Will you still wear a mask?

[BEAV]

6 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

How did they find the 33 positive passengers?  Are they doing mandatory testing during the cruise of every passenger? Or is found through contact tracing?

 

My guess is 33 is a combination of passengers/crew? And we know crew gets tested weekly. Perhaps some of the positive passengers displayed symptoms and reported it to the medical center? 

[Nemanoxer]

5 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Yes very good question.

 

 

I am starting to wonder what is going on that is not being told in advance.

 

I mean, I come over all the way to the US to do a cruise that is a tiny little more relaxed than what the cruise lines here in Europe do (several PCR tests before boarding, several tests during the cruise, masks enfored everywhere for everybody etc.).

The news here are making me pulling up one eyebrow.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Nemanoxer

[MBP1]

3 hours ago, Nemanoxer said:

 

Are they requiring KN95 / FFP2? Or medical masks do the job?

 

Doubtful due to supply, also it doesn't make much of a difference compared to a cloth masks if they do not have a tight seal. I'm on  the Equinox this summer, I suspect this will be cleared up by then if not in a week or two. 

[RedneckBob]

48 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

How did they find the 33 positive passengers?  Are they doing mandatory testing during the cruise of every passenger? Or is found through contact tracing?

Yes very good question! No mandatory testing

 

I assume and you know what that means, can make an a__ out of you and me, several passengers were not feeling well, got tested, and were positive. Then Celebrity proceeded to find passengers who had been in close contact with the positive testers. The Captain stated last night that the passengers either had mild conditions or were asymtommatic.

[RedneckBob]

2 hours ago, Nemanoxer said:

 

So, what are they going to do for the rest of the cruise? Keep the positives isolated in their staterooms all of the time? Keep the masks on for all of the cruise?

I am not aware of Celebrity´s actual protocols about this...

Though who test positive are isolated in a stateroom.

[RedneckBob]

44 minutes ago, BEAV said:

 

My guess is 33 is a combination of passengers/crew? And we know crew gets tested weekly. Perhaps some of the positive passengers displayed symptoms and reported it to the medical center? 

KeyRect, but last count had 31 passengers, 2 crew members affected.

 

When we stopped in Antigua a crew member with luggage was getting off ship and the local port authority had just given him a Covid test on the dock.

[lv2cruisgrl]

58 minutes ago, MBP1 said:

 

Doubtful due to supply, also it doesn't make much of a difference compared to a cloth masks if they do not have a tight seal. I'm on  the Equinox this summer, I suspect this will be cleared up by then if not in a week or two. 

On Apex they handed out the blue paper masks when going into port. In our stateroom we had celebrity cloth masks. You can wear what you want.

[evandbob]

4 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

Currently on Equinox. Captain announced yesterday at 5:30 pm that masks would be required in all areas of the ship since we passed 1% threshold of Covid cases with 33 passengers testing positive.

We are just off the Silhouette.  During the cruise, maybe the 4th night in, the Captain announced several asymptomatic cases among crew and staff, followed by a few more asymptomatic positives the next day.  Tim, the cruise director was absent at the start of this cruise as he tested positive towards the end of the previous cruise.

 

On our way to Bimini, our last POC, we had to divert to Jamaica to debark a non COVID guest who needed a hospital.  The Captain announced that guest was doing okay the next day.

 

Considering the risk of being positive and quarantined on board versus any inconvenience caused by mask wearing, we chose to wear ours at any indoor venue where we were close to other cruisers, like the casino or theater.  With only 800 or so passengers, transmission probability was minor, but we would have kicked ourselves if we had to be quarantined.

[terrydtx]

52 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

Yes very good question! No mandatory testing

 

I assume and you know what that means, can make an a__ out of you and me, several passengers were not feeling well, got tested, and were positive. Then Celebrity proceeded to find passengers who had been in close contact with the positive testers. The Captain stated last night that the passengers either had mild conditions or were asymtommatic.

