legaljen1969

On 8/14/2021 at 4:04 PM, ace2542 said:

Will you even be able to sail in September having tested positive now?

Why wouldn't she be?  As long as she is testing negative by the time the cruise comes along- she should be fine.   I guess the part that gets tricky is that she will have the antibodies and might not necessarily need to be vaxxed for reason. I suppose they could refuse her boarding based on non-vaxxed status- although she didn't post her vax status.    
It's so tricky since vaxxed people can still get it and spread it.  

1 hour ago, hellsop said:

Yes?

I mean it's a cruise line. It's not health care or even a library card. People live happy, full lives never setting foot on a cruise ship at all. 

I wish our vacation community could ban every tourist that throws a fit when they come here- especially when they are wrong- disobeying basic traffic signals and every day knowledge.  It's like they have never seen a red light or stop sign before. LOL  And then pitch the biggest fits when someone honks at them.  OR the dang grocery store doesn't have their same orange juice from back home.   Newflash idiots... you left "back home" to come on a vacay to get away from "Back home."  LOL 

And if these cruisers pitched a fit (although I get the impression they knew the rules and tried to take a chance... using phrases like "expect Royal Caribbean to make us whole..." They have definitely had experience with lawsuits and litigation before.) they probably had more to be upset about than no-one having the same brand of orange juice   
I don't think they deserve a lifetime ban.  After all, they didn't even get on the ship. 

That said, if we can start banning people for being stupid- this world is going to get a lot more pleasant for people with any sense. 

On 4/10/2021 at 11:16 AM, goldfish65 said:

Overall mood in SC and the Low Country seems positive. The resort where I work is packed and traffic is the worst I have ever seen. Small supermarket has a line of people waiting to get inside. 

We have the same issues at Hilton Head, South Carolina.   It is packed here now, completely at capacity.  Visitors REFUSE to wear masks or abide by any rules here.   As usual, on vacation so "rules" do not apply.  If not for the fact that loads of people here are getting vaccinated, I would expect us to have a severe spike by the end of April or beginning of May when it gets too hot here and everyone migrates back to the north.   We may yet have that spike anyhow within the next couple of weeks when spring breaks all end and everyone goes "home."  I know that at least 10 of the local vacation villa rental companies said their villas were at 100% occupancy.  Most of the hotels were at 100% occupancy.  I know of at least five restaurants that were selling out of food every night this past week  by 8 p.m.   No-one was expecting this onslaught. I guess people figured they were vaccinated and now they can travel. 
Supermarkets here are all still pretty large, but they are at bare bones inventory much like the beginning of the pandemic when people were hoarding supplies.  So the locals come off the island and strip the shelves in Bluffton and Hardeeville, even Savannah. It's like a plague of locusts.  LOL  

On 4/10/2021 at 11:16 AM, goldfish65 said:

Overall mood in SC and the Low Country seems positive. In Jan, daily cases spiked in Jan but now fewer than 500/day. Vaccines available to age 16 and up and easy to obtain. The resort where I work is packed and traffic is the worst I have ever seen. Small supermarket has a line of people waiting to get inside. The biggest group seems to be New Yorkers. They ask questions of restaurant servers, then interrupt us when we answer. Asking me what I know about different areas to buy real estate. Very hot market here and vast tracks being cleared for subdivisions. A few friends have moved to NC but it's getting crowded there too! It makes me sad that Charleston is losing it's soul. Transplants generally have little regard or interest in the rich history and culture we have. 

They all want out of the hell hole that New York has become, but then they want to bring New York here.  If it's not "the way it was back home" it's "wrong."   Yes, they ask questions and interrupt because they think we are all stupid.   I would agree that Charleston is losing its soul.   Even the old market area is filled with transplants setting up arts and crafts booths and selling hokey trinkets. It used to be filled with artisans selling unusual things and definitely things that were hand made and creative. Now it's just running from table to table to see who will sell the knick knacks the cheapest.  
I disagree that transplants have "little regard or interest" in our rich history and culture.   They have NO regard for it.   All they care about it is that it is cheaper to live here.  Charleston will soon have no soul if the transplants get their way. And sadly with more of them moving in, it will be sooner rather than later. 

