For those set on going.. is there any breaking point?

[Laurba99]

We are booked in three weeks and we are wavering like so many.. I keep reading either “we are canceling” or we are going if it still sails. Is there any circumstance you will learn that will make you change your mind? For example.. now royal Caribbean ships are having issues( they are not just saying as example) does that effect your decision?

[OnTheJourney]

What are the "issues" you're referring to on RCL ships? To answer your question, though, the decision (to not go), for me, would be if the virus has shown up on a ship that I'm scheduled for within the near future. I know it can happen at any time, but still, I think that would be enough to sway me in the direction of canceling and just seeing how things go for a few months. 

Edited March 11, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[McFU]

We are set to sail on 4/4/2020 out of New Orleans to the Bahamas. We will still go if the ports have had no COVID-19 issues up to 48 hours prior to sailing.  We are driving to the port so we don't have to worry about flights, will just lose 1 night at a hotel. The breaking point for us is if RCL ships in the Caribbean or the Ports start having issues with COVID-19.  Currently we got such a good deal on our cruise that the FCC wouldn't amount to much on another cruise other than maybe the deposit so we are hesitant to cancel right now.

[davekathy]

The only "breaking point" we have is if Celebrity or RC decides to cancel our booked cruises and throws us overboard. Doing a B2B on Celebrity Summit 28 March and 4 April 2020 out of SJ. 

Edited March 11, 2020 by davekathy

[sgerth]

We also have a cruise leaving on 4/3 out of FLL.  Still going but will wait and see if there any reported problems with Caribbean cruises going our of Florida in the next 2 weeks then we may cancel.

 

[Laurba99]

Thank you. This is exactly what I was curious to hear. We also will be more concerned if our port (Miami) has “issues”  or the ports we are sailing too.I think it’s clear what that means. I heard two crew workers at everlglades had it.. not sure what they are doing in FLL now.

[BigMickHare]

We are cruising 4/5 with RCL and have decided that we will go until the 48 hour limit before our cruise to decide what to do. My work has told us that they will us pay 14 days  if we are quarantined.

[KelSny1011]

 

My teenage boys and I are determined to make this trip work and they would have to cancel it for us not to go (perhaps not smart)

My husband's breaking points would be the airports, airlines, ports, or ships having COVID-19 cases (very rational)

 

 

 

 

[not-enough-cruising]

9 minutes ago, Laurba99 said:

Thank you. This is exactly what I was curious to hear. We also will be more concerned if our port (Miami) has “issues”  or the ports we are sailing too.I think it’s clear what that means. I heard two crew workers at everlglades had it.. not sure what they are doing in FLL now.

Business as usual at Port Everglades 

[NickPenn]

We are sailing on Oasis out of Miami on 4/5.  Just to be on the safe side, we booked a week at a resort in South Florida.  We have until 4/1 to cancel that reservation so we are waiting to make the decision until then.  Our "breaking point" would be if more ships are facing long delays/quarantine.  We really don't want to miss this cruise but being stuck in cabin with 6 year old and 8 year old boys would not be optimal.  

[CruiseKeeper]

We are (were) sailing 3/15 (Sunday!) on the Anthem.  It was so tempting to continue with the booking.  Family members were relentless in their concern for us.  DH is 71, I’m 65.  What finally did it for me was picturing my husband becoming ill and how helpless that situation would be.  We have other cruises in the near future and will wait and see each cruise.

[alfaeric]

Couple of things- if there's an outbreak in the port area- including the airports.  And/Or if our company decides that anyone who travels has to self quarantine for any time.

 

I'm not really worried about the ship, as we've seen the results of other virus outbreaks, and they totally contain it very effectively.  Cleaning, procedures, etc- all works quite well. 

[LINDAE3213]

on the Freedom 3/29 from PR -- as long as United keeps flying to get us there from EWR and the ship is still sailing then nothing will change for us.  

 

The backup plan if the cruise gets cancelled or has issues is to take the FCC,  and reschedule air from EWR to Aruba and make it a land vacation.

 

 I already researched some hotels and rental cars in case I need to flip the switch.  Been to Aruba over 25 times ( had a timeshare since 1988) so it is very familiar to me. 

 

Would rather be on the Freedom though.  

 

And certainly will not be going to work that week --- I am going somewhere on vacation!  

[ginadcnj]

Symphony, 4/11 (so exactly 30 days out)--sailing are myself, husband, and kids 14/12/9. We are unsure at this point. Likely deal-breakers would be if my husband's job or our kids' schools imposed restrictions on post-cruise return; if there were an outbreak on RCCL and particularly on Symphony; and if there were issues at Port of Miami. 

 

Everything is just so fluid at this point that I don't feel like we can make a firm decision. Will our kids' schools go on hiatus/distance learning? They're closing Friday to create contingency plans for such a situation. A staff member who works in two of my kids' schools is currently being tested for the virus; no update as to the results yet. If it turns out they are positive, I'm sure they will close for some period of time. Their latest update (from an hour or so ago) says "Please understand that we may decide to close schools on very short notice."

 

My sense is that we'll know a lot more by April 1, for good or for bad. Fortunately for us, that still gives us enough time to rebook under Cruise with Confidence if need be. I definitely empathize with those who are set to leave this weekend or next weekend. I think if it were that close for us, we would go ahead and rebook. 

