Current Mask Policy

[geoffieg]

We are embarking on the Silver Shadow on the 15th.  TA just forwarded an email from SS stating that all crew are required to wear masks and masks are required in the theater, casino and during muster drills.  For anyone on a SS ship currently or recently, Is that, in fact, the current policy on board? 

[Lois R]

7 minutes ago, geoffieg said:

We are embarking on the Silver Shadow on the 15th.  TA just forwarded an email from SS stating that all crew are required to wear masks and masks are required in the theater, casino and during muster drills.  For anyone on a SS ship currently or recently, Is that, in fact, the current policy on board? 

Hi, I just returned home from a cruise that sailed out of Athens and no, that is not correct. I might have seen a few guests here and there wearing masks but I would say 98% of the people did not wear them. And crew was not wearing them.

[geoffieg]

Thanks.  I hoped the email from SS was not what was real world.

[JSR]

I do not know about now but on our previous cruise the mask policy was at the discretion of the Captain. It changed throughout the cruise. This was true on two different cruises on two different lines including Silversea. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by JSR

[jollyjones]

The last two cruises I have been on, Nov and Mar, mask wearing for pax has been at their own discretion. 
Crew had to wear them for the first five days if they were newly boarded, then they were freed if they tested negative. 
SS are soooooo slow at updating their website/emails. 

Edited May 2, 2023 by jollyjones

[drron29]

On the Moon now and new crew have to wear a mask for 3 - 5 days. Great as you can easily identify the staff that have just joined.

 

No obligation for passengers to wear them anywhere on the ship or excursions.

A few do wear them but none have an effective mask.

[turtlemichael]

9 hours ago, geoffieg said:

We are embarking on the Silver Shadow on the 15th.  TA just forwarded an email from SS stating that all crew are required to wear masks and masks are required in the theater, casino and during muster drills.  For anyone on a SS ship currently or recently, Is that, in fact, the current policy on board? 

I am currently on Shadow and will be on for the segment you are joining. That will be the final segment of the world cruise. The current practice is as stated by Jollyjones in this thread. At one point in this cruise there was a daily advisory in the Chronicles suggesting it was a good idea to wear masks in tenders, casino etc but that has now disappeared. We have been fortunate to have had so far only a handful of covid cases and, indeed, much fewer chest infections generally. If that changed for the worse the policy, no doubt, could change. We continue to wear N95 masks in situations where we think appropriate. The email you got is yet another example of the Head Office not knowing what is happening out front.

Edited May 2, 2023 by turtlemichael

[Rothko1]

When I was onboard the Endeavour in February, almost none of the passengers and none of the crew wore masks.  There were a few, but they were rare.  And what was nice, was that no one remarked about those who did - it was accepted.

[les37b]

On 5/1/2023 at 7:15 PM, turtlemichael said:

I am currently on Shadow and will be on for the segment you are joining. That will be the final segment of the world cruise. The current practice is as stated by Jollyjones in this thread. At one point in this cruise there was a daily advisory in the Chronicles suggesting it was a good idea to wear masks in tenders, casino etc but that has now disappeared. We have been fortunate to have had so far only a handful of covid cases and, indeed, much fewer chest infections generally. If that changed for the worse the policy, no doubt, could change. We continue to wear N95 masks in situations where we think appropriate. The email you got is yet another example of the Head Office not knowing what is happening out front.

Have you called in to Miyako yet?

 

Dont miss the send off.

 

The crew all did a celebration jig when we left Japanese waters on Silver Muse a few days ago, when mask wearing no longer compulsory.

[les37b]

38 minutes ago, les37b said:

Have you called in to Miyako yet?

 

Dont miss the send off.

 

Forget that, I just looked and see it’s not a port of call, Not much to see, but the people must be the friendliest on the planet!

 

Do you know it guests disembarking and embarking in Seward have a train transfer?

 

They have just cancelled our falsely blaming Alaskan Railroad. They didn’t or couldn’t book the train charter because AR public service doesn’t start until 15 May…. Or maybe cancelled because of low passenger count.

 

I flagged this anomaly last year and again on 4 April when the train wasn’t shown on the cruise ticket. I was again assured it was a train journey and all booked. Most guests are oblivious to the transfer now being coach. The official notice to my TA want until after we had boarded. When I spoke with GS at first they tried to say there was emergency engineering works on the track, but other ship sources have confirmed that’s not true. 

[drron29]

The new staff who boarded in Kotor 2 days ago have not had to wear masks at all. Seems anew policy as previously new crew had to wear a mask for a few days after boarding.

[turtlemichael]

17 hours ago, drron29 said:

The new staff who boarded in Kotor 2 days ago have not had to wear masks at all. Seems anew policy as previously new crew had to wear a mask for a few days after boarding.

Those joining Silver Shadow in Dakar 4 or 5 days ago were required to wear masks for their first 3 days.

[drron29]

Those that joined the Moon in Athens wore masks but those who joined in Bari or Kotor 4 and 3 days ago did not. 
Probably Europe is considered safe but not Dakar.

[Gourmet Gal]

On 5/5/2023 at 10:43 PM, drron29 said:

The new staff who boarded in Kotor 2 days ago have not had to wear masks at all. Seems anew policy as previously new crew had to wear a mask for a few days after boarding.

Well, if pax don’t have to mask the first 5 days then why bother with new crew masking?  Personally, I mask in any crowded area.  There’s still plenty of virus around and some countries are surging, over 1K people are still dying every week in the US.  Covid generally seems to be waning but I still practice some common sense precautions to avoid being sick and ruining my or other’s vacations.