Will P&O now delay announcements for future cruise pauses?

[ann141]

48 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Thank you! I have applied. Just one advantage of living on the Derbyshire/Yorkshire border!

Edited February 25, 2021 by ann141

[Esprit]

56 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I pop £2880 into one of my wife’s pension funds once a year, which gives an immediate 20% return (£576), and we draw it out over following few months, keeping below the Personal Allowance so that its tax free. A tip from my Financial Advisor (or Wealth Manager as they are now ostentatiously called). 
 

Edit - if you are wondering why £2880, that’s the most you can invest and get tax relief when you are no longer contributing as part of an employer pension scheme and drawing out funds. 

Works even better if you can employ your wife and pay her £732 per month. It reduces your higher rate tax burden and can max out her annual personal allowance at zero NI cost to her and the employer.

 

Edit- if you are wondering why £732, that’s the most someone can earn a month without triggering Class 1 NI and still be entitled to the full State pension.

[Ray66]

Cunard have just done the same thing as P&O. They've taken off all cruises before 23rd June 2021. But not made any announcement about them being actually cancelled.

[terrierjohn]

11 minutes ago, ann141 said:

Thank you! I have applied. Just one advantage of living on the Derbyshire/Yorkshire border!

Just don't expect a fortune Ann, if you invest the full £500pm the interest will be just short of £115 at the end of your years saving, then it matures and you have to start again.

[Selbourne]

9 minutes ago, Esprit said:

Works even better if you can employ your wife and pay her £732 per month. It reduces your higher rate tax burden and can max out her annual personal allowance at zero NI cost to her and the employer.

 

Edit- if you are wondering why £732, that’s the most someone can earn a month without triggering Class 1 NI and still be entitled to the full State pension.

Interesting. Sounds a bit dodgy, but I’m sure it isn’t 😂 Wouldn’t work for us though, as I paid money into one of my wife’s pension funds at a rate of 100% of her salary before she retired (as I will trigger the Lifetime Allowance penalties) and she is already using her full tax free personal allowance on the draw down. Interesting topic though and, as I am reminded, tax evasion is illegal but tax avoidance isn’t 😉 

[ann141]

44 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Just don't expect a fortune Ann, if you invest the full £500pm the interest will be just short of £115 at the end of your years saving, then it matures and you have to start again.

Its still better than most rates of interest and means an extra Radley handbag!!

[SarahHben]

22 minutes ago, ann141 said:

Its still better than most rates of interest and means an extra Radley handbag!!

I approve of your thinking 😁

[Esprit]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Interesting. Sounds a bit dodgy, but I’m sure it isn’t 😂 Wouldn’t work for us though, as I paid money into one of my wife’s pension funds at a rate of 100% of her salary before she retired (as I will trigger the Lifetime Allowance penalties) and she is already using her full tax free personal allowance on the draw down. Interesting topic though and, as I am reminded, tax evasion is illegal but tax avoidance isn’t 😉 

Totally agree that tax evasion is wrong. It upsets me when legitimate tax avoidance is confused with evasion all to often by the media.

[bobstheboy]

12 hours ago, ann141 said:

Its still better than most rates of interest and means an extra Radley handbag!!

I hope my wife does not read this, she hasn't mentioned Radley for months, very unusual !

[Son of Anarchy]

11 hours ago, Esprit said:

Totally agree that tax evasion is wrong. It upsets me when legitimate tax avoidance is confused with evasion all to often by the media.

Having both been employed earners there wasn't much we could do, but what we were able to do, I always referred to as reducing my/our tax liability.

[yorkshirephil]

[arlowood]

2 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Somewhat disingenuous since there is almost zero possibility that any international travel will be sanctioned before May 17th. It's just postponing the inevitable for those cruises scheduled for early May or even the whole of May. We have a booking on Aurora for 1st May - 19 night Med cruise. I can't see any reason to believe that P&O will be able to operate that cruise as planned.

I'll wait to see if next Tuesday brings any more clarity

[Selbourne]

Seems like unnecessary prevarication, as whilst it is highly unlikely that any cruises will depart before 21st June, it would be illegal to operate any before 17th May and therefore cruises departing before then should be cancelled at the very least.  

[Dermotsgirl]

7 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Seems like unnecessary prevarication, as whilst it is highly unlikely that any cruises will depart before 21st June, it would be illegal to operate any before 17th May and therefore cruises departing before then should be cancelled at the very least.  

I agree, it is extremely unlikely that any cruises will start by 21st June, and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t be on the published schedules.

