P&O SUE

46 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I can only echo your last sentence. My youngest son is also on the medical frontline in Staffordshire so I know how you feel. I sometimes despair at the actions of the few who are prepared to put these great people at more risk. Thoughtless and selfish.

I've just read that police in Greater Manchester had to break up 600 house parties at the weekend! Shocking!

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

🎼🎶 But it's raining ,

    🎶     Raining in my heart.😄.

A tad off key but  not too bad if I have to say so myself.

Avril 

You beat me to it Avril!

Beautiful here too in Kent but a bit of a chilly breeze. Sailaway from Southampton tomorrow would have been amazing! 

15 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

I get that too. It’s incredible hard and also strange times. 
 

I haven’t come across anyone who works from home for the nhs only nurses that want broadband for their days off. 
 

I know that Bt and openreach work very very closely with nhs. The 111 call centres that a mum who’s in my kids classes she works for them they are all owned and dealt with by Bt. I think they have also donated a lot of money so usually they all work with each other. 
 

if you do get to work from home for the nhs tell them to see if that makes a difference, makes them able to do anything that we couldn’t usually. I believe though that it might have to go through your employer somehow though. 
 

let’s hope it’s just a simply rewirinf needing help 

I work in an admin office but even before my last day in most of our clinicians were working from home doing telephone consultations. 
I keep wondering how I can work from home as I use a specific NHS computer system but apparently they’re looking into us having the work PC’s in our homes. Which is why I need my landline back!

15 hours ago, kalos said:

.

Sue have a look at this link  ,as you are doing NHS work it could speed your case along 

 

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/how-to-make-a-complaint

 Thank  you so much for that. I may use that soon.
We already mentioned my work and I really thought we’d hear something yesterday but no 😩 If we don’t hear today I suppose it’s at least Tuesday now.

4 minutes ago, Thejuggler said:

I've just spoken to someone who arrived back on Saturday.

 

The whole thing was a psychological nightmare,  they don't know if they have the virus, both have coughs, but no other symptoms. They are now in self isolation for two weeks.

 

One place they stopped was Falklands and the first case has just been reported on the islands.

 

They have no complaints about how Holland America handled the situation.

 

 

Thank you for the update. It’s stories like this that make me nervous to go on a cruise too soon even though I want my cruise fix! 
Glad they’re home and have no complaints about Holland America.

I’ve only had the flour issue since I’ve been looking for my mum! Got her some self raising last week thankfully and she was making a sponge that afternoon! 
I think I’ll be looking again soon as she’s baking for England! Wish I could eat some, my Dad will be putting on weight! 😃

21 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

As far as I have been told they will go to the exchange and the cabinet. 
 

also just to let you know if it’s a problem with your line that passes the boundary of your property you’d also get a charge. 
 

 

At this moment I’d pay!

Anyway leaving this for now, my data will be running out on my phone soon!

4 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

I get that and I’m really sorry for anyone in this position. I’m on the other side of this unfortunately telling people things are very difficult. 
I don’t work for sky and don’t particularly like them but to give you an idea they have currently furloughed a hell of a lot of advisors. Unless they are working from home and I know some are the others are still trying to make it to call centres. If the are like us last week there were 4 people in out of 30-40 people it was crazy. It’s getting slightly better with people coming back in but I can tell you it’s crazy in there. We are trying to social distance which is very hard and most of us are getting shouted at way more than usual even though we’d love to be able to help people. We have no way of contacting openreach bar using the systems, usually there is a number to call if we really have to but we can’t. There is numerous things we cannot do now and every is so busy with less advisors that call backs are also difficult. As it’s all systems what will happen is someone will be assigned your case to check every few days and we rely on an update from open reach on there before we can tell you. If it’s not on there we would reschedule it. 
I assume that other companies will work very similar to what we do and it’s difficult. I’m not defending sky and it will be horrible to be without phone and internet but they will not break the openreach procedures at a time like this. 
 

the best case is for the engineers to contact you to either say yes it’s fixed or no we have to come in and it will be XXX. Least you’d have answer that someone’s been and tried. 

I totally get that and I can imagine how stressful it is in your office.

I make non urgent appointments for the NHS and also take calls to pass onto respiratory nurses so you can imagine how manic it’s been where I work.

It’s almost impossible to social distance in an office. I must admit I’ve been lucky that my employer sent me  home when she realised I have a heart condition. 
Then they decided I could go back then decided after one day the social distancing wasn’t being adhere to plus we have now gone very very quiet in my part because all our clinics have been cancelled. 
I feel bad for not working but don’t want to catch this virus so it would be good to get the home working sorted 🤷‍♀️

17 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

the problem is sue is that engineers are currently only working remotely. Every company uses Bt engineers and open reach is shut to most things. If they need access to your house they will not enter. They will deal with the cabinet and the exchange and if it’s still not working you will get a call from the engineer directly telling you that it will now take bookings after 1st June at moment to enter your house. 
as you have a mobile you are not classed as vulnerable even if you are working from home which is obviously important to everyone right now if they need access then that will be it until they are allowed actually in. 

