Those traveling in March or April: thoughts?

[BermudaBound2014]

3 minutes ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

Corp is a Corp they only worry about money. 

 

On this, we agree. Although it is worthy to note that CCL is traded while MSC if family owned. That does change the way corp responds (both positive and negative). 

[GOLDENBONNY]

14 new cases from Diamond Princess today? How? 

[Essiesmom]

1 hour ago, mafig said:

Sailing end of March on Celebrity.  Looking forward to it and not cancelling.

 

Concerned more about quarantine but will just take extra of dh's meds.  We don't have babies, pets or a job at home, so we're in more of a position to just let it play out.

We also have a March cruise on Celebrity.  As we are going just for the ship, it will not matter if we don't make any ports.  EM

[BermudaBound2014]

3 minutes ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

14 new cases from Diamond Princess today? How? 

 

This article should explain it. Crew plus those that served DIamond Princess while she was quarantined.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/coronavirus-infections-keep-mounting-after-cruise-ship-fiasco-japan

 

[Mrs Soap]

We are sailing out of marseille on April 18..... we would lose 75% if we canceled now and that’s quite a lot of money for the four of us....so no plans to do so unless MSc cancels.

 

we are traveling through Croatia and France beforehand, our kids are doing a frame tour with their school beforehand as well and we are picking them up in Paris before the cruise...

 

my my question is , just say while traveling (touch wood) we went thru an area which was later put into quarantine, obviously we wouldn’t travel thru known areas of outbreak but if say a week later it was and then we got to boarding and were denied access does MSc refund or is this a travel insurance thing?

[BermudaBound2014]

15 minutes ago, Mrs Soap said:

my my question is , just say while traveling (touch wood) we went thru an area which was later put into quarantine, obviously we wouldn’t travel thru known areas of outbreak but if say a week later it was and then we got to boarding and were denied access does MSc refund or is this a travel insurance thing?

 

Unfortunately, at this time there is no precedent for what MSC will do. I don't want to be the bearer of more bad news, but I do suggest you read your travel insurance carefully. Many specifically exclude viral outbreaks from coverage. 

[Edinburghgirl1]

Confirmed cases has increased in Italy by 25% in 24 hours! Now up to 400.

[Beardface]

1 hour ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

Confirmed cases has increased in Italy by 25% in 24 hours! Now up to 400.

 

Probably goes to show how easily it is to miss.  It's interesting how numbers spike once testing starts in earnest.  Leads one to believe that for the majority, the reaction is minimal and you probably won't even know you have it without being tested.

[Shippy]

I feel that circumstances will be changing rapidly.

We leave for our cruise next week and even though it is just the Caribbean, I have concerns.

Hopefully there will be no troubles with our flight so we can get home ok.

  We have cruises booked for June and October. I will not be counting on those.

We are older and going to enjoy every minute of this one coming up.

[Homosassa]

My husband and I will be boarding the MSC Armonia on March 9.

 

We have no worries and haven't thought once about canceling.

 

If anything, we are happy that screening before boarding is being tighten up and will stop those passengers that are ill and still board.

 

And based on the courteous professional service we have received on past MSC cruises, we feel that any problems that might arise will be handled in the same way.

[Talex831]

5 hours ago, Skoobdo said:

Sailing in April. I'm going even if they cancel the cruise. I'll just rearrange my itinerary and don't miss a beat, like I always do.

We sail the Seaside April 4th out of Miami. I feel exactly the same way you do.  I'm going to Miami and if the ship doesn't sail, I'll drive to Key West for the week.

[SirWolf]

@BermudaBound2014

We are going ‘hardcore’... booked on MSC Bellissima 29-nights Grand Voyage from Dubai to Yokohama on March 21st 2020. MSC changed the itinerary, replacing China, Hong Kong & Taiwan with Sir Bani Ya Is, Laem Chabang & Ho Chi Minh City. We are monitoring the situation and still planning to go on this cruise. We are concerned but not to the extend to cancel and we are well informed about the risk. We still have the option to cancel if the situation changes dramatically within next week.

