No More Pre-Cruise Testing for Vaccinated guests on voyages less than 6 nights starting August 8th!

[Charles4515]

52 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

We went to see Andrea Bocelli at State Farm Arena in ATL early this year.  Masks were only required while going through security.  A month later, we wen tot see Steve Martin and Martin Short at The Fox Theater in ATL - masks were required the whole time except when eating/drinking and they had 5x as many ushers as normal enforcing it.  We saw some people escorted out because they were "drinking too often". 

I was going to the symphony here at Bass Hall when masks were required. I did not care. They are no longer required so I don't wear them. I skipped Andrea Bocelli in October. I could have tickets but I was advised not to go by some musicians I know who played at the concert not to go.  Not because of the crowd.............

Edited July 30, 2022 by Charles4515

[Keksie]

There is not anything I want to see badly enough to wear a mask through it.  I would spend the entire time just wanting to get out and take it off especially now that it has been so long since I wore one.

[jerseygirl3]

7 hours ago, Keksie said:

People have always been able to get on the ship with flu or other communicable illness.  It is just covid that there is/was a testing requirement for.  

True, but if you contract flu on a cruise, you are quarantined. Happened to my husband on Day 8 of a 12 day sailing. 

[jerseygirl3]

1 hour ago, rudeney said:

 

Same here - if a place requires me to mask, I won't go.  The exceptions were doctor's offices and airplanes, but they are all mask-optional now.  We'll be in Perdido Key in 2 weeks, looking forward to a mask-less vacation.  If we get COVID again, so be it - I won't blame anyone.

Dont know where you live, but many doctors  offices require masks. 

[Keksie]

5 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

Dont know where you live, but many doctors  offices require masks. 

Mine didn't last year when I went.  I only go once a year so things may have changed.

[Keksie]

9 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

True, but if you contract flu on a cruise, you are quarantined. Happened to my husband on Day 8 of a 12 day sailing. 

I was responding to someone who wanted testing because they were concerned about people with flu, covid or other communicable illnesses boarding the ship and I was simply pointing out that people only have to test for covid. There are several illnesses people have to quarantine for, but only with covid do you have to go to a lesser cabin.  That is if the medical center knows you are ill.

[BND]

23 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

Dont know where you live, but many doctors  offices require masks. 

Ours all do.  DH gave blood this morning at a church and had to wear one.  All medical facilities require them.

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, jerseygirl3 said:

True, but if you contract flu on a cruise, you are quarantined. Happened to my husband on Day 8 of a 12 day sailing. 

Now that's the first time I've heard of anybody being quarantined for the flu or anything else other than COVID.  I'm not saying that it hasn't/doesn't happened, I guess it could have happened during the big Legionnaires Disease debacle a decade or two ago.  I believe I read that your husband has a preexisting issue.  Did the medical staff know this going into the cruise?  Did they quarantine him because of the preexisting issue to protect him, not necessarily anyone else?  Is this quarantining people with the flu new to the COVID era?  

 

No, I'm not trying to argumentative with this, I'm honestly curious about it.

 

Back in 2008 or so, I got the flu on a cruise, I didn't hide it and now one, not one crew member said a thing.  Our Steward knew I was sick, he only offered to get me more blankets.  

[CruiszBug]

Still waiting for my cruise paperwork to change from mandatory testing 2 days out to "Not Required" for vaccinated guests! No email from Royal or my TA and our 5-day  cruise leaves on the 8th of August!

Edited July 30, 2022 by CruiszBug

[smokeybandit]

36 minutes ago, CruiszBug said:

Still waiting for my cruise paperwork to change from mandatory testing 2 days out to "Not Required" for vaccinated guests! No email from Royal or my TA and our 5-day  cruise leaves on the 8th of August!

RC said that info would go out Monday 

[crzndeb]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

Now that's the first time I've heard of anybody being quarantined for the flu or anything else other than COVID.  I'm not saying that it hasn't/doesn't happened, I guess it could have happened during the big Legionnaires Disease debacle a decade or two ago.  I believe I read that your husband has a preexisting issue.  Did the medical staff know this going into the cruise?  Did they quarantine him because of the preexisting issue to protect him, not necessarily anyone else?  Is this quarantining people with the flu new to the COVID era?  

