Megabear2

Thanks for the clarification. As someone who generally uses a travel agent, my only direct telephone bookings have been the two I mentioned as they had personal compensation awards to me that did not show on my P&O account Regarding the email of my requirements I did get this for my Christmas cruise a couple of weeks back and this coincided with the change on 5 September, that cruise however had been booked on release so I was aware nothing was set in stone at the time I booked. I have a very laid back attitude to the covid rules realising they can change like the wind! Regarding the lady and gentleman who thought there was a PCR test they were a very late booking, only last week. To add to this there has been postal disruption due to strike action so they may not even have received the booking confirmation before they saw CC and panicked! All of this is of course irrelevant, although if the lady can access CC she must have some internet connection. Others however may not. Your point on updates is a good one. When I sailed with Celebrity earlier this year they published a cruise by cruise guide of vaccination, testing and country requirements. This was very easy to check if you were looking to book and once booked you received immediate notification is anything changed for your voyage alone which meant little confusion - well apart from Italy constantly changing the number of days before sailing your test was required. With voyages booked many months or even years before sailing this voyage by voyage approach would be immensely helpful and also if pointed out at the time of booking either by the telephone agent, t/a or the website could help to stop the I wasn't told problems.

To be certain you use only what you’ve signed up for and your own free data/minutes set a spend cap that's very low, either zero or something like a pound. Your phone won't accidentally connect to anything you don't want it to either onboard or ashore.

I believe the lady's husband did the booking over the telephone direct with P&O and was not made aware testing of any kind had been dropped. Having not made a direct booking myself with P&O in the last few months, I cannot say with certainty the current process, but when making my now cancelled October one there was no direct mention of testing either way, ie needed or not. There was a read out statement about vaccination and insurance and mention their full terms and conditions could be found on their website. Actually thinking about it, at no point did anyone ask if I actually had access to said website and of course many older passengers say on here that they don’t. I've just looked at my direct December 2023 booking receipt from P&O which is a direct booking made by telephone as I was using some compensation funds on a moved December 2022 booking. There are no terms and conditions or any link to them, just a mention they are as per the website. Although emailed in my case I assume anyone who doesn't have electronic access to either email or the website must get them sent through the post. If so is there a copy of all the stuff about covid protocols and requirements sent with that confirmation?

How long is this current cruise? I see Britannia is due in Palma on 7th, where does she go next? It can't be too long before her Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean. It will be an interesting measure once she starts her regular ex Barbados sailings as passengers flying out to join her have to take an observed LFT so a proper comparison on whether no testing affects cases might become possible.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I note you took legal advice, may I ask who from and on which points please? I'm currently looking into the insurance issues with ABTA and the FCA so anything said might be of interest. Thank you.

It's apparently gone the same on Queen Victoria at present sadly. Almost identical, fine for a time and then it spread and masks compulsory. Identical booking terms, ie no testing, health questionnaire. Host Hattie is onboard and sadly her OH is one infected whilst she's okay but definitely had her cruise severely disrupted.

Reading the OP's post she is saying that she's not looking for any form of money returned so the second fare remains paid. Therefore I cannot see any reason it will be a problem to notify P&O nearer the time he's not travelling but she is. My ill fated Princess cruise in July was a booking for three people in two cabins. Once the ship sailed and they knew my aunt's friend would not be onboard they moved me into the empty cabin and opened up the balcony. For good measure they gave us $50 obc too as they were happy to have three fares. The difference between the double occupancy cabin and the single was £400 so they received £7,000 for the three passengers and were very happy.

It's normal for the underwriters to have different terms for different companies. There can even be a difference between companies in the same group, ie Lloyds Allianz policy is different to Halifax Allianz policy. At the end of the day the headed paper carries the company name not the underwriter’s and the headline company decides what conditions it wishes to cover. Medical conditions exempted are frequently different from one to the next. The underwriter accepts the risk they are instructed to and has no control over exclusions and inclusions. You can also have two policies with the same underwriters using different claims companies - these are the ones to look out for because at the end of the day they authorise settlements. People research the insurer's rather than the claims company records and this is why they often confuse who is responsible.

I'm sure our thinking is correct as all companies seemed happy with that idea, just stating it had to be medically certificated. However Holiday Extras, Staysure and Avanti want the result added to GP records and a medical report completed as well. This means emailing a copy of the positive test to your surgery and then sending the required insurance form for completion. I checked costing with Dam Health Southampton as my nearest and cost is £49 for a 24 hour PCR fit to fly, £69 for a midnight one and £22.49 for an observed LFT. Doctor form completion is of course at a cost decided by them. I'm happy to pay for peace of mindvtoo.

