Any rumours re 2017?

[Presto2]

Very pleased with the choice of fly cruises for Eastern Med cruises on Oceana from Malta in August. It is refreshing to be spoiled for choice for once.

 

Thank you P&O for listening to those of us who have been asking for this sort of itinerary for a number of years now. Credit where it is due.

 

Very happy cruiser at the moment and you most definitely have our booking!

 

In the past we have moved to Celebrity on 2 occasions as their itinerary was the Eastern Med and P&O offered nothing similar, so it is good to have a choice now ... and on our lovely Oceana.

 

(OK she may not be the newest ship, may have rust spots and be showing her age .. but so am I !! But we are both beautiful --- ha ha, cough,cough;) )

 

Now back to researching which cruise to pick :):)

[Suebiker]

Disappointed tbh - there are no family friendly cruises sailing from Southampton for Easter Holidays. Only fly cruises - one of the reasons I cruise is because I don't like flying, So not much good for us I'm afraid.

 

Don't want to take our daughter out of school and we cannot take time off in Summer holidays.

 

Not sure what we are going to do tbh as most other cruise lines don't seem to sail from the UK that early in the year.

 

Fed up - any suggestions would be welcome

 

Sue

[Presto2]

Disappointed tbh - there are no family friendly cruises sailing from Southampton for Easter Holidays. Only fly cruises - one of the reasons I cruise is because I don't like flying, So not much good for us I'm afraid.

 

Don't want to take our daughter out of school and we cannot take time off in Summer holidays.

 

Not sure what we are going to do tbh as most other cruise lines don't seem to sail from the UK that early in the year.

 

Fed up - any suggestions would be welcome

 

Sue

 

Hi Sue, seems very strange. Is it that your part of the world or your school / academy is not like most of the country re holidays? Just wondering as 2 years ago we had a cheaper cruise as our Easter holiday was a week later than everyone else for some reason and classed as being out of the school holidays when it was for us. (If this makes sense)

 

We have sailed on the IOS from Southampton and I thought she was coming back to Southampton ??

 

What a shame ---

 

Have to say that when the Govt made their rule about no holidays in school time they didn't think that some families, like yourselves, are limited to when their holidays from work can be :rolleyes:

[jeanlyon]

We are looking at Aurora in October. Can anyone tell me how many kids would likely to be on board? We normally cruise on Adult Only, but like the look of Aurora.

[Presto2]

We are looking at Aurora in October. Can anyone tell me how many kids would likely to be on board? We normally cruise on Adult Only, but like the look of Aurora.

 

Hi, when about in October? In our area half term is always the last week of October for most schools. Am not sure about Manchester or Cheshire etc as they sometimes differ and can be a week earlier. Have no idea what happens down South. :)

[tillybilly321]

Disappointed tbh - there are no family friendly cruises sailing from Southampton for Easter Holidays. Only fly cruises - one of the reasons I cruise is because I don't like flying, So not much good for us I'm afraid.

 

Don't want to take our daughter out of school and we cannot take time off in Summer holidays.

 

Not sure what we are going to do tbh as most other cruise lines don't seem to sail from the UK that early in the year.

 

Fed up - any suggestions would be welcome

 

Sue

 

I have just had a quick look and found 7 nights Iberia on Ventura, 14 night Med on Azura and 12 nights Canaries on Brittania. These all leave on the 2nd April next year. As Easter is so late next year, it would seem that the majority of schools will be taking the 2 weeks before Easter with the children returning on the Tuesday after Easter Monday. This is certainly the case with my children's school, the dates I have are; break up Fri 31st March, back to school on Tuesday 17th April.

 

I know that school holidays vary across the country, but I guess the cruise companies have to go with the majority.

[jeanlyon]

Hi, when about in October? In our area half term is always the last week of October for most schools. Am not sure about Manchester or Cheshire etc as they sometimes differ and can be a week earlier. Have no idea what happens down South. :)

 

Sorry to be stupid, but the cruises I am looking at including Auror are all about 17-19 days, so how long is half term. I have no idea about school holidays apart from July and August.

[P&O SUE]

Sorry to be stupid, but the cruises I am looking at including Auror are all about 17-19 days, so how long is half term. I have no idea about school holidays apart from July and August.

