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

[SargassoPirate]

We follow the same practices we did before Covid when the big worries were flu and noro.  We didn't wear a mask everywhere then and don't plan to now.  We wipe down TV remotes and doorknobs in hotels and cruise cabins.  We use hand sanitizer after being seated at the table and handing the menu back to the waiter or after being seated in the buffet and touching a host of ladles and surfaces.

 

Simply put, we break the chain of transmission between pathogens on surfaces and our mouth, and since we are vaxxed and boosted for every possible disease including Covid, we don't worry about distancing or crowds.

 

We only wear a mask when required - such as on an airplane where the air is exchanged every three minutes through HEPA filters.

 

[AF-1]

On 4/14/2022 at 8:24 AM, 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. 

great tips.  Do you buy peppermint spray for your clothes?  Thanks 

[Peachestravels]

1 minute ago, AF-1 said:

great tips.  Do you buy peppermint spray for your clothes?  Thanks 

I make my own spray. You buy peppermint oil that is safe for digestion, you can even buy tea tree oil and mix it in a tiny spray bottle with witch hazel. It kills all airborne germs, it is natural, safe and easy to use. 

[AF-1]

Just now, Peachestravels said:

I make my own spray. You buy peppermint oil that is safe for digestion, you can even buy tea tree oil and mix it in a tiny spray bottle with witch hazel. It kills all airborne germs, it is natural, safe and easy to use. 

Again,  thanks for the great tips.  Cheers and happy sailing

[Steelers36]

10 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

To be save on a cruise I only cruise on my Rowboat. 
Tony

 

 

2 hours ago, leck57 said:

 

That must be hard to row.

 

T had upgraded during the pandemic.  Here's the original rowboat:

 

[Daniel A]

I thought this was Tony's original rowboat...

[Lucky TGO]

16 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I thought this was Tony's original rowboat...

I love it where can I get one? 😁

 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Lucky TGO

[Daniel A]

6 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

I love it where can I get one? 😁

 

 

 

Amazon.com: Munchkin White Hot Inflatable Duck Tub : Baby

 

🐥  😄

[riffatsea]

We just wear our masks

It is really simple to keep them by the cab>n door and put them on when you leave your cabin

We've been on 2 cruises so far and not sick at all

We don't hang out at bars on board

We get our drinks and take them to our cabin

We sit out on deck without the mask

We eat in the mdr or at the buffet without them too but we try to sit in uncrowded areas

We don't use special sprays or wipe down anything

We do wash our hands but I believe that the masks are the real key to staying safe

[nbsjcruiser]

On 4/13/2022 at 7:45 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

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? 😎

 

Good pointers. We were on the Emerald Princess in November. We wore only N95's unless eating or up on deck. Didn't get on elevators unless empty, if in the buffet we sat far from others, MDR - DW has allergies anyway so we asked to be in a place not near others. Now, the ship was only running at 33% capacity so it was easy. Now? Not so sure it would be as simple as it was for us in November.

[Ken the cruiser]

12 minutes ago, nbsjcruiser said:

 

Good pointers. We were on the Emerald Princess in November. We wore only N95's unless eating or up on deck. Didn't get on elevators unless empty, if in the buffet we sat far from others, MDR - DW has allergies anyway so we asked to be in a place not near others. Now, the ship was only running at 33% capacity so it was easy. Now? Not so sure it would be as simple as it was for us in November.

Thanks for sharing and it has been nice to sail on less than 50% capacity cruises. As far as cruising now? There are a few types of cruising we probably won't book, to include during any spring break or holiday season if we can help it. But, since we are also retired and are able to cruise on longer itineraries, that added advantage also allows us to book long 2-4+ week cruises rather than 7 day cruises which helps to keep the capacity levels down.

[Daniel A]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks for sharing and it has been nice to sail on less than 50% capacity cruises. As far as cruising now? There are a few types of cruising we probably won't book, to include during any spring break or holiday season if we can help it. But, since we are also retired and are able to cruise on longer itineraries, that added advantage also allows us to book long 2-4+ week cruises rather than 7 day cruises which helps to keep the capacity levels down.

That's a nice plan for the future, but if you take notice, many of the posts where people got Covid was on the cruises of more than seven days.  This is not to say others didn't test positive a few days after getting off the ship, but if I were to catch Covid on a cruise, I'd rather I tested positive after disembarkation where I could be isolating in my own home close to my personal physician who knows my health history best, rather than a cabin picked out by the cruise line in a foreign country.  JMHO

[TrixieBel]

On 4/18/2022 at 10:01 PM, SargassoPirate said:

We follow the same practices we did before Covid when the big worries were flu and noro.  We didn't wear a mask everywhere then and don't plan to now.  We wipe down TV remotes and doorknobs in hotels and cruise cabins.  We use hand sanitizer after being seated at the table and handing the menu back to the waiter or after being seated in the buffet and touching a host of ladles and surfaces.

