w917 july 2 safe travel

[ollmate]

looking for opinions, we set to sail pd july 2. At this point we can only get 50% refund, no guarantee of refund if boat is quarantined etc, anyone else in same situation?

[ging466]

looking for opinions, we set to sail pd july 2. At this point we can only get 50% refund, no guarantee of refund if boat is quarantined etc, anyone else in same situation?

 

If you cancel, you will lose your money. It would be very foolish to cancel now.

 

There is a 28 day cruise before you sail so there's no telling what will happen. Next week the PD arrives back in Sydney to pick up passengers to cruise to Tahiti. I'm flying to Tahiti to pick up the PD on 15 June. There's no way I'm going to cancel.

 

The main thing is don't overreact...wait to see how things develop. You have plenty of time to sees how the situation is handled.:)

 

Cheers

Ging466

[Down-Unders]

looking for opinions, we set to sail pd july 2. At this point we can only get 50% refund, no guarantee of refund if boat is quarantined etc, anyone else in same situation?

 

 

 

 

 

If you do not want to travel contact P&O and request your full refund. There is a duty of care issue here.

[OverTheTop]

Do you think they will really give you a full refund? Let us know if they do. Perhaps the governement will have to step in if the PD swine flu gets out of control? Is that possible, it it a mega industry, so it would be difficult to shut it down, but I am sure they have the power. Of course they do - the implications of this are huge.

 

Angela

[ollmate]

looking for opinions, we set to sail pd july 2. At this point we can only get 50% refund, no guarantee of refund if boat is quarantined etc, anyone else in same situation?

additonal to the above is we are travelling with young kids, thats certainly my biggest concerns.

[Itachi]

personally i would wait and re assess the situation as it comes. in the mean time just go on as business as usual take precautions to make sure immune system etc and everyone is healthy (no it wont stop u getting it from anywhere but u know it cant do any harm). unless u know there is a mega breakout opposed to the few possible cases atm there is no more risk than going to the shops, catching a train, etc luckily it isnt as bad here as overseas. Personally i would wait... if it is bad enough that the gov't step in then obviously dont go but really there is no need to withdraw now.

 

take each day as it comes... Yes u can get a 50per cent refund now but what is there is no issues and the cruise goes smooothly? Just make sure u make the right decision for your family closer to the time...swine flu might be gone from aust by then... U never know... :)

[Drelix]

I am the same with itachi.

 

If it got that bad the goverment or the health officals would stop crusing if it became to dangrous to cruise.

 

be hopefull things may change :)

[The_Big_M]

I can't see the government locking down cruising while there's air travel, and I just can't see them shutting that down, given the stage we are at. It's already spreading (including from non-known direct sources), so shutting that down isn't going to achieve much.

 

The other possibility is that P&O themselves cancel the cruise, in which case you would be entitled to a full refund. I'd rate the chances of that slightly higher than the government doing anything, but wouldn't pin my hopes on it.

 

To my mind though, assuming the cruise goes ahead the risk is that one of your family gets sick and then the vacation pleasure is damaged for all of you as you have to take care of them and are confined to quarters, so miss out. Given children have a higher likelihood of infection, that's a fair risk. It comes down to your own situation though as to whether the risk is worth it.

[Alymo1]

One more thing, will these issues cause people to lie about their past and future flu symptoms. I have definately considered this to avoid quarantine and missing out on major parts of our cruise.

 

What if we were to take our own Tamiflu with us and if we became sick we could take this without notifying P&O and continued to visit all our ports. Of course continue to spread the flu. What then?

 

This is a once in a lifetime cruise for our family. We have saved and gone without for such a long time it would be devastating for us to miss these unique ports.

 

Of course I am speaking hypothetically.

