Canadian Visitors to DLR/DCL: Travel Advisory for the USA Imminent???

[pokee99]

There's a TON of Canadians canceling spring break vacations in the US because of a Travel Advisory announced on Monday March 9th regarding avoiding travel on cruise ships. I have so many disappointed friends who had to cancel their cruise!

The Travel Advisory may not seem like a big deal, but it's actually HUGE. What it means is that Canadians will not have any travel health benefits if they're hospitalized and/or quarantined because of a real or suspected case(s).

I'm not sure if US advisories affect travel insurance to foreign countries in the same way as it affects us Canadians, but i would suspect they do.

So the question is, what happens if Canada adds the US to the list of Travel Advisories? The US currently only has 1000 cases - but that's the same number Italy had a couple of weeks ago. I'm thinking it's eventually gonna happen...

And if it does happen, are Canadians gonna roll the dice and travel anyway?

We leave in 4 days for DLC. I think we're safe, but who knows? Cancelling would be devastating, but so would a hefty medical bill!

Would love to hear from other Canadians!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

By DLC. do you mean DLR (Disneyland Resort) or DCL (Disney Cruise Line)?

 

[pokee99]

Disneyland California / Disneyland Resort. But I'm also curious about anyone who booked cruises...since this is the current advisory- which potentially could get expanded to the entire USA...

 

[DisneyJac]

We are in the same boat. We are supposed to fly down on Sunday and I’m checking travel advisories daily. If the US is added we won’t go, but otherwise we are still planning to go - our flights are non refundable if we cancel for no reason. I think a lot could happen in 5 days so I’ve warned the kids that it’s possible we are not going.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Disneyland California / Disneyland Resort. But I'm also curious about anyone who booked cruises...since this is the current advisory- which potentially could get expanded to the entire USA...

If it's all right with you, I'm going to edit the title of this thread for clarity so posters know you mean both.

 

[pokee99]

We are in the same boat. We are supposed to fly down on Sunday and I’m checking travel advisories daily. If the US is added we won’t go, but otherwise we are still planning to go - our flights are non refundable if we cancel for no reason. I think a lot could happen in 5 days so I’ve warned the kids that it’s possible we are not going.

Let's say they issue the travel advisory on Monday... then what? I'm assuming we'd be fine because we left before the advisory?

 

[Peachy0118]

We aren't set to leave until Raster weekend but if the States is following Italy's trajectory it isn't looking good...

We are so looking forward to this trip (first time in 12 years! Absolutely obsessed) but if the government or doctors or other powers that be say we can't go, then we can't go. DH is thinking his work might be implementing mandatory stay-at-home for anyone taking part in international travel too... they haven't yet, but if they do that will affect the decision.

Until then it's business as usual planning for the moment.

 

[Keyframer30]

We cancelled our cruise on the Wonder that was happening in April. Sat on hold with Costco for 2 hours on Sunday before finally getting through...then when the agent said to hold while she contacted Disney I thought it was gonna be another long hold but she got though in 5 mins (whew!). All together it was a 2 1/2 hour call. We know about the rebooking offer from DCL but we decided to get our money back (minus deposit) and put that towards a DLR trip instead. But if a travel advisory to the US in general gets put out...we'll just have to wait till this all settles down and book then.

We are super bummed as we were really looking forward to DCL-ing in April. Luckily we hadn't told our DS (5yrs old) about the cruise yet...

 

[PixieT78]

We leave on Saturday. I am trying not to worry too much but it’s pretty hard. I’m lucky in that we are staying with my parents after our Disney portion is done so staying longer isn’t the end of the world financially. My dog will likely be fine at her sitters place and I can work from anywhere I have internet (though my boss will likely be less than impressed). But I am a bit scared of getting sick in the US if they turn out like Italy. I would try to drive back to Canada I think, if I’d be let in the country.

It’s also tough because pretty much all my friends and my DH don’t seem at all concerned.

