CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[smmco]

I hope there's better deals at WDW this Summer. Room rates are high and I'm not a fan of the free dining they are offering.

 

[mevelandry]

We are ready to get on a ship as soon as they open for business! Again, we do not have health issues, and the numbers do not scare us. I get that others feel differently. For us, the panic is worse than the disease. We have panorama booked for end of June but I am not hopeful. We are thinking about shifting it to a cruise in August because that looks more likely.

Italy has had about 11000 deaths from covid. They average 23000 deaths yearly from the flu.

I won’t go into the Flu vs Covid—19 comparison because it’s like comparing apple to oranges...

However, I think we can all agree on one thing:

If everybody stays at home, there is nothing to worry about. If everybody stays at home, our countries will recover faster, our households revenue will recover faster...

...and we’ll be back on a cruise ship faster!

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I literally can't see any of the Caribbean islands wanting ships full of Americans who may or may not have self-quarantined going into their shops and restaurants and spreading germs.

Except that a lot of these people live in the real world and are desperate for people to come back to their shops and restaurants. It is the same for most Americans. If you don’t work for the government in some capacity or live off of the government in some capacity, your life is probably more severely impacted economically than by the prospect of covid. There are a few other lucky people whose companies are status quo, but everyone else we know is either laid off, furloughed, has taken a 20% (we know someone who took an 80%) pay cut, or is facing the prospect of an uncertain future.

 

[mevelandry]

I literally can't see any of the Caribbean islands wanting ships full of Americans who may or may not have self-quarantined going into their shops and restaurants and spreading germs.

I’m thinking cruises itineraries could be impacted for a little while, the highlights of the cruises being the cruise lines private islands.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I won’t go into the Flu vs Covi—19 comparison because it’s like comparing apple to oranges...

However, I think we can all agree on one thing:

If everybody stays at home, there is nothing to worry about. If everybody stays at home, our countries will recover faster, our households revenue will recover faster...

...and we’ll be back on a cruise ship faster!

Everybody is staying at home... and covid is still spreading. It is interesting that Sweden has implemented a softer approach and yet still has similar numbers as its neighbors. Sweden has not closed down bars and restaurants or other businesses and has not closed elementary schools. But they are advising those over 70 or with health conditions to stay home.

 

[belle032]

I hope there's better deals at WDW this Summer. Room rates are high and I'm not a fan of the free dining they are offering.

I’m hoping the same for Fall. If no discounts are offered we may hold off on WDW for a year and look into a cruise instead. I do know for a fact that we will vacation SOMEWHERE as it will be sorely needed!

 

[smmco]

Everybody is staying at home... and covid is still spreading. It is interesting that Sweden has implemented a softer approach and yet still has similar numbers as its neighbors. Sweden has not closed down bars and restaurants or other businesses and has not closed elementary schools. But they are advising those over 70 or with health conditions to stay home.

Even healthcare workers in states that don't have an outbreak are affected. Hospital census is low in our state. No one is coming to the hospital and hospital staff are not getting their hours. Since I can't travel and I'm ok financially I've been signing up for voluntary days off. I watch the news and wonder how much I'm being told and how much is a lie.

 

[lklgoodman]

I'm hoping things will be back to "normal" by June. The head of Ohio's health dept and our governor do an info update every day. They think the peak in Ohio will come mid-May. We have almost 1700 cases here so far. If we don't peak until mid-May, I'm afraid it will be July or later until it gets back to "normal". I'll just be glad when I can go to the grocery store and find a container of Lysol wipes!!

 

[tidefan]

I'm hoping things will be back to "normal" by June. The head of Ohio's health dept and our governor do an info update every day. They think the peak in Ohio will come mid-May. We have almost 1700 cases here so far. If we don't peak until mid-May, I'm afraid it will be July or later until it gets back to "normal". I'll just be glad when I can go to the grocery store and find a container of Lysol wipes!!

He's not getting the credit that some other Governors are getting, but Mike DeWine is doing a great job up there it seems like for you guys!

