Oceania's Action Plan for Coronavirus

[Petoonya]

Just now, TrulyBlonde said:

Yes, I happen to notice that you stalk me on CC and are always looking at my profile. Mind your own business and no need to be a Troll. It is unbecoming.

I admit to being upset by your post about the "old hippies" etc. My deep apologies.

[susiesan]

I just got of Sirena in Miami yesterday after a 7 day cruise.We boarded late a week earlier due to two things: a late return due to bad weather which we were told about and a noro outbreak amongst the crew that led to a deep cleaning before new pax got on, which we were not told about. I learned that from someone on board who posted the info on here on cruisecritic. Some noro procedures were in place: the library was closed until the last day, paper menus were used in place if the heavier ones in the folders, crew dished out your food in the Terrace. None of the things they did were even the least bit annoying, and I did not hear of passengers on the ship being sick. 

[irr]

I think that those scheduled to cruise to Hong Kong have some very important personal decisions to make between now and the time they leave. I am a physician scheduled to be on that cruise and have the following lists of things that we know and don't know about the virus and the situation that may be helpful for those without a medical background. Comparing this to seasonal flu. What are the differences 1. This is more contagious than the flu 2. If you get sick with it, currently  the death rate percent of people who will die) for those infected is actually higher than the flu possibly because we have antiviral medication for the flu and many who get the flu despite being vaccinated will have a milder course 3. How you can get infected is evolving. Right now it is thought that you can get it from people who are asymptomatic, from stool, from respiratory droplets and from surfaces. The Chinese government thinks that people may still be infectious after they die and is ordering all who die from this to be cremated with strict rules about funerals and site of burial 4. The person who just died in the Philippines was in his 40s. He was not the very young or very old person that we are most concerned about related to flu mortality 

Separate from what we know about the virus, which continues to evolve there are the logistical problems related to 1. Health care professionals in Hong Kong stating that they are currently overwhelmed with the task of screening all people who may have symptoms leaving health care resources for any medical problem in Hong Kong stretched 2. Rapidly changing flight cancellations at the last minute in and out of Hong Kong 3. This is a 14 day cruise in which many people will need to leave by the end of February to get on. Many people will plan on arriving in Singapore at least at day in advance. Therefore, it will be impossible to know what the situation is going to be in Hong Kong when you get on your plane to go 2 1/2 weeks to 3 weeks prior to the end of the cruise 4. This is also evolving in many countries along the way with unknowns about how they will approach things if cases there worsen from just a logistical standpoint 

 

Here is what we don't know

1. The long term sequelae of this virus. If you survive  the virus (which most will)  are you left 100 percent better or are there going to be potential problems? Is there potential for greater impact on certain groups like children or pregnant women? 2. As the difference with Hong Kong medically vs main land China is more of a political difference and a medical distinction without a difference are the rules related to Main Land China going to include Hong Kong while you are away or just before you go. There are many cities in Main Land China with fewer cases than Hong Kong.  3. Does the fact that currently Hong Kong is the only way for people to fly out of China going to increase risk over time? 4. The most recent case in Hong Kong was someone on a cruise ship. Does cruising confer an added risk or was that just coincidental? 5. How long are people contagious after they recover? 6. As the current policy is that a low grade fever will prevent you from boarding in Singapore what will Oceania do to help you get hotel, health care if needed and situated if unable to board? Paying for the unexpected hotel is one thing, getting a hotel room and/or health care in a strange city is another. 

 

For those of you not on this cruise it is important to know that those of us booked are struggling with important decisions and discussions over the next few weeks so the Zombie Apocalypse comments are not really helpful. I have not ever thought of cancelling a trip before due to less problematic out breaks or political situations but this does give me some pause for the reasons listed above. 

 

Getting away from whether Oceania is doing a good or bad job here, we all have our opinions, everyone is going to have to make their own decisions about whether they are comfortable going on this trip. Currently, nothing (even future credits)  is being offered. If that changes that would be great. If not, people need to look at their own needs, the needs of their families and what they think the true risks to them, the community and the public health  are about going or not going. Tough decision given all of the unknowns but at some point for most a line gets crossed where you have enough information. That will be different for everyone.  

