Eglesbrech

Yes indeed. At the Titanic Museum in Cobh you are given a ticket when you enter with the details of who you are as a passenger, which. Class etc. As you go through you see where you would have slept, washed, the food menus for your ticket class etc. At the end of the tour you check your passenger to find out their fate. That’s what I meant when I said above that we died which Becket would know as she has visited. It makes the whole thing more personal. As “I” was a third class passenger I would not have even got near a lifeboat.

Falkirk is much more accessible from South Queensferry than from Greenock but if you are doing a land based tour then probably better yet. If you are in the area then you can plan visits to the Wheel (booking required), the Kelpies, Callander House (Outlander connection - kitchen where beheading took place) and the newly reopened Rosebank Distillery (booking required) all within a three miles radius. Stirling is just up the train line too for the castle. If you did the train from Dalmeny you can go to Edinburgh Haymarket then change and take a Dunblane train into Stirling. The castle is about a 15 to 20 minute walk uphill from the train station. It’s amazing, some think better that Edinburgh and not as busy. If you want less faff then a taxi to Linlithgow and a direct train from there to Stirling. Linlithgow by taxi is the easiest option (it’s about a 15 to 20 minute journey) but I would pre book a taxi. While there will be some at the dock, there are always lots of passengers after them to get them up the hill to the station. I take it you are tendering in from under the bridges so you need to factor in the time it takes for that for any booking. (fun fact, the character Scotty from Star Trek was born in Linlithgow). The sail out from South Queensferry is lovely as you see the 3 bridges and further along the Isle of May and Bass rock. Take binoculars as you may be close enough to see some amazing bird life on the Bass rock. Re Kirkwall how easy this is after a tour depends on where the ship is, big ships are out at the docks so a shuttle bus is required. The times we have been there the shuttles have been frequent so easy enough to leave the tour bus and hop on one into town. Re Loch Lomond yes very scenic and pretty.

We did the Titanic museum. We both died! As you say well worth a visit. We also joined the locals in one of the pubs and tried some Irish Whiskey which was very nice, particularly the Redbreast 12 year old pot still. I spoke a few words with a really old local in Gaelic and we understood each other!

Kirkwall is nice place just to wander round. There are lots of little bespoke shops. It also has St Magnus Cathedral and the Bishops and Earls palaces https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/bishop-s-and-earl-s-palaces-kirkwall/right in the centre of town. A taxi ride away is Highland Park or (my favourite) Scappa if you fancy a whisky tasting. Both need booked in advance. If you want to try the local whisky without taking a tour then most pubs in the town centre will have a decent selection and the Orcadians will be more than happy to tell you what to try. South Queensferry has a station (Dalmeny) but most trains go just from Fife to Edinburgh or Edinburgh to Fife. The station is up a steep hill quite a walk away from the dock. The Falkirk wheel would mean a walk, a train into Edinburgh Haymarket, a train to Falkirk Grahamston or Camelon (Dunblane or Alloa train) then taxi ride to the wheel and the same in reverse. You also need to pre book a ride on the wheel as it is very popular. It is possible as the trains are frequent but a bit of a faff. A pre booked taxi would be another option. You could take the train ride to Dunfermline in Fife which has the Carnegie museum https://www.carnegiebirthplace.com which is fascinating and the Abbey https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dunfermline-abbey-and-palace/. Dunfermline was the ancient capital of Scotland and is worth a visit. South Queensferry is a nice little town with some coffee shops, restaurants and shops so it’s pleasant for a walk around if that’s all you want. A short taxi ride away is Hopetoun House https://hopetoun.co.uk A short taxi ride (or train ride via Edinburgh and back out) is Linlithgow. The palace https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/linlithgow-palace/there was the summer palace of the Stuarts and well worth seeing. The town also has some nice places to eat and a lovely walk around the Loch. If you happen to have the English equivalent of Historic Scotland then be the Bishops palace and Dunfermline abbey or Linlithgow Palace are free entry depending on the length of your membership. Just ask if you have any questions about the above.

At least. Poor Gary Rhodes is long dead.

I would agree and would recommend it to any young couple either for the full wedding or for the celebration after a civil or religious service on land. We did a renewal of vows onboard Arcadia for a special anniversary (good excuse to book a suite, new clothes etc and another holiday) and the ship arranged everything beautifully for us. A lovely service, flowers, cake, champagne, dinner at Arcadian Rhodes and yes a photographer. The pictures she took were amazing and included in the package cost. I have suggested to younger members of the family that a ship is the way to go with a personal coordinator and professionals on hand and no flying for the honeymoon.

The bit of the garden set aside for drying clothes. It’s called a green because it grass with poles set in for the washing lines. Sorry, it must be a very Scottish term.

For me the biggest change is the food which is, in my opinion, nothing like as good as it used to be. Others disagree and think nothing has changed, it could be down to personal food preferences but for me there is nothing like the same choice, quality or portion sizes. That said with the much lower cost for cruises now you can use what you saved on the basic cruise to have meals in the speciality restaurants. On the new bigger ships the choice is quite extensive (but managing to get a booking can be a bit hit and miss with the new “app”). As @Bazrat suggests above it depends on what you need / like as to whether or not some of the changes will bother you. For example no evening turndown, charges for all room service, only one sit down afternoon tea per week (available every day in the buffet), no wine waiters, cheap biscuits on the tea tray etc.etc.. The changes while small in themselves do give less of a “special” feel to P&O cruises compared to the past. The customer base has also changed. P&O set out to bring in a younger and more family based passenger demographic. They have achieved this and consequently the passenger mix on some ships and at some times of year don’t appeal to me. I don’t like overcrowded ships which happens when the rooms are 3 or 4 up rather than 2 per cabin. While that has always been the case the success of marketing means it’s much more noticeable. Choose your time of travel and ship wisely for your personal preferences. The lower (sometimes very low) prices certainly make cruising more accessible across a range of people who would perhaps not previously have considered it and this can change the atmosphere. That change is neither good or bad, just different from years gone by. I would not describe P&O as “downmarket”, it’s just a lot more basic and less special than it used to be. This “feel” is not helped by some of their lack of customer service eg long waits for anyone to answer the phone, less than helpful reception staff onboard or making customers wait out in the cold and wet if they arrive early. With all that P&O still offer a decent cruise with food, decent entertainment and a clean cabin taking you to places of interest at a good price.

