Mask Mandate starting 12/18

[Flatbush Flyer]

13 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

As long as you include as a bubble tour a private tour with < 15 other passengers going mostly to mostly the same places as ship ran tours, I might agree. If your advocating ship ran tours only, I strongly disagree.

 

Many localities don’t have the infrastructure to handle massive ship tours. Even Oceania depends upon smaller operators to take care of many of the cruisers. It’s like outsourcing work to Travel Agencies, O needs to outsource some of the ship tours to private enterprise. 

I’m not following you(?). All of O’s “ship” tours use outside contractors (often a company that offers their own version of the same tours [e.g., Spain Day Tours]). All O is doing is acting as a middleman (not unlike Viators) albeit with very strict licensure/insurance/etc requirements). What it sounds like you are suggesting is that O “approve” companies with whom they have no contract. Talk about “shooting yourself in the foot....!”

 

And, YES, I am suggesting that, until Covid is under some reasonable control, the following requirements be set in stone:

100% vaccination + booster (no older than  270 days) for all passengers/crew.

Pre-embarkation and embarkation Covid testing.

Masks and Social Distancing onboard (inside/outside) unless actively eating/drinking.

All port required (and return home) testing provided onboard.

Ship sponsored tours only.

Zero tolerance for non-compliance.

 

At this time, not easing up on any of the above expectations (given the nature of the cruise ship environment) is in everyone’s best interest.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Flatbush Flyer

[pinotlover]

8 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I’m not following you(?). All of O’s “ship” tours use outside contractors (often a company that offers their own version of the same tours [e.g., Spain Day Tours]). All O is doing is acting as a middleman (not unlike Viators) albeit with very strict licensure/insurance/etc requirements). What it sounds like you are suggesting is that O “approve” companies with whom they have no contract. Talk about “shooting yourself in the foot....!”

What I’m suggesting is that if a tour company is licensed and certified by the host nation to conduct certain tours, those tours, with all O passengers be included in the “bubble”.

 

A lot of Ill will this past summer on some of the lines that kept passengers locked aboard for not being on a ship sponsored tour, while simultaneously being unable to offer tours to more than half the ship. 

[Cliff-FLL]

42 minutes ago, HiFi43 said:

Just received this for our January cruise…

 

 

 

Sounds like Oceania is returning to the policy they had when we sailed the Mediterranean 26 October to 9 November.  We were requested to have a covid test done 1-2 days prior to the sail date and were required to do pier-side testing prior to boarding.  Testing was totally disorganized but we all managed to get on the ship.  While on board, we were required to wear a mask anytime we were in a public area, except when eating and/or drinking.  We were mask-less while in our suite but, as a courtesy, we always put on our masks whenever the housekeepers or butlers came in.  Occasionally, there was a passenger that had a mask hooked onto their bottom lip but there were no "mask police" screeching at people.  Generally, people were very good about following the shipboard rules.

Excursions were conducted based on the requirements of the country being visited, not on Oceania's preferences.  Most countries allowed us to disembark, regardless of the type of tour or just the desire to explore, but Italy required all disembarking passengers to be on a cruise-line-sponsored tour.  Italy also required passengers to have a covid test within 48 hours to go on tours.  It was disconcerting that, on the tour buses, the mask requirements were not enforced - even when there was an Oceania rep on board. (We actually had one guide, as we pulled up to the ship, tell us to put our masks on "...so they think we've been obedient little school children.")  Also, on the tours, there wasn't an emphasis on maintaining "the bubble".  On one tour, we got to the town, went into a shop where we could buy locally-produced goods, and then were told we had "free time" for the next 2 hours.

The elevators were limited to 4 people tucked into the 4 corners, but this was routinely ignored by both passengers and crew alike.  Nevertheless, the elevators were not packed the way they have been in the past; frequently, just 6 people to maintain the social-distancing illusion. (N.B. The stairs are easier to navigate - especially going up - if you wear a blue, surgical mask rather than a KN-95.)

All in all, it wasn't the greatest cruise we've been on but it wasn't the worst and, more importantly, it wasn't Oceania's fault.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

What I’m suggesting is that if a tour company is licensed and certified by the host nation to conduct certain tours, those tours, with all O passengers be included in the “bubble”.

 

A lot of Ill will this past summer on some of the lines that kept passengers locked aboard for not being on a ship sponsored tour, while simultaneously being unable to offer tours to more than half the ship. 

