Decline of the roll call

[CatDi]

6 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

As a veteran of many solo cruises, I've found that loneliness is a state of mind that is easy to squelch - especially on a cruise.  Just go out of your cabin and you'll bump into someone within 100 steps.  Say hi to them and everyone else you meet.  Cruisers are generally friendly and like to talk about what they've done, what they're doing, and what they will do - especially the older ones.  It's hard to stay lonely under those conditions.

 

And yes, entertainment will help.  My Fire tablet and cellphone are bulging with videos and books just in case I have a spare moment.  For more discussion about the specific issues that solo cruisers have, let me introduce you to the solo cruisers sub-board here at Solo Cruises: Ask a Question - Cruise Critic Message Board Forums .

Hey thanks for the information, very helpful.  

[Torfamm]

12 hours ago, RichYak said:

On the flip side, I am far LESS likely to book ship's excursions now than in the past due to contact tracing.

That is a concern for sure, but I suppose that it’s for the best to be tested if I’ve been exposed to someone who has COVID.  
 

I haven’t yet taken a cruise leaving from a foreign port or that had any bucket list destinations because of the risk of being quarantined.  Hoping that things will feel a little more certain by next year

[RichYak]

5 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

That is a concern for sure, but I suppose that it’s for the best to be tested if I’ve been exposed to someone who has COVID.  

It's not just the testing, it's the quarantine requirement. When I'm on dry land and am deemed a close contact, I don't need to quarantine and should wait until at least 5 days have passed to take a test. When I'm on a cruise ship, I need to quarantine for at least 24 hours and take 2 tests immediately.

 

I don't know why the guidance from the same agency is so wildly inconsistent, but it sure makes it hard to trust the science. Ultimately, I just adjust my behavior (no ship sponsored tours) to minimize the odds of being deemed a close contact by the cruise ship.

[HMR74]

1 hour ago, Torfamm said:

That is a concern for sure, but I suppose that it’s for the best to be tested if I’ve been exposed to someone who has COVID.  
 

I haven’t yet taken a cruise leaving from a foreign port or that had any bucket list destinations because of the risk of being quarantined.  Hoping that things will feel a little more certain by next year

thats the tough part-close contact "counts" even if you are fully vaccinated -2 boosters-and had Covid recently (which would seem to infer a higher level of immunity).

 

I say this last sentence as late last week 2 of our direct friends, with 4 shots total have tested positive and a bunch of secondary friends too. For several of them this is the second time they have had covid. One was more severe, the others less severe.  I do not buy or reject the comment that it would have been more severe without the shots. Data does not support either way.

 

So there is mass confusion and not only is the efficacy of the vaccine waning, so is trust for the system.

Pardon the pun but this whole thing is like a shot in the dark,

[Torfamm]

2 hours ago, RichYak said:

It's not just the testing, it's the quarantine requirement. When I'm on dry land and am deemed a close contact, I don't need to quarantine and should wait until at least 5 days have passed to take a test. When I'm on a cruise ship, I need to quarantine for at least 24 hours and take 2 tests immediately.

 

I don't know why the guidance from the same agency is so wildly inconsistent, but it sure makes it hard to trust the science. Ultimately, I just adjust my behavior (no ship sponsored tours) to minimize the odds of being deemed a close contact by the cruise ship.

My concern if I have been a close contact is that I might develop COVID and unwittingly give it to others.