Cruise to nowhere in UK

[Pet]

A hypothetical question right now I know, but is it possible that P&O (which serve a predominately UK based clientele) may consider resuming cruises round all or part of Britain only assuming sufficient UK Gov Covid 19 protocol's are in place by the early summer? What I could envisage is that some ships, especially Iona which is scheduled to undertake one week cruises to Norway, could, if it is  not possible to meet the requirements of the Norwegian Government at that time, instead visit some UK ports, where presumably guests could go ashore and wouldn't be travelling outside the UK at all. Probably wouldn't make for the ideal cruise holiday, but after well over a year of going nowhere anything would be better than nothing IMHO. 

[janny444]

Hi....I did suggest  this a few weeks ago....in another thread...that this  may be something P&O would consider.....7 nights....cruising round the UK. I am sure that there would be enough people who would seriously consider this and I for one would. We did a round Britain cruise a number of years ago and found it really enjoyable.

 

 

[tring]

It is expected that all cruise companies will have their very first cruises as scenic cruises and possibly a couple of UK ports moving forward. 

 

Regards Iona and Norway (which we are booked on for the summer), I would certainly hope she is more likely to go to Norway, even if she can only do the scenic cruising part of the itinerary, which can take up to three hours each way up and down the two fjords which are on the current itineraries.  Going ashore to somewhere we do not want to go to on a fixed, bubbled, excursion is not replacement for that in any way.  Though hopefully certain ports may be allowed as bubbled tours in Norway by the time we are booked in June/July.

 

A lot of this has been mentioned of these things as a possibility by someone who is knowledgeable about all things P&O.  Some other cruises left from Germany last year as scenic cruises to Norway, so I do not see that being a problem.  The issue at present is exactly when cruises will be able to re start in any form and I am sure there will still be at least alterations to some itineraries once they do.  There will have to be some flexibility if cruises are looking a lot different to either cancel, or at least transfer, if fairly similar to the original cruise booked.  Only time will tell.

Edited January 29, 2021 by tring

[molecrochip]

This type of cruise is very much possible.

[Chrisdriving]

I think the ships will still be parked up in Summer but hopefully i am wrong.

[zap99]

42 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

This type of cruise is very much possible.

Hi Moley. Can you have a word in the appropriate ear. We are on Iona to Norway at the end of August. If the choice is cancel, or just a scenic non landing jaunt around the fjords, we vote for the later ( a bit of extra OBC would sweeten the pill).🤣

[ann141]

58 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

This type of cruise is very much possible.

Do you think it may be possible if doing a cruise round GB to get off the ship at a few ports or do you think it more likely that it would just be scenic cruising?

[jaydee6969]

27 minutes ago, Chrisdriving said:

I think the ships will still be parked up in Summer but hopefully i am wrong.

 

Interesting to see how may cruise ships have now started cruising again already and due to start soon.

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24279-cruise-ships-back-in-service-february-2021-update.html

 

Also noticed that AIDAsol also includes Southampton on its 7 day itinerary.

[Tikka234]

16 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Hi Moley. Can you have a word in the appropriate ear. We are on Iona to Norway at the end of August. If the choice is cancel, or just a scenic non landing jaunt around the fjords, we vote for the later ( a bit of extra OBC would sweeten the pill).🤣

We're on Iona end Aug  as well hoping it will still go ahead but know it may not , think we would have to transfer as going with daughter and family  they want the full cruise experience 

[zap99]

1 minute ago, Tikka234 said:

We're on Iona end Aug  as well hoping it will still go ahead but know it may not , think we would have to transfer as going with daughter and family  they want the full cruise experience 

Don't give up yet. A lot can, and probably will happen in the next few months.🛳️

[purplesea]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

Hi Moley. Can you have a word in the appropriate ear. We are on Iona to Norway at the end of August. If the choice is cancel, or just a scenic non landing jaunt around the fjords, we vote for the later ( a bit of extra OBC would sweeten the pill).🤣

I like the sound of that - don't forget I'm on that cruise too!