Not unlike the ever-present “flags of convenience” possible problems of any particular country’s handling of SOLAS and other maritime regulations, the stringency of one vs another country’s licensure/regulation of tour operators can vary significantly. And, a cruise line’s requirements of its tour operators can and should be consistent and sufficient to assure the safety of its passengers.

There is nothing stopping private tour operators without O contracts from  approaching O and seeking a contract. Of course, many of them would never qualify even though they may be “licensed.” 
Should we still have private tour operators? Absolutely. But, right now, extreme vigilance is what is needed. 

[LHT28]

JMO

With the new variant in full swing   masking up will be around for longer than anyone planned

If you want to travel  you will have to adapt to the new World ways

Mask up or stay home

 

[ToxM]

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

JMO

With the new variant in full swing   masking up will be around for longer than anyone planned

If you want to travel  you will have to adapt to the new World ways

Mask up or stay home

 

 

That’s how it is going to be I agree. Complaining will not change this. 

[espmass]

We would not be happy if Bubble Tours were required on our upcoming 2/7 Riviera cruise because we normally just grab a cab and head for a beach.  Yes, I realize some people frown upon that.  However, we figure that staying onboard, sitting on a lounge chair in the sun by the pool for 12 days is far more fun than sitting on our sofa, watching tv all day, and seeing it snow outside for 12 days.  

[pinotlover]

Fortunately, Oceania’s policy still remains that they allow private tours in those countries that allow such. Ship only tours are only required in countries that demand such. FF’s request for ship tours only hopefully remains ignored.

 

What FF ignores is the effects of what happens when Oceania, or any other line, announces that they only have tours lined up for 600 passengers in X, Y, &Z ports and the remaining 500+ passengers must remain aboard. Except for the pure cruisers, O won’t have to worry about those 500, nor the cash flow that comes with them. I believe O understands that so thus has the policy they do.

[AlexCherie]

For those of you that have sailed when the masks were required ... curious how this impacts wet environments?

Pools, hot tubs, etc; does the ship enforce in those areas? Limit use?

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Fortunately, Oceania’s policy still remains that they allow private tours in those countries that allow such. Ship only tours are only required in countries that demand such. FF’s request for ship tours only hopefully remains ignored.

 

What FF ignores is the effects of what happens when Oceania, or any other line, announces that they only have tours lined up for 600 passengers in X, Y, &Z ports and the remaining 500+ passengers must remain aboard. Except for the pure cruisers, O won’t have to worry about those 500, nor the cash flow that comes with them. I believe O understands that so thus has the policy they do.

Missing my point. O can easily add more tours/companies. The onus is on the tour companies who will not/cannot meet the O contract requirements, which are designed to best protect the passengers.

[marieps]

7 hours ago, espmass said:

We would not be happy if Bubble Tours were required on our upcoming 2/7 Riviera cruise because we normally just grab a cab and head for a beach.  Yes, I realize some people frown upon that.  However, we figure that staying onboard, sitting on a lounge chair in the sun by the pool for 12 days is far more fun than sitting on our sofa, watching tv all day, and seeing it snow outside for 12 days.  

We'll be with you 2/7.  We've done two cruises since November and only went on one excursion.  We do have plans for a couple of sailing trips but none is paid in advance and easy to cancel.  I too would rather lounge outside maskless and properly distanced.  Let's hope for good weather.

[pinotlover]

58 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Missing my point. O can easily add more tours/companies. The onus is on the tour companies who will not/cannot meet the O contract requirements, which are designed to best protect the passengers.

Here you misinformed. We have visited multiple delightful ports where the infrastructure doesn’t exist to contract for a multitude of large tour buses to haul passengers around. Oceania depends upon many of us taking private tours , with multiple private tour companies, in smaller vans or mini buses to visit the surrounding area. Oceania/NCL isn’t going to contract with a multitude of smaller contractors. The larger companies aren’t going to procure numerous new buses to take care of a likely 1-2 year issue. Locking down passengers by taking your draconian steps is a losing proposition for many.

 

Oceania’s current policy of allowing private tours in countries allowing them is a win-win. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

24 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Here you misinformed. We have visited multiple delightful ports where the infrastructure doesn’t exist to contract for a multitude of large tour buses to haul passengers around. Oceania depends upon many of us taking private tours , with multiple private tour companies, in smaller vans or mini buses to visit the surrounding area. Oceania/NCL isn’t going to contract with a multitude of smaller contractors. The larger companies aren’t going to procure numerous new buses to take care of a likely 1-2 year issue. Locking down passengers by taking your draconian steps is a losing proposition for many.

