bbtablet

Just got back from the Baltic on Aurora last Sunday. One day was 37 degrees (the freak heat also experienced in GB), but most days were around 20 degrees - really perfect for touring. Might be a degree or two warmer for you. Virtually dry every day - maybe lucky there. So the weather was very GB-like. This is a good site to see forecasts: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2618425 You can set up all of your ports for daily forecasts for the next 2 weeksand check them every day as your cruise date approaches.

I found that P&O seem to be relaxing their restrictions on board as they bow to the inevitability of Covid cases, irrespective of all passengers boarding with negative test results. On Aurora to the Baltic last week there was no mention of: 1) any on-board testing 2) needing to report suspected Covid to the Medical Centre; 3) isolation cabins, 4) any overt comments about wearing masks until day 12 when the presence of "covid-like symptoms" was annouced by the captain and masks were "recommended" when moving about. It felt that P&O were giving in to the inevitable and treating Covid as they might a flu outbreak or similar. There was certainly plenty of Covid about by day 16 but nothing formerly discussed with the passengers apart from the belated mask-wearing request which some still ignored as the word "compulsory" was not used. Are Cunard ships now into this phase too, or is there evidence still of isolation of cases, and compulsory notification to the Medical Room, and testing? Experiences from current passengers on Cunard ships would be welcome.

Ken Dodd: "My shows are very educational you know - Oh yes. Only the other day I heard a man coming out after one of my shows say: "Well - that taught me a lesson.""

That's the first I have ever heard of that - have you any details where this has been applied in the past? - I always thought unspent OBC was lost.

Thanks for this. No-one on Aurora told us about the letter from Reception - very poor customer service - so I have had to email P&O for it today and it will no doubt take for ever. My claim with Staysure will wait until I have this document. Re St Petersberg cancellation, I will argue that as I had the insurance live, premium paid, and had paid for the cruise in full before any departure changes were made by P&O, the subsequent timing of future changes is not relevant, only that they took place. No doubt they will find some small print to counter this!

My question is this: Do Staysure pay out only if the itinerary change port is not replaced with another port (that obviously we had not chosen when booking the cruise)? Just returned from the Baltic cruise on the Aurora - St. Petersburg changed (after making final payment for the cruise) and Helsinki substituted. Then on the actual cruise one port missed (strong winds) and another port substituted for it, so we had the same number of ports of call as the original itinerary, but not the same ones that we booked and paid for. Do we have any likelihood of a successful claim on the "changed itinerary" extra cruise clause that we paid for?

" I highly recommend taking a car/coach into Rome and pre-book the return. It can be quite a journey due to traffic leaving Rome. Enjoy a gelato or two." Personally, based on your comment, I would worry about missing the ship after visiting Rome this way. As Mushki said "however the time constraints of having to be back at a certain time to the ship makes me a bit nervous and therefore leaning towards the Cunard excursions."

Boots is very straight forward and costs £14.99pp for a certificated home LFT tests, photo type, which is what P&O require. https://www.boots.com/services/covid-19-testing/pre-departure-to-uk-covid-19-travel-testing

I've got the hump now - at least that is fewer than two.

I hope you will not be offended if I just point out that it is the camel's back that is broken by the final straw, not the straw itself. I know - I'm a pedant and just can't stop myself!

Why are you feeding your vicar chocolate?

Same price I paid for a reconditioned engine (including fitting) for my Mk1 Cortina 1500 in the 70's!

That's how I do it too but Megabear2 gives the impression that he can see the whole ship at the same time, which would be great.

Just seen this from Wowzz answering someone else re empty cabins: "Have you taken into account all the hundreds of passengers who will have chosen a saver fare ? Cabins will still be shown as available, but that does not reflect occupancy levels." So putting 2 and 2 together, perhaps they are allocating the saver fare cabins as we speak?

I have seen this sort of query before - it is common - and seem to remember that the stock answer is that it will happen but not until inside the last week - so any day now hopefully! We are on the same R209 and I just did a mock booking check to see whether it was pretty full or not and on Deck 10 Luxury Balcony about half were still available at the front and mid-ships. I went back in a few minutes later and it said that there were none available forward, whereas a few moments before there had been many, so how full we will be is anyone's guess - that's if Aurora makes it back to Southampton in time!

Sadly for us all, the price dipped below £6 this afternoon!

All good advice, but to answer your question - yes, and available at least a day or two before you arrive in Blighty.

Well that's good to know!

are you sure that shouldn't be: Guestrelationssuck@princesscruises.co.uk?

Yes - ask your Travel Agent for a copy of the P&O booking confirmation update that P&O will have sent them after granting you OBC for your Carnival shares. This document will show the OBC.

Is this the sort of thing? Currently £29 on eBay!

I think you will find that the sort of debt the financiers are discussing is not the localised current liabilities that are owed to suppliers but the billions owed on huge loans Carnival have taken out over the years.

"Lady and the tramp" - The Century Cinema, Loughton High Road, 1955.

The mind boggles!