ann141

2 hours ago, sweep2907 said:

Apologies for not being clear but this cruise she would be happy to transfer again to 2023 version as already rolled from 2021. Rang again this morning and was told no so asked for supervisor to call her back. I'm appalled they forcing people to cruise in this climate rather than move the cruise further down the line.

I don't know how old your Mum is? When the supervisor phones it might be worth saying that although you realise it's not official policy perhaps they could make a goodwill gesture in the case of your Mum particularly if she is in the vulnerable group for covid.Good Luck

2 hours ago, Katie52 said:

We are due to cruise around the UK in July and the final port of call will be Le Havre.  I am curious as to why as all the other ports are British.  Is this some odd rule like the US has?

We did a similar cruise (Is it with Princess?) I presume it's because people can embark or disembark there so useful for people from Europe wanting to cruise round the UK? 

That must be so upsetting.I hope Saga will offer you a refund at the very least and that you stay covid free

2 hours ago, davecttr said:

My next cruise will hopefully be at the end of May on Iona to Norway so plenty of time to make the final decision. I took a quick look at Princess from Southampton and they have a lot of interesting itineraries

 

Or I might try some UK trips, I don't drive but there is public transport and my bus pass. i have looked at Portsmouth for Victory etc and Stonehenge York, Glasgow and Liverpool plus Isle of Man, all firmly with the NHS !

We have still got a couple of cruises to look forward to but also enjoy discovering parts of the UK that we have not previously visited.We had a lovely holiday on the Isle of Man a few years ago using public transport, travelling to Liverpool by train then ferry to Douglas.We then used the local bus and tram services to explore the island.Last year we stayed in Devon, Ayrshire and Weymouth travelling there by train and by bus locally.This year we are hoping to explore Norfolk and Suffolk.We also managed 2 cruises last year as we like to do a mixture of holidays

4 hours ago, LandC said:

The £90 pre -registration fee is deducted from the deposit if you book. If you decide not to book, you can move it to the following year, or have a refund.

Thank you

If you pay the £90 to pre register is that your deposit (As it is for some cruise lines) or do you still pay the 15%

2 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

Apologies for the delay in producing this latest of my cruise blogs, blame a fast and free Christmas & New Year social programme...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2022/01/02/iona-a-pre-christmas-cruise-diary/

 

 

 

******

 

Thank you for a very detailed review including some great photos

2 minutes ago, Kenmure said:

Your driver shouldn’t eat or drink either. Our driver admitted to chewing gum and we had to wait for 30 mins before they would test us and the driver.

Thank you

5 minutes ago, Glenndale said:

The procedures regarding the LFT and PCR tests could take an hour and you may well need a comfort stop on the way down, probably at Sutton Scotney.

As I said, once the tests are completed you will be free to board and your room will be ready, but difficult to estimate how long it will take.

Don’t eat or drink when you are within 30 minutes of Southampton as this could affect your tests.

I don’t know what percentage of berths are being sold at the moment probably around 70% so that means approx 700 people will need to be tested, although some of the 700 may be staying on board from the previous cruise.

Do have all your covid documentation ready, it will help if you can print off the pdf and also screen capture details on your phone as well, in case of wi-fi failures.

 

 

Thank You.I thought only a LFT was needed to embark and that the PCR test was for arriving back in the UK.Do you know roughly the times people disembark from the ship and is it in any order e.g Deck number or furthest t travel etc?

17 hours ago, Glenndale said:

Arrival time depends on pick up time from home. Saga try to stagger arrivals so that you are not waiting too long whilst LFT and PCR tests are being processed. When you embark your cabin will be ready and The Grill will be available for lunch.

Thank You.What is the earliest time people board? Our pick up time is 8 55 and as it is under 4 hours to Southampton, I am hoping we can board shortly after arrival

What time to people usually board and is your cabin immediately available? Do most people arrive in time to have lunch onboard?

43 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

The Christmas Tree and decorations are all back in the loft for another year and the house has been thoroughly cleaned.  Life feels normal again.

