Norwegian Cruisers -- How are things where YOU live?

[dexddd]

Thanks Mking for helping out through retirement.

Edited March 29, 2020 by dexddd

[lazydaz]

I am in Alberta, Canada and we are taking the coronavirus very seriously.  DH and I have not left our house in two weeks and have had groceries delivered twice.  Wearing gloves, we leave the non perishables in the garage for two days and wash other items.  Only stores that are open are grocery and pharmacy. Emergency quarters are being provided for the homeless.  Even though we have family nearby, we are only in contact with them through the phone and FaceTime. Take care and be safe all,  We want to resume our cruising as soon as these times have passed.

[Carnac767]

On 3/25/2020 at 11:58 PM, okpaddy said:

Hello to my neighbors around the globe. I am staying home with my beautiful bride here in Oklahoma. I was scheduled to be in Las Vegas this weekend for the sweet sixteen round of the college basketball tournament. Of course that was cancelled, due to travel restrictions, social distancing recommendations and no more sporting events. My retirement B2B cruise was scheduled for May 1st, but that has also gone by the wayside. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this pandemic. I look forward to visiting Spain next summer and continuing my search for the perfect liter of Sangria. My bride prefers the Sangria made with Cava and I prefer bubble free, but extra fruit.

Please stay safe and remember that the most important issue is protecting your family and surviving the hurdles to come. 

Respectfully, Jim

Keeping a positive mental attitude that you'll get to Spain next summer, Jim.  If you make it to Barcelona, be sure to stop by Casa Lolea because they have the best sangria you'll find anywhere.  Their tapas are terrific, too.  Something to look forward to.

[BillDz]

Photo from my roof of USNS Comfort arriving at Manhattan Cruise Terminal

 

 

[DuckTollerFans]

53 minutes ago, BillDz said:

Photo from my roof of USNS Comfort arriving at Manhattan Cruise Terminal

 

 

Wow!  You sure are close to the terminal.  I watched this online - as I often watch cruises head out/in. 

[DuckTollerFans]

Thank you for this thread!

 

I'm in upstate NY - Rochester/Monroe County.  Our medical facilities are holding on, for now.  The health systems are really playing well together.  We have an excellent county exec and also public health director who are communicating very clearly and concisely what's happening here. Finding our governor's reports helpful too.

 

The grocery stores are open, and many are hosting special hours for seniors.  One originally stated "for the elderly" - as a 62 year old, I'm glad they amended their wording to "60+".  If I go, my hope would be to get "carded." 

We try to support some of the local businesses -- restaurants, a chocolatier - all of who are doing great jobs of curbside pick-up.  All transactions done online, no exchange of cash or credit cards.  And in case you wondered, dog poop bags are handy when you don't want to pick something up.

 

I have worked at home for 4+ years so no changes here, but I am missing going to the Y, other social activities, etc.  My husband recently started working at home too so we had to switch internet providers to boost our bandwidth.  He works for a company that supplies scientific supplies/equipment, so still busy.  (He is customer support.)   My job is related to medical technology software, and we are about to launch a new telehealth application. I also have a part time job at a local publication, so pushing out on social media what businesses are still open and promoting local businesses. 

 

Waiting for NCL to cancel our May cruise to Canada. The US Comfort is sitting in one of the berths NCL uses now.

 

Biggest winner of this time: My Duck Toller.  I've been taking her on much longer walks, exploring different neighborhoods, parks, and both her humans are home. Finding that people are very good about keeping the distance between us, thankfully. Here she is sitting at the Frederick Douglass statue, near where he lived here.

 

Well, that was wordy.

Hope you all continue to stay healthy.

