Just Released : State Department warns against traveling by cruise ship during coronavirus outbreak

[GettotheSun]

So...looks like we are going to cancel and rebook.  I’m really bummed.  For those who have read some of my rambling / neurotic posts, I’ve been planning this since September and I was really looking forward to the cruise - Haven or bust!

 

The Canadian govt (via Chief Medical officer) issued an advisory today advising “all Canadians to avoid all cruise ship travel”.

 

My partner does not want to chance it.   Funny our neighbours were also planning to cruise and they are also now planning to cancel.

 

At work this morning I had a half dozen people come up to me and say “are you cancelling your cruise”.   Family are also pinging me and saying “you are cancelling right?”.  So I’m giving into the fear but more specifically honouring my partners feelings and with the CDN govt warning I think that was the final straw.

 

Thanks to all who gave me some pointers and advice.  I sure hope to rebook and put that advice to use sooner than later, but we’ll have to see.

[IrieBajan54]

Looks like the whole of Italy is set for lockdown. China never did that.

 

"Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced all of Italy is on lockdown as the country works to prevent the spread of coronavirus."

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/italy-lockdown-coronavirus_n_5e66ab53c5b605572809d54d

 

"In a televised address on Monday, Mr Conte said that Italy's "customs must change" and that the best thing was for people to stay at home."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51810673

Edited March 9, 2020 by IrieBajan54
correction

[iamaqt2]

7 hours ago, IrieBajan54 said:

Looks like the whole of Italy is set for lockdown. China never did that.

 

"Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced all of Italy is on lockdown as the country works to prevent the spread of coronavirus."

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/italy-lockdown-coronavirus_n_5e66ab53c5b605572809d54d

 

"In a televised address on Monday, Mr Conte said that Italy's "customs must change" and that the best thing was for people to stay at home."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51810673

Are you kidding?  China literally welded people into giant apartment complexes to quarantine their citizens.  Italy is trying, but unless you're willing to arrest your citizens who don't comply it's not going to work.

[dietpepsi]

10 hours ago, GettotheSun said:

So...looks like we are going to cancel and rebook.  I’m really bummed.  For those who have read some of my rambling / neurotic posts, I’ve been planning this since September and I was really looking forward to the cruise - Haven or bust!

 

The Canadian govt (via Chief Medical officer) issued an advisory today advising “all Canadians to avoid all cruise ship travel”.

 

My partner does not want to chance it.   Funny our neighbours were also planning to cruise and they are also now planning to cancel.

 

At work this morning I had a half dozen people come up to me and say “are you cancelling your cruise”.   Family are also pinging me and saying “you are cancelling right?”.  So I’m giving into the fear but more specifically honouring my partners feelings and with the CDN govt warning I think that was the final straw.

 

Thanks to all who gave me some pointers and advice.  I sure hope to rebook and put that advice to use sooner than later, but we’ll have to see.

my boss says that if i go on my scheduled 3/30 cruise that i will have 14 more days of vacation... at home without pay lol!

[Laszlo]

13 hours ago, IrieBajan54 said:

Looks like the whole of Italy is set for lockdown. China never did that.

 

"Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced all of Italy is on lockdown as the country works to prevent the spread of coronavirus."

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/italy-lockdown-coronavirus_n_5e66ab53c5b605572809d54d

 

"In a televised address on Monday, Mr Conte said that Italy's "customs must change" and that the best thing was for people to stay at home."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51810673

You must have missed the news on China. Their lockdown was unprecedented, that is probably the reason their rates are dropping now. That could never be done here in the US

[Georgia_Peaches]

15 hours ago, GettotheSun said:

So...looks like we are going to cancel and rebook.  I’m really bummed.  For those who have read some of my rambling / neurotic posts, I’ve been planning this since September and I was really looking forward to the cruise - Haven or bust!

 

The Canadian govt (via Chief Medical officer) issued an advisory today advising “all Canadians to avoid all cruise ship travel”.

 

My partner does not want to chance it.   Funny our neighbours were also planning to cruise and they are also now planning to cancel.

 

At work this morning I had a half dozen people come up to me and say “are you cancelling your cruise”.   Family are also pinging me and saying “you are cancelling right?”.  So I’m giving into the fear but more specifically honouring my partners feelings and with the CDN govt warning I think that was the final straw.

 

Thanks to all who gave me some pointers and advice.  I sure hope to rebook and put that advice to use sooner than later, but we’ll have to see.

I felt your excitement with every post!  I am so sorry it has come to cancellation but completely understand.  Once all this blows over, and it will, I hope you find the perfect cruise and then tell us all about it in your review. ☺️

[happytravellers2]

13 hours ago, IrieBajan54 said:

Looks like the whole of Italy is set for lockdown. China never did that.

