Just Got Back on 9 Night Alaska Cruise on the Wonder.

[Anna131517]

I hope you feel better soon. I think this is just what happens in Alaska in the summer now with all the tourists. We took an NCL Alaska tour in June (Vancouver to Seward) and some in our party (other staterooms) also got COVID. Our flight home from Anchorage was full of people coughing, sneezing, and even vomiting.

 

[cedman77]

I've had covid twice, was no worse than colds I've had before and I got it both times at work.
if I get it again on a crusie, eh so be it.

You are right, so far it’s no worse than a cold for myself. Just wanted to let people know it’s still out there and if you are in the high risk category, please take precaution. My wife took my daughter to health services and deck 1 on the Wonder and the physician on call didn’t even bother to test her for covid, even though she was exhibiting all the symptoms. It’s as if their policy has changed to if we don’t test, we’ll there’s no covid on board.

I’m not advocating for shut down on the cruise industry, in fact we’re all planning for our next one

Be safe

 

[KayKayJS]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Hoping you feel better soon.

I'm about to go on a 7 night Alaska cruise next week (not on DCL) and I want to avoid getting Covid.

I last got Covid in June 2022, so I'm wondering if my immunity has waned now one year later, and if I'm going to be a prime target for the virus.

From someone who's done 2 cruises in the last year - got covid on one and didn't on the other..

If it's very important to you to stay healthy - My suggestion to you would be to bring multiple well fitting N95 masks (I prefer the 3M AURA - can find it at target) and face mask neck straps/ lanyard (Amazon) so that you can put them on and off easily.

We did the Norwegian Fjords Sept 2022 and I came back with COVID even though I had had it 3 months earlier.

We did the Greek Isles in June 2023 and we masked on the flights, common areas, buses, anywhere we were in close quarters with people, and we all came back perfectly healthy - though by the end of the cruise a LOT of people were coughing.

Honestly was not a big deal for us to wear the masks - the neck straps help a lot so that you can easily remove and not worry about it, then put it back on if you go inside a store or whatever. Also a mask that is well fitting and has no gaps makes it SO much more comfortable and easy to breathe.

 

[msu2002]

I've had covid twice, was no worse than colds I've had before and I got it both times at work.
if I get it again on a crusie, eh so be it.

Well yes, for most this is no worse than a cold but there's a lot nasty things like norovirus and flu. I went on this cruise knowing that I could possibly get sick I am not going to hide in my house forever, but the fact that there was no hand sanitizer to be found is disgusting. Also, I think the people who lost relatives to COVID would disagree your condescending attitude.

 

[wendlle]

Well yes, for most this is no worse than a cold but there's a lot nasty things like norovirus and flu. I went on this cruise knowing that I could possibly get sick I am not going to hide in my house forever, but the fact that there was no hand sanitizer to be found is disgusting. Also, I think the people who lost relatives to COVID would disagree your condescending attitude.

don't most people take their own sanitizer? I just think it's up to each individual as to how they want to live their lives. If you want sanitizer then you should be taking your own.

I know people who died of Covid, I also had someone die of cancer two days ago! So I don't think it matters if you get Covid, or not. Because there are MILLIONS of other diseases and reasons for death, one virus that we now live with is just a part of life.

 

[auntlynne]

don't most people take their own sanitizer? I just think it's up to each individual as to how they want to live their lives. If you want sanitizer then you should be taking your own.

I know people who died of Covid, I also had someone die of cancer two days ago! So I don't think it matters if you get Covid, or not. Because there are MILLIONS of other diseases and reasons for death, one virus that we now live with is just a part of life.

I am not a sanitizer fan - it’s hand washing I prefer. Partly based on being taught it is the mechanical aspect of washing that is more important than the chemical aspect. And not a fan of alcohol-based solutions on skin. But I understand that sinks are not as easy to place all over an area. So, no, no personal sanitizer for me. But think bringing your own is fairly common and a great idea.

