Carnival to Dump Six Ships

[DS_Dean]

Ah yes, you are not wrong - I remember Laura Bennison - "Bennie". She was great! Always put in so much energy.

 

Think Oceana often had... Nigel someone his last name escapes me. But he didnt seem all too involved, but often found the rest of the ents team on Oceana were always excellent at sailaways, and other activities. 

[emam]

7 hours ago, molecrochip said:

There are still some other great EMs that can do the job such as Tracy Clegg, Natalie Milverton and some newer ones too such as Abbie (can’t remember her surname) who has worked her way up under Neil.

 

Is that the young lady from South Shields, where Graham took the video. She was getting some ribbing for her accent the last time we were on Ventura.

[Selbourne]

8 hours ago, No pager thank you said:

We have something in common then Ann 😁

 

Some people say how can you like the bigger and smaller ship at the same time - makes perfect sense to me.

A third vote here for liking a mix of the big and small ships. Aurora is our favourite for a cruise experience, as we prefer the passenger mix compared to the bigger ships, but we always miss facilities such as the Epicurean restaurant on Britannia, which is our favourite as a ship! Although we would class ourselves as ‘traditional cruisers’, I simply can’t understand those who dismiss the larger ships almost on principal. Their loss!

 

As for Ventura versus Azura, we are clearly in the minority. Neither are favourites for us, as we dislike the fact that there is no Crows Nest bar (who thought it was a good idea to give the best view on the ship to a gym, used by a small percentage of passengers?). That being said, we have had a few enjoyable cruises on Ventura and booked Azura thinking that we would have the same experience, but we didn’t like Azura and couldn’t really put our finger on why. 
 

Having been on all the P&O ships (most multiple times, including Oceana and Oriana) our least favourite of all of them is Arcadia, which is beloved by most P&O traditionalists! Just goes to show that we are all different!

[grapau27]

7 hours ago, molecrochip said:

You’d be surprised how much an ents team make a difference to the atmosphere on a ship. This also comes down to their leader, the Ents Manager/Cruise Director.

 

A very visible team with a chirpy EM is needed on a big ship. Around 2012, you had Neil Oliver and Laura Bennison as main EMs on Ventura/Azura and they led from the front. Their alternates never had such gusto. Ventura’s alternate for a couple of years was Hughie Taylor. I’m told his style was great on a small ship but lost on the big ships. I once did an Oriana cruise and we had a great older chap EM who played to the older crowd - he was excellent.

 

Since 2015 when Neil went to Britannia then Laura left P&O around 2017, Ventura and Azura have struggled.

 

There are still some other great EMs that can do the job such as Tracy Clegg, Natalie Milverton and some newer ones too such as Abbie (can’t remember her surname) who has worked her way up under Neil.

 

Neil remains my favourite EM although Matt O on Princess gives him a run for his money.

I remember several of the people you mentioned and agree most of them were excellent.

[joeecco]

20 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Heard the rumour from other sources but have no info either way.

 

Update on possible princess deployment to Middle East. If it happens, it will be under Princess banner. P&O appear to be worried that they will move everyone then still not be able to sail. In some ways, Middle East suffering from a second wave. Therefore I think decision will be taken later by Princess.

 

To answer another query, yes there is now no family ship going to the canaries next summer. If Iona can’t go to Norway then logical option but understand hope is very much still to sail a full Norway season for Iona. I think again, could be late 2020/early 2021 before we know the resolution here. Also in question is whether Alaska reopens; like Norway, they’ve enjoyed the year off from the mega ships.

On top of this, do you have any info in regards to Gala 2 I.e planned launch date and her deployment? Any differences to Iona? 

[DamianG]

15 hours ago, DS_Dean said:

Ah yes, you are not wrong - I remember Laura Bennison - "Bennie". She was great! Always put in so much energy.

 

Think Oceana often had... Nigel someone his last name escapes me. But he didn't seem all too involved, but often found the rest of the ents team on Oceana were always excellent at sailaways, and other activities. 

 

Nigel Travis, we sailed with him a few times. It's going back a bit but I used to see him in the gym every time I went but never around the ship. Being kind, maybe he was a great delegator or superb at empowering the rest of the team?

[DamianG]

15 hours ago, molecrochip said:

You’d be surprised how much an ents team make a difference to the atmosphere on a ship. This also comes down to their leader, the Ents Manager/Cruise Director.

 

A very visible team with a chirpy EM is needed on a big ship. Around 2012, you had Neil Oliver and Laura Bennison as main EMs on Ventura/Azura and they led from the front. Their alternates never had such gusto. Ventura’s alternate for a couple of years was Hughie Taylor. I’m told his style was great on a small ship but lost on the big ships. I once did an Oriana cruise and we had a great older chap EM who played to the older crowd - he was excellent.

 

Since 2015 when Neil went to Britannia then Laura left P&O around 2017, Ventura and Azura have struggled.

