Will Oceania follow Celebrity, Crystal and RCCL?

[ORV]

I stopped at Walgreens today and as I was cashing out the cashier told me, "we have free Covid shots in the pharmacy today, no waiting". I found that interesting as people elsewhere are fighting to get a vaccine. 

[njhorseman]

16 minutes ago, ORV said:

I stopped at Walgreens today and as I was cashing out the cashier told me, "we have free Covid shots in the pharmacy today, no waiting". I found that interesting as people elsewhere are fighting to get a vaccine. 

From what I've seen what you experienced isn't all that uncommon. What happens is that fewer than expected people show up for their vaccination appointments at a location. The vaccine has a limited shelf life after which it has to be destroyed.  Rather than throwing it out the site offers the vaccine to anyone walking in to that facility on that day.

I know here in NJ, where we have multiple ways to get vaccinations appointments we had appointments at one facility made through the state's appointment system but then were able to get much earlier appointments at a  local hospital that was taking sign ups independently. After we were vaccinated we cancelled the original appointments so that our spots could be freed up for others but I suspect a fair number of people don't bother doing that, which leads to vaccination sites having leftover vaccine at the end of the day.

[PaulMCO]

24 minutes ago, ORV said:

I stopped at Walgreens today and as I was cashing out the cashier told me, "we have free Covid shots in the pharmacy today, no waiting". I found that interesting as people elsewhere are fighting to get a vaccine. 

People in Florida are still complaining on FB about lack of appointments.  In FL, we are giving to all people over 50 and those with medical conditions.  Last week posted the site where appointments were still available one day after opening on FB to those complaining.  Today on the FL Publix supermarket site, they had appointments available well over 1 hour into the appointment session statewide with no queue to get one.  Also today local clinic opened with walk in appointments.  They did a bang up business with only 24 takers.  They had 100 Pfizer doses and plan to have 200 from tomorrow onward.  

[pinotlover]

18 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

People in Florida are still complaining on FB about lack of appointments.  In FL, we are giving to all people over 50 and those with medical conditions.  Last week posted the site where appointments were still available one day after opening on FB to those complaining.  Today on the FL Publix supermarket site, they had appointments available well over 1 hour into the appointment session statewide with no queue to get one.  Also today local clinic opened with walk in appointments.  They did a bang up business with only 24 takers.  They had 100 Pfizer doses and plan to have 200 from tomorrow onward.  

We’re now at 40 and above can get appointments. Actually is after 3:00 anyone wanting the shot can walk up and get it.

 

The story is many are waiting in J&J, one shot and done. People are making multiple appointments and canceling based upon vaccine being offered.

[TrulyBlonde]

I signed my housekeeper up this week because we are now into that group. She was grateful and it will help all of us move in a great direction. Also, I am a Nervous Nelly and only had her come when I broke my foot and DH fractured his shoulder skiing. She can now come once a week and I can relax...P.S. I never relax 😉

[clo]

3 hours ago, pinotlover said:

The story is many are waiting in J&J, one shot and done. People are making multiple appointments and canceling based upon vaccine being offered.

Shame on them.

[Daniel A]

One of the problems is that it was so difficult to get an appointment anywhere, people were looking to book appointments at multiple venues.  Once appointments have been made, it is next to impossible to cancel an appointment.  People just fail to show not because they are heartless, but because there's no cancellation method available to them.

[Aloha 1]

13 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

People in Florida are still complaining on FB about lack of appointments.  In FL, we are giving to all people over 50 and those with medical conditions.  Last week posted the site where appointments were still available one day after opening on FB to those complaining.  Today on the FL Publix supermarket site, they had appointments available well over 1 hour into the appointment session statewide with no queue to get one.  Also today local clinic opened with walk in appointments.  They did a bang up business with only 24 takers.  They had 100 Pfizer doses and plan to have 200 from tomorrow onward.  

This. Plus the FEMA site in Orlando takes walkins. Some people just don't want to do the research.

[clo]

3 hours ago, Daniel A said:

One of the problems is that it was so difficult to get an appointment anywhere, people were looking to book appointments at multiple venues.  Once appointments have been made, it is next to impossible to cancel an appointment.  People just fail to show not because they are heartless, but because there's no cancellation method available to them.

Here it wasn't hard to get an appt. Just a few days out. My husband's appt. was a few days after mine but he went with me and they gave him the shot. Asked that he remember to cancel the upcoming one. By the time we got home it had already been canceled.

[pinotlover]

I believe many of the faux complainers about availability of shots are using it as an excuse to just not get vaccinated.

