SempreMare

13 hours ago, Lilyskittymom said:

You've gotten a lot of good information on planning excursions.  I'd like to add to look at recent roll calls for information on outside tour operators. Many people make plans and invite others to join them.  Someone might get back to you with feedback, if you ask.

 

Such a clever tip! 

On 4/2/2023 at 9:07 PM, zalusky said:

Do they bounce you if you have poly stretch pants that look like jeans but aren’t:

 

 

Moreover, those trousers are a gorgeous shade of blue!   They show blue-black-blue variations.  I have a fave shirt in that color.

On 3/24/2023 at 12:16 PM, SJD117 said:

I'm not concerned about the rebound issue. The FDA found that only a small fraction of patients who took Paxlovid experienced a rebound. Further, Covid patients who didn't receive Paxlovid experienced rebound as well. The agency concluded last week that there wasn't a significant difference in rebound rates between the two groups, and that rebound had no impact on the risk of developing severe illness. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/health/fda-paxlovid-covid.html

https://www.fda.gov/media/166197/download

Studies with large "n" sample size seem to agree with above quote from @SJD117 and @JDincalif.

Anecdotal example - I remember in 2020, lots of people covered in the media talked about feeling better at day 7, then much worse on days 10-ish.  Did people use the word rebound then?  I don't remember.

But here's what I truly don't understand about the current rebound / Paxlovid discussion: 

Let's say the opposite of above were true, and Paxlovid definitely caused rebound symptoms at a significantly greater rate than in those who didn't take it.
 

Why trade-off the risk? 

Option 1) Don't request Paxlovid for risk of rebound symptoms at Day 10.

Option 2) Request Paxlovid for its 86% risk reduction of being hospitalized or dying.

**Of course, those 2 options assume no competing risks based on a doctor's analysis.  

Ex:  You are medically OK to take Paxlovid

- You have healthy kidneys.

- It's OK to stop your high cholesterol meds (some statins) while you are on Paxlovid + 5 days after.

etc.

On 3/28/2023 at 12:22 PM, YWW said:

We brought our own test kits and 5 days supply of PAXLOVID. So glad we did because ship ran out of PAXLOVID and test kits. Ship was charging $1600 for 5 days supply of PAXLOVID.

Holy cow!   I searched my Photos app for the word "Paxlovid". 

Looks like the retail price in Texas was $56 USD last year !! 

( not my pic - I asked a friend who was in a similar situation:  about to travel internationally; wanting to get Paxlovid in advance just in case, to send me a pic to make sure I asked for the right thing from my doctor. )

On 3/28/2023 at 12:22 PM, YWW said:

 Based on this experience we'll never travel abroad without test kits and with at least one week supply of PAXLOVID.

FYI for those who can't get it in advance, and possibly not relevant for Viking: 

After hearing of a friend's experience with trying to get a script via CVS's Test to Treat instead of a doctor script,   I now include a copy of my latest CMP complete metabolic panel that shows I have normal kidney functioning.    The cvs pharmacist wouldn't give him Paxlovid unless he could prove normal kidney functioning.  

On 3/28/2023 at 1:07 PM, Iloveketo said:

Paxlovid definitely made a huge difference.  My husband who has underlaying issues and got Paxlovid is totally fine now and I still have cold symptoms. 

Glad to hear it made a difference for your husband.   @IloveketoHow long has it been for you since you tested positive? 

Before last year's British Isles Explorer,  I brought a 2 page printout of the "Calendar Summary" view from

https://www.viking.com/myjourney/calendar/list

that helpfully included each day's

- port arrival time

- excursion departure times

- spa + restaurant reservation times

- port departure time 

My upcoming Viking Homelands calendar summary view, now ~ 1 month before embarkation,  

- does include booked excursion departure times

- but does not include port arrival or departure times (oddly, except for the ship's embarkation day port arrival*.)

Has anyone noticed if this missing info gets added to the calendar summary after a certain date, like T-15 days out? 

FYI - I do realize port departure times are also available in the Guest Invoice.

* Question re: embarkation day port arrival: 

Seeing this time listed made me wonder if the most dedicated cruisers would go to the port at midnight to see the ship arrive.   

