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New Covid-19 Cruise Ship Rules


CHRIS WONG

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I'm fine with most of it.

Tracelets - what do they consider close contact? I'm assuming a lot more strict than what CDC considers. Could it be as strict as, was in same restaurant? Yikes! My vacation ruined for basically a non exposure. I understand why, but being quarantined to cabin is still a big fear of mine.

Can only drink at the bar? That is a game changer for me. I'm big on enjoying my drink package on the pool deck or upper pool deck. I don't want to sit at the pool bar, where the seating is already limited... Imagine if that's the only place to enjoy the drink!

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When at home and its raining we sometimes dont go outside!

When on vacation and its raining we just get on with it! We are not going to let a little bit of rain stop us from making the most of our vacation.

So same applies here! Either be at home with restrictions in place or be somewhere new with restrictions...for me its a no brainer simply because getting away anywhere eases the mindset of lockdown 

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Drinking at the bar only?? I sure do not care for that. Why would you want everyone hanging around the bars? Also are they going to increase the room service, like more option, drinks, staff, etc. Allow you to order from the specialty restaurants. ? I mean with everything limited i may wish to set on my balcony and order drinks, snacks, lunch, more drinks in stead of going to the pool... or out to dinner. Expand room service to cover everything!!!!

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To be honest ... my next cruise isn't until October 1st, 2021.  It is a 15-day Panama Canal cruise which I really don't think will happen.  I've gotten over the fact that Quantum won't be doing Alaska cruises this summer. I'm not going to worry about anything until a cruise actually happens from a port in the United States.  

I'm somewhat concerned about the financial aspect of these restrictions.  It already seems like I'm paying more for a cruise and much of the WOW comes in the form of restrictions.  Muster 2.0 sounds good though. People can be grouchy on a cruise and I can see fights breaking out about who can be in the hot tubs.  One thing I like about a cruise is when I can be in my own bubble.  I'm not sure I can handle my family bubble for the entire cruise.

All that said --- I just want to get vaccinated.

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The rules being suggested for cruising have not been applied.  There has been no cruises or even test cruises.  I think all these restrictions will change more than once  before cruises actually begin.  So, am not worrying about it.  May or may not happen.   I have had numerous cancelled cruises and keep booking.  I currently have 9 cruises booked.

And yes, I would cruise with the current restrictions.    It will take a long time for cruises to be "like they used to be".  They have changed so much from when I started cruising in the 80's and I am fine with it.

I very much miss my cruises!

 

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2 hours ago, Linda R said:

The rules being suggested for cruising have not been applied.  There has been no cruises or even test cruises.  I think all these restrictions will change more than once  before cruises actually begin.  

 

The Original poster clearly states that these measures and restrications are in place on Qots.

I understand this is not a cruise out of US but i would imagine that any measures found to work on these "test cruises out of Asia or anywhere else " will be implemented across the fleet.

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3 hours ago, Ray said:

The Original poster clearly states that these measures and restrications are in place on Qots.

I understand this is not a cruise out of US but i would imagine that any measures found to work on these "test cruises out of Asia or anywhere else " will be implemented across the fleet.

The only thing we don't know for the U.S. is when the CDC actually intends to let ships sail.  The same can be said for other public health agencies in other regions, at least for foreign flagged non-EU ships in the EU for example (all Royal ships).  Australia doesn't look like it will see ships sailing soon even though they have better control of the situation.

Back in March the CDC suggested ships shouldn't sail until it's over.  "Over" is open ended, it's not exactly sure what they mean by "over".  Risk is at an acceptable level could be one interpretation.  Eradicated is another interpretation.  That's unlikely so if we use the first definition and the risk is so low it's no longer a public health risk then there won't be any need to implement pandemic protocols on board.  

In the US ships won't sail for at least 3 months and probably longer.  There is no way to know what restrictions will be needed at that point or if a whole new version of the virus makes all this a moot point. 

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The rule which I find most concerning is the one about 1m social distancing from those in your own bubble whilst around the ship. So I can share a room with someone yet can’t stand next to them whilst walking into the Promenade? What plank made up this rule?

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12 minutes ago, Joe01 said:

The rule which I find most concerning is the one about 1m social distancing from those in your own bubble whilst around the ship. So I can share a room with someone yet can’t stand next to them whilst walking into the Promenade? What plank made up this rule?

Singapore.  At least last I checked their guidelines were 1m distancing for everyone when in public.  Seems strange at first glance but it's probably just easier to have a blanket 1m distancing than trying to enforce it with no real knowledge of who's in a bubble together.

