What is your strategy to stay safe while on a cruise?

[cruzin4us]

I don't mask and I don't care if anyone else does.     I don't sanitize my cabin.   I use hand sanitizer whenever I see a dispenser.    I use elevators, but pass when the elevators are full.     

I chose not to congregate in large masses of people whether they were masked or not.

 

Last week on the Zuiderdam, masks were required in the casino, yet 10' away the dueling pianos are was packed with everyone belting out Sweet Caroline without masks....doesn't make much sense to me.

 

I've been vaccinated, double boosted and that's as far as I want to go.   Mask if you want if it makes you feel better, but don't push those petri dish masks on me. 🙂

[lyannea]

8 hours ago, CACruiser1973 said:

Beware - long post follows - I followed quite a few of these suggestions on my recent March 10 cruise on the Grand - where I have heard anecdotally of a number of positive cases here on CC but we stayed negative. I had a bit of a throat thing when we disembarked but after three negative tests, it must have been something else.
 

My mom and I both have some comorbidities so while we are both fully vaccinated and (now double) boosted, we have managed to avoid Covid since the start of the pandemic.  We booked the cruise when it was masks required and could not get our money back when the policy ended so we went - but I could not get off the ship fast enough. I’m just not comfortable cruising right now and need to stay home for now. But these are some of the things we did while onboard. 
 

1) I wore KF94 masks everywhere - and I mean all day, everywhere.  I did sip and cover for every beverage and all meals but one (in the Crown Grill where we had the only table for 10 feet around us).  Chewing with a mask on is not easy, but I figure it is easier than being sick or quarantined.  To manage this, at every meal I designated my left hand as “the dirty one”

to lift the mask from my face to allow the fork under before quickly lowering it again.  
 

2) We have always wiped down all airplane areas, hotels and cruise rooms for years before Covid. We continue to do so - wiping everything from light switches and door knobs to even tables and countertops. We go through a LOT of Lysol wipes but it is worth it to us for the peace of mind. 
 

3) We wash our hands constantly and also carry around hand sanitizer.  I try to view the menus outside the dining room so I don’t need to touch them when seated but do have sanitizer on hand to use after touching a menu if necessary. 
 

4) We only take the elevator if it is more than four or five decks. And when we do, we do not ride with unmasked individuals. For the start of the cruise, we would just exit and wait for another or take the stairs if close enough. The last day of the cruise, I just started telling people we would not ride with unmasked people and closed the doors on them. I know I’ll get flamed for that and don’t condone my actions, but after two weeks, I was tired of the snarky comments from non mask wearers and tired of having to wait for three or four elevators to get one with only masked people on it. 
 

5) We requested (and received) socially distant tables in the dining room with nobody near us - I still ate with my mask on, but felt better having a column next to me instead of other unmasked coughing passengers (which there were plenty of at the end of the sailing).

 

Finally, we have done the Hawaii sailing from LA almost 20 times - we love Hawaii and dance hula both on and off the ship, and have played ukulele and Hawaiian slack key music for years. That being said, the two most stressful experiences for me were due to those practices. 
 

I always bring my guitar (usually an electric Hollowbody so nobody can hear it but me so I don’t disturb others).  I would often choose the couch along the wall near Explorers Lounge to play. I always wore my mask and didn’t mind comments from passerby about the guitar. One day though, an unmasked man invited himself to sit next to me, promptly grabbed my guitar and began playing it. I was horrified. Aside from it being poor etiquette to take someone’s instrument without their express permission to do so, his hands were now all over the instrument. For someone that won’t touch an elevator button or handrail others have touched, it really bothered me that if he had just coughed or sneezed into his hands (as I saw MANY people do on the cruise) those germs were now on my guitar.  Fortunately, it was my carbon fiber instrument, not one of my wood ones, so I was able to go back to my cabin and wipe it with Lysol wipes. Memo to me - never again take a wood guitar with me.  Note - not the first time this has happened. A guy did it with my custom ukulele once as well, jamming his fingers into the side sound port to see how big it was. Sigh. 
 

