Skoobdo

1 minute ago, floridian1 said:

i called our travel insurance company and we are still covered under a travel alert.

Good to know.  I don't use insurance so have no policy to reference. Since insurance companies are good at excluding so many things, I'm surprise they didn't add that to the exclusion list😁 

1 minute ago, HofstraJet said:

Wonder if Alitalia will refund airfare Paris - Palermo we booked to get on the cruise given the CDC warnings? Doubtful as its irrelevant to them, but will call and ask.

It's possible that you will be refunded if you fall under a country with a travel alert, because travel insurance will be voided if you travel anyway. That's how I look at it. Good luck!

33 minutes ago, Skoobdo said:

Probably because the CDC has designated Italy at Level 3 Essential Travel only country.

I'm quoting myself....

Also, the United States Department of State has raised the the Italy travel Alert Advisory to Level 3.  "Reconsider Travel"

Department of State - Reconsider Travel to Italy

12 minutes ago, floridian1 said:

oh wow US CDC is now level 3 - i guess i'm going to have to call the big online travel agency we booked from to see about what we can do - or can i call directly to msc? supposed to sail in 2 weeks

If you booked through a travel agency, call your agent.

1 minute ago, lovetoholiday said:

Interesting that they are offering USA passengers the choice to change their booking but not to passengers in the UK.  Nothing like that offered here yet.

Probably because the CDC has designated Italy at Level 3 Essential Travel only country.

30 minutes ago, Shippy said:

Sorry, no criticism intended. Only that I feel this virus is really all over the world now. Incredible that some positive people have no symptoms.

I do not feel we should stop our lives because of it. We leave on our Caribbean cruise this  Monday. Most of my friends feel we should cancel...which we won’t.

I guess that was my original point. If there are cruises out of Italy, Miami or anywhere else, you have no way of knowing who is infected.

We are very old so I feel if the cruise line feels ok to sail in any area that is OK with me.

I might have different point of view if I were younger.

Totally agree with you. If the cruise line goes ahead with the cruise, I'm in.  

I have no obligations since I'm retired, so if I miss some ports or possibly quarantined, so be it. I rather be quarantined on a ship than a hospital or warehouse setting. Every country is going to experience this.  I'm an ex-camper boondocker type of person who for years lived off the grid, so bring it on.  Only the strong shall survive 💪

2 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

Upthread is an email address for voyagers club that worked. 

I've used that email address several times, but for that last cruise the IT department had to fix it.  One time before that an actual "future cruise agent" on one of cruises fixed it in 1 day.  Because they send a direct email to a specific employee. I have another cruise coming up and I'm sure the points won't post until I become a squeaky wheel again 🙄

Sailing in April. I'm going even if they cancel the cruise. I'll just rearrange my itinerary and don't miss a beat, like I always do.

47 minutes ago, MANDMTRAVEL said:

I am wondering the same, Is not soft ice cream free for all?  Is it gelatto what is included in this package?

There is no free ice cream. You only get soft serve (whatever that is), with a paid non-alcoholic package according to the description.  It also indicates that the "ice cream menu" is not included.  Soft serve normally means an ice cream machine and not homemade dipping ice cream like gelato, but I could be wrong. I've decided not to even pursue this package since it's so vague.

On 2/22/2020 at 7:43 AM, TrinaLC said:

Well Ashley was in fact wrong. The 3 month rule does not apply to simply fixing a missing cruise. I finally received an email response correctly treating this as an IT issue and the cruise is now listed when I log in. 
 

One of my cruises was an IT issue too. It took about a week to resolve.  It seems that cruises booked through a travel agent can get screwed up in their system, by having required fields missing. They will show correctly on your account, but not in MSC's computer system that post points.

The description states:

"Refresh yourself whenever you like with a choice of alcohol-free cocktails, sodas, energy drinks, bottled mineral water, flavoured water, fruit juices, a wide range of premium coffee drinks, hot chocolate delights, organic tea and soft ice cream"

Has anyone purchased this package?  If so, does it include smoothies or milkshakes?  It indicates it includes soft ice cream.  Is it from a soft serve machine they dispense in a cup?  If so, what venue is it from? MDR or buffet or both. On my last several cruises, Lirica and Bellissima, I didn't see anyone with soft ice cream, however they do have a separate gelato stand and serve regular ice cream in the MDR to anyone.

