Coronavirus

[Kirk2121]

22 hours ago, kruzseeka said:

 

Slowing the numbers getting infected is also a measure to spread the numbers.  Rather than have an enormous peak in say, a month or so, hopefully if the numbers are kept at a lower level, albeit over a longer period, it gives the Health Service a chance of coping better.  

 

[kevinyork]

3 minutes ago, helengp said:

Kevin York...I don’t think it makes any difference. If TUI cancel now or after FCO advising against all but essential travel, they still have to offer credit or refund. I expect they are waiting as it is possible Italy might lift the restrictions after the initial lockdown, and then cruises could leave from Italian ports. 

I sought of thought Tui would be off the hook if people were officially told not to cruise/travel. It wouldn’t be them cancelling the cruise I.e. not their fault so may not be liable to refund. 

[rkingphoto]

1 minute ago, kevinyork said:

I sought of thought Tui would be off the hook if people were officially told not to cruise/travel. It wouldn’t be them cancelling the cruise I.e. not their fault so may not be liable to refund. 

I think you are correct, if the FCO advise against travelling then TUI can delay cancelling until the very last minute meaning most people can/will claim against their travel insurance, letting Tui/Marella of the hook for a large chunk of it.

[insidecabin]

9 minutes ago, rkingphoto said:

I think you are correct, if the FCO advise against travelling then TUI can delay cancelling until the very last minute meaning most people can/will claim against their travel insurance, letting Tui/Marella of the hook for a large chunk of it.

 

You just wait it out they would have to change the itinerary or cancel, both would be major change covered by the regulation for refunds.

[rkingphoto]

3 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

 

You just wait it out they would have to change the itinerary or cancel, both would be major change covered by the regulation for refunds.

Personally I would wait it out, but many will just claim their insurance, if even 30% do that it would save Tui a lot of cash.

[insidecabin]

11 minutes ago, rkingphoto said:

Personally I would wait it out, but many will just claim their insurance, if even 30% do that it would save Tui a lot of cash.

The insurance companies could then put claim in against TUI.

[helengp]

I phoned TUI before paying my balance at the end of February, to check this.TUI said that if the situation became such that they cancelled the cruise, we would get a refund. So definitely do not cancel yourself....then you will not get a refund. Also, a cautionary note about claiming on your travel insurance....they will not pay out without exhausting all other possibilities, and will direct you first to claim against the holiday provider. Also, FCO advice must be in place 28 days or less before the start of the holiday. So unless you are due to travel from Italy within next 28 days, you can not cancel and claim on your insurance anyway, and will need to check FCO advice on a day by day basis. Ie. I can not cancel now on the basis of FCO advice for my cruise in May.

[MX-Drew]

I tend to think another reason for Tui "leaving it late" is they have enough work on dealing with the current cruises let alone worry about those a month or more away.

This happened to me with a cruise booked with Celebrity for South East Asia in February this year, we only heard 2 days before we were due to depart yet a cruise before had been cancelled and the one before that cut short.

[sweby]

1 hour ago, kevinyork said:

I wonder why they have two virus posts on that update?  The most recent one is worded strange “Customers travelling to Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2, Marella Celebration, Marella Dream and Marella Discovery 2 will be denied boarding if they have visited any of the above listed countries in the previous 30 days.”

 

Why is discovery not in that list?  The sailings from early April ex Dubai are still said to be going ahead though I can’t see how.
 

I woke up with a thought today.  Tui have been leaving things late to cancel the Asia and Indian Ocean cruises. Wouldn’t they benefit from the FCO advising against cruising or a travel ban for the UK as then people would have to claim off their own insurance rather than Tui refunding? Just a thought. 

Discovery not mentioned as ALL those cruises you mention must surely be cancelled, as the ship is sailing back from Asia, and therefore no passengers likely to board anyway, for quite a while. That is my thoughts on it anyway. Sweby

[rkingphoto]

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

The insurance companies could then put claim in against TUI.

I can't see that working to be honest.

[kevinyork]

13 minutes ago, sweby said:

Discovery not mentioned as ALL those cruises you mention must surely be cancelled, as the ship is sailing back from Asia, and therefore no passengers likely to board anyway, for quite a while. That is my thoughts on it anyway. Sweby

Reckon so but still curious as cruises from 10th April ex Dubai are still showing and we are on the next one on the 17th from Muscat (I say on the next one, we are actually hoping we are not....).

[cruisedave5]

Do people think I'm over reacting?

