River Cruisers: How Are Things Where YOU Are?

[Host Jazzbeau]

In the US you can move up the queue if your employer certifies that you are 'essential.'  Can we get Cruise Critic to certify that you are 'essential' to the River Cruising forum?  I would sign off on that!

[Coral]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

In the US you can move up the queue if your employer certifies that you are 'essential.'  Can we get Cruise Critic to certify that you are 'essential' to the River Cruising forum?  I would sign off on that!

In our state (except for the obvious Medical Professionals who were given first shots) essential employees only account for 10% of vaccines allocated. We are 90% age based. The state determined who they considered were essential employees (not employer). For us, garbage employees ranked above teachers.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Coral

[Host Jazzbeau]

That was a joke...

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

That was a joke...

I know it was a joke - it is just weird how certain states treat essential employees. Every state is different on who is essential and where they fall. Grocery store workers and restaurant employees rank pretty low in our state. I feel for our grocery store individuals. They are just now getting vaccinated.

 

Some states put serious medical conditions up at the top and others do not.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Coral

[Roz]

My sister who is 5 yrs. younger than and works in a grocery store in VA got her shots way before me.  In VA they consider grocery workers to be front line workers because they deal directly with the public, some of whom won't wear masks or distance themselves.  My sister has all kinds of stories about the situations she's had to deal with.

[AF-1]

Roz,  my grandson got his first shot last week.  He works in grocery store in Kentucky;  he is 22. My grandaughter who lives in North Carolina got her first shot this week and she's 18.  She works at Starbucks.  I hope Germany gets more vaccines so they can pass them out to everyone who wants one.  

[Coral]

26 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Roz,  my grandson got his first shot last week.  He works in grocery store in Kentucky;  he is 22. My grandaughter who lives in North Carolina got her first shot this week and she's 18.  She works at Starbucks.  I hope Germany gets more vaccines so they can pass them out to everyone who wants one.  

Roz and AF-1 - glad they both got vaccinated. They are definitely essential employees and are exposed to everyone. My many thanks to them for doing their jobs during a very difficult situation!

 

I tried to include both quotes and couldn't - not sure why.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Coral

[notamermaid]

Would like the idea of grocery store workers vaccinated soon. But we are nowhere near contemplating that here.

 

14 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

I hope Germany gets more vaccines so they can pass them out to everyone who wants one.  

I am looking forward to that. It will be a special time. I intend to celebrate with a boat trip, perhaps I will even hire one! Half serious, financially in the realm of possibility for a one-hour round trip.

 

Decision day for us tomorrow, more restrictions again? We will see. Without the variants we would be in a much better position. By the way, vaccine shortage: Germany has administered 75% of the vaccine doses delivered, with the AstraZeneca back in play this will go up. Of course, we cannot administer all of them if we cannot plan well when to give the second shot, next delivery needs to be taken into account.

 

This is what it looks like now in Germany, the situation in other countries is even more bleak. https://www.dw.com/en/covid-19-german-states-demand-april-lockdown-extension/a-56944887

 

A few places in Europe are better off, like the Algarve in Portugal which Germany has taken off the risk list. Hooray, let us all fly to the Algarve! And Mallorca! Not me, I am staying put, I am quite frankly scared of people. I saw the footage from Benidorm and that it is deserted, no British tourists. No way ever, will you get me to go to Benidorm, not even if you pay me. What a place, we call this "Bettenburgen", like this type in Turkey: https://www.dw.com/de/bettenburg/a-5614667

 

Give me a Kent countryside cottage anytime. Or an inn near Würzburg in these difficult times.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

 

[AF-1]

Keep the faith.  By the end of the summer;  things should be looking up

[AF-1]

16 minutes ago, Coral said:

Roz and AF-1 - glad they both got vaccinated. They are definitely essential employees and are exposed to everyone. My many thanks to them for doing their jobs during a very difficult situation!

 

I tried to include both quotes and couldn't - not sure why.