I can't see this being over by May. Even if it was, the ships would have to be staffed up as well as the ports. Then you have the supply chain of getting the ship supplied for its sailings. Logistically, these things will take time to get back into place.

 

[lklgoodman]

He's not getting the credit that some other Governors are getting, but Mike DeWine is doing a great job up there it seems like for you guys!

I can't see this being over by May. Even if it was, the ships would have to be staffed up as well as the ports. Then you have the supply chain of getting the ship supplied for its sailings. Logistically, these things will take time to get back into place.

I agree about our governor. I watch the updates he gives each day. The head of our health dept., Dr Amy Acton, has done a great job also. She has such a reassuring presence, even when she's giving not so great info. I had no idea who she was the first couple of times I saw her. They keep reminding us why it is so important to follow their directions and that better day are ahead. While I appreciate hearing from them each day, I look forward to when I no longer do.

Edit to add. Gov DeWine just made it official that schools remain closed now until May 1. Not loving him so much now, lol!!

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I believe this is how we all feel right about now

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

This is a good one too...

 

[mevelandry]

Everybody is staying at home... and covid is still spreading. It is interesting that Sweden has implemented a softer approach and yet still has similar numbers as its neighbors. Sweden has not closed down bars and restaurants or other businesses and has not closed elementary schools. But they are advising those over 70 or with health conditions to stay home.

From what I understand COVID-19 can take up to 14 days to show up. I don’t know when people have started staying at home where you live but here in Quebec (Canada) we have been among the first ones to stay at home as much as possible as of March 19 so it hasn’t been 14 days yet... And most numbers coming out come from tests taken (up to 7) days ago. So it’s normal to see stats going up.

It’s safe to say that we should see some sort of improvement after three weeks of « flattening the curve », possibly around Good Friday.

I don’t know about Sweden but time will tell if they will be okay or not. I believe there are also less people per mi2 so it might play a role in numbers as well.

 

[mevelandry]

This is a good one too...

View attachment 484531

I’m seriously thinking of doing this again...

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I feel very fortunate that I received a full refund from AA for our cancelled flights to Hawaii! Tonight my mom will cancel the condo ($100 fee). I hope we can do something this year to get away but I am fearful that not enough is being done in certain parts of the country. Florida was way late to the game and with such an elderly population will probably feel the effects for a while.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

From what I understand COVID-19 can take up to 14 days to show up. I don’t know when people have started staying at home where you live but here in Quebec (Canada) we have been among the first ones to stay at home as much as possible as of March 19 so it hasn’t been 14 days yet... And most numbers coming out come from tests taken (up to 7) days ago. So it’s normal to see stats going up.

It’s safe to say that we should see some sort of improvement after three weeks of « flattening the curve », possibly around Good Friday.

I don’t know about Sweden but time will tell if they will be okay or not. I believe there are also less people per mi2 so it might play a role in numbers as well.

My husband looks up our local stats every night, and as of tonight there are 90 people in our county of 590,000 who have tested positive. The stats give detailed information about gender, age range, whether or not the person has been hospitalized, whether or not they have been sent home, how they are doing. No deaths, only one remains hospitalized, all the rest have recovered or are recovering at home. A surprising number are over 70, even over 80, and are recovering at home. Our first case was early March (cannot remember exact date dh said), and our schools have been closed since around March 7. Word on the street is that it is virtually impossible to get tested (so weird), so I suspect there are many, many more cases where we live but that obviously they are not serious because if they were hospitalized that would be reported. I am glad to see that the death rate appears to be much lower than worst estimates. I just hope the media starts reporting on this because there are a lot of really scared people out there— understandably. This is a great article by two Stanford medical professors about how low the fatality rate really is.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-the-coronavirus-as-deadly-as-they-say-11585088464
On another note, we have decided to cancel our panorama cruise with Carnival before paid in full. Very sad about this. But we are scared we will pay and then it will be cancelled. We already have about $6000 tied up in refunds/ cruise credit with Princess Cruises and we don’t want to have another $5500 with Carnival. We also haven’t received the refunds and cruise credit from Princess yet, so not too happy about that either. They did say it could take up to 60 days but still we are not very happy about the situation.

