P&O please enlighten us with your plans for social distancing

[Harry Peterson]

1 minute ago, Scratchrat said:

You could have that any cruise with a case of Norovirus. 

Norovirus has a very considerably lower death rate amongst the elderly than Covid! And it usually involves rather less time confined to a cabin.

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, Scratchrat said:

You could have that any cruise with a case of Norovirus. 

AFAIK,  norovirus precautions do not involve every passenger, infected or not, being put into isolation for 14 days.

[Scratchrat]

My point is that you're acting as if there's no risks normally.

 

When we travel, there are 1000's of things that can potentially go wrong and we can't predict them.

 

All we can do is find suitable insurance and hope for the best.

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

AFAIK,  norovirus precautions do not involve every passenger, infected or not, being put into isolation for 14 days.

You are assuming that CLIA has not learned any lessons from the starting issues like Diamond Princess.  I would expect only sick passengers would be quarantined, but equally I would expect most cruises, especially round trip ones from Southampton, not to have any outbreaks. But I am a glass half full sort of guy.

[kalos]

17 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

We wore masks for the first time on Monday's visit to the warfarin clinic. I found that my glasses steamed up badly no matter how I tried to adjust the nose band. Won't be happy having to wear one for any elongated period on a cruise ship.

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[ann141]

33 minutes ago, Scratchrat said:

I don't really see it as paying for the unknown.

 

We're paying for a cruise. We will in fact be getting...a cruise.

 

Yes, we don't know how food will be served or if we need masks, but let's just assume the worst and plan for that and then any improvement is a bonus.

 

A socially distanced cruise with face masks is a damn site better than sitting at my work desk I tell you...

For me its not just about wearing a face mask but also whether we would be able to visit ports independantly (I wouldn t want to only go ashore if on an organised excursion which has been suggested as a possibility by some)Also I would want to know if most of the normal activities and speakers etc were going ahead.We do like the team quizzes!I would not be happy if meals were room service only which has again been suggested by some as a possibility.

[Harry Peterson]

49 minutes ago, Scratchrat said:

I don't really see it as paying for the unknown.

 

We're paying for a cruise. We will in fact be getting...a cruise.

 

Yes, we don't know how food will be served or if we need masks, but let's just assume the worst and plan for that and then any improvement is a bonus.

 

A socially distanced cruise with face masks is a damn site better than sitting at my work desk I tell you...

I’m afraid some of us might feel that a cruise is quite an expensive holiday to be taking a gamble on and assuming the worst. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of takers, but for me it’s a major purchase and it has to be right. Some risks are acceptable - that’s just life - but the risk of a very spoiled holiday experience seems too high unless the prices are rock bottom to reflect that. And I don’t think they are.

 

I may not be typical though. Cruising is just another option for me, not a necessity. 

[wowzz]

36 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I would expect only sick passengers would be quarantined, but equally I would expect most cruises, especially round trip ones from Southampton, not to have any outbreaks. 

Surely that is not going to happen. Just isolating those with the virus does nothing to stop the virus spreading through the ship. What about all those they infected prior to showing symptoms?

And exactly why do you think cruises from Southampton will not  have any outbreaks ? You only need one person on board with the virus to set a chain of events into motion.

[Selbourne]

18 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

We wore masks for the first time on Monday's visit to the warfarin clinic. I found that my glasses steamed up badly no matter how I tried to adjust the nose band. Won't be happy having to wear one for any elongated period on a cruise ship.

I’ve only worn one a couple of times and had the same problem as you re the glasses John. I also find them quite stifling and there is no way that I would book any holiday, on land or sea, where it was necessary to wear one for even part of the time. I’d rather stay at home!

[terrierjohn]

16 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Surely that is not going to happen. Just isolating those with the virus does nothing to stop the virus spreading through the ship. What about all those they infected prior to showing symptoms?

And exactly why do you think cruises from Southampton will not  have any outbreaks ? You only need one person on board with the virus to set a chain of events into motion.

Wishful thinking and faith in my mate Boris to see us through the problems.😉

[Denarius]

Much as I have criticised P&O on occasions, I believe that it is impossible for them to predict with any certainty what the situation will be like in October.

On an optimistic note, cases may continue to decline and the Oxford vaccine may prove to be both safe and effective and available as early as September. In which case social distancing may no longer be required as early as November and the majority of the Winter cruise programme may be go ahead as planned. On a pessimisic note however, we may get a second wave of infections and a vaccine may not be available, in which case we may face another lock down and the cancellation of all cruises until at least the Spring. I hope of course that the former is the case, but It would be a bold cruise line which banks on it at the present time.

[Selbourne]

To return to the subject of cruising, the U.K. Director of CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) has just been interviewed on Sky News and referred to “when cruising resumes in October, November or December, or around that time”. So it looks as though a resumption of cruising in October is by no means a certainty. My concern for the industry would be that if it doesn’t commence at pace in October then, as what appears to be the inevitable ‘second wave’ of the epidemic starts to hit, it will become very difficult to justify a resumption prior to Spring 2021. I really feel for the staff as it is difficult to see a way out of this any time soon. 

[Chrisdriving]

The winter season is indeed the Million Dollar question for cruising.

Fingers firmly crossed that things just continue to improve albeit slowly.

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

the inevitable ‘second wave’ of the epidemic starts to hit,

I know the press and government keep going on about this "inevitability". However,  this is by no means a certainty, and is being used in many cases to further curtail our civil liberties. 

