Cruise Cancelled or Not?

[FManke]

So, I've been reading online that Italy will be closed to all international travelers through the end of the year. Anybody else heard this? This effects our Greek Isle cruise out of Venice in Oct. The problem is, that I've heard nothing yet from RC, so I don't know if it is "official" yet. I can't rebook another cruise until I know that the current one has been cancelled. Our flight to Venice has already been cancelled, but I don't want to rebook, if the cruise is not happening. If there is a chance the cruise might happen, but from a different port, I have to change all flights. I guess like everyone else, I'm just on hold. Not a place I'm comfortable with.

As much as I don't want to, If this thing drags out any longer, I might just pull the trigger and rebook everything for next year. I don't to wait another year and a half, but I also don't want the uncertainty of not knowing.

[DRLPP]

Personally I don't like uncertainty especially when it comes to placing my health in other peoples hands who may have motive to compromise things for $. That being said, a lot would depend on your personal feelings about that. As for the actual cruise, I think it is probable that the cruise season is too much a mess for 2020 especially Europe. Maybe if it was a Caribbean cruise I would hold off cancelling. I am also assuming you are able to get refunds and/or credits. 

[FManke]

7 minutes ago, DRLPP said:

Personally I don't like uncertainty especially when it comes to placing my health in other peoples hands who may have motive to compromise things for $. That being said, a lot would depend on your personal feelings about that. As for the actual cruise, I think it is probable that the cruise season is too much a mess for 2020 especially Europe. Maybe if it was a Caribbean cruise I would hold off cancelling. I am also assuming you are able to get refunds and/or credits. 

The other thing about this, the RC website is still taking reservations for this cruise? 

[Traveler]

57 minutes ago, FManke said:

So, I've been reading online that Italy will be closed to all international travelers through the end of the year. Anybody else heard this? This effects our Greek Isle cruise out of Venice in Oct. The problem is, that I've heard nothing yet from RC, so I don't know if it is "official" yet. I can't rebook another cruise until I know that the current one has been cancelled. Our flight to Venice has already been cancelled, but I don't want to rebook, if the cruise is not happening. If there is a chance the cruise might happen, but from a different port, I have to change all flights. I guess like everyone else, I'm just on hold. Not a place I'm comfortable with.

As much as I don't want to, If this thing drags out any longer, I might just pull the trigger and rebook everything for next year. I don't to wait another year and a half, but I also don't want the uncertainty of not knowing.

I have not seen any official note from Italy regarding outside travelers (I am have many meetings in Italy so I am watching it)  although it makes sense. I do not think any country will already declare anything so far , expect one to two month. 
Regarding the cruise , there is a good chance they will change it to go from Greece as Greece already talking about opening its gates for tourists in few weeks ...
We had a planned cruise from Rome at  April and the first thing RCI done was to move it to Athens. 
Anyway , RCI will cancel / not cancel the cruise once they will have official information from Italy 

[FManke]

1 hour ago, Traveler said:

I have not seen any official note from Italy regarding outside travelers (I am have many meetings in Italy so I am watching it)  although it makes sense. I do not think any country will already declare anything so far , expect one to two month. 
Regarding the cruise , there is a good chance they will change it to go from Greece as Greece already talking about opening its gates for tourists in few weeks ...
We had a planned cruise from Rome at  April and the first thing RCI done was to move it to Athens. 
Anyway , RCI will cancel / not cancel the cruise once they will have official information from Italy 

If they do move it, instead of cancelling it, when do you think this will happen? They can't expect people to be making flight reservations at the last minute.

[Traveler]

Just now, FManke said:

If they do move it, instead of cancelling it, when do you think this will happen? They can't expect people to be making flight reservations at the last minute.

I can only tell you what happened to my cruise :

My cruise (starting 8-April) was changed from Rome to Athens at 8-March , on 14 of March it was canceled.
No one really know what will happen in 3 month , we can only guess , in Europe several countries  already open the schools and return 90% to work. Here we have all the shops which are not located in malls opened and restaurants renew the take away (until now it was only devilries)  and schools going to be partially opened from next week after we so decrease in new cases. 
It might be that in two weeks from now we will see again increase in the C19 cases (hopefully not)  or we will see that everything is fine due to many reason (weather is one). 
If Greece will open the borders for tourism it will be a game changer  , I guess we will know more in few weeks .
  

