Poll: Would you take an Orlando Caribbean 7 Day Cruise on 2/15?

[njkate]

Nope but it has nothing to do with coronavirus. Presidents Day is within that week and ship will be over run with kids

[Lionkingrichard]

How did I miss this post?

 

See you on the SHIP!

 

Almost time to PARTY!🥃🥤🥂

[Snowrose]

For the record, the RCI ship in Bayonne has been cleared. No coronavirus on it. And in China, the death rate from corona is holding at 2% of those infected. The median age for those dying is 75 years old, so the majority of deaths are in the elderly (elderly by my definition about 70). There have only been 2 deaths from coronavirus outside of China, and one of those was someone who arrived from Wuhan.

 

A friend is a nurse. She says her concern would be flying on an airplane, rather than on a cruise ship. Germs are passed more easily on a plane in tight quarters.

 

BTW, coronavirus isn't a flu. Its closer relatives that we're used to are the common cold and pneumonia.

 

We leave from NYC on our cruise on March 16th. Am I nervous? A little. Will I be cautious? A little more than usual, I'll be carrying hand sanitizer. We won't cancel unless the coronavirus goes free in NYC or one of our scheduled islands.

[mking8288]

As already noted, I believed 5 suspected cases in NYC had been ruled out as false, negative on the virus - like the ones in NJ ... it's winter here in the Americas, where the seasonal influenza and cold are known to strike.  

 

With winter/school break, I would be more concerned about acute stomach viruses a/k/a norovirus outbreak.  Washy, Washy ... Happy, Happy.  Forget the hand sanitizer, just go with soap & warm running water, use tissues & watch where your fingers are touching.  

[Snowrose]

31 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Forget the hand sanitizer, just go with soap & warm running water, use tissues & watch where your fingers are touching.  

 

Personally, I wash hands often when in a situation I can do so. But you can't wash your hands in some situations, that's what the hand sanitizer is for.

 

Totally agree with watch where your fingers are touching. If you're touching shared surfaces, don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth until after you've cleaned your hands.

[Love my butler]

3 minutes ago, Snowrose said:

 

Personally, I wash hands often when in a situation I can do so. But you can't wash your hands in some situations, that's what the hand sanitizer is for.

 

Washing your hands usually goes right along with using the restroom.  The excuse of not being able to wash your hands 'in some situations' is just that, an excuse to be lazy.  Hand sanitizer is virtually worthless and a dangerous crutch for lazy people to not wash their hands with soap and water.

[Snowrose]

1 minute ago, Love my butler said:

Washing your hands usually goes right along with using the restroom.  The excuse of not being able to wash your hands 'in some situations' is just that, an excuse to be lazy.  Hand sanitizer is virtually worthless and a dangerous crutch for lazy people to not wash their hands with soap and water.

 

Nice. Keep your assumptions to yourself. Not being able to wash your hands goes with things like standing in line waiting to get to a counter during check in, Bud. Last time we checked in, we got to the counter and were waiting only to be placed back in the line again because they separated a group and our counter person was told to help the group.

 

How about you not being lazy and actually think about the circumstances surrounding the activity instead of getting your jollies attacking someone who is just offering experienced advice for those who are wary.

[Jenner9]

We just got off of Escape. No issues whatsoever but they did serve everyone in the buffet for the first 1/2 of the cruise. By the end of the week we were serving ourselves. Go, have fun.

[ready2cruzagain]

4 hours ago, Love my butler said:

Washing your hands usually goes right along with using the restroom.  The excuse of not being able to wash your hands 'in some situations' is just that, an excuse to be lazy.  Hand sanitizer is virtually worthless and a dangerous crutch for lazy people to not wash their hands with soap and water.

 

So, when you go to the buffet, you wash your hands each time you go to get food (handle the tongs) because I have not seen anyone on a cruise do that.  I was so disgusted last month with the amount of people eating food off of their plate while in line.  Are they starving or what????  I seriously doubt it.  I personally carry hand sanitizer to use before and after I go through the buffet line, carry it connected to my camera which is always with me.  I am not a fan of sanitizers because of how they kill the good germs also but they do work when necessary.

