Summer 2021 cruises.

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

I am hoping that we will get to go on our planned cruise in May around Britain on Sky Princess. I won't care if the call in Le Havre is cancelled because the EU don't want Brits.

We have done British Isles cruise many times with Princess and always stay onboard at Le Havre and enjoy the quiet of the ship and pack our suitcases.

[Son of Anarchy]

Been to Le Havre twice.  Didn't get off the ship the second time.  Wouldn't bother getting off the ship next time.  

[Josy1953]

14 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Been to Le Havre twice.  Didn't get off the ship the second time.  Wouldn't bother getting off the ship next time.  

We have been there before too on an earlier Round Britain cruise, this is why I wouldn't mind missing there.  I worked for almost 36 years for a French company on international systems so visited many of the French sites and I can honestly say that I like lots of places and things about France but Le Havre is not one of them.

[ann141]

We stopped at Le Havre once on a round Britain cruise.We found certain parts interesting e.g the Cathedral and very narrow house.We also walked (from the shuttle drop off) to the sea front towards the next resort which was quite pleasant.

[zap99]

5 minutes ago, ann141 said:

We stopped at Le Havre once on a round Britain cruise.We found certain parts interesting e.g the Cathedral and very narrow house.We also walked (from the shuttle drop off) to the sea front towards the next resort which was quite pleasant.

Last time we were in Honfleur there was a ,I think, Azamara ship in. A bit small for the big ships though. Guernsey is nice, but they can't get in sometimes.

Edited December 10, 2020 by zap99

[ann141]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Last time we were in Honfleur there was a ,I think, Azamara ship in. A bit small for the big ships though. Guernsey is nice, but they can't get in sometimes.

There were excursions to Honfleur from the ship but we had been previously (on a smaller ship)and we were lucky that we could tender at Guernsey because we have had to miss it previously

[zap99]

Just now, ann141 said:

There were excursions to Honfleur from the ship but we had been previously (on a smaller ship)and we were lucky that we could tender at Guernsey because we have had to miss it previously

We were on holiday in Guernsey and Britannia was anchored in the bay. When it was our turn a few months later we couldn't get in, so spent an extra day meandering around in the Western approaches in a force 8. Next time we were on the Britannia was in the Caribbean. A bit nicer than Le Harve.

[Eddie99]

We had a really good “trencherman” lunch in an authentic Le Havre bar.  Huge slab of fish (just coley I think), mass of potatoes, veg, bottle of vin du maison.  The visit seemed to improve after that!  I agree it’s not the most fascinating of destinations though

[ann141]

44 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We were on holiday in Guernsey and Britannia was anchored in the bay. When it was our turn a few months later we couldn't get in, so spent an extra day meandering around in the Western approaches in a force 8. Next time we were on the Britannia was in the Caribbean. A bit nicer than Le Harve.

I would love to be on Britannia in the Caribbean now!!

[zap99]

Just now, ann141 said:

I would love to be on Britannia in the Caribbean now!!

We were in the Dominican Republic this time last year. I keep getting notifications. Look what you were doing last year. Thanks a bunch Microsoft.🤣

[janny444]

We like to visit Le Havre but for a totally different reason....my husband's uncle is buried there at St Marie cemetery.....he died at Le Havre the day after the 1st world war ended so when we dock there we always go to the cemetery....we were  last there  in October 2018 to remember his death 100 years ago....aged 19

[zap99]

13 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

We had a really good “trencherman” lunch in an authentic Le Havre bar.  Huge slab of fish (just coley I think), mass of potatoes, veg, bottle of vin du maison.  The visit seemed to improve after that!  I agree it’s not the most fascinating of destinations though

We were on a ships tour to Rome. We were at a table 4 four in a pretty ordinary restaurant with a fairly mediocre meal. 2 litres of wine at our table. Fond memories of that day🤣

[ann141]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

We were in the Dominican Republic this time last year. I keep getting notifications. Look what you were doing last year. Thanks a bunch Microsoft.🤣

We were coming back from a cruise to New York and the Caribbean this time last year and were due to sail to the Caribbean in January 2021 and I keep getting 'friends' posting photos of 'this time last year'

[zap99]

2 minutes ago, janny444 said:

We like to visit Le Havre but for a totally different reason....my husband's uncle is buried there at St Marie cemetery.....he died at Le Havre the day after the 1st world war ended so when we dock there we always go to the cemetery....we were  last there  in October 2018 to remember his death 100 years ago....aged 19

In one of the seaside resorts around Caen, I can't remember which, they apply a small tax on tourist premises. Every year they use that tax to keep the cemeteries maintained and to provide hospitality to the veterans when they visit each year.

