Tips on how to AVOID getting covid on a cruise ship and what to do if you do have it

[mellon1]

22 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

I will post after returning. 

Thank you from the heart!💗

[mellon1]

36 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Caribbean P Jan 9 to Mar 13 live review/updates

A MUST READ!

[HBCcruiser]

In addition to some of what has been stated, we take these daily: 

[mellon1]

Just now, HBCcruiser said:

In addition to some of what has been stated, we take these daily: 

Love youfor this!!!  Giving these to DH and he has been counting the pills!!!  I am showing him your post.  Thank you!  I also do elderberry gummy!

[HBCcruiser]

11 minutes ago, mellon1 said:

Love youfor this!!!  Giving these to DH and he has been counting the pills!!!  I am showing him your post.  Thank you!  I also do elderberry gummy!

 

Cool! It has worked very well for me, and I work in K-12 education. There are other things that work well too. 😎  

Edited January 19, 2022 by HBCcruiser

[Markanddonna]

My DH has COPD and we go on long cruises. He sometimes catches what we used to call "cruise crud." I am usually able to stay healthy. Here is what we do:

 

- We have a medicine bag filled with all the meds and supplies we think we might need: cough suppression, Tylenol, Nyquil, diarrhea meds, a thermometer, etc. Customize it for yourselves.

- Our MD always gives us a Zpack of antibiotics. She knows us well enough to trust us. My DH's URIs are always treated with antibiotics and he knows when he needs to start them. 

- We also wipe everything down- remotes, handles, etc. 

- We are careful to eat with only our utensils. This is sort of weird, but I cut up my pizza and breads in pieces. I don't pick up finger foods. This is hard to train myself to do this. Such a habit!

- I wash my hands before I dine and also use hand sanitizer. Use a paper towel to open the door. They usually have a waste basket near the door.

- Don't fill up water bottles at the beverage stations. Those that do drive me crazy!

- I use my knuckle or wrist for elevators. I also try to use my clothing or a free towel to open door handles.

- Always have your own pen available.

- We inevitably sit near people who are hacking or sneezing in the theaters. We just look at each other to determine if we should move without comment. 

- Cruise when there are fewer children. We were on a B2B cruise right at the beginning of COVID and the first week was glorious. We even commented on how healthy the other passengers seemed. Then, spring break started with the ship being at capacity with LOTS of school kids. By the end of the cruise, my husband caught the virus along with many others. I just wanted to wrap myself in plastic and go home. I never saw so many people who coughed and sneezed into the air.

- Like another poster, I also have an advanced regimen of supplements including zinc, D3, Vit E, Vit C, Vit B12, melatonin at night, calcium, a multivitamin, Turmeric  and use daily nasal flushes with diluted hydrogen peroxide right after I shower (nasal passages have been moisturized) . I also routinely use Flonase at night. I also use drops of Quina each day. My SIL is a doctor who has been privy to a lot of research and I use his recommendations. His family of four hasn't missed a beat for the past two years. His daughter attended school all year full time last year and both kids are involved in sports, dance, or theatre. No one in our immediate family (9 of us), thus far, has come down with COVID, that we are aware. I expect we will all get it sometime, but thus far, we have kept it at bay. Most of us are fully vaccinated and boostered. With the current research, I doubt I will get another one. 

 

For current cruisers, I would ask for only one cabin cleaning a day and maybe even every other day. You never know. 

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Markanddonna

[taglovestocruise]

Total overkill from panicking cruisers. 

We just returned from Navigator.  MDR vaccinated was packed with tables for two just inches apart, we chose to eat on deck 4 which was for everyone.  Sat in the upper balcony which was for everyone every night for all the shows and wore no mask.  Coffee and snacks in Diamond lounge were self serve. Drink stations throughout the ship were self serve.  Freestyle coke machines were self serve. No masks required to be worn in showrooms if you were drinking.  Many people walking through the promenade with no mask as they ate ice cream cones or had a drink. Pools were open to everyone and hot tubs were filled on sea days. No separation of seats or rows in any showroom or the ice show. The Buffett was open for breakfast lunch and dinner. Cabins were cleaned twice per day and towel animals were left every night. Most congested place on the ship was the casino, packed every night with no separation of anyone. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by taglovestocruise

[PacnGoNow]

24 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Total overkill from panicking cruisers. 

