River Cruisers: How Are Things Where YOU Are?

[Host Jazzbeau]

Across Cruise Critic forums, members have been sharing their experiences during these unprecedented times - telling us how life is for them in their locality, so we thought it might be a good idea to set up such a topic within the various cruise line ‘communities’.

Please post here to let us all know how things are for you.

[notamermaid]

Hello, jazzbeau what a nice idea. I have been sharing news and comparing safety measures with steamboats quite a bit in the thread on the Danube. Our federal states differ a little in their approach to the crisis.

 

Would love to hear more from others, have heard things from Australia a bit, also people sharing a little info from the US and Canada in the thread on the Rhine.

 

How are the British people - trailing a little behind other countries a bit with measures, if I may say so - seeing their environment change?

 

You are in New York state I believe, jazzbeau, how are things?

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

I'm in  Ontario Canada. 

We have pretty much shut down between the Federal & Provincial Governments.  Even the boarder between Canada & the USA is closed, which has never happened before.  Restaurants and pubs here are closed for eat in, however you are allowed to offer take out or drive-thru for food.  Lots of local brewery's have started delivery service (would be nice if we were in a city where we could access that, but we will survive).  Local distillery's have started producing hand sanitiser - free for those who need it like hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, and if you pay for it, they are donating funds to charities that are suffering.  Nursing homes & hospitals are closed to visitors (unless it's for compassionate grounds).  They are warning us that if caught having 50 or more in a group, or if we aren't social-distancing, or if a business draws a large crowd, we will be fined, so it's only going out for necessities.  Our grocery stores are installing plastic shields at cashes to protect their workers, and have opened early for those who are 65+ or have health needs. Shops & banks that are still open are operating on reduced hours. Because of the  number of government & high tech workers we have here, most are working from home.  Schools (K - 12) were on "March Break" last week, and are closed for another 2 weeks now to aid the quarantine of those who went away for holidays.  There is talk talk that they may not open again, and online learning has been offered.  Universities & Colleges are closed, and they are trying to clear out the dorms.

 

Could be worse, we still have our liquor and beer stores open, unlike several provinces.  My family on PEI were going crazy the other day posting pics of line-ups for the beer store after they announced they were closing them!

 

We are finally starting to get nice temps (well, until this morning, we dropped 22C from yesterday to this morning), so hopefully now all our houses are cleaned, we can get rid of the 3" layer of ice on the yards and get the outdoors cleared up.

 

Hoping all are well, it's scary out there.

 

[mhb1757]

Restrictions seem to vary some from state to state here. My colleagues in Illinois are under a shelter in place order since midnight last night. In Kentucky we have less restrictive measures, but restaurants (dining room service), gyms, malls, shops except groceries are closed. Very little traffic on the road. Many grocery store shelves are bare, more related to panic buying than low supply. For the life of me I will never understand why anyone needs 150 rolls of toilet paper and 50 pounds of ground beef. 🤪🤪🤪

All assisted living and long term care facilities are on lockdown. No visitors allowed. A friend took her Young grandkids to play in the nursing home courtyard yesterday as a little treat for their great grandmother  By the time they left every room around the courtyard had someone watching from the window. They had entertained a lot more than their great grandma. It was very sweet. They went back today to put up some bird feeders for the residents to watch. 
Schools are all closed. Colleges and Universities have made the transition to online instruction for the remainder of this term and have already canceled graduations and associated spring activities. Public schools are still saying they will reopen after the first week of April here.... but that remains to be seen. 

This seems to be bringing out the best in so many people... neighbors reaching out and checking on those that might need help, people walking outdoors and waving to neighbors from afar, virtual visits with friends we have been “too busy” to keep up with. Many small acts of kindness abound. Thankful for that. 

