Update from DCL

[Lisa F]

I agree with you and wish it was that easy. It’s just difficult to sit back and wait. I could go into details of how much is riding on this cruise... financially, emotionally, mentally for me and my family. It’s been three years in the planning and paying with a lot invested. Just the financial cost alone is over 15000$. I could also tell you the stories of why etc. Having said all that, I do understand your point and that you weren’t being critical. For me though being as informed as possible helps and also I need to know as soon as possible to make new arrangements.

just wanted to offer a note of sympathy. I hope you and yours stay healthy and that your vacation situation resolves itself sooner rather than later in a way you can live with. I just got off the Fantasy and things got a lot worse around the world while I was on board. I understand having a lot riding on it (I did not have THAT much riding on it financially but as a single mom it might as well have been that much for all of the time I spent working extra and throwing money at it to get it paid off in 2 years) and I won't lie, I am glad that my trip is completed now and I don't have all of this uncertainty. I do think that Disney can't afford to play the "what if" game right now as they have their hands full with dealing with whatever the reality is now, but as soon as you know what the actual story is I hope that it all works out for you in the end. The anxiety of not knowing is enormous, I know. wishing you tons of pixie dust for your situation.

 

[smmco]

We have a Royal cruise booked this summer - but have not heard this. Where did you find this information? Thanks!

On cruise critic. It's select European cruises. I really didn't get into to details of it, but there is a thread in on the Royal forum.

 

[MichelleCanada]

On cruise critic. It's select European cruises. I really didn't get into to details of it, but there is a thread in on the Royal forum.

Disboards’ Royal forum? I looked there....if you have a link you can send that would be great - thank you!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Disboards’ Royal forum? I looked there....if you have a link you can send that would be great - thank you!

I believe the direction was to Cruise Critic and that RCI forum.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

hi tokyodisneydad! it's been a long time since we've 'talked'.
Which airline are you having trouble with?
The airline i use is offering relatively generous terms for people who cancel.
Obviously, for flights that the airline is cancelling, they offer full refunds (e.g. china, hong kong, japan, thailand, singapore, korea, italy).

But they're also offering refunds on flights to all destinations in Europe (not just italy, where they've cancelled all flights).
For anyone who has a flight in March to anywhere in Europe, the airline is offering a 100% refund if the person decides they don't want to fly.
And to other destinations anywhere in the world, customers can change their flight dates free of charge, so they can postpone their flights for a later date. And if they don't have a specific date, they can freeze the ticket until they do.

The point of this is, call your airline and say there are other airlines out there offering options.
Your flight isn't until April, so i guess you have to wait.
My airline also is only offering the above for March as of now. But if things continue as they are, i'm sure they'll extend it into April.

.

I’m using American Airlines but so far they aren’t helpful

 

[xuxa777]

Well it is officially in Florida now, 2 cases in Tampa/Sarasota area.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Every time someone says it's "like a cold" or "not usually fatal" all the immunocompromised and older folks who are highest risk see and hear you. And see and hear the utter disregard for their worth.

So if you have ever said anything of the sort, please stop.

 

[Gentry2004]

Every time someone says it's "like a cold" or "not usually fatal" all the immunocompromised and older folks who are highest risk see and hear you. And see and hear the utter disregard for their worth.

So if you have ever said anything of the sort, please stop.

Agree. Doesn’t everyone have an elderly relative they care about?

 

[pezgirlroy]

Agree. Doesn’t everyone have an elderly relative they care about?

I agree. I will say though my parents who are in their mid 70s (and otherwise in good health) are going on a Disney cruise with us at the end of April. They also travel all of the time. They have told me multiple times to stop worrying. Honestly I am not concerned if my husband or I or our kids get this but I am concerned if they do.

 

[o&smom]

I think that the comments about it being like the cold or commonly occurring flu is more about the fact that there is no way to control or stop it. All of the precautions/controls are not stopping the spread, and it is greatly affecting the economy and people’s abilities to support their families. It is also currently affecting people’s retirement savings, so if you are retired and need that for income that is also scary. I do not believe anyone on here wants any virus to run rampant and make people sick or worse. I wish none of us would get common illnesses that can turn into something more with nothing we can do.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Well, elderly is 65 and older, that includes us, and we are going back and forth about our WDW/DCL trip that begins on Wednesday. Will decide today.

 

[MarkLT1]

I think that the comments about it being like the cold or commonly occurring flu is more about the fact that there is no way to control or stop it. All of the precautions/controls are not stopping the spread, and it is greatly affecting the economy and people’s abilities to support there families. It is also currently affecting people’s retirement savings, so if you are retired and need that for income that is also scary. I do not believe anyone on here wants any virus to run rampant and make people sick or worse. I wish non of us would get common illnesses that can turn into something more with nothing we can do.

And the counter point to that, are those in the (typically fringe) media, and the numerous postings on social media who are claiming "This is nothing more than a bad cold," or that it is a hoax, etc.. and so making the comparison to a cold/flu in terms of spread/containment is not the message many people are receiving.