We just returned from Navigator.  MDR vaccinated was packed with tables for two just inches apart, we chose to eat on deck 4 which was for everyone.  Sat in the upper balcony which was for everyone every night for all the shows and wore no mask.  Coffee and snacks in Diamond lounge were self serve. Drink stations throughout the ship were self serve.  Freestyle coke machines were self serve. No masks required to be worn in showrooms if you were drinking.  Many people walking through the promenade with no mask as they ate ice cream cones or had a drink. Pools were open to everyone and hot tubs were filled on sea days. No separation of seats or rows in any showroom or the ice show. The Buffett was open for breakfast lunch and dinner. Cabins were cleaned twice per day and towel animals were left every night. Most congested place on the ship was the casino, packed every night with no separation of anyone. 

Hence…all the cancellations on RCCL due to covid.

 

[Honolulu Blue]

I've been on two cruises so far since the restart and have two more scheduled in the next six weeks, so this is a subject that's close to my heart.

 

The best way to avoid the disease of the decade, is to get vaccinated and boosted.  I won't linger on this, because I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir.

 

Second best is to avoid cruise ships entirely.  Again, I won't linger on this, because you guys wouldn't listen to me anyway.

 

Third best is to favor cruises with low occupancy rates.  The two that I've been on so far were only 15% and 30% full of passengers.  I won't be so lucky for the next two.

 

About those next two, since they're charters that are bound and determined to sail NO MATTER WHAT, it's time to go into max protect mode, which includes:

• Wearing my KF94 respirators as much as possible
• Favoring dining options where I can avoid others and/or stay outside
• Being very careful about being in indoor venues - sometimes the entertainment is worth the risk, sometimes it isn't
• Avoiding organized excursions
• Avoiding elevators even more than I already did

I should note that's I'm not obsessed with following the above - first of all, because all that risk calculation will drive you crazy; second, because some things are worth taking risks for; and third, because I think it's likely that Omicron and I have a date sometime in the future (if I haven't caught it already - not likely but always possible).  In the long run of my life, it probably doesn't matter too much when and where we hook up.

[wowzz]

Covid is not transmitted via surface contamination,  so all this wiping down, surface spraying etc is a total waste of time.

On our last cruise (November 21), we wore masks, but happily shared tables in the MDR,  went to the theatre and bars etc. 100% on board were vaccinated, and tested prior to embarkation. 

We are off again in March, and will be safer on board than in our local pub !

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Covid is not transmitted via surface contamination,  so all this wiping down, surface spraying etc is a total waste of time.

On our last cruise (November 21), we wore masks, but happily shared tables in the MDR,  went to the theatre and bars etc. 100% on board were vaccinated, and tested prior to embarkation. 

We are off again in March, and will be safer on board than in our local pub !

You’re right, it is not as likely to be transmitted to you on surfaces, but it is still possible, if someone has coughed or sneezed on a surface and then you touch it.  Then touching your nose, eyes or mouth…could transmit it.

 

Cleaning is just another layer of protection.  Nothing wrong with that.

 

Don’t forget pathogens that are mainly transmitted by touching like MRSA, E. coli, salmonella, norovirus, rotavirus etc, 

 

I’m done.

[pathi]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Covid is not transmitted via surface contamination,  so all this wiping down, surface spraying etc is a total waste of time.

On our last cruise (November 21), we wore masks, but happily shared tables in the MDR,  went to the theatre and bars etc. 100% on board were vaccinated, and tested prior to embarkation. 

We are off again in March, and will be safer on board than in our local pub !

True, But remember that Noro still exists. Plus all the usual suspects that have been around forever.

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, pathi said:

True, But remember that Noro still exists. Plus all the usual suspects that have been around forever.

Absolutely, but the thread is about avoiding Covid,  and surface cleaning is of no real benefit with regards to Covid. 

[ColeThornton]

I'm double vaxxed, boosted and take every precaution available.   I'm just getting over catching the Covid and contrary to what I've heard it was anything but a mild variant.  This thing doesn't respect the rules and is highly contagious.

 

Point:   Take all the precautions you want but don't be surprised if you contract it anyway.

 

Reality stinks.

[Markanddonna]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Absolutely, but the thread is about avoiding Covid,  and surface cleaning is of no real benefit with regards to Covid. 

There are other viruses to be concerned about. Norovirus can rear its ugly head on a cruise ship.

