Mask Mandate starting 12/18

[susiesan]

Yesterday 12/27 San Juan announced no cruise passengers can go ashore without testing. All of the larger ships are now not going there as they won't be doing testing on board for thousands of people. Maybe O will do a test for San Juan or maybe they will just skip that port.

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/puerto-rico-implements-strict-requirements-symphony-of-the-seas-denied/62626

[Flatbush Flyer]

22 minutes ago, susiesan said:

Yesterday 12/27 San Juan announced no cruise passengers can go ashore without testing. All of the larger ships are now not going there as they won't be doing testing on board for thousands of people. Maybe O will do a test for San Juan or maybe they will just skip that port.

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/puerto-rico-implements-strict-requirements-symphony-of-the-seas-denied/62626

Read the SailSafe FAQs. Oceania will provide onboard testing for visited ports requiring it. 

[pilgrimage]

1 hour ago, espmass said:

That's concerning to us.  Looking towards our 2/7 Riviera cruise we can manage with masks both indoors and out and we can manage with a change in ports and we would be happy to even miss one or two stops as sitting in a lounge chair by the pool is far preferable to sitting home in the cold North East.  However, if more and more ports are starting to close out ships, we really wouldn't be happy being onboard for the entire 12 days without any stops.  Hopefully for us and for the entire cruise industry that won't happen.

We were finally turned away by Curacao - pulling out now at our scheduled 1pm departure.  Captain mentioned "a number" of positive tests, who were disembarked, plus additional people who were close-quarter contact traced and put in quarantine.  No mention if that is in-cabin, or down in the dungeon.  Also, no specifics in numbers, nor do I expect them to be forthcoming with that. 

 

Waiting now to see if we will be allowed in other ports.  We did get our Miami disembarkation questionnaire delivered during today's cabin cleaning.  We are not *scheduled* to disembarked until 1/4, so getting that a week early seems ominous.  Maybe it is SOP.

[Queen of DaNile]

12 minutes ago, pilgrimage said:

 We did get our Miami disembarkation questionnaire delivered during today's cabin cleaning.  We are not *scheduled* to disembarked until 1/4, so getting that a week early seems ominous.  Maybe it is SOP.

I believe we got ours a week out on the 12/3 cruise so I wouldn't be too concerned.

[pilgrimage]

Just now, Queen of DaNile said:

I believe we got ours a week out on the 12/3 cruise so I wouldn't be too concerned.

Good to know - thaks!

[davencl]

4 hours ago, pilgrimage said:

It appears that the shutdown is starting.  We had mandatory testing yesterday for our upcoming stop in Barbados in two days and there appear to be enough positive cases to concern Curacao where we are currently docked.  Captain came on and said negotiations are going on between Miami and Curacao to see if we can go ashore.  No idea how many positives came up and I doubt they will tell us.  

Did the captain announce on the ship there were positive cases on board?

[pilgrimage]

5 minutes ago, davencl said:

Did the captain announce on the ship there were positive cases on board?

Yes, but not how many.

[pinotlover]

It will be interesting to hear further reports on this cruise. Such as Will the typical Noro protocols now go into effect? Everything dripping with disinfectant, salt and pepper shakers taken away, etc, etc???

Edited December 28, 2021 by pinotlover

[Flatbush Flyer]

44 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

I suppose thus the real question is not what are the "rules" ,  but when will they revert to normal and how many passengers will avoid travel until then?    Reading the roll calls that seems to be a salient topic.

Given the proof of the past few days that, at least, large mass market ships (e.g., Royal Caribbean and Carnival) are incapable of preventing/controlling Covid transmission, the smartest thing that smaller premium/luxury lines/ships can do is to clearly distance themselves (via significantly more restrictive policies/practices) from the mass market failures.

[Hawaiidan]

8 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Given the proof of the past few days that, at least, large mass market ships (e.g., Royal Caribbean and Carnival) are incapable of preventing/controlling Covid transmission, the smartest thing that smaller premium/luxury lines/ships can do is to clearly distance themselves (via significantly more restrictive policies/practices) from the mass market failures.

Thats my take too, and hearing  that mask mandates etc. are being proposed   for all plane and cruise passengers  without end.    I wonder how many will tolerate that  when laying out 10's of thousands for  such an experience.     There must be a breaking point at which time  people will just give up on those modes.    Makes you wonder.     Happy New year  and hope for the future.

[Flatbush Flyer]

32 minutes ago, pilgrimage said:

Yes, but not how many.

Please refresh my memory:  which ship is this?

[pilgrimage]

1 minute ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Please refresh my memory:  which ship is this?

Riviera

[Jancruz]

5 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Please refresh my memory:  which ship is this?

FY,  Every ship has cases of covid on board 

Jancruz1

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 minutes ago, pilgrimage said:

Riviera

Bummer about the reported cases and glad that they were disembarked. I hope that they will recover without issues. And I trust/hope that O will tighten the restrictions to the max to protect those still onboard.

But, just in case: Please tell the skipper that we’ll be onboard on January 14 and are expecting zero Covid issues. (trying to inject a little bit of needed humor here).

[pilgrimage]

9 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Bummer about the reported cases and glad that they were disembarked. I hope that they will recover without issues. And I trust/hope that O will tighten the restrictions to the max to protect those still onboard.

