Just cancelled

[janecambridge]

Today had the  following:

 

I am now in a position to advise you that following careful consideration, Spirit of Discovery will return to service on 16th December 2020, therefore your cruise, Canary Island Flavours, which was due to depart 18th November 2020, has been cancelled. 

😫

[LandC]

Sorry to hear that.  I wonder what will happen about Spirit of Adventure’s inaugural cruise on 5th November?

[janecambridge]

10 hours ago, LandC said:

Sorry to hear that.  I wonder what will happen about Spirit of Adventure’s inaugural cruise on 5th November?

 

It sounds fine. As follows: 

“Spirit of Adventure’s inaugural cruise which departs on 5th November 2020, which may be another option for you to consider.” 👍

[LandC]

I’ve just looked at the Saga website.  The SoA inaugural returns on 22nd November.  The next cruise advertised on that ship is a 4 day cruise departing 16th December.  I wonder what Saga is planning for the interim period?

[wowzz]

Surely all these dates are solely dependent on the government allowing cruising to go ahead?

Unless Saga have inside knowledge,  I can't see how they can possibly be so confident that these cruises will go ahead. 

[LandC]

Of course it all depends on cruises going ahead, and even if they do, itineraries may need to be adjusted.  

[wowzz]

4 minutes ago, LandC said:

Of course it all depends on cruises going ahead, and even if they do, itineraries may need to be adjusted.  

Doesn't really seem much point giving out new dates, when there is no certainty that they will go ahead.

Saga might just as well say that they have no idea when cruises will restart.

[nosapphire]

There are two on line agencies which have obviously been given more information by Saga than Saga tell their "loyal customers", as both had the inaugural cruise up for sale before it was on Saga website, and both are showing the space between inaugural and the Christmas cruise on 20th December as filled by two 14 night cruises to the Canaries, departing 22nd November and 6th December.

The short cruise to Amsterdam must also be cancelled.

I am actually booked on that as a back-to-back with the Christmas cruise, and I wait with great curiosity to find out whether Saga will tell me that it has been cancelled before the final balance is due.

I did wonder whether Saga may be planning to keep the Discovery docked and fill up the Adventure by diverting the cancelled Discovery bookings onto the Canaries cruises. Which, of course, cannot go ahead until (a) the ports accept cruise ships, and (b) the FCO advice changes, and (c) passengers feel confident enough to book.

Saga's current confused information may cause a problem with (c).

[Glenndale]

We had a letter today advising us that our Caribbean cruise was cancelled and that we would be contacted in 'the coming days'.

[nosapphire]

They have just updated the website today.

It is irritating to have a booking and find out via various forums, travel agency websites, and trade reports that the booking is cancelled long before the company you have booked with updates their information.

 

 

 

[Fred989]

I was booked for the Caribbean cruise in November, oh hum.
 

i am now holding a useless voucher given to me a survivor of the fourth Norovirus cruise which terminated early for more deep cleaning.

I was hoping to use it against the cost of the Caribbean cruise, it looks like any cruises in the near future will just be a sea voyage with no days ashore, so that would not suit.

 

perhaps 2021 or for sure? 2022?

 

[janecambridge]

11 hours ago, nosapphire said:

There are two on line agencies which have obviously been given more information by Saga than Saga tell their "loyal customers", as both had the inaugural cruise up for sale before it was on Saga website, and both are showing the space between inaugural and the Christmas cruise on 20th December as filled by two 14 night cruises to the Canaries, departing 22nd November and 6th December.

The short cruise to Amsterdam must also be cancelled.

I am actually booked on that as a back-to-back with the Christmas cruise, and I wait with great curiosity to find out whether Saga will tell me that it has been cancelled before the final balance is due.

I did wonder whether Saga may be planning to keep the Discovery docked and fill up the Adventure by diverting the cancelled Discovery bookings onto the Canaries cruises. Which, of course, cannot go ahead until (a) the ports accept cruise ships, and (b) the FCO advice changes, and (c) passengers feel confident enough to book.

Saga's current confused information may cause a problem with (c).

