UK Restrictions Threaten 2021 TA

[marieps]

I am reading that travelers from outside the UK will have to quarantine for at least 5 days (10 w/o a negative private test), which will kill our plans for the Sirena TA out of Southampton in October.  That's a long way off, but final payment is in mid-April.  We booked in June 2020, before O's payment protection plan, which began with cruises booked after Aug 1.  Am I missing something, or must I hope for a drastic swing in the virus to avoid cancelling?  

[LHT28]

I would confirm that  the final payment is still April  some have been moved to 60 days  prior

[Ride-The-Waves]

We are on a TA arriving the UK in late March 2022 and this would impact us, as well.  Suggest that its way too early for any definitive actions or even understanding of what this implies for people transiting the UK to/fm cruises.  

[marieps]

3 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I would confirm that  the final payment is still April  some have been moved to 60 days  prior

I was unaware they had softened the FP policy.  I'm hopeful it will apply to this cruise.  We very much enjoyed Regatta and was looking forward to a PH with a roomy shower!!

[LHT28]

4 minutes ago, marieps said:

I was unaware they had softened the FP policy.  I'm hopeful it will apply to this cruise.  We very much enjoyed Regatta and was looking forward to a PH with a roomy shower!!

it is worth asking

 

I am doubtful the cruise  will go ahead at the rate  things are going  with the virus

good luck

[marieps]

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

it is worth asking

 

I am doubtful the cruise  will go ahead at the rate  things are going  with the virus

good luck

Thank You.  I enjoy your posts.

[LHT28]

8 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

We are on a TA arriving the UK in late March 2022 and this would impact us, as well.  Suggest that its way too early for any definitive actions or even understanding of what this implies for people transiting the UK to/fm cruises.  

Hopefully by late 2021  things are better World wide  or we are all doomed  😉

 

[Daniel A]

17 hours ago, marieps said:

I am reading that travelers from outside the UK will have to quarantine for at least 5 days (10 w/o a negative private test), which will kill our plans for the Sirena TA out of Southampton in October.  That's a long way off, but final payment is in mid-April.  We booked in June 2020, before O's payment protection plan, which began with cruises booked after Aug 1.  Am I missing something, or must I hope for a drastic swing in the virus to avoid cancelling?  

In the US, the CDC just came out with guidance that fully vaccinated people with no symptoms do not need to quarantine even if they get exposed to a person who has Covid.  (That's the short story, there were a couple of qualifiers but none that substantially changes what I just wrote.)  This starts to open the door to having proof of vaccination will exempt people from lock down type restrictions.  One can only hope this guidance will continue internationally.

[marieps]

43 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

In the US, the CDC just came out with guidance that fully vaccinated people with no symptoms do not need to quarantine even if they get exposed to a person who has Covid.  (That's the short story, there were a couple of qualifiers but none that substantially changes what I just wrote.)  This starts to open the door to having proof of vaccination will exempt people from lock down type restrictions.  One can only hope this guidance will continue internationally.

I hope so, but as I am in Group 1C I doubt I'd get jabbed in time.

[AZjohn]

38 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

In the US, the CDC just came out with guidance that fully vaccinated people with no symptoms do not need to quarantine even if they get exposed to a person who has Covid.  (That's the short story, there were a couple of qualifiers but none that substantially changes what I just wrote.)  This starts to open the door to having proof of vaccination will exempt people from lock down type restrictions.  One can only hope this guidance will continue internationally.

I think the important detail not stated in your short version is this CDC recommendation is only good for 3 months after 2nd shot.

 

My gut feeling is this "only 3 months" is they simply don't know how long vaccines will be good for and the various mutations of the virus will be down the road. I think we will just have to wait for real life data from the people who have already been fully vaccinated (no way to do accelerated life tests)?

[njhorseman]

31 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

In the US, the CDC just came out with guidance that fully vaccinated people with no symptoms do not need to quarantine even if they get exposed to a person who has Covid.  (That's the short story, there were a couple of qualifiers but none that substantially changes what I just wrote.)  This starts to open the door to having proof of vaccination will exempt people from lock down type restrictions.  One can only hope this guidance will continue internationally.

 The guidance on not needing to be quarantined after COVID exposure is only valid  for three months after being vaccinated. That means for all practical purposes many of us,  as senior citizens who are eligible and have already been vaccinated, or will be soon may have the three month window expire before they're able to actually cruise. The chance of any substantial resumption of cruising in the next few months is virtually nil, so I don't see the new guidance to be meaningful at all for many of us.

[Ride-The-Waves]

23 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

 The guidance on not needing to be quarantined after COVID exposure is only valid  for three months after being vaccinated. That means for all practical purposes many of us,  as senior citizens who are eligible and have already been vaccinated, or will be soon may have the three month window expire before they're able to actually cruise. The chance of any substantial resumption of cruising in the next few months is virtually nil, so I don't see the new guidance to be meaningful at all for many of us.

One aspect of the "three months" guidance is the new variants of COVID-19 which the CDC estimates will crest in the US in mid-March.  Little to no experience with the vaccines and the mutations.  Thus, the caution on duration.  Hopefully CDC will be able to extend the efficacy of the Pfizer/Moderna two-shot prophylaxis once more testing is accomplished.  I would expect that a third or "booster" vaccination will be required.  Maybe annually like influenza. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by Ride-The-Waves

[njhorseman]

1 minute ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

One aspect of the "three months" guidance is the new variants of COVID-19 which the CDC estimates will crest in the US in mid-March.  Little to no experience with the vaccines and the mutations.  Thus, the caution on duration.  Hopefully CDC will be able to extend the efficacy of the Pfizer/Moderna two-shot prophylaxis once more testing is accomplished.

