More Cancellations Imminent?

[Adawn47]

2 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

This announcement brings QM and QV into line with P&O,

I thought P&O where cancelled until October 16th?  It's on BBC news online at the moment, but doesn't give much more information.

[Josy1953]

1 minute ago, Adawn47 said:

I thought P&O where cancelled until October 16th?  It's on BBC news online at the moment, but doesn't give much more information.

Sorry, you are right P&O is 16th October, 31st October is just my wishful thinking.  I can really see P&O making any further announcements until late July at the earliest.

[jeanlyon]

I wonder why Cunard would cancel until November 1st and P&O only to 15th October?

[Eddie99]

Someone posted yesterday about the date tie-in with the transatlantic cruises to get the ships in place for the Caribbean fly-cruise season.  Sounds a reasonable theory

[bee-ess]

22 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I wonder why Cunard would cancel until November 1st and P&O only to 15th October?

I think it is because the 2 Caribbean TA's go on 16th and 23rd October

Edited June 9, 2020 by bee-ess

[Eddie99]

Martin Lewis (moneysavingexpert) has just posted this tweet though

 

Things might be looking up, for the industry if not for individuals in the various shielded categories

 

 

The Foreign office no longer says it's warning against all but essential travel overseas for an 'indefinite period'.  

Its dropped 'indefinite'.  Yet it (definitely) hasn't put a definite period on. 

No idea if this means anything.  An explanation would be useful - we're asking

[Britboys]

58 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I wonder why Cunard would cancel until November 1st and P&O only to 15th October?

If some of the admin staff at Carnival UK HQ work across both brands Jean, it might be to help manage their workloads.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Britboys said:

If some of the admin staff at Carnival UK HQ work across both brands Jean, it might be to help manage their workloads.

Most of the admin staff now based in Southampton work across both brands for Carnival UK and not for either Cunard or P&O.

[jeanlyon]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

If some of the admin staff at Carnival UK HQ work across both brands Jean, it might be to help manage their workloads.

Yes possibly, but I also did notice P&O had 4 ships going across to the Caribbean, so that's probably why.

[jeanlyon]

My Travel Agent filled in the form to cancel my October 18th cruise and take the 110% FCC which was there on that day, but no longer is.  He told me he had received confirmation of cancellation.  Why therefore, can I still log into my account and see it in my list of cruises and also I can log in to Cruise Personaliser?

 

Interestingly, the only cruise showing in my list is this one, and not my 2021 cruises!

[drsel]

Why do you want to cancel your October 18th cruise?

I expect most Cruise lines will be operational by then and the virus will be well under control

 

 

[mercury7289]

14 minutes ago, drsel said:

Why do you want to cancel your October 18th cruise?

I expect most Cruise lines will be operational by then and the virus will be well under control

 

 

Not what,is being suggested elsewhere!

Not over here anyway!

[Bin man]

Hi Jean that is the same as me my September cruise still showing although cancelled by p and o and 2 next year are not showing .That hax been like 5hat when booked on first day they went on sale . Reported it very early last year but got no answer .Might appear one day 

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, drsel said:

Why do you want to cancel your October 18th cruise?

I expect most Cruise lines will be operational by then and the virus will be well under control

 

 

The virus will never be fully under control until a vaccine is available and there will not be one by October and there is no way I would risk going on a cruise so soon and certainly it wouldnt be a holiday for me with the extra restrictions on the ship. Not a holiday for me.

[NoFlyGuy]

36 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

The virus will never be fully under control until a vaccine is available and there will not be one by October and there is no way I would risk going on a cruise so soon and certainly it wouldnt be a holiday for me with the extra restrictions on the ship. Not a holiday for me.

Jury's out. There may be a vaccine available by October.

AstraZeneca are already producing millions of doses of the 'Oxford vaccine' long before clinical trials have been completed.

Would they risk that cost if they thought that the vaccine would fail?

I posted way back that I thought that a viable vaccine would be available by the autumn given the money thrown at it by countries across the world. It may be Oxford or some other lab somewhere else in the world or a combination of many.

I'll eat humble pie if I am wrong and must admit I would be loathe to go on a cruise without a vaccine even if cruise companies were sailing with onerous restrictions onboard.

[Selbourne]

15 minutes ago, NoFlyGuy said:

Jury's out. There may be a vaccine available by October.

AstraZeneca are already producing millions of doses of the 'Oxford vaccine' long before clinical trials have been completed.

Would they risk that cost if they thought that the vaccine would fail?

I posted way back that I thought that a viable vaccine would be available by the autumn given the money thrown at it by countries across the world. It may be Oxford or some other lab somewhere else in the world or a combination of many.

I'll eat humble pie if I am wrong and must admit I would be loathe to go on a cruise without a vaccine even if cruise companies were sailing with onerous restrictions onboard.

But you are relying on every passenger being able to be vaccinated immediately that the vaccine is available, which I think is extremely unlikely. I suspect that there will be a phased roll out over many many months, starting, for example, with those who are currently shielded, then those who are eligible for a flu vaccine etc etc. Well into 2021 before everyone would be vaccinated, I would think, even with a vaccine available from October. We don’t intend to book another cruise until we are vaccinated and social distancing is over, as it will make for a very unnatural and, IMO, unpleasant holiday experience. Less crowds would be nice, but not all the restrictions. I also can’t see how they can run cruises at a profit unless the ships are at least 75% full and, even at that level of occupancy, I think they would struggle to make money, especially as on board spend is likely to be lower with restrictions in place in bars etc. 

