When is it time to panic

alfadriver said:

Duke said:

2) 50% of the people will panic utterly, paralyze all forms of travel, drive up the prices of nearly ineffective protective gear and basic staples, put a huge dent in the stock market, and cost numerous industries (and therefore workers) billions of dollars in fear of a virus that will actually affect a group of people numbering in the 5 digits or fewer.

It's already happened once- a cruise we have planned for next month has us upgraded 2 or 3 cabin classes for what we originally paid.  I suspect a May cruise will do even better.

On a tangential note, may I ask how you made that happen?  We have an East Coast cruise booked for the second half of April and I was wondering about that.  Unfortunately we do have a group of cabins so that may make it more difficult.  If you want to PM me or take it to a different venue that's fine.  Thanks!

In reply to Duke :

No- I can tell you- just call the travel agent (including the cruise line if you directly booked), and see if there's an available cabin and how much it costs.  We do this for every cruise, just get all of the price drops, and then after final payment, if we get upgrades.   Our trip that got a two class upgrade is over Easter weekend.  Right now, I'm not so sure that it was due to virus panic, as we kind of overpaid for a weekend cruise anyway.  

Feel free to shoot me a note if you have any other questions.

Duke said:

alfadriver said:

Duke said:

2) 50% of the people will panic utterly, paralyze all forms of travel, drive up the prices of nearly ineffective protective gear and basic staples, put a huge dent in the stock market, and cost numerous industries (and therefore workers) billions of dollars in fear of a virus that will actually affect a group of people numbering in the 5 digits or fewer.

It's already happened once- a cruise we have planned for next month has us upgraded 2 or 3 cabin classes for what we originally paid.  I suspect a May cruise will do even better.

On a tangential note, may I ask how you made that happen?  We have an East Coast cruise booked for the second half of April and I was wondering about that.  Unfortunately we do have a group of cabins so that may make it more difficult.  If you want to PM me or take it to a different venue that's fine.  Thanks!

 

This^

Wife and I are booked for a cruise mid-April.

In reply to alfadriver :

Awesome, thanks!  If we're sailing in mid-April, when is the best time to strike?  This is our second cruise in 20 years so we're not very experienced.  We booked directly from Royal Caribbean.

In reply to ShawnG :

Both of you are past final payment date, so you won't get a discount, but perhaps a higher class room is the same price (or even lower).  You won't get any money back, but you should be able to upgrade.

Duke's issue may be a group rate thing, as it may have been negotiated well in advance, and can't be changed.  BUT I would call anyway.  It never hurts to ask.

Duke said:

In reply to alfadriver :

Awesome, thanks!  If we're sailing in mid-April, when is the best time to strike?  This is our second cruise in 20 years so we're not very experienced.  We booked directly from Royal Caribbean.

 

NOW!!  You can hold off for perhaps a better deal, but if you are happy with what you paid, you can keep upgrading cabins until 3 days in advance.  So upgrade now, upgrade again next week, and then one more time for the sake of trying.

They are happy to upgrade, as they are more likely going to be able to sell your original cabin at the current price than any upgraded cabins.  

Oh, and do try to do this directly- if you go into the bid system, it's more of a crap shoot.

In reply to alfadriver :

We didn't get a group rate, we just booked a block of 5 cabins adjacent to each other.  Thanks again for the advice!

In reply to Duke :

And washy, washy!!!  There's a funny RCI video you get to see about washing your hands.  It's been around for quite a few years, and I swear I can sing it now.  

In reply to alfadriver :

Heheh, good one.

Just called RCI and asked about available upgrades... nothing doing, apparently the ship is almost sold out on our date.  Nothing available.  I may try again in a couple weeks but I'm not hopeful.  Thanks very much for your advice.

Bought travel insurance for an upcoming trip to Spain, mostly for medical coverage since I can't figure out if my PPO through work covers me internationally.  Read the exemptions this morning, includes Epidemics.  dammit.

A musician I follow just had to cancel their European tour due to travel restrictions.

