Swine Flu in Mexico, is it safe to go. (Merged Threads)

[Colo Cruiser]

We are also on Sapphire. We haven't seen much in the way of disgruntled passengers, which is nice. Glad Princess is looking out for the best interests of the passengers and crew.

 

We just rec'd a printout of the new itinerary:

 

Service call in Ensenada on Wed., San Diego 7 - 6 on Thurs., and Catalina 7 - midnight on Friday. LA Saturday.

 

 

Craig/Jack say Hi to CD Josh for me and the DW. :D

[Cruise Gypsy]

I am just curious if anyone on any of the upcoming cruises with possible changee itinerary purchased the Princess Insurance and they are planning to use the "Cancel for Any Reason" clause in the policy to reschedule for a later cruise that hopefully will be going to Mexico.

 

You will still be out 25% to 15% depending on your plan but is the Itinerary change enough to to take the hit.

 

Your thoughts.........:)

[akakii]

Hello all,:D

I've been enjoying reading posting for the last few days. I gained lots useful information to prepare for a first time cruise. I was looking forward for the trip and was very excited. After the news about the flu, I started thinking to cancel the trip. I have noticed how tone of posting has changed over 24 hours. Today people are more worried and concerned about their future cruises and I among them. I'm scheduled to sail this Saturday May/2. I spent nearly 90 mins with Princess rep on the phone but didn't get any positive result/solutions. I understand Princess is trying to do what they can but on the other hand they worry about their business not people. I asked them to make a fair deal. I asked them if I cancel, I'd like to get at least some refund (50% would work) or credit or something. Instead they are sticking to their only line. The cruise cancelation is your personal choice and fee is 100% the cost of the trip. I didn’t even mention that I’m gonna lose on airfare as well . Thank you for listening… ;)

[Sandytoes]

Understanding everyone's frustrations and disappointments, but all the cruise lines are doing the same thing not just Princess. They are all being very couscous and thinking of passenger safety.

I agree. Like Princess stated it's beyond their control.

 

Mexican ports of call aren't worth the risk.

 

I hope all those whose itinerary changed get over it and just plan on having a great time on your cruise.

[sartracker]

It is unfortunately beyond their control, no time for much warning like a hurricane. The only way the Cruise Lines would probably actually cancel/rebook or refund will be if it becomes mandatory and right now that doesn't seem likely. :(

 

It's interesting, the most clearheaded thing I've read that might help to contain this more quickly comes from SeattleCruiselovers (Karen's) area. Ira Longini, professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle suggests Social Distancing. He and his team have worked up computer models that suggest if done early enough (and the time to do it early enough is about over) and if you cut contact with people by at least 50% it can cut down the people made ill in an epidemic by half. More stringent measures cuts it down to two thirds. This means closing schools, people working from home, basically a self imposed quarantine of you and your family from parks, sports, etc. And staying about 3 - 6 ft. away from another person in public. And the report didn't say how long that would have to last.

 

Apparently every state has been required to submit a plan to the CDC that included some form of Social Distancing and antiviral medicine that would help slow the spread while others worked on getting a vaccine ready that would address the problem.

 

Of course that would really hurt the travel industry because the Government could make that type of thing mandatory, like they've done in Mexico City, and there would be no chance of continued cruises and just not stopping at certain ports and airlines wouldn't fly.

 

I don't think it will come to that but it's a scenario that has at least been thought of and planned for. But, it doesn't seem like it's at that level in the US yet.

 

Right now the people most at risk are the ones who have been exposed and are still within the time frame to get ill and if they don't know and are aboard an airplane, a cruise ship or at work in a huge office complex it could really spread this illness.

 

Not stopping at the ports for the cruise ships is a first step. Then they have to really monitor people, esp. staff because just like Norwalk, it only takes one sick person to slip under the radar screen for an illness to spread.

 

I'm really sorry for everyone affected by this, it's sad for a number of reasons and it's valid to be upset about your vacation being changed or in some cases ruined. I hope it's under control soon and that all the cruise lines (even though it's not their fault) will somehow be able to make their passengers feel better about a bad situation. :)

[californiagirl]

RCCL announced their revised itinerary today and their cruise leaves Long Beach the day after ours! According to their bulletin they are offering compensation or rebooking options. Even Carnival has offered refunds or rebooking for those affected by revised itineraries. These other cruiselines have had the same amount of time to deal with this situation and IMHO are handling it much better.

 

I have been a loyal Princess customer, but they are about to lose my business. We were going to book a European cruise while onboard. I'm not looking for OBC or any special compensation, just my money back so I can go play somewhere else.