Yes, we are not free from medical issues - Norovirus seems to have made its self known again on cruise ships. And sanitizers are not effective against it. People really need to wash their hands well at the sinks that are next to restaurants - and at other times throughout the day. Disney has a good reputation of keeping outbreaks of this to a minimum, but I think that is partly a result of vigilance in the workers at the door.

I hope you have a source of comfort - and good memories of the person you will miss.

 

[Sakura1017]

I was on same cruise, yes in our cruise group on fb many people are reporting they are positive. So just use caution for anyone doing B2B since I know in Oct there are the popular itineraries sailing out on Wonder. I agree with OP so many people started becoming sick and coughing. Noticed a lot when we were in Sitka. I wished they would have made announcements to take precautions. I did bring masks just in case. It really is a combination because I saw kids coughing and not covering their mouths and adults not telling them to cover. Definitely towards end of cruising start wearing masks in heavily populated areas like movie theaters, or lines for characters. I also saw a child really flushed and red and was trying to gauge her temperature with her mom. But since it was a popular character line of Mickey and Minnie in Alaska gear they stayed in line.

Also becareful with cabanas too. I know we already washed our hands but I was waiting in line and a guy cut in front of me to get crab legs/claws. He was obnoxiously taking time to look for pieces and his arm completed extended into the area where his sweatshirt was touching the seafood.

I really was annoyed that DCL scared a lot of people regarding the porter strike. Porters were on hand at the port and the strike ended a few weeks before our sailing from what I was told by my driver on the way to airport. They literally put in a stateroom the day before disembarkation to take your bags and do express walk off if your flight was before 1pm. Chip n dale wasn't expected to get off until 9:30 to 10am. We got out at 8:15 am. I was rearranging my plans because of their letter and it turns out I didn't have to.

 

[Sakura1017]

I am not a sanitizer fan - it’s hand washing I prefer. Partly based on being taught it is the mechanical aspect of washing that is more important than the chemical aspect. And not a fan of alcohol-based solutions on skin. But I understand that sinks are not as easy to place all over an area. So, no, no personal sanitizer for me. But think bringing your own is fairly common and a great idea.

Yes, we are not free from medical issues - Norovirus seems to have made its self known again on cruise ships. And sanitizers are not effective against it. People really need to wash their hands well at the sinks that are next to restaurants - and at other times throughout the day. Disney has a good reputation of keeping outbreaks of this to a minimum, but I think that is partly a result of vigilance in the workers at the door.

I hope you have a source of comfort - and good memories of the person you will miss.

The wonder has slacked in dining when ensuring people use disinfectant wipes. If you arrive late no one is there to hand you a wipe and people constantly just walk by. They are reusing menus now so no more paper copies like last year was given. I didn't see a lot of stations for hand sanitizer but I did bring my own. So if you want to use your phone to view your menu now.

 

[Sakura1017]

You are right, so far it’s no worse than a cold for myself. Just wanted to let people know it’s still out there and if you are in the high risk category, please take precaution. My wife took my daughter to health services and deck 1 on the Wonder and the physician on call didn’t even bother to test her for covid, even though she was exhibiting all the symptoms. It’s as if their policy has changed to if we don’t test, we’ll there’s no covid on board.

I’m not advocating for shut down on the cruise industry, in fact we’re all planning for our next one

Be safe

That's weird that they didn't test. I'm not sure if you saw in the cruise group that one person was quarantined midway and had to change staterooms. So they obviously were testing.

 

[Starwind]

I really was annoyed that DCL scared a lot of people regarding the porter strike. Porters were on hand at the port and the strike ended a few weeks before our sailing from what I was told by my driver on the way to airport. They literally put in a stateroom the day before disembarkation to take your bags and do express walk off if your flight was before 1pm. Chip n dale wasn't expected to get off until 9:30 to 10am. We got out at 8:15 am. I was rearranging my plans because of their letter and it turns out I didn't have to.

The BC port workers strike had a brief pause a few weeks ago because of federal government intervention, but then resumed. It actually only just ended; ratification of the deal was announced Friday August 4: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/breaking-b-c-port-workers-approve-contract

 

[IcedCoffee52]

I hope you feel better soon!