[lazydaz]

Wonderful pictures of the Comfort in the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.  Was always on my bucket list to see New York but when I tried, my cruise ended having to bypass New York because of Hurricane Sandy. Still lots of snow up here in Canada and more expected tomorrow so it will be a while before we can get into the garden.  Booked on the NCL Joy cruise LA to Vancouver in April but still haven't heard anything from NCL.  Will see whether I get a refund or a credit. Neither Seattle or Vancouver are allowing cruise ships at the moment.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Much of the metro Atlanta area is under a shelter in place order and schools, churches, restaurants, etc are all closed to public gatherings.  Citizens are asked to observe the order or face a fine except as it relates to travel to the grocery store, pharmacy, gas station, and a few other things deemed as "essential".  We are allowed to walk outdoors, bike ride, etc. but have to maintain social distancing protocols.  Every day on my walk I have noticed a growing trend as I pass by houses throughout surrounding neighborhoods.  School children have taken sidewalk chalk and written slogans and drawn pictures on their drive ways depicting messages of hope and positivity.  As an educator, it has always warmed my heart when I have the opportunity to glimpse into a child's perspective on any "grown-up" situation, and the COVID-19 situation is no different.  Things like, "don't worry guys, everything will be ok", and "don't be afraid of the boogy man" with a picture of a scary virus.  and "go away virus, you can't scare us."  The kid art is both delightful and inspiring and as an adult who finds these uncertain times to be scary, their pictures and words are a comfort.  What started out as just a drive way here and there has turned into over 30 drive ways with messages...and counting.   Very cool.

[sanger727]

On 3/29/2020 at 1:35 PM, graphicguy said:

@mking8288....Henry, thanks for checking in.  Was wondering how things were going in “ground zero”.

 

In SW Ohio, things aren’t remotely as dire.  Restaurants are closed except most are offering delivery and/or carry out.....even the higher end places.  Bars and entertainment places are closed.

 

But, went to the nearest park to walk my dog today, and the basketball courts and soccer fields were full.  Grocery stores liquor stores and pharmacies are open.

 

it is recommended that we should limit gatherings to no more than 5 people.

 

don’t know of anyone who has contracted Covid.  And those I know don’t know of anyone infected.

 

I"m in Cincinnati/Harrison and that's my perspective also. A lot of bluster about non-essential and "stay at home" but people seem out and about quite a bit and I'm not quite sure why every store justifies themselves as "essential". My husband and I are "essential" so still going to work. We are police officers with the City of cincinnati. They just came out today that they are going to furlough about 25% of city workers but luckily the police department won't be on the chopping block. I stopped grocery shopping in the store last week. Too many people in the stores and no one was distancing in the check out lines or aisles. Our biggest chain has a service where you  can order online and drive up and they will load the groceries in your trunk for you so have been taking advantage of that. Until other people start to take this seriously you really have to go out of your way to avoid everyone who isn't following directions.

[graphicguy]

8 hours ago, sanger727 said:

 

I"m in Cincinnati/Harrison and that's my perspective also. A lot of bluster about non-essential and "stay at home" but people seem out and about quite a bit and I'm not quite sure why every store justifies themselves as "essential". My husband and I are "essential" so still going to work. We are police officers with the City of cincinnati. They just came out today that they are going to furlough about 25% of city workers but luckily the police department won't be on the chopping block. I stopped grocery shopping in the store last week. Too many people in the stores and no one was distancing in the check out lines or aisles. Our biggest chain has a service where you  can order online and drive up and they will load the groceries in your trunk for you so have been taking advantage of that. Until other people start to take this seriously you really have to go out of your way to avoid everyone who isn't following directions.

Thanks for your service.

 

I’m in Liberty Township, but am looking to downsize, given I got my kids out of college and out of the house.

 

Hard to know what’s happening with Covid, given it’s hard to get to the truth from the press briefings.

 

 

Seems pretty mild around here, but who knows?

 

Stay safe!

Edited March 31, 2020 by graphicguy

[kisbel65]

I live in Miami. According to CNN, we are considered a new hot spot. I am a hospice consultant and do rounds at three hospitals in Miami. I have been in isolation for two weeks. I have tried to get a refund from NCL but no luck. I sail May 17th from Seattle (another hot spot) to Alaska. NCL's handling so far has been horrible. 