[franski]

I am also in Ontario - and there are few more things going on here.  Our Federal government did away with the waiting period for EI (Employment Insurance) - so, if you are laid off due to Covid-19, you can file for financial relief immediately. May not be enough to cover all of your expenses,  but it is  (at least) a start.  Although there are many empty shelves in the stores (NO toilet paper or hand sanitizer in many places... saw a couple of rolls of paper towels on the shelf this morning, however....), the fresh fruits & vegetables are plentiful.  Prices have remained constant - and gas has dropped significantly (although, not a big deal - as so many are not driving anywhere...)  The border *is* closed between Canada & the US - but only for non-essential travel.  Both countries rely on the supply chain for food - and that that will continue. 

 

My daughter lives in northern Manitoba, and is driving home as I type this.  Their "march break" is not supposed to start until March 30th, but all schools have been closed there until (at least) April 13th.  Although she has not been out of country, we are going to "batten down the hatches" even tighter for a week or so after she gets here.  I think we have enough of everything to last us for at least 10 days. (Although may have to make a run for beer/wine before she gets home....)

 

Stay safe everyone...

 

Fran

[pacmom]

Here in Ohio we have been without restaurants, bars and public Catholic services.  Also gyms, hair salons, nail salons and tattoo parlors are closed.

Our county, Greene, has no cases reported as of now.

Can't figure out the run on toilet paper.

DH says he has washed away his fingerprints-- a friend said think of the crime spree they couldn't trace.

We have a bit of cabin fever, especially with no sports.  It will all return when it is safe.

Getting a lot of knotting done.  Pat

[DaKa2002]

As in Kentucky, much here in Texas is the same.  Additionally, in our community the school lunch program is still feeding breakfast and lunch to close to 1000 school children.  Kids show up at the nearest school of 15 across the city (not necessarily the one they attend regularly) during breakfast and lunch hours.  There are also several school bus routes that were developed to feed those kids who can't get to one of the 15 schools; volunteers are on the bus to hand out 'take out' lunches.

[Lois R]

I am in Jacksonville, FL and we are not under a mandated stay home law but many people are doing that anyway.

 Restaurants are closed as well, gyms, movie theaters, etc.  There is drive through and take out from

places being offered.   I went to the grocery store on Thursday morning and it was very empty. We also have

schools closed.   I live in a condo complex and having been walking around (just to get out for 20-30 minutes)

and have been able to avoid being near anyone. Some folks are walking their dogs, etc.  Oh, the Mayor finally

closed our beaches.....sometimes I would look at the video and wonder what the hell people are thinking.

Nobody is immune to this virus.....please stay home if you can.  Our county (Duval) has had 5 cases and the

state of Florida has over 500.

 

Jazz, great thread...…….where in NY are you and are you ok?

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks for your concern folks.  I'm in a suburb outside NYC.  Watching the Mayor and Governor continue their feud is a spectator sport... [It's not political parties that divide us here, but egos!!!]  Since our New Zealand trip was cancelled, DW and I have been staying pretty close to home.  She goes out daily for a quick food run – several stores are opening extra-early for Seniors, but they haven't stocked their shelves at that hour so it's not too helpful.  Most other stores are closed, but thankfully this part of the country realizes that liquor stores are ESSENTIAL services [unlike Alabama and Maine – what are they thinking???] so I was able to do a beer run and gas up my car...  But as long as I have the internet I see little reason to leave the house.  Our 'Learning in Retirement' group has cancelled all classes and my Jazz Society had to cancel its final concert, so there's lots of mopping up to do [online] as I'm on both Boards.  Also busy trying to reschedule New Zealand for next January [hope springs eternal, and besides Ponant won't give money back so I might as well put the FCC to some use...]

[Lois R]

Hi Jazz, a suburb outside of the city? Hmmm...…..Westchester County? I hope not, for both you and your wife. I know the areas. Lots of suburbs are just one drive over the bridge.

