twotravellersLondon

22 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Yeah,I bet the blokes still walk around in kilts with nay knickers in minus 7.

A Scottish friend told me the following story...

"One formal night when we were was on a cruise a very unwise southern chappie wearing a pair of old looking jeans and an unspeakable tee-shirt made a rather personal and somewhat unacceptable comment about my kilt. (What offended me was that it was my best kilt!)

"When I sweetly explained to him that what he said just wasn't very nice in polite society and could even be considered a tad rude and perhaps even in danger of falling foul of certain laws enacted by Parliament... he apologied very sweetly and promised to never every make such an utterance again. 

"So I thanked him nicely, took my knee off his chest, returned my favourite Sgian Dubh to my right sock and blew him a fond kiss as we parted... 💋 He did flush up a bit."

But... he never spoke to me again!

I don't think that the story was true but it does illustrate the point that life's too short to take it too seriously! 🤣

40 minutes ago, Vivaldi said:

 

In fairness, we don't know exactly why the books have not reappeared. To say that it is because of the cost is more speculation than fact - Saga haven't said this . Given that Saga are effectively increasing their costs by offering premium spirits to guests from next month, I'm not convinced that the modest savings achievable by failing to restock the library would make much difference. Perhaps it is a fear of norovirus - but that would be speculation on my part! 

You may very well be right.

Norovirus became a real issue for one UK based cruise company which was involved in various legal disputes and successful claims for compensation. A specialist firm of Travel solicitors obtained a very significant six figure sum in compensation for passengers who fell ill in 2009 and 2010. The same firm represented more than 200 passengers who said that they were affected by similar symptoms from 2009 to 2013. In one judgement dated 22nd January 2015, 16 claimants succeeded in their claims in respect to a number of cruises in 2011. The company wasn't happy... the case was taken a huge expense to the Court of appeal... where... the company quite spectacularly lost on July 29 2016. The judgement against the company was that; "the illness from Norovirus was acquired on board ship and not otherwise. It was acquired by reason of a failure by the company to properly implement their plan or procedures." The compensation and the legal costs must have been eyewatering.

More importantly, this example is now case law. Woe betide any cruise company attempting to argue a case in a lower court where it might be suggested that the Court of Appeal has already passed judgement on a similar case!

The Boudicca, the Black Watch and the Braemar are all gone... What next? 

This was the cold lonely passenger-less Bolette waiting in Dover last week for better times and enough cruisers to justify sailing again.

What a difference a year makes. Only about nine months ago FOCLs issued a press release announcing a "bumper January as sales return to pre-pandemic levels," "a fresh wave of optimism" and that FOCLs was looking forward to a successful season of cruising as we sail into the summer months and beyond.” 

Hindsight is a great thing... but how on earth have FOCL's managed in only ten months to go from "bumper sales" and a "wave of optimism" to losing their chairman, laying up the Bolette due to lack of custom, selling off the most loved vessel in the fleet, cutting 25% of the fleet's capacity, losing money hand over fist and being in debt by over £100,000,000?

There's no doubt that FOCLs still has some of "Fred's" loyal "fan-base" but the plain facts are that there's just not enough people "wed to Fred" who are willing to cruise often enough or pay out for the more expensive cabins and add-ons to keep even three FOCLs ships cruising at the moment... let alone four.

Sadly... FOCLs is no longer the "Fred" that so many of us knew and loved.

6 hours ago, zap99 said:

We had a zoom meeting and agreed that when folk from that London come down to Surrey we will all turn our lights off and close the curtains. We decided to leave on the lights on the A3 .Don't want to cause any harm, just wind them up a bit. Seems the plan is working....Happy Christmas.🥳

We obviously weren't invited to that meeting... can understand why.... wife's family only moved to Shere in the late 1660's... so we're newbees really...give us few centuries more and we might even be invited to join the county dart's team or be allowed to enter a Victoria sponge in the Ockley & Caple show!  

13 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

Has anyone else noticed how few Christmas lights there are this year. Maybe people saving power?

We've driven though South West London and out into Surrey a couple of times recently and have been taken by just how dark it is. Not only very few Christmas lights... just very few lights showing. Few porch or drive lights and most windows in darkness. It's all a bit eery and somewhat disconcerting. 

