Eddie99

50 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

I'll have £600 extra OBC. I'm thinking of not pre booking excursions and waiting until I'm on board. What do others plan on doing? The drinks package wouldn't work for me, and spending it in the on board shop tat would be a waste. 

Early purchase of 2020 Xmas presents?

Perfume etc - branded stuff - paperbacks, spirits

Buy yourself 5 years stock of nice greeting cards, expensive toiletries, sunglasses?

It’s a nice problem to have!

What a pity they took so long in a fast-moving but inexorably deteriorating situation.

First look at the new policy and it looks fair enough

I read that there will be port calls for fuelling/reprovisioning/offloading the dead etc but that pax will not be allowed off

Surely it’s not possible to cruise half the world on one tankful?

It’ll test the mettle of the catering & entertainment staff 🙄

I’d suggest a couple of ‘egg & chip nights’ in the MDR between now and disembarkation.  Something very plain and ordinary as a complete change from usual cruise fare.

Hopefully they’ll be able to embark different guest entertainers and there’s surely an opportunity for a couple of lecturers to fill gaps?  Movies every day?  The port presenter can certainly put their feet up

Timed at 18.10

Let’s hope this is what people have been waiting for.  Another potential 48 hours waiting for a definitive policy seems a long time but ...

It feels to me that all the cruise companies should withdraw from the market.  Reimburse/recompense/refurb their ships/repatriate their Asian crew.

Then, sit down and make plans for their renaissance.  This, like all things, will pass.  It’s awful now but it’s a great opportunity for the future if the funds hold out and they really renew their offer, as the marketeers would say.

Fingers crossed.  I’ve written off our July week on Iona but I’m hopeful for the Med in mid-October.  If that’s impossible then we’ll have a lot more than lost holidays to fret about

Carnival on £17.70 at 8.15am and dropping like a stone

Unless the cruise industry folds, never to recover, which I feel is extremely unlikely, they’re going to be a huge bargain soon for anyone who doesn’t have them and who plans even one 14 day cruise per annum for the next decade.

Don't look for big dividends in the short term though

The US State Dept has just thrown the cat among the pigeons.  What will this mean for insurance etc?

”This is a fluid situation.  CDC notes that older adults and travelers with underlying health issues should avoid situations that put them at increased risk for more severe disease.  This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.  Passengers with plans to travel by cruise ship should contact their cruise line companies directly for further information and continue to monitor the Travel.state.gov website and see the latest information from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/index.html. 

(CDC = Centres for Disease Controls ... US central body for such things)

Poor old Princess - having a tough time

Kids Club?

Unless you are buying them to sell at a profit in the short term,  I think it’s worthwhile for every regular cruiser to look at share purchase

At the moment a £2000 investment nets you the OBC detailed previously, together with quarterly dividends of about £40.  (These may be curtailed for a while if the cruise industry is hard hit by Coronavirus.)

However, it doesn’t take many years to recoup the initial investment.  2 x 14 night cruises pa x 7 years and you’re ‘in profit’.  Don’t sell your shares, leave them in your will - your beneficiaries will get whatever the shares are then worth - £2000, £5000, whatever.

Always remember shares can go down as well as up, always remember the shareholder obc might be reduced/withdrawn (unlikely, methinks) and don’t buy shares you can’t afford.  If you have £2000 gathering 1%pa in an ISA, Carnival shares feel a better investment to me.

But take care.  Don’t risk money you can’t afford to lose

Give them a call

It appears there is a degree of flexibility in these interesting times

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-cruises-seek-safe-harbour-as-world-takes-drastic-steps-to-halt-covid-19-11952575
 

Cruising just doesn’t feel a good option at present.  In fact I’m not planning any overnights away from home for the foreseeable future

IMO (and it’s just my opinion,  it based on science, or business, or finance etc) cruise lines should consolidate their cruises for them as still wants but, mainly, withdraw, take the opportunity to get all ships sparkling, all activity plans A1, all itineraries exciting.  Current publicity is just bad publicity.  It will stay in people’s minds for years.  Take away the opportunity for bad publicity and plan the thrilling new relaunch!

Oh, charming!

But, I guess the surgeries are under incredible pressure from all sides

If I were affected and liable to forego a £2-3000 cruise because of fears of what might happen, and if I fell into the vulnerable group - say 70+ with ongoing medical issues - I’d find a private GP and be happy to pay £100 for a consultation and a letter.  I presume P&O/travel insurance company would accept that?

