Percentage of Covid Cases on Cruise Ships Currently or Odds of getting it?

[MicCanberra]

We have now done 6 cruises in 2022, every cruise had covid aboard, but we have managed to dodge it by taking the usual precautions without it adversely affecting our cruise experience.

[Aussieflyer]

Someone I know from work is on the cruise sailing group of the in-laws, a couple of their adult children and them. I will be interested to hear whether any of them caught it though I know she had the virus after returning from O'S earlier this year. 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Aussieflyer

[judithann423]

We just returned on the Majestic 08 December to the South Pacific.  We did everything right, tested negative before embarkation, tested negative 3 days after departure, washed hands, wore masks etc etc.

 

My husband came down with Covid 8 days into the cruise and I came down with it 2 days after this.  There was no advice on board as to the numbers infected.  We are both double vaxed and had both boosters.

 

Some passengers ignored the mandates re hand washing etc.  Masks were down around chins, 50% of noses were exposed and some just refused to wear them. 

 

It was so disappointing, the first week of the cruise was brilliant but once isolation began, it was a most hideous experience.  Treated with disdain, ignored and quickly went from having the best time to being pariahs. 

 

To all of those that think these mandates are useless, mask wearing a waste of time, and ignore the obvious signs of infection and carry on regardless, please think of your fellow passengers and there cruising experience.  Please stop this selfishness that prohibits many from enjoying their cruising experience.

[Yaya_in_Oz]

I was on the Grand in Nov to NZ and came down with Covid 2 days after we returned. I could hardly get out of bed for 3 days and was still testing positive on Day 9. I had 4 shots, was vigilant hand washing and mask wearing. I only took my n95 mask off to eat and drink. I wore it on all shore excursions and in indoor venues while out. I sat at a table for 4 by myself for dinner. I was on deck 9 so was able to use the stairs a fair bit. I did go to the theatre but they reduced numbers so it wasn't as crowded. If I saw someone without a mask I'd go the other way.

 

My next doors had come done with Covid and I had been in the lift with them the day before, so I tested my self daily just in case as I had my own supplies. The good news is I didn't get it until I was home but I don't see what more I could have done to avoid catching it other than stay in my room for 13 days. 

 

I'm cruising again in Jan and am a bit apprehensive but hopefully just having had Covid, it will be a little while before I get it again. This trip was booked and paid for before I went NZ so changing my mind isnt an option. My next cruise wont be for about a year so I can see how things go. I wouldn't go in an interior room as isolation would do my head in.

 

Non compliance of Covid protocols by some passengers is real issue.

[bretts173]

1 hour ago, Yaya_in_Oz said:

I was on the Grand in Nov to NZ and came down with Covid 2 days after we returned. I could hardly get out of bed for 3 days and was still testing positive on Day 9. I had 4 shots, was vigilant hand washing and mask wearing. I only took my n95 mask off to eat and drink. I wore it on all shore excursions and in indoor venues while out. I sat at a table for 4 by myself for dinner. I was on deck 9 so was able to use the stairs a fair bit. I did go to the theatre but they reduced numbers so it wasn't as crowded. If I saw someone without a mask I'd go the other way.

 

My next doors had come done with Covid and I had been in the lift with them the day before, so I tested my self daily just in case as I had my own supplies. The good news is I didn't get it until I was home but I don't see what more I could have done to avoid catching it other than stay in my room for 13 days. 

 

I'm cruising again in Jan and am a bit apprehensive but hopefully just having had Covid, it will be a little while before I get it again. This trip was booked and paid for before I went NZ so changing my mind isnt an option. My next cruise wont be for about a year so I can see how things go. I wouldn't go in an interior room as isolation would do my head in.

 

Non compliance of Covid protocols by some passengers is real issue.

Don't want to dismiss your concerns but having been on a couple of Royal Caribbean cruises where there are no mask mandates except for on tenders and very few actually wearing them at other times there seems to be no difference in covid cases. 

[By The Bay]

3 minutes ago, bretts173 said:

" there seems to be no difference in covid cases." 

