First O Cruise - Covid Protocol Question

[bbtondo]

I took the plunge and booked an O Cruise this August on the Riveria through the Med.  I have read all the current "official" O Covid protocols.  I realize a lot can change, so my questions are for current cruises.

 

I know you must present a Covid test upon embarkment and if some countries require it when docking there.  Besides that,  does O do mandatory testing for everyone while onboard?  I get the impression that they do not unless someone requests it.  Is this right?

 

 

[lorimay]

There is no mandatory testing for all onboard unless there is a requirement from a country that everyone has to have a negative test within a certain period (48 or 72 hours) before entering that country. For example, the Riviera is now on a transatlantic that was supposed to stop in Bermuda, so everyone on board would have had to be tested for Bermuda. The only other people to be tested would be someone who reported covid symptoms.

 

We just got off the Riviera on Friday. If you are concerned about covid protocols this is probably not the right time to be crusing. Yes, everyone was tested before embarking, but that's about the only protocol there is. At the beginning of the cruise about 20% of the people were wearing masks. By the end, I would say less than 10% were masked. There was no social distancing requirements (elevators were packed, deck chairs right next to each other, all tables occupied in restaurants) and in ports even those countries where you were supposed to be masked very few did. They had hand sanitizer everywhere but I saw very few people using it. All staff was masked but now they have removed the quarantine requirements for new crew. I think the mask mandate will be gone soon.

 

They didn't announce any passenger cases but did announce that all the crew had tested negative during the cruise.

[bbtondo]

3 hours ago, lorimay said:

There is no mandatory testing for all onboard unless there is a requirement from a country that everyone has to have a negative test within a certain period (48 or 72 hours) before entering that country. For example, the Riviera is now on a transatlantic that was supposed to stop in Bermuda, so everyone on board would have had to be tested for Bermuda. The only other people to be tested would be someone who reported covid symptoms.

 

We just got off the Riviera on Friday. If you are concerned about covid protocols this is probably not the right time to be crusing. Yes, everyone was tested before embarking, but that's about the only protocol there is. At the beginning of the cruise about 20% of the people were wearing masks. By the end, I would say less than 10% were masked. There was no social distancing requirements (elevators were packed, deck chairs right next to each other, all tables occupied in restaurants) and in ports even those countries where you were supposed to be masked very few did. They had hand sanitizer everywhere but I saw very few people using it. All staff was masked but now they have removed the quarantine requirements for new crew. I think the mask mandate will be gone soon.

 

They didn't announce any passenger cases but did announce that all the crew had tested negative during the cruise.

Thanks for this helpful information.  Last year I  cruised with Viking which had a lot of Covid protocols.  I'm much more comfortable with the current O protocols.  

[pinotlover]

3 minutes ago, bbtondo said:

Thanks for this helpful information.  Last year I  cruised with Viking which had a lot of Covid protocols.  I'm much more comfortable with the current O protocols.  

Where did you cruise with Viking?? Last Fall, while sailing in Med waters, Oceania had a lot of different protocols than now, because they were mandated by the EU countries. When O returns to the EU later this month, watch on board protocols change! This is not an endorsement of Viking, but a simple statement. Cruise lines MUST adhere to the protocols in effect in the waters and countries they are visiting. What you actually said is “ I like Carribean protocols better than European ones”. You’ll probably get few to disagree.

[njhorseman]

47 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Where did you cruise with Viking?? Last Fall, while sailing in Med waters, Oceania had a lot of different protocols than now, because they were mandated by the EU countries. When O returns to the EU later this month, watch on board protocols change! This is not an endorsement of Viking, but a simple statement. Cruise lines MUST adhere to the protocols in effect in the waters and countries they are visiting. What you actually said is “ I like Carribean protocols better than European ones”. You’ll probably get few to disagree.

Yes, all  cruise lines have to obey the protocols of the countries being visited, but Viking does something that AFAIK is unique. Viking tests every passenger and every crew member every day, regardless of of local protocols.

At present there's a fairly substantial amount of grumbling on the Viking board about this protocol, as many feel it's unnecessary at this point in time...if it was even ever necessary to test fully vaccinated asymptomatic people daily. Admittedly there are Viking aficionados who think this is wonderful, and perhaps there was value to it a year ago, but now?

[lorimay]

I want to point out we were on Marina in Italy/Greece in November and the covid protocols were completely different than the ones we just experienced on Riviera in the Caribbean. Even then there was no daily testing of everyone - only when it was required for a port. There was much more social distancing, masks required, bubble tours, etc. As pinotlover points out, the protocols may be different in Europe but things are changing rapidly so who knows what Oceania will do for their European cruises although I doubt they are going back to the way they were in November.

[Twitchly]

On 3/21/2022 at 12:38 PM, bbtondo said:

Thanks for this helpful information.  Last year I  cruised with Viking which had a lot of Covid protocols.  I'm much more comfortable with the current O protocols.  

Viking’s Covid protocols are why I’m checking out Oceania. Some people find daily testing reassuring; we find it unnecessarily burdensome. Looking forward to learning more about Oceania.

[Riverroad]

Couldn’t agree more. It’s not just the testing itself. It’s the chance that you’ll test positive and be removed from the ship in a foreign city, quarantined in a hotel of Viking’s choosing and have to get a new flight home all without knowing whether Viking or your insurance will pay for any of this. That coupled with the excessive amount of time prior to cruise date (a year or more) that Viking requires final payment is why we will never cruise Viking.

We are completely happy O cruisers.