P&O Cruise with Confidence

[ann141]

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

Surely the app only contacts you if you were in a location at the same time as someone who later tests positive.

As regards employees I would expect that any person who tested positive and then continued to work there, would be recognised by the app and sorted out by the trace police.

I thought the same.My sister is currently self isolating after being contacted via the app and she thinks it was when she was shopping in Tesco on New Years eve.The other person states on their app that they have tested positive and the app notifies other 'apps' who have been near enough to 'register' .I think if say a cafe was open and someone tested positive , then perhaps everyone who had been to the cafe on a particular day would be contacted ,but probably by phone call(the other type of Track and Trace).My brother in law who works for the NHS received a similar notification on his phone to my sister and he discovered it was because he walked past a doctor who later tested positive

[Dermotsgirl]

A few days before Christmas my friend got a notification to self isolate by the app.

 

She has narrowed it down to M&S , when she was doing her Christmas food shopping. It was the only place she had been with her husband, and his app pinged at exactly the same time as hers with the warning. 
 

 

[davecttr]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

My understanding is that the app contacts you if you have visited somewhere the same day as someone who later is confirmed as having CV19, so you don't physically have to  be in the same place at the same time.

Not so,  for example I visit Costa at 9.30 on Sunday and leave at 10am. The app has logged me being in Costa from 9.30 until midnight or visit another venue, whichever is earlier. Obviously if someone arrives in Costa after 10am and subsequently tests positive I will not get an alert because the two phones were never near enough to each other for the 15 minutes within 2 metres which is needed.

 

This suggests that the app is having difficulty with that particular venue rather than an employee being positive.

[Snow Hill]

This might help with travel and possibly cruising in the next 12 months, only in testing stage but looking hopeful. 
 

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252494730/Covid-19-immunity-passport-tests-to-begin-in-UK

 

Will access be allowed for third parties, so if you don’t appear on list you could be refused boarding for example. Will it like the Spanish proposed system lead to a database of those who refuse the vaccine.

 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Snow Hill
Hit save too early

[jeanlyon]

I do hope that once vaccinated, we can go ashore independently.  I won't cruise until we can do that.

[Josy1953]

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I do hope that once vaccinated, we can go ashore independently.  I won't cruise until we can do that.

+1

[Dinglebert]

Currently have three cruises book,  July 2021 which I booked back in October 2019, October 2021 and July 2022.

 

Have been actively looking this morning for an alternative to July 2021.  While the cruise may go its the unknown of what each country may be like when we get there.   April 2022 seems to be my best option at present as OH is lecturer and so tied to Uni holidays.  Don't really want to change but  equally don't want to be restricted to ship tours.

[yorkshirephil]

21 minutes ago, Dinglebert said:

Currently have three cruises book,  July 2021 which I booked back in October 2019, October 2021 and July 2022.

 

Have been actively looking this morning for an alternative to July 2021.  While the cruise may go its the unknown of what each country may be like when we get there.   April 2022 seems to be my best option at present as OH is lecturer and so tied to Uni holidays.  Don't really want to change but  equally don't want to be restricted to ship tours.

It is a dilemma, we moved our June 21 to May 22 after much deliberation, if by some miracle cruises do start up early summer we are happy to jump on the first available opportunity, would love to do another British Isles cruise which may be our best bet?

[Esprit]

  Regardless of the restrictions if our July Mediterranean is sailing we’ll be on board. I’d be happy looking at the sea each day from the balcony and wear a mask around the ship if required. Not a foodie or theatre goer. Just love the outdoors and plenty of sunshine with Peroni to keep me hydrated!😜

[jaydee6969]

26 minutes ago, Esprit said:

  Regardless of the restrictions if our July Mediterranean is sailing we’ll be on board. I’d be happy looking at the sea each day from the balcony and wear a mask around the ship if required. Not a foodie or theatre goer. Just love the outdoors and plenty of sunshine with Peroni to keep me hydrated!😜

Our thoughts too, roll on 8th July and the flight to Malta.  I'll be drinking the Corona's.🍻

[Dinglebert]

1 hour ago, jaydee6969 said:

Our thoughts too, roll on 8th July and the flight to Malta.  I'll be drinking the Corona's.🍻

We are the following cruise.  I have a while to think about what to do.  There is a cruise we like next April, same ship and can get the same cabin and indeed its cheaper!  However I need to get some heat and relaxation this summer.

[jeanlyon]

We have been talking about what we would do, but although we could enjoy the sunshine, sitting on the ship 24/7 and while in port would be pretty boring.  Ours is a 19 night cruise, and ships excursions in Greece don't appeal one bit.

[joeecco]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

We have been talking about what we would do, but although we could enjoy the sunshine, sitting on the ship 24/7 and while in port would be pretty boring.  Ours is a 19 night cruise, and ships excursions in Greece don't appeal one bit.

