SargassoPirate

I just recently saw an interview with the head of the NIH talking about the new covid boosters and he said that covid shots will be an annual event in the future - just as flu shots are now.

I use them to carry my water bottle, the Patter, and my tablet around the ship. They also come in handy to mark my territory if I get up from a table in the Horizon Court to get a refill on something. I never use the Melanoma Deck so I can't speak to them being useful when setting up a chair hog nest for the day.

If the Captain sez it's a requirement, I'd mask up when required. To answer your question, how does one know if they catch Covid on-board unless they are showing symptoms and get tested? I rarely get sick, including colds and the flu, and if I started getting ill on the ship especially with the motion of the ocean I would hot foot it on down to sick bay for a remedy.

Trying to convince someone to take a cruise who has had a bad experience on smaller craft is about as considerate as trying to convince someone to change their political affiliation or religion.

geoherb...I did two cruises on the Caribbean Princess this past January and it was so good that I'm doing two this coming January. The crew was fantastic, the ship was clean, I enjoyed walking and reading on the full promenade, there was a very good classical guitarist that played in differing venues that went well with a wee dram in the evenings, and when I asked for a peatier Scotch one evening the server almost ran to another bar to retrieve a bottle of Talisker for me to try. I really liked the Horizon Court selections and alternated the HC with the MDR for breakfasts and lunch. My evening meals were simply some of the small tidbits in Skywalkers. The two cruises in January were my fourth and fifth since the restart and I've enjoyed each one. Any questions? See may signature line below.

I'm hoping the new bid program insulates me from unwanted "upgrades" to a less desirable location from the perfect cabin that I booked.

Good one bucfan2. People should be able to go maskless if they so choose. I have no problem with people who choose to wear a mask - just those who wear them selectively and even then it's their choice - just as long as they don't expect anyone else to follow their signal.

It would also be a good idea to confirm, if you can, that your ship will actually dock in Sydney. The itinerary for my next cruise in and out of Sydney shows that they will be tendering - both for embarking and disembarking passengers. In that case they probably won't allow self-disembarkation.

Your mild case demonstrates the effectiveness of the vaccines. Well done. Since as you state, covid is everywhere, did you wear your masks on the planes to and from the port? How about the transportation to and from the port? Inside the terminal? Pre-cruise hotel?

People who get all worked up about covid on cruise ships should wear an N95 from the time they step out the door for the cruise until they get back home. Covid is everywhere, such as on that airplane, train, bus, taxi, hotel, airport terminal, port terminal, and on the ship. If they are truly concerned about catching covid, they shouldn't be selective about where they wear a mask - unless they just like to clutch their pearls and virtue signal. I'm vaxxed and boosted and couldn't care less what those around me do as far as masking.

I care about myself and keep myself vaxxed and boosted. I wear a mask when required. I also take care to sanitize my hands after touching common-use surfaces before touching my food, I wipe down areas I'm likely to touch on an airplane, and I wipe down touchable surfaces in hotel rooms and cruise cabins - especially the remote. In other words, I take responsibility for my own well-being and don't depend on the actions of others to keep me from catching diseases. People who virtue signal by expecting others to take certain actions will be constantly disappointed.

Once I was vaxxed, I only wore a mask when required. I've been on five cruises since the restart, several flights, many hotels, busses, subways, taxis, a circus, concerts, and numerous grocery stores. I have never had any symptoms. The times I was tested - pre cruise - were all negative. With more decades behind me than ahead of me, there's no time to waste hiding.

Since a positive test is called a case and two cases in one location are an outbreak, I wonder how many people are actually symptomatic and how many are quarantined?

MommaBear55.....I have a close relative who is an ICU nurse. She shares with me anecdotally that for months the majority of her Covid patients are the unvaxxed and those with underlying conditions such as obesity and other health issues. Weare all strong believers in vaccinations and as world travelers we have had just about every vaccination known.

