Cpt Pugwash

It's freezing here but that's nothing new. As we say here in Scotland,  

"There's no such thing as bad weather only the wrong choice of clothes." 🤪

On 9/15/2021 at 2:23 PM, Britboys said:

Yes, it would make sense to have one towel per person in the cabin, which can be put in a bin on deck when used. New towels could be placed in the cabin at evening service.

With there cabin No. printed in large No. so everyone knows who is abusing the situation.

Usual Sunshine one minute Raining the next. :-(

On 9/5/2021 at 7:46 PM, lorrainemargaret said:

Hi I am going on Iona in Jan 2022 Spain and Portugal,Can you get off at the ports and sightsee individual,or do you have to have ship excursions,any info will be much appreciated thanks

P&O have announced passengers will be allowed off ships to independently tour from 25th Sept taking into local covid restrictions into consideration.

No didn't bother paying for Balcony this time when on the Iona next year to the Fjords, i prefer being out and about meeting people and taking photo's rather than sitting on a Balcony.

P.S if you've not booked anything yet though P & O is not going to Flam next year if your thinking about 2023 try to find a cruise including Flam because i think it is the most beautiful place i ever visited on holiday in my lifetime.

Take Care 

Cpt Pugwash

2 hours ago, lynnek said:

Just wondering if you were going to book a balcony on Iona on a fjords cruise would you choose port or starboard and why?

I visited the Fjord on the Azura a few years ago and took somebody advice and upgraded to a Balcony  but as the poster below say's you only see one side and spent most of my time high ondeck where you can view both sides at the same time so the £700 i paid to upgrade was basically a waste of money for me.

So i am booked to go back to the Fjords next year on the Iona but have just booked a inside cabin as will spend most  on deck taking photo's but depends what different people want from there cruise.

Take Care

Cpt Pugwash

I have been on a couple of Cruises before and i have booked one on the Iona for next year but this time i will be going Solo Disabled Passenger as i now have a Prosthetic Leg which limits the amount of walking i can do. 

I have found one of these companies that hire Mobility Scooters for use on board and though i can walk with crutches, (i'll not be running any more Marathons) so am hiring one to get around ship.

I have booked a Accessible Cabin and the company i am using to hire from work with the Cruise Companies so they can advise me the best one for space in Cabin.  

What my question is to anyone that has used Mobility Scooter or Wheelchair User is there a seperate exit from ship in ports as i know the gangplanks can be at a acute angle sometimes.?

I know i won't be able to take it on tour buses but would be useful for getting around ports.

Grateful for any info.

Cpt Pugwash.

On 8/9/2021 at 5:27 PM, sandancer said:

We are on G deck and have a boarding time of 12.45. Booked parking with CPS so I understand 12.45 is the time to arrive there and not at the ship. Is that right? Is there a lot of standing in queues?  I have mobility issues and would find it very difficult to stand for any length of time. I’ve emailed to ask for a wheelchair in the terminal but await an answer. Phoning is out of the question. 

Best get a wheelchair because the last time i went they had one of those stupid pictures with your head cut out like you see at seaside and take your pic and expect everybody to queue so they can ask you if you want one or not.

I cut through the lane tapes because i am disabled and one of the Photographic staff shouted to me i was not allowed to cut through Security which i informed them it had Nothing to do with security only trying to sell me a photo i don't want.

On 4/21/2021 at 11:00 PM, Cpt Pugwash said:

It's wall to wall sunshine here in Paisley and is to continue into next week but won't make a difference to me, i'm taking part in the Virtual Kiltwalk with my own challenge of walking up and down the set of stairs to my flat 26 times equal to miles in normal Kiltwalk for my favourite charity Children 1st.

Might not sound that difficult but i have a Prosthetic leg and between the operation then housebound recovering then winter kicking in then all these lockdowns over the last year i'm still not very confident wearing it.

The 'official' description of me by the Doctors and Nurses in the hospital was 'determined' my description 'slightly mad', but it's all for the kids that's all that matters.

Probably tempting fate saying this 'though i've had a few falls i've never fallen down the stairs YET'. :-)

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/kindhearted-scots-raise-over-4-23978508

I did it, took me 3 days but the main thing is raising money for the children.

4 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Beautiful sunny day down here in Devon, bit of a cold wind, but that's fine.

 

Guess who is not using a cane at all in the house, climbing the stairs normally and thoroughly enjoying being back at work.

Show Off. 🙂 Well Done.

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Can I be the the first to offer my best wishes,  and to sincerely hope you don't put a foot wrong!

Sounds like an excellent charity - can you post a link. I'm sure some of us would like to support your efforts.

https://virtual.thekiltwalk.co.uk/fundraising/ScotlandsVirtualKiltwalk2021-ColinShields?fbclid=IwAR0T518izw2_7_hcBW9RoeMFcu-f10BBaHUKYGYeGHhESoyv0aTfo3s3WNI

Thank You from the children, Children 1st and myself.

It's wall to wall sunshine here in Paisley and is to continue into next week but won't make a difference to me, i'm taking part in the Virtual Kiltwalk with my own challenge of walking up and down the set of stairs to my flat 26 times equal to miles in normal Kiltwalk for my favourite charity Children 1st.

Might not sound that difficult but i have a Prosthetic leg and between the operation then housebound recovering then winter kicking in then all these lockdowns over the last year i'm still not very confident wearing it.

The 'official' description of me by the Doctors and Nurses in the hospital was 'determined' my description 'slightly mad', but it's all for the kids that's all that matters.