[clo]

5 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Not a lot of fun wearing this mask for the 15 hour flight or will you take it off once on the plane.

How would you know that an asymptomatic person did not board the flight?

I haven't read anything from CDC about masks for uninfected people but here's an article that gives some seemingly good info. And if one is going to wear a mask it should be an "N95" one.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2020/01/29/should-you-get-a-face-mask-a-guide-to-coronavirus-face-protection/#29e63fa730a5

I also read, as mentioned here, that it's now been confirmed from fecal matter.

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 hours ago, irr said:

I think that those scheduled to cruise to Hong Kong have some very important personal decisions to make between now and the time they leave. I am a physician scheduled to be on that cruise and have the following lists of things that we know and don't know about the virus and the situation that may be helpful for those without a medical background. Comparing this to seasonal flu. What are the differences 1. This is more contagious than the flu 2. If you get sick with it, currently  the death rate percent of people who will die) for those infected is actually higher than the flu possibly because we have antiviral medication for the flu and many who get the flu despite being vaccinated will have a milder course 3. How you can get infected is evolving. Right now it is thought that you can get it from people who are asymptomatic, from stool, from respiratory droplets and from surfaces. The Chinese government thinks that people may still be infectious after they die and is ordering all who die from this to be cremated with strict rules about funerals and site of burial 4. The person who just died in the Philippines was in his 40s. He was not the very young or very old person that we are most concerned about related to flu mortality 

Separate from what we know about the virus, which continues to evolve there are the logistical problems related to 1. Health care professionals in Hong Kong stating that they are currently overwhelmed with the task of screening all people who may have symptoms leaving health care resources for any medical problem in Hong Kong stretched 2. Rapidly changing flight cancellations at the last minute in and out of Hong Kong 3. This is a 14 day cruise in which many people will need to leave by the end of February to get on. Many people will plan on arriving in Singapore at least at day in advance. Therefore, it will be impossible to know what the situation is going to be in Hong Kong when you get on your plane to go 2 1/2 weeks to 3 weeks prior to the end of the cruise 4. This is also evolving in many countries along the way with unknowns about how they will approach things if cases there worsen from just a logistical standpoint 

 

Here is what we don't know

1. The long term sequelae of this virus. If you survive  the virus (which most will)  are you left 100 percent better or are there going to be potential problems? Is there potential for greater impact on certain groups like children or pregnant women? 2. As the difference with Hong Kong medically vs main land China is more of a political difference and a medical distinction without a difference are the rules related to Main Land China going to include Hong Kong while you are away or just before you go. There are many cities in Main Land China with fewer cases than Hong Kong.  3. Does the fact that currently Hong Kong is the only way for people to fly out of China going to increase risk over time? 4. The most recent case in Hong Kong was someone on a cruise ship. Does cruising confer an added risk or was that just coincidental? 5. How long are people contagious after they recover? 6. As the current policy is that a low grade fever will prevent you from boarding in Singapore what will Oceania do to help you get hotel, health care if needed and situated if unable to board? Paying for the unexpected hotel is one thing, getting a hotel room and/or health care in a strange city is another. 

 

For those of you not on this cruise it is important to know that those of us booked are struggling with important decisions and discussions over the next few weeks so the Zombie Apocalypse comments are not really helpful. I have not ever thought of cancelling a trip before due to less problematic out breaks or political situations but this does give me some pause for the reasons listed above. 

 

Getting away from whether Oceania is doing a good or bad job here, we all have our opinions, everyone is going to have to make their own decisions about whether they are comfortable going on this trip. Currently, nothing (even future credits)  is being offered. If that changes that would be great. If not, people need to look at their own needs, the needs of their families and what they think the true risks to them, the community and the public health  are about going or not going. Tough decision given all of the unknowns but at some point for most a line gets crossed where you have enough information. That will be different for everyone.  

You do make some cogent arguments about the risk. But there still remains the reality that Oceania did not cause the virus, did not prohibit anyone from purchasing appropriate travel insurance and it has clearly stated T&Cs to which we all agreed when we made the trip purchase. 

