Has the new Omicron variant delay the restart of cruising?

[By The Bay]

38 minutes ago, icat2000 said:

Henny Penny. Start living with it and stop trying to run from it. 

Given my age and medical conditions, I will certainly will not be running towards it.

[OzKiwiJJ]

20 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

Given my age and medical conditions, I will certainly will not be running towards it.

Ditto.

 

The real concern is the whether hospitals will be swamped again as the numbers rise, and that can affect people who need hospitalisation for something other than Covid. Another concern is number of close contacts forced into isolation for a period - these may include essential service workers. 

 

Things are going to get very, very interesting in NSW over the next couple of weeks. At least QR codes are back, but masks are still not mandatory. 😡

 

We get our booster shots this afternoon so will be laying low until they take effect.

Edited December 23, 2021 by OzKiwiJJ

[gogo65]

Icat happy for you to run full throttle into it, I hope you have no one close to you that has significant underlying health conditions, as they remain the ones at risk.

Yes I agree we have to learn to live with it, but unfortunately it is hard for the experts to keep up as the virus is rapidly evolving, and being able to provide up to date evidence on managing it, is proving difficult, in the interim, the experts are saying to be cautious, not so much to protect the healthy but to protect the vulnerable (remember that’s why so many decided to get vaccinated).

On Saturday I had a close friend cancel our Christmas catch up, as her daughter tested positive, her daughter was tested on Friday.

Now, roll back a few days, her daughter met some friends the Saturday before (her casual contact) she and her family (our friends) then attended a wedding on Tuesday, so far around 20 from the wedding are positive, (including the bride and groom who have had to cancel their honeymoon go into isolation), they attended a restaurant on Thursday and so far 5 out of 6 are positive, they found out the daughter was a casual contact  and immediately did the right thing, got tested and isolated. However my friend is a nurse like me, she worked on Friday, she is now aware of at least one patient testing positive (you know these elderly patients that have underlying health conditions).

None of them are sick (except one with a scratchy throat)

so while your attitude of run into may allow you to feel that you are moving on and dealing with it, there are potentially consequences to those actions.

Oh and dont think about the staff now not working due to isolating putting more pressure on the health system.

Please all be safe and take care

Edited December 23, 2021 by gogo65

[icat2000]

2 hours ago, By The Bay said:

Given my age and medical conditions, I will certainly will not be running towards it.

 Given your age, you should take precautions as you would with any other illness or activity. 

 

[icat2000]

1 hour ago, gogo65 said:

Icat happy for you to run full throttle into it, I hope you have no one close to you that has significant underlying health conditions, as they remain the ones at risk.

Yes I agree we have to learn to live with it, but unfortunately it is hard for the experts to keep up as the virus is rapidly evolving, and being able to provide up to date evidence on managing it, is proving difficult, in the interim, the experts are saying to be cautious, not so much to protect the healthy but to protect the vulnerable (remember that’s why so many decided to get vaccinated).

On Saturday I had a close friend cancel our Christmas catch up, as her daughter tested positive, her daughter was tested on Friday.

Now, roll back a few days, her daughter met some friends the Saturday before (her casual contact) she and her family (our friends) then attended a wedding on Tuesday, so far around 20 from the wedding are positive, (including the bride and groom who have had to cancel their honeymoon go into isolation), they attended a restaurant on Thursday and so far 5 out of 6 are positive, they found out the daughter was a casual contact  and immediately did the right thing, got tested and isolated. However my friend is a nurse like me, she worked on Friday, she is now aware of at least one patient testing positive (you know these elderly patients that have underlying health conditions).

None of them are sick (except one with a scratchy throat)

so while your attitude of run into may allow you to feel that you are moving on and dealing with it, there are potentially consequences to those actions.

Oh and dont think about the staff now not working due to isolating putting more pressure on the health system.

Please all be safe and take care

I do actually. Me.

 

The way you are talking is you don't want to move on period. You got to start somewhere. And from what I can see so far and reading about the Southern Africian experience (which is several weeks ahead of us) was high infection rates, lower hospitalisation rates and deaths. And I believe there is even less vaccinated people in that continent.

