Italy now has Level 3 Travel Alert - 2/29

[az_tchr]

Italy placed on Level 3 alert this evening.  All non essential travel is to be avoided. This is the same as China.

My regular health insurance covers me Worldwide except for countries where travel is prohibited or with Level 3 or 4 travel alerts.

Many travel insurance policies have the same exclusion.

This certainly changes the situation for cruising in the Mediterranean.

Thoughts?

The alert was published on the CDC website at 6pm EST today.

[cruiserchuck]

3 minutes ago, az_tchr said:

Italy placed on Level 3 alert this evening.  All non essential travel is to be avoided. This is the same as China.

My regular health insurance covers me Worldwide except for countries where travel is prohibited or with Level 3 or 4 travel alerts.

Many travel insurance policies have the same exclusion.

This certainly changes the situation for cruising in the Mediterranean.

Thoughts?

The alert was published on the CDC website at 6pm EST today.

 

Since most cruises in Italy do not begin until late April at the earliest, I would wait and see what happens.  Hopefully things will get better soon, and the alert will go away.  However, if things get worse (which appears more likely), flights and cruises will probably be cancelled.  

[uspearls]

42 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

Since most cruises in Italy do not begin until late April at the earliest, I would wait and see what happens.  Hopefully things will get better soon, and the alert will go away.  However, if things get worse (which appears more likely), flights and cruises will probably be cancelled.  

But for those of us with final payment coming up in the next 10 days, this is a problem.....

[jelayne]

We are booked on a April TA to Rome. Our original plans were to go to Milan post cruise.  We cancelled those plans 2 days ago Including our return air fro Milan to DFW  and at point we don’t have any return air booked.  Unfortunately it looks the ship may not be going to Italy, so just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, uspearls said:

But for those of us with final payment coming up in the next 10 days, this is a problem.....

 

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

We are booked on a April TA to Rome. Our original plans were to go to Milan post cruise.  We cancelled those plans 2 days ago Including our return air fro Milan to DFW  and at point we don’t have any return air booked.  Unfortunately it looks the ship may not be going to Italy, so just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

 

My heart goes out to you both....the ‘not knowing’ as yet what is going to happen leaves you unable to plan or look forward to what should be fantastic experiences...

 

We are not booked on a cruise until October which involves no flights so easy for us to ‘pull the plug’ if we need to at final payment and just defer for a year....uspearls can you do that or do you have flights etc already booked? 

 

jelayne, I think you have definitely made the right call cancelling flights...much easier now for you to just see what happens. Do you think they may simply delay the TA and offer guests presently booked the option of a replacement Fort Lauderdale/Caribbean cruise or go ahead arriving somewhere other than Rome? 

 

 

[Pushka]

41 minutes ago, chemmo said:

 

 

My heart goes out to you both....the ‘not knowing’ as yet what is going to happen leaves you unable to plan or look forward to what should be fantastic experiences...

 

We are not booked on a cruise until October which involves no flights so easy for us to ‘pull the plug’ if we need to at final payment and just defer for a year....uspearls can you do that or do you have flights etc already booked? 

 

jelayne, I think you have definitely made the right call cancelling flights...much easier now for you to just see what happens. Do you think they may simply delay the TA and offer guests presently booked the option of a replacement Fort Lauderdale/Caribbean cruise or go ahead arriving somewhere other than Rome? 

 

 

So many of their cruises embark or disembark in Rome and also many visit other Italian ports. 

[carolekv]

Cruising in August from Rome around Italy ending in Venice - so hoping this virus gets contained.  This is an important cruise and I'd hate to have to cancel.  I did get insurance but would still lose $ on the downpayment, air travel and one of the hotels which I booked nonrefundable before I realized this was impacting Italy.  Sigh.  

[di T]

I thought I was doing great paying my June cruises off weeks before final payment! The flights to Venice and back I booked in September, hope this gets better but I haven’t a good feeling about it! I’m not paying the final on my September b2 b until the last minute.Things have moved so fast in the last week or so.Dianne

[Pushka]

The true test will be whether the Transatlantic to Rome occurs in April. It's just 7 weeks away. I can't see it resolving by then. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by Pushka

[PhillyTravelBug]

We are set for the apex in June to end in Italy. I’m not too concerned yet. I think cases may drop off like the flu once the warm weather and humidity set in.

[kearney]

19 minutes ago, Joeghartman said:

We are set for the apex in June to end in Italy. I’m not too concerned yet. I think cases may drop off like the flu once the warm weather and humidity set in.

I read that too, but wonder about cases in Southern Hemisphere. Perhaps they brought it into the area... not sure.

[Pushka]

12 minutes ago, kearney said:

I read that too, but wonder about cases in Southern Hemisphere. Perhaps they brought it into the area... not sure.

All the cases in Australia and NZ (late summer here) were brought in either by tourists from Wuhan China, Princess Diamond Evacs, and now, someone from Iran. There has been no community spread as yet. 