Just now, in rod we trust said:

that's true but nobody stays at home they go on the cruise.   if somebody comes in coughing , runny nose etc at workplace, I send them home tell them don't comeback until your cleared . 

I'm glad the cruise lines are banning visibly sick passengers😷

Why would anyone knowingly get on a cruise ship with any infectious disease? Crazy.  I know why, because people only care about themselves. As always, unfortunately☹️

A Brighton Medical facility just closed. Staff member diagnosed with coronavirus.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51447761

4 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

It explains why I could not find it. I was searching for the term Diamond Princess.

I was too, initially.

7 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Looks like fake news. I've been on some Filipino news websites and they don't report any death. There was one site that claims another three crew members have tested positive but I haven't found any other sites to corroborate the story. I hope no one is trying to stir things up in the Philipines.

Here's the news article below. They're waiting on test results from his body 😞

Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas

Crew member Royal Caribbean

Just now, ilikeanswers said:

 

Looks like fake news. I've been on some Filipino news websites and they don't report any death. There was one site that claims another three crew members have tested positive but I haven't found any other sites to corroborate the story. I hope no one is trying to stir things up in the Philipines.

Actually, I found the article. The crew member was found dead, but on a Royal Caribbean ship. I'll find the article and attach it.

This is ONLY a question....Has anyone heard of a possible Filipino cruise member onboard that was found dead in the engine room within the last day? I haven't found any reliable source but recently ran across some folks talking about it on the internet (of course 🙄). They said it's being broadcast on local news in the Philippines.

Most people that are passengers on cruise ships are old. And in reality they're the ones that have weaken immune systems, so the numbers of course will continue to rise.  Besides that many arrive on cruises already sick or with other major health problems.  So, definitely they'll be at the top of the list on catching whatever comes there way. Especially, if they are a smoker or ex-smoker, which any type of pneumonia can cause havoc on them. No surprise at all with the numbers.

23 minutes ago, fragilek said:

 That's now been disputed disputed by scientist in the west as they have more time to study the virus- the culprit now thought more likely to be  the pangolin

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/07/pangolins-might-have-spread-coronavirus-to-humans

Yes, I read about that, but I would think whatever species it was it probably came from their excrements.  In a crowded market I'm sure all kinds of bacteria and viruses were floating around.

1 hour ago, ilikeanswers said:

...However they still haven't found how it evolved to jump to humans🤔.

Probably from bat feces in unsanitary market conditions.

On 12/30/2019 at 11:01 AM, Kruzermum said:

Just on the Bahrain topic....I'm on Lirica out of Dubai on January 16,2020 sadly Bahrain has been taken off our itinerary. 

I am interested to see if this stop is still available on your cruise?

Since you didn't quote me, I'm just now seeing your post.  Yes, my both my cruises on the Lirica (Dec 11) and the Bellissima (Jan 18) went to Bahrain.

43 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

 

We are joining Bellissima on Saturday for B2B in UAE....

UAE has announced that any confirmed patients in the country will not be charged for health care related to the virus. 

And when I was on the Bellissima recently they were mandating everyone get squirted with hand sanitizer before entering the ship and all dining areas for bacterial infections. I'm certain by now that they've added more safeguards according to their recent statement regarding the virus, since sanitizer doesn't kill it, but they intend to refuse to board sick passengers.  The cruise terminal itself in Dubai and all other ports in the UAE have already banned China travel of their employees a week ago.

51 minutes ago, chk-gnt said:

Thank-You

You're welcome.  Also, this is current information, as I am still in Dubai from doing three cruises here. So, you'll be fine. Don't worry.

It's visa on arrival 24/7 at the airport. They stamp your passport. When you leave on the cruise your passport will be retained by the ship and stamped exit once the ship leaves the country. And when you arrive back to Dubai if it's a round trip cruise, it will stamped as entry by immigration officers inside the cruise port terminal.