What are you basing this statement on. Gut feeling or solid facts? Princess are not releasing any figures. Do you have a source to back up you suggestion?

[arxcards]

7 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

What are you basing this statement on. Gut feeling or solid facts? Princess are not releasing any figures. Do you have a source to back up you suggestion?

For NSW, Royal's ships have not been showing as tier 2 even without masks, so they would appear to be keeping covid under control as much as the ships that require masks to be worn. I would agree that while infection numbers are low (tier 1), masks don't make a lot of difference to overall numbers and that is why NSW no longer mandates them on cruise ships. Still, that is based on known infections and ships can't react to those they don't know about.

 

Length of cruise is still a key decider though, and I don't know if they designed it that way, but most of Royal's recent cruises have been 11 days and under. Noordam has just reported as tier 2 at around 12 days, so lets see how Ovation compares at the end of their current 12 nighter.

[Jandex]

We sailed on December 14 on Ovation and my husband tested positive on day 5, and I came home with influenza A! Both of us fully vaccinated for Covid and flu! 
We asked onboard if there were a lot of cases and they said not. 
Have no idea where either of us picked up viruses but could have been anywhere. I wore mask on rare occasions I went in lift and on tenders. 
We are onboard again this Wednesday so fingers crossed we’ll have a healthy cruise! 
This is now (unfortunately) a part of life, and there is not much we can do about it - take precautions and travel, or stay home. 

[LittleFish1976]

16 minutes ago, arxcards said:

For NSW, Royal's ships have not been showing as tier 2 even without masks, so they would appear to be keeping covid under control as much as the ships that require masks to be worn. I would agree that while infection numbers are low (tier 1), masks don't make a lot of difference to overall numbers and that is why NSW no longer mandates them on cruise ships. Still, that is based on known infections and ships can't react to those they don't know about.

 

 

 

I take your point but may I suggest that if ineffective masks are being used and the way they are being worn is ineffective then the 'masks-required' ships won't look any better than the no-masks ones. (People wearing them with enormous gaps or below the nose or even mouth).

 

I suggest it would make a world of difference if effective masks were required and worn properly.

 

 

[LittleFish1976]

9 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The Captain of Westerdam is announcing the Covid figures daily - new cases that day plus those currently in isolation. I've been tracking the progress since the beginning of the cruise:

 

In isolation (New cases)

21Dec - 0 passengers, 2 crew
22 Dec - 12 (12) passengers,  4 (2) crew
23 Dec - 15 (3) passengers, 4 crew
24 Dec - 17 (2) passengers, 5 (1) crew
25 Dec - 18 (1) passengers, 5 crew
26 Dec - 21 (1) passengers, 5 crew
27 Dec - 25 (4) passengers, 5 crew
28 Dec - 20 (3) passengers, 5 crew
29 Dec - 19 (5) passengers, 2 crew

 

The isolation totals are tapering off as people recover but new cases seem to be increasing slightly.

 

What a brilliant captain, giving you full information!

 

Just imagine if they hadn't tested on day 2 - how many orders of magnitude would those initial 12 cases have increased by?

[arxcards]

10 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

I take your point but may I suggest that if ineffective masks are being used and the way they are being worn is ineffective then the 'masks-required' ships won't look any better than the no-masks ones. (People wearing them with enormous gaps or below the nose or even mouth).

 

I suggest it would make a world of difference if effective masks were required and worn properly.

 

 

For personal protection, yes. Even then, they offer no protection while eating and drinking in a shared environment when those around are also unmasked to eat and drink. At those times, you are still reliant on a low number of infections being present.

 

Your 2nd point in itself is why masks aren't effective in controlling overall numbers. Others will wear them in a way that matches their own level of risk without concern to those around them.

 

We both caught it on the final day or two of an 11 night no-mask required cruise. Without knowing for sure how we caught it, I suspect at our favourite bar, and a mask required cruise would have made little difference. A required test for those on the previous cruise doing a B2B could have made a difference - should have happened, but didn't. A required test on day 2 or 3 would have made a difference - that didn't happen, as this was prior to the 800 case cruise. Either of those would have reduced the probability of us interacting with covid positive passengers.