I’ve read several apparently reliable sources saying that 9 weeks will see 95% of infections.  I don’t know if the clock is ticking on those 9 weeks yet, or if that would be, say, next week or the week after.

If it does pan out like that, it appears that we will have a relatively short, very sharp shock, after which time things may get back to near-normal quite quickly?

In cruise terms, if that is the case, far better for cruise companies to keep their friends, to allow rescheduling, possibly to mothball ships for two or three months and to come out, all guns blazing, to a brave new virus-free cruising world mid-year?

Here’s an article with the 95% stat

https://www.ft.com/content/e18e6d70-5fc0-11ea-b0ab-339c2307bcd4

Of course they are

As a semi-obsessive handwasher myself, I am a little bit amused and a huge bit horrified that there seem to be so many people for whom washing their hands appears a novelty

What have they been doing all their lives?

5 minutes ago, PRINCESSTHE BEST said:

Premier football league to consider banning over 70s from attending football matches due to Coronavirus.

Link

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-sports-bosses-and-broadcasters-summoned-to-discuss-contingency-plans-11951225

perhaps the age 70 watershed is one P&O could adopt?

It might be a half-way house for them.  If any member of a booking is 70+ allow cancellation and re-booking for 2021?

I agree with Ann141

I am happy/content to write off deposits for cruises this year.  I would have a dilemma if I had paid £0000s and was due to sail in the next few weeks, with no prospect of recompense 

1 minute ago, Eglesbrech said:

Thanks, no surprise there then. 
 

I think they will live to regret the reputation damage this will cause them longer term.

 

 

I think you are probably right, though there might still (just) be time to rescue the situation.  
 

Here’s my take on things, and the reason I’m content to simply lose deposits on currently booked cruises.  Apologies if you’ve already read this in the Coronavirus thread

Covid-19 is ‘just’ another cold/flu virus, though it is totally new to the human population.

It is normally only a mild infection BUT, as no-one is immune (because it’s brand new) it is very, very contagious.

Just like ordinary, seasonal, flu, there are risks for those who are already at risk.  These are, in general, people who live with a serious condition already.  
As people get older they are more likely to develop the heart and lung disease, diabetes, kidney issues, etc,  which makes Covid-19 a more dangerous proposition

So, I think, for myself, being a septuagenarian with no health issues and not on any medication, my chance of catching Covid-19 is high (like everyone in the population) but my chance of dying from it is no higher than of dying should I catch 2020 seasonal flu.  It is not risk free but it is minimal.  This is different from the 1918 Spanish Flu, where we are told that healthy 20 year olds were going to work in the morning and dying in the afternoon 

I’d be delighted to have someone confirm that, or interested to learn where I have gone wrong, if that is the case

I do not need medical science or a double first in epidemiology to know that two weeks at sea, confined to cabin, followed by a further two weeks in isolation on land, is not a good way to spend my time or my money.  I shall not be cruising for a little while.

Here’s “Motley Fool”, a respected finance website, being quite positive about share purchase now

https://www.fool.co.uk/investing/2020/03/06/ftse-100-dividend-stock-carnival-has-crumbled-30-heres-what-id-do-now/

Warning:  Shares can go down as well as up

Eek!

... but given the option of ‘chuting’ or burning or drowning, I’d take the funfair ride

😳

Is there a rope ladder affair in those tubes?  There must be - everyone would land in the lifeboats with broken limbs?

95% of Southampton flights are/were Flybe

Difficult times ...

Oh dear.  I think things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

Tablelamp - I think the credit card gives you some protection and you should get a refund?  It also sounds like a phone call to P&O, as per post #712 above.

Feeling so sorry for all you people with difficult decisions to take right now

Pink-Belle sums up my thoughts about Princess v P&O very well. If they cost the same Princess would win hands-down. Princess costs more - it is better. P&O is good value and if you get a good deal can be fantastic value. Princess does not sail ex-UK year round but has great worldwide itineraries

As with most aspects of life, you pays yer money and makes yer choice

C deck balconies are much bigger than the higher ones. Half under cover ( good if you might have rain) half not ... but overlooked from above.

Superior balcony cabins on D deck are bigger again but are totally overlooked and have no shelter. You get other benefits as well, which I'm sure you know or can research easily

We like aft. The seas are not likely to be a problem in the fiords and we have always been fortunate in the North Sea

The most magnificent views are always from forward on the open decks - but you can do that later in the day. JMO but if he is going to snore and miss the wonderful views as you sail in, I think your choice of cabin location trumps his!

Enjoy your cruise and enjoy anticipating it