For those with Cruises before May 31

[melkevin2]

We are booked for the Fantasy 4/11 7 nite Western. Still planning on going! Has anyone decided to take Disney up on the offer to take the 100% credit and re-book? I am wondering if we may have the ship all to ourselves? It is school vacation week for us, so I am sure the ship would have been pretty fully booked. My co- worker is booked for the same time on the Magic 5 nite Western. They are waiting until 4/1 to decide.

 

[MarkLT1]

We have pretty much made up our mind to use the credit to postpone our 4/3 Fantasy booking. If it was just my wife, kids and I, we likely would have gone for it, but my parents are also sailing with us, and my dad is about as high-risk for mortality and this virus as you can get (84, half a lung missing, recently went through chemo for Lymphoma). His doctors strongly advised him to consider not going. We'll wait it out a bit, just in case there is some miraculous turnaround (or at least very few new cases) but as of right now, he and my mom (and the rest of us) would likely be nervous for his health during the entire trip, so we figured it was best to kick the can down the road a few months.

I hope that you and your family have an amazing cruise!

 

[mrsgthatsme]

We are sailing on April 30 and struggling with the decision as well. I truly to want to go as we booked opening day and have been waiting so long! The soonest we could go if we rebook is a year from April and that just seems so far away! Thanks to the rebooking offer by disney, we feel we can wait it our another month or so and see where things are at then. I asked my family today if they thought they could relax and enjoy the trip if there were lots more identified cases by then and they all thought they could. I just don’t want worries about Illness or quarantine looming over us while we are sailing... I’d like to think we could put that behind us somewhat once we embark but it’s tough to say for sure. Glad we have a little time to Watch things... I do feel a little bummed that we can’t truly get fully excited like we usually would by this time due to the uncertainty.

 

[JARNJ3]

Not April - but middle of May - still planning on going provided I am not felled by the virus & Disney is still sailing. I have a bad feeling that they will start to ground themselves voluntarily, thus canceling for most folks.

 

[JARNJ3]

We have pretty much made up our mind to use the credit to postpone our 4/3 Fantasy booking. If it was just my wife, kids and I, we likely would have gone for it, but my parents are also sailing with us, and my dad is about as high-risk for mortality and this virus as you can get (84, half a lung missing, recently went through chemo for Lymphoma). His doctors strongly advised him to consider not going. We'll wait it out a bit, just in case there is some miraculous turnaround (or at least very few new cases) but as of right now, he and my mom (and the rest of us) would likely be nervous for his health during the entire trip, so we figured it was best to kick the can down the road a few months.

I hope that you and your family have an amazing cruise!

Absolutely, positively do not Go.

 

[melkevin2]

We are sailing on April 30 and struggling with the decision as well. I truly to want to go as we booked opening day and have been waiting so long! The soonest we could go if we rebook is a year from April and that just seems so far away! Thanks to the rebooking offer by disney, we feel we can wait it our another month or so and see where things are at then. I asked my family today if they thought they could relax and enjoy the trip if there were lots more identified cases by then and they all thought they could. I just don’t want worries about Illness or quarantine looming over us while we are sailing... I’d like to think we could put that behind us somewhat once we embark but it’s tough to say for sure. Glad we have a little time to Watch things... I do feel a little bummed that we can’t truly get fully excited like we usually would by this time due to the uncertainty.

It has definitely put a bit of a damper on the pre-trip excitement. Still planning on going, but also a little bit worried.

 

[Giraffe Lounge]

Also on the Fantasy 4/11... still planning on going

 

[MarkLT1]

Absolutely, positively do not Go.

Absolutely agree with you. At this point for us to go, it would take 2 things- 1) a disappearing of this bug in a way never before seen, and 2) his health care team telling him "It is now safe for you to go." I put that chance at approximately.. zero. He and my mom feel bad for cancelling, and thus want to hold onto the reservation for a couple more weeks "just in case a miracle happens." But I really don't think cruising in 4 weeks is suddenly going to become an option.

 

[Ccll4]

Rebooked our SD to Vancouver on the Wonder.
We are pretty health family but don’t really care about sailing with all this drama.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

Our cruise is 4/5 and we are 99% sure we will rebook. We’re going to wait a few more weeks just in case it is cancelled and we can get a refund vs rebooking. (We would still put the $ toward a cruise as most of it is on Disney gift cards, but we would have more flexibility with dates.) It has already put a huge cloud over this whole trip so even though I’ve been looking forward to it for 14 months I would just be too worried about quarantine while on the ship (I am a worrier by nature).

Also concerned about the ramifications of the state dept. advice against cruising AT ALL, regarding both travel insurance and being “rescued” from a ship in a Diamond or Grand Princess situation.

 

[JARNJ3]

Absolutely agree with you. At this point for us to go, it would take 2 things- 1) a disappearing of this bug in a way never before seen, and 2) his health care team telling him "It is now safe for you to go." I put that chance at approximately.. zero. He and my mom feel bad for cancelling, and thus want to hold onto the reservation for a couple more weeks "just in case a miracle happens." But I really don't think cruising in 4 weeks is suddenly going to become an option.

On the night you would have embarked, you guys need to do something special, unique - together - to make a memory - make lemonade out of lemons! Maybe a Disney movie night with a special dinner - all of your favorite foods - or some dishes close to what they would have served in the main dining room? Maybe have your own pirate night?

