Anthem UK cruises in the summer?

[A&L_Ont]

18 hours ago, Bobal said:

As someone who has cruised a lot over the years - mostly on RC - I have no desire to travel around the UK with our dubious weather on a ship full of just Brits. I have a villa booked in Portugal (cancelled from last year) and will be gutted if it doesn't go ahead, but if it doesn't I won't be looking for an alternative in the UK and certainly won't be spending my time potentially cooped up indoors on a ship sailing around the UK or only allowed to get off on organised tours.

I believe I already know your answer but if your travel plans internationally are thrashed by Covid, would you sail around England if non organized tours were not mandated?  
 

From what some are saying, it seems like many other UK vacation spots are already booking up and it’s just March. A cruise for some would fill the vacation void. I have a feeling many in Canada will stay “locally”, only as there is no other option. I wish we had a cruise being offered. 

 

 

14 hours ago, BigRoger said:

Nothings changed.... we’ve been banned from travel for ages... this is just legislation tightening and formalising and establishing penalties for non compliance... it doesn’t affect sailing in British waters........ it’s the clue is international travel...  latest is that there will be information about ‘international’ travel as early as April... got to say though with the state Europe is in and CDC seemingly now disowning responsibility is USA I suspect ‘international’ travel is looking dodgy (unfortunately).... roll on sea days around Britain this summer... please

With P&O, Princess, and perhaps RC and MSC it seems like you have some offerings. 

Edited March 24, 2021 by A&L_Ont

[zjc]

Is the Gibraltar port bookings known to be up-to-date?

[Guest BigRoger]

One of the challenges that RC Execs are going to have to weigh up is that of ‘self fulfilling prophecy’ - if they leave any announcement for UK too late (assuming they have any intention of making one).... the market may well have jumped to one of the other cruise lines and it might result in CWC cancellations of existing bookings.... eg we have Harmony this summer... but if it’s looking very dodgy and MSC announce Virtuosa from Soton with no waiting for 2 shots of vaccine.... we’ll take the FCCs and jump over.... and if RC then announce sailings.... it may be too late and self fulfilling ‘limited appeal’.... just thoughts, we’d much rather cruise with RC.... but we’d rather cruise MSC or Princess than not at all....

[zjc]

3 minutes ago, BigRoger said:

One of the challenges that RC Execs are going to have to weigh up is that of ‘self fulfilling prophecy’ - if they leave any announcement for UK too late (assuming they have any intention of making one).... the market may well have jumped to one of the other cruise lines and it might result in CWC cancellations of existing bookings.... eg we have Harmony this summer... but if it’s looking very dodgy and MSC announce Virtuosa from Soton with no waiting for 2 shots of vaccine.... we’ll take the FCCs and jump over.... and if RC then announce sailings.... it may be too late and self fulfilling ‘limited appeal’.... just thoughts, we’d much rather cruise with RC.... but we’d rather cruise MSC or Princess than not at all....

Agree. If MSC beat RCI on sale with a better ship ill jump to them despite the fact I have never sailed with them. 

 

That and I expect RCI will require vaccines and i'm too far down the queue to get both anytime soon. 

[kernow]

I love RCL but I've thought for years that they see us in the UK (and the rest of Europe) as an afterthought, the North American market always comes first. I'm sure that's what is happening and as has already been said once they do announce something it will probably be too late as many of us will have booked with someone else.

 

A Yacht club ship sounds great, wonder what the prices will be like, we could be tempted😀

[little britain]

25 minutes ago, zjc said:

Agree. If MSC beat RCI on sale with a better ship ill jump to them despite the fact I have never sailed with them. 

 

That and I expect RCI will require vaccines and i'm too far down the queue to get both anytime soon. 

IMHO, the MSC YC experience beats anything RCI offers with their suites. YC is a ship within a ship concept, own lift, own dining room, own lounge, own pool area, butlers, AI drinks package usable throughout the ship...

If RCI want to compete with this then they will need to bring in Harmony to market purely as a different experience, and not Anthem which has been sailing here for several years.  Combine that with the fact that many Brits are still moaning that their beloved Independence is not here any more - and they have not taken Anthem to their hearts in the same way!!!   I however would take Anthem over Indie any day.

