What if Canada doesn't open its borders for cruises?

[ontheweb]

23 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Not surprising to me, but disappointing to learn.  I have not patronized a restaurant for in-door dining since mid-March.  I have been trying to "screw up my courage" to do so.  I am glad that I am OK with my own cooking.  It's seems that it is wise to wait a bit longer for me to contribute to the restaurant industry's financial well being.  

You can still contribute to the restaurant industry's well being by getting takeout. We have done this a few times. Also ate at a restaurant outdoors on a deck with well spaced tables on our wedding anniversary.

[jimdee3636]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Not surprising to me, but disappointing to learn.  I have not patronized a restaurant for in-door dining since mid-March.  I have been trying to "screw up my courage" to do so.  I am glad that I am OK with my own cooking.  It's seems that it is wise to wait a bit longer for me to contribute to the restaurant industry's financial well being.  

After dining at home for over six months---and my wife is a culinary-school-trained chef, so we didn't exactly suffer---we finally needed a break and went out to a restaurant a week ago. We went to a Fleming's Steakhouse, a high-end place with possibly the best wine-by-the-glass list of any "chain" restaurant (100 of them, plus over 400 choices by the bottle). We were there nearly three hours and spent an awful lot of money....but it was worth every penny. And the sanitary standards were superb. We're still very much alive, and all I can think of is doing it again. Don't be afraid to live a little!

[Heartgrove]

Canada reported Zero deaths yesterday for the whole country. The USA reported 383. But on the 10th through 12th: 1,134, 1,004, 808 respectively. Until we match or come close, I doubt that there will be any change in the closure order.

[crusinbanjo]

4 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

Canada reported Zero deaths yesterday for the whole country. The USA reported 383. But on the 10th through 12th: 1,134, 1,004, 808 respectively. Until we match or come close, I doubt that there will be any change in the closure order.

Population of Canada......... 37.5 million  %=0

population of USA..........330 + million.    %=.00001

just saying

[Doubt It]

9 minutes ago, crusinbanjo said:

Population of Canada......... 37.5 million  %=0

population of USA..........330 + million.    %=.00001

just saying

 

Thank you crusinbanjo!  People need to take a strategic view of the situation, the USA numbers are good! Yeh!

Big increase in covid cases in various parts of Ontario and British Columbia and Alberta - Ottawa in particular is hard hit. 

My sister in Toronto told me there is a huge increase in people not wearing masks in stores etc, even though it is the law. 

[Mosaic]

The USA numbers are not good.   Jeeze.  My Aunt and Uncle two great people just died from Covid.  Others in my great family have the virus---all from a Church Service due to another sudden death in the family...

[catl331]

11 hours ago, ontheweb said:

You can still contribute to the restaurant industry's well being by getting takeout.

But I often wonder about the mask discipline of those cooking and packaging the food ...

[HappyInVan]

1 hour ago, Doubt It said:

 

Thank you crusinbanjo!  People need to take a strategic view of the situation, the USA numbers are good! Yeh!

Big increase in covid cases in various parts of Ontario and British Columbia and Alberta.

 

Right! USA numbers are good. BC has seen a HUGE increase...

 

 

[Heartgrove]

2 hours ago, crusinbanjo said:

Population of Canada......... 37.5 million  %=0

population of USA..........330 + million.    %=.00001

just saying

 

Since when is death dealt with by percentage? There isn't a "Mostly Dead" like in the movie Princess Bride. Which is better? zero or 388? .... Just saying.

[Heartgrove]

1 hour ago, catl331 said:

But I often wonder about the mask discipline of those cooking and packaging the food ...

 

We try to support our local restaurants with take-out once a week. But we immediately dispose of any packaging that it was in, and microwave each serving of food for at least 30 seconds at full wattage.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

3 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Canada reported Zero deaths yesterday for the whole country. The USA reported 383. But on the 10th through 12th: 1,134, 1,004, 808 respectively. Until we match or come close, I doubt that there will be any change in the closure order.

