Nervous about people getting off & back on in ports.

[LJSNY]

We're booked 11/13 on Reflection. We love that everyone needs to be vaccinated & negative to cruise. We are however concerned about people getting off and touring on their own and getting back on the ship. Does anyone else have these concerns or should we not be worried? 

Thanks so much.

[canderson]

Given how packed some of the Celebrity tour buses have been per photos and descriptions provided by those here who have already traveled, I think I'd be at least as concerned about those.  At least there's some possibility of passengers doing a little social distancing when exploring on their own. 

 

Celebrity says ...

 

Excursions provided by Celebrity Cruises extend the same health and safety standards we’re following on board. Most experiences are outdoors, and guests will be encouraged to stay with their group. Buses will be at reduced capacity and will be sanitized frequently.

 

... but it's been plain that in many cases, buses are NOT being run at anything resembling reduced capacity.  You'll find mention in this in several of the 'current cruise blog' threads, and somewhere, there's a whole thread discussing this issue.

[Spif Barwunkel]

Being that you booked this cruise in the first place, I assume that you are confident in your choice and the way you will go about handling the protocols the ship has in place. Really, the only thing that you are in control of is taking care of yourselves. No different than any vacation, just another player in the mix. I would use the word 'awareness' rather than concern or worry. Being aware means you have a handle on what's happening and what should be happening. Being concerned or worried assures that a bit more stress will tag along with you for the entire cruise. It would be much more enjoyable, naturally, if that were not the case. Thinking about additional challenges is logical, just don't let them deter you from having a good time. With the right mindset, you'll be fine.

[D C]

1 hour ago, LJSNY said:

We're booked 11/13 on Reflection. We love that everyone needs to be vaccinated & negative to cruise. We are however concerned about people getting off and touring on their own and getting back on the ship. Does anyone else have these concerns or should we not be worried? 

Thanks so much.

Honestly, it's less of a concern than interactions with random people BEFORE embarkation.

 

Caribbean excursions:

Almost entirely outside = almost zero risk of transmission

Going where other vaccinated cruisers go = virtually no risk, no matter how close you might sit

 

Unless your excursion plan is to spend hours on end with untold numbers of unvaccinated locals in a closed-in space, there is more risk pre-cruise. 

[canderson]

4 minutes ago, D C said:

Going where other vaccinated cruisers go = virtually no risk, no matter how close you might sit

 

Not worried about catching something so much as getting caught up in a bloody "contact trace", which is the more likely scenario of the two.

[Fouremco]

I'm more concerned with my flights to and from Florida and the time spent in Fort Lauderdale before the cruise. If ever there was a good reason to fly in on the day of the cruise, this would be it. But as weather systems seem to be creating more and more havoc, that's not really an option for us.

[LJSNY]

1 hour ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Being that you booked this cruise in the first place, I assume that you are confident in your choice and the way you will go about handling the protocols the ship has in place. Really, the only thing that you are in control of is taking care of yourselves. No different than any vacation, just another player in the mix. I would use the word 'awareness' rather than concern or worry. Being aware means you have a handle on what's happening and what should be happening. Being concerned or worried assures that a bit more stress will tag along with you for the entire cruise. It would be much more enjoyable, naturally, if that were not the case. Thinking about additional challenges is logical, just don't let them deter you from having a good time. With the right mindset, you'll be fine.

We booked this cruise in Jan of 2020. I guess we'll have to decide if we want to take the risk. Awareness would be key, like you said.

[lv2cruisgrl]

2 hours ago, LJSNY said:

We're booked 11/13 on Reflection. We love that everyone needs to be vaccinated & negative to cruise. We are however concerned about people getting off and touring on their own and getting back on the ship. Does anyone else have these concerns or should we not be worried? 

Thanks so much.

We sail in 2 weeks and have decided to not do any tours become of how booked the transportation on these seem to be. Otherwise we are going to wear a mask on board if we feel it's needed.

[LJSNY]

1 hour ago, D C said:

Honestly, it's less of a concern than interactions with random people BEFORE embarkation.

 

Caribbean excursions:

Almost entirely outside = almost zero risk of transmission

Going where other vaccinated cruisers go = virtually no risk, no matter how close you might sit

 

Unless your excursion plan is to spend hours on end with untold numbers of unvaccinated locals in a closed-in space, there is more risk pre-cruise. 

This is good info as well. I'm glad I posted my concerns. Thanks

[LJSNY]

11 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

We sail in 2 weeks and have decided to not do any tours become of how booked the transportation on these seem to be. Otherwise we are going to wear a mask on board if we feel it's needed.

We don't want to wear a mask while on board, which Celebrity is not requiring now. If this changes, we will go for the future credit.