 

We are due to go on a Marella cruise around the Baltic in May, and if we cancel now it will cost us around c.£1200. The problem is my other half has an underlying medical condition that will make her especially vulnerable if she did contract Corona. Despite the financial hit I'm still thinking of cancelling, but part of me thinks I'm just over reacting and everything will be ok (especially given the time until we go, location etc)

Edited March 10, 2020 by cruisedave5

[MX-Drew]

4 minutes ago, cruisedave5 said:

Does anyone think I'm over reacting?

 

We are due to go on a Marella cruise around the Baltic in May, and if we cancel now it will cost us around c.£1200. The problem is my other half has an underlying medical condition that will make her especially vulnerable if she did contract Corona. Despite the financial hit I'm still thinking of cancelling, but part of me thinks I'm just over reacting and everything will be ok (especially given the time until we go, location etc)

I fully understand your concerns and if it were me I would contact Tui and ask for a refund given the nature of the problem and failing that (a probable outcome) maybe they will let you transfer the booking to one next year.

You won't get if you don't ask is my motto.

[sweby]

It may be useful for you to look at the John Hopkins coronavirus website over the next few days, to see if cases in that region are increasing. We have decided to postpone our holiday for June, partly because of my  underlying health issues, and partly because we don't want to go on holiday and worry for three months whether everything will be OK. 

 

Of course, it may well be perfectly OK by then, and the hotter climate in some holiday destinations may see this virus off. But a holiday should be something to look forward to, and not worry about.

Sweby

[kevinyork]

15 minutes ago, cruisedave5 said:

Do people think I'm over reacting?

 

We are due to go on a Marella cruise around the Baltic in May, and if we cancel now it will cost us around c.£1200. The problem is my other half has an underlying medical condition that will make her especially vulnerable if she did contract Corona. Despite the financial hit I'm still thinking of cancelling, but part of me thinks I'm just over reacting and everything will be ok (especially given the time until we go, location etc)

People were reporting a few weeks back that Tui would allow cancellation if you had a doctors letter. Could your GP write a letter saying that your other half should not be put at an increased risk of Coronavirus due to the underlying health problem?

[rodndonna]

 

For Canadians (like myself) Canada has now issued an advisory against ALL Cruise ship travel - and are stating they may no longer be responsible for repatriating Canadians back in the event of an outbreak ...

 

Not sure where I take this (supplier or insurance) - but will first attempt today to contact our Canadian supplier for the cruise (Sunwing) for request future credit ...

 

 

 

Avoid all cruise ship travel

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is recommending that Canadians avoid all cruise ship travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

 

Cruise passengers include travellers from around the world who may be arriving from areas with known or unknown spread of COVID-19. The virus can spread quickly on board cruises due to the close contact between passengers. Older people and people with a weakened immune system or underlying medical condition are at a higher risk of developing severe disease.

Recent cruise ship outbreaks of COVID-19 indicate that a large number of individuals onboard can become infected. While the majority of affected passengers may experience mild symptoms, there have been a significant number of cases requiring hospitalization and critical care, and some deaths have been reported.

As the situation evolves, many countries are implementing policies and restrictions in order to contain the outbreak. These restrictions may impact a cruise traveller's:

• itinerary
• ability to disembark
• access to health care

If an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs on your cruise ship:

• you could be subject to quarantine procedures, on-board ship or in a foreign country
• the range of consular services available to those on cruise ships, in particular in situations of quarantine, may be significantly restricted by local authorities
• upon return to Canada, you will be required to remain in mandatory isolation for 14 days at a location determined by the Chief Public Health Officer as per the terms of any applicable emergency orders

The decision on Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease in Canada Order (Persons Not on Government Flight) is effective from February 19 to April 30, 2020.

Canadians who choose to voyage on a cruise ship should also be aware that they may not be offered the opportunity to return to Canada on a government-organized repatriation flight, or could be responsible for the costs of repatriation travel.

[Daftlad]

I have tried remaining stoical about the current situation but have finally been worn down.

Due to fly on 1st April and I understand that screening of sorts will be carried out before reaching check in. I don't know if it will be filling in a questionnaire or some sort of physical exam. My wife presently has a cold which if declared on the form will means she's likely to be denied travel. At this point I'm thinking that we could claim from TUI itself and get a refund. Plus if within the next 21 days the government decides that self isolation is required, where will that leave us? 

 

[Pensioncruiser]

41 minutes ago, cruisedave5 said:

Do people think I'm over reacting?