 

Tell me how this is any different at the moment from a bad season of the flu? Older people and people with underlying health conditions are always the most at risk from ANY illness. 

 

It was my position back in March 2020. Was to protect the Eldery and the Compromised. But hell no. They went down the route of shutting up everyone and moving into year three still plodding on the same course. 

 

You have to start making moves to role out of this at sometime. Yes this virus is going to rip through and infect a lot of people. Like a bad season of the flu.  Otherwise, forget cruising until 2025.

 

Now Victoria has brought in mask mandates indoors everywhere and work from home if you can. YOu just can tell that we are 50 seconds away from them locking us down again and curfews. Cause that is how Victoria rolls. 

 

• Victorians have been ordered to wear face masks in all indoor public spaces
• From 11.59pm on Thursday, face coverings mandatory again in pubs and cafes 
• Spectators at events with attendance exceeding 30,000 must also wear masks
• Deputy Premier James Merlino said Victorians must work from home if they can.
• urged hospitality venues to switch to a seated-only service to reduce transmission. 
•  

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by icat2000

[BRANDEE]

3 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Ditto.

 

The real concern is the whether hospitals will be swamped again as the numbers rise, and that can affect people who need hospitalisation for something other than Covid. Another concern is number of close contacts forced into isolation for a period - these may include essential service workers. 

 

Things are going to get very, very interesting in NSW over the next couple of weeks. At least QR codes are back, but masks are still not mandatory. 😡

 

We get our booster shots this afternoon so will be laying low until they take effect.

Glad to hear you are getting your booster.  It does give you a little feeling of help over the new variant.

NYC is sky high with new cases but more testing now than ever.  Lines for testing are 3 hours plus,  long and there are no home test available. 

There are many break thru cases.  However, the vaccinated are getting mild to no symptoms and the unvaccinated are sicker and going to the hospital.  Of course, there is always the case of a vaccinated compromised patient not doing well.

Long Island, especially eastern LI (Suffolk) , has the highest rate of NY State.  Masks are mandated by our state governor, but the LI executive supervisor in eastern LI and also western, where I live (Nassau), are not enforcing her mandate.  They are smucks..that is a word from my younger days in an Italian/Jewish neighborhood..it means beyond stupid!! They are passing the buck to local towns and businesses.  Smuck also means not possessing balls!

All adult family members have received their booster with various levels of symptoms..none to some.. to my older son's 102.8 temperature and chills and major headache for half a day!! My grandchildren will be get their boosters in January.

We all have been very careful the past few weeks in anticipation of our family Christmas get together in three days. I've cooked up a storm of everyone's favorite dishes (all my grandma's recipes from Italy).  Hoping to celebrate New Year's Eve with close friends (we are all boosted). But that is over a week away..so who knows.

Take care and Happy Holidays and Happy and Healthy New Years!!

 

[ilikeanswers]

4 hours ago, icat2000 said:

Henny Penny. Start living with it and stop trying to run from it. 

 

Everytime I see the statement "living with covid" there seems to be an underlying assumption that it means going back to pre covid times. It doesn't seem to have occurred to many what we are experiencing is living with Covid. Mask mandates coming and going, QR compulsory, then not again, vaccine proof maybe even some of that dreaded L word😂. Maybe we need to accept what living with covid actually is rather than what we had hoped it would be 

[OzKiwiJJ]

21 minutes ago, BRANDEE said:

Glad to hear you are getting your booster.  It does give you a little feeling of help over the new variant.

NYC is sky high with new cases but more testing now than ever.  Lines for testing are 3 hours plus,  long and there are no home test available. 

There are many break thru cases.  However, the vaccinated are getting mild to no symptoms and the unvaccinated are sicker and going to the hospital.  Of course, there is always the case of a vaccinated compromised patient not doing well.

Long Island, especially eastern LI (Suffolk) , has the highest rate of NY State.  Masks are mandated by our state governor, but the LI executive supervisor in eastern LI and also western, where I live (Nassau), are not enforcing her mandate.  They are smucks..that is a word from my younger days in an Italian/Jewish neighborhood..it means beyond stupid!! They are passing the buck to local towns and businesses.  Smuck also means not possessing balls!

