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RJChatsworth

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About Me

  • Location
    South Gloucs
  • Interests
    Flying, golf
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Cunard
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Anywhere

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  1. Thanks Selbourne for your post. I remember how you banged on about green beans morning, noon and night. Well they were still appearing on the menu but not quite so often. However, they are now ‘the finest’ green beans!
  2. It was quite rough in the channel last night and probably too rough for the pilot to board. I wondered what would happen then I noticed we tracked in close to coast near Margate and I assume pilot boarded somewhere there. I noted a Fred ship coming up the channel went close to Brixham to presumably pick up its pilot. Good advance planning by Southampton pilots!
  3. We are just back from Aurora’s 16-night cruise to the Northern Lights, our second attempt to see them. We failed on Hurtigruten one January a few years ago. I wouldn’t call this time a success, but we did see them as we sailed away from Tromso, so we can cross them off our bucket list. I think other passengers saw them then and at other times. The lights appeared very briefly and it was more by luck than judgement to see them. In our case the Bridge made an announcement after 1am, we raced to the balcony, and just above the horizon we saw some grey wispy cloud that didn’t look like cloud. Through the camera lens it was green. Now a few reflective comments on the cruise. I couldn’t possibly replicate Selbourne’s recent 65-nighter blog. I’ll write as I found things without meaning to offend! I’ll say that now before writing anything. Also, we have been on many P&O cruises but moved to Cunard when we felt that P&0 was changing and not for the better. Therefore some of my comments might be of comparison without consideration of ‘you only get what you pay for’. We do go back to P&O from time-to-time to see what’s different. Why on embarkation day did we have to wait until about 1.45pm to get in the cabin, yet on the final day we were turfed out of the cabin at 8am and sent to an overcrowded Curzon Theatre where passengers had to resort to sitting on the floor in the corridors. The best they could offer was a departure time of between 8.50am and 9.30am. Here we go! On Cunard you can access your cabin immediately on embarkation which is from about 12.15 and on disembarkation day you can stay in your cabin until your 10-minute time slot and then leave without any announcements being made. Why the difference between the two Carnival lines? We had a luxury balcony cabin which was a bit tired. There was some rust patches on the balcony. It’s time we stopped having to climb over the bath to access the shower. I was not sure about not having a nightly turndown service to start with but having got used to it I preferred the idea. We didn’t have to tidy up before dinner! The public areas were all well appointed and I like the layout of the ship except for having to walk through the bar on one floor. Raffles was good for coffee. I concur with what everyone said about MDR dining in Selbourne’s posts. It was pretty poor and bland. There aren’t the choices there used to be. I once said to the waiter, ‘Is that a starter?’ ‘No’ he said, ‘It’s a main.’ He went and got a second. The choice of cheese was poor and no cheese trolley these days. You didn’t even get a wafer with an ice cream. And no treats with coffee except on special occasions. The service was good however, in and out in 40 minutes whether you liked it or not. Another downside was there are only 24 tables for two, I was told, in each MDR and everyone was after them for breakfast and lunch. We went to The Glass House, Sindhu and The Beach House, twice to each, and found them to be very good. The food in Horizon with more choice seemed better than the MDR at times. There were three evening dress occasions which were largely adhered to in the MDR but when you went to the theatre the opposite was true, scruffy jeans and I even saw shorts. On Cunard you are supposed to be disbarred in the theatre if you don’t dress up but that generally doesn’t work. Perhaps they have a plan to run down the MDR’s so no-one goes and they can convert them to upmarket restaurants you pay extra for! There were a lot of northerners on this cruise. I don’t mind that because I was brought up in Penrith, Cumbria. But why are a small number so loud? They don’t seem to be able to talk quietly as if attention seeking. They seem to be oblivious to others or give them no consideration. You could see the heads turn in Raffles. It really is a put off which I haven’t come across on other lines. Is this a requirement for levelling up? The Headliners provided about 8 shows over the 16 nights. I suppose we benefited