Celebrity Cruisers - How are Things where YOU are?

[engel001]

Watching LIVE webcam of Celebrity Reflection

leaving port of Bridgetown, Barbados:

 

http://larrysvacationwebcams.com/cams/BarbadosCruisePort.php

update: just left field of view after backing up, but may reappear soon..

Edited July 16, 2020 by engel001

[engel001]

She is coming back into view on the right. When will she cross the Atlantic?

[zitsky]

I want to be on that ship!

[hcat]

Still doing okay in Suffolk Co NY.   We are in the midst of a  high heat period and ongoing unrest in NYC.

 

Things are still  opening up slowly but we are staying close to home, still enjoying take out dinners! Hope we do not see a spike in cases as people begin to socialize more..bbqs,  belated graduation parties, weddings.

 

Today many  folks filled the beaches  and public pools ( by appt). We swam at our dtr's  and went back into our  cocoon at home..luckily we have some AC! Waiting to hear if schools will re open in person in the fall...

 

We  see and hear that other places  are not doing well and pray for better days ahead.

[zitsky]

Here in NC, heat index is above 100.  Went to pool with appt.  I support two local homeless shelters where people can get out of the heat.

 

Have a Dec 2020 cruise.  Seems no way it's going to happen.  Well there are worse problems.

[TeeRick]

15 hours ago, zitsky said:

Here in NC, heat index is above 100.  Went to pool with appt.  I support two local homeless shelters where people can get out of the heat.

 

Have a Dec 2020 cruise.  Seems no way it's going to happen.  Well there are worse problems.

Very hot here in PA this week too.  I am curious- do your homeless shelters test these poor folks for COVID?  

Edited July 20, 2020 by TeeRick

[zitsky]

19 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Very hot here in PA this week too.  I am curious- do your homeless shelters test these poor folks for COVID?  

 

I believe so but I don't know specifics.  I know they've closed their thrift stores.  They don't have volunteers on site.  That's only the Raleigh Rescue Mission.  There are others.  They have a lot of individual housing.

[cachouonacruise]

The heat wave was so intense that it even reached us up north, in the Belle Province of Quebec! Hi Hi! 

 

In that context, pretty much everything is open in the province; however Covid is stil present!

 

Masks are now required everywhere indoors:  bars, restaurants, malls, shops, religious gatherings etc.

 

Other social distancing measures are still in place, such as 2 meters, washing of hands everywhere you enter, and reduced capacity for any public indoor gathering. Dancing and standing in bars is not allowed. Private home gathering are reduced to a maximum of 10 people.

 

Our Covid numbers are not that bad, yet not that great, showing a sense of fragility.

 

The trend of people in hospital is steadily going down with only 247 hospitalisations throughout the province, including 15 people in ICU. The rate of new cases is stable at 2% amongst tested people. Since testing has increased recently to reach up to 15000 tests on a daily basis.... our number of new cases in the last 24 hours has increased to 180 ( we had numbers below 100 per day, a week ago, however, close to 1000 per day, earlier this year. ) Sadly, we also had one deceased person in the last 24 hours.

 

Peculiar issues we have encountered: one youth party was held in a small town near my home, and unfortunately, Covid was amongst the guests....

Guests who then proceeded to go to other businesses, bars, restaurants, grocery stores etc... This explains in part, our most recent increase in new cases. Some younger people did not seem to take Covid seriously, unfortunately.

 

The obligation of wearing masks was generally very well received and is largely followed. This said, a minority of people were involved in small demonstrations against wearing a mask and one man was arrested for entering a donut shop, while refusing to wear a mask. The police intervention was even shown on TV....

 

Lastly, last night, hope was highlighted in the news bulletin, in the shape of a very promising Oxford vaccination against Covid.  Keeping my fingers crosssed!  

 

 

 

 

[Blackduck59]

Well crap, just when you thought...

So we in British Columbia have had a disappointing spike in Cases with 102 new confirmed cases since Friday. There seems to be 60 cases linked to 2 "events" in Kelowna. We have had 6 new cases here on Vancouver island some of which are apparently linked to Kelowna. So while we are doing okay this is disturbing news. I'm afraid that we may be at the start of an alarming trend of "I'm invincible" syndrome. The I'm tired of no fun, I don't want to be cautious and most of all I need to be in a crowd of strangers to enjoy a drink. I stand by for more disappointing announcements in the coming days.

