What is being done about coronavirus.....

[Travelcat2]

Agree that these threads are increasing anxiety in many people.  I am not reading what other cruise lines are doing as it really has nothing to do with Regent or steps they will be taking in the future..  Each cruise line has their own protocols.

 

One really good reason why Regent is not as yet commenting on cancellations beyond March is because things change so rapidly.  Los Angeles, England, South America, etc. was not even on their radar.  Today it is.  Who is to say what it will be like in two weeks?

 

It is not affecting children which is a good thing.  Children aren't really on Regent from September - May so they are pretty much a non-issue.  The elderly seems to be particularly hard hit. 

 

What I really appreciate is those of you that are sharing links, etc.  On the other hand, if someone posts something that they believe is true, please don't bash them.  We are all doing the best that we can.  Speaking for myself, I appreciate when someone lets me know if I posted something incorrectly - as long as it is done in a kind way. I feel that we are all doing a great job of keeping people informed based on information that we are seeing.  Even the newspapers and doctors have difficulty giving factual information so let's give ourselves a break and be supportive of each other.

 

 

[Kiwifromkiev]

59 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

Agree that these threads are increasing anxiety in many people.  I am not reading what other cruise lines are doing as it really has nothing to do with Regent or steps they will be taking in the future..  Each cruise line has their own protocols.

 

 

 

Very true. However, when one airline stopped flying to China , then HK all the major airlines followed the suit.

What I am trying to say - at the moment some cruise lines explicitly included parts of Italy and Iran in the "no-go" list. It is not unreasonable to imagine that some of Regent guests might be spending time in Italy prior to their cruises, in the next 2-3-4 weeks. At the very least if one is aware, one can make further inquires etc. 

 

I know you are a very loyal customer and supporter of RSSC. But love or support should not be blind. Nobody is above criticism or cannot do some things better. Without reflecting RSSC's product/customer support/staff etc, I do believe that their website at this point in time can be improved by 1) moving the alert to a prominent place on the Home page (not at the bottom where it is hard to find) and 2) by providing regular updates. Currently, it is still 19 February. As you've said yourself, things changing so rapidly, that this is far too behind.

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by Kiwifromkiev

[Travelcat2]

29 minutes ago, Kiwifromkiev said:

Very true. However, when one airline stopped flying to China , then HK all the major airlines followed the suit.

What I am trying to say - at the moment some cruise lines explicitly included parts of Italy and Iran in the "no-go" list. It is not unreasonable to imagine that some of Regent guests might be spending time in Italy prior to their cruises, in the next 2-3-4 weeks. At the very least if one is aware, one can make further inquires etc. 

 

I know you are a very loyal customer and supporter of RSSC. But love or support should not be blind. Nobody is above criticism or cannot do some things better. Without reflecting RSSC's product/customer support/staff etc, I do believe that their website at this point in time can be improved by 1) moving the alert to a prominent place on the Home page (not at the bottom where it is hard to find) and 2) by providing regular updates. Currently, it is still 19 February. As you've said yourself, things changing so rapidly, that this is far too behind.

 

 

You do bring up interesting points.  However, may I ask what updates that Regent could make since 7 days ago?  Has anything occurred that would make additional cancellations probable?  Yes - the virus has spread (not in large numbers) to other countries....... but is it enough to cancel cruises (thinking specially of Rome).  So, should Regent say that they "may" cancel cruises to the Canary Islands, Rome, and other countries with a handful of cases (I do not include Iran as Regent does not sail to that country)?  If they did that, would they have to cancel cruises out of the U.S. (we have cases as well).   

 

I believe but do not know for sure that the Hong Kong ban (for cruise ships) was a decision made by CLIA.  After all, they are the head of the cruise line industry and passenger cruise lines must follow their rules.  The FAA likely put the airline ban in place.  While I do not want to bash airlines, in my opinion, they are pretty clueless.  They still are not cleaning their seats or trays after each flight.  It will take a demand by the FAA to make this happen.  Flight attendants (based on what I've read about the flight attendant that has Coronavirus - was flying and landed in Los Angeles) are not taking precautions either.  This is the major reason why I am more concerned about airlines than cruise ships.

