Who has decided to take a summer staycation cruise?

[seapals2]

P&O taking bookings from tomorrow.  Anyone decided to sail.   Have you checked with your insurers.  The FCDO advice remains unchanged.  Are we covered if we decide to book.   P&O will refund if the sailings are cancelled but what if we need to cancel for any reason.  
 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cruise-ship-travel

[tring]

I believe you are correct in that whilst the no go advice remains in place. 

[terrierjohn]

I am surprised that the cruise lines have not asked for the FCO travel advice to be amended to allow UK only staycation cruises.  Especially when P&O have made such a big issue of the need for insurance cover.

[shopaholic6]

Isn’t the assumption (and I agree, it is ONLY an assumption) that the advice will change as from 17th May as per the road out of lockdown? All these cruises would be after that, so would be covered? 🤔

[Snow Hill]

No plans to book, we have found a couple of cottages in Scotland complete with hot tub, which we are thinking of booking in late August.
 

The original definition of Staycation, was staying at home and make trips out from there. Seems to have morphed into what we used to called holidaying in U.K. can’t see P&O sailing the Iona up the Severn or Thames for day trippers to jump on. 😬

[Ardennais]

We might book a self-catering cottage somewhere over the border in September, otherwise it’s stay at home over the Summer. It will of course be busy here as per usual, especially if foreign travel is possibly further restricted as suggested by some ministers this morning. 

[ann141]

We have booked one of the short cruises with Fred Olsen.When I spoke to our insurance company they told me that although we  won't be covered if we have to cancel due to covid we will be covered for everything else similar to if we booked knowing a relative had a terminal illness at the time of booking we wouldn't be covered if we had to cancel due to that reason but would be covered for illnesses etc as usual.I think from memory if you have to cancel our cruise because you contract covid in the 2 weeks prior to the cruise FO will let you transfer the booking to another cruise.Bit of a grey area and different insurers have different policies but for us as its only a 5 night cruise we have decided to go.

[P&O SUE]

1 hour ago, Snow Hill said:

No plans to book, we have found a couple of cottages in Scotland complete with hot tub, which we are thinking of booking in late August.
 

The original definition of Staycation, was staying at home and make trips out from there. Seems to have morphed into what we used to called holidaying in U.K. can’t see P&O sailing the Iona up the Severn or Thames for day trippers to jump on. 😬

So pleased I’m not the only one! Staycation is day trips from home to me, holidays in the UK are holidays in the UK!

[jeanlyon]

I can think of so many things I would rather do in the UK than float around on a ship in the Channel for 7 days.  That;s like being in a hotel where you are not allowed out of the grounds.  To me - pointless.  We will explore some more of the UK.  I have places booked in Wales for June.

[jeanlyon]

43 minutes ago, ann141 said:

We have booked one of the short cruises with Fred Olsen.When I spoke to our insurance company they told me that although we  won't be covered if we have to cancel due to covid we will be covered for everything else similar to if we booked knowing a relative had a terminal illness at the time of booking we wouldn't be covered if we had to cancel due to that reason but would be covered for illnesses etc as usual.I think from memory if you have to cancel our cruise because you contract covid in the 2 weeks prior to the cruise FO will let you transfer the booking to another cruise.Bit of a grey area and different insurers have different policies but for us as its only a 5 night cruise we have decided to go.

Forgive me, but why would you use a company that doesn't cover for cancellation due to Covid.  All the companies I have looked at do cover for that.  Staysure, Free Spirit, etc.

[wowzz]

We'd only consider a 7 day cruise, and I don't think we would spend less than £2000. Seems a lot to us to just bob about at sea, especially given the vagaries of the British summer.

We'll hopefully put the money towards a winter holiday somewhere warmer.  

[ann141]

7 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Forgive me, but why would you use a company that doesn't cover for cancellation due to Covid.  All the companies I have looked at do cover for that.  Staysure, Free Spirit, etc.

We get free insurance through our bank and at the moment they don't cover for covid because FCO advice is against travel.Once the advice changes we will probably be covered for it.As it is only a 5 day cruise with 2 ports of call if we caught covid onboard we would be home before we realised we had it.The fact that if we have covid in the 2 weeks before we go we can transfer the cruise also helps.Of course if either of us caught covid before that time and had to cancel the cruise we may lose our money but there is also an option with Fred that we can have a full refund if we decide not to travel before the balance due date so if the rate increased a lot we would probably cancel but I suspect that if that was the case, the cruise would not go ahead.If we didn't have free insurance I would look for one that did include cover but there is often a risk with insurance.We are more likely to have to cancel if necessary because my mother is terminally ill and we wouldn't get our money back if we decided not to travel because of her health.

