Royal Temporarily Tightens Mask Policy..Celebrity Next?

[deliver42]

I don't know how the report got started, nor do I care, but the Symphony is in Miami now. So much for false rumors.

[Honolulu Blue]

6 hours ago, Dwight1 said:

I’m surprised they went with masking before a booster requirement.

 

I'm not, for two reasons.  First, a substantial portion of cruisers aren't boosted, or may not get a boost in time for their cruise if implemented immediately.  That's a lot of $$$ flowing out the cruise lines' door that they really really really don't want to give up.  And second, masks are relatively cheap and available.  If you give a passenger a mask or two (or 5 or 20) on boarding and tell them they have to wear it, they'll probably wear it.  Problem solved!  (well, part of one problem anyway)

 

To answer the OP's original question, I hope Celebrity holds out as long as they can, but I'm preparing for them to fall into line sooner or later.

Edited December 18, 2021 by Honolulu Blue

[hrhdhd]

13 hours ago, emmas gran said:

So a guy is not wearing a mask onboard, you later find he has COVID and you have been sat talking with him. Had you both been wearing masks you would be protected but without chances are you are also infected. Does that change your opinion.

No. My protection is from my vaccine.

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, deliver42 said:

I don't know how the report got started, nor do I care, but the Symphony is in Miami now. So much for false rumors.

you mean the false rumors officially announced by the cruise line 🤔 TAs already received the info yesterday.

 

PS: got it! That was about returning to port 👍

Edited December 18, 2021 by Miaminice

[hrhdhd]

2 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

you mean the false rumors officially announced by the cruise line 🤔 TAs already received the info yesterday.

The PP is talking about the rumor that the Symphony was refusing to return to port.

[Miaminice]

Just now, hrhdhd said:

The PP is talking about the rumor that the Symphony was refusing to return to port.

👍

 

[Miaminice]

5 minutes ago, Dwight1 said:

Agreed, if the guy is at a bar drinking or outside, no mask, what then???

Geez… it is about risk reduction whenever possible 🙄

 

[vickykay]

800000 dead in the US. NY recently reinstated mask requirement for all indoor public areas.  We were actually happy about this.  Do we love wearing masks?  Of course not but this will not prevent us from cruising. Can’t wait for our Apex cruise end of January.

[Rocky4]

My guess is many will be actively drinking with drink in hand with no mask walking through the public areas and sitting in the theatre.

[Miaminice]

8 minutes ago, Dwight1 said:

Then require booster shot to board. It’s available everywhere now. Far most effective risk reduction. No mention of that I see.

 I’d be fine with that! Doesn’t eliminate the need and pros for masks though.

 

However, if you think on an international scale, boosters are not so easy to get just anywhere.

[esther e]

6 hours ago, Miaminice said:

masks are mandatory where we live.

Wrong.  Maybe in Germany, but  see you have Florida as a residence also.  And masks are definitely NOT mandatory in this fine state.

[Beachin2]

If masks are the ultimate answer, then why are we still wearing them after nearly 2 years?  Seems like the geographic areas with the tightest mask policies are the areas that are having the biggest problems.

 

Can't help but be skeptical at this point.  Just made final payment a few days ago for February cruise.  Not very happy.

[cruisemom42]

24 minutes ago, Beachin2 said:

If masks are the ultimate answer, then why are we still wearing them after nearly 2 years?  Seems like the geographic areas with the tightest mask policies are the areas that are having the biggest problems.

 

That is a patently ridiculous argument. It's like saying "If seatbelts are so effective then why are we still wearing them after __ years?"

 

Answer:  because both traffic accidents and exposure to COVID are continuing events. 

 

[TeeRick]

43 minutes ago, Dwight1 said:

Masks are a deal breaker for me. Not required in Virginia except medical  buildings. But the biggest deal breaker for me is no booster requirement. Without it I guarantee there will be in January/February many covid cases on board seriously affecting negatively the cruise experience. Not worth the $ spent to risk.

@Dwight1 you are on target here.  On a fully vaccinated ship, masks will be marginally effective as compared to the vaccines with Omicron becoming the dominant strain.    Only a required booster dose for everybody on the ship would be the key protective primary step.  People give to much credit to masks IMO.  They are a protective measure, but not the answer.

[SWFL Cruisers]

15 hours ago, gordylad said:

here we go again 2 years on and nothing has really changed....

And it probably won't change until 2024.

[TeeRick]

48 minutes ago, Beachin2 said:

If masks are the ultimate answer, then why are we still wearing them after nearly 2 years?  Seems like the geographic areas with the tightest mask policies are the areas that are having the biggest problems.

 

Can't help but be skeptical at this point.  Just made final payment a few days ago for February cruise.  Not very happy.

