Will you still wear a mask?

[happy cruzer]

4 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

There was a long thread on the Royal Caribbean board about an American family disembarked and stuck in land-based quarantine in Italy after one of them tested positive during a cruise. I believe Italian regulations about ships with COVID positive passengers played a part in the protocols. I’ve never heard of anything similar with influenza or Norovirus

And would that happen in Italy now?  How old was the report?  Things are changing.  That's how cruising is going to recover.  If cruises have to keep the strict protocols in all locations when other forms of travel and vacation do not, it will not survive.

 

 

[happy cruzer]

On 2/28/2022 at 8:57 AM, Dreamcruise27 said:

Just wondering if people are wearing/planning on continuing to wear masks on-board. 
 

If you are currently onboard, please let me know what it’s like on the ship! 
 

Thank you!

You should be asking will you wear a N95 mask, cloth mask, paper mask, etc.?  The actual type of mask is important...  One protects yourself from others, everything protects others from you.  Very curious to know which ones those who say they will wear a mask are intending to wear.

 

No mask for us unless required by protocols.  On the airplane, N95.

Edited March 1, 2022 by happy cruzer

[Torfamm]

1 minute ago, happy cruzer said:

And would that happen in Italy now?  How old was the report?  Things are changing.  That's how cruising is going to recover.  If cruises have to keep the strict protocols in all locations when other forms of travel and vacation do not, it will not survive.

 

 

I don’t have information on current protocols. This event was probably 6 or 8 weeks ago. My point is that a COVID diagnosis can be disruptive to travel plans in ways that flu is not. Having to test negative to travel or more inconvenient, to return to your home country, is a big issue for many people.

[mfs2k]

 

We're getting to the point where mandates are being eliminated and personal protection will be personal choice.  Why is this even a debate?  

Do what you want.  You Be You.  Have it your way..  Pick your slogan.

 

Some people don't cruise because they're afraid of sea sickness, drowning, claustrophobia, norovirus, terrorism, or boredom.  Add Covid to the list of reasons some won't cruise.  

 

Others cruise but take reasonable precautions. 

 

And others don't care or ignore the risks just because they want to cruise.  

 

Covid will be like all the others soon.  Mandates are going to disappear. {a}

 

{a} UNLESS THERE'S ANOTHER NASTY CONTAGIOUS DEADLY VARIANT WHICH WILL KILL MANY OF US

Edited March 1, 2022 by mfs2k

[RichYak]

9 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

I don’t have information on current protocols. This event was probably 6 or 8 weeks ago.

What Royal Caribbean ship called in Italy in January?

[LGW59]

33 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

There was a long thread on the Royal Caribbean board about an American family disembarked and stuck in land-based quarantine in Italy after one of them tested positive during a cruise. I believe Italian regulations about ships with COVID positive passengers played a part in the protocols. I’ve never heard of anything similar with influenza or Norovirus

When?  March 2020?  BTW it is a rhetorical question, because no country was allowing ships at that time.  

Edited March 1, 2022 by LGW59

[zitsky]

Why is no one talking about the new variant?  According to what I've read, it's more contagious.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/28/the-new-bapoint2-omicron-subvariant-is-already-circulating-in-half-of-us-states.html

[TeeRick]

Very interesting thread and valuable responses and information on how COVID virus has changed some cruise passengers' personal practices (like masking and social distancing) perhaps over the rest of their lifetimes.   Before 2020 I don't think I ever saw a mask on any cruise or airline passenger.  But going forward it will not be unusual at all.    Masking does add some level of added protection (with the right masks and proper fit) when COVID virus or other respiratory viruses are circulating.  But it is not the primary and significant protection from serious illness that being up to date that the vaccine provides.  So going forward I will personally count on vaccine boosters as my primary defense, then add a mask in times of COVID outbreaks when and where necessary.  But I will look forward to taking a break from masks too when it is a low transmission period or environment.  That's my plan.  Others have their own ideas.  We can only do what is right for ourselves.

[Ipeeinthepools]

11 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Why is no one talking about the new variant?  According to what I've read, it's more contagious.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/28/the-new-bapoint2-omicron-subvariant-is-already-circulating-in-half-of-us-states.html

 

Maybe because there's no evidence that it's more dangerous and the evidence suggests the vaccines are still just as effective.

[JFontaine]

52 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

A doctor friend of mine who is a local immunologist agrees with your doctor. He also says mask wearing only should be done by people who have Covid or other viruses to stop the spread, wearing one when you are not sick, unless it is a total respirator is very ineffective. He also says cloth masks are the worse because people seldom wash them and viruses can stay in them for days. The only masks that provide some marginal protections are the KN95 or K95 masks that fit tightly around your mouth and nose and should be discarded once used. I will use his judgement and advice and not wear a mask on any of our upcoming cruises. BTW the only local place I have worn a mask in the last 12 months is in my local CVS drug store because there is more likely to be sick people in them. Our Mask mandates in Texas went away on March 10, 2021.

