ShelaghL

Applied via the email address I was given by my broker. Received email this morning to say that my application had been received and passed onto P&O - I should receive benefit within 5 days. Stockperks also told me they are working on a desktop pc version, which will be a great help to me and I'm sure others who either don't have one or find using a smartphone difficult. I much prefer a large screen and even find my laptop a bit small. My husband has cataracts and can't even see a mobile phone screen! I do hope this works - we have 3 P&O, a Princess and a Cunard cruise booked.

Hi - I never thought of Cruise Critic as social media, but I take your point. I was referring to media such as Facebook and Instagram. The only tech I don't have is a smartphone - I have a desktop computer, a laptop and a very old pay as you go mobile phone that makes and receives phonecalls and texts, but nothing else - I last used it in 2021! My argument with Stockperks is that they will only accept applications via smartphone, though have since learnt that they have recently agreed to accept via an email address if the claimant, like me, doesn't have a smartphone. If I could apply using my pc I would do so. I understand through comments on line that the app isn't user friendly outside the US - the majority of the negative comments that I've seen seem to come from the UK and Canada.

Thanks - I'll look into that. It is annoying it doesn't work on desktops - I'm happy using one but don't need nor want a smartphone.

Hi NE John - I don't use social media either!

From March 7 brokers cannot do this on clients' behalf and neither can travel agents. My broker has just sent me an email address for Stockperks as apparently they have relented and will accept claims by email for those that don't have a smartphone, so I need to see if that will work first, so sale of stocks now on hold.

Hi - I use a desktop computer and the app doesn't work on that and I have no relatives, let alone young ones, except my husband and he is 80!

I don't have the relevant technology and have told my broker to sell my shares.

I asked my TA about an upgrade a couple of weeks ago before I got the invite to bid. Her quote was £500 less than the bid price!!!

Maybe it depends how many of each category they have left. I think our cruise is pretty full so maybe they only have 1 or 2 suites left. I am disappointed with how P&O are operating this.

It's Britannia. Seems to be they just pick a figure out of the air!!!!

Sorry - typo in message above - should say you can bid any amount!

Hi - I've just messaged about the high price we have been offered. We always book select, so it doesn't seem to be that those on Select get a lower bid minimum. It's a joke. On Princess there is no minimum bid - you can book any amount.

This is very interesting. I've been invited to bid on a caribbean cruise in January. We are also in a deluxe balcony. Our minimum bid is over £1500 pp for a suite making the upgrade more expensive than it would have cost me if I'd booked the suite in the first place. No cheap upgrades for us.

We've never been able to book seats at time of booking with P&O We've always had to wait. Been able to book at time of booking with Marella. The seat selector is playing up. P&O say they are working on it. I had an email on Friday saying I could book seats at 00.01 on the Saturday. I tried many times to get on the site but gave up at half past midnight. I tried again at 05.40 and was successful but all the window seats had gone and only 2 lots of 2 seats together in the middle were left so booked one of those for me and husband we are in Premium. By the way all seats cost £45 each each way ie £180 for the 2 flights. Good luck.

I thought I had already replied to this but I can't see my reply. We've never found departures packed so we've never bothered with it and we've flown from Barbados many times. You can book lounge on the day. I'm flying back on 27 January and so can send an update. Maybe best if you emailed me but I think it didn't publish my original reply as I included my email address and maybe that isn't allowed? I'll try and remember to log in to this string when I get back from our cruise - also on Britannia - you no doubt fly in when we fly out. Do you know which airline you are flying with?

Hi - I knew well in advance of the 14 weeks that we were flying with Tui - have you looked on the cruise personaliser as your flight should be confirmed if you are flying Tui, though seat reservations can't be made until 14 weeks beforehand and good luck with that. I got an email on the Friday to say I could book seats from 00.01 on the Saturday. I stayed up and gave up at half past midnight as I couldn't get on the site. I got up at 05.40 and managed to get the seat selector up only to discover that all window seats had gone and there were only 2 sets of 2 seats still left together, so I booked one of those as I want to sit next to my husband! Since then I haven't been able to access the seat selector again and I've heard that there is a problem with the site that P&O are trying to rectify. By the way you will need to pay £90 EACH i.e. £180 to book seats - this fee applies to all seats (£45) per seat each way) not just PE.

When is your cruise? We are gong January '24 and fortunately we are flying with Tui, but many are now flying with Maleth Aero and even if they booked Premium they now can't fly premium as Maleth doesn't have it - P&O has refunded the premium payment. The planes also don't have on board entertainment - on a 9 hour flight that could get awfully boring!

Just had an email from Princess that after 6 September don't need to be vaccinated to sail except in a few circumstances. No test for vaccinated but unvacced need to take a self test - as we know open to abuse. How long before P&O follow suit I wonder? There is a big anti vac lobby in the US though so probably bowing to pressure.

Thanks Megabear2, you're probably right about it being more local. I've never had the care you talk about though. Never had a personal health adviser, though did go to the diabetes prevention course when I was first diagnosed. Only ever had an annual check up which also has to cover my heart condition - I had a stent 12 years ago and a TIA 16 years ago. I've lived in Hampshire as well as Dorset and it was the same in Hampshire.

Oh dear - you say Avanti is a cheap policy? We are now paying around £1000 with Avanti. My husband had a knee replacement last year - didn't affect the price of the policy. When I renewed, he was waiting for the second knee replacement -- didn't affect the price of the policy. When I phoned to tell them he'd had the second op, policy increased by a third. I was going to shop around when we have to renew next year, but maybe I won't given your comment!

This was copied from just underneath the new guidance on testing, so FCC is still in place.

Copied just now from the P&O website: We’re unable to accept guests who, within 10 days prior to the cruise, have been unwell with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. If you’re impacted by this, you would need to call our Customer Contact Centre on 0344 338 8003 (local call charges apply) and not travel to the terminal/airport. You’ll receive a non-refundable Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to the value of the cruise and we’ll automatically refund any pre-cruise purchases made through

I note that people travelling in Sept have had emails. We are sailing 2 October, but no email yet. Wonder if they will be reviewing again before then?

I think one of the problems for us is that we need a test on a Saturday. A number of our local Lloyds are still offering tests, but not on Saturdays unfortunately. Still hoping that testing will be scrapped.

Has anyone heard how the Iona trials are going?