That doesn’t sound good! I don’t think they’ll have any work for me if I haven’t got internet as the email work sent me was all about where my router etc was! 
I actually do admin for the NHS so I’m hoping they’ll hurry it along.

They haven’t checked the line from our house to the telephone pole or I would have seen them, hopefully they can do that.

1 minute ago, grapau27 said:

True,missed her opening line about the landline.

The other information might help someone else if their broadband goes off.

The first thing EE told me was to do the reboot when our broadband went off.

Yes as Vampress said it’s the landline. Good thing I have a mobile or my 80 year old mum would be frantic as I phone her every day!

1 minute ago, kalos said:

 

I had this about a year ago with the same provider as you.

Nothing was happening  and no one even updated us on anything  that they were doing .

So I rang again and asked for a update ,which they did not have . so I lodged a complaint 

A) failure to update and B) Me paying for no service .

 

Later that day I got an appointment for an Openreach engineer  to come and check the line .

The guy came and went further down the road to check one of those green telephone line boxes out .

Turns out someone had been working in the box and disturbed our connection , which he sorted .

I was given a months free internet for any trouble it may have caused .

 

Thank you, they have definitely done something remotely but if we hadn’t enquired very politely we would still be sitting here waiting for it. Even if they’d put on the app ‘now complete’ we’d know someone had been and it hadn’t worked. 
Day 9 and just so frustrating.

20 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

what’s wrong with your internet? Is your phone line working? And who is your provider 

The landline is completely dead, no dialling tone at all. Our provider is sky. Still have sky tv working but obviously no landline no internet! 
My husband arranged someone to fix it via the Sky app. All seemed quick and too easy. Obviously they are short staffed as people could  be self isolating etc. It said 2-4 days and we were patient as we both know what it’s like at our work places.

Anyway at day 4 I asked John to give them a call and just ask what the situation was. I tried to phone myself but as I did it on my mobile it said I wasn’t registered as their user?? 
Anyway the lady he got through to was a bit brusque but said an engineer had been and gone thought it was sorted!! Good thing I checked. She’d send another one. That was last Thursday.

So yesterday John calls again, this time got a chap who spent ages asking him to check all sorts of things. Line still dead. Ended up that an engineer is going to actually contact us. I think they need to check the line into the house as they’ve tried twice remotely and nothings happening!

It’s annoying as the app still says ‘coming soon’! 
 

Plus if my work decide to set me up at home (which they were planning to do but I’m not sure if they are or not now) it’s going to be really embarrassing if I say I’ve got no internet so can’t work after all!! 

Wow is she still not home! I’d like to read the reviews of these cruisers. 
 

I agree with others, they could be in for a bit of a shock. As I said in another post I missing popping in and our quickly of shops getting one or two bits in each one! I also feel I have to justify in my head ‘is this essential’?!

15 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Peanut butter has been the random thing I have not been able to get... Who has it all... 

Andy 

I got peanut butter in Sainsbury’s last week but not a brand I normally buy. Normally I would have left it and ‘popped’ to another place but there’s queues everywhere here and I don’t (and probably shouldn’t) want to queue for at least half hour for one item!

My mum has M&S baked beans, they didn’t have any oddly so I got her Heinz - she wasn’t too impressed! 🙄 

Was a bit down yesterday as not only were we on day 8 of no internet (I’m using data on my phone for this) but my washing machine broke with washing in it! 😩

On my tiny phone I’ve ordered a new one as it was quite old and I doubt any repairmen would come out! It’s coming Tuesday so that’s good. Hubby (John) was on the phone for an hour trying to sort out internet. Waiting to hear from an engineer now.

Just to sound a really grumpy person even the sun is annoying me as tomorrow we were setting off to Southampton to stay overnight ready for our mini cruise Friday. The weather is looking glorious! All I can think is sailaway would have been brilliant.

Luckily John is on leave all weekend as we were supposed to be away so we’ll spend time in the garden hopefully chilling with the Belgium beer I bought so we can pretend we’re in a pavement cafe! 
 

Please don’t tell me there’s more important things , I know that.

4 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Ooh I’ve been meaning to do my daily check of my account to see if my refund has come in yet although mine was early April. 
Thanks for letting us know. I’m off to check...

Nothing for me yet but they’re working through them in date order. Shouldn’t be too much longer hopefully- which is handy as my washing machine has just broken! 🙄

Ooh I’ve been meaning to do my daily check of my account to see if my refund has come in yet although mine was early April. 
Thanks for letting us know. I’m off to check...

20 minutes ago, wowzz said:

The advice,  currently as I understand it, is for over 70s to practice "social distancing"  . My 93 year old mother still does her daily 45 minute walk every day, but we have at least managed to persuade her to let her neighbours shop for her. 

Thank you. My parents did their 2 visits a week to supermarkets right up to the day lockdown was announced. My dad asked me could he walk round the corner to post a letter and I said I didn’t see why he couldn’t but then I worried he’d somehow catch it!