All adult family members have received their booster with various levels of symptoms..none to some.. to my older son's 102.8 temperature and chills and major headache for half a day!! My grandchildren will be get their boosters in January.

We all have been very careful the past few weeks in anticipation of our family Christmas get together in three days. I've cooked up a storm of everyone's favorite dishes (all my grandma's recipes from Italy).  Hoping to celebrate New Year's Eve with close friends (we are all boosted). But that is over a week away..so who knows.

Take care and Happy Holidays and Happy and Healthy New Years!!

 

Great to hear from you, BRANDEE, and that you're doing OK despite the increase in cases in your area.

 

The term "Smuck" would definitely apply to certain Australian politicians IMHO. 🤣

 

So what are those favourite dishes your grandma made?

 

The NSW government has finally done the necessary backflip so masks are mandatory again in indoor public spaces, as are QR code checkins, and limitations on numbers. Once again it's a case of closing the door after the horse has bolted but it might help contain the spread.

 

Have a great holiday season and a Happy New Year. I hope next year will see this virus subdued if not tamed entirely.

 

Julie.

[BRANDEE]

43 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Great to hear from you, BRANDEE, and that you're doing OK despite the increase in cases in your area.

 

The term "Smuck" would definitely apply to certain Australian politicians IMHO. 🤣

 

So what are those favourite dishes your grandma made?

 

The NSW government has finally done the necessary backflip so masks are mandatory again in indoor public spaces, as are QR code checkins, and limitations on numbers. Once again it's a case of closing the door after the horse has bolted but it might help contain the spread.

 

Have a great holiday season and a Happy New Year. I hope next year will see this virus subdued if not tamed entirely.

 

Julie.

I think there are a lot of smucks in the world...lol

 

I was very fortunate to grown up with my grandma living in the same house as me.  I learned early on (around 8 yrs old) how to cook by watching and helping her make many Italian dishes.  She was orphaned as a young girl due to an earthquake in Sicily and ended up in a nunnery in Rome and she became a cook for the 400 women living with her..  So many of the dishes are a combination of southern and northern recipes. (She came to America as a mail order bride for a widower double her age with nine children)

Every Christmas the menu stays the same.  If I try to cut something out..I get complaints.  One year I decided not to use my grandma's Christmas dishes and my dad actually pouted with his arms folded like a little boy.  One hour before the rest of the family arrived, I had to reset the table using her dishes. Even though my dad passed 9 years ago, I still set the table with those same dishes in his and her honor. I am sure they are lead filled and probably poisoning the family!!

Grandma's favorites are a stromboli filled with  capicola, procuitto, mozzarella and salami.  Served with a cold eggplant caponata.  Then there is lasagna and beef  braciole.  Also paprika/butter mushrooms and stuffed artichokes. Desert of struffoli and cream puffs.  I did add something new a few years ago..bourbon carrots(soak carrots in bourbon and molasses overnight before cooking) There is also meatballs, sausages, stringbeans and caulifower added to the mix.  My daughter in laws come with their own leftover containers..they also have requested me to write down all the recipes. That is hard since I have nothing written down..all from memory!

 

Hoping we all get to make many memories and traditions with our loved ones!

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, BRANDEE said:

I think there are a lot of smucks in the world...lol

 

I was very fortunate to grown up with my grandma living in the same house as me.  I learned early on (around 8 yrs old) how to cook by watching and helping her make many Italian dishes.  She was orphaned as a young girl due to an earthquake in Sicily and ended up in a nunnery in Rome and she became a cook for the 400 women living with her..  So many of the dishes are a combination of southern and northern recipes. (She came to America as a mail order bride for a widower double her age with nine children)

Every Christmas the menu stays the same.  If I try to cut something out..I get complaints.  One year I decided not to use my grandma's Christmas dishes and my dad actually pouted with his arms folded like a little boy.  One hour before the rest of the family arrived, I had to reset the table using her dishes. Even though my dad passed 9 years ago, I still set the table with those same dishes in his and her honor. I am sure they are lead filled and probably poisoning the family!!

