Oceania's Action Plan for Coronavirus

[susiesan]

For those on this sailing who don't want to go to Hong Kong,  why don't you fly to Taipei and make arrangements with O to board the ship there. The rest of the cruise will be fine.

Edited February 5, 2020 by susiesan

[Flatbush Flyer]

41 minutes ago, irr said:

okay. So this is what Oceania wants us to do 

Currently this is where we stand. We are now being financially pressured to go on a cruise in which on the day we leave we do not know if we will be able to get any airline seat  out of Hong Kong when the cruise is over.  If we develop even the slightest congestion or low grade fever due to a sinus infection after traveling for over 24 hours that will prohibit us from getting on the cruise ship and we are on our own to figure out what to do in Singapore.  Norwegian's policy is now saying "Passengers who show symptoms of any respiratory illness on board will receive a coronavirus screening and may be quarantined or removed from their ship,"  (I am sure all the countries along the way are excited to take sick travelers from cruise ships to take care of. We are at risk for prolonged quarantine as there are no restrictions for people coming from Hong Kong getting on the trip similar to the Princess cruise ship that remains quarantined, and it is being reported  that 10 people have tested positive for the virus.  The person who got sick on board that ship who was from Hong Kong did not have a fever when he boarded. We are at risk of being unable to get health care in Hong Kong if we get sick for any reason because the system is overwhelmed.  In addition, given the prolonged incubation period with risk of  infectiousness prior to or with minimal symptoms after our nonrefundable 4 day stay in Hong Kong which we booked with Oceania we may place others at risk when we get home or during our flight home. We also don't know if any ports may not allow us on shore if someone on board gets sick or they change their policy about their ports. We don't know if the 14 day quarantine period in effect for main land China will change while we are away putting us in a situation in which we will be quarantined upon our return home. (There are currently more cases in Hong Kong than in most cities in main land China. )

 

Who would want to be forced to take this trip for themselves or a family member and what neighbor or friend would like to be exposed to us after our return home? Is this what people would want for themselves, their parents or their grandparents?  In addition I volunteer  at a free clinic as well as an educational program for senior professionals and would place patients and participants at risk  if I ultimately develop coronavirus but am initially asymptomatic while contagious. Do I just automatically isolate myself for 14 days when I come home and tell everyone to cancel my volunteer work? 

 

Great travel plan for something supposed to be a vacation.  This is a significant risk to US citizens for no reason. This places a potential further burden on a health care system in Hong Kong already overwhelmed if any significant number or people on the cruise get sick. Looking at the map and the data Hong Kong is a geopolitical distinction without a medical difference. CDC has clearly made some political decisions distinguishing the two but most non government health care professionals are not buying that. 

 

Am I going? What do you think? What would you want for your parents or someone you cared about either as a passenger or close contact to a passenger after they get home? 

 

What do I think? In all honesty, I'm convinced that your ultimate decision will be exactly what pretty much everyone else on your cruise will decide:

You're all going and will take every recommended precaution related to shipboard hygiene as well as disembarking and transferring to the airport in Hong Kong (and doing your best to enjoy Hong Kong for any days you may have planned to remain there post cruise).

 

That said, and given the circumstances, the only thing I would probably change is to try to leave Hong Kong ASAP after arriving. I would book a well respected private transfer (ask for recommendations from the HK hotel concierge where you had planned/still plan to stay) from the port to HKG (where I will have already prebooked my return flight home). I'd wear my mask religiously. I would try to minimize my wait time for my flight and I would either use $ and/or airline mileage points/status to gain access to your carrier's lounge (where I'd park myself in the least crowded corner) or find a secluded spot in the general terminal waiting area to park myself before my flight (HKG is huge and it's easy to avoid other people - almost all of whom will be wearing masks and avoiding each other). I would avoid any and all contact with others as would be possible.

 

At the bottom line: while your angst, fueled by your professional knowledge, has you worried, you know that, with appropriate precautions (particularly hygiene onboard the ship), the true chances of you catching this (or any) virus are minimal. 

