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Your Next Cruise: Are you Having Second Thoughts Due to Fears of Pandemic?

Your Next Cruise: Are you Having Second Thoughts Due to Fears of Pandemic?

Old Mar 1, 2020, 9:35 am
  #76  
 
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Alaska

I have not priced it, but I have seen people are bragging about the low rates to Alaska they are getting on Celebrity Millennium (which had their planned Asia itineraries canceled and got rerouted to the West Coast).
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Old Mar 1, 2020, 9:37 am
  #77  
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I'm going to put a very small amount of money down (already placed on hold) on an expensive booking for a repo later in the year (been eyeing it for months). Cheap refundable deposit where the final payment is 90 days. Hopefully the cruiseco will cancel the sailing (seasonal repo to the region, really) and give FCC.

Depending on how things shape up, I am guessing the Caribbean and perhaps South America may end up oversaturated for the next Austral summer.
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Old Mar 1, 2020, 10:02 am
  #78  
 
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Yeah, Alaska is what I brought up (Oceania has a deal where you get all of their Olife perks - it's a pretty good deal - my main reason for not booking is that it's on the R class Regatta and I don't want to pay Oceania prices on that small a shower ;-) Also we just cruised Alaska in Sept 18 so it's not at the top of my list.
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Old Mar 2, 2020, 2:38 am
  #79  
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We'll hopefully board Celebrity cruises Eclipse on March 15 from Chile to California. "Hopefully" because airlines or cruise line might change their offerings or deny boarding if the virus spreads more in Europe (Germany for me) or in the US. I've also booked a cruise in July from Toronto. I will not change my private life based on risks due to Corona. I hope that with better weather in spring the virus will go away mostly and that soon there will be vaccines available.
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Old Mar 2, 2020, 10:02 am
  #80  
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Originally Posted by ralfkrippner
We'll hopefully board Celebrity cruises Eclipse on March 15 from Chile to California. "Hopefully" because airlines or cruise line might change their offerings or deny boarding if the virus spreads more in Europe (Germany for me) or in the US. I've also booked a cruise in July from Toronto. I will not change my private life based on risks due to Corona. I hope that with better weather in spring the virus will go away mostly and that soon there will be vaccines available.
Great Lakes on a small ship?
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Old Mar 2, 2020, 11:57 am
  #81  
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:-) St. Lawrence up to Newfoundland on a small expedition ship
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Old Mar 2, 2020, 2:51 pm
  #82  
 
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Exclamation Royal Caribbean coronavirus policy loophole

@RoyalCaribbean can know if a pax is via/from #COVID areas within 15d by passport stamps, but HK, KR et al. use landing slips stapled into passport on entry, removed on exit, leaving no evidence. Their loophole endangers all passengers, crew, and downstream so I've cancelled my upcoming cruise.
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Old Mar 4, 2020, 3:02 pm
  #83  
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Will Cruise Companies Change Cancellation Policies?

So, my next cruise is not until December, and between now and August 21, I can cancel and get my deposit back. I know if there are any doubts in my mind about the safety of travel at that time, we are cancelling. A couple of questions are running through my mind:

1. Do you think it likely that cruise companies will extend cancellation deadlines to try to keep potential passengers engaged and tempted to cruise.

2. Is this going to get so bad that cruise companies are going to go bankrupt, and deposits will be lost?

My musing for the day, prompted by news that UA is cutting its international flights by 20%. Don't even know whether anyone will be flying into my destination by the time our cruise is scheduled to depart.
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Old Mar 4, 2020, 4:30 pm
  #84  
 
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Originally Posted by 747FC
2. Is this going to get so bad that cruise companies are going to go bankrupt, and deposits will be lost?
Seem unlikely to me. But then I thought it would be unlikely that Costco will run out of the toilet paper. And then today my wife just told me Costco ran out of water, toilet paper and sanitary wipes. So what do I know? LOL.

We have a upcoming cruise to Alaska in May and already paid off the balance. No plan to cancel yet.
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Old Mar 4, 2020, 4:43 pm
  #85  
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As of late last year, the weakest of the 3 large listed cruisecos appears to be Norwegian, as far as cash flow goes. Strongest is Carnival (highest cash position, and can cut dividends and stock buybacks by $2 bn p.a. if necessary). Royal Caribbean in between but appears to be stronger than Norwegian. As far as operating margins go, reverse is true (NCLH has the highest, CCL the lowest).

My exposure will only be $50 for a CCL line deposit (banking on cruise cancellation before final payment date).
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Old Mar 4, 2020, 5:22 pm
  #86  
 
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Answer

Originally Posted by 747FC
So, my next cruise is not until December, and between now and August 21, I can cancel and get my deposit back. I know if there are any doubts in my mind about the safety of travel at that time, we are cancelling. A couple of questions are running through my mind:

1. Do you think it likely that cruise companies will extend cancellation deadlines to try to keep potential passengers engaged and tempted to cruise.

2. Is this going to get so bad that cruise companies are going to go bankrupt, and deposits will be lost?

My musing for the day, prompted by news that UA is cutting its international flights by 20%. Don't even know whether anyone will be flying into my destination by the time our cruise is scheduled to depart.
Some cruise lines have already begun to relax their cancellation policies--extending the time to get refunds closer to the sailing date. Having said that, most are only dealing with March and/or April right now. You're a long way out.

If you have any fear of cruise line bankruptcy (seems unlikely, but you never know) I would suggest you buy a third party travel insurance that covers supplier bankruptcy--there are many plans that do.
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Old Mar 4, 2020, 7:34 pm
  #87  
 
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Originally Posted by Richard Chen
@RoyalCaribbean can know if a pax is via/from #COVID areas within 15d by passport stamps, but HK, KR et al. use landing slips stapled into passport on entry, removed on exit, leaving no evidence. Their loophole endangers all passengers, crew, and downstream so I've cancelled my upcoming cruise.
a lot of people dont understand in most countries you can ask passport control NOT to stamp your passport... some people have reasons such as security... others just dont want it...
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Old Mar 4, 2020, 7:44 pm
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USA death linked to Domestic cruise: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...alifornia.html (San Fran to Mexico)
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Old Mar 6, 2020, 1:15 am
  #89  
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Originally Posted by 747FC
So, my next cruise is not until December, and between now and August 21, I can cancel and get my deposit back. I know if there are any doubts in my mind about the safety of travel at that time, we are cancelling. A couple of questions are running through my mind:

1. Do you think it likely that cruise companies will extend cancellation deadlines to try to keep potential passengers engaged and tempted to cruise.
.
Silversea just reported instituting a shorter cancellation window:

https://www.silversea.com/temporary-...&mid=129621158
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Old Mar 6, 2020, 8:29 am
  #90  
 
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Originally Posted by 747FC
Silversea just reported instituting a shorter cancellation window:

https://www.silversea.com/temporary-...&mid=129621158
Looks like not just Silversea. Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea are all doing this.
https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-...before-sailing

This is great for me. My next cruise is in May on Celebrity. Now I don't have to worry about it for a while. Just sit tight and see what happened.
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