Masks now optional for the crew - REGAL

[Steelers36]

Captain's noon announcements included that masks are now optional for the crew.  Very fresh since they were still wearing this morning.  Too soon to report how many are doffing them versus how many keeping them.

[Lady Arwen]

Thanks for letting us know.  Time will tell if this is a good decision.  I personally think it’s time to let the masks go for crew and passengers.

[Princessfan20]

I would think most would keep them on.  The flu season is upon us and Covid is far from over so why would they discard them knowing how much Covid is always present on Princess ships and they risk getting sick and possibly sent home or weaken their team.

[Denmal]

We are boarding on 11/6 and plan to wear ours in crowded places, busses, tenders etc.  We are on for 26 days and want to be safe and enjoy our cruise.

[Honolulu Blue]

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Captain's noon announcements included that masks are now optional for the crew.  Very fresh since they were still wearing this morning.  Too soon to report how many are doffing them versus how many keeping them.

Thanks for sharing.  Please keep us updated if you can.

[Level six]

If I were the crew, I would keep them on.  Please do report what you see.

So many crew "disappeared" on our 30 day cruise.  I don't even know how my cabin steward was after 27 days of seeing her and talking, she just disappeared for the last few days and we never got to say goodbye. 

 

[luvbug2255]

I don't cruise until December but I work in a pharmacy and it's been mask optional since last year. I still wear mine, the amount of exposure I see on a daily basis keeps it on for me. I personally will be bringing masks and home tests for my family just in case. We've been pretty good at keeping safe with masks and hand sanitizing so hopefully it holds through the cruise. That will be our biggest risk and exposure to date.

[ShakeDaddy]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Captain's noon announcements included that masks are now optional for the crew.  Very fresh since they were still wearing this morning.  Too soon to report how many are doffing them versus how many keeping them.

 

Was reported here earlier Princess was to begin lifting crew masks on 10/27, with the captains announcement appears Regal is starting early.

 

My last cruise in August on NCL passengers wearing masks were about 10%.  I feel the crew will be heading that way soon.       

[wowzz]

If a crew member gets Covid,  they will still be paid,  but not have to work. The masks will be off  at the first opportunity! 

[Level six]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

If a crew member gets Covid,  they will still be paid,  but not have to work. The masks will be off  at the first opportunity! 

You make them sound bad. 

Maybe the masks will come off.

But maybe they care about their future health, their family and their co workers........

[wowzz]

4 minutes ago, Level six said:

You make them sound bad. 

Maybe the masks will come off.

But maybe they care about their future health, their family and their co workers........

What are you trying to say ?

Crew members are getting covid all the time, even with mask wearing. So, they may as well take their masks off.  How will that affect their families? 

[Level six]

Just now, wowzz said:

What are you trying to say ?

Crew members are getting covid all the time, even with mask wearing. So, they may as well take their masks off.  How will that affect their families? 

I am saying that there is long covid that could affect their health for years to come, which could affect their families by them not being able to work. 

 

[fpsphil]

Good. Hope to see the crews smiles in 8 days on the Sapphire

[ShakeDaddy]

What's good for the passengers is now finally good for the crew. 

 

Expect a happier experience for all.  

 

 

[PrincessLuver]

1 hour ago, Level six said:

I am saying that there is long covid that could affect their health for years to come, which could affect their families by them not being able to work. 

 

 

As you can tell the Covid deniers are out in force.  With the coming flu season and new variants already causing increased hospital loads cruising will not be exempt.  Get ready for a lot of possible sickness on ships.

 

We canceled all cruises until late Spring of next year and are just going to sit back and watch the posts that will be coming on how bad it gets.  Sounds like all caution is being thrown to the wind by Princess.

Edited October 15, 2022 by PrincessLuver

[Level six]

32 minutes ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

As you can tell the Covid deniers are out in force.  With the coming flu season and new variants already causing increased hospital loads cruising will not be exempt.  Get ready for a lot of possible sickness on ships.

 

We canceled all cruises until late Spring of next year and are just going to sit back and watch the posts that will be coming on how bad it gets.  Sounds like all caution is being thrown to the wind by Princess.

