What’s you prediction for return to normal travel?

[dvcgirl67]

I'm hoping that if DCL cruises this summer they give us the option of canceling and getting a full refund. We booked my 50th birthday celebration in a concierge cabin on Dream in July. I really don't want to go. I also don't want to lose the sizable amount of money we spent. If push comes to shove, I'll forfeit the money to keep my family healthy. I'm really hoping they don't sail.

I'm so sorry. It just really sucks that we are all having to miss out on such special celebrations. If you're that uncomfortable with sailing, I'd call them and see what they offer. Disney is a great company...and I think they'll do the right thing. I'll bet you, at a minimum, with what is happening, that they will allow you to reschedule it. Any travel company not willing to reschedule now is being unreasonable....unless they're about to fold. And Disney is absolutely not in that position. Enjoy your 50th...safely...and look forward to taking that amazing cruise when you feel comfortable doing so! DCL is not going anywhere. Your money is safe. I truly believe that.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I don't think it will first come back when there is a vaccine. We simply are not patient enough. We will simply adjust our tolerance for risk. We still get in a car and may have lifestyles that are much more deadly than corona. Obesity alone kills more.

Right now we are just at the beginning of being outside of the normal, people are still patient and being "good". Summer is around the corner, so the shock of school not returning is digestable. Yes for class of 2020 this sucks. That upcoming trip, concert, or wedding is cancelled. We are all upset and accept that now as most of us have that in our heads this is a temporary thing.

Now imagine a world where there are no more parties, no more weddings, no more travel or trips- longer term. No more proms, graduations, spring break partying even for the class of 2021. This is when people will stop being patient and " good". Already people are protesting. (IMO- wrongly so as we HAVE to slow the spread now). But honestly in one year, will I join then??

My friends parents are older and a risk group. They havent seen their grandkids in weeks. they also stated, not for long though. At some point they said there is no point in living if you are locked in anyways, they are retired and travel tons.... cruise tons too. ... Patience is starting to run out.

Demand for travel is there for before a vaccine. I am one of them and have many friends who say, once borders are open and flights are there, I am outa here.

I completely agree. I've followed every rule and will continue to do so as my state gradually reopens this spring & early summer. But if they were to try to stop us from living normally beyond that time, that's when I'd join the protests.

Every person has the right to live their own life. Shutting leisure travel and amusements down and preventing a full enjoyment of life for everyone for 1 - 2 years? That would be robbing many people of joy during what would have been the last few years of their own lives (regardless of the virus), and robbing others of high quality time with their kids during what for many (like me) are the last few years of their children's time at home before going to college. No one has the right to take all of that away from us.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I couldn't agree with you more. Love your very thoughtful and well-reasoned posts. I'm in the SF Bay Area where thanks to our local mayors we were the first major met. area to shut down, and we have flattened the curve. My sister (and brother-in-law) are docs and they are basically saying exactly what you are saying. The world will not go back to anything resembling normal until there is a vaccine or proven way of dealing with this virus (therapeutic or possibly plasma). IMO cruise ships are going to be among the last to come back to normal. I'd venture to DLR or WDW way way way before I'd go on a cruise. I'm platinum with 14 Disney and 6 other cruise lines under my belt so I love cruising. But not with this kind of risk. Had a very sobering discussion with my sister today about even when they do have a vaccine. We aren't going to be able to get millions of people vaccinated at once so there will be priorities and sadly me liking to travel isn't going to put me in front of the line.

In our household (just me, my DH and our three dogs), we've come to terms with it. I've mentioned in this thread that I am the owner of a small business that is service related, and that I'm shut down. Losing lots of money. I've mentioned that we're not taking a big trip to South Africa and that we'll likely lose money on that endeavor. And I've mentioned that my sister-in-law is a nurse heading up two units filled with COVID-19 patients at a local hospital, here in NJ. What I haven't mentioned is that I went to nursing school with my sister-in-law. We worked together in the same unit 25 years ago. She introduced me to her brother-in-law....her husband's brother, over 23 years ago...who is my husband.