2 minutes ago, legaljen1969 said:

I feel the same way. This has been rushed.  We have no idea what the long view is on this vaccine.  Sure, it may help with COVID now but what is it going to affect later?   We just need more time to know what will happen.    I worry for these young people who are getting it to stay employed. What if it affects their fertility or affects their babies?    
People have taken many medications that seemed perfectly safe for a long time (Zantac) for one and now it has been yanked off the shelf because of carcinogens.   Who would have ever thought medication for heartburn would be carcinogenic?

I would LOVE to have the right to cruise again.  I really want to see my family more.  My parents have been vaccinated and they want me to be vaccinated before they see me again, but they understand why I am wanting to wait.   Already  known side effects on mammograms and lymph nodes.  Scary stuff. 

 

I am not saying I will NEVER get the vaccine, but for right now. I would rather not cruise and see what happens.   Who knows?  Once my PCM and oncologist says it's definitely safe- I will probably make an appointment.  It's just not for me, RIGHT NOW.  

On 7/21/2020 at 6:13 PM, RETNAVY1996 said:

I voted no because I will wait until we really know the vaccine is safe.  This fast track stuff worries me about other things the cure could cause.   Give it a few years and I will get one, but even then we will not know of any long term issues.  
 

I feel the same way. This has been rushed.  We have no idea what the long view is on this vaccine.  Sure, it may help with COVID now but what is it going to affect later?   We just need more time to know what will happen.    I worry for these young people who are getting it to stay employed. What if it affects their fertility or affects their babies?    
People have taken many medications that seemed perfectly safe for a long time (Zantac) for one and now it has been yanked off the shelf because of carcinogens.   Who would have ever thought medication for heartburn would be carcinogenic?

I would LOVE to have the right to cruise again.  I really want to see my family more.  My parents have been vaccinated and they want me to be vaccinated before they see me again, but they understand why I am wanting to wait.   Already  known side effects on mammograms and lymph nodes.  Scary stuff. 

On 1/30/2021 at 6:34 PM, A&L_Ont said:

I was wondering the same thing.  That is unless legaljen1969 has other health issues, to which we are not aware of, regarding possible reactions to a vaccines.

 

If my doctor was saying hold off, for no obvious reasons, I would be making that decision that works for me and not the DR. 

Not that it is anyone's business whether I have other underlying health issues, but I do.   My PCM is just cautious and wants to see a little more of the long view of what is going to happen. 

As recently as the past couple of weeks, news has come out about the vaccines causing swollen lymph nodes and advising women not to have their mammograms any sooner than 6 weeks after a vaccine because the lymph node swelling is likely to cause doctors to encourage moving forward with a biopsy. Not that it is bad to encourage a woman to have a biopsy, but having already been down that road with the scare of breast cancer- I can only imagine how frightening that could be for women who might have to go through that stress unneccesarily.   

They have not said I cannot get the vaccine or should not get the vaccine- just that they would prefer I definitely wait my turn and not be in a hurry to get the first available appointment.  I have a close friend who also had breast cancer and has never had any problems with lymphedema in the year since her surgery.  She got the shot (in the opposite side arm because, obviously, you don't do shots or blood draws or blood pressures in the surgical arm) and she ended up having serious lymphedema.  

I just want to have a longer view of the possible effects.   I guess people are comfortable getting the vaccine- and if it makes them feel safer that is fine.  However, right now knowing it could make me sicker I am willing to wait. 

On 1/30/2021 at 7:13 PM, Ocean Boy said:

What, exactly, is it that you are going to sue the doctor for that provided the vaccine to you, or to some other patient? What would your plan be for the doctor who advised you not to get the vaccine after you are discharged from the hospital after recovering, assuming you actually live to discharge, from a covid infection?

