Selbourne ‘Live’ from Aurora’s 2024 Grand Tour

[elmsliebev]

7 hours ago, Selbourne said:

It shouldn’t affect the renewal at all. The basic cover is provided free of charge, and the claim is not connected to my wife’s medical condition (which we paid extra for). The missed port claim comes from the add on cruise cover, which is a £40 flat fee for everyone.

We use Nationwide and bought the add on £40 cruise cover. Used it in 2022 when we were confined to cabin with Covid on QE. I can confirm no increase when I took it out again in 2023!

[elmsliebev]

2 hours ago, Andy24v said:

I'd be interested to know the outcome of this. One of the things that discourages us from selecting Cruise Cover add on, is how it affects next year's renewal in the event of a claim. 

At renewal time, there is always a question relating to whether you have made a claim in the last X years, and our assumption is one would have to declare the missed port payout. This would presumably affect the premium, and given the loading for our medical conditions, the difference could be more than the payout.

it's a flat fee for the add-on. We use Nationwide and bought the add on £40 cruise cover. Used it in 2022 when we were confined to cabin with Covid on QE. I can confirm no increase when I took it out again in 2023! 

[Somerset Cruiser]

@Selbourne

I note the lack of information from your captain, we had Wesley Dunlop on Iona over Xmas and New Year and he is the other extreme, humorous as well when the situation merited. We had a late departure from Southampton and a missed port in Mediterranean, not due to the delay. After he had fully explained the reasons it felt as though he was doing us all a favour. Consequently we heard no one complaining. 

[Red Ray]

14 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Key West port call has been cancelled. Very disappointing, not least because it now means that we have 4 sea days in a row between Miami and New Orleans 🙄

Very disappointing - Key West is my favourite US port.

[TigerB]

Thanks for the update @Selbourne.

 

Key West is somewhere that we were unable to get to several years ago, due also to a weather system closing in, albeit that was a driving holiday; we got as far as Marathon and stayed overnight there.  Hopefully, we may get an opportunity again in the future, but on a cruise.

 

I don't think you've (literally) heard the last of the selfish £#@£ on the scooter.  Given that his reversing alarm sounds like it should belong on a bin wagon, I think we will all know who you mean if you hereinafter referred to him as 'the bin man' 🤭

 

Fingers crossed for New Orleans 🤞

[Selbourne]

14 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Sorry that you missed your port.I remember worrying throughout a cruise that we would miss the Falklands as most ships do.We made it in and was a great experience.

I would love to visit the Falklands, but as we have bad luck with missed ports I wouldn’t risk chancing it on a cruise. Besides, I’d want a few days there. 

 

Just now, mrsgoggins said:

You have definitely had a few challenges and poor weather on your cruise and I do hope you continue to be able to tell us that you are still enjoying it overall.

Up until yesterday I’d say that we were still enjoying it, in spite of the poor weather. The cancellation of Key West, along with the poor way with which the Captain announced it, has put a bit of a downer on things today. We cruise for ports and not sea days. The latter are just a means to an end to get to the ports. Four sea days in a row at this stage is not what we want or expected especially having woken to quite calm seas this morning.
 

In fairness, the daytime entertainment during sea days on this cruise has been by far the best of our four post Covid cruises and, if anything, is back to what we enjoyed many years ago (today won’t be, as it’s an unplanned sea day). By tomorrow we will have had only 5 ports in 22 days and one of those (Port Canaveral) was a waste of time due to my visit to the Kennedy Space Centre having to be cancelled. 
 

Thankfully we aren’t sun worshippers, but those who do are getting fed up with the weather. It’s become the main topic of conversation around the ship (that and the uncommunicative Captain). 
 

Just now, terrierjohn said:

I imagine if a poll of passengers was taken, then reducing all ships to at the most 1 formal night per week would win.

We are due to have 11 black tie nights over nine and a half weeks. If they could manage 11 enhanced menus then I’d live with that, but as it appears that they can’t  then even that’s too many. As I say, a black tie night with a bog standard menu is completely pointless IMO. 

