Coronavirus and DCL Megathread - Suspension of Departures for the fleet until early November. Booking only available from early December.

[smmco]

This whole idea of banning cruises for 60 days is crazy. Who would have thought about it a few months ago? And yet, given that we mostly act out of reason now, for some it might be the sensible thing to do.

I can't even imagine how many lives would be impacted by this. Workers not getting paid, ports of call not getting their influx of tourists…

I wouldn't be surprised if more than one cruise line were to collapse, should this really take place. (And, I wouldn't want to have a “credit toward a future cruise” on those lines.)

Most people don't think about the effect this would have on the economy. They only think about their own bank account.

 

[Numtini]

Most people don't think about the effect this would have on the economy. They only think about their own bank account.

I'm not interested in dying to improve shareholder value. I'm not interested in spending a month in quarantine to do so either.

 

[smmco]

They all have (or should have) business interruption insurance.

What about the employees? How many would lose jobs? Hotels, restaurants, taxi drivers, uber drivers....the list goes on and on.

 

[Gentry2004]

What about the employees? How many would lose jobs? Hotels, restaurants, taxi drivers, uber drivers....the list goes on and on.

When my husband's company had to invoke their BI insurance a few years ago, they still paid all of the employees. That's what the insurance is for.

 

[smmco]

I'm not interested in dying to improve shareholder value. I'm not interested in spending a month in quarantine to do so either.

It's not about shareholder value. Thousand of people in the travel industry would be laid off. Why does everyone think a recession only affects shareholders and the stock market. It has an effect on everyone.

 

[coloradocutie]

We are booked this July on N. Europe. But we also booked Norway/iceland last week, just as a backup. Can i apply my cruise credit from N. Europe to next summer's Norway Iceland deposit? Or do I have to cancel my Norway Iceland deposit completely so that they can transfer the N. Europe to a new cruise? Can they combine what I have paid?

 

[mousefan73]

They all have (or should have) business interruption insurance.

That is not going to help. A colleague at work ( I work airline corporate sides) was saying that post SARs most policies exclude “ epidemics” Also. Even if insurance were to pay ( which most won’t ) they would default. If this were to continue let’s say until end of summer. Between travel, tourism, shipping, transportation we are talking trillions.

 

[wl1117]

I don't know if this was posted already, but I got an email from Norwegian last night with their new Peace of Mind booking guarantee. I'm not looking for a DCL rebooking window that far out, but 18-24 months would be better in line with their competitors.

 

[smmco]

When my husband's company had to invoke their BI insurance a few years ago, they still paid all of the employees. That's what the insurance is for.

There will still be layoffs. Look what happened to the airline industry after 9/11. Has no one on this board ever been affected by a recession? Or do you all live in a bubble?

 

[Gentry2004]

That is not going to help. A colleague at work ( I work airline corporate sides) was saying that post SARs most policies exclude “ epidemics” Also. Even if insurance were to pay ( which most won’t ) they would default. If this were to continue let’s say until end of summer. Between travel, tourism, shipping, transportation we are talking trillions.

Well I'm not really sure what is the point off all these rich insurance companies if we can't expect them to actually pay on any of their policies for fear of them "defaulting."

 

[slmoy1016]

I'm just watching the news from day to day to see how this goes. I'm supposed to be cruising out late April 2020 with my husband for our honeymoon. I think in the future I will be purchasing a CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason policy) for major trips such as long cruises. No one could've predicted this happening. Still primary prevention: wash your hands!!!

 

[Gentry2004]

We are booked this July on N. Europe. But we also booked Norway/iceland last week, just as a backup. Can i apply my cruise credit from N. Europe to next summer's Norway Iceland deposit? Or do I have to cancel my Norway Iceland deposit completely so that they can transfer the N. Europe to a new cruise? Can they combine what I have paid?

Other people have reported being allowed to do something similar.

 

[hnthomps]

They all have (or should have) business interruption insurance.

My company’s business interruption insurance explicitly excludes viral pandemics.

 

[mom4fun]

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/...p-cruise-ship-travel-given-links-coronavirus/ this mentions the 60 days

It sounds like Hawaii’s government doesn’t want cruise ships there for 60 days.

 

[MarkLT1]

My company’s business interruption insurance explicitly excludes viral pandemics.

Typically for a low-probability, high cost event like a pandemic, you would need a specific rider (or in this case, possibly its own policy, just for pandemics), and in the case of a large company like Disney, the insurance company would then negotiate a specific re-insurance for that rider/policy. (Re-insurance is insurance for the the insurance company).

Remember, ANYTHING is insurable (if you are big enough, which Disney is).. the question is if that insurance is worth it. Frankly, I would be surprised to find out that DCL does not have some sort of insurance for this kind of event. It likely wouldn't cover 100% of losses, but should cover a not-insignificant portion. It all gets factored into the cost of doing business, and while it wouldn't eliminate all of the pain for DCL, it would definitely soften the blow.

 

[planecrazy63]

I may have missed it upthread - if you had a *GT fare (such as a VGT) and you cancel, can you apply it to a future *GT in say the summer? We are on a cruise in 3 weeks and going to reschedule, but don't know what we will be able to use the credit for.

 

[mousefan73]

It's not about shareholder value. Thousand of people in the travel industry would be laid off. Why does everyone think a recession only affects shareholders and the stock market. It has an effect on everyone.

Agree 100% Shareholder value, dividends, stock price are all out the window. For many it's cash flow so they can pay expenses( employees). we had a great 2019 and would have expected a dividend pay out in April.. As an employee and shareholder EVERYONE is like screw the dividend.. cancel that and take the millions and millions in dividend cash to pay our salaries and other expenses. Internal communication from board to executive management NEVER referred to pleasing shareholders and or stock value but has only been about safety of customers and employees and how to maintain cash flow.

 

[coloradocutie]

Other people have reported being allowed to do something similar.

Thanks. The agent last night said she did not think it could be done.

 

[carolina_yankee]

Most people don't think about the effect this would have on the economy. They only think about their own bank account.

I'm not interested in dying to improve shareholder value. I'm not interested in spending a month in quarantine to do so either.

Dying is a bit extreme here, considering the mortality rate, whatever it is, of COVID-19.

And it's not just shareholder value. Believe me, Disney will be fine if they have to shutter the cruise division. Heck, they could eliminate it altogether if they have to. however, if the travel industry grinds to a halt, unemployment will quickly rise to double digits from other losses - port jobs, support jobs, tourism jobs. It's not just banning ships leaving US, but also ships coming to US.

Most people affected don't have resources to keep their lives going, so purchasing power plummets, bankruptcies increase, along with everything else that comes with loss of income (and health insurance). Things like bans increase a sense of panic and call into question the safety of other similar options. If cruises are banned, why not air travel? If people from these countries are banned, why not these other countries? Why is WDW safe if the cruises aren't - not just the parks, but the resorts and restaurants, too?

I fully support companies giving no-cost options to customers who want to re-arrange their plans, but blanket bans need to be thought out carefully. There is much we don't know about COVID-19, but it's not ebola and mitigation factors can go a long way to ensuring guest safety.

There is a lot of unknown here. We have to respond carefully so we do't create other problems that will shift the damage or cause more of it.

 

[jlbf06]

There will still be layoffs. Look what happened to the airline industry after 9/11. Has no one on this board ever been affected by a recession? Or do you all live in a bubble?

19 of the infected people tested on the Princess ship are crew - it might not just be layoffs that affect them soon. I'm not saying this isn't a painful situation all around, but it's a real problem and one that's going to get worse. Some tough decisions will have to be made between public health and finances, as we've already seen in China.