But, just in case: Please tell the skipper that we’ll be onboard on January 14 and are expecting zero Covid issues. (trying to inject a little bit of needed humor here).

I'll let him know 😉

[ORV]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Bummer about the reported cases and glad that they were disembarked. I hope that they will recover without issues. And I trust/hope that O will tighten the restrictions to the max to protect those still onboard.

But, just in case: Please tell the skipper that we’ll be onboard on January 14 and are expecting zero Covid issues. (trying to inject a little bit of needed humor here).

As you've stated many times, Oceania is as safe as it can be, yet we see what is happening. All crew and all pax 100% vaccinated.  Almost disheartening. I really don't like what I've seen from cruise news the last few days. 

[pilgrimage]

New announcement - we have been denied by Grenada, so we'll be proceeding on to Barbados.  I couldn't hear clearly on the announcement if we were over or under the 1% threshold, but it sounds like it was close to that.

[vlthom]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Given the proof of the past few days that, at least, large mass market ships (e.g., Royal Caribbean and Carnival) are incapable of preventing/controlling Covid transmission, the smartest thing that smaller premium/luxury lines/ships can do is to clearly distance themselves (via significantly more restrictive policies/practices) from the mass market failures.

 

I read in the news yesterday that there were 70 ships meeting the outbreak threshold for CDC investigation.  Looking at the list today (updated with another day's data), it appears that there are more than 80 ships now.  And it doesn't appear that any line is immune from having an outbreak onboard, unfortunately.

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/cruise-ship-color-status.html

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, pilgrimage said:

New announcement - we have been denied by Grenada, so we'll be proceeding on to Barbados.  I couldn't hear clearly on the announcement if we were over or under the 1% threshold, but it sounds like it was close to that.

On a different (but somewhat related item): What policies are now in effect for use of the gym?

[pilgrimage]

11 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

On a different (but somewhat related item): What policies are now in effect for use of the gym?

I think it's business as usual there.  Most things are normal.  They had netting over the pool this afternoon, but I don't know if that is Covid-related.  Hot tubs are still open.  They did announce no drinks in Riviera lounge, and unofficial group get-togethers are cancelled.

[AlexCherie]

On 12/20/2021 at 5:43 PM, 1985rz1 said:

The last part of the testing requirements in the new Sail-Safe Notice is important, should one test positive at the pier-side antigen test:

 

...Even if the country where your cruise embarks does not require a negative COVID-19 PCR test for entry, Oceania Cruises strongly recommends you obtain a PCR test not more than 72 hours prior to embarkation. If a PCR test is not readily available, then we encourage guests to at a minimum take a laboratory administered COVID-19 antigen test not more than 72 hours prior to embarkation. Guests that fail to test prior to departure or cannot provide proof of a negative laboratory supplied test result and subsequently test positive for COVID19 upon embarkation will not be reimbursed for quarantine or return embarkation arrangements.

Also got this ... 72 hours of course is sort of problematic for us. We depart on Jan 4; leave for Miami on Jan 3 and Jan 2 is a Sunday. Jan 1 is a Saturday and a holiday. Getting tested in that tight window on a holiday/weekend isn't going to be easy. 

Naturally we'll do it. 

[Jockocruiser]

4 hours ago, ORV said:

I really don't like what I've seen from cruise news the last few days. 

"Unfortunately another lesson of the pandemic is how much our ability to behave with realism is constrained by the unrealism of our hysterical and conformist press." Holman W. Jenkins Jr., WSJ 22Dec2021

[Jancruz]

12 hours ago, pilgrimage said:

We were finally turned away by Curacao - pulling out now at our scheduled 1pm departure.  Captain mentioned "a number" of positive tests, who were disembarked, plus additional people who were close-quarter contact traced and put in quarantine.  No mention if that is in-cabin, or down in the dungeon.  Also, no specifics in numbers, nor do I expect them to be forthcoming with that. 

 

Waiting now to see if we will be allowed in other ports.  We did get our Miami disembarkation questionnaire delivered during today's cabin cleaning.  We are not *scheduled* to disembarked until 1/4, so getting that a week early seems ominous.  Maybe it is SOP.

Quarantine cabins I believe are category B with a balcony..

Jancruz1

[ToxM]

 The covid landscape is so very different from when we had the terrible pictures of the Princess ship stuck in Japan. Yet the media are enjoying these outbreaks and continue to pump air into them.

 

Omicron is so very new and so very transmissible and we are prepared for it as much as we can be. 

I hold out hope that this variant becomes dominant, out competes Delta which is potentially much worse and then continues to burn through the population in it’s milder form giving immunity plus boosted vaccination immunity. The unvaccinated are faring much worse from Omicron and that’s their choice, they are unimportant with regard to cruising as they will not be able to cruise at all soon. 

 

As long as passengers and crew are doing all they can to limit transmission, if that means masks for X amount of time amongst other restrictions in order to keep cruising going then if it’s something that you can deal with that’s good and what is possibly going to be needed in order to keep the industry afloat (sorry couldn’t resist).

 

I think in the short term until Omicron decimates delta it might well be the case that the fate of a particular voyage or ship is decided by the dominant strain within the outbreak and decisions are made on that basis.

 

[RCD1952]

I am hoping for an update from pilgrimage on the Riviera.  Boarding the ship January 14 and am uneasy about the trajectory of events.