We catch up with P&O Cruises’ president, Paul Ludlow, who discusses the cruise line’s bookings and consumer sentiment amidst the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Current bookings show strong volumes from guests new to P&O Cruises, demonstrating the enduring demand from past guests and new ones to holiday with us,” comments Paul Ludlow.

These are encouraging words, indeed, from the president of the leading British cruise line, who recently spoke to us about how P&O is faring amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

For Ludlow, the strong booking volumes from both new-to-cruise and veteran cruisers highlights how there continues to be consumer demand for cruise holidays in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the global suspension of sailings, Ludlow notes how the cruise line has seen a large number of its guests reschedule their sailing to 2021, so much so that for some parts of the next 12 months, it is close to nearing full capacity for family groups.

He says: “We are seeing guests due to sail during our pause this year switching to the same holiday at the same time next year.

“With these bookings adding to existing 2021 bookings plus guests, eager to experience our latest ship Iona, availability in 2021 is already increasingly limited. So if guests have a preference for a specific time of year, ship or itinerary, we recommend they book it soon.

“Availability for family groups during the 2021 school summer holidays is already extremely limited and we recommend that guests already look at alternative school holidays such as Easter, Christmas or half-term breaks next year.”

With many guests having opted for the cruise line’s Future Cruise Credit (FCC), Ludlow is pleased to stress that P&O Cruises is currently amending its systems so that guests who opted for the enhanced 125 per cent FCC instead of a refund will soon be able to redeem online without the need to call.

Of course, the cruise line, like so many, has had to process a significant number of refunds, resulting in Ludlow having to take to social media last week to reassure customers that the company is doing everything it can to speed up the process.

Posting a message on Facebook, he said: “The first thing for me to stress is that the refund process is underway.

“We are proud to be a travel company, which is able to offer refunds but the impact of Covid-19 upon our business, your businesses, and all of our lives has been devastating, and therefore the complexity and scale of this task has been unprecedented for us.

“At P&O Cruises, we have had to adapt our ways of working very quickly as we set up new systems and all our colleagues began working from home.

“I understand that some of you see us as a big business ‘holding on to your money’ as some of our guests have been commenting publicly, but I assure you I am very aware of the financial constraints everyone is under at the moment and we are not delaying this intentionally.

“The first cruises were cancelled due to Covid-19 in the middle of March and whilst we expected to process the first refunds sooner, we revised that to ‘up to 60 days’ when we realised the impact the pandemic was having on our wider business and teams.

“I know that ‘up to 60 days’ is not ideal and it is certainly not the service you would normally expect from us but sadly “normal” has taken on a new meaning.

“In the past few weeks, despite the challenges, we have been able to put new technology and systems and also additional resource in place which will result in more refunds being processed more quickly and I hope this will improve the situation daily.”

P&O Cruises recently extended its suspension of sailings up to and including 31 July and Ludlow is very sorry that the company will not be able to offer guests a summer holiday this year.

With this being the third time the cruise line has extended its pause in operations, it begs the question of whether this will be the last time it alters its plans, but for Ludlow, all they can do is wait (like all of us) for further government advice and guidance.

“We can only work with what we know at the moment and I appreciate that it is difficult and disappointing for our guests and our trade partners.

“In the meantime, pending more clarity on the longer-term impact of Covid-19 and timing on the world’s return to normality, we are considering the evolving advice as well as potential restrictions in ports of call as we look at how we phase our ships back into service.”

In spite of the delay, Ludlow remains confident that the cruise line, and the industry, will bounce back.

“However long it takes, however difficult it is to get there, we will all travel again. It certainly won’t be next week and it probably won’t be next month or the month after, but we will all travel again.

“P&O Cruises has a heritage going back more than 180 years. We know our guests are eager to return to a P&O Cruises holiday and when the time is right we look forward to welcoming them on board.”

When the cruise line does eventually sail again, Ludlow acknowledges how it will not be quite the same experience for guests, who will have to adjust to new and enhanced health and safety protocols in a post-Covid-19 world.

“Cruising, like many businesses, will incorporate changes and learnings from the past months into future ways of working. We are taking advice from all the relevant authorities on keeping to any new guidelines, whether they be temporary or more permanent.

“These new stringent measures which may, no doubt, encompass rigorous pre-embarkation screening, changes to the on-board experience for guests and also working with our shore experience operators and ports of call, will be in place as soon as we reintroduce our ships.

“We will then get used to them in the same way as we got used to airline hand luggage restrictions.

“Our teams are working hard to consider a variety of potential options whilst incorporating these with our desire to give our guests the most amazing and memorable holidays with P&O Cruises.”

Visit pocruises.com for more information.