 

We are due to go on a Marella cruise around the Baltic in May, and if we cancel now it will cost us around c.£1200. The problem is my other half has an underlying medical condition that will make her especially vulnerable if she did contract Corona. Despite the financial hit I'm still thinking of cancelling, but part of me thinks I'm just over reacting and everything will be ok (especially given the time until we go, location etc)

Similar to you but we go in June our TA is allowing us an extra couple of weeks on our final payment date and are also offering to transfer to a future date, not normally allowed, no way are we expecting to travel anytime this year and certainly not at a time which will be the height of the outbreak. So fully understand your thinking, always next year hopefully 🤞

[Bertie Doe]

1 hour ago, cruisedave5 said:

Do people think I'm over reacting?

 

We are due to go on a Marella cruise around the Baltic in May, and if we cancel now it will cost us around c.£1200.

 

No you are not over reacting and Yes if you cancel now you will loose your money. Suppose the virus outbreak gets worse and all the Baltic States refuse cruise ship entry. Marella will be forced to cancel sailing and re-imburse/voucher all those passengers that haven't cancelled.

By all means phone, discuss postponement, mention docs letter etc. If this does not work, do not cancel. Regards Paul

 

[rodndonna]

2 hours ago, rodndonna said:

 

For Canadians (like myself) Canada has now issued an advisory against ALL Cruise ship travel - and are stating they may no longer be responsible for repatriating Canadians back in the event of an outbreak ...

 

Not sure where I take this (supplier or insurance) - but will first attempt today to contact our Canadian supplier for the cruise (Sunwing) for request future credit ...

 

 

 

Avoid all cruise ship travel

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is recommending that Canadians avoid all cruise ship travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

 

 

 

 

For Canadians booked with Sunwing, I just called and was told they have nothing yet on file for updated cancellation policy so would lose everything. She suggested I try our insurance (which I will) but to keep checking as the policies are changing rapidly, Maybe it will take a couple of days for this Canadian travel advisory to have an impact ?

 

[jono75]

Just been on the phone to Marella trying trying to wangle a free upgrade considering the top cabin is now more than the price I've paid for a standard outside, to no avail.  However, the girl on the phone said they had had a notice today that all Marella cruises are being stopped.  I asked her if she was sure it was all of them and not just the Asian ones, she read her notice again and it says all.

 

Not confirmed it any other way yet and can still see cruises on the website currently.

Edited March 10, 2020 by jono75
Missed a bit

[Pensioncruiser]

8 minutes ago, jono75 said:

Just been on the phone to Marella trying trying to wangle a free upgrade considering the top cabin is now more than the price I've paid for a standard outside, to no avail.  However, the girl on the phone said they had had a notice today that all Marella cruises are being stopped.  I asked her if she was sure it was all of them and not just the Asian ones, she read her notice again and it says all.

 

Not confirmed it any other way yet and can still see cruises on the website currently.

Hi and welcome which cruise are you on and when do you go, very interesting post, noticed its your first one. 🤔

[kevinyork]

13 minutes ago, jono75 said:

Just been on the phone to Marella trying trying to wangle a free upgrade considering the top cabin is now more than the price I've paid for a standard outside, to no avail.  However, the girl on the phone said they had had a notice today that all Marella cruises are being stopped.  I asked her if she was sure it was all of them and not just the Asian ones, she read her notice again and it says all.

 

Not confirmed it any other way yet and can still see cruises on the website currently.

Wow. That’s major if it’s correct (I have to take anything Tui call centres say with a pinch of salt) however I for one will be glad as I didn’t want to have to wait till the last minute for our cruise to be cancelled and also didn’t want to go now anyway.

[jono75]

4 minutes ago, Pensioncruiser said:

Hi and welcome which cruise are you on and when do you go, very interesting post, noticed its your first one. 🤔

 

First post, not first cruise.  I'm sceptical myself about it, she was  reading of a memo they had today apparently.  I thought she was confused with Asian cruises but she read out her memo and she read that it says all marella cruises.  I called the Marella line off the website but I think she was just a general Tui operative.

 

I am booked on the Canarian Flavours on 10th Apri.

Edited March 10, 2020 by jono75
Cruise info

[rodndonna]

3 minutes ago, jono75 said:

 

First post, not first cruise.  I'm sceptical myself about it, she was  reading of a memo they had today apparently.  I thought she was confused with Asian cruises but she read out her memo and she read that it says all marella cruises.  I called the Marella line off the website but I think she was just a general Tui operative.

 

I am booked on the Canarian Flavours on 10th Apri.

 

This was news I saw dated yesterday ...so just Asia listed there ...

 

In a tweet, TUI said: "Due to the restrictive measures now in place for cruise ships across Asia we have taken the difficult decision to cancel all Marella Cruises due to sail to the region.