so confused on what to do now

[Dznypal]

weve had the Med. cruise planned since the rate came out (it was to celebrate the end of my cancer treatments)

but now weve heard there warning people about possible terrorest attack this summer in Europe which has us worried and of course final is due next week

now I notice that theres a British Isles cruise for next Sept and I would love to go there England Ireland and Scotland

so now we dont know what to do--I know (well sort of ) thats theres no way they can predict where a terrorist will hit but just the fact that France is one of the spots and we have a port there--we also know that no cruise ship will sail into possible danger but its a little unerveing when your going someone when theres warnings out


so Id like to hear your thoughts

would you pay for the cruise thats due next week--if we cancel after that date we lose our deposit
even with the warning in the back of your mind


or change plans wait another year and do the British Isles-hopefully things will have settled down by then

I just dont know what to do--weve been talking about this for the last 5 years since I found out I had cancer --lucky it was caught so very early "all" i needed was surgery and 5 years of followups I have my last one next month and dr said last visit that by the time you reach 5 years its like it never happened-minus a few parts!!!)

so Id appreciate any advice or concerns

thanks all

 

[wilkeliza]

weve had the Med. cruise planned since the rate came out (it was to celebrate the end of my cancer treatments)

but now weve heard there warning people about possible terrorest attack this summer in Europe which has us worried and of course final is due next week

now I notice that theres a British Isles cruise for next Sept and I would love to go there England Ireland and Scotland

so now we dont know what to do--I know (well sort of ) thats theres no way they can predict where a terrorist will hit but just the fact that France is one of the spots and we have a port there--we also know that no cruise ship will sail into possible danger but its a little unerveing when your going someone when theres warnings out


so Id like to hear your thoughts

would you pay for the cruise thats due next week--if we cancel after that date we lose our deposit
even with the warning in the back of your mind


or change plans wait another year and do the British Isles-hopefully things will have settled down by then

I just dont know what to do--weve been talking about this for the last 5 years since I found out I had cancer --lucky it was caught so very early "all" i needed was surgery and 5 years of followups I have my last one next month and dr said last visit that by the time you reach 5 years its like it never happened-minus a few parts!!!)

so Id appreciate any advice or concerns

thanks all

Putting a travel warning on all of Europe is a tiny bit extreme. I'm doing a non-Disney Mediterranean and am not worried. I'm also going to London and Paris for my honeymoon later this year. Terrorist have been around for a long time in one shape or form so to stop exploring and stop living our lives at the mere thought of a threat seems to be exactly what they want. I guess I still live by what my mom said when she was diagnosed with cancer she would say "I could step outside this hospital and be hit by a bus. When it is my time it is my time so let's have fun while I still can."

 

[nordkin]

If we don't travel they win. We are doing the Transatlantic and going to Germany in September. Terrorists are in the US as well. Just have to be aware of your surroundings.

 

[ajo]

There are terrorist attacks in Britain, too (the attack in London was just more than a month ago). Nowhere is ever 100% safe, even where you live. You have to decide how comfortable you are taking the cruise versus how much you'll regret not taking the cruise. Only you can make that decision.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The odds of an attack are small.

The odds of an attack in a port of call when you are docking at that port of call are much lower than your odds of a car accident driving to the grocery store tomorrow.

ACTUAL FACTS:
From 9/11/2001 to 12/31/2014, 3,066 Americans have been killed in terror attacks outside of Afghanistan and Iraq. 2,961 occurred on American soil, and the bulk were on 9/11. Which is to say, Americans dead in terror attacks on non-US soil = 105 over a 13 year period.

In 2014, 32,675 persons in the US were killed in car accidents. Yes, that's a single year.

 

[elvispursley]

Who is to say that there won't be travel alerts next year when you want to travel to the U.K--they have had recent terrorist attacks, along with many countries in Europe, as well as here in the U.S. My point is that there are risks with travel but you can't stop living your life. Be knowledgeable and do what you can to minimize what risks you can and have a great time, otherwise you'll never go anywhere.

