Masks are required on board in public spaces on March cruise

[ghstudio]

We received this today from HA for our March cruise on the Westerdam to Japan/Korea:  

 

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION

 

Please be advised that all guests 18 years of age or older must have completed a primary vaccination series for COVID-19 AND also received at least one booster before embarkation (total of 3 vaccination doses). Vaccination certificates must be written or translated into Japanese or English to be valid. Guests ages 12 to 17 travelling with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian are not required to be vaccinated; otherwise, two vaccination doses are required. Children under 12 are not required to be vaccinated.

 

In addition, guests ages 5 and above must produce at check-in a photo of their negative self-administered COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test taken within one day before cruise embarkation with a time and date stamp. Please note that testing and self-tests will not be available at the pier. Face masks will be required indoors on board for guests 5 years and older. It is strongly recommended all guests are up to date with their COVID-19 and Influenza vaccinations before travel. Review health and safety information at https://bit.ly/hal_twfaq.

[skurvish]

HAL has not updated the protocols by voyage on this on their Lookup Health Protocols by voyage page.

[Mary229]

Likely it is to comply with Japanese protocols

[VMax1700]

This is what the website says:

 

Japan Protocols

This specific booking and/or voyage follows our COVID-19 Japan Protocols for vaccination and testing requirements.

Vaccination

• All guests 12 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated.
• Guests 18 years of age and older must have received a booster dose.  Only one booster dose is needed to be considered boosted.
• Children under 12 years of age do not need to be vaccinated.

If the vaccination certificate is in a language other than Japanese or English, it may be considered valid if it is accompanied by a Japanese or English translation and the content can be confirmed.

Testing

• All guests ages 5 and older are required to take a COVID-19 test prior to embarkation.
  • Medically observed PCR COVID-19 taken within 3 days before embarkation.
  • Medically observed or self-administered at-home COVID-19 antigen test within 3 days before embarkation.

Please upload all required documentation to the VeriFLY app for a quick and seamless embarkation process.

Global COVID-19 regulations and protocols are continuously changing and we may revise or modify these requirements (effective immediately) to evolve in line with the latest practices at any time. Please check back regularly for any updates. These protocols only apply to the specific booking number or voyage entered.

As of December 2, 2022

[DaveOKC]

I just checked my Caribbean trip yesterday and nothing on vaccinations nor masks required.

[AncientWanderer]

This article with regard to current masking in Japan might help to make ship protocols more understandable.

 

https://www.travelcaffeine.com/japan-face-masks-rules-recommendations-reality/

 

 

[iceman93]

Thanks for posting that article.  I share the author's outlook on and attitude regarding masks!

 

Anecdotally, on my recent Westerdam cruise that departed from Sydney (and required masking indoors), I'd say there was about 75% compliance on board but those I saw openly ignoring the rule were almost all Aussies (despite the fact that mask protocol was supposedly in place due to Australian government regulations).  Walking around Sydney for a few days before the cruise, I didn't see a single person with a mask on, anywhere.  So it's interesting when governments "don't get the memo" that people are largely ignoring their rules.

[WriterOnDeck]

2 hours ago, iceman93 said:

Thanks for posting that article.  I share the author's outlook on and attitude regarding masks!

 

Anecdotally, on my recent Westerdam cruise that departed from Sydney (and required masking indoors), I'd say there was about 75% compliance on board but those I saw openly ignoring the rule were almost all Aussies (despite the fact that mask protocol was supposedly in place due to Australian government regulations).  Walking around Sydney for a few days before the cruise, I didn't see a single person with a mask on, anywhere.  So it's interesting when governments "don't get the memo" that people are largely ignoring their rules.

I was on the Westerdam in early November when the Masks Required rule went into effect, after we left Sydney for 2 weeks in NZ. It was because the Majestic Princess had just returned to Sydney with 800 covid cases. Either HAL or Carnival Corp (not sure which) instituted a masks required for that part of the world. Nothing to do with Australian government rules. And yes, the Aussies were the ones least likely to wear masks, as they have a totally different Covid experience than we in the states do. Also, many countries seem to eye cruise ships as petrie dishes, so they many not let cruise ships stop if they have many covid cases, even though citizens on land seldom wear masks.

 

Also, NZ requires two additional days of isolation after testing positive than any other countries (7 after day 0), so you aren't tested until day 8. It's a burden on the cruise line to have many in isolation, not to mention the passengers who essentially missed every port in their 2-week NZ cruise.

 

We had to wear masks for the initial 5 days on the Westerdam cruise from Seattle as well as on the current world cruise. Then things eased up. It depends a lot on how many covid cases develop. Some captains tell you the numbers; some don't.

Edited February 2, 2023 by WriterOnDeck

[Dobby36]

We have a cruise in March (HAL in South America) and got a notice re: COVID today too.  But ours said masks "may" be required, so it is not dependent on just the line and month, but locale also.  See below snip from email:

"Masks may be required to be worn at times during your voyage to protect the health and safety of all on board." (emphasis mine)

[Queen of DaNile]

We're on the Sing to Tokyo segment before this cruise, with 4 stops in Japan, and no mention of masks in the Covid Protocol update we received yesterday.

[Torquer]

Are KN95 masks still supplied by HAL?

 

We are on a cruise on the Noordam in a couple weeks to New Zealand and Australia.  We will be masked in most indoor places on the ship, even though HAL does not require it.  Does HAL still supply complimentary KN95 masks like they did on our cruise last summer, even though it is not officially required to wear them on a particular cruise?  Not having to bring our own from home will save a few cubic inches of space in our suitcases.