Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[Bigmike911]

Carnival stock is up 30% on the Pfizer announcement about their covid vaccine being 90% effective, and likely to be widely available soon. It was great news we can all look forward to. The project "light Speed" underway in the US, has simultaneously created millions of doses of several vaccines, and when they have been approved by the FDA they will be available to be dispensed. Maybe there is a future. 

[alc13]

1 hour ago, Bigmike911 said:

Carnival stock is up 30% on the Pfizer announcement about their covid vaccine being 90% effective, and likely to be widely available soon. It was great news we can all look forward to. The project "light Speed" underway in the US, has simultaneously created millions of doses of several vaccines, and when they have been approved by the FDA they will be available to be dispensed. Maybe there is a future. 

Very exciting news.  One caveat - their vaccine requires continuous frozen storage, a challenge for many parts of the world to maintain. 

 

Incidentally, Pfizer did not join the US government's Operation Warp Speed but has enough assets to finance development of this vaccine without it.  I can't wait to read the accounts of how this company, and others to come, developed covid-19 vaccines so quickly.  It will be a boon to world health if the sars-cov-2 vaccine technologies are transferable to other viruses.

 

 

[Host Hattie]

It's certainly very positive news, it'll be interesting to see if the others report such positive results.

Pfizer and their German partners funded the research themselves but the US government have agreed to purchase the vaccine (as have many others)

[Bigmike911]

I had to travel into the Woodland to restock my essential larder with Johnny Walker Black. With the uncertainty of the pandemic, I try to stay well stocked in case I cannot get out. The drive through the forest that the woodlands is built in was gorgeous. There are dozens of different tree and bush species, and they appear to be trying to out do each other for color. Alas, with the breezes, the air is filled with leaves and I suspect we are the peak fall season. I find it very calming and hopeful.

[Underwatr]

On 11/9/2020 at 12:46 PM, alc13 said:

Incidentally, Pfizer did not join the US government's Operation Warp Speed but has enough assets to finance development of this vaccine without it. 

I think the real answer is kind of both. They didn't take US funding to develop the vaccine but they have signed a contract to produce millions of doses ahead of completion of trials. Warp Speed includes both components, and Pfizer has modified earlier statements that they hadn't participated in Warp Speed.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Underwatr

[Lanky Lad]

I have managed to get a couple of home deliveries this week so there is enough food in to last until the weekend. 

 

The next shopping trip with will be for fresh fruit and veg, plus cream cheese to go with some smoked salmon that I have in the freezer.

 

According to the Government plan, I am in the 10th group out of 11 to get any vaccine when it is approved.  I am at least feeling more hopeful about my May cruise on QM2.

[alc13]

3 hours ago, Underwatr said:

I think the real answer is kind of both. They didn't take US funding to develop the vaccine but they have signed a contract to produce millions of doses ahead of completion of trials. Warp Speed includes both components, and Pfizer has modified earlier statements that they hadn't participated in Warp Speed.

You're right.  I hadn't appreciated the manufacturing and distribution parts of OWS.

[naturelovergirl]

Hello all from Central Florida-

We have been experiencing plenty of rain due to the tropical storm, but not as much as South FL received at the first part of the storm before it ricocheted back. South Florida had quite a bit of flooding. (I had a friend down there who had water coming into her apartment.) I believe Tampa and St Pete got quite a bit on the second round of the storm too.

The storm is moving out of here quickly, though, so that is good for all- including the plants who love the rain!

Making bread today- a skill I love having... my house smells amazing when we make bread. Several years ago my husband gave me bread baking classes as a gift- so we have enjoyed improving our skills during the pandemic. Today I am making a loaf of bread for sandwiches and toast.

Yes- we were also uplifted by the hopeful news of the vaccine. Any steps forward bring us towards the "normalcy" we all crave and need.

 

[Host Hattie]

I've just dropped off Mr HH to play chess with his brother. It was nice to see the pubs and restaurants lit up and a few customers inside but I didn't feel the need to join them. There's a 2 hour limit so it'll be interesting to see if that's enforced.

[Bigmike911]

On 11/12/2020 at 1:55 PM, Host Hattie said:

I've just dropped off Mr HH to play chess with his brother. It was nice to see the pubs and restaurants lit up and a few customers inside but I didn't feel the need to join them. There's a 2 hour limit so it'll be interesting to see if that's enforced.

So your lockdown in Wales is over. Did it have the desired impact? Or is it too early to know for sure? Once again we are hearing lockdowns but they rarely prevent to spreaders from going about and doing their spreading. 

[Lanky Lad]

I have just had emails from Cunard with details of my FCC for the two cancelled cruises from this year.  Took quite some time since one was in August. 

 

On the bright side, I can start to plan for 2022.

[navybankerteacher]

Today we have been paying for the six sunny days in the 70’s (F) driving rain and heavy gusts are clearing the trees of their last leaves.   It will be close to six months before we see any more warm outdoor days.

[Host Hattie]

2 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

So your lockdown in Wales is over. Did it have the desired impact? Or is it too early to know for sure? Once again we are hearing lockdowns but they rarely prevent to spreaders from going about and doing their spreading. 

Early signs are positive, rates have been falling in the worst affected areas. The area going in the wrong direction started off from a low base and has an outbreak in a nursing home.

Hospital admissions and deaths are still rising but that's expected as there are lagging indicators. There are more patients in hospital but less of them ventilated or in intensive care.

[Bigmike911]

57 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Early signs are positive, rates have been falling in the worst affected areas. The area going in the wrong direction started off from a low base and has an outbreak in a nursing home.

Hospital admissions and deaths are still rising but that's expected as there are lagging indicators. There are more patients in hospital but less of them ventilated or in intensive care.

