Mask Requirements on Celebrity

[prmssk]

1 hour ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

 

I appreciate this topic, as I'm interested in keeping up on this information, especially in light of our upcoming Summit cruise.

 

Just want to clarify regarding penguin's comment: is the relevant case level 3% or 0.3%, which is the CDC guidance?

On more than one occasion Celebrity has used 3% as the threshold to mandate masks (not the CDC’s 0.3%). If masks were mandated when the number of cases hit 0.3%, essentially all cruise ships sailing in US waters would require masks as almost all of them are orange on the CDC’s website. 

[Tony UK]

We all sign up to a cruise contract setting out the requirement to comply with the health regulations and knowing they can change at any time even whilst on board.

If individuals dont comply them they risk being off loaded at the next port. I guess it all depends on the level of non compliance on board. If it is large numbers as suggested then there isnt a great deal they can do. Smaller numbers possibly!

Certainly in the UK right now we are encouraged to take sensible steps to protect ourselves but no rules etc. Very rare now to see anyone with a mask. Personally I'd wear on in a crowded space I was going to be in for more than 15 mins, like on an aircraft or maybe in the theatre.

 

[5:00_Somewhere]

1 hour ago, prmssk said:

On more than one occasion Celebrity has used 3% as the threshold to mandate masks (not the CDC’s 0.3%). If masks were mandated when the number of cases hit 0.3%, essentially all cruise ships sailing in US waters would require masks as almost all of them are orange on the CDC’s website. 

 

Probably true. Thanks, that's why I was asking though, due to the similarity in the number to the CDC guidance. 

[5:00_Somewhere]

1 hour ago, Tony UK said:

and 3 % is only those who officially reported. The actual figure would be far higher from my experience of a recent sailing.

 

Good point. I have been disturbed to read on social media, and in conversations onboard, the numbers of people who suggest ill passengers simply "keep quiet and don't go to the medical center" so that they can avoid quarantine. There's a reason people who are positive are quarantined: so that they don't spread the disease to fellow passengers and crew!  

[Tony UK]

3 hours ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

 

Good point. I have been disturbed to read on social media, and in conversations onboard, the numbers of people who suggest ill passengers simply "keep quiet and don't go to the medical center" so that they can avoid quarantine. There's a reason people who are positive are quarantined: so that they don't spread the disease to fellow passengers and crew!  

I dont think its just that....many from the USA didnt realise symptoms were just like a common cold, sneezing etc. Some who tested positive going home had no symptoms or only very minor symptoms for a short time. People test negative for the first 2 to 3 days when they are infectious so wont be picked up. There will undoubtedly be cases on board and as Omicron is so highly infectious some spread is highly likely. 

[PTC DAWG]

I hope they end the mask charade soon…I’m am not the least bit concerned with getting the sniffles…I had the shots, got the booster..moving on. 
 

3 sailings since the restart,  no masks, no issues..2 in the last 3 months..

Edited June 9, 2022 by PTC DAWG

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, Tony UK said:

I dont think its just that....many from the USA didnt realise symptoms were just like a common cold, sneezing etc. Some who tested positive going home had no symptoms or only very minor symptoms for a short time. People test negative for the first 2 to 3 days when they are infectious so wont be picked up. There will undoubtedly be cases on board and as Omicron is so highly infectious some spread is highly likely. 

many from the USA didnt realise symptoms were just like a common cold, sneezing etc.  You obviously have zero clue to what you are talking about and posing as a knowledgeable statement

[sgmn]

6 hours ago, JezzaC said:

Hopefully they don't enforce masks in European cruises, since we don't have to follow CDC guidelines in Europe.

Not sure how accurate it is but on the app for Beyond it says masks required in the theater and casino

[SWFL Cruisers]

23 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Interesting. We’ll wear ours anyway. Our next cruise adventure is a b2b and we’re hoping to avoid testing positive between segments. 

They are no longer testing between cruises on a B2B.

[Silkroad]

3 minutes ago, SWFL Cruisers said:

They are no longer testing between cruises on a B2B.

From whom did you receive this information? Do you have personal experience? Which ship?
 

According to the Celebrity FAQ, they are still testing B2B pax. https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/faqs
 

I would love to see that change but thus far all I see is that some ships aren’t testing and some are. 