because they had to provide so many for the 65-nighter. They were generally excellent although one of the singers screeched a bit. Simon Love was the Captain and was communicative and spoke well at the two on-board parties. I wouldn’t say the same about the entertainment director. He lacked charisma and wasn’t funny. At a Q&A with the Captain in Curzon’s, he interrupted and talked over him. Then he got up twice and went over to the audience to have a dialogue with them leaving the Captain sitting there. The Captain thought Aurora probably had another 7 to 10 years in her which drew applause at a separate party. Haven’t I heard that before and then someone comes along with a cash offer which is too good to turn down! Fortunately the entertainment director didn’t appear all the time. I overheard a remark that made me smile that P&O Cruises should be dubbed P&O Basic. Apart from the MDR and the cabins requiring some tlc there was much to enjoy, even the snow on the mountains.
  4. Selbourne. As a frequent passenger on Cunard’s ships I have enjoyed your daily posts. You might be more well known to Cunarders, particularly the Brits, than you imagine!
  5. I contacted Stockperks at 8.30pm on Sunday for my P&O Shareholder OBC and at 1043am on the following day, Monday, it was granted and a revised Booking Confirmation sent at the same time. When I applied for the OBC I had been notified it could take up to 5 working days!
  6. Applied today to Stockperks on their web site for actual shareholder OBC for upcoming cruise. Very simple, had to put cruise booking ref, my name, DoB, email address and date (month/date/year) of cruise. Received an immediate response to say it would be applied within 5 working days. I noticed on the web site that our share certificate had been accepted for all Carnival brands. Simples - I hope!!
  7. My application last Sunday to Stockperks for share certificate validation was accepted in an email received today Friday at 0147 UK time. Now to the next stage!
  8. I thought there was a Sindhu restaurant on Aurora, but looking at its next two cruises in March I can find no reference to Sindhu in the dining options on the ship. Is it being replaced?
  9. I have just been told by P&O in the UK that validation of share certificates by Stockperks has slipped from the advised two working days to five. P&O also tells me that when they have received validation from Stockperks the passenger no longer has to apply for shareholder benefits for a particular cruise by email or online through the portal because it will be automatically applied to future bookings. Does this sound right or believeable?
  10. I have just been told by P&O in the UK that share certificate validation by Stockperks has now slipped from the advised 2 working days to 5. P&O also advised me that when they receive the requisite validation from Stockperks the customer no longer has to apply via email or through the on-line portal for shareholder benefits for a particular cruise because it will be applied automatically for future cruises. Does this sound right or believeable ?
  11. Selbourne - Thoroughly enjoying your passage on Aurora, particularly so because we are going on her soon. Do hope you get well soon. We caught COVID on QM-2 which wasn’t very nice but we were well looked after on the ship. i was also interested in your visit to Martinique on a Sunday. We went there many years ago also on a Sunday and it was shut. We were amazed, even though French, because it was so poor and run-down we thought they would take any advantage to make some money. Even Josephine’s statue in the main square was headless and it had been like it for a long time. I can see how the menus might grate after time!
  12. Following on from bluemarble #52, we are currently on QM2 and speaking to the staff, PG has rather a lot of cabins on QA which may detract from the cosy atmosphere whereas QG has relatively few cabins which will help that restaurant but the downside is there are few central cabins with many at the front and back. The front ones have metal balconies!
  13. Thanks for the replies, but as yet, not a single one to encourage us to go on a Christmas cruise. More to discourage us. Perhaps I was expecting too much and it is much like any other cruise. I thought someone might mention the Madeira fireworks. Perhaps I have believed the hype and they are not so special either!
  14. We have completed over 50 voyages on Cunard but never at Christmas or New Year. Apart from decorations etc what is different? We don’t particularly want extra quizzes and parties but what is the attraction please other than to get away from the cooking and washing up? Are the meals the same with the addition of turkey on Christmas Day? Experiences that would entice us for once away from family get-togethers would be appreciated? The Canaries would be our favoured choice.
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