I'm very concerned what to do.

[BeachChik]

Just got back today from a 7 day on the Harmony. I wasn’t concerned about the coronavirus at all. I was worried about someone getting the regular flu right before we boarded. I’m 40, hubby is 43 and two kids, 6 and 3. 
 

No one on board seemed worried and it was hardly mentioned. There was a small blurb on the compass everyday that just said wash your hands and report if you feel unwell. Hand sanitizer was everywhere and they washy washy before entering food places. 
 

We had a great time. For me personally if the ship is sailing I’m going. I trust the cruise lines to make the decision to cancel if they feel it’s necessary. 

[jacksmycat]

My cruise is supposed to start May 16 out of Venice to Greece. I'm not going to cancel it. I'm going to be really bummed if RC cancels because it is for our 40th birthday celebration. I've been planning and obsessing about it for almost a year, but I don't want them to put us and others in danger either. It's a bad situation for eveyone right now.

[time4u2go]

31 minutes ago, jacksmycat said:

My cruise is supposed to start May 16 out of Venice to Greece. I'm not going to cancel it. I'm going to be really bummed if RC cancels because it is for our 40th birthday celebration. I've been planning and obsessing about it for almost a year, but I don't want them to put us and others in danger either. It's a bad situation for eveyone right now.

If you are flying to/from Venice, then getting a flight might be the bigger obstacle.  Several airlines are not flying into Milan.  Venice may not be far behind.

[Tree_skier]

22 hours ago, oddly excitered said:

We are also cruising from hawaii on the radiance on the 5th.Have been on anthem out of jersey a few times, same class as ovation that you are on. I am concerned about the sailing considering the part of the world where these ships are coming from but I would be re assured cruising on the quantam class ship, really clean and required to washy washy entering windjammer and all that! They are really conscious of communicable stuff these days and designing the ships with that in mind. Another plus for these sailings is that there wont be many children aboard spreading who knows what who knows where. We are not cancelling and are looking forward to a fantastic time on this great itinerary. I hope you can enjoy this trip!!!! 

We're on the same cruise... It's going to be a great one.  I did just buy a big container of Lysol wipes to bring along though.

[keishashadow]

“Everything I'm hearing and reading seems to indicate we'll know a lot more in the next 2 - 3 weeks as to how bad this is going to get as far as travel and the spread of the virus.  My hunch is, if it gets bad in North America and elsewhere for that matter, you won't need to worry about cancelling... your cruise will be cancelled for you.”

 

pretty much my thoughts...says she who leaves for her cruise 3/27

 

last flew to disney world  over President’s day weekend.  There were many more people wearing surgical masks than one typicaly sees even on a that run, even with make a wish kids often aboard.  

 

Going to guess a solid 1/3rd of next flight, pre cruise into MCO, will thusly be ‘protected’. I’m past the point where I care what another does in their own personal space as long as it doesn’t affect me or mine.  After the cruise, I’m planning on still romping thru the Petri dish of humanity that is WDW for a week before Easter.  

 

I am seriously sick of people asking me if I’m still planning on going on the cruise & then rolling their eyes when I say that’s the plan.  My new stock answer will be “which one?”   Flippant, but valid as I have one booked in August too under a NRD.  I have TI on both, can’t say I had expected to collect while still on dry land but that will be out of my hands.

 

The disease is surely being addressed in the media.  If it evolve & becomes a pandemic (whatever that definition is these days), then God help us all.  Until, then, it’s time to watch The Walking Dead on the tube.  

[jacksmycat]

23 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

If you are flying to/from Venice, then getting a flight might be the bigger obstacle.  Several airlines are not flying into Milan.  Venice may not be far behind.

I know. I'm assuming if the airlines won't fly there then RC will cancel because a lot of people will be flying in for it. I guess we could fly in from somewhere else in and take a train if it comes down to it.

[AlohaLivin]

39 minutes ago, keishashadow said:

.  My new stock answer will be “which one?”  

I like your answer and intend to borrow it LOL We leave mid March on one and just put the final payment down for the second in June.  

