Marella Explorer 2 - New Year Cruise

[ferretktf]

Brief initial comments about this Cruise, which i joined on Thursday, primarily from a Covid perspective.

 

I have been very disappointed…..with the customers

 

The Ship is doing its best - but Brits being Brits just don’t give a damn. … social distancing has completely gone to pot.

 

Squid and Anchor (main indoor pub) is rammed each night with not a mask in sight and everybody cross mixing and having fun - we have steered clear and have kept to the quieter venues where we can enjoy a nice drink, socially distanced from others.

 

Theatre (other main indoor venue ) is mandatory masks - but 95% remove as soon as they get it - we remain masked with N99/FFP3

 

Buffet - masks very hard to see - people approach the buffet maskless (you obviously can remove at the table) … tables are socially distanced but people are sitting at the “do not sit here” tables -  we are sticking to the Table Service restaurants.

 

Masks mandatory in Spain at all times (outdoors) …. Not if you are British cruisers it seems.

 

We are still confident of avoiding Covid on this cruise - but it would not surprise me if dozens test positive on Tuesday (the 2 day before return test)….and it is all their own fault, not Marella’s.

 

Yes i know staff could be acting like Sergeant Majors telling people to mask up constantly - and some have tried - but they are fighting a losing battle against a tide of ignorant Brits who believe in Father Christmas but dont believe in Covid it seems.

 

Sorry for the rant - we are actually having a wonderful time …. But it might be our last Cruise for a while … far far far worse compliance with sensible measures than our Discovery cruise in October.

 

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by ferretktf

[Pensioncruiser]

Thank you very much for your report sorry it was disappointing but it was, IMO, to be expected, just wish people could be more responsible and we could reverted back to the good old day's. 

[Tizzy-Jo]

I don’t understand why some people feel justified by putting others at risk. However, the old saying springs to mind:- “Apathy is rife, but who cares?”

[ferretktf]

I should add that the ship is only 1/3 full (approx 550), so it is actually quite easy for us to be safe, and as I said, we are still having a great time (just avoiding certain areas) 

 

But as capacity grows it will be harder. 

[cinnamon]

Oh Gosh, this doesn't sound good.  I'll be sailing on Explorer on 11th.  I do so hope its better on that trip.  

[Jim The Scot]

On 1/2/2022 at 4:37 PM, Pensioncruiser said:

Thank you very much for your report sorry it was disappointing but it was, IMO, to be expected, just wish people could be more responsible and we could reverted back to the good old day's. 

 

Bang on P

[di T]

Oh that doesn’t sound great! We are trying to move our cruise 24th Jan to next year, but they are wanting a lot more money to move to the same cruise next January. Rumours have it that Boris will drop the test before you fly home on Wednesday when he gives the latest travel announcements, But will you still have to quarantine in Grand Canaria if positive? I wonder! This is why we really don’t want to do this cruise. Hope you still have a great cruise just avoid the idiots😂

 

[ferretktf]

I'm on EX2 so Malaga 

 

Tests are tomorrow afternoon in Squid and Anchor 

 

If Boris scraps them, unlikely to have immediate effect so we will have to take them tomorrow and bide by the results! 

 

I'm still comfortable we will be ok and to reemphasize, we have had a great time.. We have just had to have our wits around us and been prepared to move places if necessary

[Medeba]

Ferretktf. So sorry to hear about the irresponsible cruisers on your cruise but really glad you are managing to enjoy yourselves.  Good luck with the test tomorrow.  What did you think of Gibraltar?

[MAC_1867]

Unfortunately, this is why the virus will thrive on a cruise ship.

 

As a 34 yr old and my partner being 26, COVID poses little threat to our health, but other people should be respected.

 

We are trying to get off a 3 week cruise 25th Jan - 15th Feb around Central America and the Caribbean instead changing to a cheap Barcelona city break, spent an hour trying to get through and still on hold.

 

It's just not worth the risk at the moment, not health wise (for us) but the chances of having a cruise disrupted, ports cancelled, rejected from ports, positive tests, quarantining in unfamiliar countries. 

 

Not for me 

[Tizzy-Jo]

Hope your test goes well. Pleased you have had a good time despite some thoughtless other cruisers.

Medeba, Gib is great, lovely to walk around, and, of course, the cable car up to the top of the rock.

