Lottie A

Nordski plans in the U.K. are being drawn up for recently retired doctors, nurses and paramedics to be recalled to clinical practice if the NHS is unable to cope. I don’t think this event is far away. We have all been told that we may be required to work in areas outside of our medical experience. 
Personally I’m hoping for Obstetrics! 😄

Yes Ann, that’s a good point. I have currently returned to work temporarily giving out Covid-19 medical advice to our patients from a video link and phone at home. Our GP practice is just totally overwhelmed. 
Some of the queries today have been about “I am over 70 but healthy, so can I still go on my cruise in August or should I cancel” or “I am only 50 but I have asthma so should I cancel my cruise”?” Several more in a similar vein. 

The medical advice we are giving out on this difficult Friday 13th is NOT to travel if you are over 70 ....or if you have any pre existing medical condition that has required medication, clinical investigation,  surgery,  ongoing treatment or has caused a significant deterioration in your general health. I guess this covers the vast majority of the cruising demographic anyway. 
Such worrying and sad days for us all. 

18 minutes ago, oddjob16 said:

This deafening silence from Azamara is extremely worrying.  Larry must be on a tight leash since he has not appeared here yet. Thinking that there will be no value in an FCC if the company does not excist anymore 😔

I would be very wary of accepting a FCC if you paid in cash for your cruise with any cruise company right now.

It is sadly quite likely that some of them may not be in business by the end of this year.

When the large travel company Thomas Cook recently ceased trading in the U.K. those customers that had paid for their holidays using any kind of voucher received no compensation. Only those customers who paid in cash did. So the FCC potentially may not be worth the paper it is printed on if a company ceased trading. 
 

Another British cruise line who generally has an older demographic is Fred Olsen. Their ship Braemar has been sailing the Caribbean for several days now with 6 Covid-19 positive passengers onboard. The previous cruise was also affected by Coronavirus and passengers were flown home early. Several of those passengers have also tested positive since they have returned home.
 

Every port so far has denied Braemar entrance since the current positive results. The known affected passengers and crew are in isolation now but apparently the rest of the passengers have been allowed to wander the ship. Medically speaking, I would think by now a large percentage of the passengers must be Covid-19 positive ....and the current plan is to try to find a port that will let them disembark to fly back to the U.K.! 

Sadly I can foresee all cruising being cancelled for the next three months. For U.K. passengers the PM’s and FCO’s advice that anyone over 70 OR anyone with a pre existing medical condition should not travel on a cruise ship will mean your travel insurance is invalid as you would be travelling against the advice of the FCO. 
 

Braemar  has now been denied berthing at The Bahamas due to the Covid-19 positive passengers and crew onboard the ship. Sadly I expected this and I'm not sure if any Caribbean island would take the risk of letting passengers disembark the ship on their island now. 

If they had headed home across the Atlantic they would be half way here by now. As it is, they are sailing around The Caribbean with nowhere to go. I feel very sorry for the unfortunate passengers and crew onboard. 

Spain has now closed its ports to all cruise ships until March 26th but of course it is likely to be much longer.
 

Soon there will be nowhere for ships to go. It’s not impossible to think that the cruising industry will shut down for 2/3 months anymore. 

Spain has just closed all its ports to cruise ships. This will be in place until at least 11:59 pm on March 26th but of course, is likely to be much longer. There is an exception to allow passengers to disembark cruise ships but this is only in place until Sunday and no passenger who does disembark can return to the ship. There is also a ban on all passenger ships (including ferries) that come from Italy. The prohibition can be extended beyond the initial period dependent on how the Coronavirus develops. 

So so what do you say Azamara? Pursuit is due to embark from Barcelona on April 26th, with many Italian ports on that cruise. She is also doing Cadiz, Cartagena, Valencia and Barcelona on the. April 18th cruise. Or maybe she isn't? 

Yes Azamara...someone in authority in MIA needs to have a presence here to address our very valid concerns and questions. While we appreciate Bonnie’s efforts, she herself has said she does not have the knowledge or authority to pass on the required info. 
 

Does anyone really think any cruises to Italy will be taking place in April/May/June? 

Viking have acted swiftly and decisively and rightly deserve the praise and customer loyalty they are getting. Azamara have not. 

Tring, the advice discussed in the Welsh GP meeting recently was anyone 70 or over should not consider cruising for the next three months. The Prime Minister also mentioned 70 as the cut off age at the press meeting this afternoon. It is an individual decision whether to cancel of course....but if I was in that age group I would cancel. 

New travel advisory statement from Fred today regarding Braemar. Seems they have been denied berthing in Barbados and are now heading towards The Bahamas, hoping to be able to berth there. The next cruise has been cancelled of course. http://media.fredolsencruises.com/news/braemars-western-caribbean-and-central-america-fly-cruise-update-12-slash-03-slash-2020-396861?fbclid=IwAR3ARZhY7RXJZLq8RAhJMw_dtbEL6tD5v36WCjOgZKaOtHrvKKoADLSTmgA

Madeira has also now closed it’s port of Funchal to cruise ships. 

They will certainly be getting some loyalty from me! Viking is a class act and well done to them for putting their guest’s interests first. Now if only Azamara would do the same....

Viking is truly a class act. Well done to them for putting their guests interests first. 

36 minutes ago, the mice said:

Italy is my favorite European country, too (but we love the UK, too!) and I am partly Italian heritage.   This is so beyond tragic and sad.

And it is hard to be confident in Azamara with lack of communication.  I truly feel for those cruising in the next month as they must be at wits end.  

Lottie A - I know from your posts that you have cruised a lot and are (were?) on the June 11 cruise, so I know you don't make your comments about Azamara lightly.

