Cancelled cruise and quarantine to home in SA

After our cruise was cancelled due to Covid19 we finally reached Sydney on 1st April. We were transported by coach to the Marriott Hotel overlooking Sydney Harbour where we were instructed, ‘No smoking, no alcohol, no leaving your room and no leaving the hotel full stop’. Our details were recorded before being escorted to our room.

Each day a nurse would ring to find out how we were and whether we had any virus symptoms. At this stage they were concentrating on high temperatures which neither my husband nor I had. We both had what we perceived as head colds and were permitted to contact a local pharmacy to obtain medication which was delivered to our room. We had three meals per day provided, no menu choice but like the accommodation at no cost and placed on a mat outside the door. Our window couldn’t be opened and a security person patrolled the floor 24 hours per day.

Family and friends contacted us regularly so we were very well supported. We joined in Zoom exercise and Tai Chi classes and had puzzle books and novels to occupy our time.

On the 12th April we were swabbed, not a pleasant experience, and again on the 13th. I was positive for the virus and George negative. So, on our anniversary we were transferred by ambulance to the Merchant (medi) Hotel in Parramatta, to separate rooms for the next two weeks! All previously booked travel arrangements had to be cancelled.

The conditions here were very different. There was no main kitchen so all the meals were brought in and you did have menus choices for the evening meal. I was provided with a care box of everything including Easter Eggs and chocolates, puzzle books, water and embroidery kit. Both George and I had fully serviceable apartments with a balcony opposite each other. We spent our time conversing with each other, friends and family on our mobiles, watching videos on YouTube about resin and water colour painting, watching and talking to people exercising in the courtyard and completing puzzles. George had the hard drive full of movies so was happy as! We were also permitted to exercise in the little courtyard one at a time. Oh, I also wrote poems.

Every day I would have my observations taken morning and night by the nursing staff and they would ring about 10pm each night to ensure you were well. There was also a Zoom video conference with the external nursing staff every morning and the doctor rang every few days. George reported to a different nursing department as his swab was negative.

After negative swabs we had the ok to leave on the 30th April arriving home on 1st May where we self isolated for another two weeks but in the comfort of our own home and garden. Neither of us have had a temperature throughout this ordeal. During our quarantine we were extremely well looked after in every way financially, mentally and physically.