Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[Lanky Lad]

I've been busy the last few days, but in a good way. 

 

I bought a new laptop today. My old one was getting very slow. I now have to get used to Windows 11. 

 

I have also booked QV for May 24 and QA for October 24. 

 

After two short weeks, it's a full week next week, but only 4 weeks to work until I'm off for a week. Not sure I should admit to this, but I'm going on P&O Ventura for 4 nights. 

[Host Hattie]

I look forward to hearing how you enjoy Ventura, she was our first and last P&O experience!

 

[Lanky Lad]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

I look forward to hearing how you enjoy Ventura, she was our first and last P&O experience!

 

I did a tour of her before her maiden voyage so not my first time on board but my first cruise. First and last doesn't sound good. I will report back. 

[Bigmike911]

Queen Mary 2 sailed from Southampton yesterday for her trip to Dubai. It is very satisfying to see her doing her world cruise again after the disaster three years ago. 

[Lanky Lad]

1 hour ago, Bigmike911 said:

Queen Mary 2 sailed from Southampton yesterday for her trip to Dubai. It is very satisfying to see her doing her world cruise again after the disaster three years ago. 

Lets hope it's smooth sailing in every sense. 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Lanky Lad

[canoncruiser]

Queen Victoria is HERE in the Apple-I sail tomorrow-woo hoo😂. I hope the folks touring today have a great visit to NYC -despite the heavy rain. Cunard to ‘far away places with strange sounding names’ - it’s ‘delovely'😊

[Host Hattie]

How exciting,  have a wonderful time 

[D&N]

An update for anyone interested in Carmel ......

She's doing very well. Has had quite a good appetite for several months and got back to a normal weight around Christmas. We're now going to gradually try weaning her off the mind bending gel that gets rubbed in her ears. Hopefully her brain will remain trained to be hungry and eat, but we'll monitor her weight as we do so to make sure. We're a bit scared that continuing at current dosage might make her obese, although we can of course refuse to give her food if eating too much.

 

This was her 12 days ago.

[techteach]

So glad to hear she is improving and you are able to take her off the meds. Good to hear from you!

[Bigmike911]

The freeze of the eve of Christmas eve, really clobbered a lot of my trees (citrus) bushes of all ilk and size and the fern garden looks pretty bad. I went to the back forty to put away the gardenhone I unwound last Sunday as a precaution, when my loony neighbor decided to build a trash fire in 30 MPH gusts.

 

In wandering around the back garden, I came upon some wondrous sights. One of my Magnolia Bushes, a deciduous one puts out puffy white flowers before it re-leafs. Today, the entire bush looked like a 12 foot fully grown cotton plant full of white flowers the size of my fist. 

 

Then I noticed what looked like small flowers on a Santa Rosa Plum. On closer examination they are small white flowers, with small green leaves beginning to show as well. 

 

On the to the fern garden, and there amongst the brown dead ferns were small little green fern sprouts working their way out of the mass. 

 

Now all we have to do is get past the rest of January and February, and we have it made. I am already looking at plants for the pool deck, and I got a new battery yesterday for my Geriatric GMC Yukon to prepare it for trips to Home Depot for potting soil and cedar mulch.

 

After the past two dark years, this year,I am looking for Spring's re-birth more intently than ever. 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Bigmike911

[alc13]

In 3 months we'll board QE for a many-times, pandemic-related rescheduled cruise ( Japan, Spain, Japan, Japan, Japan).  I won't be entirely surprised if we're disappointed again, but I'm optimistic!  And so I'm into planning.  Do I need another dress, or do I mean frock?  No.  Do we have transportation arranged from the airport to Yokohama?  Yes.  Et cetera.  I love trip planning so this part is fun.

 

In other news, I'm getting over a mild case of covid.  I mention it because I never met the criteria for exposure, but picked up the little rascal anyway.  Multiple vaccinations and paxlovid meant it has been an easy course and I'm very grateful for both.  Mr Alc is fine, no symptoms, and he tested negative yesterday along with me.  Add at-home tests to things I'm grateful for.

[Host Hattie]

It's lovely to see Carmel looking so well,  I'm glad your Covid experience was mild @alc13. Enjoy your trip planning. 

We've had a few heavy frosts this week but no snow, only a few flakes one afternoon. It's nice that there's still some light in the sky when I get home from work these days.

[Colin_Cameron]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

We've had a few heavy frosts this week but no snow, only a few flakes one afternoon. It's nice that there's still some light in the sky when I get home from work these days.

Some people have all the luck.

 

I think it was Tuesday we had about three to four inches, then overnight there was a bit more but with a lot of wind. When we looked out the front windows on Wednesday morning there was still only about four inches. But when we opened the back door, due to the wind, we found four feet of the stuff! I feel like I've been shoveling it ever since.

[D&N]

We're just back from a lovely meal at our local Chinese, 7 mins walk from our home.  It was about 5C outside but felt more like -5C!  Shivered all the way home to join Carmel and her heater.

As usual meal was amazing value, 3 really tasty courses, 2 bottles of a very good house Rosé and a litre of San Pellegrino for 99€.

[Bigmike911]

On 1/19/2023 at 4:19 PM, D&N said:

An update for anyone interested in Carmel ......