[manuwolf]

7 hours ago, jcinma said:

Important Itinerary Update Dear Valued Guests and Travel Advisors,   We would like to inform you of some very important itinerary modifications that have been made to Nautica’s March 18, 2020 voyage from Hong Kong to Tokyo.  This itinerary update also applies to guests on our March 4th and March 18th Extended Journey voyages.    To ensure the continued health and safety of our guests and crew, and in an abundance of caution with the current outbreak of Coronavirus, we will be bypassing all ports of call in mainland China, specifically Shanghai, Beijing, and Dalian.   In their place, we have crafted a revised itinerary that includes a bevy of remarkable ports includingJeju, Seoul, and Busan in South Korea, and Sakaiminato and Moji in Japan.    The new, revised portion of the itinerary is detailed below for your reference. To thank you for your understanding with this prudent change, you will receive a US$250 per guest shipboard credit which will be added to your account within the next few days.   DATE PORT COUNTRY ARRIVE DEPART 18-Mar Hong Kong China   9:00 PM 19-Mar At Sea       20-Mar Taipei Taiwan 8:00 AM 7:00 PM 21-Mar Ishigaki Japan 7:00 AM 5:00 PM 22-Mar At Sea       23-Mar Kagoshima Japan 7:00 AM 2:00 PM 24-Mar Jeju South Korea 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 25-Mar Seoul South Korea 9:00 AM 10:00 PM 26-Mar At Sea       27-Mar Busan South Korea 8:00 AM 6:00 PM 28-Mar Sakaiminato Japan 9:00 AM 6:00 PM 29-Mar Moji Japan 10:00 AM 8:00 PM 30-Mar Nagasaki Japan 8:00 AM 6:00 PM 31-Mar Hakata Japan 8:00 AM 7:00 PM 1-Apr Hososhima Japan 10:00 AM 8:00 PM 2-Apr At Sea       3-Apr Tokyo Japan 8 AM Disembark   Shore excursions you had reserved with Oceania Cruises for Shanghai, Beijing, and Dalian will be refunded to your credit card on file, where applicable. Shore excursions for the newly added ports will be available online shortly.   Important Note: Guests who have made their air arrangements independently are solely responsible for ensuring that none of their flights are routed through mainland China.  Guests having traveled through mainland China within 30 days of the voyage will be denied embarkation.   Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call your travel advisor or Oceania Cruises.   We thank you for your understanding of this prudent and important change.                        Sincerely, Carlos Ortega Vice President, Guest Services Oceania Cruises   Our TA received this today from Oceania. No mention is made about a credit for future cruise is we don’t want this itinerary. It is still departing from HK. I will continue to monitor CDC and State dept. alerts. It s still a wait and see.

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us!!! Even though I still don't like OC's non-communication policy and the way they treat their European passengers we are happy with the new itinerary and can finally start to get ourselves organized. As other people said before, common sense hygiene behavior will reduce the risk to catch any virus. I wish all of us a great& healthy trip and will now focus on what it is all about: we are privileged to be able to take such trips, we should be ambassadors of tolerance and good will with our privilege and life itself is a risk!

[Flatbush Flyer]

37 minutes ago, manuwolf said:

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us!!! Even though I still don't like OC's non-communication policy and the way they treat their European passengers we are happy with the new itinerary and can finally start to get ourselves organized. As other people said before, common sense hygiene behavior will reduce the risk to catch any virus. I wish all of us a great& healthy trip and will now focus on what it is all about: we are privileged to be able to take such trips, we should be ambassadors of tolerance and good will with our privilege and life itself is a risk!

Since you're still unhappy because of your perception that Oceania is non-communicative, a perfect "statement" to O would be telling them to keep their damn $250/person "blood money."

Better still, why not tie up their accounting office as a protest by telling them to transfer your $250/person SBC to me for my May Insignia cruise!

[RJB]

14 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Good reminder of what's already Ben implemented. But I think the poster is wanting more info about itinerary changes, particularly any that might impact embark/disembark locations as well as possible modifications to cancellation/rebooking policies.

 

FWIW (and as aforementioned), Oceania's itineraries in/near Asia are longer and more complex (including overlapping multi-segment cruises) than most other cruise lines and, thus port changes will take more time to finalize (albeit with the understanding that CDC et al. may change threat levels/transit bans/etc. with little notice beforehand.

 

What you can bet on is that no Oceania ship will be making port stops in mainland China in the near future. Perhaps not as certain (as relates to start/stop ports) is the somewhat uncertain future of travel advisories/regulations regarding Hong Kong, which is currently excluded from travel bans/threat advisories by the CDC and governments of most countries in that region and most air carriers.

 

What some of the posters here (who may be concerned only about upcoming cruises) don't realize is that any itinerary change to a disembarkation port on a cruise already underway may have a significant impact on current passengers and their plans to get home.

 

So......  Consider the bigger picture and be patient. And I can offer that advice since I am living with the uncertainty right now (on Nautica headed eventually to Singapore in early March and then home to SF via Hong Kong).