I was an ICU nurse, and so I have an understanding of what is happening, even though I haven't worked as a nurse in over a decade. My sister-in-law is the manager of the unit that we started on...as baby nurses, all those years ago. She actually manages the telemetry unit where we both started out, as well as the ICU where we also worked together. And the picture she has painted for me is terrifying. Her first husband (my brother in law) passed away a few years back. She's remarried now and we've all remained very close. And her new husband is the the sweetest guy, but a bit scattered. She called me to let me know that she has updated her living will since this virus has hit her hospital. And she has asked me and my husband to make sure that we guide her husband in carrying out her wishes if she gets this disease. This, from a "tough as nails" nurse as they come....for over 25 years.

Until you really understand what is happening....it's hard to truly come to terms with how things will be different for awhile.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I completely agree. I've followed every rule and will continue to do so as my state gradually reopens this spring & early summer. But if they were to try to stop us from living normally beyond that time, that's when I'd join the protests.

I'm being completely serious here. How does one protest against a deadly virus that is now a pandemic affecting our entire planet?

Just go out and do your thing. If whatever your "thing" is...is up and running, whether it be weddings, graduations, vacations, theme parks, flights, cruises, business travel....just go....and do your thing.

Who exactly are you protesting against? It's a virus...it doesn't care what you think.

You get to decide.

 

[GrrArrgh]

I completely agree. I've followed every rule and will continue to do so as my state gradually reopens this spring & early summer. But if they were to try to stop us from living normally beyond that time, that's when I'd join the protests.

Every person has the right to live their own life. Shutting leisure travel and amusements down and preventing a full enjoyment of life for everyone for 1 - 2 years? That would be robbing many people of joy during what would have been the last few years of their own lives (regardless of the virus), and robbing others of high quality time with their kids during what for many (like me) are the last few years of their children's time at home before going to college. No one has the right to take all of that away from us.

The virus has already robbed people of those things. It's the one sending people to the hospital by the millions. The shutdowns are not punishment and without testing and retesting everyone frequently (the supply of tests needed does not exist and the federal government has no intention of forcing it to happen), they're the only way through it, as long as it takes. Protests are just tilting at windmills and making the problem worse. And no, no person has the right to live a normal life when doing so causes exponential spread of a disease that kills like this. You don't get to make the grocery stores more dangerous for everybody else because you miss people. We all miss people, we all have to sacrifice because this is life and death for millions.

 

[elle21]

I'm being completely serious here. How does one protest against a deadly virus that is now a pandemic affecting our entire planet?

Just go out and do your thing. If whatever your "thing" is...is up and running, whether it be weddings, graduations, vacations, theme parks, flights, cruises, business travel....just go....and do your thing.

Who exactly are you protesting against? It's a virus...it doesn't care what you think.

You get to decide.

I think she means she’ll be protesting if the government keeps saying we can’t see our family, have weddings, funerals, go to church, etc, for a year or two years, because of the risk of getting a virus. One that is less deadly than the flu for people under 65.

 

[GrrArrgh]

I think she means she’ll be protesting if the government keeps saying we can’t see our family, have weddings, funerals, go to church, etc, for a year or two years, because of the risk of getting a virus. One that is less deadly than the flu for people under 65.

I don't know what disease that would be because for middle-aged people, it's killing about 10%. If you get put on a ventilator, there's about a 20% chance you'll still live.

 

[o&smom]

I don't buy it. Most of the sailings are from Florida, and Florida cares too much about its tourist industry to halt all cruises until there is a vaccine. Remember, they were one of the last hold out states on social distancing.

And they just started opening some of their beaches. We’ll see what happens with that!

 

[TortoiseTaughtUs]

I think it will be in June. Another study came out on testing done in a homeless shelter in Boston I believe. Almost half of the people who tested positive had no symptoms.

It was 100%.

https://www.boston25news.com/news/c...-homeless-shelter/Z253TFBO6RG4HCUAARBO4YWO64/

 

[dvcgirl67]

I think she means she’ll be protesting if the government keeps saying we can’t see our family, have weddings, funerals, go to church, etc, for a year or two years, because of the risk of getting a virus. One that is less deadly than the flu for people under 65.

Those restrictions will ease up. We're already seeing the beginning of that happening.

What I meant was...if your family wants to have a wedding and an establishment will allow it...go for it. If you live in a state that allows funerals and you feel comfortable in a setting like that where hugging and hand-holding is the norm...you should do that.

Eventually, these things will happen, probably sooner than they should.

But there will be no protesting this virus It will greatly curtail the travel industry until there is vaccine because a lot of us are willing to sit tight for 12-18 months. My lifespan is going to be roughly 80+ years. I'm not going to risk my life, or that of my family, to protest against....a virus.

