Effective August 1, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ three brands will stop requiring pre-cruise COVID-19 testing unless required by local regulations. The policy includes Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Due to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations, the new policy will not change anything for U.S.-based cruise itineraries. Other itineraries that won’t be affected include those that visit Canada, Greece, and Bermuda. However, some itineraries sailing out of Europe this summer will be affected.
As some may be aware, I have just spent the last six months aboard an involuntary COVID laboratory - watching the ebb and flow of the disease in a near-petri dish sized vessel. I agree that we have to establish a new normal. That said, there is a strong probability that passengers aboard cruise ships will be infected with COVID if they do not take the obvious precautions (which few will unless that are, if not mandated, strongly recommended. Mast cruises are short enough that infections may not be noted until after the passenger leaves the ship (opening up the possibility that they will infect those they will then be associating with. This is not a judgement on the cruise lines (a girl has to make a living after all), but rather on the clients who should know better.
I figure the variant specific boosters this fall will be the turning point in allowing the new normal to be taken for granted, but for those who follow the numbers, this disease is not yet sated.
Jeff
(Incidentally, over the last 2-3 months of the cruise, approximately 75% of all the passengers and crew were confined to their cabins for 5-10 days due to being infected with COVID. Most cases had minimal symptoms: sore throat, mild fever or even asymptomatic, but a few needed oxygen, a couple had to be evacuated and a number caught two versions of the disease during their trip. We were of the lucky minority who stayed negative the entire time - and put up with a few who ridiculed our constantly wearing masks - until they caught COVID and missed part of their cruise.)
The new normal is what it is. People who react emotionally – who don’t take necessary precautions because they “can’t stand it” – will pay the penalty of risking illness. And also spread it to others.
WOW - I could easily see Norwegian doing away with it. Forgone conclusion. But REGENT? Very surprising. I would’ve thought the Regent Crowd (quite different than the Norwegian crowd) would’ve truly wanted precautions. Oh well.
It’s tough. Why? Culture and people. There’s always enough who don’t give a crap and this was waaaaaay before Covid.
I’ve done 10-12 cruises and luckily never was on one with NOROVIRUS which is basically - some yum-yum didn’t wash his hands properly after using the bathroom. yes you can. get it anywhere - - but on a cruise ship everyone touches the same things and I’m told my frequent cruisers it can be very hellish. The virus puts you down. The quarantine the bleach all of it -misery.
Also, people just HAVE to go out. Even at home – in your normal routine. It was always acceptable for people to go to restaurants, soccer, yoga, whatever- when they are hacking away and sick. I never did that - if I was sick, even if I wanted some hot spicy Chinese - I felt some poor waitress will be sick and miss work cause of me. But people just don’t understand “You CAN’T for now”. I admit - I’m a sick-o-phobe wimp. I get sniffles, sore throat, etc - I’m an ogre. Put me in my basement for days you won’t see me again so when I go on a vacation - I watch it a week before - I steer clear of people. Then be it airplane or cruise - constant handwashing. I see the goober with the cough or the red nose and avoid them like the plague even if it means gasp waiting a few minutes to walk somewhere.
On so many cruises I 've been on - I see someone hacking away. And YET - they just gotta get dressed up. Go out at night. Seee some 2nd rate entertainer sing Sweet-Caroline-Bah-Bah-Bah-Good-Times-Never-Seemed-So-Good. I’m to the point to thinking when my kids aren’t well - why the heck should they miss karate class or whatever - nobody else does. Then I cool off of course.
I feel the New Normal - is indeed normal. And it’s a cultural blend of ignorance as a badge of honor, coupled with this attitude of just not thinking and not being willing to take a lump and miss out on an activity or a night out.
Rant over – but spreading costly diseases - well - not over.
Effective August 1, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ three brands will stop requiring pre-cruise COVID-19 testing unless required by local regulations.
For many, cruising has nothing to do with any kind of normal. But traveling by plane is decidedly more common.
Sis recently got Covid, probably at a church picnic, becoming symptomatic while traveling to FL, which she drove to. She flew back, still sick enough with Covid that she passed out at the security check point and they called the EMTs. She was offered a test to check her heart, (EKG?), but not once asked if she was now or recently experienced Covid symptoms. They whisked her away to the plane in a wheelchair where they pre-boarded her. She then drove the 2.5 hours home, somehow managing not to pass out again while behind the wheel.
She had no shame telling me this, though I have always considered her a considerate person. When I asked her why she got on the plane knowing she was likely contagious, she seemed to shrug, (on the phone,) and said she wore her mask the whole time and others should do the same if they were worried about protecting themselves.
The new normal for us is outdoors or self-contained. Sadly it also includes no longer inviting Sis to share our indoor spaces.
I have just spent the last six months aboard an involuntary COVID laboratory - watching the ebb and flow of the disease in a near-petri dish sized vessel.
Thanks for your contribution to the science of viral spreading!
I assume they paid everyone to be a test subject.
Obviously, most who got infected got it from others on the cruise. But how do you think it got introduced? By new crew? From shore excursions?
How much at sea time was indoors vs outdoors?
