I'm very concerned what to do.

[kernow]

1 hour ago, MrsBee89 said:

 

We are cruising out of Singapore in May, also have non refundable air- if cruise is cancelled will insurance cover the air fare do you know?


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Have you booked in the UK as a package, if so you will be covered by ABTA. We were on the cancelled 15/02 cruise, we had booked through UK ta and got all monies refunded even though RCL only refunded the cruise. Americans and many of the Australians on the same cruise have not all been so lucky. It also seems that many insurance companies would not pay out due to it being an epidemic.

[MrsBee89]

Have you booked in the UK as a package, if so you will be covered by ABTA. We were on the cancelled 15/02 cruise, we had booked through UK ta and got all monies refunded even though RCL only refunded the cruise. Americans and many of the Australians on the same cruise have not all been so lucky. It also seems that many insurance companies would not pay out due to it being an epidemic.

We didn’t book a package. I think we’ll just still go even if the cruise is cancelled. My sister lives there so we have free accommodation, just didn’t really want 2 weeks in Singapore with no break, but first world problems eh!


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[molly361]

If you are that concerned which it sounds like you are I would cancel

[Iamcruzin]

7 hours ago, Coralc said:

 

Second hip replacement was in August (several years ago, first was in December). Cruise was at the end of October and walked all over the Vatican and did the Scavi tour. Walking is good for you and it is nice to be able to walk without pain. 

It's not the walking. It's the time off from work. Plus my son is graduating in June in Florida and I need time off for that.   

[cruisinfanatic]

7 hours ago, brillohead said:

No, it's not.  

It's killing the elderly and the already-sickly, but it's not randomly killing children.  Influenza, on the other hand, has killed children every single year.  

The vast majority of coronavirus infections have resulted in mild to moderate symptoms not needing treatment or hospitalization.  

 

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6908e1.htm

Do the math!

[constable145]

11 hours ago, thefog said:

We cruise in May and wonder if I should cancel with this virus spreading,anyone else thinking the same thing?

Nope.

[20165]

12 hours ago, thefog said:

We cruise in May and wonder if I should cancel with this virus spreading,anyone else thinking the same thing?

Yep

[time4u2go]

9 hours ago, cruisinfanatic said:

It's killing about 1 in 40, much worse than flu

Exactly.  The flu kills about 1 in 1000.

[TNcruising02]

9 hours ago, travelgirl528 said:

We are due to set sail in 2 weeks.  I am extremely nervous as I have a son with respiratory issues that are triggered by viral infections.  He has been in respiratory failure multiple times, but with the help of a pulmonologist and larger lungs we are not doing the middle of the night runs to the ER any more.  But viral infections still result in difficulty breathing and are nerve-wracking for Mom.

 

I realize it is a personal decision, but it does not make it any easier.  Liklihood of anything happening is not high, but outcome if he does contract it may be scary. 

 

My husband is not too concerned, but my FIL wants us to cancel.

This is a tough situation.  Honestly, if I were in this position I would probably cancel, even though the odds of contracting the virus are extremely low.  I am cruising in a week, but am not traveling with anyone who has existing health issues so it's a much easier decision for me to go on my cruise.  Your situation is different.

[SargassoPirate]

13 hours ago, thefog said:

We cruise in May and wonder if I should cancel with this virus spreading,anyone else thinking the same thing?

 

Not all all.  The news media is whipping up the frenzy for ratings and because it's an election year.  Think about it.  Life is full of risks and She Who Must Be Obeyed and I do everything possible to minimize those risks. How many motorcycle deaths are there every year?  I continue to ride a Harley - but never without my helmet and leathers.  How many motor vehicle deaths are there every year?   We both continue to drive cars - but never without buckling up.   We avail ourselves of every vaccination possible - annual flu, shingles, pneumonia, and all shots recommended for travel. Yet, around 50% of the US population don't bother to get an annual flu shot.

 

Public transportation - airplanes, trains, ships, taxis, buses, whatever, are loaded with germs.  We wash our hands frequently and also never handle food with our bare hands unless we have re-sanitized our hands after going through the buffet line. We don't lay our silverware on a public use table unless we place it on a bread plate or a napkin.  We don't use any cups or glasses that we find pre-set on a table in a ship's buffet.

 

We wipe down the phone, remote, and door handles in hotel rooms and ship's cabins.

 

Overkill?  Perhaps.  But the last time I had the flu was 1973.  I can't remember my last cold. The key is to break the chain of contamination and your mouth and/or face.

 

During a public health course that I took back in college, we sampled and cultured a variety of surfaces in a medical facility.  The dirtiest?  The stethoscope that hangs around the physician's neck.  The second dirtiest was the palms of physician's hands. The dirtiest in the hospital's cafeteria?  The sugar, salt, and pepper shakers on the table and the underneath edge of the chair where everybody grabs it to pull the chair in.

 

It's a dirty world, even in the "clean" places.

