Angry about O accepting unvaxed passengers?

[PhD-iva]

5 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

The future is already written. Vista will have single cabins and it’s my understanding that the upcoming NEXT mods on both Riviera and Marina will see some single conversions.

I have a solo concierge veranda booked on vista in 2024, but don’t know if I will still be sailing on O by then……

Just don’t know…..

[njhorseman]

8 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

The future is already written. Vista will have single cabins and it’s my understanding that the upcoming NEXT mods on both Riviera and Marina will see some single conversions.

The obstructed view oceanview cabins on deck 6 of the R ships have been converted to single occupancy .

[susiesan]

Do all of the covid fearful O regulars really think there are scores of unvaccinated cruisers just waiting for this change so as to jump on an Oceania cruise?  I would bet you $100 that this will make no difference in O pax. As most are old fogeys, including me, they are all varied and bosted. Stop worrying,  you'll be fine.

[DeanoNorthPerth]

13 minutes ago, susiesan said:

Do all of the covid fearful O regulars really think there are scores of unvaccinated cruisers just waiting for this change so as to jump on an Oceania cruise?  I would bet you $100 that this will make no difference in O pax. As most are old fogeys, including me, they are all varied and bosted. Stop worrying,  you'll be fine.

Well they certainly are varied.

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, DeanoNorthPerth said:

Well they certainly are varied.

Should I ask a world renowned pharmacist to weigh in on this thread?

[DeanoNorthPerth]

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Should I ask a world renowned pharmacist to weigh in on this thread?

I don't think there's one available so I'll have a go instead. The stats in Australia indicate that 30% of admissions to hospital Intensive Care Units for Covid are the unvaccinated. The unvaccinated are 1% of our population, which in my simple mind indicates if you are unvaccinated and get Covid you are much more likely to get very very ill and possibly die. So, like you FF, I have trouble working out why people take the risk.

 

However, those stats also indicate very clearly that the vaccine works to minimize the disease, not prevent it. So you are able to be infected by a vaccinated person or an unvaccinated person. The best measures to protect yourself are hand hygiene and masks. While I would love to punish those taking the very selfish path of refusing to be vaccinated, I think the fact is Covid will be with us for probably 10 years (with various mutations) so we have to be as cautious as we can but get on with our lives. In summary, while personally I don't like the idea, I understand cruise lines beginning to allow the unvaccinated to sail.

 

Bear in mind, these are the ramblings of a very unrenowned pharmacist. 😁

[Guest ldtr]

24 minutes ago, DeanoNorthPerth said:

I don't think there's one available so I'll have a go instead. The stats in Australia indicate that 30% of admissions to hospital Intensive Care Units for Covid are the unvaccinated. The unvaccinated are 1% of our population, which in my simple mind indicates if you are unvaccinated and get Covid you are much more likely to get very very ill and possibly die. So, like you FF, I have trouble working out why people take the risk.

 

However, those stats also indicate very clearly that the vaccine works to minimize the disease, not prevent it. So you are able to be infected by a vaccinated person or an unvaccinated person. The best measures to protect yourself are hand hygiene and masks. While I would love to punish those taking the very selfish path of refusing to be vaccinated, I think the fact is Covid will be with us for probably 10 years (with various mutations) so we have to be as cautious as we can but get on with our lives. In summary, while personally I don't like the idea, I understand cruise lines beginning to allow the unvaccinated to sail.

 

Bear in mind, these are the ramblings of a very unrenowned pharmacist. 😁

The data indicates that the vaccination (Pfizer or Moderna up to date with booster within 6 months, have not looked at data for AZ) does show about 40% efficacy in preventing infection.  So while it certainly does show better efficacy against serious disease (80-85%), it still does prevent some infections and spread inn a percentage of the vaccinated population.

[Nuka]

1 hour ago, susiesan said:

Do all of the covid fearful O regulars really think there are scores of unvaccinated cruisers just waiting for this change so as to jump on an Oceania cruise?  I would bet you $100 that this will make no difference in O pax. As most are old fogeys, including me, they are all varied and bosted. Stop worrying,  you'll be fine.

Agreed that their may not be many unvaccinated travellers, but if 1 person has a bad outcome because of this policy change and I spent money with the cruiseline, I would feel uneasy. I saw someone quite ill with Covid. It stuck with me.

[Jancruz]

4 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Well...perhaps not. This is my understanding based on what I've read and been told:

 

Paxlovid is not an FDA approved drug, it is permitted to be prescribed under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).  Unlike FDA approved drugs, which physicians are allowed to prescribe "off label", an EUA technically only permits a drug to be prescribed in accordance with FDA permissions and instructions.  Paxlovid's EUA is solely for patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by means of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test . (At home positive tests are permitted for this purpose.)

This would seem to preclude prescribing Paxlovid for someone just in case  they might need it later.