It's not the flu, and it is not just affecting people under 65. It's attacking each country according to its population. Our population is one that tends to send our sick and elderly to nursing homes. They are currently getting revenged. It's also attacking younger than 65 who are obese, diabetic and hypertensive. If you've been to Disney in any capacity, on any cruise, or in any county, city or state in this nation....you know that this isn't just an "old person virus". Full stop.

 

[MomOTwins]

And they just started opening some of their beaches. We’ll see what happens with that!

Oh yep... I know it’s going to be terrible. I was just saying I think florida will open up cruising (just like it is opening beaches) relatively soon—not that I thought it would be safe or a good idea. I just don’t see Florida shutting the door to cruising until there is a vaccine—even if that means more people get sick and die.

 

[jlwhitney]

Those restrictions will ease up. We're already seeing the beginning of that happening.

What I meant was...if your family wants to have a wedding and an establishment will allow it...go for it. If you live in a state that allows funerals and you feel comfortable in a setting like that where hugging and hand-holding is the norm...you should do that.

Eventually, these things will happen, probably sooner than they should.

But there will be no protesting this virus It will greatly curtail the travel industry until there is vaccine because a lot of us are willing to sit tight for 12-18 months. My lifespan is going to be roughly 80+ years. I'm not going to risk my life, or that of my family, to protest against....a virus.

It's not the flu, and it is not just affecting people under 65. It's attacking each country according to its population. Our population is one that tends to send our sick and elderly to nursing homes. They are currently getting revenged. It's also attacking younger than 65 who are obese, diabetic and hypertensive. If you've been to Disney in any capacity, on any cruise, or in any county, city or state in this nation....you know that this isn't just an "old person virus". Full stop.

I love how confident you are that you will live to 80+, the future is never guaranteed and you could be dead in 6 months from a number of reasons.

 

[elle21]

I don't know what disease that would be because for middle-aged people, it's killing about 10%. If you get put on a ventilator, there's about a 20% chance you'll still live.

The death rate is not 10% for middle aged people. I’m not saying this in a rude way at all...I encourage you to research the stats on the NIH website. You have to do the math yourself. I have a friend who works for the NIH in research and biology and her background is in diseases. She compared the death rates for covid-19 and seasonal flu and the death risk is lower for covid-19 for every age category below 65. It’s higher for those over 65. She also stated that the death rates are even lower than reported for covid-19 because we don’t have widespread testing yet. This is encouraging information.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Florida cares about tourism, but if a ship becomes a hotspot, are they willing to let it dock?

The USCG also has some Thoughts on the subject. They have said that if a ship has an outbreak, it is on its own.

Florida does not get to tell the CG what to do. So it is more complex than Florida just opening the doors to anyone who is cool with risk.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

And you have to look beyond "death rates" as your measure. People who are surviving COVID-19 are exhibiting signs of permanent lung and heart damage. A young Broadway actor is currently getting part of his leg amputated as a byproduct of treatment.

 

[holden]

I'm so sorry. It just really sucks that we are all having to miss out on such special celebrations. If you're that uncomfortable with sailing, I'd call them and see what they offer. Disney is a great company...and I think they'll do the right thing. I'll bet you, at a minimum, with what is happening, that they will allow you to reschedule it. Any travel company not willing to reschedule now is being unreasonable....unless they're about to fold. And Disney is absolutely not in that position. Enjoy your 50th...safely...and look forward to taking that amazing cruise when you feel comfortable doing so! DCL is not going anywhere. Your money is safe. I truly believe that.

Thank you for this. We booked through a wonderful TA at DU and I’m hesitant to ask him to call DCL about canceling because I feel so bad for him. He has truly been wonderful and has answered every question and gotten us every request we have asked for. If we cancel he gets nothing, correct? He’s been so great, yet I really don’t want to cruise anymore. That’s why I’m waiting for DCL to cancel first.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

In our household (just me, my DH and our three dogs), we've come to terms with it. I've mentioned in this thread that I am the owner of a small business that is service related, and that I'm shut down. Losing lots of money. I've mentioned that we're not taking a big trip to South Africa and that we'll likely lose money on that endeavor. And I've mentioned that my sister-in-law is a nurse heading up two units filled with COVID-19 patients at a local hospital, here in NJ. What I haven't mentioned is that I went to nursing school with my sister-in-law. We worked together in the same unit 25 years ago. She introduced me to her brother-in-law....her husband's brother, over 23 years ago...who is my husband.

