Iona - 12th - 19th Feb - Is it likely to go ahead?

[johnnylikely]

Hope everyone is keeping well. I was just wondering how P&O - Iona is doing these days?

I've just had a Cunard cancelled 10th Jan and I've got the Iona booked for 12th Feb.

I haven't been keeping up to date with P&O/Iona and was wondering if my Feb cruise was still likely to go ahead?

Have things been plain sailing with P&O or have they run into a lot of Covid issues and cancelling cruises/ports etc

Thanks all x

 

Sat 12 Feb 22 Southampton, UK Embark Ship

Sun 13 Feb 22 At Sea For 1 Day

Mon 14 Feb 22 Hamburg, Germany Arrive Early Morning, Depart Evening

Tue 15 Feb 22 At Sea For 1 Day

Wed 16 Feb 22 Rotterdam (tours toAmsterdam), Neth Arrive Early Morning, Overnight In Port

Thu 17 Feb 22 Rotterdam (tours toAmsterdam), Neth Depart Early Evening

Fri 18 Feb 22 Zeebrugge, Belgium Arrive Early Morning, Depart Afternoon

Sat 19 Feb 22 Southampton, UK Debark Ship

[Purdey16]

Hello Johnny , I would like to think so because I’m on this one and the one after to the canaries doing a btb , she did go there before Xmas but with a change to one stop  , so be positive I’m sure it will go but some different stops maybe, I’m still getting emails from them saying so many days to go to your holiday.

[yorkshirephil]

9 hours ago, johnnylikely said:

Hope everyone is keeping well. I was just wondering how P&O - Iona is doing these days?

I've just had a Cunard cancelled 10th Jan and I've got the Iona booked for 12th Feb.

I haven't been keeping up to date with P&O/Iona and was wondering if my Feb cruise was still likely to go ahead?

Have things been plain sailing with P&O or have they run into a lot of Covid issues and cancelling cruises/ports etc

Thanks all x

 

Sat 12 Feb 22 Southampton, UK Embark Ship

Sun 13 Feb 22 At Sea For 1 Day

Mon 14 Feb 22 Hamburg, Germany Arrive Early Morning, Depart Evening

Tue 15 Feb 22 At Sea For 1 Day

Wed 16 Feb 22 Rotterdam (tours toAmsterdam), Neth Arrive Early Morning, Overnight In Port

Thu 17 Feb 22 Rotterdam (tours toAmsterdam), Neth Depart Early Evening

Fri 18 Feb 22 Zeebrugge, Belgium Arrive Early Morning, Depart Afternoon

Sat 19 Feb 22 Southampton, UK Debark Ship

P&O seem to be holding up reasonably well compared to some other lines, if I were on this cruise I would expect to go, in another month things will be different and hopefully unless Covid throws us another curve ball better. 

[PJ's]

I suppose it all depends on whether Germany and the Netherlands will open their borders to people from the UK. At the moment they are still closed as far as I am aware but things change so quickly so keep your fingers crossed.

[johnnylikely]

Thanks all! Here's hoping x

[Foody]

Does anyone have any furthur information on this cruise? Thinking of booking but not if you can't get off independantly......thank you. 

[Francisdrake]

I've booked on this one as I suspect it'll be going, can't imagine they'd cancel at such short notice.

There may be some itinerary changes depending on restrictions in Netherlands/Germany/Belgium at the time but as it currently stands we'd be able to disembark in Germany and Belgium.    Netherlands looks like an issue as they are insistent on a 10 day vaccination period due to the UK being a high risk country so we may lose the Netherlands port of call & call somewhere else instead.

Edited January 23, 2022 by Francisdrake

[Purdey16]

I got my tickets and luggage labels through the post yesterday from travel agent so it’s a go from me 😉 

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, Purdey16 said:

I got my tickets and luggage labels through the post yesterday from travel agent so it’s a go from me 😉 

Are tickets still used these days ? Never had them in the last few years.

[tring]

8 hours ago, Francisdrake said:

I've booked on this one as I suspect it'll be going, can't imagine they'd cancel at such short notice.

There may be some itinerary changes depending on restrictions in Netherlands/Germany/Belgium at the time but as it currently stands we'd be able to disembark in Germany and Belgium.    Netherlands looks like an issue as they are insistent on a 10 day vaccination period due to the UK being a high risk country so we may lose the Netherlands port of call & call somewhere else instead.

 

What do you mean by a "ten day vaccination period"?  I thought all cruisers have to be fully vaccinated and probably need to be boosted as well by next month.  Hence, I do not see what more they can ask for regards vaccines..  I know Fred are asking for boosters now.6.  

