stephen@stoneyard.co.uk

2 hours ago, EngIceDave said:

You sound like us on Caribbean cruises. We live in Florida and done a number of cruises. Life can't be too bad when you say something like "OMG, St Maartin again? Oh geez, ok, if we have to.."

 

LOL

It is funny how we see things differently. I have never been to the Caribbean so I would be amazed and trying to see it all.  The Caribbean seems so exotic to me. 

A few years back we had a long weekend in London and we barely left the hotel.  The Savoy was wonderful.  London was just London. I had previously lived less than two miles away and my old office was a hundred feet down the road. 
 

I am looking forward to doing a Caribbean cruise when I retire. I do not  fly so it will be about twenty eight nights from the United Kingdom

It depends on you both and what you are looking for in the holiday. 
 

I agree that cruise calls at ports do not allow you to fully experience the place you are visiting. That would not matter to me as Mediterranean ports are local to me and many I have visited and stayed in separately from cruises. If you are rarely in Europe you might want to spend your time experiencing Italy. If you have plenty of free time you could do a cruise nearer to home going to places you already know. 
 

I would probably not look at ten days in Rome.  Do you know Venice?  A place that is difficult to see properly on a cruise. People rave about Florence. I loved the Cinque Terre coast. Italy seems to be able to built things without destroying the beauty of the place they built them. They often seem to make the places more beautiful. What would Venice be without those buildings and canals. I just find so much of Italy so wonderful.
 

If you can travel light and drag your own luggage then rail travel round Italy and most of Europe is perfectly possible. You are making me dream about a grand tour of Europe. 

Of course you still have to think about COVID not just now but how it might change things before or during your trip. 
 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

Please could I ask if anybody can help. I live in the United Kingdom. I am booked on a cruise to Norway, departing from and returning to the United Kingdom. On the Carnival website I am struggling to find out information about COVID testing for my cruise. All the information I can find seems to relate to US citizens departing US ports. For example the testing companies that Carnival accept only ship to fifty states.

Please does anybody know how testing for UK residents will be handled for UK departures. 
 

Thank you in advance, Stephen. 

8 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Guest services can make change for you.

Thank you for your help  That is exactly what I needed to know and very much appreciated. 
 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

I am from the UK and cruising from the UK on Carnival Pride.  I am assuming the crew would still like extra tips on US dollars. I am not talking large amounts just the odd $1 notes for room service and others. 
 

if I buy US dollars in the UK, I will probably be only given $10 notes and bigger. Too much for me for a small extra tip.

Please could I ask is there any way to get small values notes on Carnival Pride. I assume there is a cash machine on the ship but will that only give $10 notes and above.  I was wondering I could swap these for $1 notes at Guest Services or possibly the Casino (though I am not a gambler). Any advice would be gratefully received.

Thank you in advance.

Best wishes, Stephen.

Time moves on. Farcus designs were Post Modern. At the moment it is out of fashion.  Like Art Deco it may eventually see a revival but I think it will be a while yet. 
 

Ships for better or worse have always reflected  passengers and owners taste at the time. Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, Modern and Post Modern. Like or hate them Farcus design seems to show a quality and attention to detail that is unmatched. 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

Thank you for all that useful information and links. I really appreciated your help.  It is very good to know that particularly the chocolate desert is always available. I am a real chocolate addict.

Looking at the sample menus is good fun. I have had to do a bit of Googling as the choices do not mean much in the UK. Particularly the names of steaks are very different. We of course have a different name for Shrimp too. 

I am very much looking forward to trying Carnival. It will be my most American cruise experience. Most of my cruises have been on UK, Italian, Spanish, French or Danish lines. On some of those ships choosing form the menu in another language has been complete guesswork. Luckily I will eat most things. 

Thank you again, Stephen. 

I am new to Carnival but have cruised with many other lines. I am booked on Carnival Pride for the 10th of June to Norway. 
 

Looking at sample Main Dining Room menus for the evening, it seems that some items are once only, and others repeat later in the cruise.  Please could I ask is there anyway to know which items will be repeated? That way I could choose something knowing that another item I could have later in the cruise.

Thank you in advance, Stephen. 

4 hours ago, Esprit said:

Me too. A big case of Project Fear.

The Spanish Flu in 1918 killed millions. On that scale again then Coronavirus is headline news worthy.

