Anyone cancelling their cruise?

[ALD18]

Pick a media outlet this morning and check out the proposals.  Nothing overly shocking or unexpected.  Premiers weighed in with their piece of the pie and feds to make an announcement on actual changes relatively soon after considering that information.  Wait and see.................

[1kaper]

16 hours ago, K_e_short said:

 

Why would you want to test yourself if you have no symptoms?

Then you'd have to get a PCR test, wait for the results, and then deal with being off work as you recover.

If you have a great sick leave plan then great, but otherwise you aren't going to get paid.

 

With omicron you then have to get your close contacts to test and self isolate until their tests come back.

 

Outside of travelling and wanting to make sure you don't have Covid, unless you have symptoms no one is going to test.

 

My son brought home the free school antigen tests. He'll be using them before we test to fly to the U.S.

Honestly otherwise I would not be testing him.

 

I answered my reasons  - my kid or I have had symptoms that meant we should stay home from school or work.  Our school policy is if there is one of the list of symptoms present, test with the antigen test.  If cough or another major one, along with a secondary one, they have to get a PCR test before coming to school.  The only time I have tested without having symptoms is after I have been somewhere where I may have been exposed - like when I travelled.  Because even if I have no or mild symptoms, I don't want to bring it to my parents. 

But my workplace does have good sick leave. We DO want people to stay home.  Part of the reason of self testing is to (hopefully) detect the virus early and have people stay home so it doesn't spread here.  
Although here, only the person waiting for the PCR test results has to isolate.  They wait for the PCR test to come back to make sure it isn't a false positive before getting people to isolate.  We've had two false positives so far.  Luckily we have a good relationship and the tests come back quickly. 

But I suspect many feel as you do, which is why uptake in the testing is so low. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by 1kaper

[1kaper]

1 hour ago, ALD18 said:

Pick a media outlet this morning and check out the proposals.  Nothing overly shocking or unexpected.  Premiers weighed in with their piece of the pie and feds to make an announcement on actual changes relatively soon after considering that information.  Wait and see.................

See usually Friday afternoon...

 

(these decisions affect my workplace and they all seem to come late Friday afternoon which leaves us scrambling to make changes needed)

[ALD18]

Late Friday announcements take some of the heat off of bad news.  People don't pay as much attention to news at that time and gives announcements "the weekend" to settle down.  Supposedly some further provincial announcements here in Ontario later Wednesday.  The federal decision making process make take a while longer to announce, conveniently late Friday afternoon😉

[1kaper]

4 minutes ago, ALD18 said:

Late Friday announcements take some of the heat off of bad news.  People don't pay as much attention to news at that time and gives announcements "the weekend" to settle down.  Supposedly some further provincial announcements here in Ontario later Wednesday.  The federal decision making process make take a while longer to announce, conveniently late Friday afternoon😉

I assumed that but it is frustrating when those announcements mean you have to make big changes. 

[nissach]

On 12/5/2021 at 9:19 AM, Sistersinlaw said:

We are booked for Dec 26 Carnival Freedom Caribbean cruise. Our kids are nervous about going on the cruise now (16, 15 and 12 years old).  We are debating what to do, is anyone canceling? If canceling, are you getting refunds?

We are not scheduled to cruise until March 2022.  This is the 3rd booking for the same cruise.  As of now we are not cancelling and if the cruise line is still cruising we are going.  Flights are booked, cruise is paid for and damn it I want a holiday!!  😁

[ALD18]

Totally agree, and then have to adapt again in a few days.  The hardest part of these travel advisories and changes is how and/or when to pull the plug on your plans.

[nissach]

On 12/5/2021 at 11:10 AM, thon said:

Our Celebrity cruise is not until March 28 and final payment is not until Jan 27.  With the topsy-turvy and constantly changing airlines schedules we have not yet booked our flights.  And with the recent changes to both Canada and US border requirements we are not ready to make any decisions yet.  And who knows what might happen next.  BUT we really want to go on this cruise - we missed our 30th anniversary one in 2020.

I am with you.  We missed our 25th anniversary cruise in March 2020.  Rebooked it again for March 2021, again cancelled.  Now it is rebooked again for March 2022.  Our cruise is fully paid for and flights are booked.  Fingers crossed.

[ALD18]

I'd be really looking hard at cancelling anything through January 2022 as I think that is cutting things close in regards to the global communities responses to Omicron, not just Canada, let alone all the bureaucracy of getting to and from the cruise.   I think by February/March the scientific and medical community will have things back under control on how to handle Omicron effects and treatments.  But one never knows how things will shake out at this time. 

[tafawke]

We are supposed to travel on Saturday (7.40am) to New Orleans to cruise on Sunday... a Friday announcement will make things awkward... we have Manulife Cancellation and Interruption insurance that will cover us if we don't go, but ... my biggest concern is that they close borders to non residents and non-essential foreign workers... if we go and they make that change I hope that the fact I am married to a Canadian and they acknowledge my application for PR is pending (since Jan 2021) and they will let me return... 