[RichYak]

3 minutes ago, LJSNY said:

This is good info as well. I'm glad I posted my concerns. Thanks

Of the 4 Celebrity ships sailing from US ports, 3 are coded green by the CDC. Given recent passenger counts, this means ZERO positive customers and ZERO positive crew on board for at least the past week. Edge has been green for a few weeks, Summit and Millennium have been green for less time than that, but they're green nonetheless.

 

This to me is astoundingly positive. It's inconceivably good news. Focus on that and enjoy your cruise.

[Spif Barwunkel]

7 minutes ago, LJSNY said:

We booked this cruise in Jan of 2020. I guess we'll have to decide if we want to take the risk. Awareness would be key, like you said.

Absolutely. No one can decide for you. In the past 19 months, we have had six cruises cancelled. Between December 2021 and December 2022 we have 5 cruises scheduled. On the European cruise in April, we have six ships excursions booked. We are looking forward to them all and have no trepidation. We have done what we need to do and will continue to do so. We are aware of the severity of this pandemic. We are confident that our precautions and our preparations will allow us to travel smartly while enjoying each voyage to the fullest, even with protocols in place. In this case, we don't fight the system. We do our best to make it work. But that's us. 

[nocl]

2 hours ago, LJSNY said:

We're booked 11/13 on Reflection. We love that everyone needs to be vaccinated & negative to cruise. We are however concerned about people getting off and touring on their own and getting back on the ship. Does anyone else have these concerns or should we not be worried? 

Thanks so much.

Not sure why you would be more concerned about that, than cruising with them at all.

 

After all even if someone were to get infected during a port stop, they are not going to be immediately infectious.  The odds of someone getting infected during a port stop and being infectious on board, is probably less than a false negative during pre-boarding testing.  Pretty low in both cases with a fully vaccinated population. You are much more at risk traveling to the ship.

 

Also rather ironic that you are concerned about port calls, yet not willing to wear masks on board when not distancing, an effective measure for lowering risk even further.

Edited September 30, 2021 by nocl

[jelayne]

We are vaccinated and have had the booster.  We are not concerned about the ship, probably safer than many places on land.  Off the ship we  have planned outdoor activities.   We are not nervous, we are excited to get on the ship in 23 days.

 

[lv2cruisgrl]

14 hours ago, RichYak said:

Of the 4 Celebrity ships sailing from US ports, 3 are coded green by the CDC. Given recent passenger counts, this means ZERO positive customers and ZERO positive crew on board for at least the past week. Edge has been green for a few weeks, Summit and Millennium have been green for less time than that, but they're green nonetheless.

 

This to me is astoundingly positive. It's inconceivably good news. Focus on that and enjoy your cruise.

Also the number of new cases of Covid at least in Florida is down! Hoping it continues and we can all get back to whatever the new normal is 

[micheleg]

We're just staying on the ship, we feel that's the safest place.  If we see too many folks in one place, we'll just slide our masks on, we don't have any problem doing that.   Just getting away is good enough for us. 

 

We're not risking islands that are at a Level 4 and mostly unvaccinated.  The activities on land are not worth the risk for a case of breakthrough Covid to us.  We've been to all of the islands a gazillion times, so enjoying the ship and the pool is what it's all about this time.  By the time we sail in November, both of us will have had our boosters, so we're feeling really good about going.

[mayleeman]

17 hours ago, LJSNY said:

We don't want to wear a mask while on board, which Celebrity is not requiring now. If this changes, we will go for the future credit.

 

No one expects Covid to completely go away within the time you would have to use FCCs. Your November cruise is much more likely to be at reduced capacity than anything next year as people use their accumulated credits. Reduced capacity, all pax vaxxed, stringent ship sanitation, fewer lines, everyone able to have more space for social distancing...When you factor in people suing, and politicians legislating, to eliminate mask and/or vax rqmts, you have no assurance Celebrity's health protocols will last.

 

Further, you will likely have to pay more or find a shorter cruise because all the prices are up next year.

 

We had similar worries as you, but all these things made us decide cruising now is more likely to be as safe as possible. Most importantly, we are probably healthier now than we ever will be again, which seems likely to mean we are now at the lowest vulnerability of severe illness we can expect. 

 

Good luck whatever you choose!

Edited October 1, 2021 by mayleeman

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, RichYak said:

Of the 4 Celebrity ships sailing from US ports, 3 are coded green by the CDC. Given recent passenger counts, this means ZERO positive customers and ZERO positive crew on board for at least the past week. Edge has been green for a few weeks, Summit and Millennium have been green for less time than that, but they're green nonetheless.

 

This to me is astoundingly positive. It's inconceivably good news. Focus on that and enjoy your cruise.

