New travel warning

[Denny01]

The place to get the best advice on whether you should take a cruise is your Dr, not anonymous posts. We can tell you what we’d do and so on, but you, with your Dr, have to decide if you are more vulnerable.

 

Not sure what other posters are looking for when they are expecting existing statements to be ‘clarified’. The CDC and the State Dept are very clear:

1 - If you have ‘underlying health issues’ Do Not Cruise.

2 - If you are elderly, Do No Cruise. And yes, there was a whole thread back and forth on what is ‘elderly’. If you are old (I am!) and know you are more vulnerable, and personally/subjectively/I’m-not-an-expert, since I am now ‘more mature’, my ability to fight off various diseases has decreased.......that is life now for all of us, no matter how far I can walk and exercise, I’m still more vulnerable.

 

Just to make sure, here are the CDC and State Dept posts from their websites:

- CDC posted: To best protect these vulnerable individuals, we recommend individuals with underlying conditions avoid situations that increase their risk of acquiring infections. This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.

  - State dept post: U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship. 

 

This can’t be clearer. If you feel you are good and healthy and don’t get colds and don’t have any breathing issues or reduced ability to fight off ‘bugs’, then you could consider it. Personally, my wife has heart issues and I have noticed I’ve come down with colds more than I ever have, so we are cancelling our March/April cruises. And this is a guy who was all gung-ho on cruising last week, but not going to fly into Rome mid-April and take the chance on a ship making numerous Italian (even southern)/Sicily/Malta/Sardinia/Spain ports. 

 

Edit: by the way, when we were going to ask my wife’s Dr about crusing, before we asked, and he knew we loved to cruise, he said he and his wife and kids were to go on a cruise in April and he just cancelled it. this guy is 40’s and quite healthy.  Just a heads up on what at least One Dr’s opinion. Needless to say, we didn’t even ask. 

 

Den

Edited March 9, 2020 by Denny01

[CA_Cruzing]

3 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

The place to get the best advice on whether you should take a cruise is your Dr, not anonymous posts. We can tell you what we’d do and so on, but you, with your Dr, have to decide if you are more vulnerable.

 

Not sure what other posters are looking for when they are expecting existing statements to be ‘clarified’. The CDC and the State Dept are very clear:

1 - If you have ‘underlying health issues’ Do Not Cruise.

2 - If you are elderly, Do No Cruise. And yes, there was a whole thread back and forth on what is ‘elderly’. If you are old (I am!) and know you are more vulnerable, and personally/subjectively/I’m-not-an-expert, since I am now ‘more mature’, my ability to fight off various diseases has decreased.......that is life now for all of us, no matter how far I can walk and exercise, I’m still more vulnerable.

 

Just to make sure, here are the CDC and State Dept posts from their websites:

- CDC posted: To best protect these vulnerable individuals, we recommend individuals with underlying conditions avoid situations that increase their risk of acquiring infections. This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.

  - State dept post: U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship. 

 

This can’t be clearer. If you feel you are good and healthy and don’t get colds and don’t have any breathing issues or reduced ability to fight off ‘bugs’, then you could consider it. Personally, my wife has heart issues and I have noticed I’ve come down with colds more than I ever have, so we are cancelling our March/April cruises. And this is a guy who was all gung-ho on cruising last week, but not going to fly into Rome mid-April and take the chance on a ship making numerous Italian (even southern)/Sicily/Malta/Sardinia/Spain ports. 

 

Den

We are cruising out of FLL to the Caribbean. A lot different than Rome, for sure. 
 

We’re also in our early 50s, again possibly less susceptible to severe viruses, but who can say for sure. 
 

Hopefully tomorrow will bring more clarity. I don’t subscribe to the sky’s falling mantra. It’s a flu. A wicked one if you’re compromised. Thanks for your reply and input. 

[yorky]

Is anyone more concerned now that they have issued the new warning urging us citizens not to cruise? We are booked on the Equinox departing August 1. We are in our late thirties and relatively healthy. I had cancer when I was 30 and I don’t have all of my lymph nodes. It was GI related. I work with the public and I usually pick up a virus or two during the year. Should we be more concerned since this new statement? As of last night we still planned on going. There are four active cases of Coronavirus where we live so I could get just being out and about here. We are looking into back up plans but, while I was looking at an all inclusive would I want to be stuck in Mexico with this issue? Thanks for all of your input. 

It’s a big step in my view and it’s going to hit the cruise industry big style. I think it’s pretty much a given now that many people won’t be going ahead with their cruise due to a number of factors. Over here in the UK flights are now being effected to certain countries and the risk of isolation if you do cruise is certainly rising rapidly. We are booked for February and would now be booking our flights, that’s not going to happen until it all settles down, same with hotel bookings and any cruise extras such as onboard spending and independent tours.


