New masking policies on HAL ships.

[VMax1700]

15 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

Everyone was coughing in everyone's faces all the time without hesitation

Maybe in your part of the world..............

[kirtihk]

18 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Maybe in your part of the world..............

not true - my input included cruises, too, and I was on them all over the world since 1999.

 

PS. I was in Cork, too, 4 years ago on the cruise - Jameson, anyone!

Edited June 16, 2022 by kirtihk

[NCTribeFan]

Just off Zuiderdam B2B.  Masks recommended but not required.  Guessing <50% of people were masked.

 

I did the White Pass railroad in Skagway the first week.  The woman sitting behind me coughed on my head the entire 2.5 hours.  Stupid me should've masked up because she wasn't.  Come on, people!!  We KNOW how contagious this is.  And even if it was "just a cold," what makes you think it's OK to just spread your virus around to everyone?  Have we learned nothing from all this?

 

By the next evening, I had inflamed sinuses and a sore throat; started coughing by Monday evening and felt mildly feverish.  Still coughing just slightly.

 

On the Vancouver tour and airport transfer yesterday, it seemed at least a dozen people were coughing (at least we were all masked, but there were some exposed noses).

 

Took the redeye home last night and feel really rough.  My latest pack of free self-tests arrived in today's mail, so I decided to test myself.  Just in case.

 

And it's positive. 😡

 

I had friends join me for week 2.  They were going to visit some very elderly friends in Seattle after they disembarked yesterday but decided not to risk it because he had developed a cough a few days ago.

 

So, yeah, I would've happily worn a mask in public spaces, just as I did when I resumed sailing in November.  And December.  And late January.

 

So thanks to the inconsiderate and selfish pax with even mild symptoms who didn't bother to mask up. 

 

Oh, and had they not suspended the testing requirement to fly home, it's very likely I would've tested positive on Tuesday and not been stranded in Vancouver!  Now I have to wonder if I infected anyone in the airport when I was sitting having some dinner and a beer before the flight home.  At least I kept my mask on for most of the flight (I think I pulled it off at some point while half-asleep). 

Edited June 16, 2022 by NCTribeFan

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, NCTribeFan said:

Just off Zuiderdam B2B.  Masks recommended but not required.  Guessing <50% of people were masked.

 

I did the White Pass railroad in Skagway the first week.  The woman sitting behind me coughed on my head the entire 2.5 hours.  Stupid me should've masked up because she wasn't.  Come on, people!!  We KNOW how contagious this is.  And even if it was "just a cold," what makes you think it's OK to just spread your virus around to everyone?  Have we learned nothing from all this?

 

By the next evening, I had inflamed sinuses and a sore throat; started coughing by Monday evening and felt mildly feverish.  Still coughing just slightly.

 

On the Vancouver tour and airport transfer yesterday, it seemed at least a dozen people were coughing (at least we were all masked, but there were some exposed noses).

 

Took the redeye home last night and feel really rough.  My latest pack of free self-tests arrived in today's mail, so I decided to test myself.  Just in case.

 

And it's positive. 😡

 

I had friends join me for week 2.  They were going to visit some very elderly friends in Seattle after they disembarked yesterday but decided not to risk it because he had developed a cough a few days ago.

 

So, yeah, I would've happily worn a mask in public spaces, just as I did when I resumed sailing in November.  And December.  And late January.

 

So thanks to the inconsiderate and selfish pax with even mild symptoms who didn't bother to mask up. 

 

Oh, and had they not suspended the testing requirement to fly home, it's very likely I would've tested positive on Tuesday and not been stranded in Vancouver!  Now I have to wonder if I infected anyone in the airport when I was sitting having some dinner and a beer before the flight home.  At least I kept my mask on for most of the flight (I think I pulled it off at some point while half-asleep). 

The ironic thing is last year when masking was common there were very few colds, URIs, Flu, etc.  This year with masking gone to a large degree the numbers of such ailments are back to near normal numbers.

 

One of the reasons I still mask indoors in public areas is that I liked not having a single cold or upper respiratory  infection of any kind since the Covid outbreak start.  

Edited June 16, 2022 by ldtr

[Xenni]

3 hours ago, kirtihk said:

unmasked cruisers entered while coughing!" - what would be (was) your reaction 2.5 years ago and more back for the same situation.  Everyone was coughing in everyone's faces all the time without hesitation, and no one (including a person being coughed at!) seemed cared.

