manuwolf

7 minutes ago, Pedro22 said:

The temperature screening is a gigantic bit of theatrics! That's all. With an incubation period of at least 14 days and some experts have suggested possibly longer, and given that some infected individuals are asymptotic and pass along the virus to others (i.e., community spread), there is no way to keep this genie in the bottle! And especially impossible to do this on a cruise ship with everyone in such close quarters. And g*d-forbid this is a case aboard, then no ports will allow the ship to dock!  So here we go on an 18-day transatlantic crossing. It is scheduled to stop at multiple locations that already have coronavirus cases. This includes Brasil, and the Canary Islands. No specifics from O; only to say that they absolutely refuse to refund or to issue FCC. I'm over 65 and have compromised immune system so this might be my last cruise... on earth! For the entire time, we will be looking over our shoulder fearful that someone coughing or sneezing is a carrier and that we have caught it. Or on the port calls when we take the O land tours, fearful to mingle amongst all the other cruisers and locals. So tell me, how is that going to be enjoyable? It is not surprising that the cruise lines are prioritizing their profits over the health concerns of their customers since they operate with razor-thin margins. Fortunately, the airlines (at least United) which issued us a full refund when we cancelled our Polaris transatlantic flights and gave us a full credit for our flight to BA have a strong customer focus. So sad that I no longer have any faith, confidence or trust in O! Can't wait to see what lame position they adopt once WHO declares this thing a global pandemic. Only a matter of weeks as cases and deaths are escalating daily. Has anyone been successful in getting a refund or FCC from O? Looking for tactics and advise. 

Hi Pedro,

I am truly saddened to read that you might miss your last time chance for a cruise. May I assume that you have done a few cruises before? Then, why don't you start to be thankful and happy for what you have had instead of lamenting over what might not happen? I don't know the exact itinerary of your Cross Atlantic Cruise and when it was scheduled to happen. But rest assured, you might be of bigger risk at home to catch the virus in the US than during your cross Atlantic trip. I am also not sure where exactly your cruise would have docked in the Canary Islands. We live in Tenerife and even though there are 6 cases (originating from the group around the Italian doctor) in 1 hotel under quarantine I can assure you that we live a very normal life on the island. We still have our Saturday Markets where we buy our products, we have our groups of friends meetings in Restaurants, we go hiking and enjoy our incredibly beautiful island, knowing that we belong to the privileged 8,5% of the world's population - so do you.

Yes, traveling has become increasingly challenging - staying at home and enjoy the beauty around you would be an option but being angry all day long about circumstances you cannot change nor influence is very toxic and certainly not favorable to your health conditions.

BTW: just to make you - hopefully - feel a bit better: yes, OC is offering full refund and FCC to the passengers of cruises they have cancelled. We were on Nautica's 26 day cruise from Hongkong to Yokohama and were incredibly looking forward to our first ever in life time in Japan (and we are not youngsters, either). We had to go through the pain of multiple schedule changes, while our flights to Hongkong on non-refundable business SWISS tickets went absolutely worthless when HKG was banned from boarding any cruise ship. SWISS was 100% unflexible and we lost the entire price for 2 PAX!

Sure thing that everybody who paid a lot of money for a cruise would like to see his investment give the expected profit (= a nice, safe cruise). Did all your investments in the stock exchange always turn out profitable. In full honesty: mine didn't and some losses were painful.

But we are still all on the sunny side of life. Imagine all the people working in the cruise and hospitality industry who desperately need their hard earned bucks to feed their families back home. Those are the ones with whom I really feel in these difficult days, I feel with all the medical staff in Asia who work under horrible circumstances with the ever present risk to get the virus with all its consequences.

So, please put things in a proper relation and wait and see - OC will act and cancel any cruise that they might deem necessary. They have to consider a lot of parameters and maximising their profits (as you assume) certainly is not their main focus - everybody in the travel industry has to survive - that is the real challenge!

I wish you good health and a peaceful attitude to deal with the uncomfortable situation as best as you can!

9 minutes ago, Pearl64 said:

The cruise was going from Tokyo to Singapore. If you go under Refund Oceania you will find the list of all cancelled cruises. Both the Nautica and the Insignia were impacted. There are no Oceania cruises in Asia through June.

