What information would help you decide whether or not to cancel?

[CarolinaMamma]

We are supposed to sail on Encore January 16th, and I’m so torn. I’ve been thinking about what information we need to make a decision. We all have our individual situations and risk tolerances, and I’m curious about others’ thoughts as they make their decisions for upcoming cruises. 

Things I may be able to find answers to:

 

1. Does my travel insurance cover us, given the new CDC advisory? (I plan to read the policy and call the third party insurer on Monday.) 

 

2. How is NCL and my travel insurance company treating pax who test positive at the pier, provided they have proof of a negative test within 96 hours? (Have heard some not great stories on this board and will continue to check here.) Would I be able to quarantine at a “nice” hotel with room service and access to fresh air, or would I be stuck in a dark little box? 

 

3. How is NCL treating people who test positive while on board? Moving from the Haven to an inside cabin and getting crappy food that I don’t get to choose is a fear.) 

 

4. How is MCL treating people who are deemed “close contacts” of someone who tests positive, and how do they determine who is a close contact? How many possibly exposed people are having to isolate on ships? I’m not expecting NCL to share this information, but hoping some people on ships will share what they know here. 
 

Things I probably won’t be able to find answers to:

 

1. How much Covid on my ship and other ships sailing out of Miami? This would help me assess our odds of being exposed and needing to quarantine.

 

2. Which ports may be cancelled?

 

3. Which entertainment, restaurants or other onboard experiences will be closed/cancelled? (This can change week to week, so no way to know, but I can pay attention to what is happening on other ships.) 

 

I’m not thrilled about cancelling and getting FCC because I don’t think we’d be able to get the same cruise for the same price, and I’m not sure there’s a date in 2022 that is going to work for our family. We have CFAR insurance, but I don’t love the idea of losing 25% of the $10k we have in this cruise. 

 

in any case, we will probably wait until three or four days before the cruise to make a decision, because if NCL has to cancel the cruise, we would get a full refund. 
 

What am I not thinking of that I may need to factor into this decision?  (Please, let’s not let this devolve into a Covid debate and get the thread deleted. Just looking for practical information to help me and my husband think through this decision.) 

[BermudaBound2014]

Happy New Year CarolinaMomma :).

 

I think you have a great plan in waiting this out a bit more. Things will likely start to calm down after the holiday cruises. I am not currently making the decision and you asked for responses from people in the same situation, so I won't bore you with my thoughts;  but I will offer something that you may have not considered.

 

This is an extremely unpopular topic on the forum, and know that I am clearly in the minority so feel free to ignore me completely. I believe that FCC's are a financial risk. I believed they were a risk at the beginning of Covid and, unfortunately, I believe the risk is increasing over time. On paper, it appears NCL is in a very real possibility of chapter 11. In which case, it is possible FCC's will have zero value. If I had FCC's tied up in NCL I may very well be choosing to cruise right now instead of sticking to land vacations. IMO a very logical case can be made for using all your FCC's sooner rather than later.

 

Not sure if that helps at all in your decision, but I do believe it's something worthy of consideration.

[kittykitty576]

Unless you have CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) trip insurance, where you paid for the rider, you wouldn't be eligible for cash refund.  Even so... (and I just purchased CFAR) the reimbursement is only 75%.  You still lose a substantial amount of money.

 

There hasn't been a recent change that I can see.  Hype on omicron has changed, and the CDC recommendations changed -- but I can't find any basis for the change in their _opinion_.

 

If you would typically have a good time on a cruise, I believe there's still good times to be had! 🙂

It's a very personal decisions.  So, good luck!! 🍀🍀🍀

[CarolinaMamma]

18 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Happy New Year CarolinaMomma :).

 

I think you have a great plan in waiting this out a bit more. Things will likely start to calm down after the holiday cruises. I am not currently making the decision and you asked for responses from people in the same situation, so I won't bore you with my thoughts;  but I will offer something that you may have not considered.