 

[sherilaine]

The advisory for cruises is one thing - to avoid travel to the United States would be much more aggressive step. I think the vast majority of people I talk to are more concerned with quarantines being imposed upon them on their return rather than actually getting sick themselves considering if they are not in a high risk category. Right now travel between provinces is just as risky as visiting certain states. We are all the same big giant land mass unlike flying across the ocean.

 

[pokee99]

We leave on Saturday. I am trying not to worry too much but it’s pretty hard. I’m lucky in that we are staying with my parents after our Disney portion is done so staying longer isn’t the end of the world financially. My dog will likely be fine at her sitters place and I can work from anywhere I have internet (though my boss will likely be less than impressed). But I am a bit scared of getting sick in the US if they turn out like Italy. I would try to drive back to Canada I think, if I’d be let in the country.

It’s also tough because pretty much all my friends and my DH don’t seem at all concerned.

We're flying in and out of Seattle and crossing at the car border. If a travel advisory is announced while we're away, i never even thought of having an easier time getting back into Canada via car because they decide to ground all the flights... that's rather lucky!

Canada has different "levels" of travel advisories, and only level 3 & 4 affect travel medical plans. If they do announce an advisory for the US, it may still be okay to travel there - we could still be covered, at least. They could also only issue such an advisory for the Western states, because they are most affected at present.

Also I've read some reports that Allianz (and other travel insurance assistance companies) are starting to become more lax with covering some Covid-19 related expenses, and will not exclude it entirely. But honestly, how would you get this in writing before you leave? All i see documented in their policy is they exclude "epidemics". That's sooo vague...

 

[pokee99]

We cancelled our cruise on the Wonder that was happening in April. Sat on hold with Costco for 2 hours on Sunday before finally getting through...then when the agent said to hold while she contacted Disney I thought it was gonna be another long hold but she got though in 5 mins (whew!). All together it was a 2 1/2 hour call. We know about the rebooking offer from DCL but we decided to get our money back (minus deposit) and put that towards a DLR trip instead. But if a travel advisory to the US in general gets put out...we'll just have to wait till this all settles down and book then.

We are super bummed as we were really looking forward to DCL-ing in April. Luckily we hadn't told our DS (5yrs old) about the cruise yet...

How did you get a refund instead of just a credit? My friend was only offered a credit on her Disney Cruise good for 12 months.

Did you buy cancellation insurance?

 

[DisneyJac]

Let's say they issue the travel advisory on Monday... then what? I'm assuming we'd be fine because we left before the advisory?

That’s my understanding from my insurer.

 

[PixieT78]

Also I've read some reports that Allianz (and other travel insurance assistance companies) are starting to become more lax with covering some Covid-19 related expenses, and will not exclude it entirely. But honestly, how would you get this in writing before you leave? All i see documented in their policy is they exclude "epidemics". That's sooo vague...

My coverage is through my work and while I think I'm only covered for the travel stuff if I'm actually sick, I'm definitely covered medically (I actually received confirmation of that today as I am our plan administrator so I distribute this stuff haha).

 

[Keyframer30]

How did you get a refund instead of just a credit? My friend was only offered a credit on her Disney Cruise good for 12 months.

Did you buy cancellation insurance?

I just told the Costco Travel Agent that I wanted to cancel our cruise, she just said" ok, please hold while I try and get a DCL Agent on the line". After a short hold she said it was all done and my credit card would see the refund in a few business days

We were one day before the 45 day cancellation deadline before we would have lost 50% of our payment (we had already paid in full). Instead we lost just our deposit (a loss we were willing to accept). We didn't buy cancellation insurance...I think this was part of the standard cancellation policy that came with booking.

 

[justinliew]

We are in the same boat as a lot of you (well, not boat, I ain't going on a cruise), leaving Saturday from Vancouver, driving to Seattle and flying out on Sunday morning.
We almost cancelled yesterday after going deep down the Internet rabbit hole and feeling like it was our social responsibility, but we are currently still planning to go, unless a travel advisory shows up before Saturday. Like someone else mentioned, I don't feel like we are at any more risk than if we stay here in Vancouver where there have been active cases, or if we traveled to Alberta. I mean, Disneyland does have more people around but we are going to do our best at washing hands, avoiding touch, and maybe taking it a bit easier than we normally would.

