Travel Changes?

[disneyholic family]

the CDC recommends that anyone over the age of 60 as well as those with underlying health problems should stay home to the extent possible.
So isn't that enough for ABD to let people cancel without penalty????????????
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[disneyholic family]

According to the CDC this is not accurate. The only level 2 country for Covid-19 listed is Japan. There are no level 2 or even 1 for "Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, UK, Spain, and many others" I'm not sure what they are referring to?

as of today, japan has 461 confirmed cases
France has 716 confirmed cases - almost double japan
German has 799 confirmed cases
Spain has 500 confirmed cases.

and what's of greater concern, the day by day jump has been very high in Europe.

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6.

 

[lovetotravel]

According to the CDC this is not accurate. The only level 2 country for Covid-19 listed is Japan. There are no level 2 or even 1 for "Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, UK, Spain, and many others" I'm not sure what they are referring to?

There are 2 travel advisories. One is a health advisory that's issued by the CDC, and another travel advisory that's issued by the US Dept of State, which includes other threats such as health, terrorism, etc. And if you research the other countries listed, you will find they are a 2 and for what reason.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
I register all my trips with the US Dept of State and they send me notification and updates for the countries I am visiting. You can register here:
https://step.state.gov

 

[lovetotravel]

I want to thank these companies for offering full refunds or exchanges during this world crisis. They didn't have to do anything but they went above and beyond, by bending their polices to show that nothing is more important to them than my safety: Delta Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Hilton, and Secret Food Tours

 

[Theta]

Yes, @disneyholic family, ABD Japan May 17th and May 30th departures cancelled.

 

[disneyholic family]

Yes, @disneyholic family, ABD Japan May 17th and May 30th departures cancelled.

why aren't they cancelling the UK/France trip next week?
it seems ridiculous, not to mention dangerous and foolhardy for them to take a group to europe at this time.
and if not cancel, then let people cancel without penalty..
i'm 64 - if i were on that tour, i would cancel regardless of penalty, but ABD should be letting people cancel (just as DCL is doing)
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[lovetotravel]

why aren't they cancelling the UK/France trip next week?
it seems ridiculous, not to mention dangerous and foolhardy for them to take a group to europe at this time.
and if not cancel, then let people cancel without penalty

Japan is a CDC Level 2 travel health notice. Perhaps that's their new threshold of cancellation?
And as someone mentioned there's more cases in France and Germany than Japan.

 

[Candycane83]

It really sucks that you had to cancel your two trips, but I agree about a vacation not being about stress! I think ABDs lack of response to this has been pretty abysmal.


I hope it sinks into them, too--25% is a ridiculous amount to lose. I'm sure the vacationistas are awesome at repeating the party line, but IMO friendly agents don't make good customer service. That's where I think Disney gets it mixed up. They may have the friendliest workers in the business but that doesn't make up for unfriendly customer policies. They are obviously very centralized and don't have the nimbleness and flexibility to deal with things quickly--or on the ground. It all has to come from above.


I don't wish we hadn't come--although I have to admit I would feel *much* better if it were just me here and DH as at home to take care of anything that might happen there. I think my advice to anyone trying to figure out whether to cancel is to think of what would happen if you got stuck wherever you are going for a few weeks. Also, think about the type of things you are planning on doing and whether they involve lots of public transportation and/or tourist sites. Even doing a walk outside today I was very uncomfortable when we walked by Buckingham Palace because of all the crowds. I'm finding myself looking at everyone with suspicion. If I were on a tour going from tourist site to tourist site, I would not be happy. So sorry to hear that the hurricane had interrupted your first go around,. That sucks!



I'm going to be watching Hawaii very carefully. It really is uncomfortable traveling right now, and if things get much worse in the US, I might be cancelling. Getting stuck somewhere is a real fear, and I underestimated how much I"d be thinking and worrying about it.


This is phenomenal and exactly what I mean by great customer service. I think it's actually going above and beyond. Wow. ABD wake up!

I have to say that your response is really making me think about just moving Costa Rica to next year. I do not think I would be comfortable being stuck there for 2 weeks. I’m still keeping an eye on Spain for July but that is looking bleak as well. Even WDW in December might be a question of what happens these next few months. The growth rate of this virus is just so quick and there’s so much uncertainty on how things are handled in each place. Now I’m going to struggle and see what am I going to do this March break. Being safe is better but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck! It also makes my plan of going back to Asia next year more improbable.

