New O policies

[cruisingaussies]

For clarity, here is what I see on the Oceania site, under the heading Coronavirus Statement.  Interestingly, it states 'Policies currently in place include:'  Does that mean that there are others not included in the Statement?

Oceania Cruises
State Department Travel Warning Statement 2/27/20

The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our number one priority. We have proactively implemented several preventative measures outlined below due to growing concerns regarding COVID-19 infections. We will continue to consult with The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and take appropriate additional action as needed.

Policies currently in place include:

Guests and crew who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, Hong Kong, Macau or South Korea within 30 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of our vessels. Travel companions of these guests who share the same stateroom will also be denied boarding.

Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel.

The standard incubation period recognized by the WHO and US CDC for this virus is 14 days.

We have implemented enhanced pre-boarding health reporting and evaluation for all guests. Any guests who appear symptomatic are subject to pre-boarding medical evaluations including but not limited to temperature checks as deemed necessary.

Any guest who exhibits symptoms of any respiratory illness while on board will be subject to additional screening at our onboard Medical Center and may be subject to potential quarantine and disembarkation.

We have also implemented additional cleaning and disinfection protocols on board all voyages. These protocols will be enforced in addition to our already rigorous sanitization standards in place.

Certain countries have put into place additional restrictions for port entry and passenger disembarkation. These often include denying entry to Chinese passport holders or requiring additional medical documentation or screenings. Guests who are on voyages impacted by port restrictions will be notified prior to sailing.

The above measures will remain in effect until further notice and are subject to change at any time as we evaluate the situation and continue to consult with local health authorities as well as the WHO and US CDC.

At this time, we have modified, cancelled or redeployed a number of sailings and none of our vessels are calling to ports in mainland China. In addition, we do not have any vessels deployed in East Asia through the end of the third quarter. We also have the flexibility to alter our itineraries as needed to avoid areas of concern. As always, we will closely monitor the situation and take appropriate action as necessary.

We apologize for the inconvenience to any guests affected by these measures put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all our guests and crew.

[cruisingxpert]

12 hours ago, cruisingaussies said:

I too have the same question, maybe I’ve missed something.  Issyalex (post 33) and cruisingxpert (post 37), I’m wondering why/when did you receive the emails you refer to?  We have three European cruises booked in June and July, we’ve never had this message from O.

 

I just checked the O website again for their Coronavirus Statement which, as someone else pointed out, is neatly stuck at the end of the home page, you really have to look to find it.  In relation to denied boarding, the only reference I see is:

 

“Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel.”  But the way I read it, this appears to be only in relation to “Guests and crew who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, Hong Kong, Macau or South Korea within 30 days of their voyage embarkation.”

 

There is no mention of being refunded or not if you’re denied boarding if you show up with any of the symptoms.

 

 

The notice that I referred to was posted on Jan 29th by another poster.  I didn't receive that notice personally and I am on Riviera March 31st transatlantic that ends in Rome.  As you said, the new notice doesn't say anything about refunds if you are denied boarding because of a temperature reading.

 

[cruisingaussies]

4 hours ago, cruisingxpert said:

The notice that I referred to was posted on Jan 29th by another poster.  I didn't receive that notice personally and I am on Riviera March 31st transatlantic that ends in Rome.  As you said, the new notice doesn't say anything about refunds if you are denied boarding because of a temperature reading.

 

Apologies for attributing the quote to you!  Maybe the OP can comment. 

[Issyalex]

On 3/1/2020 at 5:52 PM, cruisingxpert said:

I don't see where in your post that says if you turn up but are denied boarding, that O will refund you - except for the specific examples mentioned.

On Jan 29th Oceania posted this.  Have they changed their policy about "Any guest who registers a body temperature......will not be allowed to board. These guests will not receive a refund"

 

 

[Issyalex]

On 3/1/2020 at 5:52 PM, cruisingxpert said:

I don't see where in your post that says if you turn up but are denied boarding, that O will refund you - except for the specific examples mentioned.

On Jan 29th Oceania posted this.  Have they changed their policy about "Any guest who registers a body temperature......will not be allowed to board. These guests will not receive a refund"

 

I received Oceania’s email on 29th Feb via my TA.