 

Any comparisons of cruise line accommodating policy exceptions (e.g., cancel/rebook without penalty) made with airlines (where logistics/operational expenses are far more flexible than even a single segment of a cruise) is worthless for all of the obvious reasons.

 

AND, worth remembering is the fact that, if Oceania (or any cruise line) was to offer folks the wholesale solution you seek, we'd all pay for it with spiked higher fares in the not-too-distant future (should we cruise again with them. "Pay now or pay later" - someone(s) will make up for the losses.

 

Sorry but Oceania owes you nada other than to take every reasonable health precaution possible once you join the ship (i.e., if you are allowed to board based on the stated criteria) 

 

So, unless I missed it in a previous post, are you going or not???

 

PS: my zombie comment was probably very "helpful" to anyone who needs a bit of humor in this challenging time/situation.

[irr]

Here is where I have some concerns with your reasoning. By not allowing some flexibility, as many of the other cruise lines have, there will be more people going on this trip despite warnings by the CDC and State Department to avoid unnecessary travel to China. American Airlines has suspended flights to Hong Kong today because their pilots are refusing to travel there.  While you think that Oceania owes  its passengers nothing during an unprecedented global health emergency it goes both ways. I owe Oceania nothing at a time in my life that I take at least one cruise (and frequently more) per year and will be doing so for the next few decades. From a business perspective this is a bad decision. They are forfeiting flexibility (people are not necessarily requesting a refund just a credit) for one cruise to the potential of 20 or  cruises in the future. This will be compounded by the fact that everyone that knows us (and all of those making the same decision) will  avoid booking on Oceania if their policy does not change. While you think Oceania owes me nothing, what do they owe the world in an epidemic that no one has seen before. What do they owe those in the community where someone comes home sick, who pays for the extended isolation that will be needed, what do they owe all of the people who come into contact with an individual who gets sick because they traveled when they did not want to but did not want to lose their money?  This impacts many more people than those that booked this cruise. All of the Royal Caribbean owned lines including their small ship options (Azmara and Silver Seas) have approached this with much more concern for their passengers and crew and those who have never stepped foot on a cruise ship that may be impacted. They, and other cruise lines that follow suit, will get my business in the future for an entire list of reasons. 

As for insurance. We actually have trip insurance for this and all of our trips but we do not have cancel for any reason trip insurance as we would not cancel if there was not a reason. When purchasing trip insurance most people don't think "Oh, I really need coverage if there is the development of a global pandemic the month before my cruise" What is going on is unprecedented. If they are playing hardball with their passengers for business reasons I think if you run a decision to stand pat on this with business experts, especially since travel is an optional experience not a necessity, and there are so many other options when you want to travel ,most would tell you it is the worst business decision made. After a hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico Royal Caribbean cancelled its cruises there and used the ships to help with the recovery effort. I remember that years later. We are not big shop cruisers  and did not realize that they had small ship options but now realize that they do with other products. That gesture and their response to this crisis will change who I cruise with. That type of positive publicity is worth its weight in gold. The oceania decision is negative publicity that can go viral if someone gets ill or injured and unable to get care in Hong Kong because all health care resources are being diverted for screening. 

[TrulyBlonde]

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/japan-to-quarantine-cruise-ship-on-which-virus-patient-sailed-2020-02-03

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, irr said:

Here is where I have some concerns with your reasoning. By not allowing some flexibility, as many of the other cruise lines have, there will be more people going on this trip despite warnings by the CDC and State Department to avoid unnecessary travel to China. American Airlines has suspended flights to Hong Kong today because their pilots are refusing to travel there.  While you think that Oceania owes  its passengers nothing during an unprecedented global health emergency it goes both ways. I owe Oceania nothing at a time in my life that I take at least one cruise (and frequently more) per year and will be doing so for the next few decades. From a business perspective this is a bad decision. They are forfeiting flexibility (people are not necessarily requesting a refund just a credit) for one cruise to the potential of 20 or  cruises in the future. This will be compounded by the fact that everyone that knows us (and all of those making the same decision) will  avoid booking on Oceania if their policy does not change. While you think Oceania owes me nothing, what do they owe the world in an epidemic that no one has seen before. What do they owe those in the community where someone comes home sick, who pays for the extended isolation that will be needed, what do they owe all of the people who come into contact with an individual who gets sick because they traveled when they did not want to but did not want to lose their money?  This impacts many more people than those that booked this cruise. All of the Royal Caribbean owned lines including their small ship options (Azmara and Silver Seas) have approached this with much more concern for their passengers and crew and those who have never stepped foot on a cruise ship that may be impacted. They, and other cruise lines that follow suit, will get my business in the future for an entire list of reasons. 

