Coronavirus Updates

[Beachmomm]

Hi All! Any thoughts about on the new travel restrictions and now cases in the US ~ are these cruises going to start canceling and do you think we’ll get our money back?  

[littlelulu01]

If the cruise line cancels they are obligated to refund the fares.  If we cancel during 100% penalty phase for fear of virus and don’t have CAFR insurance we don’t get our $ back.  We will however get our taxes and port fees, DSC and any pre pays such as beverage and dining pkg grats, pre paid excursions, pre purchased  spa, internet... 

 

Alaska airlines announced they will waive change fees on tickets purchased after 2/27(not much help for those tickets purchased Pre 2/27/20). Ncl announcement on relaxation for name changes.. but only up to 60 days prior to sailing so not much help for us sailing in the next few weeks.  
 

my independent insurance plan will allow me to credit the policy towards another trip within 2.5 years as long I do so prior to leaving for my upcoming sailing.  The policies themselves can be a good chunk of $ on the more expensive sailings so salvaging the policy is a benefit too. 

 

 

[Beachmomm]

5 minutes ago, littlelulu01 said:

If the cruise line cancels they are obligated to refund the fares.  If we cancel during 100% penalty phase for fear of virus and don’t have CAFR insurance we don’t get our $ back.  We will however get our taxes and port fees, DSC and any pre pays such as beverage and dining pkg grats, pre paid excursions, pre purchased  spa, internet... 

 

Alaska airlines announced they will waive change fees on tickets purchased after 2/27(not much help for those tickets purchased Pre 2/27/20). Ncl announcement on relaxation for name changes.. but only up to 60 days prior to sailing so not much help for us sailing in the next few weeks.  
 

my independent insurance plan will allow me to credit the policy towards another trip within 2.5 years as long I do so prior to leaving for my upcoming sailing.  The policies themselves can be a good chunk of $ on the more expensive sailings so salvaging the policy is a benefit too. 

 

 

Thank you so much for your informative response.  We did add on the insurance offered when booking via NCL.  Which independent insurance company do you recommend?  This is my first cruise and kids; husband and other family travelers cruised before.  So excited when we originally booked, but tough not to worry with everything going on now.  

[littlelulu01]

19 minutes ago, Beachmomm said:

Thank you so much for your informative response.  We did add on the insurance offered when booking via NCL.  Which independent insurance company do you recommend?  This is my first cruise and kids; husband and other family travelers cruised before.  So excited when we originally booked, but tough not to worry with everything going on now.  

Sorry but I’m by no means qualified to recommend travel insurance.  I’d recommend calling a broker such as Trip Insurance Store.Com.  Best of luck with your decisions! 
 

Adding- you should check and see what your current policy covers.  It might have something for CFAR. Some of Ncl’s policies do. 

Edited March 1, 2020 by littlelulu01

[Beachmomm]

9 minutes ago, littlelulu01 said:

Sorry but I’m by no means qualified to recommend travel insurance.  I’d recommend calling a broker such as Trip Insurance Store.Com.  Best of luck with your decisions! 
 

Adding- you should check and see what your current policy covers.  It might have something for CFAR. Some of Ncl’s policies do. 

Got it thanks again!!! 

[Vyhanek]

I think Coronavirus is on the ships.     I think its inevitable with so much of the crew being asian.    

 

Im just off the Pearl, cruising in the Caribbean.    There was a lot of coughing......a lot.   Is it Corona?    I don't know but there was something that swept the ship.   I wouldn't be surprised if in the next week or two its revealed that there is an issue.      Its going to be an issue with all ships who employ people from Asia.  

 

These employees worked the holiday busy season on the ships and then the ship lets a lot of them go on their yearly break in January because its less busy.    Now that it's late February they are returning back to the ships from their vacations back home.    I really wouldn't be surprised.

Edited March 1, 2020 by Vyhanek

[SAmome]

18 hours ago, littlelulu01 said:

Ncl announcement on relaxation for name changes.. but only up to 60 days prior to sailing so not much help for us sailing in the next few weeks.  
 

 

Wait, name change on pax in a cabin, not related to airfare?  If NCL has 60 days limit it's much more restrictive than other cruiselines.  Maybe this regards NCL air?

[Nn2036]

23 minutes ago, Vyhanek said:

I think Coronavirus is on the ships.     I think its inevitable with so much of the crew being asian.    

