Who's going to be first.

[cockneyjock]

We are booked on Arcadia 21/5/21. Will this be P&O first cruise out of Southampton?

[bobstheboy]

I wouldn't be surprised or it may be later. Our cruise on Ventura is 22nd August, so hopeful. If they haven't stated by then, I cannot see them surviving

[Britboys]

I hope it isn't. I hope that cruising will have maybe restarted by April. I have a (non-P&O) cruised booked for 23rd June and hope that things have well and truly settled down by then 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

[majortom10]

I think there is more chance of one of the larger ships being the first to sail as it would be easier to social distance and more space to install Covid restrictions and Britannia is due to leave Southampton on 8/5/21 for a 14 nt Med cruise.

[Britboys]

6 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I think there is more chance of one of the larger ships being the first to sail as it would be easier to social distance and more space to install Covid restrictions and Britannia is due to leave Southampton on 8/5/21 for a 14 nt Med cruise.

I'm sure I am not the only one hoping against hope that very few Covid restrictions will be necessary by May...🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

[Dermotsgirl]

Iona is currently due to sail from Southampton on 6/3/21.

 

I don’t think it’s going to happen. The eyes of the cruising world will be looking at the first voyage of a new ship in normal times, let alone in the middle of a global pandemic, with new health protocols and the possibility of COVID19 actually finding its way onboard. It would just be too much pressure.

 

i think the first P&O cruise out of Southampton will be nothing that is currently scheduled. They’d probably do some short low key scenic cruises to test the new COVID secure systems. 

[No pager thank you]

My personal view is that an attractive cruise proposition will now not be in place until a vaccine is developed, and the high risk segments of the population have been vaccinated.

 

However, I am hopeful that the vaccine itself is not too far away and there are s number of encouraging signs.  We are much closer to a proper understanding of the virus than we were back in March, let's see the positive.  Geopolitically, world economies will not be able to withstand this level of disruption carrying on in to the new financial year.  The other point is that of you look at the length of previous pandemics, they do not always last more than 18 months or so, with exceptions.

 

Therefore, I think that Spring 2021 probably is a possible timeframe in the way that November certainly was not.  I do believe that, in time, most of the major players will survive.  I also think that the previous logic that the bigger ships will definitely go first probably now no longer applies as the Carribbean Winter season has essentially gone and the Christmas cash cow has been sent to market.

 

That said, this Winter will be awful - accepting the issues around cruises are small fry in the grand scheme of things, I would also say with confidence that the "90 day balance due" problem will be back with us by Christmas.

 

Our next cruise is due Aurora to the Northern Cape in late March.  I'd say there's about a 30% chance we will be able to sail.  However, close to 100% certainty that P&O and we won't know by Christmas Eve, when the balance is due.

[Bin man]

According to the wife you will have missed the boat she says its the 20th May 2021 

[cockneyjock]

On a different forum a gentleman has been invited to give talks on the QM2 in march '21. Hopefully they will extend the invitation to P&O.

[Denarius]

On 9/18/2020 at 9:44 AM, cockneyjock said:

We are booked on Arcadia 21/5/21. Will this be P&O first cruise out of Southampton?

Could well be, the way things are going. I have a cruise on Spirit of Discovery about the same time. I booked it when my cruise on Oceana was cancelled in the firm belief that things would be back to normal by then. Now I am not so sure. 😒

[Josy1953]

I am hoping that we will be able to cruise in May we are booked on Sky Princess Round Britain 14th May and then in August to the med with my niece's children.

[Son of Anarchy]

Our next cruise booking is for a Ventura roundtrip TA in early 2022.  I hope this isn't the first one to go and that plenty of cruises will have already gone.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Denarius said:

Could well be, the way things are going. I have a cruise on Spirit of Discovery about the same time. I booked it when my cruise on Oceana was cancelled in the firm belief that things would be back to normal by then. Now I am not so sure. 😒

We are booked on the Spirit of Adventure in March, and are pretty resigned to the fact that the cruise will be cancelled. Hopefully,  as yours is a couple of months later you might be OK. 

[Peanut006]

We are booked on Iona in July next year, myself, hubby and three grandchildren in. I have an accessible balcony cabin and an interior cabin across from it booked. 
If the ships are going to sail with reduced capacity do you think the people who booked interior cabins will be cancelled first? I am a bit worried that one of my cabins may be cancelled but not the other. Booked ages ago in Nov 19 and really looking forward to it

 

Michelle

[terrierjohn]

25 minutes ago, Peanut006 said:

We are booked on Iona in July next year, myself, hubby and three grandchildren in. I have an accessible balcony cabin and an interior cabin across from it booked. 
If the ships are going to sail with reduced capacity do you think the people who booked interior cabins will be cancelled first? I am a bit worried that one of my cabins may be cancelled but not the other. Booked ages ago in Nov 19 and really looking forward to it

 

Michelle

Surely if you have a linked booking even P&O would not consider cancelling your inside cabin.  However the management and IT Depts could never be considered the sharpest knives in the drawer.

[Bazrat]

We have two booked one with princess in may and the other in October with p&o, should I be confident on going on both who knows.

Edited September 19, 2020 by Bazrat

[2BACRUISER]

On 9/18/2020 at 11:34 AM, Dermotsgirl said:

i think the first P&O cruise out of Southampton will be nothing that is currently scheduled. They’d probably do some short low key scenic cruises to test the new COVID secure systems. 

Cunard are using QE in this way the first few cruises from mar 26 thro Apr are mainly 3, 4 & 7 nts cruises round british isles and near continenent, Bruges Amsterdam etc suspect P&O will go down this route, havent been on the boards for ages but its a year now since our last cruise and feeling very down so nice to see peeps have stuff booked optimistically for next year.  Stay safe. 

[PJ's]

We were very lucky that we sailed on Oceana in February 2020 to France, Spain & Portugal. It was an "extra" cruise for us as my OH had several hospital appointments in 2019 and we were just glad that we could book this at short notice because Oceana had her Asian itinerary cancelled. We really enjoyed Oceana and sad that she has now gone. 

We have a cruise booked for November 2021 on Ventura and are really hoping that this will take place. Hopefully there will be a vaccine available by next summer???? Fingers crossed.

[Josy1953]

1 hour ago, PJ's said:

We were very lucky that we sailed on Oceana in February 2020 to France, Spain & Portugal. It was an "extra" cruise for us as my OH had several hospital appointments in 2019 and we were just glad that we could book this at short notice because Oceana had her Asian itinerary cancelled. We really enjoyed Oceana and sad that she has now gone. 

We have a cruise booked for November 2021 on Ventura and are really hoping that this will take place. Hopefully there will be a vaccine available by next summer???? Fingers crossed.

Chris Whitty said this morning that there was a chance that a viable vaccine may be available before Christmas but it was more likely to be first quarter  2021 so hopefully you should be ok.