P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[yorkshirephil]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

After two weeks of massive reorganisation and throwing things out, normality has returned to my home, with the return of my husband from his annual ski trip with friends in Austria. Small problem there - no snow!  Ironically he came home Saturday and on Sunday night a large dump of snow finally arrived.

 

Yesterday I finally got round to sorting and booking my cruises that I've been discussing and doing nothing about!  Successfully transferred our Queen Anne September Mediterranean to a three week Queen Mary 2 transatlantic next July taking in Norway, Iceland, Canada and New York and booked the replacement Aurora Scandinavian 16 nights in August.  Whilst talking to Cunard I experienced a rush of blood to the head and booked myself on the May Queen Anne Festival of Britain cruise taking in her naming ceremony. That one is a real leap of faith as I've booked the very cheapest inside forward cabin on  TBA saver, something I've never done on a ship I don't know, but it was ridiculously cheap at under £2,000 for the 14 nights and a chance to hopefully see a bit of history being made.

 

Today is being spent to figure out what to do in Kirkwall, South Queensferry (without going into Edinburgh as I'm going there with my OH for the first time in July and don't wish to spoil that) and Cobh. Unfortunately the archaeological trip in Kirkwall is full, so any ideas for there much appreciated along with Cobh.  I was wondering if getting to the Falkirk Wheel might be an option from South Queensferry?

 

Big irony, never been to Scotland in 68 years and now I'm getting to lots of places in one year!

We have taken a couple of half day tours around Kirkwall with shortish walks included, not with the ship tours. The town is nice to mooch around, the tender usually drops you off next to the town.

 

Cohb is also nice to mooch around, it is not very big but quaint. We usually get the train into Cork now we have been a few times. 

[Grandad John]

3 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

We have taken a couple of half day tours around Kirkwall with shortish walks included, not with the ship tours. The town is nice to mooch around, the tender usually drops you off next to the town.

 

Cohb is also nice to mooch around, it is not very big but quaint. We usually get the train into Cork now we have been a few times. 

I recall being very impressed with Cobh Cathedral when we called there on a cruise many years ago. Awesomely peaceful just taking a pew for a few minutes and enjoying a bit of introspection.

[yorkshirephil]

A much better day weather wise today, yesterday was one of those cold grey damp offerings. I am sure we will get a couple of decent walks in today even though Mrs YP is still a bit rickety.

I quite like Tuesdays as it is knit and natter day so get my scone with jam and cream this afternoon. The cafe owner makes his own cakes and is top notch.

[kalos]

22 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I quite like Tuesdays as it is knit and natter day

I'm not very good and have difficulty with knitting ! ☹️

 

Oops, sorry  wrong thread.🙃

[brian1]

1 hour ago, yorkshirephil said:

We have taken a couple of half day tours around Kirkwall with shortish walks included, not with the ship tours. The town is nice to mooch around, the tender usually drops you off next to the town.

 

Cohb is also nice to mooch around, it is not very big but quaint. We usually get the train into Cork now we have been a few times. 

We just walked around the town in Kirkwall,quite small.I think there is a whisky distillery tour on the Island.

Edited March 26 by brian1

[twotravellersLondon]

We have... a very nice day. It's still only about 11˚C and still overcast but the clouds have changed to a very light cirrocumulus and so the sunshine is streaming through. 

 

Today... we're doing a little shopping, making a batch of chilli-free lamb curry (sadly one med. interacts with chilli and the results are... not nice!) We do have a wonderful Indian restaurant a 20 mins walk away in the "village" and they will produce any dish that we want from the menu... still hot and spicy but without chilli... luckily we have a great Chinese restaurant in the other direction that will do the same!

 

Hope everyone has a chance to look forward to the holiday weekend. 

 

We'll be continuing a "tradition" dating from as long ago as 2020... of a home based weekend to the Eastern Mediterranean... based on travels almost 25 years ago... when the world was a very different place. 

 

We'll begin with a "Greek Stop Over" and do our version of a meal in a lovely quay-side restaurant in Kefalonia. 

 

 

Then we're "off to" the Beirut of 2000 and will have a nostalgic high-end French-style meal at our DIY pop-up "Café d'Orient" (as it was in the days that the city was still "the Paris of the East" and the restaurant was the haunt of the likes of Micky Rooney, Brigette Bardot, Alex Guinness and Omar Sharif... a little before our time there!) 'Tis no more! Even then, it was a case of "where Angels fear to tread!")