I was an ICU nurse, and so I have an understanding of what is happening, even though I haven't worked as a nurse in over a decade. My sister-in-law is the manager of the unit that we started on...as baby nurses, all those years ago. She actually manages the telemetry unit where we both started out, as well as the ICU where we also worked together. And the picture she has painted for me is terrifying. Her first husband (my brother in law) passed away a few years back. She's remarried now and we've all remained very close. And her new husband is the the sweetest guy, but a bit scattered. She called me to let me know that she has updated her living will since this virus has hit her hospital. And she has asked me and my husband to make sure that we guide her husband in carrying out her wishes if she gets this disease. This, from a "tough as nails" nurse as they come....for over 25 years.

Until you really understand what is happening....it's hard to truly come to terms with how things will be different for awhile.

Please tell her thank you from me. I can't imagine what it's like to be an ICU nurse at a time like this. I'm relatively safe and secure in my own home except for occasional trips to market and outdoor walks for exercise, and I reread my trust/will again a few weeks ago so she isn't alone.

The virus has already robbed people of those things. It's the one sending people to the hospital by the millions. The shutdowns are not punishment and without testing and retesting everyone frequently (the supply of tests needed does not exist and the federal government has no intention of forcing it to happen), they're the only way through it, as long as it takes. Protests are just tilting at windmills and making the problem worse. And no, no person has the right to live a normal life when doing so causes exponential spread of a disease that kills like this. You don't get to make the grocery stores more dangerous for everybody else because you miss people. We all miss people, we all have to sacrifice because this is life and death for millions.

This! I also think anyone out there protesting and/or ignoring orders should sign something saying they will get out of line for a bed in a hospital and a ventilator: in other words walk the talk. Of course, that won't stop them from spreading to others but at least maybe it would force people to readjust their thinking a little.

 

[jamescanuck2001]

Cruise lines are introducing interesting deals. Free cancellations up to 48 hrs before departure for example, along with other inducements. Has me thinking.

 

[luvthatmouseinohio]

I've got an October cruise booked for New England on Royal Caribbean through Lifeway Ministries. I was over the moon to see Acadia National Park in the fall, but now, I truly hope Royal Caribbean cancels. There's no way I'll feel comfortable cruising that soon, or even getting on an airplane.

 

[rjb123]

19 people at my husbands work tested positive with no symptoms. Ive been exposed to it several times. Im assuming I’ve had it already.

The last weekend in Feb I spent in a crowded (okay, packed) convention center in SC for my daughter's gymnastics meet. Two days of elbow to elbow people. The following week I had generalized body aches, headache etc. Not really much to complain about but enough that I was napping daily (which I only do when ill. I worked nights for YEARS and generally require little sleep). The next week early on I got an urgent call from my 10th grader's school nurse who was scared out of her mind at how he was looking. I picked him up and took him straight to the ER. Fever up and down, wheezing, body PAIN, inability to even STAND. I am a RN with more years experience than I care to admit (ha ha getting old) and at this point (I worked home hospice and death was what I saw all day every day- so trust me when I say I know what SICK and near death looks like) I dont' get scared by health stuff- and I was TERRIFIED. We were told he had a "flu like virus" and they "had no tests to check for "it" but he is young and healthy and will probably be ok". Three days later my 13 year old asthmatic got sick. I am pretty sure we all have been exposed to this thing.My youngest and my husband have had no symptoms ever. Actually, my 13 year old's coach (well two of them actually) were sick last week of Feb with pneumonia. Several other girls on the team fell ill around the same time to varying degrees. I would put money that they had it too- especially when you consider the amount of travel we were doing in weeks prior- flying literally all over the country from coast to coast for meets. My guess is that a LOT more people have this or have had it than they can even guess. As far as testing, well, they need to check antibodies. A regular test is good for the moment the test is done. It could be negative now but then I get it when i run to the store for milk.
As far as travel getting back to normal, for cruises my guess is that it will be a while. Jan maybe? There are still 1300 people on ships right now who can not disembark (according to my mom who follows this stuff). If we can't figure out how to get passengers and crew home from the first wave, pretty sure they are not going to be loading up ships any time soon.