Megabear2

Motsi is obsessed with Layton, everyone else is inconsequential to her. Ridiculous, like a love sick teenager, it's quite embarrassing.

Well here is my latest update ... Quote Dear Mrs. X Thank you for your email. We are looking forward to welcoming you on board, as a reminder, you must inform us of any mobility or accessibility requirements, and any mobility aids you wish to take with you (walking sticks, etc), prior to embarkation. Failure to do so may result in you being denied boarding. Please visit My P&O Cruises to complete the onboard needs questionnaire, once you have logged in, the questionnaire is located by clicking the ‘Before you sail’ tab and then clicking the ‘On board needs’ tab on the following page. You can then access the onboard needs questionnaire, please complete the onboard needs questionnaire no later than 14 days prior to embarkation. Please ensure you complete the onboard needs questionnaire thoroughly and read each question carefully, as once completed you cannot add any missing information and the questionnaire will need to be completed again. We also advise guests to save their onboard needs questionnaire when prompted to do so. We look forward to welcoming you onboard Britannia next month. Kind Regards Suzanne Guest Support Representative Accessibility Unquote So the form I've completed is over ridden by this apparently. Ironically my husband has no plans to take a walking stick or any other aid with him and I filled in the stupid form accordingly. I'm afraid this is just b....y stupid now.

That's very Wicked ...

The difference is they are mainly US ships, different client base and with high prices for drinks and packages. On the more mid range ships the cruise line will not hesitate to put you off for bad behaviour. Unfortunately certain elements of the British public have a very bad relationship with alcohol and they are creeping into areas of entertainment, sport and holiday venues as they want "experiences". Realistically these "elements" can cross all generations if their background and social setting perceives excess drinking as normal. They can indeed be the posh but it is most unlikely you will encounter any of these people on a regular cruise line.

It feels like Groundhog Day ... oh wait what's a Tivo box?

With the state of the world I think a chat about Strictly is very welcome, certainly not contentious. I'll just avoid CC until after 8.00am on a Monday. Definitely no need to be quiet.

Happy to join you!

It's one of those things unfortunately.

Just noted on my cruise planner for Britannia it tells me dance lessons will be available. Hopefully proper ones not the Strictly fitness class we've had for the past two years.

Home Counties South, yeh ... I avidly watch Strictly but can't watch the results show live because of other commitments so my Monday morning 6.00am is catch up, not much point this week though ...

Looking back on last year's thread about Virgin flights I noticed the charge on them was considerably lower than that for the TUI flights and that was increased again this year. The flight cost, seat fee and repeat itineraries are the reason I currently have no Caribbean fly cruise booked after January 2024. For only £900 more than we are paying for that cruise we have 35 nights on QM2 in a balcony cabin in January 2025,.

Bridge for beginners featured when I first started cruising. Unfortunately as the offering became rarer and unhosted it became the preserve of the experienced player. The last vestige of learning the art of Bridge on any ship I've sailed since the pandemic now appears to be on Cunard, along with the jigsaw puzzles and board games, particularly on QM2 in the dedicated areas for such. I'd welcome a board game room on P&O ships even if in a rarely used space on just a few days. A great way to have fun.

Sadly not in my recent experiences. Hopefully they may after this dreadful incident they might start to be proactive as they used to be.

Indeed. I've had to book economy to Japan for my May 2025 flight, not looking forward to it but £1,600 with Cunard sounded a bargain when I looked at May 2024 prices! If fares go down, which I doubt, I can always drop the flight. On seat pitch there was an interesting review by a well known consumer group in March this year. Here's the long haul UK results from Heathrow/Gatwick/Birmingham and Manchester Best long haul airlines for seat pitch (leg room) TUI - 33 inches Emirates - 32 inches Singapore Airlines - 32 inches British Airways - 31 inches Etihad - 31 inches KLM - 31 inches Air Canada - 30 inches American Airlines - 30 inches Virgin Atlantic - 29 inches

You might be interested in this, it's very informative and enlightening https://www.alternativeairlines.com/best-flights-tall-leg-room

I sympathise. Perhaps you understand a bit better why we guys pay for the PE seats, particularly with the seat reclining situation. Long haul economy on most airlines is sadly cramped and uncomfortable, ironically the older planes may well have more padded, wider seats.

No all TUI dreamliners are 3-3-3 in economy. It's premium economy that is 2-3-2. TUI were very proudly the recipient of the first 787 Dreamliner and apart from the newer planes having 9 rows of PE rather than 7 the seat pitch etc remains the same. Actually in fairness they are something of a market leader in legroom believe it or not!

Restaurants are bookable 14 days out. The dress code is updated not long before but can be at any time. Basically look at the seadays on a Caribbean cruise for formal nights, very rarely unless it's new Year's eve or the like will a port day be formal, although this isn't an exact science.

Many did pay, particularly the Strictly cruises - I cannot dance very well but paid £150 to have a half hour lesson with Gorka! However, joking apart the lessons were provided by the professional dancers who were part of the entertainment. They like a lot of the other entertainers were not salaried and any money paid to learn to dance was not going into P&O's coffers but rightly to the skilled professional. The drive for the cruise lines to keep any money guests part with is what is leading the drive to remove these "unpaid" staff - not just the dancers, remember the people talking about the art and craft classes, bridge classes etc? Most of these were provided by non salaried staff and things are changing. The theme now seems to be the cruise lines want to earn from these types of activities. It is clear that professional dancers don't feature very high up the list and as such won't feature much going forward, victims of the "new cruiser" ideal. Strictly or not the cruise lines seem to be of the opinion that the new cruise demographic would find ballroom dancing boring. They aren't going to have a 7 or14 night cruise paying someone for one or two performances and the professionals (which would be needed to teach a very complex and sophisticated art) would not I'm sure be happy to have to undertake other duties. Think Hi Di Hi and Barry and Yvonne Stewart Hargreaves if you like!!

Prior to the pandemic there was a link with Strictly and P&O when themed cruises regularly took place. They were exceptionally popular, particularly those on Britannia. The whole entertainment was worked around the theme with outfits, demonstrations of dance, talks and even a guest Strictly dance competition. You could have dinner with the stars and pay for lessons. Iona's inaugural season was actually pencilled in for 7 night Strictly cruises, although as we now know ballroom dancing onboard her is virtually zero. All of the ships offered ballroom dancing with a demonstration by professional dancers on most cruises and the opportunity to have dancing lessons from these professionals on offer. Unfortunately the move towards non traditional cruising has led to their apparent demise. Cunard, known for the ballrooms on their ships, have in recent times threatened the removal of their dance hosts and professionals but following an outcry from their very loyal ballroom dancing passengers are having to think again. Unfortunately the new identity and drive to "modernise" by adding pay restaurants, extra bars etc thereby turning ships into entertainment palaces rather than "old fashioned" is going to remove the ballroom dancing in the not too distant future. Sadly it will become a victim of the requirement for every space on a ship to "earn" its place, no chance of money across the bar while couples are up on their feet dancing, much better to have them seated watching and drinking.

You jogged my memory. This link from last year has a lot of prices offered on Virgin Antigua flights last year. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2893762-arvia-antigua-flights-–-the-wait-continues/?do=findComment&comment=64303447

Do you mean on a purchased flight or one provided by P&O last year?

No point in me watching it now then

There isn't any guarantee that anyone will fly with any specific airline. TUI can and do swap in other airline's planes if one of their own isn't available for any reason. I hope you are lucky.

It's released for advance booking at 14 nights out. Yes it sells out.