 

The mice....thank you and you are correct I do love the Azamara onboard experience very much and I am so sorry to have to cancel my Journey June 11th cruise. I was so looking forward to going on Journey with my friends Pam and Mike (Mrs Miggins) but I had life threatening sepsis in May 2019 and the risk of Coronavirus for me was just too great. I did have other family health issues as well so I took the decision to cancel more than 90 days out. I think it was the correct decision for me as I could have potentially been one of those “pre existing conditions” deaths if I had contracted Covid-19. 

I really hope Azamara management do the right thing by all it’s customers booked on their Italian cruises in the next few months. I have friends onboard in both April and June who are very concerned  right now. This is a benchmark for how Azamara management deal with their loyal customers in these extreme times. 

Just been reading the heartbreaking stories of the brave Italian doctors and nurses desperately fighting Covid-19 in my professional journals.Their desperation and exhaustion is evident but they are carrying on as best they can. It is a tragic situation in Italy and I can only hope it doesn’t arrive soon in the U.K. or any other country. 

Yes it is. 😢

So sad for my favourite country of Italy. I will be back there as soon as possible but no cruises should be calling there for at least the next few months. It will take that long for Italy to recover but I am confident they will, given time. 

I am not so sure about my confidence in Azamara to do the right thing by its customers returning. 

Think there are four mortuary cabinets on Braemar. 

Also think this will be my last comment but having travelled on Braemar through a Force 10 storm a few months ago I agree she isn’t the most stable of ships. 
However....possible sea sickness v Covid-19 containment? I know which I would choose. 
As a micro biologist Trend I’m sure you know that Covid-19 sheds most around Day 5. Isolation during that period

is most effective at containing the spread. Flying people home to the U.K. on or near day 5 is the likelihood given the time scale of positive Coronavirus results on Braemar. I think this is foolish in the extreme. 
 

I do agree with you re the cruise companies self interest and financial plans. President Trump is due to make an announcement about Americans travel to Europe at 9pm EST tonight. This may hopefully focus all the cruise companies management on what they have to do for their customers. 
 

15 minutes ago, the mice said:

CNN just announced that in the US administration restrictions on European travel are "under discussion."   

President making statement at 9pm tonight.   Not sure if information on this will be forthcoming.

Let us know. 

2 minutes ago, Spursgirl said:

Lottie, we obviously had the same thoughts at the same time. I for one am becoming extremely frustrated. Bet I'm not alone 

I’m sure you are not alone Haze. 

If Azamara wants to retain their customer’s loyalty going forward then some difficult but sensible decisions have to be made about the viability of Mediterranean cruises at this extraordinary time for everyone. Early cancellations and refunds or FCC awards should be sorted out immediately. 

Sadly Italy has confirmed  200 deaths from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. 
 

How can any reasonable cruise line expect their passengers to put themselves at such a substantial health risk as that? Italy is virtually closed and at the very least the April and May cruises should be re-evaluated immediately. 

3 minutes ago, pinkpanther52 said:

 

Hi Lottie SO Sorry you are financial affected by cancelling you cruise! Your opinions and  thoughts have made for some  interesting insights even though we may disagree on a plan of action in these dreadful times they are much appreciated

Thanks Jackie. I do understand your opinion too and can sympathise with it.

I am coming at it from a medical perspective and sadly, I think very hard decisions may have to be taken in order to protect our populace from mass infection.

The NHS are going to get more money....but what we need is more trained doctors and nurses and that takes at least 3-5 years. Today 83 new cases in the U.K. were found to be positive for Covid-19 including the Health Minister Nadine Dorries. 
 

No-one wants to be in a situation like Italy. The death rate there has jumped by 200 in just over 24 hours. 

I’m so sorry if you are financially affected Jackie. I am too, having just cancelled my Azamara cruise. 
Let’s hope this awful situation improves soon...but I do think we are in for a few months of great uncertainty and hard decisions. 
The cruise companies who do right by their customers now will benefit from their loyalty after this awful time is over. 
 

Norway has now effectively closed Bergen and Stavanger to cruise ships.They have not announced an end date to this yet. 

Ships will be allowed to take on supplies in these ports but no passengers will be allowed off the ship. I think there may possibly be some exceptions for Hurtigruten but I’m not aware of firm details yet. 

Jackie, cruising  is till one of the safest ways to travel, not perhaps advised right at this moment but the same is true for any event where lots of people are gathered in close proximity. I would not go to the theatre or a sporting event at the moment. We could be infected with Covid-19 in work just as easily as on a cruise ship. 

I can understand you feel that Japan and Princess made victims of the Diamond Princess passengers but actually their actions probably saved lives. It was Japan making the decisions anyway and Princess has very little power to do anything other than comply with the Japanese authorities rules and in my medical opinion that was the correct thing to do. I wish Fred Olsen were as brave as Princess were. The fact that passengers are still wandering around Braemar and presumably will soon be on a commercial flight home, potentially infecting many others, quite frankly appals me. 

I hope the government quarantines all the passengers for 14 days when they arrive home but they may have infected others by then. I’m sorry for them but it is a fact that people cannot be trusted to self isolate in these circumstances. 
 

21 minutes ago, pinkpanther52 said:

I am sorry but I must disagree Lottie, if you look at the Diamond Princess debacle keeping people on the ship is the worst possible thing you could do.

 

Fred Olsen need to get them off the ship as soon as possible.

Well you might disagree pinkpanther52 but medically speaking, the risk to others being affected is considerable if FRed fly home a shipload of potentially infected passengers! If they remain onboard Braemar in isolation then the risk is much less. 
Princess and Japan did the right thing in keeping people onboard Diamond Princess and isolated in their cabins. Sadly there were deaths, but there could have been many more if those infected passengers were allowed to fly home infecting goodness knows how many others en route.