS, MERS, etc.) I was hardly aware of the idea of members of the general public wearing a mask to reduce the spread of germs. As far as I knew, only surgeons wore these things. But now, it seems like a great idea. The Asians started wearing masks routinely after their experience with SARS, and if it helps reduce the spread of things like the common cold and flu, then maybe they're onto something and we should take note. I used to silently mock them. Not anymore.

For me, If I was sick I would stay in my room and away from others when on a LOB and always would have done that. I've cancelled trips and dive days due to cold/flu in the past and would do so in the future.

We agree on that. I would like to believe this is what everyone would do. But from the responses to the poll, I'm not so sure. Although the poll had nothing to do with this topic, I get a sense that some responders just can't be bothered to care that much about their fellow divers.

With respect to LOB's, it sounds like they are not for you as you want zero risk. I'll take my chances, and get good trip insurance to cover the $ loss if there is an issue.

There is no such thing as "zero risk." As pointed out in that other thread, there are always risks, including things like DCS. But as far as risks from disease, I would prefer if everyone I'm going to be living in close proximity with would take reasonable precautions in the days before boarding. And if they experience symptoms on the boat, isolate and test if possible.

As for insurance, as I said in a previous post, I'm not as concerned about monetary loss as not being able to experience the dives.

Some people take liveaboards often, but for others it could be their trip of a lifetime. I would like to do everything I reasonably can (that is, within reasonable extra cost and time) to increase the probability that I'm healthy at the time of boarding. As I said in my first post, I recognize we are not like astronauts going to the space station, who quarantine before departing, but we can still do more than we have traditionally done. Covid has taught me a few things.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

I went with #1. And as many noted it will not keep covid off a ship. But it can reduce the spread.
I have been on a LOB, River cruise and 2 other cruises this year. I can home with covid from the river cruise. There were no signs or visible indications of any onboard quarantines on that trip. The crew masked and guests wore masks when at the lunch buffet.

The last 2 cruises both had visible room quarantines. I noticed 5 rooms on the first and 11 on the second. On the first, the room beside us was quarantined for 14 days - we could hear the constant coughing. On our last cruise multiple people were denied boarding due to positive tests. These were small cruise ships and both also had a special off limits quarantine area, but appeared to be using in room quarantine only. No room service, food was left outside the room in disposable containers.

 

[ontdiver]

For those interested in why masking was more prevalent in Asia, this is a byproduct of "groupism" which stems from the belief that "conformity is necessary for the good of the whole group". This is in stark contrast to many parts of the West where individualism is praised.

 

[drrich2]

And as many noted it will not keep covid off a ship.

In mid.-July, my wife, kid and I took a cruise on a Royal Caribbean vessel in the Caribbean. We were required to have a negative proctored COVID-19 test result for each of us within 2 days of boarding, and we did. It was nerve-wracking to go through all the preparation over the months, the planning, and have it come down to that. Thankfully we were all negative.

I was part of a Facebook group for that particular cruise, and quite a number of other passengers tested positive after return from it. While I imagine such measures reduce the odds of the virus getting onto a liveaboard (which has vastly fewer people), I agree, it's going to get on them fairly often. And then, given that it's infectious before symptomatic, and the rather tight quarters, it stands to reason it's likely to spread.

Richard.

 

[drrich2]

I voted for #1 based on my personal experience in going to 16 dive trips (14 liveaboards & 2 dive resorts) from December 2020 to August 2022.

And you travel to far flung destinations. #1 Would put you at risk to arrive asymptomatically at, oh, say, a vessel at Raja Ampat, Komodo, the Maldives, etc..., get tested, come up positive and be denied boarding. I'd like to know more about what tends to happen then. Earlier in the pandemic reports suggested people known to have the virus abroad were sort of on 'house arrest.' There was even an awful account of a Maldives experience. But in recent months, I read an account regarding someone who'd tested positive on a Royal Caribbean cruise who would've been quarantined while on board, but after being put off the ship at cruise's end, was pretty much on his or her own to many further arrangements.

Do you (or anyone) have an idea what's been happening recently if COVID-19 derails a planned liveaboard when you're already at the destination, and have no alternative plans in place?

The airlines don't want you on their plane. Do taxi or shuttle drivers want you in their vehicle? Are hotels receptive to accepting clients known to have this? Do you go get take out with a mask and try to social distance, or is there a good food delivery structure in place?

