Cancelling Cruises because of the C word

[Adawn47]

2 minutes ago, Tommart said:

20% for me as of now.  Not particularly concerned, though, because I've been through much the same situation several times before and the worst possible thing has always been to sell.  Sticking has always proved the right approach for me.

 

I take your point about the impact on purchases of cruises though.

Oh boy!!!   I'm glad I only have the problems of covid19 and to cruise or not to cruise. I definitely wouldn't want the additional worry of the stock markets that some of you have as well. 

Avril 

[terrierjohn]

38 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Oh boy!!!   I'm glad I only have the problems of covid19 and to cruise or not to cruise. I definitely wouldn't want the additional worry of the stock markets that some of you have as well. 

Avril 

Ah but you probably do have Avril, if you have a pension plan or any stocks and shares Isas, then it will impact on these.

[Adawn47]

2 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Ah but you probably do have Avril, if you have a pension plan or any stocks and shares Isas, then it will impact on these.

Phew! That's a relief then John, we don't. Only a set monthly payment from a very good private  pension we got many years ago and regardless of what's happened with the stock market over the years it's never changed.

Avril

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Tommart said:

20% for me as of now.  Not particularly concerned, though, because I've been through much the same situation several times before and the worst possible thing has always been to sell.  Sticking has always proved the right approach for me.

 

I take your point about the impact on purchases of cruises though.

"I'm "only" down 13% since the start of 2020, but I suspect further falls are likely. Like others, I fortunately don't need to draw down capital, but use the dividends to pay for life's luxuries. Hopefully dividend payments will not be affected too much, although I can't see Carnival, or indeed any of the cruise lines, paying out much for the next couple of years.

[Vampiress88]

I think maybe I’m a bit too young for the pension topic just yet. 
 

it seems to have affected our shares in the companies we work for though. So looks like the shares will be staying in there a lot longer than assumed but these are things we are not reliant on so have time. 
 

gosh this all much pretty sucks! 
 

had to have a talk with the kids this morning just to pre warn them that we might not be able to go on holiday. Luckily they asked if they could make pancakes instead. Now I’m wondering why I spend all this money on fantastic holidays. Could have just got a pancake mix for a quid

[staygulf]

1 minute ago, Vampiress88 said:

I think maybe I’m a bit too young for the pension topic just yet. 
 

it seems to have affected our shares in the companies we work for though. So looks like the shares will be staying in there a lot longer than assumed but these are things we are not reliant on so have time. 
 

gosh this all much pretty sucks! 
 

had to have a talk with the kids this morning just to pre warn them that we might not be able to go on holiday. Luckily they asked if they could make pancakes instead. Now I’m wondering why I spend all this money on fantastic holidays. Could have just got a pancake mix for a quid

😂😂

[Adawn47]

Very true Vampiress. I can remember my kids at Christmas used to play more with the boxes than what came IN them. Go figure!!!

Avril 

[Vampiress88]

30 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Very true Vampiress. I can remember my kids at Christmas used to play more with the boxes than what came IN them. Go figure!!!

Avril 

it’s not just the kids. 
 

I still can’t help but play with bubble wrap 🙄

[vwgolf]

42 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

I think maybe I’m a bit too young for the pension topic just yet. 
 

 

You are never too young to start planning for your pension!

[Eglesbrech]

4 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Earlier in this thread, at least one poster was referring to big price drops of P&O cruises which, due to the very high levels of cancellations, wouldn’t have surprised me. I also received a marketing email from P&O’s biggest UK cruise specialist the other day referring to big price drops. However, having spent some time looking at these ‘offers’ (and also the cruises we are booked on) I cannot see any really cheap cruises. Many are Saver fares, so if you factor in the loss of OBC that many of us received with Select fares the ‘saving’ isn’t worth the risk of getting a cabin in a poor location - so situation normal. I also looked at the price per night for balcony cabins and suites of these ‘offers’ and they are no better than we usually achieve by booking at launch. Am I missing something or are the bargains on inside cabins, which nobody wants at present for fear of being confined to one?

The cruises out of Malta have dropped like a brick and not just insides which are being almost given away but outsides and balcony as well. A select balcony down by over £1000 on a 7 day cruise.

 

I think people will be less concerned with round trips out of the U.K so less cancellations  and impact on prices perhaps. You would like to think that the U.K. government would look after UK citizens if the worst happens. Malta on the other hand has already refused one ship docking and no one was actually ill.
 

At the moment anyone sailing in the next few weeks has few option as they have paid 100%. We won’t really know until past the 12 weeks payment dates how many people will cancel just before the final balance is due - then watch the prices.

[Adawn47]

 

5 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

it’s not just the kids. 
 

I still can’t help but play with bubble wrap 🙄

Neither can I, and I'm in my 70s 😆.  We're all young at heart. 

Avril 

[daiB]

10 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

The cruises out of Malta have dropped like a brick and not just insides which are being almost given away but outsides and balcony as well. A select balcony down by over £1000 on a 7 day cruise.

 

I think people will be less concerned with round trips out of the U.K so less cancellations  and impact on prices perhaps. You would like to think that the U.K. government would look after UK citizens if the worst happens. Malta on the other hand has already refused one ship docking and no one was actually ill.
 

At the moment anyone sailing in the next few weeks has few option as they have paid 100%. We won’t really know until past the 12 weeks payment dates how many people will cancel just before the final balance is due - then watch the prices.

