Covid now a non issue?

[phoenix_dream]

14 hours ago, Desert Diamond said:

I’d say COVID is still very much happening. I’m the one who posted today about my husband being quarantined on the Millenium. There have been several other “star code” announcements onboard, which indicate COVID cases coming up from the medical center. Most guests probably just decide they’ve got a cold and don’t  do a self-test. We cruised a year and a half ago when masks/vaccines were still required and we felt safer. This is the world now though, at home and on cruise ships. I’m not the one with COVID but my husband has said he’s done with cruising, at least for awhile. He’s sick,  he’s locked in a room and for the money we spent, this isn’t fun. We’ll switch back to land vacations which give us more autonomy. That’s just us, your mileage may vary. 

Just so you know star code is any medical emergency.  It does not necessarily mean Covid and in fact is likely not Covid unless they were using it differently for some reason on your cruise. 

[hrhdhd]

40 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

We just completed our first TA aboard Constellation this past Oct-Nov.  That was exactly the requirement that we were subjected to.  It's problematic for those that take a westbound TA and not so much a problem for you.

We had to do monitored tests, not just self tests. Luckily, we passed!

[phoenix_dream]

IMHO most people fully vaxxed and boosted get milder cases and never bother to test or report illness.  I was very cautious about following the rules, got all my boosters, etc., but I feel the time to report and quarantine should be ended. It is not going away in our lifetime. We have to learn to live with it. I know it's a quandary then for people immunocompromised but then many illnesses put them at risk. As a senior,  even in good health so far, I also have to weigh the risk. I take reasonable precautions, always mask up on airplanes where I have caught many a cold in the past, and do the best I can onboard to avoid people who seem ill (and yes, I realize all coughs aren't Covid19).  

[TeeRick]

I will just report my personal observations related to this topic from our trip and our last cruise on Equinox Jan 21-30 (Bahamas, GC, Curaco, Bonaire).

 

On Jan 20, we took American non-stop PHL to FLL.  And 10 days later the reverse.  Hardly anyone on the planes including passengers,  pilots, stewards and ground workers wore masks.  Airports on both ends were crowded - but very rare to see masks waiting for the flights. 

 

We used private car service 3 times:  airport-->hotel -->cruise port--> airport.  No masks by any driver.

 

A few percent of cruise passengers wore masks in the Celebrity terminal checking in.  Very few.

 

On ship over 10 days - never any mention of anything COVID-related.  Ever.  It was again pretty rare to see people in masks - maybe just a few more in crowded settings like the theatre. I did not notice mask use in elevators to any extent.  Passengers were not hacking or coughing or sickly to any unusual extent that I noticed.  Sometimes you would see crew members cleaning the ship with masks on.  We dined in Luminae, Murano and Tuscan.  Never saw a mask by anybody including staff.

 

We took three excursions on three islands.  Three bus trips.  One tender trip to/from GC.  Not a single person wore a mask on our buses or on the tenders.  Very rare to see shopkeepers, tour guides or people walking around the islands taking any COVID - related precautions.

 

We were entirely surprised that everything appeared so normal (pre-pandemic).  Of course we had no statistics or numbers of actual COVID cases on Equinox.  Nobody talked about it or mentioned any friend, family member of rumor of anybody in quarantine. 

 

DW and I never wore a mask either although we took them with us, and a couple of at-home test kits in our luggage. .  (FYI each of us is Up To Date with the Bivalent vaccine from early Nov 22).   We took COVID tests as soon as we got home and about twice more in the next 7 days.  We felt no symptoms and always tested negative. 

 

This was our experience.  I am making no assumptions or statements about anybody else.  

 

 

 

 

[mahdnc]

13 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

We had to do monitored tests, not just self tests. Luckily, we passed!

 

Yes, luckily we passed.  However we both had snafus with the monitored test kits if I do recall correctly

[Cruise till you drop]

25 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

I will just report my personal observations related to this topic from our trip and our last cruise on Equinox Jan 21-30 (Bahamas, GC, Curaco, Bonaire).

 

On Jan 20, we took American non-stop PHL to FLL.  And 10 days later the reverse.  Hardly anyone on the planes including passengers,  pilots, stewards and ground workers wore masks.  Airports on both ends were crowded - but very rare to see masks waiting for the flights. 

 

We used private car service 3 times:  airport-->hotel -->cruise port--> airport.  No masks by any driver.