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On 1/25/2021 at 2:46 PM, joshgates said:

Singapore.  At least last I checked their guidelines were 1m distancing for everyone when in public.  Seems strange at first glance but it's probably just easier to have a blanket 1m distancing than trying to enforce it with no real knowledge of who's in a bubble together.

Obviously some rules are necessary but it's silly rules like this where I draw the line, I will not sign up to be on a floating dictatorship. If even the most ardent of cruisers don't want to go, how on earth will they be able to get the average member of the public onboard? Fairly pessimistic about Royal's future if these rules last long.

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1 hour ago, Joe01 said:

Obviously some rules are necessary but it's silly rules like this where I draw the line, I will not sign up to be on a floating dictatorship. If even the most ardent of cruisers don't want to go, how on earth will they be able to get the average member of the public onboard? Fairly pessimistic about Royal's future if these rules last long.

Do you believe it's only Royal Caribbean who will have these rules? 

 

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On 1/24/2021 at 4:09 PM, cookie10* said:

Another thing if they do require everyone to have the vaccine shot then why change anything????? 

Exactly.  Just like if masks work then why 6 feet social distancing?  If social distancing works then why masks?  Its all laughable.  Not to mention if someone can simply breath on someone and infect them then why is a swap up the nose necessary for testing?  We can DNA test with a simple mouth swap but not for COVID..........

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1 hour ago, Yo2slick said:

Exactly.  Just like if masks work then why 6 feet social distancing?  If social distancing works then why masks?  Its all laughable.  Not to mention if someone can simply breath on someone and infect them then why is a swap up the nose necessary for testing?  We can DNA test with a simple mouth swap but not for COVID..........

None of the measures are 100% protective, but when you start layering them together, you increase the overall protection.

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I'm not sure why everyone is getting so bent out of shape.  Royal Caribbeans restrictions will vary from country to country depending on the homeport of the cruise ship.  Singapore has some of the strictest requirements in place of any nation.  Therefore it is to be expected that the Singaporean Government would extend those restrictions or even tighten those restrictions for cruise lines.  For those of us living in the US, I don't see the point in getting upset because if the CDC has its way cruising isn't going to resume in this country until at least mid- summer if we are lucky.  

The truth is anyone planning on taking a cruise in 2021 should be prepared for some type of restrictions while onboard.  If you don't want any restrictions then I would suggest considering delaying your cruises until at least mid-2022 at the earliest or even 2023.  

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Cruising is an expensive adventure and I am interested in the freedom of a vacation and restrictions that limit my fun so  I won't cruise under these restrictions. It's going to be tough going for cruise lines for the foreseeable future as they try to get up and running but are limited due to country rules in order to operate. I'm sure a lot people on this forum will cruise just to cruise because they love it that much, but as far as the general population, I don't see people flocking to get back unto ships for their vacations in the near-term. I personally have chosen a different path for the next couple of years of renting a house at the beach.

Cruises are starting to get expensive as the prices have risen for all kinds of reasons; but, suffice to say, until the value is back, I'm not going to go cruising again. I hope one day to be back but for now, I'm on land.

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I wont cruise with those rules......I wont get into the political side of all of this.....those who know me, know well how I think and feel about it....

 

But i wont travel anywhere under those rules and conditons...and I don't think many others will either to be honest.

 

Cruise industry is sunk if those rules are in place. I think cruise lines are going to have a terrible time surviving if cruising as we  knew it before was to come back the way it used to be, but defn wont with all these other conditions and restrictions and rules..... 

 

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3 hours ago, monctonguy said:

I wont cruise with those rules......I wont get into the political side of all of this.....those who know me, know well how I think and feel about it....

 

But i wont travel anywhere under those rules and conditons...and I don't think many others will either to be honest.

 

Cruise industry is sunk if those rules are in place. I think cruise lines are going to have a terrible time surviving if cruising as we  knew it before was to come back the way it used to be, but defn wont with all these other conditions and restrictions and rules..... 

 

Those rules are not in place forever and are only relevant to the local govt authorithy. 

In saying that I will gladly be on the first ship sailing with those rules and know many who are the same.

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1 hour ago, Yo2slick said:

Covid in itself is political in nature.  You can't talk about COVID without being on one side of the fence or the other.  If both sides can't openly express their view then maybe no more Covid posts???

Covid is apolitical.  It attacks and infects regardless of physical borders or virtual borders created by virtual fences created by politics.  

That's all well and good but when posts move beyond expressing a view and words are directed towards individuals it moves to another level beyond the scope of a cruise centric community. 

It's also disrespectful to the owner of this wonderful community and forum when posts venture well beyond the scope and purpose of this forum as established by its owner.  This is not a forum to discuss if Ford is better than Chevy, if Airbus is better than Boeing or if the price of tea in China is appropriate at the moment.  It's a simple request, keep it about cruising.  There are plenty of other places to talk about all the other stuff.

