Would you cancel September Bos-Canada cruise or not??

[HS2BS]

We have the last cruise of the season on the Summit out of Boston on October 17 to the Caribbean and ends in Florida. Still not sure it will go and if We’re able to (over 70) board, but as others have written - just wait till you are sure.

 

Hal

[hcat]

1 hour ago, markeb said:

 

The number of new cases is dropping. But you flatten an epi curve by extending it. Lower number of cases spread over a longer period of time that allows you to deal with the hospital burden of the severe cases. So it's great that the number of new cases is declining, but that doesn't mean the epidemic in New York will end earlier, it could actually go longer.

I think many folks don't understand that while the isolation/ distancing/ masks, etc  no doubt  reduce the spread,  they are part of  a management plan for scarce  medical resources 

[markeb]

1 minute ago, hcat said:

I think many folks don't understand that while the isolation/ distancing/ masks, etc  no doubt  reduce the spread,  they are part of  a management plan for scarce  medical resources 

 

Yes. This is actually a very hard concept. The area under the curve (math, sorry) may well remain constant, but the goal is to extend it so the health care system can deal with the actual patients. The goal is to keep peak demand for resources below available resources. Not to shorten the epidemic/pandemic.

 

Epi models generally relate the Susceptible population to the Exposed population. You then have a subset of exposed who are Infectious (able to transmit), and you subtract out those who are Removed from the population by recovery or death. (Google SEIR models). Medical treatment models fill in the blanks between those who are exposed and those who become patients. Patients consume resources, and those resources are limited. Both the traditional SEIR models of transmission, and their offshoots of resource requirements are in play here.

[sdnich]

Thank you so much for all of the input we’ve been talking about it and we are probably going to cancel in the next couple weeks and look forward to planning my road trip from Boston to Montreal  and Quebec city in a car!! we will save money on the cruise and I look forward to researching more info since I’m going to be off for a couple more weeks!! stay safe everyone!!!

 and look forward to our cruise in 2021 from Vancouver to LA!!

[eyecantwait]

4 hours ago, Glendakayself said:

We have a September 4 Alaska cruise booked and are waiting until June to make a decision. If Celebrity has extended the Cruise with Confidence beyond September 1 and if things are improving, we will make final and wait. We  had booked airfare through Celebrity but cancelled and booked with AA award miles.  We just received an email from American Airlines concerning reinstatement of miles with no fees if cancelled 60 days before departure and a small fee if less than 60 days before departure. I cannot envision this cruise sailing, but miracles do happen. 

We have August 28th Alaska booked and are all over the place trying to decide what to do. Tonight we talked about it and decided to let it lie until a week before final payment is due May 20. Also booked air through Celebrity.

[Fouremco]

The nice thing about a road trip is that you can be more flexible with your dates. While I think that it will probably be lifted by September, just bear in mind that the Canadian border is currently closed to non-essential travel. In addition, the Province of Quebec has closed its borders to non-essential travel, even from adjoining provinces. It's unlikely, but there is always the possibility that the Canadian border will be open but the Quebec border closed to you. Just keep an eye on it and have a great road trip!

[TeaBag]

I would wait until you get nearer the final pmt date and then make the decision.

[Ronin23]

As others have said, I would wait and do nothing until June and assess the situation then. Certainly no need to get on the front foot and cancel now. Celebrity may not be sailing by then so you would get 125% FCC or money back or if they are then you may yet be covered by the Cruise with Confidence program which could well be extended beyond its current cut off Sep 1. 

[twins_to_alaska]

10 hours ago, sdnich said:

...look forward to planning my road trip from Boston to Montreal  and Quebec city in a car!! we will save money on the cruise and I look forward to researching more info since I’m going to be off for a couple more weeks!!

I sometimes think I get more enjoyment from researching and planning my trips than the actual trips even when they're awesome! I love doing the research. Happy planning!

