Face masks at sea.

[ace2542]

19 hours ago, pcur said:

Wearing a mask is a normal part of our life now, and I see us continuing to wear them for the next year, for at leasst 3 flu seasons, as well as on cruise ships.

They will be worn forever on cruise ships not on land I don't think. I think Biden will lift it after the 100 days though the vaccine has come too late to quickly arrest your situation as we claim it will do for ours. Haven't you noticed something there hasn't been a flu season this year has there? At least not in the UK not sure about USA. Though we don't really hear about when it does happen. Is the lack of flu season because of masks?

Edited December 11, 2020 by ace2542

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE said:

I assume for at least the first 12 months, when cruising resumes.

It should be forever because it will prevent colds, flu and noro outbreak - because you can't touch your face if you are wearing a mask and noro can affect more than 1 cruise. I was on the NCL Pearl TA last april 2019. We  had a noro outbreak onboard. Someone lied on the health questions. Although there was something about lettuce in America being off in some way it was on the news. It cost them a lot of money I think.

[sfaaa]

3 hours ago, ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE said:

I assume for at least the first 12 months, when cruising resumes.

Bring it on. I am so ready to go back to cruising.

[bouhunter]

On 12/10/2020 at 2:49 PM, ace2542 said:

 masks will be required for ever and ever as they also prevents colds, flu, noro 

 

 

Your posts get wackier every day 🙂   LOL.

[bucfan2]

On 12/10/2020 at 2:27 PM, flamingos said:

How long do they anticipate having this policy in effect?  Are they looking long-term, or just until mid-summer or when they think enough people will be vaccinated? 

 

I believe 'they' have absolutely no clue, along w/ several other issues at large.

 

I realize there are hardcore CC'ers that would be happy to wear a mask while cruising.  I don't believe the general public will vacation on a ship and wear a mask (and don't blame them).  No idea how any cruise line will be in business a year from now, and that saddens me.  

[pcur]

3 hours ago, ace2542 said:

They will be worn forever on cruise ships not on land I don't think. I think Biden will lift it after the 100 days though the vaccine has come too late to quickly arrest your situation as we claim it will do for ours. Haven't you noticed something there hasn't been a flu season this year has there? At least not in the UK not sure about USA. Though we don't really hear about when it does happen. Is the lack of flu season because of masks?

 

I can only relate our experiences:  we have semi or completely sheltered in place since March 2020, depending on the public health policies.  We have an air purifier now, and we wear masks when we are outside the house. 

 

I have had some congestion, but I think it's probably allergies, and the air purifier has helped that.  No flu, no serious colds, no nothing since March.  So, I agree that masking, social distancing, and avoiding places with lots of people has made a difference for us.

[pcur]

49 minutes ago, bucfan2 said:

 

I believe 'they' have absolutely no clue, along w/ several other issues at large.

 

I realize there are hardcore CC'ers that would be happy to wear a mask while cruising.  I don't believe the general public will vacation on a ship and wear a mask (and don't blame them).  No idea how any cruise line will be in business a year from now, and that saddens me.  

 

As I've said, we are so accustomed to wearing masks now that continuing to do so is no problem.  I think the cruise lines will be fine, because it seems bookings are pretty healthy.

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, bouhunter said:

Your posts get wackier every day 🙂   LOL.

I have not been sick since March 17th  I have had nothing for 9 months, not a cough, not a soar throat, cold, flu or a chest infection. Nothing. And I have been out and about every day. Ok we are a bit rural. What I do is mask in the store and much thicker coat pulled over my nose and mouth when outside walking in public and mask off. And I did not get the flu jab this year or last year. So either Covid has killed all this stuff or masks have killed it off. But then again masks don't work if masks worked we would not have these death tolls. How do you explain masks, no flu and mass covid deaths then?

Edited December 11, 2020 by ace2542

[BeachyBrowns]

If the rest of cruising is back to normal but we are required to wear masks on our scheduled August cruise, it will be a tough call for me.  Part of the fun of cruising is seeing the faces of my fellow cruisers.  It's a social form of vacationing.  I also don't prefer wearing masks in the heat of summer and for long periods of time.  Genuinely tough call.  I REALLY don't want to have to wear a mask when I go to the fitness facility on board, either.  We will probably rebook if masks are required.  Let's make vaccination required instead.  I'm just about last in line for a vaccine, so if I am able to get one, my fellow cruisers should have been able to get one as well.

