Masks for crew optional starting tomorrow

[Ken at the beach]

Just talking with a crew member who said starting tomorrow masks are optional for all crew regardless of where they are working.  Also the restrictions to go ashore, at least in Miami have been removed. 

[sandebeach]

On Allure and just asked our server in Coastal Kitchen. He has not heard this yet but said it would be great if true. Currently no masks needed when in crew areas on Allure. 

[leaveitallbehind]

38 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Just talking with a crew member who said starting tomorrow masks are optional for all crew regardless of where they are working.  Also the restrictions to go ashore, at least in Miami have been removed. 

I, for one, am glad to see this as the crew had been double masked on our October and December cruises. Since the crew is equally as vaccinated as the guests, If the mask restrictions are being lifted for the guests, it is only fitting that the crew requirements should follow IMO.

 

The lifting of shore restrictions is also good for them as previously one "team" member has been allowed 1 hour of shore time - double masked - to pick up whatever necessities his crew team needed in certain ports of call.  This hopefully will allow them at least a little time off the ship in certain ports.

[firefly333]

48 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Just talking with a crew member who said starting tomorrow masks are optional for all crew regardless of where they are working.  Also the restrictions to go ashore, at least in Miami have been removed. 

You mention miami. My steward said limited ashore in Galveston  ..not in ports of call.

 

I'll ask when I see them what they can do now.

[Ken at the beach]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

You mention miami. My steward said limited ashore in Galveston  ..not in ports of call.

 

I'll ask when I see them what they can do now.

They said before they were limited to max 200 crew going ashore in Miami.  Now no restriction on numbers.  All eligible can go ashore, no longer need to apply to go off. 

[exm]

They told me masks optional in crew-only areas, but still required when customer facing.

[DukeASUGirl]

My daughter's skating coach just joined the cast of Harmony this week, and as of yesterday she was saying that masks are required when customer-facing, optional in crew-only. She only checks in once a day, at night, so it's possible it may have changed since she last checked in.

[Jimbo]

Sounds to me like it's up to  each  ship, not fleet wide.

[bucfan2]

Sure hope that is true….long overdue.

[ericosmith]

On 3/18/2022 at 12:10 PM, DukeASUGirl said:

My daughter's skating coach just joined the cast of Harmony this week, and as of yesterday she was saying that masks are required when customer-facing, optional in crew-only. She only checks in once a day, at night, so it's possible it may have changed since she last checked in.

Saw her perform Friday night and she did a great job!

[RockHoundTX]

Just got off Liberty. The crew was told that starting today they no longer had to double-mask (no longer required the inner M95 white one) but masks (the outer blue one) still required for the foreseeable future for all customer facing positions. That being said, I would say that at least 20%+ of the crew were improperly wearing masks this entire week. Don't think I saw my MDR server with the mask over his nose even one the entire week. The cabin attendant also had his on his chin most of the time.  

[Sunshine3601]

All crew on Anthem masked up.   Some lower them when noone near them but put back up as soon as sometimes comes near them.   

Mdr waiter said no mask in crew only area but masks in customer areas at all times.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

Depending on the spread of the covid surges in China and Germany (at least), crew wearing the mask under the nose may be... just maybe at this point... doing damage to the image of Royal Caribbean.

[rj59]

Let the poor people breathe and show their faces. At least the Royal crew wear Smile buttons, unlike those on Princess. It also makes it easier for crew and passengers to hear, especially with accents. Most importantly, they lost a lot of income during shutdown and have had to endure a lot of changes and challenges since then, while wearing masks constantly and living in fear of getting sick and losing more income. Ships at 30-40% occupancy for so long also means a much smaller gratuity pool to share from. I also shudder to think of all the Ukrainians I met on Royal and Princess ships, many who were ending their contracts and going home before Christmas. As everywhere else now, if you're at risk or fear getting sick, then wear an effective mask. 

[SetAnOpenCourse]

Unless the expert advice has changed, the biggest benefit of people wearing masks is so they don't spread the virus (not so they don't contract it).  True concern for the crew should include the possibility of the pandemic taking a turn for the worse and the crew facing the financial impact of another shut-down of cruising.

[bucfan2]

7 hours ago, SetAnOpenCourse said:

Unless the expert advice has changed, the biggest benefit of people wearing masks is so they don't spread the virus (not so they don't contract it).  True concern for the crew should include the possibility of the pandemic taking a turn for the worse and the crew facing the financial impact of another shut-down of cruising.