 

[AddictedtoTravel]

There are 2 travel advisories. One is a health advisory that's issued by the CDC, and another travel advisory that's issued by the US Dept of State, which includes other threats such as health, terrorism, etc.

Thanks, I didn't look at the US Dept of State website.
We're heading out on the South Africa trip that leaves in a little over a week. Because of the global concern I am trying to avoid even the appearance of sniffles. I think the heighten anxiety will certainly impact the stress free travel that I appreciate with ABD. I am also a little concerned that there may be things closed or we may miss some activities.

 

[morgan98]

I've never thought ABD has particularly good customer service--I'm talking about the company itself not the trips--however its handling of this has even surprised me. The wait for the pack mentality is *not* what I'd expect from a brand that relies so much on its public image. The "I know ABD will take care of me" thing. (As an aside, I do think if you are caught in a bad situation on a trip abroad they have more flex than a lot of other operators, and I would prefer to be with them, It's all the pre-trip/company policy stuff I'm talking about).

Anyway, I commiserate with all of you are having plans interrupted. It sucks to have to miss out on a trip and take a financial hit in the process.

Since I'm traveling right now (in London), I thought I would give an update on how things are going. I have to admit that it's been more difficult and anxiety provoking than I anticipated. Don't get me wrong, the UK feels about where the US is in terms of community spread danger, so its not that I feel more vulnerable here to catching the virus than I would at home. It's the "unknown" aspect of being caught away from home if something goes wrong. I'm watching the rate of new cases very carefully. If anything goes sideways, DH will try to be on the first flight out. Our situation is complicated a little by the fact that our special needs son is at college in CA. He won't be coming home until Spring Break early next month, but I'd want at least one of us there. Our DD is at school in England so me being "stuck" here would at least keep me on the same side of the world as her.

We are enjoying ourselves, but I way underestimated the anxiety of traveling with a bug like this going around. Avoiding public places, public transportation, etc. really limits what we want to do while we are here. It's not as big a deal for us since we visit London 3-5 times a year, but it would be a real downer for a first time visitor. We've literally walked miles to avoid jumping on the tube (which we normally love). We are doing our first train trip tomorrow, and I have to admit I'm not looking forward to it, which is a shame. We went to the British Museum for an exhibit, and it was kind of coronavirus petri dish nightmare: tons of people in a tight space and waiting for a cough or sniffle to make you jump.

Londoners are very good about "the keep calm and carry on" mentality, which is nice, but picking up a paper or turning on the news is instant anxiety. There is an undercurrent of unease everywhere, which is understandable but not exactly holiday fun inspiring. We went to dinner a couple nights ago at a UK chain Italian restaurant in the heart of Mayfair, and at 7:30 we were the only people. Two more parties came in about 20 minutes later, but this place would usually have a wait or be packed. It was unsettling.

So I guess I would caution anyone who is thinking about traveling ANYWHERE in the near future to think about what you are planning to do (activities) and how COVID19 anxiety might impact your vacation fun. Losing a few hundred dollars to travel later might be money well spent. Just some food for thought ...

This is great insight. As I have already posted, my husband is still in Italy (Florence) and booked home on a direct flight from Rome to Atlanta on Tuesday. I am disappointed that I am not meeting him there later this week as planned - but I am probably more relieved than disappointed at this time.

He got to Italy on February 26th right as things were really ramping up and for that first week or so, he said things were fairly normal and the locals upbeat. However, this has changed in the past couple of days. The Italians are really realizing the severity of this problem and that it is not going away anytime soon. I am not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but just saying that I do not thing traveling to Italy is going to be encouraged in the near future. My mom was born in Italy (in the Veneto, one of the impacted regions). She is always in touch with her cousins there that we visit regularly. She has also said that when she spoke to them yesterday, they are starting to sound very down and concerned as things are not getting better.

All of this to say, I believe travel is stressful right now. In addition, places like France, Spain and the UK are reporting more and more cases. Just seem strange that Italy is a Level 3 and some of these other countries are not. The virus does not know borders and Europe is relatively small. France and Austria are much closer to the impacted regions of Italy than Southern Italy is. I would not be surprised if there are restrictions to more countries to as the testing continues to increase and more cases are found.

 

[neurosx1983]

why aren't they cancelling the UK/France trip next week?
it seems ridiculous, not to mention dangerous and foolhardy for them to take a group to europe at this time.
and if not cancel, then let people cancel without penalty..
i'm 64 - if i were on that tour, i would cancel regardless of penalty, but ABD should be letting people cancel (just as DCL is doing)
.
.