[joejoe 59]

3 hours ago, kisbel65 said:

I live in Miami. According to CNN, we are considered a new hot spot. I am a hospice consultant and do rounds at three hospitals in Miami. I have been in isolation for two weeks. I have tried to get a refund from NCL but no luck. I sail May 17th from Seattle (another hot spot) to Alaska. NCL's handling so far has been horrible. 

We sail May 18th on Getaway our cruises will be in next round of cancellations.

At the moment cancellation goes to May 10th.

They are offering 125% fcc or 100% refund. 

Good luck getting yours. 

[chillyinwisconsin]

On 3/26/2020 at 11:10 AM, sandpiper35 said:

Hello Fellow Cruisers, hope this finds you well.

Here in Miami there is a lot less traffic now. All hotels are supposed to be closed, the Florida Keys: Closed, and several cruise ships resting at port. Only essential businesses are open, and most restaurants, if open, only have take out or delivery.

Hospitals seem to be handling the rush ok, hope that does not change for the worse. Lots of drive by testing stations have opened up, but they have long wait times. One private hospital in Hialeah does not have long testing wait times, but inexplicably is charging customers $150 for the test. I though insurance companies agreed to cover all test costs.

My wife and I have managed to stay put in our home for the last couple of weeks, not much change from our regular routines with the exception of granddaughter's duties and visits.

We managed to cancel a May Alaskan cruise. It was good of NCL to let us reschedule even though they kept our deposit, no big deal for us, but I wish they would consider giving back the money to those that are loosing their incomes.

We keep busy around the house, there is always plenty to do or learn. 

Neighbors are keeping an eye on each other for any needs someone may have. A closed knit neighborhood feels even closer now.

Our prayers for those in all those hot spots such as NY, and Italy, and looking forward to when this all behind us.

Cheers.

 

 

Thanks for sharing along with the others. In Wisconsin we have been in lockdown for over 2 weeks. Only essential businesses, gas stations, grocery store and take-out/ delivery restaurants are open. I work in a plumbing office so I have managed to keep my daily routine, but hubby works from home & our grad student came home from Milwaukee to finish her credits online at home since all colleges suspended classes. Needless to say, the city & state we live in is on hold! We too had an Alaskan cruise planned for end of May. We are waiting for NCL to contact us to cancel, then we'll figure out if we want to reschedule or try to get full refund back. I would love to rebook another one next year, but hubby is worried if they'd go bankrupt we'd be out a lot of $$$ we saved for so long. Take care & we will continue to keep everyone in our prayers - summer will be welcomed by All!!

[chillyinwisconsin]

1 hour ago, joejoe 59 said:

We sail May 18th on Getaway our cruises will be in next round of cancellations.

At the moment cancellation goes to May 10th.

They are offering 125% fcc or 100% refund. 

Good luck getting yours. 

Our Alaska cruise is May 24th on NCL Bliss. I keep watching for emails from NCL...nothing yet. We will decide once we get notification what we'll do. Anyone re-booking? Or just hoping to get full refund?? I've been checking next yr Alaskan cruises & many May dates appear to be sold out already:( 

[joejoe 59]

1 hour ago, chillyinwisconsin said:

Our Alaska cruise is May 24th on NCL Bliss. I keep watching for emails from NCL...nothing yet. We will decide once we get notification what we'll do. Anyone re-booking? Or just hoping to get full refund?? I've been checking next yr Alaskan cruises & many May dates appear to be sold out already:( 

Still awaiting our turn with the travel agents. 

We actually had the Getaway cruise then a Baltic cruise on Escape on the 29th May, all flights hotels cruises in a package. 

It's a lot to lose money on, just hoping we get a transfer to next year some time.