We really have spawned a generation of snowflakes in recent decades

 

The so called snowflake generation are generally not the ones on here wanted to change their cruise plans. It is many generations earlier.  Many of us here could be classed as baby boomers.

Many of us have legitimate health concerts. Part of that relates to age.  Also many medicines leave us with weakened immune systems.  My mother had Chemotherapy and she was careful about infections during and after her treatment. I know somebody who is on an arthritis drug that reduces something important for infections in her blood. I know somebody else who is recovering from twelve hours of surgery.  For a while Diamond Princess was the largest outbreak outside of China.
 

On 2/28/2020 at 1:52 PM, jeanlyon said:

Just got an answer from my insurer and then looked it up on the net.  Most insurers do not cover epidemics and pandemics!!  If you are turned away, you should apply to the tour operator, travel agent for a cancellation refund.

I spoke to the provider of my Nationwide Flex Plus Travel policy and they suggested they would consider the P&O situation on denied boarding on the basis of a natural disaster. These are covered for cancellation. Of course this is all very well them saying this but it what they say if you claim that is important. 
 

Best wishes, Stephen.  

27 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Just three days ago, when this thread started, it was all gung-ho - I'm not cancelling etc etc.

 

Now the sentiment has changed completely.

 

But the facts haven't actually changed that much.  Just the publicity.  Why the sudden change?

Effectively our government, news media, and cruise companies are all fourteen days behind. That is the problem with a fourteen day incubation period.
 

In my not an expert opinion, we really need our government to realise the number of cases that have have diagnosed is fourteen days behind actual number of people infected. I would be looking at China and thinking where were they fourteen days on from this point.  We might get ahead of this disease then. At the moment everybody is fourteen days too late with everything they are doing. Perhaps travel, public gatherings, schools and cruise should be stopped now?  
 

You seem to be one of the few people who is thinking ahead. 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

44 minutes ago, Satureyes said:

Does it matter what they were sold at?
They weren't sold as 'you get what you're given'  - or told we could expect a drop in service because we're not paying as much as we would if we were on the ship in the summer. 

They offer the service. If they can't fulfil it, then they should at least acknowledge it. 

I agree with you.  More than acknowledge it I would say. 

46 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

It’s worth noting that the majority of cruises from Southampton this year in these months are on Oceana. Oceana was never due to sail these itineraries until her Middle East season was pulled late last summer. These new itineraries were not sold at top dollar.

You may be right about Oceana being most regular over these months. In the remains of these moths we have more of Aurora and also couple of Ventura.
 

Within the Carnival group there is most visits by Aida ships and one Queen Victoria.  Outside Carnival then Fred and Saga are regulars. Winter UK cruising has grown more than I thought. They are all taking a risk with passenger satisfaction and a financial cost. I am sure safety wise they are all fine. 

My rule use to be never before May. Bad weather and Norovirus season I thought. I have broken it many times and Norovirus seems year round. 

Best wishes, Stephen 

6 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

That's a very noble approach, Annie.  And I'd be inclined to agree if P&O adopted the same noble approach when customers have to cancel due to circumstances beyond their control.
 

It cuts both ways, really, doesn't it? 

I agree with you totally on this. Circumstances only seems to work one way. If circumstance outside my control mean I cannot pay for a significant part for my cruise (which is what I agreed to) then I do not get to go on the cruise.  Also they get to keep the deposit. They should play by the same rules. If they do not deliver a significant part of the  the cruise (Which is what they agreed to) then they should not keep all of my money. This is not compensation it is a partial refund. 
 

There was a time when Southampton cruise terminal hardly saw a ship in January, February or March.  Everything was in the Caribbean or on Worlds. Cruise companies realised it was not a good idea to cruise out of the UK in the winter.  P&O have Now decided they can make money cruising form the UK in the winter.  You can be sure they a charging the maximum fares they think they can from loyal passengers for these cruises. With this maximised profit comes a financial risk. If they do not provide significantly what is advertised then appropriate refund should be paid.  

I have never seen a cruise advertisement that states this is the itinerary we hope to cruise but it is Winter so we might go somewhere or nowhere else. It probably would not sell.
 

On obvious option would be to name all winter cruises out of Southampton as Mystery Cruises. Just a thought.  There would be no grounds for complaint then about missed ports. 
 

Best wishes, Stephen. 
 

