Face Masks

[Tablelamp]

I choose to wear a face mask in crowded areas. Are P and O going to look at me with suspicion.

[showingdiva]

1 hour ago, Tablelamp said:

I choose to wear a face mask in crowded areas. Are P and O going to look at me with suspicion.

 

I would hope not.   Your choice (I do the same on a situation by situation basis for what it's worth, and did on both Virtuosa and Queen Mary 2).   I certainly wasn't the only person.

[Sheila127]

5 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

I choose to wear a face mask in crowded areas. Are P and O going to look at me with suspicion.

There were many people wearing face masks during the embarkation on Iona and on the ship, particularly in the lifts.

[Port out]

On Iona now and always wear a facemark in the lifts and other crowded places, it's just the sensible thing to do with sooo many barking and coughing folk around

[Cristaltips]

I think it’s a personal choice. If it makes anyone feel safer, that’s fine and sensible in my book

[Angel57]

1 minute ago, Cristaltips said:

I think it’s a personal choice. If it makes anyone feel safer, that’s fine and sensible in my book

Absolutely. No one should be made to feel uncomfortable if they prefer to wear a mask in certain situations.

 

[CaptainPedantic]

I'm sure they won't and neither should they. Completely your choice and I agree with what Harry said too. 

[Tablelamp]

I may get some FFP3 masks and wear them in crowded areas, certainly during embarkation and the muster drill. 

[Yorkypete]

3 minutes ago, CaptainPedantic said:

I'm sure they won't and neither should they. Completely your choice and I agree with what Harry said too. 

It is a personal choice. We wear them on board and even in the local supermarkets. If anyone says anything to me I will lower my mask and cough!. Seriously on our recent Iona cruise to Spain we had to wear face masks on all shuttle buses and excursions as it is a Spanish rule. Also on all Spanish public transport so at least someone takes it seriously even if P&O do not.

[Fionboard]

4 minutes ago, Yorkypete said:

It is a personal choice. We wear them on board and even in the local supermarkets. If anyone says anything to me I will lower my mask and cough!. Seriously on our recent Iona cruise to Spain we had to wear face masks on all shuttle buses and excursions as it is a Spanish rule. Also on all Spanish public transport so at least someone takes it seriously even if P&O do not.

Must be a new rule as nobody wearing masks in Spain in December.

[Gettingwarmer]

9 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

I may get some FFP3 masks and wear them in crowded areas, certainly during embarkation and the muster drill. 

No muster drill. On boarding you are directed to your muster station where you register with your cruise card. You then watch the information on your cabin tv. 

[Yorkypete]

1 minute ago, Fionboard said:

Must be a new rule as nobody wearing masks in Spain in December.

On Jan 2nd cruise Horizon said it was mandatory for all public transport including both shuttle buses and excursion buses to wear masks and they gave them out to those who did not have them. Having said that some people would not wear them anyway.

[Ilovemygarden]

3 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Must be a new rule as nobody wearing masks in Spain in December.

They were last week - still compulsory on public transport.

[Sheila127]

4 minutes ago, Ilovemygarden said:

They were last week - still compulsory on public transport.

They were compulsory on the shuttle buses as well!

[kruzseeka]

7 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

I may get some FFP3 masks and wear them in crowded areas, certainly during embarkation and the muster drill. 

We have these masks and wore them in  the theatre, lifts etc on Aurora last summer. Despite our best efforts though we did succumb and ended up in isolation. One of those things. 

 

But to do your best to protect yourself in crowded areas is sensible imo and personal choice.  It does also protect others and for them to be critical of anyone wearing masks is both unreasonable and overlooks the fact that it's in their interests too - other issues to one side, it may only be a cold but prevents sneezing and couching over others.  