 

There are still some other great EMs that can do the job such as Tracy Clegg, Natalie Milverton and some newer ones too such as Abbie (can’t remember her surname) who has worked her way up under Neil.

 

Neil remains my favourite EM although Matt O on Princess gives him a run for his money.

 

Hughie has been getting stick on these forums for years but he keeps getting employed so someone must like him.

 

We once had Gary Glading as cruise director. He was outstanding, a real entertainer who put on great events and enthused his team accordingly. 

[molecrochip]

41 minutes ago, DamianG said:

 

Hughie has been getting stick on these forums for years but he keeps getting employed so someone must like him.

 

We once had Gary Glading as cruise director. He was outstanding, a real entertainer who put on great events and enthused his team accordingly. 

As I said, I've read he is great on a world cruise but not on a family ship in school holidays.

 

1 hour ago, joeecco said:

On top of this, do you have any info in regards to Gala 2 I.e planned launch date and her deployment? Any differences to Iona? 

Gala2 is happening and was due in May 2022. There is expected to be a delay but that delay has not been quantified.

[molecrochip]

10 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Gala2 is happening and was due in May 2022. There is expected to be a delay but that delay has not been quantified.

To add, I expect that it will be contractually rescheduled at some point. So essentially, it won't be late, just rescheduled.

[molecrochip]

Literally, in the last three minutes, its been confirmed that Oceana is sailing at 1800 to Piraeus, Greece.

 

Bow art and branding appears to still be in place. Her sale was that short notice.

[Son of Anarchy]

7 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Literally, in the last three minutes, its been confirmed that Oceana is sailing at 1800 to Piraeus, Greece.

 

Bow art and branding appears to still be in place. Her sale was that short notice.

 

Probably the last time I shall see Oceana....☹️

[Son of Anarchy]

 

They think it's all over.  It is now ☹️☹️

[DS_Dean]

I wonder if it is a P&O / Carnival Captain / Crew sailing her to Greece for handover or if handover has already happened in Southampton?

[Presto2]

That is where we saw Oriana in August last year and I remember that Oceana was  in too. I remember saying that I would be gutted if it was Oceana that we had seen there moving on ...... 

[molecrochip]

30 minutes ago, DS_Dean said:

I wonder if it is a P&O / Carnival Captain / Crew sailing her to Greece for handover or if handover has already happened in Southampton?

When Oriana left, the ship was dual manned by a P&O crew and her new crew through to Greece to allow for familiarisation. The P&O crew flew home from Greece.

[DS_Dean]

Thats interesting. Thanks for the insight @molecrochip.

 

It seems amazing how quickly this has all been organised. At least, from the outside looking in. To achieve such speedy exit one assumes there must of been some plans in place for some time in terms of what would need to be done to Oceana to enable her to be sold and what needed to be removed / stored.

[molecrochip]

2 minutes ago, DS_Dean said:

Thats interesting. Thanks for the insight @molecrochip.

 

It seems amazing how quickly this has all been organised. At least, from the outside looking in. To achieve such speedy exit one assumes there must of been some plans in place for some time in terms of what would need to be done to Oceana to enable her to be sold and what needed to be removed / stored.

The ship was sent to the Tyne for lay-up. This has all moved very quickly unlike Oriana who was sold and leased back to P&O.

 

The ships are sold with most of the furnishings in place. A bit like a house there will be a long list attached to the contract. This will include beds, life jackets, mini-bars, spare carpet, tv etc.

 

What needs to come off, is any stock, shop stock and fittings on loan, branded products, computers/IT involved in hotel services. If this is to be retained then it would have come off in Southampton. It was notable there were reports of theatre equipment being offloaded. The fleet's theatres have just been upgraded over the past three years. I believe that all of the shop stock, jewelry and art which was previously on sale was offloaded at the start of the lay-ups.

 

Obviously items like crockery and cutlery is branded but this probably makes its way to the bin unless its new. Anything to be scrapped is likely to come off in Greece as cheaper to dispose off.

 

They will have had a list when Oriana went so shouldn't be hard to make a new one. No doubt over the next few days, every cabin, room and area will be inspected to check everything that should be off is. 

[Clodia]

20 hours ago, molecrochip said:

You’d be surprised how much an ents team make a difference to the atmosphere on a ship. This also comes down to their leader, the Ents Manager/Cruise Director.

 

A very visible team with a chirpy EM is needed on a big ship. Around 2012, you had Neil Oliver and Laura Bennison as main EMs on Ventura/Azura and they led from the front. Their alternates never had such gusto. Ventura’s alternate for a couple of years was Hughie Taylor. I’m told his style was great on a small ship but lost on the big ships. I once did an Oriana cruise and we had a great older chap EM who played to the older crowd - he was excellent.

 

Since 2015 when Neil went to Britannia then Laura left P&O around 2017, Ventura and Azura have struggled.

