EU Healthy Gateways advice fr restarting cruises

[wowzz]

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23207-tui-to-restart-operations-at-end-of-july.html

A brave move from the German branch of TUI.

Can any cruise line make money operating at 60% capacity?

[jeanlyon]

So how are they going to operate with the Foreign Office reiterating their advice about not going on cruises?  Or is that ship for Europeans and not Brits?

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cruise-ship-travel

Edited July 9, 2020 by jeanlyon

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

So how are they going to operate with the Foreign Office reiterating their advice about not going on cruises?  Or is that ship for Europeans and not Brits?

Jean, I did say it was the GERMAN branch of TUI. 

[ann141]

2 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

So how are they going to operate with the Foreign Office reiterating their advice about not going on cruises?  Or is that ship for Europeans and not Brits?

I presume the cruises are for anyone willing to pay but probably mainly the European market.FCO advice is against cruising which doesn t mean you are not allowed to cruise just that most insurance companies won t cover for any travel which the FCO advises against

[jeanlyon]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

Jean, I did say it was the GERMAN branch of TUI. 

Yes saw that too late.  Sorry.  It's interesting that the FO Travel Advice was updated today and advises against cruise travel. 

[jeanlyon]

2 minutes ago, ann141 said:

I presume the cruises are for anyone willing to pay but probably mainly the European market.FCO advice is against cruising which doesn t mean you are not allowed to cruise just that most insurance companies won t cover for any travel which the FCO advises against

Yes exactly.  You would be crazy to cruise without travel insurance, although I suspect some do.

[wowzz]

12 minutes ago, ann141 said:

I presume the cruises are for anyone willing to pay 

The cruises are operated by German lines for the German market. Can't see many Brits rushing to book!

[tring]

18 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

 It's interesting that the FO Travel Advice was updated today and advises against cruise travel. 

 

The bit that takes my attention is the last sentence,

 

"The Foreign & Commonwealth Office continues to support the Department for Transport’s work with industry for the resumption of international cruise travel."

 

That says that the discussions which have been reported as taking place between cruise companies, Gov, PHE etc. are still ongoing.  Both Fred and P&O have mentioned these discussions in recent weeks/months and no doubt are about producing guidelines to re start - presumably a UK version of the EU document we have all seen details of recently.  No cruise companies are intending to sail in the near future and new guidelines would likely need to be in place before they do, then FCO advice will change.

 

The age discrimination regards over 70's has gone for now though.

 

The full link given by Jean earlier:

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cruise-ship-travel

Edited July 9, 2020 by tring

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Eddie99 said:

I tend to agree but thought posters might like to see the message from The Top

 

I guess he needs to say something and it wouldn’t be good to do a Private Frazer-

“We’re all doomed”

Indeed. There are lots of folk on faceache moaning that he put out a 'non-statement'. I bet those same people would have moaned if P&O had not responded at all to the govt. statement today...

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

The cruises are operated by German lines for the German market. Can't see many Brits rushing to book!

Welcome to the new me, my davecttr account is not working so I have a new one, hopefully only temporary

 

Back to topic. The TUI cruises are cruises to nowhere, leave port, sail around the north sea for 3 days and back to where you started. You need to speak german as well

Edited July 9, 2020 by davecttr

[No pager thank you]

Strikes me that Ludlow's tweets will be concerned with:

 

1) If non cruise holidays get too much of a headstart, i.e. good resort-based, or all inclusive, or tour based holidays, the the allure of a cruise holiday may be further dented.

 

2) By updating the position to reiterate avoid cruise ship travel, the first order concern is not to dissuade passengers from paying full balances on bookings from October which will be due in the coming weeks.

 

Rest is noise.

Edited July 9, 2020 by No pager thank you
Typo

[Denarius]

13 minutes ago, No pager thank you said:

Strikes me that Ludlow's tweets will be concerned with:

 

1) If non cruise holidays get too much of a headstart, i.e. good resort-based, or all inclusive, or tour based holidays, the the allure of a cruise holiday may be further dented.

 

2) By updating the position to reiterate avoid cruise ship travel, the first order concern is not to dissuade passengers from paying full balances on bookings from October which will be due in the coming weeks.