[Travelling2Some]

Well, to update my earlier remarks, we now have one dead and two other confirmed cases in our "friend of a friend" circle.  All three are males in their 30's.  (There is misinformation somewhere in there?)  I'm sure things will get worse before they get better.  Still, for what it's worth, Super Storm Sandy and 9/11 were both pretty disturbing for us New Yorkers.  I still have never gotten used to the lower Manhattan skyline without the twin towers.  We are very grateful that we have power, heat, hot water, no flooding and no problem with food supplies with this latest disaster.  During Sandy the big issue here was finding some gasoline to run a generator.  However, should the toilet paper run out, I'm not sure that I'd prefer to be scrounging for gasoline instead, lol.  Best we can do is wash our hands, keep six feet apart and don't touch your face.

[chillyinwisconsin]

15 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

Well, to update my earlier remarks, we now have one dead and two other confirmed cases in our "friend of a friend" circle.  All three are males in their 30's.  (There is misinformation somewhere in there?)  I'm sure things will get worse before they get better.  Still, for what it's worth, Super Storm Sandy and 9/11 were both pretty disturbing for us New Yorkers.  I still have never gotten used to the lower Manhattan skyline without the twin towers.  We are very grateful that we have power, heat, hot water, no flooding and no problem with food supplies with this latest disaster.  During Sandy the big issue here was finding some gasoline to run a generator.  However, should the toilet paper run out, I'm not sure that I'd prefer to be scrounging for gasoline instead, lol.  Best we can do is wash our hands, keep six feet apart and don't touch your face.

Sending prayers your way!! So sorry to hear this news. Stay strong though!!

[mking8288]

First responders in the war zones, in harm's way aren't just the frontline medical personnel, but others who struggled to keep us safe & alive - here the police officers, fire & rescue crew, mass transit workers, and postal employees, etc. are fallen heros too. 

https://abc7ny.com/health/war-against-coronavirus-takes-toll-on-nyc-first-responders/6066950/ 

 

Long after the tallies are done, the mourning, physical and economic recovery - and getting back to chatting about vacations and cruising again (or not) - we will be dealing with PTSD as it will live on, the trauma will be long lasting.  Having dealt with post-9/11 recovery efforts and manage one of the intervention programs ... the after-shock is coming, it will.  These aren't problems for New York and New Jersey ... this is America's crisis of our lifetime, far worst than the direct loss of lives or the destructions left behind from Sandy, as poster above noted.

 

Impacts: in our neighborhood, mom-n-pop business struggled to stay open and most had closed, including many local standalone grocery stores - the big names/box essential stores, banks & pharmacies, etc. cut their hours too.   For the elderly & vulnerable population, only going to get worst in the coming weeks on restocking basic supplies including medication, as we aren't expecting to hit that apex, before flattening & hopefully and eventually, come off the steep mountain.  Think about those that must go get dialysis and regular chemotherapy and the impact of C19 on them & their caregivers/loved ones.  

 

@DuckTollerFans @dexddd and @graphicguy et. al. - hang in there, we all must and will come out of this, despite the grim revised projections , if just about everything is done right ... 

 

A friendly reminder for everyone - this thread is to chat about "how are things where "we" live," please try not to hijack and go off-topic, thank you ... everyone.  Several cruise ships still floating at sea with passengers onboard and crew members that tested positive ... Kindly choose another thread to post about.  

[julig22]

Hello from Oregon.  We are also in lockdown and it's raining, so pretty much confined to the house.  Slowly putting away my "cruise" essentials, since it will be awhile before the next one (here's hoping for October).  Was supposed to be whale watching in Maui today, flying home from Honolulu tomorrow.

Just cleaned out the craft corner and will be donating a huge pile of fabric to the local mask-making efforts.  I'm in an area where the virus hit our local VA home - but so far, it's been fairly well confined, although sadly we did lose some of our veterans.  But several more have recovered, so that is very good news.

Take care and stay safe.  Fingers crossed for finding a cure, preferably yesterday.

