People are choosing to stay onboard instead of wearing masks in ports

[lazydayz]

2 minutes ago, tree.critter said:

Currently on the Mardi Gras, today was our first port stop and unvaccinated  were not allowed off the ship. Masks required on all transportation and indoor spaces and highly recommended outdoors but not mandatory with social distancing. I and many fellow cruisers stayed on board but it had nothing to do with mask policy but guessing we have at least 75% diamond and platinum cruisers. Most of us have been to Puerto Rico multiple times and all of us are on this ship for the first time and we’re still exploring and enjoying the ship. I don’t plan to get off the ship at all on this first leg, will visit when we are on the western leg next week. 

 

Hope you are having a great cruise on the Mardi Gras!  We are sailing on her early next year.  It looks like a fabulous ship.  

[BlerkOne]

On 7/31/2021 at 7:43 AM, DGNewton said:

We had an amber cove excursion and cancelled. We did not get off at all in either DR port.  Only Aruba and Curaçao. 
 

it wasn’t the mask requirement, but more the uptick in Covid and the DR not having many vaccinated people.  We felt that the first two countries were stricter during the earlier lockdown and more in control 

Actually the Dominican Republic is at CDC Level 3 and Curacao has been raised to Level 4. Aruba is Level 3.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html

Edited August 3, 2021 by BlerkOne

[Rudyard]

Cruising in just under 10 weeks. If we have to wear a mask in port, so be it. It just means we probably won't spend as much time ashore. Probably just do a little shopping in port (gotta restock the vanilla!) then back on the ship. 

[bucfan2]

Just got off a week on Celebrity.  Stayed onboard all week due to mask requirements on shore.  Haven't worn a mask at home....and don't plan to wear one on vacation.  Understand those that want to...we're not in that category.

Ship was only at 50% capacity and still much more 'active' on port days w/ others who apparently felt the same.

Edited August 3, 2021 by bucfan2

[SheSailsFL]

From the comments I have read, the excursion crews are not enforcing masks anyway.  I read one comment that said on a bubble tour, people refused to wear masks and there was no enforcement. 
I believe in small shops, restaurants and entering/exiting beach clubs, enforcing them is more common. 

[BlerkOne]

9 minutes ago, SheSailsFL said:

From the comments I have read, the excursion crews are not enforcing masks anyway.  I read one comment that said on a bubble tour, people refused to wear masks and there was no enforcement. 
I believe in small shops, restaurants and entering/exiting beach clubs, enforcing them is more common. 

Some ports, like San Juan, aren't allowing unvaccinated passengers off. Failure to follow rules might lead to more ports like that. I think part of the ticket contract says they can boot you off of the ship for failing to follow the covid rules.

 

Hopefully Carnival or local authorities will crack down on trouble makers. A fine at the very least 

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Some ports, like San Juan, aren't allowing unvaccinated passengers off. Failure to follow rules might lead to more ports like that. I think part of the ticket contract says they can boot you off of the ship for failing to follow the covid rules.

 

Hopefully Carnival or local authorities will crack down on trouble makers. A fine at the very least 

Whether they crackdown or are lax in enforcement pretty much is a function of what instructions they get from the top. We will see which way they go.

[cruiseracer]

It's the port's choice to require a mask and my choice not to go ashore if a mask is mandated. Surely the ports have done a proper CBA and can afford their decisions.

[DGNewton]

14 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Actually the Dominican Republic is at CDC Level 3 and Curacao has been raised to Level 4. Aruba is Level 3.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html

Again, we do as we want, fact check, everyone is required a mask unless eating or in the water.  So to no surprise that was being enforced as being told by other passengers who came back on the ship.  Our option to stay on the ship - cancelled the excursion for our comfort and safety measure.

Just saying we just enjoyed cruising again.

[Buckeyefrank100]

3 hours ago, DGNewton said:

Again, we do as we want, fact check, everyone is required a mask unless eating or in the water.  So to no surprise that was being enforced as being told by other passengers who came back on the ship.  Our option to stay on the ship - cancelled the excursion for our comfort and safety measure.

Just saying we just enjoyed cruising again.

I heard in Amber Cove that the pool area is not enforcing masks but in the shops at the pier they are..   That just means we will stay on the ship..   Hopefully we can get off at HMC without masks.

[DGNewton]

35 minutes ago, Buckeyefrank100 said:

I heard in Amber Cove that the pool area is not enforcing masks but in the shops at the pier they are..   That just means we will stay on the ship..   Hopefully we can get off at HMC without masks.

Carnival made you wear mask in line to get off and on the ship, but once we got on the bus some of us took the mask off - don't know anything about the DR as we stayed onboard - just wanted to R&R the cruise.  Was a GREAT CRUISE!

 

3300 on board.

 

The Aruba and Curacao excursions - mask off on the island (at least on our excursions)

[Joebucks]

As someone who probably hates the mask nonsense just as much as anyone, it always intrigues me how much people are willing to give up because of a mask. I know people that still haven't really left their house still because "it wouldn't be as fun". 

