mrsgoggins

Colour me impressed! From bin cleaning to bulk mash, you truly are a DG 😇. My own DH would never qualify alas (although he has a multitude of good points). Whilst my right arm has been incapacitated (I ended up with a full shoulder replacement after my ‘trip’ on Silhouette) I have seen how he struggles with the simplest of domestic tasks. I’ve been familiar with the term ‘learned helplessness’ for decades but genuinely don’t believe this is the case 🤔

Hello and yes, shuttle transport is provided. On our Ventura cruise a few months ago the bus took us right to the bustling riverside area, which was fabulous. On a previous P&O cruise years ago, we were dropped off in the city centre itself and as it was raining heavily, didn’t make the walk down to the river, so I’m very happy to have seen it in lovely weather too. Sorry, I know nothing of booking an independent river cruises on the Duoro

We went to a Beefeater yesterday for lunch. Two haddock, chips and peas, two lime and sodas, just less than £20 plus tip. I meet a friend at this venue regularly and I couldn’t believe how much quieter it was than on my last visit a few months ago. Same with the Italian we visited for lunch last week. Doesn’t bode well.

Thank you for the explanation. My friend had mentioned many times that I should get a Ramoska. I’ll now take a look at halogen ovens 👍.

A friend of mine swears by his remoska. Why didn’t you replace it?

That seems harsh. Last month on Celebrity Silhouette I tripped (open-toe slippers now consigned to the bin!) entering the bathroom and damaged my shoulder. I was x-rayed, given an injection for the pain plus oral pain killers, trussed up in a sling and all at no cost because ‘it happened on the ship.’ We were impressed.

LOL We lived in Harpenden, Hertfordshire for 18 years and rented for the first 9 months. Our Mancunian landlord told us that the area was full of northerners like us, because it was so convenient for the M1 to get back! Until then I thought ‘north of Watford’ actually meant Watford Gap services 😉

Yes, I’ve picked up a lot of good tips and recommendations from this forum over the past few years too. Long may it continue 👍 Agree with Tatton Park as well worth a visit, but suggest Dunham Massey is also worth checking out. Both are National Trust.

Some depressing posts here, but good to see your name pop up again Avril 👍

We have had 4 successful trips to Guernsey, the last time being last month on Ventura. Tender took ages getting back to ship because they used one of the big local boats rather than a ship's lifeboat, but otherwise unmemorable.

I was on the same (excellent) Celebrity Fjords cruise as Zap - and had every intention of comparing it with the (good) P&O Ventura Spain and Portugal cruise of a few weeks earlier. That won't be happening because I am typing this with one finger, left hand as my right arm is supported by a neck brace as I tripped going into the bathroom on the penultimate day of the Celebrity cruise. Tomorrow I go for a shoulder scan - had lots of x-rays on my arm - and await surgery. Not fun and a good night's sleep is on my wish list! To top it off, we were some of the very few who wore masks around the ship and DH tested positive on the day we disembarked! 10 days later he is still testing positive whereas I have remained negative 🤞 The day after we arrived home the TV went on the blink, and despite still being just within its 5 year John Lewis guarantee, neither of us had the patience or will to deal with it and a new one was ordered and delivered the next day. By that time I was awaiting a plague of frogs 😉 So kalos, Eddie, Yorkshire Phil and others, keep the funnies coming. I need all the laughs I can get 👍

Snap! Even at the same time and we also get around £2000 pa. Up to now, I think the only post where I differ from you is that I love Lindt Lindors (mint especially) 😄😄

I've just returned from a cruise on Ventura in a D superior balcony, which was most definitely completely overlooked but didn't say so on the booking confirmation. Not a problem however. I have just booked another cruise on her for next year and have gone for a regular balcony, C502 and note the confirmation tells me that is has an 'overlooked balcony' and 'Upper Pullmans'. What have I missed? 'Pullmans in the plural? I have been in cabins before with one Pullman, (in the ceiling, which you hardly notice) but not more. Anyone throw some light on this re being overlooked and if I will notice much difference to the superior balcony cabin we have just had, apart from no sofa bed and less space? There are only 2 of us. Thanks.

That has been our experience too. Our android phones are Google Pixel 6, (ie modern), if that makes a difference.

We returned home from a Ventura cruise 2 days ago, and was very interested to see that the post-cruise questionnaire had questions about our attitudes to formal attire. I suggest they are sounding people out. On our cruise there were 3 formal nights, and although we did take the necessary attire along, neither of us enjoys it and so after the first formal night, we ate in other non-buffet venues. My observation on those nights, both from the MDR on the first night and in the theatre on the other two, is that whilst there were a good number of people who had dressed up, there were also a good number who hadn't, or had made only the slightest effort. Time will tell and it is only my view that eventually P&O will go down a similar road to Celebrity in identifying nights called 'chic' and leaving it up to the individual to determine the meaning of chic.

That’s a shame - we put ours in the bin as we left Ventura yesterday 😁

And in the spirit of ‘it takes all sorts ……’ DH will invariably change out of formal wear after the MDR meal! That’s what made the decision easy to choose different venues (non-buffet!) for dining on the other formal nights.

There are 3 on my current Ventura cruise, and we did bring the necessary togs to comply, albeit reluctantly. We attended the first, booked Sindhu for the second and intend to change my Beach House reservation to the third! However, I was heartened to see that many folk had applied the dress code requirements quite loosely and were not turned away 😁