 

 

On Easter Sunday we'll remind ourselves of an English Style Easter in Lebanon... sensational lamb, fresh herbs and just a hint of Harrissa.

 

On Easter Monday, we'll have a meal inspired by "Chez Sami" to remind ourselves of a Maronite Easter we had in Jounieh in the shadow of "Our Lady of Lebanon" that dominates the hills overlooking the Mediterranean.

 

The idea of "Around the world in 80 dinners" was how we kept "travelling and cruising" in the middle of a global pandemic... and it was so successful, so much fun and so entertaining that  we've carried it on every Easter since but with different menus.

 

Hope everyone has something special to look forward to.

 

 

[lincslady]

I love the idea of the round the world weekend meals.  Sounds lovely; I would invite myself if really cheeky and lived nearer to you!

 

My order for delivery is always before noon, and the email confirming what is coming arrives before 8, so at least I am not interfering with shoppers.  It often arrives at 5, hence me picturing them going round in the middle of the night to find my goodies.

 

I have  just been sitting in the garden - almost too hot.  Heavenly.  I fear the weekend forecast is, naturally, nothing like as good.

[kalos]

18 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

Hope everyone has a chance to look forward to the holiday weekend. 

 

You two have cheered me up with your post ,not sure what  we will get  up to but 

now I'm feeling really optimistic and know it will be  a  Good Friday 🙃

 

Hope everyone has a good weekend to look forward to😀

[Ardennais]

5 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

After two weeks of massive reorganisation and throwing things out, normality has returned to my home, with the return of my husband from his annual ski trip with friends in Austria. Small problem there - no snow!  Ironically he came home Saturday and on Sunday night a large dump of snow finally arrived.

 

Yesterday I finally got round to sorting and booking my cruises that I've been discussing and doing nothing about!  Successfully transferred our Queen Anne September Mediterranean to a three week Queen Mary 2 transatlantic next July taking in Norway, Iceland, Canada and New York and booked the replacement Aurora Scandinavian 16 nights in August.  Whilst talking to Cunard I experienced a rush of blood to the head and booked myself on the May Queen Anne Festival of Britain cruise taking in her naming ceremony. That one is a real leap of faith as I've booked the very cheapest inside forward cabin on  TBA saver, something I've never done on a ship I don't know, but it was ridiculously cheap at under £2,000 for the 14 nights and a chance to hopefully see a bit of history being made.

 

Today is being spent to figure out what to do in Kirkwall, South Queensferry (without going into Edinburgh as I'm going there with my OH for the first time in July and don't wish to spoil that) and Cobh. Unfortunately the archaeological trip in Kirkwall is full, so any ideas for there much appreciated along with Cobh.  I was wondering if getting to the Falkirk Wheel might be an option from South Queensferry?

 

Big irony, never been to Scotland in 68 years and now I'm getting to lots of places in one year!

Kirkwall - we took a trip (on CMV’s Marco Polo) called Leisurely Orkney and Italian Chapel. The Chapel is a charming place. We travelled across the Churchill Barriers which link the islands, and also had a lovely stroll around St Margaret’s Hope. Also saw Scapa Flow. After the excursion, we had plenty of time in Kirkwall itself and visited St Magnus Cathedral. 
 

On the same cruise, we visited Cobh and just walked to the pretty town. St Colman’s Cathedral is well worth a visit - look out for the swastika patterns on the floor tiles! Of course they pre-date the 20th century version.

 

We actually enjoyed the Titanic Museum in Cobh more than Titanic Belfast, again on the same trip. A more intimate experience, especially as is it housed in the original office, and it would have been the last time the Titanic saw land. 
 

 

Cobh - 

[Grandad John]

4 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Kirkwall - we took a trip (on CMV’s Marco Polo) called Leisurely Orkney and Italian Chapel. The Chapel is a charming place. We travelled across the Churchill Barriers which link the islands, and also had a lovely stroll around St Margaret’s Hope. Also saw Scapa Flow. After the excursion, we had plenty of time in Kirkwall itself and visited St Magnus Cathedral. 
 

On the same cruise, we visited Cobh and just walked to the pretty town. St Colman’s Cathedral is well worth a visit - look out for the swastika patterns on the floor tiles! Of course they pre-date the 20th century version.

 

We actually enjoyed the Titanic Museum in Cobh more than Titanic Belfast, again on the same trip. A more intimate experience, especially as is it housed in the original office, and it would have been the last time the Titanic saw land. 
 