We are on March 18 sailing on Nautica. Where do you find the list of affected cruises exactly?

9 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

It is 25% on that cruise and Nautica is going there- berthing at CC01 at thecSingapore Cruise Centre.

Nautica is berthing at CC02 at SIN Cruise Centre at Sentosa Harbourfront; CC01 is occupied by Seven Seas Mariner which will be docked overnight.

In case anybody is interested in first hand information from the concerned places:

1. Singapore is quiet AT THE MOMENT - this is of course subject to change if a lot of new cases should appear.

2. Saigon is still receiving non-commercial ships, such as "semester at sea" which are mostly American students.

This is an update which I got from people/friends living in the 2 cities.

At this stage I prefer to resort to real time information  from the concerned places.

But everybody has to find the decision in his/her own comfortable way! A good Sunday to everybody 

We have decided to go if OC will do the March 4 cruise. Will not book any flight til then - they are expensive anyhow. I am reading Straitstimes (Singapore newspaper) & keep in touch with a friend who lives in Singapore. And take into consideration that life is a risk anyhow & to get a very bad flue on board is a great risk anytime I take a cruise. There is a point you have to make a decision and then stand for it - lamenting 24/7 is not my thing... Japan is the reason for this trip... think positive.

You attitude makes your thoughts & your thoughts determine your actions 😉

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Where did you get the idea that the reimbursement doesn't include port taxes in the calculation? (Opinion or evidence?)

 Oceania bundles those items (cabin cost/taxes/etc. in stating a "cruise fare" for passengers' invoices and your invoice clearly states "cruise fare." Likewise, the compensation letter says "cruise fare." 

 

OC is stating that the 25% will be reimbursed only on net cruise fare, means what you have paid MINUS the port charges. I have put that question to my TA & got the response from OC through my TA in an email yesterday. But never mind, the port charges are s very small part of what we have paid- this will only marginally effect the final reimbursement.

4 minutes ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

I decided to look up the guest’s contract:

This is from the US site

If the scheduled port of embarkation or final destination is changed, We will arrange transportation to the new port from the originally scheduled port.If the Cruise is terminated early due to an unresolved mechanical failure, We will make a proportionate refund of the Cruise Fare. In such event, You are also entitled at Our option to transportation to the Ship’s scheduled port of disembarkation or Your home city at Our expense. Additionally, when such disembarkation caused by mechanical failure of the Ship at an unscheduled port requires an overnight stay, You are also entitled to lodging at the unscheduled port of disembarkation at Our expense.

 

 This is from the European one

 If the scheduled port of embarkation or final destination is changed, We will arrange transportation to the new port from the originally scheduled port.

 

Now I am of course no expert but I seriously tried to find the small print that allowed Oceania to change my port of embarkation to Singapore without anything thing other than a $300 credit and couldn’t that doesn’t mean of course that it isn’t there.

 

I am sure there are plenty of legal eagles who can check this. In the meantime we are still waiting for Oceania to confirm the revised part of our cruise before we decide to alter our flights, we are also looking for confirmation that the compensation will be for the full 43 day fare as this is what we paid.

Rosalyn

Hi Rosalyn, you are absolutely right. We have checked with 2 lawyers yesterday. In case of port change of embarkation & disembarkation or many ports of call change the cruise line is obliged to pay a compensation - which OC does with the 25% refund. I guess they have checked out all legal angles. But I am a bit concerned as Singapore is also NOT a poet without any doubt. I am still waiting for a feedback where the news about Celebrity's denied berthing in Singapore has been written. That would be another major hit in the region. And I am really hesitating to book another flight - we will wait one more week to see developments. Such a crazy situation!

35 minutes ago, Desert_Boomer said:

This starting to get a bit concerning - now it seems that Thailand will not allow the Westerdam to disembark there even though they claim to have no coronavirus incidents onboard and Singapore is denying the Celebrity Millenium to dock even though they started out from Dubai and claim to have no coronavirus px as well.  Westerdam which left Hong Kong on February 1 has already been denied landing rights at ports in Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and Guam leaving the passengers and crew in limbo. Seems that once your ship sails you have no assurance of where you will end up or when.

