What's Covid like onboard a RCCL cruise? We're cruising for the first time in 7 years.

[E46M3]

We'll be sailing on the Oasis this April. Oasis was our first cruise back in 2010. What's the typical cruise like nowadays? I assume hardly anyone masks up indoors, elevators? If there's an outbreak or positive cases, are passengers notifies? What happends if someone if your party gets Covid? Thanks!  

[cruisegirl1]

The cruise experience is quite different than 7 years ago.  Lots of info on CC and other social media.     If you are speaking covid related ----.  There is no testing, no social distancing, no limits to elevators, self serve at buffet.  Those who want to wear a mask do, and others don't.  Most don't.   Some staff/crew will  wear a mask.  

 

Thankfully can't answer for the current protocol if you or a member of your party is diagnosed with Covid.  The only way to be diagnosed it to self report any illness to medical and then be tested.  

 

good luck

 

(Edited to fix an accidently incorrect statement.)

Edited February 21, 2023 by cruisegirl1

[time4u2go]

1 minute ago, cruisegirl1 said:

no self serve at buffet.

Are you sure? 

[cruisegirl1]

11 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Are you sure? 

Thank you for finding that error.  I was able to  change the original post.  

 

M

[nimbex1970]

11 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Are you sure? 

With so many ships in the fleet, I am sure this varries. On the allure two months ago, no self serve

 

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, E46M3 said:

We'll be sailing on the Oasis this April. Oasis was our first cruise back in 2010. What's the typical cruise like nowadays? I assume hardly anyone masks up indoors, elevators? If there's an outbreak or positive cases, are passengers notifies? What happends if someone if your party gets Covid? Thanks!  

There have not been any outbreaks on any recent sailings, that I am aware of.    Sure, every cruise has people that test positive.     Just a fact of life as we know it now.    If anyone in your party feels unwell and goes to medical they will give them a covid test.   If positive that person will then quarantine.  

Last 2 years they had specific cabins that were for quarantine.   I am not sure how they are handling that nowadays.  

They no longer make announcements with the number cases of covid onboard.   I imagine they would have to do this if there was an outbreak on a longer sailing.  But so glad we don't have to hear those announcements anymore.   

Masks are optional for crew and passengers - probably less than 1% wear a mask. 

If a crew member is new they are required to wear a mask for a min. 5 days after traveling to the ship.

 

Other than seeing a few people with masks on it will look and feel just like a cruise pre-covid.

Enjoy!!  

 

[Joseph2017China]

Well, Covid is like all other diseases.  It still exists.  Yes, for a period of time cruise lines followed a CDC set of rules, which are no longer exists.  

 

So a cruise is like it was 7 years ago.  Yes, over a seven year period changes happened, but that is the nature of vacatons.  Nothing stays the same.  As far as masks, they are not required or even recommended.  You can still jam into an elevator if you want.  No social distance required.  You will sit with others, no separation.  If someone gets it, just like if they have the flu, you will never know.  Just a very normal cruise.

 

Some others pointed out some changes, but not all changes came about by a disease.  

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, nimbex1970 said:

With so many ships in the fleet, I am sure this varries. On the allure two months ago, no self serve

 

I was on allure b2b in dec and buffet was self serve. 

[Saturngrl]

We just disembarked the Celebrity Reflection a few weeks ago.  Several people reported on our Roll Call and FB pages they contracted COVID on the ship.  I caught a cold and tested negative for COVID.  Yes, bugs proliferate in public areas, such as cruise ships.  Norovirus, common cold, seasonal flu, RSV, COVID...it's a risk you take when going out and about.  Be sure to use all of the offered hand sanitizers, keep your hands away from your face and enjoy your cruise! 

[taglovestocruise]

8 hours ago, nimbex1970 said:

With so many ships in the fleet, I am sure this varries. On the allure two months ago, no self serve

 

We have been on Ovation, Quantum and Navigator over the last three months, everything back to pre covid. 

[MeHeartCruising]

My personal thinking is that a lot of people who might notice Covid symptoms on a cruise today would not even notify the ship personnel about it.  There was no noticeable excess coughing on my recent cruise and I did not come home with Covid.  However, on a September cruise, I did come home with Covid.  Symptoms appeared on the flight home.

[smokeybandit]

Cruising is pretty much pre-covid normal. A few people wearing masks, but not much more than you see in every day life.

 

[latebuyer]

So is there no covid testing when you leave anymore? I’m leaving from vancouver on a cruise

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, latebuyer said:

So is there no covid testing when you leave anymore? I’m leaving from vancouver on a cruise

As of today, no.