Thanks for the update, Hattie. Let us hope the corner has been turned. I am looking forward to the vaccine. It is the only chance I will ever sail again. I doubt it will come quickly enough for my July 22, 2021 sailing from Hamburg, Maybe I can do the back up one in November 2021 that I booked. At 77, I fear my sailing days will come to an end soon.  

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

Early signs are positive, rates have been falling in the worst affected areas. The area going in the wrong direction started off from a low base and has an outbreak in a nursing home.

Hospital admissions and deaths are still rising but that's expected as there are lagging indicators. There are more patients in hospital but less of them ventilated or in intensive care.

 

3 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

So your lockdown in Wales is over. Did it have the desired impact? Or is it too early to know for sure? Once again we are hearing lockdowns but they rarely prevent to spreaders from going about and doing their spreading. 

What is really needed in the US is some tough talk from governors - telling their supporters that it is time to bite the bullet and take widely accepted steps to break the current surge.  The sad fact is that the crude expression "to stupid to live" does not apply to the real spreaders--- they seem to survive.

 

With the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend on the horizon and close to half our population planning travel to various sized gathering - I think the beginning of December will be a truly dark time.

[alc13]

2 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

Thanks for the update, Hattie. Let us hope the corner has been turned. I am looking forward to the vaccine. It is the only chance I will ever sail again. I doubt it will come quickly enough for my July 22, 2021 sailing from Hamburg, Maybe I can do the back up one in November 2021 that I booked. At 77, I fear my sailing days will come to an end soon.  

No, Bigmike, your sailing days are not over!  Another year of uncertainty and then we turn the corner, I’m convinced.  We are lucky, very lucky, to live in a country where vaccines will be readily available.  Just a bit longer to wait.

[alc13]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

 

What is really needed in the US is some tough talk from governors - telling their supporters that it is time to bite the bullet and take widely accepted steps to break the current surge.  The sad fact is that the crude expression "to stupid to live" does not apply to the real spreaders--- they seem to survive.

 

With the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend on the horizon and close to half our population planning travel to various sized gathering - I think the beginning of December will be a truly dark time.

Yes, the indifferent ones are causing havoc for all of us.  We all need to come together behind simple safety measures and get through this.  It shouldn’t be so hard to go for a bit longer without everyday pleasures - I remind myself of the truly severe hardships much the world faces everyday and I’m humbled and thankful for what I have.

[Host Hattie]

We're expecting more firebreaks unless our testing, track, trace and isolate improves. 

The emphasis here is to do what you should do, not what you can do. I'm a fan of being treated like adults, I hope enough people can behave like adults.

We had a takeaway from the pub last night, they're not serving food for the moment. It's a fairly small pub and with the new restrictions they're keeping the tables for drinkers.

Our employer is in the news again so we're in for an interesting few weeks/months ahead while our business is split up and we find out if the UK part can be self sufficient.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-wales-54936547

[alc13]

4 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

We're expecting more firebreaks unless our testing, track, trace and isolate improves. 

The emphasis here is to do what you should do, not what you can do. I'm a fan of being treated like adults, I hope enough people can behave like adults.

We had a takeaway from the pub last night, they're not serving food for the moment. It's a fairly small pub and with the new restrictions they're keeping the tables for drinkers.

Our employer is in the news again so we're in for an interesting few weeks/months ahead while our business is split up and we find out if the UK part can be self sufficient.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-wales-54936547

Covid AND Brexit? I thought Covid plus the US election was hard!

 

But to your first point, good for your area for respecting the right thing to do.  Covid numbers have skyrocketed here.  People have become immune to doing what they should, I guess.

[Bigmike911]

Hattie, I hope your business comes through this period, and ends up stronger in the end. So many small business on this side of the pond have not survived, and many more are at risk. I would presume your firm supplies steel for the UK auto industry, and may in fact benefit from less European Competition as a result. We will keep our collective fingers crossed. 

[Host Hattie]

Thanks, we supply mainly the automotive, construction and packaging industries. Two of them are busy so we are busier than we were earlier in the year. 

[LewiLewi]

16 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

Thanks for the update, Hattie. Let us hope the corner has been turned. I am looking forward to the vaccine. It is the only chance I will ever sail again. I doubt it will come quickly enough for my July 22, 2021 sailing from Hamburg, Maybe I can do the back up one in November 2021 that I booked. At 77, I fear my sailing days will come to an end soon.  

Hi Big Mike,

  Your sailing days are far from over. I’m 78 and Mr. LL will be 90 in a few months and we still have all kinds of cruising plans for the future once we get vaccinated. I believe that cruising for the last 40 years is responsible for keeping us young. We always enjoy planning our cruises and being at sea. The best is yet to come.

[Lanky Lad]

It seems the figures in Lancashire are heading the right way.  Our reproduction (R) rate is between 0.9 and 1.1 so still growing, but another 3 weeks of lockdown left so hopefully, the R will be well below 1 by then.

 

I think I have picked my 2022 cruises, but I guess I should find a new job before I book anything.

[navybankerteacher]

7 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

Hi Big Mike,

  Your sailing days are far from over. I’m 78 and Mr. LL will be 90 in a few months and we still have all kinds of cruising plans for the future once we get vaccinated. I believe that cruising for the last 40 years is responsible for keeping us young. We always enjoy planning our cruises and being at sea. The best is yet to come.

Right - as long as you are in good shape generally, age should not be a deciding factor.  I have met a number of people on cruises who were in their 90’s.  I have a ways to go before I have that many candles on my cake - so I will pay attention to how I feel and not the numbers on my drivers license.

[Host Hattie]

@Lanky Lad that sounds like good news 🤞.

 

Another wet and windy day here, I'm trying to restrain myself from binge watching The Crown. Mr HH is bringing the last of his things back from our other house as we're hoping the sale will be completed soon. I didn't offer to help.