 

I just love these legal types who are so ready to sue even though it appears you know little yourself about the vaccines. You know even less what it is like in a Covid unit or you would most likely not be demanding 100% guarantees. The only way you get those types of guarentees is with hindsight... something that the legal profession thrives on in spades but not so much the medical profession.

 

Now, go sue the snot out of someone.

i wasn't demanding 100%. Someone said that there was data out there that said it was 100% you would not have to go to the hospital after a vaccine.   I just said that was awfully high "certainty" and that it was overly confident.  

Maybe you need to learn how to read. 

On 1/31/2021 at 4:21 PM, Ocean Boy said:

I think you left out a very important word.... return to normal... sooner.

I would say they had it right.  There will always be another hurdle to returning to normal.  There is no sooner, only later.  Later and later and later.   We are never returning to "normal."  A "new normal" perhaps, but definitely a more restrictive and less humane one.  

1 minute ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Actually the data submitted thus far supports the claim of no hospitalizations. 

In all the vaccine cohorts submitted to FDA; the vaccine group had zero hospitalizations

for Covid, the placebo groups all did have hospitalizations. 

It just worries me right now because "the science" changes every day.  The data changes every day.   It is sad because right now, I am being told by doctor NOT to get the vaccine- to stay as far at the back of the line as possible.  So if I am not permitted to get the vaccine, I will probably never be permitted to travel anywhere again. If I can't get on a cruise ship without it, can't go to a theme park without it, can't fly without it, can't go to restaurants or hotels or public places without it- I guess I am homebound for life now.  I never thought my life would be over at 50.    No wonder the suicide rate in the US is skyrocketing. 

2 hours ago, coffeebean said:

However, both vaccines are 100% guaranteed not to put anyone in the hospital if they do contract Covid. That is pretty good odds to me.

Really???  100% guaranteed you won't have to go the hospital if you get COVID after having the vaccine?   The first failure, I hope that person sues the ever loving snot out of the vaccine provider AND the vaccine manufacturer.     No-one alive in going to believe you can 100% NOT go to the hospital from this. Anyone putting out that set of odds is incredibly  foolish or overconfident. 

Now maybe if there was 100% guarantee you won't get COVID after you get the vaccine?   That would make sense for people to get vaccinated THEN.  

 

On 1/28/2021 at 6:33 PM, PCHENG said:

Just my two cents, but I think the cruise line should mandate that all adults both passenger and crew get vaccinated.  Anyone eligible for a vaccine should get it as it provides the highest degree of protection.

 

As for children which has no approved vaccine yet or people who for one reason or another can't take the vaccine (such as people with severe allergies), get proof of negative Covid test within 72 hours of cruise like they do for international flights, maybe even conduct a second rapid test when checking in at port.

 

Do that, and you can safely assume that almost everyone on board are either protected or virus free.  It is obviously not a 100 percent fail safe guarantee, but as close as it gets.  Couple with lots of infrared temperature sensors, mandatory mask wearing when outside your room and social distancing, and hopefully we can have a relatively safe cruise.  There may still be sporadic instances of Covid on board but the important thing is to avoid a super-spreader Covid outbreak.

The problem is the current vaccines provide NO protection.  It doesn't protect you from getting COVID. It doesn't prevent you from spreading the vaccine. It just makes your symptoms a little less severe. That is all they will say for now.  

So having the majority of people OR everyone on the ship having a vaccine will do NOTHING to prevent a super-spreader situation. 

Like many tragedies or difficult times in our country, we try putting on the "We are One" or "America Strong" or "United we stand."  That lasts for all of about a month or two before we all turn on each other like Lord of the Flies.  

People were very united in the beginning to do what was "best" for "the greater good."  We listened to "the science" until "the science" changed every few days or every couple of weeks.  First masks were bad. Then they were "necessary." Then we were supposed to wear N95 masks because they were the only thing that really helped, but we were selfish if we bought N95 masks because there were not enough for front line workers.  We are supposed to wear PPE, but we are condemned if we buy PPE of any sort that might be useful for first responders or health care workers.  

