Megabear2

I agree but there are four cruises, 2 P&O and 2 Cunard. One P&O and one Cunard state required one to one the other on each line says not required. I have subsequently filled in new forms for the other two cruises stating we need it. Interestingly it is the two oldest bookings saying it is compulsory whereas the newer ones state not mandatory. The first of these sailings is not until August on Aurora so we shall see. As an aside Cunard require a tender test which will be carried out privately once onboard P&O however say unnecessary.

It may indeed say this but I have out of four bookings two bookings as stated elsewhere in the thread which the booking agent at P&O has marked our reservation as minimum requirement one to one assistance. This is for a man who uses a stick no more than two or three times a year. I queried why the other bookings do not have this requirement and the answer is neither P&O or Cunard can explain why the same passenger with the same mobility/illness is required to have one to one assistance on one cruise but not another. Hence my personal interest in all this as I have personal concerns about the confusions arising on this issue.

The trouble is that for the OP the problem did exist. My devil's advocate question about insurance cover was simply that, to highlight there is a very grey area with the situation. Most of the stories hitting the press are due to the passengers not filling in the forms and unfortunately that's their own fault. I don't doubt for one moment that in my pretend scenario pressure could be put on the insurer to get them to pay out but that would most likely end up being time consuming and stressful for the person involved. On the other hand if P&O are applying very strict rules the information should be in plain and simple language. The current form is confusing to many. For instance, while walking sticks etc are mobility aids most people do not have that description spring to mind and may not believe they need to complete the form in such a way that one to one assistance is required, and yet that apparently is what P&O feel is the minimum level that walking stick users should request. I have looked back at the form provided to us by Celebrity for our December cruise. It is far better and more importantly easy to understand. Celebrity-Guest-Special-Needs-Form.pdf

So we are back to Mr Edinburgh and I'm sorry this is a P&o rule and we don't cover that. Sorry P... off .... So are they actually telling these people sorry we won't carry you????

While the issue is being discussed here generically, some very prominent points are being missed in the OP's case. 1. He and his travel agent DID notify at the time of booking about his wheelchair use and DID complete the mobility form to advise of the fact the chair was being provided by Mobility at Sea. 2. P&O do not acknowledge receipt of his form. This could have had implications for the OP on arrival to board if they claimed they never received it. Looking at my own cruise personaliser the only indication you get the form has been submitted is a statement next to the passengers name: "You previously submitted the questionnaire on 30 March 2024", however the individual does not get any acknowledgement of what this submission amounts to, basically you have no idea what level of assistance P&O are going to provide, if there is anything they might query, or even if the information provided is noted. You are left in total limbo, most normal people would, I believe, expect some sort of acknowledgement that their needs are noted however nothing is offered either on the cruise personaliser or by any other means. Therefore it was not unreasonable for the OP to think it may not gave been received and to therefore resubmit the form. 3. As david63 says above circumstances change after booking. The onboard needs section states: "Please note: if you submit a new questionnaire, it will remove any information previously submitted. Therefore ensure you complete a new questionnaire in full with all of your requirements". This has extremely interesting connotations for anyone who resubmits a form or indeed fills it in for the first time late into their booking after a change of circumstances. Clearly the OP completing the form a second time has triggered the refusal of his wheelchair and presumably this is because the section I mention here has triggered a message to the onboard needs team that we have a man here who needs double handed assistance and we have no one to offer it. Answer: tell him no wheelchair. This clause therefore becomes extremely relevant to each and every one of us, able bodied as well. What would P&O do in this scenario: I book a cruise today, departing December 2025. I am able bodied, have nothing to notify on booking and am happy all is well. Unfortunately come October 2025 I trip on the kerb and damage my leg resulting in a period in plaster and physio after it heals. The medical advice is that I can go on my holiday but I now need to have a temporary wheelchair ashore to help my leg continue it's good progress. I therefore fill in the form and contact P&O in November. The next answer is vital. P&O inform me, sorry you're too late we have no spaces for your chair. What are my options? Nowhere does it mention if it would be a refund of my money on cancellation, so the next port of call is your insurer. Interestingly I've just tried three major insurers for their take on this and have been told if my medical advisers stated I could travel they most likely would not pay out under medical. So do I stand to lose my money or what? Clearly something P&O need to answer but it's nowhere in the Frequently Asked Questions.

Thank you. Yes I will be buying the large bottles for my cabin but as I drink copious amounts of water and tea during a day I will be taking full advantage of my gifted from OH drinks package. I generally carry water with me everywhere and easily manage 2 litres a day so the small bottles will be very useful to accomplish this. Not too worried about the alcoholic 15 minute rule as I take forever over my beer and wine. Cocktails however ... oops!

Back home and guess what ..... yes it's been raining, yes it's cold, yes I'm bloomin' fed up already! Packing today. Looked at the forecast for my destinations two days ago and sorted stuff accordingly. Just looked again and everything has changed. So deliberations. Do I really need my big raincoat or will a hiking one suffice, are three sweaters and two hoodie over the top, is it jeans or should I risk my lightweight trousers and skirts, boots, trainers, sandals ... aaarrrrggg

Thank you. This drinks package thing is a whole new world to me on Cunard and a bit of a minefield everywhere! Celebrity let me have as many as I wanted with no 15 minute rules, on the other hand Princess said no limit but took the lids off.