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13 minutes ago, twangster said:

Covid is apolitical.

This^^^

13 minutes ago, twangster said:

This is not a forum to discuss if Ford is better than Chevy, if Airbus is better than Boeing or if the price of tea in China is appropriate at the moment.  It's a simple request, keep it about cruising.  There are plenty of other places to talk about all the other stuff.

^^^and this!!

Thank you for wording that perfectly as always @twangster ?

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Whether you agree with the measures or not, you will most likely have the choice to go on the cruise or not. If anything, whenever cruises resume in other parts of the world, I would assume that there would be the option to cancel without penalty due to these measures, if not outright cancelling sailings and re adding new “measure introduced” mirror sailings that would probably be cheaper. 
 

That’s what happened in Singapore. All sailing were cancelled and replaced with the ocean getaways. The new sailing also had 50% off every passenger to make it a little more attractive. I don’t know about you, but if I can get $3000 off an initial price, measures or not, I will be more inclined to book it. 
 

Also, to give you a little insight on why maybe these measure work in Singapore and people still go on them. 
 

Singapore is an island (ie completely surrounded by water) smaller than the size of New York City. With closed borders, you’re basically stuck in a small place with no where to escape too. One thing to note about Singaporeans, is they like to travel, even weekend trips to Malaysia feels like a vacation from the bustle of City life. You can imagine the pent up need to leave Singapore. 
 

Add the fact that Singaporeans generally follow laws really closely. I’m sure you’ve heard we’re a “fine” country. Yes, you get fined for some of the smallest things and harder punishments for actual bad stuff. It’s not a bad thing, because personally, I like that I can be walking the street at 3am almost anywhere in Singapore and feel completely safe. 
 

Lastly, we do have COVID relatively under control. So much so, that I personally feel many Singaporeans are getting complacent. That being said, most everyone has gotten used to the measures we have on land. Masks are worn everywhere, regardless of your line of work. I wear my mask for 10 hours everyday, to the point that sometimes, my face feels naked without one now. Yeah, crazy I know. 
 

The need to vacation is so strong that staycations took off, but I would think for most people, between wearing a mask in a hotel and wearing a mask on a cruise. Most would choose the latter

 

Well, I think I’ll end my rant here. Hope you enjoy a little of perspective from a Singaporean 

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35 minutes ago, LogicallyLazy said:

Whether you agree with the measures or not, you will most likely have the choice to go on the cruise or not. If anything, whenever cruises resume in other parts of the world, I would assume that there would be the option to cancel without penalty due to these measures, if not outright cancelling sailings and re adding new “measure introduced” mirror sailings that would probably be cheaper. 
 

That’s what happened in Singapore. All sailing were cancelled and replaced with the ocean getaways. The new sailing also had 50% off every passenger to make it a little more attractive. I don’t know about you, but if I can get $3000 off an initial price, measures or not, I will be more inclined to book it. 
 

Also, to give you a little insight on why maybe these measure work in Singapore and people still go on them. 
 

Singapore is an island (ie completely surrounded by water) smaller than the size of New York City. With closed borders, you’re basically stuck in a small place with no where to escape too. One thing to note about Singaporeans, is they like to travel, even weekend trips to Malaysia feels like a vacation from the bustle of City life. You can imagine the pent up need to leave Singapore. 
 

Add the fact that Singaporeans generally follow laws really closely. I’m sure you’ve heard we’re a “fine” country. Yes, you get fined for some of the smallest things and harder punishments for actual bad stuff. It’s not a bad thing, because personally, I like that I can be walking the street at 3am almost anywhere in Singapore and feel completely safe. 
 

Lastly, we do have COVID relatively under control. So much so, that I personally feel many Singaporeans are getting complacent. That being said, most everyone has gotten used to the measures we have on land. Masks are worn everywhere, regardless of your line of work. I wear my mask for 10 hours everyday, to the point that sometimes, my face feels naked without one now. Yeah, crazy I know. 
 

The need to vacation is so strong that staycations took off, but I would think for most people, between wearing a mask in a hotel and wearing a mask on a cruise. Most would choose the latter

 

Well, I think I’ll end my rant here. Hope you enjoy a little of perspective from a Singaporean 

Singapore is one of the best places I have ever visited. Completely clean and as you say, it feels so safe. I look forward to returning someday soon, hopefully for another cruise!

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9 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

This^^^

^^^and this!!

Thank you for wording that perfectly as always @twangster ?

I love your posting. ?

I like flying Boeing, yet my older brother is a crew chief to maintain Airbus.  I drive a Toyota, yet my other brother drives a Chevy.   

I've always wondered were the phrase "What the price of tea in China" came from.  ?   These are the mysteries that plague us. ?  Yet here we are. 

SHOW ME THE CRUISE SHIP !!!! 

 

 

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These restrictions are like everything else in life. You have to stop at a red light, you might get lucky if you do not but eventually you will get tagged. Just because I have to obey traffic laws does not mean I refuse to drive my car because I do not like some of them. Will wearing a mask cause me to not enjoy the ocean breeze and sunshine, no. Will staying 6 feet away from a fellow passenger cause me to not enjoy the Dining hall, Windjammer, shows, getting a drink at the bar or simply walking the ship, no. And in the past I wish I was further than 6 feet from some of the fellow passengers. Will wearing a contact tracing bracelet cause me to not partake in a cruise, no. Just the chance that we can get out on the open deck and feel the sea breeze is more compelling than some minor, inconsequential items and restrictions that may be around for the next year. We are fortunate that where we are we are allowed to go out to eat, visit recreational areas and play sports (even for an old guy I still get out and play). There are restrictions like masks and distancing but it has not stopped us from continuing life. If requiring a vaccination (already done), wearing masks, taking tests (done several times) are a requirement to travel to a vacation especially a cruise so be it. Let the sailing begin and I for one will be one of the first in line.

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I'm still not sure I care about what rules are put in place for me to cruise (get me out of my house) but I'm still not comfortable being around groups of people and won't be until I have the vaccine. My first cruise will likely be local so I don't have to fly. Who knows, it's not like there are any options to cruise at the moment.

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Tracelets -- Don't really care, I can think of a few ways to have some fun with this one anyway... Staying in my cabin while leaving it hung on the door so it tags every person who walks past as being within my bubble. Sending my cabin mate around with both when getting something to eat or whatever, etc.  I think it's more of a gimmick than anything and won't do much good.  It's not like that by the end of the cruise you won't have come within 10 feet of nearly every person on the ship and IMHO that is what the bubble will end up being.  It's a wireless tech and sadly being wireless it's not all that reliable, I used to shoot WiFi connections 10 miles and hated troubleshooting problems because it's hard to test the air.  Sometimes it meant just swapping equipment while hoping that would fix it.  The worst was when I was able to see the tower with my naked eye and be unable to get a decent connection.

Limited time in the pools -- Fine not a problem as long as they also limit the times in the chairs so people can't horde them, maybe pick up towels left unattended.  I am more for the hot tub than the pool anyway and honestly would rather be 80 feet under the water.  

Limited tables for dining -- Meh, the ships are also going to have limited capacity as well so I doubt it's going to be a huge deal.

Temperature checks -- May ask for them to use my thermometer... Going to buy a rectal one so we can all thoroughly enjoy the experience. ?  But seriously, walk into a doctors office or hospital right now and they are doing temp checks as long as it's the non contact ones it's a few seconds.  And they won't be able to do them if you have been in the pool or the sun unless they plan to have a large waiting area because the water will throw the temp low and the sun will throw it high which means they will need a spot for a 5 minute sit down for the temps to normalize.

Limited seating in the theatre -- Who want's to sit right next to someone else anyway, usually at least one seat between anyway.  Also see limited tables for dining as that also applies here.  But hopefully they plan on adding in an extra show or two so everyone gets to enjoy.

Muster 2.0 -- You mean I don't have to stand in some smooshed together group and listen to some woman complaining about being there while her kids are running around like they have no manners and the baby is screaming?  Yes please!!

1 metre social distancing - 1 meter is personal bubble space to me.  I also doubt that a large chunk of people are going to truly follow that to the letter anyway, shoot tons of people don't wear masks either.  That is part of the reason why I use a P100 respirator instead of a cheap cloth mask that doesn't have a chance of sealing.  I also have received the 1st dose of the Pfizer C19 vaccine and get the second in a couple weeks, if any boosters come out I will probably have that earlier than the average person as well.

 

And finally I doubt a large chunk of this will matter by the time cruising gets going again.  They haven't even had a test cruise in the US yet and until they do I consider everything dead until further notice.  I just wish that RCCL would give some points for booking and trying to go, especially if they cancel.  The only thing I see sticking around for a while is temp checks and Muster 2.0 by the time I am getting on a ship again.  I think the temp thing will end up being a couple thermal cameras here and there near hallways and while coming on or off the ship.

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I'm a funeral director, I have seen the worst COVID has to offer.  That being said, I love cruises, my wife and I are fully vaccinated, and I will gladly put on a mask, follow any new rules, and get on a ship today!  I understand there would still be a risk, but I believe it would be safer than going to a local restaurant and much more enjoyable.

 

 

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