COVID-19 , has it impacted your cruise?

[Denny01]

56 minutes ago, BeeMinor said:

 

UGH. I just read the updated advisory and it says it's in effect for 30 days, so technically speaking the April cruises aren't affected (yet). 

Yup, but that’s their standard ‘in effect for..’ statement. And we know it won’t decrease in impact. That’s why we haven’t heard anything about that particular cruise yet. 

 

Den

[BeeMinor]

23 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Yup, but that’s their standard ‘in effect for..’ statement. And we know it won’t decrease in impact. That’s why we haven’t heard anything about that particular cruise yet. 

 

Den

 

Yeah. With as quickly as the situation is changing I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't announcements about changes until 31 days before any given sail date, especially for the cruises that are slated to either begin or end in Italy. Changing an embarkation or disembarkation port once seems like a giant hassle. Changing them three or four times seems practically impossible. 

 

I am watching what happens with the April cruises closely to try to get a sense of what might happen in early June, but there are just so many unknowns.

[FauxNom]

We are set to board the Explorer in Ushuaia tomorrow and the only tangible effect so far is that all passengers are going through health screening in Buenos Aires today. Just a questionnaire and temperature check. I’m sure we all will take extra precautions on board, but I am happy to be getting on a ship instead of staying home in Seattle!

[spinnaker2]

Enjoy your expedition Fauxnom!

[FauxNom]

17 minutes ago, spinnaker2 said:

Enjoy your expedition Fauxnom!

Thanks so much! We are really looking forward to it.

[tgh]

We have just cancelled Explorer Kobe to Otaru.

Japan is fudging the figures to try to keep the Olympics.

Too  much risk , maybe next year ( if we are still around… )

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, tgh said:

Japan is fudging the figures to try to keep the Olympics.

Really?  By how much?  What is your source and how do they know the true #?  Hi @jpalbny!

[tgh]

Truth is very much in the eye of the beholder Stumbles ..... 😇

(with that disclaimer I believe the following figures to be reasonably accurate )

 

Around 10,000 tests have been performed in Australia so far. ( 39 current cases x pop 24.6m)

Number of tests performed in Tokyo Feb 17-26: 352  ( 293 current cases  x pop 126.8m ) 

[tgh]

SS now advise that the admin fee only cancellation has been extended to embarkation - 30 days

So we will sit and wait for a bit, the Explorer has to go somewhere…..

[KennyMandy]

10 hours ago, tgh said:

We have just cancelled Explorer Kobe to Otaru.

Japan is fudging the figures to try to keep the Olympics.

Too  much risk , maybe next year ( if we are still around… )

I guess you had to pay a penalty as it's less than 120 days until departure.  (We're due to sail on the next departure, Otaru to Otaru.)

[KennyMandy]

6 hours ago, tgh said:

SS now advise that the admin fee only cancellation has been extended to embarkation - 30 days

So we will sit and wait for a bit, the Explorer has to go somewhere…..

Sorry, I didn't read this before I commented on your earlier post.  I am very interested to hear about this change in cancellation policy.  How did you hear about it as I can't see anything about it on their website?

[tgh]

There are two aspects :

1   I wished to cancel prior to the 120 days and was granted a 30 day extension

2   I instructed my ta to cancel before the extension expiry and was, after a days delay , offered the no penalty option to embarkation - 30 days.

 

I probably should have kept my (very large) mouth shut as this arrangement may not apply to everyone.. mea culpa

 

[iMarco46]

Updated cancellation policy:

 

 

[jeffkauf]

On 2/29/2020 at 5:55 PM, commodoredave said:

A prediction about the coronavirus from a serious journalistic source -- this week's edition of the Economist magazine:

"Many governments have been signalling that they will stop the disease. Instead, they need to start preparing people for the onslaught. A broad guess is that 25-70% of the population of any epidemic country may be infected. Experts say that the virus may be five to ten times as lethal as seasonal flu, which, with a fatality rate of 0.1%, kills 60,000 Americans in a bad year. Across the world, the death toll could be in the millions."

As a result, we are having second thoughts about our upcoming AMA river cruise on the Rhine river from Amsterdam to Basel in June. German media are reporting around 1,000 people have been quarantined in that country's most populous district of Heinsberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia.

We don't depart until June 15, we are all in our late 60s, and of one of our party has a poor respiratory system. We hope the outbreak in Europe will be brought under control before we have to leave, but if not we will be cancelling.

 

Well then,The Economist should be recommending investments

in funeral parlors and paper tissues for all the crying that's going to go on. 

 

 

 

 

 

[worldtraveller99]

I am unsure why they are targeting cruise ships and grounding thousands of people if one has tested positive for the virus. Over the UK a couple of dozen people have tested positive, and at least one has not travelled anywhere or met anyone who has (to their knowledge). So should all countries close all shopping centres, all forms of public transport etc?

 

I do think everyone should be given a temperature test before boarding a cruise at the moment, but I am with Ben and David, I will travel if my July Alaska Silver Muse travels:

 

[Daniel-J]

My trip isn't scheduled for another six months. So hopefully, by then, they'll have found a cure.