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[yorky]

This is a personal decision that each individual, who is scheduled on a cruise in the near future, must decide for themselves.
I am 74 yrs old, have no major health problems, do CrossFit Masters classes three days a week and walk an additional 7-10 miles a week with two Siberian Huskies (walking me) and attempt to eat well. I also survived 30 years of nursing in a Level One Trauma Center/ER and was probably exposed to everything possible. Hand washing and its importance is hardly a new concept to me as it seems to be to the world now.
I am schedule on the Equinox, out of FLL, next Saturday, March 14th, on my 35th cruise. Unless X cancels this cruise, I'm going. My choice, my risk, my decision based on my common sense. I respect the choice of those who were scheduled on this cruise but have decided to cancel, per our roll call.

Absolutely, as long as you are ok with the risk of being quarantined on the ship.


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[SempreMare]

6 minutes ago, yorky said:

Absolutely, as long as you are ok with the risk of being quarantined on the ship.

 

Exactly.  The other big unknowns:  

- Risk of being quarantined

- Risk of receiving adequate medical care on the ship should your condition turn bad quickly.

 

I want to know what are the "underlying conditions" being referred to of people who became very ill or died. 

 

Ex:  Would my need to take Synthroid (replacement thyroid hormone)  be considered an underlying condition? 

 

Ex:  Several friends take blood pressure medicine but they tell me it's well controlled.  Would that be considered an underlying condition? 

[villauk]

10 minutes ago, yorky said:

Absolutely, as long as you are ok with the risk of being quarantined on the ship.


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Not just quarantine, ports closed, protests along the way and disembarkation/embarkation changed or delayed - all happened over the last week.

 

I reckon pax will have to sign a waiver when they board to state they may have additional charges should Coronavirus have any consequences on their sailing, especially with the US government basically saying in their statement that you’re on your own if you decide to cruise when they have recommended not to.

[yorky]

 
 
Not just quarantine, ports closed, protests along the way and disembarkation/embarkation changed or delayed - all happened over the last week.
 
I reckon pax will have to sign a waiver when they board to state they may have additional charges should Coronavirus have any consequences on their sailing, especially with the US government basically saying in their statement that you’re on your own if you decide to cruise when they have recommended not to.

Yep. We have no real fear of the virus( more people dying from the flu virus). It’s the reaction to it that’s the issue and there is no way we would cruise just now with the possible impact to our everyday life.



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[GastroGnome]

Watching with slightly surprised interest.  Last week there had been some speculation that perhaps ships would not TA and risk thier summer in Europe.  With this advice it seems companies will have little choice but to bring thier ships across becuase their buisness in the US will be decimated.  According to CLIA (and I know not all lines are members but it gives a good indication) 14% of cruise passengers internationally are US citizens.  The overwhelming majority of cruises are from the US into the caribbean.  The cruise industry contributed over $16Billion to the US economy in 2018.   With over 30m passegngers travelling globally.  I can't see how many cruise ships there are or how many sail every single day but looking at Miami port alone it ranges from 4 to 7 sailings every day.    Roughly 26 a week.  I know you can prove anything with statistics - and I don't mean to downplay how serious the virus is for some -   about 1350 sailings a year from that one port.  And only 2 ships quarentined.  0.0014%  (And yes - before those more scientifically inclined have too much of a flame I know this is not entirely good maths  - but it does serve to make a point.)

 

Absolutely suitable measures must be taken to protect the vulnerable in society.  But there is also a balancing act between that and the inevitable financial impact on the country.  It does seem to me (and I'm in the UK so not my politics) that a blanket statement "don't go on a cruise ship" without any qualification, time limit, destiniation rider etc. is not the most prudent.

 

 

[Pentlands]

1 hour ago, GastroGnome said:

Watching with slightly surprised interest.  Last week there had been some speculation that perhaps ships would not TA and risk thier summer in Europe.  With this advice it seems companies will have little choice but to bring thier ships across becuase their buisness in the US will be decimated.  According to CLIA (and I know not all lines are members but it gives a good indication) 14% of cruise passengers internationally are US citizens.  The overwhelming majority of cruises are from the US into the caribbean.  The cruise industry contributed over $16Billion to the US economy in 2018.   With over 30m passegngers travelling globally.  I can't see how many cruise ships there are or how many sail every single day but looking at Miami port alone it ranges from 4 to 7 sailings every day.    Roughly 26 a week.  I know you can prove anything with statistics - and I don't mean to downplay how serious the virus is for some -   about 1350 sailings a year from that one port.  And only 2 ships quarentined.  0.0014%  (And yes - before those more scientifically inclined have too much of a flame I know this is not entirely good maths  - but it does serve to make a point.)