He’s only been out for medical appointments since lockdown. He was surprised he had to queue outside for his B6 injection and called in one at a time! I told him the world had changed since he’d last been out! 😄

I’m surprised my mum didn’t get one of those 12 week letters as she has Parkinson’s amongst other issues. 

28 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

The Winchester sign wakes my OH up too but I drive him mad as soon as we leave the M40 and on to the A34 because as we pass each sign with Southampton on it I tell him how many miles we have left 😀😀

😂😂

Well I haven’t read this thread for a few days, where to start...!

I’m not going to say everything as I’ll go on forever! 
Went food shopping for my parents (80 & 82) yesterday and it is one of the most stressful things I do at the moment! My mum used to work at M&S so she wanted me to go there today.

Had to queue for nearly half an hour to get in but it was very civilised and everyone was keeping to the marked out lines. However there were a high percentage of people who were definitely over 70, I thought the advice was they were supposed to stay in? Anyway I have to say once inside the shop it is noticeable that the older ones were not good at the social distancing. Not liking confrontation I dished out a few glares. 
 

Anyway  I have to say I was a bit sad when I dropped the shopping off to hear my son had put ‘zoom’ on my dad’s laptop (he dropped it off outside their door, he’d had it for a while updating it for him) and they’d all had a lovely chat!! My son has a son who I normally look after every Wednesday. He’s the absolute apple of my eye and I miss him a lot, he’s such a happy boy (17 months)

We haven’t had a phone line for a week so no internet and relying on my phone data so didn’t want to ‘waste’ too much of it on a video call but I’m gobsmacked my Dad has managed ‘zoom‘ !! We haven’t even set it up yet! My internet better be up and running soon as I want to see my grandson. 
 

Sorry for rambling on, I’ll stop there!

This is the thing, I’ve been trying to remain positive as my next cruise is October but it’s mainly Spanish ports and my worry is will the ports accept us?

I’m tentatively looking round for something in the Uk because the cruise was for my husband’s 60th. I absolutely would prefer to cruise but we’ve got to be realistic.

13 hours ago, moonstone01 said:

I am with you all the way P&O Sue, the excitement when we realise that Southampton is only a few more miles after travelling down from North Wales, it is also a relief as my wife tries to sing a song for every town we see...god help me when we get to the sign saying Winchester

Haha not ‘Winchester cathedral’ by any chance?? I sing that nearly every time I see that sign!

Argh it’s in my brain now! 😃

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

There is no doubt we would all prefer to cruise, but with possible age/health/insurance restrictions, it may not be an option for some of us for the foreseeable future.. 

Guernsey sounds great, at least the Condor Ferry will not require tenders... 

Andy 

Indeed! We went there a couple of years before our first cruise and weren’t that bothered we didn’t dock as we’d been all over the island. However we’ve now been on two more cruises that have missed Guernsey so may be nice to go back, we did stay in a very nice hotel! 

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

We've rented holiday cottages in the UK a few times and our favourite is in North Yorkshire. It meets our son's requests of having it's own swimming pool (so no sharing with others outside our party) and the pool is part of the main building (so he doesn't have to go outside to a separate building, e.g. barn, to get in the pool).

 

So far so good with our favourite choice, it's got the pool, it's not far to travel and there are plenty of attractions to visit nearby including the coast.

 

Now the downsides no chef, waiters, cabin steward or cleaners. Entertainment we can manage for ourselves.

 

But the biggest downside of all? Current prices for this July-August school holiday period £2100 PER WEEK! So with food and days out on top we could easily end up spending £5k+.

 

Alternatively we could take other family members with us and split the cost as there are 4 bedrooms. However, we then become the chefs, waiters, cleaners etc. for a larger group as we know from experience that not everyone pitches in.

 

Give me a cruise any day!

I’m with you! I try and be frugal and look at cottages etc but I price them up (the really nice ones) and I say to my hubby they are only say £200 less than a cruise and there’s no food or entertainment included! 

Another lovely thread Andy. I’ve been mulling it over and I can’t think of a favourite cruise as I love them all!

So sorry to be boring, I’m going to mention my first cruise - it was 2012 on Azura for our 25th wedding anniversary. It was meant to be a special one off holiday but of course we were hooked!

Not the most exciting ports in the world - La Rochelle, La Coruna Bilbao and Guernsey- which was cancelled but they took us to Cherbourg instead. 
It was early June and not the fabulous weather I was expecting but my God I enjoyed every minute. 
The first time we spotted Azura our jaws both dropped - I can’t remember the terminal, I think it was QEII but the angle of it meant we could see the radar ‘balls’ of Azura over the top of some flats and I thought she was enormous!

Ive always loved the sea and just to be looking at the sea sitting up on deck or watching out the window makes me feel happy. No other holiday compares. I love unpacking once then waking up somewhere different each day.

Our Captain was the famous Camby and his address the last night brought a lump to my throat as he wished his crew a safe journey home as many were finishing that cruise. I remember I was grateful my husband was busy watching the tug boats as I had a tear in my eye! 
I was so so sad to get off and raved about the holiday to anyone and everyone!

I still get that slither of excitement as I see the ‘to the ship’ sign!