Easy.  Masks are not the ultimate answer.  Nobody said that.  They add some further protection.  Get the booster as by far the best thing to do right now.

[esther e]

A booster can e given 5 or 6 months after the last shot.  This might be a problem for those who just had the last jab recently.

 

[chamima]

14 hours ago, Cruise Gopher said:

My question wasn’t about which cruise line etc, it was about the destination/region people were sailing in.  I also didn’t mention anything about not being willing to comply. 
 

My whole point is there is a VERY big difference between sailing with masks in the Caribbean heat and humidity vs. a cruise in Europe or Alaska, etc. with milder temps. 

 

11 hours ago, nocl said:

Last time I  cruised in the Caribbean the ship was air conditioned inside where masks are required,  it was hot outside where they were not required.

 

 

The argument about hot, humid Caribbean weather is kind of moot when the mask requirement is for indoors where many of us are so cold we have to wear sweaters.

 

Also, as to requiring boosters - they may add that but will have to give people at least two weeks , if not a month's, notice in order to get appointments and then have the time for the vaccine to kick in and be effective.

A mask is an inexpensive item you can acquire quickly and so  that can be instituted almost immediately.

Personally, I hope Celebrity ends up requiring both.

[emmas gran]

They supplied cloth masks on Silhouette in your suite or stateroom

[Beachin2]

37 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

That is a patently ridiculous argument. It's like saying "If seatbelts are so effective then why are we still wearing them after __ years?"

 

Answer:  because both traffic accidents and exposure to COVID are continuing events. 

 

That is not a good comparison at all.  Not even apples & oranges - more like tires & lightbulbs.

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, vickykay said:

800000 dead in the US. NY recently reinstated mask requirement for all indoor public areas.  We were actually happy about this.  Do we love wearing masks?  Of course not but this will not prevent us from cruising. Can’t wait for our Apex cruise end of January.

I would enjoy the APEX cruise without worry using some caution where necessary.  The 800,000 is a horrible number and I am not minimizing it.  But many of these deaths were before vaccines.  Just to point out that many (not all) of the COVID deaths in recent months in the US are within the non-vaccinated population.  Omicron has not (yet) affected death rates (and it might end up being highly infectious but maybe not highly deadly- TBD). You will be going on APEX, a fully vaccinated ship.  Even if the do not require masks by January on the ship, you can feel free to wear them at will.  Other vaccinated people on the ship not wearing masks will not be much of a danger to you particularly if you got the third dose and wear a mask.  The biggest risk is having your vacation disrupted by positive test results on board but probably not by serious illness.  Happy cruising!

[Beachin2]

13 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Easy.  Masks are not the ultimate answer.  Nobody said that.  They add some further protection.  Get the booster as by far the best thing to do right now.

So, masks aren't the ultimate answer - but here we are doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?

 

For the record, I've had both the first and second shots as well as the booster and the annual influenza shot - so no, not an anti-vaxer.

[TeeRick]

14 minutes ago, esther e said:

A booster can e given 5 or 6 months after the last shot.  This might be a problem for those who just had the last jab recently.

 

Your primary antibody levels will be still high enough in most cases to protect you if you just recently got the second jab.  

[TeeRick]

3 minutes ago, Beachin2 said:

So, masks aren't the ultimate answer - but here we are doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?

 

For the record, I've had both the first and second shots as well as the booster and the annual influenza shot - so no, not an anti-vaxer.

We are not saying anything different.  Masks add some added degree of protection.  That's all.  Not a high degree of protection like the vaccine or a booster.  This is factual,  not controversial.

[teacherman]

I believe in vaccine and boosters.  We have received them.  I believe that being in a well ventilated area helps.  We like to spend most of our time outside, which is why we like to leave Michigan for a couple of weeks in the winter and go on a ship.  I believe in social distancing, and always have, which is why we try not to go places where people are jammed together for long periods of time.  (We are fortunate that we can spend extra to fly first class so we get a little more space).  And the fourth layer is a mask, which I wear when I cannot get the distancing.  Strangely, we do not wear our masks at the gym, which has overhead fans and HIGH ceilings, and where we go at hours there are not many people, and we exercise in areas not shared with others.  BUT we do wear our masks at church services, where we may be seated for an hour near to others and are singing.  We each have to determine our own level of risk and then see if it is worth it to spend the money to go somewhere.

 

Some can easily drive to the port in a day, so canceling is not a big deal.  We fly, so it is more of a problem to make a late cancellation.  We are scheduled to be on Reflection January 19, so, as of now, we are going.  If the people in charge say we have to wear a mask, then we will.  It's their ship and they make the rules.  Safe travels to each of you.