Four positive cases on Silhouette

[petrosh]

We were on the cruise and heard the Captain's announcement. He also mentioned that all contacts had been traced. Conversation with various crew produced no extra information, they appeared well briefed to avoid talking about the cases. Mask wearing among adults was generally good. Celebrity masks were provided in our stateroom. However with so many opportunities to eat and drink a good deal of the time we were not wearing masks when in public. Occasionally I forgot my mask and was never challenged. This cruise also allowed shore visits independently. I hope that the contact was not on such a visit as it would mean another clamp down. What children and young people who were on board were not interesting in doing the things we were and so we saw little of them. Looking forward to my next cruise with Celebrity.

[SeaHunt]

15 hours ago, pumpkin 11 said:

This is ridiculous, every time we have a positive case we have to get upset? I'm done getting upset over this, especially if the cruises keep going regardless. 

 

The cruises will keep going because their protocols are working 😊.

 

And I do applaud Celebrity for their transparency, unlike Carnival about the 27 cases on Vista where you heard... <crickets>

 

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, Wednesday, August 11th, 2021:  Belize received the Carnival Vista today with 2895 guests and 1441 crew on board. As per the normal protocol, upon submission of the Maritime Declaration by the ship in anticipation of its call to Belize the ship reported that it had on board 27 positive cases, 26 of which were crew members and 1 passenger. As a result, the Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, along with his team from the Ministry and the Belize Tourism Board, met virtually with officials from the Carnival Vista on August 10th, 2021 to discuss the notification that persons aboard the vessel tested positive for COVID-19. 

 

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Press-Release----CARNIVAL-VISTA-PORT-CALL-TO-BELIZE-CITY.html?soid=1105674443419&aid=pRDExy-q1lY

 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by SeaHunt
added info

[LGW59]

15 hours ago, pumpkin 11 said:

This is ridiculous, every time we have a positive case we have to get upset? I'm done getting upset over this, especially if the cruises keep going regardless. 

Agree, just like life, we need to keep going.  Seems the lines are doing a darn good job, from what I have read from folks who have actually been on board.  Though there will still be a post here anytime there is a reported case on board.  

[pumpkin 11]

12 hours ago, Oxo said:

Why make excuses for people not wearing masks, regardless of age? 

 Why make excuses for crew not enforcing mask wearing.

I think posting cases on these forums by ship is very worth while. This gives all of us a feel for what is going on. 

UK or US, this affects us all. This is a world problem that is getting worse. 

This is not a Dress Code issue.

We should all follow the rules on this subject. 

Stay Safe! 

 

Well if they don’t want to protect themselves than I don’t see why us vaccinated need to worry 

[phoenix_dream]

Point one - COVID will be with us for years in all likelihood.  Getting tired of all the postings here and on FB every time someone tests positive.  Sorry folks, but that will be the norm going forward, not the exception.  Can we limit the alarm posts to major breakouts pretty please.

 

Point two - IMHO ships should require 100% vaccinated.  Period.  Until the world reaches herd immunity and cases are much less frequent.  Unfair to families with kids?  Life is unfair.  The virus is unfair.  The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.  Star Trek had it right.  We need to do what is right for the majority.  

[Shadow9612]

16 hours ago, phoenix1975 said:

I totally appreciate that adults and children alike should be wearing masks but you will never have 100% of people wearing their masks 100% of the time. 

 

Then those people should not be getting on a ship.  The parents knew the cruiseline rules, and are responsible for ensuring their kids are following them.  

 

14 hours ago, Oxo said:

Why make excuses for people not wearing masks, regardless of age? 

 Why make excuses for crew not enforcing mask wearing.

I think posting cases on these forums by ship is very worth while. This gives all of us a feel for what is going on. 

UK or US, this affects us all. This is a world problem that is getting worse. 

This is not a Dress Code issue.

We should all follow the rules on this subject. 

Exactly!  Thank you.  