 

A) There were no covid 2.5 years ago

B) Things change over the years, things that were deemed acceptable years ago would not be acceptable nowadays

 

[ewildcat7]

I have a theory about the new mask requirement on HAL ships and Alaska...

 

I want to say up front that this has nothing to with whether I agree with masks or not, whether I like masks or not, and/or whether masks should be mandated or not, so please don't take any of what I write below as my opinion on masks themselves, only HAL's reasons for bringing them back.

 

I have been reading a lot lately about the Alaska cruises and getting confused because there doesn't seem to be consistency in terms of which ships require them and who got the email with the policy change.  It was also perplexing as to why the one-way Alaska cruises (out of or into Vancouver) had the mask mandate, but the roundtrips (out of and back into Seattle) do not.  Also, there is a post that I read from somebody who boarded their HAL cruise yesterday in Vancouver to sail north to Alaska.  The post said that signs all over the ship indicated that masks were only recommended, not required.

 

Then I read a post in another thread about a family who had a member test positive as they were boarding their flight in Vancouver.  This post said that if somebody tests positive in Canada AFTER they leave the ship, the passenger is responsible for the 10 day quarantine in a Canadian hotel.  However, if the passenger tests positive on the ship and the cruise ends in Canada, the cruise line is responsible for the hotel costs.

 

So, if masks are only being required on the southbound one way cruises that end in Vancouver, I believe that the mandate is not about an uptick in cases in Alaska, but is about HAL not wanting to incur the costs of passengers disembarking in Canada with a positive test.  If an increase in cases in Alaska was truly the reason for concern, then why aren't the roundtrip cruises requiring them?  Don't the roundtrip passengers spend just as much time on land in Alaska?

 

Again, I am not arguing for or against masks, but trying to piece together the inconsistency that I am seeing to make some sense of it.  I say all of this not having been on my cruise yet (mid July), so all of the above information is from other people and may or may not even be accurate.

 

Thoughts?

[oakridger]

9 minutes ago, ewildcat7 said:

So, if masks are only being required on the southbound one way cruises that end in Vancouver, I believe that the mandate is not about an uptick in cases in Alaska, but is about HAL not wanting to incur the costs of passengers disembarking in Canada with a positive test.  If an increase in cases in Alaska was truly the reason for concern, then why aren't the roundtrip cruises requiring them?  Don't the roundtrip passengers spend just as much time on land in Alaska?

 

12 hours ago, KidCruze said:

Well…my email from Sunday and the website yesterday, said cruises leaving from Whittier require masks, but now the website says “to/from Whittier or Vancouver”, so I guess they changed it.
https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/travel-well/frequently-asked-questions/faq-for-cruises-from-usa.html

it says updated June 15, 2022 

 

 

[ewildcat7]

1 hour ago, oakridger said:

 

I based that statement on the word of a current passenger on a northbound cruise who said that masks are not required

[KidCruze]

3 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

So, yeah, I would've happily worn a mask in public spaces, just as I did when I resumed sailing in November.  And December.  And late January.

 

So thanks to the inconsiderate and selfish pax with even mild symptoms who didn't bother to mask up. 

 

Am I following you correctly?

You believe masks prevent covid, you made a conscious decision to not wear a mask when you were capable of wearing one, and you are upset with someone else for not wearing a mask because you caught covid. Am I missing something?

[Caribensun]

Feel bad you got sick.  Just my own opinion; anyone coughing prior to boarding ship should be not allowed on and onboard put in quarantine or off in a port or not allowed back on.  Same for people who can’t be without a tissue or several.  I felt very lucky to have not gotten sick while on my cruise.  I did mask as much as possible.  Cruising feels like a game of

 “try not to get COVID while on cruise” and you are winner if you didn’t get sick on or once home.  Same with the pre-COVID test.  I enjoy cruising, but it’s not the same, at least not for me.  I am healthy and want to stay healthy and keep all staff and others healthy. 