Where as I am following the Westerdam episode very closely (and feel extremely sorry for the people onboard) I haven't heard about Celebrity's problem in Singapore yet - where could you read this? At this point we haven't replaced our non-refundable Hongkong flights yet for Nautica March 18 departure from Singapore- we want to wait as long as possible before we commit to another flight. Don't trust the present situation too much & we are really wondering how long OC can keep up with their strict "no refunds" policy. 🤔🤔

If I understood the letter of OC of today correctly, they will offer us also a - what they said very generous - compensation. I guess they will come up with all details early next week.

3 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Paul said Crystal cruises   is offering the deal

he posted the wrong link though

https://www.crystalcruises.com/coronavirus-update

Many thanks for the clarification!

4 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Chrystal will use Singapore as the base for its cruises for Symphony instead of Hong Kong.  

 

Those who sail the new routes will get a 50% credit on a future cruise.  Those that cancel will get a 100% credit on a future cruise. 

 

The latest essentially ally says no more Hong Kong.  

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/coronavirus-statement

Thanks for sharing this! After carefully studying the OC statement I could not find any indication to your remarks "Those who sail the new routes will get a 50% credit on a future cruise.  Those that cancel will get a 100% credit on a future cruise.". Is this an information you got from your TA? I think this would relieve a lot of people! 😉

4 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Chrystal will use Singapore as the base for its cruises for Symphony instead of Hong Kong.  

 

Those who sail the new routes will get a 50% credit on a future cruise.  Those that cancel will get a 100% credit on a future cruise. 

 

The latest essentially ally says no more Hong Kong.  

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/coronavirus-statement

Thanks for sharing this! After carefully studying the OC statement I could not find any indication to your remarks "Those who sail the new routes will get a 50% credit on a future cruise.  Those that cancel will get a 100% credit on a future cruise.". Is this an information you got from your TA? I think this would relieve a lot of people! 😉

7 minutes ago, dog said:

By the time your cruise comes around it may be cancelled or more ports changed. Holland America Westerdam is not allowed to disembark in Japan. Other ports are banning cruiseships in that area now.

Where do you got this information from??? We have friends on the Westerdam on Feb. 29 leaving from Yokohama. They had 2 more changes in their itinerary but they are still scheduled to sail. This is the latest news from 3 hours ago - we keep each other updated.

Can we please stick to facts in this roll call?

The situation is difficult enough so no need to create more insecurity, especially by people who are NOT scheduled to sail on March 4 or March 18.

Please!

Newest update: (found on CNN International)

Taiwan shuts ports to international cruise ships

From journalist Alex Lin in Hong Kong

Please read this: the revised cruise itinerary is not going to work:

1. Hongkong has shut down 2 cruise terminals (and they have only 2)

2. United Airlines has suspended flights to Hongkong

3. And the most important point: Taiwan is putting anybody who was in China AND Hongkong 14 days before arriving in Taiwan under Quarantine - this would end our cruise (March 18 departure) to its painful end before the first port 😉

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus-outbreak/Coronavirus-latest-Hong-Kong-to-shut-2-cruise-ship-terminals

So, what to do - we wrote already to our local TA and Oceania - let's see what will be their reaction.

We start to loose appetite for this trip - anybody else???

7 hours ago, jcinma said:

