News on the Westerdam

[BarbarianPaul]

4 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

most standard insurance is not covering a quarantine...

Level Six, justifiably, did not show up for the Feb. 1 cruise. With HA insurance, the reason why this person was a no show wouldn’t matter, she’d be refunded 90%. HA is the only cruise line that offers this. I do think they should refund the purchase price, just not sure if they will.

[BarbarianPaul]

13 minutes ago, bennybear said:

 

I don’t understand why you think  HAL should refund the prior uneventful cruise? 

Good question. Having taken “collectors voyage” cruises through HA in the past, they are booked as one fare and sold as one cruise, you don’t book two separately. Hence the argument for a full refund.

[kathy49]

Question...media reports indicate no corona cases on this ship...however given they cannot dock anywhere are we to assume the clinic on the ship has the sophisticated tests to confirm general symptoms are in fact corona?

[kathy49]

7 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

Level Six, justifiably, did not show up for the Feb. 1 cruise. With HA insurance, the reason why this person was a no show wouldn’t matter, she’d be refunded 90%. HA is the only cruise line that offers this. I do think they should refund the purchase price, just not sure if they will.

okay that must be expensive insurance ..someone just decides not to go because something else came up..no show...full refund? Extraordinary.

Edited February 9, 2020 by kathy49

[jelayne]

 

39 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

This could turn out to be a non-issue for HAL marketing because this seems to be the only place it's getting discussed, possibly because there are no corona cases onboard and they passed the travel check.

 

HAL is looking golden compared to Princess. The news stories I'm seeing don't mention HAL. 

The article below was from Washington Post reporters picked up in Dallas paper, so HAL is getting some press also.

[Level six]

46 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

I assume you did not have trip insurance through HA, which offers 90% cancel for any reason protection? Perhaps you should purchase it in the future, no?

Yes, very expensive trip insurance.  Does not cover epidemics.   Also, I have been on over 30 cruises and never used it except for once when we were stuck in Buenos Aires due to Airline cancellation and once when my hubby got sick on board with the flu.  Otherwise, never had a bad experience with trip insurance.  

Edited February 9, 2020 by Level six

[TampaMike]

There is a lot of legal mumbling here with assumed 'facts'.  While ships do their best to monitor and report SYMPTOMS of the caronavius - there is no means to declare no one on board is infected or a carrier from exposure.  Caronavirus test kits are just being distributed in the past few days.  I do not think these test kits are aboard Westerdam or any ship jockeying the reactions from public, political entities or the media.  At this juncture, no cough, no fever or typical respiratory infection symptoms are ASSUMED to mean no caronavirus.  The second best tool of the moment is the 14 day clear for any incubation period.  However, once one case is identified, the potential quarantine clock is restarted.

[rich_cathybrock]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5074/ - Interesting. 

 

The only update to the effect that Westerdam has conditional clearance to disembark appears to be on CC.  Nothing on HAL site and nothing else on news that I can see as of now.

 

Praying that these good people get safely and soundly back onto terra firma as soon as possible.  Anthem was cleared to sail earlier today too, as, I believe, was a Costa ship under suspicion last week, so remaining cautiously optimistic Coronavirus is isolated incident on Diamond Princess at this time.

 

My continued prayers go out to all who have been impacted by this horrible event.   

 

[kazu]

9 minutes ago, rich_cathybrock said:

The only update to the effect that Westerdam has conditional clearance to disembark appears to be on CC

 

HAL posted on their FB page with the details which I repeated here.

It was also on our Canadian news.

[Wehwalt]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

This could turn out to be a non-issue for HAL marketing because this seems to be the only place it's getting discussed, possibly because there are no corona cases onboard and they passed the travel check.

 

HAL is looking golden compared to Princess. The news stories I'm seeing don't mention HAL. It doesn't matter what network or newspaper or if anyone thinks it's fake, it's about what's out there and it's all about Princess. Royal Carib is getting some heat locally for their day-by-day changes to a ship that came back to Bayonne with suspected Corona cases. Should have sailed the day it returned, but being held for quarantine and tests and cleaning. Supposed to go the next day, but oops, no, day after that, totally new itinerary...

 

I suspect that when all is said and done, Diamond Princess will have to be withdrawn from Asia.

[cruiseing marly]

26 minutes ago, rich_cathybrock said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5074/ - Interesting. 

