kruzseeka

Glad you're feeling better today. Take care! 🤗😘

Just shows the fabulous clear reflections! Looks, lovely anyway!

Great destination. Love the ride up the Gondola! We're there next month - as a matter of interest, is there any snow at ground level at the moment? Guess there will be on the top of the mountains. Enjoy your day and here.

As Sheila said you get an automatic reply directing you to Stockperks. I had to then send them a pic of my redacted account proving current ownership (in my case a pic taken of the attachment I'd already sent to P&O). Once they validate your holding, it seems they only then need info on your booking ref and name, email perhaps d.o.b. (?) but minimal info to provide to verify your claim for subsequent bookings. Very easy. Presumably they check you still hold the shares with whoever that may be.

We've just swapped a booking from Aurora. We were in a balcony cabin - I specifically asked for shower only and that was noted on my booking confirmation. That was C252

I really must be out of touch - I haven't heard of check-in for boarding times before. I've always been sent a check--in time and didn't know you could have any input on that. Can you please explain - sorry if I'm being a bit dim! Just done a search and see the check--in involves putting in passport, card details etc which i do remember - and gives you your boarding pass. I guess that's when you see your boarding time. Sorry I thought the check-in was to get your boarding time and you were able to choose - hence the getting in early when the process opens. Doh...... It is early!!!

Fabulous area to DiY The last time we went we got the train from La Spezia to Vernazza (my favourite of the Cinque Terre towns) then the ferry from there to Porto Venere then local bus back to La Spezia. It was a great day. Like you say, not far to get a taxi back if necessary. The Cinque Terre Card is good value like a hop-on-hop-off but we'd done that before so wanted to see the Cinque Terre from the sea so elected to come back by the ferry via Porto Venere - very picturesque area and easy to explore using local transport. Enjoy when you go in May.

We did Pisa independently by train which we enjoyed and is much closer. Florence we've only done on the ship's excursions - it is quite a distance. (Just seen zap's post - we travelled from Livorno. If its La Spezia I'd recommend a DIY to Cinque Terre - close by and very doable)

Well, well, well!!! Following our discussion, yesterday I booked an October cruise (actually it was a swap from another one) and thought I'd give the Stockperks thing a whirl. I already had the App so just had to give the booking ref, date of sailing, name and email and got an acknowledgement immediately saying 'Congratulations...... your request has been successfully submitted' timed at 13.21. At 14.59 I got a further communication saying £150 had been applied to my reservation. At 15.03 I got the updated Booking Confirmation from P&O! Impressed! No need to send in a new redacted share holding statement, and couldn't have been much quicker. Won't work for cruises in 2025 but I was pleased to be able to tick it off along with car parking (booked within a couple of hours of the cruise booking although they suggested waiting 72 hours) So associated booking admin now done! Clearly the 90 day requirement of the past doesn't apply so it seems you could do your Arcadia cruise if you wish. Big improvement on before.

Mine looked as though it hadn't shown the full image either dave but it went through OK! I've since had two messages from P&O acknowledging my application and directing me to Stockperks when I've already had the updated booking confirmation with the obc credited. 😏

Is this Camara de Lobos? Our favourite place to go for coffee - all looks lovely. Enjoy.

It would have been so much better had it been true....... I really thought it was and you were highlighting another classic P&O communications blunder! 😂 But the corrected version is helpful, thanks. 😊

carlanthony24 was very helpful when I was looking for times. I think this is the site used. Timings are there - but with the usual caveat - may not be correct and/or may be subject to change due to unforeseen issues. Since there are 3 sea days to follow, it would seem unnecessary to sail much earlier. Hope it helps. 2nd Mar 2024 Southampton, United Kingdom (more information) 18:00 3rd Mar 2024 At Sea 4th Mar 2024 At Sea 5th Mar 2024 Lisbon, Portugal (more information) 08:00 6th Mar 2024 Lisbon, Portugal 15:00 7th Mar 2024 Cadiz (Tours To Seville) 09:00 18:00 8th Mar 2024 At Sea 9th Mar 2024 Arrecife De Lanzarote, Spain (more information) 08:00 19:00 10th Mar 2024 Gran Canaria, Spain (more information) 08:00 19:00 11th Mar 2024 Tenerife, Spain (more information) 08:00 17:00 12th Mar 2024 Madeira, Portugal (more information) 08:30 18:00 13th Mar 2024 At Sea 14th Mar 2024 At Sea 15th Mar 2024 At Sea 16th Mar 2024 Southampton, United Kingdom 06:00

Yes I'm sure some would but you can't legislate for those who can't see that unforeseen events are always a possibility - weather, mechanical issues, emergencies, port movements, local issues. In any event there are always disclaimers in the T&C's. Why worry about narrow minded, egocentric thinkers? Can someone be expected to be taken seriously if you've just travelled through a Force 9 and arrive 3 hours late and complains? Or objects to a Medivac. Such people don't deserve any consideration imo. I'd just be pleased to be safe!

