Next announcement of cancellations

[nosapphire]

1 hour ago, No pager thank you said:

The difficulties that some of the staff with whom customers come in to contact with are enormous I agree.  That does not justify the well reported poor behaviour experienced by some customers and the choices not to tell the truth when it came to refunds, but it is mitigation.

 

For a few years to come, it will be hard for the cruise ship industry to continue to attract the "new to cruising" market and bring in basically a younger clientele to fill the larger ships.  In these circumstances, for the short term, it will be loyalty and the experienced cruise ship travellers who will help to save the industry - when they can. 

 

This is why it feels the constant attempt to take loyalty, forbearance and unspoken understanding for granted is a risky one.  This will be particularly problematic if the likes of Saga, Fred, Viking and TUI are seen to be doing better than P&O.  At the moment, the jury is out on that one, but once sentiment has formed, it can be hard to break.  Just feel that P&O are playing a dangerous game in choosing to say not a lot, even if they have to rehash plans.

 

Not too sure about the others, but the comments about P&O are mirroring very similar comments on the Saga boards. I think it is unlikely that any one company is doing better than any other in that respect - they all have the same problems, and are all getting the same grumbles.

[Britboys]

I'm no fan of P&O shoreside at the best of times and certainly have no confidence in the current management. Having said that, I do have sympathy for them in the current situation. Trying to decide upon a restart date and with that, what itineraries to offer on which ships must be an absolute nightmare. Even trying to think ahead to next year must feel pretty impossible, let alone setting up any alternative support arrangements. And all of this with reduced staffing levels and precious little cash coming into the company.

I also feel they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Little or no communication and people complain. Information that then changes and people complain - I know, I worked in frontline customer services for over 13 years until 2016.

I do however also feel they made a rod for their own backs with the hopeless way they have dealt with the refund issue.

[Denarius]

51 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Costa delicioza was only due to start sailing today so it's a bit early for any worthwhile feedback that P&O could use to determine if it would be worth them using it in any P&O restart, never mind sharing it with their customers.

It is my understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) that all the cruise relaunches so far are what our US cousins would call homeport cruises - cruises sailing from and returning to domestic ports on short itineraries. I am not aware of any fly cruises being offered, certainly not fly cruises involving 9 hour long haul flights. It would be a bold company which jumped in at that deep end, and I am not convinced that P&O are such a company. So whilst it may be possible that P&O will offer some cruises before next Easter, I would not expect them to start with fly cruises to the Caribbean. Rather, I would expect them to test the water with a very limited programme of new shorter cruises sailing from the UK.

[wowzz]

54 minutes ago, Denarius said:

It is my understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) that all the cruise relaunches so far are what our US cousins would call homeport cruises - cruises sailing from and returning to domestic ports on short itineraries. I am not aware of any fly cruises being offered, certainly not fly cruises involving 9 hour long haul flights. It would be a bold company which jumped in at that deep end, and I am not convinced that P&O are such a company. So whilst it may be possible that P&O will offer some cruises before next Easter, I would not expect them to start with fly cruises to the Caribbean. Rather, I would expect them to test the water with a very limited programme of new shorter cruises sailing from the UK.

Seems eminently sensible.

I suppose the key questions are, when will the government allow cruising to start, and, how much demand would there be for, say, a winter cruise around the UK, with masks,  social distancing,  rigid meal tines etc.?

[molecrochip]

48 minutes ago, Denarius said:

It is my understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) that all the cruise relaunches so far are what our US cousins would call homeport cruises - cruises sailing from and returning to domestic ports on short itineraries. I am not aware of any fly cruises being offered, certainly not fly cruises involving 9 hour long haul flights. It would be a bold company which jumped in at that deep end, and I am not convinced that P&O are such a company. So whilst it may be possible that P&O will offer some cruises before next Easter, I would not expect them to start with fly cruises to the Caribbean. Rather, I would expect them to test the water with a very limited programme of new shorter cruises sailing from the UK.

A superb set of points made by numerous posters above. Sorry, not been around to join in. A few thoughts...

 

Correct re home port and its native passenger country home port rather than ship home port.

 

Re flights, chance of catching on 9 hr flight is little different to 4 hr flight if masks worn and toilets cleaned regularly.

 

Barbados has just introduced transit rules to allow cruise companies to bubble passengers from plane arrival through to ship. Those who gave done a P&O charter will be familiar. Only requirement is proof of negative test within 72 hrs of boarding plane.
 

Aida are due to start fly cruises from Gran Canaria in November.

 

Strong feeling is that most would be surprised if Paul Ludlow is still leading P&O in 12 months time.

[davecttr]

8 hours ago, Denarius said:

It is my understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) that all the cruise relaunches so far are what our US cousins would call homeport cruises - cruises sailing from and returning to domestic ports on short itineraries. I am not aware of any fly cruises being offered, certainly not fly cruises involving 9 hour long haul flights. It would be a bold company which jumped in at that deep end, and I am not convinced that P&O are such a company. So whilst it may be possible that P&O will offer some cruises before next Easter, I would not expect them to start with fly cruises to the Caribbean. Rather, I would expect them to test the water with a very limited programme of new shorter cruises sailing from the UK.

I was just reading that TUI are planning to have Mein Schiff 6 sailing intineraries based in Heraklion, soon apparently. They will be fly cruises for the German market probably with charters as TUI AG have their own airline.

 

Senior moment, it was on this site but forgot where 😨

 

how do I change the spell checker to British English?

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

how do I change the spell checker to British English?

Dave, my spellchecker is set to UK English (I think its from the browser settings) but it still corrects my spellings with loads of Z'sss rather than S'sss, so clearly it does not recognis(z)e that I am English.