 

I also do not want to bash Princess but have to wonder why they seem to have more Norovirus cases than any other cruise line.  I discovered this when I was comparing outbreaks of Norovirus on Oceania vs. Regent (Oceania has considerably more cases than Regent and they are owned by the same parent company).   Speaking of Norovirus (which has not gone away just because Coronavirus has appeared), some posters are negating the "wipes" that have killed various viruses (including the very deadly H1N1 virus from 2009), and many strains of influenza.  Just because these wipes (used by hospitals) have not been proven to kill Covid-19, it is similar to no one knowing that these wipes would eventually be proven to kill not only H1N1 but a whole list of  bacterial and viral illnesses.

 

If you really feel that Regent should project what will happen in April and May (even though it might change) and should post it on their website,, may I suggest that you contact the CEO/President of Regent, Mr. Jason Montague?  If they do a projection, it should come with a warning that things can change and passengers should not get upset if they do because it was passengers that asked for it.

 

P.S.  It is certainly likely that passengers that will be departing or arriving in Rome in April will spend time in Italy.  However, there needs to be some personal responsibility here.  If you choose to spend extra time in Rome, it has nothing to do with Regent (other than the first night - at a hotel that Regent chooses - not one that a passenger chooses).  

Edited February 27, 2020 by Travelcat2

[Kiwifromkiev]

3 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

You do bring up interesting points.  However, may I ask what updates that Regent could make since 7 days ago?  Has anything occurred that would make additional cancellations probable?  Yes - the virus has spread (not in large numbers) to other countries....... but is it enough to cancel cruises (thinking specially of Rome).  

 

Well, if Iran, Northern Italy and South Korea are regarded as "no safe" zone by some other cruise lines and airlines - would not it be reasonable to expect a similar reaction from another cruise line/airline? I am not talking about cancellations, just regularly updated info. E.g. if you have currently flights booked say through South Korea to Europe (many of NZ-ers fly this route, although we do not) - if RSSC follows the suit of other cruise lines - then these tickets need to be changed, to get on one's cruise! IMHO this makes perfect sense - to be prepared. 

 

The other point (which might have been already discussed earlier) - mane (if not majority) of passengers are not even on CC. They are the ones frantically looking for information, probably contacting RSSC for information etc etc etc

 

3 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

I believe but do not know for sure that the Hong Kong ban (for cruise ships) was a decision made by CLIA.  After all, they are the head of the cruise line industry and passenger cruise lines must follow their rules.    

 

There might be a good reason for this - HK is technically China and, although the movement between the countries is somewhat restricted, people from China do get to HK.

 

9 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

If you really feel that Regent should project what will happen in April and May (even though it might change) and should post it on their website

 

Not at all, refer to my answer above - more about what is currently happening. 

13 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

 It is certainly likely that passengers that will be departing or arriving in Rome in April will spend time in Italy.  However, there needs to be some personal responsibility here.  If you choose to spend extra time in Rome, it has nothing to do with Regent (other than the first night - at a hotel that Regent chooses - not one that a passenger chooses).  

 

I disagree - if you are going on a cruise in a week via Italy (for a stop over/break/family wedding), you know that for another cruise line Italy(parts of) is out of boundaries, but RSSC says nothing - does one assume that they are still OK to carry on with their plans? 

 

[Travelcat2]

30 minutes ago, Kiwifromkiev said:

 

Well, if Iran, Northern Italy and South Korea are regarded as "no safe" zone by some other cruise lines and airlines - would not it be reasonable to expect a similar reaction from another cruise line/airline? I am not talking about cancellations, just regularly updated info. E.g. if you have currently flights booked say through South Korea to Europe (many of NZ-ers fly this route, although we do not) - if RSSC follows the suit of other cruise lines - then these tickets need to be changed, to get on one's cruise! IMHO this makes perfect sense - to be prepared. 

 

The other point (which might have been already discussed earlier) - mane (if not majority) of passengers are not even on CC. They are the ones frantically looking for information, probably contacting RSSC for information etc etc etc

 

 

There might be a good reason for this - HK is technically China and, although the movement between the countries is somewhat restricted, people from China do get to HK.

