Splice the mainbrace

Thanks for confirming the menu alternatives, we didn't want to ask the waiter as there was always something on which we would happily chose. I don't know if there was an anticipated problem one night because early in the cruise the head waiter was heavily promoting the Indian themed night in the buffet, which was excellent.

I managed to get up most of the fallen leaves from the garden which fell while we were away. Used the mower on a high setting to suck up them up on the grass but racked up others, the garden looks a lot tidier. We've just put the tree up and put the lights on, as is tradition I now have to retreat and not interfere with the decorating of the tree or comment in any way (like packing before we go away). Another tradition is a whisky coffee and Christmas songs playing on a TV video channel while the tree gets decorated. The weather forecast is showing for this area mostly dry on Monday so I'll probably do the outside lights then.

We’re back safe and sound from our Queen Victoria cruise to the Canaries. The drive up from Southampton to Cheshire on Wednesday was easy with good dry roads and light traffic, although between Swindon and Gloucester was thick fog. This was our second cruise on Queen Victoria in 5 months and found the overall experience very good. Some notes below: - at the Mayflower terminal check in and embarkation was well organised. We arrived at the terminal at 12.15 just as Queens Grill passengers were being called, the waiting area was full with QG, PG, Diamond and Platinum (which we are). We didn’t have to wait for check in as there were several desks available, then we had to wait for only about 10 minutes to be called. For security there was another 10 minute wait but we were fortunate that we were one of the first of the Platinum category and we’re on board by 1.00 pm, it would be a longer wait for those at the back of the queue but I guess that all priority boarding would be on board by about 1.15pm. - The ship is in good condition and the Christmas decorations enhanced the interior. Some minor observations were that our balcony furniture was peeling off its coating, the cabin toilet flush was hesitant at times once taking 10 mins to flush after giggling for that time. At times there was a drain smell in different parts of the ship. - The staff were very good from waiting, bar, reception and cleaners. They were cheery, polite and efficient. - The quality of the food was good both in the mdr and buffet. However in the mdr in the evening there was only a choice of 3 main course non veggie on menu choices but every night there was something that I wanted, I presume if there was nothing that you wanted a steak or salmon etc could be provided? The steaks were not very good though, on the first night I had steak Diane and it was very thin like a what supermarkets call sizzle steaks, it was tender though. My wife and 2 others next to us ordered sirloin steak on another evening and all were not cooked to the correct preference. Medium/rare was medium/well done and medium was well done, the replacement that my wife got was full of sinew, again the sirloin steaks were thin. The evening menu choices were a bit strange at times, no curry’s then 3 nights in a row, lamb one night then another lamb dish the next and the same for venison at another time, I like both but 2 nights in a row? - We only went to 2 shows, one was a Christmas theme which we enjoyed. The Queens room had a band and ballroom dancers most nights, but other musical acts also performed there including a superb 60s style band on the last night. What is the silent disco all about though, it’s hardly silent with participants singing along loudly and mostly badly😂 - Disembarkation was very straight forward, we had a time of 8.20 and got straight off. We found our luggage easily, walked to the cps parking area and were on our way within 15 mins. Overall a very good pre Christmas relaxing cruise, now back to tidying the garden from all of the fallen leaves and putting up the Christmas decorations.

We’re just coming back up across Biscay from our Queen Victoria Canaries cruise. The ship is a bit rocky today but only 3 to 4 metre swell which is a lot less than people have experienced during November but more than we had on the way down 10 days ago. It’s been a very relaxing enjoyable cruise and we dock in Southampton on Wednesday. I know that this is a P&O forum but I’ll put some overall summary thoughts about the cruise and Cunard when I get back because some who read this thread cruise on Cunard or may be considering it.

Chinos and polo shirt sometimes with blazer for me on non gala nights. I’m younger than most on Cunard and IMO polo shirt (yacht, golf club look) is smarter than some highly patterned standard collared shirts that older people wear.

In the end for last nights mdr meal I chose lobster bisque, chauteaubriand and chocolate soufflé. Very nice meal and great atmosphere. Just coming in to Lanzarote, clear blue sky and light winds.

Red and Gold, formal, gala, dress to impress or whatever’s it called nowadays tonight. Turkey dinner, monk fish or chateaubriand are the mains choices in the mdr. Think I’ll go for the chateaubriand.

We always wonder why people walk so far to and from the ships from the city, seems like hard work to me when you should be relaxing in pre cruise mode. After spending a lot on a cruise just spend £10 or so for a taxi and you probably take years out of the life of your suitcases. As andymichelle says bad in December but I wouldn’t want to be hot and sweaty in warmer weather either prior to embarkation 🥵

I hope they do something similar on our QM2 Cape Town to Perth then finishing in Sydney (with other stops in between). Might get 2 lots🤞. One lot of $80 per person (3 days of essential) seems rather tight for a 26 day cruise when you could get the same allowance for only 7 days.

I don’t normally carry one but I could do, fair point👍🥂

We are currently on QV and we are paying a pay as you go daily essentials price of $24 a day, so we get 3 days each from our Platinum $80 each plan.