 

Oceania’s current policy of allowing private tours in countries allowing them is a win-win. 

Many Oceania tours use 16 passenger van/busses - the type of which even small private tour companies often use. Only the “panoramic” tours will have issues.

And this is all temporary- which is why public health is more important than private tours. 

[babysteps]

4 hours ago, AlexCherie said:

For those of you that have sailed when the masks were required ... curious how this impacts wet environments?

Pools, hot tubs, etc; does the ship enforce in those areas? Limit use?

No masks required when in pool or in hot tub. If can be socially distanced, no mask required outside. Our Med & TA segments on Marina Nov 2021 weren't full, so pretty easy to remain distanced outdoors onboard at most times - main exception was walking through Waves, where we wore masks. If in warmer weather I could see higher demand for pool & hot tub, not sure if capacity would be controlled or what - this wasn't an issue on our cruise.

[Cliff-FLL]

On 12/21/2021 at 11:28 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

The onus is on the tour companies who will not/cannot meet the O contract requirements, which are designed to best protect the passengers.

We discovered that many of the tours - especially in Italy - were at reduced capacity.  Instead of a cast of thousands on the bus, they were limiting it to no more than 25 passengers.  In some cases, they had multiple buses for the same tour; others, it was simply the first 25.  Whether this was Oceania's decision, the tour operator's decision, or a government mandate was never made clear.  Despite having lots of space to socially distance, it wasn't required and most people didn't.  (Many of these people were the same ones who kept their masks pulled down, so as to protect their lower jaw from possible infection. 🙄)

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I wore a mask for 8 hours flying to Iceland in August, and then boarded another cruise line which required masks on board unless eating/drinking.  They also required masks while on excursions and on coaches, unless you were outside with room to distance.  It was no big deal, and practically everyone complied with the rules.  There was no complaining on board.  I'm hoping that my cruise on Oceania in May, should our cruise be a go, will be the same way -- at least in the no complaining department.  I have no idea which countries may be closed at that time, but I plan to have a wonderful time no matter what comes my way.  And if I have to wear a mask, that will likely be the least of my worries/stressors.

  

[RJB]

11 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I wore a mask for 8 hours flying to Iceland in August, and then boarded another cruise line which required masks on board unless eating/drinking.  They also required masks while on excursions and on coaches, unless you were outside with room to distance.  It was no big deal, and practically everyone complied with the rules.  There was no complaining on board.  I'm hoping that my cruise on Oceania in May, should our cruise be a go, will be the same way -- at least in the no complaining department.  I have no idea which countries may be closed at that time, but I plan to have a wonderful time no matter what comes my way.  And if I have to wear a mask, that will likely be the least of my worries/stressors.

  

Does not sound like fun to me.  Each to his own. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, Harters said:

Potentially, it's a very valid issue. We are not due to cruise for several months but, if things remained as they are now, we could find ourselves in a very silly situation.

 

We are Britons, living in the UK. Our cruise is a UK round trip (from/to Southampton) visiting several French ports (and a couple of Spanish ones). That would mean that we could not undertake excursions in France yet foreigners would have been able to come to my country, board the ship, disembark at all the ports and enjoy a full cruising experience.

 

By the by, Spain has just reintroduced an outdoor mask wearing mandate (with a few exclusions, such as playing sports, etc). I expect it, and other European countries including the UK,  will tighten restrictions once the festive season is over. 

A key future unknown specific to Oceania is the question of the critical mass of O regulars who enjoy the shipboard experience enough to be just fine with “cruises to nowhere.”

We’ve got an upcoming January MIA-MIA 2 week cruise on Riviera (mostly to just get back to cruising after a two year Covid hiatus). We’ve booked ship’s tours but have only minimal concern should they be cancelled because, if ports are cancelled or substituted, we’ll just “go with the flow.”  

[Harters]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

who enjoy the shipboard experience enough to be just fine with “cruises to nowhere.”

A fair point. And we've always said the ship is the holiday.

 

But I would be mightily peeved to be banned from six port days in a ten day cruise, when many people on the ship will not be. Hopefully things will have changed by late spring.