 

There are few things I look forward more than to being on a cruise ship, however, there is no chance in hell I would go on a cruise and stay on the ship for a week without getting off. I could survive going to a few crowded shops or taxi with a mask if that's what it took. It's laughable to think people are going to be in bars and on beaches with masks. That's not going to be a thing.

[MeganGC1983]

Welp, might as well get off the ship now. Mask on and on and on. 😬😷

[Buckeyefrank100]

22 minutes ago, MeganGC1983 said:

Welp, might as well get off the ship now. Mask on and on and on. 😬😷

I'm sure we're gonna cancel now as a result of this 😞

[SheSailsFL]

Well they’re not gonna be happy ON the ship now.  Masks required inside and a negative test 72 hours prior to boarding.  For everyone. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by SheSailsFL

[ontheweb]

4 minutes ago, SheSailsFL said:

Well they’re not gonna be happy ON the ship now.  Masks required inside and a negative test 72 hours prior to boarding.  For everyone. 

A cruise ship is supposed to be a happy place. You wonder how those who would have cancelled if they had known there would be these last minute changes will feel, probably not at all happy.

[SheSailsFL]

11 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

A cruise ship is supposed to be a happy place. You wonder how those who would have cancelled if they had known there would be these last minute changes will feel, probably not at all happy.

I agree.  I  sure some will be very unhappy about these changes.  Most saw them coming though. 

[jperry2011]

On the Mardi Gras now.

San Juan was pretty much a dump. Once you leave the main road seems like a good place to get robbed. Entirely too hot to wear a mask around. A few nic nac stands along the road, a Walgreens, and a CVS to shop at. I won't get off there again.

Amber Cove is a really nice place. Alot more decent shops to look around while masked up. Then they have the pool, waterslide, Zipline area where very few people were masked.

Nassau is tomorrow not sure what to expect we went once before and did the Atlantis watermark but I refuse to wear a mask around vaccinated so we may just stay onboard.

 

As for the new protocols starting the 7th or 14th no thanks we will be rebooking our future cruises until Carnival goes 100% vaccinated no masks. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

32 minutes ago, jperry2011 said:

On the Mardi Gras now.

San Juan was pretty much a dump. Once you leave the main road seems like a good place to get robbed. Entirely too hot to wear a mask around. A few nic nac stands along the road, a Walgreens, and a CVS to shop at. I won't get off there again.

...

 

Yep - we've been there perhaps 3 times. Wandered about the first two trips, and decided to stay onboard for our third. Not my idea of a vacation destination - then again, I didn't opt for any excursions. I'm sure there's something about the place that people like.

 

Tom

[Thenagers]

32 minutes ago, jperry2011 said:

On the Mardi Gras now.

San Juan was pretty much a dump. Once you leave the main road seems like a good place to get robbed. Entirely too hot to wear a mask around. A few nic nac stands along the road, a Walgreens, and a CVS to shop at. I won't get off there again.

Amber Cove is a really nice place. Alot more decent shops to look around while masked up. Then they have the pool, waterslide, Zipline area where very few people were masked.

Nassau is tomorrow not sure what to expect we went once before and did the Atlantis watermark but I refuse to wear a mask around vaccinated so we may just stay onboard.

 

As for the new protocols starting the 7th or 14th no thanks we will be rebooking our future cruises until Carnival goes 100% vaccinated no masks. 

Nassau is a ghost town.  Most shops closed.  No more straw market.  I went to the Hilton on a day pass.  That was a relaxing. beautiful area.  Walkable to the ships.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

3 minutes ago, Thenagers said:

Nassau is a ghost town.  Most shops closed.  No more straw market.  I went to the Hilton on a day pass.  That was a relaxing. beautiful area.  Walkable to the ships.

 

We enjoyed the (British Colonial?) Hilton many moons ago - also a day pass.

 

The next time we're scheduled back there is for our Thanksgiving MG sailing. I've been wanting to check out Baha Mar - after seeing it partially built for nearly a decade!

 

Tom

[vivian02]

We just returned from a Alaska cruise. We were shocked to see the ship at 55% capacity. No one on the ship as a customer was required to wear mask since everyone boarding had to show proof of being vaccinated. A lot of folks did wear mast as a cautionary measure. Most of the staff did wear mast during their working hours. When going to shore everyone was asked to wear a mask which was not policed. I even noticed the bicycle cop in Juneau was not masked. Signs were posted on the shop open for business that mask were required. Most people complied. Here is a picture from a shop in Skagway. Remember we were the only cruise ship in port and the streets were still empty. 

[DGNewton]

Well, Hello Clarice, it's Hannibal Lecter aka masked it up!

[ontheweb]

What is going to happen with the new mandate to wear masks on the ship? If the port requires a mask and the ship requires a mask, there is no getting around a mask requirement.

[AtSeaWithChris]

36 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

What is going to happen with the new mandate to wear masks on the ship? If the port requires a mask and the ship requires a mask, there is no getting around a mask requirement.

I think a lot of people will choose not to spend thousands on a vacation where masks are required for the substantial part.