moonstone01

Hi

We are due to go on the Queen Anne next year, this will be our first cruise with Cunard. We have cruised with Fred Olsen once and P&O 5 times. so are relatively new to cruising. My question is, what is the dress code for dining? And, do Cunard do 'formal' nights, if so, how many on a 7 day cruise.

Many thanks in advance

Hats off to P&O. We were due to sail on the Iona in September but due to worries have decided to cancel and get a refund.  Only rang on Thursday am and refund was back in our account on Friday am...minus their charges. Very easy process. 

Apologies in advance if this question has been asked and answered, but we are travelling to Southampton in September for our cruise on the Iona. We have always used CPS for parking our car and was wondering is this the best firm to use or are there any other options available.

Many thanks

Good luck on your first ever cruise, whether you meet up with fellow solo cruisers or couples, you will love the stories that they can tell. If it is their experiences or the places they have visited, they will always be interesting. On our second cruise we got talking to a lovely elderly couple and they told us that their first ever cruise was on a cargo ship that used to use the empty cabins for fare paying passengers. They did say that the food and accommodation were first class but as for walking around the deck, maybe not the best. Great memories though.

Living in Wales...we are closed, but just for two weeks then hopefully we can start to get back to some sort of normal, what ever that will be. Our 94 year old next door neighbour hasn't left her house since March, we ring her constantly and her family visit but stand outside her house. It is very weird times we are living in, wearing a face covering to go into a bank, it used to be just bank robbers doing that now it is the norm. Before going into the shop I used to check that I had my wallet on me, now it is to make sure I have a face covering. I know on the grand scale of things holidays seem to be lower down than health and well-being etc, but, we really do miss them. We are booked to do the xmas markets next December and every day my wife says that she can't wait to go.

Our first cruise was paid for by my mother in law after my father had passed away. Her announcement at the dinner table that she was paying for the three of us to go on a cruise, well I nearly choked on a roaster. I had never been on a cruise ship, never flown and have a terrible fear of heights and huge objects. All the way to Southampton on the coach I was worrying about how am I going to get on this ship, do I have to walk along side it, climb ladders to get on board. The fear was awful. Imagine my delight when it was a covered walkway and the most brilliant experience, I absolutely loved it. The excitement we had exploring the ship, The Balmoral, the size and the cabins, talk about being hooked. We couldn't afford to go for a while but when my wife and I turned 50 we booked to go on a 2 week cruise to the med on the Azura, and we have continued each year since. My wife loves the heat of the med where as I love the cooler temperatures of Norway, and being the man of the house and head of the house hold I get to choose...so the med it is☹️

didn't Kenny Everett do something similar

Going back to the glam rock bit, I have never seen a glam rock band live, but do I get any credit for watching Boney M. Sadly, when we go on a cruise, we always sing Holiday by Boney M, 😎 coming back we always sing Gotta go home by Boney M😒.

When cruises do re-start will it be with drastically reduced numbers of people on board. This would, in some small part admittedly, reduce the numbers waiting for the lifts. Or am I over simplifying things. My wife insists we use the stairs as often as possible to keep us fit as I enjoy the trifles far too much🤣

My wife and I have only done 5 cruises and everyone of them have been incredible for us, waking up in a different country each day will always feel special, but the best moment for us has to be standing outside the Fairmont hotel in Monte Carlo watching the cars go by that must be worth a kings ransom. Looking up the road and imagining the grand prix cars whizzing past us, walking past the yachts that only lottery winners can afford, then going back to our ship and having the most amazing meal, great entertainment and lovely chats with experienced cruisers. 

Has to be Monte Carlo for us.  We sailed on the Azura and as we were the only cruise ship in we didn't need a tender. The most spectacular place to see how the other half live, so to speak. We were there a week before the grand prix and walking past all the F1 lorries and workshops was absolutely amazing. The shops, The casino and the hotel all amazing, and my proudest moment was that we bought a diet coke from Mcdonalds in Monte Carlo...does it get any better than that?

