mercury7289

6 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

You know it's very interesting, although I understand the risks, I am a fit 73 year old with no pre-existing conditions.  Today at the office, a young colleage has just lost his best friend to Covid.  He was 20, no pre-existing conditions.  Try figuring that one out.

A widow friend of ours, Grand daughter age 8, is very ill with it at this time.

Might be helpful for P&O, to offer those who are post 70, or have certified conditions, and who booked 2021 sailings, pre covid, a refund of there deposits if they so wish. even if 60-90 day delay.

I believe at this time those not wanting to sail, would lose their deposit.

This would clear the way for the Company to fully understand there forward order book

Also maybe a chance to enhance there profits.

56 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I think the fact that so many countries are now open for tourists without any quarantine restrictions has prompted the govt to specify that cruising is not included in these new arrangements. But since most cruise lines have paused operations into October, it really is no change at all, and if the CLIA  agree safe operating procedures with the EU & UK  I would expect it to be revised well before then.

Do not wish to get into a debate either way, I gave my take on the issue!

Time will tell!

15 minutes ago, kruzseeka said:

 

That's the Frederica (a tanker)!

 

According to AIS earlier this evening only Britannia, QM2, Ventura and Carnival Valor were there so clearly some had left since the photo was taken. 

Arcadia was the only one off Bournemouth earlier today but AIS is now showing Aurora is back so perhaps she was off Weymouth and has now returned to Poole Bay.

Brilliant, well done

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Very true, but balances need to be paid for loads of people, so it's a very hard choice.

Jean

Why is it hard?

Ships not going anywhere

Refunds not being made

Package and itinerary unknown

America in serious problems

Carnival will not sail from here or there, my guess this year

Desperation to get the Brits on board to save the company.

Strength of 2021 order book unknown, reliant on deposit only paid guests to firm up bookings.

Deposits taken are not meaningful amounts, so guests can walk away if needed.

Hi Di Hi type excursions, freedom to do as you please in ports curtailed.

Why is it Hard.

Its common sense.

What will you be paying for and where will you be going?

1 hour ago, ToxM said:

The FCO message seems to like they are just reiterating their advice to make sure it is seen as current in light of other restrictions being lifted. It’s a bit moot really as no cruises lines are operating for a while from the UK anyway.

 

The thing to take away from this is that the situation is very very fluid and things can change in a mont, or two months, well within the scope of the extended shut down from P&O. 

Was not the way I read it.

I thought, it was additional information ie; No cruising for anyone, rather then the recommendation for over 70s as previously.

28 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

But 1947 was more memorable. Snow up to your armpits the end of April so I'm told.❄

Avril 

It were cold, very cold,

So cold, that I decided not to enter the world in that decade!

Just now, Harry Peterson said:

Individual numbers mean very little, because populations of countries vary widely. The only way of looking at figures to exclude this variation is to look at numbers per million population, and we have the fourth worst death rate in the world. Partly, I’d guess, because so many untested and infected NHS patients were dumped into care homes on government instruction.

Individuals are the issue, not where there home abode, was placed in a dodgy league.

I am concerned for the individuals not statistics!

19 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

America's handled this badly, but believe it or not our death rate per million is considerably worse.  Ours is the fourth worst in the world, and the US death rate per million is only two thirds of ours.

 

Aware of that, but individual numbers are the issue, not league tables.

Getting more and more concerned for our cousins across the pond.

Total confirmed cases  3,159,514

Total deaths                   134,883 Equates to just over 4%

Active cases                  1,631375 

WW2 America lost 418.000 personnel in total.

Our Cousins, needs to wake up to the reality!

15 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Only joking wowzz. I'm an old fogey too. The clue is in Adawn47 😆

Avril 

1847 was a wonderful year🍷 Cheers!

Just now, Britboys said:

I wonder if the crisis Roger88 was referring to is the cancellation and refund crisis rather than the Covid crisis?

Could be, but not as I read it!

1 hour ago, molecrochip said:

Sorry it wasn't good news to be sharing. This really has happened fast. This time last week all I heard was unsubstantiated rumours and three weeks ago Oceana was definitely due on Tyneside for three months before heading back to the Gulf.

 

As I posted somewhere else, I don't tend to put something out unless I know it has a solid foundation as it can otherwise upset people unnecessarily. 

 

Currently Oceana is headed to Weymouth bay for a week or two but thats subject to change. I'm also hearing that she is likely to loose her bow art and branding possibly as soon as today.

