QM 2 new mask requirements

[bluemarble]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

There was no mask mandate on the previous Queen Elizabeth sailing

 

Thanks, @Host Hattie. This thread indicates masks were required on the previous Alaska cruise which was Q218N, the first Alaska cruise after QE's repositioning cruise.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2858140-face-masks-again/

 

It remains unclear to this observer whether the CDC required mask wearing on that QE cruise because of the number of cases on the repositioning cruise or that was a decision made by Cunard.

[Craigrlewis]

Q219

 

IMHO having spent 4 days in Vancouver b4 cruise more people in That city are wearing masks compared to UK

 

So When we boarded the daily program for the Tuesday said as per photo

 

First couple of days of cruise many many people were wearing masks and rhe lifts had signs up limiting it to 4 people only.

 

Probably 2 or 3 days in I started to hear various chatter along the lines of “thankfully from tomorrow we can ditch the masks” type comments coupled with the opposing view “its so good we all have to wear masks”

 

Then the lift signs went.

 

Then after that initial inclusion on the program nothing else was stated.  Gradually more and more passengers damasked.

 

Evening of 20th there as a letter from captain in the next days program advising of an increase in the numbers of positive covid tests so she suggested we wear masks and take care.

 

That prompted me to test on the Wednesday morning as I felt weird and get my positive result.

 

2 nights before the end of the cruise (the gala night) during midday announcement captain “please I urge strongly the wearing of masks….due to increasing number of covid cases”

 

IMHO Its a shame it wasn't mandated.

 

Our friends went to the show and they stated “ it was packed and hardly anyone had masks on”. Im not saying that is fact Im just repeating what they told me.

 

Not wishing to stray into the red IMHO I think the pro maskers will insist that they are right and the anti maskers will disagree.  I guess theres nowt so queer as folk and that differing opinions on life etc is what makes the world go round.

Other posters have more eloquently put it but I think no one is making people board the ships; we all know the well publicized risks; we all now know how quickly  transmissible the disease is; we all know the potential outcomes of catching it and we all know how fluid things are so if one is looking for a pre 2019 experience that doesn't now exist.  Last minute changes and Government/CDC mandates change daily and the cruise companies react.

With hindsight I wish I hadn't done the cruise now BUT  our friends left the ship uninfected so they think “its safe and great to return to cruising”

 

Some friend of ours went on a family cruise with Celebrity 3 out of the 6 caught it on board and quarantined and 1 tested positive at home day after disembarking. So now 2 of them have vowed never to cruise again and the rest all think its worth the risk.

 

Sorry turned into a right old ramble this

 

 

 

[sandjango]

It will be interesting to see how the P&O IONA trial works out (Passengers will not need to take a Covid test before boarding Iona if they are sailing on G220 June 25, G221 July 2, G222 July 9, G223 July 16, or G224 July 23). I think these are all Norway voyages to and from Southampton

[sogne]

4 minutes ago, sandjango said:

It will be interesting to see how the P&O IONA trial works out (Passengers will not need to take a Covid test before boarding Iona if they are sailing on G220 June 25, G221 July 2, G222 July 9, G223 July 16, or G224 July 23). I think these are all Norway voyages to and from Southampton

ALL 7 nights theory short cruises virus has short time to take hold

[BouncingWheel]

2 hours ago, sogne said:

ALL 7 nights theory short cruises virus has short time to take hold

And very unlikely to have passengers doing B2B on them. 

[Jacqueline]

Cruising isn’t a great option for libertarians. Way more rules and customs than hotels and resorts. Many more people in close quarters. it is just not the moment to cruise if you hope to do your own thing.

 

[ace2542]

On 6/25/2022 at 9:39 PM, BouncingWheel said:

And very unlikely to have passengers doing B2B on them. 

Which perhaps raises the interesting question if this mask thing harms Cunard in the longer term particuarly on the QM2 do you think they might scrap the b2b bookings for a while and just limit people to single bookings? Or would that be too costly?

[exlondoner]

58 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Which perhaps raises the interesting question if this mask thing harms Cunard in the longer term particuarly on the QM2 do you think they might scrap the b2b bookings for a while and just limit people to single bookings? Or would that be too costly?

 

 I should have thought 'this mask thing' was as likely to encourage bookings as put people off. It certainly reassures me, as an impending passenger.

[ace2542]

30 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

 I should have thought 'this mask thing' was as likely to encourage bookings as put people off. It certainly reassures me, as an impending passenger.

I think it is going to be a nightmare. Imagine how quickly the Golden Lion and the Chart Room fill up with people nursing 1 drink so they don't have to wear mask. Getting a seat has never really been a problem on Cunard has it apart from Samuels coffee and the quiz and maybe lunch in the Golden Lion. Then again maybe the Champagne bar will get some action out of this. God knows it needs it I have never seen more than 3 people in there.

