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

[Torfamm]

Great advice @Ken the cruiser! We also try to minimize our risk even if some risk is unavoidable. We’ve taken 6 cruises since the restart and have chosen to limit them to round trips starting and ending in our own country and are putting off any “bucket list” destinations so that we don’t feel badly about our choice to avoid any tours in busses or vans or trips to crowded museums. 
 

We wear masks most of the time and haven’t used the theater or gone to events like trivia or Bingo. Breakfast and lunch are either picked up in the buffet and taken to an outdoor table or ordered from the pool grill  or pizza place. We do go to the Casino and fitness center though because we really enjoy it. Spending more time on our balcony these days for sure!

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Wearing my N95 while exercising will be quite uncomfortable. What to do?

Life is all about choice and risk assesment.

Your choice is exercising in the gym, with  a slight chance of contracting Covid, or not using the gym for 14 days,  but perhaps walking round the deck instead.

Covid is never going away, so these decisions will have to be made on an on going basis. 

[ImperialLady]

3 hours ago, Peachestravels said:

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. 

What do you use as far as peppermint goes...I use peppermint essential oil in my diffuser at home but I like your suggestion of spraying with peppermint but where do you get a spray that you use on clothing? Thanks

[CACruiser1973]

Beware - long post follows - I followed quite a few of these suggestions on my recent March 10 cruise on the Grand - where I have heard anecdotally of a number of positive cases here on CC but we stayed negative. I had a bit of a throat thing when we disembarked but after three negative tests, it must have been something else.
 

My mom and I both have some comorbidities so while we are both fully vaccinated and (now double) boosted, we have managed to avoid Covid since the start of the pandemic.  We booked the cruise when it was masks required and could not get our money back when the policy ended so we went - but I could not get off the ship fast enough. I’m just not comfortable cruising right now and need to stay home for now. But these are some of the things we did while onboard. 
 

1) I wore KF94 masks everywhere - and I mean all day, everywhere.  I did sip and cover for every beverage and all meals but one (in the Crown Grill where we had the only table for 10 feet around us).  Chewing with a mask on is not easy, but I figure it is easier than being sick or quarantined.  To manage this, at every meal I designated my left hand as “the dirty one”

to lift the mask from my face to allow the fork under before quickly lowering it again.  
 

2) We have always wiped down all airplane areas, hotels and cruise rooms for years before Covid. We continue to do so - wiping everything from light switches and door knobs to even tables and countertops. We go through a LOT of Lysol wipes but it is worth it to us for the peace of mind. 
 

3) We wash our hands constantly and also carry around hand sanitizer.  I try to view the menus outside the dining room so I don’t need to touch them when seated but do have sanitizer on hand to use after touching a menu if necessary. 
 

4) We only take the elevator if it is more than four or five decks. And when we do, we do not ride with unmasked individuals. For the start of the cruise, we would just exit and wait for another or take the stairs if close enough. The last day of the cruise, I just started telling people we would not ride with unmasked people and closed the doors on them. I know I’ll get flamed for that and don’t condone my actions, but after two weeks, I was tired of the snarky comments from non mask wearers and tired of having to wait for three or four elevators to get one with only masked people on it. 
 

5) We requested (and received) socially distant tables in the dining room with nobody near us - I still ate with my mask on, but felt better having a column next to me instead of other unmasked coughing passengers (which there were plenty of at the end of the sailing).

 

Finally, we have done the Hawaii sailing from LA almost 20 times - we love Hawaii and dance hula both on and off the ship, and have played ukulele and Hawaiian slack key music for years. That being said, the two most stressful experiences for me were due to those practices. 
 

I always bring my guitar (usually an electric Hollowbody so nobody can hear it but me so I don’t disturb others).  I would often choose the couch along the wall near Explorers Lounge to play. I always wore my mask and didn’t mind comments from passerby about the guitar. One day though, an unmasked man invited himself to sit next to me, promptly grabbed my guitar and began playing it. I was horrified. Aside from it being poor etiquette to take someone’s instrument without their express permission to do so, his hands were now all over the instrument. For someone that won’t touch an elevator button or handrail others have touched, it really bothered me that if he had just coughed or sneezed into his hands (as I saw MANY people do on the cruise) those germs were now on my guitar.  Fortunately, it was my carbon fiber instrument, not one of my wood ones, so I was able to go back to my cabin and wipe it with Lysol wipes. Memo to me - never again take a wood guitar with me.  Note - not the first time this has happened. A guy did it with my custom ukulele once as well, jamming his fingers into the side sound port to see how big it was. Sigh. 
 