Local "village centres" have very few lights but that's not surprising... lots of the local "village shops" close on Monday now... just not the business that there was. None of the local pubs or country restaurants have banners out advertising Christmas. 

On 11/20/2022 at 5:45 PM, teenieleek said:

I am booked on Borealis for the 18 day Cape Verde and Morocco trip in February 2023.  Final payment date was 5th November.  On Friday 18th I got a letter telling me that Lisbon had been dropped from the itinerary in order to “make the return to Liverpool more comfortable for our passengers”.  What a load of rubbish.  They are saving the port fees and then fuel costs by creeping back to Liverpool at 2mph.  I feel cheated and conned.  I am not one of those who are “wed to Fred”.  It is not coincidence that they waited until after final payment date to announce this.  I feel doubly cheated as a few days before final payment I got a phone call offering me a reduced price upgrade which I took.  They will now have a shipload of passengers who are disgruntled before they even board and in my case will never book with the company again.  I’m 71 so hopefully have a few more cruises in me.  Why would they deliberately sacrifice future passengers like me for a short term saving?

FOCLs offering a cruise and then changing the itinerary once bookings have already been made seems to be increasingly common. 

The FOCLs website currently intimates that for this "hand-crafted" itinerary "Exploration Of South America And The Antarctic” on the Balmoral on 5th Jan 2023, ("Fred. Olsen Jun. himself was very involved in the planning process from start to finish")...  there is a change... "Itinerary Change Notice: Please be advised that the itineary (sic) for this cruise has changed since originally published. Please see amended itinerary for more details."

Instead of leaving from Southampton, the Balmoral is now leaving from Portsmouth... tough on anyone who had made travel arrangements or booked a hotel. The Balmoral won't visit Cuba now... it will stop at the Bahamas instead. (some travel agents are still advertising a stop in Havana but FOCLs is not) but, whether or not FOCLs will honour the rest of the itinerary, remains to be seen.

FOCLs originally sold the cruise on the basis that, the Balmoral would cruise the Antarctic Peninsula and passengers would have an "experience like no other... to witness the awe-inspiring natural beauty of one of the world's most spectacular regions, its wonders, its wildlife and its waters." When the Antarctic Peninsula came into view, "passengers should expect to be "staggered by its overwhelming size, the might of its snow-capped mountains and the sheer volume of icebergs and glaciers." Passengers were to see "This vast stretch of land, ice and sea... an example of nature at its most astonishing" and "from on board your ship, you'll get to gaze upon these natural landmarks, and also look out for native wildlife, from penguins to various species of whale, which are drawn to the peninsula's icy waters... " 

That always seemed a tad unlikely to us. The Balmoral is one of the most elderly cruise ships afloat. It was built in 1988. It's had problems in past in high seas in the Bay of Biscay and the North Sea. As far as we know, the Balmoral has no ice-certification, it doesn’t seem to meet most of the environmental standards required by vessels sailing beyond 60˚ South and there is no evidence that it has ever passed a Antarctic Treaty Tourist Vessel Inspection.

We just don't think that the Balmoral will be able/allowed to travel any further than 60˚ South. Under the provisions of the Antarctic Acts of 1994 and 2013, it's an offence for the Balmoral to go beyond the Antarctic Treaty Boundary at 60˚ South without a permit.

However, the photo in our original "Fred" brochure shows Elephant Island which is more than 70 miles south of 60˚ South. The map in the brochure shows the route to King George Island which is about 135 miles further south (The current FOCLs web-site shows the same). The blurb in FOCLs' original brochure claims that we would "have a rare chance to see the rugged, icy landscapes of the Antarctic Peninsula" which is over 225 miles south of 60˚ South. Even with powerful binoculars, our eyesight, just isn't good enough to spot an Emperor Penguin doing the "Happy Feet" stuff from well over 225 miles away!

But other things have changed as well. FOCLs should now be fully aware that on 29 November 2022 the brand-new specialist state-of-the-art expedition vessel with all relevant certifications, the Viking Polaris, which is comparable in size to the Balmoral was hit by a rogue wave which smashed in a window. Very sadly, there was number of injuries and one fatality. The cruise was abandoned. The Balmoral had a similar incident in mid-November 2022 on the journey back from Norway. The ship was hit by some exceptional waves. A porthole/window on the main deck was smashed in, people were injured and cabins were damaged but, thank goodness, that was all. From our own experience on the Braemar in Force 9 and Force 10 gales, we've always felt very safe with Fred's Captains.

