Covid Policy

[Cruise-y]

9 hours ago, AtA said:

I got a bad cold on the inaugural cruise….When I went down (masked), I was told they don't even test anymore unless the person asks. 

Hmmmm. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? 

[travelberlin]

5 hours ago, Cruise-y said:

Hmmmm. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? 

Cruiselines probably do not want to know anymore if someone is sick with COVID. I wonder how it is with the crew. Do they get tested regularly? 
 

 

[skybluewaters]

15 hours ago, Embowaf said:

I have seen carnival and crystal guests pee and walk out without washing hands at about the same rate. At times directly into the buffet line.

 

Could you clarify what it is that the guests are doing directly into the buffet line?  From your first sentence, there are two possibilities.

[Keith1010]

9 hours ago, travelberlin said:

Cruiselines probably do not want to know anymore if someone is sick with COVID. I wonder how it is with the crew. Do they get tested regularly? 
 

 

I didn't ask but believe it is business as usual.

 

Cruise lines like most places on land are operating as they did before Covid with just a few exceptions.

 

I suspect (just a guess that there are protocols should there be a large breakout as there are for a large breakout of norovirus. Once they hit a pre-determined threshold they take actions with norovirus.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Yes there are people (men and women) who do not wash hands after using the restroom.

 

Another good reason to avoid shaking hands.

 

I believe most people are back to pre-covid and that includes getting inches aways from others, hugging, kissing, coughing and not covering mouth, sneezing and not covering nose, etc. etc., etc.,  I see this all the time including when we traveled, on flights, at the airport, and in other places including home town.

 

We had adopted our own set of practices before COVID and while they don't prevent getting sick they do reduce the odds and we stepped it up after COVID and still wear masks.  

Keith 

[AtA]

22 hours ago, Cruise-y said:

Hmmmm. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? 

I think it's just the way things are nowadays all over. 

[Roland4]

One noticable change on the current cruise is no self-serve in the Bistro. This is apparently due to Canadian and US Public Health rules and the lack of a hand washing facility close by. Self-Serve is still permitted in Marketplace, and also at The Grill. Does not make a whole lot of sense to me, but there it is.  

[Cruiserbunny199]

Do Crystal require proof of Covid vaccination please?

[Keith1010]

25 minutes ago, Cruiserbunny199 said:

Do Crystal require proof of Covid vaccination please?

No.

 

Keith

[Cruiserbunny199]

3 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

No.

 

Keith

Much appreciated Keith. Thank you.

[Keith1010]

Just now, Cruiserbunny199 said:

Much appreciated Keith. Thank you.

You are very welcome.

Keith

[Cruiserbunny199]

3 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

You are very welcome.

Keith

We have been vaccinated but cannot get proof of this now.

[Keith1010]

Just now, Cruiserbunny199 said:

We have been vaccinated but cannot get proof of this now.

Oh that's too bad.  

 

As best I know most of the cruise lines do not require proof of vaccination but they'll note guests are required to have it if a locality requires it.  But most places countries no longer require it.  

 

Keith

[Texas Tillie]

Just an FYI, if you are diagnosed as Covid positive by the ship’s doctor, you are quarantined to your cabin for 5 days. 
 

Patty

[Cruiserbunny199]

8 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

Just an FYI, if you are diagnosed as Covid positive by the ship’s doctor, you are quarantined to your cabin for 5 days. 
 

Patty

Fingers crossed we won’t be but there’s a lot of Covid around here in the UK at the moment. Not going until September.

[travelberlin]

14 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

Just an FYI, if you are diagnosed as Covid positive by the ship’s doctor, you are quarantined to your cabin for 5 days. 
 

Patty

Has Covid been reported on the current sailing or how was this information communicated? 
 

Ivi

[ryndam]

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

Has Covid been reported on the current sailing or how was this information communicated? 
 

Ivi

I was going to respond to this question, but decided that any response would not be appropriate. There has been no official communication from shipboard personnel of any communicable disease. There are general notices about hand sanitation, distancing, etc. in Reflections, but no specific communications concerning disease transmission. 
 

Rob

[travelberlin]

During my cruise they were also those communications in the reflection about hand sanitation, etc but very few people paid attention to them. Even though there was a wash station before entering the Market Place the majority would just pass by without paying attention. I remember talking with the restaurant manager in a joking manner, pointing that I was probably one of the few washing hands before entering the Market Place. Once, I was sitting close to the entrance and to my dismay I saw someone picking his nose while entering the Market Place.

