MBP&O2/O

Like CHPURSER, I have worked many a Christmas at sea and been away from family etc. As a watchkeeping officer I very rarely had a drink, and still had meals at odd times, usually alone, so Christmas was just like any other day at sea. One Christmas we crossed the IDL, advanced the clocks 24 hours and thus cancelled Boxxing Day 😁 When I came ashore it was a similar scenario, but at least I saw the family. As a passenger I think Xmas at sea would be amongst my worst nightmares .... not for me at all.

When I worked for P&O we had several ships that were owned by a New Zealand company, who chartered the ships to a Norwegian company who managed them, but they were crewed and run by P&O. All baffling but it shows how someone can own a ship and have no practical input as to how it is run/managed etc.

I went to Jeddah once and we weren't allowed off the ship for 'cultural reasons' ...... a high profile public execution. I also managed a Rhodesian stamp in my passport which could have stopped me entering certain African countries. We also used to load fruit cargoes from South Africa to Saudi ... Saudi would not trade with South Africa so all the boxes were stamped 'Product of Botswana'. We then stopped at Mozambique, dropped the anchor, changed the deck log book, and then officially sailed from a non South African country. The politically expedient Way and Means Act, and nothing to do with two faced burocracy!

Samples: Prior to my joining one ship as Second Officer, she had suffered a few traumatic months immediatly folowing a dry dock, but little did anyone guess just how much worse it was going to get! The first indications of what was to be, started with a dry-docking in Greece. All seemed to go well. The following surveys were made: (a) 3rd Special Survey of the hull with thickness determination. (b) Docking Survey. (c) Annual Survey. (d) Safety Equipment Survey. (e) Safety Construction Survey. (f) Load Line Survey. (g) Completion of Continuous Machinery Survey. (h) Tailshaft Survey. (i) Main Boiler and Steam Generator Surveys. Within days of sailing there was a major engine failure that required another drydock. Nine months later a seawater cooling pipe disintegrated! It was put down to metal fatigue but without physical evidence who knows! The former should have been seen with planned maintenance, and examination of the seawater pipe should have formed part of the surveys as above. As a consequence of the latter the engine room flooded .... within an hour ... and the ship slowly sank, hence the no physical evidence comment. Getting on towards squeaky bum time😁 At another drydock, in the UK, the workmen there stripped all four lifeboats of anything movable. Rations, Safety equipment etc. Luck of the draw🤔

In my experience the quality of work at a dry Dock is related as to where the dry Dock occurred. Horror stories on request:😁 Our company policy was never EVER to change too many senior officers at any one time. e.g. The Master and Chief Officer would be relieved at separate times ... if convenient the Master and 2/O would change, and a month or so later the C/O & 3/O would go ....continuity where ever possible.

Mighty Cruise Ships is having another re-run I see 😒 Quite funny in places ...it showed a high end / luxury cruise ship loading stores for its "gourmet dining" .... President Camambert ?? A cheap supermarket staple! Another programme about the same ship showed luggage being delivered to your suite ... literally ... it was dumped outside the door and it was left to you to take it in.

Interesting. If I upgrade my basic account to the bells and whistles plus account it will cost me £13pm. Allow for a couple of insurance upgrades and it will still be under £200pa. The absolute cheapest worldwide cruise cover I can get to meet my needs is £510pa. Some firms are quoting in excess of £2000. Funny that one company is way WAY cheaper if you take out an annual policy as opposed to a single trip one??? Furthere enquiries me thinks!

The lad who used to be my PCC (Stefan) has moved on and his replacement is entering chocolate fireguard territory! Error upon error on our last - literally - SS cruise. Foolishly I looked at another and I was told that my local international airport (NCL) was not on SS's list so a P2P meant I would fly from Edinburgh...an extra 70 miles away. The limo option would have to be cancelled due to a distance / pay per mile fee, and I was then told I could have a credit on this. I was then told that should I want to fly from NCL I would then have to pay for a flight deviation? A fee way in excess of the limo credit. Interesting was the fact that the connecting flight was the same from either airport? I may look like a cabbage but I am not that green! I also enquired as to options regarding excursions at one port as there was only one included excursion listed ..... snorkeling.... and if you don't swim then what? The answer suggested I purchase an alternative? Of course no credit was offered. Err .........no .... bye bye ...

Or maybe a senior master who knew something that wasn't' apparent to, or discussed with the passengers? 🙄

Goodness me ! How many pax on that boat! Is that the 'normal' size of excursion draft?

Radical thought .... Read the tour description first and then use common sense. Having said that there are times when you have no choice. I take this article with a large pinch of salt :😁

Agree. Just saved over £1200 pp when you add in the TA discount .. this has effectively paid for several excursions.

I have just 'binned' Silversea because of their new AI options ... if Seabourn go the same way then, IMHO, it is a retrograde step. Reading the SS forum on CC shows numerous people are unhappy with this new fangled option and SB seems to be where they are heading. If it ain't broke then don't fix it, as opposed to SS who say if it ain't broke then muck about with it so it is 😉

I did, but it doesn't address the issue in that they ignore emails and queries from potential customers. There is now a whole thread on this apparent lack of customer service.

But that doesn't make a good headline, nor does it fit in with the press motto of Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. 👍

Will do ... Thanks ..

How do you access this search engine please? We have a SB cruise booked and paid for and will be needing to sort out flights soon. FWIW I have just ditched SS in favour of SB ... one of the reasons being severe communications problems especially when our PCC was inept!

One UK airport is experiencing massive delays .... nothing to do with staff shortages of course ... and they are blaming the passengers? They say too many people are turning up three hours before departure .... as per some airlines recommendations... and that these people are causing unnecessary crowding!!

If you are in the UK and ask for a quote via the website, it is ignored. They do not deal with foreigners 😉 ... Too busy I am told?

We have three devices .. 1 x Android / Samsung browser, 1 x IOS, / Safari, and ! X Win10 / Chrome. I ALWAYS ..... as default ..... run any browser with private / incognito settings as a default and generally speaking I haven't had a problem.