madmacs

Largely agree about the Platinum / Elite lounge. The best part has been making some long lasting friends who we met at these events

7 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

It's per person, but I think you are misinterpreting things and has been answered.  There is no limit to the OBC you might get from booking a cruise.  If you purchase via Cruise Personalizer, the limit is $1,500.

Thanks 

Anyone know if the limit per booking relates to an individual or those booked together. Our booking of four with shareholders, current or past armed forces members, TA money plus gifts and purchases of obc mist total in excess of $2000 for all four but individually no one has more than $800 obc. So the key question is a booking perp person or all those booked together.

We are on Sky in September. Just wondered what the mask situation is like now. Are there areas where you must wear them? Are most people wearing them in lifts etc?  Thanks for any updates

Apart from any safety concerns, I cannot morally visit Russia no matter how wonderful is St Petersburg (one downside it is from where Putin and most of his inner circle come). We have decided to cancel our Baltic cruise and move to one in the Med. Frankly any small inconvenience to us is insignificant compered to the suffering of the Ukranian people. I stayed in Odessa many years ago and it is a beautiful city and the people I met were wonderful. 

Please be grateful we live in a free democratic country and have choices about most things.

BBC reports

International cruises have been given the go-ahead to restart from ports in England from next Monday.

The announcement comes as the UK government scraps the requirement to quarantine for double-jabbed US and EU citizens arriving in the UK.

It means, for the first time since the pandemic started, cruises can start in England, call at foreign ports and then return to England without vaccinated passengers having to self-isolate.

Minister for Aviation and Maritime, Robert Courts, tweeted he was "delighted" by the news.

New government advice for cruising asks travellers to make a personal assessment, look at their vaccination status and their insurance to make sure they are protected.

Great to hear from those pathfinders on the first cruise. We are not due on board until October but great to see how things go over the next few weeks

Don't forget Regal is supposed to be in Southampton replacing Grand - long way from Sydney to Southampton in 21 days

At 23 knots, flat out for Regal and with no stops, she can just about make it from Sydney to Southampton in 21 days. so not a cruise just a transit - doubt it will happen like that - we will see,

Sorry previous post should have said 9 April. Seems to me something has to give with the scheduling.  If Regal replaces Grand on the run from Singapore - that 38 day trip starts on 23 March. No doubt all will be revealed in due course.

Just been checking and it will take Regal 21 days to sail non stop from Sydney to Southampton at 23 knots (its top speed). If it finishes in Sydney on 7 April it can just make Southampton on 30 April but will not be a cruise in a traditional sense as there would be no stops. Not sure if it would need to re-fuel and re-stock en route as that would increase the time taken. 

With cases starting to rise again in the UK, our Chief Medical Officer has suggested we have reached the limit of how far restrictions can be lifted, indeed they have been ramped up somewhat. I really can't see cruises happening until folks are vaccinated. That will almost certainly take us into next year. We are due to go on a cruise in March which I now rate as at best 50/50/

6 hours ago, zap99 said:

You may be advised to be a bit careful as she may be covered by confidentiality. Just saying.

She is - that is why I just said about being optimistic. The other information is in the public domain

My niece is a junior part of the Oxford University vaccine programme. From what she tells me they are becoming increasingly confident it will work.  As you may have seen they have an agreement with Astrazeneca to produce the vaccine and governments are funding producing vast quantities of the vaccine in advance of the end of the clinical trials. All being well it should be available in the Autumn and hopefully enough people will have been vaccinated by Christmas to produce herd immunity.

She says that even if the Oxford one does not work many other groups are working on a vaccine, and is fairly sure at least one will work. However they are all behind Oxford and their vaccines probably would not be ready until later in 2021.

With a degree of realistic hope I have cancelled my October cruise but hoping to go on one next March. I would not be keen on what the EU and CDC propose for cruises. Sounds more regimented than I want for a holiday.

I personally don't think cruise lines will cut their loyalty programmes. They actually cost the companies little, a few free drinks which they will get at cheap rates.  When cruise lines come back they will want to recognise loyal cruisers

We have reluctantly cancelled our early October cruise on Silhouette. Spanish ports closed indefinitely and as an asthmatic don't want to be a guinea pig for cruises coming back - if they do. Took the decision now before final payment.

We are due to go on October 9th sailing - waiting for Celebrity announcements which are reportedly due today. The chances are high we will cancel. Having only paid the deposit we would be happy to re-book for the same cruise next year, but would not wish to tie up the money if we have paid the full amount.

As Spanish ports are closed indefinitely to cruise ships, Silhouette is in the Bahamas and for many other reasons I expect Celebrity will, in any case, write off the European season like Princess and P&O.

We are due to go to India next March and cruise back from Singapore. Unless there is a vaccine doubt we will be doing this either. Already missed China this year - boy do we need a holiday. But having had a friend who spent two weeks on a ventilator with Covid-19 need to get priorities right (he did recover).

Spain has shut its ports to cruise ships indefinitely as has Copenhagen. That cuts out most cruises from.Southampton. Princess. P and O and Cunard have all.effectively closed their summer European seasons.

My niece is working at a junior level on the Oxford University vaccine project. She says the bosses are becoming more optimistic it will work. It is in the public domain that Astrazenica are manufacturing large quantities and are hopeful that many countries will have the vaccine by Christmas. If that happens it will be the game changer we all want to see. I fear it will be too late for my October cruise but saving lives and returning to normality is the key matter at hand. I read that a US project and a Chinese project are also optimistic but sounds like they are three to six month behind Oxford.

Just looked at the cruise I have booked in October and the prices have rocketed which gives me thought that the cruise will be cancelled - can't see many people booking at the prices quoted

3 hours ago, york survey said:

 

I look at it the other way round. With all the other main lines cancelling out of Southampton this increases the opportunity for Celebrity to pick up some local passengers. Helping them to make the required load factors - Take market share 

 

I believe they could easily get to the 30% required for Apex without our American friends (I'll add that it would be a shame as the best cruises are the multi national ones)

 

PS I'm also on the Silhouette this back end - 9th October!!

One of us will be right - we are on the same cruise if it runs!

I can't see Celebrity operating out of Southampton in September. UK based companies P&O and Cunard have cancelled all cruises  until mid October and November respectively and Princess have cancelled their European season. Effectively Celebrity would be the only company with large ships offering cruises from Southampton this summer or even early Autumn - can't see it. Hope I am wrong as we are booked on Silhouette in early October.

My niece is working on the Oxford project (junior role). I am no expert on the project but as I understand it there is a high degree of confidence it will work. The biggest concern is proving it, as cases reduce in the UK it is more difficult to establish if it is working. As someone said,and they are apparently considering it may be worth running a trial in Latin America which is the latest hot spot. I wonder is President Bolsonaro will allow them in as Covid-19 is just a little flu. 

I understand that a number of governments including the UK are funding Astra Zenica. It seems to me eminently sensible to produce the vaccine on an industrial scale as that may save a few months time in counteracting the disease. Frankly the few $billion costs could save lives and many more $billions in lost production etc. Of course there is a risk the vaccine won't work but I think a risk worth taking.

 I doubt this will save my October cruise but maybe March will be ok.

Just now, madmacs said:

 

Horses and bolted do come to mind - update the scheme starts on June 8th. I would think it might last three weeks and then quietly disappear.

21 minutes ago, ighten said:

To be fair I cant see the UK system lasting the first 3 weeks - If its like any other rule we have come up with (usually after the stable door was already so wide open you wont be able to find it to shut it) then most of the population seems to think it means after a few days you can just ignore it.

 

If Im agreeing with something coming from ryanair you know things have just become silly.. I see more U turns on the way