 

We are due to travel to those three countries on a Fred cruise in March, (though docking in Hamburg, Amsterdam and Antwerp, and staying overnight in all ports), and we are hopeful the cruise will go ahead as planned now the covid numbers are going down.  We really like overnights when we can be out into cities until late and it is rare to find more than one overnight on any cruise,

 

Barbara

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by tring

[Purdey16]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

Are tickets still used these days ? Never had them in the last few years.

I thought that too , haven’t had tickets for a few years it was a surprise when I opened the envelope, maybe they just wanted to advertise the travel agent I’m with, because of the luggage labels colour !!  because I’m sure most people print in black & white 🤔

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Purdey16 said:

I thought that too , haven’t had tickets for a few years it was a surprise when I opened the envelope, maybe they just wanted to advertise the travel agent I’m with, because of the luggage labels colour !!  because I’m sure most people print in black & white 🤔

I have always printed my luggage labels in colour. I assume the colour identifies location and speeds up accurate sorting.

[jeanlyon]

and there are still those folm like our friend who doesn't have a computer or a smartphone.  TA always sends her tickets and labels.

[zap99]

10 hours ago, tring said:

 

What do you mean by a "ten day vaccination period"?  I thought all cruisers have to be fully vaccinated and probably need to be boosted as well by next month.  Hence, I do not see what more they can ask for regards vaccines..  I know Fred are asking for boosters now.6.  

 

We are due to travel to those three countries on a Fred cruise in March, (though docking in Hamburg, Amsterdam and Antwerp, and staying overnight in all ports), and we are hopeful the cruise will go ahead as planned now the covid numbers are going down.  We really like overnights when we can be out into cities until late and it is rare to find more than one overnight on any cruise,

 

Barbara

 

 

I would guess the poster meant quarantine.

[tring]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

I would guess the poster meant quarantine.

 

Thanks, yes looks like that is what the situation is from the fcdo.  I read the post last night when I was feeling tired, so not thinking about likely mistakes. 

 

Things are easing up though, so that could well change by March and even for Iona in February, though depends if P&O want to.jump before the cruise sails, though even then rules could easily change for other countries.  All this uncertainty is not going to leave us for a long time yet, so we just have to learn to have different expectations.

[Rob DJ]

I'm travelling on the 12th Feb voyage (Germany, Belgium and Netherlands) with my wife, three kids (9, 12 and 14) and in-laws.  Technically we will only be entering the Netherlands from Germany and then Belgium from the Netherlands - so only entering Germany directly from the UK.  Whether this has a bearing on what is allowed I am unsure - but P&O's destination guide seems to suggest Netherlands is good to go? (either they fully know the score here or their guide is incorrect and the 10 day quarantine for over 13's is applicable).  Things are so fluid at the moment that its hard to know what the situation will be in three weeks..

[Enjoyacruise]

I have been working on the basis of the P&O guide on the link below. Of course everything can change before 12th February. Plus I hope i have interpreted the guidance correctly!

 

It indicates locator forms need completing for Belgium and Germany. I have done the Belgium one already to get it out of the way. It says the German one has to be completed 72 hours before arrival thus presumably that can be completed on 11th February the day before sailing as we visit Hamburg Monday 14th February.

 

For the Netherlands it says an antigen test is needed which presumably is carried out at the passengers' expense onboard. No mention of the isolation which is referred to on the Foreign Office webpage.

 

After today's announcement passengers  will still  need to do a UK locator form  although the post return 2 day antigen test.

 

https://www.pocruises.com/content/dam/po/pdfs/A-Z-destination-entry-requirements-guide-13th-Jan-22.pdf

[tring]

5 hours ago, Rob DJ said:

I'm travelling on the 12th Feb voyage (Germany, Belgium and Netherlands) with my wife, three kids (9, 12 and 14) and in-laws.  Technically we will only be entering the Netherlands from Germany and then Belgium from the Netherlands - so only entering Germany directly from the UK.  Whether this has a bearing on what is allowed I am unsure - but P&O's destination guide seems to suggest Netherlands is good to go? (either they fully know the score here or their guide is incorrect and the 10 day quarantine for over 13's is applicable).  Things are so fluid at the moment that its hard to know what the situation will be in three weeks..

