11/30 has now been given the option of cancelling - note added to DVCers

[ohanafamily]

Dear imgoingtodisney

Being upset and not getting enough sleep will lower your resistance.

You are not evil or a bad parent for wanting to take your family on this cruise you have been planning for so long. I would make it clear to the kiddo's about hygene, and tell them that if they don't follow these rules you can't go. They WILL understand.

This virus does not seem to be longterm harmful; it may mess up a couple of days, but if DCL thinks the boat is cleaned again, I think you will be fine.

As far as the 80 people being a small number, I feel the opposite is true. I feel that people are aware of the sickness, and reporting anything out of fear and heightened psycho-somatics.

I would go, the virus is bad but short run and not longterm harmful even if they do get it. and you will still have 5 magical days.

Above all, have the time of your lives! Remember that Pixie dust is a great mixer with Vodka, Beer, Soft Drinks, Milk... and especially Florida Orange Juice....

 

[tlens]

I don't think we said it was airborne. If someone who is sick gets on a plane and begins thowing up or touching things with the virus on their hands, others who touch the same things can transmit it to themselves or to anything else they touch.

If you've never had Norwalk, all I can say to you is, you would not be wanting to use the bathroom after someone who has...think about how small those airplane bathrooms are.

That's all I have to say on this subject.

 

[MemereMouse]

Larry,
We booked last January and have anxiously been awaiting our cruise all this time. If you were in our shoes would you want your cruise cancelled??? We have all our plans made for either end of the cruise too so a lot of planning has gone into this for us. So "walk in our shoes" before talking of cancelling the cruise we have so eagerly awaited. Thanks for your consideration.

 

[walter]

Go to today's Orlando Sentinel website. The article states that the number of ill people has increased to 85. They have experts on board to control the situation. Also the article states that the CDC can take the ship out of service if the illness numbers increase. I am starting to get concerned for the 12/7 cruise (which we will hopefully be on).

 

[BearFan]

Hi,
I just got off the phone with DVC. Cruise cancellation is always a possibility by DCL by the rep thought that if they were going to do it, it would have been done by now. He is actually going to be on the 11/30 cruise so he has a vested interest in being up to date with the info. Currently, there are app 85 ill with some sort of GI illiness on board. That's crew and guests combined. They had reports of illness soon after departure, which lends credence to the theory that it could be brought on to the ship since Norwalk take longer to incubate. He said that another intense cleaning will be done on Saturday, deep cleaning of carpets, cleaning of all crew and guest areas, etc. including paying extra attention to anyone's stateroom that has reported symptions. He told me that all linens are usually on a 6 week rotation as far as being taken off the ship for extra thorough laundering but the linens of all those staterooms in questions are now being taken off weekly. He didn't think boarding would be delayed this week because they are ready for the situation at hand.

Most importantly, DVC will let you cancel the cruise if you are hesitant on going and let you reschedule with no penalty. If that isn't an option all of your point can be refunded with no penalty as DVC points, not reservation points. You can bank them, use them or return them from wence they came before if you borrowed.

One last thing, we happen to be doing back to back 7 day cruises on the Magic beginning on 11/30 and were initially told that we could stay on board rather than disembark between check-ins. That won't be the case if they do the same sort of cleaning on 12/7, that is unless they want us to help clean, too!

Lisa Marie Smith

 

[LarryC]

Originally posted by MemereMouse
So "walk in our shoes" before talking of cancelling the cruise we have so eagerly awaited. Thanks for your consideration.

I'm just giving you MY opinion. I don't make the decisions for DCL. This is a discussion board where you need some opposite views in order for us to have a dialog. I'm offering up the opposing viewpoint of most. Don't take it personelly. I sincerely hope that this outbreak ends now, and that no more people contract this illness.

But if they cancel A cruise (maybe not this one, maybe the next one, who knows?) SOMEONE will be disappointed. Sorry, but there are 2400 people booked on each sailing - someone will be mad if it's cancelled.

But my bet is that if you are sailing next week, and if you and another 50-100 become ill (from this virus that Disney AND you KNEW about before the sailing) and they DIDN'T cancel, it, most of you will be all over them for NOT cancelling it.

PS - I love the Disney Magic. We sailed the Eastern in 2001, sailed the Western last summer, and are booked again in July 2003. If it was my cruise- even as I am looking forward to it for 8 more months - I would not knowingly place my children at risk.

 

[Michelemouse]

LarryC -

It's hard not to take it personally when you say that anyone who would sail with their children now is "an irresponsible parent" and is endangering those children. I will sail with my kids. I am not endangering them and I am not irresponsible. I am just not going to overreact to this situation like so many have.

 

[nedleycan]

These virus is everywhere right now. If they cancel a cruise and do a good washing, then new people will come on the following week with the virus in them already and the cycle will continue.
And, yes, as a mom of 2 children under 6, who plans on going on the cruise this week, I think we have been kind to you in our words.... you should hear what my husband said regarding your comments... lol... anyway, that is why he isn't allowed to post here.

 

[Family of LGM's]

Larry, From What I can See you must lock your family in a bubble never go to the store or eat at restaurants . you know what next trip you go on just rent chemical warefare suits and gas masks for the whole faimly .
We are Going this Week were Going to Have Fun and If you think because My kids Are young and I Am a Bad Parrent . We'll Thats Your View . FUN SOMETIMES COMES WITH A PRICE

 

[Michelle]

I'm letting this thread continue as we need a place to be able to discuss this. Please keep in mind, though, that the board rules still apply. Folks can certainly disagree, just keep the discussions civil and no personal attacks.