[Star76]

It really is a hard decision to make. My husband and I and our 2 children are booked on a 2 week cruise in October. At the moment we are deciding if we should cancel or not. Its not just because of the swine flu (by oct things would hopefully have calmed down) but its the general risks of sickness on cruises. Im not sure if I want to have to spray my room constantly with glen 20 and remind the kids every few hours to use there hand santatizer, amongst other things. That doesnt sound like a stress free holiday to me. Of course this is a personal choice, but I am beginning to think I would rather spend 2 weeks on a tropical Island somewhere in the whitsundays instead! Each to there own of course.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

It really is a hard decision to make. My husband and I and our 2 children are booked on a 2 week cruise in October. At the moment we are deciding if we should cancel or not. Its not just because of the swine flu (by oct things would hopefully have calmed down) but its the general risks of sickness on cruises. Im not sure if I want to have to spray my room constantly with glen 20 and remind the kids every few hours to use there hand santatizer, amongst other things. That doesnt sound like a stress free holiday to me.

 

If you’re so worried about getting sick on a cruise & to me it sounds like you are very worried about getting sick (like spray your room constantly with glen 20!!! In my option that’s overkill!!) , then I think you might be better to cancel your cruse and doing a land based holiday instead….

 

We have done 4 cruses (about to be 5 in July) over the last 3 years on 3 different ships, and so far yet, we have never got sick (not talking about Sea sick here) from been on a ship.

 

My 2 cents!

[Star76]

I actually would never have thought of the whole glen 20 thing until reading posts on here. That was one of the suggestions of what to pack along with the hand santatisers. Some people can travel over and over and never experience any sicknesses or bad luck in that regards and then some people may be unlucky travel for the first time and get sick. Luck of the draw I guess. Did you you travel all of those times with children? They are my main concern. When your looking at the the amount of money we are spending on a family of four we have no choice but to way up the risk factors.

[Cavallo]

looking for opinions, we set to sail pd july 2. At this point we can only get 50% refund, no guarantee of refund if boat is quarantined etc, anyone else in same situation?

 

 

Unfortunatly the Swine Flu has been overplayed, it is no different than ordinary flu as far as symptoms are concerned. We all run the risk of catching colds, flu etc when we cruise (although less risk than in air travel) Take a bottle of vitamin C with you and enjoy your cruise. If the ship is quarantined this could disrupt your travel home so I guess you would have to make up your own mind if it is worth the risk. Personally I'd be happy to be stuck on a ship indefinitely:D. How long has the longest quarantine for Australian based ships been so far? You can be sure P&O will be doing their very best to ensure things run to schedule. Hope you chose not to cancel and have a wonderful cruise.:)

[LouLou28]

I actually would never have thought of the whole glen 20 thing until reading posts on here. That was one of the suggestions of what to pack along with the hand santatisers. Some people can travel over and over and never experience any sicknesses or bad luck in that regards and then some people may be unlucky travel for the first time and get sick. Luck of the draw I guess. Did you you travel all of those times with children? They are my main concern. When your looking at the the amount of money we are spending on a family of four we have no choice but to way up the risk factors.

 

Hi Star76.

 

Swine Flu aside (because as has been posted, I think the worst will hopefully be behind us or under control, and hopefully the vaccine will have been released by then) - I just wanted to give you some of my experience in cruising with children.

 

When we first cruised, my kids were 6 & 9. I was paranoid about them getting sick - both seasick, or catching norovirus or whatever was going around. It was something I was very, very nervous about (so I can understand where your concerns are coming from).

 

I made sure I took all the right precautions in regard travel sickness - and thankfully, this hasn't been a problem on any of our three cruises - although we medicate well each time!.

 

In relation to other illnesses, anti-bacterial gels and sprays will only help if the disease is bacterial ... Glen20 won't keep the flu or noro away. What will help, is good hygiene.

 

I have my kids (and us adults) wash their hands every time they are near the basin, before eating, when they come out of kid's club, etc (you know, the usual times!) - and they 'sing' "Happy Birthday" (hopefully in their heads, although my youngest does sing it out loud!!) while they soap up ... this equates (roughly) to the right amount of time neaded to keep the viruses at bay.

 

So far (after three cruises) we've been ok - with the exception of a mild cold that my son got on our second cruise (not that it stopped him doing anything!) and who knows, he may have even caught it before we got on board!

 

So I hope this helps to allay your fears somewhat. I empathise with what you're thinking as I've been there - and can only tell you my experiences.