Otherwise as many have said, they are handing the UK market to the competition on a plate.

[cublet]

40 minutes ago, kernow said:

I love RCL but I've thought for years that they see us in the UK (and the rest of Europe) as an afterthought, the North American market always comes first. I'm sure that's what is happening and as has already been said once they do announce something it will probably be too late as many of us will have booked with someone else.

 

A Yacht club ship sounds great, wonder what the prices will be like, we could be tempted😀

Hello,

 

I disagree with your comment about Europe being an 'afterthought' to RCI - I think we are not thought about at all. I don't think M  Bayley is doing a very good job (if at all) in fighting our corner and all we are ever left with are the crumbs that fall from America's table.

 

Take Lift & Shift: Fine if you are in America with lots of possibilities of both ship and departure ports, but we get only one ship with one departure port and more-or-less just four broadly similar but alternating itineraries.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

Edited March 24, 2021 by cublet
sp

[Bobal]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

I believe I already know your answer but if your travel plans internationally are thrashed by Covid, would you sail around England if non organized tours were not mandated?  
 

From what some are saying, it seems like many other UK vacation spots are already booking up and it’s just March. A cruise for some would fill the vacation void. I have a feeling many in Canada will stay “locally”, only as there is no other option. I wish we had a cruise being offered. 

 

With P&O, Princess, and perhaps RC and MSC it seems like you have some offerings. 

 

No I wouldn't sail around England even if I could take non-organised tours. I live in a nice house in a nice town and am happy to sit it out for a while longer rather than taking a cruise. I have friends and family scattered around the country if I feel the need to get away somewhere for a few days. The English weather can be very unpredictable and if I'm on a ship I want to be spending time relaxing on deck and would feel very frustrated having to remain indoors a lot of the time.

 

I do feel for you though, as I know many people are so eager to cruise again and for those in the UK who want to do so I wish them well. I'll hold off until I can sail somewhere with guaranteed sunshine and an international mix of guests.

[Blue Eyed Belfast Belle]

Here in the North of Ireland, even though we are part of the UK,  we will not be allowed to undertake any 'leisure travel' until step 5 of the road map for recovery. We are still at Step 1 and we have not been given any dates of when we will progress to the next step.

 

So unfortunately for me  we are excluded from any of the sailings from Southampton...for now! 

 

It is interesting that Belfast is a stop for Princess but at the minute we are still on a Stay at Home order so there will be nothing open for the passengers to visit or to do! 

 

 

[Shocked91]

4 hours ago, little britain said:

IMHO, the MSC YC experience beats anything RCI offers with their suites. YC is a ship within a ship concept, own lift, own dining room, own lounge, own pool area, butlers, AI drinks package usable throughout the ship...

If RCI want to compete with this then they will need to bring in Harmony to market purely as a different experience, and not Anthem which has been sailing here for several years.  Combine that with the fact that many Brits are still moaning that their beloved Independence is not here any more - and they have not taken Anthem to their hearts in the same way!!!   I however would take Anthem over Indie any day.

Otherwise as many have said, they are handing the UK market to the competition on a plate.

Hi. We are booked on the Grandiosa in a Yacht club looking forward to trying it. We have sailed with MSC before on the Preziosa but that was only on the Aurea experience 

[A&L_Ont]

5 hours ago, Bobal said:

 

No I wouldn't sail around England even if I could take non-organised tours. I live in a nice house in a nice town and am happy to sit it out for a while longer rather than taking a cruise. I have friends and family scattered around the country if I feel the need to get away somewhere for a few days. The English weather can be very unpredictable and if I'm on a ship I want to be spending time relaxing on deck and would feel very frustrated having to remain indoors a lot of the time.

 

I do feel for you though, as I know many people are so eager to cruise again and for those in the UK who want to do so I wish them well. I'll hold off until I can sail somewhere with guaranteed sunshine and an international mix of guests.

That makes total sense to me. Hopefully you get that opportunity to travel sooner than later. 