 

 

Not at all, refer to my answer above - more about what is currently happening. 

 

I disagree - if you are going on a cruise in a week via Italy (for a stop over/break/family wedding), you know that for another cruise line Italy(parts of) is out of boundaries, but RSSC says nothing - does one assume that they are still OK to carry on with their plans? 

 

 

I think that it is okay to agree to disagree on this topic.  My only response is your last quoted paragraph.  Rome is not an "at risk" city (with only 2 cases in the city at the moment).  If other cities continue to be at risk, it is easy enough for Regent to change ports.  There are still many ports that are fairly risk-free.  However, I truly do not see that it is Regent's responsibility advise passengers of the risks in other parts of Italy (or other parts of the world).  There is so much information out there that you  would have to be an ostrich to not know what is going on (I found the latest number of cases of Coronavirus in Rome in about 30 seconds).  

 

I do not believe that Regent is going to South Korea.  If they were, they would likely cancel the port(s).  In my opinion, it is easier for Regent to change ports than to cancel cruises (and it is just as safe).  It seems that it was becoming too difficult for Regent to go to Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and other ports in that area.  In terms of Asia though, they are still going to India and Bali (probably other ports as well - but not within the next three months).

Edited February 27, 2020 by Travelcat2

[Kiwifromkiev]

14 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

I think that it is okay to agree to disagree on this topic.  My only response is your last quoted paragraph.  Rome is not an "at risk" city (with only 2 cases in the city at the moment).  If other cities continue to be at risk, it is easy enough for Regent to change ports.  There are still many ports that are fairly risk-free.  However, I truly do not see that it is Regent's responsibility advise passengers of the risks in other parts of Italy (or other parts of the world).  There is so much information out there that you  would have to be an ostrich to not know what is going on (I found the latest number of cases of Coronavirus in Rome in about 30 seconds).  

 

I do not believe that Regent is going to South Korea.  If they were, they would likely cancel the port(s).  In my opinion, it is easier for Regent to change ports than to cancel cruises (and it is just as safe).  It seems that it was becoming too difficult for Regent to go to Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and other ports in that area.  In terms of Asia though, they are still going to India and Bali (probably other ports as well - but not within the next three months).

TC2, not advising of risks! if Regent follows the suit and people who travel through places which would make them ineligible to board their cruises! we seem to be  talking about different matters. I am concerned about travelling through areas which are already on "prohibited" list with some cruise lines, but nothing is on the Regent site. How would you feel if you are boarding your cruise in a couple ow weeks with another passenger who just traveled through South Korea or Iran? 

 

[lesliebe]

"If you have stopovers or layovers on the way to your destination, you should also visit the website of any airports you'll be passing through to understand mandatory screenings or checkpoints that may cause delays."...Conde Naste Traveler 2/26.   More food for thought.....we connect via Frankfurt but both flights are on Lufthansa

[Kiwifromkiev]

13 minutes ago, lesliebe said:

"If you have stopovers or layovers on the way to your destination, you should also visit the website of any airports you'll be passing through to understand mandatory screenings or checkpoints that may cause delays."...Conde Naste Traveler 2/26.   More food for thought.....we connect via Frankfurt but both flights are on Lufthansa

If nothing else, this thread introducd me to Conde Naste which I did not know about before, seems to be an interesting site:) 

[Hambagahle]

3 hours ago, lesliebe said:

"If you have stopovers or layovers on the way to your destination, you should also visit the website of any airports you'll be passing through to understand mandatory screenings or checkpoints that may cause delays."...Conde Naste Traveler 2/26.   More food for thought.....we connect via Frankfurt but both flights are on Lufthansa

If you are entering or leaving Schengen at Frankfurt be prepared for a messy connection!  The airport is not well signposted and you have to change terminals.  Entering and leaving you go through Immigration there as well.  If both flights are intra Schengen then the airport is relatively easy.  

Germany doesn't (as of this morning) have any cases of the virus.  That will change sooner probably than later.  We now have 2 here in Switzerland.  We are, of course, closer to Italy...