Tell your doctor to look at the numerous  studies that show a much lower prevalence of covid in schools with mask mandates compared to neighboring schools without. Those kids are wearing cloth masks. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

2 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Very interesting thread and valuable responses and information on how COVID virus has changed some cruise passengers' personal practices (like masking and social distancing) perhaps over the rest of their lifetimes.   Before 2020 I don't think I ever saw a mask on any cruise or airline passenger.  But going forward it will not be unusual at all.    Masking does add some level of added protection (with the right masks and proper fit) when COVID virus or other respiratory viruses are circulating.  But it is not the primary and significant protection from serious illness that being up to date that the vaccine provides.  So going forward I will personally count on vaccine boosters as my primary defense, then add a mask in times of COVID outbreaks when and where necessary.  But I will look forward to taking a break from masks too when it is a low transmission period or environment.  That's my plan.  Others have their own ideas.  We can only do what is right for ourselves.

 Sounds like a good plan.

[LGW59]

13 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Why is no one talking about the new variant?  According to what I've read, it's more contagious.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/28/the-new-bapoint2-omicron-subvariant-is-already-circulating-in-half-of-us-states.html

Maybe because it too will be like having a cold

[TeeRick]

12 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Why is no one talking about the new variant?  According to what I've read, it's more contagious.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/28/the-new-bapoint2-omicron-subvariant-is-already-circulating-in-half-of-us-states.html

Sorry- We cannot discuss the science here properly.  Briefly, it is a subvariant of Omicron that has been co-circulating with it. Not a big difference from the original Omicron according to most experts.

[fsdorado]

3 hours ago, Homosassa said:

My husband and I were on the Constellation sailing that left on 2/14 and returned on 2/25.

 

We are both triple vaccinated (Moderna) and have been strictly mask wearing and social distancing for the last two years as we live in an area that still has high transmission rates and increasing hospitalizations (as does most of the state).

 

We were looking forward to the cruise as it would be a welcome change to be in an environment where everyone would be vaccinated, Covid test negative and masks were required.

 

Of course, the mask requirement was changed to only in the theater and casino for our cruise.

 

We still strictly masked because we knew that there would still be the fools on board who either live in our state or were from out of state that would blithely ignore the conditions that exist in Tampa. We removed our masks only when eating , drinking or in our cabin.

 

Sure enough, about two days into the cruise we started hearing the dry cough, cough, cough from unmasked passengers.

 

I know there was Covid on board, but I do not know the numbers. The Constellation is code yellow.

 

So now the irony: After avoiding the virus for two years here in Floriduh, my throat became scratchy on late Thursday afternoon, 2/24 and I developed the dry cough Thursday night. We debarked at 8AM the next day.

 

At that point, I did not contact medical as it seems to be a worthless gesture. I just masked and distanced myself as much as I could.

 

It was an hour drive home. Upon arriving home, I did a home test. It took about thirty seconds for the positive test bar to show up.

 

Luckily, my symptoms have been very mild. While I had a runny nose and occasional cough, I didn't need any type of OTC medicine.

 

I started to feel better on Friday afternoon and the symptoms resolved within two days.

 

My husband tested negative  when we came home. He developed symptoms last night and his are also very mild. He has not yet tested but we expect the test to be positive.

 

Do I feel our strict masking on board was for naught?

 

No, as I did not become ill until the late afternoon of the day before we debarked. Without a mask, we probably would have been ill earlier in the cruise and quarantined for  a portion of the trip (those cough, cough, cough people did seem to disappear and were not seen again - they were in the MDR at the same time as us with the same waiter). 

 

So - think carefully about your decision to mas or not mask. It may be the difference between being quarantined or delaying the onset to so late in the cruise that quarantine becomes a moot point.

 

I'm glad you're feeling better and that you had mild symptoms.  Our travelling party all got infected at the beginning of the year despite being vaccinated and boosted so personally, we were not concerned about getting re-infected.  We were certainly less diligent than we had been about wearing masks.  We were mildly concerned about getting contact traced to someone who had tested positive so we did our best to stay socially distanced whenever possible or to not stay in any area for a long time if social distancing wasn't possible.  I'm pretty sure that we would have considered cancelling if we didn't have maximum immunity.  It's a very personal choice that should be respected by everyone because we all have different circumstances, like the OP.

