P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[Presto2]

Just now, mrsgoggins said:

That’s my view too.  In fact currently I’m in my favourite beach front hotel in Florida and on Saturday should be boarding Celebrity’s Apex for a Caribbean cruise we booked 2 years ago.  I won’t be booking to return here though with the various hoops in place,  but I still hope to take the other cruises I have booked out of Southampton this year.  I do understand the trepidation though, and I have some myself.  The very last thing I want is to test negative and have to quarantine before returning home.

Our last cruise was on EDGE - you will love APEX. Stay safe and have an amazing time. 

[wowzz]

Lurking on various boards on another well known SMS, and the number of people cancelling cruises over the next three months is rising dramatically. Certainly the mood on the boards is the worst it has been for many months. 

The news about having to quarantine abroad,  coupled with the standards of the  hotels used,  is spreading  fast, with not unexpected results. 

I can't see what P&O can do about the whole quarantine process,  as the rules are laid down at governmental level,  so surely there must come a time when the collapse in passenger numbers must lead P&O to "pull the plug" for, say, a four week period. Cruising at 50% capacity may make economic sense, but 25% ? 

[Snow Hill]

On 1/1/2022 at 5:37 PM, Snow Hill said:

Happy New Year.

 

We had a quiet NYE, decided to watch Don’t Look Up on Netflix, as the offerings on channels were not to out liking, probably watching a film about the end of the world was a tad unusual for the last day of 2021, but we enjoyed most of it.

 

A fireworks at midnight but no where near as many as in previous years, got to bed about 00:30 after a writing few WhatsApp messages to my children. 
 

A quiet day today, quite warm outside up to 14C with a moderate southerly breeze, was 19C in greenhouse. Pottered around in garden, a bit of weeding, removing of cat poo and trimming pyracantha back now blackbirds have eaten all the berries.

 

Top hotbin composter up with green waste from kitchen, once again vent on top has got closed, suspect either a cat or a fox sitting on top of bin to keep warm, have now put some cuttings from pyracantha across top, hopefully nature’s “barbed wire” will keep whatever it is off, have put my trail cam on “bin watch “ tonight see if I can catch the culprit in action.

 
Three family members suffering from Covid, DIL was confined to bed for 3 days from Monday, but up and about today and tested negative, she was double vaccinated and was due booster on Wednesday just gone. Stepson now has it, but says it’s like a heavy cold and that’s all, he is triple jabbed, other stepson went down with on Wednesday day after having booster on Tuesday, he initially thought it was effects of vaccine, but tested positive yesterday, is feeling rough and in bed. 
 

 

The trail camera has identified the culprit, a ginger cat, it leapt onto the top of the bin at 4:15am and quickly jumped off again after losing argument with the pyracantha cuttings. Also spotted a fox trotting through garden, other than that all quiet. 

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Lurking on various boards on another well known SMS, and the number of people cancelling cruises over the next three months is rising dramatically. Certainly the mood on the boards is the worst it has been for many months. 

The news about having to quarantine abroad,  coupled with the standards of the  hotels used,  is spreading  fast, with not unexpected results. 

I can't see what P&O can do about the whole quarantine process,  as the rules are laid down at governmental level,  so surely there must come a time when the collapse in passenger numbers must lead P&O to "pull the plug" for, say, a four week period. Cruising at 50% capacity may make economic sense, but 25% ? 

But why are they blindly following what is after all stupid Brussels directives, which might have been valid at the start of the pandemic, but clearly are no longer relevant, especially as we try to learn to live with covid.

[Josy1953]

Having watched a report where an older couple were said that they had managed to get 8 packs of LFTs by going to different  pharmacies armed with collection codes from the goverment website I have decided that I will give up volunteering at the vaccination hub and I will no longer be putting myself at risk to help the selfish inconsiderate British public. I will stay at home where I know that I am safe.

[Josy1953]

14 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

Have you shouted at the telly yet?

 

I watched it for the first time yesterday and was shouting at the tv throughout.  I couldn't  understand when the contestants had two incorrect letters they changed them and then changed them back to the incorrect letters that they had been before.🤔

[Eddie99]

[brian1]

15 hours ago, wowzz said:

You could have parked at my Mum's for £5 !

Cheers Wowzz,I wanted to push on to Ipswich (only ever drove past it).My OH said no we.ll go to Colchester again after 15 years ago.Property must be cheap though,a Eastern European bloke begged me for 20p after just losing his house.

[yorkshirephil]

57 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

 I couldn't  understand when the contestants had two incorrect letters they changed them and then changed them back to the incorrect letters that they had been before.🤔

Pressure, its always easier sat at home, plus they are on a time limit so unless they state another word before the clock runs out they lose that game. Even though we know that it still doesn't stop us shouting at the telly, good game, good game.

[Josy1953]

3 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

Pressure, its always easier sat at home, plus they are on a time limit so unless they state another word before the clock runs out they lose that game. Even though we know that it still doesn't stop us shouting at the telly, good game, good game.

Brilliant game, it will be one of my must watch programs.

[brian1]

How about this for a 1st.Approaching Colchester on the A12 there used to be a Little Chef.It's now a "Adult Superstore" with loads of basques in the window and I don't mean those Spanish blokes with berets on.

