AS more and more locations start restricting flights and/or tourist getting to the liveaboard may become problematic.
Is Coronavirus keeping you from booking liveaboard/overseas trips this year?
- Thread starter nippurmagnum
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Since the number of confirmed cases depends on two things:
- How many actual cases in a „place, country, area“, and
- How many people were tested
The number of deaths may be a better, but a very sad and late indicator of how many cases there really might be in a place.
In that sad sense (I have no idea about how correct these numbers are), I prefer this dashboard below to form an opinion on what to think. But wherever you look at, things point to worse, including here in the US. The numbers right now show an over proportionate death rate in the US (based on number of confirmed case (right now, by this source 51 of 2,500). Meaning that we need to test a lot more if we want to know what is going on here and where, so the right measures get put in place at the right place and maybe, hopefully, timely... (because late is ... late...)
Anyway, if you are dead set on not wanting to reconsider travel plans to certain places (if travel is still possible) don‘t look:
Coronavirus Update (Live): 150,657 Cases and 5,619 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Outbreak - Worldometer
- How many actual cases in a „place, country, area“, and
- How many people were tested
The number of deaths may be a better, but a very sad and late indicator of how many cases there really might be in a place.
In that sad sense (I have no idea about how correct these numbers are), I prefer this dashboard below to form an opinion on what to think. But wherever you look at, things point to worse, including here in the US. The numbers right now show an over proportionate death rate in the US (based on number of confirmed case (right now, by this source 51 of 2,500). Meaning that we need to test a lot more if we want to know what is going on here and where, so the right measures get put in place at the right place and maybe, hopefully, timely... (because late is ... late...)
Anyway, if you are dead set on not wanting to reconsider travel plans to certain places (if travel is still possible) don‘t look:
Coronavirus Update (Live): 150,657 Cases and 5,619 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Outbreak - Worldometer
I like your post, but of course not the content...
With you by heart, emotion and intellect (well, what‘s left of it).
Wish you, all of you, that things will change for the better soon. I will find that Grappa bottle this evening and make that wish official...
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A lot of countries are imposing rather serious measurements.
We don't know if that's excessive. Me, I prefer to err on the side of caution. The ocean will always be there.
We don't know if that's excessive. Me, I prefer to err on the side of caution. The ocean will always be there.
NOT A DOCTOR; Just a reminder, we have antibiotics to treat bacteria infections. Virus we treat with preventative vaccines. All they can do for a virus is treat the symptoms and make you comfortable. The Coronavirus is well a Virus. With a virus either your body fights if off, or not.Prevention is best.
- Messages
- 17,334
- Reaction score
- 13,744
- # of dives
- 100 - 199
Just as an update to my story in case anybody is interested.
As a reminder I have (had?) a LoB trip departing on the 19th of March for Raja Ampat. We were flying from Athens/Greece on the 11th with my wife and 2 kids (4 and 6 yo) and a friend of mine. Wife and kids were to stay in Jakarta with my inlaws, and me and my friend were to fly after few days to Sorong for the LoB. Our tickets were with Saudia through Jeddah.
Begin of March Saudi Arabia government announced that they stop pilgrim religious visits to Mekkah etc (A LOT of Indonesians go there for praying). Soon afterwards Saudia starts to reduce daily flights between Jeddah and Jakarta (from 3-4 daily to 3, then 2). Soon they let us know that our original flight was canceled and we were moved to the next one with 14 hours transit in Jeddah - a long phone call later and I managed to move us on an earlier flight with 2:50 transit. So far so good. I contacted the LoB to tell them that despite some difficulties we will still make it.
Until then we had only few confirmed cases here in Greece and everybody was calm, although situation was getting more and more serious day by day. So was our anxiety.
Late on the 10th of March (about 12 hours before our departure) Greek government announces the first important measures (school closure, ban for big gathering etc). With my wife we decide to cancel the trip. Not because of fear for the virus, but because it was becoming clear that we will have problems, if not during our stay in Indo, for sure on our way back. From that moment onwards I feel a HUGE relief although more than 4000euros worth of bookings are uncertain. First we cancel the Saudia flights. We are supposed to get refund but nobody knows exactly how much and when. BTW my friend decides to fly anyway alone.
Next day (11th of Matrch) I contact the LoB telling them the news. Their reply disappoints me. According to them I had a week left to find a way to reach Sorong, hence they can't cancel/refund neither rebook(!). As an alternative I ask them and they accept to let me resell my ticket. I place an advertisement on a Raja Ampat backpackers kind of group for a very low price (500 euros out of the original 1500) hoping to sell it fast. Sorry fellow SBers - it didn't cross my mind to put it here too. Some people show interest but fortunately due to the uncertainty all of them asked me to delay my final decision few more days. I wonder are there people out there that still hope things will get better in the next few days?