 

Im just off the Pearl, cruising in the Caribbean.    There was a lot of coughing......a lot.   Is it Corona?    I don't know but there was something that swept the ship.   I wouldn't be surprised if in the next week or two its revealed that there is an issue.      Its going to be an issue with all ships who employ people from Asia.  

 

These employees worked the holiday busy season on the ships and then the ship lets a lot of them go on their yearly break in January because its less busy.    Now that it's late February they are returning back to the ships from their vacations back home.    I really wouldn't be surprised.

  Were you concerned/panic during the trip when you saw all the coughing? I would go into panic mode. Just like everybody else, I am terrified of being quarantine. I think it is a sense of hopelessness that bother me the most. It is outside your control once you get on the ship.  If other passengers get sick, you are screwed and nothing you can do about it. 

[Beachmomm]

26 minutes ago, Vyhanek said:

I think Coronavirus is on the ships.     I think its inevitable with so much of the crew being asian.    

 

Im just off the Pearl, cruising in the Caribbean.    There was a lot of coughing......a lot.   Is it Corona?    I don't know but there was something that swept the ship.   I wouldn't be surprised if in the next week or two its revealed that there is an issue.      Its going to be an issue with all ships who employ people from Asia.  

 

These employees worked the holiday busy season on the ships and then the ship lets a lot of them go on their yearly break in January because its less busy.    Now that it's late February they are returning back to the ships from their vacations back home.    I really wouldn't be surprised.

Great point re workers back from vacation!  Hasn’t been brought up yet.  Also, with all the coughing, were they testing passengers?

[littlelulu01]

11 minutes ago, SAmome said:

Wait, name change on pax in a cabin, not related to airfare?  If NCL has 60 days limit it's much more restrictive than other cruiselines.  Maybe this regards NCL air?

 

[littlelulu01]

53 minutes ago, Vyhanek said:

I think Coronavirus is on the ships.     I think its inevitable with so much of the crew being asian.    

 

Im just off the Pearl, cruising in the Caribbean.    There was a lot of coughing......a lot.   Is it Corona?    I don't know but there was something that swept the ship.   I wouldn't be surprised if in the next week or two its revealed that there is an issue.      Its going to be an issue with all ships who employ people from Asia.  

 

These employees worked the holiday busy season on the ships and then the ship lets a lot of them go on their yearly break in January because its less busy.    Now that it's late February they are returning back to the ships from their vacations back home.    I really wouldn't be surprised.

You should definitely read Ncl’s travel advisory.  It outlines who and who is not/has not been allowed onboard.  Terrible idea to start assumptions based off zero facts.  IF there is community spread here in USA, see cdc for information on this, THeN ship staff can potentially get sick from us passengers.   With a highly contagious new virus with no known treatment, the status of the spread is evolving as we speak.  I live in Washington state.  I’ll Ask you same time next week if u want to stand in line with me in an enclosed room upon embarkation on a  ship. 

Edited March 1, 2020 by littlelulu01

[ColeThornton]

18 hours ago, Beachmomm said:

We did add on the insurance offered when booking via NCL.  Which independent insurance company do you recommend?  

 

Just an FYI but there is a really good CC forum for Cruise/Travel Insurance.   Tons of helpful info.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

[Beachmomm]

12 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

Just an FYI but there is a really good CC forum for Cruise/Travel Insurance.   Tons of helpful info.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

Perfect! Thanks so much for the link! 

[DAVLIB007]

NCL is not letting their workers on the ships who have traveled to Asia just as they are not letting the guest as well  . So no difference . Relax. Ships will probably be cleaner than ever before. Probably better than any Mall Restaurant etc. that you frequent every week

 

[Tutontow]

27 minutes ago, DAVLIB007 said:

NCL is not letting their workers on the ships who have traveled to Asia just as they are not letting the guest as well  . So no difference . Relax. Ships will probably be cleaner than ever before. Probably better than any Mall Restaurant etc. that you frequent every week

Well said.  I have no problem cruising.  Rest assured the cruise industry will do a great job of monitoring the situation.  IMHO a cruise ship will be one of the safest places to be.

27 minutes ago, DAVLIB007 said:

 

 

[Nn2036]

What worries me most is the asymptomatic passenger can still have virus. No way to screen for them. It is especially concern with recent cases in the US.

