Will P&O now delay announcements for future cruise pauses?

[tring]

I mentioned earlier about an article I read concerning vaccination of crew.  This is not the one I remember seeing, but is a Cruise Critic article discussing ins and outs of that, as well as vaccinations for passengers:-

 

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=5275

 

The other article I saw may well have been another  CC one.   I just found the link to the one above when clearing out some emails.

Edited February 6, 2021 by tring

[terrierjohn]

15 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

But surely you must appreciate John that, in so far as overseas cruises go, the UK vaccination programme is just one of many factors that will need to be sorted? For around UK cruises and cruises to nowhere, it will be the primary driver, in which case I can see them going in the summer, but overseas ones I wouldn’t be so confident. 

My post was really in response to the viability of a vaccine passport for overseas travel.

I assume a round Britain cruise with only UK residents on board would be allowed to go ashore without any such requirement.

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

So Saga will stop a potential tiny proportion of passengers boarding but will allow potentially several hundred unvaccinated staff onboard. I am not sure how that is reducing the risk to passengers. Surely the same comprehensive COVID-19 protocols they are quoting could apply to the minority of unvaccinated passengers.

we have comprehensive COVID‑19 protocols in place to protect our crew, including quarantine and regular testing and as soon as crew can be vaccinated they will be.

If the crew have been quarantined and are regularly tested, subject to strict covid protocols, and are not going ashore, then they are unlikely to become infected. All passengers would have some level of protection, so I fail to understand your concerns.

[Eglesbrech]

4 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I would have thought that it would be entirely reasonable for a cruise line to say that, regardless of reason, those who have not been vaccinated, regardless of reason, would be posing a risk to others and therefore cannot cruise

So logically that would equally apply to all those under 18 as well as they won’t be vaccinated but can still carry the virus and pose a risk to others 

 

Lots of minefields for companies to get through.

[Ray66]

If the half term Iona cruise in late May still goes ahead, it's probable that there will be plenty of under 50's on board who may not yet have been vaccinated. Then what?

[jeanlyon]

I don't think there will be cruises in May.  Not a chance.

[Eglesbrech]

24 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I don't think there will be cruises in May.  Not a chance.

Unfortunately I think you are spot on. I doubt staycations will be fully open in May far less foreign travel. (I hope I am wrong however).

Edited February 6, 2021 by Eglesbrech
J = )

[Tikka234]

We were on Iona end May changed to end Aug thinking about changing it again to next year, spoke to my doctor about something last week got talking when I mentioned going on 2 cruises this year ,he said DONT he would not recommend going on a ship with hundreds of poeple, with covid  still around. 

We don't want all the restrictions so hoping if we changed they will be eased next year.

[arlowood]

3 hours ago, Purdey16 said:

I apologise if this as been said before but I have not had the time to read all through, but I got a email today from P & O about our Canada cruise on Arcadia 24 th September, even though Canada have closed their boarders up until feb 22 next year, P & O are NOT cancelling our cruise yet , they are keeping ther options open in the hope that things will be turned around and go ahead , at least on this cruise they only have our deposit, but full fare to be paid in April which I’m sure we will not be paying if Canada doesn’t open up , I really can’t see this going what’s so ever and a bit puzzled why p & o have taken this route apart from holding on to my money longer 😠

I would check with P&O or your TA if you used one. As I understand it, in the current situation, P&O have modified their policy on balance payments and reduced the payment interval from 90days to 30 days  before the departure date. If that applies to your Canada cruise, and I don't see why not, your final payment will not be due until the last week in August rather than April.

 

Hopefully that will mean a bit of breathing space to allow for some clarification on whether the cruise is likely to go ahead.

Another factor might be that P&O are possibly negotiating a change in the itinerary to a US "discovery" cruise - but that would really be a major change that you could challenge.

[jeanlyon]

at the moment, the 30 day balance payment is only up to June 30th.  

[jeanlyon]

Just read on FaceAche that Tui has told a customer, there will be an announcement by P&O on Monday re April/May cruises.

[tring]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Just read on FaceAche that Tui has told a customer, there will be an announcement by P&O on Monday re April/May cruises.

 

That is interesting Jean, though I wonder if it is more likely to be Tuesday, or perhaps just a move by Tui to get the customer off their backs - something they are apparently doing a lot, according to a Tui social media group and nothing happens on the date mentioned by them of course.