 

We love cruising as a family - it's such a fun holiday, the kids absolutely love it - my daughter (the youngest) loves the kid's club and has made some great friends!

 

I hope you do go - and really enjoy your cruise!:)

[AussieTJ]

Hi Star76.

 

Swine Flu aside (because as has been posted, I think the worst will hopefully be behind us or under control, and hopefully the vaccine will have been released by then) - I just wanted to give you some of my experience in cruising with children.

 

When we first cruised, my kids were 6 & 9. I was paranoid about them getting sick - both seasick, or catching norovirus or whatever was going around. It was something I was very, very nervous about (so I can understand where your concerns are coming from).

 

I made sure I took all the right precautions in regard travel sickness - and thankfully, this hasn't been a problem on any of our three cruises - although we medicate well each time!.

 

In relation to other illnesses, anti-bacterial gels and sprays will only help if the disease is bacterial ... Glen20 won't keep the flu or noro away. What will help, is good hygiene.

 

I have my kids (and us adults) wash their hands every time they are near the basin, before eating, when they come out of kid's club, etc (you know, the usual times!) - and they 'sing' "Happy Birthday" (hopefully in their heads, although my youngest does sing it out loud!!) while they soap up ... this equates (roughly) to the right amount of time neaded to keep the viruses at bay.

 

So far (after three cruises) we've been ok - with the exception of a mild cold that my son got on our second cruise (not that it stopped him doing anything!) and who knows, he may have even caught it before we got on board!

 

So I hope this helps to allay your fears somewhat. I empathise with what you're thinking as I've been there - and can only tell you my experiences.

 

We love cruising as a family - it's such a fun holiday, the kids absolutely love it - my daughter (the youngest) loves the kid's club and has made some great friends!

 

I hope you do go - and really enjoy your cruise!:)

 

I totally agree with Linda, we have done 4 cruises with our two children and are about to take our 5 to Mexico.. Yes we are a little concerned, but hey you cant live your life in a bubble..

We have never had any problems with any of us being sick (touch wood) maybe a little sea sickness. The kids enjoy the kids club so much and make friends for life.

In my opinion take the risk, life is short, its our flu season anyway, like someone else said I'd rather be stuck on a cruise ship and sitting at home thinking I should have gone.

Happy Cruising.. think postive :)

[Star76]

Hi Linda,

 

Thank you so much for that! I really appreciate your input. You obviosuly know exactly where I am coming from. We are also pretty huge on the hand washing thing, and my children also take antibacterial gel to school just in case. So I guess we just need to follow the same rules on the cruise and hope for the best. Thats all you can do really. And as I said to my husband, if we do happen to get sick we would probably get better care on the ship then at our own local hospital! Again thank you so much Linda, much appreciated:)

Felicity

[OverTheTop]

One more thing, will these issues cause people to lie about their past and future flu symptoms. I have definately considered this to avoid quarantine and missing out on major parts of our cruise.

 

What if we were to take our own Tamiflu with us and if we became sick we could take this without notifying P&O and continued to visit all our ports. Of course continue to spread the flu. What then?

 

This is a once in a lifetime cruise for our family. We have saved and gone without for such a long time it would be devastating for us to miss these unique ports.

 

Of course I am speaking hypothetically.

 

I had the same thought - we have saved and scrimped for our holiday of a lifetime. I would be so sad to spend it stuck in the cabin because of a sniffle! There are 7 of us so chances are someone will get a cold. Damn swine flu!!!! I have talked of nothing else for a year but this cruise! At this stage we are going to take our chances and hope for the best. Considering option like flu vaccinations (I have one), pneumococcal vaccinations, making sure we are healthy and taking our own Tamiflu (if we could get it!), good hygiene,

 

fingers crossed and a few prayers.

 

 

Angela

[The_Big_M]

So I guess we just need to follow the same rules on the cruise and hope for the best. Thats all you can do really. And as I said to my husband, if we do happen to get sick we would probably get better care on the ship then at our own local hospital!