As for insurance. We actually have trip insurance for this and all of our trips but we do not have cancel for any reason trip insurance as we would not cancel if there was not a reason. When purchasing trip insurance most people don't think "Oh, I really need coverage if there is the development of a global pandemic the month before my cruise" What is going on is unprecedented. If they are playing hardball with their passengers for business reasons I think if you run a decision to stand pat on this with business experts, especially since travel is an optional experience not a necessity, and there are so many other options when you want to travel ,most would tell you it is the worst business decision made. After a hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico Royal Caribbean cancelled its cruises there and used the ships to help with the recovery effort. I remember that years later. We are not big shop cruisers  and did not realize that they had small ship options but now realize that they do with other products. That gesture and their response to this crisis will change who I cruise with. That type of positive publicity is worth its weight in gold. The oceania decision is negative publicity that can go viral if someone gets ill or injured and unable to get care in Hong Kong because all health care resources are being diverted for screening. 

Oceania has more than one million repeat customers. You (and all your friends) and me (and all my friends) constitute less than a rounding error in their weekly "bottom line." If we decide to take our business elsewhere, Oceania will continue to do just fine financially.

 

And even you will have to admit that, when it comes to the business of cruising, Frank Del Rio (founder of Oceania and now CEO of NCL Holdings) knows far more about the industry than we do and he would never allow Oceania decision making that jeopardizes its existence.

 

We just joined Nautica in Cape Town and we've yet to meet anyone (among the seasoned O cruisers) who have an issue with how the Coronavirus are/are not being addressed by Oceania. Some who, like us, MAY face some flight challenges when we disembark in Singapore in March and are scheduled to travel through  

 

There's another piece of this that you may not have considered (though, given your posts so far, I doubt it will matter). O's upcoming  itineraries that include China and environs are morphing as we exchange these posts.

 

We'll be heading back to Singapore from SFO in May (scheduled via Manila, which we assume may have some air travel challenges to deal with) to do two segments of the O world cruise on Insignia. That cruise currently includes a handful of China stops and the "smart money" bet is that they soon will be replaced - minimally with some South Korea ports.

 

I expect that none of this eases your concerns. But, "it is what it is." And your still haven't answered my earlier question: Are you going on your cruise?

[mamaclark]

44 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

There's another piece of this that you may not have considered (though, given your posts so far, I doubt it will matter). O's upcoming  itineraries that include China and environs are morphing as we exchange these posts.

You addressed my concern precisely! My cruise isn’t until the middle of April and we chose it because of the itinerary. If, as you say, it is morphing as as speak, I fear the cruise I WANTED to take may be unrecognizable. Yes, I realize Oceania has the right to do that, and I have trip insurance, etc., but I will be disappointed to miss Hong King and Singapore specifically. We are over two months out, but I can appreciate the angst this is causing some cruisers leaving sooner. A cruise nearly identical to ours is scheduled for May 2021.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Oceania has more than one million repeat customers. You (and all your friends) and me (and all my friends) constitute less than a rounding error in their weekly "bottom line." If we decide to take our business elsewhere, Oceania will continue to do just fine financially.

 

And even you will have to admit that, when it comes to the business of cruising, Frank Del Rio (founder of Oceania and now CEO of NCL Holdings) knows far more about the industry than we do and he would never allow Oceania decision making that jeopardizes its existence.

 

We just joined Nautica in Cape Town and we've yet to meet anyone (among the seasoned O cruisers) who have an issue with how the Coronavirus are/are not being addressed by Oceania. Some who, like us, MAY face some flight challenges when we disembark in Singapore in March and are scheduled to travel through  

 

There's another piece of this that you may not have considered (though, given your posts so far, I doubt it will matter). O's upcoming  itineraries that include China and environs are morphing as we exchange these posts.