The other incident involved Hawaiian Ambassador Rowena. She was a lovely lady, very friendly. But perhaps given the pandemic filled with a bit TOO much aloha. She talked about how great it was we no longer had to wear masks, and urged hula dancers to hug, touch and “share aloha” together. Hence, Mom and I stayed in the back of the Vista, never dancing on the crowded floor. She also would go around and hug or touch all the passengers in the Piazza each night, as she and all of them were unmasked.  Twice she came up to me (who she

never once saw without a mask) to hug or kiss me. I was mortified.  I didn’t want to be rude to her so I just stopped going to their performances. If there was one single greatest spreader of Covid onboard, it was probably her.  Lord knows if she was positive and asymptomatic she would have given it to hundreds.  Again, I really liked her personally. We talked about feather lei making (Mom and I have a feather lei company so we often wore them), hula and Hawaii. I just would have liked her more if she had respected my personal space a bit more and not repeatedly hugged me unmasked unsolicited after just hugging dozens of other unmasked people. 

Edited April 14, 2022 by CACruiser1973

[geocruiser]

What is my strategy to stay safe while on a cruise?  Well is not really for a cruise. But for me to stay safe, I just don't go.

I am happy to read all the great safety hints on this thread.

Enjoy your cruises and stay safe.

[cr8tiv1]

13 minutes ago, CACruiser1973 said:

Beware - long post follows - I followed quite a few of these suggestions on my recent March 10 cruise on the Grand -

 

Finally, we have done the Hawaii sailing from LA almost 20 times - we love Hawaii and dance hula both on and off the ship, and have played ukulele and Hawaiian slack key music for years. That being said, the two most stressful experiences for me were due to those practices. 
 

I always bring my guitar (usually an electric Hollowbody so nobody can hear it but me so I don’t disturb others).  I would often choose the couch along the wall near Explorers Lounge to play. I always wore my mask and didn’t mind comments from passerby about the guitar. One day though, an unmasked man invited himself to sit next to me, promptly grabbed my guitar and began playing it. I was horrified. Aside from it being poor etiquette to take someone’s instrument without their express permission to do so, his hands were now all over the instrument. For someone that won’t touch an elevator button or handrail others have touched, it really bothered me that if he had just coughed or sneezed into his hands (as I saw MANY people do on the cruise) those germs were now on my guitar.  Fortunately, it was my carbon fiber instrument, not one of my wood ones, so I was able to go back to my cabin and wipe it with Lysol wipes. Memo to me - never again take a wood guitar with me.  Note - not the first time this has happened. A guy did it with my custom ukulele once as well, jamming his fingers into the side sound port to see how big it was. Sigh. 
 

The other incident involved Hawaiian Ambassador Rowena. She was a lovely lady, very friendly. But perhaps given the pandemic filled with a bit TOO much aloha. She talked about how great it was we no longer had to wear masks, and urged hula dancers to hug, touch and “share aloha” together. Hence, Mom and I stayed in the back of the Vista, never dancing on the crowded floor. She also would go around and hug or touch all the passengers in the Piazza each night, as she and all of them were unmasked.  Twice she came up to me (who she

never once saw without a mask) to hug or kiss me. I was mortified.  I didn’t want to be rude to her so I just stopped going to their performances. If there was one single greatest spreader of Covid onboard, it was probably her.  Lord knows if she was positive and asymptomatic she would have given it to hundreds.  Again, I really liked her personally. We talked about feather lei making (Mom and I have a feather lei company so we often wore them), hula and Hawaii. I just would have liked her more if she had respected my personal space a bit more and not repeatedly hugged me unmasked unsolicited after just hugging dozens of other unmasked people. 

 

I was on your cruise (and the one following it).  Yes, I agree with the two points you so accurately described.  Unbelievable that someone would be so rude and take your guitar without permission.  I wish I had seen you on the cruise.  You would have been someone that I could identify with.  As for Rowena, yes, I stopped attending the Piazza sessions and ukulele classes too.  I was very disappointed that Princess decided to start with our cruises to reduce health requirements.