Important Itinerary Update Dear Valued Guests and Travel Advisors,   We would like to inform you of some very important itinerary modifications that have been made to Nautica’s March 18, 2020 voyage from Hong Kong to Tokyo.  This itinerary update also applies to guests on our March 4th and March 18th Extended Journey voyages.    To ensure the continued health and safety of our guests and crew, and in an abundance of caution with the current outbreak of Coronavirus, we will be bypassing all ports of call in mainland China, specifically Shanghai, Beijing, and Dalian.   In their place, we have crafted a revised itinerary that includes a bevy of remarkable ports includingJeju, Seoul, and Busan in South Korea, and Sakaiminato and Moji in Japan.    The new, revised portion of the itinerary is detailed below for your reference. To thank you for your understanding with this prudent change, you will receive a US$250 per guest shipboard credit which will be added to your account within the next few days.   DATE PORT COUNTRY ARRIVE DEPART 18-Mar Hong Kong China   9:00 PM 19-Mar At Sea       20-Mar Taipei Taiwan 8:00 AM 7:00 PM 21-Mar Ishigaki Japan 7:00 AM 5:00 PM 22-Mar At Sea       23-Mar Kagoshima Japan 7:00 AM 2:00 PM 24-Mar Jeju South Korea 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 25-Mar Seoul South Korea 9:00 AM 10:00 PM 26-Mar At Sea       27-Mar Busan South Korea 8:00 AM 6:00 PM 28-Mar Sakaiminato Japan 9:00 AM 6:00 PM 29-Mar Moji Japan 10:00 AM 8:00 PM 30-Mar Nagasaki Japan 8:00 AM 6:00 PM 31-Mar Hakata Japan 8:00 AM 7:00 PM 1-Apr Hososhima Japan 10:00 AM 8:00 PM 2-Apr At Sea       3-Apr Tokyo Japan 8 AM Disembark   Shore excursions you had reserved with Oceania Cruises for Shanghai, Beijing, and Dalian will be refunded to your credit card on file, where applicable. Shore excursions for the newly added ports will be available online shortly.   Important Note: Guests who have made their air arrangements independently are solely responsible for ensuring that none of their flights are routed through mainland China.  Guests having traveled through mainland China within 30 days of the voyage will be denied embarkation.   Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call your travel advisor or Oceania Cruises.   We thank you for your understanding of this prudent and important change.                        Sincerely, Carlos Ortega Vice President, Guest Services Oceania Cruises   Our TA received this today from Oceania. No mention is made about a credit for future cruise is we don’t want this itinerary. It is still departing from HK. I will continue to monitor CDC and State dept. alerts. It s still a wait and see.

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us!!! Even though I still don't like OC's non-communication policy and the way they treat their European passengers we are happy with the new itinerary and can finally start to get ourselves organized. As other people said before, common sense hygiene behavior will reduce the risk to catch any virus. I wish all of us a great& healthy trip and will now focus on what it is all about: we are privileged to be able to take such trips, we should be ambassadors of tolerance and good will with our privilege and life itself is a risk!

10 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

This statement was issued on January 31, 2020, and is on OC's web site, albeit as a small link at the bottom of the Home Page:

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/coronavirus-statement

Thanks for sharing this link - although, I have to admit that its content will give me a sleepless night! They are not allowing passengers on board in Hongkong who have been to mainland China 30 days before sailing. And further down this notice it says: " At this time, there are no changes to our itineraries." They must be kidding us! We have Shanghai, Tianjin and Dailan in our 18 March departure itinerary! I think OC is becoming a big scam!!!

Apart from all the links you have shared, DID ANYBODY HEAR A WORD FROM OC? I have sent another email to OC wih my TA in cc. OC stayed silent, my TA answered that all she can do is to forward my request to OC. I have no words for such an unprofessional and disrespectful behavior of a cruise line!

14 minutes ago, TrulyBlonde said:

Here is what Celebrity is doing as an example of other cruise lines.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/ML-3-14-20-Itinerary-Modification-Guest-Letter.pdf

 

Yes, this is exactly what I meant in my first post! Why isn't OC able to do what other cruise lines have already done. Can only hope that they will come up with something reasonable soon!

17 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Are you saying Oceania  still has cruises departing from Shanghai   this month?

I am sure all lines are doing the best they can to avoid  China  & other areas of concern

JMO

OC still has stops in Shanghai and other Chinese ports this & next month in their schedule! They have not yet changed anything yet & we find it quite annoying that they take so long to come around with necessary changes. I am sure they will have to cancel all Chinese ports but are not even bothering to communicate with their clients to make them feel comfortable that they are trying to find best possible adjustments. Silence is their language when communication is needed. I see a lot of people upset with OC - so are we! But there is nothing we can do but wait...

On 2/1/2020 at 3:05 PM, LHT28 said:

What other nice cruises line are cancelling their cruises to those areas  affected ??

 

 

Holland America has already adjusted their (quite similar schedule) to an "all Japan cruise", leaving from Yokohama instead of Shanghai! Why can others do what OC is not able to do??