 

We'll be heading back to Singapore from SFO in May (scheduled via Manila, which we assume may have some air travel challenges to deal with) to do two segments of the O world cruise on Insignia. That cruise currently includes a handful of China stops and the "smart money" bet is that they soon will be replaced - minimally with some South Korea ports.

 

I expect that none of this eases your concerns. But, "it is what it is." And your still haven't answered my earlier question: Are you going on your cruise?

 

So, FWIW, everyone with good travel insurance may want to check their policies should you want to recoup at least some of your losses if any travel provider in your "big picture" chooses not to follow certain CDC advisories. Here's some excerpts from Nationwide's Luxury Cruise Policy (I'm no insurance expert. But it looks like it could be helpful (cancellation and interruption but not delay?) to anyone on a current cruise with China on the itinerary who decides to follow the CDC's advisories.

 

Trip Cancellation 

The Company will reimburse You, up to the Maximum Benefit shown on the Confirmation of Coverage, if You join Your Trip after departure or are unable to continue on the covered Trip due to any of the following reasons that are Unforeseen and takes place after departure:

……….

If the Center for Disease Control issues a travel warning that travel should be avoided to Your destination country or region for a period of time that would include Your Trip. This does not include flight connections or other transportation arrangements to reach Your destination;

 

Trip Delay

The Company will reimburse You for Covered Expenses on a one-time basis, up to the Maximum Benefit shown on the Confirmation of Coverage, if You are delayed, while coverage is in effect, en route to or from the Trip for six (6) or more hours due to a defined Hazard.

Covered Expenses:

(a) Any Additional Expenses incurred;

(b) A one-way Economy Fare to return You to Your originally scheduled return destination.

 

Trip Interruption

The Company will reimburse You, up to the Maximum Benefit shown on the Confirmation of Coverage, if You join Your Trip after departure or are unable to continue on the covered Trip due to any of the following reasons that are Unforeseen and takes place after departure:

……………..

If the Center for Disease Control issues a travel warning that travel should be avoided within Your destination country or region during Your Trip. This does not include flight connections or other transportation arrangements to reach Your destination;

………………

The Company will reimburse You for the following:

1. pre-paid unused, non-refundable land or sea expenses to the Travel Suppliers; 
2. the airfare paid less the value of applied credit from an unused travel ticket, to return home, join or rejoin the original Land/Sea Arrangements limited to the cost of one-way economy airfare (or similar quality as originally issued ticket) by scheduled carrier, from the point of destination to the point of origin shown on the original travel tickets. 

[manuwolf]

On 2/1/2020 at 3:05 PM, LHT28 said:

What other nice cruises line are cancelling their cruises to those areas  affected ??

 

 

Holland America has already adjusted their (quite similar schedule) to an "all Japan cruise", leaving from Yokohama instead of Shanghai! Why can others do what OC is not able to do??

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, manuwolf said:

Holland America has already adjusted their (quite similar schedule) to an "all Japan cruise", leaving from Yokohama instead of Shanghai! Why can others do what OC is not able to do??

Are you saying Oceania  still has cruises departing from Shanghai   this month?

I am sure all lines are doing the best they can to avoid  China  & other areas of concern

JMO

[manuwolf]

17 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Are you saying Oceania  still has cruises departing from Shanghai   this month?

I am sure all lines are doing the best they can to avoid  China  & other areas of concern

JMO

OC still has stops in Shanghai and other Chinese ports this & next month in their schedule! They have not yet changed anything yet & we find it quite annoying that they take so long to come around with necessary changes. I am sure they will have to cancel all Chinese ports but are not even bothering to communicate with their clients to make them feel comfortable that they are trying to find best possible adjustments. Silence is their language when communication is needed. I see a lot of people upset with OC - so are we! But there is nothing we can do but wait...

[TrulyBlonde]

47 minutes ago, manuwolf said:

OC still has stops in Shanghai and other Chinese ports this & next month in their schedule! They have not yet changed anything yet & we find it quite annoying that they take so long to come around with necessary changes. I am sure they will have to cancel all Chinese ports but are not even bothering to communicate with their clients to make them feel comfortable that they are trying to find best possible adjustments. Silence is their language when communication is needed. I see a lot of people upset with OC - so are we! But there is nothing we can do but wait...