[caribill]

3 hours ago, Peachestravels said:

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. 

 

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. 

 

 

 

Which of these Lysol products do you use?

 

Which Lysol products kill the Coronavirus:

Disinfecting Sprays that kill the COVID-19 virus

• Lysol® Disinfectant Spray EPA #777-99
• Lysol® Disinfectant Spray Max Cover Mist EPA #777-127

Disinfecting Wipes that kill the COVID-19 virus

• Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes EPA #777-114

COVID-19 to Multi-Purpose Cleaners that kill the COVID-19 virus

• Lysol® All Purpose Cleaner EPA #777-66
• Lysol® Kitchen Pro Antibacterial Cleaner EPA 777-91

[caribill]

2 hours ago, Tak8 said:

Don't cruise.  Kidding.  Follow the guidelines.  

 

The guidelines are the problem.

 

They are based on what the public wants, not on science anymore.

 

Guess what? The virus (especially with its current highly contagious variant) is unable to read the guidelines.

[cr8tiv1]

I felt much safer on my October b2b with all procedures firmly in place and 600 passengers on the Grand.  By March, the numbers increased to near capacity.  This is why I book a cabin on the lower decks....rarely have to use an elevator.  Rarely make it to the Lido Deck for anything / including buffet.  Allows me to return to my cabin for bathroom stops.  

 

I was. on the Grand for 25 days and "kept looking over my shoulders" for the "other shoe to drop".  It was not as much fun, but I did have a good time, enjoyed myself, and tested negative after disembarkation.  I pre and post test anytime I travel.  I have others around me that I need to watch out for.  That's just how I am wired.

 

I do wipe down the entire cabin as soon as I board.  I have learned that 70% alcohol anything (spray/wipes/etc) work the best.  

 

I carry my own alcohol but will frequently stop and use the Purell dispensers.  I understood that they use a medical grade sanitizer instead of the off the shelf product.

 

I found the "perfect" place in the Princess Theater to sit (not sharing this....as it would make it as popular as Window Suites).  I take my iPad and go early.

 

Club Class seemed to be a little more socially distanced friendly.  Worth it in my opinion, especially now.

 

I think the most pro-active thing I do is walk away from situations that are uncomfortable for me.  If someone gets too close, I move.  There are so many clueless passengers traveling now.  I don't think they are being rude as much as they really aren't aware of other's comfort zones.  

 

I have my stash of KF94 masks.  I like them much better than the N95, which I will use when I know that social distancing will be an issue.  I have tried to use face shields on a plane while I am eating.  You need lots of hand/eye coordination practice (ha ha).

 

I use the same procedures when I fly.  Hawaii has lots of Asian tourists that wore masks way before the Pandemic.  I can see that it will be my way of life until at least the end of 2022.  

 

Glad OP started this thread.  Thank you to all that have added their posts.    We all need to do what each of us is comfortable with; to do the things we love to do.  

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by cr8tiv1

[thehowlingroad]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

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 ?

 

Good thing she doesn't have heart issues, then. Her doctor and PT want her to walk more, even if it's very slowly, and she knows her own limits. We wouldn't do that more than once or twice a day, and never when we're in a hurry.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

I’ve sailed this past July, October, November, December, January and February.  I’m back on board now and will sail again this month as well as May. This sailing on discovery has 3200 passengers and while I’ve always done the same as @Ken the cruiserit no longer possible on a full ship. Especially since my test must be negative on the 20th to get back on the Ruby. 
 

We booked a cabana in the sanctuary for every day but tomorrow (was sold out for that day once we made the head of the line embarkation day). We go to Gigis, salty dog Gastro pub, order specialty dining to our room, the sanctuary has a lovely menu & serves afternoon tea daily, use ocean now to order food to sanctuary or room, take food out of buffet or IC to room or sanctuary so food has been different but we are doing just fine. Sanctuary stewards bring all our drinks all day. We get double pours at the outside bars to take to our room at night. Or use room service. We get two 375 ml bottles of spirits a day in sanctuary along with all our mixers.  We have the beverage package and it’s easy to get drinks delivered. The retreat bar has a special wine list by the glass so I will go there in the evening to pick up my favorite if I want it. 
 

we have had a few lovely interactions with passengers but have had far more in depth conversations with the crew. No one has said or done anything to disparage our N95s while inside. We will ride elevators with those unmasked if the stairs are too much for me (4 floors masked is all I can do going up. It’s for such a short time. I draw the line with a crowded one though. But I did that precovid. 5 people is my limit including us. Using the forward or aft elevators during non peak times helps. Never center elevators.  
 

we’ve sailed a lot and don’t miss any of the indoor events at all. Others might though. We are being pampered, relaxing so much that we would do this type of cruising again. 

