The stress

[TreeFalls]

We've really reframed the trip to try to keep stress down and manage our kids' expectations. We say we're driving to Florida to see if we can get on the ship, then we have a plan B (if someone in our larger group tests positive) and a plan C (if someone in our immediate family tests positive). It helps that they've never cruised before so it's all kind of abstract anyway.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Not yet for sure. But with even boosted people testing pos now, I just wonder how quickly those numbers will soar and if they will reach a "pausing ships in January" point

It's possible, but they also may just try and "push through" this period because the wave is going to move very quickly. I think it's a bit more tricky for the cruise industry though as I believe the CDC has a lot more authority over how they operate their business. In other industries rules are already changing to suit the needs of the business, customers, workers...etc. Isolation times are being shortened, asymptomatic positives can play in the NFL....etc. Broadway in general is having to cancel some shows but are really using understudy and swing players...because, "the show must go on". I think international travel and cruising will lag here because of the nature of those activities. Hopefully not for long though.

 

[Take The Stairs]

We've really reframed the trip to try to keep stress down and manage our kids' expectations. We say we're driving to Florida to see if we can get on the ship, then we have a plan B (if someone in our larger group tests positive) and a plan C (if someone in our immediate family tests positive). It helps that they've never cruised before so it's all kind of abstract anyway.

This is how we rolled for our 7 day at Thanksgiving.. best way to do it.

 

[mzspaz]

The "what ifs" are really starting to get to me. We are supposed to cruise on the Fantasy on Jan 22. Looking forward to this cruise is what got me through a tough time. I was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in April of 2020. While this form is manageable and I have responded well to treatment, I have to take a chemo pill every day for probably the rest of my life. The chemo pill has some harsh side effects. I was struggling through some REALLY nasty side effects and booked this cruise as a goal and to give me something to look forward to. My Doc recently changed my medication and the target of this cruise inspired me to push through a lot. So now that this is dangling precariously, I am struggling.

We have sunk a lot of money into this cruise.....a lot of time planning.....and a lot of emotion dreaming. While some may say that is a chance you take traveling during this time, I understand that....but when you are living with cancer and trying to push through, you hang on to the little things. So for Disney to just say "sorry, you are positive....you can take a refund or a future credit" just doesn't seem to compensate for everything. We have been paid off for a while and we are sailing concierge, so it is quite a bit of money to have tied up (and that Disney has been earning interest on). Not to mention that future cruises will increase in cost so how will we be able to book a cruise for the same price and in our preferred room location.

We are all vaccinated and I am getting the booster next week (DH and Son just got vaccinated in September so they are good) but that doesn't seem to matter anymore. I know a lot of people that have been vaccinated and still tested positive. In addition, we can't really isolate before the cruise because my husband works in a large hospital system and while he doesn't have direct exposure, he is located right next to the ER.

I am debating on reaching out to my TA to see what we can do. Even if we test negative a day or two before we leave (we are flying in 2 days before) there is no guarantee that we won't test positive at the port and have to walk away.

My greatest fear is not being able to board and then being stuck in Florida because we are not able to fly back due to testing positive. I can't handle a 16+ hour road trip to get home. Just seems like there are a lot more negatives with how rapidly omicron is spreading.

 

[Cheburashka]

Not yet for sure. But with even boosted people testing pos now, I just wonder how quickly those numbers will soar and if they will reach a "pausing ships in January" point

The nice thing about a variant that spreads very easily, is that it will burn through the population quickly, especially through the crews that tend to be getting it now. So while there are some minor disruptions, they aren't going to last very long or be significant enough to lead to a pause in cruising. Omicron won't last as long as Delta.

 

[Wosmama6]

It's possible, but they also may just try and "push through" this period because the wave is going to move very quickly. I think it's a bit more tricky for the cruise industry though as I believe the CDC has a lot more authority over how they operate their business. In other industries rules are already changing to suit the needs of the business, customers, workers...etc. Isolation times are being shortened, asymptomatic positives can play in the NFL....etc. Broadway in general is having to cancel some shows but are really using understudy and swing players...because, "the show must go on". I think international travel and cruising will lag here because of the nature of those activities. Hopefully not for long though.

Right. As this becomes an endemic infection we will have to change rules. and for most boosted people it's mild, and in 2019 would I have skipped a vacation bkz of a cold? No. But that is a long, long ways off and assumes best case scenario

 

[Cheburashka]

Just to keep this thread from being all doom and gloom, I'll share that I'm cruising in late January and am not worried about it. I respect other people's worries, but don't happen to share them myself. Losing money would be my main concern, but since DCL will give positive guests a full refund, and I'm not booking extras like a pre-cruise hotel stay or private excursion, not too much will be lost if I can't cruise.