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by twins_to_alaska

[MEcruzr]

I saw a projection that if we start to loosen things up after mid-July (projected peak of deaths due to Covid-19 after a projected mid-May peak of infections) that the 2nd round of infections will hit mid August into September. The same model (out of Penn) predicted a total of 5 peaks and estimated it could take 52 weeks to complete the cycles. I also heard an interview with an infectious disease doctor from WA state... he said high risk people should expect to need to social distance, etc., for 18 months since this virus will continue to spread. Even IF cruising and travel resumes I don't see the cruise line lifting their 70+ age restrictions for a while. Lots to consider... I certainly wouldn't be making final payment for a cruise in September to the northeast. 

[hcat]

We are in process of cancelling everything but one cruise for Jan 2021, which is when we think things may be somewhat stable.

 

Hope it works out  so we can cruise, use up our FCC,  and apply any accumulated points on our BOA cruise credit card.

 

Not sure cruising will be a  big part of our future due age and health restrictions, &  fact that we have  soured on the way X  handles OUR MONEY held on  deposit ( fully refundable).  

 

Also now using a diff cred card with cash rewards!

Edited April 14, 2020 by hcat

[lexmiller]

We were booked on the Summit August 30 round trip out of Boston Maine/Canada sailing.  We recently cancelled and rebooked for the exact same time/same exact cruise, next year.  We didn't want to wait too long to do this as cruises for 2021 are filling up, due to the obvious reasons including so many people with FCC having to cruise by the end of 2021.  So we weighed the option of waiting to cancel up to the last moment before final payment, but felt the odds are that the cruise this year will not sail or if it does, it will be a bad health risk overall.  And since we didn't want to be faced with full ships next year, we opted to reschedule sooner rather than later.

[phoenix_dream]

I am very jealous to hear of a $200 deposit.  We are booked on the 9/11 cruise out of Boston, and we have a $900 non-refundable deposit (not counting the $50pp cancellation fee from our TA).  Since their FCC offer only extends until 9/1, we have decided to take a wait and see attitude.  $1000 is just too much to throw down the toilet so to speak.

 

I very much doubt Canada will be allowing ships in their ports by September.  I am hoping against hope that the cruise is cancelled.  The last thing I want is a cruise to nowhere, or a cruise to the Bahamas which IMHO is basically the same thing.  I am not sure even that the Northeastern US ports will be allowing ships to dock by then.  After all, unlike most Caribbean islands those towns/cities do not really need the limited tourist $$ that the cruise lines bring.  They have no vested interest in taking a chance and letting them dock.

 

A heck of a thing - this was my retirement bucket list cruise.  

[sdnich]

Yeah we were fortunate to only have had to put $200 down when we booked it on a cruise through the Panama Canal in 2017.We had to book a 2019 cruise and then rolled into 2020 as soon as it came available. We have been planning this cruise for about four years for a 20 yr anniversary ! We will probably cancel it soon ! As of now I’m gonna keep the flights and if things are better we will do a three city land tour in Canada!! We do have a 2021 cruise planned from Vancouver to LA so we look forward to that !! 

[MEcruzr]

"We are booked on the 9/11 cruise out of Boston,..."

 

FYI, as of yesterday Maine ports are closed through August. She will reassess further closures when the time comes.  Seriously doubt your 9/11 cruise will head north out of Boston, IF it sails.

 

Our mandatory 14 day self quarantine was extended through the end of August, as well, for anyone crossing into Maine. Lodging continues to be closed to all but essential workers. State parks on the coast are staying closed.

 

 

 

 

[rimmit]

On 4/13/2020 at 12:38 PM, K.T.B. said:

I wouldn't cancel.  Celebrity will give you 100% of your money back or give you a 125% FCC.  The only issue would be airfare, but if you book through Celebrity, you'll get that a back as well if the cruises are cancelled.

That is incorrect.   I used flights by Celebrity for a June Alaskan cruise that was cancelled.  Airfare refund was only if using refundable flights (I booked the flight in Nov. before Covid was even known)  Now have a flight voucher with air canada I will likely never use that expired this Nov.

If you are booking flights now most airlines have very flexible change policies however.

[hcat]

On 4/13/2020 at 10:24 PM, Ronin23 said:

As others have said, I would wait and do nothing until June and assess the situation then. Certainly no need to get on the front foot and cancel now. Celebrity may not be sailing by then so you would get 125% FCC or money back or if they are then you may yet be covered by the Cruise with Confidence program which could well be extended beyond its current cut off Sep 1. 

