Who has decided to take a summer staycation cruise?

[delgirl]

Have used them before never had a problem just wasn't sure if it would be different this time. Never had a problem at airports either dh always makes a note of mileage. Always use offsite secure parking with drop off and pick up at airport 

[zap99]

20 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

That is largely my husband’s view too - except for CPS!  He took some persuading the first time, but when we saw the drivers - smart and mostly older - he was reassured and have used them since.  I understand your reluctance though, and it’s something we never do at airports.

I use valet parking at Gatwick, the official one. They take images of the car when you arrive and when the car is returned. Don't bother taking the mileage anymore. I press the button and the seat goes to my settings. Press a button and the radio goes to my preset. It's a car.

[MX-Drew]

It was not CPS but I have problems on more than one occasion, possibly the worst was with my Mazda RX-8. If anyone knows this car it HAS to be fully warmed up once started or it will not restart with quiet a faff. I left a note on the dashboard stating this and also told the person in the office and was assured it would be parked straight away (it was still warm so no problem) and would only be started again on our return where I could get straight in meaning no need to stop the engine.

One return they could not get the car started and I would have to pay for a breakdown company. I insisted on being taken to the car where I carried out the said procedure and the tell tell sign of tons of white smoke confirmed it had been started then stopped.

Hence my mistrust for handing over the keys.

If you're happy then that's all well and good.

[yorkshirephil]

I am wary of leaving my car keys, there have been some awful stories over the years and probably a tiny minority but still there. I do use Purple parking if flying from Heathrow, as you go in there is a stopping point where a series of cameras take photo's of the car from various angles so I feel this is fairly safe.

[zap99]

1 minute ago, yorkshirephil said:

I am wary of leaving my car keys, there have been some awful stories over the years and probably a tiny minority but still there. I do use Purple parking if flying from Heathrow, as you go in there is a stopping point where a series of cameras take photo's of the car from various angles so I feel this is fairly safe.

Don't assume that they leave your car in the compound next to their car park. We have used them in the past, but for more than a couple of weeks it's cheaper for us to get a taxi. Horses for courses.

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Don't assume that they leave your car in the compound next to their car park. We have used them in the past, but for more than a couple of weeks it's cheaper for us to get a taxi. Horses for courses.

I assume they do because there has never been more than a mile on the clock. I just like the way they photograph all the car angles, gives me peace of mind, their busses haven't always be great picking up but I can live with that. Taxi isn't an option for us from Yorkshire. We only use Heathrow if there isn't the option to fly from somewhere closer.

[zap99]

9 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I assume they do because there has never been more than a mile on the clock. I just like the way they photograph all the car angles, gives me peace of mind, their busses haven't always be great picking up but I can live with that. Taxi isn't an option for us from Yorkshire. We only use Heathrow if there isn't the option to fly from somewhere closer.

We tend to use Gatwick Parkings valet option. You leave the car at the short term. They photograph it etc and bring it back at the end. We haven't had a problem. We used official Heathrow parking. The terminal 5 car park is fairly close to purple parking ,ie miles away from terminal 5, so last time we used purple parking. They were ok, no reason not to use them again. Next Heathrow flight is next June. 3 weeks in Canada/Alaska, so taxi for us.

Edit taxi to Heathrow.....plane to Vancouver 🤣

Edited May 16, 2021 by zap99
Added

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We tend to use Gatwick Parkings valet option. You leave the car at the short term. They photograph it etc and bring it back at the end. We haven't had a problem. We used official Heathrow parking. The terminal 5 car park is fairly close to purple parking ,ie miles away from terminal 5, so last time we used purple parking. They were ok, no reason not to use them again. Next Heathrow flight is next June. 3 weeks in Canada/Alaska, so taxi for us.

We have never flown from Gatwick, our last Heathrow flight was for Canada/Alaska terminal 5. 

[MX-Drew]

29 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I am wary of leaving my car keys, there have been some awful stories over the years and probably a tiny minority but still there. I do use Purple parking if flying from Heathrow, as you go in there is a stopping point where a series of cameras take photo's of the car from various angles so I feel this is fairly safe.

Unfortunately it was Purple parking I had the problem with. Yes it was photographed but that didn't help as I suspect they all went to have a good "play" with the car as it was new out at that time and I bet it is was started and they rev'ed the b******* off it then switched it off. This happened over a Christmas period so the weather was cold and the engine was nowhere near warm.

Don't assume because the mileage has hardly change the car has not been mistreated in other ways. 

[yorkshirephil]

11 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

Don't assume because the mileage has hardly change the car has not been mistreated in other ways. 

I think in view of the fact that the mileage has hardly ever changed, that there has been no damage to the car and no indication of mistreatment that I can assume it has not been mistreated. However if I had a vehicle that needed some sort of special management I wouldn't trust it to someone else in the first place.

[zap99]

54 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I think in view of the fact that the mileage has hardly ever changed, that there has been no damage to the car and no indication of mistreatment that I can assume it has not been mistreated. However if I had a vehicle that needed some sort of special management I wouldn't trust it to someone else in the first place.