I am coming to the conclusion that by May none of the prices will drop at all. 
 

Cruises will be cancelled. What comes out of Cobra today will have a great effect.

 

i do hope I am wrong.

[Eglesbrech]

2 minutes ago, daiB said:

I am coming to the conclusion that by May none of the prices will drop at all. 
 

Cruises will be cancelled. What comes out of Cobra today will have a great effect.

 

i do hope I am wrong.

You could well be correct Dai. If the U.K. goes along the same lines as the advice given by the US state department then there could well be whole cruise cancellations.

[Eddie99]

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

[Les_ldh]

9 minutes ago, daiB said:

I am coming to the conclusion that by May none of the prices will drop at all. 
 

Cruises will be cancelled. What comes out of Cobra today will have a great effect.

 

i do hope I am wrong.

It will probably get to the stage that so many passengers have cancelled that it will make better business sense to cancel the sailing than to proceed and make a loss.

[Sousa60]

I am almost resigned to the fact that our Cruise may be cancelled as it is due to leave Valletta on April 2nd around the Greek islands and then we are due to stay in Malta for another 3 nights over Easter.

The immediate cruise before is from Southampton to Valetta, but itinerary includes Livorno and Cittevecchia, which I am presuming will be altered, but given the Maltease approach to other cruise ships I am not confidant at the moment.

Of course I am not cancelling but I am over 60 (just this is a 60th birthday cruise for myself and my other half) and I have a corrected heart condition but also a persistent cough which I have had for going on 5 months or more which concerns me as other passengers will feel uncomfortable in my presence if I have a coughing fit 😞

oh well

 

Kev

[jeanlyon]

My cruise on Arcadia the prices have suddenly dropped, but when I went in to try a dummy booking, yes the price was a lot less, but still only a couple of cabins on G deck available.  Now I guess they would be guarantee bookings and the people would be upgraded, but there were only a few balconies as well.

[cruisenewbie1976]

With the number of cases now reducing day on day in South Korea and China and their health experts pondering over whether they've now gone past their peak, you have to wonder if this will be replicated elsewhere; a rapid growth in cases which then slowly declines.  Compared to their population size, it's a tiny number of people over all that have been infected.  I know that it's too early to be complacent but let's hope that this isn't half as bad as we're all expecting! 

[reece.twigg-white]

Well I have us currently booked on Britannia in July for my husbands 40th, I have had it planned since last year as a surprise and been saving since. Now I have no idea what to do! I would normally ask my husbands advice but as this is a surprise I cant! Have 3 weeks now until final payment is due, people keep telling me to see what it is like then and decide, but I HATE not knowing what I am doing arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh………..

[Bazrat]

1 minute ago, reece.twigg-white said:

Well I have us currently booked on Britannia in July for my husbands 40th, I have had it planned since last year as a surprise and been saving since. Now I have no idea what to do! I would normally ask my husbands advice but as this is a surprise I cant! Have 3 weeks now until final payment is due, people keep telling me to see what it is like then and decide, but I HATE not knowing what I am doing arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh………..

Your best off looking on another popular site people are coming back off cruises and they say they have enjoyed them,we are going on our cruise even though I have underlying health problems.

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, vwgolf said:

You are never too young to start planning for your pension!

I was just about to make the same point! I was able to retire at 54 with an excellent pension due to having started it at 18! My children are in their early 20’s and both are investing into pensions for the same reasons I did. Some people may wish to work well beyond their mid 50’s, but as you don’t know how you will feel when you get there it’s nice to have the option not to. 
 

The reason that this is all relative to the current debate is that defined benefit (guaranteed) pensions are all but dead (other than the public sector) and with the new pensions freedoms hardly anyone buys an annuity these days, so retirement income will be more influenced by market movements and cruising is the ultimate discretionary spend. 

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, Eddie99 said:

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

Obviously the fares will go up or very few cruise companies will survive,no income new ships to pay for refurbishments to pay for etc, nice idea though.

[reece.twigg-white]

4 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Your best off looking on another popular site people are coming back off cruises and they say they have enjoyed them,we are going on our cruise even though I have underlying health problems.

 

Thanks for that Bazrat, tbh we have no medical issues as such to worry about, I think the thing that's worrying me is if the itinerary was changed so much and we basically ended up at sea for two weeks, oh well, what will be will be!!!

[Vampiress88]

7 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I was just about to make the same point! I was able to retire at 54 with an excellent pension due to having started it at 18! My children are in their early 20’s and both are investing into pensions for the same reasons I did. Some people may wish to work well beyond their mid 50’s, but as you don’t know how you will feel when you get there it’s nice to have the option not to. 
 

The reason that this is all relative to the current debate is that defined benefit (guaranteed) pensions are all but dead (other than the public sector) and with the new pensions freedoms hardly anyone buys an annuity these days, so retirement income will be more influenced by market movements and cruising is the ultimate discretionary spend. 

both do have pensions 

hubbys way better than mine

 

what I meant was we are 31 so not effect us yet

[Son of Anarchy]

Not cruise, but travel related.  Just had an email from the Sofia Opera House that they're cancelling all shows due to Coronavirus now in Bulgaria.  Well, that's our Friday night at the Opera blown out.  ☹️

 

They are however allowing people to either exchange tickets for future shows, or get a full refund.  PandO take note.

 

Do Wetherspoons have any pubs in Sofia? 🍺