Not a pleasant topic but is anyone concerned about recent events in Europe and safety?

[Canadian Girl]

Our cruise is PIF and I am not cancelling, but I am a little bit apprehensive travelling to Spain after Googling last night. Me bad, I know. There are some warnings posted. I realize most are for tourist areas with beaches etc but it makes me sad that we have to even think about things like that.

 

[phinz]

There are billions of people in this world who don't want to kill you. You're more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the airport than you are to be attacked by some nut job. I choose to live my life without worrying about other people and what they might or might not do.

 

[Canadian Girl]

I agree 100%. One of our airlines is refunding tickets to the London and Canadians are cancelling trips. I don't think they are scared as much as just going elsewhere right now. We also have a UK cruise planned for the summer of 2018 with RC but my youngest in grade 7, is now refusing to go. I might cancel that one. She will be with me and other family members on the Sept. Disney TA however and we are very excited.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I live in Ireland and am very aware of whats going on in Europe. When you go on a Disney Cruise you are very much in a cruise bubble world. Even if something happens at a port you are heading to, the most you will see or know about is that you either go to a different port or have an extra at sea day. Dublin,Ireland , just like many of the European posts rely heavily on the revenue from the cruise industry so if passengers cancel, the cruise lines may decide to change routes and ports.

Just think of it the other way, I continue to travel to USA while so many Europeans have cancelled or wont travel to USA any more. There are alot of safety concerns for Europeans visiting USA, not just the impact of the current administration, but things like the mass shooting and difference in gun laws, the tornadoes and earthquakes and just safety in general.

Take a look at some figures on the drop in tourist visiting USA in the last 12 months for example and what this means for USA economy.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I will admit that we are just traveling domestically this summer and it is a concern. It is always a concern. But will it stop us. Nope. But I understand that concern. Everyone must do what they feel comfortable with doing. And it makes me sad, and angry and really disappointed that we have to concern ourselves with stuff like that.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I pulled the numbers for another post a while back. The car accident thing is right on. The number of Americans harmed in terror attacks in the last 10 years is less than annual car accident fatalities in some states.

Now, there can be some debate about what gets classified as a terror attack (for instance, Pulse and Oregon don't get classified thusly), but if you just select for "on foreign soil but not in Afghanistan or Iraq" the odds are in your favor to have a lovely trip.

 

[aggiedog]

We are doing a land trip to France for a week, followed by a med cruise on MSC. We are arriving in Paris on Bastille Day. Ack. I had no idea when I picked that date that it would be a major holiday. That was also the holiday that the truck drove into the crowd in Nice last year. So, I have niggling anxiety about it, but it is not stopping me. We will avoid large crowds that first night, which will be easy since we'll all be jet lagged. Particularly once we get out of Paris, I'll be less worried, as it seems lately all the terror attacks are centered on large tourist destinations. We'll be in small towns, by and large, for the rest of our trip.

 

[Canadian Girl]

Spain has had many arrests in Barcelona recently. They are well aware of what is going on and seem on top of things. There are alerts but we will just be careful when we go in Sept.

 

[Aanna]

Americans are afraid to go to Europe because of terror attacks. Europeans are afraid to come to the US because of tornadoes, earthquakes and guns.

Wow, we must all live in really scary places if we're afraid to visit each other!

I think I speak for most Americans when I say that I've never been personally affected by gun violence, tornadoes, or earthquakes. I grew up wandering New York City as a teen in the '80s, I student-taught high school in the South Bronx, and have extensive family living in the Midwest tornado zones. Would I *ever even think that it is too dangerous for someone to come to the US for a visit?? Do you think I would be raising my children here if I thought it was that dangerous?

I have a feeling that Europeans feel the same way: some terrible events have happened, but 99.99% of life goes on just the way it does in the United States.

You're at more risk in your shower and on your drive to work. Don't let fear-mongering news reports obscure the statistical facts. When we use bad math to restrict our lives, the terrorists win and we and our families become ever more insular, provincial, and afraid.

 

[lorimay]

Our cruise is PIF and I am not cancelling, but I am a little bit apprehensive travelling to Spain after Googling last night. Me bad, I know. There are some warnings posted. I realize most are for tourist areas with beaches etc but it makes me sad that we have to even think about things like that.