Edited June 27, 2022 by ace2542

[exlondoner]

17 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

I think it is going to be a nightmare. Imagine how quickly the Golden Lion and the Chart Room fill up with people nursing 1 drink so they don't have to wear mask. Getting a seat has never really been a problem on Cunard has it apart from Samuels coffee and the quiz and maybe lunch in the Golden Lion. Then again maybe the Champagne bar will get some action out of this. God knows it needs it I have never seen more than 3 people in there.

 

All I can say is that it was not remotely like that on my April QE trip, where masks were required indoors. All was serene and delightful.

[ace2542]

17 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

All I can say is that it was not remotely like that on my April QE trip, where masks were required indoors. All was serene and delightful.

That was half full though, a third full or however full? But they can't operate like that forever? They have to go back to 100% operation or what they say is 100% operation. There will be double the people next time you go?

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, ace2542 said:

That was half full though, a third full or however full? But they can't operate like that forever? They have to go back to 100% operation or what they say is 100% operation. There will be double the people next time you go?

 

No, it won't. It was over 70% full, and the Grills were more or less completely full. Still, a little way to go, undoubtedly, but not as bad as you seem to suggest. It would be certainly be interesting to know what the break even point for capacity is. I suppose it depends on how much booze they sell.

[david,Mississauga]

On 6/23/2022 at 1:57 PM, Host Hattie said:

Unfortunately we have several reports on this board of people with Covid on Cunard ships, including one who developed symptoms within hours of boarding.

If you decide to travel during a pandemic you have to accept that things will change and additional precautions might be necessary.

 

Thanks, Hattie, for saying what I was about to say. I can't believe the amount of whingeing about masks.  I wish some people would just face up to reality or stay home.

 

I was on the Alaska cruise that CraigRLewis was on (post 52). I was surprised how many passengers did not wear a mask on the lifts and in the narrow passageways.  We rarely go to the shows in the theatre, but went to one which had maybe 50 people at the second performance. The production of Top Hat had a much larger audience, but still well below capacity. Many wore masks but it appeared the majority did not.

 

Regarding the question about  welcome-aboard wine in the cabins (post 63) we received a bottle of an Italian sparkling wine called  Contessa. It was drinkable compared to the usual brand which I need not mention. A few days later a second bottle arrived from the World Club.

 

Despite what some have suggested, cruising is not the only transportation where masks are required. In Canada they are required (except obviously at meal times) on trains, other than commuter trains, and on airplanes. This includes stations and airports.

[ace2542]

3 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

Thanks, Hattie, for saying what I was about to say. I can't believe the amount of whingeing about masks.

And a lot of those people are spending 12k aren't they - so a grills cabin then yes? And if they don't book in the numbers they currently do the bottom line for Cunard could be hit.

[david,Mississauga]

2 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

And a lot of those people are spending 12k aren't they - so a grills cabin then yes? And if they don't book in the numbers they currently do the bottom line for Cunard could be hit.

 

We had splurged on Princess Grill for the 10-day Alaska cruise. We were told there were about 1100 passengers on board. This was limited by Cunard. The voyage was marked sold out several weeks in advance. The Grills had a much higher occupancy level than Britannia. There were only a few empty tables in PG.

 

Just before the cruise was pulled from the booking system I noted seven available staterooms in each of the Grills. There was ample availability in Britannia.

[ace2542]

1 minute ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

We had splurged on Princess Grill for the 10-day Alaska cruise. We were told there were about 1100 passengers on board. This was limited by Cunard. The voyage was marked sold out several weeks in advance. The Grills had a much higher occupancy level than Britannia. There were only a few empty tables in PG.

 

Just before the cruise was pulled from the booking system I noted seven available staterooms in each of the Grills. There was ample availability in Britannia.

Alaska was always gonna sell out with Cunard. We would have gone ourselves but my father can't get his ETA approved - I think I screwed it up when I did it -.  Be interesting to see how the other routes are faring not just for Cunard but for other lines as well

[njguy_south]

As you may know, the CDC identifies a ship as being in the ORANGE category if 0.3% of the passengers and/or crew are identified as being positive. Both QM2 and QE are in the ORANGE category.  Consider the following maximum passengers/crew:

 

QM2:  3,064 passengers + 1,253 crew = 4,317 x 0.3% = 13 positive cases

 

QE: 2,116 passengers + 900 crew = 3,016 x 0.3% = 9 positive cases

 

I do believe that I am probably passing by and mingling with more that 13 people who are positive every time I go to the grocery store, use public transportation, fly, etc.  And when I remove my mask in a large restaurant to eat, I am certain that more than 13 positive cases are walking by my table or sitting beside me, or waiting my table, or providing me with drinks.

 

This is all about perspective!  Should we take refuge in a walled abbey to escape the Mask of the Red Death, as they did in Poe's tale?

[Victoria2]

37 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

Ah, but think of those not cancelling because people are told to wear masks. 

Mask wearing, either by the ship load of passengers or just us and a few others, certainly spurs us on to look forward to our Cunard experiences.