Last Year on the Equinox we had 4 confirmed cases all traced back to a bartender in the Martini Bar. After that we stayed away from the martini bar and other crowded venues and pretty much hung out in the Retreat Lounge, our cabin and Luminae. We made sure we didn't stay longer than 15 minutes in any one place with a lot of people around. We were told the contact tractlets only recorded after 15 minutes of stationary contact. We will probably follow the same on our cruises in August in Italy and Greece.

[MBP1]

9 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We were told the contact tractlets only recorded after 15 minutes of stationary contact. 

 

What is a contact tractlet? Do they have some way of tracking people on the ship? 

[terrydtx]

15 minutes ago, MBP1 said:

 

What is a contact tractlet? Do they have some way of tracking people on the ship? 

We had to wear one last year on the Equinox on our wrists. It would record and keep track of where everyone was while on the ship. Anyone who spent more than 15 minutes at the Martini Bar the night that the bartender tested positive got called in to be tested. One of the couples in our Roll Call had to spend 48 hours confined to their inside cabin to see if they would get Covid and were tested 2 times a day, they never came down with Covid but being quarantined in an inside cabin was no fun either. I can't confirm if the tractlets are still being used this year, or how they do contact tracing without them.

Edited April 11, 2022 by terrydtx

[Dr. Cocktail]

20 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We had to wear one last year on the Equinox on our wrists. It would record and keep track of where everyone was while on the ship. Anyone who spent more than 15 minutes at the Martini Bar the night that the bartender tested positive got called in to be tested. One of the couples in our Roll Call had to spend 48 hours confined to their inside cabin to see if they would get Covid and were tested 2 times a day, they never came down with Covid but being quarantined in an inside cabin was no fun either. I can't confirm if the tractlets are still being used this year, or how they do contact tracing without them.

It's shockingly easy to do with facial recognition technology ... I know that it's used on the NCL ships and pretty sure it has been used on E Class ships ....

[canderson]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

We had to wear one last year on the Equinox on our wrists. It would record and keep track of where everyone was while on the ship. Anyone who spent more than 15 minutes at the Martini Bar the night that the bartender tested positive got called in to be tested. One of the couples in our Roll Call had to spend 48 hours confined to their inside cabin to see if they would get Covid and were tested 2 times a day, they never came down with Covid but being quarantined in an inside cabin was no fun either. I can't confirm if the tractlets are still being used this year, or how they do contact tracing without them.

Tracelets were a fail.  No longer in use.

Video and interviews now used.

Non-positive contact traces quarantine 2 days in own cabin.  Positives get sent to quarantine cabins.

[terrydtx]

9 minutes ago, canderson said:

Tracelets were a fail.  No longer in use.

Video and interviews now used.

Non-positive contact traces quarantine 2 days in own cabin.  Positives get sent to quarantine cabins.

I was wondering since no one has been talking about the tractlets this year.

[canderson]

5 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I was wondering since no one has been talking about the tractlets this year.

What was weird is that after abandoning them, RCCL appeared to have signed a new contract with the company.  Strange. 

[RichYak]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

After that we stayed away from the martini bar and other crowded venues and pretty much hung out in the Retreat Lounge, our cabin and Luminae. We made sure we didn't stay longer than 15 minutes in any one place with a lot of people around.

I probably shouldn't make light of this, but it sounds like cruising has become sort of a mafia war and we've all gone to the mattresses. Never go to the same place twice and if you do, don't stay for too long. 😀

 

Terry, please understand I'm adding a little levity to the situation, not being critical of your actions. I'm on enough CCers ignore lists already so I have to make my intentions clear.

[terrydtx]

13 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I probably shouldn't make light of this, but it sounds like cruising has become sort of a mafia war and we've all gone to the mattresses. Never go to the same place twice and if you do, don't stay for too long. 😀

 

Terry, please understand I'm adding a little levity to the situation, not being critical of your actions. I'm on enough CCers ignore lists already so I have to make my intentions clear.