[Caroldoll]

On 2/25/2020 at 9:40 PM, Travelcat2 said:

When norovirus was going around the Mariner, I did research and found a peroxide based product from 3M .  It was being used in hospitals and killed the norovirus.  I just received a new supply by Clorox  last week and interestingly, I did not see that it kills Norovirus.  But, even more surprising is that it mentions “Human Coronavirus”.

 

The product is “Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner, Disinfectant Wipes”

 

It kills so many virus’s and and bacteria that I can only list a few (along with the time it takes to work)

 

BACTERIA - 30 SECOND CONTACT TIME

Salmonella

Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (not a typo)

 

BACTERIA - 1 MINUTE CONTACT TIME

CA-MRSA and other Streptococcus not listed above

 

 VIRUSES -30 SECOND CONTACT TIME

Bovine Viral Diarrhea (surrogate or Hepatitis C Virus)

Duck Hepatitis B

Herpes Simplex Type 1 and 2

HUMAN CORONAVIRUS

Influenza A Virus (2009 H1N1)

Influenza B Virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

 

VIRUSES - 1 MINUTE CONTACT TIME

Avian Influenza A (H5N1)

Rhinovirus (type 37)

Rotavirus

 

There are many more that I did not list as the package is difficult to read and impossible to photograph.

 

Hope that this helps.

I will try to purchase these.  You do so much research, I am sure they are good.

[Pcardad]

You all understand that the virus is everywhere now? It doesn't travel slowly like an advancing army, it flies in planes and spreads as fast as people do. It is simply showing up in more places because more people are testing for it.

[mrlevin]

2 hours ago, Pcardad said:

You all understand that the virus is everywhere now? It doesn't travel slowly like an advancing army, it flies in planes and spreads as fast as people do. It is simply showing up in more places because more people are testing for it.

 

True; and more people are cancelling cruises whether for valid reasons or not.  Of course, if anyone does cancel a cruise there IS a valid reason (from their view which is only view that matters).  I am not worried about cruise lines updating their websites regarding travel restrictions; I am more concerned about what their plans are for excess inventory; after all, I don't want to book a cruise only for it to be cancelled weeks (or months) later just due to excess inventory.

 

Marc

[forgap]

What I really want is a decision making timeline so we can rearrange flights and hotels.  Surely Regent isn’t flying by the seat of their pants.  There must be an established protocol for cancelling cruises.  

Edited February 27, 2020 by forgap

[mrlevin]

7 minutes ago, forgap said:

What I really want is a decision making timeline so we can rearrange flights and hotels.  Surely Regent isn’t flying by the seat of their pants.  There must be an established protocol for cancelling cruises.  

 

After 9/11 (and subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq): Silversea parked one ship and limped along with three ships, Radisson relocated Diamond from Med to Caribbean (summer 2003) and filled their ships by significant fare reductions, and Renaissance handed over their ships to creditors.  No one size fits all.   

 

Marc

[forgap]

3 minutes ago, mrlevin said:

 

After 9/11 (and subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq): Silversea parked one ship and limped along with three ships, Radisson relocated Diamond from Med to Caribbean (summer 2003) and filled their ships by significant fare reductions, and Renaissance handed over their ships to creditors.  No one size fits all.   

 

Marc

I agree with you that one size does not fit all.  I just want to know the decision making deadlines.   It is clear what our deadlines are for cancelling a cruise, a hotel, or a flight.  I would like to know Regent’s deadlines for cancelling with us so we can try to meet the deadlines for other aspects of the trip.  

[alexandra cruiser]

What does your Mom think?Know mine would carefully weigh all options and give me her REAL feelings,,not just what I want o hear. 

You can take the penalty or take the chance all will be well.

I cancelled because I didnt want to spend whole trip worrying about touching,or inhaling something bad. Or that most of cruise would be at sea,,since ports shut down.

It s a terrible decision,but one you must make for you ALL to feel good about it.

I have learned one thing,,next cruise I m getting cancel for any reason ins.Know it costs more,but worth it now.

