River Cruising Water Cooler

[Host Jazzbeau]

49 minutes ago, Coral said:

I got my Moderna booster today! I made an appt for 11 am and I was the first one there to get a booster. They had had ton of 3rd doses previously. So far, so good.

Moderna #1 wasn't too bad.  #2 was a killer.  So please let us know how your #3 compares to your #2 experience.  🙂

[Coral]

16 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Moderna #1 wasn't too bad.  #2 was a killer.  So please let us know how your #3 compares to your #2 experience.  🙂

Will do! Moderna #2 occurred the day before Easter. On Easter, it was 90 degrees outside, I was inside with the heat on and under blankets. We will see what tomorrow brings!

Edited October 23, 2021 by Coral

[Canal archive]

No reaction from my booster it was Pfizer, had my flue jab yesterday that left a walking great bruise.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Canal archive

[notamermaid]

One Scandinavian country has switched from Moderna to Pfizer for young adults due to adverse effects. I had an adverse reaction to an injection (different medication) a few years ago, killed some of my muscle cells, still annoyed about it. The sore arm from Pfizer went quickly, the systemic reaction not so.

 

People from 70 onwards here are eligible for a booster. Something has been going round in my mind with this. A friend of mine has an immune deficiency and got fully vaccinated. He felt it but to make sure his immune response had been good he had an antibody test (?) taken by his doctor. Good results. Do you do this in your countries?

 

Why would you have a booster if your response is good anyway? Not sure if this 3rd, 4th etcetera is so brilliant. I certainly do not like the idea of a certificate running out after 12 months and then you can only go on a river cruise with a booster jab. I mean it turned into a kind of runaway thing with Jenner, back in the day. In this modern world we can be a bit more seeing to the individual's needs I should think. And I am still waiting for the announcement of doses for men and women being different...

 

My friend has a tough life with his medical conditions but now he feels safer when venturing out into the world. I had turned into a half recluse, but he almost literally hid in his house for 18 months - apart from a quick dash to the Netherlands to hide in a holiday flat.

 

Anyway, found the Marple aqueduct photos 🙂!

 

Hope to get to the Moselle again next week for some autumn photos but time is a bit tight. The storms have done some damage but I expect enough golden leaves to be on the trees still.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by notamermaid

[Coral]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

One Scandinavian country has switched from Moderna to Pfizer for young adults due to adverse effects. I had an adverse reaction to an injection (different medication) a few years ago, killed some of my muscle cells, still annoyed about it. The sore arm from Pfizer went quickly, the systemic reaction not so.

 

People from 70 onwards here are eligible for a booster. Something has been going round in my mind with this. A friend of mine has an immune deficiency and got fully vaccinated. He felt it but to make sure his immune response had been good he had an antibody test (?) taken by his doctor. Good results. Do you do this in your countries?

 

Why would you have a booster if your response is good anyway? Not sure if this 3rd, 4th etcetera is so brilliant.

I have friends who are immunocompromised and they have had their antibodies tested. Several showed their first two vaccines didn't provide any protection. So yes, this is being done here. These individuals often got a full 3rd vaccine. In the US the Pfizer booster is the same dosage as the first 2 vaccines, the Moderna is 1/2 the dose for the booster.

 

In the US - they are recommending boosters for those in certain industries such as HealthCare, Education,  front line workers, etc.... My vaccine is over 6 months old and I know several who have had breakthrough infections, some with serious side effects of COVID but not hospitalized. Several studies are showing that the vaccines lose some effectiveness after a certain period of time. Also, probably 1/3 of my friends got the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and that vaccine (1 shot) is not providing as good of protection as people had hoped. These individuals (those who got J&J) are finally allowed to get a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their 2nd shot (or another Johnson and Johnson. Though, tests shows a Pfizer or Moderna provide much more protection. J&J are encouraged to get a booster after 2 months.

 

I am not a doctor/medical professional so take this with a grain of salt.

 

Last night - my arm was pretty sore. I could feel it when I switched positions. Otherwise, I and doing ok.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Coral

[Canal archive]

The woman who organised the initial round of vaccinations and made it such a success so was moved to another position has been returned to sort out the future rounds of boosters, shows not to mess with what works. The states has indicated that Pfizer is safe for 5 to 11 year olds. My daughter says that the 9 - 10 year olds (the age of my grandson) are asking why can’t they be vaccinated, out of the mouths of babes!

There have been several rounds of tests to ascertain the efficacy of the booster and the conclusion so far is that it is building up and keeping the cover. 

[Coral]

7 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

The woman who organised the initial round of vaccinations and made it such a success so was moved to another position has been returned to sort out the future rounds of boosters, shows not to mess with what works. The states has indicated that Pfizer is safe for 5 to 11 year olds. My daughter says that the 9 - 10 year olds (the age of my grandson) are asking why can’t they be vaccinated, out of the mouths of babes!

There have been several rounds of tests to ascertain the efficacy of the booster and the conclusion so far is that it is building up and keeping the cover. 