 

It's normally just a week Jean, so you should be safe :) Round here it's more likely to be the third week in October.

[Presto2]

Sorry to be stupid, but the cruises I am looking at including Auror are all about 17-19 days, so how long is half term. I have no idea about school holidays apart from July and August.

 

Will look at the cruises now and flag it up if you need to avoid.

Having said that we have had all of our holidays in the school holidays and the children have been delightful and a credit to their parents. Just love to see them loving formal nights :D Very cute !

[Presto2]

Sorry to be stupid, but the cruises I am looking at including Auror are all about 17-19 days, so how long is half term. I have no idea about school holidays apart from July and August.

 

Hi, just had a look and there is nothing on the Aurora that would entice a family -- well I doubt it. The cruises are not in school holidays as they are too long. :)

[jeanlyon]

Thanks for that. It's rather what I thought. I was on a cruise once and there were 200 kids. They were a nightmare, pressing lift buttons, running up and down corridors, shrieking. I actually don't blame them, I blame the parents.

[Jennizor]

Our first P & O cruise was a new year one on Oriana. There were 400 children on board. At first I was disappointed, but apart from a lot of running around in the buffet at breakfast and lunchtime (the children not me) they were all generally well behaved. Using the MDR instead was quieter however. As someone else said here, it was lovely to see them dressed up for dinner.

[Suebiker]

I have just had a quick look and found 7 nights Iberia on Ventura, 14 night Med on Azura and 12 nights Canaries on Brittania. These all leave on the 2nd April next year. As Easter is so late next year, it would seem that the majority of schools will be taking the 2 weeks before Easter with the children returning on the Tuesday after Easter Monday. This is certainly the case with my children's school, the dates I have are; break up Fri 31st March, back to school on Tuesday 17th April.

 

I know that school holidays vary across the country, but I guess the cruise companies have to go with the majority.

 

Hi - unfortunately our daughters school breaks up the 10th April until the 21st of April.

So this would mean she would have to take a week off school, something we are allowed to do in my daughters school without penalty (we are in Wales).

 

However my daughter will be in year 6 next year and I do not feel it would be a good idea to take her out of school tbh. Shame, we will have to re-think our holiday next year.

 

I can appreciate that if most of the country is breaking up on the 31st March then this is why P and O have gone with those dates. I do find it a bit strange though. Traditionally Easter holidays have always been the week before and week after Easter. I was really surprised to find this year that Easter was at the start of the school Easter holidays, something I have not come across before.

 

Thanks for your response - it helps me to understand why there are no suitable dates.

 

Sue

[Suebiker]

Hi Sue, seems very strange. Is it that your part of the world or your school / academy is not like most of the country re holidays? Just wondering as 2 years ago we had a cheaper cruise as our Easter holiday was a week later than everyone else for some reason and classed as being out of the school holidays when it was for us. (If this makes sense)

 

We have sailed on the IOS from Southampton and I thought she was coming back to Southampton ??

 

What a shame ---

 

Have to say that when the Govt made their rule about no holidays in school time they didn't think that some families, like yourselves, are limited to when their holidays from work can be :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for your response - you appear to be correct and other schools are breaking up earlier than ours which is why there are no suitable dates.

 

IOS is coming back to Southampton but not until the 28th April - so no good for us!!!!!

 

Sue

[cruisefan2012]

Has anybody pre-registered for a cruise yet ?!

[pete14]

Has anybody pre-registered for a cruise yet ?!

 

We pre registered directly with P&O a couple of days ago for Northern lights in 2018 on Aurora. Process very easy, deposit guarantees published price even if it goes up on the day bookings open, which for popular cruises is a distinct possibility. Cabin will be allocated on day bookings open and we can contact them and change it if we have a preference. They even reminded me I had a future cruise deposit bought on a previous cruise which I had forgotten about. All I have to do now is wait 2 years for the cruise!

[daiB]

Has anybody pre-registered for a cruise yet ?!

 

 

Yes but not with P&O, always with a TA and then we can get the cabins we want.

 

We have pre booked a number of cruises. :) :) :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Presto2]

Hi - unfortunately our daughters school breaks up the 10th April until the 21st of April.

