Masks now optional for the crew - REGAL

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, Level six said:

The covid deck was full, so many tables started showing up mid cruise and by the end there were lots and lots of tables. ( someone on our roll call or another Island thread said there were over 200 people onboard with covid who rode a bus to a hotel after the cruise for quarantine and that does not surprise me one bit,  I do not know that statement for a fact)  But I do know that the   Captain announced that everyone HAD to mask indoors and we got a letter in our stateroom saying the same thing.  This was a 30 day cruise.  I heard the cruise after ours was a lot better regarding covid, 10 days. 

Agree, everyone should just do what they want, I just hope passengers aren't making the crew who want to mask feel bad.  We all know what a trigger point masks have been and will continue to be.  

 

Curious - was it a true 30-night voyage or made up of smaller parts.  Princess isn't doing many - if any - single 30-night voyages just yet I thought.

[Level six]

5 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Curious - was it a true 30-night voyage or made up of smaller parts.  Princess isn't doing many - if any - single 30-night voyages just yet I thought.

It was sold as 30 day, or 14 and 16 day.  Baltic/Iceland.  We got it as a 30 day because we got written confirmation from Princess that we would not be required to test on the turn around day..We didn't want to worry the whole cruise whether we would test positive.  Not true, we had to test and we lost out on our shareholders benefit for that cruise.  Luckily we tested negative. 

[wowzz]

Just to get back on track.

I could never understand why stewards cleaning cabins, or waiters delivering drinks on open decks had to wear masks. Totally illogical. 

The attendants clearing tables in the buffet - again, why the need to wear a mask?

But, if I was a crew member with a job that entailed face to face interaction  - customer services, cocktail bar staff etc, then I would wear a mask.

So, why not let the crew decide what they are comfortable with, rather then proselytising on here.

[pris993]

It is probably a year since I wore a mask, except if going to a medical establishment, here in California.  Only other exception was on the Ruby cruise in February.  I feel for people wearing masks all day working on or off the ships.   I live in an apartment building so come in contact with others there, shopping and going about daily life.  I have never had Covid, vaccinated and have 2 boosters.  Try to be careful but one never knows.  Life goes on.  

[caribill]

10 hours ago, rocklinmom said:

At this point if we choose to cruise we are aware of the risks.

 

People were aware of the risks at the time they booked a cruise.

 

When we booked our cruise for later this year:

90% of the passengers had to be vaccinated

100% of the passengers had to have a pre-cruise Covid-test

100% of the crew were required to wear masks

passengers were required to wear masks indoors except when in their cabins or eating or drinking

passengers were required to wear masks when outside in a crowded area

 

Now, none of that is true for our cruise this December.

 

And the best I can tell, our ability to cancel a cruise due to Covid concerns with no financial penalty no longer exists.

[vino100]

21 hours ago, travellingnana said:

Optional on Royal as of today.

So glad to hear this news. We board in a week. 

[Honolulu Blue]

36 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

People were aware of the risks at the time they booked a cruise.

 

When we booked our cruise for later this year:

90% of the passengers had to be vaccinated

100% of the passengers had to have a pre-cruise Covid-test

100% of the crew were required to wear masks

passengers were required to wear masks indoors except when in their cabins or eating or drinking

passengers were required to wear masks when outside in a crowded area

 

Now, none of that is true for our cruise this December.

 

And the best I can tell, our ability to cancel a cruise due to Covid concerns with no financial penalty no longer exists.

AFAIK, all cruise lines will give you a FCC (or refund) if you or someone in your party has an active COVID-19 infection at the time of boarding.

 

As for the rules, you should come on my charter cruise in February. They're requiring everyone be vaccinated (no one under 18 allowed) and everyone will have to have negative results from a proctored test taken no more than 3 days prior to boarding. They're not currently mandating masks for anyone, but we can't have everything.

[caribill]

3 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

AFAIK, all cruise lines will give you a FCC (or refund) if you or someone in your party has an active COVID-19 infection at the time of boarding.

 

 

With vaccinated people not being tested anymore pre-cruise, active cases can easily get onto a ship now.

 

The problem for those who would have preferred to cruise under the testing and masking conditions in effect at the time they booked a cruise is that they cannot cancel and get an FCC for full value now that the rules have changed.

 

Yes, someone who tests positive for Covid pre-cruise can get a full FCC refund, but a healthy person who would prefer not to cruise with untested and unmasked passengers and unmasked crew cannot.

[beg3yrs]

On 10/15/2022 at 2:55 AM, Level six said:

All I know is on the 30 day Island Princess cruise I just got off of, there was alot of covid.  Captain announced masks required indoors at all times.  Many staff members disappeared.  Where do the replacements come from when these staff members get covid?  Then people are no here complaining that service is not the same.....how can it be with less staff?  Be careful what you wish for. 