 

No, I'm not trying to argumentative with this, I'm honestly curious about it.

 

Back in 2008 or so, I got the flu on a cruise, I didn't hide it and now one, not one crew member said a thing.  Our Steward knew I was sick, he only offered to get me more blankets.  

I do believe that others have been quarantined in their own cabin for Noro, but from what I’ve heard about that, is you don’t want to be to far from a bathroom anyway, or feel like moving. 🤢

[vacationlover16]

4 hours ago, Ret MP said:

Sorry, I don't consider going to Disney once (even when unrestricted capacity), let alone twice, as avoiding crowds.  Disney is the definition of crowds.  And it doesn't matter masked or not masked.

 

Your concerns of people cruising while sick, please define sick.  Cold, Hay Fever, Head Ache, Cancer, COVID, Hang Nail, HIV, what?  I'm telling you, if I have a cold, I'm cruising.  If I have symptoms of a cold, I'm cruising because there is no full refund for a cold.  I may have symptoms of a cold, test negative on the day of embarkation and come up positive a few days into the cruise.  That's the chance we all take, that's called life!  

Ok. We disagree and that’s fine. 

[vacationlover16]

5 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

Over the years I've found it very easy to cruise and avoid the crowds, but one has to march to a different drummer.

 

I get up early and do my exercise walk - inside corridors if it's really hot outside, promenade if it's not.  By then I'm ready for breakfast as the buffet opens or I can wait a bit and eat in the MDR.  Then I grab a good book or my tablet, a cup of coffee,t and find a shady spot on the promenade to read.  I avoid the lunchtime crowds and grab something in one of the snack bar or coffee bars. If I'm a little more hungry, I'll eat lunch in the MDR.  Then it's time for an afternoon walk on the promenade before it's time to shower and get ready for the loyalty lounge with some finger foods and a wee dram.

 

I avoid crowds by staying out of the buffet at peak times, away from the Melanoma Deck with too loud music or movie, skipping the evening meal in the MDR, and avoiding the over amplified production shows.

 

This has never been a covid thing, I just prefer to avoid crowds and have found it easy to do on ships of every size.

OK, great take! ☺️

Edited July 31, 2022 by vacationlover16

[rudeney]

3 hours ago, jerseygirl3 said:

Dont know where you live, but many doctors  offices require masks. 

 

My location is listed below my avatar - Pelham, Alabama (a suburb of Birmingham).  Most of our doctors have stopped requiring masks.  In fact, I can't think of any of ours that do now. 

[Ret MP]

41 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

I do believe that others have been quarantined in their own cabin for Noro, but from what I’ve heard about that, is you don’t want to be to far from a bathroom anyway, or feel like moving. 🤢

Oh that just stinks, no 💩

[Ret MP]

10 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

My location is listed below my avatar - Pelham, Alabama (a suburb of Birmingham).  Most of our doctors have stopped requiring masks.  In fact, I can't think of any of ours that do now. 

I'm in Oxford and I believe it's no longer a requirement here, either!

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

I'm in Oxford and I believe it's no longer a requirement here, either!

Not in the Dallas metro either 

[Tree_skier]

Sadly but unsurprisingly, it still is in California...

 

I was in to the doc week before last and had to wear a mask.  Have another appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Monday AM so I'll be putting a mask on again. 

[Charles4515]

5 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Not in the Dallas metro either 

I am in DFW and my primary doctor and a hand specialist required me to wear masks. That was 4 and 2 months ago.  Same with ophthalmologist 4 months ago. Dentist did not 7 months and 1 month ago. So I guess the doctors practices who decide. I don’t mind one way or the other. Masks don’t bother me. I only wear them though if asked. 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Charles4515

[SargassoPirate]

12 hours ago, BND said:

Ours all do.  DH gave blood this morning at a church and had to wear one.  All medical facilities require them.

 

I gave blood at a Red Cross a couple of weeks ago and no masks required - and the nurses were not masked either.

 

A couple of days later I went to the dentist for a checkup.  Masks still required in the waiting room with no magazines" because of covid", but then the mask comes off for the exam.  Must be some sort of special air in the exam rooms.