[Cathygh]

Queen Elizabeth was offering a few scenic cruises starting in March before ones that would visit ports. Those initial cruises have been cancelled but I expect P&O could begin with something similar. We were booked on the first one which was a few nights sailing to The Scilly Isles and back with a scenic sail past of Portland

[Britboys]

I have done a round-Britain cruise on Queen Elizabeth and thoroughly enjoyed it. That however was 10 days and I'm not sure how much could be achieved in just 7 days. I would be open to the idea but what would be a no-no for me is the likely on-board restrictions should cruises resume in the Summer. I'm sure however that there would plenty of people up for it.

[Selbourne]

2 hours ago, ann141 said:

Do you think it may be possible if doing a cruise round GB to get off the ship at a few ports or do you think it more likely that it would just be scenic cruising?

A round GB cruise very much appeals to us, but only once all on-board Covid restrictions are lifted and there are stops in interesting places, such as Liverpool and Belfast. I’m not sure which, if any, ports Iona can get in to though. 
 

The problem with a round GB cruise that doesn’t call at ports is that it won’t be a ‘scenic cruise’. The ships are always so far from the coast that you can’t see much at all. It’s only coming in and out of ports that you really see anything. The only cruise that IMO makes sense for a ‘no ports’ cruise that is genuinely ‘scenic’ is the Norwegian Fjords. 

[zap99]

2 hours ago, purplesea said:

I like the sound of that - don't forget I'm on that cruise too!

If it looks like going we can have a roll call. If not, I will be the one wearing the pineapple board shorts🤣

[ann141]

47 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

A round GB cruise very much appeals to us, but only once all on-board Covid restrictions are lifted and there are stops in interesting places, such as Liverpool and Belfast. I’m not sure which, if any, ports Iona can get in to though. 
 

The problem with a round GB cruise that doesn’t call at ports is that it won’t be a ‘scenic cruise’. The ships are always so far from the coast that you can’t see much at all. It’s only coming in and out of ports that you really see anything. The only cruise that IMO makes sense for a ‘no ports’ cruise that is genuinely ‘scenic’ is the Norwegian Fjords. 

We did a round GB cruise with Princess in 2019 and enjoyed it.I might be interested if P and O offered a GB cruise as long as there were some stops because I agree with you that on a large ship you can't sail close enough to appreciate any interesting scenery/sights.I would love P and O to do a Round Ireland cruise (Saga and FO do) because we have previously visited  some of the ports on the east coast but never sailed all the way round.

[wowzz]

12 minutes ago, ann141 said:

We did a round GB cruise with Princess in 2019 and enjoyed it.I might be interested if P and O offered a GB cruise as long as there were some stops because I agree with you that on a large ship you can't sail close enough to appreciate any interesting scenery/sights.I would love P and O to do a Round Ireland cruise (Saga and FO do) because we have previously visited  some of the ports on the east coast but never sailed all the way round.

Wouldn't the problem be that there are no ports  on the West Coast of Ireland that could handle any ships in the P&O fleet. 

[ann141]

Just now, wowzz said:

Wouldn't the problem be that there are no ports  on the West Coast of Ireland that could handle any ships in the P&O fleet. 

Possibly. I haven't done much research but I think Saga and FO tender into a couple of ports so presumably P and O could do the same, perhaps on Arcadia or Aurora or even Azura or Ventura

[Dermotsgirl]

I love round Britain cruises. 
 

I did one on Oriana and did 2 on CMV Columbus. I’ve also moved my Cunard QV cruise to a British Isles cruise in May 2022.

 

from memory, I think Arcadia has a British Isles cruise scheduled for summer 2022 

[Selbourne]

10 minutes ago, ann141 said:

We did a round GB cruise with Princess in 2019 and enjoyed it.I might be interested if P and O offered a GB cruise as long as there were some stops because I agree with you that on a large ship you can't sail close enough to appreciate any interesting scenery/sights.I would love P and O to do a Round Ireland cruise (Saga and FO do) because we have previously visited  some of the ports on the east coast but never sailed all the way round.

Round Ireland sounds very interesting. I have only been to Belfast and Dublin, both on business. I was underwhelmed with Dublin but thought that Belfast was fascinating. I was given a personal tour of all the well known areas that we all knew the names of throughout ‘the troubles’ and was shocked to still see the high segregating walls etc still in place. My guide had experienced the troubles up close and personal and it was very sobering when we stopped at some traffic lights and he pointed out some bullet holes in a wall. As a teenager, he had been playing football with a mate the other side of it and they kicked the ball over the wall. The other lads uncle went around the wall to fetch the ball and was gunned down by an IRA hitman. His insight and stories about every road that we drove along is something that I shall never forget. I would like to return with my wife and visit the Titanic Museum. A little more appropriate for a cruise I guess!