 

This is an extremely unpopular topic on the forum, and know that I am clearly in the minority so feel free to ignore me completely. I believe that FCC's are a financial risk. I believed they were a risk at the beginning of Covid and, unfortunately, I believe the risk is increasing over time. On paper, it appears NCL is in a very real possibility of chapter 11. In which case, it is possible FCC's will have zero value. If I had FCC's tied up in NCL I may very well be choosing to cruise right now instead of sticking to land vacations. IMO a very logical case can be made for using all your FCC's sooner rather than later.

 

Not sure if that helps at all in your decision, but I do believe it's something worthy of consideration.

I totally agree with you about FCC. That’s why we did not take the bait of 125%  and got a cash refund on our April 2020 cruise. Even if NCL remains solvent, they have shown a history of jacking up prices when they have people’s money tied up in FCCs. 
 

We paid for this cruise with cash, so we currently do not have any money tied up in FCCs, and I’d like to keep it that way. I think at this point if I had a choice of taking FCC or using my CFAR insurance and getting a 75% refund, I’d take the cash. 

Edited January 1, 2022 by CarolinaMamma

[Karaboudjan]

51 minutes ago, CarolinaMamma said:

We are supposed to sail on Encore January 16th, and I’m so torn. I’ve been thinking about what information we need to make a decision. We all have our individual situations and risk tolerances, and I’m curious about others’ thoughts as they make their decisions for upcoming cruises. 

Things I may be able to find answers to:

 

1. Does my travel insurance cover us, given the new CDC advisory? (I plan to read the policy and call the third party insurer on Monday.) 

 

2. How is NCL and my travel insurance company treating pax who test positive at the pier, provided they have proof of a negative test within 96 hours? (Have heard some not great stories on this board and will continue to check here.) Would I be able to quarantine at a “nice” hotel with room service and access to fresh air, or would I be stuck in a dark little box? 

 

3. How is NCL treating people who test positive while on board? Moving from the Haven to an inside cabin and getting crappy food that I don’t get to choose is a fear.) 

 

4. How is MCL treating people who are deemed “close contacts” of someone who tests positive, and how do they determine who is a close contact? How many possibly exposed people are having to isolate on ships? I’m not expecting NCL to share this information, but hoping some people on ships will share what they know here. 
 

Things I probably won’t be able to find answers to:

 

1. How much Covid on my ship and other ships sailing out of Miami? This would help me assess our odds of being exposed and needing to quarantine.

 

2. Which ports may be cancelled?

 

3. Which entertainment, restaurants or other onboard experiences will be closed/cancelled? (This can change week to week, so no way to know, but I can pay attention to what is happening on other ships.) 

 

I’m not thrilled about cancelling and getting FCC because I don’t think we’d be able to get the same cruise for the same price, and I’m not sure there’s a date in 2022 that is going to work for our family. We have CFAR insurance, but I don’t love the idea of losing 25% of the $10k we have in this cruise. 

 

in any case, we will probably wait until three or four days before the cruise to make a decision, because if NCL has to cancel the cruise, we would get a full refund. 
 

What am I not thinking of that I may need to factor into this decision?  (Please, let’s not let this devolve into a Covid debate and get the thread deleted. Just looking for practical information to help me and my husband think through this decision.) 

 

I don't think you mentioned this so maybe it's not a consideration for you, but for me right now the biggest unknown is air travel and transfers.  I don't want to get into a situation where I can't get to the port and it's too late to cancel the cruise.

[CarolinaMamma]

3 minutes ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

I don't think you mentioned this so maybe it's not a consideration for you, but for me right now the biggest unknown is air travel and transfers.  I don't want to get into a situation where I can't get to the port and it's too late to cancel the cruise.

That’s a good point. In our case, we are flying nonstop to Miami mid-morning the day before our cruise. American has several direct flights to Miami from our city, so I feel like we have a little bit of padding if our flight gets cancelled. If we had connecting flights or were flying in the day of the cruise, I’d be extremely nervous. I will be paying attention to flight cancellations though! 

