Arvada Man Waits For Cruise Company To Cancel Trip After Coronavirus Outbreak
ARVADA, Colo. (CBS4)- An Arvada man has been waiting anxiously, actually hoping a cruise line would cancel his big trip. John Dilday had booked and paid for 18 of his friends and family to tour Asia on Norwegian Cruise Line.
They would fly into Hong Kong and set sail from there. But as the Coronavirus spread, worried about his friends and family's health, John asked Norwegian Cruise Line if he could cancel his trip and get a travel credit.
"They continually told us, tough break. If the ship can be there you've got to be there," he told CBS4.
As the virus spread, John and his travel agent continued to ask for a refund. He told CBS4 that his travel insurance wouldn't cover
"Travel insurance doesn't work when and if there's an epidemic, which that's what they classified it as," said Dilday.
He decided to eat the cost of the trip, over $30,000. That is until Thursday morning when the cruise line finally canceled the trip. The reason, the ports they had planned to visit had closed because of the virus. John says the cruise line will refund his money, but thinks they only canceled the trip because the ports closed, not because they were worried about the virus.
In a statement to CBS4, Norwegian Cruise Line stated:
Due to growing concerns regarding coronavirus in Asia, the ports we planned to visit in Vietnam are no longer open to accepting cruise ships. As omitting Vietnam would substantially change the planned itinerary set for the Norwegian Jade sailing from Feb. 17-27, 2020, and with no viable replacement available, we are forced to cancel the sailing on Feb. 17, 2020 from Singapore.
All guests currently booked on this sailing will receive a full refund that will be processed automatically to the form of payment provided at the time of booking. In addition, and as a goodwill gesture, guests will receive a future cruise credit worth 25% towards their next cruise. This credit can be used for up to one year from Feb. 13,2020 and can be applied towards any of Norwegian Cruise Line's currently published sailings. Furthermore, Norwegian Cruise Line will cover up to $300 per person for any airfare penalties or change fees.
While it is always our intention to maintain original itineraries, at times, unforeseen circumstances require us to make modifications or cancellations. We appreciate our guests' patience during this time and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
