Harry Peterson

Be honest - where did those canapés go? 😉 That’s one corner I suspect could be cut without many complaints!

That's interesting, Ann. Is that SoD? We have friends on her, returning tomorrow, and they switched away from many, many years of P&O to Saga two or three years back. They were the ones who first recommended P&O to us (and a certain excellent travel agent) but now they actively dissuade people from P&O. How things change - they were very wary indeed of Saga when they made the move, but now won't cruise with anyone else, and they cruise a lot!

Good summary. OK, then, provided you can't remember what it used to be like! A bit like a Caramac bar. We loved Ventura when she was new, and the experiences we had then of cruising with P&O were almost faultless onboard. Really good, in every respect. Sad that they've cut so many corners.

A bit like those interminable displays of holiday photos, then slides, and now WhatsApp bombardments!

Exactly my sentiments.

Here’s a delightful little travel story that might appeal to fellow practical jokers (apologies if you’ve already seen it): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63600184

That all looks absolutely wonderful! One of my favourite cruises - have a great time. I’ll be amazed if it’s anything less than a fantastic holiday! I bet you’re all really excited.

Maybe because people are interested in world news, rather than just UK news. Possibly also because it’s reminiscent of the very first similar incident, and perhaps an indication of what can still happen. Fortunately, though, things are very different now for most people, though isolation is no fun if you’ve paid for a holiday.

@Adawn47You OK, Avril? Not seen you lately. 🙂

An insistence on smart casual would sort that out very neatly. Obviously with the option to go formal if you choose to. Very little inconvenience to anybody that way. Freedom of choice all round, subject to an easily achieved minimum standard.

Horrible, Michelle. As if the MS isn’t enough. I hope you manage to follow those instructions and make a quick recovery.

Well put. I agree with every word. When the welfare state was being developed one of the principles taken into account was that if contributors, including the wealthy, didn’t get at least something back there’d be widespread resistance to the whole concept. So some benefits remain universal and without means testing. The classics I suppose are education, most health services and the state retirement pension. There’s already talk of means testing the retirement pension, widely but incorrectly believed to be paid out of accumulated contributions, but I suspect the backlash would make the move counterproductive. Everyone likes the occasional payout from the fruit machine of life!

Wonderful! That's quite some cruise you're on there - always wanted to visit New Orleans, quite apart from all those other exotic places. Have a great time (not much doubt about that!).

You’re probably right, but it’s engrained in the minds of all those who saw it when it was originally screened! So accurate, so acerbic.

I use these, but the important thing is the FFP3 classification: https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/dc/v000078852/ (3M 9330+) FFP3 is the gold standard for disposable masks, and whilst nothing’s 100% effective FFP3s are, subject to fit, likely to get some way towards that.

Andrew’s summarised it neatly above. If you wear the right sort of mask in potentially risky locations, though, you can substantially reduce your chances of ending up in isolation.

Absolutely. This has far more to do with back-covering on advice from corporate lawyers than actuality. Rather like the 'instruction' leaflets accompanying products these days which are 10% instruction and 90% safety warnings, with advice not to put your new 75" OLED television into the dishwasher.

Phew! I shouldn't even have asked - I apologise! Just slightly concerned there for a moment......

Not the Ilchester one, is it?

Good to see you back after what looks like a fun cruise. The very best part of cruising is all the nice people you meet. It would be really nice to meet up with some fellow CC members.

I think you may well enjoy that cabin a lot more than you might expect. We booked an aft cabin once, with some trepidation, but now it’s where we always go.

I think perhaps your main point, which some of us might well agree with, is that P&O have substantial reduced prices because they use dynamic pricing, like most of the travel trade. The subsidiary point about not being able to choose a cabin when not booking Select seems to have clouded the issue.

I saw that same image on FB earlier today with the comment that the poster’s son had described it as looking like ‘human lasagne’. I can’t better that!