 

Some entertainment venues have not changed their mask requirements posted online even though masking is not required by the local authorities.  I always ask when traveling - such as before a walking tour of the French Quarter - and consistently found that they are just slow to update the requirements.

 

The only thing that is consistent is inconsistency.

 

[Ret MP]

2 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

The only thing that is consistent is inconsistency.

Now, ain't that the truth!!!!  

 

[mpdog42]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

Now, ain't that the truth!!!!  

 

I wonder if

[jerseygirl3]

17 hours ago, Ret MP said:

Now that's the first time I've heard of anybody being quarantined for the flu or anything else other than COVID.  I'm not saying that it hasn't/doesn't happened, I guess it could have happened during the big Legionnaires Disease debacle a decade or two ago.  I believe I read that your husband has a preexisting issue.  Did the medical staff know this going into the cruise?  Did they quarantine him because of the preexisting issue to protect him, not necessarily anyone else?  Is this quarantining people with the flu new to the COVID era?  

 

No, I'm not trying to argumentative with this, I'm honestly curious about it.

 

Back in 2008 or so, I got the flu on a cruise, I didn't hide it and now one, not one crew member said a thing.  Our Steward knew I was sick, he only offered to get me more blankets.  

When you got flu in your cruise in 2008, did they do a rapid test in the Medical Center to confirm influenza and what type?  My husband does have some pre-existing conditions, but the Medical Staff seemed to be treating everybody who came to be checked the same.  This occurred right before the pandemic hit, on our last cruise (February 2019).  He started running a fever, body aches, and cough on the 7th night of our 12 night sailing.  We stayed in the cabin that evening (and darn, it was formal night!!).  In the a.m. his temp was almost 103, so we immediately went to the Medical Center when they opened.  They told us they would be testing him for influenza.  They said he came back positive for Influenza Type A. They said anybody who tests positive for Influenza must be quarantined until they are fever free for 24 hours.  Apparently there were a lot of flu cases on our sailing, but they never told us how many (I asked :).  We did not have to change cabins, and I was allowed to roam the ship, but they did put me on Tamiflu prophylactically (we were both flu vaccinated; I never caught it, and hubby had a much milder case).   Hubby was also put on Tamiflu.  The doctor and a nurse came to check on him twice a day (they said this was normal protocol) to take his vitals.  They told him he could order anything he wanted from room service, but honestly he had no appetite.  The cabin attendent was not allowed inside our cabin, so every day I would put dirty linens outside our door in a red bag and the cabin attendent would leave clean ones. 

 

On the last day of the cruise, we were told to stay in our cabin until the general population of passengers had debarked, and they would come and escort us off the ship.  Seeing how many people were being escorted, I would guess there were probably about 80 passengers who had contracted flu on that sailing.  I've often wondered if it could have been Covid and since testing wasn't available that early on, did they just tell us it was Influenza?  The odd thing is that the couple of months prior to that cruise, during the height of flu season, where I work (I'm a nurse), we didn't see any flu (and that was before masking or any other mitigation).  Typical flu season is late October to late March.  I can count on one hand how many we had, despite testing.  I think Covid was here that winter before we all realized what it was.  

 

We were never given a bill, although I did tell them we had travel insurance.  Thankfully, hubby felt fine by the time the cruise ended, and was able to drive us home from Baltimore to New Jersey (I hate driving!!LOL).

 

BTW, I did not take your questions as being argumentative 🙂

 

 

[jerseygirl3]

18 hours ago, Keksie said:

I was responding to someone who wanted testing because they were concerned about people with flu, covid or other communicable illnesses boarding the ship and I was simply pointing out that people only have to test for covid. There are several illnesses people have to quarantine for, but only with covid do you have to go to a lesser cabin.  That is if the medical center knows you are ill.

I agree hate that they move people to a less cabin.  With my husband's influenza, we were allowed to stay in our own cabin (Feb.2019).

[ssb]

Further Details on the current protocols, as well as any other guidelines for your vacation, will be provided to booked guests the week of August 1, 2022. Current protocols remain in place for any cruises departing before August 8.