[Roz]

Here in TN, things are much like mhb1757 reported in KY.  I'm in Nashville, and there are more restrictions on us, as we are at the epicenter of the outbreak in the state.  First thing the mayor did was close down bars and restaurants.  The bars and restaurants in the downtown tourist area are packed every day and night, so that was probably a good move but unfortunate for the owners, bartenders, and wait staff.  Nashville is a huge national and international tourist and convention destination and this is killing the local economy. 

 

I work for the state, and we have been working from home since this past Thursday.  It's awkward because we were thrown into this situation with only an hour or two to prep and figure out what we needed to bring home with us.  I hope we don't have to do this for the remainder of the month but it's looking that way.  

 

We had a major tornado come thru Nashville on March 3 so items such as cleaning supplies, paper towels, TP, etc. were already in short supply, so this virus situation made a bad situation even worse. 

 

Kenny Rogers died a few days ago.  Normally there would be a memorial service in Nashville for someone of that stature in country music, but for now his family is just holding a private service.  A sign of the times.

[Lois R]

Hi Roz, Nashville had been hit lately!  As for your work? I think working from home is going to be a thing...….for a while.

 

Hope you are doing ok.

[DaKa2002]

15 hours ago, DaKa2002 said:

As in Kentucky, much here in Texas is the same.  Additionally, in our community the school lunch program is still feeding breakfast and lunch to close to 1000 school children.  Kids show up at the nearest school of 15 across the city (not necessarily the one they attend regularly) during breakfast and lunch hours.  There are also several school bus routes that were developed to feed those kids who can't get to one of the 15 schools; volunteers are on the bus to hand out 'take out' lunches.

I will add that Texas has been one of the least restrictive states so with this virus situation.  Dallas has just become the most restrictive county in the state, as of last night, even restricting purchases of T-paper (if you can find it).  When we found many stores cleared of shelves in the metroplex area last week, we headed for the smaller outlying communities where stores still seemed adequately stocked.  (one can make their own assessment of that).

[jpalbny]

Lois, I think Jazz is on Long Island. Last night, Chris talked to a friend of hers who lives there and she said that the liquor stores around her were closed. Guess they must live in the wrong part...

 

Here in Albany it still seems surreal. It is probably going to hit soon, though. Yes, the TP aisle has been empty all week; it's amusing to us because we are OK (Chris is the master stockpiler and we buy non-perishables in bulk).

 

Interestingly the dried pasta aisle (at least the cheap stuff like Barilla) was totally cleared out by the beginning of the week. And the prepackaged bread (think English Muffins, Wonder Bread, etc) is all gone. Good thing we don't eat most of that. There were some nicer pastas still on sale today so I grabbed a few bags. The meat section seems lower on inventory than usual but not critically low. Other stuff seems to have an OK supply for now.

 

A number of people were wearing masks in the grocery store today, but it was not nearly as crowded as I thought it would be. Lucky for us. The lines at the registers were quite reasonable. The roads are eerily quiet, as nobody is going to church today.

 

We drove by Trader Joe's a few times yesterday doing other errands. It looked like a madhouse. There was a line stretching around the building, just to get in. Due to social distancing, they are limiting the number inside at any one time, which is smart.

 

I ordered a case of wine from the local liquor store on Friday morning for pickup and it wasn't ready until Saturday afternoon. Usually it takes an hour or two; they must be crazy busy. The parking lot was hilarious when we got there. About 4-5 of us pulled up into the pickup spots and popped our trunks, and hung out by our cars swapping stories from 6'(2m) distance. There was a line to get into the store, as they are also limiting entry.

 

Also last night, we did take-out from one of our favorite restaurants in Albany, trying to do what we could to support them. Honestly though I am not sure how long take-out service from restaurants will last; this place stopped after yesterday's service because their staff are concerned about working together for hours in close proximity in the kitchen. I can't say that they are wrong about that. So, it's a good thing that we can cook pretty well, and we don't eat out too much anyway.

