Eglesbrech

Love the Midland, we have stayed there a number of times. Have you stayed there Zapp and played at hunt the bathroom? Kalos hotel looks amazing, have a lovely time.

Many a truth made in jest.🥶

Summer doesn’t start at all here! It goes from winter, to slightly less cold to cold again.

I know what you mean. We were down south at the end of May and could sit outside for our evening meal at the hotel. Indeed I actually needed sun screen. This has to be one of the most miserable summers on record and it’s almost the longest day! It’s been constantly cold. Let’s hope we get an Indian summer later in the year. I suppose we are lucky to have the Gulf Stream or it would be even worse.

“Only 17c” really, my heart bleeds for you 🥵. That’s shorts weather up here. Sitting at 10 here. I can’t get my sourdough starter to rise as he is too cold. I have had to put the oven on low and sit him near it to get enough heat to get enough yeast for a loaf. He is a great weather barometer. So much for summer and meantime Skynews is saying some parts of the U.K. will be hotter than Jamaica. Well heads up, not up here it’s not! Im working away listening to a a really good book on audible called “can’t we just print more money” written by Bank of England staff about economic levers and policy, it’s really fascinating. They have based in common questions people have about the economy and it’s written in a really accessible manner. I tend to listen to stories mostly but add in the odd factual book. Another good one was Invisible Women.

Thanks for your live review, enjoying reading it.

Well it is wet and cold here again today after a miserable wet and cold weekend. It could be November rather than June. The newspapers keep saying that there is a heat wave, well not here there is not. On the bright side there has been very little wind so my apple trees are groaning with small apples ready to grow, all the rain will help with that at least. I love watching nature at work in the garden. The rhubarb is also thriving so I may just grab some and make a crumble for diner time. Have a good day, hope you have better weather where you are.

Thanks, you are more up to date than the U.K. gov site which is still quoting KN95 /FFP2 masks. What about quarantine, is it still 10 days? I would love to go to Italy but the quarantine situation is off putting.

Brian, are you in Italy at the moment and if so is there any talk of them loosening the restrictions there? The next formal review is the 15 June from what I gather but any early speculation. Thanks.

No, it’s not just P&O and it feels like it is becoming a lot more common given the number of comments about it recently on these boards. The world is still a bit tipsy Turkey at present. As an example the “Moroccan Passage” cruise on Princess did not go into Morocco. It never could have as the country was still not allowing vessels in at that time but passengers were (apparently) not told that and expected to get there. Some passengers felt they had been duped, given the name of the cruise. I feel for people who booked a cruise which included bucket list destinations like Venice or Dubrovnik etc and get to one horse towns instead or in some cases nothing but another sea day. That kind of change would just not be acceptable in any other situation without allowing cancellation.

That’s not the normal max as you are perfectly well aware Wozz. You are also mis quoting inside cabin. At least try to be honest when you are wrong. And you are wrong.

So you accept my figures then (in spite of altering your post after the fact)?

That’s so nice. Most of my male relatives are Jimmy, Jim, Jamie or James. Most did not move further than a few miles away from Kinnaird, he was the exception. My great Grandfather was the factor at Kinnaird. I moved away but my husbands family roots are still there.

Just for information your avatar picture is a distant relative of mine from a couple of generations back. James Henderson Finlayson from Stirlingshire - right?

And you are totally entitled to that point of view, as I am to mine. Covid however is not a thing of the past, just ask the families of those who have died from it recently.

Exactly. Princess are stuffing their ships full as you correctly indicated.

I see you have changed this post after my response.

3525 pax (from the general manager). Children 3 and 4 up in cabins raising numbers to almost normal capacity. Quarantine cabins deck 9 mid ships, port. Starboard fully open. I suggest you read my “live” report.

They did on my sailing on 28 May so yes they are on some sailings (on Sky). And ps the next sailing was almost as busy according to another long term CC member Pinkbelle.

Are other lines filling to 99% capacity?

Out of interest how full is the ship?

Our issue was lack of staff to serve drinks (acknowledged as a problem by management onboard Sky). So we just ordered doubles and still got no where near 15 units a day, so all good.

Just for information, the Scottish train strike has been averted in the last few hours https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-61737750

Trains are available from Greenock station into Glasgow Central station. Check the timetables on ScotRail but at present there are vastly reduced services available and a major strike looming in the near future so be careful about getting back from the city if you do go by train. https://www.scotrail.co.uk/train-times/greenock-west-to-glasgow-central Also be aware that the journey from Greenock and back is over one of the busiest bridges in Scotland so again leave sufficient time to get back to the ship if you DIY by local bus or taxi (there is another way which a taxi could divert to). I have attacked the link to the main bus operator but there are lots of private companies as well which you can Google. The main bus station is in the middle of the city (at the back of the large John Lewis department store in Buchanan Galleries shopping). https://www.firstbus.co.uk/greater-glasgow Once you get there there is lots to see and do. All the municipal museums are free entry, there is the style mile for shopping, lots of excellent bars and restaurants etc. The locals are extremely friendly, if a little incomprehensible, just ask them to talk more slowly and they will be happy to help you. If it’s not too pricy I would be tempted to take the ships Glasgow on your own shuttle to ensure you get back. I can’t over emphasise how buy the Kingston Bridge gets in the rush hour.

The prices did not change from March to May / June this year however things were missing onboard. Wines were on the menu at the same price but they were not actually available onboard, it happens. They were really pushing a red blended wine, it is awful. Also the wine pour was definitely smaller measures than in March for the first few days until staff realised it just meant more work for them (and they were already short of staff). Ingredients missing for some cocktails as well eg Butterfly but still a wide range and choice.