Cruising Hesitancy Amid Covid

[Cruise Puss]

1 hour ago, Fletcher said:

You say you 'loved' being back on a ship again and then you describe how awful it was - the tests, the masks,  the suffering staff, the fear of going on an excursion etc.  Yes, I can see how you loved being back on a ship again.  You summarise very clearly the worries and reluctance people have right now.

 

We won't be cruising until June and I suddenly realise how lucky we might be to stick to just one country - Norway - and one of the remotest places on the planet.

 

 

 

We loved being on the ship because we love being on the ocean.

 

We spent quite a lot of the time in our cabin (because of all of the restrictions) and sitting on our balcony watching the ocean was absolutely wonderful.  However, it is not enough for us to do it again until all these restrictions disappear. 😊

[RetiredandTravel]

2 hours ago, Cruise Puss said:

Hi everyone,

 

We are from Oxfordshire England and have just completed a Summer of 5 cruises going out of Southampton and we can honestly say, yes, we loved being back on a Ship again after over 2 years, however, the mask wearing, testing and other restrictions are too much and we will not be cruising again if these do not stop.

 

It is not fun, or normal, to walk around a ship with a mask on. It is not fun to see the crew with masks on.  They are suffering terribly, some have bleeding ears because of wearing them all the time. It's not fun sitting watching any entertainment anywhere with a mask on.  We did not go on any excursions as it would have been unbearable to wear masks the whole time. We did not get off the ship in the Med. at all as we would not have wanted to be found 'positive' and have to be quarantined in a Hotel in a foreign country in separate rooms.   We could go on and on.

 

Suffice to say, if you are willing to put up with the testing every single time you have to board a ship, as well as, in some cases, before you get to a different port;  if you are happy to wear a mask most of the time;  if you are happy not to be able to converse normally with the crew and other passengers, etc etc ......... essentially, if you are happy not to have a normal cruise, then go.

 

We have four cruises booked for next year already, but if these restrictions are still in place we will most definitely be cancelling all of them.

 

We NEED to get back to normal, for everyone's sanity if nothing else.

 

 

 

Very informative thread thank you.

 

Our second biggest concern is being quarantined with asymptomatic Covid in a foreign land and then finding our way home.  The biggest concern is becoming seriously ill with Covid and going to the local hospital and not speaking the language, having out of country insurance, were my wife would stay, etc etc.  

 

Out of curiosity what type Covid test do they give when people come back from excursions?  Hopefully its not the excruciating one with the swab up the nose.  Honestly we didn't consider the number of Covid tests one must endure.  On a 14 day cruise thru the Caribbean (stopping at 10 different islands) I would venture there would be approaching 20 Covid tests.

 

 

 

 

[Cruise Puss]

11 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Very informative thread thank you.

 

Our second biggest concern is being quarantined with asymptomatic Covid in a foreign land and then finding our way home.  The biggest concern is becoming seriously ill with Covid and going to the local hospital and not speaking the language, having out of country insurance, were my wife would stay, etc etc.  

 

Out of curiosity what type Covid test do they give when people come back from excursions?  Hopefully its not the excruciating one with the swab up the nose.  Honestly we didn't consider the number of Covid tests one must endure.  On a 14 day cruise thru the Caribbean (stopping at 10 different islands) I would venture there would be approaching 20 Covid tests.

 

 

 

 

 

We had four cruises that were restricted to cruising near to England, or in international waters without docking anywhere, and one that went to the Mediterranean. That one was originally last October, but was cancelled and moved to this October.

 

At the moment everyone going on a cruise out of Britain has to be double jabbed. Every time you go to a port to get on a ship here you have to be tested. It's the one up the nose. Some were so gentle you hardly noticed, others brought tears to the eyes! 

 

On our cruise to the Mediterranean we also had to purchase Covid testing kits (the PCR ones) before we left, and fill out the Passenger Locator Form, again before we left. 

 

If passengers wanted to get off in Gibraltar, three days before we got there you had to have yet another test, at your own expense, on board.

 

They were also taking your temperature every time you got off.  One of the reasons we did not get off!

 

As far as we know, they did not test passengers when they got back on board after an excursion.

 

The chances of getting Covid badly, after being double jabbed, are slim. That is the point of any vaccine.  

 

We would like to know when cruise companies, or, in fact the whole of the travel industry, think they won't have to test people or stop with all these restrictions? This flu virus, like all viruses, is here to stay and we have to realise this, and live with it.