Edited April 14, 2022 by HaveDogWillTravel

[Ken the cruiser]

5 hours ago, MissP22 said:

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

But that's part of the fun making it a game, figuring out what adjustments need to be made depending on the circumstances. 😎

[HaveDogWillTravel]

2 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

But that's part of the fun making it a game, figuring out what adjustments need to be made depending on the circumstances. 😎

See my post 

[rj59]

I know it's difficult for some to change cruise habits, but the easiest strategy to say safe is to avoid large crowds. That's easiest done by eating late, by going to the late show, by going to bars and the piazza and dining spots when it's least crowded, particularly on port days. Then instead of sitting with everyone else in a buffet, eat on an open deck or in the most secluded possible area of the buffet. I put a plastic tray in the bottom of my luggage and use it to take food to isolated spots and to avoid trips. Exposure risk comes from time, distance, and ventilation, so worrying about a 1-minute elevator ride is a bit foolish, but leaving with everyone else during a show or event and waiting for elevators is even more foolish--I leave as soon as the applause starts and head to midship elevators. Another difficult thing for Princess cruisers to do is to board later in the day, but it's safer, since people sitting for extended times in an enclosed space with no distancing and inadequate masking and inadequate ventilation while waiting to board adds unnecessary risk, especially if people rush right to the dining room lunch, where they put everyone at tables next to each other and people are so excited they want to talk with everyone around them.  At the same time, being unnecessarily fearful and cautious is also not a good way to spend a vacation, such as judging maskless people in elevators, people on here who plan to eat in their rooms the entire cruise, or people I've seen who wear N95 masks outside while the ship is moving. 

[Ken the cruiser]

9 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

See my post 

I did and thanks for sharing your experiences. Since we'll be eating in CC dining, hopefully there will be a few 2-tops when they first open. I'm still thinking, though, our stair strategy and walking by way of the promenade will still be a safer route than walking indoors from one end of the ship to the other.

 

As far as plotting out a safe place to sit in the theater, we have a "Princess cruise" strategy for full capacity cruises that we have used in the past which we'll probably use again. But in order for it to work, we'll definitely have to show up 20-30 minutes early if not earlier. But, hopefully, our upcoming 18 day PC cruise won't be fully booked. One can hope anyway. 🤞🤞

 

 

[MikeD4134]

How I stay safe and not just on cruise ships.

1. Fully Vacinated including 2 Booster Shots

2. Avoid Crowded indoor locations

3. Always wear a N-95 mask when inside, on public transportation, or other places where social distancing is not possible

4. On my latest cruise on Eurodam in October the ship was only 1/2 full so it was pretty easy to social distance, if your ship has the option of renting Cabana's, we did on Eurodam and therefore had complete privacy for meals, hanging out, or drinking.  When possible eat meals outside, in your cabin or on your balcony

5. Take every opportunity to wash your hands and use sanitizer

 

I hope some of this is helpful, I have every underlying condition and if infected probably have no chance of surviving, but I will not stop living my life in a manner I enjoy, I just take every precaution when engaging in risky behavior.

 

[Peachestravels]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

Which of these Lysol products do you use?

 

Which Lysol products kill the Coronavirus:

Disinfecting Sprays that kill the COVID-19 virus

• Lysol® Disinfectant Spray EPA #777-99
• Lysol® Disinfectant Spray Max Cover Mist EPA #777-127

Disinfecting Wipes that kill the COVID-19 virus

• Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes EPA #777-114

COVID-19 to Multi-Purpose Cleaners that kill the COVID-19 virus

• Lysol® All Purpose Cleaner EPA #777-66
• Lysol® Kitchen Pro Antibacterial Cleaner EPA 777-91

I use the max cover mist travel size, the travel size disinfecting wipes, and witch hazel travel wipes.