My understanding is the prohibition on marriages at sea dates back to a scandal on a Cunard liner. There was a case of bigamy. The scandal surrounding the companies involvement was enough to introduce the prohibition. 
 

Best wishes, Stephen.

19 hours ago, HappyGiraffe said:

Very conveniently, our annual policy renews the day after we disembark and we sail quite soon, so it's only £5.26 for us! 

That worked out well.

Best wishes, Stephen. 

I do Worcester to Southampton reasonably regularly. If your sister can manage her own luggage by train the easiest option could be one of the direct trains from the Malvern stations to Southampton Central. There are a couple of these a day but not Sunday. They are not the best train but it means you do not have to manage luggage in the middle of the journey. One of these train departs just before 11AM and arrives just after 2.30PM on Saturdays. 
 

My choice is to get better trains. If you can change trains the easiest place is Oxford.  It has always been the same platform for me. You could change at Reading for the same trains but it is now a big station with lots of platforms. Birmingham New Street is a very big station and busy. I personally would not change at Cheltenham Spa as the Malvern to Cheltenham service is so sparse. 
 

I always go the day before and book a hotel in the centre of Southampton.  There are many ranging from budget to five stars. Taxis are readily available in Southampton and I think UBER operates in the city. Taxis to and from the dock, train station or hotels are less than £10.  My favourite place to stay is a sea view room at the Grand Harbour Hotel (not Harbour Hotel) as you can see you ship arrive early morning or docked when you get up late morning. I believe some room at the Holiday Inn have the same benefit. 
 

I also drive depending on my plans. Again I book a hotel for the night before my cruise.  You have two options, park at the hotel the night before the cruise and then park at the cruise terminal for the cruise. Alternatively park at the hotel the night before the cruise and for the duration of the cruise. For me both options work and the price has always been roughly the same. If you read threads on here people will tell you their preferred parking or hotel option is the only choice and why no other possible option is acceptable at all. That may well be true for them. 
 

It is possible to drive on the morning of departure from Malvern to Southampton.  I have done it a few times. I now just don’t like the hassle on the morning of departure and the small risk I could miss the ship.  It does save on the cost of a hotel. At the moment there are roadworks around Southampton.  Allegedly one bridge closure led to the longest diversion in British driving history. I planned my journey so as to get through an hour before the road closure. 

Other  people might be able to advise if there is a P&O provided coach option from Worcestershire. These run on the morning of the cruise but hopefully the ship would wait if a coach P&O provided was delayed. Personally I would not consider that option but I am coach phobic. 

Malvern to Southampton is not a bad start to a holiday. There are people who travel from far further away in the North of England and Scotland. They will have had very long and potentially stressful journeys. It is often the conversation on the first evening. 
 

Best wishes, Stephen 

The float pit does make Iona seem real. A ship not just blocks. 

On the videos it looked to me like she was operating under her own power. I may have imagined smoke and a wake form bow thrusters. I had thought she would be towed out. Hopefully that bodes well for the LNG power plant being up and running, and not delaying anything. It may just be wishful thinking on my part.

Best wishes, Stephen. 

The float pit does make Iona seem real. A ship not just blocks. 

On the videos it looked to me like she was operating under her own power. I may have imagined smoke and a wake form bow thrusters. I had thought she would be towed out. Hopefully that bodes well for the LNG power plant being up and running, and not delaying anything. It may just be wishful thinking on my part.

Best wishes, Stephen. 

22 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Just seen something elsewhere that says that an NCL cruise has missed 5 ports and been refused entry to Vietnam etc and the passengers have been offered a 10% refund? 

I don't know the full story, but that sounds 'significant' to me... 

Andy 

A USA based cruise line of course. If the passengers booked in the UK with the UK subsidiary it could be interesting. 
 

When the Icelandic Ash cloud stopped flights a certain US cruise company attempted to abandon passengers in ports to make their own way home. Ship staff did not understand that these passengers were on a package tour and had to be looked after. I believe the UK tour operators on the whole behaved differently as they understood their obligations.  
 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

21 minutes ago, kruzseeka said:

 

As I understand it, the cost is £40 but it was only introduced from 1st November last year so it seems they have been prepared to charge for the appropriate period remaining on the policy.  That's good!   We had to cancel a cruise so I haven't yet upgraded, but will do so when we renew which is due before our next cruise. 