 

 

[RetiredandTravel]

2 hours ago, Cruise Puss said:

 

We had four cruises that were restricted to cruising near to England, or in international waters without docking anywhere, and one that went to the Mediterranean. That one was originally last October, but was cancelled and moved to this October.

 

At the moment everyone going on a cruise out of Britain has to be double jabbed. Every time you go to a port to get on a ship here you have to be tested. It's the one up the nose. Some were so gentle you hardly noticed, others brought tears to the eyes! 

 

On our cruise to the Mediterranean we also had to purchase Covid testing kits (the PCR ones) before we left, and fill out the Passenger Locator Form, again before we left. 

 

If passengers wanted to get off in Gibraltar, three days before we got there you had to have yet another test, at your own expense, on board.

 

They were also taking your temperature every time you got off.  One of the reasons we did not get off!

 

As far as we know, they did not test passengers when they got back on board after an excursion.

 

The chances of getting Covid badly, after being double jabbed, are slim. That is the point of any vaccine.  

 

We would like to know when cruise companies, or, in fact the whole of the travel industry, think they won't have to test people or stop with all these restrictions? This flu virus, like all viruses, is here to stay and we have to realise this, and live with it.

 

 

 

Ok I was wrong then , there are no Covid tests when getting back onboard after excursions.  The additional Covid tests are only those required by the port prior to excursions (ex: 3 days prior to Gibraltar).  Part of the problem is the vaccines effectiveness fade over time but you are correct in that they seem to continue to provide protection against serious illness.

 

The cruise lines conundrum is some people will only cruise with the masks and others without.

 

 

[Neverlookback]

We were on a 3 week July cruise where masks were not required and it was an awesome experience.  We are now onboard with our final week from Athens to Lisbon and this was immediately after the Covid outbreak.  We continue to wear masks while traveling through the ship and while attending a show.  The N95 masks have been provided, but the vast majority of passengers are now wearing the more comfortable and imo very nice Seabourn cloth mask.  We were tested more often at first, but seems to have slowed a bit.  We were in Las Palmas today and the beach area was absolutely stunning.  Inside stores we wore our masks, but outside near the beach we did not.  Seabourn is heading to Miami from Lisbon and the crew has been under lockdown for several days and is not allowed to leave the ship.  We continue to be pleased with our decision to book this cruise.

They had the Seabourn Club get together a couple of days ago and shared a video of the new Venture Expedition ship and it was spectacular.  I met with the Seabourn Club rep this morning and put down the deposits for our next cruise to get the 5% discount.

I am in the same camp as Hiltner.  It's all a personal risk based decision.  We are willing to adjust to Covid requirements, we are willing to pay the much higher prices than we have ever paid previously and unwilling to wait for the normalcy of the past to return as we can't get those missed sea days back.

[Hlitner]

After reading through this thread and seeing some of the posts that are very negative on the current cruise experience I would emphasize that not all cruises are like what was described by one UK poster on cruises out of Southampton.  When booking a cruise folks should understand that not every cruise line, ship, and itinerary operates under the same restrictions.  So, for example, if the thought of wearing a mask everywhere gives you doubts you can try to look for cruises where this is not the case.  There are still cruises with no onboard masking for passengers and other cruises where onboard masking is a minimal hassle (we have been on both types within the last 3 months).   Of course there is no way to guarantee that the rules will not change between the time you book and cruise, but you can certainly use various strategies to minimize the risk.

 

I have mentioned on some other CC threads that our two recent Seabourn cruises (Greece and the Caribbean) were among the best cruises we have ever taken...and we have been cruising extensively for over 45 years!  Even with some hassles related to masking and testing the up side was being on ships that were less crowded where the motivation of both crew and passengers were a huge positive!  We look forward to our third cruise (since July) in a few weeks :).  Yes, we will need to make some adjustments on the ship and in the ports, but we will just go with the flow and enjoy every moment.   I also want to complement Seabourn for making the onboard testing experience a somewhat positive thing by handing us a glass of French Champagne as we entered the testing room :).  A nice touch that everyone seemed to appreciate.