I completely understand what you are saying. We are planning to take The British Isles cruise next Sept. and spend a week or so beforehand in Paris and London. After events lately, I told my husband I was a little bit apprehensive about traveling over to Europe. He told me exactly what others are saying about, the odds of something happening. But its still there in my head. I know how much he is looking forward to it and I am too. I am not booking airfare just yet, we have plenty of time. I will see as it gets closer.......
Its sad times we live in, when we have to give these things a second thought.

 

[Aanna]

Its sad times we live in, when we have to give these things a second thought.

I would say we're blessed to be living in some of the safest and most peaceful times in history. The media does not get paid unless they scare us enough to keep tuning in. There are countries where regular people are in genuine, daily peril of their lives. The United States and Europe are not those places.

We have the luxury of being scared at shadows.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I have a feeling that Europeans feel the same way: some terrible events have happened, but 99.99% of life goes on just the way it does in the United States.

.

EXACTLY we all have crime, bad neighbourhoods, bad things happening but for 99.99% of Europeans , we only see it on the news , same as you do.

 

[lorimay]

I would say we're blessed to be living in some of the safest and most peaceful times in history. The media does not get paid unless they scare us enough to keep tuning in. There are countries where regular people are in genuine, daily peril of their lives. The United States and Europe are not those places.

We have the luxury of being scared at shadows.

You are so right, this 24 hours news cycle we have, is responsible for a lot of this.
10 years ago, we didn't hear about every single thing that happened in the world like we do now.
Like beating a dead horse over and over and over.
I have stopped putting the news on in the mornings now, I can't listen anymore.

 

[Dug720]

Wherever I go I am aware of my surroundings, but I refuse to stop living.

Of course, that probably goes along with my philosophy that when it is your time it is your time. Which is why I roll my eyes at every "I was supposed to have been there" story after something. If it was that person's time, they would have been there or something else would have happened to them.

Ultimately you have to decide what you would rather do and go from there. Personally I would rather go out doing something I love (like traveling) than cowering in fear at home.

 

[xlxo]

It's one reason why the Disney Wonder is so popular in the summer sailing to Alaska.

 

[bbel]

If Disney or any other cruise line think there's a major threat to a port then they won't/don't go! They've avoided ports because of violence before and they'll do it again if they have to.

I know you can chose to go into the cities, and have to go through tourist areas to initially get on and off the ship, but the majority of port stops are away from big cities and tourist attractions.

At least here in the UK, they have stopped many more attacks than those that have been carried out, and the one in London last week could have been so much worse - the police were there and shot the attackers 8 minutes after it started.

Its a topic close to my heart right now, my cousin was caught up in the Manchester attack. Its not stopping my travelling Europe in the summer. My cousin says if she had died that night she wouldn't want us to be sad because she had just enjoyed the best night of her life (she's only 16 and stopping everyone she knows from not living their life).

 

[cruiser21]

I wouldn't stop me from going to Europe, but you I can't say it doesn't give me concern. I don't consider terrorists attacks to be the same as crime that happens in bad neighborhoods. I can stay out of bad neighborhoods. Terrorist attacks happen in tourist places for the most part. I would just follow the state department guidelines and stay away from events with large gatherings of people. I think most people have the attitude "it will never happen to me". I think you have to have that attitude or you would never leave the house.
Hopefully Europe will get the problem they created for themselves under control before it gets worse.

 

[robinb]

Its a topic close to my heart right now, my cousin was caught up in the Manchester attack. Its not stopping my travelling Europe in the summer. My cousin says if she had died that night she wouldn't want us to be sad because she had just enjoyed the best night of her life (she's only 16 and stopping everyone she knows from not living their life).

Oh no! Did your cousin get hurt?

 

[Canadian Girl]

Wasn't going to mention this but there was a warning from about two weeks ago that terrorist attacks in Spain are "likely". I am travelling with my children. Hopefully the threat will tone done over the next few weeks. They arrested nine in Barcelona who were involved in the Belgium attack. It does give one pause even if we are not concerned. My trip is booked but we will cancel the one for next summer and go elsewhere.

 

[MillauFr]

I would say we're blessed to be living in some of the safest and most peaceful times in history. The media does not get paid unless they scare us enough to keep tuning in. There are countries where regular people are in genuine, daily peril of their lives. The United States and Europe are not those places.

We have the luxury of being scared at shadows.

Agreed. Keep them scared and then they will keep tuning in.