Arcadia cancellations!

[jh1809]

On 4/8/2022 at 4:09 PM, jeanlyon said:

I didn't think Aurora was back until June?  But I may have got that wrong.

I hope so, as I'm supposed to be sailing on her on Wednesday! 🙂

[molecrochip]

3 hours ago, J110 said:

Replying to molecrochip

The other reason given  is that they are also having trouble getting replacement crew to ships re airline cancellations and disruptions . 
not just staff covid absences . 

 

Yes, Easter is stressing the smaller worldwide airline network. Its no secret that on some routes, travel is already back to 95% of pre-pandemic numbers despite predictions of it taking until 2024-2026. Airlines have permanently retired planes and laid off crew. Pilot training is 18 months, Cabin crew up to 3 months - and that's if you have available planes.

 

Additionally, its not just a case of pick up the phone and order another coach of X nationality crew members. Those who have rotated off will be enjoying a well earned rest ahead of a planned/agreed future contact. There will also be crew who are scheduled to join a X point to replace further crew rotating off. What you actually need to do is recruit further crew, security clear them, get visas, documents, arrange transport, medical checks. This a process that ordinarily happens 52 weeks a year, and now needs to work overtime to supply an increased number of people.

 

As for Arcadia, she can't operate with no crew, a degree of crew will be left on board. But you can still remove 80% of the waiting staff, 80% of the stewards, 95% of the entertainments team and 100% of the salon, shop, bar, casino, excursions, loyalty staff and still have a successfully operating quarantine ship.

[Danamis]

45 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Yes, Easter is stressing the smaller worldwide airline network. Its no secret that on some routes, travel is already back to 95% of pre-pandemic numbers despite predictions of it taking until 2024-2026. Airlines have permanently retired planes and laid off crew. Pilot training is 18 months, Cabin crew up to 3 months - and that's if you have available planes.

 

Additionally, its not just a case of pick up the phone and order another coach of X nationality crew members. Those who have rotated off will be enjoying a well earned rest ahead of a planned/agreed future contact. There will also be crew who are scheduled to join a X point to replace further crew rotating off. What you actually need to do is recruit further crew, security clear them, get visas, documents, arrange transport, medical checks. This a process that ordinarily happens 52 weeks a year, and now needs to work overtime to supply an increased number of people.

 

As for Arcadia, she can't operate with no crew, a degree of crew will be left on board. But you can still remove 80% of the waiting staff, 80% of the stewards, 95% of the entertainments team and 100% of the salon, shop, bar, casino, excursions, loyalty staff and still have a successfully operating quarantine ship.

There is also talk on a crew group that a lot of crew have refused to sign new contracts that they have been offered. This has got to impact on the numbers.

[Cathygh]

12 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Yes, Easter is stressing the smaller worldwide airline network. Its no secret that on some routes, travel is already back to 95% of pre-pandemic numbers despite predictions of it taking until 2024-2026. Airlines have permanently retired planes and laid off crew. Pilot training is 18 months, Cabin crew up to 3 months - and that's if you have available planes.

 

Additionally, its not just a case of pick up the phone and order another coach of X nationality crew members. Those who have rotated off will be enjoying a well earned rest ahead of a planned/agreed future contact. There will also be crew who are scheduled to join a X point to replace further crew rotating off. What you actually need to do is recruit further crew, security clear them, get visas, documents, arrange transport, medical checks. This a process that ordinarily happens 52 weeks a year, and now needs to work overtime to supply an increased number of people.

 

As for Arcadia, she can't operate with no crew, a degree of crew will be left on board. But you can still remove 80% of the waiting staff, 80% of the stewards, 95% of the entertainments team and 100% of the salon, shop, bar, casino, excursions, loyalty staff and still have a successfully operating quarantine ship.

Something else to factor in. Air Traffic Control made lots of people redundant. It takes a year + to train new staff and the trainers were laid off and were told there would be no trainees for a year or so. 

[amajaa]

Reading on the site that shall not be named, lots of people have already had their refunds back to their bank or credit card, most of them posted about it yesterday. We haven’t had anything back yet, has anyone else not had their money back? The shopping we did in town less than 2 hours ago is already showing on our account so it isn’t to do with time to process it. 

