pmd98052

13 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

You can access the app from your phone at the terminal.  Download it in advance (I put it on at home) and it asks for 6 numbers at the end of your cruise card which are the same on your boarding pass. You should be able to go straight in and connect on arrival.

 

 

 

I thought it was just a web page/site and not an app you need to download? Just checked my iPhone and don't see any apps from P&O in the app store to download?  If its a web site once you connect to the ships wifi in the terminal what is the address for it?

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

How can pre purchase ever be cheaper than paying with free OBC?

Can't use OBC on a pre-purchase. Thats the catch.

One thing people don't seem to have noticed. Previously when travelling with kids under 18 in your cabin they received the soft drinks package for "free" if the adults bought the alcoholic drinks package.  With this change now only 16 and under get the "Free" soft drinks and if you have a 17 year old they now HAVE to buy the soft drinks (refresh) package. So 77 quid price rise there for the cabin on top of the 5 quid increase in adult drinks package.

On 10/11/2022 at 6:20 PM, Cruise_Rookie_2010 said:

Don't look would be my advice, I paid £12.30 each and thought they were cheap at the time.

The shareholder benefit is helping soften the blow ( a little).

heh - I have 100 shares bought years ago at $37. 🙂 

Impossible to know but I'd say unless you are set on a SPECIFIC June '23 cruise on specific dates with a specific cruise line then wing it and watch for deals nearer the time? With the current economy cruises outside of school holidays are somewhat slow selling. There will be deals.

On 10/3/2022 at 10:35 PM, wowzz said:

Your wife will have to be booked seperately from you if you want to get double obc.

Apologies if you are already aware of this stipulation.  

We have two cabins booked. My wife in one with one of our kids and me in another with one of our kids. Different P&O Booking reference numbers. That works right?

On 10/2/2022 at 5:22 PM, TigerB said:

We've just disembarked from Britannia today, and it was only available in the buffet (rubbish) and as a paid-for event in the Epicurean 

Oh thats terrible - I thought they had announced this was coming back? We're on Ventura on 22nd Oct and was looking forward to that! 

10 hours ago, Technoman2 said:

I heard the announcement about 10 mins after my previous post so maybe not then.

'The Lady is not for Turning'  or maybe this one is. lol

Well damn and there I was about to buy more CCL then my tax break got canceled just as soon as it was granted!!

I risked it today and bought 100 so me and my wife both have shares for future OBC's. We got dual cabins (1 kid in each with 1 of us) for our next cruise so we can benefit from dual shareholder OBC's right away. I think my concern will be CCL stopping this benefit but at $6.91 a share it was worth a risk I thought. That said with my history of stock purchases you can thank me when CCL does go down to $0 in time for our next cruise 🙂

Does P&O really have real clotted cream for afternoon tea? Many cruise lines suggest this but I've never seen clotted cream on any cruise line that we've been with so far (NCL, Holland, Carnival, Celebrity, MSC, Princess) - Our first P&O cruise is coming up!

Is the P&O bus into Porto free or is there a charge? We are on saver fare. 

We don't really care much for longer formal dinners in MDR - We've not sailed on P&O as yet (usually on Princess) but the challenge we always find is the menu options on formal nights in MDR are better than usual and those same options are not available in the buffet instead. Is this the same on P&O?

5 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

With the new rules some children have effectively been barred from cruising, if you have booked such a cruise then in effect P&O have cancelled that cruise and will need to return your deposit or give you a satisfactory enhancement. This happened with the Ventura 35 night cruise in Jan that we cancelled. P&O stipulated that all passengers needed a third vaccine/booster to go on that cruise therefore cancelling it for non boosted. This happened the week before the cruise so there were some unhappy people. In your case you have plenty of time to decide whether to wait and see if the rules change, whether 12-15 year olds get the booster or transfer you cruise or P&O make an offer.

Thanks - The part that feels risky to me though is if I wait past June 25th I've made final payment. At that point I'm sure P&O will let me transfer the cruise but I'm sure any replacement will be more expensive (this one was a fairly good deal for school holidays) and so I'd rather just get the money back and book a land vacation for Oct '22 half term. I don't mind waiting a few weeks but what if P&O drag this out past June 25th? If I take action prior I do lose the small 5% deposit but it would at least let me take a smaller hit and rebook a land vacation earlier.