She's doing very well. Has had quite a good appetite for several months and got back to a normal weight around Christmas. We're now going to gradually try weaning her off the mind bending gel that gets rubbed in her ears. Hopefully her brain will remain trained to be hungry and eat, but we'll monitor her weight as we do so to make sure. We're a bit scared that continuing at current dosage might make her obese, although we can of course refuse to give her food if eating too much.

 

This was her 12 days ago.

What a sweet looking little girl. I have had dogs and cats all my life.The dogs make good companions, the cats make lovers. My little Mimi went to kitty heaven a year ago Thanksgiving, so in the spring, I went to the animal rescue and selected a little black and white kitty, which I named Cece. When I went to collect her after her procedure, we found out she was a he.

 

At first I was hesitant, since I have had both male and female, my experience has been that females are easier to deal with, and then I thought, here is a little animal who needs a home and love. I took him home and named him Charlie Cat. Upon getting him home I opened the carrier and he leapt out and was seen but not touched for about four months. He was eating his food and using his facilities, but was untouchable. 

 

I was using a large Fortnum and Mason Hamper as a coffee table in my study until a mahogany one I ordered arrived. Charlie would rub on the hinges and the leather straps. One day I put my hand out and he rubbed it. He was in love. He cannot get enough attention and rubbing. He is still wary of strangers to the house, but is now a lap cat and loves to be rubbed and stroked. He is also the most talkative cat I have ever had, and rarely makes a move without a grunt or a rao. If I walk into a room and don't see him he meows to let me Know where he is and tell me that he would welcome a rub.

 

This year he discovered birds, and now cannot wait until the blinds are open so he can check to see if there are birds in the garden. As I write this, he has pulled an acrylic throw on my bed into a nest and he is snoring away on it. Yes, cats are most welcome additions to the family. 

[alc13]

11 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

What a sweet looking little girl. I have had dogs and cats all my life.The dogs make good companions, the cats make lovers. My little Mimi went to kitty heaven a year ago Thanksgiving, so in the spring, I went to the animal rescue and selected a little black and white kitty, which I named Cece. When I went to collect her after her procedure, we found out she was a he.

 

At first I was hesitant, since I have had both male and female, my experience has been that females are easier to deal with, and then I thought, here is a little animal who needs a home and love. I took him home and named him Charlie Cat. Upon getting him home I opened the carrier and he leapt out and was seen but not touched for about four months. He was eating his food and using his facilities, but was untouchable. 

 

I was using a large Fortnum and Mason Hamper as a coffee table in my study until a mahogany one I ordered arrived. Charlie would rub on the hinges and the leather straps. One day I put my hand out and he rubbed it. He was in love. He cannot get enough attention and rubbing. He is still wary of strangers to the house, but is now a lap cat and loves to be rubbed and stroked. He is also the most talkative cat I have ever had, and rarely makes a move without a grunt or a rao. If I walk into a room and don't see him he meows to let me Know where he is and tell me that he would welcome a rub.

 

This year he discovered birds, and now cannot wait until the blinds are open so he can check to see if there are birds in the garden. As I write this, he has pulled an acrylic throw on my bed into a nest and he is snoring away on it. Yes, cats are most welcome additions to the family. 

Lovely story!  Lucky Charlie Cat -

[Lanky Lad]

We had snow last week and it's finally started to melt today. 

 

Two weeks until I set off for Southampton and Ventura. Some good news is my boarding time is 1pm. 

 

[ronpes]

Today, we finally leave to fulfil a lifetime dream of ours and major bucket list adventure, where we are off to Antarctica. 

We fly to Buenos Aires tonight, (16hrs) and then down to Ushuaia on Sat where we board the ship. 

After 2 days of crossing of the Drake Passage, we hope to conduct several landings ashore for 5 days before heading back. 

We then go to see the Iguazu Falls before heading home again. 

 

We mulled over this for some time but took the view that if we don’t do this now we will never go as we are not getting any younger. 

 

Next up after this, is a more sedate QM2 crossing in July. 

[Host Hattie]

How exciting, have a wonderful time. 

[canoncruiser]

I’m on QV and we’re on our way to Aruba. BUT there’s a troubling lack of well trained service staff in Britannia-already hearing complaints-not a lot but some nonetheless.  One table near us waited 45 minutes for their appetizer. In fact there seems to be a shortage of staff overall. My Bedroom Steward is excellent. The ship is well maintained. Also the ship is not full-that may change in SF but maybe not.

Also and importantly, not only has the quality of the food dropped but the portions have gotten much smaller. 

It is wonderful to back at sea for a long cruise-we’ll see.

[ronpes]

It’s a toasty 30C here in Buenos Aires today. 
Will try and go and see Eva Peron’s tomb tomorrow. 

[NE John]

My wife is going on a five day/four night “girlfriend” cruise on RC Spectrum of the Seas out of Singapore soon. 5,000 pax…This was not of her planning. 

I believe she’ll welcome the calmness and genteel atmosphere of Cunard ships after this one!

I guess the noodles will be good at least. 

[ronpes]

We had to say the magic password before he would let us pass.! 

[ronpes]

At Cuverville Island today.
Along with over 7,000 Gentoo Penguins!

[Lanky Lad]

Lovely pictures @ronpes

 

I went to a lovely concert last night by the Halle orchestra. 

 

Just one more day to work and then I'm on holiday for a week. Travelling to Southampton on Sunday and then going to London by train on Monday. I got a good deal so only costing me £11 return and takes just over an hour. 

 

We are boarding Ventura on Tuesday until Saturday.