US to UK- Entry rules?

[Covepointcruiser]

We are also booked on this 12/3 NYC returning to NYC sailing.   After the cancellation of last year’s sailing I am hoping for this Pre Christmas Cruise.   Last I heard from my TA, the full payment is not due 120 days before departure.   It may end up being 60 days.   We are fully vaccinated and meet all of Cunard’s requirements in the latest email.

[57eric]

I'm concerned about whether the CDC and TSA will allow a UK vessel to dock in the US to begin with.  Take a look at the current infection rate differential between the two countries.  I've got a booking too, and hoping this all gets smoothed out soon.

[Bostonjetset]

Like the OP, I’m also on the Jan 3, 2022 crossing and am starting to get worried as final payment approaches. We have not booked a return flight to the US as I’m worried that if the crossing is cancelled we will be stuck with a non refundable flight. If we purchase through Cunard Air and Cunard Air and the crossing will they refund the air portion as well? I can’t seem to find anything about that online. 
 

 

[Trig2018]

Bostonjetset  If you get the flights through Cunard they do refund the air fare if they cancel.

 

[canoncruiser]

I am a bit more nervous 😟now that the US has warned against travel to the UK ( this AM) due to the ‘high infection’ rate. Had both shots(Moderna) back in Feb. and March; and I’m booked on Dec. 3 R/T TransAtlantic/Christmas Markets voyage. I  really don’t need to disembark at Southampton in either direction-much as I love the UK-but I’m ‘nervous’. Very anxious to get back on the ‘frantic Atlantic’ in the winter on my fave ship. 😀

[Covepointcruiser]

Does anyone know what will happen in 100 days?   I would wait to get worried but be prepared to make your final payment.   Our cruise on the Seabourn Ovation is going smoothly in Greece and Cyprus.   Many folks from the UK, boarded before the current no UK passport rules.   Passengers, all vaccinated, are not masked on the ship.   The crew, also vaccinated, are masked.   It will be interesting to see the rules in Nov/Dec, especially the UK rules.    Here’s hoping for a fully vaccinated trip on the QM2.

[ace2542]

7 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

The crew, also vaccinated, are masked.   It will be interesting to see the rules in Nov/Dec, especially the UK rules.    Here’s hoping for a fully vaccinated trip on the QM2

Quotation from the Cunard facebook page in reply to a question about masking asked by a facebook poster. Cunard reply in speechmarks below.

 

"in line with our requirement that crew wear face masks on board, guests will also be required to wear a face mask in certain public areas of the ship. Mandatory wearing of face masks, with no exceptions, will be required at the terminal, during shore experiences and at all times when indoors on board, except when having your identity checked at the gangway or while: eating and drinking; inside your cabin; using recreational water facilities; exercising in the gym and during certain treatments or services, such as facials"

Edited July 22, 2021 by ace2542

[Smitheroo]

• As of today the US border is still closed to non-citizens (US) coming from the UK and other countries as well.  

[ClipperinSFO]

There is a related thread going on this board (link below) that talks about the weirdness around QM2 TA zero availability for the Nov/Dec crossings as well as the misalignment between QM2's published schedule the Southampton ABP website showing expected ship movements.

 

We are booked on the 15 Dec TA but I am getting increasingly pessimistic about it going forward.   I am expecting "the email" from Simon (with all the update and cancellation emails he has sent me,  I feel we are on first name basis) any time now.  

 

 

 

[frankp01]

2 hours ago, ClipperinSFO said:

We are booked on the 15 Dec TA but I am getting increasingly pessimistic about it going forward.  

We're on the two December trans-Atlantics, too.

 

The two December trans-Atlantics have been sold out for quite some time. We have a friend who was thinking of coming along, if she could buy a ticket at the last minute. I've been monitoring the availability for several months and have to keep reporting to her that nothing has opened up.

 

That said, I'm beginning to think the post-November-restart trips may not go, and if they don't, the December ones probably won't.  I figure that it takes a few months to crew up and provision the QM2. That means the international travel restrictions have to have been lifted by around September 1st (for the November trips). That's only a month away!

 

P.S. Not every one of the November/December trips are showing as sold out. M140 (NY-Caribbean) shows as available. It's any of the permutations that involve a crossing that are unavailable.

Edited July 27, 2021 by frankp01

[ClipperinSFO]

1 hour ago, frankp01 said:

The two December trans-Atlantics have been sold out for quite some time. We have a friend who was thinking of coming along, if she could buy a ticket at the last minute. I've been monitoring the availability for several months and have to keep reporting to her that nothing has opened up.

 

 

Yes, it's curious that some QM2 voyages are still showing available.  Thats good news and does point to the TA's being full of either through pax to/from the Caribbean or we point-to-pointers.  

 

Was wondering, is your view of the availability from the website, or did you talk to Cunard? Sometimes, they just shut down sales pending imminent cancellations, much as the airlines do if they are going to cancel a flight.  Hard to believe that the TAs are sold out, but that said, there is *a lot* of pent up demand out there, even for the N Atlantic in winter (our favorite time actually), and of course there is all the connecting traffic through from the UK. I'd be very happy if they were indeed sold out!

Edited July 27, 2021 by ClipperinSFO
clarity

[frankp01]

27 minutes ago, ClipperinSFO said:

Was wondering, is your view of the availability from the website, or did you talk to Cunard?

It's strictly from playing around on the website.

 

27 minutes ago, ClipperinSFO said:

Hard to believe that the TAs are sold out,

We've done the December crossings, in both directions, quite a few times. (In fact, it's virtually all we've ever done on the QM2.)  At least, at the time of sailing, they are usually sold out. I was attributing these being sold out already to pent up demand. But, it is hard to believe as many voyages are sold out, as appear to be. Here's probably way more data than you' want to see, but this is the chart I've been maintaining, showing the voyages in Nov-Jan, and their status (Yellow=Sold Out)

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by frankp01

[ClipperinSFO]

@frankp01 you are a man after my own heart!  Love winter TAs, and your spreadsheet is perfection.

 

Interestingly from the parallel thread @bluemarble reported availability showing for the TA's through 3rd party sites. Could be sub-blocks, who knows, but its certainly adds to the mystery as to what's going on.

[Splice the mainbrace]

UK government has announced that from Aug 2nd fully vaccinated arrivals from US and EU will not have to quarantine but will have to take a covid test before they travel and 2 days after arrival.

 

[exlondoner]

The UK government has just announced that it will allow international cruises from Monday. Encouraging news.