P&O Cancelling Baltic Cruises

[Josy1953]

6 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Which leads to another question - why has Aurora’s dry docking been cancelled?

My guess would be that there is some interest in selling her but I really hope not because we have had some lovely cruises on her.  She is old but we prefer her to some othe current giant floating hotels

We would definitely on her again if she was doing a cruise that we wanted to do.

[Angel57]

44 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

My guess would be that there is some interest in selling her but I really hope not because we have had some lovely cruises on her.  She is old but we prefer her to some othe current giant floating hotels

We would definitely on her again if she was doing a cruise that we wanted to do.

That is what concerns me Josy.
I have cruised on Aurora at least once every year (barring the Covid years) since she was launched and have one booked for next summer. I always felt that may be the final one…….

Lets hope we are wrong.

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

My guess would be that there is some interest in selling her but I really hope not because we have had some lovely cruises on her.  She is old but we prefer her to some othe current giant floating hotels

We would definitely on her again if she was doing a cruise that we wanted to do.

I certainly hope not Josy. We have our 1st post covid cruise on her next year.

Having said that, when we booked it was an excellent price for 16 nights and the OBC is very generous, more than we've had on longer cruises. We even managed to get out first choice cabin so............?

Avril

[Host Sharon]

4 hours ago, Angel57 said:

When was she due to go in for that Sharon?

Not sure. My friend mentioned it yesterday and said that there would be a 16 night Northern Lights cruise added instead.

[Danamis]

We have booked the 25th July one to Scandinavia on Aurora. Generous OBC as we booked on a promotion day onboard. If this one is cancelled, the offer of £100 per person OBC is hardly generous. We haven't been to any of the ports before so we are really hoping it will go ahead...

[Adawn47]

5 minutes ago, Danamis said:

We have booked the 25th July one to Scandinavia on Aurora. Generous OBC as we booked on a promotion day onboard. If this one is cancelled, the offer of £100 per person OBC is hardly generous. We haven't been to any of the ports before so we are really hoping it will go ahead...

Our 16 night cruise is £240pp OBC, that along with a very good cruise price price seemed to be quite a good offer.

If It looks too good to be true etc, etc...........

We can only wait and see🤞

Avril

[Goosebear Mum]

1 hour ago, Host Sharon said:

Not sure. My friend mentioned it yesterday and said that there would be a 16 night Northern Lights cruise added instead.

Interesting, as everything online points at Aurora’s dry dock being earlier this year.
 

E.g. her dry dock was in June 22 https://www.cruiseandferry.net/articles/harland-wolff-to-drydock-for-po-cruises-and-cunard-1 

 

and her refit was earlier in March 22

 

[Host Sharon]

Well I have 3 future cruises booked on her so I sincerely hope she stays a while longer. 

[Goosebear Mum]

44 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

Well I have 3 future cruises booked on her so I sincerely hope she stays a while longer. 

Me too, Aurora is our favourite ship 🙂  We’ve already started investigating alternative cruise lines for when P&O (finally) get rid of her and go over only to the big ships 😞  

[Danamis]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

Our 16 night cruise is £240pp OBC, that along with a very good cruise price price seemed to be quite a good offer.

If It looks too good to be true etc, etc...........

We can only wait and see🤞

Avril

Hi. We were given £470 as we booked on a promotion day. Whenever P and O have cancelled our cruises the OBC has been cancelled with it. Like you say, if it seems too good to be true...

[Astrajet]

55 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

Well I have 3 future cruises booked on her so I sincerely hope she stays a while longer. 

Absolutely, we have two booked for this year! She is our favourite ship so also hope she remains in the fleet for a while longer 🤞.

[Host Sharon]

14 minutes ago, Goosebear Mum said:

Me too, Aurora is our favourite ship 🙂  We’ve already started investigating alternative cruise lines for when P&O (finally) get rid of her and go over only to the big ships 😞  

If you don't wish to fly the options are limited. Fred Olsen and Saga are the only choices really. I love Saga but they are more expensive as all inclusive. Fine if you use the extras (like transport and wifi) and usually book a balcony cabin but not so much if you don't. It's been a while since I sailed with FO but I have a long one booked on Bolette next year so it will be intersting to compare.

[showingdiva]

11 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

If you don't wish to fly the options are limited. Fred Olsen and Saga are the only choices really. I love Saga but they are more expensive as all inclusive. Fine if you use the extras (like transport and wifi) and usually book a balcony cabin but not so much if you don't. It's been a while since I sailed with FO but I have a long one booked on Bolette next year so it will be intersting to compare.

 

Fred have put Braemar up to sale, which has been laid up for some time (in view of my kitchen window) in Fife since she returned to the UK at the beginning of the pandemic.

