Mask Mandate for cruises CDC?

[39august]

What is the end date on the "mask mandate" and when was it announced, please? Somehow I have missed this.

[Miaminice]

There is no end date... so you haven’t missed anything.

 

[bEwAbG]

It has been in effect since the beginning of February.  The end date is when a public health emergency no longer exists (determination of such by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) or when the order is modified or rescinded in response to specific public health information, i.e., when it is determined that masking is no longer needed.

 

The update to the Conditional Sailing Order has links to relevant information, but it includes the section on mask use below.  This is the link to the document that contains this section:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/covid19-operations-manual-cso.html

 

Mask Use

At this time, all persons, including port personnel, crew, and passengers (including those that are fully vaccinated) are advised that CDC’s Mask Order remains in effect and requires the wearing of masks on conveyances entering, traveling within or leaving the United States, and in U.S. transportation hubs (see Maritime-specific Frequently Asked Questions).

• While the Order permits temporarily removing a mask for brief periods of time while eating or drinking, removal of the mask for extended meal service or beverage consumption would constitute a violation of this Order.
• Masks do not have to be worn while inside one’s own cabin

[mcgilldj]

They have effectively ended cruising in the US.  This is just ridiculous.

Edited May 7, 2021 by mcgilldj

[WestLakeGirl]

Well, we are not happy🥲

[Miaminice]

6 minutes ago, mcgilldj said:

They have effectively ended cruising in the US.  This is just ridiculous.

Why, because you are an anti-masker?

 

some people don’t mind!

[LGW59]

9 minutes ago, mcgilldj said:

They have effectively ended cruising in the US.  This is just ridiculous.

Not for me, though I am not scheduled to cruise again until May 2022, but if masks are still required in certain locations, OK I will go with it.

[caymancouple]

The requirement for masks on Airplanes was extended this week till September 13th.

 

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/05/01/992703495/tsa-extends-mask-mandate-aboard-flights-through-summer-as-travel-increases#:~:text=Ethics-,TSA Keeps Face Mask Requirement On Public Transportation Through September,wearing masks when traveling domestically.

[39august]

After yesterday's CDC release, it looks like we won't be cruising from US ports for quite a while. We were just discussing this AM that we may have to fly to a non-US port in order to cruise. But we will need to be able to book consecutive cruises in that case. None allowed from St. Martin, or we would go that route. I hope X decides to add a ship in Nassau. Montego Bay or DR.  It's not just the mask thing that ruins it for us, it's the aggregate of rules changing nearly everything about what made cruising a pleasant experience. 

[Bejay219]

We are booked on a B2B Viking Ocean Sky-Iceland, end of June and beginning of July!  If we have to fly out of the country to cruise, we wanted a B2B, with the expense of flying, that's the route we chose.  First non-Celebrity cruise in years! 

[ECCruise]

1 hour ago, mcgilldj said:

They have effectively ended cruising in the US.  This is just ridiculous.

Wanna bet?

[TrulyBlonde]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

Not for me, though I am not scheduled to cruise again until May 2022, but if masks are still required in certain locations, OK I will go with it.

I am scheduled end of April 22. If we have to wear a mask to cruise, we will cancel. I am not anti-mask, but this would not seem like a lovely vacation to us.

I took my 1st flight last weekend and had delays due to weather. 10 hours in a mask was not a pleasant experience. 

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, mcgilldj said:

They have effectively ended cruising in the US.  This is just ridiculous.

It's clear that your opinion isn't widely held, so could you at least explain why you think that the requirement to wear masks will end cruising in the US?

[cruisestitch]

Bejay219, wasn’t your Viking cruise cancelled?

[ch175]

12 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

It's clear that your opinion isn't widely held, so could you at least explain why you think that the requirement to wear masks will end cruising in the US?

Do you really want to go on a cruise, and have to pull down a mask to put food in your mouth, then pull the mask back up to chew?

 

I am not going to spend thousands of dollars to “enjoy” a week of that - no thanks. I will take my dollars elsewhere.

 

Plus, with this requirement cruises are going to self-select to be inhabited by a bunch of miserable people who are going to freak out any time someone’s mask slips down, or any time someone inches too close to their 6 foot radius.

