mrsgoggins

Graham, not paid much attention to this forum over the weekend, but adding my good wishes for your return to great mobility. I've just sent a card to a friend who has had skin cancer all the years I have known him (50 years) and he goes to Christie's in Manchester for check-ups regularly. Hasn't affected his life very much at all. Time to get on with planning your next cruise(s) 👍

Would you consider moving in with us Josy? We’re a match when it comes to being untidy, leaving things (just don’t notice or care I suppose). My saving grace is that we have a fortnightly cleaner and we always clear away before she comes so everything gets put back in its place again 😇

I love this one Graham, but it was far more appropriate for me years ago! When Sunday meant getting ready for school the next day - the marking and the preparation angst, not the kids I should add. One of the joys of retirement is luxuriating on the Sunday feeling of not feeling burdened by how much there is to do for the next week. I don't know if that's common to many other jobs, but it definitely marked my career. The classroom part (I taught 14-18 year olds) I enjoyed btw.

Word for word, this! Seems like we are in the minority here though kalos 😉

We were going to go out for lunch, but in the end I just did my favourite quick meal of microwaved salmon fillet, smashed baby potatoes and broccoli and followed this up with a warm (Lidl) mince pie and coffee. I normally make mince pies, but since my shoulder replacement, some things are not as easy as they once were and so I'm giving them a miss this year. However, yesterday I made 2 Christmas cakes (only the fruit cake part). Late for me, but again, I wasn't going to bother this year for reason given but I decided to enlist the help of DH ..... who is to food preparation what I am to sky diving! Anyway, we were still speaking at the end of it, and he is good at clearing up 😇. I sent my air fryer back that I ordered (did not unpack Ninja multi-cooker 15 in one, apart from looking at instructions). After a long discussion with my friend who loves hers, she said 'I don't think it would suit your style of cooking' and although I hadn't voiced this, it had been at the back of my mind. I batch cook so many things - soup, chilli, bolognaise, etc, portion-up and freeze. If I make cake, I always make at least 2 and freeze 1, and if they are loaf-shaped, I'll make 3. This is a forum with many air fryer devotees. Has anyone else decided against like I have I wonder?

What a lovely area in which to live Michelle, even if only for a few years. We've been to Munich quite a few times but never at Christmas. DH has worked extensively in the Ruhr area but also in Berlin, and often instead of coming home at weekends, I would fly out to him. So we normally visit at least once a year even in retirement to get our 'fix' but Christmas is my favourite time, and as you say, the smaller towns have lovely markets.

I love a German Christmas market! But not so much the big ones like Cologne or Dusseldorf; more the small town ones which don't have folk arriving in coaches and you can park nearby (lol, crucial that bit, these days). Hattingen, with its half-timbered houses in the Ruhr area is a favourite. It's not like I buy anything, other than mulled wine and maybe the souvenir mug it comes in, oh and possibly a sausage, but I just love the atmosphere. I've really missed a December German trip since Covid and, all being well, I'll be planning on a trip again next December 🤞. Maybe you should do the same Kalos 😉

Clever!

Interesting video, but having done a week on Apex just to see for myself, I had come to a similar conclusions. I have taken 4 cruises on Silhouette and 1 on Apex since the start of 2021 and won't be taking any more on the Edge class ships. The IVs are just not for me nor their ultra modern approach, shows, piped music etc; although I appreciate the desire of Celebrity to appeal to a (affluent) younger demographic. I'm doing 2 cruises on Equinox and 1 on Silhouette in 2023 and have other lines booked also. Once Apex is positioned in Southampton for the summer season 2024, that will be the end of my using them for cruising out of the UK.

Thank you, thank you, Avril ..... and I do look at Twitter but still the penny didn't drop!

Once again Harry, we’re on the same page. Sports-free zone in our house too I’m happy to say. My sports-loving dad was so disappointed when I introduced DH to him all those years ago; my ex-boyfriend had shared his passion! How lovely to have a new grandchild to look forward to. Congratulations all round, but as you say, hard on the distant grandparents.

Thank you Graham - I'm definitely a cat person (but like dogs too) so really appreciate the humour in those cartoons. Well done - I love the way you are always so supportive of everyone with a problem 💐 Cuppa calling now.

A few things. I have used a TA (not for Celebrity) which has now introduced a non-refundable booking fee and I have now ditched them in favour of one of the big UK TAs who undercut and doesn't charge a booking fee. We have taken around 20 Celebrity cruises over 7 years, one of which was booked with a US TA (a big, big difference in price and totally worth doing on that occasion) but most of the others have been booked with the same Celebrity agent who has been known to price match for me (sent a screenshot of online TA price), or give me extra OBC if the price drops significantly and I have a moan! Not always, but often enough for me to be loyal to him. Also, I try to make a booking when onboard, even if just as a placeholder, so I can move the booking if I need to without any loss and with only a small deposit. I agree totally with others about booking own flights with Virgin miles/Avios if possible, thus enabling flight changes if necessary. Especially useful for one-way bookings. My Celebrity TA is very responsive too, and email requesting a call back and it happens usually within a day or two. Beats being on hold for ages. OP I hope you are as lucky with your agent if you book direct.

