Are you afraid of the coronavirus in your next cruise?

[dogs4fun]

24 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

Krogers in Ohio was one offering free flu shots.

King Soopers in Colorado (a division of Kroger) is where I received my flu shot - I paid $40 - it was not free. I know because King Soopers advertise free flu shots online but they are "free" ONLY if you have the requisite insurance.

Edited February 2, 2020 by dogs4fun

[LeeaAndPaul]

On 1/30/2020 at 7:27 PM, klfrodo said:

 Really???

You're scared to death of Coronavirus??? A bit melodramatic are we?

 

This from the CDC regarding the FLU

In total, the CDC estimates that up to 42.9 million people got sick during the 2018-2019 flu season, 647,000 people were hospitalized and 61,200 died. That's fairly on par with a typical season, and well below the CDC's 2017-2018 estimates of 48.8 million illnesses, 959,000 hospitalizations and 79,400 deaths.

Are you saing that WHO is over reacting? We cant compare Corona virus to common flu.

I am not affraid of Corona virus, but I would be worried getting stuck with no flights back. Or if they would quaratine the ship. 

[dogs4fun]

5 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Back to the topic, what's the position in the US, I wonder, for anyone without insurance as regards Coronavirus?  Treatment will likely cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars if it's intensive care for a couple of weeks.

Don't have a definitive answer but I assume one would receive treatment regardless of whether or not they had insurance - can't imagine that the US would allow a person with the virus to go untreated & risk contamination to others.

Edited February 2, 2020 by dogs4fun

[Harry Peterson]

13 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

Don't have a definitive answer but I assume one would receive treatment regardless of whether or not they had insurance - can't imagine that the US would allow a person with the virus to go untreated & risk contamination to others.

That would be the logical and sensible answer, but someone would have to foot the very large bill and I wonder about the practicalities when hard cash is involved.

[dogs4fun]

2 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

And after that emergency treatment required by law?  Then what?

Back to the discussion regarding coronavirus please. With due respect, not interested in a political discussion debating which country has the better health care system - this only leads to hard feeling as everyone has a different perspective regarding health care, taxes, etc..........

[newcruiser1956]

4 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

How wonderful - if you don't mind my asking, what supermarket is that?  I am not aware of any supermarkets in my area that provide free flu shots. The supermarkets at which I shop offer the shot but one has to pay for it.

Most Walmart and Walgreens have them

 

[Nebr.cruiser]

21 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

Yes, most of our supermarkets also have in store pharmacies. I was not debating the reason for an individual's refusal to get a flu shot - I  have heard some of the "silly" reasons (not supported by scientific data) for not getting any type of vaccination & agree that it usually has nothing to do with cost.  

I was simply wondering where one could obtain a free flu shot - they are not free at my supermarket. I had to pay for my shot as it was not covered by my insurance. 😕 Would definitely be interested in a freebie if it was easily obtainable.

Hy-Vee supermarkets here give the free shots--plus 20 cents off per gallon of gas at their affiliated gas station!  Also free shots (we are on Medicare) at many other places in our town.

[gmerick]

I am going to thoroughly enjoy my 12 day Grandeur OTS on Saturday and not worry at all.  I may get a bug on the trip, but, hey, that's part of the package.  I've had the flu twice after cruises, I've had rumbly tummy many times on cruises;  I don't worry.  I'm healthy, and live a healthy lifestyle.  Worry just decreases enjoyment and causes stress.  Life's short, enjoy it.

[KnowTheScore]

The advent of Coronavirus is having a major impact on travel worldwide.   Cruising is clearly a major risk environment

with 1000s of passengers all being couped up together in a confined space.   I pose the question at this point:

 

"Is there any point at all cruising during this outbreak"?

 

Why do I ask?

 

Let me be clear.  It's not because I fear catching Coronavirus.  It's because I fear that EVERY cruise from this point

on is going to be adversely impacted by all the stringent protocols now being implemented and which, imo, are sure to mean

that passengers will be denied access to ports as we have recently seen in the news with the Costa Smeralda ship

being quarantined and disembarkation of 6000 passengers and staff refused in an Italian port.

 

Note too that the Diamond Princess has just been quarantined in Japan due to a Coronavirus case.

 

Here's the nature of the problem I foresee. . . . .

