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

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

I thought that as well, I tend to believe there will be little overseas travel this year, and what there is will from Autumn onwards, assuming no major resurge of virus. We are not planning any cruises or overseas travel in 2021, if we do go beyond these shores it will only be to visit our friends in Brittany, as we have had to postpone our 2020 visits and we would drive there.

 

Any holiday we take will be in U.K., Scotland will be high on the list, we have yet to visit the west coast and we have always wanted to visit Skye, so this maybe this is the year we do that. 
 

We were only saying last night that we are very relieved that we have no overseas holidays (of any kind) booked. I fear that lots of people (especially those relying on summer cruises) will be disappointed and potentially at a late stage, by which time they will have no plan B options remaining.

 

We did a 21 night self-drive touring holiday of Scotland in September 2019, and it was one of the best holidays we have ever done, even though we have been before. More enjoyable, in fact, than many cruises we have been on. The West Coast is the undoubted highlight and worth a week on its own. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. 

[Dermotsgirl]

Well, no announcement today.

 

I haven't forgotten how stressful I found it waiting for the cancellation of my 6th March cruise, so I do sympathise with people who are waiting for news about their April - June cruises.  

 

I have no regrets about moving my two remaining cruises to 2022, and it's such a relief not to have to keep waiting and wondering what will happen - until next year at least.

 

We carried forward a coach trip to the Edinburgh Tattoo from last year, and I am very hopeful that this will proceed, so we have something to look forward to.  

 

 

 

[zap99]

11 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

We were only saying last night that we are very relieved that we have no overseas holidays (of any kind) booked. I fear that lots of people (especially those relying on summer cruises) will be disappointed and potentially at a late stage, by which time they will have no plan B options remaining.

 

We did a 21 night self-drive touring holiday of Scotland in September 2019, and it was one of the best holidays we have ever done, even though we have been before. More enjoyable, in fact, than many cruises we have been on. The West Coast is the undoubted highlight and worth a week on its own. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. 

We have 2 overseas holidays booked, in our humble opinion they will both go. You don't think they will. We may go abroad on holiday, you won't. If ours don't go we will get our deposit back. You won't as you haven't booked anything. We have 2 UK holidays booked. If foreign holidays do go, you will probably have to pay a fortune. My prediction is that foreign holidays will go. I don't expect JVT, or any other official to tell everyone to go ahead folks. We are adults and will review the facts and make our own decisions.

[MX-Drew]

6 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We have 2 overseas holidays booked, in our humble opinion they will both go. You don't think they will. We may go abroad on holiday, you won't. If ours don't go we will get our deposit back. You won't as you haven't booked anything. We have 2 UK holidays booked. If foreign holidays do go, you will probably have to pay a fortune. My prediction is that foreign holidays will go. I don't expect JVT, or any other official to tell everyone to go ahead folks. We are adults and will review the facts and make our own decisions.

I'm with you on that. I booked holidays last year thinking if it goes then great we get away but if it doesn't then deposit back in the bank and feet up and a whisky in my hand. One holiday went ahead and another didn't, that's on top of 7 cruises cancelled (some booked before the pandemic and some at the early stages thinking things would improve).

As for the west coast of Scotland, that was one of my best holidays too. I spent two weeks driving up the west coast and visiting the whisky distilleries and visiting the islands.

[No pager thank you]

This week's roulette wheel lands on 00

 

0 certainty for passengers

0 information, or new real offers

 

All chips on the table now belong to P&O...🤦

 

[Ardennais]

29 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We have 2 overseas holidays booked, in our humble opinion they will both go. You don't think they will. We may go abroad on holiday, you won't. If ours don't go we will get our deposit back. You won't as you haven't booked anything. We have 2 UK holidays booked. If foreign holidays do go, you will probably have to pay a fortune. My prediction is that foreign holidays will go. I don't expect JVT, or any other official to tell everyone to go ahead folks. We are adults and will review the facts and make our own decisions.