[brillohead]

[momof3cruisers]

On 2/29/2020 at 8:05 PM, oddly excitered said:

We are also cruising from hawaii on the radiance on the 5th.Have been on anthem out of jersey a few times, same class as ovation that you are on. I am concerned about the sailing considering the part of the world where these ships are coming from but I would be re assured cruising on the quantam class ship, really clean and required to washy washy entering windjammer and all that! They are really conscious of communicable stuff these days and designing the ships with that in mind. Another plus for these sailings is that there wont be many children aboard spreading who knows what who knows where. We are not cancelling and are looking forward to a fantastic time on this great itinerary. I hope you can enjoy this trip!!!! 

Just keep in mind that washy washy does nothing to protect you from any type of flu or most diseases on a cruise. That’s antibacterial stuff and the flu, Nora, etc are all viruses. If an antibiotic won’t kill it, neither will antibacterial hand sanitizer. Your best bet is lots of hand washing and not touching your face.

[brillohead]

17 minutes ago, momof3cruisers said:

Just keep in mind that washy washy does nothing to protect you from any type of flu or most diseases on a cruise. That’s antibacterial stuff and the flu, Nora, etc are all viruses. If an antibiotic won’t kill it, neither will antibacterial hand sanitizer. Your best bet is lots of hand washing and not touching your face.

While hand-washing is always best, you're wrong about hand sanitizer and influenza.

Hand sanitizer is ALCOHOL, not an "antibiotic".  

If you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe the CDC's page on influenza prevention: 

 

During and After Your Trip

During your trip, follow local guidelines and practice healthy habits

• Pay attention to announcements from the local government in your travel destination and monitor the local health and security situation.
• Follow any movement restrictions and prevention recommendations.
• Wash your hands often with soap and running water, especially after coughing or sneezing. (Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer — containing at least 60% alcohol^1,2 — when soap is not available and hands are not visibly dirty.)
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and put the used tissue in the trash. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.

Edited March 2, 2020 by brillohead

[Sail n Snow]

3 hours ago, jacksmycat said:

I know. I'm assuming if the airlines won't fly there then RC will cancel because a lot of people will be flying in for it. I guess we could fly in from somewhere else in and take a train if it comes down to it.

I wouldn’t assume this.  I’ve also noticed that canceled cruises out of Asia the cruise lines are being less generous with compensation as well.
 

Depending on how fast this spreads now it’s only a matter of time where containment becomes to difficult and we’ll have to cope with it as is.   Look at Europe numbers in multiple countries are climbing fast.  Here’s a good site to see the reported numbers https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

[jacksmycat]

5 hours ago, Sail n Snow said:

I wouldn’t assume this.  I’ve also noticed that canceled cruises out of Asia the cruise lines are being less generous with compensation as well.
 

Depending on how fast this spreads now it’s only a matter of time where containment becomes to difficult and we’ll have to cope with it as is.   Look at Europe numbers in multiple countries are climbing fast.  Here’s a good site to see the reported numbers https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

I understand that it is spreading fast. What are your suggestions? If I cancel now I will lose everything except 50% of my cruise payment. If I wait there is a chance I can recover everything or at least get credit for another time. Right now RC is denying boarding for people who have been to the Veneto area. That will be everyone who tries to get on this ship in May if they don't reverse that. They are offering full refunds for those people who are cruising now. The airlines are offering no change fees for flights there in March, so I would hope they would continue if it lasts through May. 

[little britain]

On 2/29/2020 at 12:58 AM, thefog said:

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

 20,000 people were murdered in the USA last year alone.

Corona has killed 3000 worldwide.

 

Let's put some reality checks in place here.

[Cruise a holic]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

 20,000 people were murdered in the USA last year alone.

Corona has killed 3000 worldwide.

 

Let's put some reality checks in place here.

We leave for our cruise which is on March 15.  I must say, I am not canceling, but a little nervous.  We have another cruise scheduled for August on Royal, and might cancel that one if things continue to get worse.  

 

I agree about putting things in the proper perspective, but I also do not want to put myself and spouse in a potential direct line of fire.   We are "young" senior citizens and are the one's most vulnerable.  Fortunately, we do not have any high risk factors.  Perhaps if we did- I just might cancel.