[zitsky]

With all the grief that the USA gets, I'm surprised to hear (some) Canadians are not taking this seriously. 

[TeeRick]

11 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Well crap, just when you thought...

So we in British Columbia have had a disappointing spike in Cases with 102 new confirmed cases since Friday. There seems to be 60 cases linked to 2 "events" in Kelowna. We have had 6 new cases here on Vancouver island some of which are apparently linked to Kelowna. So while we are doing okay this is disturbing news. I'm afraid that we may be at the start of an alarming trend of "I'm invincible" syndrome. The I'm tired of no fun, I don't want to be cautious and most of all I need to be in a crowd of strangers to enjoy a drink. I stand by for more disappointing announcements in the coming days.

Blackduck sorry to hear this about BC but no country or province or state has yet defeated this virus.  It will keep coming back.  It is lurking everywhere!  So we all must keep being diligent and doing everything recommended.  Our state (PA) has had good (relative) success in controlling the first wave but certain counties are seeing surges.  But I think that we are in a good position for our medical infrastructure now to handle the occasional (but highly expected) surges.  I'm sure that is likely the case in BC too.  As long as we all keep our guard up.  As for me, my dw and I went to a indoor restaurant last night (operating by mandate at 25% capacity) for our 40th wedding anniversary.  We had a fine meal.  We were supposed to be on a cruise in Iceland.  But just having a nice dinner has been my modified goal since early March.  And getting a haircut.  I accomplished both on the same day.

[Fouremco]

12 hours ago, zitsky said:

With all the grief that the USA gets, I'm surprised to hear (some) Canadians are not taking this seriously. 

Not nearly as surprised as most Canadians, who are shaking their heads wondering what in hell is wrong with these people. Stupidity isn't restricted to one side of the border...

[HeddaGarbled]

Here in the U.K., the situation is improving. Our deaths have been the highest in Europe, and still near the top worldwide, though it seems likely those numbers are going to be massively overshadowed by the growing numbers elsewhere. 
 

I am very fortunate to live in a rural area which has been relatively unscathed, and I do not know a single person who has been affected. 
 

We’re in a sort of semi-restricted state but it’s not really being enforced so people are making their own decisions. The majority are being cautious but the media is full of reports of mass gatherings: beaches on sunny weekends; youngsters drinking in city centres and at illegal raves; football team supporters celebrating successes. 

Compulsory mask wearing in shops starts tomorrow. We haven’t had the politicisation of mask wearing that the US has had, but both shop staff and the police have said they can’t enforce it nationwide, so we’ll see what happens. 

[Blackduck59]

12 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Blackduck sorry to hear this about BC but no country or province or state has yet defeated this virus.  It will keep coming back.  It is lurking everywhere!  So we all must keep being diligent and doing everything recommended.  Our state (PA) has had good (relative) success in controlling the first wave but certain counties are seeing surges.  But I think that we are in a good position for our medical infrastructure now to handle the occasional (but highly expected) surges.  I'm sure that is likely the case in BC too.  As long as we all keep our guard up.  As for me, my dw and I went to a indoor restaurant last night (operating by mandate at 25% capacity) for our 40th wedding anniversary.  We had a fine meal.  We were supposed to be on a cruise in Iceland.  But just having a nice dinner has been my modified goal since early March.  And getting a haircut.  I accomplished both on the same day.

TeeRick, thanks for your comments. Reading your post it seems that our respective anniversaries fall on the same day 21 July. Ours was 19 years but spent at home.

[edunava]

Good morning from Barcelona.

 

The situation around here had improved a lot, but, unfortunately, people ignore the recommendations ..... crowded beaches, full bars, discotheques without protection measures, there are many outbreaks that have forced the authorities to re-impose restrictions .
I'm sorry to say this, but we are definitely jerks.

[TeeRick]

10 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

TeeRick, thanks for your comments. Reading your post it seems that our respective anniversaries fall on the same day 21 July. Ours was 19 years but spent at home.