[WestLakeGirl]

It’s not just the mask mandate, it’s all of it.  6 foot separation between loungers at the pool? Limited numbers on an elevator at one time?  No wandering around port on your own?

 

and while they have never mentioned any of this specifically, I will bet that there will be no trivia, no slot pulls, no silent disco, no cabin crawls, No 24-hour coffee stations, No bridge playing allowed, and these are just a few of the things we look forward to

 

[K.T.B.]

1 hour ago, Miaminice said:

Why, because you are an anti-masker?

 

some people don’t mind!

 

I'm definitely NOT anti-mask, but these rules fly in the face of current CDC rules about not needing a mask outside. I was expecting rules, but these are pretty hard core, IMO, especially if you've been vaccinated. 

[KEG21552]

I rarely post, but will chime in.  While not as prolific as many on this board, we have been cruising since 1993 with 2 in each of the last (well not 2020) 3 years or so.

 

I am all for requiring the vaccine to cruise, but that is it for me.

 

If masks are required, we will not cruise.  More power to those of you who will, just not happening for us.  If I am spending that kind of $$, sitting on a balcony sipping wine isn't going to do it for me.  I can do that at home.  Being shuttled about on a tourist bus isn't going to do it for me either.

 

We have been told by many on this board to "believe the science".  Well, we got the vaccine because we were told of 95% efficacy and the chances of spread between vaccinated people, very, very small.  If I still have to wear a mask,  why the h   l did I get the vaccine?

 

Again, following the science, I don't believe those silly masks sold by the dozen in Walgreens are effective against this particular virus.

 

 

 

 

[ECCruise]

12 minutes ago, KEG21552 said:

If I still have to wear a mask,  why the h   l did I get the vaccine?

So you could continue posting on a cruise board maybe?

[deliver42]

This is getting dumb and dumber, with the CDC being the dumber.

[KEG21552]

3 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

So you could continue posting on a cruise board maybe?

Well, as you can tell from my post count, it isn't something I spend a lot of time doing so...no that isn't it.

 

What I was told, from many on this board, getting a vaccine is the quickest way back to normal.  Ok, I'll buy that, but cruising and wearing a mask outside, and indeed, whenever outside the cabin except for drinking and eating and then making sure to mask up between sips and bites, is no where near what normal is.

 

[TMLAalum]

Maybe the CDC will change its dictates abut mask-wearing and social distancing for cruises when cruiselines are allowed to require passengers to be vaccinated as they are proposing to do, but are not allowed to do so in certain states?

Edited May 7, 2021 by TMLAalum

[cruisestitch]

Is there more than one state setting up that barrier, anywhere else besides Florida?

[ECCruise]

6 minutes ago, KEG21552 said:

Well, as you can tell from my post count, it isn't something I spend a lot of time doing so...no that isn't it.

 

What I was told, from many on this board, getting a vaccine is the quickest way back to normal.  Ok, I'll buy that, but cruising and wearing a mask outside, and indeed, whenever outside the cabin except for drinking and eating and then making sure to mask up between sips and bites, is no where near what normal is.

 

What I meant was the purpose of the vaccine is to largely prevent serious illness, intubation, weeks in a hospital.  And death.  Meaning you can still post because you are vaxxed and alive. 

 

The mask thing is such an infinitesimal eventual side effect that it isn't even on my radar.

 

Spent almost 4 hours at a ball game on Wednesday night and even though we've been vaxxed since January, followed the MLB mask mandate, very similar to what would be (likely for a finite time) the procedure on ships.

My reaction?   No big deal.   YMMV. 

[jelayne]

We are vacationing now at a resort operating at 60% occupancy.  Masks are required when inside when we enter a restaurant we wear a mask, once seated the mask be removed and remain off until we leave the table.  The same for indoor bars there is no “pulling a mask down to take a bite and pulling it up to chew”.  Outdoor areas, pools, sun decks, gardens require social distancing but no masks.  Pool loungers are grouped in pairs and spaced 7- 10 feet apart. Same for tables in restaurants and bars.   When a family needs more than 2 loungers or a larger table the staff happily rearranges the furniture.

Would we prefer  not to wear a mask, sure.  But it won’t stop us from traveling or cruising from the US or elsewhere.