Uk cruises - will they continue after September?

[Son of Anarchy]

We're booked for Ventura to W med early December.  At this point I'm not 100% convinced it will go.  We're both all jabbed up, so not too fussed if there's no requirement for all pax to be vaccinated.

 

I think the main potential sticking point is whether the countries will let us in.  Cruise is fully paid up with FCC so no balance to pay.  At the moment I think that if it were to sail with no stops we would probably still go.  Not usually keen on ships only excursions, but there's a couple of ports where we would do a ship's excursion and other ports were we happily stay on board.

 

We will just wait and see what happens nearer the time.  Things are so dynamic at the moment, you can't predict what the travel situation will be in four weeks let alone 4/5 months.

[Eddie99]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

I'd like to see longer cruises to the SUN ,  with no stops, so classifying as staycations.  You could almost envisage a Christmas  Caribbean cruise from Southampton that just sailed round islands without stopping.  It would sell out. As they would be safe from Amber gambling (remember those adverts - don't be an amber gambler)

 

Just need a change in government  guidelines. 

If the world situation remains perilous* I would imagine P&O would prefer their ships (and the onboard passengers, for whom they have a degree of moral, if not legal, responsibility) to be nearer their home port than 9 or 10 days sailing

 

*sadly, I think it will

[Windsurfboy]

12 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

If the world situation remains perilous* I would imagine P&O would prefer their ships (and the onboard passengers, for whom they have a degree of moral, if not legal, responsibility) to be nearer their home port than 9 or 10 days sailing

 

*sadly, I think it will

 

What is perilous  about a ship with fully vaccinated and tested people that doesnt stop anywhere, except for  taking on water and supplies which will be done   in a controlled manner.  Not from covid it can't  cross a few miles of sea. 

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

22 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

 

We will just wait and see what happens nearer the time.  Things are so dynamic at the moment, you can't predict what the travel situation will be in four weeks let alone 4/5 months.

 

The unpredictability is exactly why cruise lines should be thinking hard about predictable cruises as a back up. 

 

They could easily ask existing passengers like you , if countries were closed which of these options would you prefer. Some people would say money back , some FCC , but some like you would say a " cruise by " would be better than nothing. You could then plan adhead knowing you'd be on a ship come what may. The cruise line would be in the position of knowing what plans to put in place and a good idea if the alternatives were viable. 

[crazy cat lady 83]

We are still hoping that our 7 night Iona cruise at the end of October happens in some form. We would be quite happy sailing around the UK. I just want to be on a ship 😭A month ago I was certain it would happen but now I’m not sure. 
 

 I don’t know how they’ll play the whole vaccination thing either as my eldest will have just turned 12 then and my youngest will not be old enough so we will just have to wait but as each day passes I’m getting more eager to know. 

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Dermotsgirl said:

In a different life, I would have today paid the travel agent the balance for my 19 day cruise to Venice, sailing on Queen Victoria on 1st October.

 

The cruise still hasn’t been cancelled, and I don’t know whether Cunard has changed it’s balance payment date, but, as things stand, there is no way I’d pay the balance today. 
 

Fortunately, it’s not a decision I need to make, as I moved the cruise to 2022. I did this back last October, as soon as the summer 2022 cruises came out as I thought the cruise had little chance of sailing as scheduled. Likewise with my 55 night Arcadia cruise to the Amazon due to sail in January 2022, which I thought had even less chance of sailing.

 

I do not regret my early decision as it has saved a lot of wondering and pondering. 
 

The way things stand at present, I can’t see the autumn schedule sailing as planed. There’s too much uncertainty regarding the virus, not to mention that most ships will have been inactive for 18 months. It will take time to bring them back to service, even at a time when it is felt that the pandemic is over. Also, there’s the issue of consumer demand and confidence - I think some people may have moved on from cruising. 
 

I think there might be some limited cruising on one or two ships this autumn , but at present the idea holds little appeal for me. Too much uncertainty and too many hoops to jump through to make me want to book at this time.

 

Not sure what all this means for the financial stability of the cruise companies though. 

No they havent we are on QV on 1st November and after enquiring with Cunard only this week was told that the balance date is still 90 days prior to cruise.

[majortom10]

I cannot see there being a market for cruising in UK waters during Autumn/Winter period and should imagine cruise lines wont risk venturing too far from the UK even if there are no ports of call just in case there is the unfortunate chance of a medical emergency and the problems that may cause if person needs an hospital. TBH hoping having a cruise to Canaries on 1st Nov with Cunard hope there are no further cancellations but do not know what the alternative would be if there are more cancellations.

[Eddie99]

“They” (the Telegraph, I think) seems to be saying there will be a 2 week delay in the relaxations originally planned for 21 June

Who knows whether this will knock-on to ‘real’ cruising resuming?

[ToxM]

Last cruise I was on was mid November 2019 which was a 7 day cruise to Rotterdam, Bruges and Cherbourg. I was expecting the weather to be awful, but it was surprisingly good, I wouldn’t object to my trip to the Fjords being changed to a staycation cruise to nowhere. Windsurfboy is correct at this point any cruise would be preferable to no cruise. I was tempted to book the summer staycations but they are on the big ships and I don’t like those. 

 

I just want to cruise on a mid size ship. I just can’t see it happening this year even. 

 

The safety of passengers is paramount but we also have to factor in that any cruise line that has a case of COVID puts their business in dire jeopardy and the whole cruise business in danger as well, they HAVE to get it right every time, or else it’s pretty much game over. 

 

More haste less speed is very true here I think. 

[Dermotsgirl]

32 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

No they havent we are on QV on 1st November and after enquiring with Cunard only this week was told that the balance date is still 90 days prior to cruise.