 

Absolutely suitable measures must be taken to protect the vulnerable in society.  But there is also a balancing act between that and the inevitable financial impact on the country.  It does seem to me (and I'm in the UK so not my politics) that a blanket statement "don't go on a cruise ship" without any qualification, time limit, destiniation rider etc. is not the most prudent.

 

 

 

The problem with your maths is that you are using past figures. You are not taking account of the exponential rise of cases that is likely to happen. So to undertsand what one will feel like in 2 weeks time, just do the maths at how many cases will be announced in two weeks and then believe that number of people are presently in circulation and both carrying and transmitting the virus.

[villauk]

1 hour ago, GastroGnome said:

With this advice it seems companies will have little choice but to bring thier ships across becuase their buisness in the US will be decimated. 

 

 

And where are they going to dock over here as more and more ports are shutting up shop?

[Hllb]

https://apple.news/A1gchZpURREqZzW38W9excQ

[meechee341]

D

7 hours ago, PROCRUISE said:

This is a personal decision that each individual, who is scheduled on a cruise in the near future, must decide for themselves.

I am 74 yrs old, have no major health problems, do CrossFit Masters classes three days a week and walk an additional 7-10 miles a week with two Siberian Huskies (walking me) and attempt to eat well. I also survived 30 years of nursing in a Level One Trauma Center/ER and was probably exposed to everything possible. Hand washing and its importance is hardly a new concept to me as it seems to be to the world now.

I am schedule on the Equinox, out of FLL, next Saturday, March 14th, on my 35th cruise. Unless X cancels this cruise, I'm going. My choice, my risk, my decision based on my common sense. I respect the choice of those who were scheduled on this cruise but have decided to cancel, per our roll call.

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security that because you do all these activities and consider  yourself "fit", that you are somehow impervious to getting ill and/or death.  

Edited March 9, 2020 by meechee341

[Bo1953]

8 hours ago, Taclin01 said:

Is anyone more concerned now that they have issued the new warning urging us citizens not to cruise? We are booked on the Equinox departing August 1. We are in our late thirties and relatively healthy. I had cancer when I was 30 and I don’t have all of my lymph nodes. It was GI related. I work with the public and I usually pick up a virus or two during the year. Should we be more concerned since this new statement? As of last night we still planned on going. There are four active cases of Coronavirus where we live so I could get just being out and about here. We are looking into back up plans but, while I was looking at an all inclusive would I want to be stuck in Mexico with this issue? Thanks for all of your input. 

Given your health history and concerns, I recommend that you strongly consider cancelling.

 

No need to add to the potential dread and anxiety.

 

In health and bon voyage

[Cruise a holic]

We are senior citizens and have an August cruise- If the situations worsen, we will cancel- at this juncture we have a wait and see attitude.  We canceled our cruise for this month.

Edited March 9, 2020 by Cruise a holic

[hcat]

Another issue that affected our decision was medication.  Under our  ins plan we can get 90 days max refills, but some only 30 days,. Usually we take a 30 day supply ( blood presure and metformin). Would hate to run out during a quarantine or illness on the ship.  They can't possibly stock everything on board to supply everyone in the event of quarantine.

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by hcat

[sunnyduny]

9 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I think that the new warning is about people.60+ and people with health issues.  Your best best is to talk to your doctor.  

 

For myself I do not have health issues and I am under 60.  I will be sailing.  My concern is that ports are starting to close up for cruise ships.  I may not get the cruise that I originally booked.

we are sailing this coming Friday on Reflection do you know which ports are stopping the ships docking. Have heard nothing back here in Scotland not even on the news

[GastroGnome]

1 hour ago, Pentlands said:

The problem with your maths is that you are using past figures. You are not taking account of the exponential rise of cases that is likely to happen. So to undertsand what one will feel like in 2 weeks time, just do the maths at how many cases will be announced in two weeks and then believe that number of people are presently in circulation and both carrying and transmitting the virus

 

My maths had absolutely nothing to do with rates of infection - only with the numbers of cruise ships gloablly, the proportion of the cruise industry based in the US and the impact on the US ecomony of an unlimited advice not to get on a cruise ship.  But your point is also correct.  We do not know - and can never know - how wild Covid now is.  The US is almost certainly not alone in having no sight on whose who have mild infection and recover naturally. It may well be that over the next few weeks that too plays into a decsion on whether or not to bring in social distancing, cancel sports events, close schools  - quarentine cruise ships - etc.

 

[twins_to_alaska]

As to older and underlying health conditions there was this

 

"This ought to be top of mind for people over 60, and those with underlying health problems, such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, or compromised immune systems"

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/06/health/coronavirus-older-people-social-distancing/index.html

 

If you aren't sure whether your health problems pose an increased risk you should talk with your doctor.