Yesterday our big boss at work recalled all leaves and banned us from traveling abroad (yes it is a government job and they can do this - I work in air traffic sector and to ensure availability they demanded everybody to be available/stand by at home in case any significant number of workers get sick). Even if I was in Indonesia I would have to get back with the first available flight.
Today I told these to the LoB operator and they now accepted that this is outside my control and offered me a rebook. I'd prefer a refund but I understand that they will have huge loses ahead hence I accepted - with Indonesian wife (and now a LOB waiting), another trip to Indonesia once things calm down with the virus is very probable anyway.
Also today Saudi Arabia banned all international flights. Hence my friend can't use his return ticket. He was told to ask for refund or go to a ticket desk in Jakarta to find alternatives. I wish him good luck but I wouldn't like to be in that position with my kids and my wife right now.
All these up to now. Nobody knows how things will be tomorrow, let alone in 2 weeks time when I was supposed to be back from the LoB.
In retrospect it is now clear that we should have canceled our plans much earlier. Diving/traveling/holidays after all are supposed to be fun.
Stay safe everybody...
As a reminder I have (had?) a LoB trip departing on the 19th of March for Raja Ampat. We were flying from Athens/Greece on the 11th with my wife and 2 kids (4 and 6 yo) and a friend of mine. Wife and kids were to stay in Jakarta with my inlaws, and me and my friend were to fly after few days to Sorong for the LoB. Our tickets were with Saudia through Jeddah.
Begin of March Saudi Arabia government announced that they stop pilgrim religious visits to Mekkah etc (A LOT of Indonesians go there for praying). Soon afterwards Saudia starts to reduce daily flights between Jeddah and Jakarta (from 3-4 daily to 3, then 2). Soon they let us know that our original flight was canceled and we were moved to the next one with 14 hours transit in Jeddah - a long phone call later and I managed to move us on an earlier flight with 2:50 transit. So far so good. I contacted the LoB to tell them that despite some difficulties we will still make it.
Until then we had only few confirmed cases here in Greece and everybody was calm, although situation was getting more and more serious day by day. So was our anxiety.
Late on the 10th of March (about 12 hours before our departure) Greek government announces the first important measures (school closure, ban for big gathering etc). With my wife we decide to cancel the trip. Not because of fear for the virus, but because it was becoming clear that we will have problems, if not during our stay in Indo, for sure on our way back. From that moment onwards I feel a HUGE relief although more than 4000euros worth of bookings are uncertain. First we cancel the Saudia flights. We are supposed to get refund but nobody knows exactly how much and when. BTW my friend decides to fly anyway alone.
Next day (11th of Matrch) I contact the LoB telling them the news. Their reply disappoints me. According to them I had a week left to find a way to reach Sorong, hence they can't cancel/refund neither rebook(!). As an alternative I ask them and they accept to let me resell my ticket. I place an advertisement on a Raja Ampat backpackers kind of group for a very low price (500 euros out of the original 1500) hoping to sell it fast. Sorry fellow SBers - it didn't cross my mind to put it here too. Some people show interest but fortunately due to the uncertainty all of them asked me to delay my final decision few more days. I wonder are there people out there that still hope things will get better in the next few days?
Yesterday our big boss at work recalled all leaves and banned us from traveling abroad (yes it is a government job and they can do this - I work in air traffic sector and to ensure availability they demanded everybody to be available/stand by at home in case any significant number of workers get sick). Even if I was in Indonesia I would have to get back with the first available flight.
Today I told these to the LoB operator and they now accepted that this is outside my control and offered me a rebook. I'd prefer a refund but I understand that they will have huge loses ahead hence I accepted - with Indonesian wife (and now a LOB waiting), another trip to Indonesia once things calm down with the virus is very probable anyway.
Also today Saudi Arabia banned all international flights. Hence my friend can't use his return ticket. He was told to ask for refund or go to a ticket desk in Jakarta to find alternatives. I wish him good luck but I wouldn't like to be in that position with my kids and my wife right now.
All these up to now. Nobody knows how things will be tomorrow, let alone in 2 weeks time when I was supposed to be back from the LoB.
In retrospect it is now clear that we should have canceled our plans much earlier. Diving/traveling/holidays after all are supposed to be fun.
Stay safe everybody...
You go the ultimate "get out of jail free" card when your employer said you can't travel - that got you the ability to rebook the trip. You probably didn't have that sort of option much earlier. Hoping your friend makes it to their destination without problems. Glad you got the news before you traveled, rather than getting stuck somewhere without your family. Stay well.
We were supposed to go to AKR on Sat and rescheduled for late July. We made the decision on Thursday and it seems like the right call every passing day. So far only out 230 more for flight cost differences.
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