 

3 hours ago, crusinbanjo said:

Population of Canada......... 37.5 million  %=0

population of USA..........330 + million.    %=.00001

just saying

Thanks for the stats. So then if all else was equal, Canada would have had roughly 42 deaths that day, but had zero.

[Mosaic]

I do not see cruising happening this year period because the USA numbers are not good. They are quite bad. In a previous post I put up that was taken down I mentioned that in one years time we will get close to the total deaths of WWII (for USA).  We are approaching half of that right now...

 

BTW, we do go out to eat inside--but with masks(except while sitting) and very much small places with distancing. We have walked out of 3 places. I do not see this distancing happening on ships. For us, the only way is to have ships in a bubble.???!!!??? Foreign ports aside.

 

Thanks for the idea of microwaving the food once home...

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, catl331 said:

But I often wonder about the mask discipline of those cooking and packaging the food ...

At some point you have to stop being paranoid. What about the mailman or UPS or FEdex person delivering packages to you? What about the people stocking the shelves at the grocery store? And so on.

[npcl]

For the US to have the equivalent case counts (adjusted for population) as the European countries that have allowed large ship cruising with stringent protocols, the number of new cases per day would need to be below 5000 new cases per day, with more intensive testing than the US currently has.

 

We are a long way from that level on control.

[iancal]

I believe that Canada will not re-open until there is a widely available, effective vaccine.  It would be absolute folly to depend on cruise line  procedures/precautions before that time (or after for that matter). 

 

The numbers are not good.  They are getting worse.   Health experts appear to be suggesting a challenging fall and winter.  They also seem to be indicating that an effective and safe vaccine will not be widely  available until the Q1/Q2  time frame at the earliest.  Perhaps even Q3/21.

 

Edited September 14, 2020 by iancal

[ontheweb]

6 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

 

We try to support our local restaurants with take-out once a week. But we immediately dispose of any packaging that it was in, and microwave each serving of food for at least 30 seconds at full wattage.

I read somewhere paranoid people were microwaving library books with disasterous results as there was a metal chip in the books.

[rkacruiser]

19 hours ago, jimdee3636 said:

We went to a Fleming's Steakhouse, a high-end place with possibly the best wine-by-the-glass list of any "chain" restaurant (100 of them, plus over 400 choices by the bottle). We were there nearly three hours and spent an awful lot of money....but it was worth every penny. And the sanitary standards were superb. We're still very much alive, and all I can think of is doing it again. Don't be afraid to live a little!

 

We have a Fleming's in my community and they are an excellent restaurant.  (Their Fleming's Potatoes always have a carry-out box with me when I leave.)

 

Two doctor visits during September with questions of both about in-door dining:  their responses follow.

 

PCP:  Both his wife and he are primary family care doctors and both PCPs.  They often dine at restaurants and prefer to do so where there is a patio.

 

Visited my cardiologist this afternoon:  His response was "it's too risky just to have a meal in a restaurant.  Particularly with the recent CDC report about the connection between positive Covid-19 tests and restaurant visits within the previous 14 days.  My birthday is tomorrow and my family wanted to take me out to dinner.  I declined because I felt it was too risky."

 

What/who is to be believed?  Why should I have to feel that I am playing "Russian Roulette" if I decide to have a meal at a dine-in restaurant?  

 

Trying to keep my post "cruise relevant", there is a significant amount of scepticism that has been created by many sources as to what/who to believe about this pandemic.  What's safe?  What's not safe?  Is is safe to cruise when "somebody/someone" says so?  Why should I believe that?  There is no agreement on whether it is "safe" to dine at Fleming's/Bob Evans/or Holly's Home Cooking Restaurant.  How can I be sure it would be safe to sail on a cruise?  

 

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

Just now, rkacruiser said:

PCP:  Both his wife and he are primary family care doctors and both PCPs.  They often dine at restaurants and prefer to do so where there is a patio.

 

I have another visit with him in October when the temperatures are not going to be encouraging patio dining.  "What's your view on dining indoors in a restaurant, doctor?"