 

I am hoping it is because they are doing it in date order, our cruise was May 20th. 

[Port out]

What I don't understand is that with Aurora being taken to the shipyard for works, why isn't this period of layup being brought forward and extended, allowing her crew to be taken off to help out on other ships rather than those from Arcadia. I'm beginning to think that there is much more to this than meets the eye, perhaps Arcadia has been chosen as the first to be sold and she will made available until the end of July for inspection and bids. We are on the 5th July cruise and have a gut feeling that she will have been withdrawn from the fleet by then and her future cruises cancelled.

[terrierjohn]

28 minutes ago, Port out said:

What I don't understand is that with Aurora being taken to the shipyard for works, why isn't this period of layup being brought forward and extended, allowing her crew to be taken off to help out on other ships rather than those from Arcadia. I'm beginning to think that there is much more to this than meets the eye, perhaps Arcadia has been chosen as the first to be sold and she will made available until the end of July for inspection and bids. We are on the 5th July cruise and have a gut feeling that she will have been withdrawn from the fleet by then and her future cruises cancelled.

Moley explained why Aurora's crew could not be withdrawn, with a smaller number on board they might more easily breach the 3.5% covid quarantine limit, and lose their dry dock slot if they could not dock in Cadiz.

[mickey1959]

On 4/8/2022 at 6:03 PM, Danamis said:

We have Arcadia booked for the Round Britain one in July. Don't know what to think?

We have also!! Not sure what to do.

[paulatsea]

On 4/8/2022 at 4:24 PM, amajaa said:

Just had our May 20th Norwegian Fjords cruise cancelled. They are returning the money paid and giving us 10% off a future cruise and £100 on board spend.

 

it doesn’t look like we can use towards a cruise already booked. I’ll ask TA .

They said only new bookings to me - I tried to add to my Christmas one - a bit mean I think under the circumstances

[paulatsea]

On 4/8/2022 at 5:27 PM, amajaa said:

TA just phoned P & O for me and they said we can take the FCC of a cruise already booked and we still get the OBC, so using it on Ventura cruise already booked.

 

We will probably book another cruise in the next few months but will wait and see how Covid goes as it does seem to be a problem at the moment. 
 

Just editing to say we also have Arcadia booked for 2023 , I think it’s 50/50 now whether we get that. 

P&O told me I couldn’t do this ! I’ll try again

[paulatsea]

On 4/8/2022 at 9:30 PM, yorkshirephil said:

I believe the plan is to give everyone a refund and put the fcc and obc on account

Yes that’s how I understood it -

 

I had the full refund marked as pending on my c. card account almost straight away - but now it’s gone ! 
also had email with excursion cancellation details - but nothing refunded yet.

[Port out]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Moley explained why Aurora's crew could not be withdrawn, with a smaller number on board they might more easily breach the 3.5% covid quarantine limit, and lose their dry dock slot if they could not dock in Cadiz.

Not sure I would agree with this, if there is 100 crew left onboard and 4 have found to have covid then  1 crew member could be put be put ashore and then the covid percentage rule would not be broken. It wouldn’t surprise me one jot that by July both ships will have been sold.

[paulatsea]

2 hours ago, amajaa said:

Reading on the site that shall not be named, lots of people have already had their refunds back to their bank or credit card, most of them posted about it yesterday. We haven’t had anything back yet, has anyone else not had their money back? The shopping we did in town less than 2 hours ago is already showing on our account so it isn’t to do with time to process it. 

 

I am hoping it is because they are doing it in date order, our cruise was May 20th.   Nothing yet - mine was may 17 3 nights .

Nothing yet - I did have a refund showing as pending on my account yesterday - but it’s now gone.

mine was may 17 - 3 nights

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by paulatsea

[paulatsea]

Can any one confirm if they have been able to use the FCC and £50 pp OBS onto an existing future booking ? 
p&o said they could not do this when I asked - they said only brand new bookings.

 

My Christmas cruise was cancelled and now this one - really sick of it all. Appalling service whatever the reason.

Waited an hour on the phone to get through to someone.

[paulatsea]

And I had to cancel the hotel night before booking - luckily free cancellation and I now will have to cancel the Cruise Parking.

 

What a hassle. Could do without it.

 

We have Arcadia booked for this Christmas - that’s the last cruise with p&o for us.