The information I have been told is that the 11/30 cruise WILL SAIL AS SCHEDULED, at least at this point.

 

[LarryC]

People need to realize that "Disney's pixie dust" is not going stop this disease. A small child with severe vomiting and diarrhea IS serious. And if you don't think it would put a damper on your "magical time", then you are mistaken.

Sorry to alarm you, but there are people in Hazmat suits and surgical mask on board cleaning, the Center for Disease Control is on board, and Disney is flying additional microbiologists and epidemiologists to help stop it.

If you place your children at risk KNOWING what is going on, then IMO you are an irresponsible parent. And you may choose to believe what you will - you ARE endangering them. Especially when DCL is giving you the option of cancelling.

If this was Carnival or Princess, I'm sure the opinion's here would be MUCH different.

 

[maleficent1959]

I don’t think personal attacks against Larry are warranted here. We should keep these boards civil.

I’m scheduled to go on the Magic next week. I’m not panicking and I want to go, but if the Magic is still having trouble with the virus I will think twice about cruising. I won’t eat in a restaurant that has an e-coli infection thinking that the burger is worth it and maybe I won’t get sick. I won’t shop in a store where several employees and customers have gotten hepatitis recently thinking that my health is an acceptable risk. And I don’t know that I want to cruise on a ship that I know is infected.

The chances I take with my health are one thing, but as the mother of a two-year-old I’m not willing to intentionally put my child’s health at risk so that I can get a sunburn, have my hair braided and buy some ticky tacky souvenirs at a street market. Having a child vomiting and suffering diarrhea is not a price I want to pay. I can always cruise later.

 

[BearFan]

We just got a call from DVC at home. The cruise is a go as on today but we are to call 1-866-724-5325 on Friday before we fly down. DCL told us that 85-90 have come down with it as of today and she confirmed that it was Norwalk.

Lisa Marie Smith

 

[4crusinransiers]

This is MY opinion I took my children 9 and 11 on a Disney Cruise in Aug 2002, knowing , being in the food service industry , that with buffets and 2600 people on board, there is a possibility of them getting sick...this is NOT irrisponsible parenting folks.
I even let them scuba dive to 40 feet in grand caymen on that trip! Oh gosh they could have run out of air, or been biten by a shark, or stung by a jelly fish! Wow, someone please call Child Protective services on me! I let then Ski, snowboard and ride horses. Wow....Bad.. Bad ..Parent!?
I also have taken them into the jungles to sleep in cabanas in So. Mexico and belize, with no air conditioning in huts, in villages with NO POWER, to discover the Jungles and Mayan ruins. And I did this knowing of mosquitos and the dangers of the disese and sickness in the area! I EVEN let them play with Mayan children !
And we flew to this part of the world in an AIRPLANE, with all that unhealthy recyled air in the cabins of airplanes Oh the danger I put them in ! can you beleive I did all these things with my children?! Bad parent?
Go Cruise with your children! Have fun, seek and explore......
I did not realize that such BAD parenting could bring such joy to our children.

 

[suez live]

Wow--did you ever miss Maleficent1959's point.

 

[nedleycan]

I think 4cruiser got the point exactly. I refuse to be overprotective with my children. Both my children ski (and have since they were 3) and we let them ski down big black diamond hills (at 4) where they could have broken bones. But, how are they going to learn to ski properly with doing this? They go to daycare where someone is sick all the time. I could stay home, to protect them, but I have heard that if children get colds, etc. at a young age, it help protect them at a later age.
We are not bad parents. We are sensible parents who understand that life has risks. If we didn't go, our children would see an example of a paranoid, non-risk taker. I know that I want my children to understand that everything they do is a risk, and you need to live with the risks you take.
Maybe I got off track, but I am completely shocked that people would actually cancel based on today's odds...

 

[4crusinransiers]

Quate from : suez live
(Wow--did you ever miss Maleficent1959's point.)
Nope... did not miss the point.....as stated in my post..its my opinion

 

[suez live]

Overprotective is one thing—

Did you let your children scuba dive with only 100 psi of air? (Then again, maybe so. . . this is why NAUI won’t certify anybody under 12 as they truly cannot understand the complexity of safe diving—and there is NOTHING ANY parent can do in many emergency situations to save their lives.)

Would you let your children play with children or in areas you know to be contaminated with hanta virus just because it might be “fulfilling” them?

Would you let them ski on a slope marked off limits by ski patrol because of avalanche danger just because you want them to know fear?

Leap out of an aircraft with a defective parachute just because you want them to be “well rounded” children?

Again—I sense those “fools” who are acting with caution are not being “paranoid” because they are just idiots who can’t take a risk. Rather, they recognize that there is a genuine epidemic in play that is beyond the control of family or cruise line.

Correct me if I’m wrong Maleficent1959, but the “odds” of drowning, being stung by a jellyfish, eaten by sharks, breaking bones, suffocating, and crashing on an airplane combined are so vastly lower than that of becoming dangerously ill on this ship. How tragic to even have to consider the "odds." Hence, your “point.”

Although I have no children, witnessing how callous and dismissive some are of other participants views on the well-being of their children—for what appears to be their own self-serving ambitions—is deeply, deeply disturbing.

 

[pal2pluto]

wow........this really got off topic..........

 

[wovenwonder]

Are any of the 11/30 MAGICal cruisers planning on giving us daily 'Live from the Magic' reports?