[techwatcher]

29 minutes ago, laslomas said:

Why would anyone book a cruise, knowing the rules, and ignore them? and why make a mask wearing rule if it is not going to be enforced?  

Some people just won't follow rules - this is the case with life in general and not just the rules around Covid-19.

For a business, enforcement of mask wearing is difficult. All you can do is encourage guests to wear a mask. If guests refuse then there isn't much that Celebrity can do - well, they could debark those who refuse to wear a mask, but that wouldn't go down well or be great PR. 

[Miaminice]

28 minutes ago, pward123 said:

If guests refuse then there isn't much that Celebrity can do - well, they could debark those who refuse to wear a mask, but that wouldn't go down well or be great PR. 

Disagree! This would be the same with any rule – drinking, smoking, muster drill… 

If the rules are in place, they should and must be enforced. In case of masks it’s not just a recommendation, it’s a legal issue. On Apex for example the mask mandate is a Greek regulation connected to the approval of sailing. So PR about actually enforcing official regulations is the least problem. 
 

 

 

[techwatcher]

39 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

Disagree! This would be the same with any rule – drinking, smoking, muster drill… 

If the rules are in place, they should and must be enforced. In case of masks it’s not just a recommendation, it’s a legal issue. On Apex for example the mask mandate is a Greek regulation connected to the approval of sailing. So PR about actually enforcing official regulations is the least problem. 
 

 

 

I agree that mask wearing should be enforced and placing it in the same category as smoking would be a way of enforcing it. I think it's unlikely this will happen. Businesses, including hospitality, certainly in the UK, have taken a fairly light touch approach to mask wearing. It's only a legal issue in some jurisdictions - it is no longer a legal issue in the UK where Silhouette is currently sailing. 

[Bo1953]

7 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Point one - COVID will be with us for years in all likelihood.  Getting tired of all the postings here and on FB every time someone tests positive.  Sorry folks, but that will be the norm going forward, not the exception.  Can we limit the alarm posts to major breakouts pretty please.

 

Point two - IMHO ships should require 100% vaccinated.  Period.  Until the world reaches herd immunity and cases are much less frequent.  Unfair to families with kids?  Life is unfair.  The virus is unfair.  The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.  Star Trek had it right.  We need to do what is right for the majority.  

Point one - there are a little over 2m other posts which have nothing to do with C19 that one can peruse and skip over the ones with it in the title; and

 

Point two -
"100% vaccinated" may evolve, yet not now as the world works through this health issue as well.

 

Well, IMO, the needs of the many clearly does not include pleasure sailing in the least bit, which from your comments means that the 'desires' of the few outweigh the many in this activity regardless OR have I mis-understood your point in relation to cruising??? Children aboard or not.

 

To be clear, nothing wrong with wanting to get on a ship and do our thing, yet until there is a surefire vaccine and enough individuals around the world, where ships visit especially, the needs of the many really need to be thought about and acted on so we all can resume travel as we formerly did to some degree or another.

 

In health and bon voyage

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, pward123 said:

Some people just won't follow rules - this is the case with life in general and not just the rules around Covid-19.

For a business, enforcement of mask wearing is difficult. All you can do is encourage guests to wear a mask. If guests refuse then there isn't much that Celebrity can do - well, they could debark those who refuse to wear a mask, but that wouldn't go down well or be great PR. 

It sure does go down well for those of us who wish to sail as safely as possible.

 

Great PR showing that X cares about our health and will go to great lengths to protect us as far as possible with enforcement actions.

 

In Philadelphia, City of, there is a mandate which requires businesses to either only allow individuals in if they show proof of vaccination or everyone entering the business must wear a mask.

 

What X can do is dis-embark at the next port, those who flaunt the rules. The rules are very clear before boarding, so any 'excuses' after boarding is not sufficient to stay aboard IMO.

