What to do re. cruising and the Covid-19 crisis?

[SpeedySal]

Are we, as senior cruisers, quite mad to be even considering cruising anywhere at the moment with Costa (or any other cruise line for that matter) - the Med, the Caribbean, the Baltic, Northern Europe etc.  - given the changing situation re. coronavirus in Italy, Europe and worldwide?
 

I have read various opinions on other posts here but would like to know more views, please. Any comments will be most gratefully welcomed.

 

[dritan]

Have you booked?  If you haven't then I would wait a few months to see how this pans out. 

I have a cruise next month and would love the decision to be taken out of my hands and get a refund ( or even a voucher to book another time).

 

Personally I'm very healthy but I work with someone with heart issues and my other colleague is pregnant with underlying Diabetes issues.  SO I'd have to quarantine myself for two weeks after returning.  I suspect my daughter's school would take a similar approach which is worse. 

 

I really love Italy - it's my favourite country to visit and I really enjoy the Italian cruise experience.  Rightly or wrongly, everyone's focus right now is on Italy and it's rate of infection.  

 

So yes, would definitely wait it out for two months if you haven't booked. 

[SpeedySal]

Thank you very much for your reply. This was going to be our big year for cruises and we have three in the pipeline. We adore Italy and the Italians and we really have loved sailing with Costa and we are heartbroken for Italy right now.

 

I truly hope that you will get given the chance by Costa to at least postpone your cruise with some sort of credit voucher. You are in a difficult position and clearly being very responsible re. work colleagues and family. I hope and pray that others, including ourselves I may add, will also act responsibly and play their part for society.

 

We have to pay the balance on our first cruise pretty soon so it is coming to crunch time.  We don’t want to pay if we don’t think we’ll take the risk - and it is a risk, isn’t it?

[tenpin]

AS senior cruisers I would cancel now & lose just £50 each (unless that has changed now) we are more libel to problems with this virus than younger guests.

 

This is becoming a major outbreak & you will not enjoy cruising  wondering if you will catch it or it will occur while on board.

[SpeedySal]

Hello Tenpin

Thank you so much for your reply. I think you have just confirmed what we have been thinking, that we will have to cancel as it is too big a risk to take for older people. Very disappointing but you are right, how can you relax and enjoy a cruise if you are constantly on edge and worrying?

We will have to see what unfolds and it does not look very promising so suspect our number 2 cruise will not be taken either. So disappointed though.

 

 

[dritan]

I would cancel if your cruise is anytime before July and you aren't at final payment yet.  

We have a Med Carnival cruise at the end of July so will make a decision  just before final payment date around 29th April.

Good luck.

[maryann2]

Our Health Minister has advised us to stop cruising.

 

Avoid cruises, says health minister | CTV News

[SpeedySal]

Dritan, yes I think we have decided to cancel our first cruise and will probably cancel the second before payment due date. Thank you again.

Maryann, very kind of you to post the link. Many thanks, I appreciate this very much and it helps with our decision to put off cruising for the next few months.

Our thoughts and prayers are for Italy right now.

[dritan]

Glad you've reached your decision.  I've email UK Costa to see if there can be any refund as I'm over 30 days until the cruise.  We shall see what they say.

[Plan B]

9 hours ago, dritan said:

Glad you've reached your decision.  I've email UK Costa to see if there can be any refund as I'm over 30 days until the cruise.  We shall see what they say.

Have you booked direct with Costa?  We are through Logitravel.  My daughter is point blank refusing to go - she loves cruising to all the different places but doesn't really enjoy being onboard the ship.  I am half-hoping that Costa will take away the decision and cancel the cruise.  Could you please let me know how Costa respond?  Thanks

[Tripi23]

We’re due to be going on costa cruise departing Barcelona on 6th April For 8 nights and going to 3 destinations in Italy (Savona, pisa and rome).  Have been back and forth with Costa.  Currently they have frozen the 25% cancellation fee until next Monday, but I fear if Italy does not change its policy Costa will try and go ahead with the cruise.  Which seems insane seeing as currently all the places that were the reason we booked (leaning tower of Pisa, Sistine chapel, colleseum etc etc) are currently closed to the public!

 

I understand it is an ever changing situation but my elderly father (in his 80s with pre existing heart condition) obviously does not wish to go on this cruise now as it is too risky.  I tried explaining to Costa that the Italian government has advised the elderly to stay indoor and avoid social events so I find it hard to imagine that they think it is acceptable for him to basically sit on a ship for 4 days and not see any of Italy?  This is not the trip that any of us have signed up for!

 

And to top it all off if we cut our losses and cancel and get charged 25% of cruise, and Costa then decide to cancel it anyways we won’t get that money back.  Hard to know what to do for the best workout losing a fortune!!