 

 

[TNcruising02]

25 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

Not all all.  The news media is whipping up the frenzy for ratings and because it's an election year.  Think about it.  Life is full of risks and She Who Must Be Obeyed and I do everything possible to minimize those risks. How many motorcycle deaths are there every year?  I continue to ride a Harley - but never without my helmet and leathers.  How many motor vehicle deaths are there every year?   We both continue to drive cars - but never without buckling up.   We avail ourselves of every vaccination possible - annual flu, shingles, pneumonia, and all shots recommended for travel. Yet, around 50% of the US population don't bother to get an annual flu shot.

 

Public transportation - airplanes, trains, ships, taxis, buses, whatever, are loaded with germs.  We wash our hands frequently and also never handle food with our bare hands unless we have re-sanitized our hands after going through the buffet line. We don't lay our silverware on a public use table unless we place it on a bread plate or a napkin.  We don't use any cups or glasses that we find pre-set on a table in a ship's buffet.

 

We wipe down the phone, remote, and door handles in hotel rooms and ship's cabins.

 

Overkill?  Perhaps.  But the last time I had the flu was 1973.  I can't remember my last cold. The key is to break the chain of contamination and your mouth and/or face.

 

During a public health course that I took back in college, we sampled and cultured a variety of surfaces in a medical facility.  The dirtiest?  The stethoscope that hangs around the physician's neck.  The second dirtiest was the palms of physician's hands. The dirtiest in the hospital's cafeteria?  The sugar, salt, and pepper shakers on the table and the underneath edge of the chair where everybody grabs it to pull the chair in.

 

It's a dirty world, even in the "clean" places.

 

 

Excellent post.

[Crazy planning mom]

Where are you sailing?  I would hesitate to sail from Italy or Asia?

[Texas Flood]

14 hours ago, brillohead said:

Are you afraid of the flu?  Because the flu has killed WAY more people than COVID-19 has, and I haven't seen a single thread on these forums about cancelling a cruise because of fears of influenza.



New England Journal of Medicine: Coronavirus Could Be No Worse than Flu

 

An editorial published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine speculated that the coronavirus currently causing panic in world markets could turn out no worse than “a severe seasonal influenza” in terms of mortality.

Well the death rate is 20 times higher than the flu and there is a vaccine for the flu.  Illness is not the only concern.  There are outbreaks in Italy and if it gets higher the ship or individuals traveling to other areas during and after the cruise may be affected by either denial of entry, quarantine or other ramifications.  It's a much broader issue than a flu-like illness.

[Texas Flood]

We are holding off on cancellation until the last minute to see how things develop.  We sail on April 8th and really want to go but don't want to go and possibly be denied entry into ports etc.  We have cancel for any reason travel insurance so we will wait to cancel (if necessary) until later.

 

CDC just posted a recommendation for no non-essential travel to Italy so UGH.  A new complication everyday.

[MadamG2U]

10 hours ago, MrsBee89 said:

 

We are cruising out of Singapore in May, also have non refundable air- if cruise is cancelled will insurance cover the air fare do you know?


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I don't know

[TwoMisfits]

13 hours ago, travelgirl528 said:

We are due to set sail in 2 weeks.  I am extremely nervous as I have a son with respiratory issues that are triggered by viral infections.  He has been in respiratory failure multiple times, but with the help of a pulmonologist and larger lungs we are not doing the middle of the night runs to the ER any more.  But viral infections still result in difficulty breathing and are nerve-wracking for Mom.

 

I realize it is a personal decision, but it does not make it any easier.  Liklihood of anything happening is not high, but outcome if he does contract it may be scary. 

 

My husband is not too concerned, but my FIL wants us to cancel.

 

In your particular case, I would cancel.  Your family is young, and it's unlikely to be the last time you can cruise.

 

But your son is the classic case of the type of person who should be avoiding extensive travel right now.  

[Reginaldvanpelt]

I just cancelled our May cruise. My wife recently had surgery on her right lung and it simply isn’t worth the risk to us.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Reginaldvanpelt

[travelgirl528]

1 hour ago, TwoMisfits said:

 

In your particular case, I would cancel.  Your family is young, and it's unlikely to be the last time you can cruise.

 

But your son is the classic case of the type of person who should be avoiding extensive travel right now.  

Thanks for your words (even though I know nobody but us can make the decision).  Everybody I know thinks I am being over the top with considering cancelling and losing thousands of dollars.    But my son is irreplaceable.   I did consider still flying to Fort Lauderdale, but if we really want to go somewhere we may be better off going to our favorite beach spot that we can drive to - it would be more economical and it will not be very populated.

 

My brother happens to be a pulmonologist and is director of ICU so I do have somebody else to discuss the risk with.  He has no inside information, but his reaction did confirm my fear that we could be in for a rough ride.

Edited February 29, 2020 by travelgirl528

[travelgirl528]

4 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

This is a tough situation.  Honestly, if I were in this position I would probably cancel, even though the odds of contracting the virus are extremely low.  I am cruising in a week, but am not traveling with anyone who has existing health issues so it's a much easier decision for me to go on my cruise.  Your situation is different.

Thanks for the feedback.  I go back and forth on what to do.  I know he is the classic example of somebody who is at high risk, but i have also read that kids do not seem as likely to contract it.