 

I phoned Princess again late this afternoon and spoke with Tim, a customer service supervisor. He said it could be as late as Friday before they announce their changes! Completely unacceptable for a major corporation.

[lovesublime]

Please explain, is it a bad idea to have the medication if you are heading to Mexico before this gets all resolved (land or sea). What do you suggest if traveling even shortly after the warning is lifted? If we make it, we will be traveling with children. Is there a shortage on the medication? What is the better solution? Sorry about all the questions but I hope you can share your knowledge.

 

Thanks

 

 

It's just that there is only a limited supply of the antiviral meds. It really should be reserved for those who are actually sick. It's not a flu preventative. It does help reduce the severity if you do get sick. So, people who are hoarding the medication before they're actually sick are potentially hurting people who really need it.

[jetwet1]

This is my frustration: If they change to So. Cal ports this is a total change in cruise destination and I would like for Princess to give us the option to cancel or rebook another cruise. There are other options for us to take and I don't want to lose the money I spent on this cruise and pay for another vacation. I also do not want to have spent several hundred dollars and a week of valuable vacation time to stay in California! I live here. I could go to the Gaslamp district any day. I have been to Catalina several times before and there is not much to do there in the summer let alone when it is overcast and chilly. I understand that they are trying to make the best of this situation. If they were changing one port it would be one thing, but if we do a So. Cal coastal it is an entirely different trip.

 

I appreciate that some of you would enjoy a cruise to nowhere for a week. My husband and I do not enjoy that and we did not pay for that kind of cruise. I also appreciate that we are fortunate to be taking a vacation during this economy, but I worked hard for the money to pay for this trip and feel I have the right to be disappointed that it looks like it is not the trip I paid for!

 

I would like for Princess to communicate better any changes they are planning and offer the choice to passengers to cancel or rebook.

 

I had a whole thing typed out and ready to go, but you know what, yours summed it so well.

 

We will go on the cruise, we will have a good time and then we are done with Princess, I love sailing them, but right now I feel like I am being shafted and that means that they lose my future business.

[DrKubed]

I had a whole thing typed out and ready to go, but you know what, yours summed it so well.

 

We will go on the cruise, we will have a good time and then we are done with Princess, I love sailing them, but right now I feel like I am being shafted and that means that they lose my future business.

... ditto.

[jetwet1]

I just had a brief conversation with a friend from Florida who couldn't understand why I was not happy with the situation, so I explained it to her and she now understands why I am not a happy person.

 

The explanation goes like this and it may help the people who don't live in So Cal understand as well.

 

You board the ship in Ft Lauderdale, go out to sea, the next day you dock in Miami, board the ship, go to the Bahamas, but can't get off, back out to sea and the dock in West Palm Beach, back out to sea and then dock in Ft Lauderdale.

 

I can't tell you what her response was on her, but let's just say MF :rolleyes:

[RickEk]

This is my frustration: If they change to So. Cal ports this is a total change in cruise destination and I would like for Princess to give us the option to cancel or rebook another cruise. There are other options for us to take and I don't want to lose the money I spent on this cruise and pay for another vacation. I also do not want to have spent several hundred dollars and a week of valuable vacation time to stay in California! I live here. I could go to the Gaslamp district any day. I have been to Catalina several times before and there is not much to do there in the summer let alone when it is overcast and chilly. I understand that they are trying to make the best of this situation. If they were changing one port it would be one thing, but if we do a So. Cal coastal it is an entirely different trip.

 

I appreciate that some of you would enjoy a cruise to nowhere for a week. My husband and I do not enjoy that and we did not pay for that kind of cruise. I also appreciate that we are fortunate to be taking a vacation during this economy, but I worked hard for the money to pay for this trip and feel I have the right to be disappointed that it looks like it is not the trip I paid for!

 

I would like for Princess to communicate better any changes they are planning and offer the choice to passengers to cancel or rebook.

 

Maybe Princess is taking the easy way out here... the 5/2 voyage is the last of the season. The other lines have ships that do these itineraries year-round, so that makes it quite easy for them to offer to rebook passengers onto the same cruise sometime this summer. Would you want the option to rebook in the fall on the Sapphire?

[jetwet1]

sure that would work, but spending $9k to go an hour away from home isn't.

 

Well I guess we are now playing a waiting game to see what Princess is going to come up with.

