bluemug
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Posts posted by bluemug
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we found that wearing mittens kept our hands warmer than gloves. Don’t forget, when photographing the lights at night you will need ,time exposure, of at least 30secs. When your hand is exposed for this length of time it will get cold. Keep well away from the young things with auto flash on their cameras, flash at night for northern lights is not required and WILL RUIN your night vision
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Just off a p&o cruise and they gave me ,on board spend, for the two of us, that is each.
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I notice no one has mentioned that for some the theatre is the muster station..it was for us on Ventura.
Knowing all the training they do. I am sure the crew will behave in a sensible manner..even if passengers try not to.
If everyone panics I am sure there will be more casualties due to people falling over and being trampled on while the survival of the fittest clamber over them.
I agree sitting in the middle of a row you are in a similar situation, as at the end of a row by a wall.
I have never heard of a fire in a theatre on a ship , however I have on ships balconies.
It now seems that many of the casualties of the Grenfell Disaster followed the fire service advise to "stay in your flat". They have now changed their dictum to "get out fast".
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They wouldn’t be safe on a ship which moves around. Besides, as the presence of lifts causes most people to forget how to walk up and down stairs, moving walkways would doubtless result in even more lethargy!
Ah; I was thinking of doing away with lifts and having a moving walkway between floors. Ideal for those who are mobility challenged and for luggage moving
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How about moving walkways as in some supermarkets. You can see which way it (the walkway) is travelling and get on one going in the direction you want
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PicSA,, agree, but as an ex-stewardess, I can tell you that when they panic, they block the exits.
There are also the numpties who must get their carry on bags and cases from the overhead stowage.
But back to Britannia, see us all calmly sat in our seats, the theater filling with noxious smoke and we have a chat with our neighbour while we wait for the trained ships personnel to arrive. I DONT THINK SO. There would be a mass scramble for the exits with the survival of the fittest taking center stage.
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If an emergency happened, then the crew will evacuate at walking pace. This is proven to be the safest way to avoid injuries.
Have you ever seen a car catch fire. You dont have long to get out and the ferocity of the blaze is astonishing
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We sailed on Britannia because it was the only british ship that would be in Norway on May 17 (constitution day). I choose my holidays by itinery not the means of getting there.
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It for all of us to read the thread.
Might as suggest to Op to add word “possible” or “probable”(whichever you prefer) to the title.
If you were to go aboard Britannia and look for yourself, then you will be able to see what I mean.
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A Beautiful ship, but only on the inside looking out.I am aware of the soot problems which I raised on a previous thread after looking for advice. i am hoping that the lifts and the soot receive some attention during the October 2019 refit although my biggest issue is my wife not wanting to go back onboard due to the lift situation lol. I've kind of not yet told her about our other booking! In her words she said that we may has well just cruise on a ship with no lift issues as so much other choice! I think P & O need to give these issues some serious thought as the market is growing ever bigger and people will walk away from the brand which is a real shame as in so many other ways Britannia is a beautiful ship. -
I have cruised on QE2 and in my opinion there was a good looking boat. I have never liked Britannia ever since it first came on the cruise scene. My thoughts about the Headliners theater remain the same. Lets hope it never comes about.
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Having just come back from Norway cruise aboard "The Ugly Boat" (Britannia) I would like to voice my concerne at the Headliners theater. I went there with SWIMBO and noticed that the side seats port and stbd finished directly at the wall. If any emergency occured requiring evacuation of the theater those sitting near the wall would have to wait until the row started to clear. Those persons near the aisle, if they were mobility challenged, would effectivly block the clearance of the row until they were out of the way. Now you might say that it would be possible to climb over the seats behind, but again the infirm may be in the way.
Wouldn't it be better to remove two seats from the wall end of each row thereby making an entry/exit aisle.
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get in any lift that stops on the floor that you are on; and be prepared to take the round trip
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After my experience of parking at Soton you must be a sandwich short of a picnic if you trust your car to them
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If this happened as you drove along and Jaguar told you it was because of something done several days earlier, you should be seriously complaining to Jaguar, because that is nonsense.