 

Coronavirus presents the same as any standard cold/flu type virus.  Sore throat, coughing, fever etc etc.

 

If ANYONE presents with those standard symptoms once you sail then the person is going to be isolated

either in cabin or ship's medical facilities whilst tests are conducted to determine of they have Coronavirus.

As we saw with the Costa Smeralda ship, those tests took a number of days during which time

PASSENGERS WERE REFUSED PERMISSION TO DISEMBARK IN ITALY.

In the event it turned out that the Smeralda passenger just had ordinary cold/flu but of course by that

time the cruise had been impacted for EVERYONE.  Imagine if another passenger had similar cold/flu

symptoms at the next port.

 

This is what cruise lines ARE NOT telling you at the moment imho.    They will very happily tell you

that your health and safety are a priority and that they will be screening passengers at embarkation

and refusing boarding permission to anyone with high fever or who has been anywhere near China.

 

Sounds good and comforting but what they are NOT telling you is how likely it is that your cruise

will just involve sailing around at sea being denied entry to or being denied permission to

disembark at any port on your itinerary.

 

Understand that 100% if a passenger on-board presents with Coronavirus that nobody is going to

be allowed to get off in any port in my opinion.  The entire ship will be quarantined and your cruise

will be effectively ruined.   You will have paid £000s to simply sail around and be kept captive

on the ship.

 

Now consider equally what happens when someone presents with common cold/flu like symptoms

but we don't know at that point whether it is Coronavirus or not.   The same situation is surely going to apply.

Port Authorities are going to demand that ships declare whether there are any sick people on board

and if so they will refuse permission to disembark in my opinion.  Perhaps I am wrong?

 

The port of Gibraltar has already implemented new protocols that require a

"CORONAVIRUS DECLARATION FORM Number 000156" to be completed by every vessel that will call

at either the Western Anchorage, East anchorage, North Anchorage, any alongside berth, Quick turnarounds,

medical disembarkations, OPLA and OPLB  (according to Nepia.com)

https://www.nepia.com/industry-news/coronavirus-outbreak-impact-on-shipping/

 

It states:

"The form is to be filled in, signed and stamped.  No exemptions will be given. Agents are to stress to the captain to fill in this form carefully and to answer all questions.

• Please note that the following special conditions will apply to vessels who have answered yes to any of the questions in the declaration:
  • Remote pilotage requirements will be applied to the vessel.
  • No crew members will be allowed to disembark the vessel during its call at Gibraltar.
  • With respect to ongoing operations shore personnel embarking / attending the vessel will not be allowed then to disembark.
  • Shore personnel are to minimise all interaction with the crew as much as practically possible."

 

You can read a copy of the Corona Virus Declaration Form here:

 

https://www.nepia.com/for-156-coronavirus-declaration-v1/

 

It is Question 2 of that form that is the concern which asks the following:

 

"Within the last 15 days have you or any of your crew suffered from flu-like symptoms such as a dry

cough, onset of fever along with other symptoms like intense weakness, muscle pain, vomiting,

diarrhoea, headache or sore throat"  Yes/No ?

Within the last 15 days have you or any of your crew suffered from flu-like symptoms such as a dry

cough, onset of fever along with other symptoms like intense weakness, muscle pain, vomiting,

diarrhoea, headache or sore throat?

 

 

Clearly EVERY SINGLE CRUISE sees people suffer very ordinary cold/flu symptoms of that

nature so if the captain is going to answer honestly then he/she will have to say YES.

 

If he/she does respond YES then the Gibraltar protocol above clearly states that nobody will be allowed to

disembark. 

 

Surely if Gibraltar is doing this then other ports are going to do likewise.

 

The net result is surely that the moment the first passenger presents with the sniffles of

a plain ordinary cold or ILI (Influenza like illness) then the protocols are going to kick in

and people will be denied permission to disembark at ports UNTIL the affected person

has been cleared of Coronavirus.  This is surely going to adversely impact every

cruise for all passengers and crew alike.

 

Perhaps it's me but at this point in time I simply can not see how ANY cruise line is

going to be able to offer any kind of normal cruise service or experience.

 

I certainly don't want to shell out £000s only to find I can't disembark at numerous

ports or heaven forbid be stuck on an entirely quarantined ship with a Coronavirus

victim on-board.