 

A few percent of cruise passengers wore masks in the Celebrity terminal checking in.  Very few.

 

On ship over 10 days - never any mention of anything COVID-related.  Ever.  It was again pretty rare to see people in masks - maybe just a few more in crowded settings like the theatre. I did not notice mask use in elevators to any extent.  Passengers were not hacking or coughing or sickly to any unusual extent that I noticed.  Sometimes you would see crew members cleaning the ship with masks on.  We dined in Luminae, Murano and Tuscan.  Never saw a mask by anybody including staff.

 

We took three excursions on three islands.  Three bus trips.  One tender trip to/from GC.  Not a single person wore a mask on our buses or on the tenders.  Very rare to see shopkeepers, tour guides or people walking around the islands taking any COVID - related precautions.

 

We were entirely surprised that everything appeared so normal (pre-pandemic).  Of course we had no statistics or numbers of actual COVID cases on Equinox.  Nobody talked about it or mentioned any friend, family member of rumor of anybody in quarantine. 

 

DW and I never wore a mask either although we took them with us, and a couple of at-home test kits in our luggage. .  (FYI each of us is Up To Date with the Bivalent vaccine from early Nov 22).   We took COVID tests as soon as we got home and about twice more in the next 7 days.  We felt no symptoms and always tested negative. 

 

This was our experience.  I am making no assumptions or statements about anybody else.  

 

 

 

 

We just did Western Caribbean on Sky Princess and experienced almost exactly what you mentioned.

There were a small handful of fellow passengers who wore masks but that was about it.

 

Things do feel like pre pandemic cruising but believe Covid is still around but a lot more like Noro or Flu where you may not hear much of it as a large scale problem

[WonderMan3]

50 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

IMHO most people fully vaxxed and boosted get milder cases and never bother to test or report illness.  I was very cautious about following the rules, got all my boosters, etc., but I feel the time to report and quarantine should be ended. It is not going away in our lifetime. We have to learn to live with it. I know it's a quandary then for people immunocompromised but then many illnesses put them at risk. As a senior,  even in good health so far, I also have to weigh the risk. I take reasonable precautions, always mask up on airplanes where I have caught many a cold in the past, and do the best I can onboard to avoid people who seem ill (and yes, I realize all coughs aren't Covid19).  

The cruise policy for noro virus or flu positive cases onboard has always been to quarantine in your cabin so why would a Covid positive case be treated any differently?

[gfkcruiser]

We were on the Silhouette TA this past October and needed the monitored test and fortunately passed as we were already in Southampton when we tested.  
In talking to other passengers, found that some had cold like viruses.  They self tested and resulted in negative tests.   
We will be on the APEX TA in April and at this time have to test but not monitored. Vaccination is a requirement.  I don’t get the unmonitored self test requirement - no proof that that test was taken the day it was photographed.  As I have two remaining monitored self tests, will use them and deal with results.  
 

[mauimary]

20 minutes ago, gfkcruiser said:

We were on the Silhouette TA this past October and needed the monitored test and fortunately passed as we were already in Southampton when we tested.  
In talking to other passengers, found that some had cold like viruses.  They self tested and resulted in negative tests.   
We will be on the APEX TA in April and at this time have to test but not monitored. Vaccination is a requirement.  I don’t get the unmonitored self test requirement - no proof that that test was taken the day it was photographed.  As I have two remaining monitored self tests, will use them and deal with results.  
 

There can be proof when the photograph was taken. In your photo library pick a photo and then slide it up. The date and time photo was taken are underneath. I inserted an example. 

[gfkcruiser]

Just now, mauimary said:

There can be proof when the photograph was taken. In your photo library pick a photo and then slide it up. The date and time photo was taken are underneath. I inserted an example. 

Yes,  but not when test was administered only when photographed. 

[mauimary]

Yes that can be true. It’s up to you how honest you want to be and how much do you care about others!   I do agree that a non monitored test is about as good as no testing at all and personally we do not like the idea especially on a transatlantic or transpacific cruise when we are all confined inside a ship for so many days. 
If we are doing these long cruises and we are too it’s a risk we all are having to accept and be responsible about it. 

[drakes2]

1 minute ago, mauimary said:

Yes that can be true. It’s up to you how honest you want to be and how much do you care about others!   I do agree that a non monitored test is about as good as no testing at all and personally we do not like the idea especially on a transatlantic or transpacific cruise when we are all confined inside a ship for so many days. 
If we are doing these long cruises and we are too it’s a risk we all are having to accept and be responsible about it. 

