What is your strategy to stay safe while on a cruise?

[Ken the cruiser]

Some folks have asked what our strategy has been to avoid getting sick while on one of the 9 cruises we’ve been on since cruising started back up (see below). Which got me thinking as well as to possibly help others who are thinking about cruising again, what strategic steps do you take while you’re on a cruise that has successfully kept you from getting sick?

 

Here’s what we do. In essence we treat moving around the ship like a game. Hey, what can I say, we're on a cruise and having fun is what it's all about, right? 😎

 

Dining: On our first visit to our dining room, my DW makes sure the hostess and/or maitre 'd know that if at all possible we would like an empty table next to us while dining and are also very willing to sit at the most undesirable table they have. But, in order to be able to do that, we always try to come when the dining room, especially in the evening, first opens. It's amazing how accommodating they can be when you don't care what (non-window) table you sit at.

 

Elevators: We're in our late 60s and are still able to use the stairs whenever feasible. But if we have to walk up 4+ flights of stairs, especially after a meal, we'll take the elevator with our masks on. Now, if either unmasked or 3 or more passengers decide to enter the elevator on an in-between floor, we get off there and walk up the rest of the way. 

 

Main theater: When we first board and are exploring the ship, we head to the main theater and develop a strategy as to where we will sit using knowledge from past cruises if possible. On a Celebrity ship, the theaters have 3-4 levels and have a U-shaped design, so it's pretty easy to developmultiple out-of-the-way seating options. Now, on a Princess ship, their theater seating takes a little more creative thinking. But, of course, that'sall part of the game to make adjustments when necessary.

 

Downtime: We always get a balcony and try to determine which cabin location will produce the most shade during the cruise, especially in the afternoon. Hanging out with a bunch of people near the pool is just not something we would do. 
 

Excursions: If at all possible we sit in the back of the tour bus while most folks like to sit more towards the front and, of course, we wear our mask at all times while on the bus.

 

Reducing stress by walking in underutilized spaces: When we first get on the ship, we also check out where the entrances to the promenade walkways are and use them, when necessary, in a crowded situation whenwe need to get from one end of the ship to another. If not an option, we will use the nearby stairs, walk up a flight or two, and then walk through a cabin hallway to get to the other end of the ship.

 

Personal Hygiene: We wash our hands whenever feasible without going into any public bathroom. That is a big no no! But we also wash our hands once we get back to the cabin. As far as hand sanitizers go, we use them whenever we go into a theater or dining room as well as when we leave those areas. We also sanitize coming back onto the ship or basically anywhere our hands may have touched something. Heck, my DW makes me sanitize even if I just touch the elevator button. 😂 BTW we use our triple-layered "washable" Celebrity cloth masks as they have done a good job for us and they're comfortable. And you guessed it, we'll probably be wearing them on the upcoming Princess and NCL cruises unless we're issued ones by the cruise line.

 

But, most importantly, we treat it like a game as we've enjoyed not getting sick on/or after a cruise for many years now. Of course, we also have no desire to mess up our cruise by getting quarantined, either by getting C19 or being traced, as we usually are on B2B cruises that are at least 2-3+ weeks long.

 

The bottom line is that it's up to YOU to keep yourself safe rather than to worry about the variety of personalities that will be on the ship cruising with you and what they will do.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[ebeluga]

@Ken the cruiser thx for the tips.  Curious if you have done cruises at full or near full capacity recently.

[sunviking90]

No Elevators, and masks always! Masked and going up from deck 5 to stateroom on Marina (15) is lots of fun! Does get easier as the cruise goes on though.

[Ken the cruiser]

18 minutes ago, ebeluga said:

@Ken the cruiser thx for the tips.  Curious if you have done cruises at full or near full capacity recently.

Not yet. The 9 Celebrity cruises, 8 of which didn’t mandate masks indoors, were populated like this:

 

Edge B3B (Aug 2021) - around 900 (30% capacity)

Apex B2B (Nov 2021) - around 1700 (58% capacity)

Constellation B2B (Dec 2021) - first leg 400 (20% capacity), second leg 1200 (60%j

Reflection B2B (Feb 2022) - around 1500 (50% capacity)

 

[Bgwest]

Our strategy? Follow the advice of  @KenTheCruiser !

[Ken the cruiser]

3 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

No Elevators, and masks always! Masked and going up from deck 5 to stateroom on Marina (15) is lots of fun! Does get easier as the cruise goes on though.

Have you noticed as we have that when you try to go up those 10 flights of stairs after eating, it takes a little more effort than when your stomach wasn’t trying to also digest that meal. 

