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

[DCLMP]

I personally know 3 parties who have been stranded due to a positive covid test out of the country - 2 in Europe and 1 in Mexico. 2 of them were required to stay 2 extra weeks on their own dime.

I know there's insurance you can buy, but I still don't want to be stuck in a hotel or government quarantine facility. Just a few more months until we find out if DCL actually sails to Europe.

 

[freshmanjs]

There is a positive side to sailing now. The ships are half empty. It’s a very different experience with low crowds. We really enjoyed it. Easily made up for any unwelcome changes.

 

[DCLMP]

We want to go but are aware of the troubles around travelling in covid time, all the tests and what if etc. We can´t decide yet but we sure need a vacation.

There are a lot of vacation options that don't require testing.

 

[Annabell]

There are a lot of vacation options that don't require testing.

That is right, that´s why we are still undecided. We do prefer a cruise vacation tbh.

 

[bakerworld]

We're not cancelling our March cruise but I wouldn't be adverse to DCL cancelling us . If DCL does I am hoping its done before 31 days so I can recover the DVC points used for the pre and post cruise hotels. The last time DCL cancelled us we were not even notified and no choices were offered. DCL just credited the CC on file. I saw something on another forum, checked the DCL site and then contacted my TA in the hopes we could retain our discounts. Something tells me that if DCL cancels us again those discounts will be gone.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

Our next cruise isn't until May. Fingers crossed that things have settled down by then.

same here!!
Me, my Dad, and my DS12 & DS15 are sailing to Alaska! (We HOPE!!)

we’ve all had COVID here as well. Hoping things “calm down” in the sense I would love to not be worried about testing positive at the port.

 

[belle032]

Everyone has a different level of comfort and no one is right or wrong, but I think another reason I'm not cancelling is the cruise line we're sailing on in February does not test at the port if you are vaxxed. (As of right now!) If you are part of the very small percentage that is unvaxxed, there are a ton of hoops you have to jump through. As in, I wouldn't even bother!

You have to show proof of a negative test taken within 2 days of boarding. So DH & I will know before we even start traveling to the port whether or not we're getting on the ship. While it's still stressful, at least we don't have that added anxiety of the possibility of testing positive at the port and having to deal with a last second quarantine nightmare.

 

[tvguy]

There are a lot of vacation options that don't require testing.

It wasn't an issue for us but we were in Los Angeles a few weeks ago and we had to have either a test or a vaccine card to eat in a restaurant there. So you need to do your homework because your final destination may have one policy, but places along the way may have different ones.

 

[insureman]

I keep looking at reward flights to Europe for our booked cruise next Summer. I put them on a five-day hold, but then I can't commit to the purchase. I read this story on TPG about a family getting stranded in St Lucia for 2 weeks due to a positive Covid test. It only cost them like an extra 6k. I've traveled a lot the last two years just not out of the country. I've never been afraid of Covid, but I'm afraid of being quarantined in a foreign country. I also have a job to get back to and I'm not rich so there's that also.

My daughter was married December 11th and my brother and his wife came from Japan where they live now. They had to be tested to fly here and when they went back tested at Logan again. When they got to Japan they had to quarantine for 3 days in a government run hotel (think early 90s Motel 6) ,no choice of food. Then they had had to quarantine at home for 13 days with an automated call from the government 3 times a day for location with a photo that had to be taken at the same time. Very Big Brother is watching. So we have it pretty good in the US.

 

[MomOTwins]

I changed our vote from going to cancelling. Or at least rebooking. It is not the CDC motivating us though it is the fact that we had booked the Fantasy Eastern over peak spring break weekend and I was concerned that:
--Flights are so darn expensive then ($4,000 for our family of 5) that is a heck of a lot to gamble on top of the cruise fare
--If we test positive at port, we'd have to rent a car and find somewhere in Florida to quarantine a week, and prices for both car rentals and accommodations in Florida during spring break are astronomical
--We chose the Fantasy for the ports and if current examples hold true our port days could turn into sea days that's an awfully expensive 7 days on board, potentially without an open kids club, or without ability to book additional kids club slots are make it in to many on-ship activities because the cruise we are on is near sold out.