 

In health and bon voyage

[Miaminice]

33 minutes ago, pward123 said:

It's only a legal issue in some jurisdictions - it is no longer a legal issue in the UK where Silhouette is currently sailing. 

 

Not quite correct. While one thing on land it´s another on ships. The permission to sail was given under the condition certain policies are implemented. Masks are part of the policies. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Miaminice

[phoenix1975]

2 hours ago, Miaminice said:

 

Not quite correct. While one thing on land it´s another on ships. The permission to sail was given under the condition certain policies are implemented. Masks are part of the policies. 

I get where you are coming from as I will still be wearing a mask indoors but as other posters have said, the law has changed recently and particularly since we've been booking cruises. The regulations that cruise lines have to follow were originally written in October 2020 but state that the current UK law has to be taken into account.

 

These regulations state that face coverings should be worn in the terminal and onboard where it's not possible to have an appropriate social distance based on risk assessments but they don't go as far as to make them mandatory. In England, the requirement to wear a face covering has been lifted but the government encourages and recommends them in certain instances, and to complicate matters, the other 3 nations have their own rules and don't all change them on the same date e.g. it's still mandatory to wear a face covering on public transport in Scotland, but not in England since the 19th July.

 

Unfortunately, Celebrity are sending out mixed messages which is one reason it could be difficult to enforce - on the one hand, they say for UK sailings, masks must be worn, but throughout the health guidance on the website for instance, it says that where local government regulations differ, they will comply with local requirements. 

[C-Dragons]

10 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

 The virus is unfair.  The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.  GeStar Trek had it right.  We need to do what is right for the majority.  

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one”.
I agree and have been saying the same for months.

The universal need is for every person who is able, to be vaccinated. Those who refuse, for whatever reason they have chosen to cling to, seem to have no interest in protecting themselves, or others. Perhaps if people modified their way of thinking about the virus to “It takes a village” to defeat it, things might change. But that's just wishful thinking on my part knowing human nature.

[Saturngrl]

With all of the talk about masks, how about a discussion of passenger compliance with hand hygiene?   Door knobs, elevator buttons, railings, plastic-covered menus,....I consider every hard surface as contaminated and use hand sanitizer/wash hands frequently.   I've been doing this BEFORE Covid, when Norovirus was the biggest health concern of cruising.   Sadly,  on every cruise I've ever sailed, I witnessed too many passengers refusing the hand sanitizer offered at restaurant entrances, the casino and other on board venues.   

 

Just a thought....

[C-Dragons]

1 minute ago, Saturngrl said:

With all of the talk about masks, how about a discussion of passenger compliance with hand hygiene?   Door knobs, elevator buttons, railings, plastic-covered menus,....I consider every hard surface as contaminated and use hand sanitizer/wash hands frequently.   I've been doing this BEFORE Covid, when Norovirus was the biggest health concern of cruising.   Sadly,  on every cruise I've ever sailed, I witnessed too many passengers refusing the hand sanitizer offered at restaurant entrances, the casino and other on board venues.   

 

Just a thought....

Please don’t assume everyone who's seen not using the hand sanitizer provided by the cruise line means that they are being unhygienic.

Many years ago the hand sanitizers provided by X made my hands raw and eventually crack and bleed when I used them on board. Since then we have been bringing our own hand sanitizers and disinfectants on every trip and carry them with us at all times on the ship and everywhere we go outside our home.

[Miaminice]

@phoenix1975

Regardless of Covid guidelines, consistent and uniform information has never been Celebrity´s forte.

BTW:
Here´s a good overview
⁠https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/celebrity-healthy-at-sea-protocols.pdf⁠

Edited August 16, 2021 by Miaminice

[ch175]

On 8/14/2021 at 11:51 AM, Sussex Cruiser said:

Just disembarked this morning.  The Captain announced yesterday that they had four positive cases on board, consisting of 1 passenger and 3 crew members (who are all vaccinated).  It came a few hours after they were doing the pre-disembarkation testing of the under 18's, although there was no information about whether the passenger was under 18 or not.  Though, it wouldn't suprise me as the adherance to mask wearing by almost every single child was non-existent, and there was zero enforcement by the crew.