[Hllb]

Isn’t China level 4? Italy is level 3 now. Still terrible. Our cruise leaves out of Venice in July. I’ve got a month until final payment.

 

there are reports of celebrity and royal Caribbean extending final payment dates by a month for a small number of Mediterranean cruises (those leaving end of May to June 11th I think). Fantastic idea and I really hope they do that for my cruise too.

 

This cruise is my daughter’s 16th birthday present and our first trip to Italy. I’ve spent months saving up the money so to just lose it is painful. My insurance won’t cover this (probably). Right now, before final payment, I’d lose $2500. Painful but not horrendous. After final payment though...ouch.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Hllb

[az_tchr]

8 hours ago, uspearls said:

But for those of us with final payment coming up in the next 10 days, this is a problem.....

Celebrity is hoping things improve. Changed final payment date. Otherwise Mediterranean cruising pretty much finished as most insurance voided if one travels to a level 3 area.

[1960Travel]

We are booked on the Edge out of Rome May 4, if the situation reaches a level 4 have to wait and see if the cruise is cancelled.  We paid final payment already .

[az_tchr]

1 hour ago, Pushka said:

All the cases in Australia and NZ (late summer here) were brought in either by tourists from Wuhan China, Princess Diamond Evacs, and now, someone from Iran. There has been no community spread as yet. 

Sadly California appears to have community based cases reported. Not clear yet but not looking good.

[Silkroad]

3 hours ago, Pushka said:

The true test will be whether the Transatlantic to Rome occurs in April. It's just 7 weeks away. I can't see it resolving by then. 

Exactly. We’re to sail from Civitavecchia in May, but if the TA doesn’t sail, I’d imagine our cruise would be canceled. We are past final payment, and booked our own air, so it’s going to be an interesting couple of months. 

[ptrpanpens]

1 hour ago, az_tchr said:

Sadly California appears to have community based cases reported. Not clear yet but not looking good.

Two cases in Northern California so far, one in Oregon and one in Washington. None meet any of the criteria as they have not traveled out of the US or know anyone who has done so.

 

probably just the tip of the iceberg.

[az_tchr]

1 hour ago, 1960Travel said:

We are booked on the Edge out of Rome May 4, if the situation reaches a level 4 have to wait and see if the cruise is cancelled.  We paid final payment already .

Not sure what you are looking for. There are three levels of traveler alerts. Level 3 is the highest and says avoid non essential travel. Same as China. CDC doesn't show a Level 4.

[Orator]

On Edge April TA and confident that Celebrity will make the right decision. Booked return flight with Choice Air so they'll handle any changes. If they cancel the cruise I'll get a refund and a Future Cruise Credit. If they dock in another port Celebrity will handle flight arrangements..Why spend time worrying about things that are beyond my control?

 

[az_tchr]

4 minutes ago, Orator said:

On Edge April TA and confident that Celebrity will make the right decision. Booked return flight with Choice Air so they'll handle any changes. If they cancel the cruise I'll get a refund and a Future Cruise Credit. If they dock in another port Celebrity will handle flight arrangements..Why spend time worrying about things that are beyond my control?

 

Worrying does little good. Absolutely agree.

Knowledge of the options available, however, is important.

For example, my health insurance has worldwide coverage EXCEPT to countries with a Level 3 travel alert.

Also travel insurance issued before 23 January is likely to cover Corona. Does the Level 3 alert change anything? Am also guessing different for those in the UK and Australia. 

[Orator]

I'm on the cruise before the TA and might booked the cruise before that. Will post on the Roll Call if I hear anything that might affect the TA. Unless you plan to stay in Italy after the cruise will only be in Italy the last day and for the flight home. Very small window to become Infected in Italy. More likely to catch it on the plane, but that's true for any flight from any place, at any time. The last thing that Celebrity wants to do is put passengers and crew in harms way.

[Orator]

Deleted

Edited February 29, 2020 by Orator

[az_tchr]

3 hours ago, Hllb said:

Isn’t China level 4? Italy is level 3 now. Still terrible. Our cruise leaves out of Venice in July. I’ve got a month until final payment.

 

there are reports of celebrity and royal Caribbean extending final payment dates by a month for a small number of Mediterranean cruises (those leaving end of May to June 11th I think). Fantastic idea and I really hope they do that for my cruise too.

 

This cruise is my daughter’s 16th birthday present and our first trip to Italy. I’ve spent months saving up the money so to just lose it is painful. My insurance won’t cover this (probably). Right now, before final payment, I’d lose $2500. Painful but not horrendous. After final payment though...ouch.

CDC has 3 levels.  Italy and China now the same. Gonna be huge fallout on this.

[Silkroad]

1 hour ago, az_tchr said:

Not sure what you are looking for. There are three levels of traveler alerts. Level 3 is the highest and says avoid non essential travel. Same as China. CDC doesn't show a Level 4.

The State Department has a level 4 (do not travel). Currently, they have Italy at level 3.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Silkroad