 

Hank

[Cruise Puss]

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

After reading through this thread and seeing some of the posts that are very negative on the current cruise experience I would emphasize that not all cruises are like what was described by one UK poster on cruises out of Southampton.  When booking a cruise folks should understand that not every cruise line, ship, and itinerary operates under the same restrictions.  So, for example, if the thought of wearing a mask everywhere gives you doubts you can try to look for cruises where this is not the case.  There are still cruises with no onboard masking for passengers and other cruises where onboard masking is a minimal hassle (we have been on both types within the last 3 months).   Of course there is no way to guarantee that the rules will not change between the time you book and cruise, but you can certainly use various strategies to minimize the risk.

 

I have mentioned on some other CC threads that our two recent Seabourn cruises (Greece and the Caribbean) were among the best cruises we have ever taken...and we have been cruising extensively for over 45 years!  Even with some hassles related to masking and testing the up side was being on ships that were less crowded where the motivation of both crew and passengers were a huge positive!  We look forward to our third cruise (since July) in a few weeks :).  Yes, we will need to make some adjustments on the ship and in the ports, but we will just go with the flow and enjoy every moment.   I also want to complement Seabourn for making the onboard testing experience a somewhat positive thing by handing us a glass of French Champagne as we entered the testing room :).  A nice touch that everyone seemed to appreciate.

 

Hank

 

Hi Hank,

 

You are quite correct to point out that not all cruise lines are the same.

 

We did find that the experience on board the different cruise lines we tried were all slightly different, but with the same main restrictions in place.  They all required you to wear face masks everywhere inside when walking around, and on none of them could you sit at any of the bars.

 

However, the 'feeling' on board Princess was markedly different from the 'feeling' on board P&O.  We felt that passengers on Princess just had a slightly more 'relaxed' feel to them, compared with those on P&O.  In fact, we did notice that near to the end of our Princess cruise the notices regarding mask wearing changed to 'recommended' and quite a few passengers weren't wearing them - which frankly was a joy!

 

Everyone is different, and, having done 5 cruises with these restrictions in place, we do not feel we can put up with them again.  It was just so different to a normal cruise experience.

 

If anyone does decide to do a cruise/s we do hope they have a wonderful time. 😊 

 

Cheers

CP

 

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, Cruise Puss said:

 

Hi Hank,

 

You are quite correct to point out that not all cruise lines are the same.

 

We did find that the experience on board the different cruise lines we tried were all slightly different, but with the same main restrictions in place.  They all required you to wear face masks everywhere inside when walking around, and on none of them could you sit at any of the bars.

 

However, the 'feeling' on board Princess was markedly different from the 'feeling' on board P&O.  We felt that passengers on Princess just had a slightly more 'relaxed' feel to them, compared with those on P&O.  In fact, we did notice that near to the end of our Princess cruise the notices regarding mask wearing changed to 'recommended' and quite a few passengers weren't wearing them - which frankly was a joy!

 

Everyone is different, and, having done 5 cruises with these restrictions in place, we do not feel we can put up with them again.  It was just so different to a normal cruise experience.

 

If anyone does decide to do a cruise/s we do hope they have a wonderful time. 😊 

 

Cheers

CP

 

In July-August we cruised out of Pireus on the Seabourn Ovation.  No masking was required (or done) by passengers anywhere on the ship.  The crew was masked per a request from the Greek government.  The Ovation operated from early July into October without ever adopting a masking rule.  In October they did adopt an inside masking rule although it effectively applied only when passengers were actually moving around the inside of the ship.  Once seated or if one had a drink/food in hand (which is often the case on Seabourn) removing the mask was fine.  The Seabourn Odyssey also followed a similar policy.  There are also several US based ships operating out of Florida ports (to the Caribbean) that do not require passenger masking onboard.

 

I do not blame you for not wanting to do a cruise with many restrictions but I was just making the point that there are other options for those who want to cruise.   DW and I have cruised on many lines over the years and there are some of them that we now avoid for multiple reasons.  Bottom line is that we choose our cruises for many different reasons and the masking policy is certainly among those reasons.   In another week you would be free to fly to Florida and take a cruise where masking is not much of an issue :).

 

Hank

[mcondition]

On 10/31/2021 at 12:59 PM, Cruise Puss said:

 

We loved being on the ship because we love being on the ocean.

 

We spent quite a lot of the time in our cabin (because of all of the restrictions) and sitting on our balcony watching the ocean was absolutely wonderful.  However, it is not enough for us to do it again until all these restrictions disappear. 😊

If you include in these restrictions preboarding testing, PLF check on landing, mandatory mask use during flight, I believe they won't disappear any time soon. If you love the watching the Ocean from a balcony, better try to adapt.

