First ever cruise scheduled for October 10th, should I go?

[jacobzking]

Never been on a cruise before. Still 124 days out (in comparison, everything shutdown about 78 days ago for Coronavirus and we've come a LONG way in 78 days). What are your thoughts on this being our first ever cruise? Keep it, or cancel it?

I know no one really knows what to expect, but what sort of things would I miss out on potentially?

Any chance of getting quarantined on ship if someone gets covid?

If buffets are gone, am I losing out on a lot?

PS: 3 day trip from Canaveral to Nassau and Castaway Cay

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Not sure if this is where you are cruising but you might want to read this. Disney has cancelled cruises thru the end of Oct. Yes there is always a chance of getting quarantined. Or other countries not allowing the ship to dock.
https://dclfan.com/latest/disney-cr...jEsr6YFric8LUTxIJT8eD9eX9docT6-u0lQAc-TN85t5M

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Never been on a cruise before. Still 124 days out (in comparison, everything shutdown about 78 days ago for Coronavirus and we've come a LONG way in 78 days). What are your thoughts on this being our first ever cruise? Keep it, or cancel it?

I know no one really knows what to expect, but what sort of things would I miss out on potentially?

Any chance of getting quarantined on ship if someone gets covid?

If buffets are gone, am I losing out on a lot?

Me, personally, I'd probably cancel. Of course, I'm in a higher risk group, and, until there's either a vaccine or treatment for the virus I'm staying close to home, with minimal public contact.

IF the cruise goes on, there may be limited activities onboard to minimize having lots of people in the same place at the same time. Some of the ports may be canceled, depending if they have opened up to cruise ships or not.

Of course, if someone gets COVID onboard, there's probably going to be a quarantine situation, and, maybe, being stuck on the ship until a port agrees to let the ship dock.

While a typical buffet may be "gone" (self serve), it's quite likely that there could be servers behind the counter serving up what you direct them to, and then they set the plate down on the counter for you to pick up at the end. Service may be different, but the food will be the same.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Yes just look the last cruise ship that just been allowed to dock yesterday and they have been out to sea for 6 months! Not were I would want to be for that long. Can't imagine an employer holding your job for that long. Also think would it be worth it if you get sick in the middle of the ocean. Buffet are not a big deal with Disney. Although they will take your temp before boarding you could have the virus but not have a fever so there could be several people who board with the virus.
Not to mention Oct is hurricane season.
Plus what will be open when you dock in a port? Plus the excursions will more than likely not take place. Since the Bahama's are a poor country to begin with and I would not trust their sanitizing protocol.
Plus cruise ships have not been giving the all clear to start sailing.

Here is a story worth reading.
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/drea...8Tr3R7jxddMzqzSuxNaswrj2Iu4SpUo8Gxw2vK-fBB6q0

 

[Surgie2]

Not sure if this is where you are cruising but you might want to read this. Disney has cancelled cruises thru the end of Oct.
https://dclfan.com/latest/disney-cr...jEsr6YFric8LUTxIJT8eD9eX9docT6-u0lQAc-TN85t5M

I believe it's Disney European cruises cancelled through Oct. 2 rather than ALL cruise canceled through the end of October unless there has been a recent update.

We have a DCL Merrytime cruise planned for end of November - 4 nights out of Galveston to Cozumel and back. For the OP, is it all adults going or kids too? For us, it's 4 adults and our 2 grandkids. First cruise for some and first DCL for all of us. We will be cancelling if masks are required. That is a total deal breaker for us - not being able to see the kids smile on their first ever cruise. It's way too much money for a less than top-notch experience.

We will see how (and if) the August cruises unfold as our PIF date is late August. But if there are no character meets, no pools, no kids clubs and required masks, then no way will we go. Buffets- we are 100% fine without - I avoid at all costs in normal times. And yes, the danger of a quarantine upon return is also a deterrent. The closer it gets to our PIF date, the more likely our group feels the need for cancellation. But we'll wait it out another couple months and see.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We are on the Fantasy starting oct 6 for 6 nights on the Turner Classic movie cruise. we hope to go. TCM is still collecting cruise payments. I don’t mind a mask to get on and off Or even to go to our dinner table but won’t wear one at pool. we never go to the buffet anyway so that’s not a loss.

 

[otten]

I wouldn’t. Here’s why. Even if cruises are sailing, which I doubt, in the absence of a vaccine any passenger with possible covid symptoms could potentially put the ship on lockdown. They’re going to be assuming that could possibly be covid is covid until proven otherwise. So the risk is you could wind up being you quarantined in your stateroom.