 

Added CDC warning also has

 

"It has become clear that people with underlying conditions such as heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and other conditions that cause suppression of immune system particularly among the older adults, are at a high risk of serious disease if infected with the novel coronavirus."

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/covid-19-cruise-ship

Edited March 9, 2020 by twins_to_alaska

[GastroGnome]

6 minutes ago, sunnyduny said:

we are sailing this coming Friday on Reflection do you know which ports are stopping the ships docking. Have heard nothing back here in Scotland not even on the news

 

No itinerary modifications are listed for Reflection as yet but some Carribean islands have denied ships docking. And more recently a Diamond ship has been denied return to Fort Lauderdale. 

[TorontoSailor]

Nobody over 60 with any underlying health issue whatsoever should go on a cruise. Simple. 
 

if you’re over 60 and are in perfect health and take no medications, then it’s a personal choice.

 

Almost nobody, however, is going to be covered for this by insurance. So if medical bills (possibly even medical evacuation) are an issue for you, DO NOT cruise. If you don’t care about medical bills, and have no medical issues, again, your choice. 

[orangedec10]

9 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I think that the new warning is about people.60+ and people with health issues.  Your best best is to talk to your doctor.  

 

For myself I do not have health issues and I am under 60.  I will be sailing.  My concern is that ports are starting to close up for cruise ships.  I may not get the cruise that I originally booked.

This is our concern as well, as we are healthy in our mid 30s.  In some ways, I am hoping celebrity cancels the cruise entirely so we receive a refund instead of a fcc. It was aN anomaly to get that much time off approved!

 

For the OP, I would feel more optimistic. Our sailing leaves in May so we need to decide fairly soon, but you have plenty of time to see how this unfolds.

[PROCRUISE]

1 hour ago, meechee341 said:

D

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security that because you do all these activities and consider  yourself "fit", that you are somehow impervious to getting ill and/or death.  

 

With all due respect, after 30 yrs of ER nursing and current Hospice nursing, I am more than aware of my being mortal.

[wallysdtr]

9 hours ago, PROCRUISE said:

This is a personal decision that each individual, who is scheduled on a cruise in the near future, must decide for themselves.

I am 74 yrs old, have no major health problems, do CrossFit Masters classes three days a week and walk an additional 7-10 miles a week with two Siberian Huskies (walking me) and attempt to eat well. I also survived 30 years of nursing in a Level One Trauma Center/ER and was probably exposed to everything possible. Hand washing and its importance is hardly a new concept to me as it seems to be to the world now.

I am schedule on the Equinox, out of FLL, next Saturday, March 14th, on my 35th cruise. Unless X cancels this cruise, I'm going. My choice, my risk, my decision based on my common sense. I respect the choice of those who were scheduled on this cruise but have decided to cancel, per our roll call.

I agree with your statement "my choice, my risk, my decision".  What is also helpful is that you are an experienced nurse and can make a decision that has all of the education to make a sound decision.  We will be on the Reflection March 23 unless Celebrity cancels and the 2 couples that were going with us have cancelled.  One because of a personal family issue but the other based on the Corona virus.  

What is disturbing is that the blame is falling on the cruise lines but what most don't understand is that the quarantines were not properly set up and the ship then became a breeding ground for nosocomial infections.   The Japanese physician who first attending the passengers mentioned this.  But instead of looking at what needs to be done, they tell people to stay home.  

We are going as I mentioned.  I am 66 and husband is 68.  good health with no underlying conditions that would affect our decision.  We also use essential oils, good supplements and vitamins and will have oily supplies (thieves) with me as well. 

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Another issue that affected our decision was medication.  Under our  ins plan we can get 90 days max refills, but some only 30 days,. Usually we take a 30 day supply ( blood presure and metformin). Would hate to run out during a quarantine or illness on the ship.  They can't possibly stock everything on board to supply everyone in the event of quarantine.

 

No, they cannot stock that much, yet if previous reports hold, national governments have been supplying meds at no charge to the passenger.

 

I did post previously to an inquiry from a potential passenger who takes a highly specialized/rare drug(s) for their condition, that it would be a great idea to inform X vis-a-vis the Special Needs Request Form about them so they can provide the info if needed or that they need to cancel the sailing if they believe it will not be forth coming IF quarantined.

 

Cancellation is the best real option if the drugs are that specialized as there can be no guarantee that they can be had outside of their home country.

 

In health and bon voyage

[GRBlizz]

We're in wait and see mode (cruise is April 13) but have an interesting situation with our trip insurance. The fine print says that it covers cancellation if the CDC has issued a travel advisory for any of the countries we plan to visit. But it doesn't say anything about a CDC advisory against travel by the conveyance we are using.

 

With Celebrity's policy and the fact that we used re-depositable miles for air, we really won't have to use insurance if we do cancel. But it is an interesting question.