 

Whatever the ships do, we realise we caught it from an individual, not the ship.

[CCC's]

On 12/28/2022 at 12:38 PM, SinbadThePorter said:

My experience is that I did not catch covid on any of six cruises this year, but that I did catch it on my last visit to my doctor.

Agree 100% SinbadThePorter.  Let's put this into perspective.  Recently contracted Covid and was convinced I contracted it at my local post office,  but it could have been the newsagent,  but I also visited the pharmacy, supermarket and gift store on same day.  So, haven't a clue where I caught it. BUT I will not stop visiting any of those locations just in case I catch Covid again,  nor will I stop doing all the things I love,  which includes cruising.  Suggestion everyone....don't stop everyday living, just keep living as safe and healthy as you choose.  Happy and enjoyable cruising everyone.

Edited December 30, 2022 by CCC's

[Aus Traveller]

I caught COVID at Specsavers, not on any of our three cruises this year. I joke that it was on April Fool's Day, but it was actually on 31st March.

[LittleFish1976]

1 hour ago, CCC's said:

Agree 100% SinbadThePorter.  Let's put this into perspective.  Recently contracted Covid and was convinced I contracted it at my local post office,  but it could have been the newsagent,  but I also visited the pharmacy, supermarket and gift store on same day.  So, haven't a clue where I caught it. BUT I will not stop visiting any of those locations just in case I catch Covid again,  nor will I stop doing all the things I love,  which includes cruising.  Suggestion everyone....don't stop everyday living, just keep living as safe and healthy as you choose.  Happy and enjoyable cruising everyone.

 

I think the whole point of a lot of this discussion is talking about ways in which people *can* continue to cruise but to do so as safely as possible.

 

I'm on a cruise in a few weeks and I'll be doing all I can to keep myself free of covid. I'd rather other people were doing the same to lower the risk for all of us.

 

 

[austromyrtus]

20 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I caught COVID at Specsavers, not on any of our three cruises this year. I joke that it was on April Fool's Day, but it was actually on 31st March.

yes but presumably you were at home & didn't have to isolate with someone else in a very small room for 5+ days.... we were on a 13 night cruise just before xmas. were careful & took all recommened precations but my partner still got covid on the last day aboard, for me it was when i got home. luckily we narrowly avoided the long isolation which would have been challenging to say the least. it's the potential isolation in a small cabin which puts me off booking another cruise & looking for other ways to holiday.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, austromyrtus said:

yes but presumably you were at home & didn't have to isolate with someone else in a very small room for 5+ days.... we were on a 13 night cruise just before xmas. were careful & took all recommened precations but my partner still got covid on the last day aboard, for me it was when i got home. luckily we narrowly avoided the long isolation which would have been challenging to say the least. it's the potential isolation in a small cabin which puts me off booking another cruise & looking for other ways to holiday.

I was at home but unfortunately share the virus with my husband before  knew I was infected. I  mentioned where I picked up the virus to indicate the obvious - we can get it anywhere. Often in our daily lives we are as close or closer to other people than we are on a cruise ship. I wouldn't like to be quarantined on a ship, but if it happens on the cruises we are going on, then so be it. Our other option is to stay at home for the next however many years. Meanwhile we are getting older. 😁

[windsor26]

2 hours ago, austromyrtus said:

yes but presumably you were at home & didn't have to isolate with someone else in a very small room for 5+ days.... we were on a 13 night cruise just before xmas. were careful & took all recommended precautions but my partner still got covid on the last day aboard, for me it was when i got home. luckily we narrowly avoided the long isolation which would have been challenging to say the least. it's the potential isolation in a small cabin which puts me off booking another cruise & looking for other ways to holiday.

