Canal archive

Someone who didn’t think to thoroughly test it before it went live!

Absolutely agree!

Tell once he’s had it/them done be sure to keep up with the exercises it’s worth it, far more than you’d think. Have a great cruise.

1of4 a little off piste although I wish I was with you. Tell your DH that it was on a Scenic cruise that a group of four Australians finally persuaded me to bite the bullet and get my knees done. Had the second one done the year before Covid hit so plenty of time to recover and I’ve never looked back. The absolute joy of no pain is indescribable and it wasn’t until someone asked ‘and how’s the pain now’ that, that moment happened ‘what pain!’. Have a great cruise sounds really interesting.

Strangely enough age Captain wise has been an interesting anomaly on a few of our cruises not necessarily the Danube but think father & son on the Bordeaux cruise father far more experience but son far more qualified and not over only his father, to the extent he returned from holiday to navigate through the Napoleon bridge. Two captains on our last Seine cruise being tested for extra maritime qualifications so that a pilot was not required to navigate into Honfluer harbour, we had a party in the evening as both had passed with flying colours but one was a year to young so had to wait to show off his achievements. Reading between the lines I’m pretty sure many of the cruise ships upper maritime crews are ex barge captains vastly experienced (thank goodness) but not necessarily having the fullest paper qualifications. Watching these guys work is in some cases really interesting and yes many of them are Eastern European, the father and son were English but had lived and worked on the European mainland for many, many years, the Seine pair were very French, ohh La La!

Notamermaid as far as I know the person in the wheelhouse nominated as in charge is - per se ‘the captain’ and should have a certain basic qualification. Many of the European River Captains are Eastern European and are absolutely brilliant. We had one who actually challenged the cost of working through a lock, (big discussion with some of the passengers!) Mind you on this cruise many of the passengers got on really well with the crew. Okay some years ago now but an interesting scenario.

CDNPolar yes I agree, waiting to hear more as they seem to be agreeing with a wider demographic.

Wow it’s a bit spooky luckily we missed it this time, last dusting my beautiful white mini became almost Khaki.

Thank you Notamermaid, it’s super to see that the tradition of recording the person in control of a vessel be it he/she, second mate or not is accorded the title of Captain and that this one had the training and foresight to carry out the correct procedure. Not like some in the past. Hopefully not to much damage human on inanimate occurred.

I’ve noticed recently that brand loyalty does not seem these days to have any relevance. A marketing ploy that seems have ceased to exist.

If your doing a Normandy cruise this year look out for this https://news.sky.com/story/d-day-fallen-remembered-with-1475-silhouette-statues-for-80th-anniversary-13103203 Something our Guides & Scouts have been heavily involved in.

My DH worked for a German company and was asked if he would try to learn German, ever the marketing man, he did, one to one and eventually over the telephone always with the same tutor. He thoroughly enjoyed it and the first exhibition (which shock horror I went to ostensibly to aid with looking after customers wives) he went to after a time his German colleagues realised he could and did understand and speak at least some German. They were horrified why, well we will leave that to them, but they tried and tried to work out which part of Germany his tutor came from! Well I told him you stories about speaking and the area the different dialects come from so he told me the answer, his tutor was English and had first learnt German backpacking around Germany she then tidied it up at college, work that one out.

I just happen to be a very proud born and bred Londoner who has for years lived outside of the metropolis, now for over 20 years in the beautiful county of the White Horses. I also know mainland Scotland quite well and I agree Eurostar is a bit off the beaten track for you. A friend who lived in your part of the world who didn’t fly for whatever reason used to - overnight train - to London then Eurostar she really enjoyed it.

Look for the Jewish shoe memorial on the bank of the Danube in Budapest simple but very moving.

The blossom this year is wonderful.

Yup they look just a bit more up for the job and I must admit I thought loose power loose steerage. Still a really nasty disaster.

Greydog I absolutely love your expression - exudes mild enthusiasm- brilliant, with your permission may I use it in the future?

Difficult to decide as if all reports are correct the ship ‘simply’ lost all power and with it eight lives! Using tugs may or may not help but even they can lose power with no notice. I doubt there is a Dolphin in this world strong enough to deflect that size of vessel she is huge and already travelling at speed at the time of her power failure, the cause of that has to be discovered and the bridge engineers should look into why the whole bridge collapsed like a pack of cards. You never know there may have been a fault that is in all or many bridges of this type that has yet to be identified. A very disturbing incident hopefully some lessons will be learnt from it so those lives lost will in future have some meaning.

Why not ask the company the question? In this instance you, fingers crossed, May get a pleasant surprise.

Here is a conundrum for all of you gardening cruisers. My blue bells have been cultivated from my mums last two gardens they are English not French but over the last few years those in the front of the house are now almost all white whilst those in the back are still blue. I’ve searched the internet and asked this question many times but have found no clear answer, can anyone help.

Daffodils finished as are the Snowdrops but it looks like the Bluebells are going to be superb.

What is even more disturbing is they didn’t use to be, okay you had to look but it was all there. Do you think it’s something to do which the qlitches last year? Plus haven’t they just announced changes in how they talk about their cabins. I’m beginning to think I’ve had the best years of what used to be an excellent company which now seems to have been taken over by dolts. I can understand them directly employing their staff but I have a horrible feeling they are letting their cruise directors have to much control, they are not directly employed and switch between cruises as they require and decide. Over the years we’ve watched their various captains grow and gain experience (there must be something with the company because they stay) we watched the young man on the Douro Cruise gain his experience with the company from our first Seine cruise to being more qualified than the full Captain as he returned to the ship to navigate through the Napoleon bridge, whilst on our second Seine cruise two of the captains gained their qualifications to navigate Honfluer harbour. I’m beginning to think a ********* company starting to go to pot.

dolphinlover98 I envy you Sagrada Familia looks to have at last shed most of it’s scaffolding and it’s nearly finished, you’ll be able to go up the hill Montjuic and stroll La Rambla. Enjoy, I will be with you in spirit.

We had ours changed once by Air France, for our first south oh France cruise, we were supposed to be returning to Bristol (driving ourselves there) a few days before our landing city was changed to Birmingham, well they did both start with a B but that was the only resemblance nearly 100 miles apart and our car wasn’t there. At that time Scenic were absolutely excellent, I don’t think we were the only ones. Air France had decided to stop their direct flights with no consideration for their bookings. Let’s just say a few feathers were certainly ruffled. So yes I’d agree, a bit like measuring - check check and check again.

Most probably showing my age then!