 

I wonder how many more will test positive in the next few days now.

How many cases would there have been had there been 100% wearing of masks by the unvaccinated kids?

 

Can you answer that? 
 

[ch175]

19 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Point one - COVID will be with us for years in all likelihood.  Getting tired of all the postings here and on FB every time someone tests positive.  Sorry folks, but that will be the norm going forward, not the exception.  Can we limit the alarm posts to major breakouts pretty please.

 

Point two - IMHO ships should require 100% vaccinated.  Period.  Until the world reaches herd immunity and cases are much less frequent.  Unfair to families with kids?  Life is unfair.  The virus is unfair.  The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.  Star Trek had it right.  We need to do what is right for the majority.  

Since the risks are much greater for older people, wouldn’t the safest course of action be to limit cruising to vaccinated passengers under the age of 60?

[AC Stew]

Whatever "virus" was imbedded in Pumpkins' multi posts has caused me a few problems. I've been unable to post for hours. True, we're not supposed to be discussing Covid (outside of direct relation to cruising), but I didn't think that my comment would warrant getting the proverbial boot! I actually thought that might have happened!

 

In point of fact, I'm not a medical professional or epidemiologist. But I'm pretty sure that Pumpkin 11 isn't either. I think I can comfortably say that his/her comments are ... um ... wrong.

 

That's the end of this for me; I don't want to kicked off for real!

[C-Dragons]

1 minute ago, ch175 said:

Since the risks are much greater for older people, wouldn’t the safest course of action be to limit cruising to vaccinated passengers under the age of 60?

Ageism? I don’t think so.

There are many people over the age of 60 who happen to be healthier than a lot of people much younger than them. Those people also have more time and resources to cruise.

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, ch175 said:

Since the risks are much greater for older people, wouldn’t the safest course of action be to limit cruising to vaccinated passengers under the age of 60?

No. Keep all unvaccinated off for the time being

[LGW59]

13 minutes ago, ch175 said:

How many cases would there have been had there been 100% wearing of masks by the unvaccinated kids?

 

Can you answer that? 
 

How many if ONLY vaccinated pax allowed?  Can you answer that?

[Oceangoer2]

32 minutes ago, AC Stew said:

Whatever "virus" was imbedded in Pumpkins' multi posts has caused me a few problems. I've been unable to post for hours. True, we're not supposed to be discussing Covid (outside of direct relation to cruising), but I didn't think that my comment would warrant getting the proverbial boot! I actually thought that might have happened!

 

In point of fact, I'm not a medical professional or epidemiologist. But I'm pretty sure that Pumpkin 11 isn't either. I think I can comfortably say that his/her comments are ... um ... wrong.

 

That's the end of this for me; I don't want to kicked off for real!

Your comment is odd, in that when Pumpkins' multi posts came through, I said I would report it as a possible virus.  Her post is still there, mine is removed...along with everything else I've posted.  Any idea why?  No recriminations or complaints or mention of anything that SHOULDN'T be mentioned on CC.

[LGW59]

35 minutes ago, AC Stew said:

Whatever "virus" was imbedded in Pumpkins' multi posts has caused me a few problems. I've been unable to post for hours. True, we're not supposed to be discussing Covid (outside of direct relation to cruising), but I didn't think that my comment would warrant getting the proverbial boot! I actually thought that might have happened!

 

In point of fact, I'm not a medical professional or epidemiologist. But I'm pretty sure that Pumpkin 11 isn't either. I think I can comfortably say that his/her comments are ... um ... wrong.

 

That's the end of this for me; I don't want to kicked off for real!

Jeez, it was obviously an IT glitch on CC, (they have been having them all day) quite certain pumpkin was not posting the exact same message at the exact same time 13x