Update: no news yet from Adam Edinburgh but I have today spoken with quite a few major insurers including Halifax Allianz, Avanti/Staysure, Post Office, Paying Too Much and Good to Go. All have confirmed cover for refused boarding due to covid related issues requires a positive test. Several did however say family members on the same policy would be covered if a positive test was available for one of them. All required doctor certification to accept a claim. I then spoke to P&O who told me they had no authority to discuss this or any insurance issues and had been instructed to provide an email address of po.guestsupport@carnivalgroup.com This is an email I've not come across before so I've written to it along with all the other email addresses I have used previously. I can confirm an acknowledgement receipt stating 10 day response time has arrived from this newly provided address. I also spoke with ABTA on my other issue and asked for their view on the insurer responses. They advised me to write to P&O putting them on notice that if no reply was received in 7 working days I would open a complaint via ABTA, they are prepared to allow this based on my being yet to travel and also a failure of communication from them since February. Finally it was mentioned I might like to take advice from a consumer group but I have held off on this although I have indicated to P&O failing a line of communication reopening on the issue I may take this action. So that's me done for now on this, off to play silly fools with my non responding friends at Princess ! I remember when cruising was fun ... hey ho!

Have fun!

We neither commute or mix with many people out of a close circle, just everyday living. Cruising is a pleasure not a trial.

You know that for a fact?

And this is where you and any I part company after a long and happy voyage together! Bon voyage ... .

All very sensible but no other holiday or sporting event, theatre, restaurant etc requires me to complete a medical questionnaire before I travel which could end up costing me thousands of pounds with no actual medical professional making the decision. When there was testing at the port at least a medical professional was on site to discuss why you had such and such going on.

Whilst there is indeed nothing to fear for the majority (and I include myself in that) unless it's an extremely late booking people booked their cruises believing they were boarding ships with fully vaccinated and tested people - it's been on the website stating that since cruising restarted. Making a personal decision on your opinion of the risk was relatively easy at that point so you booked. In my own case we looked at the "protocols" including testing, vaccination and who looked after us and got us home if it went disastrously wrong. All very straightforward and easy and a "risk" worth taking for us. Come September that all changed. No testing and vagaries about who looks after us and at what cost, both financially and medically. Luckily my remaining cruises do require a test before flying so hopefully the deliberate deniers or downright liars won't get through and it will just be bad luck if our cruise is hit. I can handle that, but I cannot handle a policy actively inviting dishonesty. I've had the misfortune to be unwell on a cruise myself and just got on with it, stayed in bed and recovered - that's life. I do have full cruise cover with confinement and goodness knows what else but I'm fully aware that unless it's a very simple claim like a missed port a lot of the policy terms are there to trip up the unwary. I've always been sceptical but my experience this year has taught me cruise lines and insurers are most definitely not the passengers' friends.

That may be case but all the information on their websites is certainly aimed to make people believe it is! If it is as safe as that stuff indicates then we wouldn't have all these people upset because they were locked away or feeling misinformed. P&O certainly can't be blamed for the medical conditions but they most certainly can for offering a false sense of it's all okay and we'll look after you. If there's nothing to fear do away with all the stuff about their special measures and let people make their own choice on an open ship.

All of these discussions point to one thing: quarantine and health questionnaires are a waste of time as far as the majority of passengers are concerned and in the current state of play pretty damn useless. If P&O want to blame their other cutbacks on the pandemic that should also cease and if it continues to occur they must admit it's just a smokescreen to hide their financial actions. A level playing field for all and a bit of honesty all round at no financial cost to the passenger. That way everyone onboard takes personal responsibility for being there, doesn’t have to worry about huge financial loss and passenger stress levels can fall. An amnesty of a say month, notified individually for every booking in writing, should be offered during which period anyone with a booking they do not wish to fulfil under these terms can cancel for a small admin fee (a realistic one not some fairyland figure the P&O accounts department dream up!!). I really don't think there would be a rush to take up this sort of offer as most people would still want their holiday and are only unhappy about jumping through hoops in a now one sided cruise world. By offering this amnesty anyone medically affected or scared to travel could in one fowl swoop be removed from the equation and P&O would regain control of both their reputation and hopefully passengers respect. P&O presumably have an idea of how many people are "trapped" by FCC and moved bookings as they will have looked at the numbers when removing the move as many times as you like option. Since Omicron raised its ugly head the goalposts moved because it isn't the disease of its predecessors and attitudes amongst society have naturally changed in the majority of cases. P&O cannot hide the fact that they are "different" to other cruise lines with their customer base in some ways disadvantaged by their UK heritage. They are American owned with an owner effectively making blanket rules for a customer with a totally different logic and outlook and more importantly a different legal regime. The British have an overall sense of fair play even in these modern times and quite simply P&O aren't playing fair at all, offering an inferior product while pleading its because off the pandemic yet expecting us to pay top dollar for it.

