Crew Allowed to Not Wear Masks on Cunard - Will SS follow?

[ClefsDor]

I just read on the Cunard boards that from 20 October crew are no longer required to wear masks. I for one think this is a good move. I feel terrible for the crew having to wear masks for such long hours, especially those crew who work outside. Just wondering if anyone on board any SS ships have heard anything similar. It seems that when one cruise line makes a Covid related policy change it has a domino effect and others soon follow suit.

[Gourmet Gal]

Anyone  working with the public is at risk so I think it’s great the crew is protected from pax who bring Covid on board.  I just wish pax who are clearly sick with something  would wear masks to protect others.  From the first day of my recent SS cruise there were pax with very congested sounding coughs.

[Daveywavey70]

10 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Anyone  working with the public is at risk so I think it’s great the crew is protected from pax who bring Covid on board.  I just wish pax who are clearly sick with something  would wear masks to protect others.  From the first day of my recent SS cruise there were pax with very congested sounding coughs.

The Covid cough is a very dry cough, not a congested one so it’s probably good news, they are only suffering from something that the world has already learned to live with. 

[Catlover54]

8 minutes ago, Daveywavey70 said:

The Covid cough is a very dry cough, not a congested one so it’s probably good news, they are only suffering from something that the world has already learned to live with. 

 

Actually, Covid coughs can clinically vary quite a bit.  Some patients have a dry cough, some a more "congested" cough, some go from congested to dry, depending on where they are in timing of the course of disease. There is no 'one pattern fits all', though there can be trends.

My DH, for example, is still sitting at home two weeks after turning Covid positive post-SB Quest cruise, still with a very congested productive cough which developed very early in his course  (and yes, we are sure -- more than sure, for various reasons - that all he has is Covid).

 

However, most people who "cough" on a cruise, dry or otherwise,  don't have Covid.  Lots of conditions can make people cough, including non-infectious conditions (GERD, CHF, COPD, allergies, certain meds, non-Covid infections etc.).  

 

I'm happy to keep cruising.

 

 

 

[Catlover54]

35 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Anyone  working with the public is at risk so I think it’s great the crew is protected from pax who bring Covid on board.  I just wish pax who are clearly sick with something  would wear masks to protect others.  From the first day of my recent SS cruise there were pax with very congested sounding coughs.

 

These days, I think it would be appropriate for  pax with new "congested sounding coughs" to test for Covid (self-test or otherwise).  On my recent SB cruise in Canada, though there was no mandatory testing during the cruise on asymptomatic patients, people  were told right at the beginning in writing that SB reserved the right to test people.

If they are Covid +, I would want more than just mask-wearing.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Catlover54
Edit

[Texas Tillie]

16 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Anyone  working with the public is at risk so I think it’s great the crew is protected from pax who bring Covid on board.  I just wish pax who are clearly sick with something  would wear masks to protect others.  From the first day of my recent SS cruise there were pax with very congested sounding coughs.

 

There is a big controversy on the efficacy of masks vis a vis covid. If you think masks work, you are welcome to keep wearing one in perpetuity. If you think masks are theater, liberate your face.

[Catlover54]

1 hour ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

There is a big controversy on the efficacy of masks vis a vis covid. If you think masks work, you are welcome to keep wearing one in perpetuity. If you think masks are theater, liberate your face.

 

People also psychologically rely too much on the minimally effective masks.  That is why if someone is "clearly sick" with an infectious respiratory illness, be it Covid or something else, crew or passenger,  I prefer actions that are more than just mask-wearing, especially  during the early period when they are most  infectious (like simply staying away from areas where one is in close contact with others, including buses and vans and crowded indoor venues). The cruise lines will test people for free if they feel sick, and then provide generous FCC to stay away from others, even if there are no mandates.

 

[Gourmet Gal]

4 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

There is a big controversy on the efficacy of masks vis a vis covid. If you think masks work, you are welcome to keep wearing one in perpetuity. If you think masks are theater, liberate your face.