Thanks for the reminder Stephen - it's excellent value imo (especially if it's a joint account it covers both of you) but i suspect they will be paying out rather more than they anticipated given the current situation.  Perhaps there will be a higher premium next year!  

I did wonder what the premium will be next year. I thought I would get insured before any increase. After June I have no cruises for nearly a year and then only a short cruise so I will probably not renew if the premiums go up.

Best wishes, Stephen. 

P&O are not very good at this. I think you have to cancel and rebook. Be careful also if yo have a cheap deposit offer from a travel agent. I believe it is the full deposit amount that is lost but I could be wrong. I would definitely check. 
 

Some UK cruise lines can be reasonable. I got a fifty pound onboard credit from CMV for a three night trip on Astoria. They phoned me unsolicited, and said that they has a special promotion on.  They felt existing bookings should get the same benefit. I almost dropped the phone.  On another occasion I have had a free upgrade on CMV. I rang up and asked how much it would cost and was told they would do it for free. Unknown to me they had reduced the price of the cruise for new booking significantly so it did seem reasonable. 

I have with Cunard cancelled, lost my deposit, rebooked.  It allowed me to switch from a junior suite to a full suite for the same price. Cunard gave me a free upgrade to a Penthouse which made up for the loss of my deposit. 

I did not know about Saga. A line I would like to try.  Thank you. 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

I have never had specific cruise insurance as I had not felt I needed it. My general travel insurance covers medical expenses, luggage etc on a cruise.  Howether we have decided to go for a cruise insurance upgrade because of the current situation. 
 

This will pay £150 per person for a missed port. It will also pay £150 per person per day for confident to your cabin ordered by the ships doctor. This is a little bit more than the amount I payed for my cabin so I will not be worse off financially if this happens. There is no excess on these claims too.
 

It has only cost me £14 for the remainder of my policy which incidentally covers all my cruises for the year. 

If anybody is interested my insurance is provided through my bank account with Nationwide Building Society which I know is quite popular here. 

Best wishes, Stephen. 

8 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

The after departure position is covered by this:

 

14.—(1) The terms set out in paragraphs (2) and (3) below are implied in every contract and apply where, after departure, a significant proportion of the services contracted for is not provided or the organiser becomes aware that he will be unable to procure a significant proportion of the services to be provided.

(2) The organiser will make suitable alternative arrangements, at no extra cost to the consumer, for the continuation of the package and will, where appropriate, compensate the consumer for the difference between the services to be supplied under the contract and those supplied.

(3) If it is impossible to make arrangements as described in paragraph (2), or these are not accepted by the consumer for good reasons, the organiser will, where appropriate, provide the consumer with equivalent transport back to the place of departure or to another place to which the consumer has agreed and will, where appropriate, compensate the consumer.

 

On which Which? comments:

 

What if my package holiday changes after it starts?

If after departure a significant proportion of the services contracted for is not provided, or the organiser becomes aware that they will be unable to procure a significant proportion of them:

the organiser must make suitable alternative arrangements, at no extra cost to you, for the continuation of the package and will, where appropriate, compensate you for the difference between the services to be supplied under the contract and those actually supplied

if it is impossible to make arrangements, or these are rejected by you for good reason, the organiser will, where appropriate, provide you with equivalent transport back to the place of departure or to another place to which you have agreed and will, where appropriate, compensate you.Significant proportion of services not provided

Thank you again.

Best wishes, Stephen. 
 

19 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Wow... 

So, in theory, if say Arcadia has to miss/change ports on its Worldie, all passengers would be entitled to a full refund??? 

Or have I misunderstood.. 

Andy 

I read it as if there are significant changes known by the tour operator prior to departure.  The option to cancel and have a full refund should be offered.
 

It seems fair to me. You can then make alternative holiday plans and the cruise company can resell the cabin.  That is of no benefit or loss to the passenger (or P&O).  They are only getting their own money back because the cruise they originally booked is not available and they would not have chosen the amended itinerary.  They are being put back in their original situation before booking. 
 

What your rights are if significant changes to the itinerary are made after departure I would not like to guess. 
 

There was a situation where a cruise departed and then passengers were told about a significant change in the itinerary. Nearly all ports were lost and very little was offered in compensation. It was alleged that the cruise company knew about these changes before departure. The ship had allegedly taken on food or fuel and made other amended preparations before departure. After much unnecessary unpleasantness a full refund was offered to the passengers on the cruise. 

Best wishes, Stephen.