Cruising During Covid: What the Media will Never Tell You

Covid Sucks. I feel like this is something we can all agree on. While we all differ in our thoughts beyond that point, this is something that everyone is ready to move on from...well, I can think of a few interests that want to keep it alive, but that isn't what this is about. But actually, it kind of is.

As an avid cruiser, I couldn't wait to get back on the water when cruising started up again, but I was nervous about what it would be like. With all the restrictions, would I get the same joy that I did before? Would it operate like a prison? Would going on one now, ruin my love for it forever? Well, I went on one for my birthday last month, and all of my questions were answered. I am happy to share what it is really like, from the source, a small but mighty voice, that is tired of bias media influencing people with lies and fear.

Here is the truth. For me, I'm a big cheerleader for living life. Maybe it's my impulsive ADHD brain? Maybe it is my age? Maybe I just have the right idea? Who knows. But, I'm not big on fear keeping me from doing anything. I'm more of a close my eyes and just do it kind of girl. I feel like I need to give this background knowledge before I explain my thoughts on this Covid, cruising situation.

I'm a teacher as my full time position, and I remember the day we found out schools were shutting down. It was a teacher work day. It was a total sh-- show. Everyone was rushing around trying to get work together for students, not really having any idea what to do. No one thought we would be out more than a week or two. Well, certainly not me. I was oppositional. I was going to organize my storage cabinets. I had that planned for weeks, and of course something was going to come up that was going to prevent me from doing that, but I wasn't going to let it. I didn't get one thing prepared because I wasn't going to be "forced into hysteria". Even my sweet co-teacher kept checking on me, asking if I was sure I didn't need anything, no matter how stubborn I was about it. She ended up making packets for me, and saving my tush-whew! Thanks Rani ;) .

Over this whole period, were there a few times I was freaked out? Yes. I have a little boy, that part freaked me out the most. Anyway, even though things got scary and people got sick and died-and I take that seriously-I'm just the kind of person, what is going to happen is just going to, regardless of how I feel about it. AND if I did get sick and was going to die, I sure as heck wasn't going to let the last part of my life be me hiding in my house. Controversial? Probably. But I will absolutely always be honest. I don't really have the capacity for anything else. Besides, the whole point of this post is to tell the truth-what you won't get in other places. Side note: Yes, I take precautions and I will always respect other people's feelings on the matter as valid.

So now that you know how I operate, let's get to why you are here: What is cruising actually like in a Covid world? My cruise was a 4 night Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas on Independence of the Seas. As a travel advisor, I was on the look out for all the details that might not matter as much to me, but that would be relevant to others.

1st things first: At the time of my cruising, everyone 12 and older was required to be fully vaccinated 14 days prior to sailing. Additionally, we needed to have a negative test prior to boarding as well. My husband bought the at-home tests through the cruise line and I will say it was super easy, not at all stressful, quick, and a good price too. I will link the tests here. I would recommend getting them for occasions outside of cruising instead of doing the whole making an appointment and waiting in line thing.

During the check in process, which is done through the Royal Caribbean app, you upload your proof of vaccination. Doing the check in process prior to boarding is, and always has been, recommended. It makes everything so smooth. Once we arrived, we had a 30 minute window for when we were allowed to proceed with boarding from the port. This used to be a flexible and much larger window pre-Covid. Masks required? Yes. Did it bother me? Not at all. I really, really thought it would, but nope. The hardest part is remembering them. If you live somewhere that has let go of the whole mask thing, then you aren't used to carrying one. Overall, the boarding process was super quick. We did not stop one time from when we entered the building to getting on the ship. NO LINES! We just showed our identification, vaccination proof, and our negative test and we were given a green bracelet (shown below). This is to get you into "vaccinated only" areas. Oh and muster drill? Yuck. Probably everyone's least favorite part of the cruise, is conducted via the app. You watch the safety video and find your muster station upon arriving onboard. They check you off and Voila! Done. No more standing in a group with a ton of people like canned sardines for what feels like forever.

Vaccinated only area? I thought all adults had to be vaccinated? Great question. So. My son isn't vaccinated. While my husband and I would receive these bracelets, if my son was with us, we as a family would be considered "unvaccinated". This is relevant for dinner and shows, mostly. But the indoor bars are also "vaccinated only" areas. They have a "vaccinated" and "unvaccinated" floor for dinner and the shows. This was helping to ease up on mask restrictions. However, since my trip, they are requiring masks regardless of it all. I can hear some of you now "Oh no! Should I be scared?" My question is- Is this due to actual danger or is it media hysteria driven? It has been admitted that the Omicron or whatever it is called is not as dangerous, sooooooo?

Are there positive cases on cruise ships? Yes. Are there positive cases everywhere? Yes. Cruise lines are being unfairly demonized by the media to evoke fear-which is their business-you wouldn't watch if you didn't feel like you needed to. You wouldn't feel like you needed to if everything was peachy. Fear is a great motivator isn't it? Especially when it comes to the urge to protect our family. It has been exploited in all of us for quite some time. Okay, back on topic, If you look at the overall percentage of positive cases, I'm willing to bet it is less than where you live. Less than that at your local grocery store. You get my point. Cruise lines have a spotlight on them because of what happened last year. But truthfully, you are probably the same or more at risk just going about your normal activities.

The requirements and hoops that cruise lines have to jump through are more strict than just about anywhere. Everything is clean and sanitized, tables are closed to allow for social distancing, ships aren't sailing at full capacity, and that isn't all. I couldn't ask for anything more. I feel proud to recommend a cruise to even the most concerned and careful clients. Bottom line: I felt safer on the cruise than I do walking around in stores. Where else is required to have almost everyone vaccinated, masked, and tested in order to share the same space as you? There are literally staff members standing around waiting to wipe off tables right after they are used. The buffet? Staff are serving the food. The soda machine? Staff member is there too, so people aren't touching all over the buttons.

Wow Casey, that sounds like a lot. Is it even fun? I had the same concern. I'm laid back in nature. I don't want people all over me bossing me around, micromanaging my every move. It turns out, I wasn't the only one happy to be on the water. It is like all of us knew how fragile the situation is for cruising. We all respected whatever we had to do in order to keep it going. The micromanaging wasn't needed. We all just did what we had to do. Also, Royal Caribbean doesn't play. If someone is acting like an a--hole. They take care of it. I remember my honeymoon. Apparently these two girls got in a physical fight and they were put on room arrest. They aren't going to let anyone ruin it for the rest. What about wearing a mask all the time? I hate masks. But I didn't hate it there. It didn't affect my trip. The ocean is just as pretty. The food is just as yummy. The ship is just as stunning. The crew was just as friendly. It was just like I remembered it with a few changes and an extra accessory.

The bottom line: The idea that cruise lines are a hot mess, is false. It's certainly cleaner than the places I frequent. They have amazing systems and procedures in place that are so smooth and routine, you might not even notice them. The idea that cruising isn't fun with restrictions, is also false. I'm not going to let a mask stop me from seeing the world. We have too few days on Earth; think of all the ones that have been wasted so far. Think of your mental health. It feels amazing to get outside, breathe in the ocean air, and be blissfully free. The feeling is priceless. So what are you waiting for? If you're scared, close your eyes and jump in anyway. You won't regret it.