Also, if you are asymptomatic but rest positive on, oh, let's say Saturday of a planned 10 day trip, with a plan to fly back on a Tuesday. You test positive at the point of boarding, are denied entry, and manage to get into a budget hotel room subsisting on delivery pizza and Chinese food or similar. What has to happen for you to take a flight home? Is it just a time limit? Do you have to have a physician's letter (and thus someone get a fast appointment and get there evaluated and back to your room)?

 

[Dan]

And you travel to far flung destinations. #1 Would put you at risk to arrive asymptomatically at, oh, say, a vessel at Raja Ampat, Komodo, the Maldives, etc..., get tested, come up positive and be denied boarding. I'd like to know more about what tends to happen then. Earlier in the pandemic reports suggested people known to have the virus abroad were sort of on 'house arrest.' There was even an awful account of a Maldives experience. But in recent months, I read an account regarding someone who'd tested positive on a Royal Caribbean cruise who would've been quarantined while on board, but after being put off the ship at cruise's end, was pretty much on his or her own to many further arrangements.

Do you (or anyone) have an idea what's been happening recently if COVID-19 derails a planned liveaboard when you're already at the destination, and have no alternative plans in place?

The airlines don't want you on their plane. Do taxi or shuttle drivers want you in their vehicle? Are hotels receptive to accepting clients known to have this? Do you go get take out with a mask and try to social distance, or is there a good food delivery structure in place?

Also, if you are asymptomatic but rest positive on, oh, let's say Saturday of a planned 10 day trip, with a plan to fly back on a Tuesday. You test positive at the point of boarding, are denied entry, and manage to get into a budget hotel room subsisting on delivery pizza and Chinese food or similar. What has to happen for you to take a flight home? Is it just a time limit? Do you have to have a physician's letter (and thus someone get a fast appointment and get there evaluated and back to your room)?

#1 policy screens out those anti vaxxers and force the guests to seriously follow Covid protocols to make sure we stay negative before boarding. I did go to those far flung destinations like Maldives, Palau, Similan, Komodo, Sangalaki. Wearing mask for 12h+ flight was painful, but in the end it was worthwhile.

I purchased annual travel insurance with Covid rider for all my trips. Thank goodness that I have not used it. Likewise with my dive buddies.

A guest did not make it to Maldives. He tested positive before flying to Maldives & rescheduled his trip.

A guest from Europe tested positive before boarding Nautilus Belle Amie. He was denied boarding. I heard he just bumped around in Mexico until he was ready to fly home.

A guest got sick in a liveaboard in Palau (thank goodness it wasn’t on my boat) and she was taken out of the boat & quarantined on land until she’s ready to go home.

 

[SlugLife]

If this question was asked in just about ANY other context or activity, I'd pick 3.

The main reason I might actually go #1 or #2, is because you're talking (a) SCUBA and (b) liveaboard. Most liveabords layout is such that one person with Covid is likely to spread to everyone, and someone with symptomatic Covid shouldn't be diving. So, you might end up with an entire boat that can't dive.

Zero vaccine requirements, because vaccines don't prevent contracting or transmitting the virus.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I dove with a group a few years ago on a Red Sea LOB. Just about everyone on the boat came down with the flu. Most continued to dive, some aided by decongestants and other over the counter meds. Everyone knew that everyone was sick and I don't think anyone denied their symptoms.

Fast forward and with more folks getting vaccinated against COVID (we are now up to 4 boosters in Canada including the Moderna bivalent, for a total of 5/5 vaccinations) it is unclear what the next several months will look like as they intersect with the seasonal flu.

I am quite hesitant about the whole confined space thing, and probably wont get on a LOB in the near term even with pre-testing and vaccination certification. It would be interesting to see some COVID stats from a wide range of LOB operators, but understandably this is probably not going to happen.

I was on that boat. Perhaps not with you but there were a bunch of Ontario divers. A few of the Ontario's (one?) had left at the end of the week prior to my group coming aboard.

I confined myself to my cabin as soon as I saw where things were going for me healthwise. It was miserable but I was equally miserable topside. To this day, I curse the Egyptian man sitting next to me on the flight from London, who coughed, violently sneezed as tears of misery ran from his eyes. He never once made any effort to cover his mouth/nose until I said something to him about it. Then his wife stared daggers at me.

 

[waterone]

To this day, I curse the Egyptian man sitting next to me on the flight from London, who coughed, violently sneezed as tears of misery ran from his eyes. He never once made any effort to cover his mouth/nose until I said something to him about it. Then his wife stared daggers at me.

That is so sad how some people are so carless and inconsiderate towards others health while they are obviously sick.