Sapphire has Covid.

[Steelers36]

Left home on Sep 28 for Europe.  Cruised for 23 nights on Regal (out of 25 possible).  Travelled around Sicily on our own.  Another 14 nights on Island.  Flew home.  Our flights connected in Paris first and then London on the way back home.  We had masks on for about two minutes after entering Toronto Airport and saw that most people decided the mandate was dropped already instead of two days later, so we stashed ours and never had one on again for the entire trip. 

 

In Europe, locals were clearly done with wearing masks as they were about as rare as a snowflake in July.  Life was going on pretty much normal, although there were signs here and there concerning Covid-19 and masks.  Mask wearing was optional on both ships, with crew released from obligatory wearing around mid-October.  Very few passengers wore masks, somewhat more so on Island than Regal for whatever reason.

 

Our friends, OTOH, wore masks all the time and everywhere - even outdoors.  Except when with us at dinner or playing games on board. 

 

None of us caught Covid-19 (AFAIK).

 

PS - I have some FFP2 masks for sale that were never opened in Europe.  Real cheap.  LOL.

 

 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

Yes I’m on board. Here is the Captain’s message today.  I have decided to start wearing my mask. Each person should make the best choice they can given the information they have. Perhaps hearing directly from the Captain on board will help you do that. 
 

all the best! 

[LawDog61]

Does anyone onboard know :

1) Isolate in your own cabin?

2) is the medical center providing any meds (I.E. Paxlovid)?

[fpsphil]

🙄

[MissP22]

6 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

 

Hope that you're wear a mask when the Captain orders it?

 

 

In the past when the virus was even worse, the ships were indicating that masks be worn throughout the ship except for the DR & buffet. 

So what do you think is going to happen now that the worst effects are a sore throat & cough? They couldn't get most people to mask in the show lounge or elevators back then.

Perhaps a cruise isn't the right choice for some people if the fear of Covid is that overwhelming.

[Ombud]

6 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Perhaps a cruise isn't the right choice for some people if the fear of Covid is that overwhelming.

Well said

[Cruise Raider]

17 hours ago, DougandEric said:

Someone onboard said our 11/17 cruise would have 2045 passengers per passenger services which was 300 less than they currently have so 2345+ with crew.   .02 percent is real good.  We're flying and will wear masks in the airport and plane.  We got our flu shots and latest booster over a month ago so we're as ready as we can be.

It’s still a low number but a lot higher than .02%

If crew is included, using a rough estimate, it is more like 1.3% 

 

[azbirdmom]

The Emerald has enough of a problem that they issued this notification to all passengers who are boarding today in Melbourne Australia.  Stay safe out there folks!

 

In response to the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 currently spreading throughout Australia caused by the spread of new subvariants, we have updated the mask-wearing policy for your voyage.

- Guests are required to wear face masks on board while indoors.

- We recommend guests wear face masks outdoors on onboard where larger

numbers of people are congregating and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

- Masks are required during embarkation, disembarkation, when on Princess

transportation such as water shuttles and motorcoaches, and during Princess shore excursions.

- We recommend you follow these onboard masking protocols while ashore

independently, particularly when indoors, on public transportation or in crowded areas.

- Health experts recommend the use of higher-grade masks such as KN95 or

surgical. Replacement masks will be available on board if needed.

[memoak]

6 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

The Emerald has enough of a problem that they issued this notification to all passengers who are boarding today in Melbourne Australia.  Stay safe out there folks!

 

In response to the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 currently spreading throughout Australia caused by the spread of new subvariants, we have updated the mask-wearing policy for your voyage.

- Guests are required to wear face masks on board while indoors.

- We recommend guests wear face masks outdoors on onboard where larger

numbers of people are congregating and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

- Masks are required during embarkation, disembarkation, when on Princess

transportation such as water shuttles and motorcoaches, and during Princess shore excursions.

- We recommend you follow these onboard masking protocols while ashore

independently, particularly when indoors, on public transportation or in crowded areas.

- Health experts recommend the use of higher-grade masks such as KN95 or

surgical. Replacement masks will be available on board if needed.

Yeah well we had the same mandate on the Royal in August and 95% of passengers totally ignored it. Princess did not even attempt to enforce it. I was one of hundreds who came down with covid and were quarantined. Princess later admitted to us that they had tried but gave up enforcement after passengers refused to comply 

[hpeabody]

I see more passengers wearing masks today just out and about.

[ebeluga]

9 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

The Emerald has enough of a problem that they issued this notification to all passengers who are boarding today in Melbourne Australia.  Stay safe out there folks!

 

In response to the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 currently spreading throughout Australia caused by the spread of new subvariants, we have updated the mask-wearing policy for your voyage.

- Guests are required to wear face masks on board while indoors.

- We recommend guests wear face masks outdoors on onboard where larger

numbers of people are congregating and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

- Masks are required during embarkation, disembarkation, when on Princess

transportation such as water shuttles and motorcoaches, and during Princess shore excursions.

- We recommend you follow these onboard masking protocols while ashore

independently, particularly when indoors, on public transportation or in crowded areas.

- Health experts recommend the use of higher-grade masks such as KN95 or

surgical. Replacement masks will be available on board if needed.

Yes chiefly because the community transmission is on the upswing with the new variants so there is higher probability that pax will bring it on board to the ship then with a close environment, it is easier to spread like a wild fire.

