Summer 2022 - Brochure Launch

[zap99]

21 hours ago, Selbourne said:

We’ve just got back from the pub (whilst we can still go) and over lunch were discussing Summer 2022 cruises as an email had popped up from a cruise specialist about the P&O launch. We had previously thought that Summer 2022 would be the earliest we would feel happy cruising again, on the assumption that this ruddy virus would be a thing of the past. The way that things are going we are now questioning this. I read an article on the BBC website yesterday where it was saying that it could be 5 years before things return to anything like 2019 and some residual issues may last even longer. Dear God. Will it ever end? Anyway, we now don’t feel confident booking, even for 2022, until we know that cruising will be free of restrictions such as mask wearing and compulsory excursions if going ashore. It’s all just too uncertain. I think we have until the end of next year to redeem the bit of future cruise credit that we have, so the wait continues. 

We won't be booking 2022 just yet as Celebrity, or RCI may have better deals, so will wait a while. We have just got back from a long weekend in a nice hotel. Things weren't " normal" but were quite acceptable and enjoyable. If we wait til ' old normal' we may well be in our boxes by then. We will deal with the new normal whilst getting on with things as best we can. 

[jeanlyon]

32 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

It is a cruise credit not a deposit credit. £2259 less FCC of £118 leaves £2141. A deposit of 5% is £107

OK still confused, surely the FCC can be used for the deposit?

[janny444]

looking at the prices for May2022 and they are considerably less than what I thought they would be and with it only being 5% deposit we have decided to go ahead and book....at least it is giving us something to look forward to and that to us is worth the deposit. If by then things aren't back to any sort of " normality" then I think we will have much bigger problems to deal with .

Edited November 3, 2020 by janny444

[jeanlyon]

Just spoke to P&O.  So you cannot use your FCC to pay the deposit on a cruise, so they can stick it as far as I'm concerned.  They have moved the goalpost.  Not spending more money.  I have until Dec 2021 to use it, so will see how things are then.

Edited November 3, 2020 by jeanlyon

[Selbourne]

31 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We won't be booking 2022 just yet as Celebrity, or RCI may have better deals, so will wait a while. We have just got back from a long weekend in a nice hotel. Things weren't " normal" but were quite acceptable and enjoyable. If we wait til ' old normal' we may well be in our boxes by then. We will deal with the new normal whilst getting on with things as best we can. 

We’ve just had a very enjoyable week in a holiday cottage on the Isle of Wight. We could go where we wanted to and only had to wear masks for a few seconds whilst walking in or out of the various pubs and restaurants we visited. For as long as masks have to be worn around the ship and we wouldn’t be able to explore ashore independently, we are happy to skip cruising. We just wouldn’t enjoy that at all. It’s just one small sacrifice but one we are prepared to make. There are plenty of other options and we certainly don’t intend to be stuck at home (lockdown aside, of course 😉).

[jeanlyon]

Yes I feel the same.  had a lovely time in Worcester.  Cruising can go on the back burner for us.  Having a hard time believing that we cannot use the FCC for the deposit.

[Selbourne]

20 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Just spoke to P&O.  So you cannot use your FCC to pay the deposit on a cruise, so they can stick it as far as I'm concerned.  Not spending more money.

That’s interesting. I had assumed that you could use FCC for a deposit. I might have been tempted to use the small bit of FCC that we have for a deposit on a summer 2022 cruise on Iona (your idea of hell Jean, I know 😉), in the hope that things might be back to normal by then, but I’m not prepared to throw new money at it when there is no certainty of that. Furthermore, on the basis that Iona is doing the same 7 day Norway itinerary all summer, I don’t think there’s any rush!

[jeanlyon]

2 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

That’s interesting. I had assumed that you could use FCC for a deposit. I might have been tempted to use the small bit of FCC that we have for a deposit on a summer 2022 cruise on Iona (your idea of hell Jean, I know 😉), in the hope that things might be back to normal by then, but I’m not prepared to throw new money at it when there is no certainty of that. Furthermore, on the basis that Iona is doing the same 7 day Norway itinerary all summer, I don’t think there’s any rush!

Absolutely the way I feel Selbourne.  I shall simply leave it on the account and see how things are by late next year.  I tried a couple of dummy registrations and thought I was right, confirmed with a call.  I am sure you could use it for a deposit before, but she said it had changed.  Well, so have I!!

[terrierjohn]

58 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

OK still confused, surely the FCC can be used for the deposit?

Not if they want to maximise their cash inflow.

[janny444]

13 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Absolutely the way I feel Selbourne.  I shall simply leave it on the account and see how things are by late next year.  I tried a couple of dummy registrations and thought I was right, confirmed with a call.  I am sure you could use it for a deposit before, but she said it had changed.  Well, so have I!!

Jean....I would think that the information you were given at the time of deciding should still stand....just because they have changed their T&Cs at a later date doesn't invalidate what was " contracted" at the " point of sale" so that if it was stated your FCC could be used as a deposit ....or part deposit...on a later cruise that should still be the case.

[jeanlyon]

Janny, no idea where I would find that information.  It was a form done online for the FCC and then they cancelled the cruise anyway!!

Edited November 3, 2020 by jeanlyon

[jeanlyon]

I have emailed customer services about it.  Should get a reply in the next 6 months.  My TA says they are still in a complete mess, incorrect information on the website, incorrect refunds to customers and a number of other things.  

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Just spoke to P&O.  So you cannot use your FCC to pay the deposit on a cruise, so they can stick it as far as I'm concerned.  They have moved the goalpost.  Not spending more money.  I have until Dec 2021 to use it, so will see how things are then.

I would have thought that after all the bad PR that P&O had received they would be more careful going forward.  Obviously not!! 

