saw this today about masks

[dalliowner]

Seabourn To Participate In CDC’s Updated Program For Cruise Ships; Provides Updates To Guests

SEATTLE, February 18, 2022 – Seabourn, the ultra-luxury ocean and expedition cruise line, has confirmed today that it will opt in to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated program for cruise ships operating in U.S. waters. The line will continue to operate vaccinated cruises, with two key changes to onboard protocols for guests effective March 1:

• Masks on board will be recommended but not required. There may be certain venues and events in which masks will still be required.
• Additional flexibility for pre-cruising testing requirements will become available. Details will be posted to the Health & Safety section of our website.
   

Seabourn’s highest responsibility and top priorities are compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, team members, and the people and communities the ships visit.

 

S

[crusinbanjo]

Must be company wide, Holland America board is reporting the same.  Hopefully this is the beginning of the end to all the restrictions and mandates so we can get back to living and cruising

[sfvoyage]

I just read about this, too.

 

Need to find out what happens to passengers who test positive on board.  Will they still be quarantined for 10 days or, in the case of their close contacts, 5 days?

[gwesq]

The CDC set certain conditions for allowing the optional mask policy, such as > 95 % vaccinated.

 

This Press release came out yesterday, saying masks optional.  Today I received an email setting forth the requirements for upcoming cruise Mar 13 still saying masks required.  

 

[CRUISER94044]

We are currently on the Ovation and I have been checking our CDC Stats.  We continue to be green. Yeah !  We wear masks when walking around inside the ahi but take them off in the bars restaurants and shows when drinking or eating. It hasn’t been a problem at all ( but masks have been required in our ports)

[cruiseej]

We're departing on February 26. Do you think the policy will change on March 1, or on the following cruise?

 

Will there be a ceremony where we all gather outside, remove our masks and fling them in the air like college student tossing their caps at graduation? 😉

[CanAmBrit]

We, too, are departing Feb.27 on the Ovation and I am with cruiseej. I want to celebrate by throwing my mask in the air on March 1. If you are on the Ovation set the time and place, cruiseej, we will be there!!

[Cru Doll]

4 hours ago, gwesq said:

The CDC set certain conditions for allowing the optional mask policy, such as > 95 % vaccinated.

 

This Press release came out yesterday, saying masks optional.  Today I received an email setting forth the requirements for upcoming cruise Mar 13 still saying masks required.  

 

We received the same email today for our March 13th sailing on the Ovation.  A bit confusing!  
See you in three weeks! 

[claudiaYVR]

We boarded Encore today. Nobody seems to have a problem following the mask requirements although they only need to be worn indoors while not eating or drinking. Not needed in the club even when dancing since everyone has a drink in front of them. So mostly needed while getting around the shop. 

[cruiseej]

22 hours ago, CanAmBrit said:

We, too, are departing Feb.27 on the Ovation and I am with cruiseej. I want to celebrate by throwing my mask in the air on March 1. If you are on the Ovation set the time and place, cruiseej, we will be there!!

 

Sorry, we're on Odyssey on the 26th. But I think at high noon Eastern time on March 1, on all Seabourn ships, there should be an (almost-)end-of-covid(-hopefully) mask tossing ceremony! 😉 

[gwesq]

On 2/19/2022 at 4:33 PM, Cru Doll said:

We received the same email today for our March 13th sailing on the Ovation.  A bit confusing!  
See you in three weeks! 

Today we again received an email from Seabourn for our cruise in 7 days.  Here's what it says, dated Mar 2:    (Red is my addition - seems to be inconsistent to me.  So still confusing. Friends onboard now told us people not wearing masks.) 

IMPORTANT NOTE: For Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Ovation sailings, masks are recommended on board. However, masks may be required in certain venues and events. Please pay close attention to onboard signage. At this time, this mask policy update does not apply to Seabourn Encore.
Subject to change. Please check back regularly for any updates.
Updated March 2, 2022

All guests are required to wear masks always covering their nose and mouth when indoors and outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained, as well as during embarkation, disembarkation and when on transportation. Exceptions are made while guests are eating or drinking or when in their own suite.

Seabourn is providing a KN95 mask for each guest on board. Guests may also use their own double-layer cloth or paper medical mask that completely covers the nose and mouth, fits snugly against the sides of the face, and has a nose wire. Face coverings such as bandanas, neck gaiters, and masks with exhaust valves are not allowed. Please note that visors and face shields will not be accepted as a substitute for a face mask.

[SLSD]

36 minutes ago, gwesq said:

Today we again received an email from Seabourn for our cruise in 7 days.  Here's what it says, dated Mar 2:    (Red is my addition - seems to be inconsistent to me.  So still confusing. Friends onboard now told us people not wearing masks.) 