[Daniel A]

1 minute ago, pinotlover said:

I believe many of the faux complainers about availability of shots are using it as an excuse to just not get vaccinated.

At this point I'll agree with you - with the exception of the people who still do not meet the requirements of a phased distribution system.  We'll have to see what happens in the US, the new prez says everyone will have their chance at a shot by the end of next month.  The CDC will still be keeping their same bans that they instituted a year ago.

 

After that, it will all be about discrimination etc... when venues start requiring proof of vaccination.  The CDC will then come out with some cr*p that they can't approve vaccine only cruising due to HIPAA and discrimination laws.

[Tranquility Base]

As we move into April & May, I do hope we don't see any vaccine wastage due to oversupply with people not turning up to appointments previously booked.

 

There would be a billion elderly and vulnerable people in less developed countries who would be most grateful for some earlier deliveries.

[kitty9]

10 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I believe many of the faux complainers about availability of shots are using it as an excuse to just not get vaccinated.

Hardly the case here.  My sister and I have been online 2 to 3 hours a day to find appointments for at least a month.  And we go online at 3 or 4 am in the hopes we could find something. Our state has no statewide system for vaccine distribution and no clearing house for appointments.  Then they keep changing the requirements to get the vaccine like adding smokers, regardless of age, to the 1A group, the group we’re in.  Heck, our local hospital just lowered their age requirement to 65—it was age 80.  When a place opens up for appointments, they’re gone in less than 10 minutes—-you have to be lucky that you got online at just the right time.  Giant Eagle supermarkets have had a couple of vaccine days, held at Heinz Field or PNC Park,  but again getting an appointment was the luck of the draw.  I was on a list for UPMC (along with being on 5 other wait lists) for 5 weeks, and finally got an appointment a week from now for shot number one.  So, we definitely have not been faux complainers because we want to get back to a somewhat normal life and get to travel again and I suspect there are a lot of others like me. 

[SargassoPirate]

16 hours ago, Daniel A said:

At this point I'll agree with you - with the exception of the people who still do not meet the requirements of a phased distribution system.  We'll have to see what happens in the US, the new prez says everyone will have their chance at a shot by the end of next month.  The CDC will still be keeping their same bans that they instituted a year ago.

 

After that, it will all be about discrimination etc... when venues start requiring proof of vaccination.  The CDC will then come out with some cr*p that they can't approve vaccine only cruising due to HIPAA and discrimination laws.

 

 

It would indeed be c**p if the CDC came out with some sort of rule that s commercial carrier such as an airline or cruise line cannot ask about vaccination status or require proof of vaccination.  In my opinion, they can make it a condition of employment for their crew and can require it of their passengers in light of the public health ramifications.  The yellow CDC shot card is already required to show proof of yellow fever vaccinations.  Cruise lines will not accept passage for pregnant passengers after a certain point.  They cannot accommodate people with certain medical conditions - such as requiring dialysis or chemo.

 

The antivaxers are welcome to refuse the vaccine, but they should not expect the rest of us to accommodate them.

 

Signed,

One who has had just about every vaccine for travel known.

[pinotlover]

Local paper says those 18 and above can now get appointments. Actuality is, if one wants vaccinated, they only have to go down to one of the vaccination centers at 3:00  . There always seems to be extra at the end of the day.

 

Kitty;

 

Elections have consequences. You get what you vote in. 

[kitty9]

11 hours ago, pinotlover said:

 

Kitty;

 

Elections have consequences. You get what you vote in. 

I didn’t vote for this incompetent dope.  And now our former Health Dept head, who pulled her mom put of a nursing home right before the crisis, is now Assistant Secretary for HHS.  Pennsylvania is right near the bottom for vaccine distribution. 

[hamrag]

On 3/23/2021 at 12:09 PM, Daniel A said:

One of the problems is that it was so difficult to get an appointment anywhere, people were looking to book appointments at multiple venues.  Once appointments have been made, it is next to impossible to cancel an appointment.  People just fail to show not because they are heartless, but because there's no cancellation method available to them.

 

OK, you may argue such people are not heartless....although that's debatable, but they are most definitely selfish!

[Harters]

On 3/22/2021 at 1:49 AM, deadzone1003 said:

I'm just not optimistic that EU can get it's citizens all vaccinated by the end of summer.

The EU will NOT have its citizens vaccinated by the end of summer. For several countries, the schedule runs into 2022. Here in the UK, we expect all adults to have been vaccinated by summer but, of course, that does not mean that it's safe for us to travel and , with rising infection rates in several other European countries, it seems unlikely that restrictions on our travel are going to be lifted anytime soon. 

[Daniel A]