[Bazrat]

I have had my second jab my beloved due hers soon so if the insurance says we can go we will be booking, will be great to have the ship to ourselves, as for the weather book an hotel and watch the rain on the windows whilst we will have the facilities of the ship to ourselves.

[bobstheboy]

Everyone has a different take on a cruise. For us the ship and weather are equally important, which is why I wouldn't do a British Isles cruise, unless it really was last minute and the weather was very good.

 

Our next one is Iona to the Canaries. Now I know the first and last couple of days will be cold, but there will be enough to keep us occupied until we can venture on deck.

[cruisenewbie1976]

We might book one but I'll need to wait and see when I'm getting my jab first. We've got a holiday to Spain in October and if that's looking unlikely in a few months, we might do a UK cruise in August, if there's any availability. 

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, Snow Hill said:

No plans to book, we have found a couple of cottages in Scotland complete with hot tub, which we are thinking of booking in late August.
 

The original definition of Staycation, was staying at home and make trips out from there. Seems to have morphed into what we used to called holidaying in U.K. can’t see P&O sailing the Iona up the Severn or Thames for day trippers to jump on. 😬

I remember way back, when local councils spent money wisely, as soon  as the school summer holidays began, the local park started its "Holidays at Home" season, with all sorts of activities. Nowadays they balk at having even a small funfare because they dont have enough gardeners to repair the damage to the grass areas.

[terrierjohn]

31 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Everyone has a different take on a cruise. For us the ship and weather are equally important, which is why I wouldn't do a British Isles cruise, unless it really was last minute and the weather was very good.

 

Our next one is Iona to the Canaries. Now I know the first and last couple of days will be cold, but there will be enough to keep us occupied until we can venture on deck.

I do hope you're right Bob, and that it goes ahead, I think you are on the Feb 19th one like us.

[ann141]

6 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I do hope you're right Bob, and that it goes ahead, I think you are on the Feb 19th one like us.

We are considering that cruise too but will definately wait until FCO advice has changed before booking that cruise

[bobstheboy]

39 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I do hope you're right Bob, and that it goes ahead, I think you are on the Feb 19th one like us.

The ship looks great so will be good to see the videos on You Tube when they start flowing. Surely it must take place?" If by then we cannot cruise down to the Canaries, we will all go mad !!

[Britboys]

I am tempted but two things put me off. The first being the weather. Even in the height of our Summer, it could be quite cool out on deck unless the sun is shining and there isn't any wind. Just don't think I want to be couped up indoors all day. At least if you are staying somewhere on land, you can get out and about more easily.

The second issue for me is the price for a solo traveller. I looked at three nights on Fred Olsen and it was £800 in an inside cabin. P&O is likely to be at least £200 per night (and probably more) albeit in a balcony cabin. I would perhaps be more inclined to look at Princess with the (he whispers) all-inclusive deal. It is not easy to get a good solo deal with Princess at the best of times though.

So, all in all, not likely that I will book one.

[JustOxford]

AT THOSE PRICES - NOT A CHANCE!

[Son of Anarchy]

Although I've previously said that I wouldn't be interested in these cruises due to pricing, I'm increasingly thinking we might just take it on the chin and give it a go.  It's increasingly looking like Europe is going to remain off limits for some time, and something like one of these cruises is going to be the only way forward to get off this sceptered isle.

 

Have been looking at Princess' offerings as well, especially with the All Incl deal.  Created an on-line account with them and was pleasantly surprised at the Captain's Circle level they've put us into.

[Josy1953]

We are not planning anything for the moment.  We are thinking that we may go to Devon early September when the schools have gone back. We are going to wait to see how things progress before we actually book.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

Not for us at the mo. But what i don't understand is the current government advice is not allowed to holiday abroad.......are theses cruises classed as a staycation and not abroad.

 

However why are they allowing holiday companies to continue to sell holidays abroad at the mo?

 

They need to make a decision and then people wont have the worry of should i or shouldn't i, and go through the hassle of claiming a refund etc.

 

 

[jeanlyon]

They aren't going abroad.  They are floating around the English channel?  No different from a hotel on the south coast.