[graphicguy]

7 hours ago, JezzaC said:

Hopefully they don't enforce masks in European cruises, since we don't have to follow CDC guidelines in Europe.

Not a CDC requirement.  It's a cruise line protocol.  I actually think mask requirements are a bit stricter in Europe than they are in North America.

[Tony UK]

57 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

many from the USA didnt realise symptoms were just like a common cold, sneezing etc.  You obviously have zero clue to what you are talking about and posing as a knowledgeable statement

No I'm not a scientist but that doesnt mean I know nothing. OK common cold symptoms listed are a blocked or runny nose, headache, shivering or chills on all reputable sites including Celebrity. Sneezing was also reported in the UK in many reputable scientific reports. In my own case, sneezing was definitely a symptom when I returned from a cruise with Covid as was the case with other sailmates who returned home with it.

On our sailing a number of people had a runny nose etc. A number of people from USA mentioned it wasnt covid as they didnt have the original covid symptoms of fever, loss of smell persistent cough. These can be present still, however many vaccinated people have much milder symptoms with Omicron. That was my experience!

The point I was trying to make is that people arent deliberately going round infecting people by deliberately non reporting. Most have no or very mild symptoms not recognised by them as covid. In our case we had a box of tests which we used throughout a 16 day cruise testing negative, but tested positive on our return home. 

[Ride-The-Waves]

58 minutes ago, Tony UK said:

 

The point I was trying to make is that people arent deliberately going round infecting people by deliberately non reporting. 

The problem is there are a number of people who openly defy the safety protocols and who have openly on CC discussed ways to circumvent testing.  In essence, actively spreading COVID-19.  Knowingly infected and going into crowded venues on a cruise ship is totally unsatisfactory.  Infecting others who may be immunocompromised and putting their lives at risk could be considered totally unacceptable.  Wear the mask and follow protocols.  There are there for everyone's safety.

[SWFL Cruisers]

1 hour ago, Silkroad said:

From whom did you receive this information? Do you have personal experience? Which ship?
 

According to the Celebrity FAQ, they are still testing B2B pax. https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/faqs
 

I would love to see that change but thus far all I see is that some ships aren’t testing and some are. 

There have been many posts and threads stating differently.

 

[the penguins]

9 hours ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

 

I appreciate this topic, as I'm interested in keeping up on this information, especially in light of our upcoming Summit cruise.

 

Just want to clarify regarding penguin's comment: is the relevant case level 3% or 0.3%, which is the CDC guidance?

 

As an aside, but somewhat related, we were just on an Alaska cruise 2 weeks ago (on another cruise line). Masks were not mandated, but we wore them (KN95) in all crowded public spaces and elevators aboard ship, as well as on enclosed transportation (such as vans and buses) and in airports and on planes. We know at least a dozen people who came down with Covid on the cruise or shortly after returning home, including members of the party we were traveling with, and received texts from 2 different state health departments advising that we had been in contact with people who had tested positive (we believe on excursions, based on the states that contacted us and info shared by our fellow excursion passengers). We tested ourselves twice after disembarkation over the course of 10 days and continue to be negative. Masks may not be "perfect", but we believe they help and will continue to wear them, mandate or no.

There were around 1100 passengers. Passengers testing positive were either 34 or 37 i.e over 3%. References to CDC Guidance is irrelevant. According to the onboard announcement Celebrity is enforcing it's own "protocols"  which at 3% requires the introduction of the measures I detailed. 

[Silkroad]

23 minutes ago, SWFL Cruisers said:

There have been many posts and threads stating differently.

 

Yes I’ve seen those posts, but until Celebrity updates their website (as Royal Caribbean did several weeks ago) we cannot assume the b2b test requirement is discontinued.

Initially I had hoped this was another instance of Celebrity’s protocol changes lagging Royal Caribbean’s by a week or two, but so far…nothing. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Silkroad

[12cruise2]

B2B testing has NOT been eliminated.  We were on first week or two cruises week of May 21 and we were told the first day, no testing between cruises, then on Wed. of the week, we received a letter and told we and all the other B2B folks would be tested the last day of the current cruise (and DH was positive)--we were offloaded and isolated in a hotel in Fort Lauderdale.  Folks on the same cruise had this cruise as their second week of a B2B and they were NOT tested between cruises.  Could be ports of call, could be that a whole lot of passengers have been testing positive on each cruise--ours was at 3%, not .3%.  So at least 23 passengers in isolation, probably way more.  Makes sense to me to test; why would you want someone to stay on board who is positive and then infect many other passengers? 

