R208 - Aurora Cancelled, 5th July

[Stevo2022]

I’m very disappointed as although I have been on P&O quite a few times over the last 5 years, it was my first time on Aurora.

 

I will have to look and see who else may have a short-break cruise going in the next week as an alternative.

 

We are writing to you regarding your up and coming cruise on Aurora departing 5 July.

We are very sorry to inform you that Aurora’s three night cruise R208 has been cancelled and Aurora will now begin sailing on R209 on July 8, 2022 for the 16 night Scandinavia & Baltic Sea itinerary.

Aurora is currently in dry dock in Germany and the yard has been affected by the widespread global labour shortages and specialist contractors in Europe. This has necessitated the extension to the dry dock period, which sadly means your cruise on R208 will no longer go ahead as planned.

[jeanlyon]

Sorry your cruise has been cancelled.  It's getting to be a habit I'm afraid.

[Stevo2022]

Thanks jeanlyon - I’ve not had any luck finding an alternative short-break cruise in July either…. I have other trips booked in the summer so this was supposed to be a little bonus cruise - I only booked it at the end of May, so the thought was nice while it lasted.

[wowzz]

I seem to remember seasoned cruisers always avoid  the first cruise after  a dry dock due to  the likelihood of this sort of event.

Isn't that why short 3 or 4 day cruises are always scheduled after a dry dock ?

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I seem to remember seasoned cruisers always avoid  the first cruise after  a dry dock due to  the likelihood of this sort of event.

Isn't that why short 3 or 4 day cruises are always scheduled after a dry dock ?

That’s the line we always took, but it’s not something you ever see in those ‘10 things new cruisers should know’ articles. Don’t suppose the cruise companies would like it!

[Stevo2022]

I don’t believe I am a new cruiser but guess it is my own fault then…..

[Harry Peterson]

1 minute ago, Stevo2022 said:

I don’t believe I am a new cruiser but guess it is my own fault then…..

Absolutely not! It’s entirely P&O’s fault for not having built in sufficient margins for potential delays. You shouldn’t have to take a belt and braces approach, but sometimes it’s just safer, given past experiences.

[Eglesbrech]

3 minutes ago, Stevo2022 said:

I don’t believe I am a new cruiser but guess it is my own fault then…..

No, it is absolutely not your fault. You were sold something which has been cancelled at very short notice, that is down to P&O. 

 

I do hope you find something else that suits you. I also hope you get decent recompense for any inconvenience caused.

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

1 minute ago, Harry Peterson said:

Absolutely not! It’s entirely P&O’s fault for not having built in sufficient margins for potential delays. You shouldn’t have to take a belt and braces approach, but sometimes it’s just safer, given past experiences.

Great minds Harry 😀

[majortom10]

Sorry this might upset some but when are P&O going to stop treating their loyal cruisers with utter contempt. Their actions on cancelling Aurora on 5th July so late and having done similar cancellations over other cruises at such a late stage over these last few years is abysmal and they dont deserve the loyalty they get.

[gsmt47471015]

16 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Sorry your cruise has been cancelled.  It's getting to be a habit I'm afraid.

And a bad one at that😡

[PenrithRambler]

16 hours ago, wowzz said:

I seem to remember seasoned cruisers always avoid  the first cruise after  a dry dock due to  the likelihood of this sort of event.

Isn't that why short 3 or 4 day cruises are always scheduled after a dry dock ?

But bear in mind that the dry dock wasn't scheduled when R208 first went on sale.

[jeanlyon]

1 hour ago, PenrithRambler said:

But bear in mind that the dry dock wasn't scheduled when R208 first went on sale.

Exactly!  So how can any cruiser not book something in case it goes into dry dock.  It's disgraceful.

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, PenrithRambler said:

But bear in mind that the dry dock wasn't scheduled when R208 first went on sale.

Fair point. Any idea when the dry dock date was announced ?

[Cruising Nomads]

Dry dock announced 28th March 2022

[Son of Bare]

55 minutes ago, Cruising Nomads said:

Dry dock announced 28th March 2022

We are on R209 departing 8/07 and with 7 days to go haven't yet been allocated a cabin and so can't print stuff off. 

How close does it need to get to departure before we need to really start worrying?

[bbtablet]

I have seen this sort of query before - it is common - and seem to remember that the stock answer is that it will happen but not until inside the last week - so any day now hopefully!

 

We are on the same R209 and I just did a mock booking check to see whether it was pretty full or not and on Deck 10 Luxury Balcony about half were still available at the front and mid-ships. I went back in a few minutes later and it said that there were none available forward, whereas a few moments before there had been many, so how full we will be is anyone's guess - that's if Aurora makes it back to Southampton in time!

Edited July 1, 2022 by bbtablet

[bbtablet]

Just seen this from Wowzz answering someone else re empty cabins:

"Have you taken into account all the hundreds of passengers who will have chosen a saver fare ?

Cabins will still be shown as available, but that does not reflect occupancy levels."

So putting 2 and 2 together, perhaps they are allocating the saver fare cabins as we speak?

