Gransnet forums

Travel

Wise to book cruises for 2022?

(141 Posts)
Willow73 Fri 15-Jan-21 10:18:03

Just wondering how people feel about booking cruises for 2022? Is it too early, will lots of people book and spaces go quickly, will the countries that they stop at still want them there.

icanhandthemback Fri 22-Jan-21 11:03:42

Nothing on earth would get me on a cruise. Apart from the fact that I have been advised that it might trigger a problem for me with vertigo that my brain won't switch off again, all those people in close confines with all their bugs...no thanks! We came back from Norway on a ship when I was younger and just about everybody except from my Grandad were violently seasick. The whole ship was absolutely disgusting with the toilets virtually overflowing with vomit. Sitting next to my mother and sister was a delight too. They had gone up on the deck to get fresh air and my sister had heaved into the wind. ?. All their clean clothes were locked in the car deck.
Nope, I wouldn't be booking a cruise in 2022.

cassandra264 Fri 22-Jan-21 11:01:44

I'm with EkwaNimitee and Esspee. Have enjoyed cruises in the past, and luckily got my money back for holidays booked for last year; but re. booking again, who wants the hassle in these uncertain times? Agree too that cruise ships can be a petri dish for viruses.

Some of my friends who chose to put off their bookings until this year or next still can't plan to go to the places they want to visit - and, if they cancel now, they will lose their deposits. In some cases, this will be a lot of money.

I was looking forward myself to those holidays I booked. I had previously had my share of responsibility and worry re family ill health (not Covid). This limited where I could go; what I could do; and with whom, for several years. Don't need any more disappointments, thank you!

After I'm vaccinated, when it's considered safe, and it is clear other countries are happy to have me visiting them, I'll be off. Until then - only after it's allowed of course - I'll be finding interesting places to visit in the UK.

Paperbackwriter Fri 22-Jan-21 10:53:59

grannyqueenie

Santana re proof of vaccination, my daughter had hers yesterday. She was given a little card with date of follow up injection. The nurses advised her to keep it and also take a photo of it as proof of vaccination in case she needed it to fly etc.

What a good idea about photographing the card. Shall do that after I've had my shot which is TOMORROW. I never thought I'd be THIS excited!

Neilspurgeon0 Fri 22-Jan-21 10:50:00

Have to support dogsmother, we did a Baltic Cruise for our 40th Wedding Anniversary, actually sailing out of Southampton on the exact date/time. Fantastic holiday and the long weekend in St. Petersburg, plus the wonderful fjord/river run up to Stockholm are sights I will never forget.m

Venus Fri 22-Jan-21 10:48:05

I cruise every winter but would not consider at this moment of time. I go to meet and mix with others. Also, I do not want to go on fix excursions. I don't want to wear a face covering, sit on my own at dinner, or socially distance. Until everything is back to normal, there is no way I would consider cruising.

Glosgran Fri 22-Jan-21 10:47:57

We have been on a number of cruises and had a river cruise cancelled last summer. However, the only holidays we will be booking for a long while will be self-catering holidays to places where we can avoid crowds. Wouldn't even be happy going to a hotel until we can enjoy the experience.

Daffydilly Fri 22-Jan-21 10:30:31

We have a Canada cruise booked for October this year. We booked it in January 2020, before most of us were even aware of covid.

In October 2020 I was diagnosed with bowel cancer, I've had surgery and I'm about to start chemo.

Part of me would still love to go, but the other part is scared. I'm kinda hoping the cruise company cancels and we can have the deposit back. ?

hicaz46 Fri 22-Jan-21 10:27:09

I'm with Maddyone love cruising, been to places I never thought I would as I won't fly anywhere. However it will sadly be a long time before I book another cruise.

aquagran Thu 21-Jan-21 12:04:13

Didn’t lose money, or get vouchers last year.

Esspee Thu 21-Jan-21 12:04:07

EkwaNimitee spot on.

aquagran Thu 21-Jan-21 12:03:32

ABTA protected.