The FOCLs website has now changed again and there are no claims that passengers will see anything of the Antarctic Peninsula... the Balmoral will be "cruising "by" the Antarctic Peninsula." We suppose that "by" could be hundreds of miles away. The map on the website still shows the route to King George Island... although a number of travel agents selling the cruise have maps that miss out that part of the cruise!

It will be fascinating to see how FOCL's "hand-crafted" itinerary "attention to detail and meticulous planning" by the company's "skilled team of journey planners" works out and if the Balmoral does spend 17-19 February 2023 cruising within sight of the Antarctic Peninsula. FOCLs' blurb originally assured, "This once-in-a-lifetime journey gives you a rare chance to capture the rugged, icy landscapes of the Antarctic Peninsula"  "from the wonderful vantage point of the ship and the sea."

It would be an absolutely outstanding experience for the passengers on board. Many people who booked earlier on must be hoping for the best and looking forward to it.

If the itinerary has changed and there is no chance to see the Antarctic Peninsula and to be "staggered by its overwhelming size, the might of its snow-capped mountains and the sheer volume of icebergs and glaciers." or "from on board your ship, you'll get to gaze upon these natural landmarks, and also look out for native wildlife"... "we do hope that they will be adequate compensated... and more especially as the "from" price of the cruise for new purchasers has dropped by over 10% from £8,999 to £7,999.

This cruise is due to leave in a month and so now's the time to build bridges and to make amends to those passengers who may not be happy.

It's 5˚C out this morning but 20˚C indoors with no heating on overnight.

We've spent the last few week replacing a couple of double glazed units, sealing drafts around pipes etc coming into the house and have just replace a bathroom fan so that the ducting is anti-draft. We've revamped the open flame gas fire, have adopted a pretty old fashioned attituded to opening and closing curtains, only use the kitchen extractor fan when necessary and leave water in the kitchen bowl to cool before we pour it away.

The result is that our home, without heating on most of the day and at night, is a whole 15˚C warmer than outside... and that's on the coldest morning of the year so far. We've no SMART meter... they just don't work here... but we've been taking readings and estimate that our total energy use for the last three months is down to only 52% of what it was last year... but we have still to see the half-yearly bill.

The cost of all of our draft proofing etc works out about the same as our winter heating allowance... the new bathroom fan and outside non-return cowling was only £30... how much we will be paying on the next biannual bill seems likely to be reasonable.

We were out at the annual local Symphony Orchestra's Christmas Concert yesterday afternoon... it was really wonderful to see all 450 seats in the house taken as the performance was supporting the Orpheus Centre... a specialist further education college for young disabled people who have a passion for the arts. Really moving to see so many supportive people looking out for others in the community.

Charlotte from the centre sang "Walking in the Air." There was hardly a dry eye left in the house and at the end the applause and cheers just went on and on. Warmth is so much more than the ambient surrounding temperature and we really did feel that Christmas was really on its way.☃️

19 hours ago, Midnight_Voice said:

We took the Balmoral cruise L2229, French Rivers and Bordeaux, from 25th October to 4th November 2022. Our third cruise with Fred, and we were particularly attracted by the river passages to Bordeaux and Rouen, as we have never been on a river cruise.

The itinerary clearly stated that; 

1, "The beautiful River Garonne is possibly south-west France's most important river, and arguably one of the region's most picturesque too." Pictures accompanying the itinerary showed stunning landscapes in daylight.

2, During the cruise along the Seine passengers should, "Simply sit back, relax and take in stunning scenes of rolling valleys, floral fields and charming communes dotted with historic churches and traditional houses that have inspired many famous artists over the years, including Claude Monet and Henri Matisse." Pictures accompanying the itinerary showed stunning landscapes in daylight.

Of 64 trusted and verified reviews on the FOCLs site 14 of those people invited to comment expressed surprise and disappointment the river transits were in darkness and they saw nothing. This was supposed to be an expertly "Hand-crafted" itinerary but if the reviews on FOCLs were in any way representative, it's likely that hundreds of people are likely to have been left disappointed by the company.