I fully appreciate that it was a personal view and of course don't think you speak for the company. I imagine it must be extremely hard to actually say your employer's policies are unfair. It was in no way intended as a criticism of yourself personally, in fact I appreciate someone actually trying to be honest. However the fact remains I too am an honest person and worry that if I did accidentally take covid on board while acting in ignorance some poor soul may become extremely unwell because of my deception. My own husband is seriously at risk from covid having a myocardial bridge and other serious health problems and the suggestion that for the sake of a few quid on a test P&O are happy to put him at risk leaves me in despair. Reading your unofficial comments combined with Adam Edinburgh's reply on the insurance side I can only draw the conclusion Carnival really don't give a damn and have very short memories of how we their loyal customers have stood by them in desperate times.

Well it might be unofficial but at least someone has at last indicated why P&O don't give a damn. As a basically honest person I find it very hard to have it suggested I lie as that's apparently what the company really want me to do. After all these years of supporting P&O and Cunard I'm struggling to think why once my next cruise is finished I'd consider sailing with any of them again. Combining this with my Princess experience I find myself not wanting any more to do with Carnival Corporation and its companies!

All very good, but what about those of us who are mandated to test before sailing and also anyone dumped ashore - there's a couple reporting on another thread they've been in quarantine 8 days on Azura and 9 days in Malta. Frankly its appalling that P&O are unofficially advocating lying and possibly risking some unsuspecting person's life, never mind my peace of mind as an honest person. I'm very happy to sail as you suggest, what I'm not happy with is my potential financial loss if the worst occurs and I certainly don't want another fight with an insurance company as I'm learning the hard way they are totally recalcitrant and difficult to deal with. Currently my family are £19,000 down on an insurance technicality and now we face this as well. If we are being advised to ignore everything why can't P&O scrap quarantine and more importantly the testing on longer voyages and Caribbean fly cruises along with a health questionnaire so ridiculous not one sensible person would answer yes to a question?

I'm not aware of any recommendations fleet wide. However there is a proviso that P&O can change the requirements at any time, whether before departure or onboard. The "blurb" you mention has been in place since the restart of cruising and is pretty widely accepted as affecting any cruise at any time. You mention you have used FCC which you were being pushed to spend. I assume this was approaching its expiration date which would be why they were encouraging its use. I also assume you have already attempted to move the cruise and been told no, unfortunately if it is a recent booking on a saver fare that would be correct. It really might not be as bad as you believe and every cruise is differently affected. The next sailing may well not require a mask mandate as the passengers will be totally different. I appreciate you are very nervous but do think about it carefully before cancelling as you indicate you were looking forward to the cruise very much.

Re the Caribbean we are with EE and pay £5.00 a day to use phone and data if we wait till we get there. We have an option to add a package before travel and is £11.00 for a month. We have to have full phone and internet use for business purposes so unfortunately have to purchase P&O's wifi. We find the basic package okay for our uses.

I'm waiting for Adam Edinburgh to expand his explanation (he's usually very prompt). Basically I've asked him for ex UK departures if an LFT is taken would it suffice for a photograph and date as proof followed by the person uploading their result into their GP records - I'm not sure if you can do this but am looking into it. For fly cruises to Caribbean and longer ex UK itineraries an observed LFT is required by P&O and consequently I have asked if this certificate would suffice for his company's needs if it is passed to.the GP. I'm unsure of P&O's testing requirements for the Azura fly cruises not knowing anyone on them, so if someone can let me know we can then see if they are covered under these two scenarios or if I need another question answered. Having now thought about all this, I truthfully think that the policy is a charter for dishonesty and as we move into the winter months with the inevitable rise in infections numbers of passengers affected will increase accordingly. Not everyone will encounter a problem, some insurers may well be more flexible, but those caught will face a long, difficult and expensive battle. My aunt's GP surgery charges £75pp to complete an insurance form as we found out in our Princess fiasco. I'm assured that's pretty common so even assuming you do get the claim accepted the costs with excess etc will be quite high. I am doing more research on this with other companies next week and at the moment rather than tackle P&O intend to collate "proof" their policy is not workable. As it happens on 3 October I have an ABTA call on my other matter and I may well speak to them to see if I can open a complaint on this insurance situation. I do of course have my last correspondence from P&O from April which says their legal team will be in touch so I'm going to treat that as them failing to deal with my query.

In fairness I don’t think they are alone. Previous rearch shows it is incredibly difficult to get an insurer to accept responsibility no matter when or if a person contracts covid.