People immediately began hoarding- from things as simple as toilet paper all the way to any small supply of masks that had any sort of proven effectiveness in actually blocking anything significant. It has been mass hysteria since this pandemic started. People went weeks or months without getting things as simple as hand soap.  

About two months before the pandemic forced the nation into full panic mode, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, About two weeks before panic and chaos, I had a mastectomy.  Thankfully, my surgeon and oncologists had me accumulate some extra anti-bacterial soap and cleaning supplies because it was "flu season."  I had gotten a few things just as precaution and I had been using them sparingly anyhow.   I had one small bottle of Lysol Laundry Sanitizer that I bought at the end of January.  The next time I was able to buy another bottle was in August.  When I ran out of cleaning supplies (Pine Sol) by mid-May,  good luck on finding any wipes, bleach, cleaning solution.  They had hours for seniors and those with serious health issues.  Because I was just 50, I was told numerous times I could not come early in the morning during the restricted hours.  I saw people coming out with carts of toilet paper. One day I saw a lady with 20 bottles of Pine Sol. I asked if she might consider letting me have one as I had been searching for over a month.   She called me an obscene name and walked away.   A guy just to the other side of her had two bottles, and I had two packs of toilet paper.   He offered to trade me one of his bottles of Pine Sol for one of my packs of toilet papers.  Seriously, it is valuable currency now.   Probably more valuable than money. 

I was recently able to buy a large bottle of hand sanitizer and a large pack of soap and some more gloves.  My neighbor's brother recently had emergency surgery and she had run out of everything. She was so worried about him going without, as supplies are so hard to come by. I gave some of my sanitizer, the rest of my Betadine, gloves, gauze pads.   You would have thought I had shared proceeds from the winning lottery ticket when she got it.  She was so thankful.    WHY did I do it? Because I know how it felt for almost six months of trying to get antibacterial soap and alcohol wipes and laundry sanitizer.  I remember worrying what I would do if I got a post-surgical infection and had no access to care and probably couldn't get a bed in the hospital because they are so needed for COVID.   I can remember many days crying when I left the grocery store or the pharmacy because I was having to stretch things out just a little longer.   I would NEVER put anyone through that if I had what they needed, and especially if I had EXTRA of what they needed.  

We have turned into an incredibly self-centered and greedy nation as this pandemic has gone on.  It is "every man for himself" and the opportunistic and selfish nature of human beings has increased about 500-fold.   I have seen the absolute worst in people over this past year in general society. 

I have seen healthcare workers and first responders go above and beyond.  I have seen people try to work themselves to the ends of their abilities to keep this pandemic at bay or keep it minimized. For those people, I am thankful.  

So how are things where I am??  The spread of COVID seems slower than many places, but the spread of unkindness and selfishness is definitely NOT going down.   The number of suicides in the US is up. 

Despair is on the rise.  Drug and alcohol use and overuse is on the rise.  Stress and anxiety are on the rise.  None of these things are good for our bodies and ALL of them are proven to weaken our immune system.   Why are they on the rise?  Because people feel so hopeless and they pass that on to others.  I truly believe just a kind word here and there, instead of so much finger pointing and anger, might start to turn the tide. 

18 hours ago, Keksie said:

The title of the thread is "How are things where you are"  Should I just lie and say everything is shut down, everyone is going out of business and life sucks or give a report of how things actually are where I live?  I won't report again so that you who are cautious will feel better about your decisions.

I completely agree with you.  Why should we lie if things are not as restrictive OR if we are complying with good health guidelines but still having lower numbers.  I am so sick of this attitude that we must all be grim and gloomy and if we aren't running around like Chicken Little panicking over the supposedly falling sky that we have no compassion for our fellow man. 