Edited February 27, 2020 by SirWolf

[jules815]

13 minutes ago, Talex831 said:

We sail the Seaside April 4th out of Miami. I feel exactly the same way you do.  I'm going to Miami and if the ship doesn't sail, I'll drive to Key West for the week.

Oh, that's a good back-up plan.  My husband's never been to Key West.  We're sailing Seaside 4/18.  No plans to cancel.

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

6 minutes ago, jules815 said:

Oh, that's a good back-up plan.  My husband's never been to Key West.  We're sailing Seaside 4/18.  No plans to cancel.

 

 

 

The keys are great, but lodging can be tough. I might suggest booking something that allows you to cancel with no penalty. Then, as 4/18 approaches you will have a better idea of where you are going.

[mef_57]

I have a Dubai to Venice midApril. Early January, I drafted a plan B to still use my Venice flight home should the Middle East become a political no go zone. Now I am trying to figure out options in case Venice becomes a closed port. ThankfullyI have 3 extra days before flight home so as long as we dock somewhere I can salvage most things.

After the epic quarantine failure onboard Princess, I can't imagine them sequestering us on board should quarantine happen, but I am considering the balcony upgrade closer to ship sailing...just in case. With 10 sea days the balcony won't go to waste. However, with quarantine, it will be leave without pay from work, so less money to afford the balcony. Still, not thoughts of cancelling.

So, semi related question. Don't your flights offer changes? Even my non refundable flights offer changes...granted at a cost and the difference in price...but I consider these as offering an alternate salvageable vacation. Typically, Air Canada holds the ticket for 365 days for use from date of purchase.

[emmas gran]

I just posted this on Mrs Soap thread, but thought it may be of interest

 

Friends travelled to Sydney from UK to join a world cruise I think P&O, they were refused boarding as they had changed plane via Singapore. They were not very happy as the crew member (man) questioning them had no face mask was sat just across a desk and he admitted he was going back on the ship for the cruise. Therefore if they had any virus he was also very likely to get it--this was around 18/19th Feb.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

22 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Unfortunately, at this time there is no precedent for what MSC will do. I don't want to be the bearer of more bad news, but I do suggest you read your travel insurance carefully. Many specifically exclude viral outbreaks from coverage. 

MSC Meraviglia is now refunding 100% of the cruise fare and provides a $200 OBC for those currently on Mera, after not being allowed into Jamaica, GC, and Cozumel. 

[MrMike45]

The way it seems to be spreading, it seems like this might a mute point soon.  Obviously China is still the epicenter, and main location for cases.  But Iran? Italy?  We're not exactly talking neighboring nations.  A case in California in which the woman is literally untraceable back to someone from a contaminated area.  The CDC and US Gov't basically saying it's not a matter of if, but when, this is widespread thru the US.  

 

The quarantine period clearly failed, and the disease has spread.  And only a matter of time until it's spread world wide.  Yes, it's scary and the death rate has been high, but remember, the majority of the cases have been in China, in poor communities, with not the best medical treatments available.  As the number of cases rise to countries with better medical care, the death rates will likely drop, and people will realize this is no more dangerous than the flu or some other serious virus.  

 

Will that happen by March or April, probably not.  So the potential for missed ports is high, even in the Caribbean it seems.  And the chance of a quarantine at sea exists, which IMO is a nightmare scenario. 

 

As much as cancelling a vacation and plans stinks, if I had the option to cancel and not lose money (the talked about Cancel for Any Reason insurance which I have never actually seen offered), I think I would cancel and re-plan a trip later in the year.  

 

Just my opinion

Edited February 27, 2020 by MrMike45

[Homosassa]

As I have mentioned, My husband and I are on the March 9 sailing of the Armonia out of Miami.

 

A back story to our booking of the cruise  is that my husband has had several health issues over the last few months (including the placing of a pacemaker a month ago). We booked the cruise just to get away and really don't care if we go ashore at the various ports  as we have been to all of them numerous times.

 

Yesterday, my husband had a follow up visit with his cardiologist who has known all along about the cruise.  Just to check and make sure that we haven't missed anything, I asked him if there was any reason my husband shouldn't cruise because of the coronavirus.