FWIW, we've done four DCL cruises since March 2022 (March 2022, December 2022, March 2023, June 2023 to Alaska) and none of us got covid. We only masked on the March 2022 cruise b/c it was still mandatory. We all have only had covid once in January 2022.

The place where we did get sick was Disneyland...OMG, my son and I got the worst stomach bug on our vacation. But, that also could have been from the plane, hotel, etc.

 

[auntlynne]

The wonder has slacked in dining when ensuring people use disinfectant wipes. If you arrive late no one is there to hand you a wipe and people constantly just walk by. They are reusing menus now so no more paper copies like last year was given. I didn't see a lot of stations for hand sanitizer but I did bring my own. So if you want to use your phone to view your menu now.

Pretty sad that it takes policing to get hands clean. The door guard was always such a hallmark of Disney. Other lines have the employees reminding you to Washy Washy.

 

[cedman77]

That's weird that they didn't test. I'm not sure if you saw in the cruise group that one person was quarantined midway and had to change staterooms. So they obviously were testing.

Oh I didn’t know. I don’t use FB and I looked on the Dis for our cruise group and didn’t see one. It just seemed DCL seemed pretty relaxed regarding the Castmember asking you to sanitize before entering the dinning room. I did notice arriving a few mins late one evening and you are right there was no one at the entrance.

 

[cedman77]

I hope you feel better soon!

FWIW, we've done four DCL cruises since March 2022 (March 2022, December 2022, March 2023, June 2023 to Alaska) and none of us got covid. We only masked on the March 2022 cruise b/c it was still mandatory. We all have only had covid once in January 2022.

The place where we did get sick was Disneyland...OMG, my son and I got the worst stomach bug on our vacation. But, that also could have been from the plane, hotel, etc.

We also did a quick 3 day Wonder Ensenada, back in January and we all made off that one safely. Then again that cruise was no way as full as this one was. Well we’re batting 1000 now. All 5 of us has gotten sick from this cruise. Only I have covid, my wife and my other daughter has finally caught something.

 

[cedman77]

I was on same cruise, yes in our cruise group on fb many people are reporting they are positive. So just use caution for anyone doing B2B since I know in Oct there are the popular itineraries sailing out on Wonder. I agree with OP so many people started becoming sick and coughing. Noticed a lot when we were in Sitka. I wished they would have made announcements to take precautions. I did bring masks just in case. It really is a combination because I saw kids coughing and not covering their mouths and adults not telling them to cover. Definitely towards end of cruising start wearing masks in heavily populated areas like movie theaters, or lines for characters. I also saw a child really flushed and red and was trying to gauge her temperature with her mom. But since it was a popular character line of Mickey and Minnie in Alaska gear they stayed in line.

Also becareful with cabanas too. I know we already washed our hands but I was waiting in line and a guy cut in front of me to get crab legs/claws. He was obnoxiously taking time to look for pieces and his arm completed extended into the area where his sweatshirt was touching the seafood.

I really was annoyed that DCL scared a lot of people regarding the porter strike. Porters were on hand at the port and the strike ended a few weeks before our sailing from what I was told by my driver on the way to airport. They literally put in a stateroom the day before disembarkation to take your bags and do express walk off if your flight was before 1pm. Chip n dale wasn't expected to get off until 9:30 to 10am. We got out at 8:15 am. I was rearranging my plans because of their letter and it turns out I didn't have to.

You we’re definitely smarter than us, if you believe this, we left our pile of masks at home by accident. We brought hand sanitizer, antibacterial Wet ones even small can Lysol aerosol sanitizer for our room. When we started to realize people starting to get sick we looked for our masks and realized we forgot them. We just rolled the dice and said oh well. Hindsight probably a stupid decision.