I love a silly question, so here goes: Re the small bottles in the drinks package do I have to wait 15 minutes before ordering each one or if I drink one on site can I take another away? Do these bottles have the lids on or do they remove them on delivery?

Yes, a rest is now on the cards. Hopefully back for the July Festival at Newmarket - he loves the July Course. He has had three races in quick succession and the general opinion is that he wasn't too happy today. Funnily enough for a northern trained horse he seems to prefer the southern tracks! Not too disappointed, as always just glad to see him safely back from his exploits. Good to know he seems fine and lives to fight another day. Now going to rush home tomorrow to do the packing, normally stop off in Leeds to visit the family but am snubbing them this time!

Good morning all. Well so far I've not brought the rain up north with me but there is a shower forecast around midday. Fingers crossed for the good going to last and that Dutch Decoy finally gets his head in front for a much deserved win. Hopefully lovely York will be lucky. Hope everyone is in good health and had a restful night. Wherever you are, whatever your plans have a great day and may the sun shine for us all!

The only thing I would add is if you were to choose Queen Anne the 10% introductory reduction ends on 4 June. Cunard have over 70 cruises sold out through 2024 and 2025 and so as a result I would expect the price to rise from the current level by more than that 10%. Princess go on general sale next week, 23 May 2024. Presumably their itineraries are now available on good travel agent sites. Good luck whatever you choose, I'm sure it will be great on any of the ships.

The only thing I would add is if you were to choose Queen Anne the 10% introductory reduction ends on 4 June. Cunard have over 70 cruises sold out through 2024 and 2025 and so as a result I would expect the price to rise from the current level by more than that 10%. Princess go on general sale next week, 23 May 2024. Presumably their itineraries are now available on good travel agent sites. Good luck whatever you choose, I'm sure it will be great on any of the ships.

Princess 2026 are not on sail yet, though they will be shortly. I understand they are basing two ships in the UK for the season so there will hopefully be increased capacity so maybe more choice. The Aurora cruise is going much further north than the Queen Anne cruise with Lofoten on the itinerary which will add a bit of variety. Regarding weather it's all very much down to luck in that region. It can be clear blue skies and temperatures pleasant in May but foggy with rain and low temperatures in August, it's luck of the draw. Norway isn't really somewhere you can guarantee the seasons unfortunately.

Ahh but my cruise cost less than £2,000 for solo so I can splash out ... last time I looked at a Grill Suite a Queens one, on the 21 night transatlantic we are doing next year, it was a mere £23,500pp starting price so based on my QA voyage I could have 11.75 more cruises for my money.

Avril it really isn't so bad. Basically err on the side of caution and fill in the form. Frank takes his walking poles, just tick the box for a stick. You are one of the lucky ones, you know about the pitfalls from these boards. There's lots on here who'd guide you through the form and we want it to be easy and right for you. Just book your cruise with your normal travel agent and they'll help too.

I cannot see the problem with your suggestion. Everyone used to fill in the medical questionnaire so why couldn't they do the mobility one?

It seems to be different every time. My husband didn't even take his walking stick on Britannia as he was in a good period. Lo and behold they marked him for one man assistance.

I'm not rich enough for the Grills though. Strictly down in the bilges for me!

Then don't accept the guy's booking, have a lengthy email chain with him, confirm his form was completed correctly and speak in depth to him and his travel agent, all of which he had proof of to hand. Or more importantly have the decency to discuss his ability in private, not in a crowded departure hall and turn him into a sideshow going up and down the stairs like a trained chimpanzee. Tender tests are generally conducted in private, why couldn't he be treated the same.

Yes, I took your comments onboard and bit the bullet, thank you! I worked it out based on the costs of a couple of glasses of wine with lunch and dinner, an aperitif and a g&t or cocktail plus all my teas, coffees etc and came out just about equal once I took into account the 15%. It came in around £800 for the two weeks. Incidentally P&O's classic (very restricted) package would cost me £560 on my next cruise with them and an upgrade to the deluxe would be another £120 or so. The Cunard offering is far superior, no contest really.

Not at all. However he had completed his form and they'd accepted him - he had an email stating so. He was a very fit man who was a competitive wheelchair athlete but he did not have it with him. The check in clerk was very rude, told him he'd need a chair for emergency assistance and no two men available. After remonstrating they called the medical officer who decided he should prove he could get up and down the stairs by actually doing it several times. He obliged, did it extremely easily as well. All this took place in front of other passengers and I thought it was humiliating and embarrassing for him. After all this he was allowed to board it was last boarding by this point and I was a 4.00pm time. We boarded together and he told me the only reason he had kept calm was because he couldn't go home to Cornwall as his house was bring ripped to pieces to adapt it and he was taking the cruise simply because his house was uninhabitable.

Having done a bit of research the people having difficulty are those that take medical aids for use ashore, ie fold up wheelchairs, small fold up scooters, poles etc. Seems that the "semi" able bodied are the ones falling foul most often. I'll never forget my one legged man on Arvia last year who was forced through humiliating displays of going up and down stairs for the medical officer with and without his crutch. Took them 40 minutes to decide he could board after refusing to let him on. He whizzed up and down stairs while I crawled.

There is no check anymore

Since mid 2023. The form is in your cruise personaliser.