babs135

This is so sad https://cruiseradio.net/21-haunting-images-of-carnival-inspirations-final-day/

Chengkp75 Do you know what the remaining crew will be doing? Are they allowed free movement and more to the point are they being paid?

Interesting, ours is also an annual policy which like you is due for renewal at the beginning of September. We will have to renew it again to cover next year's cruise (end of September) and we did tell them the dates but they still say we have full cover. I wonder what will happen when we renew next year. Not worrying about it at the moment.

I'm assuming that some of these crew would still be needed for general maintenance, etc? Still seems a lot though. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/12000-cruise-ship-workers-stuck-on-boats

Do you not have any travel insurance at the moment? We've just transferred our October cruise to September next year and because the original holiday was booked before the pandemic was declared we still have full cover for next year's cruise.

410

Huge apologies for only just coming back to this thread . DH has spoken to our insurance company (AXA) as we have just received the renewal notice. As our original booking was made before the pandemic was declared the fact that we have transferred the booking to next year makes no difference and we are still fully covered. A huge relief. The premium has gone up nearly £200 but that was to be expected and is still cheaper than the last quote we got before we switched to AXA. All we need now is the knowledge that the cruise will take place !!

Obviously if it was the only way to book a cruise then so be it , but I would be sorry to see travel agents disappear. It's nice to have a face to face conversation , especially if what you are booking is not totally straightforward. Sometimes trying to explain a slight deviation to what the agent expects is difficult over the phone .

I don't understand why you need so much luggage . Are you taking the kitchen sink?

Thanks for letting me know. As I can't swim I'll have to find another way to cross. Presumably there's a ferry or similar? What about if I could borrow James Bond's submersible car?

Very depressing and as it stands for us, it means no thought of any sort of holiday at the moment. We wouldn't even dream of holidaying abroad at present as the airbridges are collapsing as the number of infected rises in Europe and we're nervous about a staycation here in the UK. Would love a break but we feel that the risk is too great. Just grateful we managed a cruise at the very beginning of February. I think part of the problem is that we have nothing to look forward to. The anticipation and build up to a holiday is half the fun. We will just have to keep the faith and hope for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

When does it really hit home? My last two threads have been 'jokey' but with the news that the coronavirus has appeared on those few ships that have restarted cruising I don't feel that 'jokey' any more. We've already transferred this year's booking to next year but I'm not optimistic that even that one will go ahead. The balance is not due until next June and I know a lot can happen in the meantime but I find myself wondering whether we will be cancelling altogether or perhaps transferring the cruise again. How many times can we keep changing dates ( a rhetorical question that applies to everyone). Are we all simply chasing rainbows?

I don't .

Oh to be younger - well, actually a lot younger 🤣 - with no responsibilities and all the time in the world and obviously no coronavirus. It's quite a trip . I wonder if anyone has actually done it or something similar. In the meantime I'll stick to crossing the Atlantic on the QM2 as soon as we're allowed to do so .

An idle Saturday morning got me thinking If the worst case scenario were to happen and cruising either disappeared (gulp) or became very expensive and you couldn't fly how would you get to America? From the UK with a mixture of trains and car journeys I could get as far as Russia but then I'm stuck. I'd be prepared to jump aboard a ferry or even a freighter. Is this even possible? Assuming it was I'd then hire a car and would be able to go through Alaska and Canada. I could even go as far as the tip of South America. Sounds like a plan for someone a lot younger than me with no worries about time or money! 🤣