Please follow the rules when on a ship

[Oceansaway17]

4 hours ago, KirkNC said:

Unfortunately I am afraid there will always be some who feel entitled or disagree with a given rule and create a toxic environment.  The last two years have lowered my expectations of our fellow man to zero.

I agree.

Even before covid some folks behave badly like hog chairs, let kids run amuk, save chairs in theatre, push into elevators and butt in lines.

 

I think a lot of folks feel like "hey I paid money not get out of my way"

But when it comes to this covid, I think a lot of adults are poor examples to kids.  Kid behave better in a lot of ways because if they are told to wear a mask in order to have some kind of fun, then they do it.

Whereas some adults would argue and complain etc etc.

 

 

[AncientWanderer]

I'm really surprised everywhere we go how many scofflaws there are about masking.  Most people are kind and considerate, but some are not.  My expectation is that we will operate onboard same as we do every day now -- wear our masks and dodge those who do not wear them, and try to allow ourselves some personal space.  All this is just habit now.

 

That said, making the appeal is a nice gesture, @Gail & Marty sailing away 

[HappyInVan]

5 hours ago, KirkNC said:

The “live” poster currently on the NA reported 50 % were wearing masks around the ship.

 

Oh Dear! Not enough adults on the ship! 😳

[highland cruiser]

2 hours ago, AncientWanderer said:

I'm really surprised everywhere we go how many scofflaws there are about masking.  Most people are kind and considerate, but some are not.  My expectation is that we will operate onboard same as we do every day now -- wear our masks and dodge those who do not wear them, and try to allow ourselves some personal space.  All this is just habit now.

 

That said, making the appeal is a nice gesture, @Gail & Marty sailing away 

I agree. I also hope that most  of us will be wearing our masks in public places and following ship guidelines and social distancing whenever possible.  It will be a different atmosphere than other cruises but we are willing to do all we can to  get back on a ship safely and to stay well. 

Thank you Marty and Gail for starting this conversation.  

[Skorpora]

I wonder if proper masking is enforced (covering mouth and nose). Also I saw somewhere that neck gaiters, and masks with valves/vents are banned. Hopefully everyone acts like a grown-up and follows the rules. 

[salt water in my veins]

This thread is pointless. Just like in our everyday life, many [ including us } will wear masks, distance and wash our hands. Others will ignore the rules and will need to be told. 

 

No use preaching to some. 

[Henery]

6 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Here are the current mask rules that I can find 

 

- Guests will be required to wear face masks prior to being seated in all dining areas 

 

So once you sit down - masks off for the duration of the meal.   OK - pretty straightforward.  This won't be a problem

 

Now for the rule that may cause more trouble.

• All guests will be required to wear face masks in elevators and in designated indoor entertainment areas, all retail shops, and in the casino, except when eating or drinking.

When playing slots in the casino with a drink - can you go maskless as long as there is a drink in your hand?   Or do you have to mask up between sips?   

 

What about when in the theatre?   You are nursing a scotch - mask up between sips?  

 

When in the crows nest bar during happy hour - with a mixed drink and a bowl of nuts?   Mask off the whole time or only between sips and bites.    

The airlines require you to mask up between sips 

 

Everyone will have a different interpretation - I suspect the crew will be very liberal - but some passengers may feel it is their duty to remind people of of their interpretation of the mask rules.

 

So - where do you stand on the Crows Nest scenario?    Mask up between sips ?  Or as long as you have a bowl of nuts and drink infront of you - go maskless since you are EATING or Drinking?

 

 

Maskup to talk?

[Heartgrove]

On a recent Viking cruise, passengers would fail to put their mask back on while getting seconds or dessert while standing in line. We also were required to have a contact tracer medallion. It was intended to be worn around the neck with the provided lanyard. Amazing, according to some of the CC threads, as to where they actually carried them. TMI, please!

[cruisetheworld67]

LOL! I am laughing at this! Can't help it! So THIS is an enjoyable vacation? Too funny!

This reminds me of all the endless threads on "appropriate" attire for formal ( now GALA nights) and how some expressed that their cruise was just "ruined" because of how others dressed during dinner!

Chill out.   Some people may not be clear on the rules. Some may not have a mask covering their mouth AND nose. I see this ALL the time and it is mostly with the elderly! 

Some do not wear a mask correctly. HAL recommends a "medical grade " mask. What the hell is that? I wear a cheap  surgical mask. Especially if I need to wear a new one every day. Buy them in bulk.

I am sure some will wear 2  or even 3 masks. Some will wear only N 95 masks. Guarantee there are those that will criticize others for only wearing a "cheap"  mask. "THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR PART TO PROTECT OTHERS!"