Coral thank you for the kind words.  All the best

[Canal archive]

My fingers are crossed that everyone has no problem receiving their vaccination. Our vaccination teams are going bananas at the moment, 844.285 vaccinated on Saturday that’s equivalent to the total populations of Liverpool, Southampton and Oxford what a team our NHS are. I’m now getting a annoyed at the people who want to protest, most of their protest I completely agree with but when by protesting they potentially affect the lives of our police and paramedics that’s wrong but it’s just my opinion. Keep the faith all we will eventually come good. CA

[notamermaid]

17 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

In the US you can move up the queue if your employer certifies that you are 'essential.'  Can we get Cruise Critic to certify that you are 'essential' to the River Cruising forum?  I would sign off on that!

Thank you for the thought. If we could only get authorities to acknowledge that cruisecritic is essential for non-traveller's mental wellbeing it may work.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

24 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

844.285 vaccinated on Saturday

If we did that in Germany we would have none left in five days time.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[jklc123]

Switching continents, American Cruise Line is now requiring vaccination proof before boarding. A post from a cruiser booked with 5 others was told Friday that their cruise, I believe on the Mississippi, which leaves in a few days, is suddenly affected by this new requirement. Luckily the poster and 4 of her party are vaccinated but her brother is not. I’m wondering how many other cruisers will be unable to go and request refunds. I’m in favor of ultimately requiring vaccinations, but not with such short notice.

 

I’m following this thread because we have a Pearl Seas Great Lakes Cruise set to embark May 30, which I expect to be cancelled as half the ports are in Canada, and a Hudson River cruise on ACL in October. We decided to stay in North America this year. We booked both cruises in July, of course not realizing how long this crisis would last.

[Host Jazzbeau]

25 minutes ago, jklc123 said:

we have a Pearl Seas Great Lakes Cruise set to embark May 30, which I expect to be cancelled as half the ports are in Canada, and a Hudson River cruise on ACL in October. We decided to stay in North America this year. We booked both cruises in July, of course not realizing how long this crisis would last.

And last July I would have assumed that even if the US was slow on vaccines, Canada would be ahead of us.  Didn't see that coming!

[Canal archive]

Notamermaid I really don’t know what to say we’ve been fighting to get as many people vaccinated as possible. We know the vaccination rate will drop come April and that a consignment of 1.7 million doses of vaccine from the Serum Institute of India has to be tested before it can be passed fit for use. It also looks likely that no one from the U.K. will be able to go abroad for a holiday in the foreseeable future. Interesting times. CA

[notamermaid]

17 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

Notamermaid I really don’t know what to say we’ve been fighting to get as many people vaccinated as possible. We know the vaccination rate will drop come April and that a consignment of 1.7 million doses of vaccine from the Serum Institute of India has to be tested before it can be passed fit for use. It also looks likely that no one from the U.K. will be able to go abroad for a holiday in the foreseeable future. Interesting times. CA

Yes, that problem with India is a real spanner in the works.

 

I must admit that I am quite frustrated at the moment. There isn't anything that can cheer me up. Apart from the cats. Normally at this time of year I look forward to my birthday and Spring temperatures. Not working this year, as I said to Coral it is the second time that my birthday will be in lock down. I phoned a dear person this afternoon to congratulate her on her birthday. I put the phone down and just felt like crawling into a hole.

 

Our leaders of the UK and the EU having their problems over the AstraZeneca deliveries is not helping the friendly on-the-ground relationships between people either.

 

And I am torn between thinking "glad the Brits are not allowed to go to Mallorca, at least we are alone" and being sad that people are cut off from each other, or their leisure activities, we all need distraction desperately. People here say they want to get out and that is why they fly to Mallorca. It does not interest me to fly anywhere but I do want to go away. Right now it is one hour in one direction and one in the other. First focus for the next two weeks is ten minutes on a ferry, second is a museum visit in Mainz, third is a four hour shopping trip. Perhaps it will work. I will know by tomorrow evening.

 

Nobody ever expected to be in this situation one year on, not even the top virologists. I am tired of it like so many other millions of people. But I am lucky seen objectively.

 

I am bit worried about our friends in Australia. Saw the footage from Sydney earlier.