With just a little over two months to go before our TA in April I will be extra careful about masking up and hand hygiene.  I'm glad I will have my sister onboard with me as she just follows my lead. I guess we will just stick to ourselves in the ship and will mix with as few guests as possible. I'm just glad I got sick 2 days after the cruise. 

[Jim_Iain]

20 hours ago, mahdnc said:

From a cruise planning standpoint for us Covid is still around.  We are hoping to do a Singapore to Hong Kong cruise in December.  Currently there are testing requirements for getting into Singapore as well as people entering the USA from China.

Curious of the source of information on testing required for entry into Singapore.   We will be departing Singapore for Sydney November 2023 and just making sure my information is up to date.

 

U.S. Embassy - Singapore  is posting this-   which I read as testing is only required to enter Singapore if vaccinated and over 14 y.o.

 

 

[mahdnc]

Just now, Jim_Iain said:

Curious of the source of information on testing required for entry into Singapore.   We will be departing Singapore for Sydney November 2023 and just making sure my information is up to date.

 

U.S. Embassy - Singapore  is posting this-   which I read as testing is only required to enter Singapore if vaccinated and over 14 y.o.

 

 

 

Thank  you.  You may not have seen this, but I corrected myself with a follow up post that says the Singapore entry requirements are proof of negative test OR proof of vaccination.  I should have scrolled further down on the United app to see both options!

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, drakes2 said:

With just a little over two months to go before our TA in April I will be extra careful about masking up and hand hygiene.  I'm glad I will have my sister onboard with me as she just follows my lead. I guess we will just stick to ourselves in the ship and will mix with as few guests as possible. I'm just glad I got sick 2 days after the cruise. 

 

I'm with you @drakes2     I still wear masks when I enter Starbucks and other stores.  We will be on a B2B the week before our TA and I plan on wearing a mask. 

 

Of course I'm living proof Masks don't always work as I caught Covid last year on a B3B at the end of the second leg after wearing a mask all times out of the cabin, no close contact and no elevators.     But did have 2 butlers, stateroom attendant and a Sommelier come down with Covid.    Also both RS and PS on our side of the ship came down with it. 

[Jim_Iain]

1 minute ago, mahdnc said:

 

Thank  you.  You may not have seen this, but I corrected myself with a follow up post that says the Singapore entry requirements are proof of negative test OR proof of vaccination.  I should have scrolled further down on the United app to see both options!

 

Sorry I missed it.    I was just worried we would have to have another -   If things remain the same I'm guessing we will have to be B2B tested in Sydney before the New Zealand cruise.

[Desert Diamond]

2 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Just so you know star code is any medical emergency.  It does not necessarily mean Covid and in fact is likely not Covid unless they were using it differently for some reason on your cruise. 

I’m basing this on information from a retreat host. They asked me how my cruise was going and I told her. She said, “oh, you were one of the star codes to the midship elevators”. When I asked what that meant, she said that was the code for Covid transports going back to their rooms. But it would make sense if it’s also a general medical code. FWIW, there are crew members quarantined in the same section as my husband. Our steward told us they still quarantine covid +crew in regular cabins. They don’t have tables outside the doors anymore either. They knock and hand deliver any items. So you’d never know it’s a quarantine area while walking down the hallway. There are non-quarantined passengers a couple of doors down.

[mahdnc]

2 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Sorry I missed it.    I was just worried we would have to have another -   If things remain the same I'm guessing we will have to be B2B tested in Sydney before the New Zealand cruise.

 No problem, I appreciate you taking the time to point it out.

 

B2B testing that far from home is worrisome. 

[tinaincc]

18 hours ago, Desert Diamond said:

I’d say COVID is still very much happening. I’m the one who posted today about my husband being quarantined on the Millenium. There have been several other “star code” announcements onboard, which indicate COVID cases coming up from the medical center. Most guests probably just decide they’ve got a cold and don’t  do a self-test. We cruised a year and a half ago when masks/vaccines were still required and we felt safer. This is the world now though, at home and on cruise ships. I’m not the one with COVID but my husband has said he’s done with cruising, at least for awhile. He’s sick,  he’s locked in a room and for the money we spent, this isn’t fun. We’ll switch back to land vacations which give us more autonomy. That’s just us, your mileage may vary. 