Avril

[jeanlyon]

Just found online that Royal Caribbean DO allow an FCC to be used as a deposit.

[janny444]

7 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Janny, no idea where I would find that information.  It was a form done online for the FCC and then they cancelled the cruise anyway!!

I would ask them....at the time of accepting the FCC was it an option for it to be used as a deposit....or part deposit on a new cruise.

I have had a few unfavourable dealings with P&O and it does leave you with a very nasty taste in the mouth but at the end of the day we enjoy cruising and P&O still offer a product that mainly ticks our boxes and the prices for 2022 are pleasantly surprising. We also enjoy our holidays in England....we have quite a few of them and if it was a choice of either or... we would choose our holidays in England . It's just that cruising offers a different experience and we have never done a 19 night cruise so it is something we can look forward to.

[Eddie99]

I suppose there’s always the possibility of one phone agent not being fully up to speed with the situation?  It has happened before, hasn’t it?

 

If I was keen to book I think I’d take the time to make a call, to be sure

[jeanlyon]

MY TA has confirmed that you cannot use the FCC for a deposit.  Also, it was obvious when I tried a dummy booking.  Frankly, I'm not bothered any more.  It's 14 months until it has to be used, so plenty of time.  Might just pick a shorter cruise nearer the time when we know where we are with Covid.

[pete14]

I have just spoken to P&O asking to transfer a cruise I booked using FCC to a newly released cruise. I was told that they couldn’t do it as a pre-registration but once they go on sale, they could transfer it across to a new booking but that I would have to book it next week rather than pre-registering. Maybe it is the same with deposits. Perhaps worth waiting until bookings open next week to find out.

Edited November 3, 2020 by pete14

[jeanlyon]

P&O Lady was quite clear that FCC could not be used as a deposit.

[Dermotsgirl]

On 11/2/2020 at 3:18 PM, Selbourne said:

We’ve just got back from the pub (whilst we can still go) and over lunch were discussing Summer 2022 cruises as an email had popped up from a cruise specialist about the P&O launch. We had previously thought that Summer 2022 would be the earliest we would feel happy cruising again, on the assumption that this ruddy virus would be a thing of the past. The way that things are going we are now questioning this. I read an article on the BBC website yesterday where it was saying that it could be 5 years before things return to anything like 2019 and some residual issues may last even longer. Dear God. Will it ever end? Anyway, we now don’t feel confident booking, even for 2022, until we know that cruising will be free of restrictions such as mask wearing and compulsory excursions if going ashore. It’s all just too uncertain. I think we have until the end of next year to redeem the bit of future cruise credit that we have, so the wait continues. 

The way things are going, I've stopped thinking about an end date to all this.  I've just accepted that there will be restrictions on our lives for the foreseeable future, and that I'll live my life as best as I can within those restrictions. My main hope is that there'll be a window of opportunity next year when cases are low to enable us to have some freedoms like we have  enjoyed in recent months.

[pete14]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

I have emailed customer services about it.  Should get a reply in the next 6 months.  My TA says they are still in a complete mess, incorrect information on the website, incorrect refunds to customers and a number of other things.  

Although I agree that not everything P&O wise is perfect I think it is a bit rich for your agent to say they are in a complete mess. Don’t forget, it was P &O who dealt with all work involving cancellations, refunds and allocation of FCC because many agents were not in a position to do so. Some agents, maybe not yours, need to look a little closer to home for any mess.

[jeanlyon]

Pete, my agent has continued working and was unable to get information from P&O.  First of all P&O said the agent would deal with it, then we were to be sent a cheque, then we were asked for bank details.  My agent could do nothing.  I do think P&O are a mess.  Their IT is just dreadful for such a big organisation.

[Dermotsgirl]

I've been looking at the new  cruises that are available, as I'm considering transferring my January 2022 55 night cruise. I decided months ago that I didn't want to go on this cruise as it was simply too far from home and to long to be away from home in this new COVID world. Add in the on board restrictions that are still likely to be in existence in some form in 14 months time, it's an even more unappealing prospect. 

 

Therefore, I'm considering some other cruises, later in  2022.  Even by then , I still might not want to go on a cruise , but if I do, at least I'd have a cruise booked that I want to do.

 

As my cruise was booked through an agent, I've emailed them asking for some quotations on some Baltic cruises on Arcadia and Aurora.  We haven't been on Arcadia since 2014, so it'd be nice to sail on her again. I'm also keen on one of  the Aurora cruises, which sails on 8/7/22, which would be 21 years to the day we first set foot on a cruise ship, also on Aurora. 

 

We've only been to the Baltic once before and all the itineraries include lots of ports that we haven't visited before, so in normal times I'd be very keen. However, a lot of the ports look very easy to DIY, and I'd find it very frustrating if P&O tours were still needed for going ashore.

 

At first glance the fares look reasonable, but I've noted peoples comments about how the fare shoots up when they start looking closely.  I'm not going to pay an arm and a leg for this cruise, so if it looks too expensive, we''ll try something more modest. 

 

The money I've paid for the cruise already booked is much more than the deposit that would be needed for any of the cruises that I want to transfer to, so I've been assuming that I wouldn't need to pay any more cash at this time. I've asked my travel agent to confirm the position. P&O have enough of my money at the moment, I'm not inclined to pay them any more. 

 

 

[Eddie99]

We’re feeling exactly the same about our 35 day January ‘22 cruise.  Also looking at Baltic 8/7/22 for the same reasons

I think I’ll contact our agent and do the same

See you onboard!?!?

[Dermotsgirl]

4 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

We’re feeling exactly the same about our 35 day January ‘22 cruise.  Also looking at Baltic 8/7/22 for the same reasons

I think I’ll contact our agent and do the same

See you onboard!?!?

With a lot of luck and a vaccine - it could happen !