Surely Winter Cruise Staycations Are The Only Option For P and O now??

[Eglesbrech]

8 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

A cruise to Scotland for New Year would appeal.  Overnight stay at Glasgow or Edinburgh on NYE.

I have never been out of Scotland for Hogmanay. Biggest party in the world here even with covid.
 

We did it on zoom last year as we were not allowed anyone in the house. Still had a blast dancing up and down the living room with our family and friends on the screen doing the same.

 

On a serious note they need to consider all options now. That’s not negative, it is just practical.

[zap99]

7 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

You aren't actually posting any facts there though are you?

 

The cruise lines don't actually have to keep cancelling cruises every time a new variant is found

 

This variant is serious enough for countries to start closing their borders already despite minimal cases across the world

 

That tells you it's serious.  Decisions like that are actually avoided if at all possible 

 

Hospitality can't choose what they do and adapt in these circumstances. 

 

It's taken out of their hands entirely

 

People say it's doom and gloom 

 

Theres a reason why share prices of cruise lines have dropped so heavily last 48 hrs

 

That's not doom and gloom. It's just fact

 

 

I think I will listen to the new James Blunt album. 🤣

[paulatsea]

23 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

A cruise to Scotland for New Year would appeal.  Overnight stay at Glasgow or Edinburgh on NYE.

Yep - that would be great 👍 

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

She does not have devolved powers over borders. She is full of sound and fury (I’m sure you know the end of the quote).

 

 

She's clearly hoping to impose some more travel bans: (makes her feel important)

 

 

 

Ms Sturgeon also told the BBC's Andrew Marr show that rules were being introduced "as quickly as possible", but added: "I think we may need to go further in restricting travel in the days to come. I hope I'm wrong, but we must keep our minds open to that."

Asked if this might mean new restrictions on travel between Scotland and England, Ms Sturgeon said this would be a "last resort" but added: "We need to be open-minded to doing anything to keep the population safe."

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Britboys said:

As someone who finds no attraction in a Canary Islands or Caribbean cruise (especially on board a large ship) I could be tempted by a winter staycation in place of a stay at a Warner Hotel. I do however completely understand what you mean and doubt that they would be a commercial success...

I guess others will think like you, but not sure there would be enough demand to fill Iona's largest lifeboat, and definitely not Aurora on a regular itinerary.

Edited November 28, 2021 by terrierjohn

[showingdiva]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

A tour of UK docks in January doesn't appeal.

 

I have to mention that they would struggle coming to mine.   Two anchorages for bigger ships with a tendering time of 20 minutes (on a good day), and two ports that require to either be <50,000t or low enough tides / air drafts to limbo under the bridges.   Fred attempted a UK New Year trip a few years ago, which went nowhere near where it was supposed to - missed all Irish ports and ended up n the East Coast and at us after abortive attempts at Newcastle and Dundee.   That saying ... we gave them a good three days ... Edinburgh knows how to party at Hogmanay!

[jeanlyon]

Having done 2 short break motoring holidays this year, I would not want to be floating around the UK in storms and gales just to get off somewhere British and walk around in the cold and rain when I could be nice and toasty warm in a good English Inn!

 

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by jeanlyon

[Beckett]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

I think I will listen to the new James Blunt album. 🤣

Bloody hell Zap - nothing's worth that! Jane.x 

[BillieJeanKaraokeKing]

If Winter staycations keep them ticking over, and there's sufficient take up, then that's great - but it's not really something I would fancy myself, tbh

[Megabear2]

Actually they have answered me personally some weeks ago and offered a suitable solution to my satisfaction for my own bookings.  I have continued to press them on behalf of others as I believe what is good for me should be good for everyone and I am trying to be proactive rather than try to worry or depress others.

 

As I say Calder talks a good story in a soundbite and people get suckered in.

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, showingdiva said:

 

I have to mention that they would struggle coming to mine.   Two anchorages for bigger ships with a tendering time of 20 minutes (on a good day), and two ports that require to either be <50,000t or low enough tides / air drafts to limbo under the bridges.   Fred attempted a UK New Year trip a few years ago, which went nowhere near where it was supposed to - missed all Irish ports and ended up n the East Coast and at us after abortive attempts at Newcastle and Dundee.   That saying ... we gave them a good three days ... Edinburgh knows how to party at Hogmanay!

Really is about time Edinburgh built a proper cruise berth somewhere...

[showingdiva]

20 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Really is about time Edinburgh built a proper cruise berth somewhere...

 

Don't get me started about that one.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, zap99 said:

I think I will listen to the new James Blunt album. 🤣

It will be more cheerful than this thread🙄

[alsa]

4 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

You aren't actually posting any facts there though are you?

 

The cruise lines don't actually have to keep cancelling cruises every time a new variant is found

 

This variant is serious enough for countries to start closing their borders already despite minimal cases across the world

 

That tells you it's serious.  Decisions like that are actually avoided if at all possible 

 

Hospitality can't choose what they do and adapt in these circumstances. 