[Horizon chaser 1957]

So - back to Alaska.
Even if borders are not completely open by next summer, maybe if things are somewhat under control it would be possible to cruise to Alaska round trip from Vancouver? 
Losing a second full Alaska season completely would be a huge blow to several cruise lines.

[JeffElizabeth]

Any Canadians in here? Curious how the clampdown is affecting the economy.  I did see one report that Canadians generally support the measures taken to keep people safe and they have a much lower death rate than the US.  I am worried that people are putting too much faith in the vaccines coming out. I think the virus will mutate too fast to protect everyone.  And too many people are resistant to taking the vaccine. Have to think it will be a condition of employment for cruise ship employees.  Will passengers also have to show their shot records? 

[foodsvcmgr]

I certainly hope proof of vaccination is required to cruise, should help to make cruising a microcosm of life as we knew it, even if the rest of the world remains a few steps behind for a while.

I know many say they won’t get the vaccine, but I envision a possibility that those who decline may find their options limited, airline flights, cruises, even many jobs may be off limits.

[kazu]

5 hours ago, JeffElizabeth said:

Any Canadians in here? Curious how the clampdown is affecting the economy.  I did see one report that Canadians generally support the measures taken to keep people safe and they have a much lower death rate than the US.  I am worried that people are putting too much faith in the vaccines coming out. I think the virus will mutate too fast to protect everyone.  And too many people are resistant to taking the vaccine. Have to think it will be a condition of employment for cruise ship employees.  Will passengers also have to show their shot records? 

 

Canadian here and in New Brunswick where we are upset about a first case in 8 days 😉 

 

No question that there are some businesses hurting (tourism, restaurants) but the Government has put in some help for those businesses.

I can only speak here where we have had a total of 2 deaths and just over 100 cases and everyone is on board with protecting everyone else, generally speaking.

Our businesses are open - all of them.  It’s tough on the hair people as you have to stay in the seat so they can’t take other people in between if someone is doing a colour for example but of course, prices have gone up to help make up for it.

 

Restaurants are still at limited seating but some have gotten pretty innovative with patio seating and even truckload sales where they get a ‘cut’ on the sales.

 

We take this pretty seriously here and most are being very careful.  A lot of stores insist on masks and those that don’t often see them.  Plexiglass, hand sanitizer, cart sanitizing is everywhere.  We are not waiting for a vaccine but would welcome one.  In the meantime, as Maritimers, we stand strong to protect each other 😉  

 

No question there had been an effect on the economy but it’s been coming back and most importantly, people are trying to be safe ❤️ 

[rkacruiser]

46 minutes ago, kazu said:

Restaurants are still at limited seating but some have gotten pretty innovative with patio seating

 

Restaurants in the U.S. have had success with patio seating as well as with cities closing streets and allowing for usual indoor businesses to expand out onto the closed streets.  Fall's cooler temperatures are about to arrive; Winter follows.  What will the result of that be?  

 

[kazu]

19 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Restaurants in the U.S. have had success with patio seating as well as with cities closing streets and allowing for usual indoor businesses to expand out onto the closed streets.  Fall's cooler temperatures are about to arrive; Winter follows.  What will the result of that be?  

 

 

That’s the scary part and the question I can’t answer.

I will say our restaurants are well prepped with plexi glass dividing etc along with the reduced seating and physical/social distancing.

 

Lots are eating indoors already.  I’m too nervous to do it yet, honestly.  

 

We find other ways to support our favourite one between the patio, take out, gift cards and their innovative special food truck pick ups.  (Frozen food - the chicken is to die for).
 

We’re just going day by day here like everyone else and hoping and praying 🙏🏻 

 

[rkacruiser]

11 minutes ago, kazu said:

Lots are eating indoors already.  I’m too nervous to do it yet, honestly.  

 

That's me as well.  50% of my physicians say:  we are dining indoors at restaurants.  (But, if an outdoor option is available, we use it.)  50% say:  no, it's too risky.  

 

11 minutes ago, kazu said:

We’re just going day by day here like everyone else and hoping and praying 🙏🏻 

 

My Minister ends each segment of her congregational prayers with the phrase:  God of all Mercy, Hear our Prayers.