I can't isolate myself before the trip, because I'm an in-person elementary school teacher. We have positive Covid cases at our school once a week on average- it isn't news at this point, that kid gets sent home and everything else just keeps going. Like a PP, I have coped with a lot of serious stress this year: chronically ill child who has had to be removed from school due to illness, major breakup, buying and moving into a new home, starting graduate school. I don't have enough spare emotional energy to get stressed about a cruise. The vacation's purpose is to get me away from stress.

It helps that it's a solo cruise, so I will only get denied boarding if I myself happen to test positive. I'm flying in the morning of (that never stressed me either), and will get a rapid test the evening before. If that rapid test is negative, that will mean my chances of being positive at the port are extremely low. And if somehow I am positive, I'll just deal with it, not going to freak out. I would also book a replacement cruise for another time.

A Disney cruise is in my near future, and I'm happy about that.

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH and I just tested negative. The test was at request from his cousins who want to visit today, and are very careful! We are happy this visit will happen.

We will be traveling to WDW for NYE, and then hope to board Magic on January 3.

 

[mzspaz]

Just to keep this thread from being all doom and gloom, I'll share that I'm cruising in late January and am not worried about it. I respect other people's worries, but don't happen to share them myself. Losing money would be my main concern, but since DCL will give positive guests a full refund, and I'm not booking extras like a pre-cruise hotel stay or private excursion, not too much will be lost if I can't cruise.

I can't isolate myself before the trip, because I'm an in-person elementary school teacher. We have positive Covid cases at our school once a week on average- it isn't news at this point, that kid gets sent home and everything else just keeps going. Like a PP, I have coped with a lot of serious stress this year: chronically ill child who has had to be removed from school due to illness, major breakup, buying and moving into a new home, starting graduate school. I don't have enough spare emotional energy to get stressed about a cruise. The vacation's purpose is to get me away from the stress.

It helps that it's a solo cruise, so I will only get denied boarding if I myself happen to test positive. I'm flying in the morning of (that never stressed me either, btw), and will get a rapid test the evening before. If that rapid test is negative, that will mean my chances of being positive at the port are extremely low. And if somehow I am positive, I'll just deal with it, not going to freak out. I would book a replacement cruise for another time.

A Disney cruise is in my near future, and I'm happy about that.

I wish I could have an ounce of your optimism. I have tried to be hopeful. I may also just be feeling down because our Christmas was hit pretty hard this year with a family member testing positive and affecting our Christmas eve plans. And then we had a lonely Christmas day because my son is a snot ball and wasn't feeling well, and family members understandably didn't want to take a chance.

I am also an admitted control freak and have a hard time accepting anything I can't plan for LOL.

 

[Cheburashka]

my son is a snot ball

For a moment I thought you were referring to your son's personality lol. I'm glad that is not the case, and hope he gets well soon.

 

[mzspaz]

For a moment I thought you were referring to your son's personality lol. I'm glad that is not the case, and hope he gets well soon.

There are times that I would describe him that way LOL

 

[dvcgirl67]

I wish I could have an ounce of your optimism. I have tried to be hopeful. I may also just be feeling down because our Christmas was hit pretty hard this year with a family member testing positive and affecting our Christmas eve plans. And then we had a lonely Christmas day because my son is a snot ball and wasn't feeling well, and family members understandably didn't want to take a chance.

I am also an admitted control freak and have a hard time accepting anything I can't plan for LOL.

I totally get it. If you get to that point where you're prepared to travel and are all negative, I don't think it can be stressed enough how important it is to wear the highest quality of mask that you can get your hands on. KN-95 that is very snug, pinched around nose...etc. If you can get an N95 and can tolerate how tight that is for your time in the airport/on flight....even better. Feel around edges to make sure no air is escaping. Put on a pair of glasses or sunglasses...if they fog up, pinch tighter at nose. I think one of the most likely ways to end up testing positive at the port is getting the virus on the flight...airport, airport bathroom....etc. If it was me, and I really wanted to make it on to that ship...I would not remove the mask on the flight...at all. Avoid restaurants before your cruise as well. I know we have been told endlessly that airplanes are the safest place..etc, but I think that with a variant that is this contagious, that isn't necessarily true any longer. And even with the other variants, it's only when the the engines are really revved up or in flight....that the air exchange takes place. I really hope that with all you've been through that you get to take that cruise!!