 

I wonder if sometime soon Tui will also cancel our holiday to Lanzarote departing 7th March, which they took off sale a week or so ago, along with all other holidays departing from 1st - 7th March!

 

P&O are sounding pretty good by comparison to Tui at present in my books.

 

Edited February 6, 2021 by tring

[jeanlyon]

Yes you could be right!

[molecrochip]

12 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Just read on FaceAche that Tui has told a customer, there will be an announcement by P&O on Monday re April/May cruises.

I’m expecting an announcement this month and not in the final week of the month as that has Gala2’s name announcement as I understand it.

 

Last I heard, it was still being decided whether to cancel June (I think likely). Also expect 30 day payment rule to be extended through end of Summer 2021.

 

I believe the hold up is working out what of the small ship longer cruises are already not viable.

[SarahHben]

11 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

I’m expecting an announcement this month and not in the final week of the month as that has Gala2’s name announcement as I understand it.

 

Last I heard, it was still being decided whether to cancel June (I think likely). Also expect 30 day payment rule to be extended through end of Summer 2021.

 

I believe the hold up is working out what of the small ship longer cruises are already not viable.

Do you think there’s likely to be complete cancellations rather than changing the itineraries to round Britain or scenic cruises? 

[No pager thank you]

Cancellations announced on Tuesday at 10am would fit in to the pattern...😉

 

There seems to have been an increase in marketing emails recently...🤦

 

With the plans to potentially launch Winter 2022 next month/early April after naming Gala 2 (one would assume Oriana, but a guess only!), this will hopefully entice those people affected by the new cancellations to rebook on to one of the new cruises at launch price and/or via pre-registration.  This will mitigate refunds, plus very few customers will have significant values expected back this time.  NB.  Yes I know that people are still waiting from previous cancellations 🤔

 

I agree that P&O now appears, after a very poor 2020, to have overtaken TUI in terms of customer sentiment around handling of the pandemic.  A bit like Sheffield United versus West Brom mind IMHO.

 

The deferred payment plan extension will go some way, as will more details around how it actually plans to manage excursions. 👍

 

This will be particularly true if, in the cancellation notice, it provides updated details to customers around which ships and itineraries it expects to form part of its restart. 

[Selbourne]

24 minutes ago, No pager thank you said:

after naming Gala 2 (one would assume Oriana, but a guess only!)

Doubt it. More likely to be another Island ending with ‘a’ I would guess. However, I have thought of a very topical name that is short and fits with the P&O style - “Corona”. Am I too late to suggest it? 😂 

[terrierjohn]

9 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Doubt it. More likely to be another Island ending with ‘a’ I would guess. However, I have thought of a very topical name that is short and fits with the P&O style - “Corona”. Am I too late to suggest it? 😂 

I was wondering whether they might risk naming her Diana.

[Snow Hill]

10 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Doubt it. More likely to be another Island ending with ‘a’ I would guess. However, I have thought of a very topical name that is short and fits with the P&O style - “Corona”. Am I too late to suggest it? 😂 

Perhaps they could call it “Bigga” after all its a bigger ship. 😂
 

Bigga is in the Shetland Isles. 

[grapau27]

If Arcadia leaves the fleet they might name Iona2 Arcadia.

P&O have used the Arcadia name on a few ships previously.

[arlowood]

23 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Doubt it. More likely to be another Island ending with ‘a’ I would guess. However, I have thought of a very topical name that is short and fits with the P&O style - “Corona”. Am I too late to suggest it? 😂 

How about "Caronia" . Ship of that name was launched on the Clyde in 1947 and served as a Cunarder on US and Caribbean cruises.

[No pager thank you]

57 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Doubt it. More likely to be another Island ending with ‘a’ I would guess. However, I have thought of a very topical name that is short and fits with the P&O style - “Corona”. Am I too late to suggest it? 😂 

The name Jura could also be chosen to fit the pattern....also in recognition of a spirit which will have helped people during the pandemic 😁

[molecrochip]

My money is still on Oceana.

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

I was wondering whether they might risk naming her Diana.

As long as they don’t ask Prince Charles to name her. However, “Camilla”? 😂 

[yorkshirephil]

Titanica