Winter 22/23 dates announced

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Yes Cape Verde a couple of days each way and probably not a likely P&O port, but when Fred did two week fly cruises from Tenerife, a couple of ports in Cape Verde on some of them meant some warmer weather in the winter 🙂

 

We went with Fred from Canaries several years ago, 3 Cape Verde islands, Gambia, Dakar and a couple of the Canaries in February. One of our favourite cruises and certainly one I would do again. The biggest problem with Cape Verde isles is that you currently need to tender at most of them, and that was with a small ship.

[tring]

47 minutes ago, No pager thank you said:

 

Not sure they will put on any "Explorer" cruises to Cape Verde, Casablanca or Ponta Delgada etc.

 

 

Agadir is the nearest Moroccan port and actually very near the Canaries and Cassablanca a bit further.  I think Ponta Delgada is some distance away.  If you include Madeira and the extra sailing time it is not at all difficult to make a two weeks cruise, though perhaps P&O are more likely to do one weekers which can easily also be sold as two weekers with a call at Tenerife in the middle, but no other duplicate ports.

[tring]

3 hours ago, bee-ess said:

Maybe they could consider Porto Santo near Madeira that has Cruise ships tendering.

 

Porto Santo not really a winter base and not much there, so I suggest unlikely.  Even land hols tend to be summer only there, but we would like to go sometime - probably on a land holiday.

[tring]

12 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

We went with Fred from Canaries several years ago, 3 Cape Verde islands, Gambia, Dakar and a couple of the Canaries in February. One of our favourite cruises and certainly one I would do again. The biggest problem with Cape Verde isles is that you currently need to tender at most of them, and that was with a small ship.

 

Mindelo, Praia and Porto Novo were all regular docking ports for Fred's Boudicca, though perhaps not Azura, unless the docking situation has changed - there was a lot of Chinese money going into Praia last time we were there a number of years back 🙂

 

I also agree a bit too different for P&O.

Edited March 29, 2021 by tring

[terrierjohn]

4 hours ago, Gettingwarmer said:

 

In box at top

https://www.pocruises.com/new-winter-collection

 

Thanks for that, I think Tenerife is going to be very busy every single day with a turnround ship in port, with Costa, Aida, MSC, Mein Schiff, Marella, maybe FO, and now P&O.

For those of us who don't like or want to fly that leaves only Iona doing regular winter Southampton sailings, and I wonder if the Canaries will still be on her itineraries and for how long if Azura is based out there. With Ventura spending 10 weeks with round trip Caribbean cruises and Arcadia/Aurora doing a worldy or S American voyage, and Arvia and Britannia doing Caribbean fly cruises, that leaves very little choice for shorter winter cruises.

[tring]

25 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Thanks for that, I think Tenerife is going to be very busy every single day with a turnround ship in port, with Costa, Aida, MSC, Mein Schiff, Marella, maybe FO, and now P&O.

 

Gran Canaria is often used as a departure for fly Canary's cruises as well as Tenerife, some will go there.

 

Fred announced winter 22/23 and will not be sailing from the Canaries.  He was sailing from there instead of the Caribbean for a few years due to the cost of flights, but did return to the Caribbean with Braemar.  I made a slip up saying Boudicca previously, as it was Braemar.  Fred laying Braemar up for next winter but plans to return to the Carribbean with her in 22/23.

[Britboys]

I don't think Azura will visit anywhere too exotic. I think it will be the Canaries, Madeira and maybe Agadir. It is interesting that they seem to be saying the only base option is Tenerife. Iirc, several of the other operators use both Tenerife and Gran Canaria, which spreads the flight load. Also be interesting to see which airline is chartered, especially as TUI will be servicing Marella and all the TUI hotels on Tenerife...

[Eglesbrech]

On 3/29/2021 at 4:21 PM, bee-ess said:

Hoping to book Our Vera, either the 22 night TA outbound (if there is one) or a standard 2 weeks in Feb if the prices are not too high.

Anyone else ?

You know I just bet that the senior executives at P&O didn’t give a thought to the fact that their shiny, elegant new ship would end up being referred to as “our Vera” but it is just so apt.

 

It’s like when you choose a child’s name, you consider all the ways in which it can be shortened, how it looks with the second name, what the initials could stand for etc etc. Looks like P&O didn’t do that 😀.

 

I think there will be a lot of interest whatever is presented as people will just be desperate to have something to look forward to that is almost guaranteed to actually go.

 

[jeanlyon]

On 3/29/2021 at 8:22 PM, yorkshirephil said:

We went with Fred from Canaries several years ago, 3 Cape Verde islands, Gambia, Dakar and a couple of the Canaries in February. One of our favourite cruises and certainly one I would do again. The biggest problem with Cape Verde isles is that you currently need to tender at most of them, and that was with a small ship.

We must have been on the same cruise?  2012.  On the Braemar.

[Adawn47]

On 3/29/2021 at 8:22 PM, yorkshirephil said:

We went with Fred from Canaries several years ago, 3 Cape Verde islands, Gambia, Dakar and a couple of the Canaries in February. One of our favourite cruises and certainly one I would do again. The biggest problem with Cape Verde isles is that you currently need to tender at most of them, and that was with a small ship.

I wouldn't mind having to tender at all the ports if it meant new itineraries.

Avril

[yorkshirephil]

12 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

We must have been on the same cruise?  2012.  On the Braemar.

That's the one Jean, it was 2013. Fred's maiden to Gambia, the welcome reception we got from all the different tribes that had turned up at the port to sing and dance was amazing. I had my birthday during the cruise, 6 of us had hired mini busses to take us around the Cape Verde islands. I would love to do that cruise again, especially if it went from the UK.

[Denarius]

42 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I wouldn't mind having to tender at all the ports if it meant new itineraries.

Avril

We have tied up alongside at all the Canary Islands I have visited on cruises; Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and Fuerteventura. I have not been to El Hierro and have never seen this on any cruise itinerary, but there is always a first time provided the island has a port which could service a cruise ship.

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, Denarius said:

We have tied up alongside at all the Canary Islands I have visited on cruises; Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and Fuerteventura. I have not been to El Hierro and have never seen this on any cruise itinerary, but there is always a first time provided the island has a port which could service a cruise ship.

I didn't mean the Canary Islands Denarius, as I know ships can dock there. I was meaning that I would be willing to tender at all ports if only P&O would change their itneraries to visit more new and interesting areas.

Avril

[jeanlyon]

On 4/3/2021 at 10:39 AM, yorkshirephil said:

That's the one Jean, it was 2013. Fred's maiden to Gambia, the welcome reception we got from all the different tribes that had turned up at the port to sing and dance was amazing. I had my birthday during the cruise, 6 of us had hired mini busses to take us around the Cape Verde islands. I would love to do that cruise again, especially if it went from the UK.

Absolutely agree.  Loved it.  I used to fly to those places.  Spent many happy nights at the hotel in The Gambia.  Made a friend for life on the cruise who now cruises with us all the time.

 

However, I've just looked it up and we went in November 2012?

Edited April 4, 2021 by jeanlyon

[yorkshirephil]

42 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Absolutely agree.  Loved it.  I used to fly to those places.  Spent many happy nights at the hotel in The Gambia.  Made a friend for life on the cruise who now cruises with us all the time.

 

However, I've just looked it up and we went in November 2012?

That's why I didn't see you then😁 We went in Feb2013.