[Selbourne]

Well the things you learn on this forum. Loads of people discussing the merits or otherwise of Le Havre as part of a British Isles cruise. Have I missed something? Last time I looked it was in France. Have we had to pick it up as part of the trade deal? 😂 

[purplesea]

3 hours ago, zap99 said:

We were in the Dominican Republic this time last year. I keep getting notifications. Look what you were doing last year. Thanks a bunch Microsoft.🤣

I too keep getting notifications that I was in the Caribbean this time last year and I should be down there now😢 instead I'm stuck here in strong winds and rain. 

[Selbourne]

On 12/8/2020 at 8:06 PM, hollyjess said:

Brilliant news with the vaccine rollout. Are any cruisers optimistic about cruises for the med for June 2021 onwards without restrictive measures or is that just me being hopeful?

 

I’d say there’s about a 50/50 chance that a June cruise will even happen, but a 100% chance that there will be restrictions of some kind if it does. Doubtless many will say that I am being ‘negative’ but that’s just my honest assessment based on where we are now, the likely time it will take for the vaccination programme and the strong likelihood that cruising will be one of the last things to return to anything resembling normality. 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Selbourne

[majortom10]

15 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Well the things you learn on this forum. Loads of people discussing the merits or otherwise of Le Havre as part of a British Isles cruise. Have I missed something? Last time I looked it was in France. Have we had to pick it up as part of the trade deal? 😂 

Princess cruises have always had Le Havre as a port of call on their Round British Isles cruises which Josy1953 was talking about on her cruise aboard Sky Princess which she hopes will go ahead next May. Princess also call at Cobh and Dublin which is also part of their Round British Isles schedule which they have been doing for many years throughout the summer and are the best for a complete round Britain cruise.

[Selbourne]

1 minute ago, majortom10 said:

Princess cruises have always had Le Havre as a port of call on their Round British Isles cruises which Josy1953 was talking about on her cruise aboard Sky Princess which she hopes will go ahead next May. Princess also call at Cobh and Dublin which is also part of their Round British Isles schedule which they have been doing for many years throughout the summer and are the best for a complete round Britain cruise.

Yes, I was kidding, although I have noticed that a lot of supposedly British Isles cruises call at several places that are not in the British Isles, which I personally think is a shame. I quite fancy a British Isles cruise but would ideally like it to include places like Liverpool, Newcastle, Belfast, Edinburgh, Orkneys, Shetland, Western Isles, Falmouth although I appreciate that some of those are tender ports or not possible for the biggest ships. I’ve been to Dublin and felt it was overrated. I much preferred Belfast. Haven’t been to Cobh so if it had to include one place that’s not in the British Isles then I could tolerate that one! Anywhere like Guernsey or Le Havre wouldn’t appeal either. 

[ann141]

Princess aim their British Isles cruises at the American market so they call at Le Havre so that people have the opportunity to visit Paris or the battlefield sites.On the cruise we were on about 500 people embarked at Le Havre (and a similar number at Dublin)Most embarked at Southampton.Some of the itineraries do include Liverpool.Like you, I prefer Belfast to Dublin and if we do another British Isles cruise we will visit The Giants Causeway from Belfast.I am looking at 2 cruises around Ireland next year, one with Saga, the other with Fred Olsen .

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

I’ve been to Dublin and felt it was overrated. 

You've never been in Dublin on a Friday night then!

It helps that I worked for an Irish company,  so my nights out avoided the tourist traps, although my recollection of exactly where we did go is a little hazy! 

[Ardennais]

I’m sorry to say that the possible stops in Wales aren’t very appealing places (Holyhead and Milford Haven). 

[Selbourne]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

You've never been in Dublin on a Friday night then!

It helps that I worked for an Irish company,  so my nights out avoided the tourist traps, although my recollection of exactly where we did go is a little hazy! 

Sounds as though I wouldn’t want to Wowzz! I never enjoyed boozy and noisy nights out even as a young man and whilst I enjoy a beer I cannot abide Guinness 😂 

[Selbourne]

Just now, Ardennais said:

I’m sorry to say that the possible stops in Wales aren’t very appealing places (Holyhead and Milford Haven). 

Having been to both I concur! Shame they can’t get to Cardiff as that’s lovely, especially since they did up the bay area 

[wowzz]

17 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Sounds as though I wouldn’t want to Wowzz! I never enjoyed boozy and noisy nights out even as a young man and whilst I enjoy a beer I cannot abide Guinness 😂 

But the Guiness brewed in Ireland is so much better than that brewed in the UK!

The nights out were not especially noisy,  and during the week not overly boozy, but they led to a sense of camaraderie which I found to be of great use working in a multi-national, multi-site organisation.