I am keeping them up in the hope that my daughter and family will be able to see them before I have to take them down.They only live a few miles away but a lot of children in one grandsons class tested positive for covid a few days before Christmas and my daughter was worried they may be infected without knowing it and pass it on, particularly as my son and his wife were staying with us and my daughter in law is pregnant.Then on Sunday my husband started with a bad cold.He has done several lateral flow tests which have all been negative but my daughter understandably doesnt want to visit at the moment.

10 hours ago, wowzz said:

Interestingly,  Mrs W received a recorded delivery PCR test today through the post. 

As she is a shielding individual, the test has been sent so that if she gets symptoms she can self administer the test, and then receive the newly approved anti Covid drug if she tests positive.

Most impressed ! 

I have received mine too and am impressed that the system set up seems very well organised.It also helps reassure me that if I do catch covid I will be supported from the start.

Thank you Josy and all the other volunteers who volunteer at the Vaccination centres.You are doing a wonderful job whilst putting yourselves at risk of catching covid as well as the abuse you may get.I am really grateful for all you do

27 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Wishing you a pain-free, successful procedure Graham.

Ditto and I hope that you and Pauline and all others on CC have an enjoyable Christmas

27 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Having done many Cunard and P&O cruises in the past as recently as November on QE I can give an honest opinion and correct many inaccuracies previously stated. All ship is prices in US$ drinks prices are higher than P&O but spirit measures are larger on Cunard and there is a 15% service charge not 18%. Dress code is not more formal as they have changed to Formal and Smart Casual where a jacket is not required and there is usually 2-3 Formal in 14 nt cruise similar to P&O. Cunard have been trialling a change to their dining times in Britannia 1st sitting still fixed at 6pm and second sitting anytime after 7-15pm, this has gone down very well and Cunard are looking at making it permanent. All other dining Britannia Club, Princess and Queens are anytime and at higher cost. IMO which is obviously subjective is Britannia is better food and service than P&O and not being a big alcohol drinker worth the extra costs of Cunard. My main advice is not to rely on responses from here because I have said earlier many are incorrect and some give opinions without ever stepping foot on a Cunard ship but think they are expert enough to give advice. If I can be anymore assistance or you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will answer as honestly as I can with facts.

Thank you for the update.We were last on Cunard in November 2019 so policy has obviously changed since then

I agree with what others have posted.Would only add that there is no Freedom Dining and gents have to wear a jacket every night including non formal which my husband is not keen on.We like Formal nights but generally travelling to Southampton by train it means 2 jackets for my husband to pack = extra weight to carry.

12 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

The highlight of the day for us is going to a PCR test this afternoon.  I woke up this morning with a cough, sneezing, sore throat, upset stomach and the worst headache ever. My vision is not affected so I know that it is not a migraine but I have taken my migraine medication just in case but it has made no difference. I have done a LFT which has shown up negative but as they are not very accurate and we have had contact with my niece's husband who now has covid I thought that we should get a PCR to be sure rather than take the risk of potentially spreading it further.

My other niece has gone into hospital this morning to have a mastectomy, her surgeon rang her yesterday and asked who she would like to be on the theatre team because he knows her well and some of her colleagues knew that she was on today's list and had asked to be on the team. 

Sorry to hear this Josy.I do hope that you feel better soon and that the PCR test result is negative

4 hours ago, Eddie99 said:

… and the second granddaughter has now tested positive.  Just Dad to go 😕

Poor things

Thinking of you and your family.My daughter, husband and 2 boys have all just come out of isolation after covid.My daughter and her husband are improving and the boys are looking forward to going back to school tomorrow.My daughter is planning to have her booster as soon as she is allowed because she is worried about catching Omicron.Thank you Josy and Jane for all your hard work at the vaccination clinic. My husband is a volunteer steward at our local clinic and was disappointed to have missed seeing Dan Walker who had his booster there on Wednesday.Just about to watch Strictly.I really want Rose to win

41 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Hi just got back from the Hozzie ,Mrs K was awake and chatting with me ok .

