Any tips on avoiding crowds? Ovation Caribbean Dec

[jenidallas]

1 minute ago, ephguy said:

My mom seems to mostly be concerned because she has never been on a cruise before, and has images in her head of crowded megaships.

Both of my parents got the latest booster a month ago, had mild covid cases a year ago, and are in good overall health. They go indoors to stores and restaurants regularly, my dad never masked and my mom rarely masked. 

 

Please reassure your mother that Seabourn is nothing like the crowded megaships.  The closest she'll ever need to be to another person is easily arms length apart for almost any activity or venue on Seabourn - and its easier than that to enjoy almost all Seabourn has to offer without being in anyone else's space bubble.  

 

The theatre is designed like little private lounge areas... your parents can have small sofa to themselves with the next nearest person 3-4 feet away.  Ditto enjoying afternoon tea or the like.  As others have mentioned, exceptions would be participating in group activities where people cluster by nature of the activity - team trivia, playing bridge in the card room, or sitting at a blackjack table at a peak casino time.  Beyond that, I think they will find that they will have plenty of personal space.

 

Honestly, the airport and airplane are likely going to be their most significant risk areas.  If they feel like they are comfortable with that then the rest of the cruise is going to be a breeze.

[ephguy]

Thanks Jen. That's helpful info.

Even if covid wasn't a consideration, they would be mostly uninterested in the indoor group activities anyways (trivia, cards, casino). My dad would enjoy the indoor live music and bars, but guessing my mom would skip that, and be happy when there is live music outdoors, which seems to happen at least several nights on the pool deck. Do you know if there are musicians in outdoor bars (patio bar, sky bar) or other outdoor areas most days?

Guessing mom would skip afternoon tea, and most indoor dining options, though she might get more comfortable as the cruise goes on and they see that many indoor areas don't have that many people in them, if you avoid times when they are popular (observation lounge and main dining room seem to be very popular in the evenings for example).

Edited November 11, 2023 by ephguy

[johng75370]

1 hour ago, ephguy said:

Do you know if there are musicians in outdoor bars (patio bar, sky bar) or other outdoor areas most days?

Usually there is someone performing around the pool mid-afternoon; I think it rotates between performers (“The Band” or “The Trio”).  Good mix of shaded and non-shaded space to enjoy it from.  FWIW, I like how they always have sunscreen and other sun stuff available by the patio bar and sky bar, so if you decide to hang out at the pool to enjoy the music you don’t have to go back to cabin for sunscreen.  

Edited November 11, 2023 by johng75370

[SLSD]

2 hours ago, ephguy said:

Thank you fdnycruiser and jenindallas for sharing your experience with covid on cruises. It does give me pause that so many people seem to have caught covid on Alaska cruises this summer.

My mom seems to mostly be concerned because she has never been on a cruise before, and has images in her head of crowded megaships.

Both of my parents got the latest booster a month ago, had mild covid cases a year ago, and are in good overall health. They go indoors to stores and restaurants regularly, my dad never masked and my mom occasionally masked. It seems inevitable they will be exposed to covid repeatedly this winter in their normal lives on land. So, to me, the incremental risk of going on a cruise seems low, where they plan to mostly hangout/eat in outdoor areas, and my mom plans to mask indoors and on tenders. My mom plans to still fly to St Martin for 4 days ahead of the cruise, whether or not she ends up going on the cruise. If she decides not to go on the cruise, I will take her place and go with my dad.

If they have had mild cases in the past, they would probably have the same kind of case if they caught Covid on a trip with flights and a ship.  I say they should go--and recognize that they are not going on a mega ship with people cheek by fowl all day long . On our cruise last June, we did not get Covid and the only precaution we took was moving (discreetly) away from people who were sneezing and/or coughing.  

[SLSD]

Just now, Mr Luxury said:

Yes it is

I just looked it up and it was used during Shakespeare's time.  Evidently the word jowl is pronounced differently though.  According to what I read, the American pronunciation of jowl is closer to how it was said in Shakespeare's lifetime.  