[cruisingxpert]

6 minutes ago, Issyalex said:

I received Oceania’s email on 29th Feb via my TA.

The one you received is the one that is on Oceania site currently.  I see what you circled in red.  Are you thinking that this would mean anyone denied boarding for an elevated temperature would get a refund?.  I think it is only referring to people who have travelled to the infected areas.  

[Issyalex]

2 minutes ago, cruisingxpert said:

The one you received is the one that is on Oceania site currently.  I see what you circled in red.  Are you thinking that this would mean anyone denied boarding for an elevated temperature would get a refund?.  I think it is only referring to people who have travelled to the infected areas.  

I’m hopeful that anyone with a high temp, without their knowledge, will get a refund. If I had a known high temp and respiratory problems then I’d not leave the house never mind turn up at port. I’d then get my GP to supply a sick not so I can claim my travel insurance company. 

[cruisingaussies]

2 hours ago, cruisingxpert said:

The one you received is the one that is on Oceania site currently.  I see what you circled in red.  Are you thinking that this would mean anyone denied boarding for an elevated temperature would get a refund?.  I think it is only referring to people who have travelled to the infected areas.  

I'm reading it the same way, ie that it only refers to people who have travelled from/through the infected areas.  Would really like to have this clarified by O.

[drkitkat123]

this whole thing seems odd - if I read this correctly, if the cruise is still taking place and you are well but travel through a prohibited area you will get a refund. But you cant get a refund if you do not travel through a prohibited area. If you want to cancel your cruise and get a refund, It seems to incentive you to actually travel through the prohibited area???

[Paulchili]

3 minutes ago, drkitkat123 said:

this whole thing seems odd - if I read this correctly, if the cruise is still taking place and you are well but travel through a prohibited area you will get a refund. But you cant get a refund if you do not travel through a prohibited area. If you want to cancel your cruise and get a refund, It seems to incentive you to actually travel through the prohibited area???

Interesting point 😃

[cruisingaussies]

3 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Interesting point 😃

Agree!  It doesn't make sense to me.

[jo-b]

Seems that the advisory has now been revised, this is what it now says on the UK site (bold red  is mine)

 

 

Oceania Cruises
State Department Travel Warning Statement 3/2/20

The safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our number one priority. We have proactively implemented several preventative measures outlined below due to growing concerns regarding COVID-19 infections. We will continue to consult with The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and take appropriate additional action as needed. 

Policies currently in place include:

• Guests and crew who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Iran or any municipality in Italy under a quarantine order by the Italian Government, as designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at https://www.esteri.it/mae/en/, within 14 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of our vessels. Travel companions of these guests who share the same stateroom will also be denied boarding. 
  • Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel. 
  
  
• We will be conducting health screenings for all guests who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in any destinations listed on the U.S. CDC ‘Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel’ page at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html within 14 days of voyage embarkation. Health screenings will include symptom history checks for fever, cough and difficulty breathing within 14 days of voyage embarkation and non-touch temperature screenings.
  
• We have implemented enhanced pre-boarding health reporting and evaluation for all guests. This includes non-touch temperature screenings for all guests and any guests with a temperature detected at or above 100.4F / 38C will be denied boarding. Any guests who appear symptomatic are subject to pre-boarding medical evaluations as deemed necessary. 
  
• Any guest who exhibits symptoms of any respiratory illness while on board will be subject to additional screening at our onboard Medical Center and may be subject to potential quarantine and disembarkation.
  
• We have also implemented additional cleaning and disinfection protocols on board all voyages. These protocols will be enforced in addition to our already rigorous sanitization standards in place. 
  
• Certain countries have put into place additional restrictions for port entry and passenger disembarkation. These often include denying entry to Chinese passport holders or requiring additional medical documentation or screenings. Guests who are on voyages impacted by port restrictions will be notified prior to sailing. 

 

The above measures will remain in effect until further notice and are subject to change at any time as we evaluate the situation and continue to consult with local health authorities as well as the WHO and US CDC. 

At this time, we have modified, cancelled or redeployed a number of sailings and none of our vessels are calling to ports in mainland China. In addition, we do not have any vessels deployed in East Asia through the end of the third quarter. We also have the flexibility to alter our itineraries as needed to avoid areas of concern. As always, we will closely monitor the situation and take appropriate action as necessary. 