[Mary229]

2 hours ago, Sandipalms said:

Feel bad you got sick.  Just my own opinion; anyone coughing prior to boarding ship should be not allowed on and onboard put in quarantine or off in a port or not allowed back on.  Same for people who can’t be without a tissue or several.  I felt very lucky to have not gotten sick while on my cruise.  I did mask as much as possible.  Cruising feels like a game of

 “try not to get COVID while on cruise” and you are winner if you didn’t get sick on or once home.  Same with the pre-COVID test.  I enjoy cruising, but it’s not the same, at least not for me.  I am healthy and want to stay healthy and keep all staff and others healthy. 

There are a lot of reasons people cough.   It would be absurd to make such a rule as if you cough you can’t cruise 

[HappyInVan]

3 hours ago, Sandipalms said:

 Cruising feels like a game of

 “try not to get COVID while on cruise” and you are winner if you didn’t get sick on or once home.  Same wimyth the pre-COVID test.  I enjoy cruising, but it’s not the same, at least not for me.  I am healthy and want to stay healthy and keep all staff and others healthy. 

 

+1

[JennyT]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

There are a lot of reasons people cough.   It would be absurd to make such a rule as if you cough you can’t cruise 

I agree. I’ve got asthma, and it doesn’t take too much to get me coughing!  Can you say “too much perfume/cologne”?  (Passengers, not crew, btw).  
I had a hard time with that on the Solstice in May…

Edited June 17, 2022 by JennyT

[terrydtx]

5 hours ago, Mary229 said:

There are a lot of reasons people cough.   It would be absurd to make such a rule as if you cough you can’t cruise 

Thank you Mary, one of the side effects of my hypertension medicine is an occasional dry cough or two,. I  guess Sandipalms would want me quarantined or worse, if I dared cough near her. 

[NCTribeFan]

I was unhappy because someone who was obviously unwell didn't feel any obligation to not spread their sickness to everyone nearby.

 

As I said, I was stupid to not mask up as soon as she started coughing all over my head.

 

I, OTOH, immediately masked while in public the minute I developed any symptoms.

 

Forgive me for thinking others should be as considerate. 🙄

[kirtihk]

14 hours ago, Xenni said:

 

A) There were no covid 2.5 years ago

B) Things change over the years, things that were deemed acceptable years ago would not be acceptable nowadays

 

Acceptable years ago to cough in one's face??? So funny!

[BermudaBound2014]

14 hours ago, ewildcat7 said:

Then I read a post in another thread about a family who had a member test positive as they were boarding their flight in Vancouver.  This post said that if somebody tests positive in Canada AFTER they leave the ship, the passenger is responsible for the 10 day quarantine in a Canadian hotel.  However, if the passenger tests positive on the ship and the cruise ends in Canada, the cruise line is responsible for the hotel costs.

 

Thoughts?

 

It was an interesting theory but is no longer relevant. 

 

The United States no longer requires any testing to fly internationally. Therefore it is highly unlikely a cruise passenger debarking in Canada will elect to have a test before flying home to the USA and risk mandatory quarantine in Canada.

 

Not making a judgment on whether or not that is the right thing to do, just saying with human nature, most won't volunteer to test.

[fatcat04]

11 hours ago, Mary229 said:

There are a lot of reasons people cough.   It would be absurd to make such a rule as if you cough you can’t cruise 

Thank you for saying it. As a mom of two kids who both sadly are super sensitive to perfumes, chemicals, cigarette smoke, pollen, and other air irritants, we have had to deal with our share of nasty looks these past 2 years. We just got back from a trip and dd had several coughing fits from allergies (the lady chain smoking next to us at a restaurant who kept giving my dd age 4 death dagger eyes was my fav). We test regularly when on vacation or when travelling just because it is responsible and I know for a fact dd did not have Covid (2 negative tests) but every time anyone coughs nowadays the illogical assumption is Covid. Colds, asthma, and allergies still exist. 

[Laminator]

13 hours ago, Sandipalms said:

Feel bad you got sick.  Just my own opinion; anyone coughing prior to boarding ship should be not allowed on and onboard put in quarantine or off in a port or not allowed back on.  Same for people who can’t be without a tissue or several.  I felt very lucky to have not gotten sick while on my cruise.  I did mask as much as possible.  Cruising feels like a game of

 “try not to get COVID while on cruise” and you are winner if you didn’t get sick on or once home.  Same with the pre-COVID test.  I enjoy cruising, but it’s not the same, at least not for me.  I am healthy and want to stay healthy and keep all staff and others healthy. 

This will be the 2nd time within a month that I have had to go to the ER for stitches from my head bouncing off my desk. 