The reason the 2 cruises aren’t on website,is because all those who have had a cruise cancelled in November are being given first option to book the new  cruises.

Spirit of Discovery is in Philippines and needs to be deep cleaned before being returned home.

[Glenndale]

13 minutes ago, janecambridge said:

The reason the 2 cruises aren’t on website,is because all those who have had a cruise cancelled in November are being given first option to book the new  cruises.

Spirit of Discovery is in Philippines and needs to be deep cleaned before being returned home.

Have you had a phone call yet to discuss your options?

[janecambridge]

14 minutes ago, Glenndale said:

Have you had a phone call yet to discuss your options?

 
We phoned Saga to see if there were any alternatives to our Cruise around Canaries on SOD that was cancelled.Identical cruise on SOA works out to be more cost even after discounts etc.

[Fred989]

Spirit of Discovery Location

 

I believe the last SAGA blog had Spirit of Discovery safely in dock at Tilbury with half a dozen other cruise vessels.

Cruise Mapper still indicates Tilbury.

? "janecambridge" when and why did the ship go to the Phillipines?

[nosapphire]

1 hour ago, janecambridge said:

 

Spirit of Discovery is in Philippines and needs to be deep cleaned before being returned home.

Where did you get that information?

She has been moored in Tilbury Dock since 16th March (just checked on Marine Traffic website, she signalled he current position in Tilbury 5 minutes ago.)

Edited July 28, 2020 by nosapphire
update

[nosapphire]

I've just had a thought (does happen sometimes).

Saga will have to fly in and then quarantine the crew for both the Adventure, and the Discovery (which only has a skeleton crew on board at present).

It may be that the Discovery, which is already laid up, will be used as a quarantine ship, and then will undergo deep cleaning afterwards before returning to service.

Which would explain why she is not returning to service at the same time as the Adventure starts.

Let us all hope that none of the crew test positive on arrival, both for their sake and ours, as based on the norovirus series, I have little confidence in Saga's "deep cleaning" system.

[janecambridge]

On 7/28/2020 at 9:44 PM, Fred989 said:

Spirit of Discovery Location

 

I believe the last SAGA blog had Spirit of Discovery safely in dock at Tilbury with half a dozen other cruise vessels.

Cruise Mapper still indicates Tilbury.

? "janecambridge" when and why did the ship go to the Phillipines?

 

I have no idea.Just told the information when my husband phoned regards cruise options.

[janecambridge]

For us to rebook the same cruise but in SOA,we have been offered an upgrade and a few Bob off.The upgrade just means a deck up,same cabin.Deck placements make no ods  to us unless cabin under pool deck.Because the price of the cruise is increased,the money off means nothing.In fact the cruise works out dearer even with ‘upgrade’.

[LandC]

I wonder how many people will rebook if the ‘incentive’ is as poor as this? 

[janecambridge]

Not many.

Edited July 31, 2020 by janecambridge

[Glenndale]

Our Caribbean cruise has been moved to January and will now be on Discovery.

After careful consideration we feel that we will pass on Saga’s offer and wait until the 2022 itineraries are released.

We would like to know that there is an effective vaccine and/or treatment before we step foot on a cruise ship.

We are hopeful that we will be able to take our September 2021 cruise to North America, January 2021 just seems a little too early.

[LandC]

I completely agree Glenndale.  In fact, I would be very surprised if any cruises to the Caribbean or America go ahead until a vaccine or effective treatment is available.  It’s too much of a risk.

[wowzz]

Given all the recent outbreaks on those small ships that have tried  to start cruusing again, I can't see any cruising going ahead for the rest of this year,  and I am not confident that our March cruise on SoA will happen.  

[nosapphire]

We won't be booking anything for quite a while yet. Our remaining cruise for this year is most likely to be cancelled, and we won't be rolling it over to next year.

The reports from the various lines that have attempted to restart indicate that you not only risk being quarantined if somebody on your cruise tests positive for "It", you risk being quarantined if somebody on the cruise before you subsequently tests positive after disembarking.

No cruise ship has a cabin that good... we're starting to think it will be 2022 before we even book. 😢