Has any one seen any updates from P&O on what happens to kids 12-15 now who will be over 270 days from their 2nd shot but cannot get a 3rd (booster) as NHS don't offer them for kids 12-15.

This seems to be a massive issue for those of us with Oct '22 half term cruises coming up but I've seen nothing from P&O on it. I booked last week under the prior requirements. I would have held off booking if I had known this as I think its likely I'll have to cancel and lose my deposit now. Our TA has asked P&O but apparently it will take till late next week to get an answer (and I fully expect to never actually hear back on it anyway)

24 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Maybe by the time you are due to pay the balance your son will get a booster or P&O will reconsider testing when families start cancelling their cruises especially as they seem to be aiming their cruises on the bigger ships towards families, or not as the case may be.

I think the problem is its based on what places like Portugal require.

Heh we just did the math on our 14 year olds 2nd vax date. He had 2nd on Jan 26th 2022. So guess what 270 days is Oct 23rd 2022. Our cruise is Oct 22nd. So we can't go.

Just remember if you have kids 12-15 who are over 270 days from their 2nd shot they cannot cruise with P&O anymore as that age range cannot get the 3rd (Booster) dose and NHS has no plans to do so. I'm going to have to cancel our Oct '22 Half Term cruise due to this - we just booked that last week!

3 minutes ago, cheshire said:

So unless the Uk Govt allow us to have a fifth booster prior to our cruise next January what's the option?   Most people will be in this position.

No because if you're over 16 the 3rd shot (booster) has been available to you since last year. Once you have that shot the 270 days doesn't apply anymore and you're good.

The problem DOES happen for kids 12-16 who cannot currently get that 3rd shot (booster) and WILL be over 270 days since their 2nd shot by the time they cruise.

10 minutes ago, leehal said:

You now have to have had a booster a maximum of 270 days before you cruise according to the latest email.

 

The current vaccination policy in the UK means that the majority of people will not have had boosters, certainly not before our next cruise in May 2023.

 

Unless P&O know something we don’t and further boosters are going to be offered to the under 75’s?

I don't read it as that for those who HAVE already had the 3rd shot (the booster) - Email says,

" Regardless of the date, if you have already had a booster vaccination then you are eligible to travel."

However the problem is no kids have had that 3rd shot (Booster) - so kids cannot travel once 270 days have passed since their 2nd shot.

The booster policy isn't clear either since most people under 16 cannot get the 3rd (booster) dose right now. So no kids?

I just received this in email this morning for our Oct '22 Cruise out of Southampton to Portugal:

"For this sailing, all guests aged 12 years and over need to be fully vaccinated with a recognised COVID-19 vaccine a minimum of 14 days prior to travel. If more than 270 days (calculated from the last day of the cruise) have passed since the full completion of a vaccination course, a booster vaccine will also be needed and must be administered a minimum of seven days prior to travel.

Children under 12 years are exempt from pre-travel vaccination.

The definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ is having completed a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination course or single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (plus a booster if applicable) approved by the MHRA, EMA or WHO. Regardless of the date, if you have already had a booster vaccination then you are eligible to travel."

Given kids in the UK cannot get the booster shots does this mean we should cancel?

MSC had quite a large outbreak on a recent UK cruise. https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2021/09/articles/disease/passenger-dies-after-super-spreader-covid-19-cruise-on-msc-virtuosa/ 

I would go on which ever is lower cost with the edge to Princess if they were both same cost. NCL has (imho) better main entertainment shows in theatre, but worse MDR food, but arguable slightly better buffet. Kids clubs similar etc. Just comes down to price really.

Nothing to stop you dressing up on any night of the cruise!

29 minutes ago, coffeebean said:

Mixed cruises have mask mandates, distancing requirements, capacity limits in venues and all sorts of other safety protocols. Why do people keep mentioning that mixed cruises have been sailing without incident without qualifying that fact that safety protocols are in place? Let's get real here.

 Safety protocols that the anti vax folks would never tolerate.

52 minutes ago, coffeebean said:

mRNA vaccines are protective against the variants, including the Delta variant. I believe the AZ vaccine is the predominant vaccine used in the UK. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about that. I do not know how effective the AZ vaccine is in protection against the Delta variant. Anyone have any data about that?

 Yes AZ is effective against Delta variant. Problem in U.K. is lots of under 30s still no vaccinated. They are largely the age groups getting it. Don’t forget vaccinated people also still can get COVID. They just don’t die from it. They can still spread it.