Cancelling Cruises because of the C word

[jeanlyon]

Our cruise starts 26th April, so we are going to sit tight and see what the next 3-4 weeks brings.  If the likes of Princess are cancelling cruises and the problem with Grand Princess, it is easy to see that a P&O ship will be involved soon.  Then I think things will change.

 

If my TA can get our money transferred to a future cruise, then we will not go.

[Eddie99]

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-cruises-seek-safe-harbour-as-world-takes-drastic-steps-to-halt-covid-19-11952575
 

Cruising just doesn’t feel a good option at present.  In fact I’m not planning any overnights away from home for the foreseeable future

 

IMO (and it’s just my opinion,  it based on science, or business, or finance etc) cruise lines should consolidate their cruises for them as still wants but, mainly, withdraw, take the opportunity to get all ships sparkling, all activity plans A1, all itineraries exciting.  Current publicity is just bad publicity.  It will stay in people’s minds for years.  Take away the opportunity for bad publicity and plan the thrilling new relaunch!

[AndyMichelle]

5 minutes ago, Tablelamp said:

Cruise starts on 17th May and fully paid.  
Q. Should I look into cancelling now with ‘not recommended to travel’ letter from the Doctor or wait and see if P and O are forced to cancel?

Not sure you have a choice at the moment Christine. 

Our Doctor has agreed to give us a letter, but nearer the time, we go April 19th.

He felt P&O would not accept it this early due to ever changing circumstances. 

Andy 

[Denarius]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

There is no excuse to be unclean at any time, but these people have got away with it for years without it affecting them, so it must be difficult to change the habit of a lifetime, but it MUST change. 

As for the news, same applies, we are trying to understand the complexity of it all but are not experienced enough to know what to believe. 

My attitude changes daily... 

Andy 

 

 

So does mine, Andy.

I am due to sail on Ventura in early April, and have gone on record on this board as still intending to go. I am however, having serious second thoughts. I am  regarded as being at higher risk being in my 70s and taking medication for high blood pressure. The situation in the UK is slowly but surely deteriorating, and it is suggested in the press and on tv that should it deteriorate further people like me may be advised to avoid crowds. Travelling down to Southampton on a coach, stopping at a mororway service station then spending two weeks on a cruise ship with several thousand others may not be the best course of action in those circumsances. Plus the number of cruise ships infected appears to be rising, and the risk  of being confined to my cabin in solitary confinment (I travel alone) horifies me. If I cancel soon, I will get 25% of my fare refunded; if I wait until near the sailing date before making a final decision  I will get nothing, unless P&O follow Princess and pigs fly. I may well opt to cut my losses and take a final decision whether to do so before the 25% reduces to 10% and then to nil.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Denarius

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

13 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-cruises-seek-safe-harbour-as-world-takes-drastic-steps-to-halt-covid-19-11952575
 

Cruising just doesn’t feel a good option at present.  In fact I’m not planning any overnights away from home for the foreseeable future

 

IMO (and it’s just my opinion,  it based on science, or business, or finance etc) cruise lines should consolidate their cruises for them as still wants but, mainly, withdraw, take the opportunity to get all ships sparkling, all activity plans A1, all itineraries exciting.  Current publicity is just bad publicity.  It will stay in people’s minds for years.  Take away the opportunity for bad publicity and plan the thrilling new relaunch!

Royal Princess cruise just been cancelled because of a single crew member all passengers fully refunded and given a future cruise credit for 100%.

[terrierjohn]

2 minutes ago, Denarius said:

So does mine, Andy.