[livylotte]

No Covid testing or restrictions whatsoever on our Caribbean cruise in December. Some wore masks but not many.  The Windjammer was the usual rugby scrum and all areas were self serve.

I think most people (and RCI) have decided Covid is done.  Even the Captain was out and about meeting people.

I noticed lots of people coughing and spluttering but when you've been programmed for 2 years to assume that everyone you meet is infected then I guess you do home into anyone clearing their throat within half a mile.  There were no announcements re Covid or people being infected.

The biggest germ fest was the flight home when it would have taken a miracle not to catch Covid.  Me included 😞

I managed to avoid it for the whole of the pandemic and it finally got me - after my cruise thank God.

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by livylotte

[cruising twosome]

Sailed Navigator 2/3-10, no issues with Covid for us! Did not wear a mask as many others didn’t also.

[Sunshine3601]

21 minutes ago, livylotte said:

 

The biggest germ fest was the flight home when it would have taken a miracle not to catch Covid.  Me included 😞

I managed to avoid it for the whole of the pandemic and it finally got me - after my cruise thank God.

 

I personally think you are more likely to get covid on an airplane than on a cruise, Just my opinion.   I was a recent first timer of covid (went around our office) and hearing more and more first timers that have avoided it for 3 years finally getting it.    Hoping the rest of my family stays well for our next cruise end of March.   

Hope you are feeling better too!

[smokeybandit]

6 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I personally think you are more likely to get covid on an airplane than on a cruise, Just my opinion. 

Due to the air flow and filtration on modern airliners, being on a plane is one of the least likely places to get covid.

[Sunshine3601]

11 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Due to the air flow and filtration on modern airliners, being on a plane is one of the least likely places to get covid.

Not wanting to start one of these arguing threads but sitting in a plane with a bunch of people coughing and sounding sick spreads their germs.

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Not wanting to start one of these arguing threads but sitting in a plane with a bunch of people coughing and sounding sick spreads their germs.

There were several studies done at the peak of covid about air travel.

[crewsweeper]

If you report to the med center with any type of respiratory or stomach ailment, they may test you for COVID. If positive you just get quarantined to cabin, as does anyone else in the cabin.  At least that's what a nurse told DW when she reported upset stomach on a recent cruise.  Fortunately, DW did not have COVID.

Edited February 23, 2023 by crewsweeper

[topnole]

22 hours ago, latebuyer said:

So is there no covid testing when you leave anymore? I’m leaving from vancouver on a cruise

It varies by location and where you are cruising.  They are required for a transatlantic for example.  So there isn’t one general answer.  But the typical cruise out of Fl to the Caribbean, for example, has no testing and no other Covid restrictions.  The dominant majority of cruises don’t.  

[topnole]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

There were several studies done at the peak of covid about air travel.

I think it’s a mixed bag and some of the studies had significant methodology issues (meaning the validity of the results  must seriously be questioned).  Obviously some of the results were heavily marketed to ease concerns. 
 

To me it’s just common sense.   The entire time it’s been about physical spacing and masking so you breathe in less of someone else’s exhaust.  That was how to minimize the spread.  On planes, you are most definitely breathing in a lot of others exhaling, regardless of masking.  It’s impossible not to regardless of how hard or how little the tiny AC vent blows or the intake sucks in and filters the air.  Their systems surely help a little, but we are all still jammed in like cattle and sharing a lot of air back and forth.  
 

I don’t care one way or another.   But it seems pretty obvious planes are a more likely place to catch anything from someone else.  Always has been that way.  Remember, some scientists also told us the vaccines gave you more protection than prior infection.  Of course common sense told us that was wrong too.  
 

I was taught that challenging prior results is science.  Now it’s called science denial by some.  Crazy world we live in.  

 

I for one am unconvinced planes are safer for Covid. 
 

 

[Donsyb]

22 hours ago, latebuyer said:

So is there no covid testing when you leave anymore? I’m leaving from vancouver on a cruise

Only for some transatlantic/ transpacific sailings, and possible for certain destinations, but not for the majority of itineraries 

[blondie from arizona]

We were on Mariner a couple weeks ago. On the last evening of the cruise, the entire staff put on the masks. Bar staff took our order with no mask, came back wearing a mask. All staff that I asked said that a member of the crew had COVID so they all had to wear the masks. It was a little disturbing.

 

Also, on the first evening of that cruise, our waiter was wearing a mask. He was the only one, and he was not new to the ship. Not sure whey he was wearing it, and since we didn't know each other, I didn't ask. He did have a button on his shirt with his picture on it, so we could see what he looked like. I thought that was nice. 

 

We also had hand sanitizer and masking in our cabin at embarkation.