Fly cruises

[Mariner Mike]

Personally I think this is great as I can get a Central Med style cruise in two weeks, saving holiday time doing BoB again. Baltic, Fjords Iceland et al are great from Southampton, but not everybody can do the longer central and Eastern Med ex-Southampton. I do wonder though if these cruises will stay in the itinerary and actually happen. I know it's a different ship, but look what happened with Adonia last year.

Happy Cruising all

[davecttr]

It should happen for at least a season. I see that the fly cruises are now advertised on TV which is either a good thing or bad if it is because nobody is booking them.

I do think that if P&O want to attract customers away from their rivals they may have to ease the dress code further on what is already a mostly casual ship.

[Mariner Mike]

In support davecttr's response we've done 4 fly cruises with Thomson to Western and Eastern Med, and to Canaries via Gran Canaria and Tenerife. The arrangements have always been spot on and the way they stagger disembarkation to match flights times works really well.

[towny44]

I notice that P&O have changed one turnround port from Savona to Genoa, see link.

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/ne ... uises.html

[Mervyn and Trish]

Will this suck all P&O passengers away from Southampton and make for loads of ex Southampton Getaway deals? No, of course not. Ventura is one ship, capacity 3000ish. Even if this is overwhelmingly popular and she sails completely full every week she doesn't have the capacity to divert all the P&O trade.

[davecttr]

And heres me hoping to see Savona

Never mind I can't remember if I have been to Genoa either.

Still advertising the fly cruises on the telly.

I wonder how bookings are going?

they should have had the flight details for my cruise by now but nothing so far.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I don't think the telly adverts are a bad sign. Any company launching a new product advertises it. I'm sure there will be potential customers who've dismissed P&O before because of this gap in their product range and need this prompt to look again.

[Ray B]

We are on a Southampton to Southampton Caribbean cruise, so for the first time will not be flying.
On another cruise site there are reports of P & O using a different airline with old planes. After flying on the dreamliner and other modern wide body jets the seat pitch is bigger, giving a much better flying experience. In flight entertainment also much better. The reports suggest that the aircraft may not have in flight entertainment (not a big problem for me) but what is, is if the seat pitch is smaller, and back to 8 hours of being in cramped conditions something I certainly did not enjoy, will be a backward step to the start of a holiday.
Any thoughts on that or anyone have more details.

[Stephen]

When you fly next Ray see if you can get emergency exit seats Ray. Loads more leg room but with a slight down side of it can get very cold for the person next to the door. It did for Mrs S back in 2008. I would have changed with her but I said I couldn't as my name was allocated to that particular seat.

Looks like more P&O cut backs.

pln.jpg

[barney]

It's not about cutbacks, it's because the flight industry hasn't totally recovered after Covid.

We've done two fly cruises with no problems because we booked early but I'm aware that P&O are now selling Canary & Med cruises without a flight attached. You have to book your own.
We have two more booked for October & January.
October out with TUI and back with Jet2, chartered.
January out and back with Jet2, scheduled.

It's a capacity problem.
TUI will always put their own customers before another company.

[Stephen]

Argh the old Covid excuse. How many times have we heard that old one.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Never been a fly cruise fan. I have trouble getting Trish's eight cases into the overhead lockers.

[Stephen]

Nor me, but unless the itineraries change I might have to bite the bullet. Hopefully not just yet though.

[screwy]

Flying to Malta from Manchester to join Azura in May. Flying with TUI, does anyone know if your cases go directly to the ship.?

[barney]

No they don’t mate.
You collect from the baggage carousel then walk out of the airport and you’ll see the P&O staff who direct you to the coach. Next to the coach is a truck that they put your cases into and that’s taken directly to the ship.
You can put your hand luggage under the coach and get back at the terminal.
Your big cases are delivered to your cabin.
Top tip. The duty free at the terminal is pretty good and much cheaper than the airport or plane.
We bought a litre of orange gin €10 and a litre of Aperol €12 . Many a happy hour spent on our C deck balcony on the port side

[screwy]

Ah cheers Barney that’s good to know. Hoping to spend many happy hours on our C deck Port balcony too.It’s not till the 16 th May. Only 7 weeks today. Yay.!

[Ray B]

Never bothered me the flight to the Caribbean, it's the airports that I get no enjoyment from. Nowadays they have become very big and busy, until I set my backside on the plane seat, do I think the holiday has really started and I can then relax.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Fly cruises never appealed to us, other than the necessary evil of flying to get to Alaska. For us the holiday begins the moment we board in Southampton.

[barney]

Our last three cruises have been fly cruise.
Luckily, we have the option of flying from Bristol which is relatively painless.
Our next cruise is departing from Bristol, the one after from Southampton and the following two are fly cruises, one to Tenerife and the other to Malta.
Flying to the destination in the winter means immediate sunshine. My sister in law is currently on Sky Princess to the Med and back and so far, the weather has been horrendous.

[Ray B]

In the 1990s when we embarked our first cruise, having only ever taken the car or the plane abroad, we were struck by the ease of driving to the Mayflower terminal and of the porters taking the luggage from the car and CPS taking the car. We thought, what a civilised way to start a holiday.
Airports just give you stress as much as you try to be calm.

[Stephen]

Fly cruises never appealed to us, other than the necessary evil of flying to get to Alaska. For us the holiday begins the moment we board in Southampton.

With you there.

[david63]

In the 1990s when we embarked our first cruise, ... and CPS taking the car.

In the early 1990's it was Andrews Garage Services that did the car parking - CPS only came into existence at the end of 1996.

I well remember driving into the "shed" where porters took your luggage out of your car, then men in khaki dustcoats drove your car away and then it was 50 yards up the ramp into the terminal where there were two desks for checking in as you arrived. You then sat and waited until you were called to board the ship - ah, the good old days

[Ray B]

David, it was 1998.

[david63]

David, it was 1998.

Well at least you have had a free history lesson