[Love my butler]

4 hours ago, Snowrose said:

 

Nice. Keep your assumptions to yourself. Not being able to wash your hands goes with things like standing in line waiting to get to a counter during check in, Bud. Last time we checked in, we got to the counter and were waiting only to be placed back in the line again because they separated a group and our counter person was told to help the group.

 

How about you not being lazy and actually think about the circumstances surrounding the activity instead of getting your jollies attacking someone who is just offering experienced advice for those who are wary.

Wow, you are sensitive bud.  Wash your hands.  Don't rely on the hand sanitizer.  It is harming me and my fellow cruisers, not helping them.

[Love my butler]

12 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

So, when you go to the buffet, you wash your hands each time you go to get food (handle the tongs) because I have not seen anyone on a cruise do that.  I was so disgusted last month with the amount of people eating food off of their plate while in line.  Are they starving or what????  I seriously doubt it.  I personally carry hand sanitizer to use before and after I go through the buffet line, carry it connected to my camera which is always with me.  I am not a fan of sanitizers because of how they kill the good germs also but they do work when necessary.

You are part of the problem, not part of the solution.  Whenever you think it is necessary to reach for hand sanitizer, go wash your hands with soap and water instead.  Laziness and ignorance are exactly why cruise ships are petri dishes for norovirus and other health issues.

[sandycruzr]

I just got off a cruise in Fort Lauderdale and leave Friday for a 7 nighter out of San Juan.  It never occurred to me to consider canceling.  At this point, I would be more concerned about catching the flu in the US.  I cruise a lot and take every possible precaution against illness. 
It is a personal decision   But if you decide you need to cancel, NCL will do a name change on your reservation so maybe a lucky friend can take your spot.  The cruise will be amazing so I hope that YOU get to enjoy it!

[Seattle_Guy]

Hey all,

 

I thought I'd bump this, because some of the responses are very interesting, in retrospect.

Anyway, we did have a fantastic time on our cruise, and it was amazing...We look forward to cruising again in the future sometime.

 

For those of you who said I was an idiot for considering cancelling, the Breakaway was a covid cruise *2 weeks* after I got off the ship:

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2020/03/24/westmoreland-hempfield-lisa-duffy-coronavirus-cruise-ship-norwegian-test-COVID-positive/stories/202003230140

 

 

[prov2727]

1 hour ago, Seattle_Guy said:

Hey all,

 

I thought I'd bump this, because some of the responses are very interesting, in retrospect.

Anyway, we did have a fantastic time on our cruise, and it was amazing...We look forward to cruising again in the future sometime.

 

For those of you who said I was an idiot for considering cancelling, the Breakaway was a covid cruise *2 weeks* after I got off the ship:

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2020/03/24/westmoreland-hempfield-lisa-duffy-coronavirus-cruise-ship-norwegian-test-COVID-positive/stories/202003230140

 

 

Yes, the responses were quite interesting! I felt fortunate to get a January cruise in before I even heard of COVID. Seems like it was coming home or right after I cam home that I first heard of it. Earthquake in Puerto Rico was what I heard most about on the cruise since we sailed from there.

[AllureOfVacation]

Interesting to see the responses.

 

When this was discussed we were on the HAL Westerdam journey that was supposed to go from Hong Kong to Shanghai...and we ended up in Cambodia, after a long journey with lots of unplanned sea days, followed by a Covid test, and a chartered return flight with a sudden stop in Pakistan

 

I remember my husband who already said by end of January in Hong Kong that there might be no cruises for a long time. I did not believe him back then. 

 

So, back then, my answer would have been: yes, skip the cruise

 

 

We learned on the Westerdam that the interrupted cruise for us was just a matter of personal comfort. We saw the crew suffering because we could not stop in Manila. That were real problems! Their families already travelled across the country to see their hard working sons and daughters. There was some kind of farewell event one evening. Lots of tears from the cruise director and other managers on stage. This was a real game changer for my mind. Now the crew can not work...things developed so quickly. And still do.

 

While being in Hong Kong the infections there were quite low, but we realized fast that the virus is not just a flu. But the first time we put a mask on, which we bought immediately in HK, it was a strange feeling. I somehow felt that this was just the beginning

 

 

 

stay safe everyone!

