“LIVE FROM” 2019 Oceania Insignia World Cruise, Jan. 11-July 11

[tvlbum]

Did anyone get a Yellow Fever shot or Malaria pills?

[cbb]

we got Yellow fever shot at our doc's & travel clinic's rec for ATW16.  He said we travel so much he thought it was warranted. One less thing to think about for ATW20! (and no side effects for either of us)

 

Malarone made Mr Wonderful ill so upon advice of Insignia doc we just wore long pants & long sleeves in some ports. In other ports we used lemon-eucalyptus oil  which is much better smelling!

 

Consumer Reports tested deet products & lemon-eucalyptus oil and said both were highly effective. 

 

We had sprayed the long pants, shirts, & socks at home with permethrin and it also affords protection against zika, west nile, dengue & chikungunya.  Consumer Reports also rec'd it.  Check their ratings for 2019 to see if these rec'd have changed.

 

Permethrin will last through several washings although it is the agitation of the washer that breaks down the protection so we just dunk them in bathroom sink and hang to dry in the shower stall. 

 

We put them in a ziplock bag so as not to taint the rest of our clothes and on those days where the presence of mosquitoes was almost guaranteed that is what we wore.  Also sunblock then followed by dabs of deet on unprotected areas.  Worked great! 

 

common sense tells you not to be out at dawn or after dusk in some areas-- limit your exposure. Don't be like the woman who said she was 'eaten alive' on a shorex and when asked what repellent she used she said 'none, because nobody told me to.'

 

[Go-Bucks!]

8 hours ago, tvlbum said:

Did anyone get a Yellow Fever shot or Malaria pills?

 

Not needed on our itinerary. 

[Go-Bucks!]

5 hours ago, cbb said:

we got Yellow fever shot at our doc's & travel clinic's rec for ATW16.  He said we travel so much he thought it was warranted. One less thing to think about for ATW20! (and no side effects for either of us)

 

Malarone made Mr Wonderful ill so upon advice of Insignia doc we just wore long pants & long sleeves in some ports. In other ports we used lemon-eucalyptus oil  which is much better smelling!

 

Consumer Reports tested deet products & lemon-eucalyptus oil and said both were highly effective. 

 

We had sprayed the long pants, shirts, & socks at home with permethrin and it also affords protection against zika, west nile, dengue & chikungunya.  Consumer Reports also rec'd it.  Check their ratings for 2019 to see if these rec'd have changed.

 

Permethrin will last through several washings although it is the agitation of the washer that breaks down the protection so we just dunk them in bathroom sink and hang to dry in the shower stall. 

 

We put them in a ziplock bag so as not to taint the rest of our clothes and on those days where the presence of mosquitoes was almost guaranteed that is what we wore.  Also sunblock then followed by dabs of deet on unprotected areas.  Worked great! 

 

common sense tells you not to be out at dawn or after dusk in some areas-- limit your exposure. Don't be like the woman who said she was 'eaten alive' on a shorex and when asked what repellent she used she said 'none, because nobody told me to.'

 

 

We didn't see one mosquito on the trip. I debated about using my Permethrin pre-cruise, but glad I didn't bother. I took Ben's Deet in my excursion bag, but never needed it. Again, I think it was our itinerary...weren't in Africa (except Egypt, but no mosquitoes in 124 degrees and bone dry) or any jungles. 

[cbb]

GoBucks, our ATW itinerary had us in a tributary of the Amazon as well as both western and eastern Africa,  several ports in SEAsia and a bunch of tropical islands and their jungles.   We took no chances!  Our friend Don Horner did the same with the permethrin spray and we proudly modeled for each other in the Amazon boat!

 

We stuck the Ben's the ship gives us in our backpack for port use and bought deet wipes  so that we could take them in carry-ons for overland flights rather than liquids & will do the same this time.  (and I'm ordinarily a freak about using too many meds, sprays, etc but caution won out)

 

 

[Go-Bucks!]

6 hours ago, cbb said:

GoBucks, our ATW itinerary had us in a tributary of the Amazon as well as both western and eastern Africa,  several ports in SEAsia and a bunch of tropical islands and their jungles.   We took no chances!  