 

But then I think if I go could I really enjoy myself - I may be a ball of stress especially if I see somebody who does not seem well - and the knowledge that many who carry it don't even have symptoms doesn't help my stress.

 

The indecision.  It will probably be a wait to the last minute kind of decision.  

[Mapleleafforever]

1 minute ago, travelgirl528 said:

Thanks for your words (even though I know nobody but us can make the decision).  I recognize that if we cancel we will lose everything including way overpriced airline tickets (Spring Break pricing on discount airline), but my son is irreplaceable.   I did consider still flying to Fort Lauderdale, but if we really want to go somewhere we may be better off going to our favorite beach spot that we can drive to - it would be more economical and it will not be very populated.

 

My brother happens to be a pulmonologist and is director of ICU so I do have somebody else to discuss the risk with.  He has no inside information, but his reaction did confirm my fear that we could be in for a rough ride.

I've been thinking a lot about this the last few days and here's what I came up with. We just returned from Allure on February 23 and my entire house including myself, my wife, our 27 month old, and 6 month has been sick with the flu this week. My parents who also went with us are sick as well. Hard to tell where we caught it as everywhere we went that week there were people coughing and sneezing like crazy. Went to the Dr and she wasn't really concerned with Covid-19 even though we had just travelled via air. When you travel during cold and flu season these are the risks we take. Do I think Covid-19 will become bigger? Yes, absolutely. Am I concerned about it? No, not really. From what I understand it's only fatal in people with already weakened immune systems such as the elderly. Do I feel the media is creating a panic? YUP......and I fell into it a bit I must admit. 

 

My biggest concern on a ship would be a quarantine situation and having at least an outside room.....balcony or suite would be best. I wouldn't be cancelling an upcoming cruise and I would never book an inside cabin.....especially now.

[gbphipps]

We made final payment before the virus’s spread beyond Asia on a 21 day Tampa to Venice B2B.  No doubt the Barcelona to Venice portion will have itinerary changes and will likely finish somewhere else.  We had booked a non refundable flight from Venice to Istanbul on disembarkation day.  No doubt we will have top book a different flight.  Thank goodness for travel insurance.  We also are planning to go from Istanbul to Athens 2 days precruise and a 14 day Med cruise from Athens to Southampton with stops in Italy.  We made final payment on that cruise prior to spread of COVID-19 beyond Asia.  We plan a week in London followed by a QM2 crossing to NYC in June.  We then plan to spend a week with our daughter and family in Massachusetts before our return home JFK to Guadalajara, Mexico.  We will do as much of this as the cruise ships and airlines allow.  Last year, on a similar itinerary my husband and I had terrible cases of bronchitis/pneumonia while staying at a B&B in London.  Since then, we travel with a stockpile of medication prescribed by our doctor to be used in case of illness.  I am asthmatic and am prone to respiratory illnesses.  We are not panicking but plan to take all appropriate precautions including attention to hygiene and avoidance of buffets and sick people.  We shall see what happens in the coming months.  We are due to leave home early April.

[gbphipps]

24 minutes ago, Mapleleafforever said:

I've been thinking a lot about this the last few days and here's what I came up with. We just returned from Allure on February 23 and my entire house including myself, my wife, our 27 month old, and 6 month has been sick with the flu this week. My parents who also went with us are sick as well. Hard to tell where we caught it as everywhere we went that week there were people coughing and sneezing like crazy. Went to the Dr and she wasn't really concerned with Covid-19 even though we had just travelled via air. When you travel during cold and flu season these are the risks we take. Do I think Covid-19 will become bigger? Yes, absolutely. Am I concerned about it? No, not really. From what I understand it's only fatal in people with already weakened immune systems such as the elderly. Do I feel the media is creating a panic? YUP......and I fell into it a bit I must admit. 

 

My biggest concern on a ship would be a quarantine situation and having at least an outside room.....balcony or suite would be best. I wouldn't be cancelling an upcoming cruise and I would never book an inside cabin.....especially now.

Did your doctor diagnose and treat you for influenza or did you just have flu-like symptoms?

[macbasset]

We had an upcoming cruise in May and just cancelled. We don’t know what the future holds, but we are in our 70s with some health concerns, but very active seniors. We just don’t want to take chances with our health. Don’t want to end up quarantined on ship or pick up illness on plane.  We cancelled day before final payment was due. 

[20165]

Well, based on the presidents news conference just now, im pretty sure the decision is going to be made for us soon.  If he does close the border with mexico, i have to believe that will affect Caribbean cruises.  Plus, although the Caribbean islands need the money, at some point, they have to realize that allowing 1000s of new people circulating through their islands each day from the outside probably isnt a great idea...

[Mapleleafforever]

11 minutes ago, gbphipps said:

Did your doctor diagnose and treat you for influenza or did you just have flu-like symptoms?

Flu-like symptoms but my toddler ended up having infections in both ears that required antibiotics. Everyone here is on the mend already except my cough is lingering a bit (same sounding cough I heard all week on board and on the airplane). My parent's Dr gave them Tamiflu and they're also recovering nicely.