The above is also why I personally don’t think any cruises will be sailing until the situation is much much more under control.

 

[jacobzking]

I wouldn’t. Here’s why. Even if cruises are sailing, which I doubt, in the absence of a vaccine any passenger with possible covid symptoms could potentially put the ship on lockdown. They’re going to be assuming that could possibly be covid is covid until proven otherwise. So the risk is you could wind up being you quarantined in your stateroom.

The above is also why I personally don’t think any cruises will be sailing until the situation is much much more under control.

I've wondered how they will handle it. Surely on a ship with thousands of people, at least a few people will test positive or start showing symptoms during the cruise. So... does it go on lockdown? Or do we do what the rest of the country is doing now and let those people quarantine themselves and let the rest of the ship resume course? Things were different back in March, no one had it, and we had to stop the spread. With over 2 MILLION cases in the US, what's "the big deal" if a few dozen cruise passengers get it?

 

[otten]

I've wondered how they will handle it. Surely on a ship with thousands of people, at least a few people will test positive or start showing symptoms during the cruise. So... does it go on lockdown? Or do we do what the rest of the country is doing now and let those people quarantine themselves and let the rest of the ship resume course? Things were different back in March, no one had it, and we had to stop the spread. With over 2 MILLION cases in the US, what's "the big deal" if a few dozen cruise passengers get it?

As we have seen with cruises that had infections on board, it is very difficult to control once it is on the ship, even if they do quarantine passengers. The cruise lines care a great deal about avoiding the PR of passengers dying on board. The rest of the country isn’t a cruise ship. In theory on land you can identify cases and isolate their contacts to control the spread. But guess what, if you have a case on board pretty much everyone else on board is a possible contact of that person.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I've wondered how they will handle it. Surely on a ship with thousands of people, at least a few people will test positive or start showing symptoms during the cruise. So... does it go on lockdown? Or do we do what the rest of the country is doing now and let those people quarantine themselves and let the rest of the ship resume course? Things were different back in March, no one had it, and we had to stop the spread. With over 2 MILLION cases in the US, what's "the big deal" if a few dozen cruise passengers get it?

I would think if a positive COVID test happens onboard, everyone would be quarantined to their rooms. Just like they did on the first ships that had it.

The "big deal" is the people onboard who are at higher risk of complications. Everyone is at risk of catching the virus, some people are "at risk" of dying from catching the virus.

 

[disneylove69]

Not sure if this is where you are cruising but you might want to read this. Disney has cancelled cruises thru the end of Oct. Yes there is always a chance of getting quarantined. Or other countries not allowing the ship to dock.
https://dclfan.com/latest/disney-cr...jEsr6YFric8LUTxIJT8eD9eX9docT6-u0lQAc-TN85t5M

No till end of September. October not cancelled officially.

 

[disneylove69]

I believe it's Disney European cruises cancelled through Oct. 2 rather than ALL cruise canceled through the end of October unless there has been a recent update.

We have a DCL Merrytime cruise planned for end of November - 4 nights out of Galveston to Cozumel and back. For the OP, is it all adults going or kids too? For us, it's 4 adults and our 2 grandkids. First cruise for some and first DCL for all of us. We will be cancelling if masks are required. That is a total deal breaker for us - not being able to see the kids smile on their first ever cruise. It's way too much money for a less than top-notch experience.

We will see how (and if) the August cruises unfold as our PIF date is late August. But if there are no character meets, no pools, no kids clubs and required masks, then no way will we go. Buffets- we are 100% fine without - I avoid at all costs in normal times. And yes, the danger of a quarantine upon return is also a deterrent. The closer it gets to our PIF date, the more likely our group feels the need for cancellation. But we'll wait it out another couple months and see.

Rumor is DCL wont b back in Californi this year and masks will be required. Chances are all cruises cancelled this year.

 

[slmoy1016]

Given that cases are still rising, I wouldn't travel for the remainder of 2020. No matter how much sanitization, social distancing, masks, self quarantining upon arrival to a destination, health questionnaires to answer (take it with grain of salt...I have had patients lie to me about COVID exposures)...it's not worth it. I'm in a high risk group, and I rather be safe than sorry. I'm in the camp where there needs to be a vaccine made before anyone can travel safely. My husband and I have an Alaska cruise set for next year in June with DCL, but we might end up cancelling it.