The Debbie Downers have been right all along

[Mary229]

More good vaccine news:

 

Pfizer is submitting to FDA for approval for 12 to 15 year olds

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/us/pfizer-says-its-covid-19-vaccine-protects-younger-teens/ar-BB1f9GHO

 

Pfizer is ramping up its Canadian production

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-canada-idUKO8N2JT00I

[KirkNC]

22 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

More good vaccine news:

 

Pfizer is submitting to FDA for approval for 12 to 15 year olds

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/us/pfizer-says-its-covid-19-vaccine-protects-younger-teens/ar-BB1f9GHO

 

Pfizer is ramping up its Canadian production

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-canada-idUKO8N2JT00I

That is good as often younger folks are asymptotic carriers.

[fatcat04]

Maybe a reminder of the heart wrenching journey of Zaandam and Rotterdam and their eventual welcome into Florida is in order. @Aquahound post at the time was very fitting imo. 

 

 

[idiebabe]

2 hours ago, fatcat04 said:

Maybe a reminder of the heart wrenching journey of Zaandam and Rotterdam and their eventual welcome into Florida is in order. @Aquahound post at the time was very fitting imo. 

 

 

Thank you for posting this!  A good reminder and @Aquahound really expressed how many of us felt! 

[HappyInVan]

It ain't over till its over!

 

You could be vaccinated. The cruise company may require all guests to be vaccinated. But, countries and ports can be shut down during the next wave.

 

“The 20 English areas with the highest COVID rates – as cases rise in 41% of country”

 

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/english-areas-highest-covid-rates-174742946.html

 

“Macron orders COVID-19 lockdown across all of France, closes schools”

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-macron/macron-orders-covid-19-lockdown-across-all-of-france-closes-schools-idUSKBN2BN329

[lyndarra]

On 3/30/2021 at 1:00 PM, KroozNut said:

 

Discussion about the 'light at the end of the tunnel' has been going on for some time now. Problem is that the tunnel keeps getting longer and longer depending on who is using the metaphor at the time.

Or that light could turn out to be an approaching freight train load of variants.😨

[lyndarra]

On 3/30/2021 at 1:00 PM, KroozNut said:

 

 

oops. double posted

Edited April 1, 2021 by lyndarra
duplicate

[drowelf]

11 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

It ain't over till its over!

 

You could be vaccinated. The cruise company may require all guests to be vaccinated. But, countries and ports can be shut down during the next wave.

Exactly, this is why the DW and I are not focused on 2021 Cruises. We are watching things for the 2 cruises we have booked in 2022. Final payment on the first is not due until sometime in November, so we will have at least another 6 months to watch how cruising restarts and the general Covid situation world wide is being handled before we have to make the go/no-go decision. 

 

I feel for the crews of these ships that have now been out of work for a year and it looks to me that its going to be another 4-6 months before they start to get all the ships back in to service across the lines. 

 

I will let the other chomping at the bit to be back cruising take the first trips and see what they have to report on conditions that will go into our decision on our first 2022 cruise. Our other 2022 is not until August, so I'd except that things should be back to near normalcy by then. If not then the survivability and the face of cruising will be very different from anything anyone is currently contemplating. 

Edited April 1, 2021 by drowelf

[KroozNut]

14 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Or that light could turn out to be an approaching freight train load of variants.😨

 

You're definitely on the right thread.. Debbie. 🙄

Edited April 2, 2021 by KroozNut

[HappyInVan]

This is April 1^st. Unfortunately covid19 has proven to be the opposite of a prank. Debbie says, “Let's take a minute of silence to honour the fallen.”

 

For perspective, USA reported just 4,746 dead on April 1^st 2020. By May 1^st, 58,931 dead. On October 1^st, 195,641 dead. After that, things got crazy.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_United_States#Current_number_of_non-repatriated_cases_by_state_and_territory

 

Same here in Canada. Our weakness has been the care home industry. Just too many unnecessary deaths.

 

Let's not repeat our mistakes. This is the important part. There are success stories and solutions. Its on us if we're not willing to do what's needed to defeat covid.

 

[Hlitner]

Another "Debbie Downer" blow for HAL today as the UK has just put the Philippines on its list of countries that are restricted from the UK.  What this means is not completely clear but it would seem that Filipino crew members would now be stopped from joining a ship in the UK.  Any Filipino flying to the UK would have to quarantine for 14 days at a government operated facility.   

 

Hank 

[cruzingnut]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Another "Debbie Downer" blow for HAL today as the UK has just put the Philippines on its list of countries that are restricted from the UK.  What this means is not completely clear but it would seem that Filipino crew members would now be stopped from joining a ship in the UK.  Any Filipino flying to the UK would have to quarantine for 14 days at a government operated facility.   

 

Hank 

 

I wonder if HAL had any advanced knowledge of this considering both the Volendam and now the Zaandam are in/heading to Greece. 

 

I saw yesterday an announcement from NCL that said, for crew, they are requiring ONLY the vaccines that are currently available in the US (including AstraZenica too).  From what I've heard, Indonesia is beginning to vaccinate it's population with the Sinovac vaccine from China.  I don't know what the situation is in the Philippines.  This is going to throw another monkey wrench into this whole process of resuming cruising that I don't think a lot of us have thought of.

 

Linda R.

[KirkNC]

CDC has just issued guidance that says fully vaccinated travelers can travel with low risk.  They still recommend mask wearing for them.  Step in the right direction.

[KirkNC]

26 minutes ago, cruzingnut said:

 

I wonder if HAL had any advanced knowledge of this considering both the Volendam and now the Zaandam are in/heading to Greece. 