 

[K_e_short]

2 hours ago, 1kaper said:

 

I answered my reasons  - my kid or I have had symptoms that meant we should stay home from school or work.  Our school policy is if there is one of the list of symptoms present, test with the antigen test.  If cough or another major one, along with a secondary one, they have to get a PCR test before coming to school.  The only time I have tested without having symptoms is after I have been somewhere where I may have been exposed - like when I travelled.  Because even if I have no or mild symptoms, I don't want to bring it to my parents. 

But my workplace does have good sick leave. We DO want people to stay home.  Part of the reason of self testing is to (hopefully) detect the virus early and have people stay home so it doesn't spread here.  
Although here, only the person waiting for the PCR test results has to isolate.  They wait for the PCR test to come back to make sure it isn't a false positive before getting people to isolate.  We've had two false positives so far.  Luckily we have a good relationship and the tests come back quickly. 

But I suspect many feel as you do, which is why uptake in the testing is so low. 

 

I wish we had access to rapid antigen tests and they were done on a regular basis.

 

I have gotten tests once and my husband has gotten tested once as well. We are excited to have tests to use over the holidays.

I'm angry at the system that allows people like the ones I mentioned above.

[maryann2]

21 hours ago, CSAU said:

Where can I buy those take home tests (preferably online)?  

We have a 16-year-old and we want to test him on Friday (when school winter break starts) to give us enough time to cancel car rental/hotel prior to our departure on Monday (will still do the formal 24-hour prior test on Sunday).  

I would also like to take whole bunch with us and to self test after getting off the cruise since we still have few days on land in Florida prior to return (to get quarantine process started early if need be). 

I purchased some yesterday through Canadian Shield. $49 plus tax and postage for a pack of 5.

BC is not supplying these kits for free until sometime in January and I want family to test before we get together over Christmas.

Not sure that you would get them for next Monday though. I paid for express postage but my order is still being processed which might take a few days.

 

https://www.canadianshieldppe.ca/pages/rapid-tests

[GeriatricNurse]

23 hours ago, abby1257 said:

Our cruise is March 26...FPD is Dec 26 and at this point quite frankly...we don't know what to do.  Hear on the news in Ontario that the numbers seem to be doubling every 3 days and that in the new year could be heading towards 10,000 / day....WTH.......Is Carnival giving full refunds for those who are worried and want to cancel... Same with Air Canada.....our flight is a non refundable....but god....it would be nice if they offered SOMETHING BACK if one cancels due to this pandemic and the omicron ....ugh

 

A word to the wise is to ALWAYS book FULLY REFUNDABLE flights with Air Canada, (as well as fully refundable Cruise Deposits)! 😉

[tafawke]

1 minute ago, GeriatricNurse said:

A word to the wise is to ALWAYS book FULLY REFUNDABLE flights with Air Canada, (as well as fully refundable Cruise Deposits)! 😉

Great advice - but what to do when your trip starts in 3 days... I just keep running scenarios through my head... 

[Fouremco]

4 minutes ago, GeriatricNurse said:

A word to the wise is to ALWAYS book FULLY REFUNDABLE flights with Air Canada, (as well as fully refundable Cruise Deposits)! 😉

During the pandemic, I completely agree. But in "normal" times, we've not found it to be necessary, as our annual travel insurance policy covers most eventualities.

[CSAU]

We have decided to cancel our trip to Florida including the cruise due to the new travel advisory which will most likely void any travel insurance policy. 

It was a hard decision but the risks are just too great without any medical coverage. 

[Magicat]

We will cancel our Alaska cruise if the Canadian government cancels the cruise season for 2022 because of this new variant.  

[xcell]

8 hours ago, tafawke said:

Great advice - but what to do when your trip starts in 3 days... I just keep running scenarios through my head... 

I think I am inthe same boat (ship)... my cruise starts Sunday --- do I stay or do I go?  It says "all non-essential travel" -- I need this cruise, so it's essential to me 🙂

[Blackduck59]

1 hour ago, Magicat said:

We will cancel our Alaska cruise if the Canadian government cancels the cruise season for 2022 because of this new variant.  

Is there any indication that we would close our ports to cruise ships again? I find it interesting that the news keeps harping on about omicron spreading everywhere but no reports what so ever about how sever or deadly that it is or is not. Let's all take a breath and see how deadly this thing is. So far not very deadly. there comes a point when proper caution transforms to deep paranoia. I think our PM is millimeters away from that transition.