 

notamermaid

 

[ural guy]

5 hours ago, notamermaid said:

 

 

I am looking forward to that. It will be a special time. I intend to celebrate with a boat trip, perhaps I will even hire one! Half serious, financially in the realm of possibility for a one-hour round trip.

 

notamermaid

If you were to serve as the hostess/tour director, I believe this web group could fill/charter one of the 110 passenger boats quite easily, for a nice week to 10 night cruise.  Board in Wurzburg or Nuremberg, sail to the Rhine and then Mosel.  Try and visit some of the smaller towns.

 

But I would be open to wherever you direct our Captain to sail.  I think it would be nice!  I'm sure that your fare +1 would be gratis for all you've brought to this board.  Thanks.  Brian

 

[Coral]

52 minutes ago, ural guy said:

If you were to serve as the hostess/tour director, I believe this web group could fill/charter one of the 110 passenger boats quite easily, for a nice week to 10 night cruise.  Board in Wurzburg or Nuremberg, sail to the Rhine and then Mosel.  Try and visit some of the smaller towns.

 

But I would be open to wherever you direct our Captain to sail.  I think it would be nice!  I'm sure that your fare +1 would be gratis for all you've brought to this board.  Thanks.  Brian

 

I completely agree 🙂 We would have the best tour director/hostess in Europe!

Edited March 21, 2021 by Coral

[Canal archive]

Fingers crossed to win the lottery then it’s a cert, boat. Crew. Destinations booked with gallons or is it Jeroboams of Dom and where away. Oh I can dream with the best but you never know! CA

[texasstar]

I agree that this forum is essential for our "travel mental health".  My husband asks what I am doing while I am reading, and I tell him, "I am traveling, via Cruise Critic."  

[capriccio]

4 hours ago, ural guy said:

If you were to serve as the hostess/tour director, I believe this web group could fill/charter one of the 110 passenger boats quite easily, for a nice week to 10 night cruise. 

 

That idea is not farfetched.  In fact Uniworld announced recently that they are chartering ships to private groups.  https://www.travelara.com/uniworld-private-cruis-ship-rentals/

 

The S.S. La Venezia, Uniworld’s newest “floating boutique hotel” that debuted this year to cruise northern Italy, starts at $333,900 to rent the whole ship. If you bring the maximum number of guests (126), however, that’s just $2,650 per person, which isn’t a bad deal at all. Basically, you’re purchasing a package group vacation, except the “group” isn’t just your immediate family — it’s over 100 of your closest friends and acquaintances.

 

To inquire about bookings, email charters@uniworld.com or call 800-868-7905

[sharkster77]

I wonder what is going to be considered as "proof of vaccination".  I have heard some say that the cards from the CDC that we Americans receive upon vaccination are not official in any way.  If so, then how do we prove we have what we say we have?  The card has the date(s), vaccine name and batch number, and vaccination site.  What more do they need?

[djh1959]

4 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

I wonder what is going to be considered as "proof of vaccination".  I have heard some say that the cards from the CDC that we Americans receive upon vaccination are not official in any way.  If so, then how do we prove we have what we say we have?  The card has the date(s), vaccine name and batch number, and vaccination site.  What more do they need?

I have read that they are working on a world wide app that everybody will have to have.  That would seem the most sensible, if we could get everyone to agree to it.

 

It will be a long time before everyone in Australia is vaccinated, at least the end of this year or possibly early next.

 

Before international travel can really open up again properly, I do thing we need the majority of the world vaccinated.  I think it is great news that the UK population may not be able to travel over summer, it is really the best way of stopping this.

[Canal archive]

The whole passport for vaccinations thingy is fraught with difficulties the only bodily cause for missing electronic scans at airports etc at the moment is a pacemaker. My lovely knew knees just send machines into overdrive even my now fading scars aren’t a clue. So for everyone and every country to come to an agreement is going to take some serious diplomacy. It’s all very well talking about apps but not everyone has a smart phone and why should they be expected to get one it’s a discussion that could continue and continue. Mind you I wish we were in that position and we could magic loads more vaccine for everyone and that everyone would agree to taking it. CA