Your definition of 'expert advice' may include no traveling.  On the other side of the fence, the fear mongering days are long gone.

[jean87510]

Glad to hear this.  I wrote in my survey to please allow these workers to have mask optional.  I couldn't believe the poor lifeguards at coco cay and onboard outside with masks on.  So ridiculous.  My husband and I were talking with a lifeguard at the end of the day at coco cay and he told us it was required even while patrolling on the jet ski.  We were on the 1st sailing of masks optional and it was so refreshing.  The poor workers were double masked. 

[SargassoPirate]

8 hours ago, rj59 said:

Let the poor people breathe and show their faces. At least the Royal crew wear Smile buttons, unlike those on Princess. It also makes it easier for crew and passengers to hear, especially with accents. Most importantly, they lost a lot of income during shutdown and have had to endure a lot of changes and challenges since then, while wearing masks constantly and living in fear of getting sick and losing more income. Ships at 30-40% occupancy for so long also means a much smaller gratuity pool to share from. I also shudder to think of all the Ukrainians I met on Royal and Princess ships, many who were ending their contracts and going home before Christmas. As everywhere else now, if you're at risk or fear getting sick, then wear an effective mask. 

 

Trying to understand a double/single masked crew member whose first language is not English is one of the two most annoying things about cruising right now.  The other is trying to find a covid test within the two-day window (didn't say it couldn't be done, just said it's annoying).

 

I understand the cruise lines are trying to stay off the CDC's radar, but come on, if somebody is not vaccinated by now, chances are they are not going to and it's time to let the vaccinated get on with life.

 

 

[exm]

Same with adventure ocean (kids club). It’s insanity kids needs to wear masks there. Ditch the masking everywhere. Period.

[mek]

10 hours ago, SetAnOpenCourse said:

Depending on the spread of the covid surges in China and Germany (at least), crew wearing the mask under the nose may be... just maybe at this point... doing damage to the image of Royal Caribbean.

The time has come to stop tracking covid.  It is never going to go away and we don't track other viruses like this.

 

[Diver2014]

Best analogy I've heard about the effectiveness of masks:  like a gnat flying through a chain link fence.

We're cruising in June (for the first time since January 2020) and I hope the poor crew are allowed to breathe normally by then.  I can't understand anything a masked person says....literally.  It's all sounds like a bunch of mumbling to me (yes, I did have my hearing checked and I have mild hearing loss).  I'm still hoping by June the testing prior to cruising is also dropped.  Let's get back to normal.

[Lane Hog]

To be fair, the CDC does track other virus activity... it's just not newsworthy until it's something like Ebola or Measles.

 

The best analogy I've heard is that masks stop viruses like multiple layers of underwear and clothing stop your farts from spreading...

Edited March 21, 2022 by Lane Hog

[xtremegk]

1 hour ago, mek said:

The time has come to stop tracking covid.  It is never going to go away and we don't track other viruses like this.

 

 

Hate to break it to you, but we do. Even influenza. Is it reported by media as much? Not a chance. But almost every state DOH has a public-facing dashboard that tracks various illnesses. Here in NJ, they even have regional color-coded charts for influenza, just like COVID. And yes, this goes back pre-COVID.

[graphicguy]

12 hours ago, SetAnOpenCourse said:

Unless the expert advice has changed, the biggest benefit of people wearing masks is so they don't spread the virus (not so they don't contract it).  True concern for the crew should include the possibility of the pandemic taking a turn for the worse and the crew facing the financial impact of another shut-down of cruising.

Yeah...I think the cruise lines are fearful of a crew member(s) spreading COVID to their fellow crew, and especially to guests.  As numbers of infections fall, those restrictions should be relaxed for crew.

 

That said, I see Royal strongly suggests passengers having booster shots, which I'm thinking are also required for crew.  Feeling good about that, also.

[graphicguy]

2 minutes ago, xtremegk said:

 

Hate to break it to you, but we do. Even influenza. Is it reported by media as much? Not a chance. But almost every state DOH has a public-facing dashboard that tracks various illnesses. Here in NJ, they even have regional color-coded charts for influenza, just like COVID. And yes, this goes back pre-COVID.

It's important not to stick our heads on the sand.  We need to know the status of COVID, as well as any other contagious virus, disease and/or malady.  

 

It is important for all of us to know what the health status of the general populace is....even moreso on a cruise line, where people from all over gather in close proximity of each other.