wowzz

I think you are looking at different media sites to the ones I belong to !

We had booked tests at Lloyds in Slough, to be done in the morning before flying to Barcelona. Rang up to check - the branch are no longer doing them. No apology or anything ! So now booked with Lloyds in Lincoln a day earlier.

Although there are numerous post on social media about P&O not paying out, so you were lucky.

I can only speak from our last cruise in October. With so many pax having PP, Happy Hour is not needed.

Not a valid comparison. Currys actually hold the cash, so repaying you is easy. The big TA many of us use, does not hold cash, as payment is made directly to P&O. Refunds therefore have to be made from the cash flow generated from commission, which will be minute compared to the sum due for cancelled cruises.

No Happy Hour.

And how long are P&O taking to refund the TAs ? Expecting TAs to refund in 14 days if P&O are taking in excess of 28 days seems unfair.

The P&O world cruises are on adult only ships. And Fred Olsen are well known for the advanced age of their passengers - the last cruise line I would consider if I had children !

I think that is a choice for the individual. My wife and I caught Covid on our last (Arcadia) cruise, presumbaly contracted on board, but possibly in a bar or restaurant ashore. On our cruise, which was only half full, mask wearing was well enforced, but even so there were some cases of Covid towards the end of the cruise. There is only one way to be 100% sure of not contracting covid on a cruise, and that is not to get on the ship in the first place.

I think what many of us are saying that a bit of ad hoc mask wearing on a cruise ship is a pointless exercise. Given that people eat and drink together, with no masks on, why bother with masks eksewhere ?

In principle I agree with you, but if an individual goes out of their way to provide you with special service, it does seem a little curmudgeonly not to reward them for their effort. And that principle is not restricted just to cruising.

But everyone on the ship will have been triple vaccinated, and many will have already have had covid, so will have additional immunity. There comes a time when the preventative measures no longer are of benefit. Yes, Covid is still with us, and probably always will be, but random rules such as masks in the theatre but not in the MDR are illogical, and realistically will do nothing to stop the spread of covid through the ship.

And 3,000 won't have it !

We don't live in a tourist area either, but would always leave a few pounds for our server in a restaurant.

You just watch movies and the news on the TV in your cabin in the normal way. However, with the app you can watch the in-house movies on your portable device anywhere in the ship. (Not that I would bother !)

The fact is that once on board you can access all the features of the Medallion app through your cabin TV. No idea what you mean about WiFi - what has that got to do with the app ?

Not my experience- most of my acquaintances tip, but at nowhere near the US level. Somewhere between 5% and 10%.

But Harlow Car RHS is in Harrogate !

I thought they had been phased out ages ago ?

That, imho, deserves a tip, because the waiter went out of his way to provide you with a service.

If the weather is unkind, The Winter Gardens pub in Harrogate is a splendidly restored building. Well worth visiting, and it would be a shame not to have a pint whilst admiring the architectural features !

Perhaps in the US, but not in the UK.

I thought the only crew in the tip pool were waiters and stewards, no one else.

As another old git, I totally agree with you !

No - unless it is a large meal delivered to our cabin. Why tip a waiter that walks 10 metres from the bar to your seat on deck ? It's part of his job, and is getting 18% tip anyway. Plus, I'm certainly not going go carry around a pocketful of Euros around with me.