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Thanks, everyone! Are groups still seated separately for dining due to Covid? How full was the ship?

By outside of the excursions I meant either before or after them, or if you choose not to do them.

What do people dress like for dinner? On the Douro excursions, do you have any time to walk around on your own? Or outside of the excursions? And also on the Douro cruise, are there opportunities to rent bikes? TIA!

They’re all to wineries.

Thanks everyone!

Porto Round trip

How long is the bus ride to and from Salamanca?

It’s the excursion bus rides I am concerned about. But if we don’t do those , is there any town to explore where the boat docks?

Thank you! What made it better than other river cruises? We’ve been on the Rhône, Danube and Rhine. What cruise line were you on? We will be on AMA Waterways.

We are going on a Douro cruise in November. Is there a lot of time on the bus? We aren't sure we want to sign up for all the excursions (though they are no cost) because we want to be able to see the local places. Or are there no towns where you dock?

How do you know this? So some of the August and September sailings will be not full at all?

All 5 of us ( almost half of our group) who tested positive the week after the cruise had managed to avoid it till now. So it’s probably a combination of the transmissibility of this variant plus being on a cruise ship for a week. Interesting that four of the five who got it were the youngest (4 and 6) and the oldest (69 and 70) . Those immune systems just aren’t as strong.

It’s only going to get worse as the BA.5 Omicron variant has become the predominant one this month and is the most transmissible of any so far. And apparently is evading the vaccines and boosters.

So far, 5 of the 11 of us have tested positive days after getting home.

It’ll remain an unknown just like the total number of positive cases since many positive at- home tests aren’t reported.

Kind of hard to avoid crowds on a cruise ship!

Well ya- I wouldnt have bothered testing if I was asymptomatic . So I assume those who report being positive on these threads had symptoms.

Just trying to get an idea of how MANY are getting it on ship and being positive after home. I thought asking a general question would give me a better idea than posting for each individual cruise line.

We had to have a negative covid test within 2- 3 days of boarding in order to be allowed on our Princess Alaska cruise earlier this month. But some of those traveler's tests could have been false negatives (maybe some had covid but at that point were asymptomatic so the test isn't as accurate), and some could have gotten it after the test on the flight, or on a shore excursion. I know someone (the CDC?) is monitoring cases and they haven't been high enough to shut down the ships. And we saw 1/2 of one deck closed off, I'm assuming for quarantine for those who got sick on the cruise. But I keep hearing about people testing positive in the week after they return home. No one is tracking that I suppose. So I'd like to know if you or someone in your party did test positive after. In our party of 11 that disembarked last Saturday, two tested positive on Sunday and I did this morning. At least 3 others have symptoms and are awaiting results.

I did, in a post titled Musings…..

Now the 2nd one of our group tested positive, the day after returning home.

I may wait a day or two to test since I don’t have symptoms ( except sinus drainage) and the home tests aren’t as accurate before you have symptoms. He started coughing the day before disembarkation. But our 4 and 6 yr old grandkids were too , as they often do , with colds and viruses , but haven’t been positive ever. I doubt masks would’ve helped with all the eating and drinking.

My husband came back with the worst souvenir- Covid. First time for him. I’m still good.

BTW, I thought I read that masks were required except when eating or drinking but almost nobody was wearing them -except for all of the staff.

You are right- as an American I say cream when I am referring to Half and Half. I was expecting half and half , when they asked if I wanted cream for my coffee, but I think I was getting milk.