I am due to sail on Ventura in early April, and have gone on record on this board as still intending to go. I am however, having serious second thoughts. I am  regarded as being at higher risk being in my 70s and taking medication for high blood pressure. The situation in the UK is slowly but surely deteriorating, and it is suggested in the press and on tv that should it deteriorate further people like me may be advised to avoid crowds. Travelling down to Southampton on a coach, stopping at a mororway service station then spending two weeks on a cruise ship with several thousand others may not be the best course of action in those circumsances. Plus the number of cruise ships infected appears to be rising, and the risk  of being confined to my cabin in solitary confinment (I travel alone) horifies me. If I cancel soon, I will get 25% of my fare refunded; if I wait until near the sailing date before making a final decision  I will get nothing, unless P&O follow Princess and pigs fly. I may well opt to cut my losses and take a final decision before the 25% reduces to 10% and then to nil.

I think we must be on the same cruise as you Denarius, and our current thinking is in line with your's as well. We were really forward to a holiday as our last cruise was in July/Aug last year, but, like you, worry about what might happen.  I think we are more concerned about the ship being quarantined than catching the virus, but I am going to check with our GP as to whether we are taking too big a risk with our health, then probably cancel before the 25% reduces to 10% if he says yes.

[AndyMichelle]

11 minutes ago, Denarius said:

So does mine, Andy.

I am due to sail on Ventura in early April, and have gone on record on this board as still intending to go. I am however, having serious second thoughts. I am  regarded as being at higher risk being in my 70s and taking medication for high blood pressure. The situation in the UK is slowly but surely deteriorating, and it is suggested in the press and on tv that should it deteriorate further people like me may be advised to avoid crowds. Travelling down to Southampton on a coach, stopping at a mororway service station then spending two weeks on a cruise ship with several thousand others may not be the best course of action in those circumsances. Plus the number of cruise ships infected appears to be rising, and the risk  of being confined to my cabin in solitary confinment (I travel alone) horifies me. If I cancel soon, I will get 25% of my fare refunded; if I wait until near the sailing date before making a final decision  I will get nothing, unless P&O follow Princess and pigs fly. I may well opt to cut my losses and take a final decision whether to do so before the 25% reduces to 10% and then to nil.

It's a difficult call, we still want to go, but common sense says why put yourself at unnecessary risk.

Money doesn't come into it anymore for us. Hopefully we will get something back or be able to transfer, but, if not, hey ho... 

Andy 

[terrierjohn]

10 minutes ago, PRINCESSTHE BEST said:

Royal Princess cruise just been cancelled because of a single crew member all passengers fully refunded and given a future cruise credit for 100%.

If all cruise lines follow suit then pretty soon all cruises will be cancelled and only the strongest are going to survive.  Not a happy prospect for the millions that rely on the tourist revenue from cruising. 

[jake 26]

We are in a similar situation, we are on Aurora on April 11th, and, as the UK situation is currently fairly low risk, we intend to go.

We will monitor the situation and if it worsens we will cancel. The cut off date for the 75% loss is March 25th, then it goes to 90%.

If we cancel and lose 75% I think it will be the end of a quite long association with P%O, and we will also cancel the 3 further cruises we have booked up to Oct 21.

[glittergal1]

53 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Interesting, but I’m not sure that it addresses the main issues being debated here Dai.

 

Other than those with underlying health issues, particularly respiratory ones, I don’t think that contracting the virus is, in itself, the biggest concern of many posting on this thread. The issues as I see them are;

 

1) The potential to be refused boarding with an elevated temperature caused by something like a common cold (I believe that definitive results confirming that you don’t have Coronavirus take 48 hours, so there’s the worry of being refused boarding when you don’t have the virus).

 

2) In the above scenarios, the potential for a battle between P&O (who have a tendency to ‘interpret’ UK law how it suits them) and insurers (who have ‘get out’ clauses). 

 

3) P&O’s lack of clarity (at best) or intransigence (at worst) regarding cancellation or postponement, particularly for those who have paid in full. 
 

4) The fact that cruise ships appear to be Petri dishes for the spread of viruses, in a greater way than is the case on land - regular Norovirus outbreaks being a case in point.  
 