 

Rest is noise.

Agree.

The advice issued by the FCO today is of obvious concern in that it advises specifically against all cruise ship travel regardless of the ports to be visited. This applies to people of all ages, not just over 70s. Until and unless this advice is cancelled or suitably modified, I would be reluctant to pay any outstanding balance without a cast iron guarantee that I would get a full refund should the advice still be in force at the sailing date. This is unlikely to be given. Rather, I suspect that British cruise lines will suspend sailing until the advice is changed, however long that might take.

Edited July 9, 2020 by Denarius
post clarified

[No pager thank you]

Just had the tweets sent to me as an email from Paul Ludlow.

 

This has obviously rattled them a bit.

 

Amazing how quick they can get messages out when it suits, just 116 days late when it doesn't🤔

[terrierjohn]

4 hours ago, AnnieC said:

Increasing demand from his guests for their refunds?😂 

 

As for "confidence in cruising is strong", what planet is he from?

Remember Annie we are only a very small section of cruise passengers, and maybe the consensus of our group is not wholly representative of the wider P&O customers.

[ToxM]

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. 

[mercury7289]

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.

[ToxM]

15 minutes ago, mercury7289 said:

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.

 

Hmm good point, but off hand I can only think of three lines that or are about to start offering cruises ... Seabourn, Hurtigruten and Aida...everyone else is going nowhere fast.. 

[Manx buoy]

2 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Remember Annie we are only a very small section of cruise passengers, and maybe the consensus of our group is not wholly representative of the wider P&O customers.

Read Twitter and FB the feeling is very strong no faith whatsoever. I’m one of the lucky ones to have received most of our money back but after his post on FB after an hour there were over 400 comments and all singing the same song how much longer do we have to wait!!!

[No pager thank you]

11 minutes ago, Manx buoy said:

Read Twitter and FB the feeling is very strong no faith whatsoever. I’m one of the lucky ones to have received most of our money back but after his post on FB after an hour there were over 400 comments and all singing the same song how much longer do we have to wait!!!

Yes, I must admit the usual P&O appreciation society cohorts are much quieter than normal on the official Facebook page.  Fewer "Top Fan" P&O passengers are coming to the rescue - just the occasional looking forward to my cruise message. 

 

The usual protests around "this is not a refund thread" are not there this time.  It appears that most have accepted the FCO announcement gives cause for legitimate concern and conversely the social media team at P&O are being picked up for lack of responsiveness.

Edited July 9, 2020 by No pager thank you
Typo

[Roger88]

Europe is so diverse, I doubt you will find many countries agreeing on this type of regulations which will bring you to one maximum two countries that you will be able to visit. Its a hard topic to discuss really. I would rush going anywhere at the moment. Things are way to complicated and there was no compromise among EU states so far  

[jeanlyon]

Must confess that a lot of people will be booking some type of land based holiday for 2021, maybe at home and maybe in Europe, but probably not cruising.

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Must confess that a lot of people will be booking some type of land based holiday for 2021, maybe at home and maybe in Europe, but probably not cruising.

For the first time in many years, at the moment we only have one holiday booked (quick 7 day Saga cruise in March 2021) for the next 18 months. I have a feeling many people will be in the same position. 

We are not cruise fanatics - our preferred holiday is a private villa, but an occasional cruise is a nice change.  

Part of the enjoyment, for me at least, is looking at villa/cruise options,  deciding where to visit etc.

In the current environment there is no joy in doing any of the research,  knowing that circumstances can change so quickly that the best laid plans can be cast asunder at any minute. And that's before any financial costs are taken into account. 

So, for the foreseeable future, we are going to stay in the UK,  taking last minute 4 or 5 day breaks, using budget hotels,  and patronising as many local pubs as my liver will allow!

[AnnieC]

13 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Remember Annie we are only a very small section of cruise passengers, and maybe the consensus of our group is not wholly representative of the wider P&O customers.

Indeed, so purely in the interests of research I bravely tottered over to a couple of other well-known sites - seems like most on there are pretty underwhelmed as well.

[terrierjohn]

23 hours ago, mercury7289 said:

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.

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.

[mercury7289]

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!