The other incident involved Hawaiian Ambassador Rowena. She was a lovely lady, very friendly. But perhaps given the pandemic filled with a bit TOO much aloha. She talked about how great it was we no longer had to wear masks, and urged hula dancers to hug, touch and “share aloha” together. Hence, Mom and I stayed in the back of the Vista, never dancing on the crowded floor. She also would go around and hug or touch all the passengers in the Piazza each night, as she and all of them were unmasked.  Twice she came up to me (who she

never once saw without a mask) to hug or kiss me. I was mortified.  I didn’t want to be rude to her so I just stopped going to their performances. If there was one single greatest spreader of Covid onboard, it was probably her.  Lord knows if she was positive and asymptomatic she would have given it to hundreds.  Again, I really liked her personally. We talked about feather lei making (Mom and I have a feather lei company so we often wore them), hula and Hawaii. I just would have liked her more if she had respected my personal space a bit more and not repeatedly hugged me unmasked unsolicited after just hugging dozens of other unmasked people. 

Thank you for your detailed post. I'm also one who wipes everything down (pre-covid) and have even asked guest services to wipe off the counter, when the person before me has had their forearms up on the counter for awhile- - sounds extreme & that's what happens when some of us are in the healthcare business.

Regarding your guitar, I did some research when my cousin's family had Omicron in February.

The spores can last on skin for up to 21 hours and plastic for up to 220 hours.

I've shuddered more than once in reading about food trays left outside of the quarantined rooms , instead of utilizing a bag to dispose of items, further risking the crew who were doing the  pick up ,

 

[HappyInVan]

Good topic. Thanks.

 

The usual sensible things. Being masked with KN95 3 weeks before departure. N95 if I go to a crowded venue. I travel for the destinations, not the social company. So, not going to rub shoulders with others.

 

IMO, the most important thing is to avoid a lengthy itinerary before embarkation. Most likely to pick up a bug.

 

Naturally, I check the CDC's status list. Definitively avoiding the big ships, and Princess. I'm glad that the Koningsdam is green again. RT from Vancouver where I live. Testing pre-embarkation.

Edited April 15, 2022 by HappyInVan

[Ken the cruiser]

One follow-up question I do have and it's regarding Princess sanctioned CC Meet and Greets at the beginning of a cruise. Celebrity, as far as I'm aware, has never sanctioned them on any of their cruises we've been on since cruising started back up. However, from what I'm reading here on CC, Princess doesn't seem to have an issue with sanctioning them, to include sending some of their officers to them, masked of course.

 

However, with masks being optional now, it just seems like it's a function, with the potential of over 100 fun-loving passengers in attendance, that we might want to avoid. Am I wrong? Are masks still mandatory at the Princess sanctioned M&G functions?

Edited April 16, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[Shorewalk Holmes]

@Ken the cruiser Thanks for starting this great topic!  I've learned a lot. 

[Cbtours]

On 4/14/2022 at 8:45 AM, Ken the cruiser said:

Some folks have asked what our strategy has been to avoid getting sick while on one of the 9 cruises we’ve been on since cruising started back up (see below). Which got me thinking as well as to possibly help others who are thinking about cruising again, what strategic steps do you take while you’re on a cruise that has successfully kept you from getting sick?

 

Here’s what we do. In essence we treat moving around the ship like a game. Hey, what can I say, we're on a cruise and having fun is what it's all about, right? 😎

 

Dining: On our first visit to our dining room, my DW makes sure the hostess and/or maitre 'd know that if at all possible we would like an empty table next to us while dining and are also very willing to sit at the most undesirable table they have. But, in order to be able to do that, we always try to come when the dining room, especially in the evening, first opens. It's amazing how accommodating they can be when you don't care what (non-window) table you sit at.

 

Elevators: We're in our late 60s and are still able to use the stairs whenever feasible. But if we have to walk up 4+ flights of stairs, especially after a meal, we'll take the elevator with our masks on. Now, if either unmasked or 3 or more passengers decide to enter the elevator on an in-between floor, we get off there and walk up the rest of the way. 

