Anyone reconsidering cruising in the next few months?

We are going to Hawaii on the Grand Princess 3/10/21 with another couple. Can't wait and my QR code is back waiting for my wife's to return.

I really appreciate the analysis...its probably one of the best ones I've seen...and clearly its because AZAMARA provided enough data to do it...and your dispassionate analysis really helped..THANKS!!!! (I think it deserves its own thread...along with that "report" KENNECOTT found from that woman who's family was flat out abused by NCL..)

We just got off a 15-day Azamara Quest cruise 23 Dec 21- 7 Jan 22. Small line that has a 100% vax requirement as well as pre-testing of all passengers at embarkation. At embarkation, 1 guest tested positive and was prohibited from proceeding on cruise. (Spouse also was denied). Ship sailed with 517 passengers and 368 crew. The cruise departed on 23 Dec and at that time, had a Green score on the CDC cruise ship monitoring site. Prior to that cruise, no crew members were in isolation. At day 6, our destination required a current test of all passengers. All passengers were tested and 12 positives were discovered. Those passengers were all isolated as well as all close contacts. Crew was retested, and no crew cases. Two days later, 4 crew (housekeeping for the passenger ) tested positive. Isolated as well as close contacts. By the end of the 15 day cruise, 20 passengers were positive and 29 Crew. Because isolation require close contacts to be isolated also, the number of crew taken out of service was 48 - or 13% of crew out. The first to be isolate were retested at 5 days, and some were still negative, allowing return to duty. But the situation required various departments to stop socializing and having meals together. So housekeeping teams and food services teams could not be in common activities like dining, laundry etc. Gets very complex. Fortunately none of the cases carried sever symptoms . Most asymptomatic, others with minor sore throats. But as the Cast noted, no more than a cold. The Capt provided all guests updates every evening. So we all knew what was going on. Bottom line - there is no practical way to stop transmission. You can only exercise measures that can hopefully reduce severity. Given enough time, infection rate will be 100% no matter what you do.

We canceled our Feb. cruise, but are still scheduled for April!

My experience with Regent, considering the price point they are at, they will likely take the appropriate steps for you're booking as the sail date approaches.

I had two Mediterranean cruises planned with them: one to the Western Med. (Athens-Venice) on the Mariner they cancelled and transferred to the Explorer going to the Eastern Med. (Athens-Istanbul).

Since I was still the deposit phase, and US citizens were still being advised not to cruise Internationally, I opted to cancel the Explorer cruise ahead of final payment. They obliged.

Regent is one line that does put their passengers first, and will make the best decision regarding your booking.

But, ultimately, the decision is yours.

If a cruise line tells me their ship is the safest place to be (ie. Royal Caribbean) - it's marketing. Use common sense. If you're an American, guide your decision based on International ports welcoming you, you're capacity to obey their local health and safety laws, and being assured you re-board your ship in the same health you left it.

Peace.

“If the average cruise ship were a U.S. state, it would be the safest in the country – by far. According to Royal Caribbean Group, since cruising restarted in the U.S. in June 2021, its ships have carried 1.1 million guests with 1,745 people testing positive – a positivity rate of 0.02 percent. Among U.S. states as of January 4, Alaska’s positivity rate is the lowest at 9.4 percent, with Georgia’s the highest at 38.7 percent.”

– Zane Kerby, President & CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA)

Not only read some of the more serious responses in THIS thread, but scan to "YOU GOTTA DO WHATS BEST FOR YOU", where that very subject is kicked around...the thing may be waning by then, or not...or there may be a new strain, or, the decision may be out of your hands, or the cruise may not go where you thought it was going, or theres cases on board, in which case...who knows...not even talking about testing, or getting there or getting home....all we know is thats alot of bux to throw up in the air for the seagulls to eat...Personally, I hope you go and enjoy cruising as much as we all do...but read their cancellation policy...they cancel, you cancel and so on...and THATS even subject to change with the phases of the moon...GOOD LUCK!!!!

[quote=Yankee47]

What with covid doing what its doing, any second thoughts, especially already booked?

We are brand new to cruising and have our first cruise booked in April on Regent in the Med. (Italy, Greece, Croatia and Turkey), So many questions and concerns about whether this is a smart thing to go forward with. Any advice from more experienced cruisers would be appreciated. Thanks in advance,

CDC definition: Can't Do Cruises

Baa Haa Haa Haa............no wait, not baa haa, your right, that might actually be something they would do.