 

One observation - when we were being escorted to our confinement cabin a member of staff with a 'tank' on his back with a spray device attached followed us spraying all the corridors behind us - and critically the lift (which was only being used by us) after we vacated it.  The conclusion being they were trying to sanitise the empty lift before anyone else used it.   This made us think - we had been in the habit of wearing masks in the lifts when others were in the lift but not if it was empty before we got in.  Now there are so many places and occasions when you can pick up infections including flu etc that may be only a drop in the ocean in terms of risk but in future if we decided to wear masks on board, would elect to wear masks in empty lifts too.

 

Also on the day when I became ill in the evening, we'd used the Andalsnes Gondola and were the only people wearing masks in a packed gondola which holds bout 40 passengers.  I hope our actions prevented quite a lot of people from catching my infection - I think some at least were lucky on that day that we were wearing good quality masks!  

[Britboys]

4 hours ago, Fionboard said:

Must be a new rule as nobody wearing masks in Spain in December.

Spain has never dropped the requirement for wearing masks on public transport. It was certainly in place in September, October and November. The local trains in Malaga have a guard on board and they were challenging anyone not wearing a mask.

[jh1809]

15 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

I choose to wear a face mask in crowded areas. Are P and O going to look at me with suspicion.

In mid-November, when I embarked on on Aurora, P&O were still recommending that passengers should wear masks, though adding that they were only compulsory in the medical centre. However 5% or less were wearing masks. Among the crew it was about 25%. 

[Sheila127]

19 minutes ago, NavyPanda said:

 

P&O, or more precisely, the majority of P&O staff and crew will undoubtedly treat you professionally and politely, as they do with any other passenger. Perhaps some crew will take into account your decision to wear a mask by making adjustments to their service, for example by keeping a greater distance than they may otherwise have done. 

 

With regards to other passengers, I would imagine that the majority will keep their opinions to themselves (although a 'look' can say a thousand words). Personally, if someone wishes to wear a mask, that is their decision, if someone doesn't want to wear a mask, that is their decision too. I'm happy as long as people respect mine and others decisions and don't try to force me to follow whatever they are doing.

Many of the crew were wearing masks on Iona  themselves but not all of them! There should be no concerns at all!

[kalos]

15 hours ago, Tablelamp said:

I choose to wear a face mask in crowded areas. Are P and O going to look at me with suspicion.

 

Your choice and by doing so does not interfere with anyone else. just like should you choose to wear sunglasses ..Your choice .

[Windsurfboy]

Your choice to wear one, same as others choice not to wear one. Too many people  get too emotional  one way or other. 

 

 

[RaspberryCremeBrulee]

Reuters comments below noted online yesterday.....

 

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain, one of the last countries in Europe to still require people to wear masks on public transport to prevent the spread of COVID-19, will likely lift the obligation on Feb. 7

 

Germany is due to lift the rule, which applies to long-distance trains and buses, on Feb. 2. The obligation in Greece is set to expire on Jan. 30.

[Jennizor]

This morning we got our coach travel confirmation from Intercruises. They confirm there is no need for a COVID test prior to boarding but masks need to be worn at all times on the coach. That’s fine by us.

[Yorkypete]

1 hour ago, Jennizor said:

This morning we got our coach travel confirmation from Intercruises. They confirm there is no need for a COVID test prior to boarding but masks need to be worn at all times on the coach. That’s fine by us.

Hi On our recent Intercruise we were two amongst 6 people wearing masks. Nobody said anything to the other 38 people. On enquiring before travel They said masks need not be worn and we pointed out the terms which they state. The answer was 'well we haven't changed the printed terms yet but you don't need to wear one.' We still did!

 

[amajaa]

On 1/24/2023 at 2:57 PM, Britboys said:

Spain has never dropped the requirement for wearing masks on public transport. It was certainly in place in September, October and November. The local trains in Malaga have a guard on board and they were challenging anyone not wearing a mask.

No one on the ship or the locals were wearing masks on our November cruise to the Canary Islands 

[davecttr]

39 minutes ago, amajaa said:

No one on the ship or the locals were wearing masks on our November cruise to the Canary Islands 

I visited La Laguna via tram on Tenerife last December, everyone and I mean  everyone was wearing a mask.