[SeattleCruiselover]

It is unfortunately beyond their control, no time for much warning like a hurricane. The only way the Cruise Lines would probably actually cancel/rebook or refund will be if it becomes mandatory and right now that doesn't seem likely. :(

 

It's interesting, the most clearheaded thing I've read that might help to contain this more quickly comes from SeattleCruiselovers (Karen's) area. Ira Longini, professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle suggests Social Distancing. He and his team have worked up computer models that suggest if done early enough (and the time to do it early enough is about over) and if you cut contact with people by at least 50% it can cut down the people made ill in an epidemic by half. More stringent measures cuts it down to two thirds. This means closing schools, people working from home, basically a self imposed quarantine of you and your family from parks, sports, etc. And staying about 3 - 6 ft. away from another person in public. And the report didn't say how long that would have to last.

 

Apparently every state has been required to submit a plan to the CDC that included some form of Social Distancing and antiviral medicine that would help slow the spread while others worked on getting a vaccine ready that would address the problem.

 

Of course that would really hurt the travel industry because the Government could make that type of thing mandatory, like they've done in Mexico City, and there would be no chance of continued cruises and just not stopping at certain ports and airlines wouldn't fly.

 

I don't think it will come to that but it's a scenario that has at least been thought of and planned for. But, it doesn't seem like it's at that level in the US yet.

 

Right now the people most at risk are the ones who have been exposed and are still within the time frame to get ill and if they don't know and are aboard an airplane, a cruise ship or at work in a huge office complex it could really spread this illness.

 

Not stopping at the ports for the cruise ships is a first step. Then they have to really monitor people, esp. staff because just like Norwalk, it only takes one sick person to slip under the radar screen for an illness to spread.

 

I'm really sorry for everyone affected by this, it's sad for a number of reasons and it's valid to be upset about your vacation being changed or in some cases ruined. I hope it's under control soon and that all the cruise lines (even though it's not their fault) will somehow be able to make their passengers feel better about a bad situation. :)

 

And now we know why UW is the number 1 medical school in the country (and everyone always thought it was Hahvahd). :) Unfortunately for those of us who can't telecommute (think we can have patients come and see us at home???) and who, by employer mandate, are not allowed to drive to work (have to take SRO buses that are at 2+ times capacity during rush hours), social distancing isn't going to be much of an option. While we don't have any confirmed cases in WA yet, we saw about five yesterday who were swabbed Strain A positive, had Mexico connections, and are just waiting for the state lab to confirm yes or no on the cultures. And every third call to my triage desk is from someone who is sure that they have the swine flu or are demanding Tamiflu for their pleasure trip to Mexico (we are NOT giving scripts for the drug, per CDC and local health department recommendations).

[LegalEagle2012]

I cannot believe that I have just been into a store in my local High Street in the UK and have the person behind the counter say how unwell he was feeling.

 

His assistant then said that he had just returned from a holiday in Mexico and had flu symptoms!!! I was totally flabbergasted - he is working behind a counter dealing with hundreds of members of the public each day. He was obviously unwell but chose to go into work and spread his germs around.

 

OK he may only have a cold etc - but surely the fact that he has just got back from Mexico should make him just a little cautious?

 

K

[SeattleCruiselover]

I cannot believe that I have just been into a store in my local High Street in the UK and have the person behind the counter say how unwell he was feeling.

 

His assistant then said that he had just returned from a holiday in Mexico and had flu symptoms!!! I was totally flabbergasted - he is working behind a counter dealing with hundreds of members of the public each day. He was obviously unwell but chose to go into work and spread his germs around.

 

OK he may only have a cold etc - but surely the fact that he has just got back from Mexico should make him just a little cautious?

 

K

 

Unfortunately, as we all know, many people don't even give that the tiniest bit of a thought, either because they think they "won't survive" (i.e. pay the bills, etc) if they don't go to work every day, or are just too self centered to think about the big picture and how others might be effected. Sad, but true.

 

And then there is this from one of our local news outlets:

 

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_042809HEB_demand-growing-tamiflu-JM.11d3948a7.html

 

Kind of goes along with my post before this one.

[rcacace]

Unfortunately, as we all know, many people don't even give that the tiniest bit of a thought, either because they think they "won't survive" (i.e. pay the bills, etc) if they don't go to work every day, or are just too self centered to think about the big picture and how others might be effected. Sad, but true.

 

And then there is this from one of our local news outlets:

 

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_042809HEB_demand-growing-tamiflu-JM.11d3948a7.html

 

Kind of goes along with my post before this one.