I often try to put myself in the shoes of those traveling to our country (think about what we've gone through as a nation). We certainly wouldn't tell others not to come visit the U.S. I think you should go this cruise and celebrate your life being cancer-free!

 

[Mighty Mouse Mama]

We could have another 9/11 here at any moment. We could get bombed by North Korea. We could be in the wrong place at the wrong time in the next mass shooting here. Or the next plane crash. Or earthquake. Or hurricane. Or tornado.
Go on your dream cruise. You only live once and you've just beaten one of the biggest, baddest bogeymen we face in our modern world. Congratulations on your amazing win in your battle against cancer. Enjoy every moment of your trip and don't spend any of it worrying about terrorists. They don't deserve your energy and you deserve a wonderful break. Have a wonderful cruise!

 

[Geomom]

I understand the fears. DD17 went to Germany this past April on a school trip--we didn't cancel her trip due to all the terror attacks that have happened, but yes, we worried about her while she was gone and told her before she left to be aware of her surroundings, don't linger by the streets, and have FUN. We're doing the Northern European cruise next summer--there have been terrorist attacks in both Stockholm and St. Petersburg in recent months. While most of these terrorist attacks don't seem close to home for us--I only have to remember the Boston Marathon bombings from 2013--that's an hour's drive from us. It can happen anywhere--but you can't live your life in fear, or yes the terrorists have won. I say go and have a good trip.

 

[elvispursley]

We could have another 9/11 here at any moment. We could get bombed by North Korea. We could be in the wrong place at the wrong time in the next mass shooting here. Or the next plane crash. Or earthquake. Or hurricane. Or tornado.
Go on your dream cruise. You only live once and you've just beaten one of the biggest, baddest bogeymen we face in our modern world. Congratulations on your amazing win in your battle against cancer. Enjoy every moment of your trip and don't spend any of it worrying about terrorists. They don't deserve your energy and you deserve a wonderful break. Have a wonderful cruise!

Amen!! Very well said!!

 

[Mighty Mouse Mama]

We could have another 9/11 here at any moment. We could get bombed by North Korea. We could be in the wrong place at the wrong time in the next mass shooting here. Or the next plane crash. Or earthquake. Or hurricane. Or tornado.
Go on your dream cruise. You only live once and you've just beaten one of the biggest, baddest bogeymen we face in our modern world. Congratulations on your amazing win in your battle against cancer. Enjoy every moment of your trip and don't spend any of it worrying about terrorists. They don't deserve your energy and you deserve a wonderful break. Have a wonderful cruise!

I just reread what I wrote and want to make sure it's not coming out wrong. In no way am I trying to imply that your concerns are silly. Your feelings make sense...even in light of (and perhaps because of) your recent illness. I can imagine that you might be wondering if you're pushing your luck with a "risky" trip, and I can totally understand the desire to make a responsible choice and play it safe. I really meant what I said to be encouraging, but I realize it might have sounded like I was downplaying your fears.
If it helps at all, I've done a ton of traveling, lots of which was to third world countries or places considered quite dangerous. Most of the travel I've done has been to places no travel agent would recommend. I have never had a single moment of trouble. I've actually encountered some of the most generous, beautiful, helpful people when I was the most lost, vulnerable and scared. The places you'll be going to rely heavily on tourism for their income. They will be taking a serious hit right now because of the number of travelers who have the same concerns as you that will cancel their trips. They will be, in many cases, even more likely to go out of their way to give you a lovely experience in the hopes that you will tell all your friends what a lovely, safe time you had there.
Your fears make sense. And you have to feel comfortable with your decision. But I still say that terrorism is one of those things that's a bit hard to plan for. It's kind of like lightening. It can strike anytime, anywhere. You don't do something insane like stick a metal pole into the air in the middle of a storm, and you don't go into the middle of an ISIS controlled area in a bikini and drinking a beer while waving an American flag. But other than that, you can't do a lot to plan around it. So go enjoy your cruise.

 

[MunFam]

Buy trip insurance that covers any last minute travel emergencies and go for it! We are trying very hard to get a job transfer to Naples, Italy or Rota, Spain. We want to live in Europe. We want to see it all. Terrorist attacks have been going on for years and years and I do not think they will stop any time soon. Go celebrate your life and have the best time ever...just make sure if something does come up last minute, that your insurance will cover it.