 

 

and what do you think you might find in SF when you get home with all these flights coming from Hong Kong?  Virus could be in SF by then. Seems to travel pretty fast.  Hope not, but just thinking ahead. 

[irr]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/02/05/asia/coronavirus-cruise-quarantines-intl-hnk/index.html

[TrulyBlonde]

From the Princess board: Apparently they are not allowed to leave their cabins. Vacation or Nightmare?

 

Confirmed cases of Coronavirus on Diamond Princess

Princess Cruises can confirm that the first phase of health screening of all guests and crew onboard Diamond Princess, by the Japanese Ministry of Health, has been completed. We were notified that amongst the samples that have completed testing, 10 people have tested positive for Coronavirus.

These 10 persons, who have been notified, will be taken ashore by Japanese Coast Guard watercraft and transported to local hospitals for care by shoreside Japanese medical professionals. It has been confirmed that the ship will remain under quarantine in Yokohama. The length of the quarantine will be at least 14 days as required by the Ministry of Health.

The ship plans to go out to sea to perform normal marine operations including, but not limited to, the production of fresh water and ballast operations before proceeding alongside in Yokohama where food, provisions, and other supplies will be brought onboard.

Guests will continue to be provided complimentary internet and telephone to use in order to stay in contact with their family and loved ones, and the ship’s crew is working to keep all guests comfortable.

Princess Cruises will continue to fully cooperate with and follow the instructions of global medical authorities and the Japanese government.

We will also be cancelling the next two Diamond Princess cruises departing Yokohama (Feb 4 and Feb 12) and will begin notifying guests today.

Princess Cruises confirms there are 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew currently onboard covering a range of nationalities. Approximately half the guests onboard are from Japan.

 

[PaulMCO]

9 hours ago, irr said:

 (There are currently more cases in Hong Kong than in most cities in main land China. )

 

 

 

You continue to support your arguments with Fake facts.

Where do you get your highly classified info from...  CNN, MSBC...  Why not try the CDC, WHO..  17 cases in Hong Kong...

 

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

 

[manuwolf]

Please read this: the revised cruise itinerary is not going to work:

1. Hongkong has shut down 2 cruise terminals (and they have only 2)

2. United Airlines has suspended flights to Hongkong

3. And the most important point: Taiwan is putting anybody who was in China AND Hongkong 14 days before arriving in Taiwan under Quarantine - this would end our cruise (March 18 departure) to its painful end before the first port 😉

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus-outbreak/Coronavirus-latest-Hong-Kong-to-shut-2-cruise-ship-terminals

So, what to do - we wrote already to our local TA and Oceania - let's see what will be their reaction.

We start to loose appetite for this trip - anybody else???

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, RJB said:

and what do you think you might find in SF when you get home with all these flights coming from Hong Kong?  Virus could be in SF by then. Seems to travel pretty fast.  Hope not, but just thinking ahead. 

several case already on the West coast

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, manuwolf said:

Please read this: the revised cruise itinerary is not going to work:

1. Hongkong has shut down 2 cruise terminals (and they have only 2)

2. United Airlines has suspended flights to Hongkong

3. And the most important point: Taiwan is putting anybody who was in China AND Hongkong 14 days before arriving in Taiwan under Quarantine - this would end our cruise (March 18 departure) to its painful end before the first port 😉

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus-outbreak/Coronavirus-latest-Hong-Kong-to-shut-2-cruise-ship-terminals

So, what to do - we wrote already to our local TA and Oceania - let's see what will be their reaction.

We start to loose appetite for this trip - anybody else???

With apologies to Alfonso Bedoya:

"Cruise terminal? We don't need no stinkin' cruise terminal!"

Oceania ships do have tenders (Monaco strike a familiar note regarding tender embarkation?) and the port has other berths.

 

As for United, it is a Star Alliance partner and, though it may mean an extra stop in the flight itinerary, affected folks may want to request ticket reassignment to a partner carrier ASAP.

 

Not sure where Taiwan is in your order of ports. But, if everyone onboard is affected by the start/end banned port, Oceania will make a second adjustment -perhaps an added sea day?  

Edited February 5, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[PaulMCO]

To be more accurate  --

1) UA suspends flight through 20 Feb due to lack of demand.  There are other carriers like EVA still flying. 

2) Cruise ships stopping in Hong Kong less than 14 days ago are banned from Taiwan

3) Hong Kong was raised to a level 2 watch.  Travel is still permitted except if you are a Mainland National.