Let us know,

[lesliebe]

8 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

If you are entering or leaving Schengen at Frankfurt be prepared for a messy connection!  The airport is not well signposted and you have to change terminals.  Entering and leaving you go through Immigration there as well.  If both flights are intra Schengen then the airport is relatively easy.  

Germany doesn't (as of this morning) have any cases of the virus.  That will change sooner probably than later.  We now have 2 here in Switzerland.  We are, of course, closer to Italy...

Schengen I assume is EU?  The flights are LAX/Frankfurt Frankfurt/Lisbon.  Does that mean terminal change and immigration?  I would 'think' Lufthansa planned enough time as both flights are theirs...........

 

I just wish I could make decision/past 100% refund time/now have til teh 4th can cancel at 50%. 😞

[Hambagahle]

Schengen refers to the EU countries plus Norway, Switzerland and Iceland (I think) that are in an open border agreement.  When you land in Frankfurt from LAX you go through Immigration.  Not Customs and your bags are tagged to your final destination - LIS.  But it means a change of terminal.  Which at Frankfurt is relatively easy but confusing!  You have to follow the signs.  When in doubt - ask.  We had to take a shuttle train...and we both speak German.  But all the staff there will speak English too.   Frankfurt to Lisbon is an intra Schengen flight.  So no Immigration on arrival in Lisbon but you will go through Customs.  That is a "technicality"  because for tourists it doesn't mean much.  Take the green channel - may well not be any Customs officials there anyway.

 

There is no way I am going to cancel this cruise of ours (unless of course I get sick myself...which I am not planning to and which I hope I do not!)

[jeb_bud]

1 hour ago, lesliebe said:

Schengen I assume is EU?  The flights are LAX/Frankfurt Frankfurt/Lisbon.  Does that mean terminal change and immigration?  I would 'think' Lufthansa planned enough time as both flights are theirs...........

 

I just wish I could make decision/past 100% refund time/now have til teh 4th can cancel at 50%. 😞

How long is your connection time in Frankfurt?  We flew Venice to SFO via Frankfurt last year with about a two hour connection. The walk was long and and we paid close attention to the signs but we made it with plenty of time to visit the business class lounge for a snack and a beverage. 
 

 

[Emdee]

9 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

If you are entering or leaving Schengen at Frankfurt be prepared for a messy connection!  The airport is not well signposted and you have to change terminals.  Entering and leaving you go through Immigration there as well.  If both flights are intra Schengen then the airport is relatively easy.  

Germany doesn't (as of this morning) have any cases of the virus.  That will change sooner probably than later.  We now have 2 here in Switzerland.  We are, of course, closer to Italy...

I think you are mistaken about Germany. They have 27 confirmed but no deaths. They were among the first European countries to have cases in January or early February if I am not mistaken .

[Floridiana]

The first German patients have recovered. All were connected to Wuhan. There are new cases connected to travel in Northern Italy. Several patients have minimal symptoms, 1 or 2  cases are serious. Germany recorded all the early cases immediately and physicians have published an article about it.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMc2001899?articleTools=true

[slidebite]

I had no problem navigating Frankfurt at all, going from the domestic to international terminals was certainly not difficult. Worst thing IIRC was waiting for an elevator for a few minutes since we were traveling with some elderly folks. If we were fine with the stairs, it would have been super simple.

[BBWC]

Note that for all flights to Germany passengers now have to fill out an arrival card with contact details in case they need to be contacted by health authorities. I don’t know if this applies to transfers.

[Hambagahle]

Might well apply to everyone flying very soon and with good reason.

 

I read here (in Switzerland) a few days ago that there were no cases in Germany.  That seems to be wrong...   but then there will be cases everywhere anyway.   We have a few here.  (I live in the Valais.  Some 25 people were screened for the virus as of yesterday.  None were positive.  That will undoubtedly change over the next few weeks.)

[flossie009]

20 hours ago, lesliebe said:

No one is talking about this part of Europe/Great Britan.

UK has 16 confirmed cases of the covid-19 virus; eight of whom have been discharged i.e. fully recovered & no longer infectious.