What is it like Cruising during the Pandemic, Is it something to try?
I have been writing a bit about the different types of Cruises, but is it worth cruising while the Pandemic marches on, or should you wait. I have done 2 cruises in 2021. We traveled on the Azamara Journey to the Greek Islands during the Delta Variant and on the Disney Wonder during Omicron. What is the good the bad and the ugly about traveling now.
Come home from a "spreader" weding and hoping to go to Greece.
So, you have your plane tickets and the cruise is ready to sail and you come home from a “Spreader” wedding and find out 30 folks have come down with Covid. First, you thank your lucky stars that you have trip insurance and you wait till you are 4 days out of the outbreak and find a Covid test that you had to take anyway less than 48 hours before takeoff. You sweat the test and find out you are clear Wahoo!
So the first truth about cruising or traveling internationally is that you will need to take a Covid test before you get on the plane. Depending on the country you will need to be vaccinated and boosted and have a clean test before leaving home. The plane ride is probably the least infectious environment you will be in ever! Once we passed all those hurdles we land in Athens Greece. We have an overnight stay planned and will head to the port the following afternoon. Athens was ready for us, vax card checks and indoor masks were the order of the day. There were not many tourists in Athens being covid times and October (slow season). The hotel had upheld mask rules, outdoor dining, and obvious safety standards. We were very comfortable.
Athens is a big city. Walking around outdoors no masks (my expectation) indoors most folks had masks on and overall wore them over the mouth and nose. The trip to the port (Piraeus) was uneventful and After leaving the cab we were greeted by Azamara staff who checked our Vax and test status and led us to the pre-cruise test location. In a large open-sided tent with appx. 20 other passengers we went into a private area had our noses swabbed (violated) and were sent to wait for our result. Fingers and toes crossed we got the all-clear next to our cabin number and headed up the gangway to our room. We were intercepted by champagne and our safety check 5 well-spent minutes and then we were free to go. The ship rules were masks indoors including waiting to be seated at a restaurant. No masks outside. The Journey holds 690 passengers on our voyage there were appx 350 fellow passengers.
Everyone on the ship. including the crew was vaxed and tested as we left Athens. That defiantly let us relax quite a bit. Our cruise was 5 nights and included 3 stops and 1 sea day. We stopped at the Islands of Patmos, Crete, and Mykonos and our sea day occurred between Crete and Mykonos. Azamara prides itself on being a boutique hotel on the Sea. It lives up to that reputation. It is a lovely place to stay while touring. The Greek Islands are perfect stops and there is much to do. An advantage to a smaller cruise ship is the ability to make changes easily, on our cruise to Mykonos the Captain did a surprise cruise into the Caldora of Santorini, this was unscheduled and we got there at sunset. This was a thrill for most of us passengers.
On the last full day on the ship, all the passengers were given their second Covid test. This was in the Ballroom and again it was quick and easy and once again we knew everyone we ran into on the ship was negative for covid.
Omicron sailing on the Disney Wonder
We Cancelled our Ama Waterways Christmas Markets Cruise and swapped in a Cruise on the Disney Wonder. This was a 4-night cruise out of Galveston Texas. We bussed from George Bush Airport to the port in Galveston, about an hour’s drive. There is also inexpensive parking by the dock if you have a car. This was our 3rd cruise on Disney and our first without the rest of the family.
Disney tested us for Covid at the dock and this process was longer than the process at Azamara, but still easy. Once you passed your test, it was up the Gangway to the Ship. The Disney greeting is a fun way to start your cruise and even with the protocols in place it brought a smile to our faces.
Our muster drill was a scanned QR code and a short video, once completed we could head to our room. We had a balcony room slightly larger than Azamara. One of the room’s big differences was the bathroom configuration which was split with the sink and toilet in one room and the shower in another. This seems to open up a lot of extra useable space for reasons that are beyond my understanding.
For all the Covid protocols movement on the ship was easy. Masks were required indoors while in motion and for entry into the bars and restaurants. You also need to wear masks while watching shows and movies indoors. The ship’s Buffet was served but you carried your plate from station to station. Some stations were self-serve. The restaurants were all waiter service and on all Disney ships your waitstaff moves with you The Wonder has 3 restaurants, The Animators plate, Tiana’s place, and Tritons.
The Disney Wonder holds 2,400 passengers, this cruise had closer to 1000 passengers and you had a lot of space to move around on your own. In fact, in most of the bars, you would be by yourself or one or two other couples. This is nice but some more companionship would be better. This is especially true for the performer in the Cadillac Lounge, who played nightly to 10 or 12 folks at the most. The Cadillac has a nice unknown feature which is the Sommelier’s choice of red, white, or champagne that is $10 a glass and can be any bottle that is on the ship. It is fun and you will try a new favorite. The Old Fashioned and Manhattan are wonderful and consistent at each bar. the Cadillac Lounge has the best assortments of wine and champagne. Crown and Fin is an Irish sports bar that has a large selection of beers and French Quater Lounge has a great selection of Bourbons and a masterful bartender. this is a great bar to be at when it is empty.
Both the Azamara Journey and The Disney Wonder are easy to recommend and very easy to feel safe with their Covid protocols. I would not be comfortable having to pay for any preboarding tests at the dock, Some cruise lines charge for pre and post-cruise testing or make you do that on your own. It’s hard enough finding the right test at home but in a foreign city, it is very difficult. Disney has added a charge if you need a test to go home, we didn’t since the ship docked in the US. This will only affect sailors on sailings from International ports. Check with your Travel Advisor (me) for what you will need to do to be able to travel.
Side note: Grownups on a Disney Cruise. You will be very comfortable on a Disney Cruise without kids, The adult-only area is well patrolled and quiet. If you have kids, the kid’s clubs are the best and you will have to bribe your children to spend time with you, or you can sit quietly with us in the Adults only section and sip champagne.