My understanding is that some physicians are willing to turn a blind eye to that but others will not prescribe it to someone who has not been diagnosed with COVID.

I dont know any of my friends that have been turned down..

Jancruz1

[JoePDX]

34 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

I dont know any of my friends that have been turned down..

Jancruz1

After I saw your post that you and Stu had received prescriptions to Paxlovid, I emailed my Doctor asking for a prescription for our upcoming trip and got a firm No in response.   I tried.  😊

 

Joe
 

 

[PhD-iva]

6 hours ago, Jancruz said:

I dont know any of my friends that have been turned down..

Jancruz1

I’ve been turned down. My doctor said it is in short supply and she could not in good conscience provide it on a “just in case” situation.

[ToxM]

10 hours ago, susiesan said:

Do all of the covid fearful O regulars really think there are scores of unvaccinated cruisers just waiting for this change so as to jump on an Oceania cruise?  I would bet you $100 that this will make no difference in O pax. As most are old fogeys, including me, they are all varied and bosted. Stop worrying,  you'll be fine.

Town Hall from yesterday would suggest yes. 

[PUNKT2]

11 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

The revised sail safe policy specifically mentioned increased ICU facilities onboard. O expects more people to get seriously ill. 

This is not accurate. That statement about enhanced facilities has been there since day 1 of the return to sailing and has not changed.

[PhD-iva]

2 minutes ago, PUNKT2 said:

This is not accurate. That statement about enhanced facilities has been there since day 1 of the return to sailing and has not changed.

Good to know, thx.

[PhD-iva]

33 minutes ago, ToxM said:

Town Hall from yesterday would suggest yes. 

Agree, but perhaps this is more a reflection of the target population of NCL instead of O and Regent? IDK

[pinotlover]

Without quoting all the previous posts, a couple of comments.

 

1.  I certainly know adamant antivaxers that earlier canceled all their cruises, and that will now sign up again.

 

2.  My greatest fear is how the entire ship may be treated just because it has unvaccinated guests aboard. Like Sunlover, we are on the October Sirena cruise scheduled for Morocco. Those countries may well say that not only can the unvaccinated not come ashore, but the ship can’t even dock!! Oceania will then claim “ it’s just a missed port”. To us, it’s much bigger than a missed port. It’s a missed port only because of the policy changes.We don’t want missed ports for the sole purpose of facilitating the unvaccinated. 

[ToxM]

1 hour ago, PhD-iva said:

Agree, but perhaps this is more a reflection of the target population of NCL instead of O and Regent? IDK

 

I think NCL are happy to keep it at a vague across the board phenomenon, as it is a feel good for investors etc. It will be interesting to see what happens during a voyage when this change of policy comes into force. 

 

 

 

 

[PUNKT2]

20 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

 My greatest fear is how the entire ship may be treated just because it has unvaccinated guests aboard. Like Sunlover, we are on the October Sirena cruise scheduled for Morocco. Those countries may well say that not only can the unvaccinated not come ashore, but the ship can’t even dock!! Oceania will then claim “ it’s just a missed port”. To us, it’s much bigger than a missed port. It’s a missed port only because of the policy changes. We don’t want missed ports for the sole purpose of facilitating the unvaccinated. 

That shouldn't be a problem, because Oceania's policy aligns with whatever the strictest country's rules on the itinerary are (which is why for Alaska you still have to be vaxed and tested - because Oceania is following Canada rules).

Edited August 11, 2022 by PUNKT2

[Ride-The-Waves]

17 hours ago, Hlitner said:

In the USA most of us go to private family physicians.  If we want a script for Paxlovid (or any other drug) it would just be a matter of telephoning our physicans office and making the request,  They might say yes, might say no, or might ask us to come in to talk to the doctor.    When we first started living in Mexico during the winter I would ask my physician for a script for Cipro which we used to carry along with a few other drugs (now we would simply buy it in Mexico).   My family doctor actually would laugh about us living in Mexico and want to write scripts for more drugs (it became a friendly joke). 

 

 Ironically, I have a routine appointment with my family physician later this month and will have a chat with him about how he feels about Paxlovid and whether DW and I should carry the drug with us when we travel.  With my own knowledge of drugs/medicine I do have some concerns about Paxlovid which is a good reason to have a chat with my doctor.  In our health system that is generally not a problem.

 

Hank

Russell, the pharmacist on "Two and a Half Men," was always ready to provide prescription meds via contact with Dr Gupta in Sri Lanka.

[Guest ldtr]

12 hours ago, JoePDX said:

After I saw your post that you and Stu had received prescriptions to Paxlovid, I emailed my Doctor asking for a prescription for our upcoming trip and got a firm No in response.   I tried.  😊

 

Joe
 

 

Considering the side effect profile and the common drugs with which there are negative interactions with, your Doctor is probably a good one.