Some will probably chose to bathe in gallons of sanitizer gel. Whatever. This is getting ridiculous!

Believe me, I am one to follow the rules; but if this  is what it takes to cruise......I will wait.  As I am sure many others will.  Just NOT worth my time or money. HAve fun!

[mightycruisequeen]

12 minutes ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

LOL! I am laughing at this! Can't help it! So THIS is an enjoyable vacation? Too funny!

This reminds me of all the endless threads on "appropriate" attire for formal ( now GALA nights) and how some expressed that their cruise was just "ruined" because of how others dressed during dinner!

Chill out.   Some people may not be clear on the rules. Some may not have a mask covering their mouth AND nose. I see this ALL the time and it is mostly with the elderly! 

Some do not wear a mask correctly. HAL recommends a "medical grade " mask. What the hell is that? I wear a cheap  surgical mask. Especially if I need to wear a new one every day. Buy them in bulk.

I am sure some will wear 2  or even 3 masks. Some will wear only N 95 masks. Guarantee there are those that will criticize others for only wearing a "cheap"  mask. "THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR PART TO PROTECT OTHERS!"

Some will probably chose to bathe in gallons of sanitizer gel. Whatever. This is getting ridiculous!

Believe me, I am one to follow the rules; but if this  is what it takes to cruise......I will wait.  As I am sure many others will.  Just NOT worth my time or money. HAve fun!

Thank you!  Your post was truly a breath of fresh air.

[bobpatj]

Everyone on the NA Alaska cruises have received one mask per person in their staterooms on arrival.  They are the nicest I’ve ever worn and continue to use it at home.

[Nymich]

8 hours ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

 Some may not have a mask covering their mouth AND nose. I see this ALL the time and it is mostly with the elderly! 

Some do not wear a mask correctly

This is so true they need to get an old man memo out to cover your nose!  

[Boatdrill]

On 8/22/2021 at 9:33 AM, jimgev said:

Unfortunately, there will always be those narcissistic personalities who believe that rules are meant for everyone except them.

Yes...a quick drive into town will affirm that !  Basic rules of the road have been thrown out the window. 

[RGEDad]

10 hours ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

Some people may not be clear on the rules. Some may not have a mask covering their mouth AND nose. I see this ALL the time and it is mostly with the elderly! 

Hmmm - Isn't this statement called "ageism"?

 

I think it is mostly those who are inconsiderate of their nearby fellow Humans...

[salt water in my veins]

4 hours ago, Nymich said:

12 hours ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

LOL! I am laughing at this! Can't help it! So THIS is an enjoyable vacation? Too funny!

This reminds me of all the endless threads on "appropriate" attire for formal ( now GALA nights) and how some expressed that their cruise was just "ruined" because of how others dressed during dinner!

Chill out.   Some people may not be clear on the rules. Some may not have a mask covering their mouth AND nose. I see this ALL the time and it is mostly with the elderly! 

Some do not wear a mask correctly. HAL recommends a "medical grade " mask. What the hell is that? I wear a cheap  surgical mask. Especially if I need to wear a new one every day. Buy them in bulk.

I am sure some will wear 2  or even 3 masks. Some will wear only N 95 masks. Guarantee there are those that will criticize others for only wearing a "cheap"  mask. "THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR PART TO PROTECT OTHERS!"

Some will probably chose to bathe in gallons of sanitizer gel. Whatever. This is getting ridiculous!

Believe me, I am one to follow the rules; but if this  is what it takes to cruise......I will wait.  As I am sure many others will.  Just NOT worth my time or money. HAve fun!

 

 

11 hours ago, mightycruisequeen said:

You summed it up perfectly.  Mask police will be patrolling the ship, to ensure that other cruisers are doing everything perfectly. 

 

[St. Louis Sal]

12 hours ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

LOL! I am laughing at this! Can't help it! So THIS is an enjoyable vacation? Too funny!

This reminds me of all the endless threads on "appropriate" attire for formal ( now GALA nights) and how some expressed that their cruise was just "ruined" because of how others dressed during dinner!

Chill out.   Some people may not be clear on the rules. Some may not have a mask covering their mouth AND nose. I see this ALL the time and it is mostly with the elderly! 

Some do not wear a mask correctly. HAL recommends a "medical grade " mask. What the hell is that? I wear a cheap  surgical mask. Especially if I need to wear a new one every day. Buy them in bulk.

I am sure some will wear 2  or even 3 masks. Some will wear only N 95 masks. Guarantee there are those that will criticize others for only wearing a "cheap"  mask. "THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR PART TO PROTECT OTHERS!"

