Local Cruises

[Ataraxia]

A message from P&O Cruises president, Paul Ludlow
"We are delighted that the Government has acknowledged that UK domestic cruise holidays can begin from May 17. 
Whilst it will take some weeks after this date for us to restart our operations we are very much looking forward to welcoming guests on board this summer for our series of Ultimate Escape staycations - UK coastal cruises. Details of these, with ships, dates and itineraries will be announced later this month."
 

[WECRUISEUK]

1 hour ago, Ataraxia said:

A message from P&O Cruises president, Paul Ludlow
"We are delighted that the Government has acknowledged that UK domestic cruise holidays can begin from May 17. 
Whilst it will take some weeks after this date for us to restart our operations we are very much looking forward to welcoming guests on board this summer for our series of Ultimate Escape staycations - UK coastal cruises. Details of these, with ships, dates and itineraries will be announced later this month."
 

Looking forward to seeing what's on offer,as we could be tempted if they include a good selection of stops.Never been to dublin or belfast and see this type of cruise as the ideal oppurtunity that would allow just that,also liverpool and edinburgh.Things going as well as they are throughout the u.k.,a 7 night cruise after june 21st should mean your able to "roam on your own" rather than P&O excursion bubbles.

[Ardennais]

54 minutes ago, WECRUISEUK said:

Looking forward to seeing what's on offer,as we could be tempted if they include a good selection of stops.Never been to dublin or belfast and see this type of cruise as the ideal oppurtunity that would allow just that,also liverpool and edinburgh.Things going as well as they are throughout the u.k.,a 7 night cruise after june 21st should mean your able to "roam on your own" rather than P&O excursion bubbles.

I thought that these were scenic cruises only?

[Cathygh]

24 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

I thought that these were scenic cruises only?

If they follow the model Cunard used when QE was transferred back to the UK the first few will be scenic followed by 5 a day trip to Belfast and Liverpool and back, and other similar itineraries. Sadly the QE cruises were cancelled, we were due on the first sailing this month 😭

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, WECRUISEUK said:

Looking forward to seeing what's on offer,as we could be tempted if they include a good selection of stops.Never been to dublin or belfast and see this type of cruise as the ideal oppurtunity that would allow just that,also liverpool and edinburgh.Things going as well as they are throughout the u.k.,a 7 night cruise after june 21st should mean your able to "roam on your own" rather than P&O excursion bubbles.

There will be no ports of call they have already announced that they will be "coastal waters" cruises.

[wowzz]

22 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

If they follow the model Cunard used when QE was transferred back to the UK the first few will be scenic followed by 5 a day trip to Belfast and Liverpool and back, and other similar itineraries. Sadly the QE cruises were cancelled, we were due on the first sailing this month 😭

P&O have already made it clear that cruises will be "coastal" and Ludlow repeated it again today. Makes no difference what Cunard were going to do, no ports for P&O,  which obviously reduces the chances of CV19 being brought back on board.

[Chrisifab]

Southampton is a long drive for those of us up North.

 

P&O could attract a ton of new customers if were to offer special cruises from local ports for these initial cruises, e.g. Liverpool, Southampton, Newcastle and perhaps Rosyth? 
 

Or even have 2 ships sailing in opposite directions to eachother doing round trips, where you can board for the entire sailing, or can switch at a port and make your way back (if time was of the essence).

 

I’d book tomorrow if I could do a local cruise sailing from Liverpool. CMV and Fred Olsen have done very well with this model. Perhaps a cruise from Liverpool that goes around Ireland? That would be maybe 5 days? Perfect! 

[joeecco]

3 minutes ago, Chrisifab said:

Southampton is a long drive for those of us up North.

 

P&O could attract a ton of new customers if were to offer special cruises from local ports for these initial cruises, e.g. Liverpool, Southampton, Newcastle and perhaps Rosyth? 
 

Or even have 2 ships sailing in opposite directions to eachother doing round trips, where you can board for the entire sailing, or can switch at a port and make your way back (if time was of the essence).

 

I’d book tomorrow if I could do a local cruise sailing from Liverpool. CMV and Fred Olsen have done very well with this model. Perhaps a cruise from Liverpool that goes around Ireland? That would be maybe 5 days? Perfect! 

As said multiple times, P&O are doing Southampton sailings only and they will have no port stops. 

[Dorset cruise fan]

Are you sure that there won't be any port stops? The message does say they will be releasing itineraries which seems to mean to me that they are going to be calling at ports.

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, Dorset cruise fan said:

Are you sure that there won't be any port stops

100% certain.

[wowzz]

37 minutes ago, Chrisifab said:

P&O could attract a ton of new customers if were to offer special cruises from local ports for these initial cruises, e.g. Liverpool, Southampton, Newcastle and perhaps Rosyth? 

Just sorting out the logistics for 3 or 4 one off cruises (check in staff, reprovisioning etc) makes it uneconomic to use any other port other than Southampton.  

[Chrisifab]

34 minutes ago, joeecco said:

As said multiple times, P&O are doing Southampton sailings only and they will have no port stops. 

But things can change in an instant, and we all know that based on the year we’ve just had.

 

Never say never. 🤞

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, Chrisifab said:

But things can change in an instant, and we all know that based on the year we’ve just had.

 

Never say never. 🤞

 

P&O will sell these coastal cruises with no problems at all. Why add cost and complexity for no benefit?