 

It's taken out of their hands entirely

 

People say it's doom and gloom 

 

Theres a reason why share prices of cruise lines have dropped so heavily last 48 hrs

 

That's not doom and gloom. It's just fact

 

 

Wow you really are gloomy aren’t you?  Just leave people to get on with their cruises rather than spoiling their excitement and hope that things will be ok!  NOBODY knows what will happen - but one things for sure, I and many other true cruise lovers will support them by carrying on booking cruises until one day things are good again.

[Interestedcruisefan]

8 minutes ago, alsa said:

Wow you really are gloomy aren’t you?  Just leave people to get on with their cruises rather than spoiling their excitement and hope that things will be ok!  NOBODY knows what will happen - but one things for sure, I and many other true cruise lovers will support them by carrying on booking cruises until one day things are good again.

I'm a cruise lover too

 

And can't wait to cruise again when I think it's viable

 

If you really do want to support the cruise lines then you could buy some of the shares everybody is selling at the moment?

Edited November 28, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[alsa]

4 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Ok should we stop discussing anything about Covid on here now then ?

 

Forget about the insurance issues and questions, shore excursion problems, pcr tests, quarantine cabins and being offloaded, how to move cruises back etc etc

 

And pretend everything is normal?

 

 

No not at all.  But just get on with what you have to do rather than moaning.  Everybody has to do the same things, which yes are a nuisance, but we all understand necessary.  What we don’t have to do is say things which suggest cruises should stop, staycations re introduced and generally make people worried about the cruises they are looking forward to and have saved hard for.  Everybody, including myself, have had cruises moved, cancelled, changed and generally being far from what we usually expect.  But it is better to live in hope that it will go ahead rather than look on the dark side.

[Interestedcruisefan]

9 minutes ago, alsa said:

No not at all.  But just get on with what you have to do rather than moaning.  Everybody has to do the same things, which yes are a nuisance, but we all understand necessary.  What we don’t have to do is say things which suggest cruises should stop, staycations re introduced and generally make people worried about the cruises they are looking forward to and have saved hard for.  Everybody, including myself, have had cruises moved, cancelled, changed and generally being far from what we usually expect.  But it is better to live in hope that it will go ahead rather than look on the dark side.

I'm not moaning?

 

I'm looking for how cruises could continue this winter as the travel bans come in ?

 

If those travel bans don't actually happen and somehow overseas cruises escape them all then that's great

 

But based on what's happened so far with Covid it seems pretty obvious to me what's coming our way the next few weeks

 

It's all pretty predictable

 

And it's already started happening for other holidays

Edited November 28, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[Eglesbrech]

9 hours ago, Britboys said:

Really is about time Edinburgh built a proper cruise berth somewhere...

There were proposals for a deep water port at Preston Pans on the old Cockenzie power station site. It would have been an ideal location, though obviously not as close to Edinburgh City as the port at Leith but no further away than Rosyth.

 

The site would apparently be relatively easy to convert and the Council had agreed to pursue it but then Covid hit so who know what will happen now.

 

The plans were advanced to the stage that there were several outlines for either a basic port of call or as a full embarkation turnaround port.

 

 

[showingdiva]

2 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

There were proposals for a deep water port at Preston Pans on the old Cockenzie power station site. It would have been an ideal location, though obviously not as close to Edinburgh City as the port at Leith but no further away than Rosyth.

 

The site would apparently be relatively easy to convert and the Council had agreed to pursue it but then Covid hit so who know what will happen now.

 

The plans were advanced to the stage that there were several outlines for either a basic port of call or as a full embarkation turnaround port.

 

 

 

All seems to have gone quiet there, as you say perhaps because of covid.

 

Whilst converting may have been a relatively easy task, as this was being proposed outwith Forth Port's ownership, there were the questions of requirements for towage, pilotage and possibly more importantly, regular dredging, which would likely require done more or less every time a cruise ship departed given how much shallower the Lothian side of the river is and the amount of silt azipods could throw up.  When active, the power station had problems with the same issue.

 

You are correct that ultimately, Prestonpans isn't much further that Rosyth is to the capital , but the reality is that most passengers think they are going to "Edinburgh" (as per cruise line online / paper brochures), but in tiny print may say "South Queensferry" or "Rosyth" under it, and as the vast majority want to go to the Castle, walk down the "Golden Mile" (yes, really!) etc, that journey takes a bit out of their day traffic dependent.   I once had a passenger at Leith querying why the cruise terminal there was so far away from the Castle (it's about 3 miles ... and land locked).

