Another itinerary change R319

[carlanthony24]

13 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Then maybe they should stop planning so far ahead then... Twelve to eighteen months is more than enough for most folks.

But then every port would be filled and no where to go for P&O. Presuming all cruise companies do the same. I would say money talks who ever pays the most gets to keep a slot.

Edited April 14, 2023 by carlanthony24

[jeanlyon]

Interestingly there are 6 berths in Rhodes and 4 ships scheduled for 14th October.  Aurora is still there, but without a time.

[Dermotsgirl]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I find this quite interesting apart from the obvious disappointment for the people booked.  As mentioned by Britboys above the 2025 release shows little or no Greek ports on the schedule on ex Southampton cruises for P&O.  Apart from the Azura fly cruises it looks as if Greece is becoming a no go area for P&O travellers and I wonder if the 2024 cruises booked to go there will suffer the same fate when the ports start "diviying" up who gets a berth.

 

Very noticeably the fly cruise ships on P&O and other lines (I looked at Princess and Celebrity for myself) seem to be predominant in most Greek ports including the popular islands.  I cannot find hardly an ex UK sailings mentioning Greece for the next three seasons. Could this be the way of the future with tye intended reduction of cruise ships welcome in the Med or is it just the cruise lines saying well the Spanish ports are still selling well so why worry.

 

Also since the Venice ban there are markedly less cruises visiting Italian ports and Croatia on ex UK sailings yet I've previously done quite a few on Cunard and P&O.  Hopefully this isn't the way things are going to proceed but the 2025 schedules I've seen to date aren't looking too promising for anywhere central Mediterranean unless its fly cruise with the prices being substantially higher to reflect the rarer ports.

P&O ex-UK cruises to the Greek Islands were getting rarer even prior to 2020.  Around 2016-2017 the likes of Azura and Ventura were doing quite a few 19 day cruises to the central Med from the UK. This itinerary was something we were interested in, but the other cruises we were doing at this time took priority.  We were finally in a position to do the itinerary for the 2019 season. By that time, from memory,  there were only about 3 of this type of cruise available, and we picked the one on Azura, sailing in September.  Even before we sailed, the order of the ports in the Greece area had been rearranged. Once underway, there were forecasts of high winds at our destination ports, so there was more port shuffling, dropping and adding.  We lost Mykanos, which was a disappointment, but Souda Bay was added, which I was pleased as about, as it gave me the chance to go to Rethymon, which I had long liked the look of since seeing it in a holiday brochure about 40 years ago.  We managed to keep Santorini on the itinerary, which everybody was delighted about, and it was a perfect day there, but very busy.  

 

It was a great cruise, and a suitable swan song to the old era - not sure whether there'll be so much chance for people to do this type of itinerary from the UK in future. 

[Megabear2]

20 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

P&O ex-UK cruises to the Greek Islands were getting rarer even prior to 2020.  Around 2016-2017 the likes of Azura and Ventura were doing quite a few 19 day cruises to the central Med from the UK. This itinerary was something we were interested in, but the other cruises we were doing at this time took priority.  We were finally in a position to do the itinerary for the 2019 season. By that time, from memory,  there were only about 3 of this type of cruise available, and we picked the one on Azura, sailing in September.  Even before we sailed, the order of the ports in the Greece area had been rearranged. Once underway, there were forecasts of high winds at our destination ports, so there was more port shuffling, dropping and adding.  We lost Mykanos, which was a disappointment, but Souda Bay was added, which I was pleased as about, as it gave me the chance to go to Rethymon, which I had long liked the look of since seeing it in a holiday brochure about 40 years ago.  We managed to keep Santorini on the itinerary, which everybody was delighted about, and it was a perfect day there, but very busy.  

 

It was a great cruise, and a suitable swan song to the old era - not sure whether there'll be so much chance for people to do this type of itinerary from the UK in future. 

Yes, I did most of my P&O Greek cruises on Azura as well. I recall Corfu, Rhodes, Piraeus and Kefalonia in particular. Never sailed into Santorini as after land based holidays there assumed the journey from the port would be rather a chore!  Kefalonia I visited on QM2 and QV with my mother and subsequently my husband and I now holiday there every year at the beginning of July.  I do recall most of the Central Mediterranean cruises were in September and October which was great for me as tied in with anniversary and my birthday.

[jeanlyon]

We have done a few ports in Greece and Croatia, even the Black Sea.  On Oriana, Artemis and also Aurora.

[Fionboard]

Currently in Sardinia and sailing for Croatia tonight. Will make the most of it! 

[Megabear2]

I have been researching Iona Norway cruises in the past few days and have noted that on the P&O website they are showing Iona calling at Geiranger on all departures between 27th May 2023 and 2nd September 2023.  As I understood it Iona will not be calling there due to a problem with docking so assumedly these cruises are showing incorrect information and a change will be imminent or have I got this completely wrong and the passengers have been notified en bloc earlier on?

 

I can't help but be a bit worried about all this websitecsloppiness on ports changing, some blurb is still waxing lyrical about St Petetsburg!

 

Regarding Palma I have noted that Celebrity Edge has now updated a number of her cruises from calls there to now being Ibiza, but these seem to have been done very quickly as a block.  Is there any news yet on Arvia calls - I have notification on the August Britannia one as mentioned above by others.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Megabear2

[bee-ess]

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

 

 

Regarding Palma I have noted that Celebrity Edge has now updated a number of her cruises from calls there to now being Ibiza, but these seem to have been done very quickly as a block.  Is there any news yet on Arvia calls - I have notification on the August Britannia one as mentioned above by others.