Looks like you’ve got all the good strategies in place for pathogens that are transmitted via surface contamination. Not so much for pathogens that are airborne (like COVID-19). 
 

We will be doing all those things you are. But adding masks, open air dining when possible, and social distancing. That way we will have both surface and airborne pathogens covered. 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

That's a nice plan for the future, but if you take notice, many of the posts where people got Covid was on the cruises of more than seven days.  This is not to say others didn't test positive a few days after getting off the ship, but if I were to catch Covid on a cruise, I'd rather I tested positive after disembarkation where I could be isolating in my own home close to my personal physician who knows my health history best, rather than a cabin picked out by the cruise line in a foreign country.  JMHO

I agree with you whole heartedly as we have no desire to quarantine anywhere, let alone on a cruise ship. But at the same time we love to cruise. So to hopefully avoid getting sick with any illness while we're on any cruises we book, we developed our strategy which I posted at the start of this thread so that others may benefit from it if they so choose.

 

But if I might add, our past cruise experience since it started back up has been on 4 Celebrity cruises to include 21 days on a B3B in August, 16 days on a B2B in November, 21 days on a B2B in December and 14 days in February. I might also add on all but one leg of those cruises there was no mask mandate unlike with Princess. We are also looking forward to using it on our upcoming Princess 18 day PC cruise in about a week as well as on our 21 day Med B3B cruise in July.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[VibeGuy]

First, I follow the CDC guidance that surfaces don’t transmit COVID; shared air does.  The risk of a definitely contaminated surface causing an infection is approximate 1:10000. You cannot hand-sanitize or surface-disinfect your way out of COVID, and applying irritating essential oils is just going to disrupt your precious nasal epithelium.   References to fomite transmission here:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-transmission.html

 

I’m not getting in shared transportation where I can’t feel a breeze on my face at essentially all times.  I think people doing six-hour shorex in Costa Rica in buses are spinning the wheel of fortune, for example.  I also wouldn’t use transfers where they wait to fill a bus, peak-hour hotel vans or anything else where I could smell it if an individual passenger broke wind. 
 

finally, my most advanced safety strategy in port is to ensure that my rental cars for adventures have provision for an aftermarket machine gun mount, to make a Light Technical.  The Toyota HiLux is particularly well-suited. 

 

[PhotoGal07]

1 hour ago, VibeGuy said:

First, I follow the CDC guidance that surfaces don’t transmit COVID; shared air does.  The risk of a definitely contaminated surface causing an infection is approximate 1:10000. You cannot hand-sanitize or surface-disinfect your way out of COVID, and applying irritating essential oils is just going to disrupt your precious nasal epithelium.   References to fomite transmission here:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-transmission.html

 

I’m not getting in shared transportation where I can’t feel a breeze on my face at essentially all times.  I think people doing six-hour shorex in Costa Rica in buses are spinning the wheel of fortune, for example.  I also wouldn’t use transfers where they wait to fill a bus, peak-hour hotel vans or anything else where I could smell it if an individual passenger broke wind. 
 

finally, my most advanced safety strategy in port is to ensure that my rental cars for adventures have provision for an aftermarket machine gun mount, to make a Light Technical.  The Toyota HiLux is particularly well-suited. 

 

Between this post and your rap/hip hop post, I think you may be my favorite poster on cruisecritc.  Thank you.  ::Tips hat::

[Peachestravels]

Yes it is mostly airborne but I work in disease and terminal children and here are some new facts that show some strains of COVID can last on certain surfaces for hours to days. Though it is not as severe as airborne we can still carry the strain by touching a surface and then touching our face or eating.. It is better safe then sorry. I have been using natural oils for years, it is harmless and actually good for your breathing,, and yes I have lost both my parents and a 5 year old grandchild to COVID. So I'm extra careful and try to help others with advice.

[wowzz]

45 minutes ago, Peachestravels said:

Yes it is mostly airborne but I work in disease and terminal children and here are some new facts that show some strains of COVID can last on certain surfaces for hours to days. Though it is not as severe as airborne we can still carry the strain by touching a surface and then touching our face or eating.. It is better safe then sorry. I have been using natural oils for years, it is harmless and actually good for your breathing,, and yes I have lost both my parents and a 5 year old grandchild to COVID. So I'm extra careful and try to help others with advice.

But the level of viral loading is so small that the chances of contracting Covid from, for example,  a paper menu, is infinitessimal. 

[AF-1]

14 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I agree with you whole heartedly as we have no desire to quarantine anywhere, let alone on a cruise ship. But at the same time we love to cruise. So to hopefully avoid getting sick with any illness while we're on any cruises we book, we developed our strategy which I posted at the start of this thread so that others may benefit from it if they so choose.