In reply to volvoclearinghouse :

Even if it is just flu "like" there are plenty of people with compromised immune systems, or just old age that don't need the added risk.  
The problem is it's supposed health middle aged males who are the highest percentage of those with it detected so far.  
Perhaps that's because those are the most frequent travelers and thus more exposed than the stay at home mom or children.  
But transmission isn't a fixed thing.  Only one of the children exposed to it may actually get it.  But if her immune system is weakened from a previous exposure, what will the consequences be?  

In reply to Wally :

Does that mean only the 120 proof or higher will keep my body free of the virus?  That is actually very doable at least for tonight.  Not sure how that will work out long term though 

In reply to Wally :

Guess it's time to call in the big guns.

Deputies respond to Chino Hills Costco after shoppers become upset over bottled water shortage: SBSD

OK, freaking out I guess.  But....

.... WHAT IS THE OBSESSION WITH BOTTLED WATER!?

Is the virus going to shut down municipal water pumps?

Many retailers in the U.S. have been seeing larger than usual crowds recently, as consumers prepare for the spread of COVID-19 throughout the U.S. by purchasing supplies.

Shoppers have been stocking up on bottled water, hand sanitizer, cleaning products, toilet paper, face masks and other items, emptying shelves at Costco and other big-box retailers across the country in a spate of apparent "panic buying."

“It’s busier than Christmas,” a manager at the Costco in Lakewood told the Orange County Register on Monday. “Yesterday the lines were all the way to the alcohol section.”

While the store is traditionally busier on weekends, large crowds continued to flock to Costcos during the week.

A long line of shoppers was also visible outside the one in Marina del Rey before the store opened Thursday morning, according to video posted by Facebook user Magdeline Aguayo.

"823 people waiting to enter Costco this morning!!!" she wrote in the post. "Limit on water, paper towels & TP.. 3 limit TOTAL. so one of each most people are grabbing."

Another video from the Costco in Van Nuys also captured a chaotic scene inside the store as shoppers lined up to grab cases of water.

The footage, posted on Thursday by Jino Cabrera, showed an extremely long line that extended all the way outside the entrance and snaked around the building.

In reply to aircooled :

To be fair, all the tap water I drank in California tasted like an old swimming pool. Certainly wouldn't want to live off of it.

"A person is smart, people are dumb, panicky, stupid animals and you know it" Agent K.

RevRico said:

In reply to aircooled :

To be fair, all the tap water I drank in California tasted like an old swimming pool. Certainly wouldn't want to live off of it.

Weird because in the event of an emergency I was going to use my swimming pool for water. Not the coronapanic but a real emergency like a fire or earthquake. (assuming the pool survives the earthquake)

Sparkydog said:

Weird because in the event of an emergency I was going to use my swimming pool for water. Not the coronapanic but a real emergency like a fire or earthquake. (assuming the pool survives the earthquake)

I've done it after a hurricane, not to drink, but for flushing and washing. Only way I've managed to do post-storm periods in my house without power, because we are on a well. (Now, thankfully, we have a generator transfer panel that includes the well pump.) Handy tip: If you think E36 M3 is about to hit the fan, shock the pool so you don't end up with a useless algae farm. That's right up there with boarding on my list of preparations.

Margie

Mrs Suddard, my sister has her well running on solar power with a fairly large holding tank that is up the hill from the house.  Being in Florida, you can use solar, but not the uphill part.  If you put it uphill from your house, it would be in Georgia, maybe put it up on stilts or something.

I started to come down with a little bit of a cold on Tuesday.  I have been banned from the office until at least next week.  

Last year when I complained that no one was going home when they were sick, I was told to quit being a wuss...

RevRico said:

In reply to Wally :

Guess it's time to call in the big guns.

While not the same alcohol, this is a higher alcohol content than the 90 isopropyl everyone is trying to chase me for. 

I don't understand the obsession with TP right now. If I gotta take a deuce and I can't wipe, shower is right there. 

also I have taken to marketing our chainsaws incase corollavirus turns everyone into zombies. Let's see how long it is before I get fired for that one.