5) The fear of just one guest or crew member (out of thousands - many of whom are widely travelled) being confirmed as having the virus during the cruise, resulting in refusal to dock (e.g. the Princess ship off San Francisco) or cabin confinement followed by land based quarantine (over 4 weeks in total for Diamond Princess passengers), especially as it is now known that the virus spreads like wildfire on a quarantined cruise ship (as many of us said at the time) so you are trapped with (if you are elderly or vulnerable) a potential creeping death.

 

So, in summary, whilst the article is interesting for the general populous, I don’t believe that it really balances the above concerns that many are expressing regarding upcoming cruises with P&O. 

This is exactly my feeling, I am not too worried about travelling and contracting the virus because I could potentially get it at home , I am worried about the impact of this virus on the Holiday I booked, Will my flights be effected? will boarding be effected? will ports of call be changed? will  we end up with extra days at sea?  will the mood on the ship be so low that all the enjoyment has been sucked out , also will the ever changing crisis mean that a port we stopped at then becomes one of the places to be avoided and when we return home we have to self isolate and miss 2 weeks of work unpaid etc etc etc . Basically I am concerned that my much anticipated cruise could no longer be the cruise I booked and turn into a bit of a nightmare not only while on it but upon return too. And I do believe that all those cruisers who have cancelled or moved their cruises 4/6/9 months plus from now have the same feelings but lucky for them they are able to do this . However those of us  fully paid up with less than 90 days to go are stuck with an uncertain future   

[Denarius]

28 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

It's a difficult call, we still want to go, but common sense says why put yourself at unnecessary risk.

Money doesn't come into it anymore for us. Hopefully we will get something back or be able to transfer, but, if not, hey ho... 

Andy 

I think that we agree. I can afford to lose the money, but not my life or my sanity.

[Daveuj]

56 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Our cruise starts 26th April, so we are going to sit tight and see what the next 3-4 weeks brings.  If the likes of Princess are cancelling cruises and the problem with Grand Princess, it is easy to see that a P&O ship will be involved soon.  Then I think things will change.

 

If my TA can get our money transferred to a future cruise, then we will not go.

Hi am with you all the way on this our cruise is April 19th 2020 will hang on for a bit.But am going to cancel Iona June 20th 2020 will cost me £100 deposit do not want to move it.

[Adawn47]

40 minutes ago, PRINCESSTHE BEST said:

Royal Princess cruise just been cancelled because of a single crew member all passengers fully refunded and given a future cruise credit for 100%.

I know this is going to sound stupid but can you please explain. I'm reading this as all monies paid refuned 100%. That I understand, but also a free cruise???? Surely I'm misreading that.

Avril 

[mrsgoggins]

32 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I think we must be on the same cruise as you Denarius, and our current thinking is in line with your's as well. We were really forward to a holiday as our last cruise was in July/Aug last year, but, like you, worry about what might happen.  I think we are more concerned about the ship being quarantined than catching the virus, but I am going to check with our GP as to whether we are taking too big a risk with our health, then probably cancel before the 25% reduces to 10% if he says yes.

We are also on that same cruise but will be cancelling next week due to health issues. On Tuesday (day after tomorrow as I write) we were also fitting in a quick trip to Venice and Lake Garda, flying into Venice with easyJet. We won’t be doing that either! Fortunately I booked penalty-free cancellable car hire and hotels.

 

If we were 20 years younger and totally fit I wouldn’t be cancelling.

[Daveuj]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

Not sure you have a choice at the moment Christine. 

Our Doctor has agreed to give us a letter, but nearer the time, we go April 19th.

He felt P&O would not accept it this early due to ever changing circumstances. 

Andy 

Thanks Andy very interesting.

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Irrelevant!!!  You mean Paul Ludlow is not quaking in his shoes as he reads all our posts about how badly he is treating we 40 or 50  passengers?

There may only be 40 / 50 posters on here but there's word of mouth. We all have families and friends who in turn talk to their families and friends.  I'd been reading CC P&O threads for quite a while before I joined this forum and I'm certain I'm not the only one. 

