For anyone taking young children on a P&O cruise anytime soon, check the new T&C’s

[devonuk]

Having just returned from a cruise on the Sky Princess and all of the ‘sip & recover’ malarkey I decided to have a really good look at the latest travel conditions for P&O especially as on my next cruise I’m travelling with my twin 9 year old granddaughters on the Iona. 
Having done this I was not pleasantly surprised at all 😬 The ‘kids’ club attendance is limited and done in cohorts with mask wearing mandatory 🙄 Definitely not what wanted to read 😮 This, in addition to all of the pre and post testing requirements for the children, is not making for a cruise I necessarily want to be on. I’m supposed to be going in Feb ‘22 and this is a school holiday trip to the Canaries so could be fairly full of potentially disappointed parents and children, especially as certain age groups of children require a parent to remain in the ‘club’ with their child.  

[Interestedcruisefan]

8 hours ago, devonuk said:

Having just returned from a cruise on the Sky Princess and all of the ‘sip & recover’ malarkey I decided to have a really good look at the latest travel conditions for P&O especially as on my next cruise I’m travelling with my twin 9 year old granddaughters on the Iona. 
Having done this I was not pleasantly surprised at all 😬 The ‘kids’ club attendance is limited and done in cohorts with mask wearing mandatory 🙄 Definitely not what wanted to read 😮 This, in addition to all of the pre and post testing requirements for the children, is not making for a cruise I necessarily want to be on. I’m supposed to be going in Feb ‘22 and this is a school holiday trip to the Canaries so could be fairly full of potentially disappointed parents and children, especially as certain age groups of children require a parent to remain in the ‘club’ with their child.  

Kids on cruises in kids clubs altogether is an absolute  recipe for disaster in the Covid world IMO

 

Imagine the spread of Covid and amount of disembarkations of kids and older generations if just one kid or staff member gets positive 

 

And the insurance implications? 

 

Without even knowing if the kids need to be double jabbed

 

I'm surprised cruise lines can even consider having kids on board in the current Covid situation? 

 

Very sadly

 

With the restrictions won't be half as enjoyable to cruise for the kids in the first place

 

And very risky for older generations to be on board the same cruises as lots of young kids 

 

Another huge headache for all the cruise lines to have to somehow manage

 

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

Ps are kids really going to be expected to self isolate and quarantine  in rooms alone like at home if they catch positive on a cruise ?

 

They are going to need a lot of quarantine cabins and quarantine hotels for the number of disembarkations this will inevitably lead to?

 

I've always cruised with our own kids til now

 

Next 12 months will avoid any cruises that allow kids on board

 

Just adds to the risk of being disembarked for all concerned 

Edited October 23, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[devonuk]

3 of my next 5 cruises are with my grandchildren, shall I send you the details so you can avoid them as they’re not all in term time. P&O and Princess amongst others are taking bookings for kids so I guess time will tell how this all pans out 😳🤷‍♂️

[Interestedcruisefan]

27 minutes ago, devonuk said:

3 of my next 5 cruises are with my grandchildren, shall I send you the details so you can avoid them as they’re not all in term time. P&O and Princess amongst others are taking bookings for kids so I guess time will tell how this all pans out 😳🤷‍♂️

Genuine good luck with all that!

 

I fear that's going to get very messy for you

 

Do your grandkids need to be jabbed to be allowed on?

 

As things stand?

 

They will need a new filter on "find a cruise"

 

Adult only

 

It does become far more relevant in Covid times for obvious reasons 

 

This is from someone who until now has always cruised in term times with our own kids

 

And very hapoy to see kids on board normally 

 

Just added riak for all concerned now i think 

 

Nightmare for the cruise lines to figure out how to manage

Edited October 23, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

 

Found this on RC forum about how they were managing kids club capacity. Another poster mentioned each age group was limited to 20 kids max per session 

 

 

We traveled in August with our unvaxxed 6 year old. The kids club was operating normally with some covid protocols. First there were only three sessions a day 9-12, 2-5, 7-10 then anything after 10 you paid for like normal. Now the big change is you are assigned 12 hours to start the week and need to pick your sessions. Once the hours are used and starting on Day 4 the limits went away but there were still capacity limits in the kids club so if you didn't reserve a time and last minute your kid wanted to go you could call and see if they had space. In the clubs kids had to be masked the whole time. Now that being said my daughter loved it like she always does and and was able to go whenever she wanted.

[my marina bay]

Someone posted a couple of weeks ago that the kids club rules had changed. It was mentioned those 5 and under need to have an adult with them all the time whereas before it was the under 2s. It will certainly put my DD off cruising as one of our GC is only 3. If the other age ranges are time limited there are going to be lots of disappointed children and parents. 

Edited October 23, 2021 by my marina bay

[devonuk]

12 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Genuine good luck with all that!