The point is... if hundreds of people are disappointed because the reality doesn’t match what was promised in the brochure or on the website that must be bad for the FOCL's business... FOCLs need to sit up and take note... the company is selling one of it's four ships, it has a second ship laid up due to a lack of bookings and the remaining two are far from full and FOCLs is operating at a substantial loss.

Maybe it would be better if FOCLs spent less time being defensive and more time empathising with the smaller and smaller number of passengers that they have left. 

We think that it's sad that you've not been compensated in some way or, at the very least, offered a good-will gesture. 

20 hours ago, teenieleek said:

I’ve never been on the Braemar, I didn’t realise it was a “pretty” ship or I might have been tempted to book.

The Braemar is and was a great little ship... she 's a real classic... beautiful lines, vast expansed pf deck space, elegant interiors, a pool area just perfect for evening parties in the tropics. She's small enough to get up close to sensational landscapes and allow passengers to see amazing wildlife from only a few yards away.

The last of the photos were taken from the Braemar's foredeck... we have hundred's more.

Such a pity that such a real gem now is being cast away for the sake of the new FOCLs "corporate brand image." It's a bit like throwing a diamond away because it's not as big as a lump of coal!

Neither the old Rotterdam nor the Amsterdam will ever squeeze through the Corinth Canal!

Not a "veranda cabin" in sight and lots of space for all to enjoy the sun, the sea and the sky.

Not a brash clock in sight and look at the nice carpet... how things have changed with the new old ships from HAL.

And small ships... like the Braemar could go places that big ships like the old Amsterdam and Rotterdam... were banned from.

Now... none of the current FOCLs ships would allow us to get up close and personal with the local wildlife... as we could do from the Braemar Foredeck!

1 hour ago, brian1 said:

Hi all,just back from Bluewater.Bus from our town to Lakeside and half hour bus ride across Dartford crossing courtesy of bus pass.2 new shirts in John Lewis,Hayes and Bonner Jermin st.Tailored, 2 for 80 quid.Never worn long sleeves for a few years.OK for our Warner stay over Christmas.

Isn't that the equivalent of a full tuxedo at Warners?

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

We test the smoke alarm every week. Well it tests itself when I do the cooking. A very timely warning to test them. As Harry said, some dodgy old stuff out there. We upgraded our security with a environmentally friendly system. Not cheap as our burglar Llama need some serious maintenance.

We've also been upgrading... some windows, security lights but haven't gone as far as seeking religious assistance... not sure if your burglar is South American animal or a Tibetan Holy man or indeed your defence against burglars is one or the other... answers on a postcard pleased to... soconfused.com 

17 hours ago, richard_london said:

I was so upset to read this.  I have been hanging on for the Braemar to return to service to try and undertake a cruise on her, which I was planning to do before the pandemic hit us.  It definitely won't happen now.  Really cross with Fred.

 

Of all the publicity that Fred has had in the last few years the photos and footage of the Braemar squeezing through the Cornith Canal was the best the company has ever had.  It was such a good advert for their brand of small ships.  It was all over social media and in the cruise news.  Fred couldn't have wished for better positive news stories.  How badly now has it all ended.

 

Just like every other cruise company Fred are following the bigger is best approach (to their bottom line, not their passengers).  It makes a complete mockery of the small ships ethos that the have flogged for so many years.  But it just doesn't hold now.  When they got rid of the Black Watch and Bouddica they immediately killed off all the Kiel Canal transits those ships frequently did with the new HAL ships too big for it. 

 

Their statement that says the Bollete and Borealis still offer a small ship experience is ambiguous.  If I am being generous it is a spurious statement, but the way I am feeling right now it is akin to gaslighting.  They aren't small, and unforunately that aren't pretty.  Nor does the interior design gel with the traditional Fred fleet.  Adding their signature carpets doesn't distract from two ships with dated interiors, whereas the previous ships had been regularly refitted over the years.  They just don't appeal to me in the same way and I suspect this is part of the problem why Fred can't fill them.

 

Fred love to tout their family-firm curated itineraries, visiting the smaller ports that big ships can't reach.  Well that's going to be impossible now.  With this decision, they are really restricting where they can go.