[BermudaBound2014]

10 minutes ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

I don't think you mentioned this so maybe it's not a consideration for you, but for me right now the biggest unknown is air travel and transfers.  I don't want to get into a situation where I can't get to the port and it's too late to cancel the cruise.

 

Yep, Flights are currently an issue to consider. My niece is 'stuck' in Florida right now. I am hopeful that the flight situation will auto-correct itself with the new 5 day quarantine rule, but I would not want to be flying in day of for sure. 

[TNcruising02]

What helped me decide is accepting that I may need backup plans.

Flight to Florida:  We are flying in a day early and can make the long drive if our flight is cancelled.  If we lived farther away from the port, I would probably fly in two days early.

 

Covid:  We are taking covid tests two days before we leave.  That will reduce the risk of arriving at the port and testing positive.  If we test positive at the pier, we will find a hotel and isolate.

 

Ports:  We cancelled our excursions and will see where we go and what the options are at the time.  This is the first time we will be going on a cruise without the majority of it pre-planned.  We may not even do group tours so we can reduce the risk of being near someone who later tests positive.

 

Shows:  We will be cruising with relatives that we rarely see, so we will find ways to have fun with whatever is offered.

Quarantine:  If we end up being quarantined, I will have my laptop and my husband will have his iPad.  The odds of this happening are slim, but it's a risk we have accepted.  It won't be the end of the world and the insurance should give us a prorated refund.  

If the cruise line cancels, we will get a refund.  If not, then really the only things that will stop us from cruising are getting covid before the cruise or a family member having serious health issues.  Choosing to go ahead with the cruise, to me, means accepting the possibility that things can happen beyond anyone's control and being ok with it.  Normally, I would tell myself to hold off and things will be better later this year, but that's what I told myself last year.
 

[CarolinaMamma]

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

What helped me decide is accepting that I may need backup plans.

Flight to Florida:  We are flying in a day early and can make the long drive if our flight is cancelled.  If we lived farther away from the port, I would probably fly in two days early.

 

Covid:  We are taking covid tests two days before we leave.  That will reduce the risk of arriving at the port and testing positive.  If we test positive at the pier, we will find a hotel and isolate.

 

Ports:  We cancelled our excursions and will see where we go and what the options are at the time.  This is the first time we will be going on a cruise without the majority of it pre-planned.  We may not even do group tours so we can reduce the risk of being near someone who later tests positive.

 

Shows:  We will be cruising with relatives that we rarely see, so we will find ways to have fun with whatever is offered.

Quarantine:  If we end up being quarantined, I will have my laptop and my husband will have his iPad.  The odds of this happening are slim, but it's a risk we have accepted.  It won't be the end of the world and the insurance should give us a prorated refund.  

If the cruise line cancels, we will get a refund.  If not, then really the only things that will stop us from cruising are getting covid before the cruise or a family member having serious health issues.  Choosing to go ahead with the cruise, to me, means accepting the possibility that things can happen beyond anyone's control and being ok with it.  Normally, I would tell myself to hold off and things will be better later this year, but that's what I told myself last year.
 

Sounds like a well thought out plan. Thank you for sharing. We usually don’t bring laptops because we cruise to get away from work and the internet, but it might be a good idea to have them with us if we get stuck.

[Babr]

I can address only one of your questions.

 

The CDC advisory itself recommends buying travel insurance to protect yourself if you choose to sail now. I understand that to mean an advisory does not carry the force of an order, thus will not have an effect on your travel insurance.

 

However, all policies are not the same so you still have to read it for language concerning COVID or travel advisories and/or call your carrier to be sure.