[jaydee6969]

For anyone interested, here is a link to current cruise ship activity.

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23461-here-are-the-cruise-ships-back-in-service.html

 

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Dave, my spellchecker is set to UK English (I think its from the browser settings) but it still corrects my spellings with loads of Z'sss rather than S'sss, so clearly it does not recognis(z)e that I am English.

Never realised you was 🤪

[grapau27]

35 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

For anyone interested, here is a link to current cruise ship activity.

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23461-here-are-the-cruise-ships-back-in-service.html

 

More than I realised, thanks for posting.

Let's hope everything goes well and P&O restarts in November.

Graham.

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, jaydee6969 said:

For anyone interested, here is a link to current cruise ship activity.

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23461-here-are-the-cruise-ships-back-in-service.html

 

Thanks. Interesting that over half are small/expedition cruise ships. Presumably at present, most are limiting their cruises to certain nationalities...?

[Adawn47]

5 hours ago, jaydee6969 said:

For anyone interested, here is a link to current cruise ship activity.

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23461-here-are-the-cruise-ships-back-in-service.html

 

Quite interesting. The Ponant ships look amazing, with a price to match no doubt. 

Avril

[Adawn47]

4 hours ago, Britboys said:

Thanks. Interesting that over half are small/expedition cruise ships. Presumably at present, most are limiting their cruises to certain nationalities...?

They seem to be, and mostly only cruising there own countries. Some 'sea days' only too I noticed

Avril

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Quite interesting. The Ponant ships look amazing, with a price to match no doubt. 

Avril

We watched the season 2 finale of succession yesterday, the company yacht was a similar size to  those.  I think I would enjoy having something like Phil Green's Lionheart to potter around on in the Med.😊

[Fionatritton]

We must also remember that while P&O might soon announce that late November/December cruises will sail as planned, there still a lot of water to pass under that bridge (Boom boom) before the ships sail. Particularly if the numbers keep rising and more and more pressure is put on the government to lockdown again. The government could lift the travel ban on cruising in September only to reintroduce it later at a moment's notice as they have before and continue to do with quarantines.

Any cruise at the moment, imho, cannot be said to be definitely going ahead until you've actually boarded and it's sailed.

[Castle25]

Nothing today it would seem......

 

[grapau27]

On 9/6/2020 at 11:55 PM, molecrochip said:

A superb set of points made by numerous posters above. Sorry, not been around to join in. A few thoughts...

 

Correct re home port and its native passenger country home port rather than ship home port.

 

Re flights, chance of catching on 9 hr flight is little different to 4 hr flight if masks worn and toilets cleaned regularly.

 

Barbados has just introduced transit rules to allow cruise companies to bubble passengers from plane arrival through to ship. Those who gave done a P&O charter will be familiar. Only requirement is proof of negative test within 72 hrs of boarding plane.
 

Aida are due to start fly cruises from Gran Canaria in November.

 

Strong feeling is that most would be surprised if Paul Ludlow is still leading P&O in 12 months time.

Hi Molecrochip.

Have you heard any news from your P&O contact this morning.

Graham.

[Adawn47]

2 minutes ago, Castle25 said:

Nothing today it would seem......

 

Hmm🤔, I've been waiting too. Good news or bad do you think? Come on Moley, the font of all knowledge, we're waiting with baited breath😉

Avril

[Dermotsgirl]

I think it must be next week.

4  weeks ago today they announced a further 4 week pause, so they are already slightly overdue.

 

 

 

[Adawn47]

10 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I think it must be next week.

4  weeks ago today they announced a further 4 week pause, so they are already slightly overdue.

 

 

 

Even more of a worry!!!!

Avril

[ann141]

I think Molecrochip said there probably would'nt be an announcement today because Cunard are releasing the details of their new world cruise

[molecrochip]

7 minutes ago, ann141 said:

I think Molecrochip said there probably would'nt be an announcement today because Cunard are releasing the details of their new world cruise

That’s exactly what I said! It went on sale this morning.

 

Cunard also have an on sale 3 weeks today.

If I were a betting person, I would expect an announcement next Tuesday with some cancellations across late November. I then wonder if two weeks today would be release of summer 22 pre-booking, with formal on sale 6 October.

 

The call centre expect every Tuesday to be busy at present.

Edited September 8, 2020 by molecrochip

[grapau27]

24 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Even more of a worry!!!!

Avril

It is especially for anyone with a Xmas/new year booking with final payment due.

[Britboys]

44 minutes ago, ann141 said:

I think Molecrochip said there probably would'nt be an announcement today because Cunard are releasing the details of their new world cruise

I just had a look at the QM2 "World Voyage" to see whether there might be a decent sector to replace the one I have lost on Arcadia next year. What an utter disappointment. It is basically a return Line Voyage to Australia from New York, which amongst others, has two separate calls into Dubai, two separate calls into Aqaba and two separate calls into Singapore. It takes the same route both ways with different calls. Doesn't even visit New Zealand. Not sure how they have the nerve to call it a World Voyage...

[Son of Anarchy]

3 minutes ago, Britboys said:

I just had a look at the QM2 "World Voyage" to see whether there might be a decent sector to replace the one I have lost on Arcadia next year. What an utter disappointment. It is basically a return Line Voyage to Australia from New York, which amongst others, has two separate calls into Dubai, two separate calls into Aqaba and two separate calls into Singapore. It takes the same route both ways with different calls. Doesn't even visit New Zealand. Not sure how they have the nerve to call it a World Voyage...

I was going to have a look as well for the same reasons.  Don't think I'll bother, sounds somewhat bland.