I had mine out yesterday. I always think bedding (and towels etc) smell better from the fresh air. I have herbs planted at the front of the drying green so the sheets always smell of them a little. I have an old fashioned dying green with poles, ropes and wooden stretchers which my dad made for me many, many years ago. Its another nice day here again today, perhaps spring is coming at long last.

Did you know that May does not refer to the month but to the flower?

I hope all those in the press and on line pushing for information now feel suitably ashamed. Her very young family should have been shielded from this and they have been bullied into revealing medical information. As you say, get well Kate.

I love Como. Lots of great restaurants. Safe home Brian.

For those who live in the South can I ask about traffic please. Are there likely to be queues / delays on the road from Poole or Weymouth to Southampton? Is traffic an issues from there or the Nee Forest. Thanks.

Fred Olsen allow saver passengers to select a dining time but charge £2pppd for this service. Perhaps P&O would get less saver passengers queuing to change if they allowed them to pay in advance to set a guaranteed preference. Once a dining seating is allocated the only way for saver passengers to change is to pay up. Stops all the “I absolutely need x dining because of Y and z” conversations. Charging would also keep the higher paying select passengers happy as this would be a more tangible “perk” for select over saver (and I say this as a frequent user of saver fares).

As @david63 says it pays to research in advance given your example above.

My favourite news story today is the shop keeper on Sanday in the Orkneys (population 500) who thought he was ordering 80 Easter eggs and got 80 boxes. He has 720 eggs so more than the total population! He is now raffling eggs to raise funds for the RNLI. Egg - sasperated or what

It’s been a while since we ever booked a P&O cruise while onboard so I’ve lost track of what this actually offers by way of any benefits. I’m curious if it is actually worthwhile or if I’m just as well monitoring what’s on offer from the comfort of my sofa. I’ve had a look and there seems to be low deposit and some sort of “up to” onboard credit. For anyone who has taken advantage recently (and willing to share) what did you get and are there any restrictions eg does it have to be a select booking? Was it eventually a better package than you would have got at a later date. Any thoughts?

As above there is the Premier Inn right at the dock which is handy. We have also stayed in the Village Hotel which is about a 10 minute drive away. It’s a very large hotel with lots of rooms so usually competitive prices, often less than the Premier Inn. Quite a modern place and this is reflected in the food which tends to be more grazing than a meal.

Isn’t it dreadful that we are all at the mercy of the whims of insurance companies. The delays in the NHS completing tests or treatments etc doesn’t help either. They are quick enough to take decades of premiums for absolutely nothing but not so good when there are even minor health concerns that are not “diagnosed”. Glad for Josy.

https://www.carnation.co.uk/recipes/key-lime-fudge It’s a Nestle recipe but I play about with it a bit. I add in a bit more butter and base to the recipe to make it more of tray bake cake. I also add in the juice of the 3 limes as well as the zest (rather than just one lime which makes it far too sweet and less flavour of lime imo). If you do that it needs to set overnight and you also need to use a high cocoa butter white chocolate.

They are not cut as yet so still cooling in the pans. I haven’t put on the fairy cakes as they have the persons name and date of birth on.

We do a minimum of one cruise with P&O per year, we used to do more. Like you we recognise the bits we don’t like (the cheese plate😀) but also comment on the good bits (speciality restaurants, some of the shows etc) and balance that against the price we actually paid. Is P&O as good as say the MSC Yacht Club experience. Absolutely not but then the two experiences can’t be compared based on the price paid. I don’t think I would however abandon the forum if I stopped cruising with P&O. There are some valued members of our cruise community who for health or other reasons haven’t cruised in quite a while and they still join in here and add greatly to the conversation.

Well I am shattered and now sitting down with a large glass of wine and my feet up. OH the good soul that he is, is doing the clear up (and devouring the chocolate and key lime mix that’s left in the pots and bowls). I have spent the last 5 hours baking. Rich man’s shortbread, key lime cake, rocky road and butter iced fairy cakes. We have an afternoon tea for a special family birthday tomorrow in the extended family so I said I would do a bit of baking for it. Its quite satisfying seeing it all come together. I don’t batch bake often now. I used to do it for scout events when my nephew was a member and for church socials but new rules mean things have to be prepared on the premises. Shame really. I hope everything comes out now and I haven’t over boiled the toffee or added too much freshly squeezed lime!

@grapau27 as Pauline knows blessed are the peacemakers. All you can do is offer an olive branch, it’s not in your control if it is accepted. I feel sorry really for people who carry bitterness as it only harms them. A very difficult time for you all and I sure Sarah appreciates your support through it all.

I would say no it’s not worth missing dinner on a 5 day cruise. You can however do lunch instead which is a nice way to try one of the speciality restaurants. Your butler can arrange this for you once onboard.