I’m with you 100%. I’m working hard to try and get out of this trip without paying a big penalty. But I might just do it. I feel ridiculous putting my family at risk like this.

You would think Disney would stop and think if a physician who is on the trip is calling them and worried. But they’re not. Life goes on for them.

 

[disneyholic family]

I’m with you 100%. I’m working hard to try and get out of this trip without paying a big penalty. But I might just do it. I feel ridiculous putting my family at risk like this.

You would think Disney would stop and think if a physician who is on the trip is calling them and worried. But they’re not. Life goes on for them.

i totally get it that you're waiting until the last minute as you have nothing to lose at this point by waiting them out.
I would do that too.
You'll be no worse off if you wait until the very last second to cancel, and maybe just maybe ABD will grow a brain and realize they need to let people cancel.

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[CaliforniaGirl09]

I have to say that your response is really making me think about just moving Costa Rica to next year. I do not think I would be comfortable being stuck there for 2 weeks. I’m still keeping an eye on Spain for July but that is looking bleak as well. Even WDW in December might be a question of what happens these next few months. The growth rate of this virus is just so quick and there’s so much uncertainty on how things are handled in each place. Now I’m going to struggle and see what am I going to do this March break. Being safe is better but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck! It also makes my plan of going back to Asia next year more improbable.

I think everyone has to decide what kind of uncertainty they are comfortable with and how fun a vacation is going to be with something like this going on. From what I've been reading, it sounds as if this going away anytime soon isn't likely. I echo your thoughts: this sucks!

This is great insight. As I have already posted, my husband is still in Italy (Florence) and booked home on a direct flight from Rome to Atlanta on Tuesday. I am disappointed that I am not meeting him there later this week as planned - but I am probably more relieved than disappointed at this time.

He got to Italy on February 26th right as things were really ramping up and for that first week or so, he said things were fairly normal and the locals upbeat. However, this has changed in the past couple of days. The Italians are really realizing the severity of this problem and that it is not going away anytime soon. I am not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but just saying that I do not thing traveling to Italy is going to be encouraged in the near future. My mom was born in Italy (in the Veneto, one of the impacted regions). She is always in touch with her cousins there that we visit regularly. She has also said that when she spoke to them yesterday, they are starting to sound very down and concerned as things are not getting better.

All of this to say, I believe travel is stressful right now. In addition, places like France, Spain and the UK are reporting more and more cases. Just seem strange that Italy is a Level 3 and some of these other countries are not. The virus does not know borders and Europe is relatively small. France and Austria are much closer to the impacted regions of Italy than Southern Italy is. I would not be surprised if there are restrictions to more countries to as the testing continues to increase and more cases are found.

The situation is changing so quickly that's one of the anxiety provoking things about it. When we left on Monday there were relatively few cases here (maybe 30ish?). But the rate has really accelerated since then. Believe me, I've thought a few times about being grateful that England is an island! I hope your mom's family stays safe and your husband gets home without issues. What is the latest on people returning from Italy?

 

[morgan98]

The situation is changing so quickly that's one of the anxiety provoking things about it. When we left on Monday there were relatively few cases here (maybe 30ish?). But the rate has really accelerated since then. Believe me, I've thought a few times about being grateful that England is an island! I hope your mom's family stays safe and your husband gets home without issues. What is the latest on people returning from Italy?

Well, a few nights ago I read on the US Embassy website that all people leaving Italy for the US will be screened for fever >99.5 degrees. If you have a fever, basically you must follow the instructions of the Italian authorities (luckily my husband speaks Italian and has dual Italian citizenship, so maybe that is a benefit if it comes down to that?) They can also be screened during the flight and will be screened again upon landing. We live in Atlanta, so if for some reason he had a fever once he got here, I would be worried, but at least he would be home. For the record, my husband feels fine is in good health, etc. but he says he is becoming paranoid himself. We are very happy that he has a nice sized apartment he has been staying in - so no hotel exposure, etc and he is a good cook, so he has in general been having one meal one a day and cooking the other meal. He has also been trying to practice social distancing.

One thing I read talked about self monitoring upon return from Italy and immediate quarantine should you have symptoms. We have a good sized house and I already have the downstairs (with kitchenette) ready for him as I am going to limit my exposure to him when he returns. However, I am going to pick him up at the airport. Better I am with him that some random UBER driver. My work will let me work from home if needed.

