Weymouth bay

[London-Calling]

02/05/20: The Queen Mary 2 cruise ship, the flagship of the Cunard Line, has joined two P&O vessels, the Aurora and Ventura. The Queen Mary 2 has been in the area for some time after arriving back off the coast of England last month but is occasionally seen moving around due to the weather forecast and for maritime operations, according to its owner.

(Text Daily Mail)

Slide-show: https://youtu.be/wXYFgsP0mDw

[zap99]

8 minutes ago, London-Calling said:

02/05/20: The Queen Mary 2 cruise ship, the flagship of the Cunard Line, has joined two P&O vessels, the Aurora and Ventura. The Queen Mary 2 has been in the area for some time after arriving back off the coast of England last month but is occasionally seen moving around due to the weather forecast and for maritime operations, according to its owner.

(Text Daily Mail)

Slide-show: https://youtu.be/wXYFgsP0mDw

I hope they are just warming up the engines ready for 1st June Sailings.

[London-Calling]

So do I.😉

[Dinglebert]

2 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I hope they are just warming up the engines ready for 1st June Sailings.

As all cruises until 31st July are cancelled I think not.

[Adawn47]

2 minutes ago, Dinglebert said:

As all cruises until 31st July are cancelled I think not.

OK.  September then? 😊

Avril 

 

[zap99]

5 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

OK.  September then? 😊

Avril 

 

We are booked on Iona for. 28 August. Gary Barlow is on board.

Edited May 3, 2020 by zap99
Spell

[Adawn47]

5 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We are booked on Iona for. 28 August. Gary Barlow is on board 

I hope you get to go. It's nice to know there's another optimist out there. I was beginning feel lonely 😊

Avril 

[Denarius]

Sorry to spoil the party, but I do not think anyone will be cruising anywhere any time soon.

As well as the problem of social distancing, it appears to me that countries which are easing lockdown are increasingly coupling it with restrictions on entry in the form of compulsory quaranteen. There is speculation that the UK will follow this trend. Such countries are unlikely to welcome visits by cruise ships which may have visited several ports and even countries during the incubation period, and the enforcement of a (say) 14 day quaranteen period would make visits impossibe anyway. Combined with the possible requirement for quaranteen on return to the UK, I cannot see cruising recommencing for some time. 😞

Edited May 3, 2020 by Denarius

[Dorset cruise fan]

What lovely pictures,  thank you for posting the link. We were wondering yesterday if a trip to Weymouth could be classed as essential travel (or exercise) but at least we have pictures now. Looks busy there.

[wowzz]

51 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

OK.  September then? 😊

Avril 

 

Sorry, no chance.

[Adawn47]

30 minutes ago, Dorset cruise fan said:

What lovely pictures,  thank you for posting the link. We were wondering yesterday if a trip to Weymouth could be classed as essential travel (or exercise) but at least we have pictures now. Looks busy there.

Another interesting link on there as well. 40 Cruise Ships For Sale. Interesting and some surprises too. 

Avril 

 

[Bin man]

See Azura out on a run .Are the ships leaving the ports to save our money? and anchor of shore 

[Son of Anarchy]

15 minutes ago, Bin man said:

See Azura out on a run .Are the ships leaving the ports to save our money? and anchor of shore 

We should have been on Azura today ☹️  Along with four great friends ☹️☹️

 

We all had a chat earlier today and linking up via Zoom later....and some grog 🙂

[Snow Hill]

Aurora on its way to Dover now

[showingdiva]

Someone has commented on the Cunard site that Aurora and Queen Mary 2 were transferring Indian crew onto Ventura so they can be flown home.

Edited May 4, 2020 by showingdiva

[P&O SUE]

I’ve seen some pictures on Facebook of the ships off Weymouth - jealous!

We live about a 50 minute drive from Dover, I would love to go and look at the ships docked there (Arcadia, Oceana and Aurora) but of course am staying home.

[davecttr]

3 hours ago, showingdiva said:

Someone has commented on the Cunard site that Aurora and Queen Mary 2 were transferring Indian crew onto Ventura so they can be flown home.

Quite likely, apparently Marella have been transferring crew between their ships off the Isle of Wight and then flying them home to Manila. 

[the english lady]

14 hours ago, Bin man said:

See Azura out on a run .Are the ships leaving the ports to save our money? and anchor of shore 

Yes it is now thought that not only do they go out on their allowed exercise and grey water discharge, but the port of Southampton are charging them the same port fees as if the had the full service..so they go and drop anchor in the middle of the water. Marella have 3 or 4 ships that are always by Nab anchorage (off the IOW). Cheaper ..however the port is then losing all the port fees money..one wonders why they do not do a reduced rate, so they have some money coming in.

[Captain_Morgan]

I think there's a higher likelihood they will be SAILING their crew home as opposed to flying given that India is still 'closed' for a further 14 days (at least) and I recall reading something yesterday which said the Philippines is closing their doors as well to international arrivals for a further 14 days because their quarantine facilities are maxed out.

Looking at how many Carnival Corp. ships that have already undertaken the journey it seems the most logical response when compared to the logistics and cost of organizing a variety of charter flights.

 

[terrierjohn]

7 hours ago, showingdiva said:

Someone has commented on the Cunard site that Aurora and Queen Mary 2 were transferring Indian crew onto Ventura so they can be flown home.

Ventura is picking up all Indian crew from non covid infected ships and will sail to India on May 15th to repatriate them.

[Bell Boy]

7 hours ago, showingdiva said:

Someone has commented on the Cunard site that Aurora and Queen Mary 2 were transferring Indian crew onto Ventura so they can be flown home.

Correct, they have indeed been transferring  Indian crew members onto the Ventura ( using their own Tenders)  However, as I understand it, not to be flown home but to be taken home by sea ?   ( according to a reliable source )

 

Confusing, if they 'are' to be flown home (  via Heathrow/Gatwick) why didn't the crew disembarked the ships when berthed in Southampton ?

 

[Bell Boy]

24 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Ventura is picking up all Indian crew from non covid infected ships and will sail to India on May 15th to repatriate them.

Thank you  terrierjohn and other posters for the confirmation  .....I didn't manage to read the immediate posts above before I commented. Good to know my reliable source was correct. 

[wowzz]

In that case  P&O must have decided that cruises won't restart until much later in the year, if at all. 

[jake 26]

5 minutes ago, wowzz said:

In that case  P&O must have decided that cruises won't restart until much later in the year, if at all. 

 It looks that way as they are repatriating a large number of Indian crew from Cunard and P&O to their homeland. Apparently the voyage will take 21 days.

The UK government is rightly very concerned over a second wave of the virus occurring in our flu season so my guess is that Carnival UK will restart next spring.

[P&O SUE]

That’s interesting re Ventura, nice for the crew!