So this would mean she would have to take a week off school, something we are allowed to do in my daughters school without penalty (we are in Wales).

 

However my daughter will be in year 6 next year and I do not feel it would be a good idea to take her out of school tbh. Shame, we will have to re-think our holiday next year.

 

I can appreciate that if most of the country is breaking up on the 31st March then this is why P and O have gone with those dates. I do find it a bit strange though. Traditionally Easter holidays have always been the week before and week after Easter. I was really surprised to find this year that Easter was at the start of the school Easter holidays, something I have not come across before.

 

Thanks for your response - it helps me to understand why there are no suitable dates.

 

Sue

 

Hi, what a shame. Wise move re the Y6 thing though as the tests will be early in May and you are definitely doing the best for your daughter as I imagine there will be lots or revision etc in April.

 

Why not have a chat with her school (the HT) and ask for advice re what they think about the situation? Nothing ventured

[P&O SUE]

Hi - unfortunately our daughters school breaks up the 10th April until the 21st of April.

So this would mean she would have to take a week off school, something we are allowed to do in my daughters school without penalty (we are in Wales).

 

However my daughter will be in year 6 next year and I do not feel it would be a good idea to take her out of school tbh. Shame, we will have to re-think our holiday next year.

 

I can appreciate that if most of the country is breaking up on the 31st March then this is why P and O have gone with those dates. I do find it a bit strange though. Traditionally Easter holidays have always been the week before and week after Easter. I was really surprised to find this year that Easter was at the start of the school Easter holidays, something I have not come across before.

 

Thanks for your response - it helps me to understand why there are no suitable dates.

 

Sue

 

As the date of Easter can change by quite a bit, in my area (Kent) they have changed the Easter holidays so that it breaks the terms up more evenly as sometimes the winter one was very short and the spring one very long. This year because Easter is early they just have the long weekend but don't actually break up until 1st April for their 2 weeks! They have done this for a couple of years round here.

[P&O SUE]

SUE BIKER - there is an Azura cruise to Iberia which comes back the 23rd but that is a Sunday - don't know if that is any good? (A709)

Edited March 24, 2016 by P&O SUE

[Mysticalmother]

Yes but not with P&O, always with a TA and then we can get the cabins we want.

 

We have pre booked a number of cruises. :) :) :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

All with P &O DaiB....?:D

 

(Someone gave me a spoon...!)

[TOMOGP]

Has anybody pre-registered for a cruise yet ?!

 

Yes 19 days on Oriana to Venice, interesting ports of call including one in Albania through an agent as per Dai

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

Yep, Auroras South America circumnavigation [emoji3][emoji106]

[daiB]

All with P &O DaiB....?:D

 

 

 

(Someone gave me a spoon...!)

 

 

Well as it happens, no. But don't tell anyone.

 

 

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[Clodia]

I have just had a quick look and found 7 nights Iberia on Ventura, 14 night Med on Azura and 12 nights Canaries on Brittania. These all leave on the 2nd April next year. As Easter is so late next year, it would seem that the majority of schools will be taking the 2 weeks before Easter with the children returning on the Tuesday after Easter Monday. This is certainly the case with my children's school, the dates I have are; break up Fri 31st March, back to school on Tuesday 17th April.

 

I know that school holidays vary across the country, but I guess the cruise companies have to go with the majority.

 

There will tend to be more variation in school holidays across the country now that all schools can determine them for themselves, but one thing which won't vary is the timetable for public exams which begin in mid May. As obviously schools want a couple of weeks revision time before pupils sit exams they will want to be back by the third week in April in most cases whenever Easter falls. Summer start and end dates are likely to vary more as are half terms; some schools are now shortening the summer break and having 2 weeks in May for half term. As long as they teach for the same number of days per year it's up to them.

 

(Sorry retired headteacher who was stuck with school holidays for 34 years trying to be helpful)

 

In terms of ships like Aurora I've often been on her during school summer or Easter holidays when my daughter was younger and can honestly say I've rarely noticed the hundreds of children on board, and being a teacher I would! The clubs look after them very well. The only thing I've ever noticed is the tendency of a few to run about and play in the lifts.