 

Yes, I know that...I was sharing the ATW19 experience, which is the one I went on. I wasn't meaning that you shouldn't have taken the precautions you did. But our itineraries were very different so not all places will need malaria or yellow fever precautions.🙂

Edited September 28, 2019 by Go-Bucks!

[cbb]

Go Bucks,

I followed several of the passengers experiences on ATW19 as they were friends of mine.  Yes, you had a very different itinerary for your ATW cruise.

 

And, it is different than the ATW20--I'm glad O changes their itinerary so we can see the world.

 

Glad you had no problems with mosquitoes. 

[Go-Bucks!]

12 hours ago, cbb said:

I'm glad O changes their itinerary so we can see the world.

 

I agree...I wouldn't waste my money doing the same itinerary again unless there are no new places to go in the world. That's why I'm excited to circumnavigate South America in a few months...I've only been to Colombia so these ports will be virtually all new for me.

[brownblonde]

I loved receiving OLife today the Sirena exotic collection. Last page is Betsy and Bob toasting their wedding. Exciting to see it and knew what it was all about since I followed Bob’s blog sure hope he comes on here and others will let him and Betsy know just how many saw it,it was like seeing someone you knew but then not really but not strange as it will be a story for others to read in this OCEANIA MAILING. Hope they are both doing well 

Edited September 28, 2019 by brownblonde
Slelling

[tvlbum]

On 9/28/2019 at 6:17 PM, Go-Bucks! said:

 

I agree...I wouldn't waste my money doing the same itinerary again unless there are no new places to go in the world. That's why I'm excited to circumnavigate South America in a few months...I've only been to Colombia so these ports will be virtually all new for me.

Go Bucks, I am sorry but if you posted your house preparation list once you returned home I must have missed it.  I know it was like post 1138 where you told me to remind you after you returned home.  Well, I have been on 4-5 cruise since then and it much have slipped thru the crack as I missed it.

Thanks..  If it is easier you can just send it to my e-mail tvlbum@aol.com.  I am so glad that you guys are still following this post so you can answer questions for the newbies.

 

[Go-Bucks!]

5 hours ago, tvlbum said:

Go Bucks, I am sorry but if you posted your house preparation list once you returned home I must have missed it.  I know it was like post 1138 where you told me to remind you after you returned home.  Well, I have been on 4-5 cruise since then and it much have slipped thru the crack as I missed it.

Thanks..  If it is easier you can just send it to my e-mail tvlbum@aol.com.  I am so glad that you guys are still following this post so you can answer questions for the newbies.

 

 

I can't find my original list, but in post #2408 I wrote my "tips" and other things I learned. Guess that's the best I can do...sorry.

[Go-Bucks!]

To Bob Brown:

 

You posted a link for something that keeps a car battery charged (or something like that) but I can't find it...can you repost it, please? My next cruise will be for 2 months so I'd like to get something to help my car.

 

Thanks!!😊

[Jim and Monika]

Battery Tender

[bob brown]

You mean this?   Slightly different than the one I have, but does the same job...

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0128-Maintain-Damaging/dp/B00068XCQU/ref=pd_cp_263_2/134-2488736-6504813?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00068XCQU&pd_rd_r=71a47804-351c-41b6-8fb3-a802c68af7ac&pd_rd_w=5Mef4&pd_rd_wg=0zE4K&pf_rd_p=0e5324e1-c848-4872-bbd5-5be6baedf80e&pf_rd_r=V4J34FZ3F4ZVFWT83RFQ&psc=1&refRID=V4J34FZ3F4ZVFWT83RFQ

[cbb]

We too use a battery charger, but not that brand name and have for years.  Ours came from Harbor Freight and works great.

 

We also fill the gas tank and Dave adds Stabil to it because gasoline degrades and he says Stabil maintains it for about a year.

 

We set the thermostat for a/c at 83 and the furnace for 53 (approx) so we don't worry about it getting too hot inside or, alternatively, the pipes freezing!  And we turn off all water to the house so no worries about leaks.

 

[babysteps]

4 hours ago, cbb said:

And we turn off all water to the house so no worries about leaks.

Good tips cbb.