 

My guess Oceania will likely revise again Nautica's itinerary.

Insignia is not due until May 24th to dock in HKG.  Just in case booked flights (using FF miles) to Taiwan.  Can always cancel.

[irr]

Just ask those on board the current princess cruise how possible it is to protect yourself from the virus and problems related to the virus. They are currently quarantined for at least 14 days but the clock is reset if anyone else gets the virus in the 14 days. This is because of a passenger from Hong Kong when they thought that they had adequate surveillance measures. The problem with both legs of the Nautica Cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong and Hong Kong to Japan is  not just the risk of catching the virus but the risk of unknown flights home, problems if you need health care in Hong Kong in a city already stretched to screen all who need to be screened, problems with potential port closures, no known way to adequately screen contagious people and the inability to be properly cared for if you are one of the serious cases that develop while on board the ship .Some people need to be on respirators and it is really unclear how easy it will be to get care for cruise ship passengers on land when countries are already stretch to protect their own citizens.  More and more countries are blocking entry to people with travel to Hong Kong. What makes Oceania think that Japan will even let them dock after coming from Hong Kong. They have concerns about protecting their own citizenry and the world with the upcoming olympics. If you cannot get a flight directly home from Hong Kong (as currently most flights are cancelled) it will be difficult to get home from Hong Kong going through a country that blocks entry to those traveling  from Hong Kong. In addition, this represents a public health problem returning home to the US for those you fly with and come into contact with if you are contagious. This is much more contagious and much more lethal than the flu if you get sick. Either the cruise lines are part of the global community and do their part to decrease the volume of cases or not. Delaying spread of this and decreasing volume  of those people who are contagious going into communities will be life saving. All we can do is minimize unnecessary travel to high risk areas. Everyone else has cooperated with this by liberalizing cancellation policies - Airlines, hotels, excursion companies, Royal Carribean and their affiliates etc. Norwegian and their affiliates, including Oceania continue to be disrespectful of customers and crew (9 of 10 on the princess ship are passengers and 1 crew member is sick). When I cruise in the future it will not be with Oceania. There are some posts in this string that seem to be written as if paid by Oceania with no understanding of  the seriousness of the situation or what the best approach is medically. Mortality from the flu is .01%. Mortality from this 2-3%. We don't even know what happens if you survive. One person died of heart failure in his 40s. If he had survived would he have wound up with chronic heart disease? - We don't know. We don't know the impact of this virus on children and pregnant women. There is so much we don't know beyond the high rate of contagion. It is estimated that each person infected will infect at least 4 others. That is 4 times the contagion rate of the flu. However, it may be even higher in close quarters like a cruise ship. Right now it looks like 1 person on the princes cruise infected 10 others in some way. 

[irr]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/major-us-airlines-add-hong-kong-china-flight-033255867.html

 

Read this. In addition to current flight cancellations to and from Hong Kong there is concern about clusters  related to cases that originated in Hong Kong. 

[drkitkat123]

1 hour ago, irr said:

Just ask those on board the current princess cruise how possible it is to protect yourself from the virus and problems related to the virus. They are currently quarantined for at least 14 days but the clock is reset if anyone else gets the virus in the 14 days. This is because of a passenger from Hong Kong when they thought that they had adequate surveillance measures. The problem with both legs of the Nautica Cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong and Hong Kong to Japan is  not just the risk of catching the virus but the risk of unknown flights home, problems if you need health care in Hong Kong in a city already stretched to screen all who need to be screened, problems with potential port closures, no known way to adequately screen contagious people and the inability to be properly cared for if you are one of the serious cases that develop while on board the ship .Some people need to be on respirators and it is really unclear how easy it will be to get care for cruise ship passengers on land when countries are already stretch to protect their own citizens.  More and more countries are blocking entry to people with travel to Hong Kong. What makes Oceania think that Japan will even let them dock after coming from Hong Kong. They have concerns about protecting their own citizenry and the world with the upcoming olympics. If you cannot get a flight directly home from Hong Kong (as currently most flights are cancelled) it will be difficult to get home from Hong Kong going through a country that blocks entry to those traveling  from Hong Kong. In addition, this represents a public health problem returning home to the US for those you fly with and come into contact with if you are contagious. This is much more contagious and much more lethal than the flu if you get sick. Either the cruise lines are part of the global community and do their part to decrease the volume of cases or not. Delaying spread of this and decreasing volume  of those people who are contagious going into communities will be life saving. All we can do is minimize unnecessary travel to high risk areas. Everyone else has cooperated with this by liberalizing cancellation policies - Airlines, hotels, excursion companies, Royal Carribean and their affiliates etc. Norwegian and their affiliates, including Oceania continue to be disrespectful of customers and crew (9 of 10 on the princess ship are passengers and 1 crew member is sick). When I cruise in the future it will not be with Oceania. There are some posts in this string that seem to be written as if paid by Oceania with no understanding of  the seriousness of the situation or what the best approach is medically. Mortality from the flu is .01%. Mortality from this 2-3%. We don't even know what happens if you survive. One person died of heart failure in his 40s. If he had survived would he have wound up with chronic heart disease? - We don't know. We don't know the impact of this virus on children and pregnant women. There is so much we don't know beyond the high rate of contagion. It is estimated that each person infected will infect at least 4 others. That is 4 times the contagion rate of the flu. However, it may be even higher in close quarters like a cruise ship. Right now it looks like 1 person on the princes cruise infected 10 others in some way. 