IMPORTANT NOTE: For Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Ovation sailings, masks are recommended on board. However, masks may be required in certain venues and events. Please pay close attention to onboard signage. At this time, this mask policy update does not apply to Seabourn Encore.
Subject to change. Please check back regularly for any updates.
Updated March 2, 2022

All guests are required to wear masks always covering their nose and mouth when indoors and outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained, as well as during embarkation, disembarkation and when on transportation. Exceptions are made while guests are eating or drinking or when in their own suite.

Seabourn is providing a KN95 mask for each guest on board. Guests may also use their own double-layer cloth or paper medical mask that completely covers the nose and mouth, fits snugly against the sides of the face, and has a nose wire. Face coverings such as bandanas, neck gaiters, and masks with exhaust valves are not allowed. Please note that visors and face shields will not be accepted as a substitute for a face mask.

I think any transitional period is fraught with uncertainties.  We are not cruising right now--waiting for a time when masks do NOT need to be worn and things are less complicated.  Most of all, I know that Seabourn does not want cases of Covid onboard--especially cases that have acute symptoms and affect crew as well as guests.  I think we all need to move cautiously.  We are just now occasionally not wearing masks in  SOME public areas. 

[sfvoyage]

57 minutes ago, gwesq said:

Today we again received an email from Seabourn for our cruise in 7 days.  Here's what it says, dated Mar 2:    (Red is my addition - seems to be inconsistent to me.  So still confusing. Friends onboard now told us people not wearing masks.) 

IMPORTANT NOTE: For Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Ovation sailings, masks are recommended on board. However, masks may be required in certain venues and events. Please pay close attention to onboard signage. At this time, this mask policy update does not apply to Seabourn Encore.
Subject to change. Please check back regularly for any updates.
Updated March 2, 2022

All guests are required to wear masks always covering their nose and mouth when indoors and outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained, as well as during embarkation, disembarkation and when on transportation. Exceptions are made while guests are eating or drinking or when in their own suite.

Friends on board the Encore report that mask usage is required on that ship due to local regulations (sailing from Portugal).  On the Ovation, masks are now optional because it was sailing from, well, Florida.

[Mauzac]

We were on a SB Ovation cruise disembarking on 14th Feb.

 

No problem with masks because we both wanted to be as careful as possible.  It was just fine.  When I did my walking really early round the sky bar deck when no one was around I didn't wear one (there was no one really there!) but we wore one when walking round the ship.

 

I was just so grateful to be there, I had no worries with this.  

 

However we adhered to mask wearing on excursions in different countries we visited.  No problem.  It is what it is. 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Mauzac

[FlyingScotSailors]

3 hours ago, gwesq said:

Today we again received an email from Seabourn for our cruise in 7 days. 

 

Gene, we are not sure what email you received today.  We received an email today from Seabourn which had links to:

 

      "Review your Health and Safety guidelines:
       Voyages departing from Barbados or St. Maarten >>
       Voyages departing from US ports >>
       Voyages traveling to the Canary Islands >>"

 

The link for voyages departing from US ports had the following:

 

"ONBOARD
Masks
• All guests are required to wear masks at all times when indoors, except when eating or drinking or when in their own staterooms and when outdoors if in large gatherings and physical distancing cannot be maintained. As advised by health authorities, guests are recommended to use higher- grade masks indoors (such as surgical or KN95) that have two or more layers, completely cover the nose and mouth, fit snugly against the sides of the face and have a nose wire. Masks are required when embarking and disembarking."

 

 

ONBOAR

[gwesq]

18 hours ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

 

Gene, we are not sure what email you received today.  We received an email today from Seabourn which had links to:

 

      "Review your Health and Safety guidelines:
       Voyages departing from Barbados or St. Maarten >>
       Voyages departing from US ports >>
       Voyages traveling to the Canary Islands >>"

 

The link for voyages departing from US ports had the following:

 

"ONBOARD
Masks
• All guests are required to wear masks at all times when indoors, except when eating or drinking or when in their own staterooms and when outdoors if in large gatherings and physical distancing cannot be maintained. As advised by health authorities, guests are recommended to use higher- grade masks indoors (such as surgical or KN95) that have two or more layers, completely cover the nose and mouth, fit snugly against the sides of the face and have a nose wire. Masks are required when embarking and disembarking."

 

 

ONBOAR

YES - that's the same email I received.   But preceeding that statement REQUIRING masks was the Statement saying they are recommended.   But, bottom line, from friends onboard: No One Wearing Masks.

[klkaylor78]

I find the comment that the rules for the whole ship/whole cruise are determined by the port of embarcation questionable.  My basic understanding is that ships are governed by the rules of the port only for the time in port and then up to international waters (12 miles or so) then they are governed by the laws of the country in which the ship is registered/flagged and the Captain of the ship.  Cruise lines or ships can also set policies for those on board. However reading some of the data as to how all of the laws/rules are enforced was quite daunting and I do not want to become a maritime lawyer - if someone is chime in. I am sure Covid rules have made some work for that industry.