 

And here I am on the Island Princess and yesterday the captain (a different one from the previous cruise) announced the crew as no longer required to wear masks.

 

My observation last night was there were maybe half the crew unmasked. It was nice to see faces again.

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

Yes, someone who tests positive for Covid pre-cruise can get a full FCC refund

For Princess,  possibly,  but not on another Carnival line, P&O (UK). You and your companions will not be  able  to cruise, and you gave to make a claim against your insurance company, who will nit pay out for your companions.

You would think that CCL would have a single corporate policy on this issue, but that is not the case.

[Princessfan20]

7 hours ago, caribill said:

 

With vaccinated people not being tested anymore pre-cruise, active cases can easily get onto a ship now.

 

The problem for those who would have preferred to cruise under the testing and masking conditions in effect at the time they booked a cruise is that they cannot cancel and get an FCC for full value now that the rules have changed.

 

Yes, someone who tests positive for Covid pre-cruise can get a full FCC refund, but a healthy person who would prefer not to cruise with untested and unmasked passengers and unmasked crew cannot.

 

Princess keeps changing the goal posts but it is still dealing with a lot of Covid on their ships.  

 

Having gotten Covid along with my family on a summer cruise with many health protocols in place I cannot imagine what is now going to happen to passengers and crew with NONE.  

 

With the latest new variants coming from Asia and Europe that evade our defense systems it is hard to believe that cruising is going to be a really relaxing time this winter with all of the coughers and wheezers who will probably be walking the ship.

   

There will be probably be a lot more infected staff and service shortages too.

 

Obviously, the viruses are way smarter than us.  

https://news.yahoo.com/covid-variant-shaping-d-j-000431613.html

Edited October 16, 2022 by Princessfan20

[The Mikado]

1 hour ago, Princessfan20 said:

Obviously, the viruses are way smarter than us.  

Yeah, that cold virus! What a genius! It’s been around since the beginning of time and we haven’t eradicated it yet. And people die from colds every year! And several other viruses that have also been around since the beginning of time. It’s amazing that mankind is still here. 

[vino100]

15 hours ago, vino100 said:

So glad to hear this news. We board in a week. 

Oops, wrong ship. I’ll be on the Royal a week from today. Any news about the Royal? 

[fpsphil]

2 hours ago, vino100 said:

Oops, wrong ship. I’ll be on the Royal a week from today. Any news about the Royal? 

Thought I saw something on Facebook it’s all ships now

[GOLDENBONNY]

Good for them. Work 12 hours in mask it's a nightmare .

[NSWP]

7 hours ago, fpsphil said:

Thought I saw something on Facebook it’s all ships now

Not in Australia, crew and pax still have to wear masks.

[NownZen]

On 10/15/2022 at 6:38 PM, caribill said:

 

People were aware of the risks at the time they booked a cruise.

 

When we booked our cruise for later this year:

90% of the passengers had to be vaccinated

100% of the passengers had to have a pre-cruise Covid-test

100% of the crew were required to wear masks

passengers were required to wear masks indoors except when in their cabins or eating or drinking

passengers were required to wear masks when outside in a crowded area

 

Now, none of that is true for our cruise this December.

 

And the best I can tell, our ability to cancel a cruise due to Covid concerns with no financial penalty no longer exists.

You made the unfounded assumption that things would stay the same. They did not. None of the points you made were guaranteed.

[caribill]

3 hours ago, NownZen said:

You made the unfounded assumption that things would stay the same. They did not. None of the points you made were guaranteed.

 

True, but Princess made a big deal how safe from Covid the ships were due to all the procedures and policies that no longer exist.

[Princessfan20]

12 hours ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

Good for them. Work 12 hours in mask it's a nightmare .

 

The real nightmare is when you or your family members get Covid on a Princess ship, get put in quarantine, are given little information about what is medically happening, luggage gets lost in the process and Princess said it got left on the ship and after the next cruise it would be returned which it has never been found and compensation has not happened yet from Princess or the insurance company for their mistakes.  

 

There is a little bit more to things that SUPPOSEDLY suffering for having to wear a small mask.  

 

Welcome to the new world of Princess cruising.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 10/14/2022 at 8:39 AM, Denmal said:

We are boarding on 11/6 and plan to wear ours in crowded places, busses, tenders etc.  We are on for 26 days and want to be safe and enjoy our cruise.

boarding on 11/19 and will wear masks whenever we are inside as well (10 days). However, we found out the hard way that if you are the only ones wearing masks - they do not help as much as you hope. We got covid on our RCI Allure cruise this June (but our DS11 didn't)...  A lot of the crew has also disappeared during that sailing (waiters, MDR hostess, etc.)

 

We'll still wear them, though, at least to prolong our covid-free time on the ship, even though wearing them mostly protects those around us, and not necessarily US.

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Itchy&Scratchy