[FManke]

Just now, Traveler said:

I can only tell you what happened to my cruise :

My cruise (starting 8-April) was changed from Rome to Athens at 8-March , on 14 of March it was canceled.
No one really know what will happen in 3 month , we can only guess , in Europe several countries  already open the schools and return 90% to work. Here we have all the shops which are not located in malls opened and restaurants renew the take away (until now it was only devilries)  and schools going to be partially opened from next week after we so decrease in new cases. 
It might be that in two weeks from now we will see again increase in the C19 cases (hopefully not)  or we will see that everything is fine due to many reason (weather is one). 
If Greece will open the borders for tourism it will be a game changer  , I guess we will know more in few weeks .
  

I guess the waiting continues

[Traveler]

1 minute ago, FManke said:

I guess the waiting continues

Yes, I have End of August cruise plans from NJ , I booked it when I already new about the C-19 (end of Feb) I took a risk but have the cruise with confidence, I will pay for it with the FCC from the April 8 cruise  , if it will be canceled I will pay with the FCC I will get to the cruise I have at 2021 (group cruise). Flight I have also a way to change without cost so I might use them for a future travel. This plan will work if RCI nor United will declare default ... 

 

[FManke]

1 hour ago, Traveler said:

I have not seen any official note from Italy regarding outside travelers (I am have many meetings in Italy so I am watching it)  although it makes sense. I do not think any country will already declare anything so far , expect one to two month. 
Regarding the cruise , there is a good chance they will change it to go from Greece as Greece already talking about opening its gates for tourists in few weeks ...
We had a planned cruise from Rome at  April and the first thing RCI done was to move it to Athens. 
Anyway , RCI will cancel / not cancel the cruise once they will have official information from Italy 

To and from Athens?

[Traveler]

1 minute ago, FManke said:

To and from Athens?

From Athens to Barcelona , that was before C-19 spread in Spain dramatically, Greece actually stayed more and less OK 

[Lovetocruise2002]

14 minutes ago, Traveler said:

My cruise (starting 8-April) was changed from Rome to Athens at 8-March , on 14 of March it was canceled.

Just curious, what did Royal offer when the changed it?  And did they just change itinerary or port of embarkation too?

[Traveler]

23 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Just curious, what did Royal offer when the changed it?  And did they just change itinerary or port of embarkation too?

Actually they offered up to 400 $ for intentional flight  changes , they gave a better ports if you ask me  but this is something you can argue.

Here is the full letter I got when they changed it : 

 "

Dear Guest,

Before we set sail, we have some important information to share with you for your upcoming April 8th, 2020 Jewel of the Seas cruise.

At Royal Caribbean International, the safety and well-being of our guests and crew is top priority. So, in light of current regional travel conditions and the continued developments related to Coronavirus COVID-19, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel our visit to Portofino, Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Rome (Civitavecchia), and Naples/Capri. Please know, we did not take this decision lightly and determined it was best to maintain your well-being, as there has been an increase of Coronavirus COVID-19 cases in Italy. Fortunately, we’ve been able to secure excellent alternatives for you to enjoy.

We’ll now begin our cruise in Athens (Piraeus), Greece where we’ll set sail from at 8:00 PM. We’ll then head to Mykonos, Greece on Thursday, Chania (Souda), Crete on Friday, and Katakolon, Greece on Saturday. Then, instead of our visit to Sete, France, we’ll now have an additional sea day on Sunday before continuing with the rest of our original itinerary visiting Spain and the United Kingdom. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused by this change. However, we’re confident you’ll have an excellent time with us. Below, please find our revised itinerary.