 

The complexity and differences of rules from port to port/country to county/and cruise lines is difficult for everyone and I have gotten/reviewed/read most of the "rules" and they do not all make sense or are compatible. 

 

We were on the Ovation out of FL/USA in Dec -masks were mandatory inside but essentially as soon as you sat down anywhere (to include the square) masks were off.  Yes there were "reminder annoucements" but did not see any personal "corrections" (hey its Seabourn) but folks were pretty responsible.

 

We are back on the ship in Mar for the crossing and hope by then, with 7 days at sea at the start, the mask mandate will be removed. However if you want to wear a mask do so and I hope the rest of the ship will be kind to those who do and respectful of those who don't. 

 

The only science point I will make is that it has been shown that three days is the optimum time between exposure and testing for a carrier state (virus in your nose) so maybe for embarcation and first 3 days might me more worthwhile.  After that we are a bubble for the next 4 days. Once we start hitting ports it is a different game again.

 

At this point we can only guess what the rules will be week to week, port to port, cruise line to cruise line, ship to ship.  I will be flexible and prepared with my favorite well fitting mask but will pass on the N95.

[cruiseej]

On 3/5/2022 at 4:40 PM, FlyingScotSailors said:

The link for voyages departing from US ports had the following:

"ONBOARD
Masks
• All guests are required to wear masks at all times when indoors, except when eating or drinking or when in their own staterooms and when outdoors if in large gatherings and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

 

That appears to be the old language. Seabourn announced a change in mask policy which took effect on March 1, and is reflected in the travel FAQ pages on the Seabourn website. For US voyages, it states: "For Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Ovation sailings, masks are recommended on board. However, masks may be required in certain venues and events. Please pay close attention to onboard signage."

 

In short: masks are recommended but not required in indoor locations, except as specified on the ship, such as in the theater. (Nonetheless, last week on Odyssey, I observed people generally wearing masks in the theater at lectures, but not much during evening performances.)

[janecambridge]

We are in a tour today some people don’t wear masks in coach even though we were told to wear them when sitting down. 
We have found most passengers really good in restaurants. 

[rucrazy]

Question: Moving forward how stringent do you think Seabourn will get towards uncomplying guests?

[jenidallas]

2 hours ago, rucrazy said:

Question: Moving forward how stringent do you think Seabourn will get towards uncomplying guests?

No more stringent than they were at the riskiest heights of the pandemic.
 

In other words, vague encouragement and policies that meet legal and regulatory requirements , but nothing that risks conflict with a guest or otherwise creates an uncomfortable situation for anyone involved.  
 

That’s just my read based on real-time onboard comments and Seabourn’s replies to such inquiries. They will moderate toward a policy (non-policy) that allows them to keep sailing and earn passenger revenue.

[gwesq]

2 hours ago, rucrazy said:

Question: Moving forward how stringent do you think Seabourn will get towards uncomplying guests?

From what I am hearing, it appears they are not being stringent at all.

[rucrazy]

27 minutes ago, jenidallas said:

but nothing that risks conflict with a guest or otherwise creates an uncomfortable situation for anyone involved.

 

27 minutes ago, gwesq said:

From what I am hearing, it appears they are not being stringent at all.

I concur with both statements.

In my earlier post I mistakenly formatted the question incorrectly. I meant to pose the question : IF it became necessary to reimplement health and safety policies and a guest chose to ignore the requests, would the cruise-line become more shall I saw insistent that all must abide by the rules.

 

[klkaylor78]

Cruiseej -

Thanks for finding that tidbit about Ovation and masks - in bold but well hidden down the FAQ - they kinda buried the lead.

Sad to say that there is still precruise covid testing but we used the eMed system on our last Ovation cruise (self administered/observed test) and plan to use that in Miami and in Monaco.

[cruiseej]

5 hours ago, klkaylor78 said:

Sad to say that there is still precruise covid testing

 

While this creates an unknown, and thus some anxiety, for passengers, I think until Covid fades even further, it's probably the right thing to do. Transmission of the virus is greatly diminished in some parts of the world, and vaccinated and boosted people are not likely to have severe symptoms if they get it, but it's probably still wise to try to keep Covid from coming aboard the ships. Countries and ports around the world can limit or block ships from docking if they're reporting Covid cases onboard, so a few cases can negatively impact everyone on the cruise. No approach is going to be 100% perfect at keeping ships Covid-free, but pre-cruise testing to minimize cases onboard still seems prudent to me. And it goes a long way to helping everyone aboard relax and enjoy their cruise, knowing that fellow passengers are both vexed and tested negative at boarding.