We apologize for the inconvenience to any guests affected by these measures put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all our guests and crew. 

 

 

[Beagle5]

34 minutes ago, jo-b said:

Policies currently in place include:

• Guests and crew who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Iran or any municipality in Italy under a quarantine order by the Italian Government, as designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at https://www.esteri.it/mae/en/, within 14 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of our vessels. Travel companions of these guests who share the same stateroom will also be denied boarding. 
  • Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel. 

Exclusion period which was previously 30 days has also been reduced to 14.

That's handy - we will transit Hong Kong 14 days and 3 hours prior to our scheduled boarding!

[cruisingxpert]

12 hours ago, drkitkat123 said:

this whole thing seems odd - if I read this correctly, if the cruise is still taking place and you are well but travel through a prohibited area you will get a refund. But you cant get a refund if you do not travel through a prohibited area. If you want to cancel your cruise and get a refund, It seems to incentive you to actually travel through the prohibited area???

Very creative thinking.😊 

It still doesn't clarify whether you will or will not(as stated in Jan 29 notice) be refunded if they deny boarding for what they determine is a health risk- i.e elevated temperature,cough etc. I don't have COPD but I understand those who do tend to cough and have shortness of breath.

I know- the answer will be why would they travel- but what if they decide to take the risk?  Will they be denied because their disease mimics covid 19 symptons?

[bbtondo]

Regarding Italy , it's only if an area is under "quarantine"?  Really?  What if my airlines won't fly to Italy anymore?  Which some are not. What if my government says not to travel?  What if most of Italy is closed?  Which is happening now. What if, what if...To me this "quarantine" issue is making Oceania look cheap.  They really need to make a decision on their upcoming med cruises and let customers know where they stand.  

[garycarla]

16 hours ago, drkitkat123 said:

this whole thing seems odd - if I read this correctly, if the cruise is still taking place and you are well but travel through a prohibited area you will get a refund. But you cant get a refund if you do not travel through a prohibited area. If you want to cancel your cruise and get a refund, It seems to incentive you to actually travel through the prohibited area???

 

Go ahead and travel there if think it makes sense.

 

Best of luck getting back into many countries.

 

Yes, it makes sense.

[ffnole]

In times of crisis, management teams are evaluated on how they response. Some put the customer at the center of all critical decisions. They make decisions proactively with reasoned thought, communicate clearly and execute. Others get fixated on the bottom line and forget who they are in business to serve. They tend to follow a reactionary piecemeal approach.  Viking has taken the former path as a respected industry leader....Oceania to date is walking down the latter path....both with long term implications for their future. Oceania....you need to get you act together. 

[jo-b]

What I am unsure of from the wording of their statement is what do they mean by "region" If it is the "county" then you are talking Lombardy and Veneto and Venice airport is in Veneto so we couldn't fly there, but Rome is in Lazio so that's OK? 

 

However Italy is divided into administrative "regions" which are huge 

from Wikipedia...

Article 116 of the Italian Constitution grants home rule to five regions, namely Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Aosta Valley and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, allowing them some legislative, administrative and financial power to a varying extent, depending on their specific statute.

 

This aside from the fact that you have to provide proof of travel to get a refund so you have to fly to an unsafe area first and then turn up at the dock and infect everyone to get a refund?? 

 

I'm sure (hope) this isn't what they mean but that is how it reads. 

 

 

[rhohea]

On 3/1/2020 at 8:01 AM, Petoonya said:

No, Tahiti-Hawaii-SF.  I’m one who expects COVID-19 to be worldwide in a few weeks to a month. I worry that not just Asian and Italian cruises will be affected but potentially all cruises, as more and more fearful people will want out of being aboard cruise ships. As noted by many others sadly this could be catastrophic for the whole cruise industry. 