 

But, on the other hand, if you believe that covid pandemic will be over soon, like a year or so, then it maybe worth the wait.

 

[crusinbanjo]

On 11/12/2021 at 12:42 PM, mcondition said:

If you include in these restrictions preboarding testing, PLF check on landing, mandatory mask use during flight, I believe they won't disappear any time soon. If you love the watching the Ocean from a balcony, better try to adapt.

 

But, on the other hand, if you believe that covid pandemic will be over soon, like a year or so, then it maybe worth the wait.

 

Totally agree, but the alternative is to just wait and do nothing or do something different.  Mrs Banjo and I have decided to cancel planned 2022 cruises rather than deal with all of the restrictions and stumbling blocks that are currently in place.  Will we miss cruising?  Yes and we have since our last cruise in Jan of 2020, but we are just not ready to navigate all of the roadblocks and assume the additional risks.  So, we bought a seaside condo to at least be near the water where we can dream of cruising again when cruising becomes less stressful  

[kirtihk]

1 hour ago, crusinbanjo said:

Totally agree, but the alternative is to just wait and do nothing or do something different.  Mrs Banjo and I have decided to cancel planned 2022 cruises rather than deal with all of the restrictions and stumbling blocks that are currently in place.  Will we miss cruising?  Yes and we have since our last cruise in Jan of 2020, but we are just not ready to navigate all of the roadblocks and assume the additional risks.  So, we bought a seaside condo to at least be near the water where we can dream of cruising again when cruising becomes less stressful  

After my first 31 years living in Russia (until 1991) with all those restrictions all over the place and relishing liberation from them for next 30 years, current restrictions simply freeze my brain.  I feel fooled and cannot talk about absurdity anymore.  After non-stop cancelling and rebooking around 15 cruises/resorts and associated flights/hotels for last almost 2 years (our first cruise is on Ponant in June 2022 if it even occurs), it's hard to stay focused.  However, I believe, sanity will prevail!  "Hope dies last".

[cruisr]

I am not hesitant at all.  Going on my third cruise since July on Seabourn next month.  Covid will be with us forever, adjust, adapt, accept or stay home.  Everyone has that choice.  I choose to travel and enjoy life.

[robertmartha]

If we cruise in 2022 - definitely will be close to home ...  Alaska or Canada/NE...maybe the Caribbean would be the furthest. As much as I would love to go across the pond next year - since I am still working I could not risk getting stuck/quarantined overseas...that's why even the Caribbean is a maybe!

Have to believe the pricing on US cruises is going to reflect this sentiment as well....notice none of these sailings are includ in their latest BF promotion 😏

[markham]

… which works out well for those of US who live in Europe. Med cruises here we come!

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[robertmartha]

Very jealous 😔

[crusinbanjo]

On 11/19/2021 at 2:24 PM, markham said:

… which works out well for those of US who live in Europe. Med cruises here we come!

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Very very jealous!!!!
 

[fdnycruiser]

I am currently on a Silversea cruise from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale. I have to admit to quite a bit of hesitancy on taking the plunge. Now that we’re on board after all the COVID testa etc. we’re glad that we did. Wearing a mask around the ship really isn’t that a big deal. Keep in mine that I live in Florida where mask wearing isn’t mandatory. We have to wear the masks walking the public areas, and that’s about it. On Silversea we don’t need it for restaurants, and can sit at the bar too. We’re looking forward to our holiday cruise on the Ovation next month. However, the Silver Moon is an absolutely beautiful ship. We’ve sailed both the Encore and Ovation before and loved it. The Silver Moon will be a tough act to follow !  BTW, current occupancy is only 50% with 300 passengers 

[markham]

I enjoyed Silver Moon very much last July in Greece as well, especially the long pool, top wrap around track and variety of restaurant choices whose quality was uniformly excellent. But Seabourn comes out on top and so we will be with you on the holiday cruise. Silversea cannot touch the verve of Seabourn shipboard life. It's the entertainment starting with the brief of the CD, the live music (I counted 8 more musicians on Ovation vs Moon and they stay busy), sailaway parties, production shows and us. What does that mean? it's the vibe. My take is that Silversea passengers are more reserved and standoffish and/or they don't have the opportunities Seabourn offers up to loosen up. Simple as that.