[PhotoGal07]

We'll likely do much the same.  We booked a suite so we can shift to taking meals in our cabin depending on how things look in June when we head to Alaska.  We're mostly on the ship because it easily moves us between locations, and for this trip the ship facilities rank pretty low, so it's no great loss to us if we decide to miss out on a show or dinner.  Basically our rule of thumb is to just be very very flexible while traveling right now, and have super low expectations.  We actually just caught covid here at home (and are vaccinated/boosted) this past week.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the fresh antibodies will also help us avoid getting sick again in a couple months.  

We've also made plans for what happens if we get sick during our trip, or at the tail end (emergency pet-sitting/house-sitting) etc.  

[Thrak]

I have never used my elbow for elevator buttons but have always used a knuckle. We do take the stairs when we can but my back has decided that's often not a good idea and my wife's knees have done the same. She has just had her second knee replacement and, while it's not totally healed, it is getting better each day. Hopefully by the time we sail in 19 days she will be able to use the stairs sometimes.

 

We always wash our hands when we return to the cabin, before we leave the cabin, and when we go into the buffet. I've been known to wash them again when leaving the buffet. We use the hand sanitizer frequently. We have Princess Plus so I will make use of the beverage package as a "sanitizer".

 

We have never resorted to the "wipe down the cabin when we first arrive" method but may well do so on our upcoming cruise. After all, things are different now. We both have been double vaccinated and double boostered and will wear masks as required. We "may" always wear them in elevators but my wife may not be happy with that process. She has repeatedly stated that she doesn't want to have to wear a mask all the time on the ship. We will see...

[GloriaF]

We follow the same guidelines outlined above.  Just common sense and following guidelines outlined by the CDC.  we are vaxed and double boosted.

 

 Some specifics:  For many years we have preferred our balcony to sitting by the crowded pool.  Rarely do we swim or soak in a hot tub onboard, and can sit by the pool at home.  We cannot, however, watch the sea rolling past and read on our balcony.  In warm climates we love having room service breakfast served on the balcony, too.  DH prefers any and all dining choices rather than the MDR, so it is easier to avoid crowds while eating. We do enjoy the evening entertainment in the theatre.  We haven't cruised since the pandemic, so don't have a strategy for seats yet.  We have always preferred one of the first rows center in the mezzanine level, but that is a popular spot and we will most likely look for less-crowded seats.  When the show is over we often walk outside on the promenade to avoid the casino smoke and crowds waiting for the elevator, to the far end of the ship to take the elevator and/or walk up several flights. We try to avoid touching the chair rails as well.  We do wipe down the TV remote control, phone, light switches and door knobs when we board, and have done this for years. Naturally wearing masks in crowded areas, using sanitizer and washing hands often is crucial.  

Edited April 14, 2022 by GloriaF

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

We have never resorted to the "wipe down the cabin when we first arrive" method but may well do so on our upcoming cruise. After all, things are different now.

That’s another thing my DW always does, especially with regards to the bathroom facilities, when we initially board the ship.

[emmak8]

A few additions to Ken's useful list:

I rarely eat in the buffet. This long before covid. I don't like walking around and overfilling my plate. Better to be waited on and select from menu.  Having been on 90 plus cruises I don't wish to see a show every night. I've seen most of them anyway. During the day the elevators at the front of the ship are less crowded. I never enter an elevator without a mask. I try to only use the bathroom in my cabin. I don't mind wearing a mask and I always wear one. I have been on 5 cruises since restart. Four have been with very low capacity. The fifth had more than two thirds full.

[thehowlingroad]

Our return to sea will be in July. The plan is to always wear KN95-level masks in public, regardless of what crap other passengers have to say about it (masking honestly does not bother us), sanitize our hands every time we touch a surface, getting all our recommended boosters in June, and making good use of our balcony and the open-air decks. Stairs will be hard on my mother, but we are on Deck 12, so going up to 16 may be doable if we’re not in a hurry. But I have no issue with being “rude” and closing elevator doors on people either. We will be masking on all excursions, taking smaller group excursions with lots of outdoor time instead of the larger coach buses, and hoping for some luck that a new and nastier variant won’t rear its head over the next 4 months.

 

I’ll admit, I’m worried about the MDR and the buffet, but I suppose we’ll do sip/cover and only remove the masks fully to eat. We tend to eat late at home as it is anyway, so that might work in our favor.
 

We’ve gone the whole pandemic era without a positive test and while I suspect the streak might end after this cruise, we’re going to do our best to get out of it unscathed. I like the point about not using the public restrooms onboard. Will keep that in mind.