 

[Take The Stairs]

Right. As this becomes an endemic infection we will have to change rules. and for most boosted people it's mild, and in 2019 would I have skipped a vacation bkz of a cold? No. But that is a long, long ways off and assumes best case scenario

y


Kids who do not meet the age requirements for vaccines are the most at risk on Disney cruises in particular. Unless or until that changes their hands are a bit tied as far as symptoms for the vaxed go.

 

[mzspaz]

I totally get it. If you get to that point where you're prepared to travel and are all negative, I don't think it can be stressed enough how important it is to wear the highest quality of mask that you can get your hands on. KN-95 that is very snug, pinched around nose...etc. If you can get an N95 and can tolerate how tight that is for your time in the airport/on flight....even better. Feel around edges to make sure no air is escaping. Put on a pair of glasses or sunglasses...if they fog up, pinch tighter at nose. I think one of the most likely ways to end up testing positive at the port is getting the virus on the flight...airport, airport bathroom....etc. If it was me, and I really wanted to make it on to that ship...I would not remove the mask on the flight...at all. Avoid restaurants before your cruise as well. I know we have been told endlessly that airplanes are the safest place..etc, but I think that with a variant that is this contagious, that isn't necessarily true any longer. And even with the other variants, it's only when the the engines are really revved up or in flight....that the air exchange takes place. I really hope that with all you've been through that you get to take that cruise!!

Yep...we planned on the N95 masks for our flight and our before trip to Kennedy Space Center. We have a rental car booked at PC just in case. I have a plan b and a plan c in place. I think the stress is just taking a toll on my emotions.

 

[stout]

We are at port…waiting for test results. This stress is no way to travel.
There have been three positives on the screen that we have seen.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Yep...we planned on the N95 masks for our flight and our before trip to Kennedy Space Center. We have a rental car booked at PC just in case. I have a plan b and a plan c in place. I think the stress is just taking a toll on my emotions.

Good for you...sounds like you're on top of it!. And I totally get the emotions (and big dollar part of it with you going concierge). We had a 2 week bucket list trip to South Africa for May of 2020. We just made the final payment to the travel agent handling the land portion of our trip on February 1st of 2020. We *just* got the land portion of that money back, and it was only because I kept in touch with and really got to know our travel agent who lived in South Africa. And she really went to bat for us. By contract...they didn't owe us a refund, but in the end the various vendors did the right thing and we got back 90% of that money...not pocket change. We lost $3,000....but truly thought we'd never see any of it. The flights, first class....took even more work. We clawed back all but $600 of flights in country for my husband. AMEX refunded all my flights via credit dispute, but not for my husband (which made zero sense). Fought and fought with them....the air carrier literally wasn't even answering the phone/email. Ended up finally clawing back DH's international flight (7 grand)....through our Department of Transportation....which was a huge surprise. Oh, and after 25 years of business....we canceled our AMEX accounts because the customer service was abysmal through that experience.

So...if all else fails, thankfully, you won't have to go through the kinds of hoops that we did. BUT....I know that disappointment. We so want to take that trip to South Africa, but I just could not bring myself to book it until things are much more calm with international travel. But, we haven't been anywhere in over two years now, and I don't care if the plague starts to sweep the world in 2022....we're going somewhere.

 

[Wosmama6]

y


Kids who do not meet the age requirements for vaccines are the most at risk on Disney cruises in particular. Unless or until that changes their hands are a bit tied as far as symptoms for the vaxed go.

Yes, I have a 3 year old. And they are impossible to keep from getting sick unless u never leave the house. With their vax being pushed back another 6 mo im just feeling very fatalistic about the whole thing. She will get it, just a matter of when

 

[DMickey]

We are at port…waiting for test results. This stress is no way to travel.
There have been three positives on the screen that we have seen.

Oh my! Thanks for the update!

 

[Wosmama6]

The nice thing about a variant that spreads very easily, is that it will burn through the population quickly,

Just to keep this thread from being all doom and gloom, I'll share that I'm cruising in late January and am not worried about it.

Yeah. We are on the 1/22 magic and I'm wondering if it might even burn out before then. I know people who are Moderna vaxxed and boosted AND have had prior covid who have current infections. At this point I'm not worried about any of us getting sick ON the cruise, because we are gonna get it at some point ... it's just a timing thing at this point. But 3 tests for DD3 in a week after preschool, plane and cruise... I wish I could figure out the real numbers of positive test likelihood instead of just being worried without context.

 

[DCLMP]

Right. As this becomes an endemic infection we will have to change rules. and for most boosted people it's mild, and in 2019 would I have skipped a vacation bkz of a cold? No. But that is a long, long ways off and assumes best case scenario

It’s always been mild for the majority of people. I do agree the rules will need to change as we move into the endemic phase. Hospitals are already doing that.