So my mom and stepdad are leaving for a cruise this weekend ...

[Hugh_Lebowski]

Which I was worried about, but spoke to mom and she assured me:
1) Everyone boarding must show proof of full vaccination, be tested that day, and
2) Everyone onboard will be tested DAILY, and
3) Everyone onboard must wear a tracking bracelet at all times, so that if anyone tests positive, they can basically do instant contact tracing.

So that made me feel a bit better. My mom's a former nurse, fully vaxxed the second she could get it, and paranoid about her or pops getting C19, so I trust her judgement.

It's Viking Cruise line she's going on.

[SYFROYH]

1. Those Viking cruises look really nice.

And safe, too.

[royable]

2. The Viking cruises do look nice. But what about any locals the passengers or crew ...

come in contact with at ports of call?

[Homoudont]

3. crew

I can't speak for Viking cruises but Carnival cruise line crews are not allowed to disembark at ports at this time. So far they have been able to keep outbreaks at a minimal from what I've read.

[royable]

4. Interesting! Thanks for the info. n/t

[True Dough]

6. Those crew members are so hard working

My wife and I have been on five cruises and we often engage with the staff, asking them about what life is like where they come from. Some of them open up about the heavy demands of their job on board the cruise ship, although many are grateful to be making money to send home to their families.

Although preventing the crew from disembarking at ports is the safe thing to do, it's also taking away one of their few perks. They spend long days and nights working on the ship. I feel for them not being able to take the occasional break at a port of call.

[Captain Stern]

5. I've always wanted to go on a Viking cruise.

I understand that the looting and pillaging shore excursions are awesome.

[Throck]

8. The problem is in declaring all stuff you pick up with customs.

[MLAA]

9. Yeah, but those tiny cabin closets make it difficult to handle the horde of loot you collect.

[Klaralven]

11. We come from the land of the ice and snow

We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow
The hammer of the gods
Will drive our ships to new lands
To fight the horde, sing and cry
Valhalla, I am coming
On we sweep with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore

[csziggy]

30. Ok, I've been on the internet too long - I can't hear that song without this coming to mind

[Klaralven]

36. Nice! Thanks

[dewsgirl]

10. I'm happy to hear Viking is joining Norwegian and

implementing these policies. I know a couple going next week, I'm not positive which cruise line, but I really hope they have these policies in place. They used to always use Carnival, I have no idea what their new policies are, or if they are even back to cruising yet.

[OriginalGeek]

27. Carnival has limited ships going out now

All masked all the time except in your cabin and mayyybe 1 or 2 other low traffic spots - they weren't requiring masks everywhere but changed to all masked in the last week or so.

Must show proof of negative test within 3 days of sailing and I think they allow non-vaccinated but they have to jump through a shit-ton more hoops and pay extra.

We have 2 cruises booked for next year and if it all gets shut down again we'll take the future cruise credits and all the on-board credit they are throwing around to keep us from getting refunds.

My boss is on a Royal Caribbean cruise right now and they had to get tested right before sailing and their 6 year old son had to get tested again at port.

[dewsgirl]

31. I hope it all works out for you guys.

[OriginalGeek]

35. Thank ye kindly! :)

The big one next year is our Alaska cruise and we were supposed to do that this year for our 35th anniversary but we are just going for our 36th instead. If that gets bumped we will just roll with it and enjoy it whenever we do finally get to go. Cruising is our favorite way to vacation (Now that we discovered it 6 years ago lol) and we were on just about the last cruise before everything got shut down in early 2020. Our little cruise next April will be right at 2 years of no cruising so we'll be ready if it goes!

[madaboutharry]

12. Your mom will be safer than a lot of kids going to school this week.

It seems Viking Cruises has their act together.

Those cruises sure do look nice. I don’t really care for cruises, but the ones on Viking look wonderful.

[Native]

13. Heck, she'll be safer than any American going to a gym, grocery store, church, ANYWHERE!

in the U.S.