[OceanBlueWaters]

I live in a small, water-front community on the Jersey Shore.  Minutes to Barnegat Bay by boat.  Lots of people have "summer homes" here from out of state. 

 

Over the past few weeks, people have migrated to their "summer homes".  Huh?

 

I survived "Sandy" and rebuilt my home.  No one saw "Sandy" coming, but we did the best we could.  We survived.  It is what it is. Just sucked it up after many tears and went on. 

 

This is different.  People are leaving their States and going to where there is less COVID-19 (i.e. Shore Homes). This infuriates me. Losers are going  to their "summer homes" to escape and perhaps spread.   Good grief.
Sandy was devastating, but I/we recovered somewhat.  Ignorance of people, not taking precautions, makes me sad. This can be prevented/slowed down unlike "Sandy".

NY/NJ is overwhelmed.  I find Press Releases quite informative @graphicguy (when they are aired and not censored).

I rebuilt my home after Sandy and much RED TAPE, but we can NEVER rebuild lives in current pandemic.

In response to the question "How are you doing?" ...not sure how to respond to that yet.

Hang tight everyone.  It will get better.  It has to...

Help your neighbor and use common sense. JMO
🙂

[maryisme]

Hi fellow cruisers,

What a great thread to start - thank you. My family and i live in Queens, New York. We are a stone's throw from Laguardia Airport and a 45 minute express bus ride into the city (with traffic). Never thought i would miss my daily commute and binge watching my favorite TV series.

 

These days we are all home and blessed to be enjoying our time as a family. I am fortunate to have my cancer survivor husband as well as my almost 17 year old son and 24 year old nursing student daughter. We have all adjusted to our new reality and we all realize how lucky we are. We also have two dogs, one cat, a tarantula, snake and a newly adopted red belly toad.  What can i say we are an animal loving family.

 

Like everyone else, we have stocked up as much as we can and spend much of our time cooking and cleaning. I am fortunate enough to still be employed and working from home.  My heart goes out to all those who are suffering with the loss of loved ones, as well as those struggling to feed their families and make ends meet.

 

I try to distract myself by cruise shopping. Like many here, we were part of the cruise cancellations. We were to sail on the Bliss on March 15th. We chose to receive the 150% refund and recently took advantage of the 20% off to rebook. We decided to jump ahead to 2021. Fingers crossed we will be sailing again.

 

Be well and stay safe everyone!

 

 

[All-ready2cruise]

Hi everyone, from Niagara region, Canada, :).  We live in an almost unique time, a pandemic, unknown to most and unprecendented to all.  

In my area, we've been fairly safe from the actual Covid 19 outbreak yet, we are expecting an increase of cases from initial 2 cases to many more. I know how difficult it must be to some areas where this horrid virus has attacked so many vulnerable victims... my heart goes out to those and their families affected. 

 

I feel very fortunate that, in my area we are not in such a vulnerable area.  My hope is that the health care system will find a vaccine to fight off this terrible virus and keep all of us safe.  

 

Best wishes to all and many thanks to those who are risking their lives to keep others safe.  All the best. 

[busyone]

