Seeking advice regarding canceling due to virus-Italy

[feenix]

We are booked on Allure May 31 - June 8 going from Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Marseilles, and 3 Italy stops, then back to Barcelona.  We are just about at the 90 day mark, and my final payment is due.  With Italy getting a surge in coronavirus cases, is it smarter for me to cancel now and lose between $1500 -2000, take a chance that RC will cancel (potentially I would lose less but who knows), or keep the trip and risk RC not cancelling even though I might want to (and potentially lose all the money for the trip if I still don't want to go)?  

[cloud_nine]

Considering the cruise doesn't start in Italy, I don't see what the problem is. Royal can easily change the itinerary if it gets any worse to not go to Italy at all by either changing the ports or just making it another three sea days. I don't see any reason to cancel at this point. 

[gatour]

Only you can answer the question about how much money you may want lose.  I know what my risk factor is, I would keep the booking, but that is just me.  I wouldn't cancel at the last minute.

[Merion_Mom]

You would only LOSE $100 per person if you cancelled. The rest would come back to you as a Fiture Cruise Certificate that must be used within one year of the cancellation date. 

[feenix]

Yes, there are 4 of us, and we would lose 100 each from RC, but 330 each for flights.

[lynncarol]

If the virus continues spreading as quickly as it has, by May you will probably be just as much as risk of contracting it back in the states.  It sounds like a fun cruise...I would certainly go.  

[Wally Alligator]

While Italy is nice, there are many other ports the Allure could hit if things get too hairy in Italy.  Definitely should not cancel and don't expect Royal Caribbean to cancel the sailing either.  As long as Barcelona stays open to visitors and there are 3 or more open places within cruising distance, the sailing will happen.  Wish I was going with you.  Barcelona is a great city to visit.

 

[MadManOfBethesda]

58 minutes ago, feenix said:

Yes, there are 4 of us, and we would lose 100 each from RC, but 330 each for flights.

Why would you need to lose $1,320 on your r/t flights to Barcelona?  If you decide that you don't want to take a cruise to Italy, then just book hotel rooms instead. Barcelona and the surrounding area is a wonderful place to visit.

[feenix]

Just now, MadManOfBethesda said:

Why would you need to lose $1,320 on your r/t flights to Barcelona?  If you decide that you don't want to take a cruise to Italy, then just book hotel rooms instead. Barcelona and the surrounding area is a wonderful place to visit.

This is a good idea as an option if needed - thanks!  I appreciate all the thoughts and encouragement from everyone.  🙂

[lbjen]

You could also look to see if there’s any insurance policies that will give you cancel for any reason coverage, since you are about to make final payment. I think Nationwide allows you to add it at this point. You’d get 75% of your total trip cost back if you decided to use it. Obviously still some cost involved but it gives you some more time to decide. 

[robsmom]

I think it depends on your personal risk factor.   If you believe that you are very nervous and there is any chance that you would cancel when Royal is still going, then cancel now.    At this point, I think the cruise lines will only sail low risk itineraries, so if you can handle low risk and possible itinerary changes keep it.    Just my opinion, but it appears prices are going down.  Ships are being moved from Asia to Europe, raising supply when demand is falling.     I think I might cancel the cruise, but keep my flights.  You can re-evaluate in a month or two.    The gamble is you can get a room that you are happy with for what you were going to pay or less.    If not, and the virus is not an issue, you can do a land trip.  If the virus has expanded in Europe you can cancel the flights later.   

Edited February 24, 2020 by robsmom

[Sprigs616]

3 hours ago, MadManOfBethesda said:

If you decide that you don't want to take a cruise to Italy, then just book hotel rooms instead. Barcelona and the surrounding area is a wonderful place to visit.

 

I agree with this advice.  After reading about the Westerdam and Diamond Princess ordeals, I cancelled my Med cruise before final payment was due a few weeks ago and am now looking at doing a land-based trip.  Although I have a deep respect for the virus's estimated fatality rate (confirmed cases/deaths ; currently @ 1 to 2%), I'm more concerned about the possibility of being quarantined on a ship and/or being diverted to ports I don't care to visit.  

[cured]

2 hours ago, lbjen said:

You could also look to see if there’s any insurance policies that will give you cancel for any reason coverage, since you are about to make final payment. I think Nationwide allows you to add it at this point. You’d get 75% of your total trip cost back if you decided to use it. Obviously still some cost involved but it gives you some more time to decide. 

Make sure you double check that the policy will still cover cancellations due to the virus even under CFAR.  A few of the policies we have been looking at have said that they won't cover it anymore since Covid-19 is now a known entity. You had to purchase before January something in order for cancellations due to virus to be covered.

