Masks will be requred in ports

[ontheweb]

6 minutes ago, Aplmac said:

Here in Barbados

the general protocol among us island residents

is that we all walk with a mask in case we need to go in to the Bank,

to the supermarket or the drug/stores.

Once it's an enclosed, air-conditioned place,

you'll need to be wearing your mask -or they simply won't let you in!
And they'll spray your hands too, with their happy juice

(It's often bitter, so don't bite your nails!)

I hope they make you wear your mask properly while in stores. Too often here, I see the mask end up only covering the mouth and not the nose and sometimes even covering only the chin.

[Aplmac]

Just now, ontheweb said:

I hope they make you wear your mask properly while in stores.

Too often here, I see the mask end up only covering the mouth

and not the nose and sometimes even covering only the chin.

 

99% of people on the island are properly compliant!

I cheat now and then when I need some fresh air

but most ppl wear it properly.

 

Then again

there is virtually nooo Covid walking the streets of Barbados!

The very few that get squirreled out as Positive are immediately placed

in our special quarantine facility, up at the scenic north end of the island.

 

Right now our Active Cases Number is 6 Six.

Deaths remain at 7 -and our last death was ..like.. back in April!

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, Aplmac said:

 

99% of people on the island are properly compliant!

I cheat now and then when I need some fresh air

but most ppl wear it properly.

 

Then again

there is virtually nooo Covid walking the streets of Barbados!

The very few that get squirreled out as Positive are immediately placed

in our special quarantine facility, up at the scenic north end of the island.

 

Right now our Active Cases Number is 6 Six.

Deaths remain at 7 -and our last death was ..like.. back in April!

I don't suppose your country wants cruisers back so you can up those counts like the US.

 

Glad we got to visit on a previous cruise. 

[Aplmac]

14 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I don't suppose your country wants cruisers back

so you can up those counts like the US.

 

Glad we got to visit on a previous cruise. 

 

We want visitors back,

but this whole process has to work thru somehow.

The virus is in charge, and will not be rushed, despite our technologies.

 

Barbados is slowly re-opening to Air Travel, just this month

and yes we're getting one or three new Covid imports

but we are in a much better position infrastructurally to handle these imports

than we were back in March!

 

Cruise tourism will open up too, but not until September or October.

Everyone has to be careful, both you guys -and us on the island.

Everyone has to be patient in this new norm, if we can call it that!

[gerryuk]

Costa have just updated their safety procedures and everyone will have to ware a mask in public places.

 

THE COSTA SAFETY PROTOCOL, FOR YOU

Our health and safety team along with a group of independent scientific experts are working to make your vacation an unforgettable experience with total peace of mind.

 

 

Here is the Costa Safety Protocol

Actions to further protect your health including new operational procedures adapted in response to the COVID-19 situation and in compliance with national and international health standards.

 

 

 

1. EXTRA ATTENTION FOR EVERY SINGLE PASSENGER

CHECK-IN ONLINE

Check-in is carried out completely online and opens 72 hours before your departure. To receive your cruise ticket, you must fill in a self-certification questionnaire regarding your health status.

STAGGERED BOARDING TIMES

The boarding times are staggered to facilitate compliance with the correct social distancing rules and to ensure safe boarding. This is why punctuality is so important.

CONTROL AT THE TERMINAL

At the boarding terminal, all passengers are subject to a body temperature and health check so as to enable a departure in total safety.

 

 

 

2. A SMART VACATION

MYCOSTA

The best way to ensure your on board safety is to check-in in advance. Visit www.mycosta.com before leaving, save time so you won’t have to check-in at the desks!

COSTA APP

Your smartphone is a fundamental travel companion! Thanks to Costa App and the QR codes you can now enjoy a wonderful vacation with complete digital security and it also means less paper to throw away!

ONBOARD MONITORS

There are other ways you can stay informed about what’s new on board: You’ll find digital screens and interactive monitors in public areas, a dedicated Info TV channel in the cabin and the new Call Me service, plus a convenient personalized assistance via the cabin phone.

 

 

 

3. MORE SPACE FOR YOU

REDUCED OCCUPANCY

The number of passengers onboard has been reduced to make social distancing easier and guarantee a safe and pleasant cruise.

