What I Did To Stay Safe On My Cruise.

[phoenix_dream]

The bottom line and most positive point I think is that even on the worst recent cruises generally 97% or more of people did NOT get Covid19, and on most cruises way higher percentage than that.  And even though of course some test positive after, and some are asympomatic, and some just not reporting,  it is still lower than going about your business at home unless you spend your life shelteted in at home.

Edited April 23, 2022 by phoenix_dream

[islabahia]

30 minutes ago, Whitechapelgirl62 said:

Oh dear, this is making me depressed!!! The comments of - Stay away from people, sit away from people, sit on your balcony, avoid theatre show - ALL the things you want to do on a cruise. 

These are all the things we have done for years!  Not a fan of shows, we aren’t anti-people, just prefer to spend our time with each other and when ship is in port we prefer to stay on the ship enjoying the mostly empty ship.  That’s what is great about cruising….something for everyone!

[miched]

2 oz or more of bourbon every hour.   
 

Washed our hands frequently.  Used the Purcell when available 

 

Wore our masks as required in the Theater and Casino and the islands.  
 

Choosey about who we talked to and tried to keep our distance.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Snowey88]

We have been to many places since Covid hit but not on a cruise.  Been to CO, WY, OR and just got back from 2 weeks in Peru.  Never got covid.  Only time we had to test was coming back from Peru.  I have 0+ blood and I wonder if this has been of help.  We always wore our masks flying (had to), really was not a big freak on sanitizing.  We tried to eat outside when possible.  Masked up around people.  Tell you what, early on I was at the car rental in CO and the place was packed with a line around the corner.  Thought for sure I was a goner, nope, stressed but did not get it.  Washed hands as much as possible.  Did not touch door knobs or elevator buttons w fingers (used a tissue) and if not possible open the door where someone might not likely touch.  We will be going on an AK cruise in two weeks and I am somewhat concerned.  Sounds like 10% of the people leave feeling sick.  Sounds like we will be stuck with the masks.  Claudia

[mikewomb]

12 minutes ago, Snowey88 said:

We have been to many places since Covid hit but not on a cruise.  Been to CO, WY, OR and just got back from 2 weeks in Peru.  Never got covid.  Only time we had to test was coming back from Peru.  I have 0+ blood and I wonder if this has been of help.  We always wore our masks flying (had to), really was not a big freak on sanitizing.  We tried to eat outside when possible.  Masked up around people.  Tell you what, early on I was at the car rental in CO and the place was packed with a line around the corner.  Thought for sure I was a goner, nope, stressed but did not get it.  Washed hands as much as possible.  Did not touch door knobs or elevator buttons w fingers (used a tissue) and if not possible open the door where someone might not likely touch.  We will be going on an AK cruise in two weeks and I am somewhat concerned.  Sounds like 10% of the people leave feeling sick.  Sounds like we will be stuck with the masks.  Claudia

I think we are on the same cruise… solstice May 6???

[PTC DAWG]

54 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We're getting ready to go on an 18 day Princess cruise and they allow CC Roll Call functions, such as  Meet & Greets and Sailaway gatherings. Infact there are over 100 passengers signed up for the M&G on our cruise, which we won't be going to. On our past 9 Celebrity cruises since cruising started back up, Celebrity did not allow them. Has their policy changed or are they still a no-go? 

We had a meet and greet on Apex 3+ weeks ago, sunset bar sail away, was great.

[Ken the cruiser]

8 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

We had a meet and greet on Apex 3+ weeks ago, sunset bar sail away, was great.

Was it sanctioned by Celebrity where some of their officers attended or was it an informal meeting organized on your Roll Call? Just for clarity, sail aways on Princess cruises are organized by the RC only and are not sanctioned by Princess where M&Gs are sanctioned.

Edited April 23, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[Lastdance]

3 hours ago, Denny01 said:

We did a Nov ‘21 Thanksgiving cruise on Apex and loved it. We didn’t socialize nearly as much as we normally do. We only did one tour and that was with masks on the bus to the site. We went to a few theater shows, but not every. And dined at every MDR and the tables were separate enough for us to feel safe. when using the Oceanview Buffet, there was enough ‘space’ around and no lines, so felt safe especially with staff serving us. 

 

Did not wear masks except when in an elevator with others; on the bus.Kept one handy when felt a bit crowded, but the Apex just wasn’t. 

 

Always chance of being infected, especially with COVID being so very contagious, but just used common sense. But the risk is higher than at home. We drove so didn’t have flights to worry about. Will wear a mask on flights until I see legit medical info instead of a judge defining what some wording means instead of what is medically prudent. 

 

Yup. Risk, and a pain of not being home if get COVID, but decided to give it a go. Vaccinated and both boosters and common sense should help….some. taking the family on an Alaska cruise so will socialize only with them; going on a full Mississippi cruise that has a smaller passenger numbers and stays in the US; then in Oct doing a TA from Rome. So yup, increased risk, but…….I did spend a few years being shot off the pointy end and then trying not to bump into the blunt end of an aircraft carrier!  So I’ll use that as an excuse to cruise!!  

