Chances of UK Cruise in May 2021?

[nini]

With the recent lockdown in the UK, what do your guts think about

there actually being a British Isles sailing for May2, 2021?

 

I originally thought it would be fine, now I am not so sure. Final payment

is January 18th. Geez.....

 

I would rebook for 2022, however, we have a considerable amount of OBC

from Princess and I really don't know if they would transfer that as well.

Plus is a larger deposit.

Thanks!

[franktown]

Purely my best guess with no real hard evidence is that cruises from the UK will not start until Covid is under control and good portion of the general population has received a vaccine.  Would expect that to occur in the June July time frame.  

[memoak]

Slim but depends on percentage of people vaccinated 

[nini]

Your thoughts are as mine. May is most likely too soon. And I wonder what the

time frame needs to be between the first and second vaccination.

[franktown]

18 minutes ago, nini said:

Your thoughts are as mine. May is most likely too soon. And I wonder what the

time frame needs to be between the first and second vaccination.

21 days for Pfizer and 28 days for Moderna's.

[Tak8]

I say unlikely.  I have a Caribbean cruise scheduled for May and I feel the same about mine.

[DUCHESSRN]

We are on Royal May 1st ....not hopeful. I think it is her first sailing Los Angeles to Vancouver .

 

[Luckiestmanonearth]

Sorry to say but Not Bloody Likely

[Desert Cruisers]

Why don't you see if the final payment date can be delayed?  Worth asking.

[nini]

44 minutes ago, Desert Cruisers said:

Why don't you see if the final payment date can be delayed?  Worth asking.

True, I will call tomorrow. My biggest concern and intention is to see

if our substantial OBC from Princess can also be transferred to this itinerary

for 2022.

 

I appreciate everyone's thoughts.

[Potstech]

Awfully early final payment date.  Might want to double check it as ours for a late May Alaskan cruise is end of February.

[caribill]

1 hour ago, nini said:

True, I will call tomorrow. My biggest concern and intention is to see

if our substantial OBC from Princess can also be transferred to this itinerary

for 2022.

 

I appreciate everyone's thoughts.

 

If the OBC was from a sales promotion for your cruise, it will not be transferred to a substitute cruise.

[icat2000]

Slim chance. I see more of  a chance of cruises happening in Australia/NZ than in that part of the world.

[icat2000]

Just now, icat2000 said:

Slim chance. I see more of  a chance of cruises happening in Australia/NZ than in that part of the world.

And then cruising is not even starting until September 2021 down here I believe and there is very little Covid activity.

[fishnchips]

Boris Johnson UK PM says most people vaccinated by Easter , new vaccine available end of December which can be kept at fridge temp (Oxford Astra Zenica UK), 500,000 vaccinated at this point in the UK using phyzer vaccine started 3 weeks ago !

Based on this news we have booked  Sky and Regal out of Southampton in October 2021....

We are being confident and hoping these cruises sail but are within the princess guarantee of 30 day money back which princess is offering in the UK !

We used the refunded cruise credits from the cancelled Enchanted Trans Atlantic ,so money already spent ....

Hope this helps ,we are in the UK !

 

[ROWSE]

We were also booked on the May 2, cruise that Nini is asking about.  I wrestled with whether to pay final payment on it for a long time hoping COVID was going to be better.  The final payment on this cruise was definitely the 90 days out so I am not sure how others in May were later.

The 60 day final payment window were cruises that were before April 30, so this one missed that date by a hair. 

After the vaccines came out and we, being 60 and in good health with no underlying conditions,  realized we would be last in line for the vaccine, we decided to cancel and book the August 30, cruise, almost same itinerary and same ship, of the Sky.  Fingers crossed this will be clearly easier to decide on paying final payment on June 1st, and that we will be vaccinated. 
There have been several times I moved dates forward and thought  “that date will be fine” and it wasn’t.  All of it is definitely a guessing game.  
My travel insurance were wonderful moving my dates yet again, but so far not hearing anything back from my private travel companies in the UK about changing dates on my tours.  I inquired close to Christmas so hoping they are just not looking at e-mails from the holiday or because of virus lock downs.  They all seems to have active websites.  I will try again in January.

@nini

Did you have any luck getting the final payment date moved forward?  
 

[Josy1953]

On 12/23/2020 at 9:39 PM, franktown said:

Purely my best guess with no real hard evidence is that cruises from the UK will not start until Covid is under control and good portion of the general population has received a vaccine.  Would expect that to occur in the June July time frame.  

Personally I am doubtful that Covid will be under control here in the UK that soon.  The Pfizer vaccine has started to be given to some of the vulnerable people in the UK and the Astra Zenica is due to start being used from January 4th but unfortunately there are too many people here who are ignoring the medical advice and Covid cases have risen by 45% in the last week. 

[adam7392]

If the British papers are to be believed the Oxford/Astra Zeneca  (OAZ) vaccine will be approved by the UK regulatory authority early next week - probably tue 29th dec/wed 30th.  We have 4 million doses waiting to be injected with almost 100 million more to be produced in the UK in the coming weeks.  A million + have already been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and that continues.  I've read that health professionals are hopeful that end Feb will see all the vulnerable and 50 years + will be vaccinated at which point restrictions can be eased.  Seems a little optimistic to me but end March should see significant inroads into the vaccination programme here.   The OAZ vaccine has the benefit of storage at normal fridge temperatures rather than the -60 degrees of the Pfizer vaccine so lots of talk of opening up sports stadiums, car parks etc to offer mass vaccinations.  The vaccination programme is quite clearly the primary focus of the government so I would not rule out cruising come May.

[donaldsc]

On 12/23/2020 at 12:09 PM, nini said:

With the recent lockdown in the UK, what do your guts think about

there actually being a British Isles sailing for May2, 2021?

 

I originally thought it would be fine, now I am not so sure. Final payment

is January 18th. Geez.....

 

I would rebook for 2022, however, we have a considerable amount of OBC

from Princess and I really don't know if they would transfer that as well.

Plus is a larger deposit.

Thanks!

 

It isn't just an issue of whether they will be doing the cruise but also whether you want to cruise under the restrictions that you will be cruising under.  Nobody really knows about number 1 but I think it is unlikely.  As far as number 2,  I will not cruise under the proposed restrictions.

 

DON

[HappyInVan]

Does not look good. Look at the trajectory of the U-turn in the UK graph...

 

 

[leck57]

Absolutely no chance.

[Cabernet Girl]

I'm booked on British Isles cruise for 2nd May.  I'm doubtful it will go, and if I haven't been vaccinated I don't fancy going.  I'm a UK citizen and in group 9 Aged 50 and over, and I don't think we will get it until June earliest.  It's not just having enough vaccines but logistics and people to administer it. Let's hope I'm wrong and it happens quicker.  I do think it should be a requirement before being allowed aboard.

 

[richstowe]

41% but that's just a guess .

[dog]

I cancelled my April 2021 cruise from Southampton I had used my FCC on. I can’t see that happening and if it does go would not feel comfortable until more get the vaccination & the virus is under control worldwide. 

[HappyInVan]

Hmmm! We have to adjust our expectations.

 

Vaccinations are going more slowly than I had hoped. Ontario has laid out their schedule. Led by retired General Rick Hillier...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hillier

 

Vaccination of the seniors begin in April. They should complete vax the adults in late summer. The month of May may be too soon for cruising?

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-vaccine-timeline-1.5856702