Will cruising take a pause?

[Bazrat]

2 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

What is this  20 questions !!!!?

 

I cruised on Iona in August and again in September last year. I did feel safe but from what I am reading, protocols are being ignored now onboard, especially mask wearing and people insisting on crowding lifts.  

 

I'm finished for now.

Obviously not on the cruise I was on in October all protocols was being observed and cheerio

[terrierjohn]

36 minutes ago, davecttr said:

You are not too scared, you are just being prudent.

 

If P&O had just ignored the 'silly' protocol that Spain has then P&O would not be calling at any Spanish ports, after all it is their country!

But if Carnival and RCI had combined to put enough pressure on the Spanish govt,  then it may well have produced a different outcome.

[cruising.mark.uk]

10 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

It does have to be viable for the companies operating these cruises, holidays etc though.  I had a look at the previously sold out Aurora Canaries cruise on 1 April which I'm due to sail on and the volume of cabins now available even this far out is enormous.  The more problems there are in Europe in particular the more this problem will grow as people realise they can end up stranded ashore in foreign parts.  We retirees might be able to risk the time away but many more of working age will be reluctant to do so and big ships like Iona need big numbers of guests to sail in a financially viable way. If Aurora with her huge loyal fan base has this huge availability problem in Europe what hope for the big ships when they return from their Caribbean/US adventures?

All good points.  But, given the huge fixed costs associated with the industry, I sense that sailing even at very low passenger numbers is better financially for the lines than not sailing.

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 minute ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

All good points.  But, given the huge fixed costs associated with the industry, I sense that sailing even at very low passenger numbers is better financially for the lines than not sailing.

I have to seriously  question that ?

 

People used to say cruises could break even sailing  at just 30 per cent capacity

 

Add in all the extra costs associated with Covid. 

 

Plus the potential risks of full or partial refunds

 

And it just gets even harder and harder to justify sailing with low numbers

 

One of the big cruise ships at RC who had 3200 booked for New Year had 1600 cancel at short notice apparently

 

So a New Years cruise likely at 30 per cent capacity with all the added Covid costs and risks

 

What capacity will normal cruises be running at now?

 

 

 

 

[cruising.mark.uk]

4 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

One of the big cruise ships at RC who had 3200 booked for New Year had 1600 cancel at short notice apparently

 

 

 

 

 

So the costs would have been pretty much the same whether this sailed or not.  The financial difference is between refunding/ giving FCC to 3200 pax or giving that to 1600 and receiving the fare and onboard spend of the other 1600.

[Interestedcruisefan]

20 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

So the costs would have been pretty much the same whether this sailed or not.  The financial difference is between refunding/ giving FCC to 3200 pax or giving that to 1600 and receiving the fare and onboard spend of the other 1600.

What about when same cruise ship only has 800 or less who want to cruise ?

 

For weeks on end 

 

Which is where things are heading?

 

As 1600 was all they had left after cancellations on a New Years Cruise?

Edited January 5, 2022 by Interestedcruisefan

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Epic was next to us in Antigua, she isnt on ICF's list.

Have fun on Epic. She wasn't our favourite NCL ship, but with the right itinerary and the right price, will do very nicely.

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

We have now successfully cancelled our fully paid Feb Iona cruise, and transferred the monies to our existing Feb 23 cruise, so we presumably fall into the too scared to cruise category. However had P&O had the gonads to ignore the silly protocol that Spain are following, that any positive cases are disembarked to a quarantine hotel, we would have been more than happy to go ahead and enjoy the cruise.

I’m glad you got this resolved, but I don’t think it would be a good idea for P&O to play the ‘do you know who we are ‘ card. Spain should just turn round and say that P&O can’t dock anywhere in the country.

 

Also, there are currently many compelling reasons to cancel a cruise right now, and I think ‘being scared’ isn’t an appropriate description for any reasons on the list! 