 

But if I might add, our past cruise experience since it started back up has been on 4 Celebrity cruises to include 21 days on a B3B in August, 16 days on a B2B in November, 21 days on a B2B in December and 14 days in February. I might also add on all but one leg of those cruises there was no mask mandate unlike with Princess. We are also looking forward to using it on our upcoming Princess 18 day PC cruise in about a week as well as on our 21 day Med B3B cruise in July.

Keep us posted on your upcoming cruise so we know all is well

 

[PescadoAmarillo]

This has been a most beneficial thread, and thank you, Ken, for starting it. As someone who was affected by COVID on a cruise, I have not contributed because clearly we as a couple did not stay safe regardless of how many previous cruises we had taken in the COVID environment. Despite all the efforts we had taken at home for the past two years and during nearly 12 weeks of cruising in the previous seven months, my husband tested positive for COVID on the Ruby Princess and I spent 45 unprotected hours with him before we knew that he was infected. 
 

Although I got pretty ill with pneumonia afterward,  I never tested positive for COVID, which shocks no one more than me. How did I avoid it?  I think two factors, being double boosted about a month before my exposure and also having caught and recovered from a mild URI/LRI about 9 days earlier. There is scientific evidence cited online that suggests that exposure to a different coronavirus does provide some temporary protection against contracting COVID. 
 

I mention this only because I was one of those people fully masking and staying home in the couple of weeks leading up to my cruise “just to be safe”.  I let my guard down once and when a coughing 18 year old got in my car to go out to lunch, I knew I was sunk. Turns out he may have saved me from a much bigger issue. 

[Ken the cruiser]

48 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Keep us posted on your upcoming cruise so we know all is well

 

Will do. As I have previously done on our 4 Celebrity cruises, my plan is to have a running thread of our upcoming Princess Panama Canal adventure which I always have fun doing, especially while sitting on the balcony watching for wildlife to include little flying fish while cruising on the high seas. 😎

[HaveDogWillTravel]

@Peachestravels I am sorry for your loss. Sometimes the numbers we read about with respect to this virus seem abstract and your story is a reminder that each death is connected to loved ones. 
 

Here is the link to the research article discussed.

 

Here’s a short elementary stat lesson.  I don’t have time to read this article right now to assess it but when I do I’ll follow the guidelines I gave my students. We spent a week on this topic (study designs, study requirements, credentials of researchers, and much more) but many of the things you look for are somewhat intuitive.  
 

 I taught my students before they believe something in media that they should always read the original research themselves and determine the validity of the study. Every study will have things done well and also some flaws……it would be extremely rare for a study to be perfect.  The question is do the pros outweigh the cons?  Are there any (what I called) fatal flaws in the study?  These are flaws that are so egregious it invalidates results. Again I am making no comments about this particular study at the moment. 
 

 

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.18.476607v1.full

 

Edited April 20, 2022 by HaveDogWillTravel

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Peachestravels said:

Yes it is mostly airborne but I work in disease and terminal children and here are some new facts that show some strains of COVID can last on certain surfaces for hours to days. Though it is not as severe as airborne we can still carry the strain by touching a surface and then touching our face or eating.. It is better safe then sorry. I have been using natural oils for years, it is harmless and actually good for your breathing,, and yes I have lost both my parents and a 5 year old grandchild to COVID. So I'm extra careful and try to help others with advice.

Good points! That's why it's always good to wash your hands when you can and sanitize when you can't. And not just to protect from C19, but also from all the other little nasty bugs that wind up lingering around on the variety of surfaces we touch while on a cruise.

[Peachestravels]

Thank you everyone on this post. I respect everyone's opinions, research, lost loved ones, and frequent travelers. I pray we can all get to a point where we can just travel hassel free again. Where we don't get sick and have to quarantine. I bless all of us for safe travels and love everyone's safety measures. I hope to hear more. Thank you HaveDogWillTravel. I read the article.

[USCcruisecrazy]

On 4/18/2022 at 8:01 AM, SargassoPirate said:

We follow the same practices we did before Covid when the big worries were flu and noro.  We didn't wear a mask everywhere then and don't plan to now.  We wipe down TV remotes and doorknobs in hotels and cruise cabins.  We use hand sanitizer after being seated at the table and handing the menu back to the waiter or after being seated in the buffet and touching a host of ladles and surfaces.

 

Simply put, we break the chain of transmission between pathogens on surfaces and our mouth, and since we are vaxxed and boosted for every possible disease including Covid, we don't worry about distancing or crowds.

 

We only wear a mask when required - such as on an airplane where the air is exchanged every three minutes through HEPA filters.

 

My thoughts exactly.  We used to take precautions to prevent catching Noro or the Flu or any other URI going around.  We will not wear masks unless required.  Triple vaxxed, wash hands often, don't lick fingers!!!  Other than that, I'll leave it up to chance.