Below is a short summary of what the French Polynesian Government posted to Australian Government  Smartraveller.gov.au website today.   On Facebook they are changing warnings hourly for some countries.  Originally it was 5 days prior to arriving, now its 3 days.  To get to Regatta in Tahiti Australians need to transit New Zealand who have similar testing etc.  We have cancelled our 2 O Cruises we had booked for this year and will wait and see what the next few months unfolds.   Our April cruise I think would be ok but I want to be sure I will get home at the end of it.   I feel for the crew who are home on vacation and have had their return to work pushed back months.(at this stage)

 

Travel restrictions being enforced include:

• A requirement to show a medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner within 3 days of arriving in country. It usually needs to be shown at check-in
• A 14-day quarantine period in a third country free of COVID-19 or in other specified locations.
• Denial of entry if you have been to a country, sometimes including Australia, which has been affected by COVID-19

[Petoonya]

44 minutes ago, rhohea said:

Below is a short summary of what the French Polynesian Government posted to Australian Government  Smartraveller.gov.au website today.   On Facebook they are changing warnings hourly for some countries.  Originally it was 5 days prior to arriving, now its 3 days.  To get to Regatta in Tahiti Australians need to transit New Zealand who have similar testing etc.  We have cancelled our 2 O Cruises we had booked for this year and will wait and see what the next few months unfolds.   Our April cruise I think would be ok but I want to be sure I will get home at the end of it.   I feel for the crew who are home on vacation and have had their return to work pushed back months.(at this stage)

 

Travel restrictions being enforced include:

• A requirement to show a medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner within 3 days of arriving in country. It usually needs to be shown at check-in
• A 14-day quarantine period in a third country free of COVID-19 or in other specified locations.
• Denial of entry if you have been to a country, sometimes including Australia, which has been affected by COVID-19

Well that's discouraging! I think USA leads Australia in numbers of cases so a matter of time before such restrictions imposed on us too 😞  Pardon my dumminess but I'm not clear on the "14 day quarantine period". Is that before or after the cruise?

[njhorseman]

24 minutes ago, Petoonya said:

I think USA leads Australia in numbers of cases so a matter of time before such restrictions imposed on us too 😞 

Given that the population of Australia is about 25 million and the population of the USA is about 330 million comparing the number of cases is meaningless.

As of yesterday there were 128 confirmed cases in the USA, as opposed to 43 in Australia (number from various sources may vary slightly, but these are reasonably accurate counts). So, the USA has about 3 times as many cases but about 13 times the population, which means COVID-19 is actually more common in Australia than the USA. However, the USA cases are heavily concentrated in Washington and California, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of restrictions being placed on travelers living in or transiting through those states.

[Petoonya]

18 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

 However, the USA cases are heavily concentrated in Washington and California, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of restrictions being placed on travelers living in or transiting through those states.

It's all speculation on my part but since I'm in Oregon and we have 3 cases I would be sunk. Other than Hawaii, SFO and LAX are the US transit ports for Fr. Polynesian so we'd all be really sunk. No reason to panic. Joyfully the cruises happen or sadly not. But if this is affecting Australia we must be on "the list".

What I don't understand is the 14 day quarantine thing- before or after the cruise?

[Verokaren]

Hi Petoonya,

 

This is so frustrating as it is changing daily. We are due to fly out next Thursday, but really debating whether not to cancel at this point. Did you have a trip insurance? I'm so sorry you had to change your plans! I have an appointment to get a doctors note on Monday but flying out on Thursday, so now must change all of that around.

[njhorseman]

7 minutes ago, Petoonya said:

But if this is affecting Australia we must be on "the list".

What I don't understand is the 14 day quarantine thing- before or after the cruise?

No, we must not be on the list, at least for now. That could change of course.

 

Please try to understand the statistics I gave you. On a percentage of the population basis right now Australia is far more heavily affected by COVID-19 than Is the USA.

 

The 14 days is before the cruise. They don't care what you do after you leave their country, they're just trying to protect themselves against COVID-19 being brought into the country.

Edited March 5, 2020 by njhorseman

[Petoonya]

1 minute ago, njhorseman said:

No, we must not be on the list, at least for now. That could change of course.

 

Please try to understand the statistics I gave you. On a percentage of the population basis right now Australia is far more heavily affected by COVID-19 than Is the USA.

 

The 14 days is before the cruise. They don't care what you do after you leave their country, they're just trying to protect themselves against COVID-19 being brought into the country.

I understand the statistics perfectly well, and maybe the US will slip through the cracks being more populous. Again just hypothetically if WA and CA were quarantined states. HNL, SFO and LAX are the only gateways into Papeete.

Hope to heaven we're not affected but at this point it's an uncertainty.