 

I think this is the beginning of the end for Fred.  It is definitely the end of small ship cruising.  With their dynamic pricing they were already alienating many loyal customers.  Getting rid of the the Black Watch and Bouddica alientated the same and more.  Buying the HAL ships alientated even more and now this, is probably not the final nail in the coffin but one of the last.

 

If the company is still in operation a year from now I will be surprised.  But the Fred product we all knew and loved has gone now.  Yes, they still have the Balmoral but I suspect they won't keep her for much longer.  If they can't fill the two HAL ships and are bleeding money, then more cuts will have to come along the way.

 

What a sorry, sad state of affairs.  I'm feeling rather emotional and angry.

 

 

 

 

 

My post yesterday was a bit garbled due to gremlins so I asked for it to be removed to avoid confusion. Hopefully this one ducks the clutches of the cyberspace critters!

Very sadly, the loss of the Braemar this is not a surprise. 

The Braemar is the only ship owned by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines... (the other three are chartered from related companies) and so the Braemar is one of the few financial assets that is available to FOCLs to raise capital.

FOCLs lost £88 million in 2020, £68 million in 2021 and has already lost about £47 million in the first nine months of 2022. Cashflow seems to be very, very tight. The company seems to be in debt to the tune of about £100 million... but that figure is likely to change by the end on this financial year.

Yesterday morning the Braemar cruises were still on sale! But just after 1.00 pm yesterday the announcement was made and yesterday afternoon the IT people were painfully removing traces of this great little ship from the company website. 

We really don't think that attempting to flog off "the beautiful Braemar" is an "opportunity to grow and evolve as a business and as a brand." At best, it sounds like a weak pitch on the "Apprentice" or "Dragon's Den." At worse it could be interpretated as an example of the "Doublespeak" in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

How can FOCLs' management "grow" a business by cutting the passenger capacity by about 20%... surely that's "reducing" the business. How does trotting out old, outdated, ex-HAL ships evolve the business... surely that's regressing back the 1990s. How does running a couple of second-hand HAL ships grow a "brand"...  who wants an antiquated version of HAL under a different paint job at twice the price? 

And how does HAL's redundant ships "modernise" the fleet? The Rotterdam and Amsterdam when were conceived and designed in the mid 1990s for an elderly, mainly American demographic. Even then, both ships had a rather old fashioned "over-the-top style" style... with lots of dark woods, dated retro dining rooms which could have been designed in the 1970s and over-the-top atriums that wowed a cruiser demographic that may still have fondly remembered Liberace... in our opinion, the ships are now the antithesis of the light airy spaces that are the mark of modern cruise-ship design. The "veranda suites" may have been a novelty a quarter of a century ago... but no major cruise-line has been building ships with these for decades... there's probably a good reason why!

By stark contrast, the far more elegant and classier Braemar was launched in 1992 (just as the Rotterdam and the Amsterdam were being conceived under the ever-watchful eye of Carnival who wanted no competition.) The Braemar epitomised the fresh, intimate, friendly, open, spacious, outward looking ships that created a real wow-factor in their day. Braemar's raked aft decks, outstanding promenade deck, stunning foredeck all contributed to the real exhilaration of cruising in style and being able to enjoy the sea air and the gorgeous sunlight uninhibited by things like "veranda cabins." We certainly feel that the extension of the Braemar in 2014 did lose some of the vessel's real charm... the public areas could be over-crowded at times and the Neptune Lounge ... which had been designed originally as a more intimate cabaret lounge.... never really worked as a show-lounge. On the whole... even after being stretched... the Braemar still had the feel of a wonderful yacht.

If "Fred"... now FOCLs had ever wanted to have a "premium offer," in our opinion it was the Braemar that, with vision and a little rearranging, could have provided the ideal ship. The Braemar's sister ship was the "Crown Jewel" which has now been sensationally refitted and renamed as the stunning "Blue World One." It's really sad that the millions that have been spent on keeping the Braemar out of service for two and a half years might have easily been spent on refreshing the ship, and making a wonderful ship into a classic vintage cruise experience that might have attracted so many of Fred's loyal customers back to the new, faceless, corporate FOCLs. All that was needed was a bit of... imagination. 

