Likely Demographic for a QE Panama Canal cruise (L.A.-Ft. Lauderdale) in July/Aug. 2022?

[jimdee3636]

One of the things we liked most on our one sailing on Cunard (QM2 21-night round-trip from NY in July of 2019) was the "international" makeup of the guests. Americans were in the minority---maybe only 25% of the guests---and the rest were from the U.K. (naturally), Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and many other places. It made for stimulating conversations. We just booked a 14-night Panama Canal cruise on the QE beginning in July of 2022, and we're wondering if that international "vibe" will be lost. Although guests can also start this cruise in Vancouver or San Francisco, I'm wondering if people from the U.K. or Europe would fly that far to get on a ship (I hope so, but I'm wondering).

[lissie]

Well I can't answer for the  Poms and Europeans  - but at  the moment there are at least 2 NZers booked on that sailing (Sf-Barcelona).  The  cruise with departures from SF and Vancouver were promoted by my local TA so I doubt that we will be the only ones. I'd expect a reasonable contingent from the west island too (aka Australia). 

 

Its the middle of winter  here in July so the thought of a sail through the Caribbean to Europe just after the summer peak tourist season was at least part of the reason we booked. And we have sailed on the ship before (she has spent several summers "down under") 

 

Also - we don't have to pay any serious cash (we have FCC) until April 22 - and we  will make a decision to actually do the cruise in Jan 22 when you'd have to hope that we'd actually be able to return home without 14 day quarantine.  

 

I'll also cancel if vaccination is not compulsory for passengers.  But I REALLY want this cruise to happen and that we'll have all got past this horrible disease. 

Edited February 3, 2021 by lissie

[carlmm]

8 hours ago, jimdee3636 said:

 I'm wondering if people from the U.K. or Europe would fly that far to get on a ship (I hope so, but I'm wondering).

 

Yes, they do 😉

I certainly was not the only European on my Panama Canal cruises.  There were solid numbers of guests from Britain and Germany and to a lesser extend from other European countries (and of course quite a number from Australia)

Nevertheless, the make up of the passenger mix was more skewed towards Americans than on many other Cunard cruises. 

[Victoria2]

8 hours ago, jimdee3636 said:

 Although guests can also start this cruise in Vancouver or San Francisco, I'm wondering if people from the U.K. or Europe would fly that far to get on a ship (I hope so, but I'm wondering).

We have cruised from both S.F and L.A. back to Southampton and in normal times, no problem for non US residents to fly over for a West Coast start to a cruise  but for 2022, who knows what the demographics will be.

 

All future passengers getting on a plane for what will be a long distance flight from Europe to The West Coast and then home from East Coast airports if not cruising over the Atlantic, will have to have a huge dose of confidence  the virus will no longer pose any kind of threat to their health. 

 

[ace2542]

Could be a 43 year old and an 83 year old brit on there! We shall have to see. Depends if I can blag the TA with whom we booked our 26 night 3 ship package Cunard/Royal for Nov 21 into letting us move it. Might not be able to now as they are saying both vac shots will be done in UK by August according to some UK media sources.

[jimdee3636]

Thanks to all who have responded. The international vibe that I mentioned is one of the things that sets Cunard apart from most other lines (the other things being the more formal dress code and the high-quality lecturers). I think it will be a great cruise, and maybe I'll meet "Lissie" and "ace2542" aboard.

[Craigrlewis]

We did San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale in June 2019 and as others have said very varied crowd

 

We flew out from the UK 1 week before to do SF then boarded the ship there.  
 

Some friends of ours flew as well from the UK and boarded at LA.  We got off in Florida and they got off in NY

 

So plenty of different legs people will do so the crowd should chop and chnage at the outset & the end

 

Big contingents of people (in no particular order)of Australians, British, American, Asian and European

[lissie]

1 hour ago, jimdee3636 said:

Thanks to all who have responded. The international vibe that I mentioned is one of the things that sets Cunard apart from most other lines (the other things being the more formal dress code and the high-quality lecturers). I think it will be a great cruise, and maybe I'll meet "Lissie" and "ace2542" aboard.

It will be interesting to see how much  things will have changed too - post vaccine roll out.   It seems in NZ there is a huge pent  up demand - someone asked me the other day where would I go first once we could travel again. And I said, and meant, anywhere that will have me without quarantine on return to NZ.  I really do mean it too- countries like Cook Isl that have never really had any interest in are currently high on my list just because they are likely one of the first places we'll be able to travel to freely. 

[tmacktravels]

I am on this cruise, flying in from Scotland, sailing from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale.

T.x

Edited February 3, 2021 by tmacktravels

[elmsliebev]

we are from the UK and are thinking of booking this but are concerned about travel insurance (dreaded topic!). We would hope to join the ship in Vancouver, do the Alaska leg, then all the way to Fort Lauderdale. I'll be talking to our insurers tomorrow and then decide - I believe cabins are booking up quickly. 

[hamrag]

On 2/3/2021 at 12:50 AM, jimdee3636 said:

....I'm wondering if people from the U.K. or Europe would fly that far to get on a ship (I hope so, but I'm wondering).

 

Absolutely, without a doubt....there will be Scots, Northern Irish, Welsh and English, as well as many other Europeans! We are everywhere! 😉

[oskidunker]

Live in San Francisco. Considering this if my fall cruises don't go

[Elephant1151]

We are booked Vancouver to Barcelona and our son (30 years old) is considering this trip, A few days in Vancouver pre cruise is planned. so that is 3 from England.

[neeuqdrazil]

I've already got my 2022 trip planned (WB TA), but I'm going to be keeping a close eye on the releases for 2023 for a Panama Canal transit. 

 

Does anyone have a preference for direction of transit?