[feenix]

44 minutes ago, cured said:

Make sure you double check that the policy will still cover cancellations due to the virus even under CFAR.  A few of the policies we have been looking at have said that they won't cover it anymore since Covid-19 is now a known entity. You had to purchase before January something in order for cancellations due to virus to be covered.

We purchased a regular policy in November, but they specifically do not cover epidemics under either type. 

Edited February 25, 2020 by feenix

[csnarpy]

also, i know its bound to get through but the Virus is in the North, away from the port city's.

 

I'm also on the Allure trip but not till Sept.

[MadManOfBethesda]

8 hours ago, csnarpy said:

also, i know its bound to get through but the Virus is in the North, away from the port city's.

 

I'm also on the Allure trip but not till Sept.

It's already gotten through to the south; there's now a case in Sicily. The Mayor of Palermo announced that a woman on vacation who has been traveling with a group of 30 people came down with flu-like symptoms and has now been diagnosed with covid-19. The other members of the group are now quarantined in a hotel there.

[cpaman]

I cancelled my cruise sailing out of Venice in May (12 day cruise)

I lost approx.  $1,100 doing this.

I feel that it was a safe thing to do.

I question the medical care in Europe and will not put my Wife or myself in harms way.

Do not look for trouble.

Staying in the USA this year.

Taxman.

 

[okiedrifters]

18 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

You would only LOSE $100 per person if you cancelled. The rest would come back to you as a Fiture Cruise Certificate that must be used within one year of the cancellation date. 

Just to clarify....just booked within a year of cancellation or sailing completed during that year of cancellation?  Thanks so much for any info!  We too are only 2 weeks away from final payment, and we are on the “fence” about what to do. Since our granddaughters are sailing with us, their parents will make the final decision as to their sailing. 

[Ourusualbeach]

12 minutes ago, okiedrifters said:

Just to clarify....just booked within a year of cancellation or sailing completed during that year of cancellation?  Thanks so much for any info!  We too are only 2 weeks away from final payment, and we are on the “fence” about what to do. Since our granddaughters are sailing with us, their parents will make the final decision as to their sailing. 

The FCC must be applied to a cruise within a year.  the sailing may be more than a year away.

[CruisingAlong4Now]

reminds me of the polio scares in the early 1950's.  Parents wouldn't let their children play with other children or travel to vacation resorts, especially beaches.  Many people just stayed home over the summer vacations.  Fortunately, because of Drs. Salk and Sabin (and many many others), vaccines freed us from that terrible, crippling disease. 

 

With cheap and easy global travel to many emerging nations, diseases spread faster and to many more countries than in the 1950's when very few people traveled globally.

[okiedrifters]

6 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The FCC must be applied to a cruise within a year.  the sailing may be more than a year away.

Thanks, that is good news! 

[xxHadleyxx]

We are travelling in the opposite direction (from europe to cruise out of the USA to Candada and Alaska) and had final payment this weekend.  We debated only a minute (we'd be going to the US right after the cruise regardless for our kid's wedding) and decided to go ahead and pay it---we figure 90 days is a very long time in the course of a disease: it's either likely to be much better by May OR we'll have bigger worries than the cost of one cruise by then.

 

meanwhile---my balcony loving husband is gleeful that I have to admit I am more willing to pay for balconies now that I have the thought of a infintessimal possiblity of being quarintine in my head 🤣

 

((I admit, like a poster above, though again opposite, having lived large portions of my life in the USA and in Europe, the thought of being sick and in the stuck in the US medical system versus here in Europe did give me more pause than anything else about this))

[clochette]

4 hours ago, cpaman said:

I cancelled my cruise sailing out of Venice in May (12 day cruise)

I lost approx.  $1,100 doing this.

I feel that it was a safe thing to do.

I question the medical care in Europe and will not put my Wife or myself in harms way.

Do not look for trouble.

Staying in the USA this year.

Taxman.

 

the medical care in Europe is great, I am sure that we will have people from Europe wanting to cancel as the cost of care in the US is so expensive.

[sgmn]

Both our cruises are in Europe this summer so happy we are still covered with our EU card though we always travel with full insurance 

[lurkmaster]

23 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

You would only LOSE $100 per person if you cancelled. The rest would come back to you as a Fiture Cruise Certificate that must be used within one year of the cancellation date. 

Hey new here, but does this apply to cancellation at any time all the way up to the cruise date? So even if I have made final payment I can cancel and get full credit for a future cruise and only be down $100 per person?