In the US, Pfizer (reduced dosage) is not fully approved yet for those under 12. Though it should happen soon - we are moving in that direction. The studies have been done and now it goes to FDA and CDC. Hopefully soon! I think we will know more next week.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Coral

[Coral]

23 minutes ago, Coral said:

In the US - they are recommending boosters for those in certain industries such as HealthCare, Education,  front line workers, etc.... My vaccine is over 6 months old and I know several who have had breakthrough infections, some with serious side effects of COVID but not hospitalized. Several studies are showing that the vaccines lose some effectiveness after a certain period of time. Also, probably 1/3 of my friends got the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and that vaccine (1 shot) is not providing as good of protection as people had hoped. These individuals (those who got J&J) are finally allowed to get a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their 2nd shot (or another Johnson and Johnson. Though, tests shows a Pfizer or Moderna provide much more protection. J&J are encouraged to get a booster after 2 months.

 

Here is a breakdown for boosters and the US:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/22/health/boosters-covid-questions-wellness/index.html 

 

[Canal archive]

Have just heard that our self drive barge trip on the Canal du Nivernais is back on for next year fingers crossed third time lucky!

[notamermaid]

@Coral Thank you for your long reply and the link. I will look into this a bit more. And good to hear the side effects are so mild.

 

@Canal archive Thank you for the info.

Glad to hear the canal cruise is back on!

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

@jpalbny As promised here is the Gewürztraminer - taking centre stage in my autumn display:

It is a Cleebourg cave from 2016 and got a gold medal at the Concours Colmar in 2017. It is recommended with cheese, I think I will have it with a strongly flavoured main meal or a Shropshire blue cheese.

 

I got some decorative pumpkins and walnuts and chestnuts from various shops and a market. I love observing the different autumn shades of the leaves, some are just plain orange, some are golden, some are veined in a transitional stage. We do not get many red varieties. These on the cabinet are all from nearby where I live. Horse chestnut, one I do not know and mostly a variety of Norwegian maple called acer platanoides "Globosum" (don't worry I am not a plant nerd, I asked the council gardener what it is called). This afternoon I have seen that a street further away has a more reddish variety so I will get some there to replace mine that are wilting.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Coral]

22 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Moderna #1 wasn't too bad.  #2 was a killer.  So please let us know how your #3 compares to your #2 experience.  🙂

I did ok today. I woke up several times last night when I went to sleep on my arm. Arm still hurts. I ventured out to the grocery store today and a few more shops - didn't feel great but felt ok. Definitely better than #1 and #2.

[Wings55]

Let me add my experience to the booster discussion, I had Pfizer #3 two weeks ago. Like the first two doses I had a sore arm for a day but beyond that, nothing. I feel very fortunate compared to those reporting some nasty side effects. 

I have several friends who had mild cases despite being fully vaccinated so I'm happy to say I feel pretty safe right now. Six months from now, who knows? 

Everyone... stay safe!!

 

Paul

Edited October 24, 2021 by Wings55
Can't spell my own name!

[Coral]

10 hours ago, Wings55 said:

Let me add my experience to the booster discussion, I had Pfizer #3 two weeks ago. Like the first two doses I had a sore arm for a day but beyond that, nothing. I feel very fortunate compared to those reporting some nasty side effects. 

I have several friends who had mild cases despite being fully vaccinated so I'm happy to say I feel pretty safe right now. Six months from now, who knows? 

Everyone... stay safe!!

 

Paul

We have had several breakthrough cases at work. Nothing serious but enough that I knew I wanted the booster when it became available.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The review of my recent Noble Caledonia Hebridean Sky cruise (B2B from Valletta to Naples and then circumnavigation of Sicily) is now available on Cruise Critic [link below].  A more detailed day-by-day blog with lots of pictures is available here:  https://jazzbeauxmediterraneanblog2021.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

The review of my recent Noble Caledonia Hebridean Sky cruise (B2B from Valletta to Naples and then circumnavigation of Sicily) is now available on Cruise Critic [link below].  A more detailed day-by-day blog with lots of pictures is available here:  https://jazzbeauxmediterraneanblog2021.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

You spent a lot of time on this! Great pictures. I hope to read all of it next weekend. Looks like a great trip!

[CPT Trips]

An added note on “booster” vax. We had our third Moderna full dose shot several weeks ago, about eight months after my second shot. I had a sore arm for a couple of days and felt somewhat lethargic the day after the shot. My reaction was less severe than it was for the second shot.

 

On the subject of “big boat” ocean cruising, we just returned from a week cruise, NYC to Bermuda. There were 1465 passengers. Depending whether one calculates from full double cabin occupancy or full bed capacity we were between 42% to 33% full. As I said, big boat. Just over 1600 crew were on board.