[Blondiemomm]

On 2/28/2020 at 9:38 PM, time4u2go said:

And the Coronavirus is 25 times more fatal than the flu.

That is actually not true. Please don't buy into the hysteria. There are tens of thousands of people who experience mild symptoms and do not go to the dr. The stats are greatly exaggerated at this point. We have several DR'S in our family and friend circle and unfortunately this hysteria is causing more harm than the virus is. 

[OnTheJourney]

On 2/28/2020 at 8:36 PM, 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.

 

You raise an excellent point. Not to intentionally try to mitigate the potential dangers of the COVID-19 spread, but part of the level of attention it has gotten is due to the severe numbers of it in the initial outbreak country, and then for the fact that it has become a global situation. Surely alarming, but, as you say, the flu kills far more people - every year most likely. 

[OnTheJourney]

35 minutes ago, Blondiemomm said:

 this hysteria is causing more harm than the virus is. 

 

Same sort of thinking applies to the financial markets, although there is undeniably real impact to the economic structure when you have businesses and commerce significantly curtailed. 

[Texas Flood]

On 2/29/2020 at 2:24 PM, 20165 said:

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...

I have heard nothing about closing the Mexican border due to corona virus. Mexico has 2 confirmed cases. The US has 43.

 

[AlyssaJames]

5 minutes ago, Texas Flood said:

I have heard nothing about closing the Mexican border due to corona virus. Mexico has 2 confirmed cases. The US has 43.

 

 

Yeah, if nothing else Mexico needs to close it off on their side ...

[Mark_UK]

4 hours ago, Blondiemomm said:

That is actually not true. Please don't buy into the hysteria. There are tens of thousands of people who experience mild symptoms and do not go to the dr. The stats are greatly exaggerated at this point. We have several DR'S in our family and friend circle and unfortunately this hysteria is causing more harm than the virus is. 

 

True that flu kills far more but this is quite clearly worse than the flu, even if the numbers are skewed. If we take the Diamond Princess as a clear indication... 700 infected in a short space of time and 7 deaths sadly so far. You don't hear that from a usual ship noro or influenza outbreak. 

 

Would you get on a ship knowing those were the odds? What if it happened mid transatlantic? 

 

Obviously we should maintain person, but unlike flu there is also no natural immunity from those infected with previous flu strains or with the flu vaccine.

 

 

 

 

[Margin Walker]

On 2/28/2020 at 7:58 PM, thefog said:

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

 

No.

 

I'm sailing out of Miami in 5 days.  

[hazence]

I think everyone needs to do a personal risk assessment...financial and health-wise. There is no “one size fits all” in this situation. Also, do an assessment of your level of fear. Are you doing to enjoy the cruise or be in a state of anxiety.

 

But realistically, what level of control do any of us have? Leaving politics aside, in some cities and states, anyone from anywhere can be sneezing next to you, using a public rest room just before you, or sleeping in a tent in your town center. No one can say the state of their health, where they came from, or where they have been.
 

Yet, if you forego your vacation with people who have been screened and  at least somewhat vetted regarding their health...are you really any more protected from the virus?!

 

 

[Reader0108598]

1 minute ago, hazence said:

I think everyone needs to do a personal risk assessment...financial and health-wise. There is no “one size fits all” in this situation. Also, do an assessment of your level of fear. Are you doing to enjoy the cruise or be in a state of anxiety.

 

But realistically, what level of control do any of us have? Leaving politics aside, in some cities and states, anyone from anywhere can be sneezing next to you, using a public rest room just before you, or sleeping in a tent in your town center. No one can say the state of their health, where they came from, or where they have been.
 

Yet, if you forego your vacation with people who have been screened and  at least somewhat vetted regarding their health...are you really any more protected from the virus?!

 

 

Very good Post!

[Cruise a holic]

Just now, Margin Walker said:

 

No.

 

I'm sailing out of Miami in 5 days.  

we are sailing out of Ft Lauderdale in 13 days-  We are not planning on cancelling- however who knows what will happen next week.

[Reader0108598]

2 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

we are sailing out of Ft Lauderdale in 13 days-  We are not planning on cancelling- however who knows what will happen next week.

Have a wonderful cruise!