 

"Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced all of Italy is on lockdown as the country works to prevent the spread of coronavirus."

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/italy-lockdown-coronavirus_n_5e66ab53c5b605572809d54d

 

"In a televised address on Monday, Mr Conte said that Italy's "customs must change" and that the best thing was for people to stay at home."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51810673

Remember the comparative size of the countries. China locked down provinces with a much bigger population than Italy. 

[mnsweeps]

On 3/8/2020 at 3:20 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

While is respect your view, no matter how jaded it may be, it goes deeper than the industry.  I assume by "industry" you mean the corporate executives.  But the rubber meets the road with the officers and crew on each ship.  Their livelihoods are at stake over this horrible situation and they have absolutely nothing to do with the corporate "industry" you seem to take issue with.

 

 

whats up Peaches? What do you think of NCL inflating the prices today. 

 

 

 

[mnsweeps]

On 3/8/2020 at 3:15 PM, mnsweeps said:

Thanks ..I cancelled mine yesterday and very happy..I have no pity for any industry which will rip you off your dollars any chance they get. 

 

whats up guys? NCL inflates the prices now.. so with all the credits you have you still would pay more to cruise in future. This is what I was talking about they ripping you when they get a chance.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2740675-ncl-inflates-cruise-prices/

[Georgia_Peaches]

13 minutes ago, mnsweeps said:

 

 

whats up Peaches? What do you think of NCL inflating the prices today. 

 

 

 

I don't like it at all!!  I have no cruise with NCL on the books right now and likely won't for a while, especially with the inflated prices.  But I am still able to separate my frustration with NCL corporate from feeling empathy for those who are in their employ.  I believe the two are mutually exclusive in that the crew on their ships are at the mercy of the decisions made by corporate executives....just like their customers.

[erdoran]

The ship employees have zero to do with pricing; they are all about customer experience.  Let me restate - the ship employees are the reason customers come back, and certainly a consistently poor onboard experience will negatively-impact pricing.  But the prices are set in a different department, landside.  It's not their fault.  

 

My theory-without data, just my common sense-is perhaps for the near-term cruises, NCL doesn't know yet what they are going to do because of the various advisories, warning, port closures, and disease spread, not to mention government-level things that are still being hashed out.  If they set prices high enough to discourage booking, they will have fewer pax to deal with when they have to make changes, which they most definitely will have to do.

 

As far as far-out cruises, again it's a who knows? situation.  Are there going to be new regulations or recommendations about air handling system?  Various other sanitation items that are less obvious?  How long will the epidemic last?  How long are itineraries going to be uncertain, as far as needing changes because of the epidemic?  If they discourage immediate bookings, that gives them some space to sort all of this out.

 

It seems a bit counter-intuitive because all the cruise lines desperately need a cash infusion at the moment, but it makes sense to put things on pause for a bit, but not shut down bookings entirely, which would send a whole different message.  And hey, if someone WANTS to pay those prices, that's fine - but I suspect not really expected.

[wampuscat7]

I would guess that if prices are inflated it's to deter people from trying to cancel their cruise and rebook for cheaper. 

[helloxxannie]

7 minutes ago, wampuscat7 said:

I would guess that if prices are inflated it's to deter people from trying to cancel their cruise and rebook for cheaper. 

I was thinking the same thing, or for those that are re-booking to re-book at a higher price to get some cash flow back? 

[luv2kroooz]

1 hour ago, mnsweeps said:

 

whats up guys? NCL inflates the prices now.. so with all the credits you have you still would pay more to cruise in future. This is what I was talking about they ripping you when they get a chance.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2740675-ncl-inflates-cruise-prices/

Yeah, might have to share this with Mr Trump and company on whitehouse dot gov backslash contact.

 

They called for a "whole of America" approach over the weekend and asked businesses to put people's health ahead of profits. This future cruise credit offer is smelling more like a rat the more I think about it.

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by blcruising

[marktwothousand]

Yup, can't wait to read the acrimonious posts 1-2 months from now of all the people trying to use FCC credit and having to pay a whole heaping amount more than they originally did. The outrage over that is going to be even worse than this whole incident.

[fallonboy]

I have tickets with NCL cruise around the islands in April. 

 

This is a quote I just rec'd from my travel agent:  "They (NCL) are not switching booking dates yet they are only letting people cancel get letter of credit and then res schedule later, their phone hold times are anywhere from 90-120 minutes are asking people only call who have extreme circumstances."