POLL: Who is canceling their cruise due to new CDC advisory on cruise travel?

[Travel60]

While we voted still on the fence, we are now pretty sure to move forward and cancel if our eastern gets changed to a western. We always expect a port change and have missed castaway more than once, we don’t want a completely different itinerary than what we booked. so if we can’t do eastern our February 26th cruise is over. Then I get the task of dealing with trying to use my dvc points by March 31st and canceling air flights. Ugh. We booked this cruise 18 months ago. I’ve cruised twice in September successfully, but things are going the wrong direction

You probably already know this but you don't get your points back as DVC points. You get them back as "reservation points" and they can only be used for certain things....another cruise, maybe an Adventure by Disney, maybe II exchange. I'm in the same metaphoric boat. If WBPC cancels or I test positive I've got to figure out how to use those points. None of the current available cruises when I can cruise look exciting. And there is a deadline...ours is booked from a previously cancelled cruise so don't know if deadline will be extended or not.

 

[n2mm]

You probably already know this but you don't get your points back as DVC points. You get them back as "reservation points" and they can only be used for certain things....another cruise, maybe an Adventure by Disney, maybe II exchange. I'm in the same metaphoric boat. If WBPC cancels or I test positive I've got to figure out how to use those points. None of the current available cruises when I can cruise look exciting. And there is a deadline...ours is booked from a previously cancelled cruise so don't know if deadline will be extended or not.

thanks for the info. I didn’t use my points to cruise. I booked a week before the cruise and several days afterward. I’ll be stuck using them by March 2022 since my banking window is closed. Hopefully I can put something together for March if I have to. Could try Hilton head too. Probably have to move a lot. I don’t want to lose 170 points. I went through this last March with the shut down and had 320 banked points to use. I’ve got to stop booking during the end of my use year. Good luck!

 

[tvguy]

Just had the thought that the CDC places a warning and yet at the same time not extending their conditional sail kinda doesnt make sense does it??

One factor that popped up that MIGHT play a role in us cancelling, but too soon to judge as thing might change, is Canada's entry requirements. Mainly their process. I just learned that even if you are fully vaxxed and PCR tested prior to arriving, you might be pulled for random additional testing. From what I have read Border control decides this. IF you are chosen you have to test and wait for results and there is no clear timeline on this. I have read stories where people are required to quarantine for test results and this can take up to 5 days.. So does this mean I need to plan now 5 days BEFORE my cruise in vancouver??????

Oh I totally see the issue the CDC had and it makes complete sense they washed their hands of the situation. They have been hammered politically from both sides, the CSO was too strict for some. Now ports are saying it didn't go far enough to protect their citizens. So now the market place is controlling protocols with the CSO gone. Look at the poor folks on the Norwegian Gem. Their cruise left, and two days into their 10 day cruise EVERY ONE of the ports they were schedule to go to said you can't dock. They turned around but now they will stay at sea for all 10 days with no ports. Cruise lines need to figure out what these ports require to allow ships to dock and make the changes or they can't dock

 

[DCLMP]

Oh I totally see the issue the CDC had and it makes complete sense they washed their hands of the situation. They have been hammered politically from both sides, the CSO was too strict for some. Now ports are saying it didn't go far enough to protect their citizens. So now the market place is controlling protocols with the CSO gone. Look at the poor folks on the Norwegian Gem. Their cruise left, and two days into their 10 day cruise EVERY ONE of the ports they were schedule to go to said you can't dock. They turned around but now they will stay at sea for all 10 days with no ports. Cruise lines need to figure out what these ports require to allow ships to dock and make the changes or they can't dock

The Gem is headed back to NYC and passengers are getting a full refund.

 

[tvguy]

The Gem is headed back to NYC and passengers are getting a full refund.

Correct. And no ports.

 

[DCLMP]

Correct. And no ports.

I read another story about a couple on another Norwegian ship that were quarantined to their room for 4 days just for coming in contact with someone that was positive. The couple never became positive during or after the cruise.
It seems like the policies before boarding aren’t clear with any of these cruise lines. I would not got in a ship before getting a policy in writing.

 

[tvguy]

I read another story about a couple on another Norwegian ship that were quarantined to their room for 4 days just for coming in contact with someone that was positive. The couple never became positive during or after the cruise.
It seems like the policies before boarding aren’t clear with any of these cruise lines. I would not got in a ship before getting a policy in writing.

Problem is it appears some policies are changing in mid-cruise. That seems to have happened twice with the Gem. Cruise contracts it seems have always disclosed in advance that they reserve the right to change everything.

 

[Kwami]

The Gem is headed back to NYC and passengers are getting a full refund.

A full refund, a $100 onboard credit, and 50% toward a future cruise. And as far as I can tell, they aren't quarantined or anything. The letter announcing the cancellation told them to enjoy St. Maarten the next day before they departed back to NYC. No ports, sure, but otherwise it doesn't sound so bad. It could be a lot worse!

