Camie Cherry's Dream Vacations Blog

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Cruising During a Pandemic

    

      In 2020 Covid-19 caused an unforeseen devastation to the world as we knew it. Everything shut down. Businesses shut their doors. Planes were grounded. Ships were docked. Borders were closed. Travel had halted. We quickly found ourselves in isolation, looking at the same four walls day in and day out. As the months went by, frustration started to kick in. Everyone just wanted it to end and things to go back to "normal". We would soon learn that nothing would ever be the "normal" we had been accustomed to. We embarked on what was to be dubbed the "new normal". 

 

Hope:

   Over time the world slowly began to open up...but so much had changed. There had become a fear of the unknown. Many worried about the safety of their families and were unsure of when they would feel comfortable traveling again. Slowly people began to visit loved ones again. We started going to games and attending social outings. School returned to the classroom and people went back to work. Covid outbreaks were on the decline and we had a glimmer of hope that things would get better. We all needed a vacation and many were anxious to return to cruising.

         

Changes:                

     Fast forward to late summer 2021 and ships finally begin to resume sailing from the United States.  But with it came strict protocol in an attempt to keep everyone safe from Covid. Cruise lines implemented a stringent cleaning regimen which included constant sanitizing of all public areas and staterooms. All crew and passengers over the age of 12 were required to be vaccinated against Covid-19. In addition, everyone was required to provide a negative Covid test prior to boarding. Crew members were subjected to ongoing Covid tests, no days off, and the inability to leave the ship. Limited passenger count, social distancing, and hand sanitizing became a priority. And then of course there was the implementation of the mask requirements. To some this felt like a violation of their rights, to others it became a new accepted norm.                                      

 

Challenges:

    This brings us to my journey. I had been anxiously awaiting the return of cruising and booked my first "Covid Cruise" the first chance I got. As the trip approached we took the dreaded Covid test. (***Somehow I managed to survive the stress that went along with waiting for everyone's covid test to come back negative.***). Finally, on December 25, 2021 we donned our masks and entered the airport to begin our cross-country journey to Miami. This was the moment I really began to question my decision. Trying to keep everyone's masks on "properly" and hands sanitized became a challenge with teenagers and toddler alike. 

    

At Last:

    After a day of traveling we finally made it to the cruise terminal and began the embarkation process. Despite having to provide all of our proof of vaccinations and negative Covid tests to the agents, we made it through the line rather quickly. Here's where the reality of things really began to set in. Everywhere we went we were greeted with crew members spraying sanitizer on our hands and then began the daily temperature check. Seating areas were spread out. Crew members greeted us (very excitedly I must point out) from a good social distance. 

                

Washy-Washy:

    The buffets were no longer self-serve. We were reminded to "washy-washy". Theater seating was social distanced. Stores were only open during certain time periods and social distancing and hand sanitizing was strictly enforced. (But hey, in all reality, we had become pretty used to this during 2020). 

Cozumel, Mexico

 Ghost Ship: 

This brings me to the biggest change we noticed....the ship was like a "ghost ship". It was only at 25% capacity (about 1200 passengers), but because the ship was so large we saw only a few people at a time. There was never a problem finding seating and the lines in the buffet were never long. The pools closed early. The kids clubs were not open. Excursions were limited. And the beaches were bare.

Spoiled:

    Now this was a topic of debate amongst cruisers. For those who were looking forward to the social aspect that being on a cruise entails, there was disappointment for sure. For those looking for a nice, relaxing, peaceful vacation, this was perfect for them. For me, I was just so happy to be back out on a ship, away from the snow, and in the beautiful Caribbean that I was happy! Although it was a "ghost ship" and it took a little getting used to, we were spoiled rotten by the end of the two weeks. The staff really went out of their way to cater to us and ensure that we had the best cruise under the current circumstances. 

MSC's Ocean Cay

Turmoil:

    This brings me to some of the problems that you face while cruising during Covid. And we definitely ran into a few unexpected ones. Our third day on the ship we were all called to the theater at assigned times to do a random Covid test prior to arriving at our next port of call. This was the beginning of a bit of turmoil. An undisclosed number of people ended up testing positive. They were quickly moved to a part of the ship that was reserved for quarantine. Those people who had been determined to be in close contact with them, including crew members, were moved to a separate isolation area. Those who tested negative were relieved, but also nervous, as we knew that it could be us at any moment. 

    

Solace:

    Sadly, due to passengers testing positive, and the sudden outbreak of the omicron variant in the world, we quickly got word we were being denied entry into, what would turn out to be all of, our scheduled ports. This, of course, caused a lot of upset on the ship. The crew took the brunt of the anger and yet still maintained their grace and good spirits. It was disappointing we would miss the ports we wanted to go to, but they were able to arrange for us to be rerouted to ports of Mexico and Honduras that were happy to accept us.

    

Gratitude:

      Although not the ports we wanted, we knew the risks involved when we signed up. I chose to focus more on making memories and having a fabulous time, than letting it ruin my vacation. I reminded everyone that it could be worse, we could be back home in the snow! We were lucky to be able to leave our rooms and leave the ship. Many did not have that luxury. This was a testament to the times. A reminder to not take anything for granted. And a lesson on adjusting to the ever-changing times. Love the life you are given!

Optimism:

     Although we have gotten a good grip on the Covid outbreak...it can rear it's ugly head at the drop of a hat. We have 2 choices: give up or move on. By complaining and letting it ruin the trip people gave up the opportunity to make the best of an unfortunate situation. Those who chose to accept and modify their plans and attitude were able to move on and make lasting memories they will treasure forever! I know I did! And booked another cruise the following month going to the same itinerary! Only this time I booked it going SOLO!!! That will be another story!! 

There's always a rainbow after a storm in the Bahamas!

     What are your thoughts about travel opening back up? Do you think we jumped the gun? Are you ready to cruise again? Leave your comments below!