You played it straight, so happy with that.

Thank you

Just now, Britboys said:

Very sad for all the pax booked on her and also the crew. Whilst she was the least favourite of the 3 ships I would sail on, she certainly has had a reputation of having one of the happiest crews.

Andrew, 

Your  information source was impeccable, thank you for sharing.

Just now, drsel said:

The experts here on cruise critic are usually correct/accurate with their analysis and predictions

 

 

Maybe she has just returned home to collect some stores!

And the Tower is having some fun!

3 hours ago, drsel said:

Dear Graham and Mercury, With all your experience and wisdom, try analysing cruise prices and find out which are the best value, instead of counting leaves or watching the grass grow 

 

 

Simply haven't the need to.

🍷

Just now, grapau27 said:

Apparently counting leaves on a tree is good for you.🤓

We tried that, but very difficult in the wind!

3 minutes ago, No pager thank you said:

Very much hope Oceana doesn't have 107 cases, with only 170 on board that would be very, very bad indeed!😉

 

More seriously, I must admit I have been amazed how positively New Zealand, Australia and the neighbouring island states have fared.  This is genuinely a continuing worldwide catastrophe, but they have been fortunately spared to a great extent, despite their large cities, ageing populations and deprivation issues.

 

I'll stop deviating from the point now, I think that the opening poster has a good selection of views now to consider in relation to their question.

There but for an I!!  

Australia have implemented full lock down procedures in Melbourne, around a group of tower blocks.

So they are not clear of this awful pandemic.

But I do take your point

15 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Actually I think you have put your finger on the main problem, and no cruise line has yet really addressed the issue.  Yes you can have masks, yes you can have temperature checks, yes you can section off tables in restaurants etc. 

But, what do you do when a passenger or crew member has CV19? By the time they display symptoms they can easily have infected 20/30/50 other people. There is no way that you can determine who these infected people may be. 

In many ways, this situation is no different to a hotel, apart from the fact that a hotel does not move from town to town, possibly spreading a virus in its path. 

And I believe that is why, however many safety measures the cruise industry puts in place, that cruising is in trouble. If one person on a ship has CV19, what do you do with the other thousands of crew and passengers, all of whom are potential carriers.

If one, or a few passengers had it, would they not seriously compensate, under a non disclosure agreement!!

19 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks.

Pauline went to her hairdresser and I went to my barbers this morning.

We had a Mcdonalds meal afterwards sitting in the car overlooking Seaham beach then went to see Oceana leave and had a walk along South Shields beach tonight.

Graham

What a wild life you lead!!😄

We sat in our chairs today waiting for supermarket food delivery, watching the grass grow, I month to go! 

We can do it!

30 minutes ago, cruisenewbie1976 said:

The huge rise is number of cases is mainly coming from the Americas where you could argue that very little was done to try and control the virus. Europe seems fairly stable and the outbreaks that have occurred seem to have been dealt with successfully. Sweden seems to be the exception but they went for a different approach. 

Yap Yap-- New cases today 4th July.

North America   54488 

Asia                     53474

South America   47349

Africa                   15201

Europe                 11912

Oceana                107

Yap Yap GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

2 hours ago, cruisenewbie1976 said:

No but you'd have to be pretty stupid to think that it wouldn't have spread without cruise ships. It's a highly contagious disease. Doesn't take much working out does it? 

I refer to your post in February / March!!

38 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Contained a number of factual inaccuracies including the idea that only 145 ships were sailing. More like 300+!

Sorry, numbers irrelevant.

The basic cruising risks for the immediate future, were laid bare, can not see, what advantages, there could be to the people reporting the story to misrepresent there findings

But I can understand the advantages from Carnival Towers to whip up there folks, into trying to rubbish the report.

It is a shame,

However I believe that Carnival under estimate the folks from over this side of the pond, we are a mass of individuals, we cannot be led, but we can and do come together for the common good.

Just now, Saab4444 said:

It is not an internet rumor but a mouth to mouth info from an insider.

Not socially distancing then!

Saab--Very sorry could not resist!

34 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Nice thought wowzz but I don't really fancy taking a wheelchair on a train journey, my wife could only transfer to a train seat with difficulty, and how I would get her to the toilet while its moving would be a nightmare, even if the aisle is wide enough to accept a wheelchair.

Same situation, also difficult to ensure their dignity.