 

Unfortunately that's the way it is with the way employers look at any time people take off from work due to being sick. There were many days when I went to work, only to spread around my cold because of the way my company tabulated the "occurrences" of sick days. Sure I could have taken a day off to recoup but if they really didn't seem to care, so why should have I. If I had gotten really sick later in the year I would have been denied my pay because of 2 days off previously for a cold. I didn't think so.

[Sandytoes]

Another reason to WASH THOSE HANDS!!!!

 

Eating under cooked pork

Not washing hands

can spread brain worms

 

http://media2.foxnews.com/112008/worm_tumor_700.wmv

[californiagirl]

Well I've had a good night's sleep and time away from the boards!;) Here is our plan, Door number 1: if Princess does the route of Mariner, heads north up the coast to Canada and back we will board and have a great time. (Those of you from the Pacific Northwest would have my sincere sympathies in that case.) Not the cruise we planned, but will make the most of it and probably book with Princess again for Europe. Door number 2: If they stay local I don't think we will go even if they refuse to refund our money. We will hop a plane for a destination resort. If door number 2 is the option without a refund then Princess will have lost our business. We really debated between the Sapphire and the Mariner for this trip. But loyaty to Princess won out, it was a know product and we didn't want to be disappointed. LOL!

 

I have to say I'm impressed by RCCL and will be booking a cruise on them in the future. Princess gets low marks for delay in decision making and poor communication.

 

Jetwet1 your comparison to a Florida cruise is right on! The only difference is that the weather in Florida is beautiful this time of year and the pools would be used. Our heater just came on and it is set for 67 which means it had to get to 65 degrees inside the house.

 

I am heading for work shortly and will be gone until tonight. Hopefully we will know something sometime today.

[STLCruiser09]

I had a whole thing typed out and ready to go, but you know what, yours summed it so well.

 

We will go on the cruise, we will have a good time and then we are done with Princess, I love sailing them, but right now I feel like I am being shafted and that means that they lose my future business.

 

 

I agree, I am a 6 time Princess cruiser and with the recent decision by Carnival to offer re-booking and NO WORD from Princess, I will NOT be cruising with Princess again. The lack of communication is sickening, I called them late last night and they told me as of 8pm Tuesday night the Sapphire itinerary STILL INCLUDES ALL MEXICAN PORTS, now what kind of crap is that!!! They cancelled P. Vallarta the day before!!, dont you think the Princess employees would know that we already heard about that. Why would they say our itinerary is still the same? I am very frustrated with Princess!!!!:confused:

[Woobstr112G]

I had a whole thing typed out and ready to go, but you know what, yours summed it so well.

 

We will go on the cruise, we will have a good time and then we are done with Princess, I love sailing them, but right now I feel like I am being shafted and that means that they lose my future business.

 

Very well put. I love princess too, and might do the same if I felt I was getting shafted. All have to realize the portion of the cruise contract that alows princess to deviate from the itinerary. I wouldn't sail the mexican rivera simply because I don't like it. IMHO it's just as boring as much of the Carribean. Cabo was the worst.

 

Bob

[caber]

I cannot believe that I have just been into a store in my local High Street in the UK and have the person behind the counter say how unwell he was feeling.

 

His assistant then said that he had just returned from a holiday in Mexico and had flu symptoms!!! I was totally flabbergasted - he is working behind a counter dealing with hundreds of members of the public each day. He was obviously unwell but chose to go into work and spread his germs around.

 

OK he may only have a cold etc - but surely the fact that he has just got back from Mexico should make him just a little cautious?

 

K

 

I think it is your duty to report this to someone. I don`t really know whom but the manager of the store would be the first step, then the local GP or NHS 24.

[californiagirl]

Just checked in with the RCCL board and the passengers on the 5/3 Mariner are now offered $250-350/per cabin onboard credit and $250-350 to for another cruise for the inconvenience of their itinerary change. Princess has a lot to live up to today!

[mrobinson]

I have a question regarding the OBC - since it is so large of an OBC - what happens if you don't spend it all while on the cruise - does it appear as a credit on your credit card?

 

Or if not spent on board - you lose it?

 

I might have to do a lot of drinking to spend all that OBC :)

[pjs9876]

I have been a loyal Princess cruiser for the past 5 cruises after trying Carnival, RCL, NCL, Celebrity, and Costa. I am having trouble wrapping my head around the idea that other lines are doing more for their passengers. I am still hoping that the announcement will give me options and that it will be made quickly. I am leaving tomorrow for my Saturday trip and still have no idea where I am going!

[jetwet1]

Now if Princess does that then we are all good, let's see what they say.

 

One of my employee's wife worked for Princess until last year, she is amazed at this whole thing.