Edited September 17, 2020 by AllureOfVacation

[slavetoabunny]

This was a quite interesting read!  I was on the last sailing of the Dawn March 8 - March 15th.  By the time we disembarked all hell had broken loose in the US.  I am still keeping my fingers crossed for my December 19th sailing out of Orlando.

[Tapi]

Well, some of the posts on this thread didn’t age too well, mine included! 🤣 In all fairness, what we knew at that point in time was very different from what we know today. 
 

I also sailed during that same week in February 2020 (aboard the Nieuw Statendam). On the days leading up to the cruise, we kept receiving emails from Holland America reassuring us that everything was fine. At the time, Covid was something happening in a “far away land”. Little did we know what would be happening to the cruise industry a few short weeks after our return.

 

We did have a wonderful, uneventful cruise. At the time, there were no Covid-mitigating procedures (outside of a questionnaire asking if we’d been to China) so I’m glad that we remained healthy and that no infections were reported. 
 

In retrospect, there were very few instances on that cruise when I found myself shoulder to shoulder with other passengers (not because of Covid, but because I hate feeling crowded). Besides going to the theatre and riding a bus for an excursion, we were “unofficially” socially distancing. Maybe my somewhat anti social behavior helped me stay healthy! 
 

With all of that said, I’m so, so, SO GLAD that I was able to squeeze in a 2020 cruise before the shut down! Doing so has helped tremendously to ease the symptoms of cruise withdrawal! 😂. I do find myself looking at the photo album from that cruise more frequently than from other cruises I’ve recently taken. I’m hopeful that by the time February 2021 rolls around, we will all be cruising again! 

[Seattle_Guy]

3 minutes ago, Tapi said:

 

With all of that said, I’m so, so, SO GLAD that I was able to squeeze in a 2020 cruise before the shut down! Doing so has helped tremendously to ease the symptoms of cruise withdrawal! 😂. I do find myself looking at the photo album from that cruise more frequently than from other cruises I’ve recently taken. I’m hopeful that by the time February 2021 rolls around, we will all be cruising again! 

 

 

I couldn't agree more! I'm so happy we went....I'm targeting the same time frame for another vacation, too. Here's to hoping we'll all be vaccinated and ready to rock.

 

Your response was totally reasonable, by the way 😉

 

[Tapi]

10 minutes ago, Seattle_Guy said:

Your response was totally reasonable, by the way 😉

 

Thanks. I probably would’ve worded my response a bit different had I know then what I know now though. 😉

 

Very glad that you went on your cruise and that you had a great time as well. Looking forward to 2021! 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Tapi

[JamieLogical]

On 2/7/2020 at 1:53 PM, JamieLogical said:

I cannot fathom canceling my vacation over something that is having such a minimal impact. Something like 50,000 people die of the flu every year, yet millions of people still vacation during flu season.  Yes, there is now one cruise ship that has been nowhere near Asia that is having screenings but that is ONE ship out of the many dozens that sail every week. When making any decision, you have to weigh the risk versus reward. Right now the risk is INCREDIBLY low. Probably not statistically higher than the risk of ANY cruise any time of year. But the reward of taking and enjoying a vacation is very high...

 

I find it incredibly interesting that I made this post the exact same day that Trump confessed to Bob Woodward that COVID-19 was airborne and five times deadlier than the flu. I would like to think that had I had that information at the time, I would NEVER had made this post. On the one hand, I am incredibly ashamed that I ever expressed these thoughts, but on the other hand, I was just basing my opinion on the information I had available to me at the time. Unfortunately I hadn't had my own one-on-one conversation with Xi Jinping at that point....

[sammee]

32 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I find it incredibly interesting that I made this post the exact same day that Trump confessed to Bob Woodward that COVID-19 was airborne and five times deadlier than the flu. I would like to think that had I had that information at the time, I would NEVER had made this post. On the one hand, I am incredibly ashamed that I ever expressed these thoughts, but on the other hand, I was just basing my opinion on the information I had available to me at the time. Unfortunately I hadn't had my own one-on-one conversation with Xi Jinping at that point....

I remember some of your posts as we were supposed to be on the same sailing. That final week, you were posting the available rooms. Everybody being die hards still. Than the bomb was dropped. My husbands employer said No Sail for him along with a bunch of others. Who would have dreamed this could have happened.