Grandma's favorites are a stromboli filled with  capicola, procuitto, mozzarella and salami.  Served with a cold eggplant caponata.  Then there is lasagna and beef  braciole.  Also paprika/butter mushrooms and stuffed artichokes. Desert of struffoli and cream puffs.  I did add something new a few years ago..bourbon carrots(soak carrots in bourbon and molasses overnight before cooking) There is also meatballs, sausages, stringbeans and caulifower added to the mix.  My daughter in laws come with their own leftover containers..they also have requested me to write down all the recipes. That is hard since I have nothing written down..all from memory!

 

Hoping we all get to make many memories and traditions with our loved ones!

 

You should write them down. Family recipes like those deserve to be preserved for future generations. Sure, you can look up recipes online but they are never quite the same as Nonna made them. Every cook puts their own twist on a recipe even if it's very subtle.

 

I like playing with fusion cuisines and some years ago I created a Christmas tiramisu recipe. It has the flavours and dried fruit of a traditional English Christmas pudding but uses tiramisu as a base. Perfect for hot Australian Christmases.

 

[portcbob]

14 hours ago, icat2000 said:

I do actually. Me.

 

The way you are talking is you don't want to move on period. You got to start somewhere. And from what I can see so far and reading about the Southern Africian experience (which is several weeks ahead of us) was high infection rates, lower hospitalisation rates and deaths. And I believe there is even less vaccinated people in that continent.

 

Tell me how this is any different at the moment from a bad season of the flu? Older people and people with underlying health conditions are always the most at risk from ANY illness. 

 

It was my position back in March 2020. Was to protect the Eldery and the Compromised. But hell no. They went down the route of shutting up everyone and moving into year three still plodding on the same course. 

 

You have to start making moves to role out of this at sometime. Yes this virus is going to rip through and infect a lot of people. Like a bad season of the flu.  Otherwise, forget cruising until 2025.

 

Now Victoria has brought in mask mandates indoors everywhere and work from home if you can. YOu just can tell that we are 50 seconds away from them locking us down again and curfews. Cause that is how Victoria rolls. 

 

• Victorians have been ordered to wear face masks in all indoor public spaces
• From 11.59pm on Thursday, face coverings mandatory again in pubs and cafes 
• Spectators at events with attendance exceeding 30,000 must also wear masks
• Deputy Premier James Merlino said Victorians must work from home if they can.
• urged hospitality venues to switch to a seated-only service to reduce transmission. 
•  

 

I tend to agree with you. We have to move forward now. Get yours vacs and boosters and get on with life. Green light cruising now or at least soon OTHERWISE ban cruising forever, as nothing is going to change in the foreseeable future.👍

[MicCanberra]

10 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I like playing with fusion cuisines and some years ago I created a Christmas tiramisu recipe. It has the flavours and dried fruit of a traditional English Christmas pudding but uses tiramisu as a base. Perfect for hot Australian Christmases.

 

Lol, thinking about Tiramasu and dried fruit pudding, 

It picks you up and gets you going. 😉

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Lol, thinking about Tiramasu and dried fruit pudding, 

It picks you up and gets you going. 😉

Well, it certainly picks you up given I use quite a bit of espresso in the fruit soaking liquid, but each serve has less fruit than a christmas pudding serve so no side effects from that. 🤣

[Docker123]

 

Booster interval will be reduced to 4 months from 1 January.

 

It is going to be interesting as there is great difficulty in getting bookings for kids in January before they go back to school. Added to issues in some areas of adults having trouble getting bookings for boosters.

[MicCanberra]

4 Jan actually, with it going to 3 months from 31 Jan.

As for the kids, they have a different vaccine (1/3 dose).

 

[Cruisers47]

Where are they going to get the staff for this ???

 

eileen

[Docker123]

33 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

4 Jan actually, with it going to 3 months from 31 Jan.

As for the kids, they have a different vaccine (1/3 dose).

 

Thank you for the date correction.

 

The kids do get 1/3 dose. However, there are limited slots at present. The various protocols are still in place which make it time and space consuming. Not like lining up at school for a jab in the good old days. 
 