[Noggins]

On 2/21/2020 at 8:10 PM, kool kruiser said:

We leave this week for our first SS cruise on the Spirit. The cruise starts in Singapore, although we embark the following day in Phuket. Ports of call are Yangon (Myanmar), Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Cochin (India), finishing in Mumbai (India). No changes whatever at present to our itinerary and fingers firmly crossed. We, too, are philosophical, although not foolhardy folk, thankfully in very good health. In all honesty, we have never given a moment's consideration to changing our plans. Whilst absolutely not minimising this issue in any way, putting things in perspective, the virus has a very low mortality rate, although the quarantine and treatment protocols are not great.

So, how was it?! (do hope you are home safely...)

[kool kruiser]

1 hour ago, Noggins said:

So, how was it?! (do hope you are home safely...)

Thanks so much for your kind concern, as ever, Adrian.

It was certainly an....adventure !!

Home safely...from Darwin, not the scheduled Mumbai.

Yes, we are both healthy, safe and sound and pleased to be home in sunny Dorset.

I have a few bits and bobs to catch up on but will post my thoughts as soon as I can on my SS experience, a curate's egg. Will then duck to avoid the inevitable brickbats!

For now, what I will say is that Silversea and everyone on the Spirit were simply magnificent in such extreme and perhaps unprecedented circumstances.

 

[Noggins]

Great to hear you're both back safe and sound. I followed the progress of your trip and all the twists and turns along the way. Will we all find cruises that stick to their published itinerary to be boring in future?!

Look forward to reading your account in due course.

 

What odds are you giving that your September plans will go ahead....?

 

Best to you both

Adrian

[kool kruiser]

17 hours ago, Noggins said:

Great to hear you're both back safe and sound. I followed the progress of your trip and all the twists and turns along the way. Will we all find cruises that stick to their published itinerary to be boring in future?!

Look forward to reading your account in due course.

 

What odds are you giving that your September plans will go ahead....?

 

Best to you both

Adrian

At present, Steph is saying that I may need to find someone else to accompany me on future cruises. Not sure why she would wish to inflict that on anyone ?  Our next planned trip is at the end of October. Who can sensibly predict where we will be at then ? I am one of those types who remain optimistic/hopeful (silly?) whatever, so fingers crossed...

 

If I recall correctly, Elaine and yourself also had plans to go on a cruise with another line, the one where you can sail the ship yourself, if you want. Is this happening ?

 

Thanks for your very kind thoughts and wishes. Do keep safe yourselves.

 

Colin

[milepig]

On 3/7/2020 at 10:55 AM, worldtraveller99 said:

I am unsure why they are targeting cruise ships and grounding thousands of people if one has tested positive for the virus. Over the UK a couple of dozen people have tested positive, and at least one has not travelled anywhere or met anyone who has (to their knowledge). So should all countries close all shopping centres, all forms of public transport etc?

 

I do think everyone should be given a temperature test before boarding a cruise at the moment, but I am with Ben and David, I will travel if my July Alaska Silver Muse travels:

 

As will we if possible - it isn't just the cruise, but also when the Border with Canada will open and if flights aren't canceled.

[Denny01]

The SS website now shows all cruises prior to mid May are cancelled and they are listing each cruise ship with the date of their next planned cruise, all after about 14 May.

 

Take a look if you have a cruise coming up soon. As I posted on another thread, I got an email from SS and my TA this morning saying my 23 April cruise on Shadow is cancelled. I then got the confirmation from my TA showing my reimbursement and that I should expect it added to my CC within 30 days.

 

Den

[worldtraveller99]

I agree milepig, it also depends on the flights. We just got an email from Alaska Airlines, who would be doing our internal flights after the cruise. They say Alaska is forcing everyone who lands there to self-isolate (where?) for 14 days - which would put the kibosh on our holiday! So I am waiting for the flights to be cancellable, before the one month SS money back date in June- and we will take all our money back that we can, and book when everything starts again - hoping it does.

[Noggins]

6 hours ago, kool kruiser said:

At present, Steph is saying that I may need to find someone else to accompany me on future cruises. Not sure why she would wish to inflict that on anyone ?  Our next planned trip is at the end of October. Who can sensibly predict where we will be at then ? I am one of those types who remain optimistic/hopeful (silly?) whatever, so fingers crossed...

 

If I recall correctly, Elaine and yourself also had plans to go on a cruise with another line, the one where you can sail the ship yourself, if you want. Is this happening ?

 

Thanks for your very kind thoughts and wishes. Do keep safe yourselves.

 

Colin

To avoid any risk of being accused of engaging in a private conversation may I start by pointing out to regular SS clientele that Colin appears to have a possible subsidised berth on offer for a future cruise. He's a fine fellow so I suggest you get your applications in asap!

To Colin's question, we were, along with so many others, due to be on a ship this week in the Caribbean. Our first day in lock-down today was in sharp contrast to the day we should have been having....

Hey-ho. Normality will - eventually - return.

Keep safe everyone.

Adrian

[commodoredave]

On 3/7/2020 at 11:44 AM, jeffkauf said:

Well then,The Economist should be recommending investments

in funeral parlors and paper tissues for all the crying that's going to go on.

Well, a month later, what do you think of the warning from The Economist now? As for investment recommendations, I don't think it includes cruise lines: https://www.economist.com/business/2020/03/31/the-coronavirus-may-sink-the-cruise-ship-business