Different strokes for different folks. The older I get, I find myself getting in less of a hurry about most things. I would choose the later flight, have a leisurely disembarkation day breakfast and try to be among the last off the ship. On my most recent two cruises, I even booked a hotel near the airport for that evening and took a mid-morning flight the next day. Princess transfers makes it easy beezy. I recognize that my leisurely approach doesn't work for everybody, but I spent too many years trying to cram vacation time into the weeks allotted and then rush back to be at work on Monday morning. Have a wonderful cruise.

When I said: "Just about as covid free as that airplane, train, bus, taxi, airport terminal, grocery store, concert, sporting event, and everywhere else." I was pointing out that covid is everywhere and here to stay. If anyone is concerned about catching covid and thinks that pre-cruise testing protects them, they should be wearing an N95 in all of the situations I mentioned above for protection as well.

Unless I'm reading this incorrectly, looks to me like testing is no longer required for vaccinated passengers for voyages from the US, UK, and EU, regardless of the length of the cruise. Here's a cut and paste from the Princess website today: Vaccination Status Definition by Country's Health Authority Pre-Travel Test Type & When to Take Test Before Boarding Age: 5 Years and Up Voyages from the U.S., UK, EU Voyages with Enhanced Guidelines^ Fully Vaccinated* Received primary series of COVID-19 vaccines with final dose at least 14 days before embarkation. Testing not required Medically assisted Antigen or PCR within 3 days Not Vaccinated Not fully vaccinated are welcome to cruise. If cruise includes a Canadian port, an additional medical exemption is needed. Self-administered Antigen OR medically assisted PCR within 3 days Medically assisted Antigen or PCR within 3 days Kids under 5 do not require pre-travel testing. Minimum age to sail is 6 months or 12 months based on cruise itinerary, review Passage Contract for details. ^Enhanced Guidelines Voyages include full Panama Canal transits, Trans-Ocean crossings, special voyages, Greek guidelines (voyages departing, arriving or visiting Greece), Canadian guidelines (voyages, arriving or visiting Canada). * Note all Alaska voyages include Canada and must follow Canadian guidelines. For voyages departing, arriving or visiting Canada, please refer to the Canada table for Vaccination and Testing Requirements. **The Greek government has their own testing requirements. For voyages departing, arriving or visiting Greece, please refer to the Greece table for Vaccination and Testing Requirements CruiseHealth™ - Vaccination & Testing Requirements by Region - Princess Cruises

Try 'whatsinport.com I use it for all sorts of port information and maps

"Ruth: Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they aren't too crowded." Titanic 1997

Just about as covid free as that airplane, train, bus, taxi, airport terminal, grocery store, concert, sporting event, and everywhere else.

Put yourself on the other side of the guest relations desk and ask yourself who you would go out of the way to assist - a rude and demanding passenger or one who approaches with a smile and greeting, explains the situation, and asks what you can do for them? Anyone who is rude to people who provide you with a service is showing what low class boors they are. They deserve all of the bad karma that the universes send them.

I prefer Princess for longer cruises - my personal record being 49 days - because of the guest laundromat on most all PAX decks. HAL had laundromats at one time, but phased them out in favor of PAX cabins in those spaces. Some people will tell you that they don't cruise to do laundry, but I prefer to do my own so that it's done right. When I do find myself on a ship without a laundromat, I utilize more quick dry clothing that I can wash out in the sink or a bucket and use the "wear a day, air a day" approach. It also helps to keep track of what I packed but never used over the years and pared down the packing list.

Laughed out loud at the MRE fruitcake remark. I take extended motorcycle trips and camp out about 1/3 of the time. While I'm setting up my tent and sleeping bag, I open an MRE and lay the entree on the transmission of the Harley. By the time I have my camp all setup, I've got a hot meal. After those experiences as a benchmark, an inside cabin on any ship with a full promenade, an MDR and a buffet, and somewhere to get a wee dram or three in the evening and I'm good. Any questions? See my signature line below.

As well as the Viking requirement to pay in full anywhere from a year to a year and a half in advance. You can't drive an economy car and expect a luxury car experience/

Mention a specific travel agency or covid and that will get attention.