to cancel or not

[ron746]

hi fellow cruisers, i was wondring with the uptic in covid cases in the U S do you think its going to be business as usual in January or are we going back to masks 

and restrictions like crowd numbers and testing?Just looking for general consensus while trying to decide if it might be worth cancelling before final payment in a few weeks

[Essiesmom]

I think it will stay business as usual.  EM

[JamieLogical]

I think the only thing I would worry about would be a full shut-down again. The post-COVID cruises I took with occupancy limits were the best cruises ever. I don't have the aversion to wearing a mask that some people do, though. My impression is that for some people, wearing a mask is akin to having bamboo shoots inserted under their fingernails?

 

With that all being said, both my husband and I got COVID for our first and only times on cruises once the capacity limits and mask mandates were lifted. I got COVID on the Celebrity Equinox in May of 2022 and my husband got COVID on the Emerald Process over last Christmas/New Year's. I would still do both cruises with or without the restrictions.

[UPNYGuy]

It will be business as usual. COVID is here and never going away. 

[Cruiser933]

I personally doubt that cruise lines are going to bring back to restrictions like requiring testing and vaccinations. At most I could see mask mandates but only if there are a lot of cases on board. I also don’t see more generous cancellation policies or Voyager’s Club extensions coming back. I think those of us that are Covid cautious are going to have to make that decision on whether or not to make final payment not knowing what case numbers may be like in a few months.

[ron746]

thanks for your opinions,my problem is that i have a problem wearing masks

[odyssyus]

12 hours ago, ron746 said:

hi fellow cruisers, i was wondring with the uptic in covid cases in the U S do you think its going to be business as usual in January or are we going back to masks 

and restrictions like crowd numbers and testing?Just looking for general consensus while trying to decide if it might be worth cancelling before final payment in a few weeks

I'm betting no one on this board knows the answer to any of these questions and financial decisions should be made based upon your best judgement.

Edited September 3, 2023 by odyssyus

[JamieLogical]

5 hours ago, ron746 said:

thanks for your opinions,my problem is that i have a problem wearing masks

 

Yeah, none of us is psychic, so this one is hard to predict. Even if there aren't industry-wide or fleet-wide mandates, during the restart, as mask restrictions were lifted, they could still be implemented on specific ships if numbers on that specific ship got too high. So there is just really no way for us to know if that could happen again. Cruise ships are tight quarters and they can't afford for many crew members to be sick at one time, so mask requirements are one tool in the toolbelt to mitigate the risk if numbers creep up. For people who are comfortable wearing masks, we can proceed without much concern, but for people who really just can't stand them, it might be better to plan some other form of vacation, if this possibility is a major concern.

[jean87510]

If masks mandates are brought back my hope (note the word hope) is that I will be compensated for cancelling as I refuse to vacation or go about my daily business wearing a mask.  

[MsTabbyKats]

14 hours ago, ron746 said:

hi fellow cruisers, i was wondring with the uptic in covid cases in the U S do you think its going to be business as usual in January or are we going back to masks 

and restrictions like crowd numbers and testing?Just looking for general consensus while trying to decide if it might be worth cancelling before final payment in a few weeks

I have 3 cruises booked for 2024.  My husband refuses to wear a mask, just because it's annoying.  I can't breathe in them, and talk with one on....so I just refuse to wear them unless absolutely necessary. As long as the ships sail, I'll be on them, with my nose and mouth exposed.

 

But to your question....covid is just part of our lives; like colds and like flu.  In my opinion, we won't go back to mandatory masking.  There will always be others that wear them...at their own descretion.

[brucevr6]

@MsTabbyKatsAgree with you, and have a T/A booked for March 2024. Hate wearing masks and when it comes time to make final payment in December will have to look at the tea leaves!! I think I would almost rather cancel than have to deal with mandates again, and being “scolded” or “instructed” like before. On the other hand, like everyone else we lost two years of travel opportunity, and time is ticking. Don’t have as much time to re-capture those opportunities as when I was younger. 

[ray98]

I say business as usual....Covid is her to stay and we can't hide from it or 'flatten' anything.

[Homosassa]

I also have a cruise booked for January.

 

My husband and I will be up to date with immunizations  for flu, the new covid booster when available, and thinking about the RSV shot.

 

We live in Florida and volunteer at a local state park so we will be exposed on a weekly basis to anything  visitors bring with them.

 

We do not plan on wearing masks, although we may pack a few for "just in case."