What would P&O do IF.....?

[bazzaw]

In the next 12 months, P&O have 2 world cruises starting in Southampton and heading west through the Panama Canal to Australia and continuing westwards home through the Suez canal. The Suez is in a particularly fragile part of the world - and I wonder what P&O would do IF, at some part of either WC, the Suez was closed or the area became too potentially dangerous??

 

I am sure that none of us here would really have any idea - :o - but it is not an irrelevant question.

 

In a short time, we have to pay a serious amount of money in full for our WC - and I note that the travel insurance specifically exclude coverage for "any acts of war", terrorism, etc.

 

 

Hmmm! :eek:

 

Barry

[Druke I]

My uncle was on a P&O ship when the Suez Canal was closed due to fighting (67?).

 

His ship diverted around Africa, and he was not happy about that!

 

We went through the Suez in Nov 06, on Oceania's Nautica - and that cleared one item on my personal bucket list.

[Rum Rat]

Anybody who has been through the Suez Canal within the last couple of years, will know just how easy it would be to close the Canal in many places.

 

From the order being received to 'Close the Canal', I would say it would be impassable to ships in at least half a dozen places in less than a minute.

 

That's an awful lot of ships trapped :-((

 

The troops on the West Bank are ready to swing the pontoons across at a moment's notice.

 

Exaggeration? Afraid not. I took pictures of the various encampments along the Canal and the troops waved back at us.

[Rum Rat]

“”In the next 12 months, P&O have 2 world cruises starting in Southampton and heading west through the Panama Canal to Australia and continuing westwards home through the Suez canal. The Suez is in a particularly fragile part of the world - and I wonder what P&O would do IF, at some part of either WC, the Suez was closed or the area became too potentially dangerous??

 

I am sure that none of us here would really have any idea - - but it is not an irrelevant question.

 

In a short time, we have to pay a serious amount of money in full for our WC - and I note that the travel insurance specifically exclude coverage for "any acts of war", terrorism, etc.

 

 

Hmmm!

 

”Barry”

 

Hmmm! ….. Yes

 

Oriana X017 due through the Suez Canal Wednesday 8th December 2010 on her return to Southampton

 

 

Artemis P101 due through the Suez Canal Saturday 15th January 2011 on her way out

 

 

Arcadia J101 due through Suez Canal Sunday 20th March 2011 on her return to Southampton.

 

As nobody else has answered the question, I have put thought to the situation and put some ideas forward, but it depends on lots of things.

 

Is there plenty of notice that the canal is to be closed?

Is it a spontaneous decision to shut it at the drop of a hat?

If closed, are certain ships to be allowed through?

If so, which? UK Ships OK?

 

Assume.

 

24 hours notice. Therefore no ships in the Canal by the careful planning of the Masters and Owners

 

 

7 Days notice. As above.

 

Thinking of P&O ONLY. Where do they want their ships AFTER the World Cruises? Southampton for Europe, the Baltic and in some cases UAS and Caribbean.

 

Therefore if the ships are not trapped in the Suez, they will bring them back via The Cape. This will add about 14 days on the cruise. Passengers on board will be given the option of flying home from such as Bombay if they are unable to add 14 days to their cruise.

 

The worse situation.

 

Convoys travel North and South, meet and pass in the centre. Up to 30 – 40 ships can be in the ‘middle’ of the canal with the North and South legs being empty. If they close the canal, without warning, at this point and a P&O ship is trapped ………………………???????

 

Questions.

 

Can they negotiate to get their ships out?

Can they negotiate to get their passengers ashore and brought home?

What of future cruises if they are unable to release their ships?

 

Make no mistake. The Suez Canal can be shut within seconds, even between the ships passing through in convoy.