As far as is known, the car was taken from the cruise terminal to the nearby car park and left there until collected at the end of the cruise. I presume that when the car was parked no further electrical inputs were received by the on board computer. if the ignition was switched off before the signal inputs could be acted upon by the computer and the electrics, then those inputs would still be there when the ignition is switched back on.
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We always stay in a hotel overnight before our cruise but would never use parking with a hotel in an insecure car park open to public access and the chance of either damage or having your car stolen from an insecure hotel car park with no security.
Do you not have vehicle insurance
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Is that one hotel in particular? I've often wondered about doing that but never sure what time they would come to pick you up after the cruise as you never know yourself the exact time you are going to disembark.
We stay in a De Vere hotel on the outskirts of Soton. They serve food that is comparable to Cunard, the hotel staff are very pleasant and helpful and the taxi company couldn't be more accommodating. Just the right start for a holiday and an easy finish.
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We use Parking4cruises but even if you use CPS which is the recommended parking company used by Cunard they are dearer and they still drive your car away to other parts of the port area.
After my experience with Soton parking I would say "Never again". We had a Jag with computer controlled seats and steering wheel reach. We handed over the car keys before the cruise and a young lad employed by the parking company took control of the car.. On return from our cruise and on our way home along the motorway, the drivers seat and steering wheel started to adjust themselves for reach and position. Luckily I was driving and could cope but if my wife had been driving, she is shorter than me, the controls would have been out of her reach. I mentioned this to Jaguar who told me that the computer had been given too many input signals and was resetting itself. Obviously the young lad employed by the parking company had been playing with the on board computer.As for parking now; we go to Soton the day before our cruise and book into a very nice hotel, dinner b/b 14 days parking and taxi to/from cruise terminal all for £30 more than cruise terminal parking
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Early would be classed as being given a 3.30pm boarding time and arriving just gone 12 midday. If you turn up approx. 1/2 hour before the boarding time you are given you should be ok. If there are no queues you may be able to board straight away.
How are the times allocated..well similar to the upgrade fairy one feels.
High tier loyalty and suites can board from 1pm. The rest of the ship seems to be sort of deck/position of cabin on deck. Its not the same all the time either.
There is nothing to stop you dropping off your suitcases at the hole in the wall after 11.30 am (I think is the earliest) and going off round Southampton. If you are driving down may be easier to drop cases off then drive off somewhere else to arrive nearer your time.
The Grand Harbour hotel have a cruise lounge-you do not have to be staying there. Cost is approx. £12 or £30 pp, depends on if you have no alcohol or with alcohol. You can stay there and they transport to the terminals in 15 min batches I think someone posted.
I arrived at Soton 30mins early last year. Went through formalities downstairs and was told to wait a short while upstairs. On arriving at the upstairs waiting area and hoping for a seat, I am disabled, I could see that all the seats were occupied by " chancers". People who arrive very early on the chance that they can board early. Couldn't these chancers be weeded out before proceeding to the booking in area upstairs
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Never really enquired, but if the gel on board is just anti bacterial, then it's not going to work on norovirus, as the name suggests it's a virus, so you need anti virus.
I use boots antivirus foam when I go to the gym at home. It's anti bac and anti virus, costs about £4. I am considering taking on our cruise week after next. It's not as messy as the gel and claims to give 4 hours protection. I'll still use the gel at meal times and ships gyms as well, because I think you need to be seen to be using it. I witnessed someone on the Ventura once refuse the gel claiming they use their own. But the doubt was there
On Ventura, entrance to breakfast area, the crew member dispensing the anti-bac foam was overwhelmed by the numbers making their entrance. Needless a lot of the passengers ,mainly british, by passed the anti-bac station and went directly to the breakfast area. Its people like that who I want to protect myself from. Afterall, 3 days combined to cabin with NV is no joke
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100% wear it with pride, shame I'm not on the cruise or I'd be buying the drinks too, can't thank them guys enough!