Victoria had recently closed most of its mass vaccination centres. Now will have to re-open and re-staff to meet the demand.

[onlyslightlymad]

On 12/23/2021 at 4:38 PM, icat2000 said:

I do actually. Me.

 

The way you are talking is you don't want to move on period. You got to start somewhere. And from what I can see so far and reading about the Southern Africian experience (which is several weeks ahead of us) was high infection rates, lower hospitalisation rates and deaths. And I believe there is even less vaccinated people in that continent.

 

Tell me how this is any different at the moment from a bad season of the flu? Older people and people with underlying health conditions are always the most at risk from ANY illness. 

 

It was my position back in March 2020. Was to protect the Eldery and the Compromised. But hell no. They went down the route of shutting up everyone and moving into year three still plodding on the same course. 

 

You have to start making moves to role out of this at sometime. Yes this virus is going to rip through and infect a lot of people. Like a bad season of the flu.  Otherwise, forget cruising until 2025.

 

Now Victoria has brought in mask mandates indoors everywhere and work from home if you can. YOu just can tell that we are 50 seconds away from them locking us down again and curfews. Cause that is how Victoria rolls. 

 

• Victorians have been ordered to wear face masks in all indoor public spaces
• From 11.59pm on Thursday, face coverings mandatory again in pubs and cafes 
• Spectators at events with attendance exceeding 30,000 must also wear masks
• Deputy Premier James Merlino said Victorians must work from home if they can.
• urged hospitality venues to switch to a seated-only service to reduce transmission. 
•  

 

"Tell me how this is any different at the moment from a bad season of the flu?"

Well, I'm glad you asked.  For a start Covid is a lot more contagious.  The R nought of the flu is somewhere around 1.3 whereas Delta is somewhere around 7 and the new omicron variant is even higher.  So there's that.

It also is a lot more deadly and kills a lot more of the people in vulnerable groups than the flu does.  However, you are right, early reports out of SA seem to suggest that omicron is not so deadly as delta so that's good news.  Probably a bit early to know for sure though.

So Covid = much more contagious and more deadly.  

 

[By The Bay]

Recent outbreaks of the Omicron variant on cruise ships in the USA, are not going to be helpful getting cruising re-started here in Oz.😒

 

"The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading quickly aboard cruise ships, where some of the country’s first coronavirus outbreaks took place. 

 

On Thursday, Royal Caribbean Cruises diverted a ship from planned stops in Curacao and Aruba after dozens of cases of COVID-19 were identified in passengers on board, Fortune reported. The Odyssey of the Seas reported 55 confirmed positive cases among guests and crew members, amounting to 1.1% of the total number of people on board, Royal Caribbean said Thursday. All cases were among fully vaccinated people. The liner requires pre-cruise testing for passengers, it said. " Read full article here.

[NSWP]

51 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

Recent outbreaks of the Omicron variant on cruise ships in the USA, are not going to be helpful getting cruising re-started here in Oz.😒

 

"The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading quickly aboard cruise ships, where some of the country’s first coronavirus outbreaks took place. 

 

On Thursday, Royal Caribbean Cruises diverted a ship from planned stops in Curacao and Aruba after dozens of cases of COVID-19 were identified in passengers on board, Fortune reported. The Odyssey of the Seas reported 55 confirmed positive cases among guests and crew members, amounting to 1.1% of the total number of people on board, Royal Caribbean said Thursday. All cases were among fully vaccinated people. The liner requires pre-cruise testing for passengers, it said. " Read full article here.

With the explosion of cases and related deaths in USA, I find it abhorrent that cruising is happening at all over there, likewise in UK, out of control.  All about the dollar and the pound. Meanwhile we are in cruise starvation.

[MMDown Under]

On 12/23/2021 at 11:41 AM, OzKiwiJJ said:

Ditto.

 

The real concern is the whether hospitals will be swamped again as the numbers rise, and that can affect people who need hospitalisation for something other than Covid. Another concern is number of close contacts forced into isolation for a period - these may include essential service workers. 

 

Things are going to get very, very interesting in NSW over the next couple of weeks. At least QR codes are back, but masks are still not mandatory. 😡

 

We get our booster shots this afternoon so will be laying low until they take effect.

