Sky Princess implements new mask wearing rule … sip and cover!

[fishnchips]

10 hours ago, milolii said:

Isn’t there another current thread about passengers testing positive from the last sailing on the Sky?  

Seems like if the policy changed you should be given some compensation, but this is the U.K. (Right?); and I am not familiar with the policies. 


 

 

So I was on this cruise ,I haven't been pinged ( not got app )or tested positive but this guy got pinged the day before he got off after the ship went to many ports ,so I am sure he didn't stay on board for 10 days ?

And cabin walls are so thin that the app would have picked up Many signals ....

Walk past any busy place in the UK and expect to get pinged that's why many people deleted the NHS app ? Sure he did a LFT test but in the USA they have been discarded because they are unreliable .

[hunt182644]

Next thing coming will probably be is bite and mask. 😉☹️

[TXcruiser13]

I will absolutely respect all mask requirements up until the moment I sit down with a cocktail. I plan to enjoy it with my mask off, as cocktails in my hands don’t have a shelf life long enough to repeatedly put it down and remask. Hehe! Hubby and I will most likely spend most of our time around the pool and on our balcony where we needn’t worry about it. 
 

We are on the Emerald Princess for 10 days on 11/06, then on an RCI cruise for Christmas, then the Sky Princess Moroccan Passage TA next March, an American River Cruises Columbia River cruise in May, and a big 18 day ME cruise on Norwegian in Feb ‘23. 
 

I won’t make it on all these trips if these mask mandates remain. I’ll happily cancel them and choose a more freedom-loving form of vacation. I am a practical woman, but these silly on/off masking rules have little scientific data to back them up. They are simply feel-good measures for the most part. 

[devonuk]

1 hour ago, TXcruiser13 said:

I will absolutely respect all mask requirements up until the moment I sit down with a cocktail. I plan to enjoy it with my mask off, as cocktails in my hands don’t have a shelf life long enough to repeatedly put it down and remask. Hehe! Hubby and I will most likely spend most of our time around the pool and on our balcony where we needn’t worry about it. 
 

We are on the Emerald Princess for 10 days on 11/06, then on an RCI cruise for Christmas, then the Sky Princess Moroccan Passage TA next March, an American River Cruises Columbia River cruise in May, and a big 18 day ME cruise on Norwegian in Feb ‘23. 
 

I won’t make it on all these trips if these mask mandates remain. I’ll happily cancel them and choose a more freedom-loving form of vacation. I am a practical woman, but these silly on/off masking rules have little scientific data to back them up. They are simply feel-good measures for the most part. 

Currently in La Coruna on the Sky and to set the record straight I can say that the mask rule is mostly observed where it should be but it certainly isn’t in the bars as a sip and cover exercise. When moving around the ship I see very few unmasked but in the bars and The Piazza it’s pretty much ignored. The Theatre is a mask wearing zone and I’ve not actually seen anyone ignoring this but that said the ‘warnings’ are plentiful prior to each performance. 
The main benefit for me under the Covid rules is that I’m not ‘picking’ in the buffet as it’s served so I’m probably a few pounds lighter than my usual cruise 👍😎

[wowzz]

48 minutes ago, devonuk said:

Currently in La Coruna on the Sky and to set the record straight I can say that the mask rule is mostly observed where it should be but it certainly isn’t in the bars as a sip and cover exercise. When moving around the ship I see very few unmasked but in the bars and The Piazza it’s pretty much ignored. The Theatre is a mask wearing zone and I’ve not actually seen anyone ignoring this but that said the ‘warnings’ are plentiful prior to each performance. 
The main benefit for me under the Covid rules is that I’m not ‘picking’ in the buffet as it’s served so I’m probably a few pounds lighter than my usual cruise 👍😎

Thanks for the update.  I have no problem with mask wearing, but feel that the sip and cover rule is a step too far. Glad to see that when we board on Friday we will be able to sip away  to our heart's content !