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, ann141 said:

Possibly. I haven't done much research but I think Saga and FO tender into a couple of ports so presumably P and O could do the same, perhaps on Arcadia or Aurora or even Azura or Ventura

With the possible exception of Galway (lovely town) I can't think of any other coastal town that could handle Aurora,  let alone Ventura.  Dingle,  for example is lovely, but there us no way it could deal with a massive tendering operation. 

Edited January 29, 2021 by wowzz

[ann141]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

Round Ireland sounds very interesting. I have only been to Belfast and Dublin, both on business. I was underwhelmed with Dublin but thought that Belfast was fascinating. I was given a personal tour of all the well known areas that we all knew the names of throughout ‘the troubles’ and was shocked to still see the high segregating walls etc still in place. My guide had experienced the troubles up close and personal and it was very sobering when we stopped at some traffic lights and he pointed out some bullet holes in a wall. As a teenager, he had been playing football with a mate the other side of it and they kicked the ball over the wall. The other lads uncle went around the wall to fetch the ball and was gunned down by an IRA hitman. His insight and stories about every road that we drove along is something that I shall never forget. I would like to return with my wife and visit the Titanic Museum. A little more appropriate for a cruise I guess!

We have been to Dublin a few times and have, like you felt underwhelmed.When we visited Belfast we did a bus tour and agree it is shocking to see that there are still segregated areas.If we had the chance to go again we would visit the Titanic Museum or visit the Giants Causeway as a tour

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Round Ireland sounds very interesting. I have only been to Belfast and Dublin, both on business. I was underwhelmed with Dublin but thought that Belfast was fascinating. I was given a personal tour of all the well known areas that we all knew the names of throughout ‘the troubles’ and was shocked to still see the high segregating walls etc still in place. My guide had experienced the troubles up close and personal and it was very sobering when we stopped at some traffic lights and he pointed out some bullet holes in a wall. As a teenager, he had been playing football with a mate the other side of it and they kicked the ball over the wall. The other lads uncle went around the wall to fetch the ball and was gunned down by an IRA hitman. His insight and stories about every road that we drove along is something that I shall never forget. I would like to return with my wife and visit the Titanic Museum. A little more appropriate for a cruise I guess!

I used to visit Belfast on business quite a lot during the struggles! Always difficult to plan appointments when you never knew if there was going to be a bomb scare. And you needed to have your map reading skills up to date. You didn't want to take a wrong turning off the Shankhill Road. 

I totally disagree with you about Dublin, but, to be fair, you need to get away from the tourist traps (as in most cities). But the best parts of Ireland, IMHO are the west coast - the Ring of Kerry, plus the sheer desolation of the Burren.

Edited January 29, 2021 by wowzz

[ann141]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

With the possible exception of Galway (lovely town) I can't think of any other coastal town that could handle Aurora,  let alone Ventura.  

I agree that might be a problemWe may just have to book with Saga or FO. In fact I really wanted to book the Saga Round Ireland cruise in June.I realise it will probably be cancelled but now that Saga require vaccination before you cruise I doubt that my hubby and I will have had both jabs by June.Saga (and/or) FO visit Killybegs and also Bantry Bay by tender though i realise their ships are smaller

[ann141]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I used to visit Belfast on business quite a lot during the struggles! Always difficult to plan appointments when you never knew if there was going to be a bomb scare. And you needed to have your map reading skills up to date. You didn't want to take a wrong turning off the Shankhill Road. 

I totally disagree with you about Dublin, but, to be fair, you need to get away from the tourist traps (as in most cities). But the best parts of Ireland, IMHO are the west coast - the Ring of Kerry, plus the sheer desolation of the Burren.

I agree that there are parts of Dublin further out that are interesting.Last time we were there we caught trains to a couple of coastal villages.I am just not keen on the actual centre.Its the west coast that makes me want to do a cruise round Ireland