 

Main theater: When we first board and are exploring the ship, we head to the main theater and develop a strategy as to where we will sit using knowledge from past cruises if possible. On a Celebrity ship, the theaters have 3-4 levels and have a U-shaped design, so it's pretty easy to developmultiple out-of-the-way seating options. Now, on a Princess ship, their theater seating takes a little more creative thinking. But, of course, that'sall part of the game to make adjustments when necessary.

 

Downtime: We always get a balcony and try to determine which cabin location will produce the most shade during the cruise, especially in the afternoon. Hanging out with a bunch of people near the pool is just not something we would do. 
 

Excursions: If at all possible we sit in the back of the tour bus while most folks like to sit more towards the front and, of course, we wear our mask at all times while on the bus.

 

Reducing stress by walking in underutilized spaces: When we first get on the ship, we also check out where the entrances to the promenade walkways are and use them, when necessary, in a crowded situation whenwe need to get from one end of the ship to another. If not an option, we will use the nearby stairs, walk up a flight or two, and then walk through a cabin hallway to get to the other end of the ship.

 

Personal Hygiene: We wash our hands whenever feasible without going into any public bathroom. That is a big no no! But we also wash our hands once we get back to the cabin. As far as hand sanitizers go, we use them whenever we go into a theater or dining room as well as when we leave those areas. We also sanitize coming back onto the ship or basically anywhere our hands may have touched something. Heck, my DW makes me sanitize even if I just touch the elevator button. 😂 BTW we use our triple-layered "washable" Celebrity cloth masks as they have done a good job for us and they're comfortable. And you guessed it, we'll probably be wearing them on the upcoming Princess and NCL cruises unless we're issued ones by the cruise line.

 

But, most importantly, we treat it like a game as we've enjoyed not getting sick on/or after a cruise for many years now. Of course, we also have no desire to mess up our cruise by getting quarantined, either by getting C19 or being traced, as we usually are on B2B cruises that are at least 2-3+ weeks long.

 

The bottom line is that it's up to YOU to keep yourself safe rather than to worry about the variety of personalities that will be on the ship cruising with you and what they will do.

Thanks this is good info. We will be on our first B2b in June from Brisbane (Aus) on Princess ( in fact we have 4 B2B total of 18 days). My question is did you have to get disembark and embark at the end of each segment or was their a "holding bay" type of situation for transit passengers. I appreciate cruise lines differ but thought id put it out there.

 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Cbtours said:

Thanks this is good info. We will be on our first B2b in June from Brisbane (Aus) on Princess ( in fact we have 4 B2B total of 18 days). My question is did you have to get disembark and embark at the end of each segment or was their a "holding bay" type of situation for transit passengers. I appreciate cruise lines differ but thought id put it out there.

 

On our B2B Celebrity cruises, we would get our antigen tests/results the day before transition day. Then, unless we had an excursion booked, we would be escorted off the ship to go through Customs and then lead to a waiting area in the terminal until the ship was cleared of all passengers. Then, once we got the green light, we were allowed to go back on the ship.

 

Unfortunately, we won’t go on our first Princess B3B until July. But maybe someone else can share what currently happens on a Princess B2B.

Edited April 16, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[Cbtours]

37 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

On our B2B Celebrity cruises, we would get our antigen tests/results the day before transition day. Then, unless we had an excursion booked, we would be escorted off the ship to go through Customs and then lead to a waiting area in the terminal until the ship was cleared of all passengers. Then, once we got the green light, we were allowed to go back on the ship.

 

Unfortunately, we won’t go on our first Princess B3B until July. But maybe someone else can share what currently happens on a Princess B2B.

Did you supply your own tests (RAT?) or were they supplied onboard. Thanks

[Ken the cruiser]

9 hours ago, Cbtours said:

Did you supply your own tests (RAT?) or were they supplied onboard. Thanks

The rapid antigen tests were supplied onboard at no cost to the passengers that were continuing on the next leg of the cruise.

