9265359
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Posts posted by 9265359
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30 minutes ago, nosapphire said:
If it is any consolation, Saga (who must surely be a line that expects to have passengers with mobility issues) stipulate that if you need to use a wheelchair or mobility scooter on board (not just in the cabin) then you have to book an adapted cabin (which will automatically assign an evacuation chair).
No adapted cabin = no on board wheelchair/scooter (they do not differentiate between powered and non-powered wheelchairs).
If you only need it ashore, you still have to pre-book it, it gets taken from you pre-embarkation, stored below deck and brought out at ports. But no need for an adapted cabin.
But do they allocate an evac chair to those individuals with stored wheelchairs and mobility scooters?
If not, then that seems a pretty risky gamble.
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16 hours ago, mrchips14 said:
Is it walkable?
From the cruise terminal itself - realistically no it isn't.
From where the cruise ship shuttle buses drop people (which tends to be the World Trade Centre) then it depends on your fitness as it is around 3 miles, but again for most it isn't going to be realistic. Either a taxi or the L2 from Parallel would be sensible - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ymvHV1CT27NEhe99A
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On 9/16/2024 at 4:06 PM, GloriaF said:
My first thought was cold and rainy
Impossible to predict.
Take a look here for historical details for Cambridge back to 1995 - https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/weather/index-period-graph.html
This year it averaged 8.5c but soaring to a high of 20c at 3.30pm on the 12th April and then crashing to a low of -3.6c a week later at 7pm on the 17th, with half a dozen days over the month when it rained.
Is that warm and sunny or cold and rainy - depends which day you were there.
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7 hours ago, Tina80 said:
aren't you afraid cops will stop you and ask for it?
Unless you are driving, in any of the tourist parts of Europe you are likely visit then random stops of tourists by the police demanding to see documents is realistically never going to happen, with the exception of you being in a very wrong area at a very unusual time doing very dubious things.
Driving is a different matter, and in parts of Europe it isn't too unusual to encounter roadblocks with the police checking documents and you are expected to have them with you when driving. The exception to that is the UK, when there is no requirement to carry any paperwork such as a driving licence or insurance with you when driving and you have up to two weeks after any stop to take the documents into a police station.
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8 minutes ago, Tina80 said:
Especially the tip regarding taking multiple credit cards with us.
And if you can, add one or more to your phone so you can pay contactlessly - everywhere in Europe takes contactless payments.
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13 hours ago, Hlitner said:
The other issue is that you may find yourself at a shop or restaurant when their card reader fails.
My experience has always been that if you tell them you have no cash then the machine suddenly starts working again, and that it 'failed' in the first place is likely due to their preference for cash and how they are funding this -
13 hours ago, Hlitner said:and other places might offer a nice discount if you pay in Euros
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1 hour ago, Selbourne said:
Exactly. It’s surprising how many people misunderstand this
It certainly is.
A Select fare comes with many benefits, but what it doesn't entitle someone to do (which some here seem to believe) is to demand that those on Saver fares are not entitled to request (request not demand) a different dining option once the preferences of the Select fare passengers have been dealt with.
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11 hours ago, UKCruiser999 said:
If you want to choose your own dining arrangements then purchase the Select Fare that offers that service. The Saver Fare is lower price for a reason.
You have utterly misunderstood P&O's fares.
The Select fare is higher because it has a number of benefits including, to quote P&O, "First priority for dining style on ships offering both freedom and Club Dining, and first priority for seating time and table size for Club Dining".
"First priority" - a key phrase you seem to have completely overlooked.
Saver fares are not excluded from requesting a particular type of dining or time of dining, but those requests can only be done onboard and those requests obviously come after the process of meeting the first priority requests of Select fare passengers.
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12 hours ago, checkitallout said:
do you have information on the bus? The site is in Italian and I can't read it or follow it. We will be in CIVITAVECCHIA and would like to go on our own.
I just use Google maps - https://maps.app.goo.gl/qiqH3ZY5Y3TSsHNH7
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1 hour ago, AchileLauro said:
mobility scooters are not a medical aid, they are a mobility aid
That definition is not correct, as it depends on who is using it.
If you have a disability that is assisted by using a mobility scooter then it is a medical device ("aid" isn't the word generally used).
If you don't have a disability but use a mobility scooter because you don't want to walk then it isn't a medical device.
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13 hours ago, terrierjohn said:
Maybe, but fine restaurants will have solid polished wooden tables, whereas cruise ships probably have veneered tables or possibly laminate ones.
Some might, but not all - certainly the Michelin star restaurant I was in last week didn't.
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41 minutes ago, TigerB said:
I think the bean counters may have thought that making Meridian resemble a 'Spoons would be more appealing to some of the guests.
Or they simply wanted to make the restaurant look less old fashioned.