Let me tell you a little story about how it is where I am.  Our local area is a beach area.  We have not closed our state's borders and there are many people from hotspot states who own second homes here, so we really couldn't tell them they can't come here.  I mean, they own property.  We were not thrilled that this influx happened, and we didn't encourage travel from hot spots, but our town leaders understood that these property owners "wanted to check on their houses." (I.E. They had homes and were entitled to be there in their homes).  It was requested that people voluntarily self-quarantine for 14 days.  That did NOT happen.  In the early stages of COVID, people fled the hotspot states and came here to their second homes- many having tested positive and knowing they were positive but just did not want to stay "Home" where their states had much more stringent rules.  Within 1-2 weeks our small hospitals were completely overwhelmed with people from "away."  Our local businesses started closing down or severely restricting their hours as the infection rate increased.  Masks became mandatory. What restaurants remained open went to carry out only or delivery.   The "second home" owners went WILD.  After all, this was their "escape" and everything was expected to run as usual to make them comfortable.   Our office building closed and we were having client meetings outside or taking papers to people in their cars to have things signed.  We lost a ton of business because people were so mad that businesses "at the beach" were trying to protect their own, after all "It's not like it's a big city like New York."  Well no, that's right.  But people from the "big city" brought a mass influx of infection to our "small town" and got mad that we had to protect ourselves. 
I have long said that there must be an invisible box on the bridge to our island, and one at the airport, where people from "away" drop off their brains and suspend all understanding of normal social constructs and laws.  They don't use turn signals. They drive the wrong way on the streets.  They treat locals like human garbage and they expect the world to fall at their feet and treat them as royalty.   Then they leave behind the mess they made as though we are their servants and underlings. 

If someone is angry that a place has less COVID, please for the love of GOD do not feel compelled to bring the infection rate here and leave it for someone else to clean up.  

3 minutes ago, beerman2 said:

Care to explain " super old"?

I would say 80+.   My father is 80 and I still think he's "relatively" young considering both of my grandmothers lived to be over 100.   The way people are living today, soon 80 will be "middle aged."   Anyhow,  I have a hard time thinking of my parents as "elderly" when I see all they do and how well they get around. But then I remember that they are definitely getting older.  

My main point was that just because someone has lived many years and acquired much life experience- it doesn't mean they have a right to be hateful to other people.  Yes, I know sometimes people are experiencing dementia or other issues that might make them unusually unkind, and I have the greatest of compassion for such people and their caregivers.  Maybe they are just terrible people. 
 

Maybe it's not even age related, but I find that many people with scooters tend to just cruise around without looking quite often- especially in places like the Windjammer. My nieces who were 6 and 11 on our last family cruise are quite mindful to make way for people in wheelchairs and scooters as they were often with my grandmother and know that you have to be on the lookout.  They try very hard to be considerate of others.  You never know how hold people are. They could be 40 year old sun worshippers and heavy smokers who have done a number on their skin, but many of them appear to be good friends with father time.  

On 7/6/2020 at 1:12 PM, scpirate said:

That's very true but you have to love your kids the rest of us don't.

 I don't even have kids, but the worst behavior I see from cruisers is usually from adults- the super drunk, the super old and the super entitled.   By entitled, I am NOT talking about those with lots of loyalty status. I am talking about the ones in general who believe the entire world must fall at their feet for whatever reason.  

8 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

LOL That's the point -- fashionable -- not made for short, fat, ugly people. 🤣

Well aren't you just full of compassion and human decency??  I am sorry some people are short, fat or ugly? It really messes up those pinterest perfect pictures and the perfect world we are to live in.   

I'm not a fan of fanny packs anyhow, but clearly I will be using something other than a fanny pack since I am short, fat and ugly.  

21 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

The nice thing about the app is that it uses the ships intranet so no need to purchase wifi service. If you put your phone in airplane mode and turn on wifi you won't receive outside phone calls or emails. The technology challenged will just have to deal with the paper menus and waiting on line to get into a show. I don't think that there are too many in that category. If anything covid has forced them into the 21st century. My wife is amazed how her elderly patients have caught on to video office visits via zoom. She had to talk them through it once or twice but now they prefer zoom visits to live visits.  I'm spoiled by the drive up service at restaurants and department stores. I hope that never goes away.

But sometimes the technology doesn't work properly.    I have come to embrace virtual appointments as well.  I do like the drive up service as restaurants and stores too.    We had a terrible time with our service when on the Brilliance last December.  Nothing every worked quite right.  