Some will probably chose to bathe in gallons of sanitizer gel. Whatever. This is getting ridiculous!

Believe me, I am one to follow the rules; but if this  is what it takes to cruise......I will wait.  As I am sure many others will.  Just NOT worth my time or money. HAve fun!

Where we are now is a combination of a very uneven playing field (it's hard to keep up with the rules from place to place, day to day) and a reluctance among some people to be inconvenienced in any way.  It does seem to be related to those age old topics of chair hogs and parents allowing their children to run amok.   Some people just have an entitled viewpoint and find being asked to do something that they don't want to do...well they just ignore it and do their own thing.

 

There is excellent information in many places about the efficacy of various types of masks.  And if someone finds masks uncomfortable, some research into better fitting ones would be worthwhile.  The one thing that would really inconvenience someone on a cruise would be to get sick with Covid.

 

Just a reminder that "chill out" belittles the seriousness of both the disease and the precautions that may help stop it's spread. If someone is not wearing a mask or not wearing it correctly, if they are told about it, they should comply with grace or as you suggested, they can stay home until Covid is no longer so prevalent. And I hope that the sanitizer is not unduly harsh on your skin if you are bathing in it and you're are not hogging it so that others find it in short supply.  There is ridiculousness out there, but it's interpretation and application is quite different from one of us to another.

 

St Louis Sal  

[St. Louis Sal]

On 8/22/2021 at 2:08 PM, seaoma said:

For months and months I've read posts here where people were so concerned for the crew and their livelihood and now, when they get the first chance to get onboard, they potentially put crew at risk, both for their health and their employment.

 

Does anyone think that the cruise lines may have learned a thing or two about the cruises that have been sailing in the past few weeks? Perhaps there is more active infection on the ship than they want, so they have added a couple of additional layers of protection to try and slow it down, making it safer for all, passengers and crew, to sail. I am all for that and I would have thought more than half of us would have wanted it too.

I have no inside information so some of this is speculation on my part, but I believe a part of restarting cruising depended on arrangements with the various ports for the care of ill passengers/crew in the event of a Covid outbreak.  This was an issue at the shutdown.  And I remember as the last two HAL ships pulled into Fort Lauderdale, how appalled I was at the comments being shared on the TV station chat as they were livestreaming the docking.  People were quite upset at the very idea of bringing sick patients off the ship.  The cruise lines can't risk a repeat of such an event.  As cases have risen sharply not only in America, but in other ports of call, there may need to be more stringent passenger/crew safety procedures to comply.  I realize Florida seems to be in an anything goes frame of mind, but I think other places don't share that same attitude.

 

St Louis Sal

[Hlitner]

Ok folks, there are many different opinions and strong feelings about this stuff.  But this thread just reinforces our decision to stick with the more upscale lines (that have reasonable rules) and save HAL for the future when they get their act together.  On our recent 2 week Seabourn Cruise (a company closely allied with HAL) in Greece passengers were not required to wear masks anywhere on the ship.  All passengers and crew were vaccinated, everyone was tested at embarkation and weekly thereafter.  On board we seldom heard any discussion about COVID as most of us would chat about the Greek Islands (where we were cruising) and travel.   The "rules" being implemented by some lines will just cause issues aboard.    I should also mention that a few months ago we spent a week at a wonderful All-Inclusive in Mexico where there were no mask or social distancing "rules."  Again, it was a wonderful vacation where COVID was seldom a topic.  Folks just had fun and enjoyed the normalcy.

 

After reading the HAL rules I wonder if they will provide masks with a small one-way valve so folks can eat their liquified meals and drinks without removing their mask.  It is not that I am opposed to wearing masks (DW and I properly wear N95 masks when in transit) but I would not want to be on a ship where masking is a constant on again...off again...experience.  Yesterday when traveling through Dulles airport (where we arrived from Greece) it was absurd to see the absurdity of some rules.  We had to take those old Dulles shuttle buses from the plane to the immigration area.  In those bus-like vehicles there were many signs ordering social distancing.  And yet the folks at Dulles packed lots of folks into each vehicle so any social distancing was impossible.   It was the same at Istanbul's airport where there were constant announcements about social distancing.  But for flights to the USA they packed hundreds into a secure gate area like being in a sardine can!

 

By the way, it was fun traveling in Greece where their government seems to have adopted a common sense approach to COVID.  Yes, there are rules but they actually make a lot of sense.  When we were on various beaches we never saw a soul wearing a mask other then a few employees of the beach bars.  Most dining was outdoors, but on the islands we never saw anyone wearing a mask to walk into a restaurant to only remove it a few seconds later.  But if you went into shops some would have a capacity limit and require masks inside.  And they did strictly enforce mask wearing on the ferries (some of these are as large as cruise ships) at the inside seating areas...but there was no enforcement for those who sat in the outside areas.   As previously mentioned, neither the Greek government or Seabourn required any passenger masking on our ship.  However they do still require that the crew wear masks (it is rumored that this requirement will soon be removed).