[jeanlyon]

4 hours ago, drsel said:

Why do you want to cancel your October 18th cruise?

I expect most Cruise lines will be operational by then and the virus will be well under control

 

 

Well firstly, I don't want to pay the balance as I think it will be cancelled anyway.    Secondly, I don't think I am cruising until there is a vaccine, because I don't think insurance will cover it properly.  thirdly, they were offering an FCC and it's only a small deposit.  Would rather put it on a 2022 cruise when they are launched.

 

also, why do you think most Cruise lines will be operational by then  Cunard has already cancelled until November?

Edited June 10, 2020 by jeanlyon

[NoFlyGuy]

32 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

But you are relying on every passenger being able to be vaccinated immediately that the vaccine is available, which I think is extremely unlikely. I suspect that there will be a phased roll out over many many months, starting, for example, with those who are currently shielded, then those who are eligible for a flu vaccine etc etc. Well into 2021 before everyone would be vaccinated, I would think, even with a vaccine available from October. We don’t intend to book another cruise until we are vaccinated and social distancing is over, as it will make for a very unnatural and, IMO, unpleasant holiday experience. Less crowds would be nice, but not all the restrictions. I also can’t see how they can run cruises at a profit unless the ships are at least 75% full and, even at that level of occupancy, I think they would struggle to make money, especially as on board spend is likely to be lower with restrictions in place in bars etc. 

Just on the aviailiialbilitlly of the vaccine AstraZenneca quoted two billion by October. That's a pretty decent percentage of the global population in such a short space of time.

Of course it's got to work!

[jeanlyon]

3 hours ago, Bin man said:

Hi Jean that is the same as me my September cruise still showing although cancelled by p and o and 2 next year are not showing .That hax been like 5hat when booked on first day they went on sale . Reported it very early last year but got no answer .Might appear one day 

Ah, that's interesting.  My TA filled in the form and also called P&O who confirmed the cancellation and that the FCC could take 60 days.  P&Os IT is really crap isn't it.

[Selbourne]

Just now, NoFlyGuy said:

Just on the aviailiialbilitlly of the vaccine AstraZenneca quoted two billion by October. That's a pretty decent percentage of the global population in such a short space of time.

Of course it's got to work!

Quite, but even if we had 60 million vaccines available in the U.K. on 1st October it would still take until next year for them all to be administered. Just look at how long it takes to vaccinate everyone who’s entitled to a flu jab and that’s only a small proportion of the population. Months!

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

But you are relying on every passenger being able to be vaccinated immediately that the vaccine is available, which I think is extremely unlikely. I suspect that there will be a phased roll out over many many months, starting, for example, with those who are currently shielded, then those who are eligible for a flu vaccine etc etc. Well into 2021 before everyone would be vaccinated, I would think, even with a vaccine available from October. We don’t intend to book another cruise until we are vaccinated and social distancing is over, as it will make for a very unnatural and, IMO, unpleasant holiday experience. Less crowds would be nice, but not all the restrictions. I also can’t see how they can run cruises at a profit unless the ships are at least 75% full and, even at that level of occupancy, I think they would struggle to make money, especially as on board spend is likely to be lower with restrictions in place in bars etc. 

As an AZ pensioner I do hope they have backed the right horse, and with, was it 30 million doses for the UK, that should cover the old and all the at risk groups, with a few million left over as well.

As for social distancing making the experience unnatural, I will be more than happy to give it a try, just for the joy of being back on board a cruise ship.

[cruisenewbie1976]

34 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Quite, but even if we had 60 million vaccines available in the U.K. on 1st October it would still take until next year for them all to be administered. Just look at how long it takes to vaccinate everyone who’s entitled to a flu jab and that’s only a small proportion of the population. Months!

You're assuming that the roll out would be at the same pace as the flu jab. They'd likely throw every available resource at it, if the vaccine proves to be successful. It would be money better spent that having to resource the NHS for a possible winter influx. 

[mercury7289]

Just now, cruisenewbie1976 said:

You're assuming that the roll out would be at the same pace as the flu jab. They'd likely throw every available resource at it, if the vaccine proves to be successful. It would be money better spent that having to resource the NHS for a possible winter influx. 

Your also assuming!

[wowzz]

16 minutes ago, cruisenewbie1976 said:

You're assuming that the roll out would be at the same pace as the flu jab. They'd likely throw every available resource at it, if the vaccine proves to be successful. It would be money better spent that having to resource the NHS for a possible winter influx. 

If a nurse did 12 injections an hour, approximately 100 could be done a day, or 500 a week. Let's assume overtime plus weekend working , so a very generous 1000 injections a week. And whilst nurses are giving jabs, they are not doing their normal job, so it is not easy to throw labour at the situation.

It doesn't take a maths genius to work out that to immunise even 30 million people is going to take the best part of a year.

[Josy1953]

8 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Well firstly, I don't want to pay the balance as I think it will be cancelled anyway.    Secondly, I don't think I am cruising until there is a vaccine, because I don't think insurance will cover it properly.  thirdly, they were offering an FCC and it's only a small deposit.  Would rather put it on a 2022 cruise when they are launched.

 

also, why do you think most Cruise lines will be operational by then  Cunard has already cancelled until November?

Exactly the same as our view for our October 31st cruise.