[dritan]

I agree.  I've not had a response to my email, so I've chased today.  Unfortunately, I'm not in a position use the telephone number as I can't be on hold On Mon to Friday due to work commitments.  But I'm coming close to the 30 day period so need an answer.

I think I'm just seeing it as a bonus if I get any of my money back at this point ( we're fully paid).  Costa, like Easyjet and Ryanair are definitely putting profit above customer service.  How the likes of Easyjet and Ryanair are allowed to "force" customers to still fly to lockdown areas such as Milan rather than cancelling completely is shocking.  

I think our FCO are not doing enough to give firm direction to these companies.  The wishy washy approach is only damaging passengers' pockets and not big companies. 

Edited March 9, 2020 by dritan
grammar

[Tripi23]

I even asked Costa if we could rebook for later in year or next year and was told no which is surprising as Carnival (which costa is a subsidiary of) have completely different policies in place to help customers avoid going to places of risk.

 

It also doesn’t make any sense that different countries are having completely different rules.  US says not to cruise and ALL of Italy should be avoided unless essential. UK happy for people to go there as long as it not in lockdown zone?!  Makes no sense.  Savona is only about 90km away from these areas?!

 

If they can guarantee that my 80 year old father will come back without the corona virus and alive, then fair enough.  Also I would like a guarantee that I am not going to be stuck on a ship quarantined for 2 weeks because the decision to cancel has been taken out of my hands due to financial burden cancelling would incur. 

[Tripi23]

I even asked Costa if we could rebook for later in year or next year and was told no which is surprising as Carnival (which costa is a subsidiary of) have completely different policies in place to help customers avoid going to places of risk.

 

It also doesn’t make any sense that different countries are having completely different rules.  US says not to cruise and ALL of Italy should be avoided unless essential. UK happy for people to go there as long as it not in lockdown zone?!  Makes no sense.  Savona is only about 90km away from these areas?!

 

If they can guarantee that my 80 year old father will come back without the corona virus and alive, then fair enough.  Also I would like a guarantee that I am not going to be stuck on a ship quarantined for 2 weeks because the decision to cancel has been taken out of my hands due to financial burden cancelling would incur. 

[dritan]

It's incredibly disheartening.  I'm equally gob smacked by the laid back approach to British based flights being allowed to fly back and forth to the Red Zone in Italy.  Meaning poor folks who want to cancel their flights can't as they would lose out financially. 

 

The fact is that in a few weeks time, schools and workplaces in the UK could be shut/enforcing WFH policies - so the other part of me is considering not cancelling and just taking the ship - as my daughter could be off school anyway and I could be WFH like everyone else when I get back.

 

Decisions decisions. 

[Tripi23]

Whole of Italy now in lockdown so hopefully this will force Costa to make a decision!!

[dritan]

I've just seen that on the news.  According to BBC News, cruise ships will not be able to dock at ports .

[sfvacation]

4 hours ago, dritan said:

I've just seen that on the news.  According to BBC News, cruise ships will not be able to dock at ports .

 

[sfvacation]

With Italy's closing its borders, would costa be forced to cancel cruise and refund us.  Can't figure out how to get ahold of them. Waited on hold for hours.  I'm supposed to fly to Rome on 4/6 and cruise from Venice on 4/12.  If I cancel by tomorrow I can get 50% back but trying to decide if I should gamble and hope they cancel and refund..

[Bobbingbob]

Has anyone been able to find out yet which Italian ports will be shut to cruise ships or does this actually mean ALL Italian ports will be shut?

Costa really needs to get some info out there ASAP. Lagging well behind other cruise lines on clear policy here. 

[Tripi23]

The whole of Italy is on lockdown.  They surely can’t dock in any of the ports as passengers would not be allowed leave the ship.  Therefore the cruise is not what was advertised.  Surely they have to cancel.

 

sfvacation - I think all airports are on lockdown too so I think your flight is probably cancelled.  
 

I call the UK number of 0800.3890622 and usually only wait about 10 mins on hold to speak to someone 

[Tripi23]

Costa’s PR/relations team clearly work limited hours as they have not updated their advice since 6th March on Uk website! 
 

https://www.costacruises.co.uk

[Bobbingbob]

Yes, I think you are probably correct about all the ports refusing disembarkation but what about nany Italians onboard? I suppose the situation will become clearer as the day progresses. Let’s hope Costa update asap.

[Bobbingbob]

PS that is if any Costa employees can get to work.......

[Tripi23]

My cruise doesn’t leave until 6th April but I can’t see anything in Italy changing before then and current lockdown doesn’t have an end date.  I bet Costa will still try and say the cruise is going ahead.  We have until Monday to cancel but don’t want to pay them as I think they should be cancelling it and we should be getting full refund!! I hope they make a clear policy as forcing my hand to pay a huge amount would put me off every travelling with them again!