[Steelers36]

I appreciate @Ken the cruiser's contribution.  My answer is that when we sail in October, my plan is to do nothing different than I have in the past.  EXCEPT - be chasing down the DRO in order to make sure our TD expectations can be met in a suitable location for the full B2B2B.

[Level six]

On the last two cruises, we always wipe down the room after the steward cleans.  Especially the remote.  It is easy and makes us feel more comfortable.  Probably not necessary, but??

We have been lucky, even when almost everyone on the Majestic was coughing like crazy a few weeks ago.  

[Carnevale]

All great ideas and I will add one more.   After years of business travel I have developed lots of virus prevention measures for traveling (yup….that was me wiping down all hard surfaces on airplanes hotel rooms long before COVID).  A tip someone shared that I adopted has to do with the remote control.  With so many nooks and crannies it’s hard to clean and can be a place for germs to gather given how much it’s used.  Bring along a large zippered plastic bag (ziplock or other brand), put the remote inside, close the bag and use the remote while it is in the bag.   Never seems to interfere with the remote’s operation and you know you have clean surfaces.

[sfaaa]

All very good points. Anyone has some helpful tip on using the gym? When cruising,  I  would usually spend an hour in there everyday to burn off those excess calories. Problem with gym is it is indoor, most people are unmasked and sweating. Wearing my N95 while exercising will be quite uncomfortable. What to do?

[Ombud]

Stairs. Best stairmaster out there. Also I book a balcony near the floors I frequent which means 9 or 10. (Except E408-E425 on Royal Class). Love my balcony and alone time

[MissP22]

Good luck with your strategy although it might be next to impossible to implement on a full ship.

[Peachestravels]

We wear mask. Every time we return to our cabin they get sprayed with lysol and when we wear them again I spray them with peppermint. It is a germ killing natural oil. 

 

We use the stairs when we can and also sit next to an empty table when possible. 

 

I spray the pillows with lysol and use a zip lock bag on all remotes. They are the two things that carry the most germs. I'm a nurse and deal with disease all the time so I learned several tricks. 

 

I carry lysol wipes and wipe down all the handles in the room, inside and outside. People often touch your door handle just for fun. 

 

I carry disposable gloves when using buffet. Better safe than sorry. We wash our hands frequently and at night I use witch hazel on them to kill all germs and helps prevent cracking of the skin. 

 

And we always book a balcony for fresh air. 

 

We spray our clothes with peppermint when not wearing mask, it helps with breathing better and reduces germ intake. 

[Tonsoffun44]

Our strategy is a bit more complicated than OP but has worked so far (although not on a cruise yet). Has worked at 50+ indoor and outdoor sports events, 12 indoor concerts and 12 indoor large scale conventions (ALL with Capacity of well above full cruise ships).  

1) wear our cloth masks in elevator when others are around (traveling with someone in wheelchair stairs aren't an option). 
2) Don't shake/hold hands or hug other people
3) Personal hygiene as usual - wash hands before/after meals, using the restroom as well as after activities.
4) use knuckle to press buttons on elevator/slot machines which we've always done anyway. 

5) wipe down room(cabin) upon entry which we've always done in hotels/cruises. 

[Esprit]

Mine is simple!

Drink alcohol regularly and if it loses its taste, I will consider performing a LFT on myself.

[dockman]

I have long ago quit shaking hands with people as much as humanly possible.  It is an archaic custom that no doubt has spread all kinds of colds, flu, etc for decades.  Do you really think that most peoples hands are  clean:  don't rub their nose, don't touch dirty surfaces, wash their hands after bathroom, etc?  I don't.  All it takes is a quick handshake and then touch your eye, mouth, nose, and it's happy new home time for viruses/bugs.

 

Personally i think the Asians have it right to acknowledge people with a simple nod/slight bow or better yet the Thai version of greeting the wai.  If it offends someone that I refuse to shake so be it.

[wowzz]

11 hours ago, thehowlingroad said:

Stairs will be hard on my mother, but we are on Deck 12, so going up to 16 may be doable if we’re not in a hurry.

From a risk assessment point of view,  is it not more dangerous for your mother to have to climb the stairs (stroke/heart attack/ knee injury, etc) than be in an elevator for 20 seconds ?

[antsp]

I like to wait until a elevator full of masked people stops at my deck, and then push in mask less, 5 seconds later you have it all to yourself. Easy

[Tak8]

Don't cruise.  Kidding.  Follow the guidelines.