 

Not the subject of this thread, but I'm also concerned about current UK testing arrangments which require anyone travelling to the country to have a negative test within 48 hours of travel. How on earth I arrange that when the ship is in the middle of the Atlantic beats me. And it's another thing that, if I've correctly read the regulations, foreigners will not be troubled with unless they are stopping in the UK for a while post cruise, as they are regarded as being "in transit" if they go  from ship to airport.

[basor]

18 minutes ago, Harters said:

A fair point. And we've always said the ship is the holiday.

 

But I would be mightily peeved to be banned from six port days in a ten day cruise, when many people on the ship will not be. Hopefully things will have changed by late spring.

 

Not the subject of this thread, but I'm also concerned about current UK testing arrangments which require anyone travelling to the country to have a negative test within 48 hours of travel. How on earth I arrange that when the ship is in the middle of the Atlantic beats me. And it's another thing that, if I've correctly read the regulations, foreigners will not be troubled with unless they are stopping in the UK for a while post cruise, as they are regarded as being "in transit" if they go  from ship to airport.

Oceania provides necessary COVID testing onboard prior to disembarking so you can chek off that worry.

[Harters]

Thanks for that, basor. Now all I have to do is worry about that test being positive.

 

If I was arriving back in the UK by plane, I would not be able to board the flight unless I could show a negative result. And, as such, would be quarantined somehow in the departure country (I have a scheduled three week trip to Spain coming up, so have been following this aspect closely). Goodness knows how that will work with a ship - something the rule writers at HM Government obviously havent taken into account.

 

These days, it's no fun being a "half empty" sort of bloke. Worry, worry, worry.

Edited December 26, 2021 by Harters

[sofietucker]

On 12/21/2021 at 10:08 AM, AlexCherie said:

For those of you that have sailed when the masks were required ... curious how this impacts wet environments?

Pools, hot tubs, etc; does the ship enforce in those areas? Limit use?

Just off Riviera. No masks required anywhere on board. They DID send out notices about individual port requirements--masks on all public transportation, vaccine cards in Belize.  No masks by pools, hot tubs, in spa, Aquamar Terrace... No usage limited either (I think there were generic/permanent signs announcing the max in a hot tub--8 or so). Sometimes the pool was packed. Clumps of folks hanging out together around the edges, "8" in hot tubs (but who's counting, lol?)... The one place you'd really think there'd be attention was the theater: the final show was, again, packed, very few masks; usually only one empty seat between couples/groups.

[pilgrimage]

30 minutes ago, sofietucker said:

Just off Riviera. No masks required anywhere on board. They DID send out notices about individual port requirements--masks on all public transportation, vaccine cards in Belize.  No masks by pools, hot tubs, in spa, Aquamar Terrace... No usage limited either (I think there were generic/permanent signs announcing the max in a hot tub--8 or so). Sometimes the pool was packed. Clumps of folks hanging out together around the edges, "8" in hot tubs (but who's counting, lol?)... The one place you'd really think there'd be attention was the theater: the final show was, again, packed, very few masks; usually only one empty seat between couples/groups.

That has changed with the 12/23 sailing.  Masks required in all indoor spaces now.  No masks outdoors, but most are wearing them to walk up to the counter at Waves (grill and bar both).  Doesn't seem to be bothering anyone and compliance is pretty good.  Not a big deal.

[pilgrimage]

It appears that the shutdown is starting.  We had mandatory testing yesterday for our upcoming stop in Barbados in two days and there appear to be enough positive cases to concern Curacao where we are currently docked.  Captain came on and said negotiations are going on between Miami and Curacao to see if we can go ashore.  No idea how many positives came up and I doubt they will tell us.  

[espmass]

2 hours ago, pilgrimage said:

It appears that the shutdown is starting.  We had mandatory testing yesterday for our upcoming stop in Barbados in two days and there appear to be enough positive cases to concern Curacao where we are currently docked.  Captain came on and said negotiations are going on between Miami and Curacao to see if we can go ashore.  No idea how many positives came up and I doubt they will tell us.  

That's concerning to us.  Looking towards our 2/7 Riviera cruise we can manage with masks both indoors and out and we can manage with a change in ports and we would be happy to even miss one or two stops as sitting in a lounge chair by the pool is far preferable to sitting home in the cold North East.  However, if more and more ports are starting to close out ships, we really wouldn't be happy being onboard for the entire 12 days without any stops.  Hopefully for us and for the entire cruise industry that won't happen.