 

 

Frederick

 

[zitsky]

3 minutes ago, fsdorado said:

 

I'm glad you're feeling better and that you had mild symptoms.  Our travelling party all got infected at the beginning of the year despite being vaccinated and boosted so personally, we were not concerned about getting re-infected.  We were certainly less diligent than we had been about wearing masks.  We were mildly concerned about getting contact traced to someone who had tested positive so we did our best to stay socially distanced whenever possible or to not stay in any area for a long time if social distancing wasn't possible.  I'm pretty sure that we would have considered cancelling if we didn't have maximum immunity.  It's a very personal choice that should be respected by everyone because we all have different circumstances, like the OP.

 

 

Frederick

 

I think I get your point mostly.  But if someone is sick with Covid or flu or whatever, I would expect to see a mask, not someone spraying germs everywhere.

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Tyler414 said:

unless in your car by yourself 🙂

I've actually seen people do this while driving...often wondered why. Perhaps a rental or else not belonging to them for whatever reason, or perhaps due to whomever recently rode along with them. 

Edited March 1, 2022 by AnyWayIsGood

[sfcsu]

On 2/28/2022 at 9:57 AM, Dreamcruise27 said:

Just wondering if people are wearing/planning on continuing to wear masks on-board. 
 

If you are currently onboard, please let me know what it’s like on the ship! 
 

Thank you!

 

I wear a mask indoors.  Even on Reflection right now with under 900 passengers, and especially when talking to staff.  They are mostly double masked - all day!   It's rude, imo, to possibly put them at risk.   I don't wear one outdoors, and of course at meals.  Most people on board aren't masked anywhere.

[fsdorado]

5 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I think I get your point mostly.  But if someone is sick with Covid or flu or whatever, I would expect to see a mask, not someone spraying germs everywhere.

 

Absolutely!!  People are disgusting!!  If I'm sick with anything (and out in public), I'm wearing a mask.  That has been the case even before Covid.  It's about being respectful to other people.  One of the advantages of having the antibodies recently is that you're also very unlikely to infect other people.

[davekathy]

Just now, sfcsu said:

 

I wear a mask indoors.  Even on Reflection right now with under 900 passengers, and especially when talking to staff.  They are mostly double masked - all day!   It's rude, imo, to possibly put them at risk.   I don't wear one outdoors, and of course at meals.  Most people on board aren't masked anywhere.

IMO, obviously Celebrity doesn't share your opinion. 

[sfcsu]

2 minutes ago, davekathy said:

IMO, obviously Celebrity doesn't share your opinion. 

 

Celebrity needs to stay in business. I understand their issue very well.  It doesn't make it any less rude, or potentially a danger to their staff and cruising in general.   The first ship with a major outbreak may end cruising for everyone for years.  Masking is a small price to pay to keep on cruising.

 

I am used to being forward facing to the public in crowds at trade and consumer shows.   My first concern is me and my staff.   I now cheerfully hand masks out for free to people who come to my booth.   I buy them in cases of 1000.  If they are indifferent to the well being of me and my booth staff, they can go elsewhere.     

[LGW59]

13 minutes ago, davekathy said:

IMO, obviously Celebrity doesn't share your opinion. 

Thank goodness!  One can of course wear a mask anytime they choose to, no problem, but if you don't like the new return to normal protocols, stay home.

[happy cruzer]

13 minutes ago, davekathy said:

IMO, obviously Celebrity doesn't share your opinion. 

 

15 minutes ago, sfcsu said:

 

I wear a mask indoors.  Even on Reflection right now with under 900 passengers, and especially when talking to staff.  They are mostly double masked - all day!   It's rude, imo, to possibly put them at risk.   I don't wear one outdoors, and of course at meals.  Most people on board aren't masked anywhere.

Not rude at all.  Everyone has tested negative they are not risking anyone....  And if you can put a double masked person at risk, perhaps they need to wear a N95.

[mfs2k]

53 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Why is no one talking about the new variant?  According to what I've read, it's more contagious.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/28/the-new-bapoint2-omicron-subvariant-is-already-circulating-in-half-of-us-states.html

Because we don’t want to jinx ourselves by talking about it. 
🙈🙉🙊

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 minute ago, mfs2k said:

Because we don’t want to jinx ourselves by talking about it. 
🙈🙉🙊

 

Don't test, Don't tell.

[mfs2k]

50 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Maybe because it too will be like having a cold

Sadly for the people I know who died from Covid it was nothing like a cold. But most were before vaccinations or didn’t choose a vaccine. Sad. Still 1800 Americans dying daily from Covid. Not many were cruising.  We’re all vaccinated 

Edited March 1, 2022 by mfs2k