[Fartlek]

25 minutes ago, Tutontow said:

Well said.  I have no problem cruising.  Rest assured the cruise industry will do a great job of monitoring the situation.  IMHO a cruise ship will be one of the safest places to be.

 

The cruise industry will do a great job of monitoring-  Ya sure.  I like your optimism.  Good luck with that 

[Tutontow]

33 minutes ago, Fartlek said:

The cruise industry will do a great job of monitoring-  Ya sure.  I like your optimism.  Good luck with that 

Roughly 30 million passengers a year generating 120 billion dollars in revenue.  They have an awful lot to lose if they blow it on this one.

[Fartlek]

1 minute ago, Tutontow said:

Roughly 30 million passengers a year generating 120 billion dollars in revenue.  They have an awful lot to lose if they blow it on this one.

Don’t get me wrong. I like to cruise and I’m a fan of NCL but I do believe their profit margins may influence some decisions.  I would rather use my own judgment than let them tell me it safe.  

[zqvol]

21 hours ago, Beachmomm said:

Hi All! Any thoughts about on the new travel restrictions and now cases in the US ~ are these cruises going to start canceling and do you think we’ll get our money back?  

 

Your guess is as good as anyone else. But, if the cruise line cancels a cruise you can pretty  much be assured that they will give you a full refund, air and hotels not book through the cruise line will be up to you to deal with those providers.

[Tutontow]

1 minute ago, Fartlek said:

Don’t get me wrong. I like to cruise and I’m a fan of NCL but I do believe their profit margins may influence some decisions.  I would rather use my own judgment than let them tell me it safe.  

Oh, i'm a firm believer that when it comes down to it I and only I, am responsible for myself.  I'm not one of those people that relies on big government, big brother to change my diaper.

[Snowrose]

I'm glad to see that of the 10 people that NYC has tested for COVID-19 have 8 cases have come back negative. Two haven't come back yet.

 

As I watch all that's going on, I'm feeling better about things for our cruise. We start driving in 13 days, and so far it looks like the spread of the virus will be minimal at that time.

 

I do NOT think the ships have coronavirus. The two that did get it were Asian cruises that were stupid enough to pick up passengers from Asian hotspots.

 

My DH's dad was on a circle the Caribbean cruise these last 2 weeks. His Princess cruise returned a day early because they had a little over 100 passengers with norovirus. Even that isn't a really high number. I just hope he didn't get it.

 

People are coughing on cruises? At this point blame the flu and the common cold. With the coronavirus spread being in very specific communities so far, I think the current chances for encountering someone with coronavirus are probably about equal to winning a lottery. (This will of course change as time goes on, but we're doing really well in North America with people seldom getting dangerously sick.)

Edited March 1, 2020 by Snowrose

[mianmike]

35 minutes ago, Tutontow said:

Roughly 30 million passengers a year generating 120 billion dollars in revenue.  They have an awful lot to lose if they blow it on this one.

 

They already blew it.  The Diamond Princess coronavirus incident and sprinkle in a few noro incidents have made it such the cruise industry has some rehabilitating to do.  Thus the zealous (greater than overall stock market) cruise line stock sell-off.   

 

To rehab their imagine they need to stay out of the news.  I'm sure they are working hard. 

[jancl57]

18 hours ago, Vyhanek said:

I think Coronavirus is on the ships.     I think its inevitable with so much of the crew being asian.    

 

Im just off the Pearl, cruising in the Caribbean.    There was a lot of coughing......a lot.   Is it Corona?    I don't know but there was something that swept the ship.   I wouldn't be surprised if in the next week or two its revealed that there is an issue.      Its going to be an issue with all ships who employ people from Asia.  

 

These employees worked the holiday busy season on the ships and then the ship lets a lot of them go on their yearly break in January because its less busy.    Now that it's late February they are returning back to the ships from their vacations back home.    I really wouldn't be surprised.

We just returned from a 5 day Western Caribbean on the Pearl.  We honestly didn't notice anymore coughing then usual.  I wasn't concerned during the cruise.  Washed hands constantly. Used paper towels to open doors when leaving restrooms, etc.   I am, however, concerned about my next cruise which is out of Rome then end of May.

[Minoushka]

Cruise cough will be hard to distinguish from Corav at first ....you have to hope for the bestifyou are cruising but standing by until this settles iswise too 

hoping for cure soon