I hope your booster shots went well.  We didn't have any reaction except for a sore arm (pfizer).  

[MMDown Under]

On 12/24/2021 at 4:03 AM, portcbob said:

I tend to agree with you. We have to move forward now. Get yours vacs and boosters and get on with life. Green light cruising now or at least soon OTHERWISE ban cruising forever, as nothing is going to change in the foreseeable future.👍

Why would anyone not want to move forward now?  Because no man is an island, it is not up to individuals.  My daughters are very covid conscious with an elderly mother and a 99 year old Nanna who they wished to share Christmas with.  There was a positive case at my daughter's work, so my daughter had to get tested on Christmas Eve, with results at 6.30 am Christmas Day.  (There have been more people positive since.)  People who were ill and people travelling were given priority. We were stressed at the thought we may not be able to share Christmas together.  Imagine how stressed we would have been if we had a ship to catch!  Much as I love cruising, now is not the time for Australians to cruise with confidence.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

I hope your booster shots went well.  We didn't have any reaction except for a sore arm (pfizer).  

I had a day and a half of reactions - sore arm, fatigue, headache and a couple of bouts of chills. All OK now. Rolf had no reactions at all. 

Edited December 28, 2021 by OzKiwiJJ

[possum52]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

I hope your booster shots went well.  We didn't have any reaction except for a sore arm (pfizer).  

 

10 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I had a day and a half of reactions - sore arm, fatigue, headache and a couple of bouts of chills. All OK now. Rolf had no reactions at all. 

We just had sore arms, and I had a red lump for a few days on the injection site. No fever or other reactions that we had for our AstraZeneca vaccinations earlier this year.

[MMDown Under]

On 12/23/2021 at 5:04 PM, BRANDEE said:

I think there are a lot of smucks in the world...lol

 

I was very fortunate to grown up with my grandma living in the same house as me.  I learned early on (around 8 yrs old) how to cook by watching and helping her make many Italian dishes.  She was orphaned as a young girl due to an earthquake in Sicily and ended up in a nunnery in Rome and she became a cook for the 400 women living with her..  So many of the dishes are a combination of southern and northern recipes. (She came to America as a mail order bride for a widower double her age with nine children)

Every Christmas the menu stays the same.  If I try to cut something out..I get complaints.  One year I decided not to use my grandma's Christmas dishes and my dad actually pouted with his arms folded like a little boy.  One hour before the rest of the family arrived, I had to reset the table using her dishes. Even though my dad passed 9 years ago, I still set the table with those same dishes in his and her honor. I am sure they are lead filled and probably poisoning the family!!

Grandma's favorites are a stromboli filled with  capicola, procuitto, mozzarella and salami.  Served with a cold eggplant caponata.  Then there is lasagna and beef  braciole.  Also paprika/butter mushrooms and stuffed artichokes. Desert of struffoli and cream puffs.  I did add something new a few years ago..bourbon carrots(soak carrots in bourbon and molasses overnight before cooking) There is also meatballs, sausages, stringbeans and caulifower added to the mix.  My daughter in laws come with their own leftover containers..they also have requested me to write down all the recipes. That is hard since I have nothing written down..all from memory!

 

Hoping we all get to make many memories and traditions with our loved ones!

 

I love the atmosphere in NY Delis, but don't like those enormous sandwiches with enough filling to feed a family.  So I always order potato latkes with sour cream and apple sauce or, for a change, pancakes.   I made potato latkes with sour cream for Christmas breakfast.  For lunch, we had a variety of salmon - Gravlox with mustard, beetroot & Vodka smoked salmon, single malt whisky double smoked salmon, Tequila and Lime Smoked Salmon, plain salmon, remembering the old professional guys who thinly sliced the salmon in delis.  We also had leg ham, prosciutto, shiraz salami, metwurst and Kabana.  My family doesn't cook at lunch time because it is usually too hot in the middle of the day.  My traditional family Christmas dinner was British, cooked and hot.  I was a bit sad this year because I know I won't return to NY.   Bourbon carrots, soaked in bourbon and molasses overnight, sound delicious.