IRR, if I may be so bold as to ask you to split your posts into paragraphs. It makes your interesting points so much easier to read...

[Nuka]

NHK Japan says 10 more pax on Diamond Princess were confirmed to have the virus so that makes 20 now.  Not sure if the 14 day quarantine time resets. 

 

I can understand why people are concerned with Oceania's decision to not allow flexibility with cancellation penalties.  For myself, used to be a big fan, but I found the crew and management to be aloof so I go on Crystal and Silversea these days.

Edited February 6, 2020 by Nuka

[irr]

Current situation in Hong Kong. Now there is a ship in Hong Kong harbor with probable cases. Cruise docks are currently closed. This link describes even further problems in Hong Kong related to the virus and concerns over the fact that the border is not fully closed. 

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-hongkong-idUSKBN1ZZ0FB

 

Yes. The clock resets every time a new case is found on the Princess Cruise Ship in Japan. Hard to know when those passengers will ever get home. Seems unlikely that other cases will not be discovered over the next few days/weeks

[irr]

Most recent information on the cruise line quarantined in Hong Kong harbor with more information specific to the number of people ill on board. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/second-cruise-ship-quarantined-over-185112629.html

[drkitkat123]

I am not 100% sure the clock resets as long as everyone is kept in isolation in their cabins. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 hours ago, drkitkat123 said:

IRR, if I may be so bold as to ask you to split your posts into paragraphs. It makes your interesting points so much easier to read...

If s/he would just stop soap-boxing in the posts (perhaps a shill for one of those ambulance chasing attorneys who feed on cruise line suits???), and just post links to news updates, there would be no need to break up paragraphs.

 

More importantly, we still don't know if IRR is going or not. Skirting that trigger-pull question/answer suggests s/he will only NOT cruise IF Oceania decides to "pay" (via credit, transfer, refund) for a virus situation it did not cause.

 

Of course, now that Oceania has made appropriate itinerary changes to avoid mainland China and has alternate methods to embark/disembark in Hong Kong (which is still "OK" by U.S. CDC and state.gov travel notifications), i.e., tender, non-cruise port berths etc), IRR would be better off trying to switch his/her air to Cathay Pacific.

[manuwolf]

Newest update: (found on CNN International)

2 hr 42 min ago

Taiwan shuts ports to international cruise ships

From journalist Alex Lin in Hong Kong

Taiwan will prohibit international cruise ships from docking in its ports from today onward, according to a statement form the self-governing island's Ministry of Health.

This comes as two cruise ships remain docked and quarantined in Japan and Hong Kong, with thousands on board, after the virus was spread by infected former passengers.

The ship that is now in Hong Kong had docked and departed from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on February 4.

It is unclear how long the ban will be in place.

[irr]

Newborn among 28,000 coronavirus cases as death toll passes 550

We have been wondering a lot of things about this virus and learning more every day. This baby developed this virus and died a day after birth suggesting that the virus infected the baby in utero. There are currently at least 2 cruise ports - Hong Kong and Taiwan shut down. Flatbush. I am not a lawyer I am a physician concerned about public health and feel it important to educated people about the evolving knowledge about medical risks of this virus, not just for the passenger but for those they come into contact with. Also I have said repeated I WILL NOT TRAVEL TO HONG KONG. You must have missed that. 

[StanandJim]

I'm not sure that these endless statements of selflessness carry any weight, when it is obvious (and normal) that Passengers presently booked on  these sailings find themselves in quite the financial pickle.

