Tough Decisions Ahead

[glentally]

Cancel or Gamble?  

 

My particular May 10th Southern Caribbean cruise is port intensive.  If I keep the cruise it could possibly be 7 days at sea because no one will allow ships?  One or two out of 2200 passengers and 1000 crew show flu symptoms and that boat is not docking anywhere.

 

So I look to book it later and the prices are sky high.

 

What is your game plan?

[Ariel1985]

My husband and I are in the same boat. We’re flying to Miami in early May specifically to sail to the ABC islands. I don’t want that cruise to end up as 8 sea days. 

[glentally]

1 minute ago, Ariel1985 said:

My husband and I are in the same boat. We’re flying to Miami in early May specifically to sail to the ABC islands. I don’t want that cruise to end up as 8 sea days. 

looking at going sooner, like real soon as an option.  Last minute pricing is looking good.

[Banditswife]

We have been booked on the Miracle out of San Fran May 7th-21st, 2020.  We are going ahead with our plans.  If the ship sails & our flights remain in tact, we will sail.  Even if it ends up being 14 sea days.  The concessions they are making to keep the ships full are only making it an easier decision.

[n6uqqq]

48 minutes ago, Banditswife said:

We have been booked on the Miracle out of San Fran May 7th-21st, 2020.  We are going ahead with our plans.  If the ship sails & our flights remain in tact, we will sail.  Even if it ends up being 14 sea days.  The concessions they are making to keep the ships full are only making it an easier decision.

An Alaskan cruise with only sea days? I couldn't do that myself. 

[Sillyjilly]

15 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

An Alaskan cruise with only sea days? I couldn't do that myself. 

I could.

[firefly333]

12 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

An Alaskan cruise with only sea days? I couldn't do that myself. 

I could, but by law the ship has to stop in a foreign port, or at least have them come onboard. Canada.

 

I did a ship to nowhere and they charged tax in all the shops, ba humbug.

 

I think it left late due to a hurricane, but I went anyway. Was carnival. 

[Banditswife]

1 hour ago, n6uqqq said:

An Alaskan cruise with only sea days? I couldn't do that myself. 

Yes I could, We did Hawaii with 4 sea days on each end & loved it.

I'm sure firefly333 is correct.  I was just posting worse case scenario.  They will most likely stop somewhere.

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by Banditswife

[bahacca]

IMO, doing either is a gamble. There is 0 evidence that coronavirus is going away. If you book later, and there is a pandemic, then the number of travel restrictions will be sky high--even to the point of interstate travel being diminished as well as international. My ship leaves end of this month, and I can cancel within 3 days. If poop hits the fan in the next couple weeks, we may move it. But, for now, I'm taking the risk of possible quarantine. At least I know that is a possibility. In the further future, I have 0 idea of what the possibilities are. I am also super low risk. I want the elderly and people who are at high risk or those who work in the public and who would face long quarantines upon return to work to be able to book further out in the HOPES that this issue goes away. Those of us in low risk categories-I want to keep travel industry afloat.  

[n6uqqq]

2 hours ago, Sillyjilly said:

I could.

I will clarify. Could I do it? yes of course, but if I had a chance to postpone I would. A ten day Alaska cruise with all sea days for the premium price that is paid for Alaskan cruise wouldn't be worth it to me. A 4 person room for 7 days cost me near 5 thousand to Alaska with tips last june. If I am going to do all sea days I would at least want it to be in a warmer climate.

[ZoeyVictoria]

3 hours ago, glentally said:

Cancel or Gamble?  

 

My particular May 10th Southern Caribbean cruise is port intensive.  If I keep the cruise it could possibly be 7 days at sea because no one will allow ships?  One or two out of 2200 passengers and 1000 crew show flu symptoms and that boat is not docking anywhere.

 

So I look to book it later and the prices are sky high.

 

What is your game plan?

I am in the same predicament.  We are sailing on the Fascination on May 3.  That requires flying to San Juan , which we have avoided up until now (Floridians within 4.5 hours of 5 ports).   The flight worries me more than the cruise as far as being exposed to the virus.  My SO’s much older sister (85) and niece are flying from New York to cruise with us.  If we don’t go then, will we ever have another chance to cruise with them?  At this point, we are going whether or not they do, as long as conditions aren’t much worse than they are now.  It is a decision that could be made for us instead of by us by May 3.  I will be prepared for a lot of time spent on the ship if we get to go; taking an iPad Pro (which normally stays at home) with plenty of books loaded, extra meds and clothing, thinking in advance about what else we might enjoy as far as “quiet time”.

