s&gsjollies

That is really worrying and I expect you're right that many people choose to stay quiet rather than miss their holiday regardless of the affect it might have on others Sadly I think we'll be staying away for quite some time

We asked P&O directly about this on the phone as there were problems on the ship when we actually booked and we hadn't been informed that there were now covid issues on some cruises. First they denied there were any issues but when we quoted the letter that people had been given on a cruise four days before we'd booked they eventually admitted that yes, there had been an outbreak of Covid and masks had been required. But they assured us that because between everyone disembarking and new people starting the next cruise the ship would be thoroughly cleaned so there was no issue. And it was up to passengers whether they wore masks or not and from what I've read today it sounds like most don't. We didn't go

Cheaper than most in Rhodes - not a bargain (but lovely!)

Im guessing you were on the cruise from Southampton with the great itinerary down past Spain and Portugal? I hope you had a great time and the weather was kind. We booked very late, then read about the recent Covid outbreaks on here, and decided not to go due to health issues and lost our money Have to say though that I think this is madness by P&O to reduce mask wearing, as well as stop requiring the need to provide negative PCR tests before boarding, when there is no doubt cases are increasing noticeably across the country. Surely they have a responsibility to keep passengers safe? But instead they seem to be going out of their way to pretend that everything is fine and dandy and leave it up to everyone else to sort it out!

If you read my original post you will see that I say we were naive and its been our own very expensive mistake - there are a lot of reasons that contributed to this happening on a personal level that I've not chosen to share and why we desperately needed a break. I really don't appreciate our errors being pointed out more than once in different blunt ways. Thank you to the kind person who pointed it out and stuck up for me - your comments were irrelevant and were not constructive

My daughter (23) was up for going on one but I'd read a few things about accidents and also don't have a great low back so enjoyed a lovely day in the gardens and grottos Then we heard some people off a cruise asking a local lady in the kiosk whether she'd been on the toboggans and what she thought - she said "no too dangerous!" Hmmm

Absolutely understand the enjoyment of the cable car - how exciting for her! I hope you had some time to go into the gardens at the top too, they were lovely although I was disappointed we missed orchid season. I got my mum to go on a cruise with me for her 80th as she's never flown and had never seen the southern med - she was blown away by real palm trees but would have been terrified in a cable car! We've skied as a family many times and that part of the decision to miss the cable car as it wouldn't have been a novelty, plus my back isn't good at standing in lines and we'd seen the queues the day before. I'm wondering if you took her on the toboggan?!

We went to Madeira quite recently and decided to use a taxi up to Monte from out hotel on the far side of old town as there were three of us and it was a fair walk to the cable car (about 15 euros) Our driver told us that the baskets are inherited through families and they are the best paid people on the island!

The reason we booked by phone is that we had cruise credit from a cancelled trip plus compensation from a dreadful cabin, one on my account and one on my husbands, so we couldn't book online My husband made the call when we booked. He said they read a long page about P&O current regulations and situations. Very hard to take in and so much information and he can't remember a lot of it. He says they definitely does not remember them saying or ask anything about whether we had any health issues that may be affected by any of the changes they might implement (whatever they may be). He certainly would have raised our immune suppressed status (both had 5 vaccines each!) but potential mask-wearing would have flagged my asthma issues, which is fine under normal circumstances. If you need to check boxes on a form or online about this its wrong that its not raised specifically on the phone and the lady who raised the fact earlier in the thread that not everyone has online access makes this all the more important! We received an email that advised us to read P&Os policies etc but it's too late for us anyway even on health issues as we've had to pay fully. What does make us cross is when we phoned they kept quoting a couple of lines that must have been in the middle of the missive that we'd agreed to about making changes or bringing in measures to keep everyone safe. It seems their coverall get out clause We are now going to get them to listen to our booking though

We contacted Which Legal - they said that because it will be "cleaned" between trips, be it in a few hours, they are under no obligation to ask new passengers to ask people to wear masks when they join (or provide PCR's!) But if you joined a tour 1/2 way round (we made friends with someone who managed to do this once on a Baltic cruise), and there is already an issue on board and they do not tell you, then you do have a case against P&O We haven't even looked at our insurance as it's part of a yearly policy that covers cruises - something tells me we wouldn't be covered if we had Covid trouble onboard! We plan on telling P&O tomorrow that we will not be going on the cruise and why. We also plan to put it in writing for the record - it will make us feel better if nothing else!

We only booked last week for the cruise departing this saturday on ventura to spain and portugal naively thinking people would need to provide PCRs to prove their current status, not just say "oh yes actually we came into contact with Covid within the last 10 days so we'll forgo this cruise and will no longer get any future cruise credit" Then I came onto CC to check out the shore stops and stumbled on the covid outbreak on Ventura plus the issues with insurance should you be unlucky enough to catch covid onboard. After phoning P&O quick smart and within 24 hours, they denied there were any issues. They later agreed there was a problem but said there was no reason they should warn passengers that they might need to wear masks onboard. They say they're following government advice on Covid (!) and no chance of future CC We're immune suppressed (wear masks when we need to) but with asthma too I find ongoing mask wearing hard work and would never have booked now. Also had missed that numbers were increasing in the UK somehow After seeking legal advice we got nowhere, so we have decided to put it down as a big expensive mistake on our part, not worth putting ourselves at the increased risk and we also did not like the way we were treated on the phone. It took three calls and providing evidence we found on here to stop them saying things were heresy and were not happening on Ventura - we feel they continue to sell a near capacity cruise without passengers being fully aware of the current situation. It also shirks responsibility not to insist on customers providing PCRs to keep others safe and just serves to pretend there's no issue! We will never sail with the company again and it my be our nearly third and last cruise ever - shame I hope everyone has a lovely time and stays well

which is exactly why P&O should be making customers provide clear PCR tests or ones they do on site to protect other passengers! It would make a huge difference