Thanks for that time line. I'll keep on top of it but give them a day or two yet. Actually I paid ahead of the 90 days since it was through an agent who usually request payment a month before P&O so perhaps P&O haven't received the payment yet. But I sent details of the payment receipt - perhaps that is expecting too much! I'll be chasing it up though. Hope you have a great trip too. Take care. 🙂

Hi happy v - hope all is well with you. 🙂 It seems you used the App. Can I assume you just emailed shareholder benefit and were then redirected to the App? I sent my claim on 10th (with up-to-date copy of share holding account with Halifax - don't have a certificate) and got the confirmation it had been received but no indication yet of needing to do anything else. Why don't they alert you on the confirmation to the App link straight away - or does it only apply to some claims and not others? (Rhetorical question - the complications of P&O's admin I sometimes think even they couldn't explain!😁) Oh well, patience - I'll just have to wait and see! 😉

All ships facilities are available for you to use (though some selected eating areas may not be). Our experience has been being taken off the ship at a sensible time to get you to the airport in good time - typically mid afternoon depending on your flight time. That might be about right for your timings. But you won't be taken so that you're sitting around at the airport all day. You can come and go from the ship as you wish. We've usually walked into Bridgetown in the morning, going to the Bridge House by the side of the river just over the bridge for a drink or coffee. It's a pleasant walk along the waterfront. We've gone back for some lunch before our transfer to the airport. It's all very well organised.

Ouch! Hope you got it back - I imagine so - good reason to use a Credit Card.

Yes - important lesson learned for us too. Last year we were in Stavanger on a Sunday and were staggered to discover the place was virtually shut down. Even the waterfront wharf-style cafes were closed - I was really surprised to see this normally buzzing area so lacking in life. So if like us you visit cafes in ports, it may be not just be toilets you can't find open! Apparently true of Norway in general so worth knowing. It may be relevant to how you plan to spend your day on Sundays in Norwegian towns.

I agree that it's worth having a relatively small amount of cash especially for toilets! Interestingly though, the toilets next to the Tourist Office on the Harbour in Bergen would only take cards - at that time 5Kr iirc. I stood there and couldn't work out what was going on (it was some years ago and i'd never come across the idea before!) until a local explained you couldnt use cash! I was once told Norway is rapidly becoming cash free and have just found this: Norway has the one of the lowest physical cash rates in the world, with only 3-5% of point of sale transactions paid for by cash. In 2021, Norway's central bank announced that it was exploring digital currency options to help facilitate the switch to a cash-free society. We use a Halifax CC which has free transactions abroad and in our experience has a near perfect exchange rate which is much better than the High Street rates. But for the amount you need, it's hardly a big deal.

Did you get the ceremony too of putting some cold water down the back of your neck???? Brrrr.....

Yes you're right about the cruising in Romsdalfjord - it will almost certainly follow your departure from a port (Andalsnes?) and will be logged as the same day on the itinerary. Tromso is great! Get the shuttle into town - if you want to explore further then catch the local bus across the ridge to the base of the cable car and go up to the top for the classic view overlooking the Arctic Cathedral, the town, bridge and river/fjord. There's a cafe on top. If it's summer across from the berth is the University Botanical Gardens which were free when we went and a revelation! Alpine plants I thought would be rock-hugging and a bit uninteresting, but it was a riot of colour (it was summer). It figures in Monty Don's Around the World in 80 Gardens. Worth a visit. Andalsnes is easy DIY - the new Gondola is great. Very close to the berth, fantastic views, cafe on top and some trails if you want to go further. Stavanger is different - much bigger but easy to see on foot. There's the old town with clap-board houses often with flowers around the doors. This is where you get off the ship. Further round the harbour to the left is the Cathedral with the small lake behind which you a walk round. Further round - left again - are old warehouses now waterfront cafes (although these were shut on our last visit which was a Sunday - most things were). On this side of the harbour are some colourful wooden buildings - very picturesque. If it's raining the Petroleum Museum is surprisingly interesting! The sail-in and sail-outs are like excursions in themselves - definitely worth spending time in the Crows Nest or equivalent. It's not a destination if you are looking for quaranteed warmth but the scenery is absolutely spectacular and awe-inspiring. We never tire of it.

Perhaps worth checking out - it may work out cheaper than the £600 you quoted earlier.

Gosh - didn't realise that - that's good. Having said that we only run the account for the Travel Insurance 😊 so it might as well be in both names. In my defence though we do have other accounts with N/W 😁

Yes that is certainly true. I guess it will also hinge on how quotes from other providers compare and whether taking a punt on missed ports/cabin confinement is something which would be important and therefore what the cost would be per cruise. We'd never heard of cruise extension cover a few years ago, weren't covered and never gave it a thought, though we've missed many a port in the past! But good to weigh up the options - the value for individual circumstances vary greatly (number of cruises, cost, add-ons, medical screen, level of cover etc). Bit of a minefield but important to get it right for yourself.