 

I saw yesterday an announcement from NCL that said, for crew, they are requiring ONLY the vaccines that are currently available in the US (including AstraZenica too).  From what I've heard, Indonesia is beginning to vaccinate it's population with the Sinovac vaccine from China.  I don't know what the situation is in the Philippines.  This is going to throw another monkey wrench into this whole process of resuming cruising that I don't think a lot of us have thought of.

 

Linda R.

I have always thought that the lines would need to purchase and vaccinate their crew members themselves. 

[drowelf]

3 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

I have always thought that the lines would need to purchase and vaccinate their crew members themselves. 

Or at least be prepared to. Some may already been able to acquire a vaccination in their home country, before joining the ship. But it would be prudent to prepare a mass quarantine/vaccination site to prepare the crew. I'm sure that there would have to be some refresher and new training involved in the return to cruising for the officers/crew too. 

[cruzingnut]

49 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

I have always thought that the lines would need to purchase and vaccinate their crew members themselves. 

 

I've thought the same thing and I'm sure that will be the case if the cruise lines are requiring these particular vaccines.  Hopefully as supply becomes more plentiful, they will be able to do just that. 

 

Linda R.

[zelker]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

CDC has just issued guidance that says fully vaccinated travelers can travel with low risk.  They still recommend mask wearing for them.  Step in the right direction.

 

Yep, along with this very encouraging news, another step in the right direction ....

 

Vaccines will prompt CDC to change cruise guidelines 'shortly,' mayor says: Travel Weekly

 

 

Edited April 2, 2021 by zelker

[idiebabe]

40 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

Yep, along with this very encouraging news, another step in the right direction ....

 

Vaccines will prompt CDC to change cruise guidelines 'shortly,' mayor says: Travel Weekly

 

 

A definite step  in the right direction!  😀 🤞

[HappyInVan]

Here's the bad news. Vaccines are important and saves lives. But, the current vaccines alone will not be enough against the Variants of Concern (VOC).

 

We've seen the staggering surge in the UK. Brazil is currently in the same situation. Ontario is next. Two weeks ago, VOC was 50% of the infected. This week 67% (primarily UK variant).

 

With the growing number of vaccinations, it won't be as bad as UK and Brazil. But, we would need to vax 50% of the population just to maintain the status quo. That is, we would make progress only after we vax >50%.

 

That's why Ontario is launching a 28 days provincial lockdown. BC started 3 weeks circuit breaker.

 

ICU hospitalizations in Ontario at record. Higher ratio of younger people (average age 58 years). Significant numbers of people in 30s and 40s.

 

In January, the studies on UK cases suggest that the UK variant was 70% more infectious and 60% higher death rate. We're seeing that in Ontario...

 

“The analysis is expected to show that variants substantially increase the risk of serious illness when compared to the initial strain of SARS-CoV-2, including:

 

60 per cent increased risk of hospitalization.

100 per cent increased risk of being admitted to an ICU.

60 per cent increased risk of death.”

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-variants-death-analysis-ontario-1.5964296

 

https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/covid-19-hospitalizations-icu-admissions-and-deaths-associated-with-the-new-variants-of-concern/

 

We would see no decrease in levels of ICU admittance until we vax more than 50%. The un-vaccinated 50% would generate 100% more ICU patients. That's assuming that the vax is 100% effective in protection from serious symptoms.

 

A month ago, I cancelled my booking Iceland August 2021. Didn't think that I would be flying in August.

 

[ski ww]

Ontario waited to long to little for our lock down. Doctors have been begging the province to shut down weeks ago but nobody listened, we're now paying the price. When will we ever learn???

[Gracie115]

CDC issued a few new guidelines for cruise ships too...although nowhere near complete and seems to indicate B2B cruises won't be allowed at this time.

 

CDC updates guidance to cruise ship industry, urges vaccinations | Reuters

and

Technical Instructions for a Cruise Ship Operator’s Agreement with Port and Local Health Authorities under CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order | Quarantine | CDC

 

"to ensure disembarking and embarking passengers do not occupy the same enclosed or semi-enclosed areas (e.g., gangways, terminal waiting spaces, check-in areas) within the same 12-hour period"

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

18 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I have always thought that the lines would need to purchase and vaccinate their crew members themselves. 

Maybe they will by a out side contractor .

[KirkNC]

24 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Maybe they will by a out side contractor .

That would work.  So far Indonesia has vaccinated 3% of their population and the Philippines less then .5%.  That doesn’t bode well for getting crew vaccinated.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by KirkNC

[iancal]

IF cruising commenced from Florida tomorrow it would have no impact on our plans.   It would not encourage us to book a cruise. let alone plan a visit to Florida.

 

We will wait until well after cruising has commenced in various parts of the world that we are interested in.  We want to sit back and see how the start goes and if there are issues. We want to know the what the on board environment will be, port stops, excursion restrictions, etc.   Nor would we consider booking cruises at rates uncompetitive with other preferred travel options simply to get on board early.

 

Most of all we will be looking at feedback for those who have sailed.  In the interim we plan to restrict ourselves to land based travel.

[AncientWanderer]

5 hours ago, KirkNC said:

That would work.  So far Indonesia has vaccinated 3% of their population and the Philippines less then .5%.  That doesn’t bode well for getting crew vaccinated.

 

 

 

 

Don't the cruise lines see to it that their crew has all required inoculations for travel around the world?  I've always assumed that to be the case.

Seems like it would work much the same for this virus.