babs135

Have a great trip

In a situation like this I would think that employing the services of an insurance broker would be worth the extra cost. With all medical details to hand they can find insurance companies that perhaps the 'man in the street' has no access to. For example we are with a Lloyds syndicate firm and for 2 senior citizens with multiple health issues our annual insurance including the States and the Caribbean is just under £500 for the two of us.

We've always received the booklet. This one came today (Saturday) just 5 weeks before we are due to sail - 18th August.

No, just a recommendation that we book our excursions before we board. But you're probably correct about it being left over from Covid (something I hadn't thought of).

Just received the booklet with details re our upcoming cruise on the Queen Anne and one paragraph re shore excursions stands out. Cunard state that restrictions in each destination are changeable and some destinations only allow cruise line organised experiences. I don't recall ever seeing this before. Obviously Cunard are hoping that all passengers purchase their excursions but is the 'warning' a new thing or have I merely missed it before. We are cruising Scandinavia and Norway.

We will be dining in the mdr on the Queen Anne shortly and have been looking at some of the menus people have posted. Am I correct in thinking that I can order an appetiser as a main course? One particular menu had me thinking that I would've been spoilt for choice of an appetiser but didn't particularly care for any of the mains.

Is the information here still the same for August 2024? And I'm a little confused (nothing new!) as to where we'd pick up the bus to Grenen. Is it immediately as we get off the ship or is it a walk? Is cash still needed? Plus, could you give me some idea of how long the whole trip could take.

Here in the UK we have a regulation known as the General Data Protection Regulation Data protection: The Data Protection Act - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Following on from the fight that took place recently on a Carnival ship, all the people who were involved have been permanently banned from sailing on Carnival Cruise Line. My question is quite simple: Are their names (along with other miscreants on other ships) circulated to all cruise lines and, therefore, denying them a cruise anywhere? And if not, why not? Are the cruise lines not allowed to do this? And again, if not, should the law be changed?

We've met some really interesting people at the dinner table: An English literature teacher whose pupils were serving time in one of the UK's maximum security prisons (apparently Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a favourite!), a Canadian couple who extolled the virtues of the Canadian wine industry (didn't know they had one) and we've also had the worst. A young couple who clearly thought that they were better than us older ones. We were glad to see the back of them.

@missson1967. You said that you had spoken to Cunard staff as part of your research. Are you willing to share what you asked and how they answered?

Lots of interesting chatter since I posted this thread. We haven't changed our mind about putting down a deposit on the cruise and in some ways I'm glad. Health matters are not brilliant at the moment (very slightly worsened since original post) but some can be dealt with and controlled. What we can't control is what is going on around us and that is deeply personal so won't be discussed here. Insurance is another interesting subject. At the moment we have good insurance which did not ask any medical questions when we took it out (all legit), but as DH approaches his 80th birthday later this year, they will then ask questions which could and probably will increase our annual premium which at the moment is under £500 for the 2 of us, including USA and the Caribbean, which pushes up the cost greatly. I note there was also talk about health insurance rather than travel insurance - our son lives in Israel which the British Foreign Office has declared a war zone ; this means that our travel insurance is invalid for visits there and we have struggled to find a UK firm that would cover us for anything other than absolutely essential/business travel. We can get health insurance on landing in Israel (Israeli firm) but not full travel insurance. Thanks for your advice, and as I said earlier in this thread, we are looking forward with anticipation to our upcoming cruise on the Queen Anne.

Not any ships I've been on, but maybe you're talking from personal experience?! 🤣🤣

Thanks John, some excellent ideas that I'll discuss with DH. Suspect that the D-Day Museum will be his first choice.

We have a car. Hotel is the Marriott

We have elected to stay overnight in Portsmouth before travelling to Southampton the following day. As we're in the northwest of the UK and unless we set off at the crack of dawn, we won't get to the hotel much before 1.30 pm (rough estimate). I would assume that it is not worth visiting the Dockyards at such a late arrival time; so my question is simple; What else is there to do and see in the area?