 

 

[Britboys]

32 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

If you don't wish to fly the options are limited. Fred Olsen and Saga are the only choices really. I love Saga but they are more expensive as all inclusive. Fine if you use the extras (like transport and wifi) and usually book a balcony cabin but not so much if you don't. It's been a while since I sailed with FO but I have a long one booked on Bolette next year so it will be intersting to compare.

And Ambassador with one ship based ex Tilbury and a second to do regional departures ex Dundee, Liverpool, Belfast, Bristol and Falmouth.

[PJ's]

We are booked on B322 to the Baltic on 1st September 2023 but not had an email informing us that this cruise is cancelled. Wonder if it will be?

[Britboys]

23 minutes ago, PJ's said:

We are booked on B322 to the Baltic on 1st September 2023 but not had an email informing us that this cruise is cancelled. Wonder if it will be?

Hopefully it is booking better than the cancelled ones and will go ahead for you.

[jeanlyon]

and there I was thinking they were cancelled because of the war!  Now looks as if they can't fill them?

[Denarius]

18 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Having spent 3 weeks in the Baltic and Gulf of Bothnia last August, I felt totally safe. There are lots of other interesting ports in lieu of St Pete's - Riga, Tallinn, Skagen, Goteborg, Kemi, Ronne, Visby etc. and the weather was perfect. Would happily go back next year. Perhaps there are just too many Baltic cruises to fill them all. What would cause me not to book however, is the probablity the cruise would be cancelled and thus it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I agree with all that you write. I went there too, possibly on the same cruise (S of D?). The ship was fairly full and many of those onboard (myself included) had booked it specifically because St Petersburg was never on the itinerary. I had a great time and would like to go back in 2024.

Edited December 6, 2022 by Denarius

[CRUISENSNOOZE]

8 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Well I have 3 future cruises booked on her so I sincerely hope she stays a while longer. 

So do we!. We have a cruise booked on Aurora for 2025..R501.

[molecrochip]

Aurora's dry dock was supposed to be R403 12 March 2024 however that was based on pre-pandemic dates and that date is still off-sale. I expect it to move to Autumn 2025 or Spring 2026 as the Summer 2022 dry-dock ticked the boxes.

 

Other dry docks:

Ventura N304 11 February 2023 / N502 8 February 2025

Azura A326 12 October 2023

Britannia B407 5 April 2024

Arcadia J418 7 November 2024

Iona G505 13 March 2025

Arvia April 2027

 

I am surprised at a double dry dock date for Ventura.

[Host Sharon]

4 hours ago, CRUISENSNOOZE said:

So do we!. We have a cruise booked on Aurora for 2025..R501.

Me too.

[Host Sharon]

18 hours ago, Denarius said:

I agree with all that you write. I went there too, possibly on the same cruise (S of D?). The ship was fairly full and many of those onboard (myself included) had booked it specifically because St Petersburg was never on the itinerary. I had a great time and would like to go back in 2024.

We were indeed on the same cruise and, like you, booked for the unusual itinerary.

[carlanthony24]

3 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Aurora's dry dock was supposed to be R403 12 March 2024 however that was based on pre-pandemic dates and that date is still off-sale. I expect it to move to Autumn 2025 or Spring 2026 as the Summer 2022 dry-dock ticked the boxes.

 

Other dry docks:

Ventura N304 11 February 2023 / N502 8 February 2025

Azura A326 12 October 2023

Britannia B407 5 April 2024

Arcadia J418 7 November 2024

Iona G505 13 March 2025

Arvia April 2027

 

I am surprised at a double dry dock date for Ventura.

How do you know the dates of each one? Currently booked on A326P. People have been saying they have confirmed for 2023 but no date is set. Azura only went dry dock in 2021 normally every 5 years they go. Which would make it 2026 for her next one. I feel it would make more sense to do the dry dock after this cruise since they have three days in Tenerife and could head up to Cadiz for it.

[Host Sharon]

1 hour ago, carlanthony24 said:

How do you know the dates of each one? Currently booked on A326P. People have been saying they have confirmed for 2023 but no date is set. Azura only went dry dock in 2021 normally every 5 years they go. Which would make it 2026 for her next one. I feel it would make more sense to do the dry dock after this cruise since they have three days in Tenerife and could head up to Cadiz for it.

The poster works for P&O.

[paulatsea]

I didn’t  know Aurora had been in dry dock and a refit earlier this year -  were any changes/refurbishments made inside ?

2 cruises next year on her - end of August  Spain Portugal and Canaries beginning of December (great price and obc).

lovely ship.

Edited December 7, 2022 by paulatsea