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Airline carriers, cruise ships and hotels are pissing off would-be travelers seeking refunds in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic ... and most folks are s*** outta luck!!!

Here's the deal ... folks who had domestic and international vacations planned for March, April and May are running into the same problem ... they're asking for refunds from the airlines, cruises and hotels, but are mostly being told the only remedy is credits for future travel.

Our sources tell us Kenya Airways is NOT refunding anyone ... instead, we're told the airline is only offering travel credit good for one year from the date the original flight was booked.

It's bad news for a group of wanderlust women in Los Angeles who tell us they booked flights to Seychelles and Nairobi and lodging at Kenya's exclusive Giraffe Manor, which is also only offering credit good for up to a year.

The group says they booked their $3,000 roundtrip, multi-stop flights last August and were supposed to travel in March and April, but the virus' spread makes it impossible to keep the dates and reservations.

If they want to use the airline credit -- no refunds, remember -- the group must book and complete a new trip by August 2020. As for staying at Giraffe Manor -- a super-popular haunt for celebs -- the 1-year credit means they must compete with all the other people who also had trips canceled this year and those with reservations still in play.

Meanwhile, Priceline is so swamped with calls the travel agency is only handling inquiries on flights that are within the next 72 hours. For almost every major airline, it's taking at least 2 hours to get on the phone with a real person, and in some cases it's taking 2 days.

Oh and get this ... Carnival Cruises made a California grandpa fight and claw for a refund for a $7,500 family vacation with his wife, children and grandkids ... this after the 71-year-old man warned the cruise line he couldn't risk it with his health only to be offered credit for a future cruise.

The fam was supposed to set sail from Long Beach April 11, but Craig Morris wasn't about to set foot on the ship. Until this week, Carnival reportedly insisted Craig would not be refunded for the cost of the tickets and he fought the cruise line for 2 weeks trying to get his money back.

In the end, Carnival suspended all voyages until May 11 and the cruise line is finally telling Morris and other travelers they can opt for full refunds, but only after they pissed a bunch of customers off by only offering credits for future trips.

Dr. Oz says there are positives and negatives to the public wearing surgical masks to combat the coronavirus, but says we should remember ... those precious N95 masks ain't your only option.

Oz tackled the raging debate about who should go mask on -- only people with symptoms, all of us or save them all for medical professionals? He says it's been confusing due to mixed messages from public officials and politicians.

He says the N95 masks are very effective, but he recommends saving those for first responders, nurses and doctors. For the rest of us, the doctor recommends making your own ... and maybe even make a fashion statement with it.

Oz also warns against getting a false sense of security when you put on a mask -- they can create an inadvertent risk, which he explains.

As for his time in quarantine -- Dr. Oz spoke to us from his basement, and says that's where he's been for 10 days now. He's urging everyone else to do the same, unless you absolutely need to go somewhere.

Oz admits he did have one reason to go out, and it's a pretty good one.

Ryan Seacrest says it's gonna take major adjustments, but "American Idol" will deliver all the show's usual elements ... while keeping everyone involved safe.

Ryan joined us on Tuesday's "TMZ Live" from his home studio in L.A. -- where he's been doing "Live with Kelly and Ryan," his radio shows and, of course, pushing forward on the upcoming 'Idol' season.

BTW, you can tell he's working from home ... 'cause this ain't the Seacrest 'do you're used to seeing.

The magic of modern technology has worked wonders, so far, but Ryan told us he and the other 'Idol' honchos are still sorting out how to pull off what would normally be live episodes. He says the end goal is giving the audience what it expects ... singers' performances, judges' comments and fan voting.

We broke the story ... 'Idol' producers tried for as long as they could to find a way to produce the show in studio, but ultimately decided it can't be done for health and safety reasons.

Kris and Kylie Jenner want to do everything they can to make sure those battling coronavirus stay protected ... they're donating hand sanitizer to healthcare employees on the front line.

Kylie and Kris are teaming up with COTY -- the majority stakeholder for Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin -- to produce hand sanitizers for hospitals in Southern California. The product will then be donated to workers taking on the public health crisis. We're told each bottle contains a special message, "Dedicated to first responders working to support our communities."

Kylie and Kim Kardashian West have already each pledged $1 million to coronavirus relief efforts ... and both sisters have urged their followers to take warnings seriously and to stay home.

Kylie was asked by the Surgeon General to spread the message to her more than 160 million followers ... and obliged.

R. Kelly's firing back at prosecutors who say he shouldn't get released early due to coronavirus risks -- arguing prison is a petri dish, and insisting he can't properly prep for trial from jail.

The singer's legal team filed a reply to the feds' response to Kelly's original motion last week, in which they asked a judge to let R. Kelly out of jail on bond ... mainly because he feared coming down with COVID-19.

Uncle Sam's responded ... R. Kelly isn't old enough (65 or older) to be considered high-risk. They also said a recent surgery he had doesn't make him more susceptible to the virus. On top of all that, the feds say R. Kelly's been provided with plenty of soap and cleaning supplies.

Kelly claims that's not the case, especially for other inmates to whom he might be exposed. The feds say MCC Chicago is up to snuff with CDC guidelines and adds that no one at the jail has tested positive.

R. Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, isn't buying prosecutors' logic. In the new docs he says prison is basically a breeding ground for bacteria, and it's only a matter of time before someone gets the virus and spreads it like wildfire.

He also says his client is being deprived of his right to prep for trial because he can't meet face-to-face with his lawyers. MCC Chicago's banned all visitors due to the pandemic. Greenberg says inmates there are fighting for phone time, and they're having a hard time getting ahold of him.

You've seen virtual birthday parties. Virtual weddings. Even a virtual bris!

But, have you seen an entire college marching band come together from their own homes to jam out their school's FIGHT SONG?! Well, you have now!

Check out the Ohio University Marching 110 -- AKA, "The Most Exciting Band In The Land" -- performing a virtual rendition of "Stand Up and Cheer" despite the quarantine keeping the musicians' miles apart.

It's really amazing stuff -- and even made its way to the desk of Ohio governor Mike DeWine who dedicated the performance to "all our wonderful healthcare workers and first responders across #Ohio."

FYI ... the Marching 110 has a knack for going viral -- you may have seen them busting out  renditions of "Gangnam Style" and "Party Rock Anthem."

The new performance isn't just inspiring -- it also made us hyped for football season ... which immediately made us sad that it might not be happening in 2020 thanks to that stupid virus.

Regardless, shout out to the Marching 110.

'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic isn't able to enjoy his newfound celebrity status as a free man, but he's making the most of it behind bars ... or at least he was, until he got quarantined.

Sources close to the convicted former Oklahoma zoo owner and tiger breeder tell TMZ ... he was ecstatic last week -- despite his incarceration -- about all the popularity he's gained since the Netflix docuseries premiered.

We're told he's been receiving a ton of mail in prison, and he's replied to at least 200 emails ... with plenty more waiting in his inbox.

Our sources say he had to hit pause on basking in the glory, though ... because he just got transferred from a county jail that's been holding him to a federal facility ... the FMC Fort Worth prison in Texas.

The good news -- Joe apparently requested the transfer because the prison is a nicer facility than where he's been. The bad news is the prison immediately put him in quarantine as an intake safety precaution due to the coronavirus.

We're told this means he's unable to make any calls or check emails for the duration of his 14-day quarantine stint, and as anyone who's seen 'Tiger King' knows ... Joe's not big on being alone.

Our sources say he's champing at the bit to contact the outside world, and thank folks for making him feel loved again.

Of course, things might be different for Joe once he's able to return to his emails ... thanks to an outtake of him ranting about not being able to say the n-word while shooting his old online reality series.

Chris Cuomo's spent plenty of time talking about coronavirus on CNN, and now he's got a first-person account of what it's really like ... because he has the virus.

Chris says he's tested positive for COVID-19 ... but so far CNN says he's feeling well and will continue to anchor his prime-time show from his home.

Cuomo says he's been exposed to people in recent days who have also been diagnosed with COVID-19, and he's worried about spreading it to his kids and wife, Cristina.

Chris says he's quarantining in his basement, where he'll continue anchoring his show. He already anchored from home Monday and interviewed his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Gov. Cuomo just addressed his brother's diagnosis at Tuesday's coronavirus briefing ... saying the virus doesn't care how rich, powerful, young or old you are. Andrew says Chris is gonna be fine, but there's a lesson in it for everyone.

CNN says Chris was last at its NYC offices Friday and he's the third case of coronavirus at the network's Hudson Yards workspace. As you know, New York is considered the epicenter of the outbreak in the States.

Chris says he had symptoms associated with COVID-19 -- fever, chills and shortness of breath -- but he's staying positive, vowing the country will beat the virus by remaining smart, tough and united.

Andy Cohen is over the coronavirus and out of quarantine, which means he can finally see his son again ... and their reunion was quite a moment.

The "Watch What Happens Live" host shared a happy photo Tuesday morning of himself hanging out with his boy, Benjamin, and says ... "I’ve hosted reunions for years, but yesterday’s was the best one yet."

The father-son reunion happened 10 days after Andy announced he had tested positive for COVID-19. As we reported ... he said he began feeling ill as he was already self-quarantining.

Cohen was among a first wave of celebs to reveal they'd contracted the virus -- along with Idris Elba and Colton Underwood -- revealing their diagnoses about a week after Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.

If you thought "Three Billy Goats Gruff" was an enchanting fairy tale, you ain't seen nothing yet ... a small community in Wales has got that beat by the dozens.

Once upon a time, a virus took over the world and forced everyone inside for a long while. The city of Llandudno in the British land of Wales was no exception to the rule, and not a soul wandered its streets for weeks ... leaving the town barren and in relative silence.

The local mountain goat gang caught wind of the abandonment, and decided to try their hand at taking over the joint ... slowly but surely flocking and having their run of the place, without a human in sight to stop them.

The more goats that joined the herd, the more they were left to do their own bidding, and eventually ... the entire town was inundated with horns and lots of baaahhs.

The local townsfolk couldn't do a thing but watch intently from indoors. "Will we ever go outside again?" wondered Papa. "Doubtful," replied Mama. "The 'rona's got our goat for now."

The end ... or is it???