 

The hospital where we work is preparing as best we can, but we are a small operation and if this ramps up quickly then it will get overwhelming. So far we have enough equipment to (hopefully) protect ourselves. We have started (last week) converting all outpatient visits to telephone calls or just deferring routine issues for a few months. This is to limit the congregation of patients (in waiting rooms, etc) and to limit our staff's exposure to them. Once our staff start getting sick it will be really bad, since most of our departments are short anyway.

 

Chris will try to work at home when possible; as a radiologist that's reasonable. I start a week-long rotation in the ICU tomorrow so unfortunately, I will be right there in the thick of it. Just hope that I don't get her sick too.

 

We had planned to go away this weekend for my pre-birthday (it's Thursday). We were going to try to visit Louisville and see Mammoth Cave. I canceled on Monday, after I saw that restaurants were closed. Good thing; now all the cave tours are canceled too. Safest to stay put, for sure.

 

So, we're waiting to see when it starts, and how bad it will be. Please stay safe, stay home, and wash your hands, everyone!

[acwmom]

I’m in the greater CIncinnati area, on the KY side of the river. Both our governor and Ohio’s have been very proactive. Local schools have been closed over a week, and restaurants and bars since last Sun/Mon. This past Wed, hairdressers/nail salons/gyms/rec centers/movies/dentists/non-urgent medical procedures were shut down. Sadly, those who still don’t think this is “real” are congregating at the grocery/home improvement/warehouse stores. 
As a pediatrician, I have greatly limited patients/parents walking through the door. At the same time, I need to keep kids out of the ER. I am trying to see most using telemedicine, but will continue to see those who need vaccines. We don’t need a measles outbreak (Or other vaccine preventable disease) on top of this!
On a personal level, we tend to lay low anyway, but my husband is sorely missing his sports, and is scrambling to find something to watch on TV. It’s been too cold and rainy to get outside for extended periods of time.

I’m hopeful the local governors take the needed drastic step and order us to shelter in place.

(now to read JO’s response, because he is in a heavier hit are than me)

Robin

[acwmom]

10 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

Lois, I think Jazz is on Long Island. Last night, Chris talked to a friend of hers who lives there and she said that the liquor stores around her were closed. Guess they must live in the wrong part...

 

Here in Albany it still seems surreal. It is probably going to hit soon, though. Yes, the TP aisle has been empty all week; it's amusing to us because we are OK (Chris is the master stockpiler and we buy non-perishables in bulk).

 

Interestingly the dried pasta aisle (at least the cheap stuff like Barilla) was totally cleared out by the beginning of the week. And the prepackaged bread (think English Muffins, Wonder Bread, etc) is all gone. Good thing we don't eat most of that. There were some nicer pastas still on sale today so I grabbed a few bags. The meat section seems lower on inventory than usual but not critically low. Other stuff seems to have an OK supply for now.

 

A number of people were wearing masks in the grocery store today, but it was not nearly as crowded as I thought it would be. Lucky for us. The lines at the registers were quite reasonable. The roads are eerily quiet, as nobody is going to church today.

 

We drove by Trader Joe's a few times yesterday doing other errands. It looked like a madhouse. There was a line stretching around the building, just to get in. Due to social distancing, they are limiting the number inside at any one time, which is smart.

 

I ordered a case of wine from the local liquor store on Friday morning for pickup and it wasn't ready until Saturday afternoon. Usually it takes an hour or two; they must be crazy busy. The parking lot was hilarious when we got there. About 4-5 of us pulled up into the pickup spots and popped our trunks, and hung out by our cars swapping stories from 6'(2m) distance. There was a line to get into the store, as they are also limiting entry.

 

Also last night, we did take-out from one of our favorite restaurants in Albany, trying to do what we could to support them. Honestly though I am not sure how long take-out service from restaurants will last; this place stopped after yesterday's service because their staff are concerned about working together for hours in close proximity in the kitchen. I can't say that they are wrong about that. So, it's a good thing that we can cook pretty well, and we don't eat out too much anyway.