The FOCLs statement... seems to illustrated that the company has just lost empathy with potential customers... FOCLs can only survive it fills it's ships with folks who return home, happy, satisfied and looking forward to booking again.

Personally, we're not Dragons in a den nor buyers listening to an apprentice pitch: we're not into corporate power-speak and we're not interested in FOCLs' "opportunity to grow and evolve as a business and as a brand." All we want to know is that we will have an enjoyable, interesting, fulfilling cruise with good food, great entertainment, interesting ports and absorbing excursions at value-for-money prices with no irritating additional charges or silly add-ons. Simple! 

Perhaps FOCLs should listen to "Fred's" once loyal customer base that no longer book with the company rather than concentrate on the glowing "first-class" reviews  on the FOCLs site written by the decreasing numbers of "Wed to Fred" frequent cruisers.

Personally we're not interested in a "Brand" that in increasingly faded in our eyes. We're certainly not interested in the old Rotterdam or Amsterdam. 

But... we were really interested in the Braemar. She was our hope for FOCLs. Sadly with the loss of the Braemar... and it is... very, very sadly... FOCLs, as a business, is no longer aligned with how we want to cruise. As the Braemar leaves Rosyth for the last time... toll the ship's bell slowly and mournfully and with respect... this great ship, that has given millions of people so many happy memories, deserves at least that. 

Never know... these treasured little souvenirs from the Braemar's Corinth Canal Transit in 2019 may now have a scarcity value!

We always make a special effort at Advent to take stock and to look forward.

It's when we put up our Christmas decorations and lights and when we cook a special dinner at home to remember past times and the year that's gone, the trials, tribulations and the joys and moments of happiness. it's when we begin our Christmas cards, when we wrap presents for family, friends and those who touched us over the year with their kindness and care and their consideration.

We remember folk from years gone by... the elderly aunt and uncle who's tree decorations from sixty years ago always find a place on our Christmas tree.

This is the year that; the consultant said "I've very good news for you."... this is the year that we met up with old friends who survived really serious health issues... this is the year that we began cruising again after the "pause" and this is the year that we made new friends. 

The "Spirit of Christmas" over Regent Street... always stunning but it just lifts the spirits. For complete strangers to offer to take our photo with the Christmas lights... was so touching. It just made us think that how the less happy days can be overwhelmed by just one simple act of kindness.

This Christmas, in these times... we're now decided that, whatever else we give... we'll try to give just a little more joy. 

2 hours ago, kalos said:

 ~Ahh but just think of the real world! Seniors just gotta have fun!

26 minutes ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

A 3w led bulb is equivalent to a 45w tradition filament bulb so 15 times more efficient. The led bulb uses about 0.09p per hour to run or 1p runs it for 11 hours.

 That's brilliant info... need to replace two outside lights and was wondering how much they would cost to run... you've just answered the question! Thanks!

Very wet, windy and cold here also but went to the Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market yesterday... and discovered that inside the Cathedral there was a rehearsal for last night's concert... really glorious... that really did put us in the right frame of mind for Christmas!

After what we've all collectively and personally come through... sometimes it's good to feel like the luckiest people on earth and just want to share a feeling of joy with everyone!

5 hours ago, richard_london said:

Nowadays, with cruise ships being turned round in less than a day following the end of one cruise and the beginning of the next, cruise lines will do whatever they can to stick to the schedule, otherwise they will have to compensate.

 

One Fred cruise I did was terminated early due to norovirus and we arrived back in Southampton a day early.  We got a refund for some pro-rata amount they calculated for the day missed, but it was poor consolation to a terrible cruise.  But they did that so the next cruise would leave on time.

 

They'll do whatever they can to meet the next sailing, but it looks like it this case they made a bad choice.

The idea that "worse things happen at sea" is a truism and we rely on cruse lines to look after our health and safety when we're on board. FOCLs' demographic as a whole tend to be less agile and less able to cope in physically challenging situations. 

The undisputed fact is that the Balmoral sailed into a severe gale and sea state 8, although there is a question of whether or not weather of that severity had been forecast. Comments from one or two people who claim to have been on board have praised the Captain and crew but without giving much detail of the conditions, the event, the state of the ship or why they believe things were handled well.

