747FC

Scanning the Cruise Meet-Up Thread, I see our community has a lot of planned travels. Anyone having second thoughts about getting on a cruise these days? Concerns about virus transmission or economic collapse due to a pandemic? Or, travelling to foreign lands? Paying a non-refundable amount which would not be covered by trip insurance just based upon one's fear of a pandemic?

We just returned from 11 days in Japan, wearing masks the entire time and wondering who was a risk to transmit a bug to us. Was a great trip, but not the totally relaxing vacation we had imagined.

Our next cruise is Buenos Aires to Santiago, with stops in South Georgia and Antarctica. Just visualizing the possibility of economic and political chaos in South America. Mrs747FC visualizing an infected person boarding our cruise and a boatload of people getting sick in Antarctica. We plan to go, but the concern is there.

Anyone else having concerns? Are you making changes to your plans?

mahasamatman

Not in the least. I just booked another cruise two days ago.

Randyk47

We just two weeks ago got off a cruise in the Caribbean so not in the target area. I can’t say we’re not happy to have gotten the cruise done just in case this grows and get worse. We’re both in health care, very aware of the situation, but not given to over reaction. As it is our next cruise isn’t unto the later part 2021 after Mrs. K graduates from her master’s course in July next year. The plan is a Baltic cruise with a stop in St Petersburg. Lots of time to let this situation evolve and hopefully resolve itself. Asia is interesting and on the bucket list but granted it has moved down the list a bit.

mahasamatman

We've experienced the overreactions, and won't fall victim to it ourselves. Back in 2009, we were on the Emerald Princess where one of the crew had contracted H1N1. Every port city delayed our debarkation, though Princess never told us anything about why were being delayed (other than to blame the port authorities) until the German authorities handed out pamphlets to all debarking passengers telling us about it. We found out because we had booked an independent tour, and they could tell us the truth without fear of repercussion. We were treated as pariahs in all the port cities. We still refer to the Emerald as the "plague ship".

gretchendz

Not at all. This year alone at least 12,000 Americans have died from the flu. No one bats an eye. It's like the difference between one plane crashing, which gets tons of attention versus thousands dying on the roads each year, which no one notices.
https://www.health.com/condition/col...u-die-from-flu

I'll keep traveling--and wash my hands obsessively

747FC

Not that it will stop your travel (or mine), but here is some comparative stats re Flu vs. WuFlu:

"Coronavirus Live Updates: Disease Is Roughly 20 Times Deadlier Than Seasonal Flu

Official figures from China suggest that the disease caused by the coronavirus has a fatality rate of at least 2.3 percent. In contrast, the flu�s fatality rate in the United States is 0.1 percent."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/w...gtype=Homepage

Hoyaheel

I'm definitely looking for some travel deals ;-) No cruises booked right now (I'm actually leaning toward a French barge cruise; husband not sure this is the year he wants to do that) My in-laws booked 2 cruises this year while we were on board our Caribbean cruise over the holidays but have since said they'll cancel. Pretty sure they said that before the Co-Vid 19 though - my FIL got pneumonia while we were cruising, and my MIL also got sick toward the end of the trip (not sure if she actually had pneumonia or not) So I don't think they feel they're healthy enough to deal with crowds anymore. Flights or cruise ships....Not sure they've *actually* cancelled the trips yet (Norwegian fjords over the summer and Panama Canal in Dec, I think)

gretchendz

747FC You are correct about that. I didn't say I planned to travel to China anytime soon Also, there is quite a bit of evidence the Chinese government botched the initial response, probably making the death rate worse.

But Europe, the U.S., Mediterranean, Europe, South America, etc. all seem pretty safe to me right now. I'm with @Hoyaheel about bargains. Besides, one can always buy "cancel for any reason" travel protection so if, as the travel date gets closer, if the spread looks frightening, one can cancel even if they are not sick.

pseudoswede

It's been interesting seeing more and more cabins open up on the Alaska cruise we're taking in about 3 months. Two weeks ago, we picked up the last three cabins in the mini-suite category available (guaranteed was still for sale, though). This week, there are probably 10-15 mini-suites still available for booking.

GUWonder

The quarantining on cruise ships has apparently been problematic and a mess-maker too. But would I exclude purchasing cruise travel everywhere due to the Wuhan coronavirus? Probably not, but I am really not in the market for multi-night cruises anyway. But being stuck for most of the day in a ship cabin room like a prisoner and then potentially subject to one 14-day quarantine period after another 14-day period (and so on for who knows how long), the Idea of taking a cruise becomes at least somewhat less popular.

clipper.fortune

We did a Baltic cruise on Emerald that same summer. I remember the Russians not letting us into St. Petersburg, then they relented and let us in after they took our temperatures. I am sure it was the almighty dollar that ultimately got us in. Great cruise. Excellent ports and nice ship. None of us ever got sick.

mahasamatman

Yours may have been the cruise after ours (ours was r/t Copenhagen 25 June-05 July). They didn't take our temperatures, but they did block the crew from going ashore, which made them pretty surly for the rest of the cruise.

ottiehund

We have a Baltic cruise booked for early May. I know it is not an impacted area for Coronavirus (although I am sure I did read there have been cases I think in Sweden and Russia?). At this point I am seriously thinking of not making the final payment and walking away with loss of our 10% deposit, but we now have only a few days to make that call before the final payment is due.

I read somewhere that it is 'new' cruisers who seem to be the group not making booking or cancelling, that is us, this would be the first cruise for my wife and I.

FlyerEC

Hope you do not cancel your cruise ottiehund

But choosing your flight ( s ) is important ! We are on our Baltic cruise in June as posted in Cruise Meetup thread .

Also will be in Armenia , Georgia , Germany and Greece in April / May .
Keeping fingers crossed & praying that all flights ok by then & countries not closing borders !!

Randyk47

Went to our local bar yesterday for our routine Friday night trivia contest. One of our players is a travel agent in the largest agency in town. She said they have had more cruise cancellations than new bookings, about 3 to 1 by her count.