[Cbtours]

6 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

The rapid antigen tests were supplied onboard at no cost to the passengers that were continuing on the next leg of the cruise.

Thanks. So If someone tested positive, did they put them off ship? Move to isolation etc? I realise its different cruise line as we're on Princess, but presuming there will be some standard protocols.

[Ken the cruiser]

7 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Thanks. So If someone tested positive, did they put them off ship? Move to isolation etc? I realise its different cruise line as we're on Princess, but presuming there will be some standard protocols.

On the Celebrity cruises we were on if you tested positive, you had to get off and either drive home, if you so chose, or go into quarantine for a predefined period based on the C19 protocols at the time. Not sure what they do now, especially when it comes to Princess cruises.

[Ken the cruiser]

On 4/15/2022 at 8:17 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

One follow-up question I do have and it's regarding Princess sanctioned CC Meet and Greets at the beginning of a cruise. Celebrity, as far as I'm aware, has never sanctioned them on any of their cruises we've been on since cruising started back up. However, from what I'm reading here on CC, Princess doesn't seem to have an issue with sanctioning them, to include sending some of their officers to them, masked of course.

 

However, with masks being optional now, it just seems like it's a function, with the potential of over 100 fun-loving passengers in attendance, that we might want to avoid. Am I wrong? Are masks still mandatory at the Princess sanctioned M&G functions?

I find it interesting no one responded to my question regarding the wearing of masks at the M&G functions on a Princess cruise, especially since mask wearing has become optional. Maybe my question simply got overlooked, so I’ll ask it again only a little more to the point.

 

Are the wearing of masks currently required at a Princess-authorized  M&G function, especially with the potential of over 100 fun-loving passengers in attendance? It just seems like a potential hot spot for folks to avoid if they have any worries about getting sick on the cruise.

[Level six]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I find it interesting no one responded to my question regarding the wearing of masks at the M&G functions on a Princess cruise, especially since mask wearing has become optional. Maybe my question simply got overlooked, so I’ll ask it again only a little more to the point.

 

Are the wearing of masks currently required at a Princess-authorized  M&G function, especially with the potential of over 100 fun-loving passengers in attendance? It just seems like a potential hot spot for folks to avoid if they have any worries about getting sick on the cruise.

On our first optional masks cruise(beginning of March), the coordinator asked everyone to wear a mask to the meet and greet on the roll call, everyone agreed.  Princess did not require it.  The M&G had about 60 people. Out of 60+ my husband and I were the only ones wearing a mask, so we left. 

[Ken the cruiser]

17 minutes ago, Level six said:

On our first optional masks cruise(beginning of March), the coordinator asked everyone to wear a mask to the meet and greet on the roll call, everyone agreed.  Princess did not require it.  The M&G had about 60 people. Out of 60+ my husband and I were the only ones wearing a mask, so we left. 

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had a feeling that would probably be the case, but was just curious if my assumption was correct or not. So as you might imagine, this would be another event we would avoid once we board our cruise.
 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[cr8tiv1]

b2b testing on the Grand Princess was offered on the day of (dis)embarkation.  I thought that was silly since it was like closing the barn door after the cows/horses left.  

 

In March, Princess decided that masks would only be optional.

 

March 10 Meet and Greet:  Only Captain Circle Host Liz and CD Steve showed up.  Not everyone attending wore masks.  Several signed up and only a small. percentage showed up.  Pet peeve:  If you say you are going to attend...then attend.  Moving on.

 

March 25 Meet and Greet:  Liz and 4-5 staff showed up.  More people/less masks.  Officers wore masks.  GHM said that since the CDC only has posted "recommended" that Princess is following protocol.  I asked about letters that went out regarding Sky and Ruby infections.  I was told that it is an individual ship decision to send out the "letter" making masks a mandate.  After the Meet and Greet, I was surprised to see the officers mingling with the (unmasked) passengers.