 

The only update to the effect that Westerdam has conditional clearance to disembark appears to be on CC.  Nothing on HAL site and nothing else on news that I can see as of now.

 

Praying that these good people get safely and soundly back onto terra firma as soon as possible.  Anthem was cleared to sail earlier today too, as, I believe, was a Costa ship under suspicion last week, so remaining cautiously optimistic Coronavirus is isolated incident on Diamond Princess at this time.

 

My continued prayers go out to all who have been impacted by this horrible event.   

 

In HAL website

[scubadawg]

Looks like Cunard just changed the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth itins away from Asia.

 

Cancelled Asia ports on one ship and starting in Freemantle instead of Singapore on the other.

 

Link is under Asia on ports of call.

[Tampa Girl]

1 hour ago, kathy49 said:

most standard insurance is not covering a quarantine...

Yes, and that is why the HAL cancel-for-any-reason up to the last minutes policy is a jewel.  But one does have to actually cancel; not simply be a no-show.

[kathy49]

11 minutes ago, scubadawg said:

Looks like Cunard just changed the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth itins away from Asia.

 

Cancelled Asia ports on one ship and starting in Freemantle instead of Singapore on the other.

 

Link is under Asia on ports of call.

I can't imagine any ships sailing in Asia for a very long time.

[newcruiser1956]

6 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

I can't imagine any ships sailing in Asia for a very long time.

I sure hope you are wrong, I have a river cruise in Vietnam in 48 days. 

[Mike B Landlubber]

8 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

I can't imagine any ships sailing in Asia for a very long time.

When this is over, there’s a good chance it will be quick.  The SARS epidemic was raging in late April, and two months later in late June, it was declared over. People will take a little longer to start booking travel to Asia, but there will be promotions and this may fade from memory surprisingly fast.   https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_SARS_outbreak

[MAVIP]

1 hour ago, kathy49 said:

most standard insurance is not covering a quarantine...

There is or was no quarantine on the Westerdam. 

[BarbarianPaul]

1 hour ago, kathy49 said:

okay that must be expensive insurance ..someone just decides not to go because something else came up..no show...full refund? Extraordinary.

Well, only a 90% refund, but cash not FCC. It’s their platinum plan, and it’s surprisingly reasonable.

[BarbarianPaul]

1 hour ago, Level six said:

Yes, very expensive trip insurance.  Does not cover epidemics.   Also, I have been on over 30 cruises and never used it except for once when we were stuck in Buenos Aires due to Airline cancellation and once when my hubby got sick on board with the flu.  Otherwise, never had a bad experience with trip insurance.  

Ok, but just to play devil’s advocate,  insurance is one of those things you hopefully never need. Until you do. 
I personally think a cruise vacation is an investment you want to protect.

[Level six]

7 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

Ok, but just to play devil’s advocate,  insurance is one of those things you hopefully never need. Until you do. 
I personally think a cruise vacation is an investment you want to protect.

 

You must have misread.  I purchase insurance every time, very expensive insurance and even upgrade it.  

[bEwAbG]

The advice to handle any of this by just not showing up is not very sound.  If you have insurance, being a "no show" adds a level of complication.  They almost always start the claim asking for a proof of cancellation because that is the triggering event for most claim coverage.  If you don't have insurance, how would the cruise line know why you weren't at the ship at the appointed time if you didn't bother to contact them?  Even if you called them several times, they're not going to consider it a cancellation until you actually cancel.  In a situation where you're already over the barrel contractually, I'm not sure why you'd give them any more ammo than necessary.  This is certainly a unique situation but the company will always be able to point to the agreement you signed, even if you don't think it's fair.

[kathy49]

34 minutes ago, MAVIP said:

There is or was no quarantine on the Westerdam. 

that should have read epidemic and there is one of those!

[Floridiana]

1 minute ago, kathy49 said:

that should have read epidemic and there is one of those!

 

 

Not on the Westerdam. After all this thread is on the Westerdam.

[DivotMaker]

3 minutes ago, Floridiana said:

 

 

Not on the Westerdam. After all this thread is on the Westerdam.

Seems like a lot of people are confusing the Diamond Princess with the Westerdam.

 

[sppunk]

1 hour ago, newcruiser1956 said:

I sure hope you are wrong, I have a river cruise in Vietnam in 48 days. 

I’d honestly begin researching alternative options.