 

I think that in this case Crystal can learn from other cruise lines placing one crew member at the entrance of the buffet to remind guests kindly but firmly, to wash wash their hands and sanitize before entering the buffet. This is done by other cruise lines for example Mein Schiff. Not only COVID is the problem. There are some funny respiratory diseases going around and the well known Noro is always a risk. 
 

Ivi

[Keith1010]

Ivi,

 

While in the perfect world they would always have someone reminding guests it would require a lot of staffing to do this. My experience is if there is a health situation on the ship where they increase protocols they do exactly this. Norvirus comes to mind but they did it as well after the restarted cruises during Covid-19.

 

I have seen the best of habits and the worst of habits when we sail. 

 

Keith 

[Roland4]

3 hours ago, travelberlin said:

I think that in this case Crystal can learn from other cruise lines placing one crew member at the entrance of the buffet to remind guests kindly but firmly, to wash wash their hands and sanitize before entering the buffet. This is done by other cruise lines for example Mein Schiff. Not only COVID is the problem. There are some funny respiratory diseases going around and the well known Noro is always a risk. 
 

Ivi

They may do it on Mein Schiff, but other than Silver Moon last winter, none of the half dozen ships we have sailed in the last 18 months have done it. They all have sanitizer stands/stations, but no staff present.

[travelberlin]

1 hour ago, Roland4 said:

They may do it on Mein Schiff, but other than Silver Moon last winter, none of the half dozen ships we have sailed in the last 18 months have done it. They all have sanitizer stands/stations, but no staff present.

Mein Schiff, Royal, Celebrity and Silversea do it. But I think it is not the point that all do it or just some. Imho it would make sense to do it since many guests of cruiselines, luxury or not, do not seem to have very good hygiene habits. If you read this thread from the beginning, you will realize that there are comments pointing that out.

[travelberlin]

2 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Ivi,

 

While in the perfect world they would always have someone reminding guests it would require a lot of staffing to do this. My experience is if there is a health situation on the ship where they increase protocols they do exactly this. Norvirus comes to mind but they did it as well after the restarted cruises during Covid-19.

 

I have seen the best of habits and the worst of habits when we sail. 

 

Keith 

Keith, in those cruise lines that allocate a crew member at the entrance of buffet they just have one at each door and this happens on peak hours, not the whole time. I have always encountered a waiter at the entrance of the buffet on Crystal. So they are already there. I do not think that additional staffing is necessary.

 

When they increase health protocols at the cruise lines where I have experienced Noro, what they have done in addition, was to avoid that guests serve themselves. There were crew members serving and not allowing guests to touch the serving silverware.

 

Ivi

[Critically Cruising]

If someone needs to be prompted at the entrance to the Marketplace, they will be oblivious to any kind of consideration elsewhere on the ship.

 

Case in point -- the fellow who took the white ceramic nut dispenser and put it up to his lips to pour the nuts into his mouth.

 

You either know what to do or you don't.

[Keith1010]

7 hours ago, Critically Cruising said:

 

 

You either know what to do or you don't.

Agree.  

Like I said I've seen the best and the worst behavior when cruising.

 

I'll just give one. Marketplace. Not open yet. So no serving pieces in place. More than once I've observed someone grabbing an item out of bowl or dish with hands. Another time a person taking it out and putting it back in. On the latter I told the Head Waiter and he removed the entire bowl for all that food to be discarded.

 

Oh and I could list dozens and dozens of other examples.

 

On a routine basis just not practical to police this IMHO.

 

Keith

[travelberlin]

Some of us know what to do and do it consistently not only because ourselves but also because others. Others know what to do, are polite and care about others and just don’t remember or think about the importance of it (those are a large number and wouldn’t have a problem of being reminded).
 

Others just don’t care, like the guy that came coughing into the elevator and when one passenger asked him if he couldn’t use a mask, he answered he wouldn’t because this was his vacation. 

 

Keith, we will have to disagree on this one but I have seen it successfully implemented in other cruise lines even in the times of the pandemic. I think it can be done without much effort or investment from Crystal. In any case I would suggest it and see what it happens.

 

By the way another area which needs more attention at the moment ( or at least did it during my cruise) at Crystal is the cleaning of the public toilets. 
 

Ivi

Edited February 1 by travelberlin