Canceling cruise due to coronavirus concerns
 

After watching what happened on the Diamond Princess and the Westerdam, we have been closely following the situation with the coronavirus.

We are planning a cruise in 2 week, but now do not want to go. What finally convinced us was what just happened with the Golden Princess. On the cruise that ended mid Feb, there is now 2 former passengers who are sick. One of them in serious condition.

But the cruise line will not refund. Any ideas what to do? I am sure many are considering canceling now?

Thanks!

OMG, now MSC boat has problem in Greece. No more cruises until this virus is gone.

Sorry you feel this way. I leave for a cruise in France (I live in California) in two weeks. I'm still going. Gosh, a person just died of it in a town not far from where I live. I can get COVID19 here or in France.

We have been on many cruises and well have seen how sickness can sometimes get around the boat. Normally, we are willing to take the small chance that a significant percentage of the boat gets sick. From what I have read about this virus, it is like a SARS that is much more contagious but is only killing 3% of the people instead of 10%. With older folks, that 3% death rate becomes much higher. No thanks, we are not willing to take the chance.

Now there is a ship off the coast near San Fransisco that has a victim. Would you like to spend however long it takes to test everyone in your stateroom ? No thanks.

There are several threads on this on cruisecritic. A lot of people are waiting for the cruise lines to cancel their cruises as it doesn't seem like insurance is much help in this situation.

The "however long it takes" isn't just testing everyone in your stateroom, it's everyone on the ship. And perhaps getting stuck on the ship.

Yes the Grand Princess has a lot of bad press for cruise industry. I dont know what in the world is going to happen to passengers and crew on that ship. I can see home quarantine for local passenger, but what about those who have to catch a flight?

God forbid if someone is quarantined, who pays for the quarantine? Also how expensive is it?

I have a friend on the Grand Princess. They are confined to their cabin and are waiting for the results of the tests to come back. They are not sure if they will just be released or what will happen after that.

A friend who lives in Greece said a passenger was removed from a cruise ship and put in the hospital in Heraklion, Crete today.

19 employees and 2 passengers out of 46 tested.

Glad you were able to get out of your cruise, OP. Travel providers are going to have to lighten penalties, or no one will book anything for the next few months.
Anyone who has taken even a few cruises during the cold and flu/winter vomit season has seen how illnesses pass between passengers and crew and back again on subsequent cruises on the same ship.

Thank you. Personally, I think cruise companies should stop cruises for a while. It is endangering everyone.

Besides getting the virus the bigger issue is the possibility or extended quarantine times and all the inconveniences associated with this. In addition to two weeks quarantine on the ship the US citizens on the Diamond Princess were flown from Japan to the US in a cargo plane for even more isolation. You must consider that as well as catching the bug itself.

We cancelled our Princess cruise for May 9 in time to lose only the deposit which was a mere $1.00 pp as we took advantage of a one day promo Princess had offered.

It may have gone off without a hitch but we did not want to take that chance.

Our cruise is a river cruise with 130 persons (we know 70 of them). We have checked with our medical and trip cancellation/interruption insurance companies and we are covered if something should happen while over there. My brother returned today from a cruise and said all was well. He only saw a few masks and no one reported being sick. I should also add that a couple in my neighborhood were on the Princess Mexico cruise with the person who died from the virus in Roseville, CA. Actually, we were supposed to be on that cruise but cancelled at final payment time. The hospital happens to be the where I have my health care. The virus is circulating all around our area. I feel no safer here than anywhere else.

@BarbAnn - chances are if you are not over 60 and do not have relevant pre-existing conditions, your risks are low if you were to catch the virus. That is what all the experts are saying. But some of us do not want to take that chance.

2 weeks from now, things in Europe are likely to be much worse in terms of number of cases. I would be worry about the amount of healthcare available there.

That does not mean things would be get worse here, but overall it seems Europe is ahead of us in cases by 20 times or so if you count all of Europe vs. all of America.

And it is not just the cruise, but the flight there and back as well as any public transportation.

Of course, if the FDA did not screw up the testing capability, the real number of known cases in America may be higher. But we just do not know.

So for me and many others, no thanks. I can wait until things better. We should all pray that it gets better soon, but I am not holding my breathe.

That is what the passengers disembarking from the Princess Grand after the Mexico cruise would have said. They would have been wrong. Fatally wrong in two cases - and counting. But if you are under 60 and healthy you should probably be more worried about the inconvenience of testing and quarantine. Not to mention the possibility of passing on an infection to people who aren't in that category.

Yep, I see my elderly parents with pre-existing conditions very often. I need to consider their safety these days when I decide how I live my life. That means no restaurants, no cruises, no flights, no public transportation, no sports, no parties, no public gathers and minimal shopping at the market. Not a fun life. But what I do affects the safety of loved ones who are far more vulnerable.

If you are willing to take the risk for yourself that is up to you but do consider the risk to others should you contact then pass on the virus before its detected in you.

As for your brothers experience this of course does not mean you will also be as fortunate.

If you or anyone going with you are on regular meds then consider taking a say 6 week supply in case you end up in quarantine.

Another cruise ship with a potential problem (and unhappy passengers):

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/pas...r-coronavirus/

. . . and a river cruise ship in Egypt https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/wor...9-15112848.php

BarbAnn: I personally would not go within a mile of ANY seagoing or river boat anywhere - there is just no way to isolate from other passengers, crew or the ventilation system.