Queen Elizabeth 19th July & more - Cancelled

[kevcharben]

Sadly just received notification that the 19th July is cancellled.

 

Gutted!!!!

 

Since March 2020 our priority has been to work with public health, medical and scientific experts as well as industry bodies and various Government departments to put in place an approved framework of protocols to protect the health and wellbeing of our crew, guests and the communities we visit, both during our pause in operations and once we begin sailing.

These protocols, of which we are very proud, have proven to be very effective and we had no cases of Covid-19 in over 5,000 crew members until last month when a small number of cases were identified amongst new crew boarding the ship.

Working with Southampton Port Health we have taken steps to successfully contain the situation and one of these actions has been to limit new crew joining the ship. This has meant we will not be able to complete final essential preparations or deliver our comprehensive training schedule to the full contingent of crew prior to our first few scheduled sailings as we return to service.

Therefore, I am very sorry, but your voyage will have to be cancelled. We know how much everyone has been looking forward to these coastal holidays but we will not sail until we are ready to deliver the Cunard experience you’d expect. After such a long period it is critical that all our crew are trained in the new procedures and refreshed in the very special White Star service which makes a Cunard voyage so memorable.

[turnip eater]

How disappointing for you. I wonder if this will snowball?🤔

[CC71]

Our sailing is cancelled too - 23rd of July. Gutted for us all!

[rakkor]

Just seen this so opened my email to check and I'm relieved to see that there's nothing in there about our Aug 20th sailing. Let's hope it stays that way.

[BouncingWheel]

Our 26th July voyage  on Queen Elizabeth has been cancelled too. Same email as above.

[rakkor]

I just had a  quick look on the website and the first available sailing is the Aug 20th Sun Cruise - All others before this date have disappeared.

[Host Hattie]

What a shame, I'm so sorry for those of you who have had your plans disrupted again.

 

[majortom10]

We are booked on 9th August and heard nothing as yet but looks as if it is going to be cancelled.

[lindylooellalouise]

Hi our Aug 6th is now cancelled 😞 

[NavyPanda]

The following cruises have been cancelled

 

Q119P, Q119Q, Q120P, Q120Q, Q121P

[Minnie29]

We are on August 20th cruise and haven’t heard anything yet. 
really hope it’s still going. Had so many Cunard cruises cancelled in the last 18months!!! 
can understand them cancelling the July cruises but surely the August ones could go ahead?

[downsmead]

The 20th is still on their website so 🤞you will be OK. It is the first sailing of the summer now.

Edited July 8, 2021 by downsmead

[majortom10]

Worrying because it proves that Cunard's covid protocol for crew has failed and that all the publicity about staff being tested and then be in a bubble on the ship. It is obvious that the test done before boarding has failed as the staff now having Covid obviously passed that test to be allowed onboard and now how many others already onboard whether vaccinated or not can now have the virus and spread further. We have a cruise booked on 13th August but I can honestly believe this could put an end of Cunard being able to sail their UK summer cruises programme.

[majortom10]

2 minutes ago, downsmead said:

The 20th is still on their website so 🤞you will be OK. It is the first sailing of the summer now.

We have a cruise booked on 13th and that is not on the website but we have, as yet, not had any information from Cunard about it being cancelled but I am expecting one.

[The Med]

We’re so disappointed for ours on the 23rd July to be cancelled.

With 2 weeks to go I’d started getting my dresses out ready to go, shoes bags, books, swimwear etc.

We’d been looking forward to it so much.

[The Bullingdon Club]

We’ve lost count of the number of cruises that have been cancelled now. Like everyone else we’re gutted and realise the current circumstances mean they can’t sail but it does beg the question as to how other cruise lines have managed to successfully restart sailing and what has gone wrong with Cunard. It doesn’t reflect too well on them really. 

[bluemarble]

The Aug 13th voyage (Q122P) is still showing up on the Cunard UK website. The trick is that particular voyage is sold out so you have to apply the "Sold out voyages" filter for it to be displayed in voyage search results.