 

[DCLMP]

A full refund, a $100 onboard credit, and 50% toward a future cruise. And as far as I can tell, they aren't quarantined or anything. The letter announcing the cancellation told them to enjoy St. Maarten the next day before they departed back to NYC. No ports, sure, but otherwise it doesn't sound so bad. It could be a lot worse!

I've done a few TA's and I like sea days when the weather is warm and nice. but a lot of people cruising out of NYC cruise for the ports and the warm weather. The weather is reported to be really bad. Isn't there some big storm in the Northeast right now? I've never understood why anyone would sail out of NYC in the Winter.

 

[Cheburashka]

Isn't there some big storm in the Northeast right now? I've never understood why anyone would sail out of NYC in the Winter.

Probably so they don't have to fly cross-country in winter to get to the port. There's a ton of flight cancellations due to the big winter storm. That kind of thing happens regularly to northern travelers in winter.

 

[DCLMP]

Probably so they don't have to fly cross-country in winter to get to the port. There's a ton of flight cancellations due to the big winter storm. That kind of thing happens regularly to northern travelers in winter.

Sailing through 20-foot swells is so much better

 

[MomOTwins]

Sailing through 20-foot swells is so much better

Don’t sail in January-February unless you live driving distance to a warm water port (FL/texas) seems to be the takeaway I’m getting. You could miss the ship if you have to fly in due to winter storm flight cancellations. Could sail through the storms if you leave from the north.

Explains why the prices are so low compared to summer anyway!

 

[Kwami]

Don’t sail in January-February unless you live driving distance to a warm water port (FL/texas) seems to be the takeaway I’m getting. You could miss the ship if you have to fly in due to winter storm flight cancellations. Could sail through the storms if you leave from the north.

Explains why the prices are so low compared to summer anyway!

Yeah, but the chance to escape the cold and snow for even a week is so worth it! And, as you said, prices are lower. That's not because of the cold weather in the north, though. Prices are lower because kids are in school and so demand is lower.

 

[Pixarfans]

Yeah, but the chance to escape the cold and snow for even a wee is so worth it! And, as you said, prices are lower. That's not because of the cold weather in the north, though. Prices are lower because kids are in school and so demand is lower.

Yes! Getting out of the cold is worth the little bit of travel stress and cost of the travel insurance

 

[tvguy]

I read another story about a couple on another Norwegian ship that were quarantined to their room for 4 days just for coming in contact with someone that was positive. The couple never became positive during or after the cruise.
It seems like the policies before boarding aren’t clear with any of these cruise lines. I would not got in a ship before getting a policy in writing.

Out in the non-cruising world that is a pretty lax quarantine. My neighbor's son in law took his wife and two kids to his native Ireland for Christmas. Before heading back to the U.S. the SIL tested positive at the airport. Wife assumed she and the kids, who all tested negative could proceed. Nope. Exposure quarantine in Ireland is the same as a positive test, two weeks. They just got home to the U.S, haven't heard if they still have their jobs! But that kind of helps understand why cruise ports are closing because they consider Western Health protocols woefully inadequate.

 

[DCLMP]

Don’t sail in January-February unless you live driving distance to a warm water port (FL/texas) seems to be the takeaway I’m getting. You could miss the ship if you have to fly in due to winter storm flight cancellations. Could sail through the storms if you leave from the north.

Explains why the prices are so low compared to summer anyway!

Theres been a lot of strange weather this past year.

 

[insureman]

Don’t sail in January-February unless you live driving distance to a warm water port (FL/texas) seems to be the takeaway I’m getting. You could miss the ship if you have to fly in due to winter storm flight cancellations. Could sail through the storms if you leave from the north.

Explains why the prices are so low compared to summer anyway!

We always sail in January and February. Why would I want to go to the Caribbean in the summer when its 95 degrees.

 

[Cheburashka]

Don’t sail in January-February unless you live driving distance to a warm water port (FL/texas) seems to be the takeaway I’m getting. You could miss the ship if you have to fly in due to winter storm flight cancellations. Could sail through the storms if you leave from the north.

Explains why the prices are so low compared to summer anyway!

I usually cruise in winter & have never had a problem with flights. We fly in direct from Texas, though. Northerners do have it tough with winter travel: flying, driving, sailing up north in winter is always going to be dicey.

Winter is an awesome time to cruise. So nice to get out of the cold & gloom. I sure wished we were on a cruise last February! Our Christmas/New Years cruises have also never been cheap lol. Most expensive time of year to cruise.

 

[tvguy]

Sailing through 20-foot swells is so much better

Never been an issue for my wife and I. But if you get sea sick, it could be. My first cruise we had swells nearly that big on a small ship without stabilizers. You could stand in the fall and watch the other end of the hall rise and fall. It was AWESOME.

 

[Drfate102]

Don’t sail in January-February unless you live driving distance to a warm water port (FL/texas) seems to be the takeaway I’m getting. You could miss the ship if you have to fly in due to winter storm flight cancellations. Could sail through the storms if you leave from the north.

Explains why the prices are so low compared to summer anyway!

And that is one of the many reasons I love living in Florida. I will be happy if I go the rest of my life never seeing snow again.