Grandad John

Woke up this morning with a surreal thought, do Selfridges sell fridges? Do Curry’s sell curry’s? And a blast from the past of my younger days, did Maypole sell maypoles? Can anyone think of any similar quirks?

Sorry folks, I can top them all. My dad was a railway signalman and worked with a guy called Leonard Duck, one of his kids was my age so when he was born in 1948 his dad called him….. drum roll, DONALD! Absolutely true I promise you, and this in a mining village in West Yorkshire! Imagine what his school years must have been like.

Perhaps you should retract that remark as I may be looking for compo!

Sorry, but every time I see the heading I keep thinking wrinkled stockings, don’t know why😂

I and 10 other members of my family returned from two weeks on Azura last Saturday. Four of us (including myself) contracted Norovirus half way through the second week. Upon arriving home Saturday evening my daughter and son-in-law, with whom I sat on the plane and shared a car with from Manchester airport, both tested positive for c…d. Yesterday I too tested positive for c…d. These incidents certainly detracted from what was for me a very therapeutic family cruise following the death of my lovely wife in February. However I find myself reticent to blame P&O having witnessed first hand the appalling hygiene standards of a number of my fellow passengers. P&O can take all the necessary steps, impose the strictest of controls, but until people display even a modicum of respect for the well-being of their fellow passengers these issues will never be eradicated.

Very pleased for the crew as I personally find it discomforting to wear a mask for any length of time let alone for an entire working day. It also enables people like myself who suffer from hearing difficulties to enjoy having a much better rapport with the waiters etc.

I downloaded my boarding pass okay using my iPad, however it kept telling me for several days thereafter that luggage labels were not available. I then logged on using my iPhone and was able to download the labels straightaway!

Don’t quite get the situation with Epicurean on Azura. I’m joining her in just under two weeks and when I log in to Cruise Personaliser it tells me to enquire on board, not just for Epicurean by the way but for all speciality dining! So how pray tell me are people managing to book in advance?

Flying out to join Azura for two weeks on the 29th. Anyone know if you have to collect your own cases at Tenerife airport or are they taken straight to the ship?

Neil Percival Young - legend! Saw him a few years ago at Sheffield Arena with Crazy Horse, absolutely awesome.

LLOM Would you happen to know if Glass House is serving food? I’m hoping Epicurean is open when we board in late October, forlorn as that hope may be.

Graham Would you rather they use the sleeve of their dinner jacket to wipe their nose?

Anyone seen the ‘new summer season’ dinner menus which Paul Ludlow alludes to in his video?

So doesn’t play on iPhone, iPad or laptop! What wonderful, as yet not invented?, piece of technology does one require?

Excellent video which I was desperate to hear what he had to say. However won’t play at all on my iPhone so tried my iPad, he managed to say “Hello” and then the screen froze!! Anyone else sat there with bated breath trying to access the video?

Looking at Azura reviews on P& O’s own website this morning it would seem to have been common knowledge on recent cruises that staff were being removed from Azura to join Arcadia. This would suggest that closure of speciality restaurants etc. is more down to staffing issues, i.e they are being redeployed elsewhere, rather than supply chain issues.

Molecrochip Would you care to hazard a guess on how long ‘a little longer’ is likely to be?

By the time I get on board Azura in late October am I going to be condemned to walking around with a bowl asking for some gruel? Did Oliver Twist ever take a cruise I wonder?