coffeebean

16 hours ago, cruisekitty22 said:

We were on the Encore Dec 5-12, 2021 so I am reliving our cruise through you!  Great review so far and spot on.  The ship does not feel like a ghost town with less people. I thought it was great and hope they keep it that way permanently. No waiting/lines for anything.  We saw Choir of Man too. Best show ever!   We were disappointed in LeBistro and didn't get to the Italian restaurant.  The main dining room food was fine for us. That prime rib looks fabulous!

I'm not an accountant or anything like that but something tells me if NCL permanently keeps crowds down to a percentage of their actual capacity, they will not make any money. How can they be a viable company that way?

I don't like crowds either but looking at the OP's photos, it is very sad seeing those venues so empty. Sad indeed.

On 1/15/2022 at 3:18 PM, lkj1301 said:

DON'T DO IT!!!!!  Until they fix whatever problem it is.  We were on the 12/11 sailing in an aft haven  corner suite.  It was so bad the 1st night the concierge found us another cabin to sleep in the rest of the cruise.  Used it the 2nd night.  The 3rd night was not as bad as day 1 & 2, yes you could feel it during the day also.  Not just the haven aft cabins but the aft of the ship.  When traveling between Costa Maya, Belize and Cozumel it was much better, but the night we left Cozumel wasn't good.

The last night was ok.

I was on the same cruise and we also had to be relocated on night one to a cabin forward of the forward elevators. The back end of the ship vibrates something fierce. Customer service said it is a "known problem". We actually changed from an aft facing balcony with that gorgeous aft view to a club suite.

1 hour ago, SOCACRUISEGUY said:

While your statement about cases being fairly mild may be the case,  many employers require those that have either tested positive or been in close contact with someone that has tested positive to stay home. As a result, that employee now has to use their sick, and/or vacation time, or go unpaid. That’s a financial blow that many can’t afford. It isn’t always black and white. There are many factors at play. 

Add to the financial hardship for those who have to stay home, businesses are finding it difficult to either stay open normal hours or stay open at all. This seems to be getting out of hand and it is a scary ride to say the least.

2 hours ago, moonltnite said:

I'm sure the number of cases on land increased by this much, as well - largely due to Omicron.

Is Delta even out there now?

56 minutes ago, halos said:

I'm wondering how far back the vibration is heard. I do not have an aft facing balcony, but always book cabins toward the very back of the ship (I just like it there for some reason) So, on the Joy we have a cabin in the back, exactly 7 cabins forward of the end suite/starboard. Should I move toward the center?

The vibration is felt. The creaking is heard. Hubby and I walked to just forward of the aft elevators and the vibration is still very noticeable. Our aft facing balcony cabin was changed to a club balcony cabin a few cabins forward of the forward elevators. That is where the vibration is non existent. 

26 minutes ago, BklynBorn47 said:

Thank you all for your reports and observations.  I believe I am still safer on a cruise than on a plane or in certain airports or sadly even in my own area.  
That said, I prefer to associate with people and patronize places that care about my well- being,  The cruise I recently completed was one of those.  I have 3 cruises (2-3 weeks each) booked this year - one with NCL.  If they are truly lax in enforcing their stated policy, I will likely cancel and rebook elsewhere.

I am mid 70s, have asthma and wear glasses.  Once I got past the "I don't wanna" stage, I realized that wearing a mask is not a big deal.  I saw similar signs in various places around the world since the pandemic began and understand completely.  

 

 

 

That is what source control is all about. Unfortunately, When this pandemic hit us hard in the beginning, there were many Americans who resisted wearing a mask or wearing a mask correctly. Sadly, source control masking never did work very well for us here in America.

10 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

well, it's like small children who scream and shout on an airplane and run down the aisle and aren't secured in their seats while we're experiencing turbulence. i don't have  a problem with those kids. i have a problem with their parents. they are their guardians and are responsible for their behavior.

 

so, too, NCL is my guardian while on its ships and is responsible for my safekeeping as well as the safekeeping of those not wearing masks. i am absolutely responsible for what i do and i wear a mask, including on a breakaway cruise a few weeks ago before the mask requirement was instituted. but NCL has to stand behind its policies. not enforcing the mask requirement among passengers is like not having muster drills.