It is a rare restaurant that has tablecloths these days, and that isn't just the pubs you might be familiar with, but also restaurants with Michelin stars.
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34 minutes ago, Cathygh said:
nteresting to see that P&O didn't say why they had changed the policy even though they had been asked 3 times!
The only policy change seems to be actually enforcing the policy.
If you look at the policy from 2020 (Mobility Aids & Equipment | P&O Cruises (archive.org)) it said -
If you need to bring a wheelchair or mobility scooter on board with you, it is essential that you let us know at the time of booking or as soon as the need is known.
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Mobility scooters will only be permitted on board if guests have booked an accessible cabin, or selected suite or mini-suite. Mobility scooters cannot be accepted in standard cabins. A list of the accessible cabins can be found in the accessible cabin section.
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The policy applies to all scooter makes and models. Mobility scooters must be declared at the time of booking or as soon as the need is known. If you have not informed us that you are bringing a mobility scooter and have not booked an approved cabin, your mobility scooter will be denied boarding.
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If you are taking a mobility scooter on board in an approved cabin please ensure you have checked the cabin door width as the scooter must be able to fit through to enable it to be stored safely so as not to impede a safe evacuation. Details of cabin door widths can be found in the cabin door widths section. Your mobility scooter will be denied boarding if you are not occupying one of the approved cabins, or does not fit through the cabin door.
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P&O Cruises define a mobility scooter as a three or four wheeled electrical or battery powered scooter designed for a person with restricted mobility.
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All mobility scooters must be stored inside your stateroom when not in use. They must not be left outside your cabin.
And from looking at the current policy (Mobility Aids & Equipment | P&O Cruises (pocruises.com)) nothing seems to have changed.
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3 hours ago, Breckski said:
I pleasant way to spend half a day.
Probably a whole day as the site with the tombs is quite extensive, plus the bus ride there and back.
However there are some nice places there to get some lunch - I had a particularly nice pizza there.
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14 hours ago, Breckski said:
Are there any neat little towns somewhat nearby that anyone would recommend?
Tarquinia for the Etruscan tombs, and it is a pleasant small town as well. About an hour's bus ride away.
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To get from Gatwick to Dover you have four choices by train.
Gatwick to St Pancras then change and to Dover
Gatwick to Victoria then change and to Dover
Gatwick to London Bridge then change and to Dover
Or Gatwick to Redhill then change to Tonbridge and then change to Dover - not recommended.
Of the three sensible options then the quickest is via St Pancras, but there isn't that much between any of them.
The train station at Gatwick is in the south terminal, but there is a free monorail connecting it with the north terminal that only takes a couple of minutes.
If you are intending on staying in London overnight and doing some sightseeing that day then which you pick is likely to be depend on where in central London you want to be.
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In Marseilles the shuttle bus drops you here - https://maps.app.goo.gl/w55h8KsxetRNt7e96 / https://maps.app.goo.gl/2rCGsRkqeGnykJbC7
Although it is handy for the cathedral and the old town, it is a reasonable walk from the new town and harbour.
Also consider your return time, as when I was there earlier in the year I heard reports of long queues for the buses at the end of the day, with some stupid people deciding to try to walk the 4 miles back to the ship and not wait in the queue.
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18 hours ago, 5498jjk said:
If we are allocated different sittings for dinner (2 separate cabins), can we change this once we’re onboard either to Freedom or our preferred sitting?
For those who want to change what they have been allocated there is normally a process where at one of the restaurants (or it may be somewhere like the Limelight club on the bigger ships) a stand is set up early afternoon after the lunch service has finished where the restaurant manager will take requests.
And the important thing to note is that they are requests.
If the request can be filled then they will try to do it - and they make clear that it might not be possible for the first night.
Some requests seem to be easier than others - early sitting to late doesn't seem to be an issue, and freedom to late doesn't seem to be an issue.
However others are far more unlikely to achieve a result, such as late to early or fixed to freedom on a ship with limited freedom dining.
Similarly if the request is for a table for two that depends on the ship, some have lots and it is likely possible, particularly if you have chosen a late sitting, but on others there is no chance.
Also on P&O it seems that being at the front of the queue to ask to change does help as they don't seem to use any other ranking, so first on the list to ask to move from say this time to that time gets it, whereas on Cunard they appeared to use other factors to determine who they allocated changes to first.
At the end of the day they want you to be happy and will try and accommodate you as you will likely come back as another customer and give them more money, so they are not going to punish you and say 'tough luck you didn't pay select fare, ha ha ha, sucks to be you'. But 'try' is the key word - if there are no tables on that sitting or in that restaurant because they have all be allocated to those who paid select then there are no tables.
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10 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:
I've just been reading about Google maps on the Apple watch, doesn't sound good.
Google maps on Apple watch is best described as 'acceptable, just'.