 

Personally, if I had booked on a May or June cruise, I would have moved it long ago. But if was waiting for the cancellation and refund, I’d be feeling unimpressed right now 

[Selbourne]

3 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Personally, if I had booked on a May or June cruise, I would have moved it long ago. But if was waiting for the cancellation and refund, I’d be feeling unimpressed right now 

Me too, in fact even if I was comfortable with the proposed on board restrictions (which I’m not) I would have moved any cruise before around September, as even if they go ahead (which I think is unlikely) they won’t bear any resemblance (in itinerary or experience) to the cruise that was booked. However, a surprising number of people are still holding out hope that these cruises might go ahead and at this rate they will be too late to make ‘plan B’ arrangements by the time the decision is made for them. As I say, I’m thankfully not affected, but it seems unfair to those who will be. 

[No pager thank you]

44 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Thanks for sharing...

 

Edit: "While we seek additional clarification from Miami, and - most importantly - to minimise the risk of any savvy passenger trying a cheeky booking of a May 21 cruise in order to get a 125% FCC, we have temporarily stopped selling all cruises that are due to depart before June 21."

 

"Please remember that although your cruise is no longer on sale, if you have already booked then you can still add special treats for your cabin, arrange meals, and also book expensive "bubble" excursions via your Cruise Personaliser."

[davecttr]

25 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Seems like unnecessary prevarication, as whilst it is highly unlikely that any cruises will depart before 21st June, it would be illegal to operate any before 17th May and therefore cruises departing before then should be cancelled at the very least.  

I have a cruise that departs on 15th May so I am awaiting my email soonest

 

As reported this morning the EU summit yesterday pretty much agreed on the need for a vaccine passport and it appears it will be electronic and take at least 3 months to develop. Primarily for travel within the EU but could also be used for travellers from elsewhere. I suggest HMG get on board soonest, if they can

[No pager thank you]

9 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Me too, in fact even if I was comfortable with the proposed on board restrictions (which I’m not) I would have moved any cruise before around September, as even if they go ahead (which I think is unlikely) they won’t bear any resemblance (in itinerary or experience) to the cruise that was booked. However, a surprising number of people are still holding out hope that these cruises might go ahead and at this rate they will be too late to make ‘plan B’ arrangements by the time the decision is made for them. As I say, I’m thankfully not affected, but it seems unfair to those who will be. 

We are holding out for a cash refund of the deposit - no way are we booking another overpriced cruise from the current brochure.

 

This is just a rouse to stop people benefitting from 125% FCC transfer when the new brochure is launched.  I imagine that clarity will emerge around the time that the general sale launches, and "dynamic pricing" kicks in.  For us, the 125% is worth about £50, so I'd probably take the cash anyway.  Woe betide if the lack of clarity still isn't apparently there 30 days ahead of travel!

 

The people I feel for are those who signed up for a monthly direct debit, as pushed by P&O.

 

I think that we will just book an alternative holiday in England now with free cancellation, or pay on departure. 

 

Probably a tent in the middle of a large renote field, as that may be just about safe in May😂....

[SarahHben]

I've just been looking at the website and the May and June cruises are still there, just showing as sold out, I had to chose 'sold out' from the filters list.

 

We are travelling with my parents so it's not as simple as just moving our deposit to another cruise. My parents want to wait and see what happens, so instead, I put down a deposit last December for a 2022 cruise when prices were still good, my parents chose not to. 

[grapau27]

On 2/25/2021 at 6:31 PM, yorkshirephil said:

Yorkshire building society have a new saver account @ 3.5%, save up to £500/month for 12 months. For existing customers.

Pauline opened one of those monthly savers and if you save £500 a month for 12 months you get around £114 interest.

Shame you couldn't just put £6000 in a lump sum because that would get you £210 interest.

Edited February 26, 2021 by grapau27

[grapau27]

13 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

I hope my wife does not read this, she hasn't mentioned Radley for months, very unusual !

Pauline prefers Dune or Ted Baker handbags.

Her best friend is one of Radley's best customers.

[grapau27]

12 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Seems like unnecessary prevarication, as whilst it is highly unlikely that any cruises will depart before 21st June, it would be illegal to operate any before 17th May and therefore cruises departing before then should be cancelled at the very least.  

Absolutely agree.

 

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Pauline opened one of those monthly savers and if you save £500 a month for 12 months you get around £114 interest.

Shame you couldn't just put £6000 in a lump sum because that would get you £210 interest.

The issue of course is that you only get the full 3.5% annual interest on the first £500. 

I just stick spare cash in Premium Bonds,  and hope for the best. So far, I'm doing alright, 

[grapau27]

19 minutes ago, wowzz said:

The issue of course is that you only get the full 3.5% annual interest on the first £500. 

I just stick spare cash in Premium Bonds,  and hope for the best. So far, I'm doing alright, 

That's true.

Things have changed since I worked in a bank 46 years ago.

[wowzz]

Just now, grapau27 said:

That's true.

Things have changed since I worked in a bank 46 years ago.

But then you became a record plugger! What a great career change!