OK fess up : - ) , has anyone done this? 

@Squawkman to which article are intending to link?   (title?)

@Iloveketo Would  you happen to have a picture of the boots the ship had on sale for $30?

Which brand?

Just checking, will I be walking in snow during Viking Homelands in the month of May?

Viking Homelands Norway ports include

Oslo, Bergin, Stavanger, Eidfjord

Found it!   

Above = a readout of the PD measurer gadget at Costco.  

I asked if I could take a picture of the readout.

(In case I lose any written notes.  I never lose photos.) 

4 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

And follow up questions so that I can book my tickets in advance. What time does the earliest shuttle leave and how frequently do they leave? How long is the ride to the drop-off point (more or less)?

Actually I don't see where that museum supports booking in advance now.  But maybe I missed it. 

I took the earliest AM included tour;  not sure when the shuttle leaves. 

From my Google location history, the tour starting at the port took 44 minutes.  It seemed longer.

3 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Just for clarity, when you say National Museum, are you referring to the art museum (which is not labeled on the map but is right there) or one of the other national museums which are also on the same quadrangle. The National Museum of Natural History is the only one that is labeled on the map.

Hmmm.  The outside simply said "National Museum of Ireland"

I really wanted to see it because of something the guide said about "The only ____ In the world is here in Dublin inside this museum"; trying to recall what the thing was ;-).

I had read that entrance was FREE, but when I got to the front of the line, they said all reservations were taken for the ENTIRE day! 

Ok

Let's look at my Google Location History

Conclusion from staring at photos and my Google Location History: 

I believe on the map, it's labeled as the National Gallery of Ireland.

This website looks familiar

https://www.nationalgallery.ie/

Green circle shows the Dublin Bar I retreated to after learning the National Gallery of Ireland was sold out.   That was SO fun! 

These 2 cute guys gave me advice on what to try

Great recommendation from included tour guide.

O'Donoghue's Bar on Merrion Row.   Everything I wanted to see was on or near Merrion Row.

https://www.odonoghues.ie/

This is where the shuttle back to the Viking mars picked up at end of day in Dublin, September 2022.  See the words “ bus back to cruise” with a heart icon  nearby
 

Any drop off was probably within walking distance since that is such a popular area near the Oscar Wilde memorial. 
 

oh!  Important tip:

I really wanted to spend the afternoon in the national museum, but the tickets were all sold out. I should have reserved in advance.

Yep. I massively overpaid for prescription glasses for most of my life.  Zenni makes it easy to keep a back up pair in the car and suitcase. 

Though if you have an old frame that you really love, Costco is a good choice for putting your new prescription into an old frame. Zenni does not do this.

This is one of my favorites Zenni frames with this year’s prescription from Costco. It took more than 2 weeks to get these back. So I’m glad I did it in plenty of time before my flight departure date.

6 hours ago, aungrl said:

These tips are all great, but particularly the one about needing your PD measurement, so that you can get that ahead of time. 

Yep, one more note - I included that Costco became the best place to get my PD (pupil distance) measurement without having an uncomfortable debate / arm wrestling session with my local Optician for a measurement that is in fact my own health data. (but they still don't want to give it to you).  Make sure you get a PD for each eye, not just 1 single PD left to right.   I am asymmetrical by 1 mm.

Also - Unless my skull gets squished by a vise that magically moves my eye sockets closer together, I would not expect to ever need my PD measured again either.  Once and done.   Zenni has a video on how to measure it yourself, but I want a skilled, experienced human to do it.   

Tip:  Create a new Contact in your Contacts phone app

Company name:  Pupil Distance, eye

In the notes add your PDs.

I take a pic of my scripts + PD before I leave the dr's office.

These days, iPhone Photos makes it so easy to tap that OCR icon on bottom right, , then copy & paste the text out of a photo & into contacts. 

BTW, my vision is corrected to 20-15 with Zennis.  My first pair of <$60 Zenni's had better fit and finish than my the last $400 pair of glasses I'll ever buy.  I was thrilled to see that famous football player and the actress from that hysterically funny Hulu series Angie Tribeca sign up with Zenni.