 

[mevelandry]

My husband looks up our local stats every night, and as of tonight there are 90 people in our county of 590,000 who have tested positive. The stats give detailed information about gender, age range, whether or not the person has been hospitalized, whether or not they have been sent home, how they are doing. No deaths, only one remains hospitalized, all the rest have recovered or are recovering at home. A surprising number are over 70, even over 80, and are recovering at home. Our first case was early March (cannot remember exact date dh said), and our schools have been closed since around March 7. Word on the street is that it is virtually impossible to get tested (so weird), so I suspect there are many, many more cases where we live but that obviously they are not serious because if they were hospitalized that would be reported. I am glad to see that the death rate appears to be much lower than worst estimates. I just hope the media starts reporting on this because there are a lot of really scared people out there— understandably. This is a great article by two Stanford medical professors about how low the fatality rate really is.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-the-coronavirus-as-deadly-as-they-say-11585088464
On another note, we have decided to cancel our panorama cruise with Carnival before paid in full. Very sad about this. But we are scared we will pay and then it will be cancelled. We already have about $6000 tied up in refunds/ cruise credit with Princess Cruises and we don’t want to have another $5500 with Carnival. We also haven’t received the refunds and cruise credit from Princess yet, so not too happy about that either. They did say it could take up to 60 days but still we are not very happy about the situation.

It sucks that you had to cancel but I guess it’s better than expecting a trip that end up not happening.

My friends and I will wait until September but even though it‘s early in the process, the rise of cases in Canada and the USA doesn’t make me super confident that we’ll all be good to travel, not only for health reasons but for financial reason as both friends lost their job due to COVID-19.

As of now, I work from home and I had paid the trip in full in advance and I am healthy so I think I might be okay but who knows...

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

It sucks that you had to cancel but I guess it’s better than expecting a trip that end up not happening.

My friends and I will wait until September but even though it‘s early in the process, the rise of cases in Canada and the USA doesn’t make me super confident that we’ll all be good to travel, not only for health reasons but for financial reason as both friends lost their job due to COVID-19.

As of now, I work from home and I had paid the trip in full in advance and I am healthy so I think I might be okay but who knows...

There are some rumors on cc that carnival will start cruising August 1. No idea if that is true. It looks like they have cancelled NYC cruises into the fall. I think they will cruise as soon as they legally can and it will be different start dates for different ports/ships. We are ready to cruise as soon as they get going! But we just don’t want any more money out there in limbo. We have two more cruises booked with them over the next two years. And now we will shift this June Panorama one. Calling today. Probably shifting the deposit to a 2022 cruise, just because we have others out there and a Princess credit (which we don’t have yet) to use before dec 2021– I think that was the expiry. I hope it will work out for you to travel next fall. I am definitely glass half full and am always searching for good news.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

It sucks that you had to cancel but I guess it’s better than expecting a trip that end up not happening.

My friends and I will wait until September but even though it‘s early in the process, the rise of cases in Canada and the USA doesn’t make me super confident that we’ll all be good to travel, not only for health reasons but for financial reason as both friends lost their job due to COVID-19.

As of now, I work from home and I had paid the trip in full in advance and I am healthy so I think I might be okay but who knows...

To top off the lack of travel my mom's hours are getting cut and her employers will no longer pay for her medical insurance. So guess it's good she won't be paying for any vacations this year. I'm going to put my vacation money into new windows for the house. I have been wanting them, and we really need them as what we have are original from the 60's. I have put it off every year in order to take our wonderful vacations so this seems like a good time to do it.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

To top off the lack of travel my mom's hours are getting cut and her employers will no longer pay for her medical insurance. So guess it's good she won't be paying for any vacations this year. I'm going to put my vacation money into new windows for the house. I have been wanting them, and we really need them as what we have are original from the 60's. I have put it off every year in order to take our wonderful vacations so this seems like a good time to do it.

Sorry to hear about your mom’s job cutbacks. I hope it turns around for her as soon as possible.