[broberts]

55 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Is there any indication that we would close our ports to cruise ships again? I find it interesting that the news keeps harping on about omicron spreading everywhere but no reports what so ever about how sever or deadly that it is or is not. Let's all take a breath and see how deadly this thing is. So far not very deadly. there comes a point when proper caution transforms to deep paranoia. I think our PM is millimeters away from that transition.

 

There are no reports on severity or deaths in N.Am. simply because they lag infections by a few weeks. While data out of SA indicate relatively good outcomes, a number of epidemiologists have pointed out that there are significant local differences in population age distribution and risk factors.

 

If we wait to see how severe the new variant will be, it will be far to late to easily get it under control.

 

Frankly I'm sick and tired of the it's not that serious trope. It simply is not true for a significant portion of the population and has contributed to the continuing yoyo of mitigation practices.

 

We have a couple of months yet before the Canadian cruise season gets underway. Given how quickly conditions can change I don't think it worth worrying about until sometime in the new year.

[Magicat]

8 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Is there any indication that we would close our ports to cruise ships again? I find it interesting that the news keeps harping on about omicron spreading everywhere but no reports what so ever about how sever or deadly that it is or is not. Let's all take a breath and see how deadly this thing is. So far not very deadly. there comes a point when proper caution transforms to deep paranoia. I think our PM is millimeters away from that transition.

No, right now there is no signs that there will be any change in cruises in Canadian waters and I hope it stays that way.  But with the how our government is acting currently and in the past, I would not dismiss them imposing the ban again for next year.  

We are not cancelling at this time, however, we will wait and watch very closely. 

[Fouremco]

10 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Is there any indication that we would close our ports to cruise ships again? I find it interesting that the news keeps harping on about omicron spreading everywhere but no reports what so ever about how sever or deadly that it is or is not. Let's all take a breath and see how deadly this thing is. So far not very deadly. there comes a point when proper caution transforms to deep paranoia. I think our PM is millimeters away from that transition.

Mr. Spock says that it would be illogical to have an advisory to avoid all cruise ship travel outside of Canada, while at the same time welcoming cruise ships back to Canadian ports at the beginning or end of their cruises outside Canadian waters. Consequently, the re-introduction of the ship ban would be logical and consistent with other decisions based on the GOC's medical concerns. However, the potential financial losses for the East and West coast tourist industries and the pressure exerted by the provinces may well stay the feds' decision in this regard, logic be damned.

[broberts]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

Mr. Spock says that it would be illogical to have an advisory to avoid all cruise ship travel outside of Canada, while at the same time welcoming cruise ships back to Canadian ports at the beginning or end of their cruises outside Canadian waters. Consequently, the re-introduction of the ship ban would be logical and consistent with other decisions based on the GOC's medical concerns. However, the potential financial losses for the East and West coast tourist industries and the pressure exerted by the provinces may well stay the feds' decision in this regard, logic be damned.

 

Government logic is not always apparent or consistent. 😀

 

Our ability to mitigate transmission has improved since the last ban was put in place. The economic pressure may be enough to open the ports with serious restrictions. Masks, boosters, cruise line excursions only, etc.

[lots-of-km2]

Not thinking of cancelling cruises as they're too far off (late April and December 2022) and the rules will shift for sure by then, but I did call Sunwing to inquire about the penalties involved in cancelling a short (land-based) vacation in January because of yesterday's Federal announcement on non-essential travel. The customer service rep must have had a heck of a day already, because less than a minute into our conversation, she started ranting about government interference in peoples' vacations and lives. First time I've ever gotten politicized customer service.  I was dumbfounded. 

 

I didn't want to get ideological during the call, and I don't now on these boards, just wanted to share an anecdote on how frayed people are getting with the uncertainty and 'whiplash' of constantly changing rules.  Also, T.I.L. that Sunwing's cancellation terms seem to be much harsher than those of Air Canada Vacations. 

Edited December 16, 2021 by lots-of-km2

[DirtyDawg]

32 minutes ago, lots-of-km2 said:

Not thinking of cancelling cruises as they're too far off (late April and December 2022) and the rules will shift for sure by then, but I did call Sunwing to inquire about the penalties involved in cancelling a short (land-based) vacation in January because of yesterday's Federal announcement on non-essential travel. The customer service rep must have had a heck of a day already, because less than a minute into our conversation, she started ranting about government interference in peoples' vacations and lives. First time I've ever gotten politicized customer service.  I was dumbfounded. 

 

I didn't want to get ideological during the call, and I don't now on these boards, just wanted to share an anecdote on how frayed people are getting with the uncertainty and 'whiplash' of constantly changing rules.  Also, T.I.L. that Sunwing's cancellation terms seem to be much harsher than those of Air Canada Vacations. 

We have a Caribbean AI booked through Sunwing leaving later this month. When we booked it in the summer Sunwing had a full refund policy up to 3 days before departure. We might be putting that to the test in the next week if we decide to cancel.