 

Number of interactions with many common medications (they need to be stopped if Paxlovid is taken)  also may impact liver function.  So it is a drug where a Doctor should be involved in the decision to initiate treatment, with a number of actions that should be taken, depending upon ones medical history.

 

Do not take PAXLOVID if:

• You are allergic to nirmatrelvir, ritonavir, or any of the ingredients in PAXLOVID.
• You are taking any of the following medicines:
  • Alfuzosin
  • Pethidine, propoxyphene
  • Ranolazine
  • Amiodarone, dronedarone, flecainide, propafenone, quinidine
  • Colchicine
  • Lurasidone, pimozide, clozapine
  • Dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine
  • Lovastatin, simvastatin
  • Sildenafil (Revatio^®) for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
  • Triazolam, oral midazolam 
  • Apalutamide
  • Carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin
  • Rifampin
  • St. John's Wort (hypericum perforatum)

Taking PAXLOVID with these medicines may cause serious or life-threatening side effects or affect how PAXLOVID works.

These are not the only medicines that may cause serious side effects if taken with PAXLOVID. PAXLOVID may increase or decrease the levels of multiple other medicines. It is very important to tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you are taking because additional laboratory tests or changes in the dose of your other medicines may be necessary while you are taking PAXLOVID. Your healthcare provider may also tell you about specific symptoms to watch out for that may indicate that you need to stop or decrease the dose of some of your other medicines.

Possible side effects of PAXLOVID are:

• Allergic Reactions. Allergic reactions can happen in people taking PAXLOVID, even after only 1 dose. Stop taking PAXLOVID and call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:
  • hives
  • trouble swallowing or breathing
  • swelling of the mouth, lips, or face
  • throat tightness
  • hoarseness
  • skin rash

• Liver Problems. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these signs and symptoms of liver problems: loss of appetite, yellowing of your skin and the whites of eyes (jaundice), dark-colored urine, pale colored stools and itchy skin, stomach area (abdominal) pain.
• Resistance to HIV Medicines. If you have untreated HIV infection, PAXLOVID may lead to some HIV medicines not working as well in the future.
• Other possible side effects include:
  • altered sense of taste
  • diarrhea
  • high blood pressure
  • muscle aches

These are not all the possible side effects of PAXLOVID. Not many people have taken PAXLOVID. Serious and unexpected side effects may happen. PAXLOVID is still being studied, so it is possible that all of the risks are not known at this time.

[Jancruz]

13 hours ago, JoePDX said:

After I saw your post that you and Stu had received prescriptions to Paxlovid, I emailed my Doctor asking for a prescription for our upcoming trip and got a firm No in response.   I tried.  😊

 

Joe
 

 

Wow Joe, I am surprised as I had no trouble getting it at all and was told by the doctor all the warnings that are shown in the thread below...in fact I had no idea at the the time (April) that it was even a problem..Stu and I both took all 5 days and were fine afterward but of course I would not have taken it without a doctors OK..and if I had read this thread first not sure what I would have done..

Glad to hear you are still cruising remember our day touring  together fondly..

Jancruz1

[LNielsen]

9 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

Wow Joe, I am surprised as I had no trouble getting it at all and was told by the doctor all the warnings that are shown in the thread below...in fact I had no idea at the the time (April) that it was even a problem..Stu and I both took all 5 days and were fine afterward but of course I would not have taken it without a doctors OK..and if I had read this thread first not sure what I would have done..

Glad to hear you are still cruising remember our day touring  together fondly..

Jancruz1

So glad you’re both okay,  I don’t know how I missed that you had Covid. Between talking to both of our daughters,  and talking with you, I remained clueless.    

Edited August 11, 2022 by LNielsen

[Jancruz]

4 minutes ago, LNielsen said:

So glad you’re both okay,  I don’t know how I missed that you had Covid. Between talking to both of our daughters,  and talking with you, I remained clueless.    

Your daughter is amazing as I would expect coming from you and John..yes we are great and leaving again 9/9 and then on the new Prima 10/27

Jancruz1

[SophieM]

Our doctor also gave us a hard no on taking Paxlovid along, just in case. The good news is, I think O is stocking it on their ships, although I think someone reported it cost $800. 😳

 

We are fully vaccinated, including two boosters, and still managed to catch the dreaded Covid from a trip to Ireland. Fortunately, we had mild, to the point of asymptomatic, cases that I also attribute to those vaccines. Now, we are just hoping that we had the BA5 variant that might have given us a little immunity boost to get us through to the fall when the new boosters are available. 
 

So. Over. It. 

[cruiseny4life]

No more quarantining, no more contact tracing, no more social distancing....I think you're fighting a quickly losing battle if you think Oceania or NCLH is going to backtrack on vaccine mandates. 

 

New CDC Guidelines as of 8/11:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/11/health/cdc-covid-guidance-update/index.html

 

You could just cruise to Canada or Bermuda if you're that concerned.