 

Cobh - 

Didn’t recall that it’s called St. Colmans, but now you mention it have a faint recollection of a mustard decor😂.

[Adawn47]

Good afternoon all. I've only just managed to catch up on here today.

It's been a nice warm day here, and we've spent the day in the garden catching up on jobs that should have been done a few weeks ago. Frank's been busy weeding the perennials and around all the rose bushes, while I've been sowing tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, bell peppers and 3 trays of annuals. All done now and sitting cosily in their propagators. 

We're now sitting cosily in our own propagator, a.k.a the house😉,with a nice hot coffee and a generous slice of home made egg custard tart😋

Hope everyone has had a lovely day and welcome home bro.

Avril/Sis

[Beckett]

2 hours ago, Grandad John said:

Didn’t recall that it’s called St. Colmans, but now you mention it have a faint recollection of a mustard decor😂.

It is St.Colmans John. I went there in 2018 with my granddaughter. It's a fairly steep climb up to the cathedral but so worth it. The views from the top are lovely. Our ship looked tiny in the distance. There was a wedding happening when we visited but the two ushers outside kindly let us in, so we attended the service itself, then watched the bride and and groom and all the more able guests running down the steep slopes into the town afterwards. It was a very happy day.

 

We also went into the Titanic Museum that Ardennais mentioned. It was fab. Very intimate with re-created cabins as per the cost level of the Titanic passengers' bookings. Your entry ticket gives you the name of an actual passenger and at the end of your tour you look up your name on a printed list and find out whether you survived or not! Well worth a visit. Jane x

[mrsgoggins]

21 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

 

We're now sitting cosily in our own propagator, a.k.a the house😉,with a nice hot coffee and a generous slice of home made egg custard tart😋

 

 

I'm jealous! I've never yet made a really good custard tart - and because of failures, it's a few years between attempts 😔. Do you have any tips?   

[Eglesbrech]

8 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

 

Today is being spent to figure out what to do in Kirkwall, South Queensferry (without going into Edinburgh as I'm going there with my OH for the first time in July and don't wish to spoil that) and Cobh. Unfortunately the archaeological trip in Kirkwall is full, so any ideas for there much appreciated along with Cobh.  I was wondering if getting to the Falkirk Wheel might be an option from South Queensferry?

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

39 minutes ago, Beckett said:

We also went into the Titanic Museum that Ardennais mentioned. It was fab. Very intimate with re-created cabins as per the cost level of the Titanic passengers' bookings. Your entry ticket gives you the name of an actual passenger and at the end of your tour you look up your name on a printed list and find out whether you survived or not! Well worth a visit. Jane x

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!

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

I'm jealous! I've never yet made a really good custard tart - and because of failures, it's a few years between attempts 😔. Do you have any tips?   

Lightly bake the pastry case blind first. Beat the eggs well with a fork, together with sugar and nutmeg and still beating pour over the hot, not boiling milk, pour into the baked case and bake centre oven 30 - 35mins @ 170 fan oven. 

I use a deep 8'' dia dish. 4 eggs, 1/2pt milk, 2oz sugar and nutmeg to your own taste, I use a lot😉.

One big tip is leave the dish on the oven shelf. Pull out the shelf and pour in the hot custard, then very gently slide the shelf back in the oven, that way you won't spill it all over the place while trying to carry it to the oven.

Happy baking.

Avril

[mrsgoggins]

31 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Lightly bake the pastry case blind first. Beat the eggs well with a fork, together with sugar and nutmeg and still beating pour over the hot, not boiling milk, pour into the baked case and bake centre oven 30 - 35mins @ 170 fan oven. 

I use a deep 8'' dia dish. 4 eggs, 1/2pt milk, 2oz sugar and nutmeg to your own taste, I use a lot😉.

One big tip is leave the dish on the oven shelf. Pull out the shelf and pour in the hot custard, then very gently slide the shelf back in the oven, that way you won't spill it all over the place while trying to carry it to the oven.

Happy baking.

Avril

Thank you so much. I’ll report back 🤞

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

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.

Thank you for this information, perhaps I'd better wait until July when we are land based to do the Falkirk trip.  It was suggested on the cruise roll call that Greenock is a better option for this visit but I've  booked to visit Loch Lomond and a distillery with a drive to see various other Lochs - I thought it would be a good opportunity to see something scenic?  Unfortunately the Stirling Castle trip was sold out and the general opinion was the Trossachs tour was a long ride with too little time.  Invergordon I've booked Loch Ness and Inverness as again a large number of options were sold out.