We decided to put it toward a shorter bahamas cruise in April. We save money and it is much lower stakes if we have a positive test, and from the large number of rooms available to book it seems the ship will likely be a lot less crowded so it'd be more enjoyable if we have to miss ports.

I've been on hold two hours trying to get through to DCL on the phone to move our cruise... and another hour at least to based on the estimated wait time they quoted. So I guess I am not the only one making changes to cruises today.

Boooooooo 2022. Two days in and I'm so disappointed in this year already.

 

[DCLMP]

My daughter was married December 11th and my brother and his wife came from Japan where they live now. They had to be tested to fly here and when they went back tested at Logan again. When they got to Japan they had to quarantine for 3 days in a government run hotel (think early 90s Motel 6) ,no choice of food. Then they had had to quarantine at home for 13 days with an automated call from the government 3 times a day for location with a photo that had to be taken at the same time. Very Big Brother is watching. So we have it pretty good in the US.

That was sure nice of your brother to go through all that for his niece.

 

[Pooh2]

As soon as masking and testing are done, we will be back on the ships!

 

[insureman]

That was sure nice of your brother to go through all that for his niece.

Yes it was!

 

[Intr3pid]

We just returned from our winter break trip to the Middle East, including a 7-night cruise with some very stringent health controls. Felt super comfortable all the way through. It helped that the cruise cohort was bought into wearing masks and generally taking health and safety seriously.

We did cancel our January Fantasy cruise. Not because of any CDC advisory but simply the rampant virus in Florida.

Still very much looking forward to our WBPC, Hawaii, and Iceland cruises with DCL this year. The variant will most likely melt up in January, maybe February, and then things will start looking like they did post Delta.

If pressed for time, we might drop one. A bit of wait and see. We try not to make decisions in a panic.

 

[coloradocutie]

You can cancel for a full refund within 14 days of embarkation if you have been exposed or have symptoms. As someone upthread mentioned, it’s pretty hard to not be exposed at this point.

Does anyone know what the implication of this is for medical front line responders who are exposed to COVID but in PPE? Can we cruise if we have taken care of someone with Covid but were in full PPE? TIA!

 

[Snowwhyt]

Does anyone know what the implication of this is for medical front line responders who are exposed to COVID but in PPE? Can we cruise if we have taken care of someone with Covid but were in full PPE? TIA!

I’m traveling with two medical individuals(both EMT's and also part time medical assistant) on Saturday who are regularly exposed to Covid on a daily basis. Triple vaccinated and PPE used only the mask. I’m having them and my parents(78) test PCR 3 days before to be safe. Rapid every day after.
It's all come down to testing at the gate.

 

[insureman]

There are a lot of vacation options that don't require testing.

Such as going to WDW.

 

[Sun_soakin]

We’re probably going to cancel our spring break trip (not sure cruises are where we want to be right now, don’t want to miss ports, not comfortable with the universal leg of our trip). Is Disney extending the old stateroom credit and booking discounts any further? We haven’t sailed since summer before pandemic

 

[mousefan73]

For those looking at insurance, read the fine lines. I was looking at getting a second credit card for travel and I am checking out ones that include travel insurance stuff. FYI- I am in Germany so come conditions are different.

One even has a "Covid" policy that covers 3500 per trip for quarantine / rebooking costs.. I was thinking great I am taking that one. BUT and the BIG BUT is that looked at the details and this policy is excluded for any travel where there is government warning not to travel.. So basically right now, world wide.

 

[DMMarla07860]

My daughter was married December 11th and my brother and his wife came from Japan where they live now. They had to be tested to fly here and when they went back tested at Logan again. When they got to Japan they had to quarantine for 3 days in a government run hotel (think early 90s Motel 6) ,no choice of food. Then they had had to quarantine at home for 13 days with an automated call from the government 3 times a day for location with a photo that had to be taken at the same time. Very Big Brother is watching. So we have it pretty good in the US.

Wow, but will say I love Japan and can’t wait to visit again