Unmasking… new protocols 4/22

[jean87510]

I only wear for dr and lab appointments.  Not for covid as I have been exposed many times and never got it.  More for flu both stomach and respiratory.  I used to have to test every Monday so I know I didn't have it.  3 of my kids had it (19, 21, 31).  I had Moderna plus the booster.  I attribute it to staying outside in the sun as much as possible, exercising and losing a lot of weight.  I only put mask on if a policeman or security told me to outside.  Plus I flew on planes all through the pandemic to visit my husband in another city.  I feel more for little kids 2 to 5 yr olds being forced to wear masks.  Adults understand this isn't forever 

[hazeleyes46]

3 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

I only wear for dr and lab appointments.  Not for covid as I have been exposed many times and never got it.  More for flu both stomach and respiratory.  I used to have to test every Monday so I know I didn't have it.  3 of my kids had it (19, 21, 31).  I had Moderna plus the booster.  I attribute it to staying outside in the sun as much as possible, exercising and losing a lot of weight.  I only put mask on if a policeman or security told me to outside.  Plus I flew on planes all through the pandemic to visit my husband in another city.  I feel more for little kids 2 to 5 yr olds being forced to wear masks.  Adults understand this isn't forever 

Almost all my friends who are vaccinated got Covid. All 3 in my house are vaccinated and never got it. I am unvaccinated and never got it. Only wore a mask where required. I have gone out in crowds many times since May 2020, mostly starting last May when they lifted the mask mandate (before they started it back up again). I used to be tested once a week for work too and they finally stopped that which was good as the insurance company now is charging $100. Still waiting to get my $100 back as they charged me AND the insurance company when they were not supposed to. SMH.

Holding out for lifting of vaccines on cruises but I know that I might just have to do it since I have a cruise already booked for this summer.

[Travelling2Some]

1 hour ago, hazeleyes46 said:

I seem to be the odd one out on this thread who has unmasked and been with crowds for a year now. Saw friends and family since May 2020. I am unvaccinated and never have gotten covid. None of this scares me and it is actually sad that if they don't lift the vaccine mandate, I will have to get it ONLY for cruising as nothing else requires it in my life anymore. 

Nope, you are not alone.  Husband and I did get vaccinated because we are older with underlying conditions (and we kept hoping to cruise) but we took no other precautions.  We continued having Sunday dinner with extended family (20 plus people) some of whom are not vaccinated.  Nobody ever got sick although two of our son-in-laws tested positive (no symptoms) when omicron was rampant.  We know several other families who were pretty hysterical over covid, doing things like making everyone eat outside in the dead of winter, wiping down their FedEx packages with bleach, etc.  Oddly, they all caught it. 

 

Because we are retired but couldn't leave the country we went on some month-long multi-state road trips.  It was very obvious as we went from place to place that the masking was very political.  In some areas there were no masks to be seen anywhere and if there were mandates they were pretty much ignored in practice.  In other states or towns of a different political leaning we would see everybody suddenly all masked up - many of them alone in their cars.  It's been a weird couple of years for sure.

[BND]

2 hours ago, hazeleyes46 said:

Sooo...back to the original post...masks are optional for everyone now on a cruise and in the terminal. Now waiting for the testing and vaccines to be lifted.

 

I seem to be the odd one out on this thread who has unmasked and been with crowds for a year now. Saw friends and family since May 2020. I am unvaccinated and never have gotten covid. None of this scares me and it is actually sad that if they don't lift the vaccine mandate, I will have to get it ONLY for cruising as nothing else requires it in my life anymore. 

We only wore masks where we were required to and saw family the entire time.  Pre-vaccine, we just didn't hug and when we visited my parents we all masked.  After vaccines started, we visited as normal.  We also ate out, went to movies, etc the entire time.  We were never scared but we did get the vaccine for more reasons than vacations.

[atgood]

2 hours ago, hazeleyes46 said:

I will have to get it ONLY for cruising as nothing else requires it in my life anymore. 

If you have a religious or medical reason for not getting the shot, contact special_needs@rccl.com about how to obtain an accommodation.  RCI is permitted to sail with 5% unvaccinated passengers  (including kids 5 and up, plus adults) according to the guidelines of the CDC highly vaccinated program. 

[Husky1987]

21 minutes ago, BND said:

We only wore masks where we were required to and saw family the entire time.  Pre-vaccine, we just didn't hug and when we visited my parents we all masked.  After vaccines started, we visited as normal.  We also ate out, went to movies, etc the entire time.  We were never scared but we did get the vaccine for more reasons than vacations.