 

The requirements implemented by NCL and by Bermuda made us feel very comfortable getting out and about. NCL required that all passengers be fully vaccinated and test negative on a rapid antigen test at the pier. Crew were all fully vaccinated, tested regularly, and masked. A Bermuda issued “Travel Authorization” was also required to board the ship. That required proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test administered no earlier than Wednesday before the Sunday departure. Additionally, Bermuda required a negative result on a PCR test administered Sunday at the pier to actually get off the shipwhen it arrived on Wednesday. Passengers that tested positive were quarantined onboard. Those that received “inconclusive” results were retested with rapid PCR in the medical center. 
 

It was great to Breakaway for a week and we had a Bermudiful time.

[Canal archive]

Oh wow jazz I’ve just read the first part of your blog. I, wish I’d known you were going there it’s my old stamping ground my fathers family came from Portsmouth he was in the navy, so of course the family did and on leaving worked in the dockyard. My best friend of all time lives on King James Quay and another friend lives in a house facing the hot walls. Every Thursday was our night for the Still! Our scooters didn’t need steering it was a favourite area for our club. My dad at one time was lead carpenter on the Victory so I got to see some pretty interesting areas. When they were raising the Mary Rose we we were flying back from Spain in the era you were allowed on the flight deck, up goes my youngest daughter just before we flew over the site and the captain slightly banked the plane so that we all got an incredible view, it was finally raised not long after, she has always maintained that she pushed the button to do it. The view from the top of the Spinnaker tower is amazing. H.M.S. Warrior is completely different and superb in its own right but I think you saw the best. Mary Rose is the most superb piece of archeology. Now to read the rest.

[notamermaid]

On 10/24/2021 at 10:39 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

The review of my recent Noble Caledonia Hebridean Sky cruise (B2B from Valletta to Naples and then circumnavigation of Sicily) is now available on Cruise Critic [link below].

It sounds a great itinerary. Good to read that you had such a fabulous time. I have noticed that Caledonian has some intriguing river cruise itineraries also, they also sail the Douro. I love this itinerary on the Rhine, it is so different, I have never read about an excursion to Bad Nauheim before: https://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/tour/2831/roses-of-the-rhine/?search_url_id=16

And I just love the look of the Royal Crown (been as far as the lobby door)!

 

I must say the Hebridean Sky looks an elegant but cosy ship, so small, only 118 passengers. Did not expect that. Sounds great.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

I must say the Hebridean Sky looks an elegant but cosy ship, so small, only 118 passengers. Did not expect that. Sounds great.

 

notamermaid

 

Small but never cramped, and one of the few ships of that size with many veranda cabins.  It must have been amazing when it debuted in 1992, and is still wonderful now!

[jpalbny]

On 10/24/2021 at 4:39 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

A more detailed day-by-day blog with lots of pictures is available here:  https://jazzbeauxmediterraneanblog2021.wordpress.com/

 

Jazz - great blog! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Have been to a few of these stops and you are right, NC did a good job hitting all of the high points. 

 

Would love to spend more time in Sicily. One set of my great-grandparents came over from there around 1910 or so (separately, as teenagers; they met in NY and were married here). We've been to a few of those stops but your tours were better.

 

Taormina has to be one of the most beautiful places I've seen. And Erice is pretty too. The Google Earth car passed us in Erice and we are in an older version of Google street view, in Sicily!

 

We had to walk to the Citadel in Bonifacio. I guess Ponant is too cheap to get the train tickets!

 

Really enjoyed it. Sounds like you had a great time and I'm looking forward to reading about your upcoming trips.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks JP.  As you could tell from my review and blog, we were very impressed with Noble Caledonia.

 

Before we took our first river cruise we used to say 'we don't like guided tours.'  But I look like a one-armed paperhanger with Rick Steves in one hand, a camera in the other, and God help me if I have to balance an umbrella too!  Anyway, our first river cruise – with the QuietVoxes – I realized that a good tour guide is a blessing [and a bad one can easily be ignored].  And since I still do my Rick Steves detailed planning, I know what was left out and can use the 'free time' [when allowed – I'm talkin' to you, Italy!!!] to fill in the gaps.

 

So [to make sure this sub-thread is relevant to the forum 😉] I doubly recommend Noble Caledonia to river cruisers.  We're already used to the high prices necessitated by small ships, and we appreciate well planned shore excursions included in the fare.  And we certainly relish the coziness and camaraderie of small ship cruising!

[Lois R]

Hi Jazz, welcome back🙂

[14ersco]

In regards to boosters our state is now texting you when 6 months has passed to remind you it is time to get the booster. 

 

We are having lovely autumn days in Prague.  On our third PCR test to keep within the 72 hours for each country passing through, but so far the only ones to check status of vaccine and PCR was airline at departure. Nice to be on vacation without large crowds.

[notamermaid]

@14ersco Autumn in Prague sounds lovely. I can imagine that there are fewer crowds still, even in Prague. It is still quieter than usual as regards international tourists along the Rhine.

 

Are you on a land trip or add-on to a river cruise?

 

notamermaid