Edited January 23 by Selbourne

[Selbourne]

Just now, elmsliebev said:

We use Nationwide and bought the add on £40 cruise cover. Used it in 2022 when we were confined to cabin with Covid on QE. I can confirm no increase when I took it out again in 2023!

I was staggered that the cruise cover add-on was only £40. We have a long history of missed ports on our cruises, so knew that we’d get that back many times over on that aspect alone when it’s £150 compensation per missed port. I read the policy last night and it says ‘we will pay YOU £150 per missed port’ whereas with cabin confinement it says ‘we will pay each person’. I’m wondering if that means that we just get £150 total per missed port or whether, as the policy is in joint names, we get £150 each. Has anyone claimed for missed ports with Nationwide and can confirm?

[Selbourne]

Just now, Somerset Cruiser said:

@Selbourne

I note the lack of information from your captain, we had Wesley Dunlop on Iona over Xmas and New Year and he is the other extreme, humorous as well when the situation merited. We had a late departure from Southampton and a missed port in Mediterranean, not due to the delay. After he had fully explained the reasons it felt as though he was doing us all a favour. Consequently we heard no one complaining. 

Exactly. As I always say, things will go wrong and we expect that, but it’s how they are handled that leaves either a negative or positive impression.

[brian1]

6 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I would love to visit the Falklands, but as we have bad luck with missed ports I wouldn’t risk chancing it on a cruise. Besides, I’d want a few days there. 

 

 

LOL,yeah it was an 8000 mile away gamble.Walking on one of the biggest golden beaches I've been on amongst thousands of penguins.Their summer but bloody cold and windy.

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, TigerB said:

 Given that his reversing alarm sounds like it should belong on a bin wagon, I think we will all know who you mean if you hereinafter referred to him as 'the bin man' 🤭

Better not TigerB, there's already a poster on this forum with that name.😁

Avril

[elmsliebev]

40 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I was staggered that the cruise cover add-on was only £40. We have a long history of missed ports on our cruises, so knew that we’d get that back many times over on that aspect alone when it’s £150 compensation per missed port. I read the policy last night and it says ‘we will pay YOU £150 per missed port’ whereas with cabin confinement it says ‘we will pay each person’. I’m wondering if that means that we just get £150 total per missed port or whether, as the policy is in joint names, we get £150 each. Has anyone claimed for missed ports with Nationwide and can confirm?

we have only used cabin confinment but I've just checked with my brother & sister-in-law who also had it. They got it per person for a missed port last September. When we claimed, I did it all on line, very easy process. 

[Malcolm142]

We missed a port on our Iona cruise last October. We were due into Cadiz but this got changed to  Cherbourg because of weather. 
So we had the same number of ports. Nationwide with the extra cruise cover refunded us £300 for the two of us for missing Cadiz

[Bloodaxe]

44 minutes ago, brian1 said:

LOL,yeah it was an 8000 mile away gamble.Walking on one of the biggest golden beaches I've been on amongst thousands of penguins.Their summer but bloody cold and windy.

 

Totally agree about the Falklands being a gamble when on a cruise, we did the cruise with Azamara some years ago and were lucky to land.

Just days before us the QE2 was on its final world cruise and had to pass them bye.

The locals were very disappointed had they had planned a special welcome for the Ship due to it's part in the war..

[Selbourne]

Just now, elmsliebev said:

we have only used cabin confinment but I've just checked with my brother & sister-in-law who also had it. They got it per person for a missed port last September. When we claimed, I did it all on line, very easy process. 

That’s great. Many thanks. I assume that we wait until we are back home before claiming? Whilst we aren’t home until 8th March, which is a long time away, given how this cruise is panning out I strongly suspect that Key West won’t be our only missed port!

