The Virtual Explorers' Lounge

[Clay Clayton]

34 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Haha !! Are you sure it wasn't a dream, as the Scottish Western Isles, calm seas & brilliant sunshine are rarely used in a single sentence. 😁 😁

Apparently it wasn’t, as Lord & Lady McG reported similar unusual weather during the cruise and were complaining that when they got home to Aberdeenshire that not only wasn’t there anyone to tidy their room, bring them success cake or refill their flutes but the weather was “damp, drizzly” 😢

[Clay Clayton]

It appears that Lady McG is unable to post for herself and asked me to let Andy know that PhotoPro wasn’t lying. Evidence below.  

[Jim Avery]

Do they sell sunscreen in Scotland??🍺

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Do they sell sunscreen in Scotland??🍺

 

What's sunscreen??? 😀

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

It appears that Lady McG is unable to post for herself and asked me to let Andy know that PhotoPro wasn’t lying. Evidence below.  

 

Wow, don't see that very often. It's similar to when we went out whale watching in Victoria last week. Totally flat.

 

Sadly it was rarely like that when I was working.

[CharTrav]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Wow, don't see that very often. It's similar to when we went out whale watching in Victoria last week. Totally flat.

 

Sadly it was rarely like that when I was working.

so unfair!!!!

[Clay Clayton]

Wonder if it’s too late for Karine to get Finise and Charlie trained?  Could be a new Viking covid protocol! 
 

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/09/08/dogs-trained-to-detect-covid-19-will-be-screening-miami-international-airport-employees/

[Jim Avery]

Finse is trained.  Licked my leg at the Viking Bar.  Trained martini detection dog...🍸

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

Finse is trained.  Licked my leg at the Viking Bar.  Trained martini detection dog...🍸

So halfway trained already…as long as the martini scent doesn’t cover up the COVID one

Edited September 10, 2021 by Clay Clayton

[CharTrav]

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Wonder if it’s too late for Karine to get Finise and Charlie trained?  Could be a new Viking covid protocol! 
 

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/09/08/dogs-trained-to-detect-covid-19-will-be-screening-miami-international-airport-employees/

They can train dogs to detect all kinds of things. If they can detect that a person is in danger of a heart attack (I think that's it) or seizure why not covid? Sounds like a good deal. I remember being warned not to arrive in the airport from a foreign location with any fruit even if I got it on the plane because I would be greeted by a cute little beagle wagging his tail to inform their handler of my misdeed. 

[Heidi13]

10 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Finse is trained.  Licked my leg at the Viking Bar.  Trained martini detection dog...🍸

 

Still training the German Shepherd to open the fridge and know the difference between an IPA & Porter/Stout.😁🍺

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, CharTrav said:

They can train dogs to detect all kinds of things. If they can detect that a person is in danger of a heart attack (I think that's it) or seizure why not covid? Sounds like a good deal. I remember being warned not to arrive in the airport from a foreign location with any fruit even if I got it on the plane because I would be greeted by a cute little beagle wagging his tail to inform their handler of my misdeed. 

 

We experienced this at Vancouver many years ago, when the kids were little. Returning from UK, the dog alerted on both kids. They asked if we had any fruit. Turned out the dog alerted to the Crayola crayons in the kids backpacks.

 

The handler had a good laugh at that one and mentioned they would provide additional training to bypass crayons, in future.

[TayanaLorna]

12 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Wonder if it’s too late for Karine to get Finise and Charlie trained?  Could be a new Viking covid protocol! 
 

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/09/08/dogs-trained-to-detect-covid-19-will-be-screening-miami-international-airport-employees/

Let's see how long it takes the Governor to ban this activity.

[Jim Avery]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Still training the German Shepherd to open the fridge and know the difference between an IPA & Porter/Stout.😁🍺

Might have better luck with Pilsner and Schwarzbier...🍺

[PasadenaDave]

13 hours ago, CharTrav said:

They can train dogs to detect all kinds of things. If they can detect that a person is in danger of a heart attack (I think that's it) or seizure why not covid? Sounds like a good deal. I remember being warned not to arrive in the airport from a foreign location with any fruit even if I got it on the plane because I would be greeted by a cute little beagle wagging his tail to inform their handler of my misdeed. 

I listen to many podcasts while walking the dogs.  Early last month Malcolm Gladwell on Revisionist History interviewed a dog trainer and scientists about how well dogs can be trained to detect the smell of disease, as I recall it focused on prostate cancer.  The trainer was convinced that a dog could be trained to sniff for COVID-19 and have dozens of people every five minutes walk by and be cleared as being free of infection.

 

There might be false positives from crayons😜

[Jim Avery]

How a dog can smell anything past the overload of scent some folks wear is amazing.