REDESIGNED ENVIRONMENTS

The common areas and relaxation rooms have been remodeled so that they fully meet the safety standards you deserve: this means they are accessible to only a limited number of people at a time.

SAFETY SIGNS

There are signs in all high-traffic areas of the ship and the on-board staff will help you to get around easily and to maintain the correct safety distances.

 

 

 

4. ENJOY THE WHOLE SHIP IN SAFETY

PROTECTIVE MASKS

Just as on land, when in public areas while on board, protective masks must be worn By doing this, you protect your own health and that of your fellow travelers!

HAND SANITIZER

To help you keep your hands clean and sanitized at all times, in all the main areas of the ship you will find numerous sanitizing gel dispensers.

CREW DEVICES

The crew too have the necessary protective equipment to be able to do their job to the highest health standards.

 

 

 

5. BREAKFAST IS SERVED

SPACED OUT TABLES

Our restaurants are set up to welcome you in the best way while respecting social distancing. To ensure the safety of all our guests, we ask you to only sit at the table with the travel companion(s) included in your booking.

EXTENDED MEAL TIMES

Also, to order breakfast and lunch you can access the main restaurants entirely at your leisure, whenever you want, with a longer time slot than usual.

SMARTPHONE MENU

Scan the QR code that you will find at the tables, in the restaurants and bars, to check the daily food and drink menus directly on your smartphone. If you decide to order at the counter, follow the safety signs.

 

 

 

6. NON-STOP FUN

A WHOLE NEW ENTERTAINMENT

Enjoy the new forms of entertainment we have designed, with shows repeated several times during the week, and allow everyone to have fun at the same time, while still respecting social distancing rules.

SAFE FITNESS AND WELLNESS

Keep fit in the fitness room, have fun at the casino or relax at the SPA or in the swimming pool following the instructions given in the safety signs and observing the occupancy limits as indicated at the entrances.

SAFETY FOR CHILDREN TOO

Even children are guaranteed to have fun in complete safety: The Squok Club is sanitized several times a day and open at specific times, accessible to a limited number of persons.

 

 

 

7. EXCLUSIVE TOURS

LIMITED GROUPS

Costa excursions are totally safe: we have set out new procedures to ensure social distancing, thanks to limited group size and the use of disposable headphones to make for a better experience.

SAFETY ON BUSES

Our buses are sanitized after every use. Social distancing is guaranteed by reducing occupancy. In addition, our tour guides always wear protective masks.

COSTA SAFE EXCURSIONS

You can get off the ship independently, but we strongly recommend that you to opt for our safe excursions, so as to safeguard your health and that of the other guests and crew.

 

 

 

8. PURE AIR AND SANITIZED ENVIRONMENTS

SANITIZIED PUBLIC AREAS

The public areas are sanitized several times a day with new disinfection methods including virus-killing nebulizers.

YOUR CABIN DISINFECTED

Your cabin is also subject to a virus-killing disinfection carried out by qualified personnel and is cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis..

NEW FILTERS FOR QUALITY AIR

On board ship, the air you breathe is of high quality thanks to the new high efficiency filters. Our on-board ventilation systems offer optimal filtering of fresh air from outside, minimizing the circulation of internal air.

 

 

 

9. COUNT ON US FOR ANY CONCERNS

SAFETY PROTOCOLS

All members of our crew have completed specific training courses relating to compliance with safety protocols and practices.

INTERVENTION MEASURES

If any guests show signs of health problems, our crew members are trained to respond immediately with set intervention procedures.

CONSTANT MONITORING

All crew members are subject to daily body temperature checks and their state of health is monitored constantly.

 

 

 

10. CONSTANTLY UPDATED EXPERT PROFESSIONALS

EQUIPPED MEDICAL CENTER

All Costa ships have a fully equipped medical center, consisting of professional doctors and qualified and experienced healthcare personnel, continuously updated as to health protocols and standards to combat the spread of COVID-19.

THE HEALTH OF OUR GUESTS AND CREW IS OUR TOP PRIORITY..

Call

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[chipmaster]

On 7/19/2020 at 5:43 AM, Aplmac said:

 

99% of people on the island are properly compliant!