 

I fear that's going to get very messy for you

 

Do your grandkids need to be jabbed to be allowed on?

 

As things stand?

 

They will need a new filter on "find a cruise"

 

Adult only

 

It does become far more relevant in Covid times for obvious reasons 

 

This is from someone who until now has always cruised in term times with our own kids

 

And very hapoy to see kids on board normally 

 

Just added riak for all concerned now i think 

 

Nightmare for the cruise lines to figure out how to manage

The grandkids do not have to be jabbed but have to have a pcr test preceding the cruise paid for by P&O. 
Believe me when I say we love our adult only cruises it’s just that family time is so rewarding 👍

I started this thread due to the new rules which many are not aware of 👌

[Interestedcruisefan]

Royal Caribbean just cancelled kids clubs on their October half term UK cruise with 2 days notice for passengers!

 

I see that kids are only allowed to leave the ship on the official cruise ship excursions as well

 

Here's the link:

 

 

Edited October 24, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[devonuk]

Oh my, I bet that set the cat amongst the pigeons 😳

[ACG87]

We’re on Iona with our 2 year old and 10 month old at the end of November to Spain and Portugal. Absolutely no intention of using the kids clubs on board, we’ll be doing our thing as a family instead. Reasons being two fold: 1) It’s a young family holiday so I don’t want to just ship them off to club for hours at a time; 2) The risk of getting COVID amongst that setting is far too high for my liking! 

Why not just bring them along but avoid the kids clubs?

[devonuk]

1 hour ago, ACG87 said:

We’re on Iona with our 2 year old and 10 month old at the end of November to Spain and Portugal. Absolutely no intention of using the kids clubs on board, we’ll be doing our thing as a family instead. Reasons being two fold: 1) It’s a young family holiday so I don’t want to just ship them off to club for hours at a time; 2) The risk of getting COVID amongst that setting is far too high for my liking! 

Why not just bring them along but avoid the kids clubs?

I don’t think I’d send such young ones to a kids club either and under the new rules you’d have to stay with them I believe? 
My grandchildren love the kids club activities and if they’re available they’ll be going even if they’re masked up. We’ve had a chat with them about cancelling but they’re having none of it. That said the kids club is not a deal breaker for us… personal choices I guess. 
Our trip is not til February 22 so a lot could happen yet 🤔

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, ACG87 said:

We’re on Iona with our 2 year old and 10 month old at the end of November to Spain and Portugal. Absolutely no intention of using the kids clubs on board, we’ll be doing our thing as a family instead. Reasons being two fold: 1) It’s a young family holiday so I don’t want to just ship them off to club for hours at a time; 2) The risk of getting COVID amongst that setting is far too high for my liking! 

Why not just bring them along but avoid the kids clubs?

Our 3 were young teenagers when we started cruising and never used the clubs as they kept each other company. I would never have left them in clubs if they had been as young as yours and in any case, they didn’t know any English until they were 4-5. 
I think clubs are great for the 8-12 age group and I’m sure that it will be very disappointing for them. I remember a young pupil of mine who used to cruise with her grandparents every Christmas. She was an only child and a very sociable child. She absolutely loved the clubs and made lots of new friends. 
P&O must have their reasons for doing this, and however disappointing, it’s understandable. 
 

[zap99]

On 10/23/2021 at 9:11 AM, devonuk said:

3 of my next 5 cruises are with my grandchildren, shall I send you the details so you can avoid them as they’re not all in term time. P&O and Princess amongst others are taking bookings for kids so I guess time will tell how this all pans out 😳🤷‍♂️

We got back from Menorca last Friday. The hotel had a kids club, which we didn't attend🤣. And had kids disco in the main bar every evening before the adults entertainment started. They were reminded that everyone over 6 needed to wear masks . They all complied, even before they were reminded. Were the Kids from Spain, Germany etc double Jabbed?. I don't have a clue. They enjoyed themselves, behaved as they should. No issues with them, so I would not have a problem with them on a cruise.

[ACG87]

^^ reading back my post seams rather pointed for no reason, but what I meant was just that we will be taking kids and not using the clubs, I’m sure it will be totally fine and you’ll have a great time as a family. 

 

My first cruise was in Canberra in 1996/7, I was 9 years old and the ‘kids club’ was basically just all of us running all over the ship! It was an amazing holiday which got me hooked for life, I’ll never forget it. Pretty sure one of the activities was a treasure hunt which included climbing inside a tender! 
 

I’ve seen some really bizarre comments on this forum with people’s attitudes to children on ships. P&O have always been family friendly, they should take a look at the original promotional material for cruises in the 70s! 

[crazy cat lady 83]

We are currently on the Iona with a 12 and a 10 year old. It is different to the normal cruise experience but we are having as always a great cruise.