I have a Dad home who's 89 (with cardiovascular issues) - pretty much is keeping to the house, because the poor guy fell & broke a bone in his back (he's recovering) - I am petrified that I will unknowingly bring that damn coronavirus into the house. Needless to say, I am washing my hands 8 million times - as well as - sanitizing all surfaces and door knobs. I am flying to Orlando this Saturday to visit a family member quite ill with cancer - and I have a fear that I will catch it during that trip. Ugh.

So it makes me happy to read that you're being cautious.

 

[ctechbob]

Fantasy on April 25th. We're still planning on going, but with the new policy, we'll monitor events and make a decision sometime during the first week of April or so. We're also in a low-risk group. Healthy and mid 40's (and the kiddo-16). Plus there are no flights to cancel for us as we drive, and the pre-cruise hotel is fully cancellable.

I'm thinking, 'free upgrade'!

(Oops, fixed the date. Some reason I had the 28th in my head instead of the 25th)

 

[OldPyrate]

We're on the Magic 4/20, we are still planning on going, it is just the two of us and we're low risk. We booked our flight to Miami with miles and our hotel on points, so we're still going to Miami even if Disney cancels...which I seriously doubt will happen. But if they do, we are going to visit family in Tampa after the cruise, so we'll just go up there early...maybe even book a DVC room at WDW for a few days! We're already going to DVC night at MK on the 28th!

 

[MarkLT1]

On the night you would have embarked, you guys need to do something special, unique - together - to make a memory - make lemonade out of lemons! Maybe a Disney movie night with a special dinner - all of your favorite foods - or some dishes close to what they would have served in the main dining room? Maybe have your own pirate night?

I have a Dad home who's 89 (with cardiovascular issues) - pretty much is keeping to the house, because the poor guy fell & broke a bone in his back (he's recovering) - I am petrified that I will unknowingly bring that damn coronavirus into the house. Needless to say, I am washing my hands 8 million times - as well as - sanitizing all surfaces and door knobs. I am flying to Orlando this Saturday to visit a family member quite ill with cancer - and I have a fear that I will catch it during that trip. Ugh.

So it makes me happy to read that you're being cautious.

That is a fantastic idea. Though it may just need to be my wife, parents and myself.. as the whole trip was a surprise for our two kiddos (and right now, we are absolutely thrilled that they know nothing about it) . The night we were supposed to embark is my youngest's birthday... so I'm sure we'll be doing something special with all of us.

My best wishes to your dad, and to your family member in Orlando. I hope that they both recover fully, and stay healthy on your travels.

 

[Intr3pid]

We are on your Apr 11 sailing. Wait-and-see for now. There's cautiously reassuring news coming out of China (number of cases dropping, makeshift hospitals being removed), and the weather is getting warmer unusually faster.

We have the August Iceland cruise booked too, so if we don't go in April, that one is getting the FCC.

 

[cph706]

H1N1 was 2009- I can’t speak for everyone but my social circle was all on Facebook then and we all had iPhones by then.

I was online as many were, but the general public was not as apt to go on social media every day as they are now.

 

[knewton64]

as for the coronavirus - Italy is a better example, and what's scaring other countries to death.
The number of cases in Italy has exploded, completely swamping their medical system.
The numbers are quite remarkable there.
Italy is now number 2 in the world, after China.
And the day to day growth is exponential.
The number of confirmed cases went up today by a staggering 1,492 taking their total confirmed cases to 7,375.
And the deaths are climbing faster as well, increasing today by 133 for a total of 366.
In addition, Italy currently has a huge number of critical cases (650). Their system cannot handle it, nor could any system in any country.
There is reason to fear this disease.
In another year, it may be we'll look back and think we overreacted.
No way of knowing at this point.
.

Common sense people -
please use common sense when making travel decisions.........

no matter what age you are -

 

[disneyholic family]

I wonder though what the average age is in Italy who have it. Isn't Italy known for having a huge elderly population?

this is high risk for everyone age 60 and up.
but the point isn't only those who catch it and become critical.
the point is, your medical care system will be swamped, leaving your regular patients out in the cold.
Hospitals can only handle so many patients. In a pinch, they can add capacity, but there is a limit.
What you're seeing in northern Italy is a medical system that has gone way past its limits.
This is bad not only for those who catch this coronavirus, but for everyone else who might need medical care in the normal course of events.
Medical systems are built for day to day needs with a bit of builtin slack, not for something as overwhelming as this.

.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

this is high risk for everyone age 60 and up.
but the point isn't only those who catch it and become critical.
the point is, your medical care system will be swamped, leaving your regular patients out in the cold.
Hospitals can only handle so many patients. In a pinch, they can add capacity, but there is a limit.
What you're seeing in northern Italy is a medical system that has gone way past its limits.
This is bad not only for those who catch this coronavirus, but for everyone else who might need medical care in the normal course of events.
Medical systems are built for day to day needs with a bit of builtin slack, not for something as overwhelming as this.

.

So true. Flash back to our local community hospital here about 2 years ago. Flooded with people from the seasonal flu. My husband, with a burst appendix, spent 8 hours total, first in the waiting area then in the hallway of the ER waiting for emergency surgery. It was terrifying. I thought I was going to lose him that day. While I feel some of this virus is hype, I can see how hospitals at the local level could so easily be overwhelmed and quickly.

 

[JennG]

We are on the 4/4 Fantasy, and we are still debating. As of last night hubby wants to cancel/reschedule and I still wanted to go. Now, I just saw some posts from the US State Dept and CDC so now I really don't know what to do. Since it's our kids spring break, I don't want to just stay home but I also don't want to spend more $ on a different vacation, even if it's only a few days.