 

[smmco]

I think that the comments about it being like the cold or commonly occurring flu is more about the fact that there is no way to control or stop it. All of the precautions/controls are not stopping the spread, and it is greatly affecting the economy and people’s abilities to support there families. It is also currently affecting people’s retirement savings, so if you are retired and need that for income that is also scary. I do not believe anyone on here wants any virus to run rampant and make people sick or worse. I wish non of us would get common illnesses that can turn into something more with nothing we can do.

Personally I think that should focus on treatment and not containment. All these travell bans and quarantines are going to cause fear and hurt the economy. Not to mention the fact that they don’t work.

 

[jlbf06]

Personally I think that should focus on treatment and not containment. All these travell bans and quarantines are going to cause fear and hurt the economy. Not to mention the fact that they don’t work.

From what I understand, if there are no attempts to contain the virus, numbers would rise rapidly and based on figures that indicate that up to 20% of people require critical care, even first world countries would be out of their depth. Mortality rates would be significantly higher if/when we run out of hospital beds. Containment is important both to take the pressure off our hospitals and to delay the spread of the virus in the hope that a seasonal change improves the situation. And of course the eventual emergence of a vaccine.

 

[MarkLT1]

From what I understand, if there are no attempts to contain the virus, numbers would rise rapidly and based on figures that indicate that up to 20% of people require critical care, even first world countries would be out of their depth. Mortality rates would be significantly higher if/when we run out of hospital beds. Containment is important both to take the pressure off our hospitals and to delay the spread of the virus in the hope that a seasonal change improves the situation. And of course the eventual emergence of a vaccine.

Exactly.. the priority of "containment" in the last month or so, has not been to actually contain the virus, but rather to buy time. Unfortunately, at this point, I am starting to feel that whatever time was bought.. was bought. It is now popping up spread out over the US. It is going to be like a big game of whack-a-mole, and nobody (other than that one carnival guy who has a mullet and wears a hot-pink tank top from the 90s) EVER wins at Whack-a-mole.

 

[jlbf06]

Exactly.. the priority of "containment" in the last month or so, has not been to actually contain the virus, but rather to buy time. Unfortunately, at this point, I am starting to feel that whatever time was bought.. was bought. It is now popping up spread out over the US. It is going to be like a big game of whack-a-mole, and nobody (other than that one carnival guy who has a mullet and wears a hot-pink tank top from the 90s) EVER wins at Whack-a-mole.

Whack-a-mole is so apt! I hope that they manage to contain it as much as possible - we can all do our part when asked.

BTW is your dog a pointer? Looks v similar to the rump of my English Pointer girl!

 

[MarkLT1]

BTW is your dog a pointer? Looks v similar to the rump of my English Pointer girl!

He is.. a German Shorthair. A HUGE German Shorthair (82lbs) who still thinks he is a lap-dog.. "They don't get over 70lbs they told me.." Hah! (And no.. he isn't overweight.. just a very tall GSP.. Vet says he actually could use a couple more lbs on him, but being a young male who runs all the time, also said "good luck with that in the next few years!")

 

[jlbf06]

He is.. a German Shorthair. A HUGE German Shorthair (82lbs) who still thinks he is a lap-dog.. "They don't get over 70lbs they told me.." Hah! (And no.. he isn't overweight.. just a very tall GSP.. Vet says he actually could use a couple more lbs on him, but being a young male who runs all the time, also said "good luck with that in the next few years!")

They all think they're lap-dogs! We had an EP who sounds just the same - he did fill out by about age 5. Our girl now doesn't have any problem putting on weight though, quite the opposite!

She's often mistaken for a GSP or a dalmation. I'm going in for a hidden mickey search later

 

[cats mom]

Every time someone says it's "like a cold" or "not usually fatal" all the immunocompromised and older folks who are highest risk see and hear you. And see and hear the utter disregard for their worth.

So if you have ever said anything of the sort, please stop.

I admit it - I posted something similar in a cruise specific chat. I did add that if anyone in my group was elderly and/or immunocompromised, particularly if they were male, I would be researching options for cancelling or rescheduling at the very least.

I certainly wasn't trying to disregard anyone's worth!
I did feel some people were being irrational when it came to fears about coronavirus, and I didn't think posting facts would be considered disrespectful to anyone.

One couple in our group chat are strongly considering cancelling their cruise. That would result in taking a huge financial hit and from my limited understanding of their situation it's a hit they definitely can't afford. They're both young and healthy, so let's assume they do contract coronavirus, realistically it would likely be a mild case. Of course no one can promise anything with this outbreak, and everyone needs to make decisions they're comfortable with at an individual level. I just hate to see people making decisions based on fear, especially when that fear doesn't seem to match reality.

 

[monkeydawn]

Every time someone says it's "like a cold" or "not usually fatal" all the immunocompromised and older folks who are highest risk see and hear you. And see and hear the utter disregard for their worth.

So if you have ever said anything of the sort, please stop.

I dont think anyone has said things of this nature to be dismissive or callous. That's just a benchmark that's being said so people can asses their personal risks. Now a fair argument is if this is an accurate statement. In some ways this does seem to be acting like a cold/ flu. But there are also several important differences IMO. That's why this statement is harmful, not because it may be taken as dismissive of our elderly and compromised population.

I say this an someone that is immuno compromised. It never occurred to me to be offended for any reason other than the inaccuracies.