Cruises

[Daisyhut]

My MIL is due to fly to Canada for a month long cruise around North America including Hawaii. We are U.K. citizens based in the U.K. I am very worried about her going as she has type 2 diabetes and often gets bronchitis. She is in her 70s. She is adamant that she is going.

Does anyone know if cruises are being cancelled?

I think Princess cruises are cancelling everything for 60 days, but I haven’t seen confirmation of that.
Celebrity are offering free full refund up to 2 days pre sailing.
Best to check with your particular cruise line, OP.

Princess and Viking have suspended all cruises for the next couple of months

I'm no doctor but out of the things I've read in the press this morning:

1. people with diabetes are at greater risk (of death, not just infection
2. quarantining on cruise ships is completely counterproductive because the same air is pumped around the air conditioning units, meaning everyone's breathing it in

Add that to the fact that she's already in two of the high risk groups (age and respiratory problems) then I think she'd be completely INSANE to put herself at risk by going. If one holiday is worth potentially dying, then she should go right ahead.

I'm not even that anxious about catching the virus myself - I think it's going to happen anyway - but if she were my parent, I'd be strongly arguing with her not to go.

I'm really quite relaxed about this virus but I actually think a cruise is where I'd draw the line - things spread so quickly and easily on there. If I was you I'd be ringing the cruise line on her behalf to find out the situation.

The cruise line have now insisted that all passengers over 70 have a letter from their doctor certifying that they are healthy to cruise.
I do not think the doc will sign it because of the diabetes and COPD. I hope they won’t.