A trip round the bay might save the day!

[Pet]

I appreciate there has been a number of very long threads speculating on the future of cruising so apologises if I am repeating some of them. 

 

P&O have already announced all cruises up to mid October (at least) are cancelled. Although most other cruise lines have not projected that far ahead yet, it would seem unlikely that P&O would make this massive decision in isolation if they thought for one moment the market would open up again by then leaving competitors to "pick up the pieces" of their cruise programme for 2020. I imagine that much time and effort will be spent during the next 4-6 months ensuring ships meet the many pre-requisites that are being laid down by Governments, Health Organisations and Ports of Call to safety carry both guests and crew. Many likely issues and solutions have been raised but at present I don't think there is any one panacea to address all the problems apart from a reliable vaccine and that could be some way off yet.

 

All the likely measures being considered have yet to be tested in practice as far as I am aware - things like how will tendering operations work with social distancing in place? Many of us will have fond memories of spending 20-30 minutes on a tender seating cheek by jowl with maybe a 100-200 fellow passengers - reducing numbers carried by tenders would likely mean it will take half a day or more just to get ashore (and back) - or perhaps there will be no tender ports on cruise itineraries for the foreseeable future.   Once cruise lines have come up with a process that balances safety with an enjoyable holiday experience that will attract guests to return, I wonder if they will consider having some dry runs to test them before opening them up to the general public? By, for example, inviting volunteer couples or families on a one or two day cruise to nowhere from, say, Southampton to Weymouth Bay and back free of charge? This would give the various authorities an opportunity to see how well new measures operate in reality and give the crew a chance to get to grips with a new way of working. A completed questionnaire at the end of the trip would no doubt help the line to refine processes further where appropriate. This would, of course, cost the Company a fair bit, but a mere drop in the ocean compared to the real and potential loses involved in getting it wrong. Just wondered what others think?

[kalos]

I Cannot see cruise companies giving free cruises away, they have lost 
enough revenue and need to make money .
The shorter cruises could cause deep clean  issues on turn around's .
TUI are sending Germans over to the Balearics on holiday and I do not see 
hotels or aircraft giving freebies to see if it works .
The cruise companies have a lot to sort out but I suspect free cruising is way down their 
list  at the present time.

[Britboys]

I can see your point but agree with kalos that it is not likely. At best/most, if they felt they needed to do something like that, I suspect that they would involve travel trade employees who are selling their cruises - especially if they do it on Iona...