[FlaMariner]

We enjoy an elevator for ourselves so we enter a full elevator and start coughing.  This works out well for us and keeps us safe. 

 

LOL.  

Not cruising and staying home is the safest thing you can do...Beyond that, Covid happens and it's not a big deal to us...if it was, the last place you would find us would be on a cruise ship...We've been on 3 cruises since the unpleasantness....no worries. 

 

Enjoy the journey...........or not. 

 

 

[Loujul]

Just back from a SOLD OUT cruise on the Celebrity Summit.  Everyone was tested before embarking and it was a great success.  No masks at all once you boarded.  We did a back-to-back and we were tested onboard the day before we docked from first leg right on the ship.  They have a complimentary Covid test team.  If you're afraid, it's best not to cruise.  For the rest of us, it's great to be back on the open seas!

[dockman]

15 minutes ago, Loujul said:

Just back from a SOLD OUT cruise on the Celebrity Summit.  Everyone was tested before embarking and it was a great success.  No masks at all once you boarded.  We did a back-to-back and we were tested onboard the day before we docked from first leg right on the ship.  They have a complimentary Covid test team.  If you're afraid, it's best not to cruise.  For the rest of us, it's great to be back on the open seas!

sounds like a false sense of security to me..did the ship not make any port calls? if so covid can easily get on ship and spread especially with no masks on a full ship...asking for trouble would be my thought...how do you know how many may have tested positive the day before you docked... you think it's great no masks but maybe not so great for higher risk people or the entire cruise biz as all it takes to shut it all down again is a big outbreak on one or two ships....

[FlaMariner]

30 minutes ago, Loujul said:

If you're afraid, it's best not to cruise.  For the rest of us, it's great to be back on the open seas!

 

AGREE...and for us, it's been the best time to cruise!

[debbieo11]

19 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

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. 

One thing I do when climbing 5 or more flights is to go up 2 or 3 flights at a time then walk down the hall to the next set of stairs and do another 2 or 3 flights.  Sure this may result in taking me further from my destination, but by the time I hit the final floor all I have to do is walk straight across.

[JF - retired RRT]

3 minutes ago, debbieo11 said:

One thing I do when climbing 5 or more flights is to go up 2 or 3 flights at a time then walk down the hall to the next set of stairs and do another 2 or 3 flights.  Sure this may result in taking me further from my destination, but by the time I hit the final floor all I have to do is walk straight across.

Great for keeping the pounds off, too.

[Ken the cruiser]

6 minutes ago, debbieo11 said:

One thing I do when climbing 5 or more flights is to go up 2 or 3 flights at a time then walk down the hall to the next set of stairs and do another 2 or 3 flights.  Sure this may result in taking me further from my destination, but by the time I hit the final floor all I have to do is walk straight across.

I like it! We’ll definitely have to try that option on our next cruise!

[sboh]

I got off the new Discovery last Sunday. I’m retired so I decided to lay-low the two weeks before my cruise. No social engagements and when I did go out (grocery store) I double masked. I had my official test Friday at 1pm and did not go out again until I left for the airport Sunday morning. I wore a KN-95 on the flight. 
I brought a supply of KN-95s, blue surgical masks, hand sanitizer and wipes. I used a new mask each day and wore it whenever I left my cabin. I removed it to eat and when I was outside (I did not use the gym but did enjoy walking on the outdoor track several mornings and saw a whale tail one of the mornings - bonus!). I washed my hands often and used the hand sanitizer stations on the ship, they are everywhere. BTW- the sanitizer they use is actually nice, didn’t dry my hands like some do. I had a mid-aft balcony cabin and often found the aft elevators empty. It didn’t really bother me if/when others got in unmasked because I was masked and the the rides were only seconds. No one said anything to me about wearing a mask, one man who got in unmasked actually apologized. I did go to a few shows but didn’t drink at any of them so I could stay masked. I did excursions in each port, two were on open-air trollies. On the transfer bus going to the airport I did notice one woman coughing so I slipped on a second mask. I returned home last Sunday and tested myself Monday morning and again today (Thursday) and am negative. I’ve had no symptoms.