You’re right, but remember that lots of folk can only afford to have one holiday booked at a time! So I understand what Selbourne said too, people with cruises booked, possibly paid for in full and unlikely to go ahead, would like their money back asap in order to make alternative arrangements. 

[MX-Drew]

6 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

You’re right, but remember that lots of folk can only afford to have one holiday booked at a time! So I understand what Selbourne said too, people with cruises booked, possibly paid for in full and unlikely to go ahead, would like their money back asap in order to make alternative arrangements. 

That is very true too.

[Selbourne]

27 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We have 2 overseas holidays booked, in our humble opinion they will both go. You don't think they will. We may go abroad on holiday, you won't. If ours don't go we will get our deposit back. You won't as you haven't booked anything. We have 2 UK holidays booked. If foreign holidays do go, you will probably have to pay a fortune. My prediction is that foreign holidays will go. I don't expect JVT, or any other official to tell everyone to go ahead folks. We are adults and will review the facts and make our own decisions.

What a bizarre post. I haven’t said that there will be no overseas holidays this year, even though many do think that, just that I’m glad that we don’t have any booked so that we don’t have the worry of ‘will they, won’t they’. I happen to think that overseas holidays (by air) may go ahead later this summer, but that overseas cruises are probably less likely until the Autumn. Just my view as obviously none of us know for certain.
 

I have no deposits invested, so getting them back isn’t a win situation (unless maths has changed since I was at school). We certainly won’t ‘pay a fortune’ for a foreign holiday, as we have decided not go abroad again before 2023 and will possibly book a 2023 cruise at launch. As you say, we will all make our own decisions, but let’s not get back to the silly situation where only those who are convinced that cruises are going to resume in ‘a few months time’ are allowed to express an opinion and others who don’t think that are shot down in flames. We had that last year when some were absolutely convinced that they would resume in the autumn, then the winter, then the spring.......

[zap99]

22 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

I'm with you on that. I booked holidays last year thinking if it goes then great we get away but if it doesn't then deposit back in the bank and feet up and a whisky in my hand. One holiday went ahead and another didn't, that's on top of 7 cruises cancelled (some booked before the pandemic and some at the early stages thinking things would improve).

As for the west coast of Scotland, that was one of my best holidays too. I spent two weeks driving up the west coast and visiting the whisky distilleries and visiting the islands.

We have various options and will have more quite soon. Our 2019 Canada/Alaska trip went belly up, so we rebooked for 2020, whoops. When 2021 flights open we will book again. Lots of places to see , lots of vouchers to use. How depressing to have a mind set that nothing will go. I like your Scotland idea. I could have a virtual Scottish Highlands and Islands tour with all the malts in the drinks cupboard. Thanks for the idea🤣

[MX-Drew]

2 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

What a bizarre post. I haven’t said that there will be no overseas holidays this year, even though many do think that, just that I’m glad that we don’t have any booked so that we don’t have the worry of ‘will they, won’t they’. I happen to think that overseas holidays (by air) may go ahead later this summer, but that overseas cruises are probably less likely until the Autumn. Just my view as obviously none of us know for certain.
 

I have no deposits invested, so getting them back isn’t a win situation (unless maths has changed since I was at school). We certainly won’t ‘pay a fortune’ for a foreign holiday, as we have decided not go abroad again before 2023 and will possibly book a 2023 cruise at launch. As you say, we will all make our own decisions, but let’s not get back to the silly situation where only those who are convinced that cruises are going to resume in ‘a few months time’ are allowed to express an opinion and others who don’t think that are shot down in flames. We had that last year when some were absolutely convinced that they would resume in the autumn, then the winter, then the spring.......

For the record my comment was not meant as being against anyone else's opinion and I certainly have understood that Selbourne meant that cruises would probably not happen before late this year but holidays by air could possibly go ahead before.

My comment was just airing my outlook on the situation and that is, book and pay a deposit then if it goes ahead great if not deposit back and nothing except a little time is lost. There has been a gain in that for that time I had something to look forward to.