We’re sorry for this unexpected change. We know you’ll need to accommodate your flights for your arrival to Athens (Piraeus), Greece now. So, here’s what we’re going to help you with:  

 

• If you purchased flights through our Air2Sea program, we’ll reschedule your flights to our embarkation port for you. There is no need for you to call in as we will be sending your new flight details via email no later than Wednesday, March 11th.
• If you booked your flights independently, you may reach out to your airline carrier to assist with the changes.
  • If you re-book your flights on your own and incur a change fee, we’ll reimburse you up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic flights and up to $400 USD per guest for International flights, with proper documentation. Please submit your receipts to RoyalGuestRelations@rccl.com for review and reimbursement. 
  • If you need assistance accommodating your travel home, our Air2Sea Team is available to assist you at 888-372-9996 from the US or Canada or 019321834223 Internationally.  If you’d like to re-book your flights through our Air2Sea Team, you’ll be booked in economy class flights at no additional cost. Please know, flights are at the discretion of our Air Sea Experts.
• And, if you booked airport transfers through us and are changing your flights through the airline directly, please contact us to provide the new flight details. 

 

Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions for Rome (Civitavecchia), Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Portofino, Provence (Marseille), and Sete will be refunded back to your original form of payment. In the next few days, you’ll receive an email with your updated tour details. Then, feel free to continue browsing all the exciting shore excursion options for your sailing in Cruise Planner!

Lastly, starting March 6th, 2020 on all Royal Caribbean International ships, temperature screenings will be conducted for all guests and crewmembers on embarkation day. Over the last few weeks, we’ve implemented new and enhanced health & safety protocols, along with travel regulations, and we decided that adding temperature checks will further help ensure we maintain a healthy onboard environment. So, if your temperature is above 100.4°F or 38° C, you and those in your party will undergo a secondary health screening. Temperatures will be taken with a digital, no-touch thermometer. If you require a secondary screening, this is what you can expect: 

 

• Your temperature will be checked again. 
• You’ll undergo a pulse oximetry reading. This means, a small device will be placed on your finger to measure your oxygen level. 
  • If you happen to have a chronic lung illness, like asthma, please bring a letter from your medical practitioner that indicates your normal baseline oxygen saturation levels. This will help ensure you are not denied boarding if you are healthy otherwise.
• Then, a medical professional will check you for flu-like symptoms, respiratory illness, etc., and would make a final assessment to understand if you’re fit to sail. 

 

If it is decided that we must unfortunately deny you boarding, you’ll receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit for your cruise fare paid, and any pre-cruise Royal Caribbean International purchases and taxes and fees will be refunded to your original form of payment. 

And, if for any reason, you happen to have a fever before your cruise, we kindly ask you to not come to the port. Please contact us or your Travel Advisor immediately and we will happily provide you with a credit for future travel.

The health, safety, and comfort of our guests and crew remain our highest priority. To learn more about how we are keeping our ships in tip top shape, and for insights into our travel regulations, click here.

Thank you for choosing Royal Caribbean International. We look forward to seeing you onboard very soon!"

[Lovetocruise2002]

16 minutes ago, Traveler said:

Actually they offered up to 400 $ for intentional flight  changes , they gave a better ports if you ask me  but this is something you can argue.

Here is the full letter I got when they changed it : 

Thank you @Traveler!  I asked because your comment earlier reminded me of a thread a few day ago by @jaullram asking if ships might move ports (in your case they did).  I was just curious what compensation they offered in that case.  This gives a good idea.  Thanks.

[Traveler]

3 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Thank you @Traveler!  I asked because your comment earlier reminded me of a thread a few day ago by @jaullram asking if ships might move ports (in your case they did).  I was just curious what compensation they offered in that case.  This gives a good idea.  Thanks.

Sure ,  In our case we were OK with the changes as we both like Athens and the Greece Island should had better weather during April , but I have not changed the flights as I knew that most of the chances they will cancel it (as they did 6 days after) . At that time our government also declare that anyone that will come back from any country will require to be two weeks in isolation and was requested at work to lead some parts of our businesses continuity plan  so was not sure if I could take the planned vacation. Now I hope that the trend we see in many places of major reduction in new C19 cases will spread to all around the world and somehow we will be able to take our August cruise  (currently I think we have 10-20% chances that it will happen) 

[jaullram]

On 5/2/2020 at 1:54 PM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Thank you @Traveler!  I asked because your comment earlier reminded me of a thread a few day ago by @jaullram asking if ships might move ports (in your case they did).  I was just curious what compensation they offered in that case.  This gives a good idea.  Thanks.

Thank you @Lovetocruise2002 for tagging me.  I hope ours isn't changed as flying isn't ideal right now but good to know!