[Cher222]

I was scheduled to depart out of Miami on 3/29 on Empress of the Seas. Need to fly from Newark., NJ.  My deciding factor was worrying I would bring something back to my neighbors, elderly parents, children and two grandbabies. I feel by the time i flew home a week into April things could be much worse and I'd feel like I had to self quarantine for two weeks. Not wanting to do that, plus husband worried about being held on the ship if a passenger falls ill. I am a nurse and not an alarmist but this one is scary, highly contagious and I don't want it in my family nest.  I feel like if I went and ended up giving it to someone when I came home  they would have a right to be angry. We thought about just using the airline tickets and  taking a Florida beach vacation but I still don't know what shape the airports would be in to come home. I have a cruise booked in June out of Bayonne that won"t involve flying and I hope that one will be a go!  Stay safe! 

[Laurba99]

4 minutes ago, Cher222 said:

I was scheduled to depart out of Miami on 3/29 on Empress of the Seas. Need to fly from Newark., NJ.  My deciding factor was worrying I would bring something back to my neighbors, elderly parents, children and two grandbabies. I feel by the time i flew home a week into April things could be much worse and I'd feel like I had to self quarantine for two weeks. Not wanting to do that, plus husband worried about being held on the ship if a passenger falls ill. I am a nurse and not an alarmist but this one is scary, highly contagious and I don't want it in my family nest.  I feel like if I went and ended up giving it to someone when I came home  they would have a right to be angry. We thought about just using the airline tickets and  taking a Florida beach vacation but I still don't know what shape the airports would be in to come home. I have a cruise booked in June out of Bayonne that won"t involve flying and I hope that one will be a go!  Stay safe! 

That makes sense. Our last cruise was anthem out of Bayonne and I was so spoiled saying we like harmony better. Now I realize I was so lucky to be carefree on a cruise unlike now 😞

[otcprofits2]

Yeah we are wavering also, probably canceling March 28th cruise... We are not so worried about getting the Virus as much as possibility of bringing it back to ones we care about... Still have not cancelled but if the confirmed cases continue rising rapidly as in the last few days that's our option at this point. Sucks but cruises are going nowhere and will be here for years to come, Thankful that we have the FCC option.

[time4u2go]

3 minutes ago, otcprofits2 said:

Yeah we are wavering also, probably canceling March 28th cruise... We are not so worried about getting the Virus as much as possibility of bringing it back to ones we care about... Still have not cancelled but if the confirmed cases continue rising rapidly as in the last few days that's our option at this point. Sucks but cruises are going nowhere and will be here for years to come, Thankful that we have the FCC option.

Same here.  Apparently one can be a carrier of it and not even know it.

[mayleeman]

1 hour ago, Cher222 said:

I feel like if I went and ended up giving it to someone when I came home  they would have a right to be angry.

 

Finally, someone showing some understanding of what is at stake! All the other answers seem to think the only issues are (1) whether they get quarantined, or (2) whether they get sick, or (3) the cost.

Edit: Posts 17 and 18 just above obviously have this concern, too,  but they were not showing up on my feed.

 

Edited March 11, 2020 by mayleeman

[Newleno]

2 hours ago, Laurba99 said:

We are booked in three weeks and we are wavering like so many.. I keep reading either “we are canceling” or we are going if it still sails. Is there any circumstance you will learn that will make you change your mind? For example.. now royal Caribbean ships are having issues( they are not just saying as example) does that effect your decision?

My wife is the breaking point, she wont go, some great last minute this weekend deals and we can get  $100 round trip air fare (cause planes are empty no one flying)   I really want to go but she wont.

[mayleeman]

@Newleno Smart wife, happy life!

[Jam0610]

Only if cruise is cancelled or I am not allowed ( age 71). Otherwise we plan to sail March 20th on Enchantment, July 31st on Ovation, Oct 25th on Liberty.

[Sunshine3601]

2 hours ago, Laurba99 said:

Thank you. This is exactly what I was curious to hear. We also will be more concerned if our port (Miami) has “issues”  or the ports we are sailing too.I think it’s clear what that means. I heard two crew workers at everlglades had it.. not sure what they are doing in FLL now.

I heard on local news that 3 possibly 4 cruise greeters at the Carnival/Princess terminal have tested positive so alot of their crew at their terminal is in quarantine or afraid to show up for work so they are cancelling at least 2 cruises to leave in coming days and others may move to different cruise ports such as miami.      I heard there was also 2 TSA workers that have tested positive.

Also I saw on cruise junkie site that Costa ship had a sick passenger with respiratory problems that they dropped off in Puerto Rico and were denied entry to Antigua today.

And RCL's Jewel OTS that left Dubai the other day is turning back to Dubai because they have 2 sick passengers that will need to be tested. 

And Norwegian Jewel had a Code Red (medical issues) but no details were available.      

After hearing more and more of this news,  I am said to say we cancelled our March cruise this afternoon.    I had a special day planned for my DH's birthday on Cococay too (oh well he didn't know about it yet so he won't know what he was missing - LOL).   

I was surprised how quick I got thru to cancel.   I called approx. 2:30 pm EST and was connected with a rep in less than 5 minutes who was very friendly and understanding.    She said our FCC will be emailed to us in about a week.   I was surprised to hear that as others on RCL forum are saying 4 to 6 weeks.    

 

[Ukigirl]

Unfortunately my breaking point came today when I had to go see my doctor, my mild asthma flares up every couple years and of course it happened now so I’m on steroids and inhaler. I’ll be on the phone with Royal tomorrow, half my stuff is packed for next week’s cruise but now I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.  
 

[CruisingNole]

Unfortunately, our government is taking this situation far too lightly. Those ships shouldn't even be sailing. To be quite honest, it would be too irresponsible for me to selfishly go on a cruise right now, and risk the lives of other people when I come home.

 

If you think the situation in Italy couldn't possibly happen here in the good old USA, you really need to open your eyes.