Will P&O now delay announcements for future cruise pauses?

[yorkshirephil]

35 minutes ago, davecttr said:

I would not be surprised to find out that 'rich' people are already jumping the queue, and if the government decides it needs to allow it to protect the cruise industry it will happen

I am amazed the vaccine is not on E Bay yet😊

[terrierjohn]

55 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

I shouldn't worry about the emails, I have had them for our July 2021 Azura cruise and Iona 2022, as well as Arcadia 2021 and Britannia 2022 cruises.

Not had one for any of our 4 cruises booked over 2021/2.

Edited December 18, 2020 by terrierjohn

[jaydee6969]

15 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Not had one for any of our 4 cruises booked over 2021/2.

Strange.  Over the course of 2 days I have had two emails for each of the 6 cruises I have booked.  I was surprised they hadn't gone to spam how quickly some of them came in.  Have you checked your spam?

[zap99]

1 hour ago, jaydee6969 said:

Strange.  Over the course of 2 days I have had two emails for each of the 6 cruises I have booked.  I was surprised they hadn't gone to spam how quickly some of them came in.  Have you checked your spam?

Not checked the spam. I won't need to do that as long as the Turkey doesn't get over done. Always have a plan B.🤣

[arlowood]

Getting back to the resumption of cruising in 2021 if and when it goes ahead.

I have read through the thread with some concern and trepidation.

We have an Aurora Mediterranean cruise booked departing on 1st May 2021 and a Baltic cruise on Aurora for August 2021.

Both cruises were booked through an agent and to date we have had no emails of any sort from P&O. Our agent is usually very good at forwarding such things if we don't get them directly. The balance due date for the May cruise is at the end of January but our agent normally requires payment earlier than that (9th January in this case).

If as seems possible, P&O extend their no sail dates or restrict their early sailings to the larger ships, then I don't want to pay in full then be at the mercy of the FCC policy. I already have a Viking FCC that will need to be used in 2021 or 2022. I think I would rather cancel or transfer my deposit to a 2022 or later cruise.

I have contacted the agent to ask them to relax the balance deadline until nearer the P&O cut-off date in the hope that the position will be clarified before mid-January. Whether they will comply or not remains to be seen.

If we end up back in lockdown after Christmas then I think the cruise industry may have to re-think their strategies

Edited December 18, 2020 by arlowood
spelling

[Presto2]

2 hours ago, jaydee6969 said:

Strange.  Over the course of 2 days I have had two emails for each of the 6 cruises I have booked.  I was surprised they hadn't gone to spam how quickly some of them came in.  Have you checked your spam?

We now have 2 cruises booked and haven't had any e-mails at all. Not too worried as they are both way in to 2022

[wowzz]

20 minutes ago, arlowood said:

We have an Aurora Mediterranean cruise booked departing on 1st May 2021

Didn't Moley say that the Mediterranean fly cruises were the most problematic?

I think you are in a difficult position. I can't see your cruise going ahead, but also I can't see the cruise being cancelled prior to the final payment date required by your TA.

How about moving the deposit to a 2022 cruise, and then moving it again to a 2023 cruise once they are released?

[arlowood]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Didn't Moley say that the Mediterranean fly cruises were the most problematic?

I think you are in a difficult position. I can't see your cruise going ahead, but also I can't see the cruise being cancelled prior to the final payment date required by your TA.

How about moving the deposit to a 2022 cruise, and then moving it again to a 2023 cruise once they are released?

Our May cruise on Aurora is out of Southampton so the fly cruise problem is not an issue in this case.

 

I did contact the agent after my original post and they have respond already and agreed to extend their balance due date until 27th January and further if the situation is unclear at that date. Fair play to them. We have had a good relationship and great service from them over the past 13 years so I'm pleased at their response.

We may think about moving the deposit but will wait to see what happens in the interim.

[wowzz]

27 minutes ago, arlowood said:

Our May cruise on Aurora is out of Southampton so the fly cruise problem is not an issue in this case.

