Windsor travel agents field many coronavirus cancellations, while also booking bargain trips
Canada's chief public health officer recommends not travelling on cruise ships
Windsor resident Sandy Tyndale knows all too well what it's like being on a cruise ship during the coronavirus outbreak. He and his wife were on a Caribbean cruise in early February, until the trip was cut short.
"We got the first three land stops in, and then as we approached Barbados they wouldn't let our ship in," he said. "We had 115 people ... who were coming down with respiratory problems and stomach problems, including some crew and quite a few passengers."
Tyndale said most people recovered within two days, and there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on that ship. But it was enough for authorities to cut the trip short, returning passengers to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., three days early.
Tyndale and his wife were scheduled to go on another cruise leaving from Sydney, Australia but they have cancelled those plans.
"I don't want to take the chance on sitting in a boat for six weeks or more," he said.
Tyndale cancelled that trip just days before Canada changed their official stance on cruise vacations. On Monday, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, recommended that Canadians avoid travelling on cruise ships.
Those looking to cancel or reschedule their travel plans due to the outbreak, are keeping Windsor travel agents busy.
"We don't want to lose business but we also want our customers to feel safe and comfortable in their travel experience," said Sarah Hupalo, owner of Goliger's TravelPlus Windsor. "You know some days are better than others but we're just plowing through it and riding the wave."
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But not all travel needs to be rearranged.
"There are a lot of people concerned but there is a difference between being concerned and being paranoid," said Al Valente, owner of Valente Travel Inc. in Windsor. "We have had a few cancellations [and] the majority of our clients have really been concerned and are asking a lot of questions about this virus and what they can do going forward."
Valente said many clients are misinformed about how COVID-19 affects travel. He said staff are constantly checking for updates as countries around the world try to deescalate the outbreak. They always let their clients know about advisories.
It is a constantly changing list but currently, the Canadian government has several active travel advisories for countries that are hot spots for the virus.
There are also people looking to capitalize on the travel industry's slump.
"There actually are some good deals for people that want to travel either immediately or ... even going forward four months from now. I think the savvy tour operators or hotels or hotel chains have deals going on now to incentivize people to book going forward," he said. "We actually had a client yesterday that wanted to extend their stay."
Here's why health officials say stay away from cruise ships amid coronavirus outbreak:
For those worried about travel insurance, both Valente and Hupalo said there are still options available. However, generally speaking, travellers who bought regular insurance will only get reimbursed for a coronavirus-related trip cancellation if it was booked before Ottawa issued an advisory against non-essential travel to their destination.
"A lot of clients are inquiring now about penalties to cancel, but the majority of them are staying put," said Valente. "There's a difference between paranoia and being concerned about an issue, and most of our clients are concerned, but not paranoid."