Hello from Central Florida,

We were on The Escape for its last cruise before the shutdown for our annual family Spring Break trip. Our party consisted of my two daughters and their husbands, our grandchildren, and my DH for a total of 10. We had a good trip, but on our way back to port we discovered our grandchildren would not be allowed to return to school for 14 days, and my children who work for the schools would also be quarantined for 14 days. Upon arriving back home, we discovered empty shelves and shortages of a wide range of items. It was all a bit surreal. Now the entire state is under stay-at-home orders. Restaurants are take out or delivery only, grocery stores have limits on how many are inside at a time, schools are doing distance learning, and movement is supposed to be limited except for essential services. Sadly, we see many local businesses having to close their doors. We hope they will be able to reopen once this is past and survive to thrive again. In our county we have about 75 cases with a 3 % death rate. It is probably a bit higher than the norm because we have a huge retirement community within the county, and half the cases are in that community.  My DH and I don't see much difference in our lives because we live in a rural area with our closest neighbor farther away than the length of two football fields. We are able to go out in the sunshine and enjoy being outside without fear of interacting with anyone. We wave at neighbors driving down the road in their cars, but do not encounter anyone face to face. We are using grocery store pick-up and have been able to secure enough food and supplies to meet our needs. Our biggest sacrifice has been not being able to have visits with our grandchildren. We saw them at least twice a week before, and we are now past 3 weeks of not visiting except on FaceTime. Our children won't let us break the isolation because they fear for our safety, since we are old. Funny, never think of myself as old, but I guess I am. Still, we feel blessed as we watch the situation in New York and have watched as the passengers on the Holland ship have been forced to sail around hoping for some port to let them enter. Just last night we watched the news as they were able to start disembarking at Ft. Lauderdale. I keep thinking that we could have been those people because their starting cruise date was the same as ours.  We are doing like so many of you--watching the news, staying home, and looking for the time when we are able to resume a more normal life. Hope everyone stays safe and this is over before too long.

[mking8288]

NY region now essentially has a DNR order in place for heart attacks and similar trauma calls for EMT's, paramedics and first responders.  It's been all over the news & social media, with more drastic & extreme triage guidelines already prepared. Oh, dear God and anyone that's in a long term care or skilled nursing facility is at high-risk as the staffing shortage is worsening. 

 

As to how this is going to impact future cruising, Google the latest news about ships with crew members only onboard - that're tested positive, airlifted for shore care and died onboard. We are a long, long way from anywhere near recovery, let alone in cruising again. Latest forecast for NY, we are going to hit that apex over the next 5 to 8 days, racing to do we can is what the frontline are doing on the battlefield.  

 

For fellow CC'ers in other parts of the country that aren't expected a rush in confirmed cases and going to hit the apex yet - this is the time to be prepared.  Stock up on non-perishable food, supplies, without hoarding them ... we had been doing our part to shelter-in-place/stay at home for nearly a month, and incrementally restocking when possible (waiting for UPS delivery today & more next week via FedEx).  I see the retail supply chains slowly getting choked up, Walmart & Amazon are struggling to keep up w home deliveries - live smartly & stay healthy.  Social distancing, 6 apart or 6 under.  Nobody is immune and everyone is at high risk, heroic first responders & medical personnel are hurting and falling ... 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by mking8288

[JourneyDS]

19 hours ago, maryisme said:

Hi fellow cruisers,

What a great thread to start - thank you. My family and i live in Queens, New York. We are a stone's throw from Laguardia Airport and a 45 minute express bus ride into the city (with traffic). Never thought i would miss my daily commute and binge watching my favorite TV series.

 

These days we are all home and blessed to be enjoying our time as a family. I am fortunate to have my cancer survivor husband as well as my almost 17 year old son and 24 year old nursing student daughter. We have all adjusted to our new reality and we all realize how lucky we are. We also have two dogs, one cat, a tarantula, snake and a newly adopted red belly toad.  What can i say we are an animal loving family.

 

Like everyone else, we have stocked up as much as we can and spend much of our time cooking and cleaning. I am fortunate enough to still be employed and working from home.  My heart goes out to all those who are suffering with the loss of loved ones, as well as those struggling to feed their families and make ends meet.

 

I try to distract myself by cruise shopping. Like many here, we were part of the cruise cancellations. We were to sail on the Bliss on March 15th. We chose to receive the 150% refund and recently took advantage of the 20% off to rebook. We decided to jump ahead to 2021. Fingers crossed we will be sailing again.

 

Be well and stay safe everyone!

We were supposed to be on the Joy March 15th. We are now booked on the Encore (out of New York) for October 13th. I agree with you that cruise shopping is a great distraction! We hope to book another for early 2021.  Husband and I both retail management and actively working. Hoping for a cure and vaccine. Dreaming of better days on board.