Might my cruising days be over?

[Markanddonna]

It seems likely that the cruise lines may impose some restrictions on people over age 70. I'm going to be turning 70 in a few months and my over 70 DH has COPD which is well controlled when not traveling. To be honest, he picks up a virus on almost every cruise, and it goes right to his lungs as an infection.  That means antibiotics and a month long recuperation.

 

I am super healthy but his doctor probably wouldn't write him a letter to cruise. So, it looks like MANY people who are frequent cruisers won't be able to cruise in the next several years because either they or their travel partner won't meet the requirements.

 

To be honest, I am grateful for being able to travel around the world in the past ten years, and if this ends, it ends. I likely will be able to take a flight and do land travel. The coronavirus issue has changed my attitude on many things and travel is one of the most obvious. 

[ATC cruiser]

It seems likely that the cruise lines may impose some restrictions on people over age 70. I'm going to be turning 70 in a few months and my over 70 DH has COPD which is well controlled when not traveling. To be honest, he picks up a virus on almost every cruise, and it goes right to his lungs as an infection.  That means antibiotics and a month long recuperation.
 
I am super healthy but his doctor probably wouldn't write him a letter to cruise. So, it looks like MANY people who are frequent cruisers won't be able to cruise in the next several years because either they or their travel partner won't meet the requirements.
 
To be honest, I am grateful for being able to travel around the world in the past ten years, and if this ends, it ends. I likely will be able to take a flight and do land travel. The coronavirus issue has changed my attitude on many things and travel is one of the most obvious. 

I’m fairly confident that once this shutdown is over the requirement for that over 70 letter will disappear. It was something that was hastily put in place to try and prevent from being shut down.

[Charles4515]

If he gets sick almost every cruise and requires a month long recuperation I think you should not worry about a doctors note, he should stop stop cruising. I think the doctors note requirement is temporary until there are drugs and a vaccine. but for him, just stop.

Edited March 21, 2020 by Charles4515

[EatonDoolittle]

I haven't read any of this because I prefer to not think negatively, but here is an existing lengthy thread on the topic you might be interested in. 

 

 

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, Markanddonna said:

It seems likely that the cruise lines may impose some restrictions on people over age 70. I'm going to be turning 70 in a few months and my over 70 DH has COPD which is well controlled when not traveling. To be honest, he picks up a virus on almost every cruise, and it goes right to his lungs as an infection.  That means antibiotics and a month long recuperation.

 

I am super healthy but his doctor probably wouldn't write him a letter to cruise. So, it looks like MANY people who are frequent cruisers won't be able to cruise in the next several years because either they or their travel partner won't meet the requirements.

 

To be honest, I am grateful for being able to travel around the world in the past ten years, and if this ends, it ends. I likely will be able to take a flight and do land travel. The coronavirus issue has changed my attitude on many things and travel is one of the most obvious. 

I have an illness for which there is no cure.I wanted to do one more cruise before I leave the planet.However,it is very likely that I took my last cruise this past December.

[ontheweb]

34 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have an illness for which there is no cure.I wanted to do one more cruise before I leave the planet.However,it is very likely that I took my last cruise this past December.

Wishing you the best. I have enjoyed our interaction on these boards.

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have an illness for which there is no cure.I wanted to do one more cruise before I leave the planet.However,it is very likely that I took my last cruise this past December.

Wishing you the best also.  Have enjoyed our posts and side discussions as well - you have provided me with interesting information from your life's experiences. 

[bonsai3s]

Markanddonna...hoping it's not the end. 

 

lenquixote66...been following you for a while...thoughts and prayers.

 

Thanks to you both for your many helpful contributions here on Cruise Critic.

 

 

[lenquixote66]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Wishing you the best. I have enjoyed our interaction on these boards.

Same here,hopefully I will get to see Hyman K.

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Wishing you the best also.  Have enjoyed our posts and side discussions as well - you have provided me with interesting information from your life's experiences. 

Same here

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have an illness for which there is no cure.I wanted to do one more cruise before I leave the planet.However,it is very likely that I took my last cruise this past December.

 

I wish you well, too.  My health is not perfect, but I am still able to travel.   Going through airports and cruise terminals has become difficult for me due to their size.  Once on the ship, walking from bow to stern can, at times, be a challenge.  Still doable, but, I wonder for how long?  Given the situation the world now finds itself, I am wondering if my cruises in December and January weren't my last as well.

 

I will say a prayer for you during Church (we are going to have our first attempt at an online service) tomorrow.

Edited March 21, 2020 by rkacruiser

[lenquixote66]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I wish you well, too.  My health is not perfect, but I am still able to travel.   Going through airports and cruise terminals has become difficult for me due to their size.  Once on the ship, walking from bow to stern can, at times, be a challenge.  Still doable, but, I wonder for how long?  Given the situation the world now finds itself, I am wondering if my cruises in December and January weren't my last as well.

 

I will say a prayer for you during Church (we are going to have our first attempt at an online service) tomorrow.

Thank you very much.I truly appreciate it.

[George C]

I am 70 and also not in perfect health but have absolutely no desire to stop cruising have two more currently booked and as long as they are not canceled we will be on them. 

[navybankerteacher]

11 hours ago, ATC cruiser said:

I’m fairly confident that once this shutdown is over the requirement for that over 70 letter will disappear. It was something that was hastily put in place to try and prevent from being shut down.

Not only is the concept of the health letter absurd:  very few doctors would sign anything like it; and if cruise lines did not introduce strong protocols to insure that real doctors actually signed them very shortly before boarding, they would not even rise to the level of being farcical

 

Then too, does anyone really think that the cruise lines could hope to survive if they made it difficult for a significant segment of their most profitable market (the elderly) to participate?