DH was positive (no symptoms) on day 6 of our cruise and I was on day 11 but I feel (so long as you are not feeling ill)  if you have to isolate a cruise ship being waited on hand and foot with free wifi and drinks is the way to go  Not being at home and having to cook etc without being able to go out would be far worse

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, windsor26 said:

DH was positive (no symptoms) on day 6 of our cruise and I was on day 11 but I feel (so long as you are not feeling ill)  if you have to isolate a cruise ship being waited on hand and foot with free wifi and drinks is the way to go  Not being at home and having to cook etc without being able to go out would be far worse

That's exactly how I felt. Much less stressful having Covid on a cruise ship than at home. However from what I've been reading it may depend on what ship you are on and how many cases they are dealing with. We were very lucky in that I caught while numbers were still quite low on Coral and recovered just as numbers peaked.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Westerdam now has 30 passengers in isolation with 7 new cases today. I missed the report yesterday as we did the Bruny Island trip.

[JohnWM]

We just did a 28 day cruise of Indonesia and Australia.  We didn't get Covid, and have never had it.  Most people on our ship did not wear masks; it was at times required and at other times recommended on tenders and buses; most did not comply, some put on a mask to get on the tender but then immediately took it off when they sat down.  In Indonesia there was daily PCR testing and an unknown small number of passengers were in isolation.  In Australia, no testing was done, and there was a lot of coughing on board.   We avoided Covid by 1) getting the bivalent booster in September, 2) wearing well fitting N95 masks when around people, 3) always eating outside on deck, and avoiding high indoor spaces like elevators whenever possible, and, of course, 4) being lucky, considering the current high case numbers in Australia.  The most risky environment on the trip were bus rides and especially airports.  Really good N95 masks, like 3M masks, that fit properly, work far better than surgical masks, but you have to be pretty obsessive about wearing them. And there is emerging evidence that the bivalent booster is more effective against current Covid strains, which makes total sense since the virus has changed so much since January of 2020, and that if boosting is recent, you're more likely to have neutralizing antibodies titers sufficient to reduce the risk of infection.  About 1/2 the people that we personally know to been on cruises in 2022 have gotten Covid during or immediately after the trip.  Hand washing is good for preventing transmission of Norovirus, but does little to prevent Covid.

[MicCanberra]

Cheers for sharing your experience and welcome to Cruise Critic 

[seashell77]

Anyone heard any feedback about NCL Spirit re: Covid yet? I know it's only on it's first cruise around these parts.

We're on it in 2wks and are taking all precautions to ensure that we don't get it before we board.

Whatever happens after that? Who knows- at least we're in a balcony if the worst happens

[Mikamarii]

In October our family of 4 ventured on an 8 week adventure across the Pacific to Australia that included 28 days on a cruise ship, 7 flights, restaurants everyday, excursions, whole 9 yards. 

 

We only wore a mask when specifically required by a place (which wasnt very often)

 

no one in our party caught it. No symptoms at all. We tested every 4 or so days out of curiosity so can't say we were spreading it asymptomatically. (We brought a lot of tests with us)

 

The ones on our fb cruise groups that caught it were blaming all the "non maskers" for spreading it as they had wore them everywhere yet caught it.

 

Disease can be so random. You might catch something you might not. Take precautions you see fit but when something goes wrong it's absurd to blame it all one thing and blame everyone else. 

 

This is just our experience and observation not an expertly run, medical journal published, peer reviewed, double blind study. 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

This morning all passengers staying on the ship for the Sydney to Singapore cruise had to do a mandatory RAT. That netted another 12 cases and there are 40 passengers now in isolation. 

 

[Cruisers47]

10 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

This morning all passengers staying on the ship for the Sydney to Singapore cruise had to do a mandatory RAT. That netted another 12 cases and there are 40 passengers now in isolation. 

 

Hi Julie,

 

we are just passing your ship as we leave Sydney….we are on Azamara.   We have a few cases and the staff all had to wear masks and most passengers did as requested.   
 

we are heading home to Melbourne so living in hope that we have escaped but really just wonder for how long!

 

Eileen