[okavango]

4 hours ago, ferretktf said:

I'm on EX2 so Malaga 

 

Tests are tomorrow afternoon in Squid and Anchor 

 

If Boris scraps them, unlikely to have immediate effect so we will have to take them tomorrow and bide by the results! 

 

I'm still comfortable we will be ok and to reemphasize, we have had a great time.. We have just had to have our wits around us and been prepared to move places if necessary

What Boris does will probably make no difference ,the Spanish authorities had already brought in pre disembarkation in to spain tests back in october so unless they scrap them nothing will change for cruises

[ferretktf]

8 hours ago, Medeba said:

Ferretktf. So sorry to hear about the irresponsible cruisers on your cruise but really glad you are managing to enjoy yourselves.  Good luck with the test tomorrow.  What did you think of Gibraltar?

Gibraltar was lovely - Cable Car as closed so we had to take a taxi tour (£35 each) but he was very good and overall felt it was value for money (£13 of that was admission fees)

 

in fact the driver was so good, the monkeys wanted to join us

[ferretktf]

5 hours ago, okavango said:

What Boris does will probably make no difference ,the Spanish authorities had already brought in pre disembarkation in to spain tests back in october so unless they scrap them nothing will change for cruises

Good point - only difference right now is that Marella will give you a certificate for UK entry

[ferretktf]

found out last night that several have been disembarked after failing the daily temperature check - and subsequent LFT's ... some in Barcelona and some in Valencia

 

Mass ship testing this afternoon at 16:45

 

We then have to wait in our cabins for 30 mins.  IF the phone rings during that time we are positive and have won a free 10-day stay in one of Malaga's finest

 

If no phone call then we are presumed negative and are free to continue as normal

[Megabear2]

Doubt it will be free!  Good luck and hope all goes well for you.

[ferretktf]

Update.... More have been offloaded this morning in Cartagena 

 

From what I can gather its around 20-30 now in total 

 

I'm not surprised after the antics of the majority of the passengers in the first few days 

[Tizzy-Jo]

Hope those who have tested positive were only those who were flouting the safety rules. Unfortunately, I suppose some of them will have been doing all they could to help keep people safe.

[ferretktf]

Just back on the ship after a walk around Cartagena and an ambulance was by the gangplank. We had to wait while two more unfortunatel passengers were offloaded - guess they failed temperature checks and subsequent tests 

[ferretktf]

[MAC_1867]

6 hours ago, ferretktf said:

Just back on the ship after a walk around Cartagena and an ambulance was by the gangplank. We had to wait while two more unfortunatel passengers were offloaded - guess they failed temperature checks and subsequent tests 

What cruise are you on?

[MAC_1867]

Sorry, thought you were in Colombia Cartagena (pride of Panama) just realised you’re in Spain.

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by MAC_1867

[ferretktf]

Well we had the ship wide tests this afternoon.

 

Fortunately myself and wife were negative but SEVEN of the 12 cabins in our stretch had positive cases.... Loads of room service tables set up outside and cabin steward eager to highlight that it is airbound not surface (looks bad that 7 of his 12 cabins have gone down)

 

I understand (anecdotally) it is similar elsewhere on the ship

 

I'm told that a total of six ambulances attended in Cartagena... Each taking between 2 and 4 off the ship.... The ship wide testing took place after we had set sail so these were yesterday's cases. 

 

Some crew members must be included as they have changed tonight's show at short notice 

Edited January 5, 2022 by ferretktf

[Cardiff girl]

Thanks for updating us on this @ferretktf, and safe journey home.

Do Marella/Tui monitor this board? I'm shocked they've let this situation develop. I know it's hard for crew to deal with customers ignoring requests but the captain and the company are responsible for enforcing public health measures, alongside other safety procedures.

It's not impossible - they could email in advance, make announcements, put notes under doors and take further steps if necessary. If so many are allowed to break rules then they aren't really rules.

I'm sure @Cinammon and fellow travellers will have a great cruise, but, to me,  enforcement lies at a senior level. 

[Pensioncruiser]

29 minutes ago, Cardiff girl said:

enforcement lies at a senior level. 

Spot on, unfortunately the onboard staff have not been able to enforce regulations ever since the security Gurkas left about ten years ago. 😕