Mask Protocols

[Floridastorm]

This topic has probably been bantered about forever. Guess I'll just have to banter some more. Celebrity's latest posted health policy states that Masks on board are not required but they are optional for passengers that feel the necessity. For those that have traveled recently does Celebrity adhere to this policy? Do many passengers feel it necessary to wear a mask although not being required. Just do not want to go on a cruise that will either require me to wear a mask or where I'll feel uncomfortable not wearing one when it's not required by Celebrity. 

 

Thanks to all for any info provided. 🛳️

[mauimary]

You will definitely not feel uncomfortable not wearing them. On our cruise two weeks ago very few wore them. They were not required anywhere. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by mauimary

[Lena11033]

I think it depends on where you are going, some countries require masking when docked

[39august]

I noticed on our notification today of health protocols for our July 24 cruise, masks were shown as optional, with no mention of theater and casino. 

[LGW59]

14 minutes ago, Floridastorm said:

This topic has probably been bantered about forever. Guess I'll just have to banter some more. Celebrity's latest posted health policy states that Masks on board are not required but they are optional for passengers that feel the necessity. For those that have traveled recently does Celebrity adhere to this policy? Do many passengers feel it necessary to wear a mask although not being required. Just do not want to go on a cruise that will either require me to wear a mask or where I'll feel uncomfortable not wearing one when it's not required by Celebrity. 

 

Thanks to all for any info provided. 🛳️

This topic has probably been bantered about forever.  Probably been bantered about?!?!  Ya think!!!

[Jim_Iain]

In the past month masks have not been required except in the Casino and Theater unless eating or drinking.   Many say it is hit or miss on compliance and enforcement.

 

You will not feel uncomfortable whether you choose to wear a mask or not and I would say 90+ plus do not wear masks.   I would hope you or others don't make people feel uncomfortable who chose to wear mask.

 

We wear asks because we take B2B's and B2B2B's and are tested at the end of each cruise and get tossed off the ship if tested positive.   Even though I wore my mask 100% of the time on the first two curies in April I tested positive the last day of the second cruise and could not continue. 

[12cruise2]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

In the past month masks have not been required except in the Casino and Theater unless eating or drinking.   Many say it is hit or miss on compliance and enforcement.

 

You will not feel uncomfortable whether you choose to wear a mask or not and I would say 90+ plus do not wear masks.   I would hope you or others don't make people feel uncomfortable who chose to wear mask.

 

We wear asks because we take B2B's and B2B2B's and are tested at the end of each cruise and get tossed off the ship if tested positive.   Even though I wore my mask 100% of the time on the first two curies in April I tested positive the last day of the second cruise and could not continue. 

I agree with Jim--we wore masks on the Equinox in May with 2300 passengers--only 10 or so folks wore masks including us.  And on the 5th day there were 10% of passengers in isolation per capt., and THEN he announces masking in casino and theater only.  And we were on B2B, got covid, thanks everyone I'm sorry to say, and were booted off between cruises with mandatory testing; and we had no symptoms until the day of testing.  We are going on another B2B this Sat. and hope that our immunity will help keep us safer; most people cruise for the 7 days, perhaps ignore symptoms as they are getting off soon, or have no symptoms until they get home.  Just so you understand the playing field.  I was aghast to find that neighbors were on a Princess cruise, people with health problems, 15 days through the Panama Canal, felt symptoms and did NOT report the symptoms because they "didn't know what they'd have to do" if they were diagnosed with covid.

Gone are the days with low passenger counts; the cruise lines need to fill up the ships so can't be so concerned re covid.  Again, so you understand the higher passenger counts as well. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by 12cruise2

[Floridastorm]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

In the past month masks have not been required except in the Casino and Theater unless eating or drinking.   Many say it is hit or miss on compliance and enforcement.

 

You will not feel uncomfortable whether you choose to wear a mask or not and I would say 90+ plus do not wear masks.   I would hope you or others don't make people feel uncomfortable who chose to wear mask.

 

We wear asks because we take B2B's and B2B2B's and are tested at the end of each cruise and get tossed off the ship if tested positive.   Even though I wore my mask 100% of the time on the first two curies in April I tested positive the last day of the second cruise and could not continue. 

I'm really not concerned whether someone wears a mask or doesn't. That is their decision and should be respected. I'm only concerned if the policy states that I am mandated to wear one. Then I simply stay home or go somewhere else to spend my money.  

[cruising sister]

We just got off the Infinity and we were in the 1% who wore a mask. No enforcement anywhere so I would not worry. Everyone was very accepting of each persons decision. There were more people in the ports wearing masks than on the ship. 