[SelectSys]

59 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

I'm double vaxxed, boosted and take every precaution available.   I'm just getting over catching the Covid and contrary to what I've heard it was anything but a mild variant...

 

Point:   Take all the precautions you want but don't be surprised if you contract it anyway.

 

Your story is being repeated millions of times over across the world right now with Omicron's ability to evade vaccines and its heightened transmissibility.   The good news is that the Omicron wave is already peaking in some areas.

[Joebucks]

This is a tough topic. Because the things that truly may prevent it, detract most from the vacation. Staying outside. Staying away from people. Avoiding clubs and shows. Wearing the N95 mask is the only mask that will have any benefit to protect you. 

 

Cleaning surfaces is theater to make people feel better. 

[Top_of_the_Cube]

I believe that folks are inundated with so much information that it is hard to come up with a consensus on how we should react.

 

I appreciate forums like this that allow people to share ideas, and to determine their personal approach and risk tolerance.  

 

With COVID-19, it is as much about keeping yourself healthy from other sicknesses as it is avoiding being infected with COVID.  Yes, cleaning surfaces doesn't help much with COVID, but it does help prevent many other illnesses (as others on this thread have stated).  So if you should get COVID, but took steps to minimize acquiring surface-spread illnesses, you may have headed off a much more severe health crisis.

 

As for my wife and me, I admit we didn't do much extra as a way of prevention.  Wasn't sure how it would feel with all the protocols, but we made the conscious decision to just spend more time together on our balcony.  It ended up being one of our best cruises ever.

[mellon1]

On 1/19/2022 at 3:43 PM, CineGraphic said:

 

Knuckles work well.

 

A friend of ours who has been on board the Caribbean since August told us, "Just wear the mask, and you'll be fine." (She was specifically referring to KN95 masks or better. The ship will have some in your cabin when you first arrive.)

 

As for other steps to stay healthy, we bring wipes and wipe down  everything in the room.....handles, switches, remotes, etc.

 

Since Florida is a Covid hotspot, we lessened our exposure time there by flying in late the day of the cruise, and getting an early flight out at the end of the cruise.

We reached the cruise terminal around 2pm and we were the only passengers checking in.

No lines, no crowds.

For disembarkation, we did the early walk-off and were on a half-empty plane two hours later.

Nice to know I am not the only one cleaning the room! Great post.

[mellon1]

5 hours ago, Top_of_the_Cube said:

I believe that folks are inundated with so much information that it is hard to come up with a consensus on how we should react.

 

I appreciate forums like this that allow people to share ideas, and to determine their personal approach and risk tolerance.  

 

With COVID-19, it is as much about keeping yourself healthy from other sicknesses as it is avoiding being infected with COVID.  Yes, cleaning surfaces doesn't help much with COVID, but it does help prevent many other illnesses (as others on this thread have stated).  So if you should get COVID, but took steps to minimize acquiring surface-spread illnesses, you may have headed off a much more severe health crisis.

 

As for my wife and me, I admit we didn't do much extra as a way of prevention.  Wasn't sure how it would feel with all the protocols, but we made the conscious decision to just spend more time together on our balcony.  It ended up being one of our best cruises ever.

Well said.  I think everyone is open to ideas.  Again, share and do what you feel works for you.  Some of my best ideas about a lot of cruise questions have come from CC and people who took the time to pay it forward and post.  

[mellon1]

23 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

My DH has COPD and we go on long cruises. He sometimes catches what we used to call "cruise crud." I am usually able to stay healthy. Here is what we do:

 

- We have a medicine bag filled with all the meds and supplies we think we might need: cough suppression, Tylenol, Nyquil, diarrhea meds, a thermometer, etc. Customize it for yourselves.

- Our MD always gives us a Zpack of antibiotics. She knows us well enough to trust us. My DH's URIs are always treated with antibiotics and he knows when he needs to start them. 

- We also wipe everything down- remotes, handles, etc. 

- We are careful to eat with only our utensils. This is sort of weird, but I cut up my pizza and breads in pieces. I don't pick up finger foods. This is hard to train myself to do this. Such a habit!

- I wash my hands before I dine and also use hand sanitizer. Use a paper towel to open the door. They usually have a waste basket near the door.

- Don't fill up water bottles at the beverage stations. Those that do drive me crazy!

- I use my knuckle or wrist for elevators. I also try to use my clothing or a free towel to open door handles.