About the same as us.  Living in Washington, of course there were masks required everywhere.  Wife and I got vaccinated and boosted, for ourselves but also because my 90 yr old mom (since passed) lived with us.  Still went out to restaurants, saw friends and family, and still went to work in an unmasked workplace.  Wore masks where required but not where not required.  Even boosted, I tested positive in February during the Omicron wave.  Actually had to cancel a Mariner cruise, and I wouldn't have known I had Covid if I didn't test for the cruise (very mild sniffles, I've had allergies 10x worse).  My wife never got it, we both tested three times over a week...me positive all three, her negative all three.  She actually had a cold during this time and felt worse than I did.  She was so mad that her feeling bad was "wasted" while I got it.

 

We were in Orlando for a few days pre-Covid test.  Went out to the store a few times, and I thought, "This is going to be great, no masks required like back at home."  Funny enough, I had the feeling we may have even been in the minority, being unmasked.  Enough so that I felt a little self-conscious walking through the produce section with quite a few masked folks.

 

Ya never know....

Edited April 27, 2022 by Husky1987

[pbokie]

Hopefully we can get rid of testing since we are no longer in the pandemic phase per Fauci.

 

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/27/1094997608/fauci-us-pandemic-phase-covid-19

[hazeleyes46]

1 hour ago, Travelling2Some said:

Nope, you are not alone.  Husband and I did get vaccinated because we are older with underlying conditions (and we kept hoping to cruise) but we took no other precautions.  We continued having Sunday dinner with extended family (20 plus people) some of whom are not vaccinated.  Nobody ever got sick although two of our son-in-laws tested positive (no symptoms) when omicron was rampant.  We know several other families who were pretty hysterical over covid, doing things like making everyone eat outside in the dead of winter, wiping down their FedEx packages with bleach, etc.  Oddly, they all caught it. 

 

Because we are retired but couldn't leave the country we went on some month-long multi-state road trips.  It was very obvious as we went from place to place that the masking was very political.  In some areas there were no masks to be seen anywhere and if there were mandates they were pretty much ignored in practice.  In other states or towns of a different political leaning we would see everybody suddenly all masked up - many of them alone in their cars.  It's been a weird couple of years for sure.

that is great that you continued living 🙂

[hazeleyes46]

1 hour ago, atgood said:

If you have a religious or medical reason for not getting the shot, contact special_needs@rccl.com about how to obtain an accommodation.  RCI is permitted to sail with 5% unvaccinated passengers  (including kids 5 and up, plus adults) according to the guidelines of the CDC highly vaccinated program. 

I don't know if I would be able to get either and how that would work with getting off the ship. 

[Another_Critic]

4 hours ago, hazeleyes46 said:

I am unvaccinated and never have gotten covid. None of this scares me and it is actually sad that if they don't lift the vaccine mandate, I will have to get it ONLY for cruising as nothing else requires it in my life anymore. 

Apparently getting the vaccine scares you.  😁

[smokeybandit]

There hasn't been a pandemic for over a year. 

[atgood]

39 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

I don't know if I would be able to get either and how that would work with getting off the ship. 

Most ports visited on cruises departing from the US no longer have restrictions for unvaccinated cruise passengers.  More details including ports with restrictions can be found here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-requirements-for-guests-to-go-ashore-in-ports-of-call

[jean87510]

4 hours ago, hazeleyes46 said:

Almost all my friends who are vaccinated got Covid. All 3 in my house are vaccinated and never got it. I am unvaccinated and never got it. Only wore a mask where required. I have gone out in crowds many times since May 2020, mostly starting last May when they lifted the mask mandate (before they started it back up again). I used to be tested once a week for work too and they finally stopped that which was good as the insurance company now is charging $100. Still waiting to get my $100 back as they charged me AND the insurance company when they were not supposed to. SMH.

Holding out for lifting of vaccines on cruises but I know that I might just have to do it since I have a cruise already booked for this summer.

Yep.  Get the jnj.  one shot done.  Take the next day off.  I have 1 in my family who never got vaccinated.  He did get covid asymptomatic with Omicron.  Only reason we knew is we had to test everyone as my vaccinated and boostered 21 yr old son got symptomatic covid.  The 31 yr old vapes, social drinks, is overweight, and doesn't exercise.  The 21 yr old runs 10ks.  Go figure!

[exm]

22 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

Yep.  Get the jnj.  one shot done.  Take the next day off.  I have 1 in my family who never got vaccinated.  He did get covid asymptomatic with Omicron.  Only reason we knew is we had to test everyone as my vaccinated and boostered 21 yr old son got symptomatic covid.  The 31 yr old vapes, social drinks, is overweight, and doesn't exercise.  The 21 yr old runs 10ks.  Go figure!

