CDC Advisory for Italy

[bbtondo]

CDC Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel to Italy.  Do the right thing Oceania, and cancel the upcoming Med cruises  and give a complete refund.

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/coronavirus-italy

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by bbtondo

[susiesan]

State department level 4 now to affected areas of Italy. Could expand to the whole country:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/29/us-expands-iran-travel-restrictions-over-coronavirus-raises-advisory-for-regions-in-south-korea-and-italy.html

[StanandJim]

6 hours ago, bbtondo said:

CDC Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel to Italy.  Do the right thing Oceania, and cancel the upcoming Med cruises  and give a complete refund.

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/coronavirus-italy

 

You really can't expect more than a future cruise credit-

 

Refunds would put them out of business, do you want that?

 

[FolsomMike]

2 hours ago, StanandJim said:

You really can't expect more than a future cruise credit-

 

Refunds would put them out of business, do you want that?

 

Not necessarily..We had a two week tour of Italy booked with Perillo for late September 2001 and THEY called US two days after 9/11 and offered a full refund. We took it and later booked the same tour for the following year...Smart customer relations. 

[susiesan]

Here is the updated info from the State Dept:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/italy-travel-advisory.html

 

Reconsider travel to Italy due to a recent outbreak of COVID-19

Level 4 - Do Not Travel to:

• Lombardy and Veneto due to the level of community transmission of the virus and imposition of local quarantine procedures.

Cruises that go to Venice will be affected. No ending date given.

[Flatbush Flyer]

40 minutes ago, FolsomMike said:

Not necessarily..We had a two week tour of Italy booked with Perillo for late September 2001 and THEY called US two days after 9/11 and offered a full refund. We took it and later booked the same tour for the following year...Smart customer relations. 

You are comparing apples to oranges. Perillo is a travel agency while Oceania (or any cruise line) is a travel provider. The owner of property and/or equipment stands to lose far more in a cancellation than does a contracting representative.

 

In any case, as was just demonstrated by Oceania with its current Insignia and Nautica cruises in/around Eastern Asia, they will take measured steps to protect their customers, crew and business. For cruises O decided to cancel (after first doing itinerary port changes), its provided compensation of 100% cruise fare et al. of their booked services PLUS a 25% FCC and DIY air change fees (up to $300 pp) was very reasonable.

 

As for The Med, right now there are plenty of alternatives for itinerary changes before and during the upcoming cruises there. So, you can probably expect that before any wholesale cancellations. 

[LHT28]

4 hours ago, FolsomMike said:

Not necessarily..We had a two week tour of Italy booked with Perillo for late September 2001 and THEY called US two days after 9/11 and offered a full refund. We took it and later booked the same tour for the following year...Smart customer relations. 

Different circumstances

But they may not be doing tours  with the virus situation in Italy now  so the outcome of the refund might be the same

[StanandJim]

5 hours ago, FolsomMike said:

Not necessarily..We had a two week tour of Italy booked with Perillo for late September 2001 and THEY called US two days after 9/11 and offered a full refund. We took it and later booked the same tour for the following year...Smart customer relations. 

An apples to oranges comparison, I'm afraid.

 

Perillo does not (and never did)  own the hotels, busses or restaurants which they provide on their Tours.  They hire Guides on an as needed basis.  After 9/11, they might have been out of pocket for a cancellation fee or three.

 

For a Cruise Line, the heavily leveraged unused ships also have huge, extensively trained hotel staffs which cannot be sent packing without losing their expertise.  The crew must be fed and paid until the all clear is sounded.

 

Customer relations mean nothing if the Company ceases to exist.