 

it is up to NCL to enforce mask wearing among all its passengers as long as that requirement is in effect. i was at a broadway show  last night and i saw a group of people warned about not wearing a mask three times. the fourth time, they were removed from the theatre. on NCL, based on most accounts here in the forum, we get self-effacing apologetic requests/reminders to wear a mask, which are generally not followed up on. and a good deal of that is cultural, since it is not part of the filipino mindset to intrusively prevail upon another human being, asking them to do something they are not already doing. 

 

i live in your reality as well and encounter many unmasked individuals on public transportation, in airports, in elevators and such. you have  a much higher level of tolerance for that behavior than i, however.

I see it this way......don't worry about who is not masked and in your close presence such as public transportation when social distancing is impossible. Just wear an N95 or KN95 mask and you should be good to go. You are 95% protected. You can't ask for much more than that.

12 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

Strange that people would book a cruise that had a no mask policy and then be concerned when some people aren't wearing their masks when the policy is abruptly changed.  LOL.  Those people didn't seem concerned about masks a few weeks ago and yet now only feel safe if people are wearing them.  Masks were always just a false sense of security.  It's even being reported (admitted) now that the cloth masks do barely anything to protect anyone.

Cloth masks are great for source control, not for protection. Source control requires everyone to wear a mask properly for the masks to be effective. Ever since the N95 and KN95 masks have been readily available, THAT is the way to go if anyone wants protection for themselves. Source control with cloth and surgical masks is not nearly as important now that those very protective N95 and KN95 masks are readily available to the general public.

12 hours ago, Epic_Bear said:

Just off the Getaway on 1/5/22.  Wearing a mask on the cruise was not a huge deal.  We wore it walking down hallways indoors, into restaurants, disembarking in port, but not outside.  We've been wearing masks for almost two years, it wasn't a deal breaker by any means.

My mask came off as soon as I was fully vaccinated. Now I'm boosted too. I will wear a mask only when required and that is in health care facilities. Other than that, I have been mask free for a long time now.

On 1/8/2022 at 10:07 AM, aubreyc1988 said:

Thanks! I guess now i just have to decide if I want to upgrade from forward facing penthouse to Courtyard Haven Penthouse with large balcony, gonna strike the aft off my list. 

Very smart move.

3 hours ago, jasonfly said:

We just got home from spending a week on the Bliss. While initially disappointed about the mask rule, I found myself much safer wearing it.  Every staff member had a mask on, and the experience on my cruise is that everyone seemed okay with it and respected the policy.  No need to wear at bar tops, dining areas or while you are eating/drinking.  When I was walking with a drink, I would lower my mask to consume and put it back on.  When talking to people at the bar, I found myself electively putting on my mask because it just felt safer.

My two cents.

Were you wearing an N95 or KN95 mask?

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 

 

I'm not following. Your statements appear contradictory.

 

1) Are you suggesting that 95% effectiveness is enough protection for the crew?

 

2) Is the crew 100% in compliance or are they not masking up while socializing? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crew is 100% compliant when around passengers and they do wear their masks properly. I only have one NCL and one Royal cruise to go by and both lines make sure their crew is masked up properly when interacting with guests.

95% effectiveness is as good as we are going to get and I honestly think that is good enough. All crew is vaccinated and hopefully they are being boosted as we speak. How much more protection are we to demand for them?

Are you saying all passengers must mask up with N95 masks every minute of every day when interacting with the crew? That isn't going to happen, especially when passengers are seated indoors or outdoors for dining and drinking without masks on.

3 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

and honestly I do not begrudge them this, it's rough wearing a mask almost ALL the time. We all just need to do the best we can do and try not to judge other people for living life/keeping their sanity. 

I'm not judging them at all. They have to live their lives just like we do. Good for them that they can get some "down" time.

5 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

the crew are probably not wearing masks 100% of the time. 

Yup.....exactly what I just posted.

18 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

If KN95 masks were enough to protect the crew I suspect the Pearl and Getaway would be sailing right now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also.......let's not forget that the crew probably do not mask up when in crew quarters and while socializing at bars and such in crew areas.

15 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

If KN95 masks were enough to protect the crew I suspect the Pearl and Getaway would be sailing right now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N95 masks are the best we can hope for. But.........they are only 95% effective at filtering out those pathogens, not 100% so there is that. You know the old saying.........."Nothing in life is 100% except death and taxes".