Probably tempting fate saying this 'though i've had a few falls i've never fallen down the stairs YET'. :-)

19 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I wonder if they will have a spiral carousel installed in the dining rooms, they start you off in the centre and you spiral out slowly towards the door, and woe betide you if you have not finished in time.

Maybe it will be the opposite of that Japanese way of dining where the food is on a conveyor belt slowly moving around in front of the diners where they help themselves to what they want, the P&O way will be the diners go round on  a conveyor belt eating as we go. 🙂

11 hours ago, SarahHben said:

It’s taken all of our married life to persuade my husband to try a cruise, I think he caved in to shut me up, but he has said that a balcony is a must for him. No balcony - no cruise!

Funny you say you had to nag your husband to go on a cruise cause there was a couple i dined with on my first cruise and they were the same but by the end of it he was hooked and they went on another a few months later.

Might be you trying to shut him up asking 'when we going on another' when you come home. 🙂 Enjoy

32 minutes ago, Purdey16 said:

There is one formal night on my princess cruise in September it’s on the cruise personaliser so I will certainly be taking a long dress and other half his dinner suit , I love dressing up for dinner and it’s only for a short while then il be back home in my scruffy togs again . I hope formal nights will stay for good 

I was going to make a comment about most of the Ladies not wanting them to end but thought i better not save getting myself into trouble. :-)

Personally i'm not really bothered either way about if there are Formal Wear Nights or not because if you think about it after dinner what use is wearing Formal Wear.?

Yes a dress code always smart the way you would dress when going to say a friends wedding, not like you slob about during the day (or is that just me.) 🙂

During my first cruise i seen a sight i had a little snigger at, Formal Wear Night and Man Utd was playing Man City and in the biggest bar on the Azura it was standing room only shoulder to shoulder watching football with all the Men and Ladies dressed in Formal Wear.

Was the weirdest place i had ever watched football.

3 hours ago, indiana123 said:

We used a Porter just over a year ago.  He was worth every penny.  He walked a bit quick for me (with stick) but  OH went with him and I just caught them up.  

Thanks for that though travelling myself i could gve him the keys of my car ask hm to put case in boot and return my keys on his way back save him waiting for this old slow coach. :-)

9 hours ago, tring said:

 

That explains it then.  She is the first ship they have done that with, but it does say that in the brochures etc.

The P&O site says choice of Dining times with Select Price so they must be using the standard ad.

1 minute ago, tring said:

 

Which ship is it for?  I think Iona only has  Freedom Dining, so likely the same for Arvia.

 

The Iona only been on 2 cruises before and both ties given a choice of dining.

I booked a trip for July 2022 the other day through there call centre and have noticed i have been put down for Freedom Dining without being asked about sittings, is this standard with me booking so far ahead or has the member of staff who took my booking decided themselves that i would have Freedom Dining even though i paid the Select Price which states a choice of Dining times.?

4 hours ago, davecttr said:

I am still hankering for the Fjords after 48 cruises. My first cruise was on the old Thomson Celebration out of Harwich, I was hooked.

I would say go for it but the only bit of advice is unless you like sunbathing in peace reading a book a Balcony is a waste of money cause i spent £700 upgrading after reading someones comment about sitting there watching the scenery go by forgetting you only see one side like that, better lazing up on deck.

3 hours ago, Eddie99 said:

On your return, engage a porter in the baggage hall.  He will locate your luggage, put it on his trolley and take it to your car.

There is no set charge, indeed there is no charge at all.

Your porter will appreciate a tip and you will be happy to hand over a crisp note after your lovely restful holiday with its relaxed conclusion

 

(I have never used this service but this is what I believe is available.  Others will be along to correct me if I have mis-spoken.  Enjoy your cruise)

Thanks for that tip happy to pay Porter to collect my luggage for me, just looking to make my Transfer from Terminal to Car as easy as possible for me.

3 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Depends a little on who you park with.

 

If you have booked parking with CPS:

 

Drop car off in area outside terminal (same as taxis), baggage handlers take your luggage, CPS take your car from there.  On return, you have to collect your car from a nearby car park. Usually about a 5 minute walk.

 

If you have booked parking with Parking4Cruises:

 

Go to luggage drop area (as above), drop off checked in baggage only with the baggage handlers.  Then drive your to the short stay car park.  P4C take your car off there, you then have to walk back to the terminal with your carry on luggage, usually about a 5 minute walk.  On return, you have to collect your car from the short stay car park.

Thanks for info not bothered who does it or price, just will be first time on holiday with Prosthetic and though i can walk with crutches i don't like the idea of trying to pull a case at the same time.

On 1/4/2021 at 5:16 PM, rodndonna said:

We never had the Fjords on "the list" until we were looking at YouTube videos for a Marella ship that we wanted info on, and one of them was from a Fjords cruise - but when we saw it, I HAD to add it to the list. So many places, so little time.....

Go for it out of this world recommended by travel agent for my first cruise and even though i'm a Proud Scotsman and we have some fantastic scenery here in Scotland i must admit (grudgingly) that the Fjords are better.🙂

I have been  on 2 cruises before so know the layout of what happens at Terminal but they were both by Plane,Train, Taxi and how they took my luggage off me as i got out the taxi and delivered it to my cabin (when i had 2 legs). 🙂

Now i have a Prosthetic leg and i will drive down will they take my car off me outside the Terminal or do i have to park it myself and collect it myself when back because don't want to walk any further than i need to especially if i have to pull a case with me. (Iona G225)

Any info greatly appreciated.