 

Interested to know what others think about this.

 

I have written to P&O of course but only received the standard couple of paragraph

responses about passenger screening and health and safety.  They didn't answer

any straight questions I asked in relation to the above.

 

In all honesty I think the Coronavirus situation will cripple the cruise industry

because of the protocols and as people cancel their cruises in droves.

 

The Carnival share price has already plummeted and I predict will be decimated further

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AndyMichelle]

Fair points, but can I ask why specifically P&O? 

Do you have a cruise booked with them? 

Do you feel P&O have more of a risk, or have you posted this on every cruise lines board? 

Andy 

[Britboys]

A lot of supposition there.  If you follow the logic this post presents, then all air travel is about to be prohibited world-wide too...

[Adawn47]

Oh dear me. I can only say that having spent an 18 night holiday in Malaysia during a bird flu epidemic, and never had  norovirus after a total of 12 cruises despite a bad outbreak on 2 of them, that if you never take a chance an listen to scaremongering you'll never do anything. 

 

[KnowTheScore]

47 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Fair points, but can I ask why specifically P&O? 

Do you have a cruise booked with them? 

Do you feel P&O have more of a risk, or have you posted this on every cruise lines board? 

Andy 

 

Your point is well made and if the post needs moving to a more general section of the forum I would be glad for the mods to move it.  New to the site and don't know my way around.   I have cruised P&O extensively so went here first.

As you highlight, Coronavirus will impact all cruise lines in the same way

 

Do you have a suggestion where the thread should reside.  I just had a quick look and "Cruise Discussions" might seem a natural place but which section beneath there?  Cruise News?   not sure.

 

Mods please move the thread to wherever it needs to go thanks

Edited February 4, 2020 by KnowTheScore

[KnowTheScore]

15 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Oh dear me. I can only say that having spent an 18 night holiday in Malaysia during a bird flu epidemic, and never had  norovirus after a total of 12 cruises despite a bad outbreak on 2 of them, that if you never take a chance an listen to scaremongering you'll never do anything. 

 

 

I don't understand why you would refer to this as scaremongering of feel the need to do so.

 

The Carnival ship Costa Smeralda had its cruise disrupted purely because one or more passengers presented with

basic cold/flu like symptoms.  Passengers were denied permission to disembark in Italy.  This is a fact not supposition

or scaremongering.   Every cruise you go on sees a number of people come down with similar symptoms so how can

that not be an issue for all those wishing to cruise?

 

[AndyMichelle]

16 minutes ago, KnowTheScore said:

 

Your point is well made and if the post needs moving to a more general section of the forum I would be glad for the mods to move it.  New to the site and don't know my way around.   I have cruised P&O extensively so went here first.

As you highlight, Coronavirus will impact all cruise lines in the same way

 

Do you have a suggestion where the thread should reside.  I just had a quick look and "Cruise Discussions" might seem a natural place but which section beneath there?  Cruise News?   not sure.

 

Mods please move the thread to wherever it needs to go thanks

I think you are correct, the hosts will put it where it needs to be in due course. 

Mine wasnt a criticism, just a wonder why here. 

Andy 

[Adawn47]

We all know the pitfalls of being in crowded environments and if you never take the chance to go anywhere because of the risk of infections you'll miss out on a lot. 

[KnowTheScore]

7 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

We all know the pitfalls of being in crowded environments and if you never take the chance to go anywhere because of the risk of infections you'll miss out on a lot. 

 

You appear not to have read nor understood the point I have made in my OP.

 

I am not remotely worried or concerned about getting the Coronavirus itself, anymore than I am worried about catching Flu which kills thousands more people that Coronavirus does year on year.

 

My point is that when you book a cruise you expect to visit each destination on the itinerary, that's why you book a given cruise and partly what you pay your £000s for.

 

The problem now is that protocols for dealing with Coronavirus both on-board ship and at each individual port will surely adversely impact every cruise now.   The difficulty is knowing whether any given passenger has the virus or whether they just have ordinary cold/flu symptoms and until they confirm that ports imo will refuse permission for people to disembark.