 

I did contact the agent after my original post and they have respond already and agreed to extend their balance due date until 27th January and further if the situation is unclear at that date. Fair play to them. We have had a good relationship and great service from them over the past 13 years so I'm pleased at their response.

We may think about moving the deposit but will wait to see what happens in the interim.

Sorry, should have realised it wasn't a fly cruise.

I still don't think it will go ahead though.

[ann141]

52 minutes ago, arlowood said:

Our May cruise on Aurora is out of Southampton so the fly cruise problem is not an issue in this case.

 

I did contact the agent after my original post and they have respond already and agreed to extend their balance due date until 27th January and further if the situation is unclear at that date. Fair play to them. We have had a good relationship and great service from them over the past 13 years so I'm pleased at their response.

We may think about moving the deposit but will wait to see what happens in the interim.

Its good that your TA has agreed to extend the balance due date.Molecrochip has said he expects announcements to be made by P and O in January so hopefully you will know whether your cruise will go ahead before the new date.For our cruise (should have been Jan 2021) we held on and were given an extension date by which time P and O had cancelled the cruise.Although it is disappointing that we couldn't cruise, it meant we could get a refund rather than transfer the cruise and P and O were quite quick in refunding us the money

[Selbourne]

On 12/17/2020 at 2:21 PM, Dermotsgirl said:

Firstly, please do not worry about my state of mind, as I cope by by being realistic and not indulging over optimistic hopes.

 

Secondly, I am not wound up about my understanding of the Covid situation, but I'm rather tired of being jumped on by a certain group of people who seem to want to keep the conversation within their own narrative and attempt to supress anybody who challenges their world view.

 

Thirdly, I did take your advice, and re-watched the relevant part of of yesterday's briefing.

 

Part of the viewer question was 'will social distancing end once all the vulnerable are vaccinated.

 

Johnson said the hoped enough vulnerable people would be vaccinated to consider non pharma interventions to be dropped between now and Easter.

 

Johnson then handed over to Whitty.

 

At the very end of his answer Whitty said that 'over the next three months we need to get those very vulnerable people vaccinated'.

 

This sounds to me that they are only expecting to get the most vulnerable groups vaccinated by mid March (Easter is just over two weeks later).

 

So I therefore conclude there is nothing wrong with my understanding of what he said.

 

 

 

 

Although I will be shot down as being negative, just as you have, my understanding is exactly the same as yours. Several of us said a while back when the vaccine news first came out that there was no way that all the over 50’s could possibly be vaccinated by Easter and were shot down then with the usual put downs as being negative / glass half empty .

 

I can understand why people hear different things from the briefings though, as neither politicians or scientists / medical officers are crystal clear. I think that the scientists and medical people know the reality but don’t want to say anything that is seen to contradict the upbeat message that the PM and others try to portray to give people hope. The biggest confusion seems to be over the ‘most vulnerable people by a Easter’ tag line that we keep hearing. I am convinced that they are NOT meaning all over 50’s (as many have assumed) but over 70’s. And even that could be a stretch.
 

Comparisons with the flu jab are misguided I feel. This is a completely different beast in terms of logistics, numbers involved, need for 2 jabs etc. Confirmation for me that my fears weren’t wide of the mark came yesterday from the National Audit Office (I’m pretty sure it was them - it was a highly reputable independent source anyway). I was surprised that it didn’t get wider coverage. The upshot of it was that it will take until the end of 2021 to vaccinate all those in the priority lists (over 50’s) and well into 2022 before the majority of the population is vaccinated. These timescales were based on 75% acceptance of the vaccine. 
 

Hopefully things will improve beyond that but this is going to be a very long haul. Current vaccination levels are very low and it’s interesting that they haven’t said how many of those vaccinated so far were NHS / care staff (who won’t directly bring down the death figures) versus over 80’s (who will). None of our family members in their 80’s have heard anything yet and I suspect won’t until sometime in the New Year. As for my wife and I (55-60) we would love to have the vaccine ASAP,  but the reality is that if we are vaccinated before the second half of 2021 I think we will be lucky. As always, I sincerely hope that I am wrong, but I am a realist, so no cruise bookings for us any time soon. 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Although I will be shot down as being negative, just as you have, my understanding is exactly the same as yours. Several of us said a while back when the vaccine news first came out that there was no way that all the over 50’s could possibly be vaccinated by Easter and were shot down then with the usual put downs as being negative / glass half empty .