Avril 

[jeanlyon]

and just seen the Costa Fortuna has been refused permission to dock in Malaysia, although there are no cases on board.  I don't think any cruise ships will be going anywhere in a few weeks.

[Cathygh]

We are on Azura on April 19th. I have no intention of cancelling atm and I am trying to be optimistic in that as she will be just out of refit the chances of Coronavirus being on the ship should be low. Fingers crossed

Cathy

[Daveuj]

13 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

and just seen the Costa Fortuna has been refused permission to dock in Malaysia, although there are no cases on board.  I don't think any cruise ships will be going anywhere in a few weeks.

Full refund then? I live in hope.

[staygulf]

3 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

We are on Azura on April 19th. I have no intention of cancelling atm and I am trying to be optimistic in that as she will be just out of refit the chances of Coronavirus being on the ship should be low. Fingers crossed

Cathy

Are you not worried about all the other ramifications?

[jeanlyon]

29 minutes ago, Daveuj said:

Hi am with you all the way on this our cruise is April 19th 2020 will hang on for a bit.But am going to cancel Iona June 20th 2020 will cost me £100 deposit do not want to move it.

You don't have to lose yur deposit if you haven't paid the balance.  You can move your deposit to another cruise in 2021 or take a Future Cruise credit.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

28 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I know this is going to sound stupid but can you please explain. I'm reading this as all monies paid refuned 100%. That I understand, but also a free cruise???? Surely I'm misreading that.

Avril 

This is the official Princess cruises press release:

 

ROYAL PRINCESS UPDATE: We were requested by the CDC that we share information about a crew member who previously served on Grand Princess and transferred to Royal Princess fifteen days ago. After sharing all information and details about the crew member, the CDC approved clearance for Royal Princess yesterday, to sail today, with no restrictions placed on the vessel. However, late this afternoon, the CDC informed us of their decision to issue a “no-sail order” until the crew member was tested for COVID-19. We have unfortunately been unable to obtain this test given the lateness of the request.   

The crew member is past the maximum incubation of COVID-19, has been evaluated and has never developed any respiratory symptoms or fever. The crew member had no known contact or exposure to other guests or crew who were ill on Grand Princess.The crew member received a precautionary screening by the Medical Staff upon boarding Royal Princess to test for respiratory symptoms, including fever.  

Due to the unknown timing of obtaining the test and results or anticipated response, we have cancelled the cruise.   

Our guest services and ground operations teams are activated and are working to assist guests who purchased air independently by providing lists of local hotels with availability. We will reimburse our guests up to $300 per booking for one-night’s hotel costs in Los Angeles and have booked our EZair guests in a LAX airport hotel.   

We share in our guests’ disappointment in the cancelled cruise and are sorry we could not communicate sooner given the lack of information. Therefore, all guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, Princess Air, Princess Cruise Plus pre- and post-cruise hotel packages, prepaid shore excursions and other prepaid items purchased through Princess Cruises.  

Unexpected expenses, such as air change fees, reimbursement of reasonable non-refundable out-of-pocket expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis when submitted to our office. As the cruise has been cancelled the day of departure, each guest will also receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit equal to the cruise fare paid on this voyage.

[staygulf]

1 minute ago, jeanlyon said:

You don't have to lose yur deposit if you haven't paid the balance.  You can move your deposit to another cruise in 2021 or take a Future Cruise credit.

Jean, he said he didn’t want to move it

[jeanlyon]

Yes my mistake, didn't read it the right way.

[Selbourne]

12 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

We are on Azura on April 19th. I have no intention of cancelling atm and I am trying to be optimistic in that as she will be just out of refit the chances of Coronavirus being on the ship should be low. Fingers crossed

Cathy

I would say the chances are no less. We are going on the Iona Maiden cruise, so I could take the same view, but the ship will have been swarming with thousands of contractors of multiple nationalities and crew that have been on other ships during the refit or construction. As we know, it only takes one......