 

[pokee99]

My coverage is through my work and while I think I'm only covered for the travel stuff if I'm actually sick, I'm definitely covered medically (I actually received confirmation of that today as I am our plan administrator so I distribute this stuff haha).

Most work extended health plans have a travel benefit that excludes "epidemics". I have friends that said their work group plan would not cover anything Covid-19 related on a cruise because of the advisory.

I'm not sure the same financial risks apply to regular independent travel, as you yourself (or a family member) would likely have to have been exposed or test positive, and would just self-quarantine.

That means you could still rent a car and drive home and cross the car border (if Canada customs would allow you to cross to return home). That's a fairly minimal expense if you live on the west coast.

 

[pokee99]

We are in the same boat as a lot of you (well, not boat, I ain't going on a cruise), leaving Saturday from Vancouver, driving to Seattle and flying out on Sunday morning.
We almost cancelled yesterday after going deep down the Internet rabbit hole and feeling like it was our social responsibility, but we are currently still planning to go, unless a travel advisory shows up before Saturday. Like someone else mentioned, I don't feel like we are at any more risk than if we stay here in Vancouver where there have been active cases, or if we traveled to Alberta. I mean, Disneyland does have more people around but we are going to do our best at washing hands, avoiding touch, and maybe taking it a bit easier than we normally would.

The more i think about it - even if there was an advisory, i really think we could still go without issue. I think the bigger risk is Disneyland closing because of an outbreak there. Or air travel being suspended for certain locations.

And... even if we were exposed to an outbreak at Disneyland, we shouldn't have any issues with Covid-19 related expenses while in the US, because we could still rent a car and drive home. And we could likely be back home before any symptoms presented.

I think the biggest risk for us is simply not being allowed to cross the car border (which is definitely a better situation than those crossing an international border by air - which is public transportation) and having to stay in a quarantine bunker somewhere or pay for a hotel.

Social responsibility doesn't necessarily mean sequestering ourselves. I think the hand washing and keeping a close eye on our own health is really what we all need to be vigilant about.

 

[Markonefive]

At present, there is no formal advisory by Canadian Border Services against US travel. I have a trip planned for Palm Springs and DLR for the last week of April. I have flight cancellation insurance which was purchased before COVID-19 became a "known threat" and my hotels and car rental could be cancelled without financial penalty. We have our 2020 park tickets for two of us, but could possibly go in the fall. We're waiting a few more weeks before making any moves. If my wife and I have to self-quarantine upon return, we could telework or just say **** it and use up 10 sick days each - we are both pretty healthy and been with our employers for years. We have travel health insurance if we do get sick while there. We don't want to be reckless and just go anyways, but we also don't want to overreact. If the park isn't closed like Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, we will probably go. Hey, the way I see it, shorter lines and better odds for Rise of The Resistance boarding groups, right?

 

[justinliew]

The more i think about it - even if there was an advisory, i really think we could still go without issue. I think the bigger risk is Disneyland closing because of an outbreak there. Or air travel being suspended for certain locations.

And... even if we were exposed to an outbreak at Disneyland, we shouldn't have any issues with Covid-19 related expenses while in the US, because we could still rent a car and drive home. And we could likely be back home before any symptoms presented.

I think the biggest risk for us is simply not being allowed to cross the car border (which is definitely a better situation than those crossing an international border by air - which is public transportation) and having to stay in a quarantine bunker somewhere or pay for a hotel.

Social responsibility doesn't necessarily mean sequestering ourselves. I think the hand washing and keeping a close eye on our own health is really what we all need to be vigilant about.

This is all true. I feel like if Disney closed while we were down there, we'd just make the best of it; find somewhere else to go hang out for a few days, while still being safe about social situations.

And yes, worst case, it's a family road trip home! And maybe staying in Bellingham for a while or something. Hmm, maybe I should pack our camping gear in our car that we are leaving in Seattle...