When we were on Azura I brought my wife a Pandora bracelet and my Mum and Dad brought us a Tag watch each as a 'Honeymoon present'(never heard of that but I wasn't complaining hahaha) and even though they were cheaper, about 10% I'm sure Duty Free prices are supposed to be better than that.
I'd buy water rather than filling a bottle up, there's a few threads about Norovirus, I'd rather pay the extra and stay well.
Enjoy Azura, she's amazing, we're on the Navigator of the Seas in May which is in Southampton on the 21st and 30th and can't wait to see her! (Hopefully, I have no idea where the ships dock)
Dean
The thought of contracting norovirus scares me (****)less. If I took my own empty plastic bottles about 100ml size with me, would P+O refill them (with anti-bac gel) when they became empty, after all I would think that it would be in the ships interest to know that all passengers are taking precautions.
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Tips of things to bring:
a couple or more small fridge magnets to hold up the daily ship's newspaper with details of all the activities, dress code for dinner, all aboard time in port, etc. The cabin walls are magnetic and dressing table/bedside table space at a premium (in a standard cabin - don't know about suites), so if you have it pinned up on the wall it's easy to consult and change every day.
Small extension socket if you can fit it in your luggage. There are not many sockets - 3 I think - so if you have smartphone/camera/iPad/iPod to charge you will struggle. Also I seem to recall not much room between a socket above the dressing table and the dressing table top - we had a battery recharger and it wouldn't physically fit into the socket because there wasn't enough depth between the socket and the dressing table. But P&O ask that passengers don't leave things charging while you go off to sunbathe all morning or go ashore, because of the risk of devices overheating and fires.
Large clips/pegs to hold towels onto sunbeds.
Types of shops - duty free, small shop selling essentials (toothpaste, paracetamol, shampoo, that kind of thing), sweets, souvenirs, books, small selection of electrical goods. Clothes (cruisewear, formal wear). Handbags, jewellery, perfume and cosmetics.
Re sparkly stuff - there is a Pandora on Britannia (don't know if the store has been introduced on other ships) and my daughter did find the prices were quite a bit better there than on land, but don't think other jewellery prices are much different (captive market). P&O do lots of "sales" of costume jewellery (almost certainly bought in for the purpose) during a cruise, but I've never seen a sale of the real stuff.
I've seen several gentlemen wearing mess dress or dress tartan over the course of 3 P&O cruises. They always look fab and attract lots of admiration. Tell hubby to go for it!
Most importantly, remember to have a wonderful time. We really liked Azura and hope you will too. Enjoy your holiday.
Have you claimed your forces on board spend ?? Hopefully its not too late for your cruise. Take proof of service career with you to information desk; might get lucky. Take some small pegs for hanging up your unmentionables for overnight drying
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Port has the same number of letters as Left. Works for me!
How about down!!
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We're off on our 2nd cruise next month so are just beginning to get the hang of it. We wonder if you've any tips or funny ways that you remember all the terminology and locations onboard - I still have to think twice when I see aft, bow, stern, port, starboard etc. Fore and mid ships I can just about manage...!
Port I remember as the same number of letters in 'left' - which means starboard must be right..but is that left/right when standing onboard looking forward, or looking from front towards the back?! (Hope I'm confusing you nicely!). Bow as in bow wave. But aft and stern I still have to think twice, even though they're more or less the same? Don't get me started on windward v leeward!
I guess on our first cruise (Azura) we could just about get away with calling it the 'pointy end' and the 'stubby end' when trying to get our bearings, especially when deciphering the deck plans onboard to see where we were. But I'm sure some of you will have your own quirky ways of remembering the proper ship terms (before it became second nature to you) that will help other cruise virgins? All tips very welcome, thanks!
Pretend you are at a dinner party and ask the question "how much red port is left" Don't forget; on the stairways its usual to take the shortest way up and the longest way down
Northern Lights from Ship
in P&O Cruises ( UK )
Posted
Normally cruise ships are lit up similar to Blackpool front at the height of the season. I was lucky to see them when I was on a round trip on board Hurtigruten., but even then the captain made a special effort and douced the deck lights.