[Minnie29]

Let’s hope they control the spread amongst the crew before our cruises. 
it’s worrying that it’s been brought onboard. 
Very important that even after July 19th, masks and social distancing for both passengers and crew is adhered to. 

[Minnie29]

Does anyone know what the capacity will be for these first few cruises in August? 

[Solent Richard]

The Queen Elizabeth will return to service on 13th August, however this sailing is sold out. The first sailing with availability is 20th August 2021 for 7 Nights. This sailing is also very full, so anyone wishing to book on this you will need to get their act together promptly.

 

 

[Glenndale]

Viking Ocean are sailing from Portsmouth in August.

https://www.vikingcruises.co.uk/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/englands-scenic-shores/pricing.html

We sailed with them in June and were very impressed by their covid protocols.

[rafinmd]

I'm sorry to hear this but it is certainly the right thing for Cunard to do.  Better to nip the problem in the bud rather than let it snowball.

 

Roy

 

[molecrochip]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Worrying because it proves that Cunard's covid protocol for crew has failed and that all the publicity about staff being tested and then be in a bubble on the ship. It is obvious that the test done before boarding has failed as the staff now having Covid obviously passed that test to be allowed onboard and now how many others already onboard whether vaccinated or not can now have the virus and spread further. We have a cruise booked on 13th August but I can honestly believe this could put an end of Cunard being able to sail their UK summer cruises programme.

Covid protocols worked as planned.
 

Crew were negative when boarding otherwise wouldn’t have been allowed on. Covid must have been in the incubation period where it’s not detectable.

 

Regular testing meant it was spotted, crew isolated amd spread stopped.

 

The problem is logistics. This week and next week were for training and an operational static test cruise which the company must complete by law before restarting. That timeline has had to be pushed back and, with a limited number of people able to sign off on the operational test, it’s now week 2 of August before the test can take place.

 

Not ideal but safety is paramount.

[kevcharben]

6 hours ago, kevcharben said:

Sadly just received notification that the 19th July is cancellled.

 

Gutted!!!!

 

Since March 2020 our priority has been to work with public health, medical and scientific experts as well as industry bodies and various Government departments to put in place an approved framework of protocols to protect the health and wellbeing of our crew, guests and the communities we visit, both during our pause in operations and once we begin sailing.

These protocols, of which we are very proud, have proven to be very effective and we had no cases of Covid-19 in over 5,000 crew members until last month when a small number of cases were identified amongst new crew boarding the ship.

Working with Southampton Port Health we have taken steps to successfully contain the situation and one of these actions has been to limit new crew joining the ship. This has meant we will not be able to complete final essential preparations or deliver our comprehensive training schedule to the full contingent of crew prior to our first few scheduled sailings as we return to service.

Therefore, I am very sorry, but your voyage will have to be cancelled. We know how much everyone has been looking forward to these coastal holidays but we will not sail until we are ready to deliver the Cunard experience you’d expect. After such a long period it is critical that all our crew are trained in the new procedures and refreshed in the very special White Star service which makes a Cunard voyage so memorable.

I have just replaced this with a 4 nighter on Britannia which leaves 18th July.

I can but hope this one goes

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, molecrochip said:

Covid protocols worked as planned.
 

Crew were negative when boarding otherwise wouldn’t have been allowed on. Covid must have been in the incubation period where it’s not detectable.

 

Regular testing meant it was spotted, crew isolated amd spread stopped.

 

The problem is logistics. This week and next week were for training and an operational static test cruise which the company must complete by law before restarting. That timeline has had to be pushed back and, with a limited number of people able to sign off on the operational test, it’s now week 2 of August before the test can take place.

 

Not ideal but safety is paramount.

Whilst I agree 100% what you say surely when the crew arrived in the country they should have been quarantined before been allowed onboard. Therefore if they have been quarantined but the test was negative when they boarded the ship some staff obviously broke the quarantine to be able to catch covid and still be in its incubation period. If staff were not quarantined and as soon as they landed they were tested and if negative allowed onboard with hindsight and what has since happened this was a big mistake.