[Chrisifab]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Just sorting out the logistics for 3 or 4 one off cruises (check in staff, reprovisioning etc) makes it uneconomic to use any other port other than Southampton.  

Let’s imagine (in a dream summer) Southampton - Bristol - Liverpool - Belfast - Dublin - Southampton.

 

Repeat 3 times, allowing guests to embark in their local port for a round trip back to their local port. That could be done quite easily, a la MSC.

 

I can but dream! 😁

[wowzz]

7 minutes ago, Chrisifab said:

Let’s imagine (in a dream summer) Southampton - Bristol - Liverpool - Belfast - Dublin - Southampton.

 

Repeat 3 times, allowing guests to embark in their local port for a round trip back to their local port. That could be done quite easily, a la MSC.

 

I can but dream! 😁

In an ideal world, possibly, but with CV19 around, no way!

[john watson]

1 hour ago, joeecco said:

As said multiple times, P&O are doing Southampton sailings only and they will have no port stops. 

 

I think the poster who suggested different ports "up north" was suggesting they could trial new ports of origin doing a round trip cruise from there stopping at no ports en route back to the same northern port.   Seems a good idea to me as northerners and Scottish people may become interested in regular P&O cruises when they return to normal.

 

Regards John

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, john watson said:

 

I think the poster who suggested different ports "up north" was suggesting they could trial new ports of origin doing a round trip cruise from there stopping at no ports en route back to the same northern port.   Seems a good idea to me as northerners and Scottish people may become interested in regular P&O cruises when they return to normal.

 

Regards John

Indeed, might be a good idea, but not going to happen for a few one-off cruises. P&O will easily sell out the cruises from Southampton,  without the cost and complexity of sailing from any other port. 

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Indeed, might be a good idea, but not going to happen for a few one-off cruises. P&O will easily sell out the cruises from Southampton,  without the cost and complexity of sailing from any other port. 

You are right it won't happen, it rules P&O out for us for a 7 day cruise as it isn't worth the journey. We would go with a company sailing from Newcastle or Liverpool.

[jeanlyon]

You really think that many people will do just a scenic cruise in UK waters?  Wouldn't be for me especially with our weather!!

 

I wonder if my 19 nighter going to Greece will happen in October.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Dorset cruise fan said:

Are you sure that there won't be any port stops? The message does say they will be releasing itineraries which seems to mean to me that they are going to be calling at ports.

Dates of sailing, duration and prices nothing else.

[Cathygh]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

P&O have already made it clear that cruises will be "coastal" and Ludlow repeated it again today. Makes no difference what Cunard were going to do, no ports for P&O,  which obviously reduces the chances of CV19 being brought back on board.

Yes the first ones will be coastal, but they can't do that forever. So coastal first, then if successful followed by some  calling at some UK ports, then foreign ports.  There is no reason why they shouldn't follow the Cunard model, it was a good one. 

[majortom10]

4 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

You really think that many people will do just a scenic cruise in UK waters?  Wouldn't be for me especially with our weather!!

 

I wonder if my 19 nighter going to Greece will happen in October.

Yes I think there will be enough interest to fill to a  reduced capacity on initial sailings and will give P&O time to test new protocols and more importantly generate some badly needed cash.

[showingdiva]

43 minutes ago, john watson said:

 

I think the poster who suggested different ports "up north" was suggesting they could trial new ports of origin doing a round trip cruise from there stopping at no ports en route back to the same northern port.   Seems a good idea to me as northerners and Scottish people may become interested in regular P&O cruises when they return to normal.

 

Regards John

 

In a dream scenario of a visit up north, no P&O (or Cunard) ships would fit under the Forth Bridge, Road Bridge or Queensferry Crossing .. and all are also too wide, too long and too heavy to fit into Leith because of the lock gates.   We have had them here, and Queen Victoria had been due to return to one of our anchorages this year and Britannia came to visit in her maiden year (to visit our "other" Britannia .. the former Royal Yacht), as has Arcadia, Artemis and Adonia (Sea Princess) - but all at the anchorages.

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by showingdiva

[majortom10]

3 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

Yes the first ones will be coastal, but they can't do that forever. So coastal first, then if successful followed by some  calling at some UK ports, then foreign ports.  There is no reason why they shouldn't follow the Cunard model, it was a good one. 

But Cunard model didnt happen and that is not down just to the cruise line but getting permission granted from UK government to call at ports and then eventually foreign countries to allow ships to dock at their ports. Problem is as reported today 33/100 people in UK have been vaccinated US 25/100 and the EU 8/100 so therefore will EU countries allow or will cruise companies want cruisers be allowed to leave the ship at ports mixing with many foreign nationals who have not been vaccinated.

[Britboys]

There are a number of factors mitigating against P&O using other ports as turnaround ports. They have a contract with the port of Southampton but not any others, meaning they would have to set up new contracts. There are few, if any other ports that are likely to be capable of providing turnaround facilities for large ships. The reason Liverpool has planned a future new cruise terminal is because at present they cannot do this for large ships. I don't know for sure but suspect Newcastle may be the same and as has already been stated above, Edinburgh does not have a suitable Cruise Terminal. Whilst large ships can dock at Greenock for Glasgow and the West of Scotland, again to my recollection, there is no Terminal there.

 

With regard to any port calls, I agree that everything said so far has suggested this will just be scenic cruising.  As I have recently posted on another thread however, I have seen a cruise blogger suggesting that the announcement by the Maritime Minister today has indicated port calls would be possible on domestic cruises this Summer. We will just have to wait and see.