Ours is July 20th.  The restaurant was closed on Monday so we went on Tuesday the 21st.😀  Happy 19 years to you!

[hcat]

HAPPY ANNIV TeeRick and Blackduck59

Any way you Celebrate is Great!

 

So far we are okay in Suffolk Co NY,  but "Covid fatigue" is causing a good number of folks  to ditch the basic precautions. They have headed out  to the beaches, pools, BBQs, restaurants and work ( bars are now closed again and restrictions on non resident beach access, esp after dusk have been necessary in some areas ) .  We also have daily  support the police and BLM type protests, but most wear masks and obey rules to not block roadways. Lots of nasty anti cop graffiti which must be removed from buildings. Crime is UP.

 

.. Some new  uptick in Covid cases is inevitable but infection, hosp and death rates  seem mostly  stable and low.   A  local lab reported  false positives so all those people must be re tested.  No decision has been made by our  NY governor about school re opening but lots of  planning is in place either way. There have been   limited high school graduations now....mostly drive through type events. Many outdoor nightime drive in movie events are offered at parks and malls. Lots of us out walking early and enjoying our backyards and decks/ patios.

 

Daycare facility that  4 yr old g-son attends has increased the Class size in his age level from about 6 to 10/12 , as parents start back to work. .They have 2 teachers now  in his class but every new child or teacher adds to the risks.  Since he went back he is doing great with  his school work, has socially distant connections with other  kiddos, and  is more active than when he was at home.Still missing out on sports like soccer,  We babysit the 5 mo old and try our best to keep him and us safe. .

 

That's the update from here.  Hopeful about our 2022 cruise on APEX, think Connie in Jan  2021 from Tampa won't happen....  hope all stay safe!

[Beanb41]

Here in NZ we have had no Community Transmission since April 28th but we have had 9 escapes from compulsory isolation . Compulsory isolation for 14 days and a negative Covid test after that period is required for everyone returning to NZ. There is no sympathy from the NZ public for escapes and all are facing court action. Over 30000 returnees have followed the rules and the offenders are all facing court action.

 

[evitacruiser]

2 minutes ago, Beanb41 said:

Here in NZ we have had no Community Transmission since April 28th but we have had 9 escapes from compulsory isolation . Compulsory isolation for 14 days and a negative Covid test after that period is required for everyone returning to NZ. There is no sympathy from the NZ public for escapes and all are facing court action. Over 30000 returnees have followed the rules and the offenders are all facing court action.

 

How is that being policed? I can't imagine that happening here in the UK, although I think it is a great idea.

 

From yesterday masks were 'compulsory' in shops with fines for non compliance, but in practice the police have said they don't have the resources to enforce it.

[Beanb41]

Returnees are housed in hotels at taxpayer expense . The hotels are surrounded by 6 ft high fences. There are security on site comprising police , defence and govt security personnel.  There is an element of voluntary compliance as the returnees are not in prison or criminals.

For 8 weeks at the outset we were in voluntary lock down throughout the country which is why the only Covid in NZ is imported from returnees. 

These toerags should be charged for the costs involved in isolation, looking for them and then fined or imprisoned. They have put 5 million people at risk.

[xtynyc]

Hopefully some Celebrity cruisers recognize this scene from the port at Villefranche-sur-mer. We drove down from Luxembourg and rented a villa on the coast here because we missed our summer Med cruise so much! This was taken from the water taxi on our way to dinner at La Mer Germaine last night. People here are wearing masks indoors, taking this thing seriously, and keeping infection rates low(er) than the US. I think France/Europe has been settling into a new normal without too much drama. Hard to imagine cruises running anytime soon. Also super weird being at the dock in Villefranche and not seeing cruise ship signs and hundreds of cruisers rushing to board!

[TeeRick]

10 hours ago, xtynyc said:

Hopefully some Celebrity cruisers recognize this scene from the port at Villefranche-sur-mer. We drove down from Luxembourg and rented a villa on the coast here because we missed our summer Med cruise so much! This was taken from the water taxi on our way to dinner at La Mer Germaine last night. People here are wearing masks indoors, taking this thing seriously, and keeping infection rates low(er) than the US. I think France/Europe has been settling into a new normal without too much drama. Hard to imagine cruises running anytime soon. Also super weird being at the dock in Villefranche and not seeing cruise ship signs and hundreds of cruisers rushing to board!