Unusually, we were in Lidl last night at 7 pm; the time when bakery goods are reduced by 30% if you have the App. I didn't expect to see any of my favourite GI loaves at that time, but oh joy, they had 4 left and so I got them all (2 for my elderly neighbour). What a bargain. Isn't it surprising what a little lift like saving £1.80 can give you? On the subject of Lidl and my neighbour, she likes Warburtons tea cakes, which, when I add on to my Tesco order for her, are £1.20 a pack. In Lidl, I can pick them up for 79p a pack. What a difference!

Vampiress88, I’m looking forward to reading about your cruise, since we’re doing the same cruise on Iona next spring. But first, Florida ……. and I think you might be planning for that too 😉. Lovely photos btw.

OP I wish you luck with it. I was drawn to this thread by my own experience today with Aviva, who are the insurers for my Barclays travel policy. I had phoned them to update with details about shoulder replacement surgery I had had in August as a result of an awkward trip. What I got was a message referring me to their website where I could request a call back at least 7 days before I travel. Now as I’m going to the USA at the end of December, the very last thing I want to be doing is trying to arrange additional cover over the Christmas week should Aviva not be happy with my answers! I will try again tomorrow going via the ‘travelling within 7 days’ option on their phone line. Very few things involving large companies and phones is straightforward these days. And don’t even get me started on chat bots 🤬

Thanks for the reminder! I've been awake since 6, up at 7, sat at my desktop since 7.45 and have only just seen your post. The price I am paying is that I am number 282,092 in the queue 🥺. I may be here some time!

This exactly. My friends and I discussed this at great length at the time - mainly because we were comprised of those who just scraped in to getting their pension at 60 and those who needed to wait longer as the equalisation process was brought in gradually. It pains me not to be supportive of the campaign, but really, it was well reported.

We are currently at a Warners on IOW and even just the bathroom’s towel rail keeps the room too warm for me (and this is a very rare event) so we have had the windows open. Sure you’ll be toasty at least! Oh, and we arrived yesterday and was bemused to see it decked out with Christmas decorations, but apparently their first Turkey and Tinsel event had just ended. Who knew 😄😄

Both looking good Brian 👍. As a one-time ‘Saturday girl’ in C&A in the early seventies when I was a student in Manchester, I can say it wasn’t as fashionable as the two of you look - even side on 😉. Happy birthday from me too, currently in rural France.

Now I know what you mean; I have a lovely friend with pleasant looks who does NOT photograph well. BUT ….. when people say to me ‘Don’t you take a good photo?’ In my head I hear ‘…… you don’t usually look as good as that ….!’ 😄

I agree with your assessment of Wayne and Karen totally. We had the pleasure of their company, along with their equally delightful adult son, on a Disney TA some years ago. Also, Wayne’s travel tips have been great as well as saving me money. Loved the dining pics at Le Petit Chef. We enjoyed it on the two occasions we did it - both times at a discount. Wishing you a smooth sailing going forward. I speak as one who would only travel mid ship with a lowish-balcony cabin and who carries lots of travel medication ‘just in case’!

I’m enjoying your report and photos. Wayne and Karen are friends of mine so I’ll be checking their social media site for even more immersion and living the experience through you all 😄 Constellation was my first Celebrity ship years ago when we had the brilliant Alejandro as Cruise Director. Who is the current CD please? Thanks for posting.

I received the thick version but my history with P&O is relatively slim - 3 x 7 days and 1 x 10 days over 4 years - all out of Southampton, so definitely not a ‘high roller’ in terms of P&O bookings.

I completely understand the sentiment, however ....... We normally spend January in Florida and include a (Celebrity) cruise. January 2023 is sorted but as the years go by, I am less thrilled with an overnight flight back to the UK and the jet lag. Normally we manage to get a deal with Amex and fly CW (business) with BA and even with a flat bed, it is to be endured rather than enjoyed! DH can sleep anywhere and does not feel the same btw. My plan for '24 is to fly out to Florida in the spring and cruise back, probably with Celebrity. I'm looking seriously at booking January 25, N501, USA and Caribbean 35 nights. It's been many years since we have been to New Orleans and I like the itinerary. I have looked at the same cruise for '24 and it seems to be heavily booked and more expensive than the opening price for '25. I don't have a P&O cruise until March of next year and am wondering whether to leave it until then, to take advantage of the low deposit, on account of it being so far out. Or, are prices likely to rise immediately it goes on sale rather than gradually? In which case, I would be better risking the 10% deposit. Any advice/thoughts would be welcome.