mamaclark

14 hours ago, workstocruise said:

I just got an email today from Viking regarding any sailings between now and April 1,2021.  In lieu of the situation regarding the Coronavirus, they are offering 24 hour cancellation with 100% refund on a voucher that can be used anytime during the next 24 months.  I have a May 1st Oceania cruise from Lisbon to Barcelona coming up that I wish Oceania would make that offer.

We are on the same May 1 cruise. A 100% refund on a voucher does not put my money back in my pocket, rather it allows them to hold on to it with the assumption and mandate that I take another cruise. We received a full refund to our credit card on the April 13 Asian tour (Oceania) that was canceled. We then contacted the credit card company and requested the credit be returned to us in the form of a check. I have every cent back in my account now. I hope I am making sense, but since we cruise infrequently Viking’s offer would not thrill me, but I realize it works for many. 

This may be of interest.

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/27-02-2020-a-joint-statement-on-tourism-and-covid-19---unwto-and-who-call-for-responsibility-and-coordination

Thanks so much! More info than I have found anywhere else.


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1 hour ago, RJB said:

If you get tired of the bourbon try a little  vodka.  Could be much worse.

If you get stuck now, you're stuck. I don't think the U.S. will be sending anymore planes to bring folks home. I read this as "you are forewarned and on your own."

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-02-21/state-department-issues-coronavirus-warning-cruise-to-asia-at-your-own-risk

Oceania wants to update you on the status of our scheduled cruises to Asia this year. Out of an abundance of caution and as a result of the uncertainty surrounding port entry and berthing availability in various destinations in Asia, Oceania Cruises has made the prudent decision to cancel all voyages in Asia through June 2020. Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our guests and crew is uncompromising and always our number one priority. Accordingly, the following sailings have been cancelled: Nautica March 4, 2020 roundtrip Singapore Nautica March 18, 2020 Singapore to Tokyo Nautica April 3, 2020 roundtrip Tokyo Insignia April 9, 2020 Cape Town to Singapore Nautica April 13, 2020 Tokyo to Singapore Nautica May 1, 2020 Singapore to Dubai Insignia May 9, 2020 roundtrip Singapore Insignia May 24, 2020 Singapore to Tokyo Insignia June 11, 2020 Tokyo to San Francisco   The Nautica May 19, 2020 voyage from Dubai to Rome will operate as planned. All guests on cancelled sailings will receive a 100% refund of the cruise fare paid along with a Future Cruise Credit, valid for any 2020 sailing, equal to 25% of the cruise fare paid to recognize their patience and understanding with this evolving situation. The Future Cruise Credit must be utilized for a 2020 voyage   Jancruz1

20 minutes ago, Shawnino said:

 

It's my understanding that most if not all of the physical schools in hotspots are closed, and kids are learning online.

I didn’t mean in China, rather in general. I would refer you to how measles in CA and how quickly they spread several years ago. Are all schools closed in SE Asia?

Most interesting to me remains the death curve by age.
On a percentage basis (age x-axis, death rate y-axis), it's upward slope, the end.
 
For lots of influenzas (which kill far more, yes, even this year) and related diseases, the very young are also at risk.
Apparently not here. 

1 hour ago, Hawaiidan said:

It was an ABC news item I saw 2 days ago....  I would reference what the corpkiid said of his CDC connection which validates what I heard

In this age of instant gratification.... this disease is not going to be a quick fix.    Like the CDC guy who would not travel at least for 4months    and when you couple that with the vaccine is at least 6 months but more likely a year away  the risk is going to be high.

As Paul said  WOW......Me...plan accordingly    If your in a high risk group due to health or age I would  be very careful for quite some time.

Thanks so much for the info. 

52 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

An  important consideration...  people at the CDC several days ago said that this virus is NOT going away and that a vaccine  will not be available till next year.     

Furthur  they stated that this virus will decline in  the summer to reappear in the fall as other viruses do and in all probability mutate. during that time to something new.

Finally , it was stated that this virus will become, in all probability  a regular thing like our current flu season.

So....this problem / situation  is at least a year away from any solution due to the vaccine development

 

Plan accordingly

Can you provide a link for that CDC information? Thank you.

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

The key point here is that you were not initially sent/forwarded the written proof that we and numerous others received immediately upon it's being issued by Oceania.

IMO, sounds like your "isn't really a TA" isn't really a TA (and dropped the ball on something really important.)

Spot on! If we relied on our TA we would not know a thing. We have had excellent TAs on previous cruises, but this one has been MIA since final payment. When the dust settles, I will communicate this to Oceania.

22 minutes ago, irr said:

• Oceania will not let anyone cancel their cruise without forfeiting their entier cruise and land fare. Those that are booked are stuck. Go and put yourself and all you come into contact with at risk or lose your entire cruise fare. Not a great option for the public health as well as the individual or the crew

What if Oceania has to cancel the cruise? They cannot just arbitrarily stick us on another cruise. I can live w/o Shanghai and HK if they pick up more Japan and Vietnam ports. This is a trying situation and a little communication from O would go a long way!

44 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

There's another piece of this that you may not have considered (though, given your posts so far, I doubt it will matter). O's upcoming  itineraries that include China and environs are morphing as we exchange these posts.

You addressed my concern precisely! My cruise isn’t until the middle of April and we chose it because of the itinerary. If, as you say, it is morphing as as speak, I fear the cruise I WANTED to take may be unrecognizable. Yes, I realize Oceania has the right to do that, and I have trip insurance, etc., but I will be disappointed to miss Hong King and Singapore specifically. We are over two months out, but I can appreciate the angst this is causing some cruisers leaving sooner. A cruise nearly identical to ours is scheduled for May 2021.

We just returned from the Gondolas to Gaudi cruise on Riviera and the Internet was awful! As Animalgirl stated, they were upgrading as our cruise ended. After many discussions with the crew, we figured out that there were places on the ship where the Internet was significantly better than in the state rooms. Finally, we decided to enjoy the happy hour at Horizons each afternoon and download our newspapers, emails, etc., then just read them when we wanted to. The cruise was so absolutely wonderful that this seemed a small inconvenience.

I'm so glad I read this thread because we will be in Marseille on a Sunday, too, in August. The lavender is not in bloom and that would be the main draw for me in Provence. Thanks ratfam for all the info!

Making my final payment tomorrow for Venice to Barcelona July 28 cruise. This will be our 3rd cruise with Oceania, first time on Riviera. I have been told Noro is not as prevalent in the summer months, but I would go next week.

Thank you for the excellent review. We are booked on Riviera the end of July for the Venice to Barcelona cruise. This is our third cruise on Oceania, but first on the Riviera. Frankly, the recent publicity re the Noro virus has been disconcerting. Having read your review, it is clear that it is possible to have a wonderful experience, assuming you aren't a victim of the virus. I suspect your marvelous and positive attitude is responsible for your enjoyable cruise.

Thank you for the information. I was not familiar with STEP, but I have now registered my husband and myself. I learned something new today!