Good time to buy Carnival shares for the perks? And cheap cruises?

[davecttr]

If the ship is mothballed which Thomson spirit used to be in the winter season they still have to keep some onboard services running. I remember when Thomson Dream was laid up in Taranto for months before transferring from Costa. The ship was in poor condition with plumbing joints drying out etc. I think Costa just left it sitting there.

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

It may do Andy, but all those posters who keep an eye on marine traffic websites tell me that they are still putting out to sea, and the P&O letter to crew about them being sent home specifically said that some hotel staff would be needed on board to service the needs of the remaining crew. 

And of course they have to go to sea to discharge grey water.

[brian1]

The fact that grey water would be greatly reduced on a near empty ship,couldn't it be pumped into a barge and disposed of,JMO.

[pete14]

3 minutes ago, brian1 said:

The fact that grey water would be greatly reduced on a near empty ship,couldn't it be pumped into a barge and disposed of,JMO.

I guess the driver probably wants to take their boat for a short spin every now and then, to keep their hand in at driving. 

Edited April 7, 2020 by pete14

[molecrochip]

All water systems are flushed through daily. This includes every cabin toilet and sink otherwise you risk the build up of bacteria in the system.

 

A ship is also not designed to sit idle and if it did for months, would need significant maintenance to bring back into service. Taking it for a trip along the coast keeps it in good condition.

[molecrochip]

It should also be noted that Genting Cruises have today issued their updated health protocols in preparation for restarting cruises in China. The steps, whilst slightly restrictive, are a step in the right direction.

 

What isn’t explicitly said but implied is running ships at less than full capacity.

[brian1]

54 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I guess the driver probably wants to take their boat for a short spin every now and then, to keep their hand in at driving. 

Of course,that was staring me in the face.And the Captain could go water skiing if he put his foot down.

[suekay]

We bought 100 shares last week for £6.02 per share feeling that it wasn't a great deal to lose in worst case scenario.  They are currently trading at £8.986 presumably up since Saudi Arabia bought an 8.2% share in Carnival

[Son of Anarchy]

7 hours ago, brian1 said:

The fact that grey water would be greatly reduced on a near empty ship,couldn't it be pumped into a barge and disposed of,JMO.

 In Tenerife, they can pump grey water into tanks on the quayside, which are later removed by truck.

 

They're not very big though.  Probably just about ok to cope with a ship in for a day.   Not big enough though to cope with a full Ventura for 5 days!

 

 

[brian1]

11 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said:

 In Tenerife, they can pump grey water into tanks on the quayside, which are later removed by truck.

 

They're not very big though.  Probably just about ok to cope with a ship in for a day.   Not big enough though to cope with a full Ventura for 5 days!

 

 

Cheers,that was my point,on a ship with a skeleton crew,even allowing for flushing systems every few days,I think pumping into another vessel would be ok.

[funinhounslow]

Another interesting article with particular relevance for this thread...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52195601

 

In short, leisure shares may appear “cheap” at the moment but it might be advisable to hold your high horses...

 

What I wouldn’t give for a crystal ball right now...

[kruzseeka]

Two class actions re Carnival's response in the early days of the pandemic.  Guess there may be more - whether successful or not remains to be seen but could have a further impact on shares prices.  We've still got ours - hoping to resume cruising at some stage! 🤞

 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/413596/class-action-being-prepared-against-ruby-princess-operator-carnival-cruises

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8197413/Cruise-line-bosses-concealed-coronavirus-infections-fool-passengers.html

[molecrochip]

Both of these are wonderfully opportunistic. If these get to court they won’t succeed.
 

Carnival will show by example that action was taken on all ships where evidence required. Carnival will also show that passengers are responsible for advising the onboard medics of symptoms.

[wowzz]

Thought I would post this from the BBC. Not exactly in depth,  but shows why none of the cruise companies  can expect a bail out.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52182509

Not sure if I agree about the negative impact on the local economies. Yes, I know too many pax squirrel away rolls from the breakfast buffet before going ashore, and dash back to the ship, so as not to eat in the local restaurants (foreign food, and so expensive!), but many destinations rely on cruise ship passengers to support their local economy. I'm especially thinking of the Caribbean islands and Alaska.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Thought I would post this from the BBC. Not exactly in depth,  but shows why none of the cruise companies  can expect a bail out.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52182509

Not sure if I agree about the negative impact on the local economies. Yes, I know too many pax squirrel away rolls from the breakfast buffet before going ashore, and dash back to the ship, so as not to eat in the local restaurants (foreign food, and so expensive!), but many destinations rely on cruise ship passengers to support their local economy. I'm especially thinking of the Caribbean islands and Alaska.