 

The Linlithgow idea sounds a great idea.  Would I need to book a taxi in advance or are there plenty at the port? I was thinking I could seek out a travelling companion either on the roll call or once I'm onboard.  It does appear quite a few are on the roll call but no one is putting alternatives to Edinburgh city visits at the moment.

 

I assume that if I take a morning trip in Kirkwall to see some of the sites, I can look around the Kirkwall afterwards as suggested by yourself and Ardennais.  I seem to have three tour choices via Cunard, one 3 1/4 hour panoramic, one going to something called the Yesnaby Cliffs and Ring of Bridgar and one  doing the "Scenic South Isles" which takes me to the Italian church.  The latter two are around 2 1/2 hours.

 

Strangely the private tour operators show no ship in port the day we are scheduled for. Perhaps they doubt we will actually get there!

 

Thank you so much for your help and ideas.

 

 

 

 

[zap99]

3 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

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!

In Halifax we went to the cemetery where folk from the Titanic are buried.  All set out to start a life in the new world. A date and number on a granite stone. Very sad.

[Ardennais]

5 hours ago, Beckett said:

It is St.Colmans John. I went there in 2018 with my granddaughter. It's a fairly steep climb up to the cathedral but so worth it. The views from the top are lovely. Our ship looked tiny in the distance. There was a wedding happening when we visited but the two ushers outside kindly let us in, so we attended the service itself, then watched the bride and and groom and all the more able guests running down the steep slopes into the town afterwards. It was a very happy day.

 

We also went into the Titanic Museum that Ardennais mentioned. It was fab. Very intimate with re-created cabins as per the cost level of the Titanic passengers' bookings. Your entry ticket gives you the name of an actual passenger and at the end of your tour you look up your name on a printed list and find out whether you survived or not! Well worth a visit. Jane x

You witnessed a wedding there and we witnessed mourners leaving a funeral! 

[Ranchi]

If you are thinking about a visit to the Falkirk area (on a land based break) then Culross is certainly worth considering (even if, like us, you haven’t seen Outlander!)  We had a lovely day from Edinburgh including the Kelpies, Falkirk wheel and Dunfermline and Culross. 

Edited March 26 by Ranchi

[Snow Hill]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

In Halifax we went to the cemetery where folk from the Titanic are buried.  All set out to start a life in the new world. A date and number on a granite stone. Very sad.

We visited the cemetery when we spent 2 weeks in Nova Scotia back in 2008 and also experienced out first ever hurricane warning.

 

Visiting the cemetery I couldn’t help thinking that my great great Aunt could have been there had her mother not been taken ill 2 days before she was due to return to the US, she never used the tickets for her young daughter and herself. I learnt about this story when I connected with my cousin in the US who is descended from the daughter. Martha, my great great aunt expressed her feelings of relief, but also great sorrow of the loss of so many of the passengers she never got to know. 

[Snow Hill]

[Eglesbrech]

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Thank you for this information, perhaps I'd better wait until July when we are land based to do the Falkirk trip.  It was suggested on the cruise roll call that Greenock is a better option for this visit but I've  booked to visit Loch Lomond and a distillery with a drive to see various other Lochs - I thought it would be a good opportunity to see something scenic?  Unfortunately the Stirling Castle trip was sold out and the general opinion was the Trossachs tour was a long ride with too little time.  Invergordon I've booked Loch Ness and Inverness as again a large number of options were sold out.

 

The Linlithgow idea sounds a great idea.  Would I need to book a taxi in advance or are there plenty at the port? I was thinking I could seek out a travelling companion either on the roll call or once I'm onboard.  It does appear quite a few are on the roll call but no one is putting alternatives to Edinburgh city visits at the moment.

 

I assume that if I take a morning trip in Kirkwall to see some of the sites, I can look around the Kirkwall afterwards as suggested by yourself and Ardennais.  I seem to have three tour choices via Cunard, one 3 1/4 hour panoramic, one going to something called the Yesnaby Cliffs and Ring of Bridgar and one  doing the "Scenic South Isles" which takes me to the Italian church.  The latter two are around 2 1/2 hours.

 

Strangely the private tour operators show no ship in port the day we are scheduled for. Perhaps they doubt we will actually get there!

 

Thank you so much for your help and ideas.

 

 

 

 

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.

Edited March 27 by Eglesbrech

[brian1]

I'm waiting for the Trossachs gags to appear.