Travel expert highlights most asked questions when booking trips abroad amid coronavirus spread

With new cases of the coronavirus popping up across the world daily, is the coronavirus having an impact on travel? Well, many people who are traveling on cruises aren’t canceling their plans. Instead, many are just starting to ask more questions, educating themselves.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - With new cases of the coronavirus popping up across the world daily, is the coronavirus having an impact on travel?

Well, many people who are traveling on cruises aren’t canceling their plans. Instead, many are just starting to ask more questions, educating themselves.

Holly Richardson, owner of Journeys of Dreams in Scottsdale, says she hasn’t seen many travel cancelations on her end due to the growing concerns of the coronavirus. She's only had one cancellation for a trip to Alaska.

"They said they were concerned about the virus and I explained to them that most people that were concerned about the virus were in fact booking cruises to Alaska because it’s probably one of the safest places there is," Richardson said.

More phone calls with concern came after the Diamond Princess Cruise was quarantined in Japan. "I think more questions came out when it was pretty much determined that the quarantine was ineffective and that was not the fault of the cruise line they were acting on what the Japanese authorities were telling them to do and they followed that to the letter and it just didn’t seem to work because that’s when it spread as much as it did on board that ship," Richardson said.

At this point many cruise lines are not offering refunds, Richardson explains. But, what about travel insurance?

"Most insurance companies do not cover you if you have the insurance because they don’t cover epidemic or pandemics," she goes on to explain. "... insurance doesn’t do any good, you could lose your deposit or you can lose your full payment if you’re in that 100% penalty so you have to weigh all those things ..."

There are also major changes in the skies for two major airlines: JetBlue and American Airlines. They are waiving change fees with the growing concerns of the coronavirus.

American Airlines customers who purchased a ticket starting March 1st until March 16th can change or cancel their flight up to 14 days prior to taking off. JetBlue purchase dates started Feb. 27th to March 11th for travel through June 1st.

The best thing travelers can do at this point is to educate themselves on where they are going and how to stay safe, Richardson says.