It was interesting to note the articles comments about special offers once cruising restarts, many on here have been thinking that cruise prices will rise, but of course they need to fill ships to make profits.  So margins are likely to be squeezed and prices slashed to encourage us all to go cruising again.

[funinhounslow]

There may be some “loss leader” offers via Peninsular Club but I don’t think there will be an outpouring of cheap fares in general.

 

Flog ‘em too cheap and you run the risk of setting unrealistic pricing expectations for the future.

 

Plus there’s the risk of a trip turning into a “booze cruise” with the the subsequent anti social behaviour and negative publicity. I’m thinking of this sort of thing...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/27/passenger-in-clown-suit-prompts-mass-brawl-on-po-cruise-ship

 

P&O’s generally fair prices on board could be a “double edged sword” here...

[Roger88]

Its the best time to purchase if you want to start cruising now. Cruising next year will be very expensive due to a high demand. I would also not recommend waiting for too long. You may lose the cruise and money by paying too much. I would suggest buying their best deals now. Its better to cruise in a big suite with a pool than spending time in selfisolation at home. Hope you guys have made your plans 😄

[wowzz]

53 minutes ago, funinhounslow said:

There may be some “loss leader” offers via Peninsular Club but I don’t think there will be an outpouring of cheap fares in general.

 

Flog ‘em too cheap and you run the risk of setting unrealistic pricing expectations for the future.

 

Plus there’s the risk of a trip turning into a “booze cruise” with the the subsequent anti social behaviour and negative publicity. I’m thinking of this sort of thing...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/27/passenger-in-clown-suit-prompts-mass-brawl-on-po-cruise-ship

 

P&O’s generally fair prices on board could be a “double edged sword” here...

Without reopening a whole can of worms, you are aware that the incident in question was a total non event, aren't you?

[funinhounslow]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Without reopening a whole can of worms, you are aware that the incident in question was a total non event, aren't you?

I wasn’t but it doesn’t matter - it was widely reported as fact at the time (along with some sneering comments in the Daily Mail about sailaway parties). What’s that quote about a lie travelling halfway around the world before the truth has got its shoes on?
 

The initial lurid reports are what people remember not the more boring facts confirmed after the event. 
 

One incident like this, splashed over the Mail online is likely to persuade many people considering a cruise for the first time not to bother. Cruising has a big enough image problem as it is right now. I don’t think P&O needs anymore headlines about brawling clowns for a while. 

Thinking about it, it would prob be prudent for cruise ships to sail below capacity for a while, if only to make social distancing easier. I would definitely prefer to pay a “normal” price for a holiday on a slightly emptier ship than be on a cheap cruise full of bargain hunters...

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Roger88 said:

Its the best time to purchase if you want to start cruising now. Cruising next year will be very expensive due to a high demand. I would also not recommend waiting for too long. You may lose the cruise and money by paying too much. I would suggest buying their best deals now. Its better to cruise in a big suite with a pool than spending time in selfisolation at home. Hope you guys have made your plans 😄

Regardless of prices, none of us here know if we can get insurance for cruises,  or indeed for any foreign holidays next year. No insurance, no cruise, and you lose your deposit. Booking anything that involves foreign travel next year is a high risk action, in my opinion.

[funinhounslow]

On 4/9/2020 at 12:33 PM, funinhounslow said:

Thinking about it, it would prob be prudent for cruise ships to sail below capacity for a while, if only to make social distancing easier.

Looks like this will be the case. Makes sense for all sorts of reasons. 
 

I think anyone hoping for a cheap cruise when we emerge from this mess is going to be disappointed. 
 

https://apple.news/AsXziiePcTMGWzL_wOgGp5w

[smj777]

On 4/9/2020 at 12:46 PM, wowzz said:

Regardless of prices, none of us here know if we can get insurance for cruises,  or indeed for any foreign holidays next year. No insurance, no cruise, and you lose your deposit. Booking anything that involves foreign travel next year is a high risk action, in my opinion.

I've just got my annual insurance renewal notice for 9th. May. It confirms (roughly) that there will be no cover for Covid19 apart from emergency medical treatment abroad. I'll not book another cruise until I am CERTAIN that I can't contract coronavirus any time in the future.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

28 minutes ago, smj777 said:

I've just got my annual insurance renewal notice for 9th. May. It confirms (roughly) that there will be no cover for Covid19 apart from emergency medical treatment abroad. I'll not book another cruise until I am CERTAIN that I can't contract coronavirus any time in the future.

Wow, is that including cruises that you booked under your current policy or is it referring to cruises you book in the future?

[smj777]

Presumably from my renwal date because they never contacted me before this.