 

I’m a hugger and it’s been a tough two years!

 

Den

I will see you on the TA...Apex?  We are do a b2b.

[Lastdance]

4 hours ago, mikewomb said:

Now we are going on the Solstice Seattle to Seattle, and would love to hear how other cruisers have managed their cruise experience, and stayed safe. We are vaxed and double boosted, plan to wear masks. Fortunately our move up offer for a Celebrity suite was accepted, so spending more time in a cabin will mean more space and great views. 
 

Congratulations on your MoveUp bid being accepted!

[deliver42]

We were on the Ovation last September, and didn't do anything special. We aer both boosted and had no covid before or after. Don't forget, the highest reported cases so far as been .03%. That means for every 1000 people, passengers and crew, there were 10 cases. I'll take those odds anytime. The media jumps on it if there is one case.

[Denny01]

37 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

I will see you on the TA...Apex?  We are do a b2b.

We are on the Edge TA departing Rome in Oct ‘22. 

[davekathy]

5 hours ago, mikewomb said:

I would really enjoy reading some positive posts how most of you went on a cruise, and DID NOT get covid. It is getting depressing.

We did what we always have done pre covid. Nothing different. Recently did a B2B cruise and still covid free. 

Edited April 24, 2022 by davekathy

[Nursecruisers couple]

My husband and I are both nurses.  I guess you could say we have the hygiene, immune systems, luck and math skills!  Triple  vaccinated, we only wear masks at the hospital where we are required here in California.  
We squeezed in a 3 week trip around Central Europe late 2021 and never got covid. We only wore masks on mass transit to diminish our chances( math) of testing positive before flying home to US.  

That being said- we started our intense big traveling about 5 years ago when we had 3 very close friends die.  We are mid 50’s. 
We respect everyone’s ideas, however, I have to live like there is no tomorrow.  
No matter what you do, enjoy yourself, live with no regrets. 

[wrk2cruise]

@Ken the cruiser It appears Celebrity is restarting the Cruise Critic M&G.   Were able to register for Summit sailing on Monday and there are over 25 registered.  Not a gathering I'm planning on attending unless it's held outside as I avoid these larger gathering in small indoor spaces.

[jalves]

We sailed in January on the Reflection and in April on the Harmony of the Seas.  We did nothing out of the ordinary.  Only wore masks where they were absolutely required.  Returned healthy from both.

[sunpuppy]

We returned from our Apr 3 - 10 Edge cruise Covid free. Quite a few positives on our cruise. We did not use our masks, but we did wash our hands many many times- after any kind of exposure and before as well as after we finished eating and after returning to our room. We made it a point not to touch or touch as little as possible anything in public places—railings, door handles, etc. we also elected to avoid crowded areas. No silent disco for us, no meeting the group at the sunset bar where it was very crowded on sail away. We did hit the martini bar area and chat with a few couples, but were socially distanced. We kept to ourselves much more than we have on previous cruises.The only time we left the ship was in St Maarten to visit Orient Beach. We noticed our steward was double masked. I’m sure we were very lucky, and we had a great time, too.

[tulok]

Personally I think this is a great time to travel. I wish work would have let me take more trips. With ships and boats (river cruises) not as full, excursions not as large, cities not as busy; I have enjoyed my trips much more than I thought I would. Yes, pre- and post- testing has been stressful, however the vacation itself has been enjoyable. I met many more cruisers with the small numbers and can’t wait to sail with them again.

PTC Dawg- I believe we met on Regent.

[JezzaC]

Didn't do anything special actually. I usually wash hands often anyway since not wanting to catch noro. Ate, drank, socialised and partied normally and didn't get a covid. When I cruised on October then masks had to be worn when walking on the ship inside, so wore it then - didn't wear in restaurants, bars, theatre or outside.

Edited April 24, 2022 by JezzaC

[SWFL Cruisers]

We have been on six cruises since the restart and all were maskless. We felt perfectly safe and comfortable on all of them and had zero problems. 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We cruised on Edge in October (right after our 1st booster shot) and Silhouette in March, both in a PH suite. Despite our plan to wear masks, esp in elevators, we didn't on either cruise after the 1st hour.  Most of the time on Edge there was only 1 or 2 people on the elevator with us. 

 

We invited some friends we made to the suite for a small party on both cruises.

 

On Edge we did not dine with anyone else and did not go to any crowded bars.  We were busy exploring the ship. Most of the time we barely saw anyone in the halls during the day. Even the Retreat Lounge was not busy when we were there. Luminae was busy and we were always seated close to another party. 

 

On Silhouette we did dine with another couple twice and spend a lot of time at the Martini Bar and in the Retreat Lounge.  We also went to more shows on Silhouette and there were more guests on board. We spent 3 days pre cruise in Lauderdale and met up with some old college friends there so we were pretty active people wise on this cruise.