 

There are still some other great EMs that can do the job such as Tracy Clegg, Natalie Milverton and some newer ones too such as Abbie (can’t remember her surname) who has worked her way up under Neil.

 

Neil remains my favourite EM although Matt O on Princess gives him a run for his money.

That would be Abbie Quinn (who may now have married and have a different name. Ex pupil of mine; great young woman; full of life and excellent EM.

[Clodia]

13 hours ago, emam said:

 

Is that the young lady from South Shields, where Graham took the video. She was getting some ribbing for her accent the last time we were on Ventura.

Yes; I was her Headteacher. She is a lovely young woman, very intelligent and well qualified, and is proud of her Tyneside accent; indeed she makes a feature of it!

[tring]

1 hour ago, molecrochip said:

The ship was sent to the Tyne for lay-up. This has all moved very quickly unlike Oriana who was sold and leased back to P&O.

 

The ships are sold with most of the furnishings in place. A bit like a house there will be a long list attached to the contract. This will include beds, life jackets, mini-bars, spare carpet, tv etc.

 

What needs to come off, is any stock, shop stock and fittings on loan, branded products, computers/IT involved in hotel services. If this is to be retained then it would have come off in Southampton. It was notable there were reports of theatre equipment being offloaded. The fleet's theatres have just been upgraded over the past three years. I believe that all of the shop stock, jewelry and art which was previously on sale was offloaded at the start of the lay-ups.

 

Obviously items like crockery and cutlery is branded but this probably makes its way to the bin unless its new. Anything to be scrapped is likely to come off in Greece as cheaper to dispose off.

 

They will have had a list when Oriana went so shouldn't be hard to make a new one. No doubt over the next few days, every cabin, room and area will be inspected to check everything that should be off is. 

Thinking the crockery could be great for plate smashing in Greece, but maybe Carnival would not be best pleased with that 😉

[Jack McGowan]

Don't read too much into it but I see that P&O have replied to multiple people asking about future Dubai cruises wether another ship will be sent there and they have replied with something along the lines of they won't be ruling out sending a ship there in the future. I will try and find the post Ive seen.

 

@molecrochip would just like to say your information throughout this has been quite spectacular, and thank you for that. 

Does anyone know what the plans may be for Gala 2 ("Iona 2") in regards to deployment plans? I read somewhere that the plan was Southampton for the first season and then elsewhere but not sure if there was any truth in that?

[drsel]

So far, in late October / early November 2020, there is no similar 7 night Cruise from ANY ship of Carnival corporation (not just P&O)

 

 

[molecrochip]

3 minutes ago, Jack McGowan said:

Don't read too much into it but I see that P&O have replied to multiple people asking about future Dubai cruises wether another ship will be sent there and they have replied with something along the lines of they won't be ruling out sending a ship there in the future. I will try and find the post Ive seen.

 

@molecrochip would just like to say your information throughout this has been quite spectacular, and thank you for that. 

Does anyone know what the plans may be for Gala 2 ("Iona 2") in regards to deployment plans? I read somewhere that the plan was Southampton for the first season and then elsewhere but not sure if there was any truth in that?

Thanks Jack.

 

General feeling was that Gala2 would spend her Maiden summer season across Spain & Portugal's Atlantic Coast & the Canaries from Southampton and then spend Winter in the Middle East! Thats exactly what Oceana was due to be doing from April 2021 to April 2022 and I always say Gala2 as a direct replacement. In 2023, I had heard talk of a weekly summer fly-cruise season alternating from Tenerife with one week Canaries, second week Atlantic coast. This again focused on getting families to the heat quicker and avoiding 4 days of dubious weather on a 14 night itinerary.

 

LPG ports are still going to be slow coming on tap. Rotterdam, Southampton, Tenerife, Barcelona, Dubai, Miami and Port Canaveral all spring to mind as open/due this year at the latest. There are bunkering options in the Caribbean but not that sustain a homeport scenario for 6 months. A number of Caribbean of ports have plans but you're probably looking at 5 years start-finish.

 

If I'm honest, the intention appears to have always been for the Med fly cruises to use Ventura or Azura. It only fell to Oceana so that P&O could still visit Venice. I actually wonder whether this gave Oceana a stay of execution for the last couple of years.

[molecrochip]

4 hours ago, drsel said:

So far, in late October / early November 2020, there is no similar 7 night Cruise from ANY ship of Carnival corporation (not just P&O)

 

 

You need to look for Costa Diadema or AidaPrima. The US market doesn't travel to the middle east. They would rather go to Australia or Asia if flying for that long hence only European brands operating.

[wowzz]

4 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Winter in the Middle East! 

Given the number of pax involved, would the flight logistics allow for 10 day cruises in the ME? Transferring 5000 people every 10 days, even spread over 2 days, is going to tie up a lot of aircraft.