[macandlucy]

Not a comment on the posters here, but I find in my own life, the people who were all, "It's just a flu", "more people die from the flu", "this is xenophobia" have now converted into the "nowhere is safe", "we won't be safe until everyone is vaccinated", "we should probably lock down again" people.

 

It's an interesting phenomenon.

 

 

[JamieLogical]

9 minutes ago, macandlucy said:

Not a comment on the posters here, but I find in my own life, the people who were all, "It's just a flu", "more people die from the flu", "this is xenophobia" have now converted into the "nowhere is safe", "we won't be safe until everyone is vaccinated", "we should probably lock down again" people.

 

It's an interesting phenomenon.

 

 

 

That is definitely me! But the funny thing is, my parents did the exact opposite. My parents were set to sail on the same March 22 cruise with me and canceled before NCL even started offering the FCC because they were so worried about it. NOW, they are all like "it's just the flu", "masks are dumb", "my chances of getting it and dying are SUPER low"... They eat indoors at restaurants, go to church unmasked, meet up with their friends and social cub members indoors, etc.

[Tapi]

15 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I would like to think that had I had that information at the time, I would NEVER had made this post. On the one hand, I am incredibly ashamed that I ever expressed these thoughts, but on the other hand, I was just basing my opinion on the information I had available to me at the time.

You’re not alone feeling that way. I too made several decisions back then under false pretenses and withheld information. Looking back, it sometimes makes me feel a certain level of outrage. But I’m thankful that I remained healthy through it all.

[macandlucy]

1 minute ago, JamieLogical said:

 

That is definitely me! But the funny thing is, my parents did the exact opposite. My parents were set to sail on the same March 22 cruise with me and canceled before NCL even started offering the FCC because they were so worried about it. NOW, they are all like "it's just the flu", "masks are dumb", "my chances of getting it and dying are SUPER low"... They eat indoors at restaurants, go to church unmasked, meet up with their friends and social cub members indoors, etc.

I think cruising can be safely resumed now, with mitigation strategies in place. With the correct protocols it can be as safe (or safer) that any land vacation we can currently take.

 

I'm with your parents on the early cancellation -- smart move at the time, imo. Early on, I'd show people you tube videos of trucks in Wuhan spraying vast quantities of bleach on the streets and ask, "Does that seem like a NORMAL response to a flu virus to you!?" Eyerolls is what I got back at the time. We also cancelled a cruise, and it was such a relief, such a huge relief to me at the time. I was very, very scared of it.

 

And now that I know more, I am way less scared than I once was. But, IMHO, I think your parents have swing a little too far in the other direction. It's true that for most people, it's similar to a flu, but it's far worse than a flu for people in high risk groups and even just outliers in the low-risk category.  Useless masks are useless, effective ones are not. Chances of catching it are low for most of us, depending on luck and (the biggie) how we behave around others. Seven million cases in the US with a population of about 330 million, with a now, overall declining infection rate. I know people say "what about the upcoming flu season! It's going to make everything so much worse!" Then I remind them that their covid mitigation efforts also work on the flu (hygiene, distancing, effective masks). We don't, imo, need to lock down. We just need to change our own, individual behavior for a while.

 

I would cruise again now, but I'd need improved air filtration, an effective mask rule, hand hygiene, opportunity for distancing. Enough to get the risk level to very low (most of it I can handle myself). I'd also want to know the plan for other pax if cases are detected on board (which I expect they will be).  If they find one case on board, I expect that case to be isolated. But if they find ten cases on board do they then plan to confine everyone to their cabins? I'd want to know that before sailing. What's the positive case threshold before the whole thing is locked down.

 

I do feel like so much of the contagion factor is within individual control. Another example from my own life -- the people who are now the "lock it down again-ers" are also doing things and tolerating risk that I wouldn't, even now, with my way lower fear level.  Hugging friends outside their bubble for example, or sharing car rides.  That's another interesting phenomenon.

 

Ultimately, we all have to decide what's right for each of us. If cruising doesn't feel safe now, I get it, and would never encourage someone to do something that feels unsafe.  But for those of us who feel the risk is managable, I think it's time to give us that choice again.