 

Since we've been to the Caribbean numerous times we did not get off the ship on either cruise but we did not get off on the last few cruises pre Covid.

 

I know the OP did not want to hear about Covid but we tested positive after our March cruise with a mild case. 

 

We felt safe on both cruises and do not regret our choices.

 

 

 

 

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, mikewomb said:

I would really enjoy reading some positive posts how most of you went on a cruise, and DID NOT get covid. It is getting depressing.

 

We have not cruised since Jan 2020. We did go to Hawaii for a week in November. Had a great time, they had very strong requirements on covid, and felt safe, and enjoyed ourselves. 
 

Now we are going on the Solstice Seattle to Seattle, and would love to hear how other cruisers have managed their cruise experience, and stayed safe. We are vaxed and double boosted, plan to wear masks. Fortunately our move up offer for a Celebrity suite was accepted, so spending more time in a cabin will mean more space and great views. 
 

‘’feedback is appreciated. 

Being fully vaccinated (FV) and boosted (Up To Date, UTD) is the first line of defense for your cruise and travel.  Everything else like wearing proper masks and social distancing can be helpful in certain situations but those are just secondary protection measures compared to vaccination. 

 

OK then you might ask why so many breakthrough infections reported here by FV or UTD cruisers? Should I not cruise?   Well that number is typically 0.3% to  1 % to be yellow or orange and investigated.  I am simplifying here and leaving out some details but the link is below.  This is backed up from those ships whose captains have reported infection numbers in that range too.  So the number of Fully Vaccinated/UTD passengers and crew without COVID infections on board is 99% or greater.   But you might think otherwise because of those affected (and infected) reporting here.  And the onerous  isolation and quarantine protocols even for the vast majority of cases with just mild symptoms.  Just go to the CDC color codes.  So it seems like a lot more.  Even with the asymptomatic people not reporting, or those reporting infections post-cruise, the number overall is still very low.  So for most people without underlying conditions,  just be Up To Date, cautious, mask if you want, and enjoy your cruise.  

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/cruise-ship-color-status.html#faq-1

[Homosassa]

Good luck.

 

As I am one of those who came home with Covid from an eleven day cruise (symptoms started the evening before disembarkation). It really seems to just be the roll of the dice.

 

We cruised just to relax. We were vaccinated, boosted, wore our KN95 masks religiously whenever out of our cabin, did not have any shore excursions, did not hang out in lounges, do not go to shows. You get the picture.

 

We do have another cruise booked for the end of the cruise. We have added the second booster to the arsenal as well as any protection gained from the very mild break through case of Covid.

 

This cruise I will not mask (unless it is required) and will not worry about becoming sick.  I will have my usual arsenal of OTC drug products that I have taken on every cruise since 1976.

 

I think the fact that you seen so many discussions on the Celebrity board is because of the professional backgrounds of many of us on this board.  

 

If you can still pull up the long running thread that was started by Ken the Cruiser in July 2020 that morphed into a technical and accurate discussion of the vaccines and Covid, you will see many of the names still discussing their Covid experience on their cruises.

[lv2cruisgrl]

We did 4 cruises in the past 6 months. First 3 cruises low # of passengers. It was easy to distance from people. Last cruise a few weeks ago on Apex had way more passengers. We always used hand sanitizer, didn't wear masks. Last night of cruise husband felt like a cold. Sure enough we both got Covid. We are cruising again in June and will wear masks all the time as the ships are sailing pretty full.

[Torfamm]

19 hours ago, mikewomb said:

I would really enjoy reading some positive posts how most of you went on a cruise, and DID NOT get covid. It is getting depressing.

 

We have not cruised since Jan 2020. We did go to Hawaii for a week in November. Had a great time, they had very strong requirements on covid, and felt safe, and enjoyed ourselves. 
 

Now we are going on the Solstice Seattle to Seattle, and would love to hear how other cruisers have managed their cruise experience, and stayed safe. We are vaxed and double boosted, plan to wear masks. Fortunately our move up offer for a Celebrity suite was accepted, so spending more time in a cabin will mean more space and great views. 
 

‘’feedback is appreciated. 

There is no magic formula to keep from getting COVID-19 on a cruise. We all know that the best strategies are social distancing, masks, avoiding crowded spaces, staying outdoors when possible etc. We are pretty careful, but even with all precautions, it can still happen.
 

On a positive note though - many more do not get it than do. We’ve cruised 5 times since the restart and have not gotten COVID. Hopefully our luck will hold but it is a risk for everyone who cruises

[canderson]

Did a 15nt B2B in November.  Masked only as required for all shore excursions and at one port where masking was required.  Used a lot of hand sanitizer to avoid the usual non-COVID related bugs.  Took no other COVID-specific precautions.

 

Per announcements on each cruise, you could have counted total cases on one hand.