[fishnchips]

I've just seen on the cruise news on cruise critic that Virgin Voyages maiden sailing is reporting that masks are optional and most are NOT wearing them ....👍

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

2 hours ago, devonuk said:

Currently in La Coruna on the Sky and to set the record straight I can say that the mask rule is mostly observed where it should be but it certainly isn’t in the bars as a sip and cover exercise. When moving around the ship I see very few unmasked but in the bars and The Piazza it’s pretty much ignored. The Theatre is a mask wearing zone and I’ve not actually seen anyone ignoring this but that said the ‘warnings’ are plentiful prior to each performance. 
The main benefit for me under the Covid rules is that I’m not ‘picking’ in the buffet as it’s served so I’m probably a few pounds lighter than my usual cruise 👍😎

But isn't your cruise 7 days?

 

For 7 day cruises the sip and cover rule does not apply in the bars!

 

It is only cruises of more than 10 days... like our cruise which is 14 days.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

9 minutes ago, fishnchips said:

I've just seen on the cruise news on cruise critic that Virgin Voyages maiden sailing is reporting that masks are optional and most are NOT wearing them ....👍

 

Exactly, the same IIRC is true on Carnival.

This sip and cover is nothing to do with safety IMO regardless of what they say. There is no precedent and no evidence to support it anywhere.

[logan25]

I will just point out that unnecessary touching of face masks increases the risk of contaminating wearer’s hands.

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

But isn't your cruise 7 days?

 

For 7 day cruises the sip and cover rule does not apply in the bars!

 

It is only cruises of more than 10 days... like our cruise which is 14 days.

But every passenger on this cruise was sent a letter stating that sip and cover was to be implemented in bars. The letter came from the captain, who can overrule the HO regulations.  

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

23 minutes ago, wowzz said:

But every passenger on this cruise was sent a letter stating that sip and cover was to be implemented in bars. The letter came from the captain, who can overrule the HO regulations.  

Seems like no one at Princess know what is going on themselves!!!

 

Crazy!

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Asked again for FCC today... still no... and this against a backdrop of very high covid cases and rising (nearly 50,000 today!!!) and talk of the government implementing Plan B (whatever that turns out to be it will be too little too late as seems to be our government's habit!).

 

So it is looking like I will have to go on this cruise.

 

I realise that Princess won't lose sleep over losing one customer but it will be my last Princess cruise. I am certain I would get better treatment from P&O.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Snaxmuppet

[tonyd285]

I'm considering cancelling my planned trip on the Sky.  We were recently on the Celebrity Millennium.  Same vaccine and test protocol.  No masks required anywhere on the ship.  Since everyone is vaccinated and tested just prior to sailing it seems like overreach.  There were no issues among passengers or crew.  Seems like Princess should rethink their insistence on masks on board.

[lakegirl89]

On 10/18/2021 at 6:26 PM, chrisinaz said:

We were on the 10/5 sailing and are from the USA. The sip and cover rule was announced in the theater  prior to performances. We spent a good deal of time in Vines and were never told to put a mask on while we were there or pretty much at any dining venue for that matter. We did wear them on the elevators(which are still a maximum of 4 people) and while walking around, Obviously NOT in the staterooms. I completely understand people not wanting  to wear masks as it is not great fun BUT right now if this is how you want to take a holiday it is something you are going to be stuck with.  On a positive note we thought they really did a very good job with all the covid stuff, we had a great time, the crew was great , the ship was beautiful (but big) so for us this was not an issue at all.

If anyone has any specific questions about the Sky please ask as we just got home yesterday and are happy to provide real time answers

Thanks for this info. Are all the bars and night clubs open? 

[maggieq]

4 hours ago, tonyd285 said:

I'm considering cancelling my planned trip on the Sky.  We were recently on the Celebrity Millennium.  Same vaccine and test protocol.  No masks required anywhere on the ship.  Since everyone is vaccinated and tested just prior to sailing it seems like overreach.  There were no issues among passengers or crew.  Seems like Princess should rethink their insistence on masks on board.

We were on the edge in September and enjoyed a very good cruise and freedom from the mask.  Reluctant to go on other cruise lines until they relax the rules. 

[Thrak]

Sip and Cover:

 

[caribill]

12 hours ago, tonyd285 said:

 Since everyone is vaccinated and tested just prior to sailing it seems like overreach.  There were no issues among passengers or crew.  Seems like Princess should rethink their insistence on masks on board.

 

Testing negative on embarkation day means you have no detectable levels of Covid-19 at the time of the test.

