Alaska Cruise

[Decpl]

What's everyone thinking of their Alaska cruise? We are scheduled to fly in on July 31th and do a land tour and following

with a South bound cruise on Millennium. We decided to play the waiting game and take the credit if canceled. Will help off set

the most likely increase with 2021 fares. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

We don't have an Alaska cruise booked but have considered it for late summer if cruising resumes.  Like you, just playing the waiting game.  

With regard to fares...there's much discussion on whether or not prices will increase or decrease.  Another wait and see game.  I'm thinking they will have to go down to get passengers back on ships...lots of varied opinions out there...At any rate, I hope you get to go!

[alwaysonaship]

We had an Alaska Cruise booked in September on Seabourn and cancelled. I personally have no desire to get on a cruise ship, nor make final payment. We cancelled and are now waiting for our refund. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by alwaysonaship

[Fly and Sail]

I had my May 10th cruise moved to August 16th (ex Vancouver) and hope it sails. If not that will be bad.

[az_tchr]

Alaska not likely to happen this year. Lockdown in place was discussed this morning through June.  If there is any Covid19 Canada will not open ports.  You also have a delay that after Covid restrictions are relaxed that border freezes need to be relaxed and airlines get flights back up.  All that suggests cruising this summer not likely.  Add that if there is ONE case of Covid19 on a ship, the cruiseline is responsible for providing private transport home for all passengers.  How much would that cost for a few thousand passengers?

If the stress of waiting bothers you - cancel now.  If it doesn't bother you wait it out till final payment date.

Personally I would not get on a cruise ship or visit anything like Disneyworld until Covid19 has been gone for a month.  Am booked for 2021.

 

[Coquitlam Cruiser]

The way things are in the world right now.  I sincerely doubt Canada will open its ports to any cruising this year.

 

[phoenix_dream]

I also have a July cruise and I seriously doubt it will take place.  (as well as a September Canada/New England cruise 😪) I can't see Canada opening their borders that soon unless a miracle happens and a cure is found or the vaccine is released way prior to anticipation.  But I am waiting for Celebrity to cancel.  Would rather have a refund than FCC - I already have that for two cruises already cancelled this year!

 

All that said there is another possibility, but I consider it remote.  What if Canada decided to open their ports only to passengers from the US - and possibly from a limited # of cruise lines?  Not implying the US is way better at containment than other countries or anything of the sort - but we are border countries and there are already cargo trucks and so forth going back and forth.  And by then (hopefully!!) our virus counts would be way down.  If ships had to send people home, it would be much easier to get them home from Canada or southern Alaska than from more remote areas.  They would have to consider some kind of restriction related to the crew - such as the crew needed to be onboard at least two weeks, and the ship had to guarantee no known virus cases.  As I write this I see it more and more as a pipe dream, but hey, if one thinks of baby steps to get cruising going again from Canada this could be a consideration.

Edited April 8, 2020 by phoenix_dream

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, az_tchr said:

Alaska not likely to happen this year.

 

1 hour ago, Coquitlam Cruiser said:

The way things are in the world right now.  I sincerely doubt Canada will open its ports to any cruising this year.

 

I agree. As much as cruise lines might want to get up and running as soon as possible, they face a number obstacles. With all of the negative publicity they've endured, no level of government is going to be in a hurry to relax restrictions just to allow foreign flagged cruise lines to rush back. More importantly, as long as COVID-19 is still around, even if at greatly reduced levels,  no cruise line wants to take a chance on having yet another outbreak on one of their ships. Given the possibility of transmission by asymptomatic patients for several days prior to symptoms emerging, no amount of dockside testing or doctors' notes are going to prevent such a reoccurrence as long as the virus is around.

[Mr. Click]

Long ago we booked July 3 from Vancouver for the whole family to celebrate our 50th.  Last week final payment was due and I opted to cancel. This week United announced they would waive  the re-deposit fees for our tickets so I cancelled the flights too. Glad I waited, it saved me $900.  Now we are just waiting on the refunds from Celebrity for the original depoisty and United for the taxes and fees.... 

 

We balled because I did not see the trip ever really sailing. July 3 is way too close for the end of Canada's initial closure period and going later in the summer does not work with the kids and grandkids schedules. Maybe next year, maybe not. 

[boxkite]

Since our May 2020 Alaska cruise has been cancelled, we have decided to book a May 2021 Alaska cruise.

 

We did not want to re-book for later this Summer and then risk that cruise being cancelled as well.

 

This is the second time we have have had to re-book a Alaska cruise.

 

Hoping third time in 2021 will be a charm!

 

Steven