QM 2 new mask requirements

[Host Hattie]

9 hours ago, RJChatsworth said:

We are boarding tomorrow in Southampton and not particularly happy about new directive about mask wearing but best to be as safe as possible.  We didn’t consider cancelling/moving on with FCC because it might be the same next time.  This is our 50th voyage on Cunard so didn’t want it kicked into the long grass!  It’ll be interesting to see whether the number of passengers is down!

Congratulations on your milestone cruise, I hope you enjoy it.

[ace2542]

13 hours ago, Bill_R said:

Obviously your not sailing this cruise. First all passengers must be fully vaccinated to board. In addition each passenger must test 24 hours prior to boarding. It’s not your fellow passengers you should be concerned with but the crew. 

It could be impossible for some people to test at such short notice most have tested 2 or however many days prior.

[sogne]

17 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

It could be impossible for some people to test at such short notice most have tested 2 or however many days prior.

Wrong

[ace2542]

5 minutes ago, sogne said:

Wrong

What if I hadn't read the email or Cunard had not been able to contact me Cunard assume they will be able to contact everyone. For some that might not be the case

[Melissa Roberts]

@Bill-R Were you given the option to cancel? Thanks

[2BACRUISER]

Let's hope nobody going on a cruise ship is off to the Glastonbury super spreader event 🤔🤔 don't really understand cruise ship protocols when events like that are happening and everyone is now cramming onto airlines and public transport untested unmasked etc. Takes some getting your head round 🤔🤔 especially when all passengers have to have been vaccinated to cruise anyway. I noticed P&O are dispensing with testing on some Iona Norway cruise. 🤔

[Host Hattie]

8 minutes ago, 2BACRUISER said:

Let's hope nobody going on a cruise ship is off to the Glastonbury super spreader event 🤔🤔 don't really understand cruise ship protocols when events like that are happening and everyone is now cramming onto airlines and public transport untested unmasked etc. Takes some getting your head round 🤔🤔 especially when all passengers have to have been vaccinated to cruise anyway. I noticed P&O are dispensing with testing on some Iona Norway cruise. 🤔

 

Rules for public transport are different in many countries and Glastonbury goers are generally younger and less vulnerable than Cunard cruisers (I realise that's a massive oversimplification). 

We are in danger of straying into red banner territory.

[ace2542]

28 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

 

Rules for public transport are different in many countries and Glastonbury goers are generally younger and less vulnerable than Cunard cruisers (I realise that's a massive oversimplification). 

We are in danger of straying into red banner territory.

But crusing can't be the only form of travel or holiday in the world where you need to wear a mask it won't survive if it is

[sogne]

4 hours ago, ace2542 said:

What if I hadn't read the email or Cunard had not been able to contact me Cunard assume they will be able to contact everyone. For some that might not be the case

If u have done any recent Cunard cruìses you would have received 3+ emails 3/4 weeks before cruise giving u full info on tests etc info also on Cunard ws on our last cruise off 2day received 3 emails before boarding  if have a cruise booked it is up to u 2 read your emails

[exlondoner]

14 minutes ago, sogne said:

If u have done any recent Cunard cruìses you would have received 3+ emails 3/4 weeks before cruise giving u full info on tests etc info also on Cunard ws on our last cruise off 2day received 3 emails before boarding  if have a cruise booked it is up to u 2 read your emails

And Cunard do go to considerable pains to ensure they have up to date contact info, if only so they can inform you if the ship is late or at a different terminal. And it is all over their website. I don't know what they do if people are genuinely blind, but presumably they would have been informed in the booking process, so would have resources to deal with this.

[sogne]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

And Cunard do go to considerable pains to ensure they have up to date contact info, if only so they can inform you if the ship is late or at a different terminal. And it is all over their website. I don't know what they do if people are genuinely blind, but presumably they would have been informed in the booking process, so would have resources to deal with this.

Correct I will do a report on our voyage once back to normal @ home  and  exhausting my 18 month GS before he exhausts me.

 

[Jacqueline]

For what its worth, testing with omicron is not that useful in preventing spread.

I had family members test negative when they were symptomatic (double boosted) Had they not tested again on day two or three, they would have thought that they had a cold or allergy. So they were contagious for days and testing negative. They spread it to a third family member who was not on the fateful Florida trip.he wasn’t boosted. 