[MX-Drew]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

We have various options and will have more quite soon. Our 2019 Canada/Alaska trip went belly up, so we rebooked for 2020, whoops. When 2021 flights open we will book again. Lots of places to see , lots of vouchers to use. How depressing to have a mind set that nothing will go. I like your Scotland idea. I could have a virtual Scottish Highlands and Islands tour with all the malts in the drinks cupboard. Thanks for the idea🤣

With you on the virtual Scottish tour only mine would be Speyside as I'm not so keen on the peaty malts of the west coast even though I visited just about every distillery there.

[shopaholic6]

31 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

You’re right, but remember that lots of folk can only afford to have one holiday booked at a time! So I understand what Selbourne said too, people with cruises booked, possibly paid for in full and unlikely to go ahead, would like their money back asap in order to make alternative arrangements. 

Yes exactly this!  I don't see why P & O seem to think they have more right to my money than I do 😕

[terrierjohn]

33 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

You’re right, but remember that lots of folk can only afford to have one holiday booked at a time! So I understand what Selbourne said too, people with cruises booked, possibly paid for in full and unlikely to go ahead, would like their money back asap in order to make alternative arrangements. 

Very few people need be in the fully paid category at present with a 30 day balance payment. I realise some people do make regular payments for budgetary reasons, but probably low numbers.

However I recognise how frustrating it is to be left in limbo for so long, which is why I also have a great deal of sympathy for all the cruise line managements as well.

[Dermotsgirl]

59 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Very few people need be in the fully paid category at present with a 30 day balance payment. I realise some people do make regular payments for budgetary reasons, but probably low numbers.

However I recognise how frustrating it is to be left in limbo for so long, which is why I also have a great deal of sympathy for all the cruise line managements as well.

There’ll be a chunk of people who had cruises  scheduled for March and April 2020 who paid in full on the due date three months before sailing date, before Covid was even known about. Many of those will have moved their cruises to a similar cruise this year, encouraged by the apparently generous 25% FCC.

 

I could have been in that ‘boat’ myself. 
 

I was booked on a Fred Olsen cruise for March 2020 and paid my balance in December 2019. The cruise cost me over £7500, and that is a lot of money for me. When the cruise was cancelled I had the chance to move the cruise with a 25% future cruise credit, which would have been a sizeable ‘bonus’.

 

However, I decided that the future was far too uncertain, and there was no guarantee that there’d be any semblance of normality in 2021, and I felt there’d be no return to cruising by the spring of 2021. Therefore I opted for a cash refund.

 

I wasn’t posting on CC this time last year, and I would no doubt have been castigated for negativity in some quarters. But time has proved that I was right, and I have no regrets about asking for the refund. I’ve used the FO money for a new patio and garden improvements, which I’ll be able to enjoy for years to come, and particularly in the next few years when I believe that I won’t be travelling as much as before.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by Dermotsgirl

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

However I recognise how frustrating it is to be left in limbo for so long, which is why I also have a great deal of sympathy for all the cruise line managements as well.

I also have sympathy for cruise line management and staff, as their futures remain far from certain, but what I can’t excuse them for is not at least cancelling all cruises departing before 17th May. They should have done this a week ago after Boris announced that 17th May would be the ‘absolute earliest’ that any overseas holidays could legally operate. Leaving aside whether or not cruises will re-commence at the same time as flights (as we all have different opinions on that), there is no limbo whatsoever about between now and 17th May - rather absolute certainty. It doesn’t affect me thankfully, but I’d be pretty hacked off it it did. 

[shopaholic6]

23 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I also have sympathy for cruise line management and staff, as their futures remain far from certain, but what I can’t excuse them for is not at least cancelling all cruises departing before 17th May. They should have done this a week ago after Boris announced that 17th May would be the ‘absolute earliest’ that any overseas holidays could legally operate. Leaving aside whether or not cruises will re-commence at the same time as flights (as we all have different opinions on that), there is no limbo whatsoever about between now and 17th May - rather absolute certainty. It doesn’t affect me thankfully, but I’d be pretty hacked off it it did. 