[bigbenboys]

We are on Millie now. Docking in Vancouver tomorrow. We have about 1400 guests on board. The captain did make an announcement on day 4 that we have covid cases on board. We were asked to wear masks in the theater and in the casino, but that was from the start of the cruise. It has been a really nice cruise. 

[Edinburghgirl1]

10 hours ago, Tony UK said:

I dont think its just that....many from the USA didnt realise symptoms were just like a common cold, sneezing etc. Some who tested positive going home had no symptoms or only very minor symptoms for a short time. People test negative for the first 2 to 3 days when they are infectious so wont be picked up. There will undoubtedly be cases on board and as Omicron is so highly infectious some spread is highly likely. 

I agree as I’ve seen people from US on Facebook posts asking for anti histamines and something  for a headache but find it strange they were not aware of the symptoms after all this time!! 

[Fly and Sail]

13 hours ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

 

Good point. I have been disturbed to read on social media, and in conversations onboard, the numbers of people who suggest ill passengers simply "keep quiet and don't go to the medical center" so that they can avoid quarantine. There's a reason people who are positive are quarantined: so that they don't spread the disease to fellow passengers and crew!  

 

Maybe if Celebrity would be more professional and reasonable in how they treat people who test positive the response would be different but all I read are nightmare scenarios of people being locked away in a window cabin (at best) without balcony and receiving shoddy treatment including cold food.

 

There is no way I'd have myself tested on board or report to medical under these conditions. Not a chance.

[cublet]

Hello,

 

I was looking at 'Shopping' on the app pre my Silhouette cruise tomorrow and how to spend my squillions of OBC. Under each 'shop' it said that mask wearing was required.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[Tony UK]

11 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

The problem is there are a number of people who openly defy the safety protocols and who have openly on CC discussed ways to circumvent testing.  In essence, actively spreading COVID-19.  Knowingly infected and going into crowded venues on a cruise ship is totally unsatisfactory.  Infecting others who may be immunocompromised and putting their lives at risk could be considered totally unacceptable.  Wear the mask and follow protocols.  There are there for everyone's safety.

Yes there are and not just on cruise ships! We all need to move forward doing the best we can to protect ourselves. Those at very high risk might want to consider whether it is a good idea to cruise right now. 

Some people will report others won't. I may well have been infectious on the last day of my cruise and on my flight home. I was still testing negative in this time. We have a disabled daughter at home and wanted to be sure BUT tested positive after arriving home. Many will have no symptoms or very mild symptoms that they put down to other things, like hayfever!

Because the protocols cannot protect people fully, especially when passengers and crew are going ashore independently there is likelihood of Covid infection and spread especially with Omicron. 

[5:00_Somewhere]

20 hours ago, the penguins said:

There were around 1100 passengers. Passengers testing positive were either 34 or 37 i.e over 3%. References to CDC Guidance is irrelevant. According to the onboard announcement Celebrity is enforcing it's own "protocols"  which at 3% requires the introduction of the measures I detailed. 

 

Thank you, and I understand the cruise lines have their own protocols. As I mentioned in another post, I asked due to the coincidental similarity between the 3% you referenced and the 0.3% CDC guidance. I was just curious whether there was a typo or if that was the actual Celebrity benchmark. Thanks for clarifying. 

[12cruise2]

Above I put the wrong percentage--for our cruise the week of May 21, Capt. reported 1%, not 3%, and for us that was around 23 as we had 2300 passengers.  But even the 1% is way above the .3% that CDC is talking about.  In other words, a lot more covid than people realize.

And yes, on the Sat., DH tested positive (antigen, then PCR) and I tested negative (antigen then PCR).  Then I tested positive two days later, after we were off the ship.  I had to isolate with him because of close contact, so it was inevitable I'd get it to.

Edited June 10, 2022 by 12cruise2

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

 

Thank you, and I understand the cruise lines have their own protocols. As I mentioned in another post, I asked due to the coincidental similarity between the 3% you referenced and the 0.3% CDC guidance. I was just curious whether there was a typo or if that was the actual Celebrity benchmark. Thanks for clarifying. 

A pleasure