 

But you could still be infected without enough infection to be detected.

 

At a time when Covid-19 is running rampant on shore, a little extra precaution (mask wearing) on board can prevent potential spread.

[wowzz]

24 minutes ago, caribill said:

At a time when Covid-19 is running rampant on shore, a little extra precaution (mask wearing) on board can prevent potential spread.

I don't think anyone disputes that. It is the sip and cover policy that is irrational.  My wife and I  can share a table,  unmasked, with four complete strangers in the MDR, but once my wife and I sit in a bar at a table for two, we need to be masked.  How is that logical ? 

[devonuk]

On 10/19/2021 at 5:47 PM, Snaxmuppet said:

But isn't your cruise 7 days?

 

For 7 day cruises the sip and cover rule does not apply in the bars!

 

It is only cruises of more than 10 days... like our cruise which is 14 days.

I’m on the ship now and it’s definitely sip and cover. 

[busymumofthree]

We were on the Regal for a 7 day UK cruise - 23rd - 30th Sept - and sip and cover applied then but only in certain locations - the Theatre, Princess Live, and at events in  La Vista Lounge or Club 6 - not in Crooners or Vines or the Atrium café area.  The vast majority - and I mean 95% plus - stuck by the rules. But if we'd had to do sip and cover in Crooners, for example, that would have ruined the experience....

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

1 hour ago, devonuk said:

I’m on the ship now and it’s definitely sip and cover. 

In ALL indoor bars or just Princess Live and the theatre?

[Ladyshopper23]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

I don't think anyone disputes that. It is the sip and cover policy that is irrational.  My wife and I  can share a table,  unmasked, with four complete strangers in the MDR, but once my wife and I sit in a bar at a table for two, we need to be masked.  How is that logical ? 

It seems there are reports on the roll call of people's dining reservations being changed by Princess to private tables rather than shared tables. We only booked private tables anyway, but I know lots of other people like to share and chat to new people.

Seems like Princess are implementing lots of changes to try and keep people as safe as possible.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

3 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Testing negative on embarkation day means you have no detectable levels of Covid-19 at the time of the test.

 

But you could still be infected without enough infection to be detected.

 

At a time when Covid-19 is running rampant on shore, a little extra precaution (mask wearing) on board can prevent potential spread.

I agree... not against masks or other sensible precautions... but it isn't "a little"... making all indoor bars sip and cover is a major change IMO and it will spoil the bar experience for me completely. For my cruise I will only use the outdoor bars and my cabin... that is no way to cruise and if I could think of a way to cancel and not lose my money I would.

 

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

I don't think anyone disputes that. It is the sip and cover policy that is irrational.  My wife and I  can share a table,  unmasked, with four complete strangers in the MDR, but once my wife and I sit in a bar at a table for two, we need to be masked.  How is that logical ? 

Totally agree... this is not a sensible preecaution and I suspect it may actually put us at more risk that it prevents. The bars, when seated, are already a low=risk area... making us touch our masks (which might be contaminated), then our glass which is then going to our mouth, just seems crazy in the extreme. I won't do it. I am not saying I will ignore the rules but I won't use any bar where it is sip and cover. My cruise starts tomorrow. Normally I am very excited... now I am just angry at Princess and wishing not to go... but I can't throw away the best part of £5000 - so we go, follow the rules but restricted to where we can go. 😞 

[caribill]

5 hours ago, wowzz said:

I don't think anyone disputes that. It is the sip and cover policy that is irrational.  My wife and I  can share a table,  unmasked, with four complete strangers in the MDR, but once my wife and I sit in a bar at a table for two, we need to be masked.  How is that logical ? 

 

I agree with you.  The post I was responding to said wearing masks anywhere on the ship should not be required.

 

18 hours ago, tonyd285 said:

I'm considering cancelling my planned trip on the Sky.  We were recently on the Celebrity Millennium.  Same vaccine and test protocol.  No masks required anywhere on the ship.  Since everyone is vaccinated and tested just prior to sailing it seems like overreach.  There were no issues among passengers or crew.  Seems like Princess should rethink their insistence on masks on board.

 

[qqwer123]

Well, if this is on my upcoming cruise I think I’ll be enjoying my balcony in my room a lot. I can sip there too lol