Edited April 10, 2022 by paulatsea

[bee-ess]

7 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

And I had to cancel the hotel night before booking - luckily free cancellation and I now will have to cancel the Cruise Parking.

 

What a hassle. Could do without it.

 

We have Arcadia booked for this Christmas - that’s the last cruise with p&o for us.

I think a few more will be saying that, especially if these 2 ships are sold.

[amajaa]

37 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

Can any one confirm if they have been able to use the FCC and £50 pp OBS onto an existing future booking ? 
p&o said they could not do this when I asked - they said only brand new bookings.

 

My Christmas cruise was cancelled and now this one - really sick of it all. Appalling service whatever the reason.

Waited an hour on the phone to get through to someone.

Our TA tried when we first got the cancellation email, it wouldn’t let her so she said she would phone P & O . She then phoned us back and said we could do it but would have to wait a few days until the FCC etc were showing. So let’s hope it works. Perhaps give it a week and then try again, if we hear from TA in meantime will let you know. 

[paulatsea]

21 minutes ago, amajaa said:

Our TA tried when we first got the cancellation email, it wouldn’t let her so she said she would phone P & O . She then phoned us back and said we could do it but would have to wait a few days until the FCC etc were showing. So let’s hope it works. Perhaps give it a week and then try again, if we hear from TA in meantime will let you know. 

Thanks very much amajaa

[molecrochip]

1 hour ago, Port out said:

Not sure I would agree with this, if there is 100 crew left onboard and 4 have found to have covid then  1 crew member could be put be put ashore and then the covid percentage rule would not be broken. It wouldn’t surprise me one jot that by July both ships will have been sold.

Your numbers assume that Arcadia won't be used to accommodate sick crew.

 

Naturally you're allowed your own opinion however when a ship is sold, thing start to happen in the back ground. Arrangements are made, plans are put in place for what needs removing stuff like IT from ships, rosters are rejuggled and [quickly]  a plan is put in place to notify and refund any affected passengers.

 

At present, I'm not aware of any of that taking place. That said, Oriana was sold and then leased back to P&O for 6 months+.

[Monorail Orange]

I know that email promos are automatic but got an email just now stating "We thought you'd love this... Find your drema Norwegian Fjords holiday" is taking the pistacio just a bit.

 

I've already started looking at other lines now...

[zap99]

43 minutes ago, Monorail Orange said:

I know that email promos are automatic but got an email just now stating "We thought you'd love this... Find your drema Norwegian Fjords holiday" is taking the pistacio just a bit.

 

I've already started looking at other lines now...

I got that one. As we are booked on Celebrity for the Fjords in July, we may give that one a miss.

[Snow Hill]

2 hours ago, Monorail Orange said:

I know that email promos are automatic but got an email just now stating "We thought you'd love this... Find your drema Norwegian Fjords holiday" is taking the pistacio just a bit.

 

I've already started looking at other lines now...

We are finding that P&O emails are now going to spam box, wonder if our email is telling us something. 🤔

[Danamis]

6 hours ago, mickey1959 said:

We have also!! Not sure what to do.

Really don't think there is much we can do but wait...🤕

[Britboys]

4 hours ago, Monorail Orange said:

I know that email promos are automatic but got an email just now stating "We thought you'd love this... Find your drema Norwegian Fjords holiday" is taking the pistacio just a bit.

 

I've already started looking at other lines now...

I keep getting emails from them headed "You'll want to see this" and when I open it, it's about Iona. They got that wrong then...😂

[Mysticalmother]

8 hours ago, amajaa said:

Reading on the site that shall not be named, lots of people have already had their refunds back to their bank or credit card, most of them posted about it yesterday. We haven’t had anything back yet, has anyone else not had their money back? The shopping we did in town less than 2 hours ago is already showing on our account so it isn’t to do with time to process it. 

 

I am hoping it is because they are doing it in date order, our cruise was May 20th. 

Ive had my excursion money back on my debit card for the same cruise as you, but not my cruise fare. I think it takes a few days longer if on a credit card, rather than debit too. Apparently some credit cards do not process refunds over the weekend…I think mine is one of these as I find weekend purchases don't usually appear on my statement until Monday either. Im just gou g to keep looking fir the next few days.