It annoys me as on their website, under the section about pausing up to 21st June, it states:

 

"Please note that these cruises have not been cancelled and there is no action required from you or any customers you may have booked on these cruises at this time. Should it be necessary to extend our pause and cancel any more cruise dates then we will advise you and our guests as soon as we possibly can. "

 

They know full well it is necessary to extend the pause and cancel further dates, so they have not advised their guests as soon as they possibly can!  They should have advised people on Monday 22nd February that further cruises were cancelled! 🤦‍♀️

[wowzz]

Thought this was of interest.  One of the key points mentioned, is that the cruise industry can't afford any false starts, so it seems to me that it is almost inevitable that the commencement date will be later rather than sooner.

https://www.travelweekly.co.uk/news/cruise/domestic-cruise-restart-will-be-short-term-measure-says-royal-boss

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Thought this was of interest.  One of the key points mentioned, is that the cruise industry can't afford any false starts, so it seems to me that it is almost inevitable that the commencement date will be later rather than sooner.

https://www.travelweekly.co.uk/news/cruise/domestic-cruise-restart-will-be-short-term-measure-says-royal-boss

I thought that it was a carefully aimed kick up the backside of the UK govt dept overlooking the restart of cruising, for them to extract digits and get a move on.

Just shows how we all see what we want in anything.

[MX-Drew]

Well here is something interest I found on Etihad Airways website.

Have cabin crew and pilots been vaccinated against COVID-19?

• Yes! We’re proud to be the first airline in the world to vaccinate all pilots and cabin crew on board against COVID-19. It’s just one of the ways we’re keeping you protected with Etihad Wellness.

   

  So if an airline can buy / arrange for their staff to be vaccinated why not a cruise line?

[terrierjohn]

1 minute ago, MX-Drew said:

Well here is something interest I found on Etihad Airways website.

 

Have cabin crew and pilots been vaccinated against COVID-19?

• Yes! We’re proud to be the first airline in the world to vaccinate all pilots and cabin crew on board against COVID-19. It’s just one of the ways we’re keeping you protected with Etihad Wellness.

   

  So if an airline can buy / arrange for their staff to be vaccinated why not a cruise line?

It's easier when the  ruler of the country is also the owner of the airline.

[MX-Drew]

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

It's easier when the  ruler of the country is also the owner of the airline.

True I guess but goes to show it also helps to get priorities right.

Now I'm not saying the vaccination approach in the UK is incorrect but maybe in phase 2 of the program they should have looked at what helps the economy. That said I agree with the thought of keep it simple and the rollout will be faster.

 

I will now stand in a corner and argue with myself. 

[wowzz]

11 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

It's easier when the  ruler of the country is also the owner of the airline.

And the number of employees involved is minute compared to the number of crew employed, by, say, P&O. 

[Britboys]

22 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

True I guess but goes to show it also helps to get priorities right.

Now I'm not saying the vaccination approach in the UK is incorrect but maybe in phase 2 of the program they should have looked at what helps the economy. That said I agree with the thought of keep it simple and the rollout will be faster.

 

I will now stand in a corner and argue with myself. 

Well, I guess if it is about the economy, they are no doubt vaccinating all the low paid Asian workers in construction and hotel services then...🤔

[jake 26]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

Thought this was of interest.  One of the key points mentioned, is that the cruise industry can't afford any false starts, so it seems to me that it is almost inevitable that the commencement date will be later rather than sooner.

https://www.travelweekly.co.uk/news/cruise/domestic-cruise-restart-will-be-short-term-measure-says-royal-boss

I agree with you. The last thing that the cruise industry needs is a restart that fails because of Covid infection, and the loss of confidence that would bring, not to mention the bad press coverage 'floating petri dishes etc etc'

 

Confidence has to be regained to attract the masses back, and time is needed so that countries can vaccinate to the level of Israel and the UK, and cruise lines surely must insist that all crew have been vaccinated.

 

So in my view a restart must be later than sooner.

[yorkshirephil]

Another baby step towards cruising 

Croatia Opens Ports to International Cruise Vessels (adriaticdmc.hr)