 

While I sympathize with being in the situation through no fault of your own, and agonize over the lack of control, it might be worthwhile to consider that professional influence peddlers (similar to the Press Agents of a simpler time) are shamelessly manipulating the Corona situation for fun and profit at a breakneck pace.

 

While the Internet can be a marvellous, rewarding resource, when it comes to areas where major players have a great deal of financial skin in the game, I have learned the hard way that Free Information is generally worth it's cost in gold.

 

Be savagely judicious about what you rely on.

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, irr said:

Newborn among 28,000 coronavirus cases as death toll passes 550

We have been wondering a lot of things about this virus and learning more every day. This baby developed this virus and died a day after birth suggesting that the virus infected the baby in utero. There are currently at least 2 cruise ports - Hong Kong and Taiwan shut down. Flatbush. I am not a lawyer I am a physician concerned about public health and feel it important to educated people about the evolving knowledge about medical risks of this virus, not just for the passenger but for those they come into contact with. Also I have said repeated I WILL NOT TRAVEL TO HONG KONG. You must have missed that. 

Interesting use of giant font to highlight scary happenings. Surely, all sorts of folks will now cancel your cruise and/or deluge Oceania with outrage.

 

Seriously though, don't you think that anyone (about/soon to cruise in that region) with at least half a brain is also monitoring the situation and, if deemed necessary, acting/deciding in ways that best suit their own analysis? 

 

It almost seems like you're trying to change people's minds about their travel plans - perhaps mostly because you need to justify your own decision.

 

BTW: While you did say "no Hong Kong" previously, you also said that you were reserving final judgement on what you would do until you heard from Oceania about your desire for credit or whatever. 

So may we assume that you have now cancelled the cruise? Or are you arranging to shorten your trip and embark and/or debark from a port other than Hong Kong?

 

What you could do to really help your fellow passengers is to say specifically yea or nay to your going on the cruise and, if you intend to do the cruise (or at least part of it), add how you plan to do the embark/disembark and travel to/from the cruise without Hong Kong in the mix. Or, if you decide to not go, inform folks of any successful processes you use to get your insurance claim paid. Now THOSE would be some useful posts - much more so than the repetitive sensational headlining that is now coming across as Blah Blah Blah.

 

Of course, there still remains another question: Why hasn't the US CDC and State Dept. seen the wisdom of your armchair assessment regarding Hong  Kong? 

Edited February 6, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[irr]

Those on this cruise who do not want to go are unable to cancel. If we cancel , if there is any change in policy we forfeit our right to ask for a refund if the cancellation policy changes after we cancel. That is the current Oceania policy. We are stuck currently unable to do anything.

 

With all due respect to the CDC there are political reasons as well as medical reasons that policy is made. I ran a section of a government web site for a number of years and I can tell you the pace of being able to make changes can be slower than desired  when things change this rapidly. Even the CDC has disclaimers that their information is evolving. In addition, there is a difference between policy decisions which the CDC has to make and sound medical practice. This does not mean that the CDC isn't doing a great job in a crisis it just means that there are things that are helpful to get from the CDC and other things that require more updated information from all sources.

 

Every health care professional that I have talked to would not advise people to go to Hong Kong relative to the high list of unknowns relative to flights, care if you get sick, abrupt cancellations of flights to come home, abrupt shutting down of cruise ports, resources in Hong Kong already stretched, possibility of quarantine  etc etc etc as well as the risk of illness. 

 

Currently there are many airlines and cruise lines who have cancelled service to Hong Kong or offered full refunds to anyone who wants to cancel. There are a growing number of countries banning those who have been in Hong Kong. The 2 cruise ships currently under quarantine are related to travelers from Hong Kong. Reading accounts of the ship quarantined off the cost of Japan sounds like a never ending saga because every new case resets the clock and people are confined to their rooms. We still don't know what will happen to the cruise ship quarantined in Hong Kong itself. 

 

At some point, in my opinion the cruise industry needs to have some respect for what is best for the public health in the middle of an evolving global crisis requiring everyone to cooperate and the main source of prevention is avoiding contact with sick people. We have now heard that there was probable maternal to infant infection in a newborn that died the day after birth. Is Oceania going to ask people who have pregnant family members to go on this trip when we still don't know how to screen for infection in asymptomatic but contagious people. We are currently looking at a total of 2 Oceania trips impacted in March. At what point does  cancelling 2 trips make much more sense from a personal and public health stand point. And by the way no one knows what needs to be done to properly disinfect a ship once the disease is present.