50 minutes ago, aungrl said:

This is the first I've heard of Zenni!  Would you mind posting your 10 tips?  Or if you'd prefer, my email is aungrl at gmail dot com

Sent!    (from my personal email, not the random one I created for my sig.) 

---

Here is  Leslie Stahl's 60 Minutes episode that made me realize 

Also at CPH,   Summerbird, a delicious organic chocolate store...

and a truly good non-alcoholic Pilsner in the SAS lounge.

I did have slight flight delay departing CPH which made for a stressed sprint through a transfer in Chicago.  When I arrived out of breath and sweating at my gate,  the ramp door was shut and I was devastated. 

The kind SAS gate agent re-opened the door (which I thought they weren't supposed to do) and let me pass.

1 hour ago, janetcbl said:

Copenhagen is a great airport with easy connections. The danger here are all the great shops!….and forgetting you have a plane to catch!

Seconded.

Plus, CPH has these massage chairs in different parts of the terminal.   SO nice! 

thanks @Clay Claytonand @sugarside, prescription sun glasses is what I have.  I’m looking for a a sunglass holder to make faster a change out between my 2 prescription glasses: progressives to sunglasses. 

@deec @dd57 I thought about transition lenses, but when I go from the bright  Texas Sun to inside a parking garage, I want an immediate change; much faster than what transitions give. 
 

@Clay Clayton I am a Zenni superfan 🤩.
They are without a doubt  the online shopping  site I have recommended to more people than any other. In fact, I have a list of 10 tips for buying on zenni that i keep handy to send to any first time customers I recruit. 
 

Am wearing a pair of their near distance progressives right now in a 12 gram super lightweight frame.   First learned about Zenni when they were mentioned in passing on Leslie Stahl’s 60 Minutes episode re:

the monopoly that is Luxottica. 

One thing I swore I'd figure out before my next cruise is a way to switch glasses quickly from regular script to sunglasses and back.  

I am in search of an eyeglass holder with:
- a magnetic closure
- Something I can attach to my small purse

Ex: Something like these sun glass holders but
-- With a magnetic closure, definitely NOT a zipper (takes too long)

-- Able to attach to a purse

Plan B if I can't find it: 

Get something like this

Take it to the repair expert the Austin Shoe Hospital (Yes, the actual name...).

Ask him to put an eyelet through the leather.  (Which... over time might tear out depending on the leather, and Situations...) for a D-ring attachment.

Has anyone else figured out something like this? 

On 3/23/2023 at 6:16 PM, lackcreativity said:

what I have learned is that too much time is better than not enough, always have a back-up plan, and never arrive on the day of departure.

Well said! 🏆

@KBs mum>> Advice from the above is that Paxlovid is not necessary for the majority, 

100% agree, based on best data I've read and seen interpreted by the board certified MDs and epidemiologists.

- Most people with Covid do not need hospitalization.
- Most people with Covid do not die.

If that were not true... wow, the world would look like a very different place today.

The beneficial endpoint of Paxlovid is:     86% reduction in risk of hospitalization or death. 

If the majority of people don't die or need hospitalization, 
Then the majority of people don't need Paxlovid to achieve that validated endpoint.

True.

-----

Related example:  

From my gynocologist:

"The majority of women who have had 2 negative Pap smears in a row

will not show a problem on the 3'rd year.  Congratulations, you can skip this year's test!" 

I 100% agree that is a true statement. 

I managed to suppress a laugh as my first response.

My next questions: 

"Is part of your compensation based on reduction of medical test costs per woman you treat?  
[ eventually,  Yes ]  

What is that exact cost target for this year?   
[ non-answer ] 

Do you think someone with a family history of X should be included in this Congratulations? 

[ ... probably not... ]

I ended the appointment, and requested it not be billed to my insurance as my annual well-woman appt.
 

@KBs mum  >> The idea of getting prescription medications 'just in case' is bizarre to us. How will the layman know how/when/if required any medication is? 

First, I do my own research (pubmed.com, etc.) 