[cruisemom42]

23 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

 

Then too, does anyone really think that the cruise lines could hope to survive if they made it difficult for a significant segment of their most profitable market (the elderly) to participate?

 

Probably not. But at the same time, passengers need to be able to deal with any potential challenges on a cruise ship, including the possibility of abandoning ship or -- less traumatically -- of something happening that requires them to leave the ship early and get themselves back home.

 

Cruise lines do not want to see the kind of publicity generated in the article below when some world cruise passengers were either unwilling or unable to fly home from Fremantle Australia when their cruise(s) (several ships were involved) were terminated early.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/nightmare-at-sea-cruise-line-forces-elderly-tourists-to-get-off-halfway-across-the-globe/ar-BB11mzJj

 

I was startled to read of how many passengers, many apparently frail and elderly, were begging and even threatening and harassing some of the medical staff to issue them a "pass" from having to fly home.

 

In my opinion, if someone is unable to cope, mentally or physically, with the possibility that their cruise may not end as anticipated, they should not cruise. If the reason is out of the cruise line's control, it is not their job to assist passengers in returning home, unless those passengers booked air through the cruise line.

[Markanddonna]

The Coronavirus has caused all sensible people to reevaluate future travel. We have all read posts from people with severe medical conditions who insist upon traveling and that the travel industry accommodate them. Some see no problem as they purchased travel insurance and if they died on a cruise, so be it. Now we see how that attitude had further implications and the industry may not tolerate or accept medically fragile and elderly passengers who require extra assistance. 

it will be interesting to see future travel policies and rules. Some of us, especially those "elderly" who are very healthy, have a hard time being automatically placed in this category. On one cruise, all the mobile  scooters were occupied by obese folk far younger than us. My travel is linked with my husband, so I am at peace.

[Pyrate13]

8 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

But at the same time, passengers need to be able to deal with any potential challenges on a cruise ship, including the possibility of abandoning ship

 

In my opinion, if someone is unable to cope, mentally or physically, with the possibility that their cruise may not end as anticipated, they should not cruise. 

You certainly are allowed your own opinion but, would this then not only eliminate older folks but also those with any type of physical or mental handicap? That's a whole bunch of discrimination right there.

[ontheweb]

15 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Same here,hopefully I will get to see Hyman K.

See if he is related to Billy K., who was in my graduating class. Does he know two brothers Ron G,, a year ahead of him, and Bill G., a year behind him. Those would be 2 of my younger brothers.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, Pyrate13 said:

You certainly are allowed your own opinion but, would this then not only eliminate older folks but also those with any type of physical or mental handicap? That's a whole bunch of discrimination right there.

 

Absolutely. I agree with you. Anything instituted by the cruiselines should be applied across the board.

 

It's just that -- especially on world cruises -- one does not tend to see a lot of younger cruisers.

[ATC cruiser]

And if you’re going to put those restrictions on people that cruise, you better put them on people that fly. Are you prepared to not let disabled people get on an airplane because they will need extra assistance in case of emergency evacuations? I doubt it.


Aft Cabins Rule

[Joebucks]

Personally, I would never want anyone to not do something they enjoy because I couldn't go. I've seen countless people who go with a friend or family member because their spouse can't or doesn't want to go. Now, if you don't want to go without DH, then that's another story.

 

10 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Then too, does anyone really think that the cruise lines could hope to survive if they made it difficult for a significant segment of their most profitable market (the elderly) to participate?

 

Most profitable is debatable. In some of the luxury lines, I believe you are pretty accurate there. However, on the mass-market lines, where they make the most of their money in up-sells like drinks, casino, excursions, dining, photos, etc, I question that the elderly are their most profitable segment. However, that's not to say that they still wouldn't want them there.

[cruisemom42]

2 minutes ago, ATC cruiser said:

And if you’re going to put those restrictions on people that cruise, you better put them on people that fly. Are you prepared to not let disabled people get on an airplane because they will need extra assistance in case of emergency evacuations? I doubt it.


Aft Cabins Rule

 

I don't think it is the same thing at all.

 

Traveling by plane is often necessary -- we fly for business, for family obligations, etc. Traveling by cruise ship is a vacation, pure and simple. 

 

If there is a carer along, that is also another consideration that eases the cruise line's burden -- however, in a situation such as with COVID-19, I'm not sure it would help as one of the major concerns is the high rate of severe cases and mortality in those over 70.

 

[Markanddonna]

2 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

Personally, I would never want anyone to not do something they enjoy because I couldn't go. I've seen countless people who go with a friend or family member because their spouse can't or doesn't want to go. Now, if you don't want to go without DH, then that's another story.

 

Oh, I would invite my daughters and granddaughters to travel with me. Personally, I mostly enjoy traveling to Europe as I have family there and many ancestral roots in four countries. Cruising there on a TA has been our preferred method, but my daughters wouldn't have three weeks for that sort of trip. I like active traveling and visiting historical sites, so the Caribbean doesn't much interest me. 

[CalgaryMac]

Respiratory infections can be deadly to some people and if you are prone to them I have to wonder why take the risk? I really like cruising but only so long as my health is not compromised by potential risks. Death woiuld be the ultimate consequence but chronic consequences of an infection could end up being worse.

[Pyrate13]

Everyone needs to assess their own risk and decide what is acceptable to them. I know another person on my cruise or flight could/may have some communicable bacteria or virus but knowing the risks its up to me to decide whether to go or not, just as it is for anyone else. I don't need the cruise line, airline, another person or the government to decide for me. However, I wouldn't expect them to fix it for me either should things go badly. I'm a grown adult and if I choose to go, then that's on me. Personal responsibility.  If they messed up, then it would be a different story.  JMHO