ETA: I just read an Italian news article that Italy is locking down entire provinces in the North, except for emergency access. This just happened probably due to the really high new number of cases in the past couple of days. The provinces that I saw listed in the article where all ones that we had planned to visit, which is surreal. My mom's province of Vicenza is not on the list (she was born not too far from the town of Asiago - if anyone is familiar with the cheese )

 

[lovetotravel]

All of this to say, I believe travel is stressful right now. In addition, places like France, Spain and the UK are reporting more and more cases. Just seem strange that Italy is a Level 3 and some of these other countries are not. The virus does not know borders and Europe is relatively small. France and Austria are much closer to the impacted regions of Italy than Southern Italy is. I would not be surprised if there are restrictions to more countries to as the testing continues to increase and more cases are found.

Ok this is a really smart comment! I'm not a geography or math expert, but does the size of Europe and the number of cases fit in the size of China or even smaller S Korea?? IF yes, then the whole continent should be a CDC 3?

 

[disneyholic family]

Ok this is a really smart comment! I'm not a geography or math expert, but does the size of Europe and the number of cases fit in the size of China or even smaller S Korea?? IF yes, then the whole continent should be a CDC 3?

europe's not that small, but what's important is the rate of increase. France, Germany, Spain, even the UK are all jumping fast now.
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[sayhello]

There are 2 travel advisories. One is a health advisory that's issued by the CDC, and another travel advisory that's issued by the US Dept of State, which includes other threats such as health, terrorism, etc. And if you research the other countries listed, you will find they are a 2 and for what reason.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
I register all my trips with the US Dept of State and they send me notification and updates for the countries I am visiting. You can register here:
https://step.state.gov

I looked at the US Dept of State site, and all the other countries that Thomson lists are level 2 due to terrorism, and have been that way since late spring/early summer 2019. None of them have Travel Advisories due to COVID-19.

Sayhello

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Well, a few nights ago I read on the US Embassy website that all people leaving Italy for the US will be screened for fever >99.5 degrees. If you have a fever, basically you must follow the instructions of the Italian authorities (luckily my husband speaks Italian and has dual Italian citizenship, so maybe that is a benefit if it comes down to that?) They can also be screened during the flight and will be screened again upon landing. We live in Atlanta, so if for some reason he had a fever once he got here, I would be worried, but at least he would be home. For the record, my husband feels fine is in good health, etc. but he says he is becoming paranoid himself. We are very happy that he has a nice sized apartment he has been staying in - so no hotel exposure, etc and he is a good cook, so he has in general been having one meal one a day and cooking the other meal. He has also been trying to practice social distancing.

One thing I read talked about self monitoring upon return from Italy and immediate quarantine should you have symptoms. We have a good sized house and I already have the downstairs (with kitchenette) ready for him as I am going to limit my exposure to him when he returns. However, I am going to pick him up at the airport. Better I am with him that some random UBER driver. My work will let me work from home if needed.

ETA: I just read an Italian news article that Italy is locking down entire provinces in the North, except for emergency access. This just happened probably due to the really high new number of cases in the past couple of days. The provinces that I saw listed in the article where all ones that we had planned to visit, which is surreal. My mom's province of Vicenza is not on the list (she was born not too far from the town of Asiago - if anyone is familiar with the cheese )

Thanks for the update. I can understand his paranoia. That's how I feel. I found myself getting irrationally angry when I saw a waitress tonight unconsciously wipe her nose with the back of her hand, and then pick up a glass to take to a table. It's something I probably wouldn't have noticed a few weeks ago. That's what this thing is doing. It's worse when there is more at stake (like being away from home). We have been eating out quite a bit, and I'm definitely conscious of it. Super scary about the lock down. I hope everyone will stay safe, and I'm glad to hear your mom's province is not on the list. I will cross my fingers your husband stays nice and healthy!

 

[mmutt]

ABD Italy: Amalfi Coast and Tuscany (May 31) has been cancelled.
ABD to refund monies but United Airlines is charging fees to cancel our flights.

 

[disneyholic family]

ABD Italy: Amalfi Coast and Tuscany (May 31) has been cancelled.
ABD to refund monies but United Airlines is charging fees to cancel our flights.

United is charging? That's terrible. You should try to escalate that. It's not like you're cancelling for a frivolous reason.

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