 

He obviously has been asked this question before and after stating there absolutely was no reason to cancel the cruise, started in on a well rehearsed outlined on coronaviridae and the expected presentation of severity of the disease. In a nutshell, a bad cold at worst for some people.

 

For those of you that don't realize it, the coronavitidae are the etiological agents of the illnesses lumped under "the common cold." 

 

I raised my hand to stop the speech as he was saying anything new to us that we already had not understood on our own (we are microbiologists) and said, "Just checking in case we had missed something."

 

The one thing we are doing is that instead of the extra several days  of prescription medication that we always pack, we will bring 14 days extra. 

 

 

[travelberlin]

53 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

As I have mentioned, My husband and I are on the March 9 sailing of the Armonia out of Miami.

 

A back story to our booking of the cruise  is that my husband has had several health issues over the last few months (including the placing of a pacemaker a month ago). We booked the cruise just to get away and really don't care if we go ashore at the various ports  as we have been to all of them numerous times.

 

Yesterday, my husband had a follow up visit with his cardiologist who has known all along about the cruise.  Just to check and make sure that we haven't missed anything, I asked him if there was any reason my husband shouldn't cruise because of the coronavirus.

 

He obviously has been asked this question before and after stating there absolutely was no reason to cancel the cruise, started in on a well rehearsed outlined on coronaviridae and the expected presentation of severity of the disease. In a nutshell, a bad cold at worst for some people.

 

For those of you that don't realize it, the coronavitidae are the etiological agents of the illnesses lumped under "the common cold." 

 

I raised my hand to stop the speech as he was saying anything new to us that we already had not understood on our own (we are microbiologists) and said, "Just checking in case we had missed something."

 

The one thing we are doing is that instead of the extra several days  of prescription medication that we always pack, we will bring 14 days extra. 

 

 

May I ask how old are you and your husband? Are you sailing in the Caribbean? Would you still go if your cruise were in Italy.

[mef_57]

On the FB page for my April MSC Grand Voyage cruise, there is a copy of a letter MSC Cruises USA seems to have sent to travel agents.  They are offering changes or deferrals of Mediterranean cruises in March and April.  Might be worth having a conversation with your agent for an update on policy.  It isn't on the MSC Canada site, and I haven't heard back yet from my TA whether they have been informed of the same.  I know the info is 3rd hand, but it seems there is change afoot, so worth biding time before cancelling.

[gotcha3]

Can you please post a link to that letter? Thank you, g3

 

[travelberlin]

48 minutes ago, mef_57 said:

On the FB page for my April MSC Grand Voyage cruise, there is a copy of a letter MSC Cruises USA seems to have sent to travel agents.  They are offering changes or deferrals of Mediterranean cruises in March and April.  Might be worth having a conversation with your agent for an update on policy.  It isn't on the MSC Canada site, and I haven't heard back yet from my TA whether they have been informed of the same.  I know the info is 3rd hand, but it seems there is change afoot, so worth biding time before cancelling.

Could you please post that letter? Thank you.

[Homosassa]

3 hours ago, travelberlin said:

May I ask how old are you and your husband? Are you sailing in the Caribbean? Would you still go if your cruise were in Italy.

69 (me), 73 (husband).

 

Yes, in the Caribbean to many of the same ports that the Meraviglia just had problems with.

 

Cruise to Italy - absolutely.

[mef_57]

1 hour ago, gotcha3 said:

Can you please post a link to that letter? Thank you, g3

 

 

34 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Could you please post that letter? Thank you.

I know it may be frustrating, but it is on a closed FB page and it wasn't directed to me, so I don't feel comfortable posting it.  It also is only the cover letter to the agents, and the details that are to be provided to cruisers is not provided.  Thus the reason I recommended discussing with your agent.   It covers several topics related to increased health measures, references the Caribbean situation this week, but the part that would be relevant is:

Given the extraordinary circumstances, all guests who are booked on Mediterranean cruises in March and April 2020 will have the possibility to postpone their cruise or change their cruise to one in a different region sailing within the next 12 months.

Again, this would be better discussed with your agent for the full picture.

EDIT: to give credence to the letter, it is signed:

Best regards,
Ken Muskat
EVP & COO, MSC Cruises USA

Edited February 28, 2020 by mef_57
additional information.