You are so correct! Everybody seems to be ignoring actual cruise ship very good data going back to June.  All of that time with Delta around and dominant.  The media and CDC give everybody the wrong impression about cruise ships.  Show Me The Data!

[DCPIV]

You're vaccinated.  They're vaccinated (unless they are kids).  There's plenty of room on the ships at the moment (and likely for the near future).  Celebrity ships aren't showing cases.

 

I'm not saying that your concerns are not legitimate or that the risk does not exist, but the risk does appear to be rather remote.  Like the others, I'm far more concerned about the airports and airplanes than I am about the cruise ship, even when accounting for folks getting on and off.

[LGW59]

59 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

You are so correct! Everybody seems to be ignoring actual cruise ship very good data going back to June.  All of that time with Delta around and dominant.  The media and CDC give everybody the wrong impression about cruise ships.  Show Me The Data!

We live with seasonal flu and don't stay in our homes all winter, many get the flu shot, just like the COVID vax, and we still go to that terrible enclosed location called a grocery store, and some are worrying about being outside at a cruise port stop!   Just stay home already then

[TeeRick]

4 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

We live with seasonal flu and don't stay in our homes all winter, many get the flu shot, just like the COVID vax, and we still go to that terrible enclosed location called a grocery store, and some are worrying about being outside at a cruise port stop!   Just stay home already then

You are right of course.  But a number of fully vaccinated people (plus boosters now!) are still fearful of the COVID virus no matter what the actual cruise ship data indicates.  We as a society have been thoroughly conditioned this way for 18 months.  Most are not scientists or just don't follow it closely to have their own educated opinions.  And the uninformed media (with a few exceptions)  is just fanning the fire.  Just when vaccines appeared to turn the tide we started to get the media barrage about Delta and the CDC backward changes on masking and distancing.  This all created increased fear and confusion. Even though the CDC says that COVID has primarily become a disease of the non-vaccinated (for serious consequences).  So some vaccinated cruising folk feel more comfortable with masking and avoiding crowded situations on tour buses or wherever.  And even in outside situations.   Whatever makes one comfortable for their personal level of risk tolerance is OK.  But I would go on a fully vaccinated cruise ship and still not worry about it.  The excellent cruise ship data reinforces my confidence.

[LGW59]

6 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

You are right of course.  But a number of fully vaccinated people (plus boosters now!) are still fearful of the COVID virus no matter what the actual cruise ship data indicates.  We as a society have been thoroughly conditioned this way for 18 months.  Most are not scientists or just don't follow it closely to have their own educated opinions.  And the uninformed media (with a few exceptions)  is just fanning the fire.  Just when vaccines appeared to turn the tide we started to get the media barrage about Delta and the CDC backward changes on masking and distancing.  This all created increased fear and confusion. Even though the CDC says that COVID has primarily become a disease of the non-vaccinated (for serious consequences).  So some vaccinated cruising folk feel more comfortable with masking and avoiding crowded situations on tour buses or wherever.  And even in outside situations.   Whatever makes one comfortable for their personal level of risk tolerance is OK.  But I would go on a fully vaccinated cruise ship and still not worry about it.  The excellent cruise ship data reinforces my confidence.

Yes, I do not judge anyone for not being vaccinated, though I will honestly say I do not understand that rationale.  I also never judge if wearing a mask, I still wear mine in different situations.  I/we all have done our part and what we feel is right in our lives.  I just do not understand how one can be worried so much if in a wide open outdoor area vs a coffee shop, grocery store etc. In the end, we all make the decision that we feel is best for us.   

[Travelexpert35]

If I was cruising right now and I wish I was, I would definitely do my own thing in the ports of call. No crowded buses for me and yes they are crowded. After watching Jim_Iain blog on the Equinox for the last couple of weeks, he did show pictures of the crowds getting on the excursion bus. He opted for Private Journeys with Celebrity and used his onboard credit. Mind you he had a lot of credit. Something to consider.

[PTC DAWG]

On 9/30/2021 at 1:16 PM, LJSNY said:

We're booked 11/13 on Reflection. We love that everyone needs to be vaccinated & negative to cruise. We are however concerned about people getting off and touring on their own and getting back on the ship. Does anyone else have these concerns or should we not be worried? 

Thanks so much.

No, if I had that concern, I would not leave home. 

[PTC DAWG]

22 hours ago, LJSNY said:

We don't want to wear a mask while on board, which Celebrity is not requiring now. If this changes, we will go for the future credit.

I agree, I went on Celebrity in August, it was great. Sailed recently with extended family on Allure of the Seas, masks were required inside (thankfully not in all areas), I did not like it all…I didn’t complain, family wanted to go…but it felt awkward to say the least. 

Edited October 1, 2021 by PTC DAWG