On the other side, I am testing positive two weeks out and have transmitted it to zero people. in fact, I didn’t t even give it to my husband (recently got second booster)  despite close contact (he didn’t go to Florida and was “happy” to see me when I returned 🤣).

BUT weeks later, I could be denied boarding a ship…

Basically masking and having and having  boosters seems like the best way to avoid the spread and serous Illness,.

[57eric]

On 6/23/2022 at 4:36 PM, Host Hattie said:

This was last updated on 14th June 

 

Is it time to mask up on your cruise ?

 

Hattie, thanks for responding, and I know you did so in good faith.  I must admit the same was not true of my question.  I was pretty confident that no one would have a response that had more than a negligible number of ships.  (The two ships you mention are long gone from US waters now, and no one else responded.)

 

So, is Cunard unbelievably unlucky, or are they just out of step with other lines on masking?  With the COVID case rate lower in the UK than in the US, doesn't the TA angle put Cunard at an advantage over ships operating round trip from the US?  I really don't understand.

[Alslc]

12 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

Let's hope nobody going on a cruise ship is off to the Glastonbury super spreader event 🤔🤔 don't really understand cruise ship protocols when events like that are happening and everyone is now cramming onto airlines and public transport untested unmasked etc. Takes some getting your head round 🤔🤔 especially when all passengers have to have been vaccinated to cruise anyway. I noticed P&O are dispensing with testing on some Iona Norway cruise. 🤔

 

I wouldn't worry too much about Glastonbury 🙂 Demographics are really different, they might end up on a cruise, but generally younger people tend to opt for different holiday arrangements or they go on cruises organised as special events. What I would suggest is buy a nice FFP3 mask (3M are the best ones, you can buy them off amazon for 2 pounds). Vaccination with Omicron unfortunately doesn't stop the spread, but still is vital for critical/severe cases and deaths. I know it's hard, but try and enjoy your cruise as much as you can and if you are worried ask for an isolated table in the restaurant as that might help. Take care 🙂 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Alslc

[bluemarble]

4 hours ago, 57eric said:

... So, is Cunard unbelievably unlucky, or are they just out of step with other lines on masking?  With the COVID case rate lower in the UK than in the US, doesn't the TA angle put Cunard at an advantage over ships operating round trip from the US?  I really don't understand.

 

Some of what I have to offer here is speculative but I'll jump in anyway. Unfortunately the OP has not responded to confirm whether or not the latest notification from Cunard offered a refund. That would be helpful to know as an indication of how much discretion Cunard had with this decision to impose the mask mandate. The OP's screen shot does tail off with the first line of verbiage which has offered a refund in past notifications.

 

I've previously mentioned that if the CDC is considering moving a ship from "Orange" to "Red" status, it will ask the cruise line to implement several steps including

• Require mask use by all passengers and crew indoors and crowded outdoor areas;
• Send written notification to passengers on the current, previous, and subsequent voyages informing them of the COVID-19 conditions and measures being taken to reduce transmission on board;
• Offer a full refund for the cruise to any passenger who decides not to sail on the subsequent voyage

 

Previous similar notifications from Cunard have done all three of these steps. We know the latest communication from Cunard does at least the first two steps and perhaps all three. This tends to indicate Cunard is responding to CDC requirements and not imposing the mask mandate at its own discretion.

 

In terms of the transatlantic angle putting Cunard at an advantage, I'm inclined to think it doesn't. As @moses0 mentioned in an earlier reply, other lines operating in US waters have the advantage of disembarking most if not all of their guests at the end of relatively short closed loop cruises. Cunard's scheduling for QM2 often involves combining a roundtrip crossing with other segments such as to Norway, the Caribbean, Canada or the Mediterranean. Hence many crossings are part of significantly longer voyages. Few if any crossings end with all or even almost all guests disembarking to start the next voyage with a clean slate so to speak.

Edited June 25, 2022 by bluemarble

[Host Hattie]

5 hours ago, 57eric said:

Hattie, thanks for responding, and I know you did so in good faith.  I must admit the same was not true of my question.  I was pretty confident that no one would have a response that had more than a negligible number of ships.  (The two ships you mention are long gone from US waters now, and no one else responded.)