[HaveWeMetYet]

34 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

I have not been sick since March 17th  I have had nothing for 9 months, not a cough, not a soar throat, cold, flu or a chest infection. Nothing. And I have been out and about every day. Ok we are a bit rural. What I do is mask in the store and much thicker coat pulled over my nose and mouth when outside walking in public and mask off. And I did not get the flu jab this year or last year. So either Covid has killed all this stuff or masks have killed it off. But then again masks don't work if masks worked we would not have these death tolls. How do you explain masks, no flu and mass covid deaths then?

You have to view the mask as a time delay device. It works but only to delay the time until viral loading reaches a point sickness develops. Here in the US it is pushed as an all day long protective device. I have read that most cloth masks only offer 15-30 minutes of protection over none at all if you are close to someone who is sick. Most likely the biggest weakness with masks is removing them at high density places like bars and restaurants where you are near the same people for an extended amount of time. Avoid standing in lines next to the same person at checkout lines also for any time over 5 minutes.

[NCMtnBoys]

I would gladly comply with whatever requirements are in place to enable cruising to happen. I have no problem wearing the mask - it's hardly a big deal - however, I would also want to make sure that the requirement to wear a mask, and wear it properly, is heavily enforced. No exceptions.

[Agavegirl1]

I have previously said I would not cruise until it approached normal.  Masks and the inability to explore a port on our own will keep us away.  I am required to wear a mask at work and hate it so much that I dropped down to part time and will be retiring if the masks continue to be required.  We have been hanging out at our remote lake house most of the year.  Hubby was laid off and on disability and I took a leave of absence.  We masked, washed hands, distanced, cancelled holidays starting with Easter and still got Covid in October, when all the nasty viruses in cold climates move indoors to live among the people.  

 

I will not mask on vacation so maybe we won't vacation at sea or on islands.  We cancelled our April Western Caribbean.  We will road trip and camp, respect the wishes of private businesses and deal with it.

[ReneeFLL]

7 hours ago, bouhunter said:

Your posts get wackier every day 🙂   LOL.

So true. Are they related to Beeline Cruiser?

[ReneeFLL]

I probably won’t cruise if masks are required. I’ll wait till masks aren’t required.

[Iamcruzin]

12 hours ago, ROYAL CARIBBEAN DUDE said:

I assume for at least the first 12 months, when cruising resumes.

Oy!

[Iamcruzin]

11 hours ago, ace2542 said:

They will be worn forever on cruise ships not on land I don't think. I think Biden will lift it after the 100 days though the vaccine has come too late to quickly arrest your situation as we claim it will do for ours. Haven't you noticed something there hasn't been a flu season this year has there? At least not in the UK not sure about USA. Though we don't really hear about when it does happen. Is the lack of flu season because of masks?

In addition to masks we have been social distancing, a majority of people are still working from home and public places have capacity control. It's just not the masks alone. With that said Covid is spiking again so perhaps Covid 19 is the new Flu.

[Iamcruzin]

8 hours ago, bouhunter said:

Your posts get wackier every day 🙂   LOL.

The mask must be preventing oxygen from getting to the brain.

Edited December 12, 2020 by Iamcruzin

[Iamcruzin]

7 hours ago, pcur said:

 

As I've said, we are so accustomed to wearing masks now that continuing to do so is no problem.  I think the cruise lines will be fine, because it seems bookings are pretty healthy.

How many of those bookings are with FCC that cost the line 25% additional? I would bet the majority of the bookings are money already spent. Cruise lines can't survive on CC diehard cruisers who book. They need new money. Many CC members like myself who's first vacation choice is cruising are now looking at alternatives. It goes beyond the masks. It's also the social distancing, limited capacity in the venues and most of all ship sponsored excursions. In addition we like an itinerary no shorter than 9 days. I don't see myself even looking for anything that sails before summer 2022.  If things change I'm sure that there will be a lot of last minute deals. We are free agents not committed to sailing one cruise line exclusively so that presents even more opportunity for a deal.