[Selbourne]

Just now, Malcolm142 said:

We missed a port on our Iona cruise last October. We were due into Cadiz but this got changed to  Cherbourg because of weather. 
So we had the same number of ports. Nationwide with the extra cruise cover refunded us £300 for the two of us for missing Cadiz

Gosh. That’s impressive. You’d think they’d use the replacement port as an excuse not to pay out. In this day and age, Nationwide seem to stand out as being exceptionally good. 

[elmsliebev]

Just now, Selbourne said:

That’s great. Many thanks. I assume that we wait until we are back home before claiming? Whilst we aren’t home until 8th March, which is a long time away, given how this cruise is panning out I strongly suspect that Key West won’t be our only missed port!

we claimed when we got home from our QE trip. As you say, there may be other missed ports but I do hope not for your sake. Such a shame to miss Key West. 

I've been impressed with how Nationwide have handled the process, both for our covid exploits and a previous medical incident. 

[david63]

30 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Gosh. That’s impressive. You’d think they’d use the replacement port as an excuse not to pay out. In this day and age, Nationwide seem to stand out as being exceptionally good. 

The clause is "missed port" which is what you have and not number of ports visited. Some (all?) other travel insurance companies work the same. I had a similar situation last year where we "missed" three ports even though another was substituted.

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

I would love to visit the Falklands, but as we have bad luck with missed ports I wouldn’t risk chancing it on a cruise. Besides, I’d want a few days there. 

 

Up until yesterday I’d say that we were still enjoying it, in spite of the poor weather. The cancellation of Key West, along with the poor way with which the Captain announced it, has put a bit of a downer on things today. We cruise for ports and not sea days. The latter are just a means to an end to get to the ports. Four sea days in a row at this stage is not what we want or expected especially having woken to quite calm seas this morning.
 

In fairness, the daytime entertainment during sea days on this cruise has been by far the best of our four post Covid cruises and, if anything, is back to what we enjoyed many years ago (today won’t be, as it’s an unplanned sea day). By tomorrow we will have had only 5 ports in 22 days and one of those (Port Canaveral) was a waste of time due to my visit to the Kennedy Space Centre having to be cancelled. 
 

Thankfully we aren’t sun worshippers, but those who do are getting fed up with the weather. It’s become the main topic of conversation around the ship (that and the uncommunicative Captain). 
 

We are due to have 11 black tie nights over nine and a half weeks. If they could manage 11 enhanced menus then I’d live with that, but as it appears that they can’t  then even that’s too many. As I say, a black tie night with a bog standard menu is completely pointless IMO. 

Unfortunately it's been an unusually very wet and windy time for the southern US and the Caribbean islands the past two months.  With Florida in particular this really isn't that unusual.  During the period from 1989 until 2000 I used to spend at least a month in the Florida Keys and Miami areas, generally in late December and January.  Average day time temperatures never rose much above 73 degrees in that period, were never stable for long periods and on average at least one day a week with strong winds and rain.  The winds come in off the North Atlantic and as a result they do affect the mainland US in the same way as they affect Ireland and the UK if they travel that direction.

 

The good news is that once you move away from the US the weather is very much on the up.  Yes there are still a few windy spells and showers but the heavy rains are subsiding, we've seen little other than sprinkles since 13 January.  All is not lost.

Edited January 23 by Megabear2

[Bill Y]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

I would love to visit the Falklands, but as we have bad luck with missed ports I wouldn’t risk chancing it on a cruise. Besides, I’d want a few days there.

Apparently it’s very expensive to visit the Falklands other than via a cruise, we were told by Islanders that you could book on the twice weekly flights from Brize Norton at a cost.

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Up until yesterday I’d say that we were still enjoying it, in spite of the poor weather. The cancellation of Key West, along with the poor way with which the Captain announced it, has put a bit of a downer on things today. We cruise for ports and not sea days. The latter are just a means to an end to get to the ports. Four sea days in a row at this stage is not what we want or expected especially having woken to quite calm seas this morning.

We feel your disappointment, as we too cruise for the ports, luckily we have not missed a bucket list port although we were disappointed to miss Martinique due to “Shore side” as the Captain called them ordering the ship back to Barbados a day earlier to ensure repairs were completed before the next cruise, but we had a blow by blow account of the problem.