[exlondoner]

15 minutes ago, njguy_south said:

As you may know, the CDC identifies a ship as being in the ORANGE category if 0.3% of the passengers and/or crew are identified as being positive. Both QM2 and QE are in the ORANGE category.  Consider the following maximum passengers/crew:

 

QM2:  3,064 passengers + 1,253 crew = 4,317 x 0.3% = 13 positive cases

 

QE: 2,116 passengers + 900 crew = 3,016 x 0.3% = 9 positive cases

 

I do believe that I am probably passing by and mingling with more that 13 people who are positive every time I go to the grocery store, use public transportation, fly, etc.  And when I remove my mask in a large restaurant to eat, I am certain that more than 13 positive cases are walking by my table or sitting beside me, or waiting my table, or providing me with drinks.

 

This is all about perspective!  Should we take refuge in a walled abbey to escape the Mask of the Red Death, as they did in Poe's tale?

 

As you say, the numbers to trigger the orangemcatsgory are very low, though the may well somewhat understate the actual numbers on board. But I wonder how you calculate the other figures. I rarely encounter as many as twenty people when I visit the supermarket. Even with the latest sub variant, I doubt most of them have Covid.

 

As for perspective, it is hard to see a perspective from which wearing a mask is onerous.

[ace2542]

10 minutes ago, njguy_south said:

As you may know, the CDC identifies a ship as being in the ORANGE category if 0.3% of the passengers and/or crew are identified as being positive. Both QM2 and QE are in the ORANGE category.  Consider the following maximum passengers/crew:

 

QM2:  3,064 passengers + 1,253 crew = 4,317 x 0.3% = 13 positive cases

 

QE: 2,116 passengers + 900 crew = 3,016 x 0.3% = 9 positive cases

 

I do believe that I am probably passing by and mingling with more that 13 people who are positive every time I go to the grocery store, use public transportation, fly, etc.  And when I remove my mask in a large restaurant to eat, I am certain that more than 13 positive cases are walking by my table or sitting beside me, or waiting my table, or providing me with drinks.

 

This is all about perspective!  Should we take refuge in a walled abbey to escape the Mask of the Red Death, as they did in Poe's tale?

Cunard is being too honest in all this I think and that might hurt them in the long run for what that statement is worth.

[Jacqueline]

I am in Grills and I am not canceling. The situation is so fluid. It is what it is. If I need to wear a mask in certain situations it is not going to ruin my time,

[WestonOne]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

Ah, but think of those not cancelling because people are told to wear masks. 

I do not usually travel in Grills, though I have done.  This time I specifically opted for Grills because of covid risks.  If the risk is low enough I can meander all around the ship as much as I like. At the expected risk I can do some of that but mainly stay in the grills area to cut down on the number of people I meet and if is high (but not high enough to cancel entirely) I have enough space in the cabin to live comfortably for a while, relax on the balcony and eat in the room without trying to balance everything on a tiny table.

In short, a major factor in deciding to go grills this time was to be able to control the number of people I mixed with if need be while still having a great time.   Whether people are expected to wear masks or not will alter my judgement of risk, and so which approach I take,

Edited June 27, 2022 by WestonOne

[Alslc]

55 minutes ago, njguy_south said:

As you may know, the CDC identifies a ship as being in the ORANGE category if 0.3% of the passengers and/or crew are identified as being positive. Both QM2 and QE are in the ORANGE category.  Consider the following maximum passengers/crew:

 

QM2:  3,064 passengers + 1,253 crew = 4,317 x 0.3% = 13 positive cases

 

QE: 2,116 passengers + 900 crew = 3,016 x 0.3% = 9 positive cases

 

I do believe that I am probably passing by and mingling with more that 13 people who are positive every time I go to the grocery store, use public transportation, fly, etc.  And when I remove my mask in a large restaurant to eat, I am certain that more than 13 positive cases are walking by my table or sitting beside me, or waiting my table, or providing me with drinks.

 

This is all about perspective!  Should we take refuge in a walled abbey to escape the Mask of the Red Death, as they did in Poe's tale?

 

Just to specify out the definition of orange says the threshold has been MET. 

The definition of red is threshold MET or ABOVE with public health measure in place. 

 

No idea if orange can also be assigned to ships above the threshold 

 

[exlondoner]

17 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

I do not usually travel in Grills, though I have done.  This time I specifically opted for Grills because of covid risks.  If the risk is low enough I can meander all around the ship as much as I like. At the expected risk I can do some of that but mainly stay in the grills area to cut down on the number of people I meet and if is high (but not high enough to cancel entirely) I have enough space in the cabin to live comfortably for a while, relax on the balcony and eat in the room without trying to balance everything on a tiny table.

In short, a major factor in deciding to go grills this time was to be able to control the number of people I mixed with if need be while still having a great time.   Whether people are expected to wear masks or not will alter my judgement of risk, and so which approach I take,

 

And don't forget the spaciousness of the Grills Terraces in the Vistas.

[njguy_south]

6 minutes ago, Alslc said:

 

Just to specify out the definition of orange says the threshold has been MET. 

The definition of red is threshold MET or ABOVE with public health measure in place. 

 

No idea if orange can also be assigned to ships above the threshold 

 

Regardless, both ships are in the ORANGE, currently.