[Cruisemeister2002]

A tad concerned as we have a cruise booked for February. I for one am not in the least bit interested in cruises that are staycation and are cruise only. Also even if cruises are allowed to go ahead whilst I do a few excursions put on by a cruise company should we not be allowed to go ashore on our own again I wouldn't be interested as many of the destinations we visit we have already done most of the tours available and I know that to do it yourself can be at least 50% cheaper. To me cruising is all about the freedom it allows. If you want to baste yourself in the sun all day you can, if you just want to wander around and shop you can. If, as an acquaintance  once said, you want to go and see a "pile of old stones" you can. If cruising turns into a military style situation where you spend most of your cruise filling in paperwork or on an i phone are marched to a coach and back, can't get in this club or that, have to worry about making sure you have booked this test or that then the whole thing becomes a chore instead of a pleasure.

[Cruisemeister2002]

8 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

With all due respect shes faced so few cases her comments are meaningless in the bigger picture

 

And thats not me saying that. I heard a scientist say that on the radio 

 

I don't take a "perverse delight" that's just your biased opinion because you don't agree with me

When these new variants appear in reality even the so called experts don't know. This is why they review in 3 weeks to see what happens and I assume to give our labs time to access. As we have seen these variants seem to appear every few months, some will I suspect be worse than others. When this will end who knows. If ever. 

[Guest ccpm]

17 hours ago, alsa said:

I really feel people should stop spreading doom and gloom for people who have been excitedly waiting for a cruise for so long.  Let’s just wait and see what happens rather than suggesting or predicting bad things.

I'm due to set sail on Sunday 5th December. Unfortunately the government are doing the job of spreading doom and gloom too well. The day my post cruise LFT arrived we now need a much more expensive PCR. When I order and pay for that my concern is will they pause travel/cruising. My excitement is waning I have to say. 

[Son of Anarchy]

5 minutes ago, ccpm said:

I'm due to set sail on Sunday 5th December. Unfortunately the government are doing the job of spreading doom and gloom too well. The day my post cruise LFT arrived we now need a much more expensive PCR. When I order and pay for that my concern is will they pause travel/cruising. My excitement is waning I have to say. 

In the same boat, pun intended.  Usually I like to plan ahead, but luckily didn't on this occasion.  Will be ordering PCR tests today.  Luckily Randox have a kit collection point at Thurrock, and I have to go that neck of the woods tomorrow, so that's plan A.

 

Who knows what's going to happen this weekend?  From a totally personal point of view with no evidence to back anything up, I think the cruise will go ahead.  Albeit with some sort of restrictions at ports of call.  Quite happy to pay for an onboard test to get off at Gibraltar, as long as the cable car is working.  Vigo and Lisbon, quite happy to stay onboard. Would like to get off at Cartagena, Malaga and Cadiz, but not as part of a ship's tour, so will depend on the cost of a test, if required.  We recently upgraded to a balcony, so depending on whether we are starboard or port side to we may have a very nice view ie Lisbon.

 

I've read that Portugal became a bit more restrictive prior to Omicron, so I feel that Lisbon may well be an onboard day.  Spain...not so sure.  Cartagena certainly has things that we want to explore independantly.  

 

Had we been more than 90 days from departure we may well have looked to moving to another cruise.  However we're locked in unless P&O cancel.  I don't think that Spain will be turning us away, but of course have no evidence whatsoever to back that up.

 

Be positive in a non-Covid way.

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

In the same boat, pun intended.  Usually I like to plan ahead, but luckily didn't on this occasion.  Will be ordering PCR tests today.  Luckily Randox have a kit collection point at Thurrock, and I have to go that neck of the woods tomorrow, so that's plan A.

 

Who knows what's going to happen this weekend?  From a totally personal point of view with no evidence to back anything up, I think the cruise will go ahead.  Albeit with some sort of restrictions at ports of call.  Quite happy to pay for an onboard test to get off at Gibraltar, as long as the cable car is working.  Vigo and Lisbon, quite happy to stay onboard. Would like to get off at Cartagena, Malaga and Cadiz, but not as part of a ship's tour, so will depend on the cost of a test, if required.  We recently upgraded to a balcony, so depending on whether we are starboard or port side to we may have a very nice view ie Lisbon.

 

I've read that Portugal became a bit more restrictive prior to Omicron, so I feel that Lisbon may well be an onboard day.  Spain...not so sure.  Cartagena certainly has things that we want to explore independantly.  

 

Had we been more than 90 days from departure we may well have looked to moving to another cruise.  However we're locked in unless P&O cancel.  I don't think that Spain will be turning us away, but of course have no evidence whatsoever to back that up.

 

Be positive in a non-Covid way.

I agree with you. The cruise lines simply cannot afford to send all crew back home and reposition ships for a second time. I think they will just have to adapt- maybe a LFT every few days and possible restrictions in ports. 

[jeanlyon]

1 hour ago, ccpm said:

I'm due to set sail on Sunday 5th December. Unfortunately the government are doing the job of spreading doom and gloom too well. The day my post cruise LFT arrived we now need a much more expensive PCR. When I order and pay for that my concern is will they pause travel/cruising. My excitement is waning I have to say. 

My goodness - loads of cabins available at verycheap prices.  I wonder why!