Then I listen to nationally-recognized experts who interpret large sample size data studies (like what I linked above).  When I hear those doctors describe the harmful treatment plans they learn that other doctors will prescribe, it astonishes me. 

Net:  I am occasionally more informed than my primary care physician doctor about possible treatment options of any condition I have.  However, I do NOT try to educate any doctor (that's their job.)   I simply

- Ask questions.   "Are these findings relevant to my treatment options?"    I link to the study or bring in a printout.   

- Ask questions that help me figure out the If-Thens of my plan.  
Ex:  "What pulse oxygenation % level would indicate I should go to the hospital?"

When I
- understand the If-Thens 

- have a plan and that I could actually execute, and listen for changes needed from new research
 

I feel no stress.   Not much remains to be actively concerned about. 

33 minutes ago, Iloveketo said:

So, your doctor gave you a prescription you could have filled before your cruise just in case you got COVID?

Mine did. I 

- Requested it shortly after the Emergency Use was authorized and the data about the additional significant risk reduction in hospitalization and death became available.  Getting the script definitely required "a conversation" with a doctor at a formal telemed appt.

- Explained that Paxlovid availability would be questionable where I am traveling,  and the 86% reduction in hospitalization / death * is compelling, and I have one risk factor.

The doctor paused and was quiet for a moment while he looked over my chart.  He finally simply said,  "I think that's smart."  

Then, actually finding a pharmacy in Austin Texas that had it in stock took 3-4 days.

I taped a note to the outside of mine, 
"Stop statins on Day 1 through 5 days after taking this."

Witnessing what a friend in Florida just went through to get Paxlovid makes me glad I have it. 

He eventually got it, but too late (past day 5) to begin it.   

Moral of the story:  Don't rely on CVS's Test to Treat program to get Paxlovid in time.   Even though he already had multiple antigen tests showing he was positive, CVS requires their own PCR test.  The whole process took longer than 3 days, which put him over the 5 day time clock to begin.   (Initial problem was - His doctor gave idiotic advice, "let's wait and see". )

(* Update - Also a possible link to reduction in long Covid. 

Long Covid - the roulette wheel spin that I don't want to win. It's what motivates me to still mask. 

If Covid were simply like a terrible flu or RSV, I would not mask.) 

A podcast w/ NYC doctors each week describing the best Covid treatment plans based on latest data  per phase of the disease

This week's episode covers (at supersonic speed) possible treatment options for long covid.

https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-994/

On 12/11/2022 at 12:03 PM, M.Travels said:

 

- Always keep your "receipts," and it is nice to keep them in the same place and let the room steward know where they are too. If there is an issue they can sometimes solve it without involving you by checking the original copy of the receipt.
 

- If you are wondering about how to describe an item them you should use more than one word ... the laundry folks are probably not native speakers of your language, and more than once they were confused about the words we used to describe things. That was on us.

 

By the end of the cruise we simply asked our room steward what she would call something and then used that word.

 

The most confusing item was a "buff" - one of those long, circular neck things that we found INVALUABLE for Alaska as they can easily convert from a neck warmer to ear cover to hair tie to many other uses. We described this as a "scarf" and the laundry described it as a "bra" and chaos followed!

 

Great tips, thanks for posting! 

@Peregrina651 agreed.  Might as well be sleepy on a train and moving on to next destination than sleepy in the ship’s living room.

I would choose the Bergen —> Oslo  late morning departure only if I were departing from a Bergen hotel vs a Viking ship.

Oh!  Another reason to depart on the 11:15am train! 
 

—> the Bergen Bors hotel (like many European 4-5* hotels) has an astonishingly delicious breakfast buffet in a gorgeous, massive breakfast room with floor to ceiling frescos..  

YES there is still the possibility for fast breakfast buffet there at 6:15am (thank you Viking).  But we pushed the stressed staff to their limits in that coffee service with everyone arriving at once.

With a later train departure, you can enjoy a leisurely 8:00am big breakfast at their expansive buffet with a happy staff ready to explain what __dishname I need to look up__ is.     The perfect meal before a loooong train ride with limited food options.  On sightseeing days, after that breakfast, I was not hungry again till dinner.