[TeeRick]

No mask mandates on Celebrity ships right now.  It is possible that if a ship goes "red" with the virus on board, the captain could require masks - at least in certain venues.  Masks seem to do very little in protecting vaccinated and or Up To Date passengers from getting infected with the current highly infectious Omicron variants IMO.

[Graciesmom2]

We were on Summit this past week. There were people wearing masks, didn’t think a thing about it. I think about 99 percent of the crew were wearing masks. We read that masks were required in the theater and casino, but that was not enforced. 

[asnaleah]

Some European countries require masks on public transportation which includes tour buses. Also, circumstances change, and while there may be no mask requirements right this minute, that doesn’t mean it will still be the case when you sail. 

[Dolebludger]

As far as whether to wear a mask on a cruise ship, requirements seem to change so often that this thread is well founded. If masks are not required onboard, our rule is to wear them in crowded areas. If the area is highly crowded, we try to get out of it. We wear masks on crowded airplanes (is there any other kind?).

[phoenix_dream]

No one can tell you for sure if masks will or will not be required at the time of your sailing.  We can only tell you what happens now, and that is that masks are optional until or if the Captain says otherwise (which is based on the caseload onboard and can change mid-cruise).  Some currently wear masks onboard, and many passengers don't.  Truthfully (and this is not meant to sound snarky) if wearing a mask bothers you enough to avoid cruising you might not want to take the chance as the policy could be changed at any time, or mid-cruise.

[TFree]

We were on a transatlantic on April 30, followed by a British Isles cruise May 14, followed a few days later by a river cruise.  So our experience is somewhat recent.  On both ocean cruises, it started off with very few people wearing masks (maybe 10% at best).  As the days went by, more and more people started wearing masks - maybe word was spreading that people were getting quarantined.  By about the 11th day of each cruise, the captain announced that we had hit 3% of passengers testing positive, and either "required" or "requested" that people wear masks outside of the cabin.  Quite a few people ignored this.  Although we were traveling by ourselves on the ocean cruises, we were meeting good friends on the river cruise.  So we wore masks everywhere outside the cabin, sat in the most remote area of the theater, etc., because we did not want to get sick and miss the river cruise.  It worked out for us, but others who were just as careful (like @Jim_Iain on a different ship) nevertheless got Covid.  Anyway, in our fairly recent experience, you would have plenty of company either being careful or not being careful, and nobody is going to give you the stink eye either way.  Or maybe I should modify that, nobody will give you the stink eye unless you are coughing all the time and not wearing a mask.

 

Tom & Judy

[RickT]

We were on the Millennium in March.   This was one of the first cruises after Celebrity made mask wearing optional.  While masks can be a pain in the xxxx we felt getting Covid would be a bigger pain.  
 

We wore our masks while traveling through the ship and indoors when we weren’t eating or drinking.  We had a few crew members let us know that mask wearing was no longer required but by the second of third day that stopped.  We’re on the Silhouette in October and will continue to wear our masks even if not required.   Just too much Covid going around at this time.  

[bnurick]

5 hours ago, Floridastorm said:

This topic has probably been bantered about forever. Guess I'll just have to banter some more. Celebrity's latest posted health policy states that Masks on board are not required but they are optional for passengers that feel the necessity. For those that have traveled recently does Celebrity adhere to this policy? Do many passengers feel it necessary to wear a mask although not being required. Just do not want to go on a cruise that will either require me to wear a mask or where I'll feel uncomfortable not wearing one when it's not required by Celebrity. 

 

Thanks to all for any info provided. 🛳️

Just got off the Summit on Sunday.  Crew wear masks.  Passengers wearing were <5% if that.  It was the first cruise I did not wear one at all.  Tested when I got home and was negative.  I have had 4 shots and the virus in January.  4th shot was 3-4 weeks before the cruise to be at full strength.  Good luck.

[Floridastorm]

On 7/5/2022 at 3:46 PM, asnaleah said:

Some European countries require masks on public transportation which includes tour buses. Also, circumstances change, and while there may be no mask requirements right this minute, that doesn’t mean it will still be the case when you sail. 

That is the one thing that worries me and will probably keep me from cruising for yet another long length of time. 

[Host Anne]

Floridastorm ~ At this point in time, nothing is "certain" with just about anything.  You can only review what protocols are today and watch to see if they change.  Celebrity's current mask protocols have been in place for months.  Could they change?  Of course they could if something happens.  No one here is going to be able to provide any additional certainty, unfortunately.

 

We started cruising again last August when Celebrity began sailing from St. Maarten.  We continue to sail and have had great cruises.  You have to decide what's best for you!

 

Good luck!