Sorry for your husband but why is this any different from a land vacation? The issue is going to the medical center/seeking treatment.  

[Desert Diamond]

6 minutes ago, tinaincc said:

Sorry for your husband but why is this any different from a land vacation? The issue is going to the medical center/seeking treatment.  

When we do land vacations, we usually drive ourselves. We stay in timeshares so do our own cooking with occasional outdoor dining.  There’s no maid service. We  generally have less contact with others. And if one of us got sick, we could head home early. (Not from Hawaii of course).

If one doesn’t let medical know on a ship, there are more people put at risk. It’s a personal choice and has been discussed ad nauseum on here. The morning we went to medical, we were about to head out on a bus for our excursion. Knowing he was positive, we couldn’t do it.

[tinaincc]

1 hour ago, Desert Diamond said:

When we do land vacations, we usually drive ourselves. We stay in timeshares so do our own cooking with occasional outdoor dining.  There’s no maid service. We  generally have less contact with others. And if one of us got sick, we could head home early. (Not from Hawaii of course).

If one doesn’t let medical know on a ship, there are more people put at risk. It’s a personal choice and has been discussed ad nauseum on here. The morning we went to medical, we were about to head out on a bus for our excursion. Knowing he was positive, we couldn’t do it.

Sorry you had to make those choices.  I hope you are back to travelling really soon. 

[Cruising89143]

We have had Covid twice after avoiding it for over two years. The second time was back in late October/early May. We were in Miami for two cruises on RCI. Not exactly sure where we caught it but due to the timing we felt that we picked it up on the Symphony OTS. The ship was sold out. Over 6000 guests and it’s hard to skip the elevators when you need to travel from deck four casino to the Coastal Kitchen on deck 17. From what I recall, we stopped on just about every floor each time and each time people crammed onto a car. No sense of being careful anywhere on the ship by guests but the guests on this sailing is another story. 
 

We are fully vaccinated and boosted. We have decided to go about our business but we do try to take precautions. We keep a mask on us in case we need to put it on quickly like the elevators. Thankfully our Covid sickness was mild. We were on the Solstice in December for eight nights, did not mask up and we came home fine. I did find that after isolating and wearing a mask for so long that our immunity took a hit. Much easier to get sick. But in the end, life goes on and so does cruising and travel. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

3 hours ago, drakes2 said:

With just a little over two months to go before our TA in April I will be extra careful about masking up and hand hygiene.  I'm glad I will have my sister onboard with me as she just follows my lead. I guess we will just stick to ourselves in the ship and will mix with as few guests as possible. I'm just glad I got sick 2 days after the cruise. 

Drakes - DW and I traveled last year from April to October.   Saw few masks and never wore one.  Cruised over the holidays LA to FLL on a packed Princess ship.  Home then on January 2nd.  3 weeks later DW who is asthmatic felt "off" and tested positive.  Used her nebulizer and inhalers and felt OK (not great) in a week.  Tested negative after 8 days.

Thus we traveled the World for 6 months.  No masks.  Only avoiding people who looked ill or were hacking.  Got home and somewhere got covid.  And yes we are fully vaccinated.  Mixed and mingled.  Staying to ourselves on our TA.  No thank you.  Meeting people is one of the reasons to cruise.

 

See you on board in April.

[Desert Diamond]

There is so much information shared on this thread and it is great to learn from everyone’s unique perspectives and recent experiences. Nice to see respectful sharing 😊

[Mark_T]

Just to add to the collective experience, we travelled from London to Sydney, via Singapore just after Christmas, boarded Eclipse a few days later for the 2nd Jan, New Zealand cruise.

 

At the end we traveled back from Auckland to Sydney and stayed for another couple of weeks as our son was getting married there, returned to the UK via Singapore at the end of January.

 

During that time, including a mixture of ship and 3rd part excursions, frequenting the World Class bar every evening and attending most of the main entertainment onboard we rarely masked and saw/heard little more than the typical pre-covid levels of coughs etc.

 

Tested on our first arrival in Sydney and again the day before boarding, both negative and we remained fit, healthy and symptom free throughout.

 

We know it is still out there we just never encountered anything that prompted us to feel the need to use masks beyond the first hour of the excursions, after which we stopped masking as nobody was showing any obvious signs of problems.

 

It truly felt like cruising used to feel.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Mark_T