Here is what Celebrity is doing as an example of other cruise lines.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/ML-3-14-20-Itinerary-Modification-Guest-Letter.pdf

 

[Pearl64]

We are on the same cruise as Mamaclark. I understand Oceania has to refigure its Cruises but could they at least tell us that the China Ports are cancelled. Many of us have private tours scheduled and would need to cancel them. There are deadlines associated with those as well. We do have trip insurance but am not sure if these expenses are covered. I also realize it takes time to make these adjustments but could we have word stating that they are working on it and possibly a date by which we will be informed. We still get emails about getting our Chinese and Vietnam visas. Just today I got a repeat email about the specialty restaurants, internet, and beverage packages for our cruise! Is it too much to ask for information rather than letting the rumor mill become even more active?

 

I should have known better. We were originally booked on the maiden voyage of the Marina. That voyage was cancelled twice because the ship wasn’t finished. We were compensated fairly well but communication was lacking then as well. My TA even called to ask if the cruise was still going to happen. We made final payment and two hours later we got an email stating the second cruise was cancelled.

 

My big question is when will we be informed. Hopefully before we fly to Yokohama!

[manuwolf]

14 minutes ago, TrulyBlonde said:

Here is what Celebrity is doing as an example of other cruise lines.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/ML-3-14-20-Itinerary-Modification-Guest-Letter.pdf

 

Yes, this is exactly what I meant in my first post! Why isn't OC able to do what other cruise lines have already done. Can only hope that they will come up with something reasonable soon!

[irr]

5 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Oceania has more than one million repeat customers. You (and all your friends) and me (and all my friends) constitute less than a rounding error in their weekly "bottom line." If we decide to take our business elsewhere, Oceania will continue to do just fine financially.

 

And even you will have to admit that, when it comes to the business of cruising, Frank Del Rio (founder of Oceania and now CEO of NCL Holdings) knows far more about the industry than we do and he would never allow Oceania decision making that jeopardizes its existence.

 

We just joined Nautica in Cape Town and we've yet to meet anyone (among the seasoned O cruisers) who have an issue with how the Coronavirus are/are not being addressed by Oceania. Some who, like us, MAY face some flight challenges when we disembark in Singapore in March and are scheduled to travel through  

 

There's another piece of this that you may not have considered (though, given your posts so far, I doubt it will matter). O's upcoming  itineraries that include China and environs are morphing as we exchange these posts.

 

We'll be heading back to Singapore from SFO in May (scheduled via Manila, which we assume may have some air travel challenges to deal with) to do two segments of the O world cruise on Insignia. That cruise currently includes a handful of China stops and the "smart money" bet is that they soon will be replaced - minimally with some South Korea ports.

 

I expect that none of this eases your concerns. But, "it is what it is." And your still haven't answered my earlier question: Are you going on your cruise?

This is so much more than just not wanting to take a cruise for my own health. Currently there is a cruise ship on indefinite quarantine because of a case that was not diagnosed until after the patient left the ship who caught the virus in Hong Kong.. It is unclear how long it will take for Japan to think that is safe to let those passengers off. Hong Kong remains as risky, if not more so, than many other areas of China. It is not a matter of if but when because of policies such as Oceanias increased the number of people coming back from Hong Kong that increases the risk of the virus in the US. It is currently estimated that for every person with the virus 4 will be infected. That is much higher than the flu and SARS. The death rate in China in one month has now exceeded the SARS death rate over a year. The death rate for influenza is .1%. The death rate for this virus is 2-3 percent. The sequelae of this virus if you get sick and recover is completely unknown. The longer you can prolong the spread of this disease the more likely we are to know how best to treat it and decrease spread. This is unprecedented and we as travelers  need to be part of the global community not ugly travelers who say I am taking my trip no matter how many people that are placed at risk if I go. Am I going on this trip? Ah, there is where Oceania is putting me in a situation where I cannot tell you. If I cancel my cruise I forfeit any ability to get any money back  if they change their mind and alter their itinerary, cancel the trip or offer more lenient options (like the airlines) for not going. Therefore, I will have to wait until the bitter end to see what the final decision is. I am a fairly seasoned traveler myself. This would have been my 6th oceania cruise so I am not a newbie here in terms of travel or oceania. This is an unprecedented epidemic with global health implications. Either NCL who owns Oceania  is part of the global community and takes responsibility or it is not. Traveling is a privilege that depends on us working together to also make sure our travel is as safe as possible for those at home at risk for what we bring back. 

