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Health Protocols - I'm Convinced RCG Is Generally On Point


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I've criticized RCG for some of their health protocols over the past year or two, but I'm here now to praise them. Since the restart following Covid, Nancy and I have taken 21 RCG cruises over 16 months. In not a single instance did we return with the usual "cruise crud", Covid, or other sickness. Not once.

We just returned from the 2nd US sailing on MSC Seascape, MSC's newest ship.  There are plenty of comparisons to be made. But as far as health goes we knew we were going to come home sick... and we did. Virtually no automatic doors, so every door/bathroom we entered we had to touch a door handle, push it down, and pull or push the door open. The bright chrome finish in all the public areas was beautiful but graphically showed all the handprints on door handles and handrails. Very few hand sanitizing stations or hand wash stations. Very few complimentary options for breakfast and lunch, so they essentially pushed everyone to the buffet which was a crowded mess with everyone serving their own food. Even the security person who scanned sea passes as you get on/off the ship would not scan it unless you handed it to them so they could spread germs from all the other passengers to your sea pass.  So yes, I'm sitting here with "cruise crud" and fever for the first time in years.

I'm not here to compare MSC to RCG which I could spend a lot of time doing. I am here to say that RCG has its act together on their protocols.  If you complain about RCG that's fine (I certainly have), but you might want to check out the competition occasionally to see how others operate their ships and treat their passengers.

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Caught Covid on my 13th Royal cruise since the restart. It was the second half  of a B2B that  I developed symptoms, I had not gotten off the ship the first week so it was highly likely an onboard exposure.  I consider myself very germ aware (even prior to Covid).  To me it’s a lot of luck of the draw along with a small bottle of hand sanitizer.   A staff member can clean something and 2 seconds later someone with “cooties” touches it.  A person behind you sneezes and doesn’t even try to cover, or just open sneezed on an elevator and you walk in.  
Ive been on some RC sailings where some of the sanitizer dispensers aren’t filled, all week long.  I’ve seen people walk into the hand washing station at WJ and go right through.  I’ve seen people leave a bathroom stall and walk right past the sinks without stopping.    I’ve also seen everyone in front of me entering WJ using hand cleaning stations and all people leaving the bathroom washing their hands.  It’s hit or miss for each moment.  
sorry you are sick.  I hope you have a speedy recovery.
 

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Still not enough masking in elevators which is still risky.  We got sick 2 out of 3 cruises despite masking. Neighborhood Christmas party made several sick, by way of comparison.  I think getting sick is the new reality but vaccines help. Cruising is as safe as land travel but both require some precautions. Just my opinion. 

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Just got off our 1st cruise Friday and started feeling chills and aches on the evening of day 7, the last day. I was + for Covid at home.

I agree about elevators. Someone sneezed right behind me and I tried to hold my breath.

Is there somewhere to report that I got covid onboard? I'm wondering how the cruises keep track after you leave. 

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Cruise lines are required to report specified illness for passengers on board the ship.  If the cruise is over and the illness was not documented on board there is no need to report it.  Just as millions of COVID cases are mounting up on land right now and few of them will ever be reported. 

There is definitely an upswing in cases around the world right now but the world is learning to live with it just as we do other other viruses in our lives.

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25 minutes ago, twangster said:

Cruise lines are required to report specified illness for passengers on board the ship.  If the cruise is over and the illness was not documented on board there is no need to report it.  Just as millions of COVID cases are mounting up on land right now and few of them will ever be reported. 

There is definitely an upswing in cases around the world right now but the world is learning to live with it just as we do other other viruses in our lives.

Correct as usual. Winter is respiratory virus season. All of them are increased this time of year. Not just Covid. 

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Just now, twangster said:

My dog caught some kind of upper respiratory virus while in boardring during my last cruise.  Apparently it is spreading like wildfire in boarding and doggie daycare right now. 

Even the canine world is dealing with winter respiratory virus outbreaks.   

I hope your pooch is doing OK now Twangster.

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I recall a conversation I had with some crew members in Johnny Rockets on Liberty of the Seas, on the LAST cruise before shutdown.  They noted the new cleaning protocols were a lot of extra work, but should have been in effect long before there was an emerging pandemic.  Felt the benefits would outweigh the extra load on them as they can get sick too.

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