 

Also, I dislike immensely the poolside smoking on Silversea which devotes the entire port side of the pool's length to smokers' tables. Very depressing, and that applies outside the Arts Cafe, their mini-Seabourn Square idea.

 

We have cruises booked in 2022 and 2023 on Encore, Quest and Dawn. It's the ships and itineraries, and having sat on the bench for so long we are keen to bring back the good times. Wearing masks of course, but that is just what we have to do. No big deal; we were prepared for it last summer on Ovation and practiced wearing masks on Moon.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[mcondition]

On 11/19/2021 at 8:22 PM, robertmartha said:

If we cruise in 2022 - definitely will be close to home ...  Alaska or Canada/NE...maybe the Caribbean would be the furthest. As much as I would love to go across the pond next year - since I am still working I could not risk getting stuck/quarantined overseas...that's why even the Caribbean is a maybe!

Have to believe the pricing on US cruises is going to reflect this sentiment as well....notice none of these sailings are includ in their latest BF promotion 😏

this reflects my cruising planning exactly. On July I took a half hour taxi from home to the Ovation's embarking dock. Piraeus as starting port is so convenient and since most ships sail half capacity I can literally book just 3 weeks before departing, as I did last June, booked online for July. I would love to travel to distant exotic and tropical areas but it is so difficult to prepare 6 or more months ahead for me, not only for covid situation but also for family structure, kids in high school etc.

Fortunately for med cruises, ships can call Greece & Italy after Turkish ports and there are some very attractive cruises for spring 2022 with SB Encore not Ovation this time. Or alternatively SilverSea that I haven't tried and want to sail to compare by myself. It is so nice to cruise Dardanelles, I have crossed with commercial ships and found it amazing.

[SLSD]

I am very dismayed to read about the Omicron variant of the Covid virus.   Hopefully, it will not be as severe as some expect.  We all want to be cruising on Seabourn again!  Enough with the setbacks.  

[RetiredandTravel]

4 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I am very dismayed to read about the Omicron variant of the Covid virus.   Hopefully, it will not be as severe as some expect.  We all want to be cruising on Seabourn again!  Enough with the setbacks.  

 

 

Agreed.

 

I also think its time for the experts and officials to stop telling us what they "think" or "there's a possibility of".  They should wait until they have all the facts and then tell the public what the facts are and the action they recommend.

[cruisr]

29 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I am very dismayed to read about the Omicron variant of the Covid virus.   Hopefully, it will not be as severe as some expect.  We all want to be cruising on Seabourn again!  Enough with the setbacks.  

You should not be dismayed.  I have MDs and RNs in my family and they all say covid will be with us, in one form or another, forever.  It will become endemic with multiple variations just like the seasonal flu.  If you are waiting for covid to disappear you will be staying at home forever.  It will not disappear.

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, cruisr said:

You should not be dismayed.  I have MDs and RNs in my family and they all say covid will be with us, in one form or another, forever.  It will become endemic with multiple variations just like the seasonal flu.  If you are waiting for covid to disappear you will be staying at home forever.  It will not disappear.

I think we all know from what we have read that it is endemic.  But, we are hoping that new variants will not be more deadly and that the vaccines we have will be effective.  

[cuddles115]

I'm weary  and nauseated for the continuance of this conversation. I am one of those who choose to cruise and there are those who will not. This is their prerogative. I look forward to cruising and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow cruisers. But, to try to convince "cruisers" borders on the insane. It's the same folks, over and over again, who tell us why they won't book a cruise.   Covid will be here for some time and we all have to get used to it. News media is full of items related to Covid and to regurgitate what we already know is a disaster. Yes...we all have our opinions and I respect it. Enough already...That's mine.

[SLSD]

1 minute ago, cuddles115 said:

I'm weary  and nauseated for the continuance of this conversation. I am one of those who choose to cruise and there are those who will not. This is their prerogative. I look forward to cruising and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow cruisers. But, to try to convince "cruisers" borders on the insane. It's the same folks, over and over again, who tell us why they won't book a cruise.   Covid will be here for some time and we all have to get used to it. News media is full of items related to Covid and to regurgitate what we already know is a disaster. Yes...we all have our opinions and I respect it. Enough already...That's mine.

So why even look at his thread if it nauseates you?  That doesn't make sense to me.  I would not dream of telling anyone here what they can discuss and what they can't discuss because it bothers ME.  Let's try to be more tolerant.