They have announced that for the cruises that still have the rule of ‘ships excursions only’ they will release additional excursions including ones that are lower priced 8 weeks before the sailing to give more choice and variety as well as those who cannot afford normal excursions. So at least they are trying. 

[molecrochip]

On 1/17/2021 at 4:46 PM, joeecco said:

They have announced that for the cruises that still have the rule of ‘ships excursions only’ they will release additional excursions including ones that are lower priced 8 weeks before the sailing to give more choice and variety as well as those who cannot afford normal excursions. So at least they are trying. 

There has been a lot of work going on to work out the best way to cost excursions in these circumstances. There has been discussion about multibuy offers etc.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, molecrochip said:

There has been a lot of work going on to work out the best way to cost excursions in these circumstances. There has been discussion about multibuy offers etc.

Moley, have you heard anything about the possibility and cost of accessible excursions during the period that cruise ship excursions are the only way to go ashore?

[Ardennais]

I’ve often wondered why they don’t have multibuy offers. 

[molecrochip]

29 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

I’ve often wondered why they don’t have multibuy offers. 

Because they don’t need them! Most tours run full. They add on extra if they can fill it or cut it if it’s too empty. They’ve got a margin and stick to it. It’s a good business model. Multi-buys will only dilute that margin.

[jeanlyon]

I wonder what percentage of passengers go on excursions.  I would be quite happy to do one or two in some places, but not in Rhodes or Mykonos where the whole beauty of the visit is to wander around the shops, have a lazy lunch etc.  I've done visiting ruins!  Some of the advertised excursions are to beaches?  Surely they won't be allowed either?

Edited January 19, 2021 by jeanlyon

[jeanlyon]

On 1/17/2021 at 4:46 PM, joeecco said:

They have announced that for the cruises that still have the rule of ‘ships excursions only’ they will release additional excursions including ones that are lower priced 8 weeks before the sailing to give more choice and variety as well as those who cannot afford normal excursions. So at least they are trying. 

There are excursions that are walking the town with a guide with lunch.  Can't see how those would be allowed either?

[joeecco]

2 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

There are excursions that are walking the town with a guide with lunch.  Can't see how those would be allowed either?

My point is that if your October cruise still has these restrictions they will release more suited excursions 8 weeks before. My bet is that they are banking on this rule having been scrapped before then, vaccine dependent. 

[jeanlyon]

1 minute ago, joeecco said:

My point is that if your October cruise still has these restrictions they will release more suited excursions 8 weeks before. My bet is that they are banking on this rule having been scrapped before then, vaccine dependent. 

Really hope you are right.

[joeecco]

2 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Really hope you are right.

I hope I am too for both of us haha! I feel for the decision makers at P&O they really are stuck between all sorts of possibilities and whilst they want to look after their customers, they are also a business so it must be increasingly hard to prioritise both! Fingers crossed we’ll be back on a ship wondering into a port before we know it! 

[jeanlyon]

Although I said we wouldn't go if couldn't go ashore independently, I think by October, I might be willing to put up with anything!   I also wonder if these restrictions are still in place, whether booking excursions might be a nightmare as everybody will want to do them.  I guess is that on an ordinary cruise only about 40% of passengers do paid excursions.  I might be wrong, but it always seems like hundreds go ashore on their own.

[tring]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Although I said we wouldn't go if couldn't go ashore independently, I think by October, I might be willing to put up with anything!   I also wonder if these restrictions are still in place, whether booking excursions might be a nightmare as everybody will want to do them.  I guess is that on an ordinary cruise only about 40% of passengers do paid excursions.  I might be wrong, but it always seems like hundreds go ashore on their own.

I am sure if P&O can book tours and make a profit, they will make sure they can offer sufficient of them as long as they are booked at a level they can profit from.  I expect the cheaper ones just to be walking tours or similar, so could likely appoint some basic guides from the local population with, hopefully limited training needed, so would not be a problem.  There will presumably be a lot of people within the ports who are used to working in the tourist trade, but in need of employment as the world returns to normality.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Although I said we wouldn't go if couldn't go ashore independently, I think by October, I might be willing to put up with anything!   I also wonder if these restrictions are still in place, whether booking excursions might be a nightmare as everybody will want to do them.  I guess is that on an ordinary cruise only about 40% of passengers do paid excursions.  I might be wrong, but it always seems like hundreds go ashore on their own.

Jean, I totally agree with you about the excursions  - but, nevertheless we have just booked a cruise in October with Princess, and are going to treat it as a luxury hotel holiday (we got the drinks package as well), so that if shore excursions are limited we will just laze around on board. To break up the cruise we may do a couple of official excursions, if they seem interesting enough.