Going on my first cruise post COVID

[Ready]

I haven’t been on a cruise in more than five years, so my last experience was pre-COVID. I’m fully vaccinated and boosted so not really worried about COVID, but wondering what may have changed since COVID came along on cruise ships. Has anyone taken a recent cruise that could share your experience? I leave in three days, so very excited to get away.

 

[FI_RElater]

(Shouldn't this be in the Travel forum?)

 

[friar1610]

We leave in one week for our first cruise in 2 1/2 years. That’s if there’s enough water in the Rhine River to float our boat.

 

[DrRoy]

I've been on two since Covid. One had a lot of hand washing, with masks suggested but not required. We masked a lot. The other had daily testing for 3 days, masks strongly suggested, not required.

 

[Dash man]

We leave on our first post Covid cruise on Dec 31, and another in mid February. We’re really looking forward to them.

 

[Amethyst]

I got COVID despite four vaccine doses and no comorbidities. So my big fear is testing positive right before or during a cruise.

 

[Sunset]

We did an Alaska cruise in the midst of Covid.
We masked when inside the ship, except for in our room and on deck outside. Lots of folks didn't.
So much changes , I'd read the ship website to see how they are handling it today.
Have fun!

 

[PandaBear]

I haven’t been on a cruise in more than five years, so my last experience was pre-COVID. I’m fully vaccinated and boosted so not really worried about COVID, but wondering what may have changed since COVID came along on cruise ships. Has anyone taken a recent cruise that could share your experience? I leave in three days, so very excited to get away.

I’ve been on 3 cruises post Covid and leaving on my 4th in a week. The first in November 2020 had very few people. The buffet was open with servers.

I was on an Alaskan cruise in July. Really, except for servers at the buffet and the speciality restaurants open every other night (not enough staff) it felt no different than before.

 

[Bamaman]

We did a cruise out of Athens ending in Ravenna, Italy in June--Royal Caribbean ship.

I've never seen any cleaner ship--being washed constantly. I did notice that there were fewer on the crew which would indicate they're having staffing shortages. And the general atmosphere was quieter than pre-Covid with less entertainment nights, etc.

The industry seems to be coming back. I honestly don't know how they made it through the pandemic--unless creditors were extending loans without principle payments.

 

[Amethyst]

The cruise companies probably had/have tremendously deep pockets. They're even building new ships.

I mean, what else is there for the rapidly-growing, 65-and-up crowd to do with their money?

The industry seems to be coming back. I honestly don't know how they made it through the pandemic--unless creditors were extending loans without principle payments.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

The missus took her parents on a HAL cruise to Alaska this summer. She typically wasn't keen on going on an Alaska cruise again because we're from the Pacific NW and we already went on one in 2009. However, she really enjoyed it as an easy getaway. The limited restrictions and protocols didn't impact her enjoyment: Not a lot of long waits in queues other than at guest services on embarkation day (as expected), staff were masked while most guests were masking while going to/from places or while queued/with groups of people.

We're trying to book a cruise for Nov/Dec and I'm looking forward to it since my last cruise was also 5 years ago in 2017 to the Caribbean which almost didn't happen because of hurricane Irma.

I got COVID despite four vaccine doses and no comorbidities. So my big fear is testing positive right before or during a cruise.

+1 That's my biggest fear.
Our friends also went on an Alaska cruise in the spring. They caught covid/tested positive but fortunately only on the last day before back in Vancouver so they were able to stay in their cabin. Other people had to go to dedicated cabins on a quarantine floor. And when they offboarded, they went directly back to their house to quarantine whereas others where shuttled to stay at a dedicated hotel by the airport.

The industry seems to be coming back. I honestly don't know how they made it through the pandemic--unless creditors were extending loans without principle payments.

The cruise companies probably had/have tremendously deep pockets. They're even building new ships.

I mean, what else is there for the rapidly-growing, 65-and-up crowd to do with their money?

Cruising seems very profitable. I read that the largest ships only needed about 35% occupancy to break even. However, I think they did run into cashflow issues when everything shut down. They still had salaries to pay, ships to maintain, loan payments to make, etc when they essentially had no revenue coming in. I think a few cruise corps had to issue new bonds to get an infusion of cash. The thing to watch over the next few years is how they manage their debt as many companies have struggled or gone under after not being able to get out from under their mountain of debt.

That said, I love to say that cruisers love to cruise in that the industry has a pretty loyal customer base. It's also easier and more comfortable travel for the older travel demographic like how the missus felt at ease taking her parents on their cruise.

 

[48Fire]

We went on a cruise two weeks ago, both got COVID. Both shots, double boosted, masked 95% of the time. Still worth it, since we didn't get symptoms until we were done.

 

[thod]

Went on a cruise in January. 6 days, I got Covid on day 4 and my wife and I were then quarantined in a deck 1 cabin in the forward end of the ship.

Covid for me was just a bad flu. I slept most of the 2 days, but my wife was quarantined with me. She almost went bonkers being stuck in the cabin.