[KimPossible1]

Carolina Mamma, our cruise is Monday and I would have cancelled it if we had to fly.  We live close by, so it isn't an inconvenience if we test positive at the port and have to turn around to come home.  I would be very scared to fly right now.  I flew almost 4 weeks ago when things were just starting and was worried then, but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that now.  Who knows what another 2 weeks will bring, so maybe sit on it for a little and see how things go, it could get worse from the holidays or it could get a little better 🤷‍♀️ 👍

[craig01020]

I have a Jan. 9 cruise. Two days ago I was 90% sure I was going to cancel. Now I'm 90% sure that I'm going. I decided to be cautious and not fearful. I'm flying cross-country for my cruise two days before. and have been reading all the horror stories of cancelled flights. I found this link which shows recent flight delays and cancellations and realized that, even though there were a lot, it wasn't that many.

 

If we cancel, we could get 100% FCC because NCL recently brought back Peace of Mind, but I already have two other cruises planned for this year, neither of which are NCL.

 

Am I crazy? Maybe...maybe not. I'm triple-vaxxed and ready to go. I'm going to get a covid test before we fly. I also plan to do a covid self-test the morning of my cruise. If, God forbid, it's positive, I'm not even going to the pier. Yes, I know I'll kiss my money goodbye, but it's worth it to avoid a kerfuffle at the pier.

 

Good luck to you in whichever you choose.

[debenson0723]

I too feel that flying is a much bigger risk right now than cruising.  I have been on 3 NCL cruises since the restart (one with a 10 hour flight to and from Greece) and the last thing I worried about on the ship was testing positive and quarantining.  I think if you read a couple of posts from those currently on the Encore and Escape you might get a better since of what is going on. I have a friend currently on the Escape and they are having a blast.  Sure a few shows have been cancelled but I had the same experience on the Encore back in September...didn't affect me one bit.  We had to wear masks in Greece due to the government restrictions...we were fine.  We also took about 8 tests in 13 days because we also went to Italy (by land) and while it was an inconvenience, the reward was well worth it.

Life is full of risk...I have worked 5 days a week, with the public, in a mask for the past 2 years and been exposed countless times to covid....never caught it myself. Am vaxxed and boostered and counting down the 36 more days until my next cruise on the Escape.  

Your questions are all valid but I think the chances of you having to experience any of these scenarios are miniscule.  My sister passed at age 54 a few years ago and some of her final words to me were Don't Wait and Don't Worry...those words changed and enriched my life.  I can't sit around and deal with the ''what ifs' anymore.

I hope I don't sound harsh because that is not my intention in any way.  I hope you make the right decision for you and your family and if you chose to get on that ship, toss aside the worry and have a wonderful time!

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, CarolinaMamma said:

What am I not thinking of that I may need to factor into this decision?  (Please, let’s not let this devolve into a Covid debate and get the thread deleted. Just looking for practical information to help me and my husband think through this decision.) 

What you are not thinking about is what you have seen me say before.... 10's and 10's of thousands of passengers cruise every week. Very, very, very few have any issues with COVID. You are fretting about something with an extremely low probability of happening. Many cruises make it through with no covid cases at all. Some have a few. 

 

Can entertainers test positive or have close contact and be isolated,,, sure,,, then entertainment may be cancelled. 

 

I am very risk adverse in life. My colleagues and I have made it through the pandemic without infection in a high risk environment through adherence to covid protocols. I have made it through 3 cruises this year (4 more booked in the near future). 

[AnitaVacation]

We had to pull that trigger yesterday...we really did not want to cancel.  Our bags were packed (mine still is), waiting by the door, pre-cruise covid test done (no cooties here), all our documents printed out and arranged in the order needed...we got some of the good N95 masks for the flight... confirmed our hotel reservation (for Sunday)...we were Green Light all the way!!  

Then NCL finally announced the return of the Peace of Mind policy...this forced us to sit down and weigh our options.  We made a list of the pros and cons....and sadly, our vacation plans lost.... my husband has copd & asthma so we decided it was in our best interest to cancel and wait....we are both so disappointed...

We definitely would still be onboard if health issues were not a problem.... IMHO, if you are reasonably healthy and smart about protocols....definitely go for it!!  

But, luckily, you do not need to make this decision today....keep an eye on things...things may get better...things may get worse...good luck to you all!!