Esspee Thu 21-Jan-21 12:01:29

If you cancel usually you do lose money aquagran. What the cruise companies are doing at the moment is selling cruises (at low prices) for dates that there is no possibility of them ever happening. You get a voucher when the cruise is cancelled by which time they have your money to help them survive.
If the company folds you will get nothing.

aquagran Thu 21-Jan-21 11:46:57

Just cancel, you’ve got nothing to lose.
It’s fun planning, holidays are important to us. Also, get a suite...more room!?

EkwaNimitee Thu 21-Jan-21 11:41:21

Those of you who have already booked have managed to get insurance then? Won't it be invalidated by the FCO advice not to go on a cruise?

aquagran Thu 21-Jan-21 10:31:39

Oh yes you can get insurance, but, each to her own, a sentiment more people on gransnet might follow.

maddyone Thu 21-Jan-21 10:28:20

I loved cruising before the pandemic, and through cruising we visited places in the world I thought I’d never see. However I wouldn’t dream of booking a cruise at the moment, although I like to dream that one day I’ll go on another, but certainly not yet.
Last year we went to Kefalonia in September for about ten days. We booked a couple of weeks before we went, because we were watching the situation in various countries carefully. Kefalonia had an extremely low rate of virus and there was no requirement to quarantine when we returned. I don’t mind if we had to quarantine, it’s just that no quarantine equalled low virus in my mind. Anyway the travel corridors have gone for now. I expect we’ll book for Greece again, providing the virus recedes and all things being equal.

Esspee Thu 21-Jan-21 10:18:35

Now that we know that cruise ships are Petri dishes for viruses I am surprised that anyone is considering going on a large cruise ship ever again.

I have enjoyed cruises in the past, chosen for the places they were visiting but never again. The thought of being cooped up in a tiny cabin should infection break out gives me claustrophobia just thinking about it.

You are unlikely to be able to get travel insurance anyway and no countries are going to welcome an influx of potentially infected tourists.

aquagran Thu 21-Jan-21 09:57:08

We got all our money back from last year’s cancelled cruises. Have booked two for this year, first in July. Fingers crossed!

Mamardoit Thu 21-Jan-21 09:50:16

I won't be booking just yet. I just think it's too soon and have written 2021 off for holidays abroad.

We missed the big three generation cruise holiday last year and for us the chance of that has past because the pre school DGC will now be school children. Families are tied to school holiday time.

DH is more wary of going on a cruise now but I would rather do that than have the bother of airports. We will just wait and see. Holidays are a lovely extra but not a necessity.

Margliz2912 Thu 21-Jan-21 09:39:31

Love cruising. I have one booked for September this year & 2 booked for next year. Got to have something to look forward to.

grannyqueenie Thu 21-Jan-21 09:39:04

Santana re proof of vaccination, my daughter had hers yesterday. She was given a little card with date of follow up injection. The nurses advised her to keep it and also take a photo of it as proof of vaccination in case she needed it to fly etc.

EkwaNimitee Thu 21-Jan-21 09:36:37

The current FCO advice is not to go on a cruise and my understanding is that you won't get insurance in that case. So presumably people are booking cruises in the hopes that that advice will change before the cruise date nears and then they will organise insurance?
I have a voucher from a cancelled cruise and that cruise line is offering cruises from May but there's no way I'm risking booking a cruise, even for 2022, until the FCO advice changes and corona virus is going well down.

Gingster Thu 21-Jan-21 09:31:12

Five years ago we were on a world cruise which lasted 4 months. It was a trip of a lifetime! Haven’t been on one since but it’s our Golden Wedding this year and was hoping to go on another. I wouldn’t book anything up for a couple of years and then see how things are looking. As has been said cruises are harbouring grounds for any infections and bugs, at the best of times.

Ellianne Thu 21-Jan-21 09:22:03

I would imagine people who enjoy cruises will start booking again. I have yet to try one but am less keen now after coronavirus.
Every day on my walk I watch the huge cruise ships, currently eight of them, in the bay. I do feel sorry for the staff on them but I also feel very cross about the marine diesel that has been used for no purpose over the past 10 months.

yggdrasil Thu 21-Jan-21 09:10:39

back in september 2019 I booked a cruise for October this year. It was very expensive but I reckoned I'd have time to save up. Now I have to pay the rest in May, and I am certain it will not be safe this year. So I will lose my deposit when I do cancel :-(