Can't stop the feeling by Justin Timberlake. They played it on a sail away on Britannia and it is always our song when it comes on. It reminds us of the great cruises we have had and the great cruises we will have, sitting on a balcony in the Med, long cold drink in hand and sitting next to the love of my life

Scrambled eggs in the morning, you can't beat them( pardon the pun), washed down with cups and cups of tea, a great start to the day.  we love the Sindhu,  the whole experience is tremendous.  The starter is always strips of spicey beef on the nicest flat bread we have ever tasted. My wife always goes for the trio of curries where I am a whimpy traditionalist and go for the mild curry, sorbet and then ice cream.  

Our lives haven't changed much as I work in a bakery and my wife works on the stroke ward at our main hospital.  Sadly we have had to buy for her some safety equipment but its not a problem as her safety comes first.  At my place of work we have had to have our hours cut due to lack of business.  North Wales survives on its tourist trade and there will not be one this year anyway. Although as soon as the government extended the lockdown the amount of people who came up here was ridiculous.  I wish they would listen to the many doctors and nurses who are pleadi.ng with us to stay at home, stop being selfish.  

I was speaking to my neighbour who is 93 and I said that she must have seen all this before in WW2, she surprised me when she said that she thought it was worse now then it was back then😷.  

Stay safe everyone and good wishes to the little one Kalos, things can only get better.

Our last cruise was to the fjords on the Ventura in September 2019.  One of the most stunning places we have ever seen and it answered all the questions we asked ourselves about going to Norway, admittedly it was a tad dearer than we were expecting but when you have the scenery they have to offer us then it was worth it.  The sea was a bit choppy,  more than we have ever been through, but it was kind of enjoyable( for me anyway ).

coco colada with ice...lovely and my wife loves a large merlot whilst we are sitting in the crows nest late at night.  Don't know why but I am fascinated by the other ships that are around us, as was the case last year when we were coming out of Rotterdam.  They were all lit up and I just find this so interesting.

Hi ToxM

We were due to sail in late September and not being too confident I rang P&O.  The recorded message says you will  have a wait of at least 15 minutes, I waited perhaps 2.  I spoke to a lovely lady who said she actually works for Cunard but has been brought in to help and she was working from home.  I explained that I would like to transfer our cruise to the same time next year, this was not any problem and everything was transferred over.  My only gripes is that we are not getting as much OBC and the actual cost of the cruise is dearer despite the fact it is the virtually same cruise albeit one year later.  So we are more than happy with how P&O dealt with us.

How about North Wales...gods country.  The grass is greener and the skies are bluer(sometimes).  Stunning scenery though.  Places worth a look at are LLangollen, LLandudno, Conwy and Port Meirion.

We have just transferred our September cruise to the same time next year.  The lady was very helpful but then we are having to pay more for the exact cruise and get less OBC, but its something to look forward to

get well soon Bori....please.  Sir Keir looks electable. End of my political knowledge

I am with you all the way P&O Sue, the excitement when we realise that Southampton is only a few more miles after travelling down from North Wales, it is also a relief as my wife tries to sing a song for every town we see...god help me when we get to the sign saying Winchester

I don't always call it a bunker, i have a few other names for it but that's for another day.  My wife thinks I am a conservationist as I am always in the long grass or by a tree.  After reading about my golf i think it is time i took up another sport that i can humiliate myself with...now where is my tennis gear?

and as for self isolation, once i am in a bunker it will take me 7 days to get out

The beauty of my golf is that I am way ahead of the pack...i have always practised social distancing...i am never more than 6ft from where my ball is.🤣

If I am allowed to dream for a moment.  If we can not go on a cruise for a while I would love to buy ourselves a camper van, load up the dogs and go up to Scotland, park up on the first golf course we find, get the clubs out and off we go.  As the courses will probably be empty...everybody will be safe from my hooks, slices and all the other bad shots i have perfected in 40 years of hacking my way round golf courses. Scotland beware😎