Eddie99

Or

If voting changed anything they wouldn’t let us do it

Mississippi paddle steamer.

Does that count?

And a river cruise in the south of France - Chalon  to Avignon or similar

Has anyone contacted them over this?

Or posted on other media where someone from the company might see it?

Thanks Britboys

We did a Princess (Golden, iirc) round trip to Alaska from San Francisco a few years ago

It was wonderful, though perhaps not as extraordinarily wonderful as yours sounds, with all your bells and whistles.

We flew in to Labor Day weekend in a 100F heatwave and had fine dry weather all the way as we went north and then made our way back

Highlights - Glacier Bay, and a ship’s excursion bear spotting.  We saw three, from an aerial  walkway, as close as watching from your upstairs window, swiping up and eating salmon, just like David Attenborough has shown us.  Fabulous! 
 

Thanks for your post and stirring my memories

Thanks everyone - really enjoying reading your posts of good cruises, poor cruises and, err, *interesting* cruises.

We were lucky in that our most recent cruise, and potentially our last cruise, was the 35 night Ventura to the Caribbean and central/south America, which left on 3 January this year.

So, we left when, as far as I recall, there was little news or concern over Coronavirus.  We had smooth seas on both transatlantic crossings and the usual lovely sunshine at our destinations, bar St Maarten.  It was wierd to be in such a holiday-focussed place in hammering tropical rain/liquid sunshine.

The highlights were new islands to us - Bonaire and Guadeloupe - and the American stops ... Panama City was a beautiful eye-opener, Cartagena, Colombia had no drug barons that we could see but was scorchingly hot and very beautiful in a Spanish balconied style.  My personal highlight was a ship’s excursion in Costa Rica, where we were on small tourist boats schlepping along small canals in the rainforest, spotting wildlife.  Only a mummy sloth, with a baby sleeping on her tummy! 🦥. How great was that?  One of my all time best cruise memories.  And, if course, sloths are great to photograph.  No blurs.

There was more about the virus on the TV news as we travelled back to Southampton but no indication of what was to come

I’m so glad we took the plunge and went for the five week trip.  It didn’t feel a day too long - just a time of warm relaxation.  Thinking about it, for this post, made me feel so warmly about it that I have transferred an earlier booking to the “same” cruise in 2022.  (No SA then, though). It cost very little extra to make the deposit, so the possibility is there.  I think I’m overall pessimistic that we will want or possibly even be able to take it up, but who knows?

It’s a nice experience

We had fabulous weather from Southampton out

Fingers crossed for good weather/peaceful seas 

Overnight flight home - no, won’t do that again but much depends on your onward journey to get home safely

The last day onboard runs like clockwork - you don’t leave the ship till your plane is en route; you have all the ships’s facilities or can go into Bridgetown.

Whether it sails or not, who knows?  Let’s hope

Well, let’s hope it’s not last = final but last = most recent.  
Who knows though, particularly for those of a particular vintage?

So, we’ve had the thread with memories over first cruise, now how about a brief chat about the last cruise you were lucky enough to take?  Mine was just January 2020 and I’ll be happy to add a few thoughts about it later.  For now - over to you, friends.  Your last cruise - however you choose to interpret that

I think cruise ships at night are beautiful in the dark.  It helps disguise daylight ugliness!  One of my abiding cruise memories, should I never be fortunate enough to cruise again, will be, about a year ago, “assembling” in the Indian Ocean, with dozens of other ships, ready to form up a convoy to transit the Suez Canal.  Balmy darkness, ship’s lights, cruise relaxation - ahhh

🤞

That gives me an idea for a new thread (I think we need one - do you agree?)

It’s difficult to think of any situation which conforms less with social distancing than cruising.  All those ‘pinch point’ places on public decks; dining rooms; buffet 😳; theatre; gangway queues; tour coaches; shuttles; tenders - how to square that circle?  No idea

To return to the original post

I think Simon Calder is very good at his job (which he obviously loves).  He also makes himself available to broadcast media which can make him seem ubiquitous.  This probably irritates some people.  I’ll accept his ubiquity in exchange for his expertise 

I’m one of the 3/10, if you add “for the foreseeable future”.  I love cruising and have lots booked, right up to January 2022.  However, until there is a vaccine, or unless & until the virus mutates and burns itself out, there’s no chance of me getting on a cruise ship.
 

I can’t see how cruising can become viable again in the current circumstances.  I expect something will change but I don’t have the imagination to work out what that is.  

Yup - Cheers Andy!

Classy vegetable crisps too?

There you go

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/265390344

Decent G&T is easier - Tanqueray 10, lime wedge, Fevertree classic will do me.  Best make it a double 

Thank you Avril

Yes, we are very lucky to be able to walk from our town home to deep countryside and back again within our one hour “release”.  It makes your heart sing 🎶 

You’re right, I feel like a gnarly old survivor 😃

Well, we have lovely weather.  Spring is springing everywhere.  We seem to have struck lucky with grocery deliveries so I’ve no worries on that score.

I don’t think this is going to end any time soon though.

Avril - I’m sorry to hear your family losses.  Late responding I know but I was socially isolating from this place and having a grump.

We did 8600 steps on our hour’s exercise today.  Loved these old trees

Simon Calder was interesting on R5 this morning 6.30 - 7.00

find it on BBC Sounds

Probably not 🙁

Five cruises booked, up to January 2022.  I think we might still not be virus free then.  Certainly don’t want to be in a cruise ship lockdown - that’s more like prison than holiday

Yes, they are, like all cruise and many, many travel and leisure businesses

Seriously - when do you, realistically, think you might be cruising again?  (I’d like to add with any line, but that is likely to get this post whisked off to The Pub or similar; post as you think fit)

We have bookings (with P&O) for

July 2020

October 2020

January 2021

November 2021

January 2022

Def. don’t see 2020 cruises happening anyway

Don’t think I want to cruise in peak respiratory infection time = January, so not Jan 2021

November 2021  no-fly round trip to Caribbean - sounds tempting

January 2022 - see January 2021

Maybe it’s just me; maybe I’m over reacting, or looking on the bleak side, but at the moment I’m not fussed if I never cruise again.  Anyone else?  
Things look so bad for travel & hospitality.  This isn’t going to be over any time soon

I’m not anticipating cruising till 2022

I hope I’m wrong.  I have bookings for this year and 2021 but ...

As I said - was it only? - two weeks ago, it feels like holidays will be pretty low on our list of concerns for the foreseeable...

Sorry - poor wording on my part, or careless reading wherever I saw it

Moneysavingexpert perhaps?  I don’t know.  I think I’m suffering from information overload

It’s just been announced that the Post Office has withdrawn from the travel insurance business

Along with every other travel and hospitality company and goodness-knows-what associated businesses

Bumped into ‘our’ cattery owner in town - practically all their bookings have been cancelled.  Told them we’d be ringing to cancel too 🙁

Got it!

Thanks very much

I’m sorry Staygulf.  I know you can see the link you are talking about and you must think I am particularly stupid in not seeing it - but I can’t locate it

What announcement?  There wasn’t a link in the email I got.  There’s nothing (I can see) in the twitter announcement.

I’ve located Contact Us but that doesn’t have a specific Request Refund drop-down.  It would be simpler for everyone if I can find a specific Request Refund link

Did it say which year?

I have mentally written off all cruising (potentially all holidays) till 2022.  Maybe I’ll get a lovely surprise but I’m not hopeful