 

The hospital where we work is preparing as best we can, but we are a small operation and if this ramps up quickly then it will get overwhelming. So far we have enough equipment to (hopefully) protect ourselves. We have started (last week) converting all outpatient visits to telephone calls or just deferring routine issues for a few months. This is to limit the congregation of patients (in waiting rooms, etc) and to limit our staff's exposure to them. Once our staff start getting sick it will be really bad, since most of our departments are short anyway.

 

Chris will try to work at home when possible; as a radiologist that's reasonable. I start a week-long rotation in the ICU tomorrow so unfortunately, I will be right there in the thick of it. Just hope that I don't get her sick too.

 

We had planned to go away this weekend for my pre-birthday (it's Thursday). We were going to try to visit Louisville and see Mammoth Cave. I canceled on Monday, after I saw that restaurants were closed. Good thing; now all the cave tours are canceled too. Safest to stay put, for sure.

 

So, we're waiting to see when it starts, and how bad it will be. Please stay safe, stay home, and wash your hands, everyone!

When you do decide to visit KY, let me know!

Robin

[Daisi]

Just a follow-up for Canada...Prince Edward Island & North West Territories have basically closed their borders....You can only get to PEI by one bridge or 2 ferries (1 to Iles de la Madeleine , the other to Nova Scotia).  All non essential traffic is stopped, and screening is happening at all crossings on the Island, and both require a mandatory 14 day self-quarantine for anyone coming in.  

 

NWT has 1 case, PEI has 2.  Both don't have the health services to deal with this, so hopefully this will help.

 

Take care all, stay healthy and dream of next years touring.....

[Lois R]

Robin, I had no clue you are a Dr......thank you for your service. And of course thanks to JP and Chris.

You are all on those front lines and we should all be very thankful for it.  It really is something out of this

world

[acwmom]

39 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Robin, I had no clue you are a Dr......thank you for your service. And of course thanks to JP and Chris.

You are all on those front lines and we should all be very thankful for it.  It really is something out of this

world

Lois, fortunately kids don’t seem to be as adversely affected, but they sure can be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic carriers, and spread the disease.  My job is to keep them home. Easier to do with younger ones than the more independent teens!

My husband is now working from home 5 days/week and our youngest son’s college moved to all online. I am the only one getting out right now.

 

Robin

[steamboats]

We´re under a shut down order since yesterday here in Bavaria/Germany... Schools/kindergardens/universities are closed since March 16th and are supposed to open by April 20th (if so...). All non essential shops did close at the beginning of this week. Restaurants were only able to serve lunch and not for more than 30 people. Since yesterday all restaurants are closed (pick-up or delivery only). Further shop closings... like hairdressers and home improvement stores (hmm, and exactly yesterday my kitchen lighting broke the second time and now I can´t get it exchanged). No visits in hospitals, nursing homes except for births and deaths (or parents visiting their children in a hospital). Since yesterday we´re only allowed to go out if necessary (to work, grocery shopping, pharmacy / doctor´s visit). No gatherings of more than 2 people (unless family or same household). But still allowed is walking your dog or walking in general as long as you keep the distance....

 

To be honest... this doesn´t work at all!! I do Nordic Walking frequently in a park area across the street. Actually today I have seen more people in the park than ever... families with 3 and 4 kids even on the closed playground. One family even placed pylons for a zig zag course on the walkway!! Others tried to teach their kids to ride their bicycle. We tried to keep the distance, walked through the muddy gras but it´s really hard when larger families simply stop and block the whole area. Small kids riding their bikes way ahead of their parents... There was less activity Friday afternoon... way less people. And of course all the dog owners met up at the usual places talking, blocking the walkway...

 

steamboats

[Babcia7]

Yes: Lois, JP and Chris (as well as all health care providers), a big thank you for your service.  Please continue to stay healthy.