 

I can understand why people hear different things from the briefings though, as neither politicians or scientists / medical officers are crystal clear. I think that the scientists and medical people know the reality but don’t want to say anything that is seen to contradict the upbeat message that the PM and others try to portray to give people hope. The biggest confusion seems to be over the ‘most vulnerable people by a Easter’ tag line that we keep hearing. I am convinced that they are NOT meaning all over 50’s (as many have assumed) but over 70’s. And even that could be a stretch.
 

Comparisons with the flu jab are misguided I feel. This is a completely different beast in terms of logistics, numbers involved, need for 2 jabs etc. Confirmation for me that my fears weren’t wide of the mark came yesterday from the National Audit Office (I’m pretty sure it was them - it was a highly reputable independent source anyway). I was surprised that it didn’t get wider coverage. The upshot of it was that it will take until the end of 2021 to vaccinate all those in the priority lists (over 50’s) and well into 2022 before the majority of the population is vaccinated. These timescales were based on 75% acceptance of the vaccine. 
 

Hopefully things will improve beyond that but this is going to be a very long haul. Current vaccination levels are very low and it’s interesting that they haven’t said how many of those vaccinated so far were NHS / care staff (who won’t directly bring down the death figures) versus over 80’s (who will). None of our family members in their 80’s have heard anything yet and I suspect won’t until sometime in the New Year. As for my wife and I (55-60) we would love to have the vaccine ASAP,  but the reality is that if we are vaccinated before the second half of 2021 I think we will be lucky. As always, I sincerely hope that I am wrong, but I am a realist, so no cruise bookings for us any time soon. 

A totally realistic appraisal of the situation, but when I and others have said the same, we have been told that we were pessimists, kill joys etc.

What you do not mention, is that no one knows how long the vaccine will be effective. So it is entirely possible that those receiving the vaccine now, will require additional jabs next year, before the less susceptible will have received their first injection, 

Which is one of the reasons that I do not believe having a "valid" vaccine  certificate before cruising will ever be possible.  Everyone will only be 6 months away from needing a "booster" jab, so allowing only those with current vaccine protection will be a non starter. 

[P&O SUE]

18 hours ago, Presto2 said:

We now have 2 cruises booked and haven't had any e-mails at all. Not too worried as they are both way in to 2022

I’ve had the emails and my cruise is June 2022!

[P&O SUE]

I’m feeling more and more happy I’ve already moved my 2021 cruise, it’s just too stressful waiting and wondering! I’m happily browsing cottages in the Lake District at the moment.

[No pager thank you]

47 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

I’m feeling more and more happy I’ve already moved my 2021 cruise, it’s just too stressful waiting and wondering! I’m happily browsing cottages in the Lake District at the moment.

Know exactly what you mean Sue ... although it's months away, you end getting worried 4-5 months out if you are going to have to shell out the money and have to deal with them again.  Plus not know what the plan is, even if it does go, less P&O's fault admittedly.

 

We have also resorted to a cottage holiday!!

[Son of Anarchy]

1 hour ago, P&O SUE said:

I’ve had the emails and my cruise is June 2022!

Had our emails as well.  One of our cruises is September 2022!

 

[ann141]

42 minutes ago, No pager thank you said:

Know exactly what you mean Sue ... although it's months away, you end getting worried 4-5 months out if you are going to have to shell out the money and have to deal with them again.  Plus not know what the plan is, even if it does go, less P&O's fault admittedly.

 

We have also resorted to a cottage holiday!!

We are planning a week in Weymouth(It will be too late to see the cruise ships!) and short breaks on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts but also hope to cruise as well.We are lucky that as we are retired we can go last minute

[Dermotsgirl]

2 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

I’m feeling more and more happy I’ve already moved my 2021 cruise, it’s just too stressful waiting and wondering! I’m happily browsing cottages in the Lake District at the moment.

My remaining cruises have been moved to May and August 2022, just so I can stop thinking about them for the time being.

 

 

 

 

[jeanlyon]

My next one is October 2021, but already feeling it might not happen.  Looking at other lovely places in the UK where we've never been!

[molecrochip]

There is a great article on Travel Weekly about Carnival UK’s views on restart. These echo the announcements I’m expecting.

 

I would say this new strain of virus may have an impact.

 

It’s also worth pointing out, that at a medication review, my doctor advised today that it’s the supply chain of the Pfizer vaccine that is the limit at present. He said that they are a vaccine centre ready for the Oxford vaccine. Apparent there is at least 3x as many vaccine centres for it as it doesn’t have supply chain issues. So numbers of vaccinated people will grow quickly. They have been told to be ready to receive on Monday 4th and to start vaccinating on Tuesday 5 Jan.

[joeecco]

10 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

There is a great article on Travel Weekly about Carnival UK’s views on restart. These echo the announcements I’m expecting.

 

I would say this new strain of virus may have an impact.

 

It’s also worth pointing out, that at a medication review, my doctor advised today that it’s the supply chain of the Pfizer vaccine that is the limit at present. He said that they are a vaccine centre ready for the Oxford vaccine. Apparent there is at least 3x as many vaccine centres for it as it doesn’t have supply chain issues. So numbers of vaccinated people will grow quickly. They have been told to be ready to receive on Monday 4th and to start vaccinating on Tuesday 5 Jan.

Do you believe the Iona May 1 Fjord sailing is in their plans to operate or cancel? 
 

and have you heard anything more at all regarding Azura and her fly cruise season...

[grapau27]

On 12/18/2020 at 11:24 PM, wowzz said:

A totally realistic appraisal of the situation, but when I and others have said the same, we have been told that we were pessimists, kill joys etc.

What you do not mention, is that no one knows how long the vaccine will be effective. So it is entirely possible that those receiving the vaccine now, will require additional jabs next year, before the less susceptible will have received their first injection, 

Which is one of the reasons that I do not believe having a "valid" vaccine  certificate before cruising will ever be possible.  Everyone will only be 6 months away from needing a "booster" jab, so allowing only those with current vaccine protection will be a non starter. 

They originally talked about Herd Immunity.

36000 new cases today.

I read a US report that said people who had already had covid19 could have immunity from months to years.

I wonder if those who have had covid19 will be offered the vaccine because if not others will get the vaccine a lot quicker.

[molecrochip]

33 minutes ago, joeecco said:

Do you believe the Iona May 1 Fjord sailing is in their plans to operate or cancel? 
 

and have you heard anything more at all regarding Azura and her fly cruise season...

I have no firm information about any specific sailing.

[terrierjohn]

21 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

They originally talked about Herd Immunity.

36000 new cases today.

I read a US report that said people who had already had covid19 could have immunity from months to years.

I wonder if those who have had covid19 will be offered the vaccine because if not others will get the vaccine a lot quicker.

The BBC this evening said that 50% should be vaccinated by April, and 63% by June, which could give herd immunity. But even if the new variant did increase this threshold, then 80% should be vaccinated by August.

Of course we all know the BBC is a Boris loving govt mouthpiece, so maybe they're wrong.

[yorkshirephil]

36 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I read a US report that said people who had already had covid19 could have immunity from months to years.

I wonder if those who have had covid19 will be offered the vaccine because if not others will get the vaccine a lot quicker.

The problem is nobody knows for sure yet, natural immunity is generally considered better than vaccine immunity, but this is based on years of data and experience with other viruses, some similar to covid. Not everyone that gets covid will get natural lasting immunity. Some people are getting covid more than once, albeit not many to date. In the same way not everyone will get covid immunity from the vaccine. It could be years before we have answers to some of these questions.