After the 2 ops she had drips and drains and in a bit of pain but we knew it 

was going to be a steady recovery . Onwards and upwards as they say .

41 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Hi just got back from the Hozzie ,Mrs K was awake and chatting with me ok .

After the 2 ops she had drips and drains and in a bit of pain but we knew it 

was going to be a steady recovery . Onwards and upwards as they say .

Glad the op went well and hope for a straightforward and quick recovery for Mrs k

12 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

Morning from sunny Yorkshire, a lovely crisp dry morning here but with one of those sneaky winds that blows right through you. 

 

Premium bond day for those of us who partake, nowt for me but Mrs YP got 75 quid, every little helps as they say.

Hubby and I won £75 between us on Premium Bonds this month.That is roughly the cost of kennel care for a few days for our daughters dog as her whole family has covid Difficult to know how to help when you can't enter the house or offer to have the kids but the win has helped solve one problem and hopefully the dog will feel pampered

We went on a P and O excursion on one of the Caribbean Islands (Can't remember which one) and as it wasn't as described quite a lot of us went to the Excursions desk the following day.Everyone on that tour received a partial refund so it may be worth contacting P and O

12 minutes ago, wowzz said:

As previously stated, we went ashore on November 2nd with no testing at all.

From other comments it seems likely that although the official policy for Gibraltar is for a test before going ashore they let the people on our cruise disembark because Sky Princess was reluctant to carry out the tests and they didn't want to lose the revenue from over 2,000 people! Speculation of course, not fact

1 hour ago, ohnonotmeagain said:

I think  sometimes the "official" line is what they want you to hear ,not  necessarily the whole  truth.... at least 2 people were disembarked from that  Med cruise, assisted by men in full hazmat suits,spraying the air around  them. I don't know if they were crew or passengers  but  both  episodes were witnessed by my husband and myself. 

I spoke to a passenger oboard the cruise who also witnessed the people disembarking

3 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Have to say, we are currently watching Jane MacDonald on the Sky Princess. We love Britannia so it is really interesting. Have just had a look at cruise on Sky Princess for July 2023 and it is coming out really good for that time of the year, 14 day med, aft balcony including 1 device wifi free, all inclusive premium drinks and gratuities. May jump ship and move over to the other side to see what it is like.

Have done Celebrity but always fancied giving Princess a go.

 

(And the dates still give us a good 4 weeks in our 2nd caravan home if Pete asks 😉 )

We like P and O and also Princess.We have just returned from a cruise on Sky Princess and loved the ship.We also like Britannia as I note you do too

3 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

Well it’s all gone a bit bad here I’m afraid. 

Joshua’s mum tested negative- hooray! Then …
 

About 9-15am Wednesday I phoned my mum for usual daily call and she said my Dad had just been taken to hospital in an ambulance with chest pains!! They’d waited 45 minutes for an ambulance and she hadn’t told me. She kept telling me she was alright but we both had a little cry. They told her they’d probably bring him back in a few hours. Well he’s still at the hospital, he’d had a ‘small’ heart attack. 
 

Luckily Wednesday is my day off and as it was the day before Joshua’s birthday his mum was off to make cake etc so I didn’t have him. I decided to get the bus over to my mum. Good thing I did as a cardiologist called their landline a couple of times and my mum’s speech isn’t great so I was able to do that. When John got home from work he came over and mum made us dinner as she’d got it all ready for Dad bless her! 
 

She’s been staying with us since, there’s no way she can be on her own. 
 

My poor Dad didn’t get into a ward til nearly 10pm!!! Luckily he has his mobile phone with him so he’s been phoning us and we’ve been phoning him. Took mum to see him yesterday but only one visitor allowed. So I had to walk her to the ward and then lurk outside. She had her walker and a carry bag with dads things in. When someone opened the door I shoved the bag at him and said ‘can you help her’ and he did , turned out he was a doctor! 
 

The reason I’m so early is mum came into our room at 430am worrying where she’d put something…! This is not going to be easy.
 

Sorry to hear about your Dad.Take care