Edited July 1, 2022 by bbtablet

[molecrochip]

22 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Sorry this might upset some but when are P&O going to stop treating their loyal cruisers with utter contempt. Their actions on cancelling Aurora on 5th July so late and having done similar cancellations over other cruises at such a late stage over these last few years is abysmal and they dont deserve the loyalty they get.

Its better that they cancel a three day cruise than have to cancel another two week cruise later to finish the work. Its not utter contempt, its unfortunate.

 

I'm keen to know what other post dry dock cruises have been cancelled in recent years. I don't recall any. The only actual cancellation I remember (pandemic excluded) was Ventura when she had engine problems in Tenerife back in 2019.

 

Once someone has booked a cruise, it will always be too late to announce a cancellation however it has always happened in the cruise industry. In fact, the American based lines are the worst as they don't schedule dry docks as far out therefore normally always have to cancel multiple cruises once they schedule them in.

[majortom10]

15 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Its better that they cancel a three day cruise than have to cancel another two week cruise later to finish the work. Its not utter contempt, its unfortunate.

 

I'm keen to know what other post dry dock cruises have been cancelled in recent years. I don't recall any. The only actual cancellation I remember (pandemic excluded) was Ventura when she had engine problems in Tenerife back in 2019.

 

Once someone has booked a cruise, it will always be too late to announce a cancellation however it has always happened in the cruise industry. In fact, the American based lines are the worst as they don't schedule dry docks as far out therefore normally always have to cancel multiple cruises once they schedule them in.

This latest  cancellation is just one of many things that P&O have done this last few years makes me believe my statement that P&O DO treat their loyal customers with contempt and somebody should tell senior management that loyalty is both ways not just from the customer.

 

My own experience with dry docks happened on Oriana pre cruise to a dry dock. We had booked the cruise over 12 months prior to cruise and in true P&O style were not told anything until after balance was paid and close to sailing date.

They changed the cruise from 16nts to 14nts, dropped one port completely and every other port of call was the same but different days. All they said is we will give you the value of the 2 nts cancelled in OBC. Good move because I had paid for them 2 nts in cash as per contract yet they wanted to give me value in OBC which would cost them a fraction of price due to high "mark up" of onboard costs. No mention of any other compensation of OBC or what happens to cost of hotels booked or car parking booked which was lost.

After many e-mails backwards and forwards of P&O refusing to pay 2nts value in cash once it got to the stage of mentioning legal action their final statement was I couldnt cancel cruise as it was not a major change and would not be offered cash. A final letter from me, not e-mail, said that if I did not receive the 2nts cancelled in cash as per contract and the right to cancel with no loss of money within 14 days I would take legal advice and let the court decide whether I should be reimbursed in cash and whether it was classed as a "major change". Surprise, surprise I received my 2nts cancellation by cheque within 14 days and the right to cancel my cruise at no loss to me.

[paulatsea]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:27 PM, Stevo2022 said:

Thanks jeanlyon - I’ve not had any luck finding an alternative short-break cruise in July either…. I have other trips booked in the summer so this was supposed to be a little bonus cruise - I only booked it at the end of May, so the thought was nice while it lasted.

Same for us - our Arcadia short break was cancelled. 

[paulatsea]

21 hours ago, majortom10 said:

This latest  cancellation is just one of many things that P&O have done this last few years makes me believe my statement that P&O DO treat their loyal customers with contempt and somebody should tell senior management that loyalty is both ways not just from the customer.

 

My own experience with dry docks happened on Oriana pre cruise to a dry dock. We had booked the cruise over 12 months prior to cruise and in true P&O style were not told anything until after balance was paid and close to sailing date.

They changed the cruise from 16nts to 14nts, dropped one port completely and every other port of call was the same but different days. All they said is we will give you the value of the 2 nts cancelled in OBC. Good move because I had paid for them 2 nts in cash as per contract yet they wanted to give me value in OBC which would cost them a fraction of price due to high "mark up" of onboard costs. No mention of any other compensation of OBC or what happens to cost of hotels booked or car parking booked which was lost.

After many e-mails backwards and forwards of P&O refusing to pay 2nts value in cash once it got to the stage of mentioning legal action their final statement was I couldnt cancel cruise as it was not a major change and would not be offered cash. A final letter from me, not e-mail, said that if I did not receive the 2nts cancelled in cash as per contract and the right to cancel with no loss of money within 14 days I would take legal advice and let the court decide whether I should be reimbursed in cash and whether it was classed as a "major change". Surprise, surprise I received my 2nts cancellation by cheque within 14 days and the right to cancel my cruise at no loss to me.

Well done for sticking with it.

[P&O SUE]

My 4 night Aurora cruise in November 2014 was cancelled because it was late coming out of dry dock. We did find out quite a while in advance , about 3 or 4 months before I think. She was having the new livery put on with the flag on the bow. 
I was gutted because it was my 50th birthday. I’ve still never been on Aurora. We had a good time on Oriana instead but we were supposed to go Amsterdam on Aurora and Oriana went to Bruges and Cherbourg.

[Vendepac]

Tracking websites show Aurora has now left the dry dock and is heading towards North Sea.  So should be in place for her next cruise on the 8th July

[Son of Bare]

Hurrah!