 

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

In fairness, the daytime entertainment during sea days on this cruise has been by far the best of our four post Covid cruises and, if anything, is back to what we enjoyed many years ago (today won’t be, as it’s an unplanned sea day). By tomorrow we will have had only 5 ports in 22 days and one of those (Port Canaveral) was a waste of time due to my visit to the Kennedy Space Centre having to be cancelled.

Good to hear that.

When this happed to use once they managed to drum up some entertainment. One seasoned speaker told us she was quickly approached about doing an extra talk and said which of my other twenty odd would you like?

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

We are due to have 11 black tie nights over nine and a half weeks. If they could manage 11 enhanced menus then I’d live with that, but as it appears that they can’t  then even that’s too many. As I say, a black tie night with a bog standard menu is completely pointless IMO. 

It always used to be said that if you took a suit you had access to better food, that used to be the case before the pandemic on formal nights, but it’s not always the case now. I can see the attitude of P&O becoming if you want lobster etc then treat yourself to it in a speciality restaurant. On a lighter note maybe P&O could be faced with a class action by dinner suits for being insulted by the offerings in the MDR’s on formal nights.

 

 

[zap99]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I was staggered that the cruise cover add-on was only £40. We have a long history of missed ports on our cruises, so knew that we’d get that back many times over on that aspect alone when it’s £150 compensation per missed port. I read the policy last night and it says ‘we will pay YOU £150 per missed port’ whereas with cabin confinement it says ‘we will pay each person’. I’m wondering if that means that we just get £150 total per missed port or whether, as the policy is in joint names, we get £150 each. Has anyone claimed for missed ports with Nationwide and can confirm?

I know that it isn't something you enjoy, but the missed ports money could pay a fair bit towards another cruise.

[Selbourne]

Just now, zap99 said:

I know that it isn't something you enjoy, but the missed ports money could pay a fair bit towards another cruise.

Yes, the way that this cruise is going (weather wise) we could well end up with a whole new cruise out of it 😂 

[brian1]

59 minutes ago, Bill Y said:

Apparently it’s very expensive to visit the Falklands other than via a cruise, we were told by Islanders that you could book on the twice weekly flights from Brize Norton at a cost.

 

 

 

 

 

Funny enough I did a dummy booking today.LATAM Airlines do flights from LHR with a few changes avoiding Argentina of course,culminating with a 2 hr flight from Punta Arenas to Mount Pleasant.1500 quid one way.Round about 48 hrs with layovers.

[Selbourne]

Just now, brian1 said:

Funny enough I did a dummy booking today.LATAM Airlines do flights from LHR with a few changes avoiding Argentina of course,culminating with a 2 hr flight from Punta Arenas to Mount Pleasant.1500 quid one way.Round about 48 hrs with layovers.

I looked into it once and the best / quickest / cheapest way is with the RAF from Brize Norton. They have a couple of flights a week primarily for military use, but they take a certain number of members of the public as fare paying passengers as well. 
 

UPDATE - We are now on a ‘float’ rather than a cruise. We seem to have stopped but according to the navigation channel we are doing 2.5 knots. Amazing what happens when there is so much time to kill 🤔

[brian1]

16 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I looked into it once and the best / quickest / cheapest way is with the RAF from Brize Norton. They have a couple of flights a week primarily for military use, but they take a certain number of members of the public as fare paying passengers as well. 
 

UPDATE - We are now on a ‘float’ rather than a cruise. We seem to have stopped but according to the navigation channel we are doing 2.5 knots. Amazing what happens when there is so much time to kill 🤔

Just make sure you don't have to HALO out the back with a bunch of SAS blokes.They used to midair refuel with passengers onboard not too sure they still do that

[Selbourne]

Today’s MDR menus. Apparently we are just going to float around until 5pm after which we will re-commence our journey to New Orleans.  

 

Edited January 23 by Selbourne