[Mary229]

26 minutes ago, fatcat04 said:

Thank you for saying it. As a mom of two kids who both sadly are super sensitive to perfumes, chemicals, cigarette smoke, pollen, and other air irritants, we have had to deal with our share of nasty looks these past 2 years. We just got back from a trip and dd had several coughing fits from allergies (the lady chain smoking next to us at a restaurant who kept giving my dd age 4 death dagger eyes was my fav). We test regularly when on vacation or when travelling just because it is responsible and I know for a fact dd did not have Covid (2 negative tests) but every time anyone coughs nowadays the illogical assumption is Covid. Colds, asthma, and allergies still exist. 

I get that. I have a genetic trait that my DH calls whooping sneeze.  It is not disease based, it is not allergies, no doctor has successfully diagnosed the cause.  The women in my family will start sneezing and the sneezes are like hiccups.  Thankfully it only occurs a few times per year. 

[albingirl]

I cough when someone lights up a cigarette, when the pollen blows,  when there are to many chemicals in the cleaning solutions used, or when a bus goes by with that awful exhaust.  People need to get a grip.  I wear a mask but most people seem to be without them these days.  I'm not about to get into a confrontation about it. Heck, there's enough anger out there and I sure don' t need it in my life. This mask topic has been going on and on and on.

[Laminator]

This all boils down to what people will determine to be an acceptable risk. Every time we get behind the wheel of a car we take a risk. Everyone's comfort level is different. For those that are overly concerned about catching covid you should probably hold off on cruising for a while. I returned to the US on Tuesday from my Rotterdam cruise last Sunday. I tested positive Wednesday. The only symptom I had was that I was tired. That could have also been due to jet lag. No sneezing, coughing, sore throat or fever. 

I knew prior to embarking that there would be no mask mandate on the cruise. That was a risk I was willing to take. 

[ewildcat7]

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

It was an interesting theory but is no longer relevant. 

 

The United States no longer requires any testing to fly internationally. Therefore it is highly unlikely a cruise passenger debarking in Canada will elect to have a test before flying home to the USA and risk mandatory quarantine in Canada.

I take your point, but I based my statement on what I read in another post.  I have no idea if the other person's story is accurate or not, I just took it at face value that one of the family members was tested (no further information) in Canada and had to quarantine for 10 days.

 

However, the larger question still remains - why is masking required for the one way cruises, but not the roundtrips?  Canada seems to be the major difference as the roundtrips don't touch Canada, but the one ways do.  The one ways have the same excursion stops as the roundtrips, so an "uptick of cases in Alaska" should affect both types of cruises equally.

 

As I said in my original post, I have not yet taken my cruise, so I don't have first hand experience.  Like everybody else, I am just trying to make sense of it all.  I have found over the years that people are much more willing to accept decisions that they do not agree with if they understand the reasoning behind the decisions.

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, fatcat04 said:

Thank you for saying it. As a mom of two kids who both sadly are super sensitive to perfumes, chemicals, cigarette smoke, pollen, and other air irritants, we have had to deal with our share of nasty looks these past 2 years. We just got back from a trip and dd had several coughing fits from allergies (the lady chain smoking next to us at a restaurant who kept giving my dd age 4 death dagger eyes was my fav). We test regularly when on vacation or when travelling just because it is responsible and I know for a fact dd did not have Covid (2 negative tests) but every time anyone coughs nowadays the illogical assumption is Covid. Colds, asthma, and allergies still exist. 

Where can you smoke in a restaurant anymore?  I for sure don't want to do there.

[strickerj]

1 hour ago, ewildcat7 said:

...

However, the larger question still remains - why is masking required for the one way cruises, but not the roundtrips?  Canada seems to be the major difference as the roundtrips don't touch Canada, but the one ways do.  The one ways have the same excursion stops as the roundtrips, so an "uptick of cases in Alaska" should affect both types of cruises equally.

...

I'm not sure it's Canada since the Seattle roundtrips stop in Victoria to satisfy PVSA. Also, there are roundtrips out of Vancouver that also aren't included in this policy if I'm reading it correctly.

 

Absolutely agreed on your last point; I think people are frustrated by the arbitrary and inconsistent nature of the restrictions, and often getting shouted down for bringing that up 

Edited June 17, 2022 by strickerj