She did come down with it a day after the cruise, much milder than mine. No complications going home as we drove to the port.

At the time we had a 16-day cruise through the Panama Canal scheduled. We cancelled that one. If 2 days in quarantine was rough, imagine 10-12 days. No thanks. FYI, that Panama Canal cruise did end up being written about in news articles because a lot of Covid did occur on it. (Long voyage, older demographic)

Never really knew who I caught it from, but I did have a suspicion of one particular couple we talked to on the ship.

Prior (48 hours) to the cruise we had both tested negative.

 

[Sunset]

Went on a cruise in January. 6 days, I got Covid on day 4 and my wife and I were then quarantined in a deck 1 cabin in the forward end of the ship.



Covid for me was just a bad flu. I slept most of the 2 days, but my wife was quarantined with me. She almost went bonkers being stuck in the cabin.



She did come down with it a day after the cruise, much milder than mine. No complications going home as we drove to the port.



At the time we had a 16-day cruise through the Panama Canal scheduled. We cancelled that one. If 2 days in quarantine was rough, imagine 10-12 days. No thanks. FYI, that Panama Canal cruise did end up being written about in news articles because a lot of Covid did occur on it. (Long voyage, older demographic)



Never really knew who I caught it from, but I did have a suspicion of one particular couple we talked to on the ship.



Prior (48 hours) to the cruise we had both tested negative.

Just to be clear, are you saying they quarantined you in a windowless room?
Which cruise line?

 

[FIYes]

That sounds miserable, if you were quarantined in an interior cabin. I have thought that when I resume cruising fear of quarantine might motivate me to get a balcony cabin, but if you have to move to an interior cabin then wow! That could motivate me to not cruise at all

 

[thod]

Just to be clear, are you saying they quarantined you in a windowless room?
Which cruise line?

No, it had a porthole. Deck 1 in the front of the ship toward where the infirmary is on deck 0.

 

[Rickt]

Going on a Alaska cruise on 09/24/2022 for a week, will mask up at all public spaces

 

[Aerides]

No, it had a porthole. Deck 1 in the front of the ship toward where the infirmary is on deck 0.

I would not tell anyone then. Take my own tests, and self-quarantine, and sit on my balcony!

Either way, my comments about needing more space/windows if you had to stay in your room was not just a covid thing. Even a cold or a stomach bug might result in you wanting to stay in your room longer than expected.

As far as actually using a balcony? For me that's just the bonus. I want to have one in most hotels too - whether I sit there or not. But they do come in handy if it's a rainy afternoon and I decide to just curl up with a book.

 

[Teacher Terry]

As much as I like cruises being stuck in a large hotel room was bad enough for 8 days. I can’t imagine that on a ship. Unless Covid goes away I am probably done cruising.

 

[Pointby2]

We went on an 11 day cruise back in March, 2022. Wore masks on some of the buses during shore excursions, otherwise not. Wife and I still haven't gotten Covid.


My main fear was getting Covid prior to the trip and not being able to go so we made sure to insure the trip.

 

[Koolau]

That sounds miserable, if you were quarantined in an interior cabin. I have thought that when I resume cruising fear of quarantine might motivate me to get a balcony cabin, but if you have to move to an interior cabin then wow! That could motivate me to not cruise at all

It's been 40 years since our last cruise and I don't see any circumstances under which we'd take another. It does seem to me that a cruise ship would be the ideal breeding/transmission circumstances for a virus. Nora virus sometimes goes through whole cruise ships (yes, generally different vectors for transmission.) Why would Covid be any better. Masks or not, if anyone has an active infection, they will spread it.

Having said these cheery things, here is to our members cruising soon. Best luck and may you stay safe. Enjoy.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

My friend and I took a cruise a few months ago. Vaccinated, boosted. A week after we returned we both had COVID (like a 6 day mild cold with some fatigue in the middle)

 

[MRG]

Went on our first cruise last month. Awesome trip I'll never forget. Caught covid on my way home, spent too long in airports.

Can't compare to previous trips, everything was open and the crew was masked at all times. This was a small boat not sure how I'd feel with thousands of other people.

 

[Focus]

My friend and I took a cruise a few months ago. Vaccinated, boosted. A week after we returned we both had COVID (like a 6 day mild cold with some fatigue in the middle)

Same, almost. The day after our return, I knew I had Covid -- after successfully evading it for 27 months.

We were more careful than most on the ship, but with the new subvariants that break through any defenses, all it takes is an elevator ride with the wrong person.

My Covid bout was more like a flu, with high fever and an absolutely terrible sore throat. Glad that's behind me.

 

[gayl]

Getting set to go on my 6th cruise since August 2021. 2 to Alaska, 1 Pacific Northwest, 1 Panama Canal, and 1 Northern Europe / Ireland / transatlantic. Ships are filling up (1st cruise was less than 1/3 full, last onlyv60%). Never got sick.