13 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

You do not have to buy an internet package for the app to work.  You just have to connect to the ships wifi.

That's good to know.  Connecting to the wi-fi can be a challenge.  We were on a 4 day cruise around Christmas.  Only one day did my wi-fi work.  It never works and they always find some way to make you have to pay more for it to work. 

On 10/10/2020 at 3:48 PM, sfaaa said:

No cell phone? How do you plan to deal with unforeseen emergency? 

When I returned from my last vacation, I had to set down some very firm boundaries about "unforeseen emergencies."  I defined it as 
1. You will either be calling 9-1-1 prior to this call or immediately after this call.
2. Someone's life is in danger or a building is burning down. 
3. My house has/is flooded or in danger of flooding or being blown away. 

People can be so out of touch about "emergencies."    I had a major surgery in February of this past year and when I woke up, my husband told me I had 57 texts from the office- and not a single one checking on how I was doing.  This is what they blew up my phone about: 

1. We had two boxes of window envelopes to pay bills and no regular envelopes.  The regular envelopes were right there. My co-worker just didn't look two inches to the right.   When I got back to the office after my surgery there was a two page memo with schematics on where everything was to be put away.  
2. My co-workers voicemail wasn't working correctly (meaning she could not check it remotely).  All she had to do was re-boot her phone. She had worked in the office for 19 years before she retired and I took over for her.  She then returned to help with a very limited scope of things while i was out to recover. 
3. We ran out of copy paper.   (We really didn't.  There was an entire box of copy paper waiting to be loaded into the drawers. My co-worker just didn't see why she should have to empty the box and put the paper away). 

If I kept my phone on during a cruise, my internet usage and phone usage would be through the roof and I would have a miserable time.    After my surgery and my last "vacation," my boss is the only one that is to call me. He's pretty good about only calling in an "emergency" and he knows I can't always answer the phone right when he calls. 

Whenever we get to cruise again, my phone will go in the safe at all times I am on the ship. My boss can have the number to reach me in a true emergency.   I will take it out when we go ashore and check a few messages and may return a couple of emails, but that's a quick on and off. 

On 10/10/2020 at 2:52 PM, LXA350 said:

 

In today's world most people use a smart phone, hence they could replace the menus by QR Codes and for the exceptional cases they can have some paper menus available.

Yet another reason to require people to buy internet package- so their phones will work!  I turn my phone off and put it in the safe.  Cruises are about the only vacation I can find where I can truly "get away from it all."  I just went to Disney. We had planned to stay for a week and worked at least 4 hours every day and had to keep stopping to answer phone calls.   It was so bad,  I just came home early. The rest of my family enjoyed a full vacation.  

This is the disadvantage of "work from home" and "remote access." You are required to be "on" 24/7.   

I miss vacations where people could actually "get away" for a few days.   You know, when it was an actual vacation. 

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Whatever. There was a year more died from that oxytocin than died this year of covid. So americans got busy trying to stop that.

 

Just like we will get busy can cut into this. 

 

Already got a thread about no buffets at dinner time, here is same subject to me except someone wants to announce he doesnt like what might happen on future cruises in his own thread. ..people got bored and now off the topic of buffets. Which is what this op said is his tipping pt.

 

 

I think you may mean Oxycontin, or other opioids.   

Oxytocin is a hormone released by the body that helps with bonding,  childbirth, sexual reproduction and milk production.   I doubt this is a big issue with people dying. 

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Whatever. There was a year more died from that oxytocin than died this year of covid. So americans got busy trying to stop that.

 

 

 

 

Wondering if you might mean Oxycontin? 

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Whatever. There was a year more died from that oxytocin than died this year of covid. So americans got busy trying to stop that.

 

 

 

 

One way or the other you should get that money- either as your OBC or as a dividend for being a shareholder. I would have to believe your OBC credit would be worth more than your dividend. Take it. You invested. You're getting your return. It's your money anyhow.