Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
And we'll still have the idiots who dont bother or outright refuse to get vaccinated.
I'll worry about it when I see a covid shot.
For the record though, I last got a flu shot in 2012. You know what happened though? I got the flu. Haven't got a flu shot since... and guess what? Haven't got the flu. Isn't that strange? Are flu shots overrated? I'd say yes... and that doesn't make me an idiot.
For the record though, I last got a flu shot in 2012. You know what happened though? I got the flu. Haven't got a flu shot since... and guess what? Haven't got the flu. Isn't that strange? Are flu shots overrated? I'd say yes... and that doesn't make me an idiot.
I was given a stick from a Kenyan chieftain who said it kept away lions. I haven’t seen any so it must work.
You can still get the flu after a flu shot, especially for years where it’s not a great match. My youngest son got the flu 2 years ago even with the shot, but it was 5 days of 100-101 fever and not much else. The shot helped attenuate the symptoms.
I didn’t get the flu shot in 2008 and got the flu. 104 fever and a week in bed. Every year since I get the shot and haven’t gotten sick. Or if I did I didn’t notice.
The other benefit of vaccination is to help prevent the spread. Imagine cruise ships filled with totally unvaccinated crew and passengers.
The other benefit of vaccination is to help prevent the spread. Imagine cruise ships filled with totally unvaccinated crew and passengers.
Yeah I get it... I'm just not buying the "everybody is gonna die" scenario that the media is selling. I've been on quite a few cruises and have never seen a mass outbreak. The RC ships I've been on have always been incredibly clean.
As for the next cruise...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zach911
Yeah I did my first Caribbean in December and it was OK... but Alaska in 2017 was far better. As for the length, I definitely want to experience something longer than 7 nights so I just booked the final Alaska cruise of the season (9/11) to go with the Hawaii cruise I already had booked for 9/17. The savings for the Alaska cruise were over 50%. Gee, I wonder why???
16 nights of Alaska then Hawaii. Seattle, 4 stops in Alaska, Vancouver, back to Seattle, then Hawaii with multiple nights on multiple islands.
It's 5 months from today and hopefully COVID-19 won't interfere.
We just changed our reservation. Too much uncertainty with Alaska and Hawaii this year. I believe other cruise lines have already cancelled their Alaska season and RC will probably follow suit. AFAIK the Canada ports are still locked down... and Hawaii had a 14 day quarantine last I checked.
Too much going on to be confident about September... so we just cancelled the cruises and flight (free) and applied to funds to a 7 night Eastern Caribbean on Dec 6th with a stop in St. Thomas and another location... also on Harmony of the Seas like the Western Caribbean cruise last year in the same 10th deck large balcony cabin as well. As said Western Caribbean last year was OK... but we had a lot of extra baggage in the form of her elderly parents and mine... which half ruined the experience sadly.
This cruise will be just the 3 of us and I'm sure a lot better experience. Pushing it out to December gives the industry more time to recover as well. We got a great price.
My question is will you have to self-quarantine after going on a cruise especially in the fall/winter months. We have a cruise scheduled for December but we aren't going to go.
I read an interesting blog a few days ago (can't find the link now, of course- it was in an e-mail from FlyerTalk.com) from a cruise enthusiast with a list of things that would have to change in order for her to take one again. Some of the things on her list that I can remember:
- Get rid of the buffet in the main dining room- too many hands touch the serving pieces and some probably handle the food. I suppose they could have crew members serving at each station but that costs money.
- Fewer people on the ship than it can actually hold.
- More tables for couples so that they don't have to share with 3 or 4 other couples.
- Maximum 10 people per excursion, and none with people crammed into a bus (excuse me, "motorcoach").
I read an interesting blog a few days ago (can't find the link now, of course- it was in an e-mail from FlyerTalk.com) from a cruise enthusiast with a list of things that would have to change in order for her to take one again. Some of the things on her list that I can remember:
- Get rid of the buffet in the main dining room- too many hands touch the serving pieces and some probably handle the food. I suppose they could have crew members serving at each station but that costs money.
- Fewer people on the ship than it can actually hold.
- More tables for couples so that they don't have to share with 3 or 4 other couples.
- Maximum 10 people per excursion, and none with people crammed into a bus (excuse me, "motorcoach").
All good ideas- and all will add to the cost.
Ships have already done that on buffets when they have norovirus outbreaks. I had one friend who was on a cruise either right after or during an outbreak (they did not tell the passengers, but she said it was obvious) and crew had on masks/gloves and no one one was allowed to get their own food from the buffets. I believe she also told me that they had changes at the casino as well.
I think cruises will have to actually have the main dining rooms open for all meals in addition to the buffet and/or expand hours. I have seen many instances where they will have shore excursions start at 8 (with meeting times at 7:45) with breakfast starting at 7, and you have people doing a mass crush at the buffet at 7 to get their food, get prepared, and get to the theater in time for the shore excursion. The buffet is the only place open and half the lines are not open... it is usually a mess. On sea days it is not as much an issue, but when one is in port, limiting everyone like that and not having any dining room will just cause problems.
New ships all have sink areas outside the buffets or by smaller buffet areas. I think older ships will need to retrofit with these stations. A lot of the ships that had the earlier/larger outbreaks were built earlier, before the sinks were as common. I went on a new Carnival that actually had automatic handwash stations with wash/sanitize/light. That would be optimal. My nephew was only 2 and he actually thought it was great (and most small kids HATE washing their hands).
Touch-free public bathroom entrances- I went on the Celebrity Epic and many restrooms had a switch you could hit with your elbow to open/close the door. This is great.
Casino sanitization- clearly something needs to happen here. Most still have smoking areas and then people are touching the machines. I am not sure what the suggestion is, but a change needs to be made. The last time I got sinusitis, I am 90% certain it was from a casino!
I am set to go on one for Christmas, but I am not sure right now if it will happen.
Touch-free public bathroom entrances- I went on the Celebrity Epic and many restrooms had a switch you could hit with your elbow to open/close the door. This is great.
But if you open the door with your hands... and then wash your hands after using the restroom... is opening the door with your elbow really necessary?
To each their own... but I'm definitely not living the rest of my life cowering in fear afraid to touch door knobs because the media constantly tells me every day how this virus killed some more elderly people with underlying health conditions.
I've seen public restrooms at local restaurants and other businesses look 1000 times worse than any restroom on a RC cruise ship I've been on... and we are fully intending on making the cruise on Harmony in December.
I was given a stick from a Kenyan chieftain who said it kept away lions. I haven’t seen any so it must work.
You can still get the flu after a flu shot, especially for years where it’s not a great match. My youngest son got the flu 2 years ago even with the shot, but it was 5 days of 100-101 fever and not much else. The shot helped attenuate the symptoms.
I didn’t get the flu shot in 2008 and got the flu. 104 fever and a week in bed. Every year since I get the shot and haven’t gotten sick. Or if I did I didn’t notice.
The other benefit of vaccination is to help prevent the spread. Imagine cruise ships filled with totally unvaccinated crew and passengers.
Yep..
Even though 2008 and 2012 were two of the 'good' years for the effectiveness of the flu vaccine.
40% in 2008 and 47% in 2012.
For comparison.. Last year was 29% and 2015 was 19%
Yes, but not for a couple of years; 2022 at the earliest.
Next voyage: through the Panama Canal.
I have to convince Mr. Puss to join me.
If not, my bestie will come along for the adventure.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