[madaboutharry]

14. Isn't that the truth?

It is so pathetic that we can't as a nation behave like responsible adults.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

15. Yeah, my mom made that point to me as well (nt)

[Hugh_Lebowski]

16. Yah, mom said the same thing, but that it applies to anywhere she'd go in the US

And the sum she told me she'd be forfeiting by not going was such that I was guessing it was ... a pretty nice cruise.

[Skittles]

17. she can't be paranoid about Covid if she's going on a cruise

just curious, how do they test, is it that long stick up the nose? I would not want that daily, no indeed.

[Ms. Toad]

18. Pretty sure no one does that any more.

Just a gentle nose swab.

[dewsgirl]

32. My boyfriend had one about two-three weeks ago.

Before I was vaccinated, I was so careful and still am. That test where they pap smear your brain(I know, it just looks like it), scares me almost as much as Covid.
Actually he said it was fine, it looked so awful.

[Ms. Toad]

33. That's odd.

They have generally decided there is no need to go that deep - so any test I've been around (quite a few, from at least 3 facilities) since Oct/Nov last year was just a nostril swab.

[dewsgirl]

37. Idk it was at the fairgrounds in Syracuse.

I have been deathly afraid of the that one, and have managed to avoid any. Luckily I haven't been sick since December of 2019(of course I rarely go anywhere anymore)and am fully vaccinated. I hope that's the case and they don't do that long one anymore.

[smirkymonkey]

19. I just had one yesterday. It's not the long stick way up the nose, but they do put a swab up your

nose a little bit further than is comfortable and swipe it around a bit. It's more irritating than painful. It just makes you fee like you want to sneeze really badly, but it's all over pretty quickly.

[Skittles]

20. oh dear

I cannot even use nasal sprays without causing excessive sneezing

[Crunchy Frog]

22. I got tested just a few weeks ago.

They handed me the swab in its packaging, and had me swab my own nostrils and hand it back. It was practically nothing.

[Ms. Toad]

34. I've had both the self-swab, and the provider swab

Quite a few since I needed a negative one whenever I went in for surgery and they kept canceling surgery after the test.

None of them were more than a nasal swab.

[GulfCoast66]

21. Sounds like they are safer than grocery shopping here in Florida!

I don’t know their age but my father died a few months before retirement. Had a huge list of things he wanted to do and places to see. Never got to do any of them. It taught me lesson. Go when you can! Because the time will come that it is too late.

I hope they have a great time.

Cruising is not our thing. Don’t like being that confined and the food did not impress. But I certainly see the attraction for many. They will be fine.

Your mom sounds like an intelligent lady.

[renate]

23. I've only been on one Viking cruise... the Rhine

Loved it, loved the staff, it was a wonderful time. Would 100% recommend. Also, they’re a sponsor of Masterpiece Theatre!

[pecosbob]

24. What is I've heard them called recently? Oh, yeah...floating petrie dishes.

[Skittles]

25. yup

I think going on a cruise during a pandemic is ridiculous.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

28. I was thinking the same, but mom's argument was that the only safer thing is staying home

24 hours a day and having no visitors ... which they've done for a hell of a lot of the last 18 months.

They bought the tickets in March when they got vaxxed and it looked like things were winding down.

She said it would cost them a LOT of money to not go. They're also pushing 80 y.o. and probably won't be able to do these kinds of trips much longer.

The ports of call on the cruise are all in one European country with very good Covid numbers and 71.1% fully-vaccinated compliance.

So, combined with all the safeguards, they were fairly compelling arguments in total. I'll still be a bit worried but I think it'll be fine.

[Skittles]

29. she sounds like she is taking good precautions

Last edited Thu Aug 12, 2021, 07:44 PM - Edit history (1)

but I most certainly would not do it

of course, I have never been on a cruise and have zero interest being crammed on a boat

oh, and there is this:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/27-people-board-carnival-cruise-200155041.html

[GoneOffShore]

26. Good luck to them.

Even with those measures in place, it's not something I'd want to do.

But then cruises don't appeal to me.

I do understand people who like them though.