[little britain]

And another one. Marella/TUI will announce their UK domestic cruises in April. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by little britain

[Tin can]

23 hours ago, Bobal said:

 

No I wouldn't sail around England even if I could take non-organised tours. I live in a nice house in a nice town and am happy to sit it out for a while longer rather than taking a cruise. I have friends and family scattered around the country if I feel the need to get away somewhere for a few days. The English weather can be very unpredictable and if I'm on a ship I want to be spending time relaxing on deck and would feel very frustrated having to remain indoors a lot of the time.

 

I do feel for you though, as I know many people are so eager to cruise again and for those in the UK who want to do so I wish them well. I'll hold off until I can sail somewhere with guaranteed sunshine and an international mix of guests.

 

 

[Tin can]

..... not sure how I posted that above?

 

What I meant to say was Anthem was docked in Southampton yesterday, obviously not an unusual event as it has been anchored off the south coast for many months, but there has been considerably more comings and goings than usual on and off the ship according to social media.

 

I noticed from the photos the top deck, north star and also 270 were lit up along with all her neon lights.

 

Perhaps I'm looking for any sign that she may sail short UK cruises but it seems a bit over the top for a routine re-fuel and taking onboard staff provisions. 

[Guest BigRoger]

Jewel out of Cyprus is a great starter for RC in Europe this summer, combined with X Apex from Athens.... now we just need to know what plans are for anthem and Harmony! Suspect today’s announcements have possibly killed off Rhapsody coming over to Ravenna.... hope am wrong...

Edited March 25, 2021 by BigRoger

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Tin can said:

Perhaps I'm looking for any sign that she may sail short UK cruises but it seems a bit over the top for a routine re-fuel and taking onboard staff provisions. 

Be patient, the announcement will come soon.

[Mike.S]

3 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Be patient, the announcement will come soon.

Let's hope so, it's getting very tempting to book a UK cruise with one of the competition.

[cloud_nine]

34 minutes ago, Mike.S said:

Let's hope so, it's getting very tempting to book a UK cruise with one of the competition.

It is indeed. I've been looking at P&O and even though I've never cruised with them before, I'm really tempted to book one of the 3 or 4 night ones to try. 

[Guest BigRoger]

Still waiting to see what MSC are going to offer up... if it’s Virtuosa it will be tough to beat... rumours that NCL are going to enter the mini market and now mouse cruises have announced they are sailing from several UK ports this summer..... the silence from RC and X from UK is deafening...

[little britain]

Viking announces that three eight-day UK cruises on new ship Viking Venus, due to go on general sale today, have been fully booked by past guests..... there is no demand for these round UK cruises is there...

[Tin can]

19 minutes ago, little britain said:

Viking announces that three eight-day UK cruises on new ship Viking Venus, due to go on general sale today, have been fully booked by past guests..... there is no demand for these round UK cruises is there...

Indeed 😀.... I can only see one outcome if Royal join the others sailing from the UK. Full ships and onboard spending revenue that would put spring break on a Bahamas cruise to shame.

 

 

[Milwaukee Eight]

On 3/24/2021 at 7:57 AM, cublet said:

Hello,

 

I disagree with your comment about Europe being an 'afterthought' to RCI - I think we are not thought about at all. I don't think M  Bayley is doing a very good job (if at all) in fighting our corner and all we are ever left with are the crumbs that fall from America's table.

 

Take Lift & Shift: Fine if you are in America with lots of possibilities of both ship and departure ports, but we get only one ship with one departure port and more-or-less just four broadly similar but alternating itineraries.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

Follow the $$$.

 

M8

[bigeck]

53 minutes ago, little britain said:

Viking announces that three eight-day UK cruises on new ship Viking Venus, due to go on general sale today, have been fully booked by past guests..... there is no demand for these round UK cruises is there...

Are you making final payment.

8th April for me

[bigeck]

56 minutes ago, little britain said:

Viking announces that three eight-day UK cruises on new ship Viking Venus, due to go on general sale today, have been fully booked by past guests..... there is no demand for these round UK cruises is there...

I've asked the question umteen times with no reply.

Princess passes my door full every 12 days. Msc is a close 2nd not to mention others

[little britain]

4 minutes ago, bigeck said:

Are you making final payment.

8th April for me

Don't know! Still waiting for them to tell me that my May one has been cancelled! No communication yet!  Government announcement is now 5th instead of 12th so we may have more clues as to what is happening!