 

If infections don't drop soon, Princess really needs to revisit protocols.  Currently, all Princess cruising passenger ships are orange.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=cdc+color+code+for+cruise+ships&oq=cdc&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j46i199i291i433i512j69i59j0i433i512l2j69i60l2j69i65.3703j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by cr8tiv1

[HaveDogWillTravel]

I wanted to pipe in with some comments about things I did differently while on the Discovery this past week in order to test negative on Wednesday to board the Ruby this coming Saturday.  

 

I am not going to follow these exact protocols on our upcoming Ruby sailing as I really don’t care if I get Covid. I have my second booster and a strong immune system. I’ll always wear a mask though to protect others. I only mention these things as I know some people are very concerned about catching Covid. I am pretty sure we didn’t catch it. 

We did not eat in MDR except for embarkation night. There was no social distancing between tables, therefore did not return. We had one entree and were in & out in 40 min. We had our mask off for only 15 min.  This was a huge sacrifice but I felt it needed to happen. Yesterday a crew member I had become very friendly with told me there were a lot of cases of Covid among the crew this past week and mostly it’s the MDR crew. One crew member I had interacted with in an entirely outdoor environment in the sanctuary tested positive on day 2.  She thinks he got it from his cabin mate. Hundreds of passengers unmasked, laughing and talking loud for hours must be creating a high viral load in the MDRs. 

 

We spent all but one morning and one day in a cabana in the sanctuary. 

 

We got our special cocktails (Good spirits) from the indoor bar during non peak times and would take them out to promenade or our cabin. And we only did that 3 times. Other than that we used the outside retreat bar, room service and we had all kinds of alcohol provided in the sanctuary.  
 

We went to absolutely no indoor activities. Again a huge sacrifice but almost no one was masked on this sailing. 
 

We ate alfresco for gigis one afternoon. Twice we ate indoors at gigis but at 2 pm when there were very few other people in the restaurant. Magdelena was great about keeping us separate. We kept our mask on except while actually eating. 
 

We did a little retail therapy at 9 am when the stores opened and were entirely empty. 
 

In Mazatlan we did a self guided walking tour of historic center. Ate at a roof top open air restaurant. Did not get off in other ports. 
 

We drove to and from the port in our own car. 
 

We did occasionally - maybe a dozen times-  use elevators with others. Some were unmasked but never more than 6 total people 

 

And lastly we picked the first debarking time at 7:50am. Left our room at 8 am and got right off.  We did not sit in a debarkation lounge. 

 

 We met some nice people but got to know crew better. Had a nice visit with Duval our CD on promenade deck. We got really good at going to the deck 5, 6, 7 piazza area when it was deserted. Crowds it turns out are pretty predictable. 
 

We had a great, if largely modified, cruise experience.  If we get Covid and test positive Wednesday I will be beyond shocked. 

[memoak]

1 hour ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

I wanted to pipe in with some comments about things I did differently while on the Discovery this past week in order to test negative on Wednesday to board the Ruby this coming Saturday.  

 

I am not going to follow these exact protocols on our upcoming Ruby sailing as I really don’t care if I get Covid. I have my second booster and a strong immune system. I’ll always wear a mask though to protect others. I only mention these things as I know some people are very concerned about catching Covid. I am pretty sure we didn’t catch it. 

We did not eat in MDR except for embarkation night. There was no social distancing between tables, therefore did not return. We had one entree and were in & out in 40 min. We had our mask off for only 15 min.  This was a huge sacrifice but I felt it needed to happen. Yesterday a crew member I had become very friendly with told me there were a lot of cases of Covid among the crew this past week and mostly it’s the MDR crew. One crew member I had interacted with in an entirely outdoor environment in the sanctuary tested positive on day 2.  She thinks he got it from his cabin mate. Hundreds of passengers unmasked, laughing and talking loud for hours must be creating a high viral load in the MDRs. 

 

We spent all but one morning and one day in a cabana in the sanctuary. 

 

We got our special cocktails (Good spirits) from the indoor bar during non peak times and would take them out to promenade or our cabin. And we only did that 3 times. Other than that we used the outside retreat bar, room service and we had all kinds of alcohol provided in the sanctuary.  
 