 

Did you read the section about HAL and Princess ships in Alaska ?

[sogne]

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

 

Some of what I have to offer here is speculative but I'll jump in anyway. Unfortunately the OP has not responded to confirm whether or not the latest notification from Cunard offered a refund. That would be helpful to know as an indication of how much discretion Cunard had with this decision to impose the mask mandate. The OP's screen shot does tail off with the first line of verbiage which has offered a refund in past notifications.

 

I've previously mentioned that if the CDC is considering moving a ship from "Orange" to "Red" status, it will ask the cruise line to implement several steps including

• Require mask use by all passengers and crew indoors and crowded outdoor areas;
• Send written notification to passengers on the current, previous, and subsequent voyages informing them of the COVID-19 conditions and measures being taken to reduce transmission on board;
• Offer a full refund for the cruise to any passenger who decides not to sail on the subsequent voyage

 

Previous similar notifications from Cunard have done all three of these steps. We know the latest communication from Cunard does at least the first two steps and perhaps all three. This tends to indicate Cunard is responding to CDC requirements and not imposing the mask mandate at its own discretion.

 

In terms of the transatlantic angle putting Cunard at an advantage, I'm inclined to think it doesn't. As @moses0 mentioned in an earlier reply, other lines operating in US waters have the advantage of disembarking most if not all of their guests at the end of relatively short closed loop cruises. Cunard's scheduling for QM2 often involves combining a roundtrip crossing with other segments such as to Norway, the Caribbean, Canada or the Mediterranean. Hence many crossings are part of significantly longer voyages. Few if any crossings end with all or even almost all guests disembarking to start the next voyage with a clean slate so to speak.

You have a point yesterday we were off early taking 15 min from cabin 2 car @ Southampton by far I think the quickest ever. Luggage amount in reclaim was very small compared to when we get off from QE & QE. I suspect more got off at Hamburg.

.

[sogne]

6 hours ago, 57eric said:

Hattie, thanks for responding, and I know you did so in good faith.  I must admit the same was not true of my question.  I was pretty confident that no one would have a response that had more than a negligible number of ships.  (The two ships you mention are long gone from US waters now, and no one else responded.)

 

So, is Cunard unbelievably unlucky, or are they just out of step with other lines on masking?  With the COVID case rate lower in the UK than in the US, doesn't the TA angle put Cunard at an advantage over ships operating round trip from the US?  I really don't understand.

Rates r rising in UK.

[WestonOne]

I don't think I am stretching the topic too much, but others may disagree.  Is this policy applying to other Cunard ships or is it only QM2?  I notice the Cunard 'covid hub' notes have not been updated since 13th April.

Edited June 25, 2022 by WestonOne

[Melissa Roberts]

8 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

I don't think I am stretching the topic too much, but other may disagree.  Is this policy applying to other Cunard ships or is it only QM2?  I notice the Cunard 'covid hub' notes have not been updated since 13th April.

Cunard told me yesterday that it is only for their ships sailing in USA water hence the QM2 on its transatlantic crossings.. Cunard are following CDC ruling. Other Cunard ships not currently affected.

 

 

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Melissa Roberts said:

Cunard told me yesterday that it is only for their ships sailing in USA water hence the QM2 on its transatlantic crossings.. Cunard are following CDC ruling. Other Cunard ships not currently affected.

 

 

 

QE is in US waters.

[bluemarble]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

QE is in US waters.

 

Which begs the question why we haven't heard about similar notifications triggered by CDC requirements for recent QE sailings. By most accounts of the COVID outbreak on QE during the latter portion of her repositioning cruise to Alaska, I thought it would have triggered notifications to those embarking in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver. Perhaps it did and I just haven't heard about it. I believe I've read where QE has had a mask mandate in place on recent sailings while QV (not operating in US waters) has not.

[Host Hattie]

There was no mask mandate on the previous Queen Elizabeth sailing

 

 

 

[57eric]

4 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Did you read the section about HAL and Princess ships in Alaska ?

Yes.  My original post (#17) said "east coast".

[tv24]

Currently on board the QM2 and don't mind the mask mandate one bit.  Yes it is a bother and at times uncomfortable.  But I caught Covid in December while on the QM2 and would like to try to avoid that again.  No assurances, but I do trust the medical advice that masks provide some protection.