 

You may well have a point there.  Sweden placed restrictions on travel from the UK just before Fred was due to take a ship there.  I think it was a complete ban, rather than the need to isolate, but not sure.  Anyway, Fred changed the itinerary so the ship called to Copenhagen first, with the three Swedish ports following and the cruise went ahead with the passengers even being allowed off the ship independently.  That was late last summer in the early days of international cruises being allowed and I am fairly sure the UK based Carnival lines were still doing Seacations.  On another cruise a ship was also taken to Amsterdam after the Netherlands imposed a lockdown in the evenings/overnight.  The evening excursions were cancelled, though pax were allowed off the ship independently during the day.

 

Of course for all cruises another possibility is that only excursions would be allowed.  It just depends what can be arranged between the port of call and the relevant cruise line and there are a lot of conversations like that going on that we are not aware of and of course, there are often different requirements for cruise visits vs land holidays.

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by tring

[Francisdrake]

23 hours ago, tring said:

 

What do you mean by a "ten day vaccination period"?  I thought all cruisers have to be fully vaccinated and probably need to be boosted as well by next month.  Hence, I do not see what more they can ask for regards vaccines..  I know Fred are asking for boosters now.6.  

 

We are due to travel to those three countries on a Fred cruise in March, (though docking in Hamburg, Amsterdam and Antwerp, and staying overnight in all ports), and we are hopeful the cruise will go ahead as planned now the covid numbers are going down.  We really like overnights when we can be out into cities until late and it is rare to find more than one overnight on any cruise,

 

Barbara

 

 

 Apologies, bad habit of mine not to double check my post before posting, I did mean a 10 day isolation period but hopefully the fact we're technically coming from Germany will alleviate that as Rob alluded to.

[Rob DJ]

Alas, we are not able to to go on this cruise.  P&O emailed us today and advised that all 12 yrs and older now need to be fully vaccinated for this voyage and cannot rely on a pre-journey PCR.  Middle son is 12 yrs old and has only had one vaccination (based on how soon he was able to get it) so he is in the no-man's land of being too old for just PCR's and not old enough to be fully vaccinated.   I suspect looking at the itinerary it is the German call that has prompted the change of policy (even if we stayed in ship it will likely still apply).  We're all heartbroken as our cruise this time last year was cancelled due to Covid.     

[johnnylikely]

1 minute ago, Rob DJ said:

Alas, we are not able to to go on this cruise.  P&O emailed us today and advised that all 12 yrs and older now need to be fully vaccinated for this voyage and cannot rely on a pre-journey PCR.  Middle son is 12 yrs old and has only had one vaccination (based on how soon he was able to get it) so he is in the no-man's land of being too old for just PCR's and not old enough to be fully vaccinated.   I suspect looking at the itinerary it is the German call that has prompted the change of policy (even if we stayed in ship it will likely still apply).  We're all heartbroken as our cruise this time last year was cancelled due to Covid.     

Gosh I'm so sorry to hear

[Rob DJ]

1 minute ago, johnnylikely said:

Gosh I'm so sorry to hear

Yup, so sad but thanks, that's the way it is at the moment - we've not even told the kids yet as they are at school.   Will need to use the FCC to one later in the year - but looking at the schedule most on from Easter are for Norway - then back to the winter schedule in October.

[Purdey16]

So sorry this has happened for your family, I had the same email this morning first a text message telling me a very important message about my up coming cruise will be emailed to me then I received two , changing the vacation for children and the dates to when you’ve had your last vacation if more than 270 days since last one , you will have to have the booster vacation, I hope your able to choose another cruise before the kids get home from school to soften the blow .

[Rob DJ]

1 hour ago, Purdey16 said:

So sorry this has happened for your family, I had the same email this morning first a text message telling me a very important message about my up coming cruise will be emailed to me then I received two , changing the vacation for children and the dates to when you’ve had your last vacation if more than 270 days since last one , you will have to have the booster vacation, I hope your able to choose another cruise before the kids get home from school to soften the blow .

Thanks Purdey - we couldn't find a suitable alternative P&O cruise in school holidays, which is a real shame as we were looking forward to sailing on Iona.  Fortunately though we were able to get a full refund, which has slightly cushioned the blow ... but still gutted. 

[tring]

3 hours ago, Rob DJ said:

 we couldn't find a suitable alternative P&O cruise in school holidays, which is a real shame as we were looking forward to sailing on Iona.  Fortunately though we were able to get a full refund, which has slightly cushioned the blow ... but still gutted. 

 

Sorry to hear about your let down.  There are a lot of last minute offers around for all types of holiday, so maybe you. Will find an alternative, even if it is not a cruise,

 

Hope you find something,

 

Barbara

Edited January 25, 2022 by tring