 

I have the same approach, to take care of things the best you can, but not to be obsessed about things. And, yes, they will take care of you well and not abandon you if you come down with something and need to be quarantined.

 

One other thing to note, just so you're aware. If you do need to use a doctor then they do charge separately for that, and it's not just a token amount. Of course, depending on the situation they may cover it.

[icemaiden2310]

One more thing, will these issues cause people to lie about their past and future flu symptoms. I have definately considered this to avoid quarantine and missing out on major parts of our cruise.

 

What if we were to take our own Tamiflu with us and if we became sick we could take this without notifying P&O and continued to visit all our ports. Of course continue to spread the flu. What then?

 

This is a once in a lifetime cruise for our family. We have saved and gone without for such a long time it would be devastating for us to miss these unique ports.

 

Of course I am speaking hypothetically.

 

 

 

 

Good Point! that may well be why the situation is as it is....

[LuckiePuris]

One more thing, will these issues cause people to lie about their past and future flu symptoms. I have definately considered this to avoid quarantine and missing out on major parts of our cruise.

 

What if we were to take our own Tamiflu with us and if we became sick we could take this without notifying P&O and continued to visit all our ports. Of course continue to spread the flu. What then?

 

This is a once in a lifetime cruise for our family. We have saved and gone without for such a long time it would be devastating for us to miss these unique ports.

 

Of course I am speaking hypothetically.

 

I see where you are coming from, especially that you are going on a 28 night cruise, that is a cruise of a lifetime for you and your family.

 

Some of the major insurers of travel insurance (hint...think of the major banks...)will cover for all medical costs etc and claims relating to swine flu.

 

They will only not cover if you change your mind before the cruise and want to cancel the cruise. Many other travel insurers will not cover anything relating to swine flu.

 

Good Luck, hope everything works out for you :)

[LuckiePuris]

looking for opinions, we set to sail pd july 2. At this point we can only get 50% refund, no guarantee of refund if boat is quarantined etc, anyone else in same situation?

 

At the moment, the swine flu is the "hype".

 

It is being blown up by the media. Yes it is serious but more people die from the regular flu.

 

I would suggest not cancelling yet. Just give it a bit more time for things to settle down, and then you will be able to reassess a little closer to date what the best option is for you.

 

In the next few weeks, the swine flu could either really take hold and we see the shutdown of shopping centres, public transport etc, or it could go the other way and be under control.

 

Good Luck

[LuckiePuris]

Have just read this on one of the other threads:

 

The government has placed an order with drug manufacturer CSL for a swine flu vaccine, which is expected to be developed within the next few months.

 

Perhaps a vaccine is available by the time you need to cruise in July??

[OverTheTop]

LuckiePuris I have been thinking about travel insurance re swine flu. Good to see some are on top of it. Would you mind emailing me which one?

amjcpcij at optusnet dot com dot au

 

Thanks

Angela

[Brossy]

LuckiePuris I have been thinking about travel insurance re swine flu. Good to see some are on top of it. Would you mind emailing me which one?

amjcpcij at optusnet dot com dot au

 

Thanks

Angela

 

Hi Angela

 

We are allowed to discuss travel insurance freely on this board just not t/a's. I just purchased my travel insurance through Westpac which is Vero insurance. I think this might be the one LukiePuris is talking about. Give Vero a call and ask them because i'm not sure about the swine flu situation. Let us know how you go :).

[Brossy]

I totally agree with Linda, we have done 4 cruises with our two children and are about to take our 5 to Mexico.. Yes we are a little concerned, but hey you cant live your life in a bubble..

We have never had any problems with any of us being sick (touch wood) maybe a little sea sickness. The kids enjoy the kids club so much and make friends for life.

In my opinion take the risk, life is short, its our flu season anyway, like someone else said I'd rather be stuck on a cruise ship and sitting at home thinking I should have gone.

Happy Cruising.. think postive :)

 

Hi AussieTJ

 

Sorry OP - this is off the topic - but I would love to read a review after you have cruised on the Mariner. We are doing the USA next year and I have picked the same cruise as you are going on. I would welcome any advise you have after your return - brossy at aanet dot com dot au . Thanks.