Rich, I understand the levity and it has some truth to the cruising experience post Covid. I have put several CCers on my ignore list but you are not one of them.😁

[runningtide]

Just an FYI...., I understand the "best" mask is N95 respirators, but wearing them long term is out off the question or me. For those that feel the same, may I suggest Armbrust ASTM Level 3 surgical mask. They were recommended by my Cardiologist and friend. Made in USA and extremely good fit. You can order them from the Armbrust site. Delivered in about 5 days. 

 

All the best........See you on the next tack !

[Missymo]

12 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

Currently on Equinox. Captain announced yesterday at 5:30 pm that masks would be required in all areas of the ship since we passed 1% threshold of Covid cases with 33 passengers testing positive.

Please keep us posted.  We are on this ship Friday. 4/15   I am informing  any  revenant info you post to  passengers. 

[kearney]

On 3/20/2022 at 9:56 AM, TeeRick said:

I hate it when wearing a mask and my glasses get fogged up!  Even when I fit it properly!

 

 

This is why I have an issue with masks... so far defogger hasn't helped much. Also rosacea breakouts.... but I need my next cruise... wearing a mask will not make me happy but at this point I need to get away...

[CruiseMrB]

We recently had a cruise on RCI - Independence of the Seas. We, by choice, wore N95 masks everywhere on the ship outside the room except while dining or seated separated from other folks on the outside deck (Deck 4). It's what made us most comfortable and relaxed. About 1% of the passengers on the ship seemed to be wearing masks. More on the first day, then fewer as the 4-day cruise wore on.

 

We have a 7-day Celebrity Infinity cruise booked for October. Our current plan is the same - mask on the ship outside the room except for dining and outside deck.

 

BTW, I have glasses and behind-the-ears hearing aids. I still wear a mask.

Edited April 12, 2022 by CruiseMrB

[PTC DAWG]

10 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We had to wear one last year on the Equinox on our wrists. It would record and keep track of where everyone was while on the ship. Anyone who spent more than 15 minutes at the Martini Bar the night that the bartender tested positive got called in to be tested. One of the couples in our Roll Call had to spend 48 hours confined to their inside cabin to see if they would get Covid and were tested 2 times a day, they never came down with Covid but being quarantined in an inside cabin was no fun either. I can't confirm if the tractlets are still being used this year, or how they do contact tracing without them.

No tracelets now, they are using ships cameras…

[TeeRick]

15 hours ago, runningtide said:

Just an FYI...., I understand the "best" mask is N95 respirators, but wearing them long term is out off the question or me. For those that feel the same, may I suggest Armbrust ASTM Level 3 surgical mask. They were recommended by my Cardiologist and friend. Made in USA and extremely good fit. You can order them from the Armbrust site. Delivered in about 5 days. 

 

All the best........See you on the next tack !

Thank you for the advice!

[talljules1]

Now that the new guidelines for cruises out of Southampton have been released, it is evident that we both count as "up to date" with our vaccinations (both have had 2 doses + booster).  We were planning on taking (surgical) masks with us anyway (which we've been using for months) but I am now upgrading us to FFP2 (N95) masks, and we'll be using those on board. Given the reports of +ve cases on board - and the isolation that then ensues, this seems like a sensible precaution. I'll also be socially distancing as well.  I'd rather not get sick - and if I am sick, I'd rather not make others sick.

[Yoshikitty]

4 minutes ago, talljules1 said:

Now that the new guidelines for cruises out of Southampton have been released, it is evident that we both count as "up to date" with our vaccinations (both have had 2 doses + booster).  We were planning on taking (surgical) masks with us anyway (which we've been using for months) but I am now upgrading us to FFP2 (N95) masks, and we'll be using those on board. Given the reports of +ve cases on board - and the isolation that then ensues, this seems like a sensible precaution. I'll also be socially distancing as well.  I'd rather not get sick - and if I am sick, I'd rather not make others sick.

Bravo!