Would you cruise Caribbean departing 28 March?

[empressjo]

Flying to Florida for a week before cruise departs 28/3/20 for 14 nights. Ports of call includes Mexico, Honduras, Belize, St Thomas, St Martin.

We could stay in US for 6 weeks without doing the cruise, which is to celebrate my 50th. As I have a compromised immunity, should be able to Re book at my Drs insistence. But we have been planning this for 2 years.
What would you do?

 

[luxury-lizard]

I'm watching this thread (and other ones on Covid-19) as we have a cruise booked departing March 17 from Cape Town (we depart Sydney March 10 for Cape Town) - and unless something changes we are going (e.g. our fight to CPT is on SQ and obviously transits SIN so there is a possibility that SIN could be added to the list of 'denied boarding' and/or entry to the Seychelles (our final destination).

Here would be some of the factors I would use in your position:-

• Your doctor's advice / recommendation first and foremost
• Some cruise lines are offering either credits or even refunds for "cancel for any reason" - your cruise line may do the same
• Some Caribbean ports are refusing entry to cruise ships depending on who's on board (ie passport and/or countries travelled) and if anyone on board has any type of flu so this could impact your cruise itinerary

So I guess if I were you and could cancel with a credit/refund/travel insurance coverage then I would do so; if not, I would still plan on going (but then I and my husband while both over 70 have no health issues).

 

[Pushka]

Flying to Florida for a week before cruise departs 28/3/20 for 14 nights. Ports of call includes Mexico, Honduras, Belize, St Thomas, St Martin.

We could stay in US for 6 weeks without doing the cruise, which is to celebrate my 50th. As I have a compromised immunity, should be able to Re book at my Drs insistence. But we have been planning this for 2 years.
What would you do?

Cry a little? We had a similar issue for my 60th. Two year in the making trip to Alaska and cruise. Three months before I developed a DVT that escalated to Lupus and we had to cancel. We did a quick trip to Hayman Island instead but all the while wished we hadn’t as it wasn’t Alaska.

My thoughts - holidays are meant to be fun and full of excitement - and not a time worrying and wondering if someone on the cruise sneezes and the ship gets bailed up like Princess Diamond.

I’d probably still do the land trip though! But wouldn’t have done it for my 60th. I don’t know what your immunity issue is though. Mine is that I can form blood clots. Anywhere. I just get on doing things regardless. And did my cruise on my 63rd once I knew how to manage the condition

 

[goldenhorn]

I'm watching this thread (and other ones on Covid-19) as we have a cruise booked departing March 17 from Cape Town (we depart Sydney March 10 for Cape Town) - and unless something changes we are going (e.g. our fight to CPT is on SQ and obviously transits SIN so there is a possibility that SIN could be added to the list of 'denied boarding' and/or entry to the Seychelles (our final destination).

Here would be some of the factors I would use in your position:-

• Your doctor's advice / recommendation first and foremost
• Some cruise lines are offering either credits or even refunds for "cancel for any reason" - your cruise line may do the same
• Some Caribbean ports are refusing entry to cruise ships depending on who's on board (ie passport and/or countries travelled) and if anyone on board has any type of flu so this could impact your cruise itinerary

So I guess if I were you and could cancel with a credit/refund/travel insurance coverage then I would do so; if not, I would still plan on going (but then I and my husband while both over 70 have no health issues).

Hope it works out for your cruise. Sounds fab!

 

[drron]

What I would be afraid of is what would happen if even one person on board developed flu symptoms.The worst case scenario would be the Diamond Princess.You would be trapped in a viral incubator.
But the American authorities hopefully will have a better response.Worth waiting another 2-3 days to see how they respond to the Princess Grand now off California.

I hope you have a great 50th whether on a cruise or travelling the US.

 

[Hvr]

As I have a compromised immunity, should be able to Re book at my Drs insistence. But we have been planning this for 2 years.

With a compromised immune system you're brave considering a cruise at the best of times. Those ships are floating petri dishes of germs just waiting to strike. With the current soon to be announced pandemic it would, IMHO be extremely foolhardy to board.

I appreciate that it's a special birthday but if you get sick it may be special because it's your last one.

 

[moa999]

You would be trapped in a viral incubator.

Still not clear from that case as to where the infections occured. Was over 7 days from the time Patient 0 got off until ship was locked down, and the majority of people weren't tested until the end of quarantine.

The fact that over 80% tested negative after 14 days of quarantine would seem to suggest it wasn't spreading through the aircon (as rumoured)

 

[amaroo]

No

 

[juddles]

I think that you should probably look at the overall progression of this virus. It has essentially reached every country in the world already, and as always, the stats are behind the reality.

When the initial information on the virus became known, I formed the opinion, that I still hold, that although a new virus for people, it is not in itself a particularly lethal one. My only fears have been the chaos of human reactions to the new evil beast. (yes, I know that, as with any virus, many people will die from it, but they do from a multitude of similar and common things)

In the past few weeks the authorities around the world have been ostensibly trying to "contain" it. A ridiculous notion given the sheer numbers of cases that were likely to have existed (and travelled) before it was even known about. It does however make some sense in trying to extend the length of time that it takes to reach everywhere, to lessen the peak demands on medical services.

What does this mean for you particularly? (and of course this is just my own opinion, although I express it after following this thing very closely) First thing is that my belief is that at some stage you will be exposed to this virus, whether you travel or not. From that reality, this is not about you avoiding the virus, but rather choosing the time and place of when. As for the cruise, it then becomes a thing of timing. If you were on a cruise today that was identified with corona virus, you would suffer what those other poor people have - isolation and quarantine and being parked offshore doing circles, locked in your cabin. Horrid. I believe that within a couple of months there will be such widespread detection of mainland cases that it will become pointless to keep a "stricken" ship offshore.... But I fear that your specific timing of late March may still be a period where some jurisdictions are still maintaining the "containment" notion, and I suspect the odds of pretty much any cruise that starts from the USA will be extremely high of having positive people aboard.

I suspect also that in the future, history will record that the failure of the USA in reacting / detecting this pandemic will be far worse than even China.

 

[Dr Ralph]

You do not want to be on any cruise!

 

[drron]

Still not clear from that case as to where the infections occured. Was over 7 days from the time Patient 0 got off until ship was locked down, and the majority of people weren't tested until the end of quarantine.

The fact that over 80% tested negative after 14 days of quarantine would seem to suggest it wasn't spreading through the aircon (as rumoured)

I wasn't commenting on current situations but what happens in the future.
I do agree that in The Princess Grand incident the infection may not have been picked up on board.Also the pax that joined the current cruise are only on day 13 so not the full quarantine period.

 

[Anna]

As an alternative to a cruise, if you made St Martin your base you could do day trips to Anguilla, St Barts and Saba - none of which accept cruise ships AFAIK.

Missing St Thomas is no great loss IMO. I have been 3 times including once not as a cruise pax, and I liked it less each time. A lot of very rude people and not a whole lot to see compared to other islands.

 

[drron]

Unfortunately it now means you won't be on the cruise with US ports in lockdown for 30 days.
All the best for your new plans.

 

[Pushka]

Yeah. What a difference a day or so makes. Sad times.