54 minutes ago, Oxo said:

You are very lucky as you can make your own choice. 

Yes, agree. I do have to say that I'm seeing more and more KN95 and N95 masks being worn by people in my senior community here in Central Florida. Those cloth masks seem to have been ditched in the garbage.

Anyone who is informed, does not bother with cloth or surgical masks IF THEY WANT PROTECTION FOR THEMSELVES. I'm long past trying to protect others with a cloth mask. Been there. Done that. Not doing it anymore unless Florida imposes a mask mandate which I sincerely doubt will happen here.

27 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

Except for the science thing....that shows something different.

What does science show? As far as I understand, those KN95 and N95 masks offer 95% protection from airborne pathogens. No? What am I missing? Please let me know. Thanks.

On 1/3/2022 at 3:52 PM, sverigecruiser said:

 

Surprising, I really thought that distancing was the most important thing.

Yes, I have heard that too. Especially when there are so many people who have no idea how to wear a mask properly.

On 1/3/2022 at 12:55 PM, shamr0ck said:

We did a Christmas cruise on the Getaway.  Masking wasn't enforced nearly as much as we would have liked - folks with noses out or no mask at all in several places inside, especially during disembarkation.  Reports of passengers with symptoms out and about on excursions and staff ignoring reports of potentially ill passengers.  Several people just in our roll call tested positive within 4 days of disembarkation - not us, thankfully!  Trying to decide if we want to cancel the cruise we have planned for this year, just because everything is such a mess. 

 

Anyone who does not mind wearing a mask should invest in a mask that will protect them from others' germs. An N95 or KN95 will do the trick. Don't worry about anyone who is not masked. You are protected with a good grade mask that filters out 95% of pathogens. That is as good as it's going to get. Be around others who are maskless with confidence. Protect yourself and don't worry about others who don't protect themselves. Same goes on land, not only on cruise ships.

On 1/3/2022 at 12:41 PM, ECCruise said:

Just curious, actually with no intent.  Why?

For me, it is most inconvenient having to mask on/ mask off/mask on/mask off/ mask on/mask off. Such a royal PIA. I did it for four days on Royal's Serenade OTS and vow to never ever do it again. But........that is just me. Personally, I can not breath as easily with anything covering my nose and mouth and I'm sure most everyone would admit the same thing. I'm not saying my O2 sat suffers but I suffer with the uncomfortable feeling of having something covering my nose and mouth. We will not pay for an experience that requires masks anywhere. I'll stay home, where I don't have to mask up.

On 1/3/2022 at 11:54 AM, RocketMan275 said:

Oh, I agree the 3 or 4 gram weight piece of fabric would not be a big deal if it were in my pocket. Put it on my face and it becomes a big deal.  It's not the weight. It's the placement.

LOL! Agree totally.

On 1/3/2022 at 11:27 AM, ECCruise said:

I completely get that, which is why I made it clear that I couldn't conceive of it.  I am not, under any circumstances, going to deny myself getting back and seeing the world over a 3 or 4 gram weight piece of fabric. 

The cruise lines thank you very much.

On 1/3/2022 at 8:10 AM, RocketMan275 said:

Our outlook is this:  if a cruise is so dangerous that we have to wear a mask, then it is too dangerous to cruise.

Did you have that same feeling when we had to wear masks in local grocery stores? Did a mask policy in any retail store or warehouse prevent you from shopping in a brick and mortar building? I know it didn't keep me away. I wore my mask as required but I didn't have to like it.

I don't want to wear a mask on a cruise ship when I'm paying good money for a vacation. I know not everyone feels as I do but not going to pay to have to wear a mask anywhere on a ship. I'll just wait it out.

On 1/3/2022 at 4:15 AM, SpainAlien said:

We cruised on Carnival at the end of November then NCL at the beginning of December. Carnival required a mask and (at that time) NCL did not. Both cruises were thoroughly enjoyable irrespective of the masking requirement. 

 

Three weeks prior to our mask free Joy cruise, we cruised on Royal's Serenade OTS. Masks were required with the exception of in vaccinated only venues. That four day cruise was enjoyable but a PIA too as we were constantly putting on the mask and taking it off. Never again will I cruise anywhere on any ship if we have to mask up. I'll stay home where masks requirements are only for health care facilities.