We are farmers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and although our business has not yet taken a hit and we are healthy, the impact of this virus has had an effect on us all.  Our governor has also been proactive in his efforts to prevent, or at least stem the rise of cases.  Schools and restaurants, playgrounds, etc. have been closed for over a week, and gatherings are limited to 10 people.  My feeling is that we should all follow the unprecedented measures that some states have taken, and all of us who can should hunker down and shelter in place for a period of time.  I keep hearing what is happening in Italy and France and wonder why it is taking so long for our leaders implement more drastic restrictions.  It is obvious that some people need more than suggested guidelines to help combat this crisis.

The good news is that spring is here, the weather is improving and we can spend more time enjoying the outdoors.  We are lucky to live on a beautiful farm on the Chesapeake Bay.  We raise Angus beef and have a huge vegetable garden, so our freezers are full, we have plenty of kale, lettuce and spinach already growing in the garden, and in a week or so we'll be cutting lots of asparagus!  Like Chris, I buy some staples in bulk (since a trip to the store is a drive), so our stock of dry goods is in good supply.

 

Stay healthy and wash your hands...

 

 

[Lois R]

QUOTE:

" I keep hearing what is happening in Italy and France and wonder why it is taking so long for our leaders implement more drastic restrictions.  It is obvious that some people need more than suggested guidelines to help combat this crisis."

 

That is the 2 Trillion $ question.....some of the videos I have seen of folks on the beaches, in the parks, etc.

make me crazy.   Do these folks not have a clue?....I  think in the next few days more steps will

be taken to close venues. (one can only hope). The more we do to stop it, the quicker it will be to

get rid of it!  I know I saw some nurse's posted on line, "YOU STAY HOME FOR ME SO I CAN WORK
FOR YOU"

 

And yes, Wash your hands!

[AnhaltER1960]

Living in Dessau, by the Elbe near Wittenberg, in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Here life froze down to near zero. within a week. Museums, concert halls, theatres, closed since last weekend, Schools closed last monday (March 16th)., since midweek only shops for food, drugstores, newsagents, booksellers, DIY and garden stores allowed to open and church services were stopped. Restaurants closed from today on, only delivery or take-away possible.

 

Actions to execute the Infection Protection Law in Germany is in the hands of the federal states, not the feral level. While the states are trying to synchronise their actions, they do differ a bit from state to state. Saxony-Anhalt has forbidden all touristic travel including coaches entering or leaving the state. Hotels are not allowed to welcome guests who are travelling as tourists.

From today all gatherings of more than two people are forbidden on public space as well as leaving the house "without urgent reason". Urgent reasons include going to work, medical reasons, buy provisions, visits to close relatives, helping others, walking/ cycling for sport/recreation reasons, walking the dog.

 

That is not a whole curfew yet, but unseen in peace times. For many people seeing empty shelves in the shops seems to be a flashback to communist times and some are buying whatever they can (interesting though to read the toilet paper thing in the US - same here). All actions here are limited until Easter or earlier, which seems too short. Quarantaine comes from the french quarente (=fourty), took 40 days then ...I hope it wont last that long, but I am absolutely not sure. 

[DaKa2002]

Thank you both for your comments and update from Germany (my grandmother's homeland)!

Edited March 22, 2020 by DaKa2002
Correct

[Coli]

Hi All,

 

I’m in Bermuda and our airspace and marine traffic is closed except for cargo. All schools and churches are closed, along with government ordered spas, gyms, barbers, hairdressers. Many office and government business are working from home. A lot of the hotel and guest properties are closed. Anyone who has come into the island in the past week is under mandatory 14-day self-quarantine. There were idiots not obeying this law so are now being fined. Many restaurants have switched to pickup or delivery. Social distancing is the new norm but many feel the shops still open should close for now. There are worse places to be right now.  Wishing you all the best across the globe.

Edited March 22, 2020 by Coli