All I know is on the 30 day Island Princess cruise I just got off of, there was alot of covid.  Captain announced masks required indoors at all times.  Many staff members disappeared.  Where do the replacements come from when these staff members get covid?  Then people are no here complaining that service is not the same.....how can it be with less staff?  Be careful what you wish for. 

[wrongwaywatson]

1 hour ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

As you can tell the Covid deniers are out in force.  With the coming flu season and new variants already causing increased hospital loads cruising will not be exempt.  Get ready for a lot of possible sickness on ships.

 

We canceled all cruises until late Spring of next year and are just going to sit back and watch the posts that will be coming on how bad it gets.  Sounds like all caution is being thrown to the wind by Princess.

Or maybe that person is "following the science" which shows that the masks did very little to stop the spread of Covid.   We saw post after post of people catching covid who were wearing masks.

[seekatz]

Still some deny science, how can not having a 95 type of mask not help prevent infection from COVID or the flu? Follow the science, then read studies over the past 2 years. Nothing is 100%, but just like a seat belt it sure is wise to use one. 

[Happiest when cruising]

8 hours ago, ShakeDaddy said:

 

Was reported here earlier Princess was to begin lifting crew masks on 10/27, with the captains announcement appears Regal is starting early.

 

My last cruise in August on NCL passengers wearing masks were about 10%.  I feel the crew will be heading that way soon.       

The Ruby and Caribbean already have ditched the masks. I have a friend on the Discovery now, and the mask is optional for crew starting tomorrow.

I asked on a different social media site how many have removed them, and they thought about 70% took them off. 

[travellingnana]

Optional on Royal as of today.

[caribill]

7 hours ago, ShakeDaddy said:

What's good for the passengers is now finally good for the crew. 

 

 

Or, what is bad for passengers who do not wear masks can also be bad for crew who do not wear masks.

[Princessfan20]

9 hours ago, Happiest when cruising said:

The Ruby and Caribbean already have ditched the masks. I have a friend on the Discovery now, and the mask is optional for crew starting tomorrow.

I asked on a different social media site how many have removed them, and they thought about 70% took them off. 

 

9 hours ago, Happiest when cruising said:

The Ruby and Caribbean already have ditched the masks. I have a friend on the Discovery now, and the mask is optional for crew starting tomorrow.

I asked on a different social media site how many have removed them, and they thought about 70% took them off. 

 

Wow? Such interest in whether the crew is wearing masks or not?  

 

They will be back sometime on cruises 10 days of longer because our experience has been that on about the 7th day on a cruise you start hearing about new Covid cases and then it becomes more obvious as more quarantine rooms are added as the cruise days continue the spread increases.

 

Covid projections have usually been very accurate and the projection for this fall and early spring for the flu and Covid are not good.  

 

But no masks only means a higher chance of contacting Covid and then spending your hard earned money you paid for your vacation in quarantine on 10 plus day cruises.  Have fun and cheers!

Edited October 15, 2022 by Princessfan20

[Tak8]

Only seems fair.  Either all should wear, passengers and crew, or all optional. 

[luvbug2255]

14 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

As you can tell the Covid deniers are out in force.  With the coming flu season and new variants already causing increased hospital loads cruising will not be exempt.  Get ready for a lot of possible sickness on ships.

 

We canceled all cruises until late Spring of next year and are just going to sit back and watch the posts that will be coming on how bad it gets.  Sounds like all caution is being thrown to the wind by Princess.

I wish ours could be delayed but for us unfortunately it's a 50th anniversary cruise. So my family will do its best to mitigate risk. Also to the deniers omicron ba5 is spreading like wildfire in the northeast. Hopefully for my sake it has peaked in 74 days when I get on the ship. Working in a pharmacy I got to see the people who did lose loved ones during the last 2 years. It's horrible but I will say the new variants have been much more mild, although I heard 5 is a little more severe then its omicron predecessors. 

[rocklinmom]

At this point if we choose to cruise we are aware of the risks. If someone is leery of being around unmasked people they should wait to be on a cruise ship IMHO. You could still catch the flu or a stomach bug on a cruise ship (remember the days of Norovirus alerts onboard?). It's part of the risk of any travel.