However, the facts are that less than seven month ago the Maritime and Coastguard Agency detained the Balmoral at North Shields after the ship failed a Port State Control (PSC) inspection.

On the 28th of April 2022 Maritime and Coastguard Agency surveyors found that there were eight deficiencies and four grounds for detention; the Balmoral's muster list was incomplete and the crew lacked familiarity with fire drills. The Agency also concluded that, on two counts, the crew's familiarisation with emergency systems was not as required. These deficiencies were so serious that the Balmoral was detained and the deficiencies had to be rectified before departure. The Balmoral was released the next day.

But that wasn't the first time that the Balmoral was detained. In September 2011 it was held in Southampton for 2 days. Maritime and Coastguard Agency surveyors found that lifeboat davits were seized, fire doors were not closing and the crew showed a lack of knowledge and training in respect of the abandon ship drill. Perhaps even worse, the surveyors also found that hours of rest records for the master, chief officer, chief engineer and senior first engineer were false for several days and... there was a serious failure or lack of effectiveness of the implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code which provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention.

Certainly these detentions were ten years apart. On both occasions the Balmoral was released and there is no suggestion that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency would allow any ship to sail if there was evidence that it didn't meet the regulations.

The "news" of the incident is "out there" on various sites, blogs and even in the Portuguese press. One USA based blogger's site has had 50k views of this story in just the last day. Perhaps now's the opportunity for FOCLs to deal with what could become a similar "tale noir" to that of the Braemar in 2020. FOCLs could replace speculation with the detailed facts and reports of exactly what happened and a "good news" story of how the Captain and the crew delt with an exceptionally challenging situation.

My wife's family come from Lincolnshire and have done so since the days of Oliver Cromwell.

There's an old tale that just after the restoration the Lord of the Manor went after all of the local poachers... and he men were. directed by a ner-do-well to the family home... where they would find a "poacher. " They all rushed in... probably expecting to find a fine deer being jointed and found the poacher... it was the lady of the house cooking (poaching) eggs. Humiliated... they left... never to return. 

And so didn't investigate old granddad muttering away in bed as he was making a very long rabbit net! It was a family tradition that continued into the early C20th. One wonderful story about a Great Uncle in the Lincolnshire Echo.

My wife's still very fond of rabbit pie! Although we now get our from the butcher.

The Windfinder site was forecasting intense Winds of about 50 Knots in the Southern North Sea for a week before the event. It would be very surprising if the far more sophisticated forecasts available to the marine community weren't also indicating a similar situation.

Earlier on this year a FOCLs ship chose to stay in a Norwegian port and abandon their northward itinerary in lesser winds. Once the conditions eased, it was eventually able to return to the UK in time to undertake the next cruise.

We've always found the  professionalism of the Captains and crews to be outstanding... especially in difficult and challenging sea conditions.

8 hours ago, brian1 said:

We had our own formal night when we got home.8 quid Lidl lobster,scallops pan fried in garlic with mushrooms and asparagus on cheesy toast and potato gratin with cheesy croquette.

That looks not only interesting but good as well... This is one of the ways that our local Chinese does its lobster... 

So why does the lobster blush... because the sea weed! 

After that... every cracker joke will seem like a real gem!

The ship seems to have been caught in a force 10/11 gale and sea-state 8... (towering waves of between 30 and 46 feet crashing onto the windows).

We've also heard that videos show the ship pitching and rolling significantly in the high sea. 

We've seen one report that passengers' injuries ranged from sprains to broken bones. One guest, who sustained significant injuries... reportedly transported to the hospital upon arrival in Dover. 

Some cruisers who were onboard seem to have questioned why the ship sailed right into a severe storm which was forecast which was before the ship left the last port of call. Others have praised how well the Captain and crew handled the Balmoral in such a challenging situation. 

Very sadly, it all seems a bit reminiscent of the Valentine's Day storm in 2014 when a window in the dining room of the Marco Polo was smashed in by a wave in the English Channel during dinner service. There was considerable damage, public areas were flooded, people were unable to move around the ship. Almost twenty people were injured, one seriously and, heartbreakingly, one fatality.