[suekel]

12 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

I have shared my own experience with masking elsewhere and sometimes been cancelled for it.

 

Briefly, since March 2020, I've only worn a mask when mandated.  I've been on five cruises since the restart with various levels of masking, almost double that number of flights mostly without masking, on trains mostly without masking, in taxis mostly without masking, in restaurants without masking, and in grocery stores without masking. As mandates dropped, so did my mask.

 

I am vaxxed and triple boosted.  Since March 2020, I haven't had so much as a sniffle or sore throat.

 

My sort of personal experience doesn't make headlines.

 

 

Me too.  5 cruises since january and  no covid.  I have to fly for every one.  Hopefully in 2 weeks is the same. 

[memoak]

22 hours ago, LawDog61 said:

Does anyone onboard know :

1) Isolate in your own cabin?

2) is the medical center providing any meds (I.E. Paxlovid)?

Medical center will prescribe paxlovid but you will pay for blood tests, so called doctors visit (that means they looked at the blood tests and $750 for the pills. All told around $1,000 on your folio. I was able to get reimbursed by my Medicare advantage plan after getting home

[bubbaed]

On 11/15/2022 at 1:33 PM, Thrak said:

Every ship has Covid. Every hotel has Covid. Every school has Covid. Every restaurant, grocery store, theater, plane, etc. has Covid. It's everywhere. It seems that Cruise ships are the only places that get such intense scrutiny and cause people to freak out when there are cases of Covid.

And for some reason, the media likes to point out the PRINCESS ships that have "outbreaks"... as if the same thing isn't happening on other ships around the world.

[SClakeliving]

Are people self-testing and reporting to the Captain? or is there required/mandatory testing going on on-board?  I wouldn't know if I had an allergy, Covid, a cold, or the flu if all I had was a little cough/sniffles/sore throat. For example, I've been coughing off and on for weeks now and I'm pretty sure it is due to seasonal allergy, not Covid. But I'm not going to test.

 

[PescadoAmarillo]

15 minutes ago, SClakeliving said:

Are people self-testing and reporting to the Captain? or is there required/mandatory testing going on on-board?  I wouldn't know if I had an allergy, Covid, a cold, or the flu if all I had was a little cough/sniffles/sore throat. For example, I've been coughing off and on for weeks now and I'm pretty sure it is due to seasonal allergy, not Covid. But I'm not going to test.

 

Why in the world not?

[MissP22]

I always seem to have a runny nose when I'm cruising & I'm not going to volunteer for a Covid test unless it's a forced one. 

[PescadoAmarillo]

2 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I always seem to have a runny nose when I'm cruising & I'm not going to volunteer for a Covid test unless it's a forced one. 

Take your own from home. At least that way you know for certain that you’re not positive and don’t have to feel guilty about continuing to be out and about on the ship. Right?

[marie94949]

18 hours ago, memoak said:

Medical center will prescribe paxlovid but you will pay for blood tests, so called doctors visit (that means they looked at the blood tests and $750 for the pills. All told around $1,000 on your folio. I was able to get reimbursed by my Medicare advantage plan after getting home

What blood tests do they need?  What are they looking for?  $1,000 sounds like a $$ maker.  

[memoak]

16 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Take your own from home. At least that way you know for certain that you’re not positive and don’t have to feel guilty about continuing to be out and about on the ship. Right?

We always test before boarding even if not required and take some tests with us and test if we feel I’ll. This is what we have always done since cruising restarted. Got covid on the Royal in August. Hope the antibodies and recent booster keep us safe next week on the Ruby

[memoak]

4 minutes ago, marie94949 said:

What blood tests do they need?  What are they looking for?  $1,000 sounds like a $$ maker.  

Paxlovid puts a real strain on livers and / or kidneys so they have to make sure it won’t make things worse

[Gary72]

Just got off Coral in Brisbane. All crew wore masks on the 7 day cruise. Passengers told to do so as well. Approximately,  95% complied with only 5 % of knuckleheads risking everyone's enjoyment. I checked on our deck, Baja, and I only saw 2 "covid " tables in front of cabins. That is an extremely small percentage.  At the buffet, everyone was required to wash hands, but self served.

[PescadoAmarillo]

We get eight free home test kits for free each month through our health insurance.  We’re don’t use that many but we certainly use 10 to 12 monthly for both of us. I don’t view it as a punitive thing, but an etiquette thing. Tomorrow I’m going to an art exhibit and out to lunch with friends. I’ll be testing tonight, even with no symptoms. I don’t want to spread the virus. 

Edited November 17, 2022 by PescadoAmarillo

[Cruise Raider]

4 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

We get eight free home test kits for free each through our health insurance.  We’re don’t use that many but we certainly use 10 to 12 monthly for both of us. I don’t view it as a punitive thing, but an etiquette thing. Tomorrow I’m going to an art exhibit and out to lunch with friends. I’ll be testing tonight, even with no symptoms. I don’t want to spread the virus. 

Now, if everybody did that, we’d probably lessen the spread at least 100 fold.  

[PescadoAmarillo]

9 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

Now, if everybody did that, we’d probably lessen the spread at least 100 fold.  

There is nothing stopping us. When I think of how many really hard things some people do in life every day,  this is nothing in comparison. 

Edited November 17, 2022 by PescadoAmarillo