You are quite right. Best leave the Ferrari at home 🤣. We went to Nova Scotia a couple of years ago and they arranged a taxi. That was good, but the holiday wasn't cheap. I have quite a nice car. The taxi was the same car as mine but newer🤔

[yorkshirephil]

9 minutes ago, zap99 said:

You are quite right. Best leave the Ferrari at home 🤣. We went to Nova Scotia a couple of years ago and they arranged a taxi. That was good, but the holiday wasn't cheap. I have quite a nice car. The taxi was the same car as mine but newer🤔

I wish, on a similar note with the taxi, we got collected in a Tesla in Vancouver, the one and only time I have been in one. 

[bobstheboy]

I said I wouldn't take a Staycation cruise, but watching Iona entering Southampton has whetted my appetite ! I am tempted to book the Iona for late August, to coincide with our 25th Anniversary. Decisions !

[P&O SUE]

19 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

I said I wouldn't take a Staycation cruise, but watching Iona entering Southampton has whetted my appetite ! I am tempted to book the Iona for late August, to coincide with our 25th Anniversary. Decisions !

I have the first week of  October off work and if they extend the staycations then I think I’ll book! Have other plans now on my other leave.

[bobstheboy]

Further to my post re Iona, I have read it is going to cruise of Biarritz, chasing the good weather. Very tempting.

[Pink-belle]

39 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

I said I wouldn't take a Staycation cruise, but watching Iona entering Southampton has whetted my appetite ! I am tempted to book the Iona for late August, to coincide with our 25th Anniversary. Decisions !

I have 2 staycations booked, neither on Iona, was going to wait and see how things were in August before booking anything else.

But watching her this morning has changed my mind, DH sorting out some leave tomorrow then booking a cruise on her in September. 

[MX-Drew]

3 hours ago, Pink-belle said:

I have 2 staycations booked, neither on Iona, was going to wait and see how things were in August before booking anything else.

But watching her this morning has changed my mind, DH sorting out some leave tomorrow then booking a cruise on her in September. 

This is creepy, I also 2 staycations booked, neither on Iona but after watching her come in this morning got me thinking so I started look for September (my birthday).

[Pink-belle]

Can you disembark on the 3rd of September  and then embark a different ship on the 10th September? That is 7 days isn’t it 🙃

 

Edited to add, it’s okay it’s the 11th, so that works well.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Pink-belle

[NaomiW]

Sorry if this has been mentioned elsewhere but does anyone know what the capacity will be for the staycation cruises and if everything will be open on board (as I imagine the select restaurants will be pretty quiet with reduced capacity)? Very tempted to book now my hubbie looks like he'll get his vaccines in time and with my 50% blue light discount it'd be criminal not to!

[crompton21]

From the government website (so no government restrictions on numbers if all goes to plan from 21/6/21) I can't see anything that P&O have on their website that reflects anything other than they will follow Government guidelines.

 

Roadmap step 3 – no earlier than 17 May

Domestic cruises will be permitted in England under step 3 of the roadmap out of lockdown.

Domestic cruises will be able to operate with up to 1,000 people or 50% capacity, whichever is lower. This capacity limit applies to passengers only.

COVID-secure guidance will continue to apply. Groups of more than 6 people or 2 households will not be allowed to mix indoors – whether or not they originally booked in the same group.

Roadmap step 4 – no earlier than 21 June

By step 4, the government hopes to remove all legal limits on social contact. This includes lifting capacity limits for domestic cruises.

 

 

[NaomiW]

Interesting!! I was assuming theyd be running a reduced capacity but I guess if they dont need to theyll try to maximize numbers (assuming the phase 4 doesnt get pushed back of course!)

[indiana123]

So in theory we could be 5000 on Iona in September.  Oh well.. its booked now.

We thought we would give a big ship a go as it wouldn't be full.. or so we thought!

 

It could be that we love it.

[NaomiW]

4 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

So in theory we could be 5000 on Iona in September.  Oh well.. its booked now.

We thought we would give a big ship a go as it wouldn't be full.. or so we thought!

 

It could be that we love it.

I suspect it wont sell out but even if it does hopefully it will be fine! Its funny, when we went on Britannia it actually felt quieter than the smaller ships-I think because there are more venues to dilute everyone! Which sailing are you on?

[yorkshirephil]

4 minutes ago, NaomiW said:

I suspect it wont sell out but even if it does hopefully it will be fine! Its funny, when we went on Britannia it actually felt quieter than the smaller ships-I think because there are more venues to dilute everyone! Which sailing are you on?

We have found that sometimes the bigger ships seem quieter than the small ones. There is always the odd occasion where everyone wants to be in the same place at the same time, in our experience this has been on RCI on sea days when the weather is poor,  where the mall has been heaving because they have been having a food fair or afternoon entertainment. I have seen the flip side on small ships when there have not been enough venues to absorb everyone at once, I have also experienced similar circumstances in hotels. Horses for courses.

[Pink-belle]

I booked 18th September sailing, so fingers crossed I will be on a cruise ship for at least one day  every month for the next 4 months 😀