 

Unfortunately 1 shot JNJ is no longer recognized if I'm not mistaken.

[atgood]

12 minutes ago, exm said:

 

Unfortunately 1 shot JNJ is no longer recognized if I'm not mistaken.

If cruising from the USA, one shot JNJ is recognized.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center/getting-ready-to-cruise

Edited April 27, 2022 by atgood

[rudeney]

If you had "original recipe" COVID, the J&J shot is preferable because it gives immunity equal to the mRNA vaccines, plus it has a low chance of making you sick.  It has been hypothesized that if you took the mRNA shot and got sick, it meant you had COVID.  I am not sure if any of that applies to the Delta or Omicron strains.  I will say I had original COVID, and had J&J plus a J&J booster.  I had a few hours of very mild fatigue after the first shot, none with the booster.  According to the Red Cross (they test donated blood) , I still have antibodies as of three weeks ago.  

[jean87510]

1 hour ago, rudeney said:

If you had "original recipe" COVID, the J&J shot is preferable because it gives immunity equal to the mRNA vaccines, plus it has a low chance of making you sick.  It has been hypothesized that if you took the mRNA shot and got sick, it meant you had COVID.  I am not sure if any of that applies to the Delta or Omicron strains.  I will say I had original COVID, and had J&J plus a J&J booster.  I had a few hours of very mild fatigue after the first shot, none with the booster.  According to the Red Cross (they test donated blood) , I still have antibodies as of three weeks ago.  

that's great!  I didn't realize they had a booster for jnj specifically.  2 of my kids had JnJ and both got Pfizer boosters for the microbiology labs they work for end of January as there was no JnJ booster at the time. 

[rudeney]

I got my initial J&J last February, and the booster in December, pretty much as soon as it was announced as available.  The J&J booster is the same exact dose as the original J&J shot.  My pharmacist (where I got my shots) told me the other day that some of his patients were coming in for 3rd shots and he is allowed to give them.  I think I'm fine for now unless I hear that I need another one. 

 

[hazeleyes46]

17 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Apparently getting the vaccine scares you.  😁

lololol. Actually it does as who knows what it will do to me. I find no need for it and this would be the last thing I would need it for. 

[hazeleyes46]

17 hours ago, atgood said:

Most ports visited on cruises departing from the US no longer have restrictions for unvaccinated cruise passengers.  More details including ports with restrictions can be found here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-requirements-for-guests-to-go-ashore-in-ports-of-call

Thank you, that is very interesting. I wonder why then they are blaming the ports and their rules if they don't require a vaccine to get off the ship.

[hazeleyes46]

16 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Yep.  Get the jnj.  one shot done.  Take the next day off.  I have 1 in my family who never got vaccinated.  He did get covid asymptomatic with Omicron.  Only reason we knew is we had to test everyone as my vaccinated and boostered 21 yr old son got symptomatic covid.  The 31 yr old vapes, social drinks, is overweight, and doesn't exercise.  The 21 yr old runs 10ks.  Go figure!

Yeah I was thinking about that one to hold off as long as I can.

[hazeleyes46]

15 hours ago, rudeney said:

If you had "original recipe" COVID, the J&J shot is preferable because it gives immunity equal to the mRNA vaccines, plus it has a low chance of making you sick.  It has been hypothesized that if you took the mRNA shot and got sick, it meant you had COVID.  I am not sure if any of that applies to the Delta or Omicron strains.  I will say I had original COVID, and had J&J plus a J&J booster.  I had a few hours of very mild fatigue after the first shot, none with the booster.  According to the Red Cross (they test donated blood) , I still have antibodies as of three weeks ago.  

I must have a great immune system as I, knock on wood, never got Covid. That is why I prefer NOT to get a vaccine.

[not-enough-cruising]

4 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

I must have a great immune system as I, knock on wood, never got Covid. That is why I prefer NOT to get a vaccine.

Freedom of choice and personal responsibility are some of the best things about living in the great ole USA.

[hazeleyes46]

6 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Freedom of choice and personal responsibility are some of the best things about living in the great ole USA.

ITA 🙂

[jean87510]

11 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

Yeah I was thinking about that one to hold off as long as I can.

I regard it as a necessary evil to move on with life.  I will never agree with how it was enforced and how any questions about the vaccines were handled on every social media platform.  Only reason I got them and the booster was for work and travel.  Do I worry about long term effects?  Sure.  But I cannot spend my life worrying about everything I do could cause me to grow a tail or horns 5 yrs down the road.  Its why I didn't worry about covid once info started trickling out and I witnessed people my age who got it.