Edited December 12, 2020 by Iamcruzin

[molly361]

2 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

Oy!

VEY!

[ipeeinthepool]

14 hours ago, ace2542 said:

It should be forever because it will prevent colds, flu and noro outbreak - because you can't touch your face if you are wearing a mask and noro can affect more than 1 cruise. 

 

 

Are you sure?  If you remember the early advice for Covid was for the general population not to wear masks because you actually touch your face more often.  The effectiveness of the masks depends on the virus.  Noro seems to be more of a hand transmission virus.  A sick person touches a handrail, elevator button, table, etc and then you are infected when your hand touches your face after you touch the surface.  Noro seems to live on the surfaces for awhile.  Covid is most often transmitted by respiratory droplets that are inhaled by another person.  The mask on the infected person lowers the amount of droplets expelled by the infected person and your mask may prevent you from inhaling those droplets.  Covid doesn't seem to live long of surfaces.  So masks will help reduce Covid transmission but likely won't help much with Noro.

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

 

Are you sure?  If you remember the early advice for Covid was for the general population not to wear masks because you actually touch your face more often.  The effectiveness of the masks depends on the virus.  Noro seems to be more of a hand transmission virus.  A sick person touches a handrail, elevator button, table, etc and then you are infected when your hand touches your face after you touch the surface.  Noro seems to live on the surfaces for awhile.  Covid is most often transmitted by respiratory droplets that are inhaled by another person.  The mask on the infected person lowers the amount of droplets expelled by the infected person and your mask may prevent you from inhaling those droplets.  Covid doesn't seem to live long of surfaces.  So masks will help reduce Covid transmission but likely won't help much with Noro.

But wearing a mask you won't be able to touch your face as much no? So it might.

[ipeeinthepool]

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

But wearing a mask you won't be able to touch your face as much no? So it might.

 

You may well be touching your face around your eyes or wiping you glasses, so no.

[bouhunter]

6 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

How many of those bookings are with FCC that cost the line 25% additional? I would bet the majority of the bookings are money already spent. Cruise lines can't survive on CC diehard cruisers who book. They need new money. Many CC members like myself who's first vacation choice is cruising are now looking at alternatives. It goes beyond the masks. It's also the social distancing, limited capacity in the venues and most of all ship sponsored excursions. In addition we like an itinerary no shorter than 9 days. I don't see myself even looking for anything that sails before summer 2022.  If things change I'm sure that there will be a lot of last minute deals. We are free agents not committed to sailing one cruise line exclusively so that presents even more opportunity for a deal.

All good points, especially that they need the average traveler not the cruise critic diehard.  Our next cruises are early 2022.  We won't hesitate to take back the refundable deposits and walk away if masks, social distancing, port restrictions etc etc etc aren't gone by the time final payments are due.  We love cruising, spent 6 weeks on ships last winter.  But we're done with it until it's pretty much back to normal.  If it never is, so be it.

[Keksie]

2 hours ago, ace2542 said:

But wearing a mask you won't be able to touch your face as much no? So it might.

I touch my face a lot more.  Pulling my mask down when no one is close, pulling it back up when someone comes down the aisle in the market, ripping it off and stuffing it in my purse the instant I am out of a store etc.  I am hoping the elastic holds out on my mask a few months longer.

[ace2542]

13 hours ago, NCMtnBoys said:

I would gladly comply with whatever requirements are in place to enable cruising to happen. I have no problem wearing the mask - it's hardly a big deal - however, I would also want to make sure that the requirement to wear a mask, and wear it properly, is heavily enforced. No exceptions.

Will you tell people to wear the mask properly and get your head kicked in for doing it?. That could cause a lot of trouble and security are not paid enough to deal with it. Particularly when people are drinking or taking drugs. There were a lot of drugs in bliss on NCL gem at Christmas 2017. Security didn't care. Not paid enough too I suppose. They are not making what for instance nightclub doormen are making on land even the ones not needing to wear bullet proof vests.