[mommiemudd]

It’s a lot to think about. We have a journeys cruise to Hawaii that we’ve been planning for a year now. Three cabins. Six people. Lots of logistics involved. Unless the airline or carnival cancels, we are going. We do have travel insurance. Carnivals new policy makes it easy to go either way. We are going ahead as planned for now. 

[jimbo5544]

5 hours ago, glentally said:

Cancel or Gamble?  

 

My particular May 10th Southern Caribbean cruise is port intensive.  If I keep the cruise it could possibly be 7 days at sea because no one will allow ships?  One or two out of 2200 passengers and 1000 crew show flu symptoms and that boat is not docking anywhere.

 

So I look to book it later and the prices are sky high.

 

What is your game plan?

Why do you say sky high

[Sillyjilly]

1 hour ago, n6uqqq said:

I will clarify. Could I do it? yes of course, but if I had a chance to postpone I would. A ten day Alaska cruise with all sea days for the premium price that is paid for Alaskan cruise wouldn't be worth it to me. A 4 person room for 7 days cost me near 5 thousand to Alaska with tips last june. If I am going to do all sea days I would at least want it to be in a warmer climate.

I'm assuming I would be give a future cruise credit.

[Hoosierpop]

If I were in a higher risk group, or couldn’t afford a quarantine, I’d likely reschedule.

 

But unless they cancel, I’m going on my March and April cruises.

Edited March 7, 2020 by Hoosierpop

[glentally]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

Why do you say sky high

I guess you could say an exaggeration on my part. Higher than my original cruise would better describe it.

[Cruising_Addict]

6 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I could, but by law the ship has to stop in a foreign port, or at least have them come onboard. Canada.

Actually, the law allows for exceptions to the rule when a situation is out of the cruise line’s hands. Such as in the case of weather preventing the ship from being able to dock at a distant, foreign port (the law specifically states “distant” since just being foreign is not enough). I would imagine the case would be the same if a ship couldn’t dock due to the foreign country refusing to allow them to dock. Also, they can technically dock without anyone getting off. Happened to the Magic in Grand Turk today. 

Edited March 7, 2020 by Cruising_Addict

[Derbie]

DH and I are on the Horizon on 4/18, and we are trying to decide what to do.  We have a 14 day cruise/land tour for Alaska in early July.  We have to pay for this one in full by 3/31. High dollar trip for us. I wonder about the virus and as far out as June and July and what will be going on.  Not sure what we are going to do.  I am worried about higher costs, and the idea of booking a future cruise, and all of this is still hanging around.  I ask one group of people and they say go...another group will say stay at home!  I asked on our roll call group, and hoping some of them will offer up their comments. My husband said, well hey, less people maybe upgrades.  If we were quarantined, at least we have a balcony.  I appreciate everyone's remarks.

[firefly333]

Our situation didnt allow for exceptions, we left late and knew when we left it was a cruise to nowhere out of Galveston. I think was a 4 day cruise cut to 3 so we didnt have time to make any ports.

 

I dont cruise for the ports, but didnt expect sales tax to be added. 

[jimbo5544]

7 hours ago, glentally said:

I guess you could say an exaggeration on my part. Higher than my original cruise would better describe it.

Got it

[ed01106]

9 hours ago, glentally said:

I guess you could say an exaggeration on my part. Higher than my original cruise would better describe it.

Somehow I doubt that.  Pricing fluctuations are based on supply and demand.  Demand is very soft right now and getting softer, cruises lines are offering OBC to get you to not cancel. 

[glentally]

1 hour ago, ed01106 said:

Somehow I doubt that.  Pricing fluctuations are based on supply and demand.  Demand is very soft right now and getting softer, cruises lines are offering OBC to get you to not cancel. 

Somehow you are incorrect.  I was referring to my specific cruise out of San Juan and the rates for single get no break espically in 6 months or more from now.

[ed01106]

1 hour ago, glentally said:

Somehow you are incorrect.  I was referring to my specific cruise out of San Juan and the rates for single get no break espically in 6 months or more from now.

Maybe, maybe not.  Right now cruise lines are offering ridiculously good deals on last minute cruises.  If the virus trend keeps getting worse or stays the same the deals will continue.  Outstanding chance you will be able to get a better deal a week before it sails than you can get now or what you booked already.