Thank you so much - this is from Ventura I'm assuming. Have to say that although we were assured that "everything will be cleaned down thoroughly so the next cruse will be perfectly safe from Covid", its hard to imagine how this the case when it comes and goes within the day and everything runs on aircon? We were definitely niaive with our last minute booking but expected to be asked for a PCR proving our status before going on board after all their red Covid warning instructions on their booking site. It is not realistic expecting people to be honest about not boarding if they've come into contact with Covid etc when people know they're going to lose everything but putting their hand up, and I imagine many will keep their heads down ...P&O are shirking their responsibility by not testing, potentially ruining peoples holidays as well as their health

Were you on the cruise who got a letter telling you about mask wearing? and was it a request or a definite instruction please - I cannot get a definitely answer on this but the above is very helpful thank you

When my husband phoned P&O again yesterday (we only booked next Saturdays trip last wednesday (it wasn't at sale price) - he was informed that although P&O now agree that mask wearing is "optional" on Ventura's current cruise, they say things will be cleaned and off we'll go to Spain and Portugal as planned next weekend. All will be hunky dory and "no masks when we board!" I've said before why we've decided we do not want to risk going and P&O have said absolutely no way we can do anything about it despite all this happening within 24 hours I am still trying to find out on here if anyone will show me the part of the letter that's been given to the guests on board Ventura (or those on Brittania) saying that mask-wearing is "compulsory" as P&O office are saying that's untrue. Secondly I think I also read that someone said that shore trips are already cancelled but I'm not sure if this is true? - if yes, there must be a reason for this and we certainly weren't notified. The shore trips were specifically what appealed and we wouldn't have booked with this knowledge We've decided that we definitely won't be going and are speaking to Which on Monday for advice, so just want to try and get a few facts before then. P&O are refuting things we've read here (maybe they haven't been updated?) but a lot of this must have been a thing when we booked and that's our issue

It was categorically NOT mentioned when we booked on Wednesday afternoon (for 8/10) but when I phoned within 24 hours and I was assured what I was reading here was basically not true, I was told that they blurb about continually P&O monitoring things to keep things safe that we'd agreed to when we booked on the phone, covered them and whatever covid measures they needed to take But Graham phoned again yesterday and said about the new instruction for passengers to wear masks on Ventura and Britannia and why weren't we told when booking? The lady agreed we should have been informed (!) but kept him on hold while checking things out. Graham was told the whole fleet was told that it was "recommended that passengers wear masks", not just Ventura and Britannia. Does anyone know whether this is true or not please or whether the instruction was "enforced mask wearing" as I thought I've read earlier? We've decided not to go as we would both need to wear a mask throughout due to being immune suppressed (and would make breathing hard due to current asthma trouble). I just want to check the facts as at the moment P&O are saying they did not need to tell us at the time of booking (and did not know anyway) We've had a lot going on and really needed a break, had a stack of cruise credit that P&O were pushing us to spend fast, and stupidly just thought about the attraction of sailing from Southampton and the lovely itinerary - probably a very stupid and expensive mistake!

`I think the thing that's upsetting is all the Covid questions and responsibilities that flash up on the screen to us when we were checking availability, yet bookings are still being actively being taken for a ship that may well still have staff on board who will be suffering from the current Covid outbreak. If the booking office aren't aware it's because they haven't been informed but we really think that we should have been told that mask wearing if mandatory and testing should therefore be mandatory and proof of it needed before boarding Personally I think masks are great for protecting myself (and others!) and have used one throughout when I've gone into shops or crowded places. But I do want to be informed of higher risk and should have the choice to avoid it before booking. Not wearing a mask because of asthma issues will just leave me even more vulnerable and is not an option

Not going too well with this new no testing or masks then. Ventura also under compulsory mask mandate. Interesting its come from ashore rather than onboard. After booking on the phone only yesterday for an October 8-18th cruise to spain/portugal only yesterday and were told absolutely about the mask-wearing situation, I phoned up earlier after reading this and the Ventura posts. I was told they were just heresay. I told them we are both immune suppressed but I also have asthma and have trouble wearing masks (since getting Covid!) and would never had booked and put myself in that situation had we been informed - they said they knew nothing at all in the booking office which is why we weren't informed when we booked but their "adopting protocol to protect everyone onboard" covers them. They also said it might be an optional/advisory thing. No refund or delayed booking. Now feel we've been hoodwinked and am very concerned

24 hours ago we booked to go on Ventura on 8th October down Spain and Portugal for 10 days. I've come on CC for the first time in ages to get some info and stumbled on this thread I've just got off the phone to P&O and apparently they know nothing of mask-wearing on Ventura or any other ships because of Covid - oh and there are absolutely no refunds or transfers available. My husband and I are immune suppressed and I'm asthmatic and have had numerous chest infections since Covid at the end of last year. Wearing a mask for a long time is difficult and for this reason alone we would never have booked a cruise at this time had we been informed about the mask-wearing - would they really not know? They said there's a line about "adapting protocol to protect everyone on board" that they would have read to my husband on the the phone that covers them, but I said its a fundamental piece of information a customer should know before booking a 10 day cruise if it is a situation happening on their ships! (I wear one at home going into shops etc so agree they're a good thing in principle) Any advice anyone please