[_Rick_]

I am on the same 16th cruise and I am cancelling tomorrow.  We've been on 3 cruises in the past year, on Celebrity, and I felt very comfortable then, but not now.  There's just too many unknowns and risks right now.  Flying and airports are a risk, both for cancellation possibilities and the health risk.  Cruising right now is in my opinion is too much trouble, not to mention having to wear a mask everywhere.  I would be worried the whole time of getting sick or quarantined and that's not my idea of a vacation.  I'll take the FCC and see what happens.  If NCL goes under or jacks up the prices to intolerable levels, I'll just take the loss.  And I would never cruise NCL again if they try to take advantage of their loyal customers - and I am Platinum level with them.  To be honest, I think that is what is going to happen considering the current prices of Haven rooms now versus what we paid a year or so ago.  Bottomline, our health is more important than money and going on a cruise, so tomorrow I am cancelling.

[RocketMan275]

If I had not made final payment, I would cancel if wearing a mask is required.

[HowardK]

If I had any doubts about going - I wouldn't go.

 

After all the horror stories about people testing positive, being quarantined, etc.. no thanks. 

doesn't sound relaxing for a few thousand dollars.

 

Rather hang out and talk to my dog and read then stress

[marktwothousand]

@CarolinaMammayou know you’re one of my favourites and I would only give it to you straight… so this is my opinion…

 

the fact that you HAVE all these concerns and questions, is enough reason not to go. Luckily you have a couple weeks, so you can stand to wait and watch a little longer… but it seems to me, if you have all these questions, that is not the way to spend 10 grand on a vacation… think about it, if you can’t go now, maybe mid-February or early March would be doable? A few weeks postponement for peace of mind isn’t going to hurt.

 

that is why I cancelled my January 5 and am hoping to sail in late February.

 

the only upside to your situation is that you’re in the haven. If you’re planning on staying with ONLY the people you travel with and not take part in any activities or entertainment on the ship…and sticking around the haven areas where are there less people and NO socializing (and that goes for your kids too) then you will be fine…but if your idea of cruising is mixing, mingling and being ‘out there’, I would leave it for now.

[wally4ever]

10 hours ago, CarolinaMamma said:

 

 

3. How is NCL treating people who test positive while on board? Moving from the Haven to an inside cabin and getting crappy food that I don’t get to choose is a fear.) 

 

4. How is MCL treating people who are deemed “close contacts” of someone who tests positive, and how do they determine who is a close contact? How many possibly exposed people are having to isolate on ships? I’m not expecting NCL to share this information, but hoping some people on ships will share what they know here. 

3) My significant other tested positive on board on Christmas Day.  They briefly moved her to an inside room while waiting for a second test, then moved her to a balcony.  This did reflect a downgrade (club balcony to balcony).  For food, she had free reign of room service, but could not utilize the drink package... only non-alcoholic drinks available.  They would not send cans or bottles of anything, so there was a lot of begging for as many glasses of Diet Pepsi as they'd send up.  The max appeared to be four.

 

4) Me and my daughter were considered close contacts, and were quarantined, even though we both tested negative.  We were given the option of staying or moving to the room next door to my SO, but we were strongly pressured to agree to move, so we did.  We got the same treatment that she did.  Not sure if anybody else was considered a close contact.

[bigrednole]

I'm nervous too. We are 98 days from cruise day. Final payment is due in 29 days. We are using NCL Air and insurance through our TA. I understand the risks and at this point we have to accept them. If we cancel, we won't be able to cruise NCL. Their prices are too high when we can cruise again on NCL. Our only option is to see what happens at this point or cancel before final payment. 

[Joanne G.]

23 hours ago, CarolinaMamma said:

We are supposed to sail on Encore January 16th, and I’m so torn. I’ve been thinking about what information we need to make a decision. We all have our individual situations and risk tolerances, and I’m curious about others’ thoughts as they make their decisions for upcoming cruises. . . .
 