 

[elvispursley]

Good point--OP, I hope you take all our comments and tips as encouragement and that we are in no way downplaying your fears. I think it's natural to be worried, and I think a lot of us, we are honest, may have some type of worry or another when we travel. I think we all just want you to be able to enjoy this cruise you've waited and planned so long for!

 

[mmouse37]

I have two separate trips planned for Europe this summer....one Adventures By Disney Danube River Cruise that visits Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Germany with many stops in each country and then in August we are going back to Europe (Portugal and Spain) for a wedding.

While I did take pause when I heard about the travel alert it will not change my plans at all. I still plan to go. As you said no one can predict or know when or where an attack can happen but I feel we still have to go about our plans and hope for the best.

MJ

 

[dprincessmom]

If we don't travel they win. We are doing the Transatlantic and going to Germany in September. Terrorists are in the US as well. Just have to be aware of your surroundings.

This - we are going on a student tour next summer in Europe. We have heard others at school state they aren't going to go because of possible terrorist activities. Yet the same parents have told me it's because of the money so when my daughter came home with this, I lost it. Don't make your kids afraid to live.

My DH passed away last year and I promised him that I would make certain to take our DD on trips and make certain she experienced the world. Living in fear isn't living. I lived with the fear of my husband passing for over a year. All that being afraid did was take away memories we could have been making. My point is live your dream, because we don't know what will happen tomorrow.

OP Have a good trip, be aware of your surroundings and show your family that defeating cancer is something to celebrate and nothing is going to change that.

 

[PAGA2003]

I would definitely go. I was actually in Paris when the attacks happened in 2015. We weren't near where the attacks occurred but we had been at the opening of the Champs Elysees Christmas market that night and we couldn't help but think how it easily could have been a target with all of the people and local celebrities (like Miss Île-de-France) there. We were booked to fly home the day after the attacks and while I'll admit that day was extremely somber and unnerving I would not hesitate to return to France (or anywhere in Europe) tomorrow given the opportunity. We actually had a trip to Greece scheduled in 2016 but had to cancel because we ended up coming home from France pregnant and our daughter was due right in the middle of our planned vacation. Unfortunately, these are the times we live on so we just have to carry on living our lives.

 

[wilkeliza]

Just want to chime in totally don't want to downplay your concern just sharing that there is no way to prevent any of this from happening.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

We personally would not go to Europe right now. But we do not need a travel warning from the US government to make that decision. You should do your own research and see what is going on there and decide if you think it is safe, or safe enough, to go there.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I have to say, this subject is something that's making me question a European cruise. I'd love to hear any comments that someone living there might be able to add. No one wants to let the terrorists win, but no one wants to be a victim, either.

 

[Westcoastwild]

The travel warning isn't based on any specific intel. It's a bit like warning that there could be a tropical storm at Disneyworld if you visited during storm season. I was in Paris shortly after terrorist attacks/threats. I was in Germany during the Berlin Christmas market thing. Neither impacted my trip at all despite dire warning from fellow Americans and the media.

Also, from a perspective of someone who travels frequently in American cities. I felt a lot safer in Europe because security and police are very visible and thorough. Trains check tickets, public transit is patrolled, bag checks at the major museums. Crowds everywhere because people in europe walk a lot more than here. Felt much, much safer there than Chicago, LA, and Disneyworld

 

[Westcoastwild]

Buy trip insurance that covers any last minute travel emergencies and go for it! We are trying very hard to get a job transfer to Naples, Italy or Rota, Spain. We want to live in Europe. We want to see it all. Terrorist attacks have been going on for years and years and I do not think they will stop any time soon. Go celebrate your life and have the best time ever...just make sure if something does come up last minute, that your insurance will cover it.

My understanding is that trip insurance doesn't actually cover terrorist attacks. I mean, it might help if your flight was grounded and you lost a day of expenses. But not actual cancellation due to an attack or fear of attack.