We are due to visit Palma on Arvia in June and have not had any notification of a change yet

[terrierjohn]

17 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

We are due to visit Palma on Arvia in June and have not had any notification of a change yet

If you check the Palma cruise port website, you should be able to see how many ships are  scheduled to be in the same day as Arvia, and that should give you an idea of the likelihood Arvia will be cancelled.

[Megabear2]

15 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If you check the Palma cruise port website, you should be able to see how many ships are  scheduled to be in the same day as Arvia, and that should give you an idea of the likelihood Arvia will be cancelled.

I have Palma on my Arvia May trip and nothing has happened with that.  My August Britannia has had things swapped around and timing changed.

 

I am mainly disgruntled that P&O can't seem to update the itineraries on the websites to reflect where tyecships are actually going.  If you go to book you seem to get an errata before finally clicking in to buy the product but that's little consolation if you're in the planning stage, make a decision based on your research and then at the end of it all learn it's not quite what you thought.

[bee-ess]

46 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If you check the Palma cruise port website, you should be able to see how many ships are  scheduled to be in the same day as Arvia, and that should give you an idea of the likelihood Arvia will be cancelled.

Thanks, I cannot see us docking there due to the current rules but just hope that P&O tell us soon where we will be going instead,

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, bee-ess said:

Thanks, I cannot see us docking there due to the current rules but just hope that P&O tell us soon where we will be going instead,

Unfortunately I expect P&O will be looking to do overnights somewhere rather than find an alternative port.

[purplesea]

We are on Arvia mid May and are still scheduled to call at Palma, excursions are still being sold on My P&O. Checking the port guide MSC Seaview, Celebrity Edge and World Navigator are in prt the same day, so we will see!

[Yorkypete]

7 minutes ago, purplesea said:

We are on Arvia mid May and are still scheduled to call at Palma, excursions are still being sold on My P&O. Checking the port guide MSC Seaview, Celebrity Edge and World Navigator are in prt the same day, so we will see!

P&O are well aware of the days they will not be allowed to dock so why they cannot be honest is beyond me. It is typical now though.

 

[carlanthony24]

29 minutes ago, Yorkypete said:

P&O are well aware of the days they will not be allowed to dock so why they cannot be honest is beyond me. It is typical now though.

 

Because the port most likely hasn’t cancelled them yet. If P&O cancel it themselves they would lose out compared to the port doing it and earning compensation for doing so. Got to be something written in the contacts between cruise companies and ports.

Edited April 18, 2023 by carlanthony24

[Megabear2]

55 minutes ago, purplesea said:

We are on Arvia mid May and are still scheduled to call at Palma, excursions are still being sold on My P&O. Checking the port guide MSC Seaview, Celebrity Edge and World Navigator are in prt the same day, so we will see!

Is this the 14 May departure due Palma 19th - that's the one I'm on.  Port schedule actually shows Seaview, Edge and Arvia in port that day so assumedly we won6 be going.

[terrierjohn]

52 minutes ago, Yorkypete said:

P&O are well aware of the days they will not be allowed to dock so why they cannot be honest is beyond me. It is typical now though.

 

You say they are aware, however until the port advises them that they will not be allowed to berth, then I assume P&O's hands are tied.

[purplesea]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Is this the 14 May departure due Palma 19th - that's the one I'm on.  Port schedule actually shows Seaview, Edge and Arvia in port that day so assumedly we won6 be going.

Yes, it is.

Edited April 18, 2023 by purplesea

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, Yorkypete said:

P&O are well aware of the days they will not be allowed to dock so why they cannot be honest is beyond me. It is typical now though.

 

Whilst it seems obvious assumedly the port has to cancel first.  Unfortunately we have to wait and much as I hate to say it the Balerics are not exactly keen on UK visitors at the moment no matter how they arrive so we could well be bottom of the queue for getting notice.

 

I believe Moley said alternative plans will be in hand behind the scenes.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Megabear2

[showingdiva]

3 hours ago, purplesea said:

We are on Arvia mid May and are still scheduled to call at Palma, excursions are still being sold on My P&O. Checking the port guide MSC Seaview, Celebrity Edge and World Navigator are in prt the same day, so we will see!

 

World Navigator is small.   So much so that we accommodated both her and her sister onto the cruise berth in Leith last year.    MSC Seaview and Celebrity Edge on the other hand .....

[bee-ess]

13 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Unfortunately I expect P&O will be looking to do overnights somewhere rather than find an alternative port.

Hoping it will be Valencia or Alicante rather than an overnight. 

[purplesea]

13 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Unfortunately I expect P&O will be looking to do overnights somewhere rather than find an alternative port.

I hope not as I chose the itinerary as it didn't have an overnight in port.

[bee-ess]

10 minutes ago, purplesea said:

I hope not as I chose the itinerary as it didn't have an overnight in port.

And us !

[Snow Hill]

45 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

Hoping it will be Valencia or Alicante rather than an overnight. 

Guess it would depend whether either of these 2 ports has the availability at the time. 

[Megabear2]

37 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

And us !

+1