On a off note, Whitecaps doesn’t sell any adult cold medicine on board. The cast members told us to go to guest service and when we went there they just offered us a liquid decongestant and cough suppressant and said that’s all they had. We just assumed that’s all they had so on Skagway port of call, we found a local “supermarket” bought a regular bottle of DayQuil for $18!!! When my daughter wasn’t responding to the DayQuil, we finally went to Health Services to have the Doctor on call to see her. If you saw the Doctor during regular hours it was $168 visit. If you have to go after hours the price doubles to $340ish. They gave my daughter Ibuprofen, Nasal decongestant spray and Acetaminophen for about $3.

Our flight was at 11am and we had that letter in our statement and also notification on the app. It’s also said that people with flight departures before noon was supposed to be given priority to disembark first. We definitely didn’t feel like we were given any priority. It was a mad house trying to get off the ship at 8am. We barely got to our flight with 30mins left to spare. Not cool DCL

 

[Sakura1017]

You we’re definitely smarter than us, if you believe this, we left our pile of masks at home by accident. We brought hand sanitizer, antibacterial Wet ones even small can Lysol aerosol sanitizer for our room. When we started to realize people starting to get sick we looked for our masks and realized we forgot them. We just rolled the dice and said oh well. Hindsight probably a stupid decision.

On a off note, Whitecaps doesn’t sell any adult cold medicine on board. The cast members told us to go to guest service and when we went there they just offered us a liquid decongestant and cough suppressant and said that’s all they had. We just assumed that’s all they had so on Skagway port of call, we found a local “supermarket” bought a regular bottle of DayQuil for $18!!! When my daughter wasn’t responding to the DayQuil, we finally went to Health Services to have the Doctor on call to see her. If you saw the Doctor during regular hours it was $168 visit. If you have to go after hours the price doubles to $340ish. They gave my daughter Ibuprofen, Nasal decongestant spray and Acetaminophen for about $3.

Our flight was at 11am and we had that letter in our statement and also notification on the app. It’s also said that people with flight departures before noon was supposed to be given priority to disembark first. We definitely didn’t feel like we were given any priority. It was a mad house trying to get off the ship at 8am. We barely got to our flight with 30mins left to spare. Not cool DCL

Glad you were able to get some items in Skagway. Hopefully you can try to get reimbursement with the office visit if you had DCL insurance or some type of insurance. I think I did see DCL sell cloth masks in the shops. I'm gonna leave some feedback with them regarding they should have been a little more preemptive and offered to place more sanitation stations or places where you could get face masks.

The one place I was worried the most was on the sitka excursion where people were definitely hacking on the bus and I didn't have a mask on that excursion. I forgot it in my room.

I try to usually pack all the stuff from lesson learned on first cruise when you find out how much you have to pay for Benadryl. So now I pack everything in my luggage and just use it for stock supply on future cruises.

 

[cedman77]

Glad you were able to get some items in Skagway. Hopefully you can try to get reimbursement with the office visit if you had DCL insurance or some type of insurance. I think I did see DCL sell cloth masks in the shops. I'm gonna leave some feedback with them regarding they should have been a little more preemptive and offered to place more sanitation stations or places where you could get face masks.

The one place I was worried the most was on the sitka excursion where people were definitely hacking on the bus and I didn't have a mask on that excursion. I forgot it in my room.

I try to usually pack all the stuff from lesson learned on first cruise when you find out how much you have to pay for Benadryl. So now I pack everything in my luggage and just use it for stock supply on future cruises.

I got Disney Destinations email about a survey. Definitely going to let them know some areas of concern.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

My son is in day care and gives me every virus known to man you’ll be ok. We’ll wishes to you and your family.

 

[loislane]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Hoping you feel better soon.

I'm about to go on a 7 night Alaska cruise next week (not on DCL) and I want to avoid getting Covid.

I last got Covid in June 2022, so I'm wondering if my immunity has waned now one year later, and if I'm going to be a prime target for the virus.

I had it last July and came home from 4th of July weekend at WDW with round 2. Thankfully round 2 was very mild. If you're worried, I would suggest taking precautions of some sort whether its masking or getting boosted at least 2 weeks before your cruise.