Sailing on a Cruise this Fall? Here is What You Need to Know
We just returned from an Alaskan cruise and have all the information you will want if you are heading out on a cruise soon. I’m sharing the things we did to check off the health guidelines before the cruise plus all of the pandemic-related changes we noticed while on the cruise. Hopefully, many of these changes are here to stay!
We sailed on the Majestic Princess on a 7-night cruise to Alaska. If you will be cruising, be sure to check with your ship for up-to-the-minute updates and guidelines.
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“Be ready to follow cruise rules and you will have a great time.”
Before the Cruise
Our cruise required that all crew and guests were vaccinated. The second dose needed to be received at least 14 days from sailing. This meant that no children under 12 could sail. If you are looking for a cruise without kids, this could be a good time to do it. If you want to take your young family, it’s time to choose a different trip.
We had to have a negative COVID test within 3 days of sailing. I went to Walgreens and they told me it would be 2 -5 days to get the results. I worried because it might not come in time so I scheduled an appointment at CVS for the rapid antigen test. All of the tests came back with plenty of time but there was the stress wondering if it would all time out okay. All of the COVID tests were free.
Princess Cruise Line has an app where we handled all of our documents and check-in process. This made things very easy and touch-free when we arrived at the cruise terminal.
Within 24 hours of sailing, we had to go on the Princess app and answer a health questionnaire.
We had to bring our vaccination cards with us on the cruise. It was verified when we arrived at the cruise terminal.
Pandemic Changes on the Cruise Ship
Masks are required in all public areas unless actively eating or drinking. I brought this pack of disposable masks with us so we would have plenty.
There is a hand-washing station at each entrance to the buffet. A crew member directs everyone entering the buffet to wash their hands for 20 seconds. (I hope this is here to stay!)
Crew members served the food in the buffet. I appreciated that this reduced the number of surfaces people were touching.
There were a few grab-and-go items in the buffet that we plated and ready to take.
No more beverage stations. Servers come around in the buffet area and take drink orders.
The main dining room was basically the same except that all staff wore masks.
It was requested that only 6 people ride in the elevator at a time.
Princess has a new medallion system. Each guest has a quarter-sized medallion that is worn on a lanyard or a watch. It opens your cabin door and works like a credit card for drinks and in the shop. This limits people from touching things.
Masked up and ready for dinner on the cruise