[cruising.mark.uk]

Interesting from a US governance perspective that the CDC's CSO will become voluntary rather than mandatory from 15 Jan

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/6679/

[zap99]

3 hours ago, Bazrat said:

Obviously not on the cruise I was on in October all protocols was being observed and cheerio

Our last cruise of the 3 last year was in September on Iona. Everything was fine. We have 3 booked for this year and although we would prefer not to end up in a Spanish quarantine hotel, will take that chance. Things may change soon anyway. Lots of places still to see.

[Interestedcruisefan]

6 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Our last cruise of the 3 last year was in September on Iona. Everything was fine. We have 3 booked for this year and although we would prefer not to end up in a Spanish quarantine hotel, will take that chance. Things may change soon anyway. Lots of places still to see.

Why wouldn't everything be fine September 3rd though? 

 

When's your next cruise Zap?

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 hours ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

Interesting from a US governance perspective that the CDC's CSO will become voluntary rather than mandatory from 15 Jan

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/6679/

Passengers will continue to vote with their feet if cruise lines dont get their act together 

 

Does this mean they can stop testing crew once a week?

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Why wouldn't everything be fine September 3rd though? 

 

When's your next cruise Zap?

September 3rd ?

 

Celebrity in July, then Anthem , then Iona. A few UK and Foreign holidays as well, starting this month.

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Passengers will continue to vote with their feet if cruise lines dont get their act together 

 

Does this mean they can stop testing crew once a week?

Don’t forget your talking about cruise ships based in the states it as nothing to do what is happening to those based in the UK

[Snow Hill]

5 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Simply because viruses are more virulent in the winter.

It’s virulent in Australia at the moment, it’s summer there, don’t think Covid takes much notice of the seasons. 

[Bazrat]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

September 3rd ?

 

Celebrity in July, then Anthem , then Iona. A few UK and Foreign holidays as well, starting this month.

We have sky princess booked for October trying to get another one booked but the company i work for are not being cooperative 

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

We have sky princess booked for October trying to get another one booked but the company i work for are not being cooperative 

You'll like Sky - well, we did!

[zap99]

1 minute ago, Bazrat said:

We have sky princess booked for October trying to get another one booked but the company i work for are not being cooperative 

We have a gap in February that we could squeeze something into,but are now looking at the Caribbean in November and a blank canvas for next year. Of course if anything this year gets cancelled, perhaps another gap, or two.

[Bazrat]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

You'll like Sky - well, we did!

Sister ship to Britannia but more glitzy so we have been told, we liked Britannia 

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I have to seriously  question that ?

 

People used to say cruises could break even sailing  at just 30 per cent capacity

 

Add in all the extra costs associated with Covid. 

 

Plus the potential risks of full or partial refunds

 

And it just gets even harder and harder to justify sailing with low numbers

 

One of the big cruise ships at RC who had 3200 booked for New Year had 1600 cancel at short notice apparently

 

So a New Years cruise likely at 30 per cent capacity with all the added Covid costs and risks

 

What capacity will normal cruises be running at now?

 

 

 

 

Why does it matter to you so much about occupancy levels ?  

If the cruise lines are happy to sail, and people are happy to be on board,  why should you care ?

You seem to have a fixation about the subject, yet you have no skin in the game.

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, Bazrat said:

Sister ship to Britannia but more glitzy so we have been told, we liked Britannia 

Can't comment on that, as not been on Britannia. 

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Passengers will continue to vote with their feet if cruise lines dont get their act together 

 

Does this mean they can stop testing crew once a week?

I think you might find that the increase in Xmas and new year cruise cancellations was an anomaly. We need to see some genuine data for the cruises starting after they finished, to see if the numbers reductions continue. The P&O Caribbean cruises certainly seem to have higher numbers now, and I imagine the US based cruises will be similar.

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Can't comment on that, as not been on Britannia. 

Take my word it, an Aldi store is more glitzy than Britannia.😊

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Take my word it, an Aldi store is more glitzy than Britannia.😊

In that case, Sky is way more glitzy than Britannia! 

[zap99]

2 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Take my word it, an Aldi store is more glitzy than Britannia.😊

We have spent more time on Brittania than we have in Aldi. Laid back chic ( not Aldi )🤣