I cheat now and then when I need some fresh air

but most ppl wear it properly.

 

Then again

there is virtually nooo Covid walking the streets of Barbados!

The very few that get squirreled out as Positive are immediately placed

in our special quarantine facility, up at the scenic north end of the island.

 

Right now our Active Cases Number is 6 Six.

Deaths remain at 7 -and our last death was ..like.. back in April!

 

Why does one need to "cheat"  every breath thru my mask is "fresh" 

[Ashland]

On 7/14/2020 at 3:28 PM, geckoaz said:

The article in cruiseradio and the link to the release both indicate "additional"  airport requirements. As far as itineraries they are always subject to change. I think the islands will all require masks. Glad i picked up a box of 50 at costco for 19.99.

The ones at Costco are great !!!

[Luckiestmanonearth]

On 7/14/2020 at 4:35 PM, geckoaz said:

St. Maarten is now requiring all visitors wear masks and have a negative test 72 hours prior to their day of travel. US visitors not allowed until  august 1 at earliest) so where do you get a test showing results 72 hours before sailing? People wait in cars all days for test in phoenix and wait days and weeks for results. Carnival won't beonly ones we will have to adapt too. By the way disneyworld has comfort areas that are mask free with distancing. Some are indoors too. Will carnival do this? 

I think we may have been the last cruise passengers in St Maarten.

 

We were on the Edge on a March 9th sailing .  On the day we were supposed to arrive in St Maarten , we learned that there were 4 ships that were arriving that day and St Maarten changed their requirements from 14 to 21 days in which passengers were not to have visited one of the high Covid countries at the time (China, Italy, etc).

 

No idea how Celebrity pulled it off but they were able to prove our case and the Edge was the ONLY ship allowed to dock that day.  And I’m pretty sure right after that, everything shut down at ports as well as the cruise industry.

 

We had a fabulous time relaxing on the beach and lunching at Lazy Lizards.

 

We love St Maarten and hope things open up soon there as many people make their living based on the tourist industry 

Edited August 10, 2020 by Luckiestmanonearth

[Hlitner]

I like to talk about "living intelligently with Covid" and this gets lost with many policies.  Consider a test that must be reported within 72 hours of a trip.  So assume a person goes for a test about 4 days prior to the trip and gets the results 2 days prior.  PCR tests have a high level of false negatives if taken the first week after exposure (Johns Hopkins did a study suggesting false negatives are over 20% and increases the closer to exposure you are tested)  In addition, there would be several days between the test sample and when the person arrives at their destination (i.e. St Maarten) during which that person is in travel mode, flying, etc.  By the time the person arrives on the island they have had nearly a week since their test sample and that is a week of elevated risk (because of travel).   And demanding a fast Antigen test upon arrival also has many problems with those tests have a normal 20% + false negative rate plus if the test is taken within a couple of days of exposure the false negative rate would be closer to 100%.  

 

Having a test is certainly better then no test, but far from reliable.    If a person was exposed to the virus with a few days prior to arrival (i.e. when traveling) it is very likely that the virus would not have replicated enough to show a positive result on either an antigen or PCR test.

 

Where does this leave us?  I guess we can all do our part to minimize our risk but there is simply no way to be sure if you have the virus within the first week after exposure unless you happen to develop some early symptoms.  So common sense tells ut that despite the various precautions taken by islands/countries there is going to be more spread as folks resume travel.  What a bummer.

 

Hank

[Sue Do-Over]

Ultimately, I fear that there will be some fudging of the entry screenings.

 

We all currently check the no/no/no boxes on the health intake forms at check-in... whether or not we have been a little under the weather.  Similarly, people don't report nausea/ digestive issues while aboard, to avoid being confined to their cabins under norovirus protocols.

 

Temperature checks can be fooled with a couple of Advil/Tylenol, and can read high if the guest were waiting outside in Florida heat, stressed about managing luggage, etc.

 

I don't have great confidence that pax will be entirely honest, compliant with -and mask recommendations or social distancing.   *I* will be (and I've got a cruise booked for Dec'20), and will have to be extra scrupulous myself without being a PITA.