I wonder how many people will be paying the balance - I would imagine there’ll be some more cancellations before long 

[Eddie99]

Cruises being cancelled or booked passengers cancelling?

(Or both?)

[Dermotsgirl]

2 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

Cruises being cancelled or booked passengers cancelling?

(Or both?)

I was thinking of the actual cruises being cancelled, but yes, passengers as well, if they haven’t already moved their cruises. 

[Rupert2251]

4 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

Cruises being cancelled or booked passengers cancelling?

(Or both?)

Both! We will definitely cancel our October cruise and lose the deposit if the cruiseline doesn't cancel it within the next 4 weeks. We are not prepared to pay for extra tests upon return to the UK.

[Dermotsgirl]

44 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

The unpredictability is exactly why cruise lines should be thinking hard about predictable cruises as a back up. 

 

They could easily ask existing passengers like you , if countries were closed which of these options would you prefer. Some people would say money back , some FCC , but some like you would say a " cruise by " would be better than nothing. You could then plan adhead knowing you'd be on a ship come what may. The cruise line would be in the position of knowing what plans to put in place and a good idea if the alternatives were viable. 

In the Covid era, I don’t think there’s any such thing as predictability, unfortunately 

[ToxM]

9 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

Cruises being cancelled or booked passengers cancelling?

(Or both?)

 

I don’t think we will cancel, we will let the cruise line cancel. 

[Eddie99]

I’m not sure when ‘real’ cruising is due to resume (thinking P&O)

 

I’ve diddled around with the website and found a couple on Azura from Valletta (unlikely?) and the first Med cruise on Ventura in October.

 

Is there any confirmed date when seacations cease and real cruising, with port visits (not UK) are anticipated?

[ToxM]

1 hour ago, Eddie99 said:

I’m not sure when ‘real’ cruising is due to resume (thinking P&O)

 

I’ve diddled around with the website and found a couple on Azura from Valletta (unlikely?) and the first Med cruise on Ventura in October.

 

Is there any confirmed date when seacations cease and real cruising, with port visits (not UK) are anticipated?

 

Anyone that answers that question correctly can also give me the lottery numbers for that week 🙂

[Eddie99]

🙂

[Windsurfboy]

3 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

In the Covid era, I don’t think there’s any such thing as predictability, unfortunately 

 

I think a cruise that doesn't  land outside UK is pretty predictable and as predictable as we can get .

Edited June 5, 2021 by Windsurfboy

[Windsurfboy]

3 hours ago, majortom10 said:

I cannot see there being a market for cruising in UK waters during Autumn/Winter period and should imagine cruise lines wont risk venturing too far from the UK even if there are no ports of call just in case there is the unfortunate chance of a medical emergency and the problems that may cause if person needs an hospital. TBH hoping having a cruise to Canaries on 1st Nov with Cunard hope there are no further cancellations but do not know what the alternative would be if there are more cancellations.

 

I don't  see why disembarkation of a passenger to nearest land based hospital is a big deal . Just need the covid safe protocols to be agreed beforehand.  If cruise lines don't have a plan B , but just hope for everything to go green, they will have a very non profitable winter if things don't go green.

[ToxM]

6 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

I don't  see why disembarkation of a passenger to nearest land based hospital is a big deal . Just need the covid safe protocols to be agreed beforehand.  If cruise lines don't have a plan B , but just hope for everything to go green, they will have a very non profitable winter if things don't go green.

 

Listening to this week’s indie sage report, I am not sure we are gonna go green anytime soon. 

[zap99]

7 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

This is the thing though, our vaccination programme is going very well and still people can’t go abroad. Other countries don’t want us! 
 

I have no intention of booking foreign travel until things are more certain which is why I’d be happy with a four day sail about in October.

France want us from 9 June. 2 jabs and a negative test. Truth is nobody knows what will be possible in 3 months. It's all pie in the sky and guesswork.

[Windsurfboy]

We are on the last leg of the Q.V. world cruise, coming back from South Africa. I'm certain it won't go ahead  as S.A. will still be red, and Australia won't let it in , in January.  I can't move it as there is nothing to move it to, and I don't think you can just ask for FCC to be reinstated , I think all carnival lines operate to same rules. Will move it in September  November when new  2023 cruises come out. 

[zap99]

4 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

What is perilous  about a ship with fully vaccinated and tested people that doesnt stop anywhere, except for  taking on water and supplies which will be done   in a controlled manner.  Not from covid it can't  cross a few miles of sea. 

 

 

Unfortunately your sound logic won't stop people talking the problem up. How many fully vaccinated folk are getting ill?🤔

[Adawn47]

5 hours ago, ToxM said:

 

We are on your Fjords cruise. I am worried about it. Have already finished paying for my B4. I do hope we are wrong, but experience tells us otherwise doesn’t it at this point. 

 

I will have had 4 cruises cancelled if this one goes, and this was a rebook from Nov last year. This was an anniversary cruise in a suite 😞

 

We sit and wait. I do hope if they do carry on the staycation cruises they give those who are already booked within the timeframe the chance to book first. if they don’t I am taking the refund and paying for next year’s booked cruises with it - sadly P&O will lose my money at that point as none of them are with them. 

Unfortunately, I think you may be right. The Med cruise was booked in 2019, as well as the one cancelled last year. The deposit from that was moved to a June  2021 Fjords cruise, also cancelled, so added it to the end of our Med cruise. We haven't made a decision yet if our B2B is cancelled. I've looked through the cruises for 2022 and there are some we would be interested in, but there is still that big ? about Arcadia and Aurora so I can't seem to drum up much enthusiasm at the moment. It's out of our hands now.

Avril

Edited June 5, 2021 by Adawn47