53 minutes ago, delgirl said:

Hi, havn't posted for a while just been lurking. Saw oncologist today. secondary cancer still not in organs the ones elsewhere in my bones are shrinking so good news still can't believe it. Hubby in hospital ready to have stem cell transplant on monday, so will be on tenderhooks for the next few weeks.

Promise... good things happen... just enjoy every very single moment...  and remember that you're better than you will ever believe! 

FOCLs Balmoral has arrived back to Dover late on the 18th of November after having sustained damage by significant waves yesterday on the journey back from Norway at the end of a 14-night cruise, "Round-trip In Search of the Northern Lights." The ship seems to have experienced a prolonged period of very high winds for up to a day and a half and some exceptional waves.

We've seen one unverified report of a "porthole" on the main being blow in/out yesterday evening and mention of a  Hele-vac from the same source. We've also seen another report praising the professionalism of the Captain and the crew. 

The company has reported that a small number of cabins have been damaged. The ship arrived at Dover this afternoon... much later than planned. 

The Balmoral will no longer sail onto Southampton to pick up the next set of cruise passengers who were due to sail on a 14-day cruise to Morocco and Southern Spain this evening It looks as if these passengers will now be transferred to Dover by coach. and that the cruise will leave from there.

We've twice experienced Force 10 gales on the Balmoral and can certainly say that she handled well and we felt very safe with the Captain and that the ship came through unscathed.

 It's times like these that everyone's hearts goes out the passengers and crew. 

Its on the interactive tv in the cabin but also includes the food that is available in the main restaurants during meal times... so there is a huge choice from the daily menus that change every day. If you want a three course hot meal with drinks... we've found that it was delivered in about 15 mins.

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

I spent a long time yesterday deciding whether or not I should continue at the foodbank after getting tired of abuse because we didn't have the makes of soup and beans that the clients prefer, they don't understand that we only have what has been donated

For someone who's given so much time and effort that's a very brave decision... but it's good to remember that the feeling of entitlement of a few people is overwhelming compensated by the generosity of others.

We never take anything for granted. When we moved to our present home over 40 years ago, it left us virtually penniless. We has £1 in our bank accounts, less than that in our pockets and no family support. And a mortgage interest rate of over 18%.... Yep! That's really... 18%... it's not a typo!

Despite both being in full-time employment we were, what many would now call poor but we considered ourselves fortunate in many ways... and never had any state benefits until our pensions... that we worked and paid for over 80 years between us.

For years after we were married, we had no carpets, very little furniture: we built our own bed, upcycled junk (now known as shabby-sheek)  and we made do and mended. In those day... many will remember that shops would take a deposit on items and then payments each week or month and the goods were only released after the final payment was made.

We had no double-glazing, no central heating: only a coal fire in the living room and a two-bar electric heater in a box room... that we couldn't afford to use. We kept one room warm in winter, knitted and stuffed sausage-dog draft excluders, kept tea warm with a tea-cosy, scavenged wood for the open fire toasted stale bread over the embers for a late supper.

We didn't have a tv: let alone subscription cannels and the only people who had "mobile phones" were millionaires in chauffer driven limos. We couldn't afford to go to the theatre, pub or a restaurant... even the cinema was a rare treat. And the very idea of finding enough money to attend a gig or a concert... well the Lottery hadn't been invented then!

We had no transport: not even a bike and so we had to walk everywhere... even a mile and a half carrying the groceries. There was no holiday travel... no easy jet, no weekends away in yet another tourist trap

We made a chicken into six or eight meals and used the carcass for chicken noodle soup, we grew our own vegetables and use gluts of lettuce for soup. We foraged for mushrooms, berries and crab apples. We pickled, made chutneys jams and preserves to see us through the winters. 

We used shoes until the soles wore through, stitched leather patches on jacket elbows. We wore clothes until they weren't even fit to give to the charity shop. 

But like millions and millions of others we worked our darned socks off... often doing 50 or 60 or more hours a week... without really thinking that we were really paying the price for a war in Europe that had ended before we "Boomers" had been born. 

But... Just think... we can now call up the Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony on youtube and look back at these "Good Old Days" as if they were ancient history! Perhaps sucking a famous original boiled sweet as we do so!  

However... very seriously.... there are many other ways to help and support and befriend folk and neighbours who are in need in these times.