[LHT28]

24 minutes ago, Pearl64 said:

We are on the same cruise as Mamaclark. I understand Oceania has to refigure its Cruises but could they at least tell us that the China Ports are cancelled. Many of us have private tours scheduled and would need to cancel them. There are deadlines associated with those as well.

If it was me I would cancel any tours in China 

I doubt that China will be given the "all clear"  in the next month 

just my unprofessional opinion

[irr]

• Oceania will not let anyone cancel their cruise without forfeiting their entier cruise and land fare. Those that are booked are stuck. Go and put yourself and all you come into contact with at risk or lose your entire cruise fare. Not a great option for the public health as well as the individual or the crew

[mamaclark]

22 minutes ago, irr said:

• Oceania will not let anyone cancel their cruise without forfeiting their entier cruise and land fare. Those that are booked are stuck. Go and put yourself and all you come into contact with at risk or lose your entire cruise fare. Not a great option for the public health as well as the individual or the crew

What if Oceania has to cancel the cruise? They cannot just arbitrarily stick us on another cruise. I can live w/o Shanghai and HK if they pick up more Japan and Vietnam ports. This is a trying situation and a little communication from O would go a long way!

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

On 2/2/2020 at 12:51 PM, TrulyBlonde said:

Yes, I happen to notice that you stalk me on CC and are always looking at my profile. Mind your own business and no need to be a Troll. It is unbecoming.

I stalk you too, Contessa!  I check your posts listing regularly because you usually only post on interesting threads.  I’m an equal-opportunity stalker, as I do the same with Jim 😉 

[DeanoNorthPerth]

My guess is Oceania are working frantically to change the affected itinieraries. There is zero chance those itineraries will remain the same. When it is all worked out they will announce it. The only announcement that could be made now is "We're Working On It" which is kinda superfluous.

 

Be patient folks. The only thing spreading faster than Novel Coronavirus is fear and misinformation about Novel Coronavirus. When it's all sorted we will all be informed.

[drkitkat123]

11 minutes ago, DeanoNorthPerth said:

My guess is Oceania are working frantically to change the affected itinieraries. There is zero chance those itineraries will remain the same. When it is all worked out they will announce it. The only announcement that could be made now is "We're Working On It" which is kinda superfluous.

 

Be patient folks. The only thing spreading faster than Novel Coronavirus is fear and misinformation about Novel Coronavirus. When it's all sorted we will all be informed.

+1

agree 100%

[tocruiseguy]

2 hours ago, irr said:

• Oceania will not let anyone cancel their cruise without forfeiting their entier cruise and land fare. Those that are booked are stuck. Go and put yourself and all you come into contact with at risk or lose your entire cruise fare. Not a great option for the public health as well as the individual or the crew

 

It seems to me this is exceptionally poor customer service, I have a cruise booked later this year, I will seriously think about canceling if this is how this company handles this situation. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, irr said:

• Oceania will not let anyone cancel their cruise without forfeiting their entier cruise and land fare. Those that are booked are stuck. Go and put yourself and all you come into contact with at risk or lose your entire cruise fare. Not a great option for the public health as well as the individual or the crew

You've just contradicted your prior post in that you really don't know what Oceania will do ("Therefore, I will have to wait until the bitter end to see what the final decision is.").

And your wholesale overgeneralization in the previous post suggesting that anyone who chooses  the option of going on their cruise vs possible fare forfeiture (part or whole) is an "ugly traveler" is insulting.

So, while you're waiting to see if the situation pays you enough to not be an "ugly traveler" yourself, you owe an apology to those of us who have already considered every available piece of constantly changing information and still have chosen the "option" of intending to travel. 

Edited February 4, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer