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

[Captain_Morgan]

CLIA is just a lobbying body for the industry so of course they're going to be banging the drum for the powers that be to loosen the current restrictions and/or guidance about cruising as its in their best interest.

Sadly, until a proven vaccine is well and truly rolled out to the masses and the local governments begin loosening restrictions on basic day to day activities I don't see how getting onto a cruise ship with hundreds of people is a good idea.  Just as I don't think that governments should be bailing out cruise companies which is another hot topic for some.  To put things into perspective, the pubs in the UK are closed but the lobbyists want ships to get moving because of their so-called 'wave season'....rings a bit self serving IMHO.

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Hospital occupancy is higher than the April peak and more hospital admissions are already ‘baked in’ due to the high level of current infections.

 

the next few months are going to be very dark, just seems to be totally inappropriate to consider lifting the FCO cruising advice at this time. 

But they could maybe indicate a sort of target hospitalization level, linked with a vaccination level, where it might be possibls to consider lifting the travel advisory.

[molecrochip]

If my sources are correct, the CLIA and the cruise lines know already the details they are asking for - when the ban will be lifted and how/when they can restart.

 

The CLIA just want the government to speak it in public so that their marketing is in line with published government advice. Otherwise the next marketing push for 2021 cruises will look like cruise lines stabbing in the dark.

[molecrochip]

My expectation is that, if all 9 priority groups are due to have the first vaccine dose by early/mid April, there won’t be further wholesale cancellations.

 

That is the NHS task - to do all 9 priority groups by mid April when they then need to spend 3 months doing jab 2.

 

That requires 2m people a week from early Feb.

[mercury7289]

6 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

If my sources are correct, the CLIA and the cruise lines know already the details they are asking for - when the ban will be lifted and how/when they can restart.

 

The CLIA just want the government to speak it in public so that their marketing is in line with published government advice. Otherwise the next marketing push for 2021 cruises will look like cruise lines stabbing in the dark.

Total respect. however, is this not stabbing in the dark? Marketing teams were known as the cloud 9 department, nothing seems to have changed?

[wowzz]

8 hours ago, molecrochip said:

My expectation is that, if all 9 priority groups are due to have the first vaccine dose by early/mid April, there won’t be further wholesale cancellations.

But what about those who will not have been vaccinated  - will they be allowed to sail? 

The other major issue is the policy of destination countries to cruising, especially those such as Spain where vaccination has barely started. It still seems unrealistic to expect crusing to restart with currently scheduled itineraries until Q3 21 at the earliest. 

[Captain_Morgan]

Is it just me or does the term 'pie in the sky' come to mind?!?

[bobstheboy]

I am still hopeful my late August cruise to the Med on Ventura will go ahead, but I have gone from 70% to 50%. Balance to be paid by mid April, then it will be make your mind up time, pay or move the cruise to 22.

Edited January 6, 2021 by bobstheboy
Typo

[wowzz]

5 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

I am still hopeful my late August cruise to the Med on Ventura will go ahead, but I have gone from 70% to 50%. Balance to be paid by mid April, then it will be make your mind up time, pay or move the cruise to 22.

It's a difficult decision. Have you looked at the 2022 prices recently? You could be in for a shock. 

[bobstheboy]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

It's a difficult decision. Have you looked at the 2022 prices recently? You could be in for a shock. 

Just had another look. The Britannia, late August comes in at about £100 pp more than I paid for Ventura, so not too bad. It's stick or twist, if I leave it until April and want to change, will the price have rocketed ?  It is our 25th Anniversary this year, whilst we are away, that is why we want to go.

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Just had another look. The Britannia, late August comes in at about £100 pp more than I paid for Ventura, so not too bad. It's stick or twist, if I leave it until April and want to change, will the price have rocketed ?  It is our 25th Anniversary this year, whilst we are away, that is why we want to go.

That's pretty good. The cruise we moved to, Arcadia in March 22, is already £600 pp more than when we booked it in July last year.

[Tikka234]

Looking to change our end May 21 Fjords cruise to end Aug 21 as full payment due next month and I think May too

 

with hope it may go ahead only time we can change to  we already have a Med cruise booked end Sept 21 which was transferred from last May. Fingers crossed

[purplesea]

1 hour ago, Tikka234 said:

Looking to change our end May 21 Fjords cruise to end Aug 21 as full payment due next month and I think May too

 

with hope it may go ahead only time we can change to  we already have a Med cruise booked end Sept 21 which was transferred from last May. Fingers crossed

We are booked end of August 21 to the Fjords but think there's a 50%/50% change of going.

[Son of Anarchy]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

It's a difficult decision. Have you looked at the 2022 prices recently? You could be in for a shock. 

We booked Ventura TA Feb 2022 at launch.  Same fare type and grade now about £900 pp more.  Booked Arcadia at launch for Sep 2022, Same fare type and grade now about £1200pp more.

 

Glad we booked when we did.

[frogsgirl]

Fingers crossed for an announcement soon, have to pay balance on 24th Jan for 24th April Iona cruise and really don’t want to. Mum is 77 and does not want the vaccine, we are not in the age category to be vaccinated by the time the cruise comes along. 

 

I don’t want to rebook as this cruise was for mum really and given her stance on the vaccination it seems pointless at this stage with all the uncertainty. 

 

 

[yorkshirephil]

9 minutes ago, frogsgirl said:

Fingers crossed for an announcement soon, have to pay balance on 24th Jan for 24th April Iona cruise and really don’t want to. Mum is 77 and does not want the vaccine, we are not in the age category to be vaccinated by the time the cruise comes along. 

 

I don’t want to rebook as this cruise was for mum really and given her stance on the vaccination it seems pointless at this stage with all the uncertainty. 

 

 

That is a difficult one, ours is not while June and we are getting twitchy,

[Roaming Rover]

23 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said:

We should have been on Arcadia right now.....Grrrrrrr......

 

Watched a recording of Cruising with Jane yesterday.  And a recording of Mighty Cruise Ships (Norwegian Joy in Alaska - amazing) today to make up for it 🤣

What channel is mighty cruise ships on ?

[zap99]

2 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Just had another look. The Britannia, late August comes in at about £100 pp more than I paid for Ventura, so not too bad. It's stick or twist, if I leave it until April and want to change, will the price have rocketed ?  It is our 25th Anniversary this year, whilst we are away, that is why we want to go.

We have Iona booked for the end of August. Pretty much the same price as is our Celebrity Eclipse Alaska cruise in June.

[Bloodaxe]

6 minutes ago, Roaming Rover said:

What channel is mighty cruise ships on ?

Quest

[Roaming Rover]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

We have Iona booked for the end of August. Pretty much the same price as is our Celebrity Eclipse Alaska cruise in June.

Is your Alaska cruise going ahead ? We are on the Konningsdam 5th June inside passage to Alaska not heard if its going ahead yet !! also 2days  Rocky Mountaineer !!

[yorkshirephil]

4 minutes ago, Roaming Rover said:

Is your Alaska cruise going ahead ? We are on the Konningsdam 5th June inside passage to Alaska not heard if its going ahead yet !! also 2days  Rocky Mountaineer !!

I am now working on the logic that cruises are going ahead, until they are not. We have early June, doubtful it will go but hopeful it will. Seems like deja vu, same thing happened last year with June Iona cruise.

[zap99]

21 minutes ago, Roaming Rover said:

Is your Alaska cruise going ahead ? We are on the Konningsdam 5th June inside passage to Alaska not heard if its going ahead yet !! also 2days  Rocky Mountaineer !!

We are booked on Eclipse for 13 June followed by a 11 night Rockies tour. Celebrity have cancelled up to the week before ours, so looking a bit doubtful. Final balance for the cruise and the tour is not due til mid April. Choice will be made soon to either push back a month or so or cancel for yet another year.

Edited January 6, 2021 by zap99

[zap99]

10 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I am now working on the logic that cruises are going ahead, until they are not. We have early June, doubtful it will go but hopeful it will. Seems like deja vu, same thing happened last year with June Iona cruise.

We have a land holiday booked for mid April. We decided this morning to push that back . We have booked Cornwall for May. That may be our first 2021 holiday.

[wowzz]

48 minutes ago, frogsgirl said:

Fingers crossed for an announcement soon, have to pay balance on 24th Jan for 24th April Iona cruise and really don’t want to. Mum is 77 and does not want the vaccine, we are not in the age category to be vaccinated by the time the cruise comes along. 

 

I don’t want to rebook as this cruise was for mum really and given her stance on the vaccination it seems pointless at this stage with all the uncertainty. 

 

 

Let's hope your Mum doesn't take up a hospital bed.

[Adawn47]

41 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

That is a difficult one, ours is not while June and we are getting twitchy,

Same here. Ours is June 25th, which was moved from a November 2020 cancelled cruise. The worry we have is that we couldn't take out travel insurance on it at that time because of the  covid travel restrictions, and it's not a select price. On the positive side though, we are in groups 3&4 for vaccinations so🤞

Avril