The recommendation is to wear a kn95 or n95, properly fitting mask.  There is plenty of actual scientific data to support that recommendation as a very strong mitigating factor against Covid.  Good luck TT.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

The recommendation is to wear a kn95 or n95, properly fitting mask.  There is plenty of actual scientific data to support that recommendation as a very strong mitigating factor against Covid.  Good luck TT.

These days, xN95 masks might represent 1% of what you see the few people still wearing masks using, and I'd bet less than 10% of those people understand how to "properly fit" one. 

 

If breathing isn't quite noticeably more difficult when the wearer is exerting significant effort, the mask is probably improperly fitted.  The vast majority of xN95 rated masks, when properly fitted, will by their very nature provide a significant restriction to air flow.  

[audobon_tx]

22 hours ago, ClefsDor said:

I just read on the Cunard boards that from 20 October crew are no longer required to wear masks. I for one think this is a good move. I feel terrible for the crew having to wear masks for such long hours, especially those crew who work outside. Just wondering if anyone on board any SS ships have heard anything similar. It seems that when one cruise line makes a Covid related policy change it has a domino effect and others soon follow suit.

 

Azamara crew have gone maskless since early this month.

[Gourmet Gal]

20 hours ago, canderson said:

These days, xN95 masks might represent 1% of what you see the few people still wearing masks using, and I'd bet less than 10% of those people understand how to "properly fit" one. 

 

If breathing isn't quite noticeably more difficult when the wearer is exerting significant effort, the mask is probably improperly fitted.  The vast majority of xN95 rated masks, when properly fitted, will by their very nature provide a significant restriction to air flow.  

I live in CA and it’s actually rare for me to see someone wearing a mask that isn’t KN95 or N95.  Far less often do I see surgical type masks. On my recent cruise on Silver Moon all the crew were wearing what looked like high quality KN95’s. In fact they gave me one in La Terrazza and it was a very well fitting mask.

[canderson]

26 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

I live in CA and it’s actually rare for me to see someone wearing a mask that isn’t KN95 or N95.  Far less often do I see surgical type masks. On my recent cruise on Silver Moon all the crew were wearing what looked like high quality KN95’s. In fact they gave me one in La Terrazza and it was a very well fitting mask.

They're rare here in Colorado.

 

Did you or a crew member help to fit the mask?  Did they supply one due to a request you made?  Crew all still wearing masks on SS, but no pax requirement that I'd heard for a recent cruise.

[Gourmet Gal]

On my recent Moon cruise masks were only required in Venetian Lounge and on busses.  Enforcement was hit or miss but when I asked staff to remind pax they complied.  A minority of pax wore them as often as possible such as in the hallways, at buffets, elevators, while not actively eating, gym, etc.  

 

Canderson, nothing is 100% so whether a mask is “properly” fitted or not it will help to mitigate.  That’s the best the general population can do along with vaccines and boosters.  

[Lois R]

On the Whisper now and crew are still wearing masks.

[nancygp]

On 10/20/2022 at 5:52 PM, ClefsDor said:

I just read on the Cunard boards that from 20 October crew are no longer required to wear masks. I for one think this is a good move. I feel terrible for the crew having to wear masks for such long hours, especially those crew who work outside. Just wondering if anyone on board any SS ships have heard anything similar. It seems that when one cruise line makes a Covid related policy change it has a domino effect and others soon follow suit.

hi Shirin,

 

currently on  seabourn and the crew are no longer required to wear masks…this changed mid October.

 

happy sails,

 

Nancy

[ClefsDor]

Hi Nancy,

 

Hope you and Larry are having a wonderful cruise!. Interesting to hear that about SB crew. Sounds like a lot of lines have taken away the crew mask mandate. I have a feeling that SS and other lines will soon follow suit.

 

 

[nancygp]

On 10/23/2022 at 4:35 PM, ClefsDor said:

Hi Nancy,

 

Hope you and Larry are having a wonderful cruise!. Interesting to hear that about SB crew. Sounds like a lot of lines have taken away the crew mask mandate. I have a feeling that SS and other lines will soon follow suit.

 

 

Just saw this…we had a great cruise.

 

Nancy