We went to absolutely no indoor activities. Again a huge sacrifice but almost no one was masked on this sailing. 
 

We ate alfresco for gigis one afternoon. Twice we ate indoors at gigis but at 2 pm when there were very few other people in the restaurant. Magdelena was great about keeping us separate. We kept our mask on except while actually eating. 
 

We did a little retail therapy at 9 am when the stores opened and were entirely empty. 
 

In Mazatlan we did a self guided walking tour of historic center. Ate at a roof top open air restaurant. Did not get off in other ports. 
 

We drove to and from the port in our own car. 
 

We did occasionally - maybe a dozen times-  use elevators with others. Some were unmasked but never more than 6 total people 

 

And lastly we picked the first debarking time at 7:50am. Left our room at 8 am and got right off.  We did not sit in a debarkation lounge. 

 

 We met some nice people but got to know crew better. Had a nice visit with Duval our CD on promenade deck. We got really good at going to the deck 5, 6, 7 piazza area when it was deserted. Crowds it turns out are pretty predictable. 
 

We had a great, if largely modified, cruise experience.  If we get Covid and test positive Wednesday I will be beyond shocked. 

I hate to say it but why even sail if you are going to spend the entire time avoiding people and eating in your cabin etc

[Steelers36]

Strategies to say safe while on a cruise... hmmm???

 

1. Don't lean too far over the guardrails.

2. Use the handrails when climbing/descending stairs.

3. Watch where you are going.

4. Be aware of surroundings when ashore and know where you are going.

5. Use reputable tour guides/services ashore.

6. Be careful of wet patches on the open decks.

 

Avoid risky activities pre-cruise to avoid physical injury.

[Colorado Coasty]

These are my personal strategies (they may not work for everyone):

1. Get vaxed.

2. Have a martini.

3. Get boosted.

4. Have a martini.

5. Get boosted again.

6. Have a martini.

7. Don't drink the Kool-ade.

8. Have a martini.

9. Don't wait for the sky to fall.

10. Have a martini.

 

[Keksie]

My strategy to stay safe is to:

 

Don't go on cruises until they sound like fun again

[Ken the cruiser]

25 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Strategies to say safe while on a cruise... hmmm???

 

1. Don't lean too far over the guardrails.

2. Use the handrails when climbing/descending stairs.

3. Watch where you are going.

4. Be aware of surroundings when ashore and know where you are going.

5. Use reputable tour guides/services ashore.

6. Be careful of wet patches on the open decks.

 

Avoid risky activities pre-cruise to avoid physical injury.

 

10 minutes ago, Colorado Coasty said:

These are my personal strategies (they may not work for everyone):

1. Get vaxed.

2. Have a martini.

3. Get boosted.

4. Have a martini.

5. Get boosted again.

6. Have a martini.

7. Don't drink the Kool-ade.

8. Have a martini.

9. Don't wait for the sky to fall.

10. Have a martini.

 

All great ideas when on a cruise, especially watching for the wet patches on the open decks. I’ve definitely encountered a few of those while walking laps up top trying to burn off calories from eating all of the tasty food we consume while on our 3-5 week cruises! 😂

[HaveDogWillTravel]

2 hours ago, memoak said:

I hate to say it but why even sail if you are going to spend the entire time avoiding people and eating in your cabin etc

Please carefully reread my post. We didn’t do either of those things you listed. 

[Lucky TGO]

To be save on a cruise I only cruise on my Rowboat. 
Tony

 

[caribill]

3 hours ago, Colorado Coasty said:

These are my personal strategies (they may not work for everyone):

1. Get vaxed.

2. Have a martini.

3. Get boosted.

4. Have a martini.

5. Get boosted again.

6. Have a martini.

7. Don't drink the Kool-ade.

8. Have a martini.

9. Don't wait for the sky to fall.

10. Have a martini.

 

 

You must really like olives.

[leck57]

7 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

To be save on a cruise I only cruise on my Rowboat. 
Tony

 

 

That must be hard to row.