 

Hank

[Mary229]

I think this thread has a broader intent and that is if you want to cruise, read the rules and be willing to comply before you hit "buy".  Once on the ship do not make the crew miserable.  If you have a complaint send a letter to management.  

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I think this thread has a broader intent and that is if you want to cruise, read the rules and be willing to comply before you hit "buy".  Once on the ship do not make the crew miserable.  If you have a complaint send a letter to management.  

Mary, I do think you have some cruise experience and know that there are always some folks who think that rules are for others :(.  Think of it like some politicians who preach mask wearing and constantly get caught at private events with no mask.  Or consider all the folks that save deck loungers on ships when it is contrary to the rules.

 

Speaking of the crew, on our recent cruise it was such a wonderful experience enhanced by a crew who were as happy to be back on a ship as the passengers.  One crew member actually told me she thought it was like we were all members of the same club :).

 

Hank

[St. Louis Sal]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Folks just had fun and enjoyed the normalcy.

I think normalcy in this instance is a bit of a misnomer. It’s like a fairy tale where you think you live in this bubble, untouched by reality. I doubt that any of the places you’ve been were 100% free of Covid. And the comments about airport experiences reinforce that normalcy misnomer and frankly make me feel eeeww. Travel has always been a bit of a gamble, never more so than now. 
 

St Louis Sal

[Hlitner]

1 minute ago, St. Louis Sal said:

I think normalcy in this instance is a bit of a misnomer. It’s like a fairy tale where you think you live in this bubble, untouched by reality. I doubt tat any of the places you’ve been were 100% free of Covid. And the comments about airport experiences reinforce that normalcy misnomer and frankly make me feel eeeww. Travel has always been a bit of a gamble, never more so than now. 
 

St Louis Sal

I was trying to be very honest.  In travel mode (airports and ferries) it was obvious that the ugly hand of COVID was everywhere on on folks' minds.  But on the Greek Islands we truly felt in very normal times.  Sure, COVID does exist (as does flu and other diseases) but there are plenty of folks (including DW and me) that have learned how to live (mentally) with COVID and resume normal activities.  This was probably best displayed in the narrow streets of old town Naoussa, Paris which was packed with tourists every evening from about 9 (considered the early time to eat dinner) until well after midnight.  Restaurants were full (no obvious capacity control), masking was rare, and folks were obviously having lots of fun.  As is usual you would see many large tables (families and friends) just like in pre COVID times.  These folks (and you can include me in that crowd) came to the islands to escape the COVID mentality.   To quote a man (at the next table) from Utrecht, Belgium, "this is a crowd that knows how to live with COVID."

 

I do agree with you that travel is more of a gamble today then pre-COVID.  But then there are an awful lot of folks who are gamblers (or who at least have a high risk tolerance).  The point of my post is that one can find some normalcy in the travel world if they go to the right places.  From my perspective (having just traveled internationally for over 3 weeks) the only place I felt uneasy with the risk quotient was in airports and the ferry ports.   To be blunt, having been fully vaccinated I do not see my personal (or DW's) risk any greater then traveling during a bad flu season.    I should add that one nice thing about the Greek Islands in the summer is that one can spend most of their time outdoors...be it at beaches, restaurants, bars, etc.  We never ate a meal (on the islands) indoors and avoided indoor bars/clubs. 

 

Hank

[Mary229]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

some folks who think that rules are for others :(. 

Now that is a whole new thread, I think we have our hands full with the covid threads😁

 

In all of my travels I really try to avoid trouble and troublemakers.  We will put up with a little discomfort and inconvenience to avoid those folks.  

[HappyCamper49]

On 8/22/2021 at 12:11 PM, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Please everyone, follow the rules when on a ship so it does not ruin it for others . If they ask you to wear a mask, WEAR IT.   It is not fair for the crew to have to remind you, they work hard enough.  Be considerate of others please, the rules are made for a reason.  If it's too difficult or uncomfortable for you to wear a mask while on a ship, maybe you shouldn't be cruising at this time.   Do we really want any cruise to be aborted? 

Excellent advice, though there are always those who think rules "do not apply to THEM."

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

1 minute ago, HappyCamper49 said:

Excellent advice, though there are always those who think rules "do not apply to THEM."

THANKS  These are  different times . and we all have to do our part . even me ..