New morning, new disasters

[carbonel]

Last night, I was thinking that I should probably try to cancel the cruise, under the circumstances. (I could envision being kindly escorted to my cabin every time I coughed.) And then, overnight, the final shoe dropped.

While I was sleeping, the ports of Manila (the next stop) and Taipei (the new stop where I was supposed to join the cruise) closed to cruise ships. My mother, who’s already on the ship, says she has no idea where they’re going next. She says the ship was supposed to reprovision in Manila, and they’re likely to run out of strawberries and blueberries. I told her that should be the worst thing that happens to her. It’s about the only funny thing about the entire situation. So I am not flying to Taipei, and I’m not going on this cruise. So it goes.

At this point, I’m in recovery mode. I need try to get refunds for the airfares. The United flight went through the travel agent, so she needs to handle it. I'm waiting for a callback from Delta. The actual cost of the cruise will be dealt with between the cruise company and the insurance company, but something will definitely happen with that as well.

In the meantime, there were two events -- a spinning retreat and a convention in LA -- in February/early March that I hadn’t been able to go to because of the cruise, and I’ll be checking to see if I can make either of those happen.

And if all goes well, there will be a replacement cruise next winter.

My thanks to everyone for the kind words yesterday. I am actually feeling considerably less stressed about things than I was yesterday. No more decisions to be made, just managing what's already happened.

Comments

[naomikritzer]

Apparently I was replying to your last post as you were posting this one!

I know exactly what you mean about how much less stressful it is to just DEAL with whatever problems have been handed you vs. having to make a decision. Good luck dealing with the necessary paperwork, and I hope your mom's troubles on that cruise are limited to a shortage of fruit salad!

[graydon]

I hope the resolutions go well!

[oursin]

So much easier to KNOW rather than to have to be in that should-I/shouldn't I state.

I was once on a Vancouver-Toronto train that was delayed considerably from scheduled time: the last meal was notably meagre (not just an absence of delicious fresh fruit) and had we been delayed much longer, I was foreseeing the casting of lots to see who got eaten first... though I suppose there were bastions of civilisation where they could have restocked did it come to that strait.

[minnehaha]

The airlines will be fine, I am sure. I hope the cruise line is forgiving as well. How much contact do you have with your mom?

K. [because, as far as containment goes, Olsterholm says that ship has sailed]

[carbonel]

Delta has refunded my fare (with up to seven working days for the credit to actually show up on the AmEx card), so that part is done. Turns out the travel agent has to deal with the MSP-TPE flight on United, because she's the one who purchased it.

As for my mom, we have good email and occasional phone contact. I talked to her this morning. Everyone on the ship is feeling rather isolated, but apparently all healthy. She has no idea where they'll go next, since the next two planned stops (Manila and Taipei) are now closed to cruise ships. After that was supposed to be three stops in Vietnam, one in Cambodia, and one in Thailand, before finishing in Singapore, but who knows if that will actually happen.

And Singapore is where my mother is supposed to fly home from (as was I), so if that port closes to cruise ships, it will be an additional (but solvable) challenge.

[pameladean]

Yikes! I'm behind on DW and just ducked out to read the previous post. I too totally get that it's much less stressful when a decision hss been made or an avenue closed off. It's very hard to let go of plans. And yours were really great ones!

I feel for your mom. I'm sure it's partly a matter of personality, but I'd rather just be stuck at home than in the middle of a disrupted cruise.

P.

[msmoat]

Oh, gosh, I'm just catching up with this. I'm glad the decision was taken out of your hands, to be honest. And that you're on this side of the ocean(s). Sending luck vibes towards your mother that she'll be able to get home again without too much inconvenience. I'm sorry that you're all going through this!

On the other hand...hope to see you in LA! *g*

[dorinda]

What she said! And you're so right, I'd rather be managing a fait accompli than be stuck in an uncertain muddle where I had to make decisions but didn't know which ones to make.

Oh noes!

[lsanderson]

Good luck!

[naomikritzer]

How long has your mom been on the ship? I'm curious what the original planned route looked like.

[carbonel]

She's been on the ship since January 5, except that her first great-grandchild was born during that first segment up the California coast and back, and she left the ship and flew to Chicago to spend time with him. She met the ship back in San Diego, in time for the next leg to Hawaii.

You can see the first segment here, and then subsequent ones by clicking the Next link.

What Crystal does is put together longer cruises, then break them into segments. You can purchase the entire trip or just a segment (or more). So my mother was on the entire two-month Pacific cruise, but I was only on the final (originally) Hong Kong to Singapore segment.