 

You may already do this, but for the benefit of anyone making a mothball-the-house list: to minimize the impact if something goes wrong with a traditional water heater while you are away, you may wish to either drain and turn it off (turn off breaker or shut off gas, as appropriate), or at least turn it off.

[Go-Bucks!]

4 hours ago, cbb said:

We too use a battery charger, but not that brand name and have for years.  Ours came from Harbor Freight and works great.

 

We also fill the gas tank and Dave adds Stabil to it because gasoline degrades and he says Stabil maintains it for about a year.

 

We set the thermostat for a/c at 83 and the furnace for 53 (approx) so we don't worry about it getting too hot inside or, alternatively, the pipes freezing!  And we turn off all water to the house so no worries about leaks.

 

 

Good tips!

 

While  I was on the world cruise, my daughter came over once a week to be sure the faucets were dripping (in winter), flushed the toilets, drove the car around the block and watered the plants. But the car ended up dying in May...was the starter. 

 

I'm going on a 2 month long cruise in January and February this year and was hoping to make her responsibilities fewer, so if I can do things to keep the car "healthy" without being driven then I will. 

 

I appreciate all the tips!!🚘

[Haleca33]

A few tips from a car guy who was on the 2000 1980 AT W but new to Cruise Critic. Most recent model cars, like Audis for example, have sophisticated computer systems that will gradually shut down the electrics to preserve the battery. I did use a battery tender on one car, though. It is not necessary to drive most cars that are in long-term storage. A short drive is actually bad as the engine never gets hot enough to burn off deposits from the cold start. But the engine should be run for at least 30 minutes every month or two with the AC on maximum to exercise the hoses and seals so they don’t take a set or dry out. The gas tank should be as full as possible to prevent moisture accumulation.

[bob brown]

Instead of putting my car on jackstands, I simply overinflated each tire by 10 pounds psi, to prevent flat spots...

Also was lucky to find a neighbor to collect all my mail for me...

[bob brown]

Sorry to bring back this old thread, but I just wanted to tell our friends that we enjoyed this cruise with, that Betsy and I have decided to do it again, in 2022...We will know for sure when the cruise is revealed by 'O' hopefully next month.

Would love to see a 'reunion' aboard!😎

[cbb]

Not atw19 but 16 and soon to be 20, and big chunk of 21, and we too are seriously considering it. Will be on Insignia when 22 itinerary comes out. Hugs to Betsy

[Haleca33]

Sandra and I have long range plans to take the ATW in 2022. We had a wonderful time this year. Is it pretty settled that it will be a east bound cruise?

[Damicom]

Well Bob, I have to say I enjoyed your post. I was only on a segment of the cruise. I played trivia with Betsy and although I didn’t have the opportunity to meet you, I certainly followed your and Betsy’s story. It’s nice to hear that you are both well and happy enough to be making future plans. Thank you for sharing. Happy Holidays

[mexicobob]

On 1/8/2019 at 5:16 PM, Mura said:

A mild request from someone not on this long trip!  When adding a copy to a post that includes a lot of photos (or other detailed info, like the "gold" book) -- could you delete them?  They add so much time to reading a comment when you've already seen that material.

 

I'm not saying "don't use the quote feature" -- I'm just hoping you can edit out some of it!

 

And if you don't, no harm ...

 

Mura

Amen

[Go-Bucks!]

On 12/21/2019 at 2:00 PM, bob brown said:

Sorry to bring back this old thread, but I just wanted to tell our friends that we enjoyed this cruise with, that Betsy and I have decided to do it again, in 2022...We will know for sure when the cruise is revealed by 'O' hopefully next month.

Would love to see a 'reunion' aboard!😎

 

Hi Bob & Betsy!

 

While on a recent cruise on the Regal Princess, we docked right next to the Insignia! As I was walking down the pier, I ran into GM Victor as he was talking to a Princess officer, Jorge. We had a great reunion and he kept encouraging me to book the 2022 Oceania world cruise! Maybe.....we'll see. 

 

My next adventure is in 2 weeks...a 58 day cruise on the Island Princess completely circumnavigating South America, including Easter Island, the Galapagos islands and Machu Picchu! So excited...and happy to miss winter again this year!

Edited December 24, 2019 by Go-Bucks!