[Isklaar]

Non native English speaker here. Just spent approximately one hour asking my bewildered husband to explain meaning of  'cheek by fowl'. Arround 10 minutes into the conversation he did suggest that I meant to ask about 'cheek by jowl', which I denied. 😂

[cruiseej]

6 hours ago, ephguy said:

My dad would enjoy the indoor live music and bars, but guessing my mom would skip that, and be happy when there is live music outdoors, which seems to happen at least several nights on the pool deck. Do you know if there are musicians in outdoor bars (patio bar, sky bar) or other outdoor areas most days?

 

There are no musicians specifically in/at the outdoor bars. From time to time, there is music on a small stage at one end of the pool. But it's not every day, and usually for an hour or so. One or two times, there will be a music performance as part of a sail away party or other evening event on deck, weather permitting. By contrast, there is live music in the Observation bar and the Club every night, before and after dinner. That's a major piece of the cruise experience for us. The Club, in particular, tends not to be crowded, especially before dinner, and most evenings. 

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, Isklaar said:

Non native English speaker here. Just spent approximately one hour asking my bewildered husband to explain meaning of  'cheek by fowl'. Arround 10 minutes into the conversation he did suggest that I meant to ask about 'cheek by jowl', which I denied. 😂

We have a daughter in law who is not a native English speaker and we enjoy trying out idioms with her.  I don't think I've ever mentioned cheek by jowl to her. 

Edited November 11, 2023 by SLSD

[mnocket]

IMHO it really depends on just how strong their concerns are.  They will most certainly be in an environment where there is an increased risk of contracting Covid.  If finding themselves in situations where they are forced to be in close proximity to others is going to freak them out, cruising is probably a bad idea.  I was out for a short hike in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains 2 days ago.  My wife and I were about 1 mile out on a trail through a meadow, hadn't seen another human since starting out, and here comes this solo woman heading back who is wearing a mask.  Something tells me she would not be comfortable on a cruise ship!

Edited November 16, 2023 by mnocket

[whirldcruzrs]

On 11/8/2023 at 1:56 PM, ephguy said:

My parents are booked on the December 10-17, 2023 Seabourn Ovation cruise from Sint Maarten to Barbados. My mom is very cautious about covid and is planning on only eating in outdoor venues (Colonnade buffet outside seating area, and the poolside dining area (called the Patio for breakfast/lunch and Earth & Ocean for dinner)). She also wants to avoid crowds and indoor areas as much as possible, and is planning on boarding at 2:30 or 3pm on embarkation day, to avoid any rush of people boarding as soon as possible and what seems to be crowded embarkation day lunch.

 

This is my parents’ first cruise. Any tips on avoiding crowds / indoor areas on the Seabourn Ovation? Will they have trouble finding outdoor seating for breakfast and dinner? They are flexible about going at off-peak times. I think they will be off the ship for most lunches, except for the one sea day.

What about open air bars? It seems that the two options are the Patio bar by the pool, and the Sky Bar one floor up. Any tips about these? Do they have live music at any of the outdoor locations? I have heard about the sail away parties with live music outside by the main pool on some nights.

 

Was the pool area that crowded in evenings? Is the deck 5 pool a good alternative if the main pool has too many people? What about other outdoor areas on the ship? It looks like there might be outdoor space on the sides of deck 5. How about the sun terrace on the top deck?

My dad loves sushi. Is it hard getting seating for 1 or 2 in the evenings?

 

Thanks in advance for your advice. Much appreciated.

Covid was rampant on the Ovation for the holiday cruise 2021-2022, fondly named the “Covation” cruise. Our friends were on it. Doubt that Covid is not still present on any cruise but it’s akin to the flu for most people. If your parents are worried, they should wait until it is gone forever, although that day may never come.