MANATEE COUNTY – While health experts advise older people and those with health problems not to go on a cruise, travel experts advise to simply not panic.
“No large crowds, no long trips and above all, don’t get on a cruise ship,” immunologist, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci said.
Cruise Planners’ franchisee Marketer, Roz Bokoff says some of their clients are rescheduling for future cruises.
“The people who are canceling right now are canceling out fear because their elderly or have an underlying health issue,” Roz Bokoff said.
Bokoff says it’s important for people to do what they feel is the right thing.
“Vacation is supposed to be fun,” Bokoff said. “If you’re going to be stressed constantly, then you don’t want to go.”
Bokoff says it all depends on your situation.
“If you’re elderly, if you’re a high-risk person, then you may just want to cancel for now and wait until things calm down and go again later,” Bokoff said.
Chuck and Darlene Fassold canceled their six-night cruise to the Grand Cayman and places in Mexico.
“I don’t want to expose myself and then come and expose everybody else to it, not even know that I have it,” Chuck Fassold said.
But, elderly people aren’t the only ones canceling. Allison Warren, a young Sarasota resident, is considering canceling her honeymoon. It’s a five-day cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, and Key West.
“Obviously on your honeymoon n, you don’t want to end up stuck somewhere, you want to enjoy the time you’re on honeymoon,” Allison Warren said.
The main worry for people is not getting the virus, but being stuck on a ship.
“As young working people, we don’t have time to be quarantined for two weeks,” Warren said. “We have a dog we have to worry about taking care of.”
Bokoff says the cruise ships have only cancelled trips to China. But, to other countries with coronavirus exposure, like Italy and other places in Europe, they’re rerouting.
“It’s one of the nice things about being on a ship, is you can actually go somewhere else,” Bokoff said.
But, not for Warren and her fiancé. Warren says they want a refund, but the cruise is only giving them credit.
“We just want to use that money towards another vacation, but they’re not offering refunds, which is frustrating,” Warren said. “I don’t understand why they’re saying we can’t get a refund when the government is saying, don’t cruise.”
Bokoff says the ships aren’t the issue, it’s the mass gathering s that are scaring people.
“They’re not dangerous at all,” Bokoff said. “They’re cleaning constantly. Millions of passengers travel on cruises every year and they didn’t suddenly get dangerous because of the COVID-19 virus.”
The Fassold’s aren’t worried about their rebooking.
“We’ll take another cruise,” Fassold said. “But, we’ll just wait till things die down.”
Bokoff says she has four cruises planned for the whole month of March, and she’s not planning on canceling one unless a travel ban is issued.