Agree 100 %

We pulled the plug early on our Summit May cruise  from Bayonne after  the final payment date  ...Under CWC,  we  had a 50% refund and 50% FCC..possibly now useless due to med note requirement.   Folks  who waited  just a bit longer got a 100% refund!   It may pay to wait....

[HS2BS]

We have two bookings on the Summit(2 others on the Summit for this May Celebrity cancelled), one is the transatlantic from Dublin to Boston; the other is Boston to Florida on 10/17.

The ta to Boston, the big box agency in NH had a massive(700-900 passengers) booking for their president’s cruise that Celebrity allowed big box to transfer reservations from 8/16/20 to 8/15/21 without penalties and price protected it.. Looking at the 8/2/20 and the 8/16/20 bookings, both cruises have over 400 vacant cabins. Will Celebrity cancel or cruise, cannot do one cruise without the other. Will Boston be open as Massachusetts is presently high on the list with the virus.? We chose to cancel the 8/16 cruise this morning rather then moving it to next year.

 

Hal

[MEcruzr]

" Looking at the 8/2/20 and the 8/16/20 bookings, both cruises have over 400 vacant cabins."

 

Are these out of Boston? Where are they scheduled to cruise to?

[maggie.1008]

We have canceled the Aug. 30th RT Boston cruise. Also cancelled all other cruises and air fare. We don`t have another booked until Nov. 2021. We will see. I was supposed to be on a Hawaii Eclipse cruise right now celebrating my 60 th cruise. 

Not sure how much cruising will be in my future. I just don`t think it will be as enjoyable as in The Olden Days. 😷

[marycruz]

On ‎4‎/‎29‎/‎2020 at 9:36 AM, hcat said:

Agree 100 %

We pulled the plug early on our Summit May cruise  from Bayonne after  the final payment date  ...Under CWC,  we  had a 50% refund and 50% FCC..possibly now useless due to med note requirement.   Folks  who waited  just a bit longer got a 100% refund!   It may pay to wait....

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by marycruz
delete

[phoenix_dream]

On 4/29/2020 at 7:41 AM, MEcruzr said:

"We are booked on the 9/11 cruise out of Boston,..."

 

FYI, as of yesterday Maine ports are closed through August. She will reassess further closures when the time comes.  Seriously doubt your 9/11 cruise will head north out of Boston, IF it sails.

 

Our mandatory 14 day self quarantine was extended through the end of August, as well, for anyone crossing into Maine. Lodging continues to be closed to all but essential workers. State parks on the coast are staying closed.

 

 

 

 

I can't find anything online about the August closings in Maine.  Not doubting you, but so I could learn more, could you please post where you found this?  I've tried Googling as well as the Maine website and can't find anything.

[Fouremco]

There are numerous sources reporting on Maine's ports. While I've not seen any of them specifically mention August closures, many indicate "until further notice". The following is an extract from a Cruise Critic article, but as there are a number of errors and omissions in the article, I don't vouch for the accuracy:

 

Bar Harbor, Maine has closed to all cruise ships until at least July 1. Portland, Maine, is closed to cruise ships until further notice. https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5097/

 

[Covepointcruiser]

Don’t rely on “Cruise Critic” news but go straight to the states and countries you are interested in.   All of the Northeast states (including Mass and Maine) are currently planning to start the easing of restrictions by May 15.   The states to the south have already eased some restrictions.   Virginia has just opened Dentists and Doctors offices to non emergency patients and have opened hair salons and tattoo parlors.   Georgia, South Carolina and Florida are already in the reopening process.

 

If you have health issues making you susceptible to infections it would be better to avoid travel.

[Fouremco]

8 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Don’t rely on “Cruise Critic” news but go straight to the states and countries you are interested in.   All of the Northeast states (including Mass and Maine) are currently planning to start the easing of restrictions by May 15.

The Northeast states may be planning on easing restrictions in mid-May, but that doesn't mean that all cruise ports will be open. Bar Harbor town council voted earlier this month to remain closed until the end of June. 

 

https://bangordailynews.com/2020/04/08/news/hancock/bar-harbor-cancels-all-cruise-ship-visits-until-july-1/