[CharTrav]

Cool news for those who live in Virginia. Last week the dept of health announced the availability of a downloadable vax record, which you can store on your mobile device and that includes a QR Code in SMART Health Card format readable by the Verifier app to provide your official vax record.  Go to vaccinate.virginia.gov to get it. Hopefully the CCForum monitors will not deem this message inappropriate. But I thought this would be a good place to share this news (rather than create a completely new forum topic). 

Edited September 20, 2021 by CharTrav

[Azulann]

5 minutes ago, CharTrav said:

Cool news for those who live in Virginia. Last week the dept of health announced the availability of a downloadable vax record, which you can store on your mobile device and that includes a QR Code in SMART Health Card format readable by the Verifier app to provide your official vax record.  Go to vaccinate.virginia.gov to get it. Hopefully the CCForum monitors will not deem this message inappropriate. But I thought this would be a good place to share this news (rather than create a completely new forum topic). 

Minnesota is also doing  something similar. I will wait till they roll this in the coming weeks. 

[Twitchly]

More cool news: the US is finally opening its doors to the rest of the (vaccinated) world, starting in early November. About time. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/us-to-ease-travel-restrictions-for-foreign-visitors-who-are-vaccinated-against-covid.html

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Cool news for those who live in Virginia. Last week the dept of health announced the availability of a downloadable vax record, which you can store on your mobile device and that includes a QR Code in SMART Health Card format readable by the Verifier app to provide your official vax record.  Go to vaccinate.virginia.gov to get it. Hopefully the CCForum monitors will not deem this message inappropriate. But I thought this would be a good place to share this news (rather than create a completely new forum topic). 

 

We also have a Provincial Vaccine Passport in British Columbia. They were introduced a couple of weeks ago and are mandatory for access to restaurants, pubs, sporting events, gyms, etc. You can upload to a phone or print a copy. It includes your name and a QR Code.

[CharTrav]

3 hours ago, Twitchly said:

More cool news: the US is finally opening its doors to the rest of the (vaccinated) world, starting in early November. About time. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/us-to-ease-travel-restrictions-for-foreign-visitors-who-are-vaccinated-against-covid.html

finally!

[Heidi13]

15 hours ago, Twitchly said:

More cool news: the US is finally opening its doors to the rest of the (vaccinated) world, starting in early November. About time. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/us-to-ease-travel-restrictions-for-foreign-visitors-who-are-vaccinated-against-covid.html

 

While a potential positive step, we await a decision from the US CDC as to what they consider fully vaccinated. If they only accept US approved vaccines, it still eliminated a large percentage of the World's population, many who have other WHO approved vaccines.

 

If the US only accepts FDA approved vaccines, I will be unable to enter the US come November, although at present I can fly in with a negative test. I also have a Provincial Vaccine Passport showing me as fully vaccinated.

[TayanaLorna]

13 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

We also have a Provincial Vaccine Passport in British Columbia. They were introduced a couple of weeks ago and are mandatory for access to restaurants, pubs, sporting events, gyms, etc. You can upload to a phone or print a copy. It includes your name and a QR Code.

Same for us in Puerto Rico.  I can't believe the island was so progressive.  We already had a site where we can do vehicle transactions and have a virtual drivers license.  They linked that to the Department of Health where, if you enter your name, BD and vaccination dates, the info is confirmed and you get a QR Code to show at restaurants and all the places here that require vaccinations to enter.  

[Islandbc]

27 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

While a potential positive step, we await a decision from the US CDC as to what they consider fully vaccinated. If they only accept US approved vaccines, it still eliminated a large percentage of the World's population, many who have other WHO approved vaccines.

 

If the US only accepts FDA approved vaccines, I will be unable to enter the US come November, although at present I can fly in with a negative test. I also have a Provincial Vaccine Passport showing me as fully vaccinated.

There still seem to be challenges for all of us who want to cruise now.  After spending 2 days getting my seats on the flights for the upcoming cruise, the ones from YVR to FLL were cancelled yesterday.  The prices have gone up for all but the least desirable ones.  

Also wondering if our BC vaccine passport shows which vaccine we had.  Sure hope that the US CDC approves vaccines used in other parts of the world.

[Heidi13]

1 minute ago, Islandbc said:

There still seem to be challenges for all of us who want to cruise now.  After spending 2 days getting my seats on the flights for the upcoming cruise, the ones from YVR to FLL were cancelled yesterday.  The prices have gone up for all but the least desirable ones.  

Also wondering if our BC vaccine passport shows which vaccine we had.  Sure hope that the US CDC approves vaccines used in other parts of the world.

 

Hi Janet - I can't read the QR Code on my laptop, so not sure what info that contains. Since I don't have a cell phone, I have it saved on my laptop and will print when we get home.

 

I'm also expecting a few change with the flights between now and December.

 

Once our TA booked the flights, I noted the Business flights had doubled in cost. We are going to stay with Economy for now and check the upgrade price at the airport.