We’re currently on QV with a drinks package. The answer to original query is that sometimes you get a receipt to sign and sometimes you don’t even in the same bar or restaurant. We only need to give one of our 2 cards rather than both but other times they remember us and don’t need a card. It is rather an antiquated system and I particularly don’t like using a pen that countless others have used and then some nibbles/canape come out to eat, I tend to sign after the finger food.

When we went away last Thursday for our current Queen Victoria cruise the forecast was showing a low this week of -1 or -2 minimum at home now showing -4 to -5 for a few nights. I’m glad that I left the heating ticking over in the day at 14c and hope that the boiler doesn’t decide to breakdown🤔 Anyway we are in Lanzarote tomorrow where 23c is forecast. As a bonus on the way down the bay of Biscay was flat calm, although it was a bit wobbly in the Brest region.😀

My wife and I are Platinum members so we can buy 3 days worth each from our $80 individual allowance. On port days we can use our normal mobile phone data allowance. For us it was better when its was a hour allowance and we’d log on for an hour or two a day, we don’t need 24 hour access. Also the allowance is the same whether it’s a 1 week or 4 week cruise, although for the longer cruises they used to reallocate the allowance for each leg ie for QM2 trans Atlantic and Caribbean it was split into 3 legs, not sure if that is still the case though.

We entered the terminal at 12.15 and they were calling for QG passengers for the first time to make their way to security, the queue built up quite quickly because they called subsequent priority groups in fairly quick succession. We were fortunate because we were one of first of the large group of Platinum grade passengers to join the queue.

On arriving back into our cabin on the second evening there was another half bottle of Pol Acker on our desk. Depending on your view of the bubbly it would be a reward or punishment😁 We went to the Lido instead of the mdr last night for the Indian menu night, the food imo was very good. It’s the red and gold night tonight mdr menu is looking good.

We arrived at the terminal at 12.15 and there were plenty of vacant check in positions. The waiting area was very full due to the build up of QQ, PQ, Diamond and Platinum levels (our level) which got called in order, the security queues build up due to the initial rush but it’s only 10 mins or so. They hold early arrivals who are not priority boarding outside until after the priority levels have started to clear the waiting area. Maybe the people in the queue that you saw with later boarding times were of a priority level because they were definitely checking status before entering the terminal.

I’m on this cruise as well. Some notes so far: - pleased with the overall feel of the ship. Friendly efficient staff, condition of the ship and things to do. - we have struck lucky with the bay of Biscay, smooth as anything. There was just a bit of movement yesterday as we excited the channel and rounded Brest 😀 - restricted mdr evening menu ( more so than I remember on here in June). Only 3 non veggie choices, last night black and white evening was beef wellington (which was very nice), sea bass or Sicilian something? and that was it. I hope that if any of the 3 choices were not to one’s taste that things like steak and salmon are always on if requested? First night I had steak Diane and it was a very thin sizzle type steak not thick sirloin type one, felt pretty short changed. Quality of food which we have had so far been good though. - we are on second sitting and the tables are well occupied (very full) compared to our experience on recent cruises where there we a lot of unoccupied tables. - the public areas were very full yesterday with mid afternoon chart room, queens room (tea) and pub all full. As weather gets warmer obviously more people will go outside and it will be less crowded inside. Looking forward to Lisbon tomorrow.

Earlier this year I didn’t have a problem using cruise critic from my old I phone and posted news and photos from South America. However before we went away on an August cruise I couldn’t sign on and again now before we go away again. I’ve tried email address and user name and various of my passwords without success. It kept saying incorrect password and then it seemed to accept it but locked on a redirecting screen. Now when I open cc on it it just goes to the same redirect screen. l’m more concerned that if this iPad or my laptop lose auto sign on info, which devices sometimes do, I won’t be able to sign in again. Has anyone had similar issues or know how to solve it?

We were last on QM2 6 years ago on the same cruise itinerary as yours. We are next on board her in February for the Cape Town to Sydney leg of her World Cruise. What time are the canapés served? 😛

You normally get to know your allocated embarkation time about 3 weeks before.

We’re half way through our busy week. We drove down to Devon from Cheshire on Sunday afternoon, stayed overnight in a hotel (accommodation good but food bad), went to my Uncle funeral yesterday then drove back up in the afternoon. Now we have 2 days at home before travelling down to Southampton on Thursday for our 12 days on Queen Victoria starting on Friday. We’re looking forward to getting on board and having a relaxing pre Christmas cruise to the Canaries.

I don’t mind using self service tills for up to 6 or 7 items but for a big shop I queue for a staffed till

The break even point on most drink packages is about 6 wines/cocktails a day which is about what we have plus specialist coffees and bottles of water on top. So for shorter cruises we tend to go for the package but can’t stomach the outlay for long cruises where we rein in a bit, we have a 26 and 30 day cruise next year!! One of which is on Cunard where they add on 15% service charge. What is a drink rest day on a cruise! We’re on uz holiday.

Does the fibre connection to the house come through the same existing copper wire conduit or do they have to lay a new connection in the ground?