[kalos]

Good morning hope your all ok  I have been out there is a hard frost this morning

1.c feels like -3.c .Sorted the bird bath out which was frozen . Today looks like another

day of sat in and shouting at the telly Or maybe discuss the merits of a BIG pan of

stew with Mrs K Take care and stay safe everyone 

 

[kalos]

4 minutes ago, brian1 said:

How about this for a 1st.Approaching Colchester on the A12 there used to be a Little Chef.It's now a "Adult Superstore" with loads of basques in the window and I don't mean those Spanish blokes with berets on.

 

Bet your glad you didn't go in and ask for the "All Day Special "

[Eddie99]

Has everyone  seen this vid on how to do a nose swab?  I hadn’t 😱

I’ve certainly not been doing it correctly.  
Why isn’t something like this being broadcast as a Public Information film?

 

Anyway - watch and learn, and next time you need to test, be brave! 

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by Eddie99

[wowzz]

53 minutes ago, brian1 said:

How about this for a 1st.Approaching Colchester on the A12 there used to be a Little Chef.It's now a "Adult Superstore" with loads of basques in the window and I don't mean those Spanish blokes with berets on.

There are dozens of those converted restaurants all over the place. Quite a few on the A1, for example. There is  one about 5 miles from us on the way into Lincoln. 

The carparks alway seem to be empty - no idea how they survive.

[brian1]

Just now, wowzz said:

There are dozens of those converted restaurants all over the place. Quite a few on the A1, for example. There is  one about 5 miles from us on the way into Lincoln. 

The carparks alway seem to be empty - no idea how they survive.

Can you recommend any Wowzz☺️?

[Harry Peterson]

45 minutes ago, Eddie99 said:

Has everyone  seen this vid on how to do a nose swab?  I hadn’t 😱

I’ve certainly not been doing it correctly.  
Why isn’t something like this being broadcast as a Public Information film?

 

Anyway - watch and learn, and next time you need to test, be brave! 

 

 

That’s a point very well made.  You’re absolutely right - I’d hazard a guess that a large percentage of people are just swabbing inside the nose, and that it’s not the tests that give rise to false negatives, but the way they’re being done.

[Harry Peterson]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

There are dozens of those converted restaurants all over the place. Quite a few on the A1, for example. There is  one about 5 miles from us on the way into Lincoln. 

The carparks alway seem to be empty - no idea how they survive.

Simple. You park down the road and walk so that your car’s not spotted. A friend told me.

[wowzz]

4 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Can you recommend any Wowzz☺️?

I prefer my ''supplies" to be delivered in plain packaging !

[Guest ccpm]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

Good morning hope your all ok  I have been out there is a hard frost this morning

1.c feels like -3.c .Sorted the bird bath out which was frozen . Today looks like another

day of sat in and shouting at the telly Or maybe discuss the merits of a BIG pan of

stew with Mrs K Take care and stay safe everyone 

 

Exactly how did you get this photo of  my dog??????????

 

It is raining yet again here and so grey. Bah humbug. 

[zap99]

11 hours ago, wowzz said:

Lurking on various boards on another well known SMS, and the number of people cancelling cruises over the next three months is rising dramatically. Certainly the mood on the boards is the worst it has been for many months. 

The news about having to quarantine abroad,  coupled with the standards of the  hotels used,  is spreading  fast, with not unexpected results. 

I can't see what P&O can do about the whole quarantine process,  as the rules are laid down at governmental level,  so surely there must come a time when the collapse in passenger numbers must lead P&O to "pull the plug" for, say, a four week period. Cruising at 50% capacity may make economic sense, but 25% ? 

If all these folk are actually cancelling, there should be a few cheapies around. I'm not seeing many.

[Son of Anarchy]

21 minutes ago, zap99 said:

If all these folk are actually cancelling, there should be a few cheapies around. I'm not seeing many.

I wonder whether they're not reducing prices as part of the reduced capacity policy?

 

There's  plenty of availability for Ventura's TA in February, but prices remain a fair bit above what we paid.  A couple of weeks ago suites were shown as sold out.  The other day there were six available.  Far too pricey for our pockets - £12K pp.

[brian1]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Simple. You park down the road and walk so that your car’s not spotted. A friend told me.

They could offer Park n ride.

[wowzz]

30 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

I wonder whether they're not reducing prices as part of the reduced capacity policy?

 

There's  plenty of availability for Ventura's TA in February, but prices remain a fair bit above what we paid.  A couple of weeks ago suites were shown as sold out.  The other day there were six available.  Far too pricey for our pockets - £12K pp.

I've been keeping an eye on the prices for our Arcadia cruise in March. A lot more availability,  especially suites, but prices are still, imho, excessive. 

[Guest ccpm]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

If all these folk are actually cancelling, there should be a few cheapies around. I'm not seeing many.

I have a slight mystery. My TA rang me to say she had found a good price on Ventura 22nd May so I said to book. 5 mins later she is back all sold out in all grades. Not sure whether there are some fast fingered bookers out there which seems unlikely it wasn't that brilliant an offer just hit below £1000 including single supplement, or has it been blocked?