 

Therefore as I currently see it, the basic proposition for taking a cruise, to visit ports on an itinerary is now completely changed because there's a good chance that you will be refused permission to disembark on a number of those ports as soon as someone shows ordinary symptoms of cold/flu (which of course happens of every cruise)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2020 by KnowTheScore

[Adawn47]

I understand what you're a saying. I just mean that as individuals we are all ultimately  responsible for our own health and as such it is our decision whether to travel or not. We know the viruses that are out there and try to take all the precautions we can. The cruise ships are doing all they possibly can. After all it's a business and they won't  want to lose future revenue. 

[geonurse]

I would rather be quarantined on a cruise ship than at work - easily! 😆

[KnowTheScore]

I take my own health seriously and I know that cruise lines are hugely focussed on health and safety but that's not the issue.

 

The issue is that cruise lines will be FORCED to comply with new medical protocols that specifically concern Coronavirus and equally every port authority will be under pressure to ensure that Coronavirus does not enter via ships and their crew and passengers.  So my concerns are merely a reflection of the protocols that will now be imposed on cruise lines and which I personally worry will result in passengers being refused permission to disembark at many if not every port of call, assuming one or more passengers present with simple flu like symptoms.   Surely someone else here understands this too?!

 

Will the cruise lines compensate passengers for inability to disembark at ports due to all of this???

 

I very very much doubt it !

Edited February 4, 2020 by KnowTheScore

[KnowTheScore]

Not really

 

I just want to have a cruise and be reasonably confident that I will be able to get off at the ports we visit instead of being refused entry.

[sanger727]

I understand your point and don't entirely disagree. But I don't see what other option there is. If you already have a cruise booked for the near future you won't be able to cancel and get a refund. Unless you have cancel for any reason insurance you won't be able to cancel and get a trip insurance claim based on the fact that some people are sick somewhere and it might affect you. If you are booking a trip more than a few months out there's a good chance that the panicked responses we are seeing will be done and over with. So, outside of just being aware that this is a possibility for cruisers in the near future, not sure what could be done about it. I wouldn't not take a cruise that I had paid for an forfeit the money over this. I might not book a cruise in Asia in the next month as a last minute trip however. 

[Adawn47]

Many cruises will have been booked well before this virus came to light, or even on them in the case of world cruises. So what's the answer? On a world cruise, stay on or fly home?  Cruise booked, cancel and lose deposit? or in my case, go on my cruise.  I can only say that whatever the cruise lines or airports have to do to try to prevent a major outbreak in Europe has to accepted. This epidemic has just started and given all the precautions that are being implemented at the moment things should improve. Wait until laler in the year before you look for a cruise. You may feel better about it then.

[Zombatar]

Interesting thoughts so here is my take on the situation: 

 

Imagine a 7 day cruise leaves the UK and day one or two a passenger develops coronavirus like symptoms. The ship will not be allowed into its next port so as pointed out previously it will cruise around until the tests are carried out. Now the nightmare scenario, the sick passenger has got the virus. Cruise ship immediately returns to its home port where all passengers and crew will have to be quarantined, which will be difficult with a small liner and impossible with the big ones at up to 7000 including crew. The only thing I can see happening is that the cruise ship will become a quarantine vessel, anchored off shore with nobody allowed on or off. God knows how they will manage to get supplies on board!!

 

I am sure you will all reply that it could never happen here, this is Britain and we are too civilised to allow that sought of thing. You will say that I am simply scaremongering  but..... "what if"?

 

Peter

[KnowTheScore]

Yep your points are . . . on point.   The choices for cruisers are limited.   The problem is that we are right at the outset of the Coronavirus outbreak.   The number of cases expected by end of this month are huge.

 

https://www.wired.com/story/scientists-predict-wuhans-outbreak-will-get-much-worse/

 

 

"The models they constructed predict a dire start to February: further outbreaks in other Chinese cities, more infections exported abroad, and an explosion of cases in Wuhan. “In 14 days’ time, our model predicts the number of infected people in Wuhan to be greater than 190,000,” the authors write."

 

 

This thing is going to get much worse before it gets better and as a simple result of that I can see no option for maritime ports than to increasingly refuse entry to ships and/or to refuse passenger disembarkation permission.   I am actually seriously considering cancelling a cruise that I have already paid for simply because I don't want to end up a prisoner on the ship, confined to the ship and unable to get off at ports or even worse to find the entire ship quarantined because there's an outbreak of Coronavirus on board and then find that all passengers are quarantined.  Just not worth it.