- Always have your own pen available.

- We inevitably sit near people who are hacking or sneezing in the theaters. We just look at each other to determine if we should move without comment. 

- Cruise when there are fewer children. We were on a B2B cruise right at the beginning of COVID and the first week was glorious. We even commented on how healthy the other passengers seemed. Then, spring break started with the ship being at capacity with LOTS of school kids. By the end of the cruise, my husband caught the virus along with many others. I just wanted to wrap myself in plastic and go home. I never saw so many people who coughed and sneezed into the air.

- Like another poster, I also have an advanced regimen of supplements including zinc, D3, Vit E, Vit C, Vit B12, melatonin at night, calcium, a multivitamin, Turmeric  and use daily nasal flushes with diluted hydrogen peroxide right after I shower (nasal passages have been moisturized) . I also routinely use Flonase at night. I also use drops of Quina each day. My SIL is a doctor who has been privy to a lot of research and I use his recommendations. His family of four hasn't missed a beat for the past two years. His daughter attended school all year full time last year and both kids are involved in sports, dance, or theatre. No one in our immediate family (9 of us), thus far, has come down with COVID, that we are aware. I expect we will all get it sometime, but thus far, we have kept it at bay. Most of us are fully vaccinated and boostered. With the current research, I doubt I will get another one. 

 

For current cruisers, I would ask for only one cabin cleaning a day and maybe even every other day. You never know. 

 

Great post.  so your SIL recommended the above? 

[donaldsc]

What you are describing sounds awful to me to tastes vary.  Also, unless you isolate yourself in your cabin for the entire cruise, if you are out and about at all there is no way that you can avoid close proximity with other people so I suspect that all of your plans are futile.  

 

Some of the people who responded to you worried about touching things like elevator buttons and doo knobs etc.  A solution to that would be to bring a couple of boxes of neoprene examination gloves (https://www.amazon.com/Wostar-Nitrile-Disposable-Working-Industrial/dp/B08697P5CS/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=neoprene+gloves+disposable&qid=1642736570&sr=8-5) and wear them when you are out of your room.  

 

Bottom line is I would not go through w what you are planning.  Cruising should be fun and not a chore.

 

DON

[pris993]

I will use the same precautions I have used for last 2 years and common sense.  So far, so good.  

[Hlitner]

This thread has been amusing and somewhat enlightening.  COVID Phobia (or COVID Hysteria) is almost a worse ailment than COVID.  We have been traveling throughout the pandemic and taken 3 cruises (48 days total) since August.  DW and I have enjoyed our trips, cruises, etc.  We are fully vaccinated (necessary for most travel) and use a lot of common sense mixed with following most of the various COVID rules.  That being said we do not spend our time worrying about COVID (it is a reality just like Noro, Cancer, heart attack, stroke, etc) or suffer Covid related anxiety.  During our travels (in Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico) we have met many folks who are miserable (some finally fled home) because of "Covid Anxiety."

 

Folks, like the OP, who obsess with COVID avoidance are likely to be truly miserable on a cruise or trip.  Risk tolerance is a very personal thing and there are folks who can handle the risk of COVID without losing much sleep.  Many others are so obsessed and worried about COVID that they cannot possibly enjoy themselves on a ship or trip.   I will say that we do not concern ourselves with wiping surfaces, think that cloth masks are a joke (if you are going to wear a mask wear a N95, KN95, or FFP2 respirator and make sure it is properly fitted).  Just about everyone we know who has been obsessed with COVID has caught the disease (perhaps this is just kismet).   There is no doubt that COVID is a very nasty disease and any of us who continue to travel are increasing our risk.  But we accept the increased risk and do take some reasonable common sense precautions to decrease our odds of getting sick.  

 

I should sign this as "happy in Mexico".

 

Hank

[crazyank]

On 1/20/2022 at 1:42 AM, taglovestocruise said:

Total overkill from panicking cruisers. 

 

23 hours ago, wowzz said:

Covid is not transmitted via surface contamination,  so all this wiping down, surface spraying etc is a total waste of time.

 

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

This thread has been amusing and somewhat enlightening.  COVID Phobia (or COVID Hysteria) is almost a worse ailment than COVID. 

 

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

During our travels (in Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico) we have met many folks who are miserable (some finally fled home) because of "Covid Anxiety."

Totally agree with all of these.