I love this port!  One of my favorites.

[celebritycruisevlog]

We live in New York City. Things are looking promising here, but we are still being cautious here. We look forward to  when things are better everywhere.

[Larwos]

Hi from Melbourne, Australia.

Like the rest of the world, we have some people who think being careful, staying home, staying safe doesn't apply to them.  Personally, we've been compliant since the first, in some ways, due to having our daughter, husband and young family sharing our home - and she's a nurse.  She hasn't nursed for some years due to a back problem, but was an anesthetics and theatre nurse, so is very concerned with sanitizing and keeping safe.

 

We had just returned from a wonderful cruise around New Zealand on the Solstice when it hit the fan here in Australia, so I had only two days to shop, have coffee and lunch in a local cafe before our daughter locked us down.  I had symptoms which looked to us like coronavirus, but at that time the only people being tested were those who'd been to China in the last month and we'd been there in November, so I didn't count.  Therefore, I haven't officially had it, but I was held isolated in our bedroom with my husband sleeping on the couch in our family room, for fourteen days.  He, poor fellow, was my servant and I was only allowed to leave my room to visit the bathroom.  Thank goodness for books and pay tv!

 

The state had a complete lockdown which had people working from home and children being home schooled with time each day with their teachers online, giving them their tasks then coming back later ion the day to check how they were going.  Our two primary school grandchildren seem not to have been affected, but our five year old, who had just started four year old kinder, has just played around and joined his siblings when there were suitable activities.

 

All seemed to be going well at the end of June, with schools back, cafes open with restrictions on numbers and social distancing, and numbers at weddings and funerals increased.  Then came trouble!  Being a major international airport, we had many people returning from overseas who needed to be put in quarantine, and like New Zealand they were put up for free in hotels with security staff to make sure no-one broke the rules.  Unfortunately the people who broke the rules were some of the security people with at least one deciding he had a nice harem of quarantined ladies who he serviced then went back into the community.  Suddenly our Coronavirus cases went up.  These were also exacerbated by families who were connected with the hotels and a meat works that had a lot of cases, having big get togethers, then going back to school, work etc.  The numbers within Melbourne became such a worry that we were put back into lockdown and the borders of Melbourne from outside were closed.  this was supposed to have been for six weeks, but we're just over half way and the numbers are rocketing.  Our Premier, who from day one has been putting himself out there with a press conference every day bringing us all up to day and giving good, thoughtful reports and commonsense replies to any rabid press reporter, has done a wonderful job in the circumstances.  Unfortunately, as with many parts of the world, our press is dominated by Murdoch and are trying there best to bring this good, strong and hard working man down.  I think most Victorians are seeing what theyre trying to do and still give him support, but there are some ratbags who think it doesn't apply to them.

Masks are now compulsory outside the home and I've had my sewing machine out for the first time in years, making them for us and any friends who don't have the chance to make their own.  My husband and I are stuck inside again with our 'gaolers', our children, making sure we don't get in harm's way, so we get groceries delivered and we wipe them down and wash them before using them.  Our kids get anything else we may need.

I decided the other day to take our library books back to our local library which is in a large open park with a slot for returning books.  I happened to mention it to my daughter who said she didn't trust me not to think it was a chance to do other things, including getting a latte, which I am sadly missing, so she'd do what was needed.  

I'll finish this missive with a photo which shows both our cars being blocked in by daughter and son in law's cars so we can't sneak out for a drive.  :>>>>

Stay safe and let's hope they find a vaccine soon so we can get back to the thing we love most - cruising!

[DWhit]

Things in Oklahoma are good.  I play golf most days, and we go out to eat a good bit.  We go to church on 

Sunday's and things are pretty much normal.  We went swimming today at the Country Club and had a great time.   Still have to wear a mask when going in to a Walmart, but that's about the extent of my impact with Coivid precautions.    To be honest, most days it doesn't cross my mind.

 

We have had about 40,000 Covid cases out of a population of 4,000,000, or about 1% of the population affected (most affected have recovered).   Hard to see why we had to shut everything down back in March.

Edited August 12, 2020 by DWhit