A rational, well thought out and considered policy would be much more effective in limiting any "second wave", rather than the "on the hoof"  decisions taken at the moment, the most obvious one being the fiasco over mask wearing.

[wowzz]

5 minutes ago, Chrisdriving said:

The winter season is indeed the Million Dollar question for cruising.

Fingers firmly crossed that things just continue to improve albeit slowly.

Whilst I also hope that things continue to improve, until cases both here in the UK and in all destination ports have been reduced to near zero for a considerable period of time, I cannot see cruising recommencing.  This autumn looks distinctly unlikely.

[grapau27]

On 7/9/2020 at 10:17 AM, Selbourne said:

I’ve only worn one a couple of times and had the same problem as you re the glasses John. I also find them quite stifling and there is no way that I would book any holiday, on land or sea, where it was necessary to wear one for even part of the time. I’d rather stay at home!

I wear a plastic visor when in a shop or church.

I tried a face mask and it was uncomfortable breathing in it.

[grapau27]

On 7/9/2020 at 10:17 AM, Selbourne said:

I’ve only worn one a couple of times and had the same problem as you re the glasses John. I also find them quite stifling and there is no way that I would book any holiday, on land or sea, where it was necessary to wear one for even part of the time. I’d rather stay at home!

+1 

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Whilst I also hope that things continue to improve, until cases both here in the UK and in all destination ports have been reduced to near zero for a considerable period of time, I cannot see cruising recommencing.  This autumn looks distinctly unlikely.

Crew have to be brought in first from all over the world with quarantining and learning how to deal with Covid19 before cruising can begin again so the end of 2020 is probably the target to recommence.

[davecttr]

43 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Crew have to be brought in first from all over the world with quarantining and learning how to deal with Covid19 before cruising can begin again so the end of 2020 is probably the target to recommence.

And the living conditions of the crew make social distancing even more of a problem for them than for passengers. As for a restart date, winter is a bad time because anyone with a winter cold or flu symptoms is going to be denied boarding. On top of this cruise ships are a high risk environment for contagion. I have seen R values for cruise ships estimated as high as 15. For me the prudent approach is to not pay any money and see what happens in the first months of cruising. A 'bad' cruise could destroy the cruise line.

 

The cruise lines have a problem, they can't work out how to provide an enjoyable cruise that is also safe, meanwhile they wait for vaccines and hope!.

[Josy1953]

2 hours ago, davecttr said:

And the living conditions of the crew make social distancing even more of a problem for them than for passengers. As for a restart date, winter is a bad time because anyone with a winter cold or flu symptoms is going to be denied boarding. On top of this cruise ships are a high risk environment for contagion. I have seen R values for cruise ships estimated as high as 15. For me the prudent approach is to not pay any money and see what happens in the first months of cruising. A 'bad' cruise could destroy the cruise line.

 

The cruise lines have a problem, they can't work out how to provide an enjoyable cruise that is also safe, meanwhile they wait for vaccines and hope!.

I agree completely with your post and have already cancelled the cruise that we had booked for 31st October because we don't want to be on the early cruises whenever they restart.  We will wait to see how the cruise lines make cruising safe before deciding what to do about next year's cruises.  If there is a vaccine available and we can get it and we feel confident about the cruise lines' actions to ensure our safety we will probably go.

[Chrisdriving]

5 hours ago, wowzz said:

Whilst I also hope that things continue to improve, until cases both here in the UK and in all destination ports have been reduced to near zero for a considerable period of time, I cannot see cruising recommencing.  This autumn looks distinctly unlikely.

Indeed, we live in hope but i tend to agree with you.

[grush240]

On 7/21/2020 at 11:14 AM, davecttr said:

And the living conditions of the crew make social distancing even more of a problem for them than for passengers. 

 

 

This is a major problem that is bothering me. It did have a large influence on us deferring our Christmas cruise for a year. I can't see how they are going to accommodate the crew, the living space is cramped now and presuming they are going to need more crew for the extra cleaning, and service in the buffet, where will they put them, 3 in the tiny cabins they have wouldn't be acceptable even with regular testing. No doubt a solution will be found but will it be acceptable to the paying guest?

[wowzz]

27 minutes ago, grush240 said:

This is a major problem that is bothering me. It did have a large influence on us deferring our Christmas cruise for a year. I can't see how they are going to accommodate the crew, the living space is cramped now and presuming they are going to need more crew for the extra cleaning, and service in the buffet, where will they put them, 3 in the tiny cabins they have wouldn't be acceptable even with regular testing. No doubt a solution will be found but will it be acceptable to the paying guest?

As the inside cabins will be empty, could they use them for the crew?

[kalos]

On 7/21/2020 at 9:46 AM, grapau27 said:

I wear a plastic visor when in a shop or church.

I tried a face mask and it was uncomfortable breathing in it.

 

Have you read this Graham ? 

 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/16/plastic-visors-arent-safe-should-worn-masks-say-swiss/

 

 

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

As the inside cabins will be empty, could they use them for the crew?

Why would the inside cabins be empty? They are still selling them to passengers aren’t they? Or is it this fable that all those who have booked insides will be magically upgraded to the (already sold) balcony cabins? 😉And if they decide that they aren’t safe for passengers then they are surely not suitable for crew either?