 . . . What am I not thinking of that I may need to factor into this decision?  (Please, let’s not let this devolve into a Covid debate and get the thread deleted. Just looking for practical information to help me and my husband think through this decision.) 

 

CarolinaMamma, you - and many others - are facing such a tough decision.     It seems you have considered the major factors for your decision.  But ultimately the decision will rest on what risks you are comfortable with and prepared for.

 

An exercise I use when faced with a tough decision is to compare the "worst case" scenarios, and then decide which I would find more difficult, stressful, unpleasant, etc.   A friend and I canceled a Princess cruise due to the rapidly spreading omicron variant even though most of our refund was in the form of a FCC, and we aren't sure we will be able to use the credit - or the related airline credit.   

 

But we compared the worst case scenarios - getting sick (we are senior citizens) and quarantined on board and risking being unable to return home on schedule, (I have a job to return to), or canceling and potentially losing the value of the FCC and flight credit.   For us, losing the value of the credits was preferable to the other worst case scenario.   Clearly, others would make a different choice, based on personal health risk factors, whether one drives or flies to the port, willingness to prepare for a post-cruise quarantine stay, amount of money subject to loss from canceling, and so forth.

 

Try comparing worst case scenarios this way and see if that helps you make your decision.  Best wishes in whatever you decide and however you arrive at that decision.  These are tough times for all who love cruising.   

 

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by Joanne G.

[albean99]

Very timely topic for us. We book the Joy for Jan 22nd and wanted to wait a few days after hearing about the update to POC. We're leaning heavily to cancelling but it changes hourly. A lot of our questions have been mentioned. One difference for us is that we have a TA booked for the end of April on the Dawn so could use the FCC to help pay it off. We're traveling with friends from Canada and we're all waiting to decide closer to the pay date in late February. We're retired so don't have to worry about jobs if that one had to be rescheduled. 

 

1. Missing ports isn't too big of a deal for us since we were only planning on doing 2 of the 4 but still a consideration. 

2. Entertainment cancellations if more of a deal for us, especially if it ends up being mostly sea days. I know that Footloose has been canceled in recent days and worry that Covid is spreading through the cast. 

3. We're not worried about having to wear masks but there will be considerable time not wearing them while eating and drinking. That seems the highest risk time while on the ship. 

4. The biggest thing that we're hung up on is the chance of having to quarantine. I know we could read but we could do that at home while not stuck in a little cabin (assuming they move you). 

5. Of course air travel is a concern like others have said. We're flying in the afternoon before so not too much leeway in a cancellation. Safety is another one although I don't think very many people get Covid from air/airports. 

 

Thanks for the comments. I think we'll have to sit down and do a pro/con list like we do for any big decisions. Safe travels for everyone deciding to go. 

[Middleager]

The new CDC guideline for people testing positive is you can return to normal (work, got out, etc.) after 5 days (if fully vaxxed, no symptoms).  But NCL's guideline is still 14 days. 

For shorter cruises, people will be quarantined and at the end of the cruise will disembark and if it's after 5 days and test negative, they can fly back (including fly back to other countries).  But for longer cruises, people will be quarantined for 14 days.

 

The 14 days applies to another aspect.  If someone tested positive, they can test negative 5 days later and fly.  But if it's within 14 days, they cannot get on NCL cruise.

[kdawg954]

Just got off the Epic.

 

Masks indoors while walking just wasn't a big deal.  

 

Covid is on board, know that going in.  We lost our stateroom attendant and most of our dining room team from the first night due to "isolation".  If vaccinated and boosted u probably won't get it or will never know u did unless u test for it post cruise. 

 

Do not depend on any stops.  It's out of your control and the cruise lines control.   We lost 2 ports and the third one we weren't allowed off.

 

Still knowing the ship full of 100% vaccinated and masks wearing in elevators and walking indoors have us a confidence not to worry about it.

 

It was great sailing at half capacity, everybody was really great and I really feel relaxed from what has been a stressful two years of not vacationing.

 

Was absolutely worth it.  One of my best cruises.

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by kdawg954