Normally we do use the kids club and it is running in ‘bubbles’ but we have chosen not to use it this year. 
We are about to go in the swimming pool  for the first time. We have been to the cinema and watched Cruella. There is a kids film being shown every day. We watched the show in the sky dome last night which they enjoyed and going to the theatre tonight. 
I was very stressed 2 weeks before boarding with all the forms and tests. More for the sake if I get them wrong. However if these are needed for our cruise for next year I will find it less daunting. 
 

[Red Ray]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:02 AM, ACG87 said:

^^ reading back my post seams rather pointed for no reason, but what I meant was just that we will be taking kids and not using the clubs, I’m sure it will be totally fine and you’ll have a great time as a family. 

 

My first cruise was in Canberra in 1996/7, I was 9 years old and the ‘kids club’ was basically just all of us running all over the ship! It was an amazing holiday which got me hooked for life, I’ll never forget it. Pretty sure one of the activities was a treasure hunt which included climbing inside a tender! 
 

I’ve seen some really bizarre comments on this forum with people’s attitudes to children on ships. P&O have always been family friendly, they should take a look at the original promotional material for cruises in the 70s! 

And the paragraph about the Canberra is exactly why adult only ships are a godsend. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

6 minutes ago, LynnForestgate said:

 

 

I have to agree, I am surprised that kids are allowed on cruise ships at the moment

They made the decisions months ago

 

 

[ACG87]

10 hours ago, Red Ray said:

And the paragraph about the Canberra is exactly why adult only ships are a godsend. 

I sailed on Canberra, Oriana (mk2), Arcadia (mk2) and Aurora all under the age of 15. Had a great time on all of them. I especially remember being on Oriana in the late 90s, I used to sit in the crows nest and talk to an old chap who was a former Handley Page test pilot. Amazing how positive those interactions were on a young mind.

[murphyjl]

Cruised for 18 years with my 4 children and always enjoyed it. Oldest two not going on my trip to Spain and Portugal in a couple of days. Had a couple of trips cancelled so after all the form filling and testing I intend to have a great two week cruise with my two youngest sons.

 

Just got PCR results in so one step closer to our cruise.

 

I am doubled jabbed and fully aware I can still catch covid and pass it on similar to unvaccinated children. I would suggest anyone concerned about children on cruise ships would enjoy adults only ships which are available. 

 

 

[murphyjl]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:50 AM, crazy cat lady 83 said:

We are currently on the Iona with a 12 and a 10 year old. It is different to the normal cruise experience but we are having as always a great cruise.

Normally we do use the kids club and it is running in ‘bubbles’ but we have chosen not to use it this year. 
We are about to go in the swimming pool  for the first time. We have been to the cinema and watched Cruella. There is a kids film being shown every day. We watched the show in the sky dome last night which they enjoyed and going to the theatre tonight. 
I was very stressed 2 weeks before boarding with all the forms and tests. More for the sake if I get them wrong. However if these are needed for our cruise for next year I will find it less daunting. 
 

Nice to hear you are enjoying the cruise with children. I understand what you are referring to with regards to all the forms and testing. Plenty or room for error as there is a lot to do. Just coming to the end of all the forms myself and looking forward to Iona in a couple of days.

[crazy cat lady 83]

We are having a amazing time. The ship is beautiful and the food has been amazing. The children have loved it and for them it’s been no different to other cruises, just minus the kids club. They haven’t been bored at all and are sad to be getting off on Saturday.
 

Due to the itinerary change we had to complete another PLF form and one for Belgium 2 days before 😑

 

Whoever is cruising on Iona in the future we hope you have a great time. Make sure you try ‘The Olive Grove’  Plus if you need to use the lifts don’t use the centre one and use the forward and Aft ones instead as less of a wait. 

[murphyjl]

1 hour ago, crazy cat lady 83 said:

We are having a amazing time. The ship is beautiful and the food has been amazing. The children have loved it and for them it’s been no different to other cruises, just minus the kids club. They haven’t been bored at all and are sad to be getting off on Saturday.
 

Due to the itinerary change we had to complete another PLF form and one for Belgium 2 days before 😑

 

Whoever is cruising on Iona in the future we hope you have a great time. Make sure you try ‘The Olive Grove’  Plus if you need to use the lifts don’t use the centre one and use the forward and Aft ones instead as less of a wait. 

nice to read your family are having a great cruise. Going onto Iona on Saturday and my two youngest (8+11) are looking forward to it. Leaving behind my 17&18 year olds for the first time ever. They have cruise with me every year since they were born so disappointed  not to be going.

[emam]

An article about P&O cancelling a family cruise due to vaccinations.

 

Liverpool Echo: P&O warning after family refused entry on cruise due to 'baffling' new policy.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/po-warning-after-family-refused-22056537

[my marina bay]

My first reaction to the above is since when did PO allow 5 month old babies on a cruise ship. Has the age range changed?