Is it pointless looking for ferry bookings for next year?

Camper634

Camper634

Joined
Dec 18, 2011
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I am trying to cheer myself up by booking next years ferries.I usually do this end of October.My question is,am I wasting my time and getting false hope?Is there any end in sight to this nightmare?
 
No-one knows. If it makes you happy even though you know it may not happen and the booking is transferrable why not. Otherwise Sainsbury's wine offer is only on until Sunday!!

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JJ said:
I wouldn't book any crossings in advance these days...
...mind you, I never booked any crossings before this nonsense.

I just turned up and travelled...

"Planning equals the death of Spontaneity."


JJ :cool:
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It depends on circumstances, now I'm retired I tend to agree with you, but when I was working and only had 3 weeks to do a trip planning was essential.
 
We still have our booking for the 29th December which is actually partially a voucher from June with Brittany ferries.
If your fine with money tied up and are happy with the company’s refund policy’s it shouldn’t be an issue.
 
Some random things I read on a BBC News page:
Worldwide, there are 11 vaccines near testing conclusion.
By next summer we will of had the winter infection peak.

So, IMO, I’d be booking refundable or movable trips for 2021.
It would be less fun & depressing not to.

We’ve one booked trip for 2020 left but with overnight news that won’t happen. But it’ll be moveable so the pain is muted.
 
Makes us realise that living on the Continent that is a worry we do not have, just drive out and go.

But to answer the question, I would not book now, mainly because we cannot know which travel companies will survive.

Geoff

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Antibodies don't seem to hang around long enough for a vaccine to be effective.

Personally I won't be booking anything until 2022.
 
Don't see why you have to book anything till at least a month before you go, why?
 
I fully understand how you feel, but keep planning your next trip abroad, but hold off booking a ferry crossing until the situation is much clearer. We lost out on our 10 week trip to Spain this year, as BF çancelled our crossings. As things are still yoyoing at present, we have decided to sit tight and wait, however difficult this is.

As mentioned already, we all wait for the magic cure, this of course will be in the form of a vaccine. Fingers crossed.
 
Hvae two trips booked with BF for next year. End of May on the bike to Normandy & Mid September in the Van to Spain.
Got to have something to lookforward to. If they get cancelled , Ill find something else to do.
 
Good thinking Howard.

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We just rebooked a crossing from Newcastle for next summer
This was with a credit from a cancelled trip this year
Unlikely I would have booked if I hadn't already had the credit
Have also moved a ski trip to 2022 as I cant see much/any chance of going this season (this was originally booked pre covid )
 
Having had 4 holidays cancelled this year and still waiting (now 4 months) for a full holiday payment refund from P&O, I have no inclination to throw money at companies to use it as free credit and then make it almost impossible to recover it. More than a bit miffed - you bet!
 
I booked my crossings as I had vouchers and a discount code that needed using. I have found inthe past that the crossings to Spain do sell out & I do have fixed dates I need to work with. I have only paid half up front on a credit card so if goes tits up then Ill use that option for a refund. If I lose the money, Ill not lose sleep over it.
The way I see it is that if we dont try & support some of these companies they will go bust. Thats my excuse for having a takaway curry every Friday.
 
chaser said:
Don't see why you have to book anything till at least a month before you go, why?
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Not sure if the OP has a dog but if so you have to book as soon as the crossing dates are released if you want a dog cabin. We missed out this year and had to book a kennel instead and they were few and far between. If we didn't have the dog there was plenty of late availability. This was Portsmouth to Santander.

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We have a dog and I've managed to book late Jan to Spain and a few days later to Tenerife. I'm currently taking 20 to 1 against!
 
Camper634 said:
I am trying to cheer myself up by booking next years ferries.I usually do this end of October.My question is,am I wasting my time and getting false hope?Is there any end in sight to this nightmare?
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I think that you probably are Camper634.
 
Normally only book a week or two before going unless there are special offers with big discounts.
Until this Covid thing is over we will be using the tunnel.

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chaser said:
Don't see why you have to book anything till at least a month before you go, why?
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Ordinarily I would agree and pre motor home we often did the same for other holidays, except often only days in advance rather than a month, but the Italy to Greece ferries that we use need to be booked ASAP when they release their dates, especially the outgoing April one, as the open decks get full very quickly.
 
The amount of time the magic word 'vaccine' has been stated on this thread it is no wonder the government are basing planning the same way. If we get one it will be a bonus & certainly not to be assumed as foregone conclusion.What they should be doing is planning as though one will never arrive & plan as though we are going to have to live with it.
 
gus-lopez said:
The amount of time the magic word 'vaccine' has been stated on this thread it is no wonder the government are basing planning the same way. If we get one it will be a bonus & certainly not to be assumed as foregone conclusion.What they should be doing is planning as though one will never arrive & plan as though we are going to have to live with it.
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I feel you are correct. We do need to live with it. I don’t know what that would entail but hope it won’t mean spending the rest of our lives locked away in our house. To me that wouldn’t be living it would be existing
 
chaser said:
Don't see why you have to book anything till at least a month before you go, why?
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I need to book 53 weeks in advance to get descent ferry ticket to the Isle of Man for the TT races - I'm sure there are other events which may require similar pre-booking

Obviously with the event being cancelled this year, the booking I made in May 2019 (for 2020) has been carried forward for the 2021 event (fingers crossed, it goes ahead - decision to be published pre-Christmas)

I'm sure there are many others who have reasons for booking early to ensure that they get suitable sailings to fit in with work, pastimes, events, accomodation, family commitments, etc
 
gus-lopez said:
The amount of time the magic word 'vaccine' has been stated on this thread it is no wonder the government are basing planning the same way. If we get one it will be a bonus & certainly not to be assumed as foregone conclusion.What they should be doing is planning as though one will never arrive & plan as though we are going to have to live with it.
Click to expand...
glenn2926 said:
I feel you are correct. We do need to live with it. I don’t know what that would entail but hope it won’t mean spending the rest of our lives locked away in our house. To me that wouldn’t be living it would be existing
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And there are several ways a vaccine can work.
Like: give you a small attack of, for this thread, COVID-19
Some use an inactive virus, etc. (I lost the link to the better explanation)

tl;dr we could rely too much on the vaccine being a fix-it for all.
It will be great to get one or two of them though.
11 are in late stages of testing. 👍🏻

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