As the article you linked to stated, with Google you only get directional arrows with a countdown to the turn and not a map, plus you get taps on the wrist from the watch to tell you when to turn left or right and which way so when experienced with it you don't even have to look at the watch.
Apple maps on Apple watch gives you a full map view the same as if you were looking at your phone, plus it also gives the same taps on the wrist as you get with Google maps.
The issue with that is that Apple maps are still not as good as Google maps when you are in Europe, so often I will find myself using Google to find a location and then having done that will use that information to find it in Apple maps for the actual navigation.
11 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:Google's "find my phone" feature was very unsatisfactory when I tried to use it after the theft
The Stolen Device Protection which Apple introduced last year gives some additional reassurance if your phone is stolen, along with the traditional remote wipe (About Stolen Device Protection for iPhone – Apple Support (UK))
The protection means that if anyone has your unlocked phone or has your passcode they cannot access your passwords stored in the phone or change the passcode unless you they are at your house or work, or similar regular place, and along with things such as making payments they can only do any of that is with biometric ID, which they obviously don't have.
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On 8/12/2024 at 5:10 PM, CCJack said:
one other credit card travel tip... we usually make sure I only carry 1 or 2 cards and my wife carries different 1 or 2 cards. We make sure we don't carry a card the other one has. In this way if we lose a bag or wallet, one of us will have a card that has not been lost or compromised.
Or just make contactless payments using your phone and leave the physical cards in the cabin safe.
On 9/4/2024 at 9:50 PM, NightOne said:I don't think a single place in London or Paris did not accept Amex.
If you went back ten or twenty years things were very different, but Amex has made a big push for businesses in the UK and most places take it now - however never ever ask whether they take Amex as my experience is that if the staff member doesn't know then they just say 'no'. Instead just touch the card / phone to the screen and see if it works, and if not then just swap to a Visa/Mastercard instead.
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15 hours ago, euro cruiser said:
Reminds of an episode of "Friends", where the Joey character can't figure out where things are unless he climbs into the map of London.
I was particularly amused by the man who stopped me and asked which direction Big Ben was as I was walking at this spot towards Westminster tube - https://maps.app.goo.gl/U8HwXN78j4ATM31r7
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20 hours ago, euro cruiser said:
In Tarquinia, the stop you want is called Barriera S.Giusto.
If you are going to the tombs to start with there is a closer bus stop to the tombs called Tombe Etrusche and it is here - https://maps.app.goo.gl/TYULjof2XvXG7XHr7 however you will need to alert the driver that you want to get off there otherwise they will drive on past.
The Barriera S.Giusto stop is a better stop to get on the bus on the way back to Civitavecchia.
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21 hours ago, euro cruiser said:
You actually see people walking down the street with a big map unfolded?
Working in London it isn't uncommon at all to see tourists with paper maps - and I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked for directions with people using them because they don't know which way is 'up'.
12 hours ago, kctwinmommy said:It's a reason I don't keep financial items on my phone.
Better there protected by biometric security than somewhere else less secure.
12 hours ago, kctwinmommy said:I would be extremely upset about losing pictures
Why would they be lost? They would all be stored in the cloud.
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4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:
Before smart phones existed, did any of us wander the streets with a big map unfolded? I don't think so, I know I didn't. We looked at the map, figured out where we needed to go, then folded it up and headed out.
You still frequently see it, so not so sure why you think such behaviour never existed.
4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:Sometimes we made a wrong turn or two, but somehow we still made it to wherever we were going, and sometimes we saw something even more interesting on the "wrong" path.
Yep, and years ago before satnavs I ended up in a very dubious neighbourhood in the US where I decided that no matter what colour the traffic lights I wasn't stopping.
And although it was "interesting" being in such an area, I wasn't an experience I would wish to repeat.
4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:Part of the answer may be more pre-trip planning, like the old days, and less reliance on technology in the moment. Maybe think of the phone mapping as a backup plan, rather than the primary tool.
Or just use the technology more sensibly.
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New rules for wheelchair users
in P&O Cruises ( UK )
Posted · Edited by 9265359
It is a risky gamble because Saga are ignoring the knowledge they have that the passenger does have a mobility issue, because if the passenger doesn't have a mobility issue then why have they got a mobility aid!
Now that doesn't mean that every passenger with a mobility aid will need an evac chair, but it would be a damn sensible idea for Saga to specifically ask each of those passengers that question and not pass the responsibility over to them to fill in a mobility form if they fancy it to determine if they need an evac chair
A sensible risk assessment uses all the knowledge you have, and doesn't completely rely on a separate declaration.
Whereas the Saga process (as it has been described) seems very much like they really don't want to hear the truth of the situation (could they deal with all the passengers if the passengers actually needing an evac chair told the truth?) so have designed a process with built in deniability of responsibility when things go wrong.