The question about how long the vaccines provided effective protection against illness existed before the concerns about the new variants. Normally it takes several years before a vaccine is fully approved and within that long study period one of the issues you gain a handle on is how long a vaccine provides protection. The lack of that knowledge is one of a number of reasons why the COVID-19 vaccines only have emergency use authorization, not approval.

 

While the new variants raise additional issues related to the efficacy of the vaccines  even without those additional issues there's sufficient reason to limit the length of the "quarantine unnecessary" guidance.

[susiesan]

29 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

The question about how long the vaccines provided effective protection against illness existed before the concerns about the new variants. Normally it takes several years before a vaccine is fully approved and within that long study period one of the issues you gain a handle on is how long a vaccine provides protection. The lack of that knowledge is one of a number of reasons why the COVID-19 vaccines only have emergency use authorization, not approval.

 

While the new variants raise additional issues related to the efficacy of the vaccines  even without those additional issues there's sufficient reason to limit the length of the "quarantine unnecessary" guidance.

I have been vaccinated already. I plan to get a booster vaccine every year in the Fall along with my annual flu shot. There shouldn't be any harm in being over vaccinated. Can't hurt, might help.

[njhorseman]

49 minutes ago, susiesan said:

I have been vaccinated already. I plan to get a booster vaccine every year in the Fall along with my annual flu shot. There shouldn't be any harm in being over vaccinated. Can't hurt, might help.

Right now booster vaccinations for COVID-19 don't exist and we have no idea if they will, or assuming they will exist how often they would have to be administered. While I'll certainly get a booster shot just like I get an annual flu vaccination until such a booster exists it's impossible to say when we'll be getting it. 

[jagoffee]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

The question about how long the vaccines provided effective protection against illness existed before the concerns about the new variants. Normally it takes several years before a vaccine is fully approved and within that long study period one of the issues you gain a handle on is how long a vaccine provides protection. The lack of that knowledge is one of a number of reasons why the COVID-19 vaccines only have emergency use authorization, not approval.

 

While the new variants raise additional issues related to the efficacy of the vaccines  even without those additional issues there's sufficient reason to limit the length of the "quarantine unnecessary" guidance.

Deleted.

 

Edited February 12, 2021 by jagoffee

[Daniel A]

2 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I think the important detail not stated in your short version is this CDC recommendation is only good for 3 months after 2nd shot.

 

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

 The guidance on not needing to be quarantined after COVID exposure is only valid  for three months after being vaccinated. That means for all practical purposes many of us,  as senior citizens who are eligible and have already been vaccinated, or will be soon may have the three month window expire before they're able to actually cruise. 

 

2 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Hopefully CDC will be able to extend the efficacy of the Pfizer/Moderna two-shot prophylaxis once more testing is accomplished.  I would expect that a third or "booster" vaccination will be required.  Maybe annually like influenza. 

 

28 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Right now booster vaccinations for COVID-19 don't exist and we have no idea if they will, or assuming they will exist how often they would have to be administered. While I'll certainly get a booster shot just like I get an annual flu vaccination until such a booster exists it's impossible to say when we'll be getting it. 

Your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna is a booster shot.  The original first dosage may end up being the annual booster.

 

In my short version, I left out the following in the interest of brevity:

 

From the CDC announcement:  "These quarantine recommendations for vaccinated persons, including the criteria for timing since receipt of the last dose in the vaccination series, will be updated when more data become available and additional COVID-19 vaccines are authorized."

 

CDC Release:

Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC

 

[pinotlover]

It’s 22 F degrees outside, with light snow. Therefore, it will be 22 F , with light snow in August, and then again in October. 

 

That’s one way to look at life. Some of us recognize that conditions change regularly. We will see what awaits us. 

[njhorseman]

10 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

The original first dosage may end up being the annual booster.

And it may not. If it only provides protection for  a couple of months it would mean needing a series of boosters every year, something that would be difficult to accomplish for a large population. Further if new variants continue to appear they may have to be constantly modifying the vaccine.

[Daniel A]

2 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

It’s 22 F degrees outside, with light snow. Therefore, it will be 22 F , with light snow in August, and then again in October. 

 

That’s one way to look at life. Some of us recognize that conditions change regularly. We will see what awaits us. 

Ha Ha Ha!!!  We're better than you are - it's 82 here right now so obviously where you are, the climate isn't being properly managed.  😁 

[pinotlover]

2 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

Ha Ha Ha!!!  We're better than you are - it's 82 here right now so obviously where you are, the climate isn't being properly managed.  😁 

😂

[clo]

3 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I think the important detail not stated in your short version is this CDC recommendation is only good for 3 months after 2nd shot.

 

My gut feeling is this "only 3 months" is they simply don't know how long vaccines will be good for and the various mutations of the virus will be down the road. I think we will just have to wait for real life data from the people who have already been fully vaccinated (no way to do accelerated life tests)?

I hadn't thought of the 3 month thing in a while. Are we just going to wait to see if people start getting sick again? So we get our 2nd shot tomorrow so then we wait for May to roll around. Hmm. Maybe we won't be cruising again.

[clo]

38 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

Ha Ha Ha!!!  We're better than you are - it's 82 here right now so obviously where you are, the climate isn't being properly managed.  😁 

I'll take 22 any day rather than 82!

[YoHoHo]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

Ha Ha Ha!!!  We're better than you are - it's 82 here right now so obviously where you are, the climate isn't being properly managed.  😁 

Some levity on this forum at last - thanks, Daniel!

[AZjohn]

8 hours ago, clo said:

I hadn't thought of the 3 month thing in a while. Are we just going to wait to see if people start getting sick again?

I honestly don’t know how else they can test unless they use those who already been vaccinated? This whole pandemic thing has been so dynamic that once they found a couple vaccines that work to greatly reduce deaths, all the other details about the vaccines we will be leaning on the fly.