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

[mercury7289]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

 

I totally agree, many years ago I had been in hospital for an op and was told to rest at home for 10 days. I wrote a list and sent my husband shopping, the list included "blackcurrant" meaning squash he came back with blackcurrant jam because he thought that was what I meant even though neither of us ever eat jam.  Lesson learned men need very specific instructions when being sent shopping for anything bother than alcoholic drinks.

Could be that he worked it?

You never sent him again!

Result!!!

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

Lesson learned men need very specific instructions when being sent shopping for anything bother than alcoholic drinks.

As the main menu planner and chef in our household, I would never send Mrs W out shopping for groceries. We'd end up having to eat strange meal combinations such as fish fingers, chick peas and beetroot.

[kalos]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

She wants to do the Morrison's shop but I know the layout of the shop much better and can get around in half the time and go at 8am on Monday when it's very quiet so she Dettol wipes all the packaging when I get back while I get in the shower.

 

I'm fully trained in getting around the Lowry Road branch as well Graham . We used to like using the cafe and then fuel up the car before heading back home .

Edited June 27, 2020 by kalos

[grapau27]

58 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

I'm fully trained in getting around the Lowry Road branch as well Graham . We used to like using the cafe and then fuel up the car before heading back home .

👍I used to get a late breakfast before going home.

[DamianG]

6 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

My poor sister has just told me she’s resigned from her job as deputy head due to the ‘toxic atmosphere’ at her school. The governors sound a nightmare. She’s been working 3 days a week but during the pandemic has been working full time for no extra pay.

Only thing is she has to work til October half term! Her husband is a manager of a care home and hasn’t had any leave for 7 months but has managed to get a week off end of July and they’ve booked a cottage in Devon.

 

Sorry to hear about your sister but in a way I'm glad that she's been brave and taken matters into her own hands. Things must be really bad for the Head to go as well.

My son started school at our local primary in 2014 and there's been 3 different head teachers in that time. The first headmaster was a bit of a showman but let education standards slip, the next headmaster was a good teacher stepping up for the first time who soon got a better offer, and the last headmistress was a bit of an unusual character who didn't seem comfortable in front of the kids or parents. I looked up her career profile and she seemed to move around regularly in various education positions. She didn't last long at our school at all and nothing good seemed to come from her short stay.

I think the governors at your sister's school will soon realise good headteachers and deputies are hard to come by.

We currently have no head with a lot falling on an inexperienced, newly appointed deputy who is doing a fine job and working long hours judging by the communications and emails we receive some evenings. The staff have all been working full time since March including during holiday weeks when the key workers children have still been going in. The only exceptions are those that have had to self isolate at times.  School will be closed for the long summer holidays and they thoroughly deserve the break. 

[Adawn47]

13 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

👍I used to get a late breakfast before going home.

So that's the real reason you want to do the shopping 😉

Avril 

 

 

[grapau27]

3 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

So that's the real reason you want to do the shopping 😉

Avril 

 

 

🤫😇

[Adawn47]

I've had home delivery for my shopping for a while now as Frank can't drive anymore. When we did shop together he'd pick things up and drop them in the trolley. When we got to the checkout he'd unload the shopping while I packed with the most innocent look on his face. My grocery bill is much cheaper these days, can't think why 😆

Avril 

[mercury7289]

35 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

👍I used to get a late breakfast before going home.

Them were the days!

[grapau27]

5 minutes ago, mercury7289 said:

Them were the days!

Sadly they were.

I miss the old days pre- March 2020.

[SarahHben]

My husband is a good at grocery shopping, the last few months we've been splitting the shopping list, he does the fruit & veg and I do the rest.

 

We're a bit blue today as we should have been sailing to Norway today, so we went for a walk at Leeds Castle with my parents and now my lovely husband is making his signature dish - bread and butter pudding 🙂

[Presto2]

2 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

My husband is a good at grocery shopping, the last few months we've been splitting the shopping list, he does the fruit & veg and I do the rest.

 

We're a bit blue today as we should have been sailing to Norway today, so we went for a walk at Leeds Castle with my parents and now my lovely husband is making his signature dish - bread and butter pudding 🙂

 

Ahhh the bread and butter pudding. Hubby's favourite on the ship ;-) Have to say we have found that the M&S one is good if all else fails ;-) Hope you aren't feeling too down today. I know that we will on the 12th August when we would have flown out to Malta for an over night stay before our 2 weeks on Oceana. Still, we have lots to be thankful for and know that we will return one day ………… as long as Heinz don't get her first (said it before Andy did !)

[grapau27]

6 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

My husband is a good at grocery shopping, the last few months we've been splitting the shopping list, he does the fruit & veg and I do the rest.

 

We're a bit blue today as we should have been sailing to Norway today, so we went for a walk at Leeds Castle with my parents and now my lovely husband is making his signature dish - bread and butter pudding 🙂

We  just had an email from TUI telling us our Florida flydrive in October has been cancelled.

This year has been a bummer for all of us.

 

[AndyMichelle]

10 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

 

Ahhh the bread and butter pudding. Hubby's favourite on the ship 😉 Have to say we have found that the M&S one is good if all else fails 😉 Hope you aren't feeling too down today. I know that we will on the 12th August when we would have flown out to Malta for an over night stay before our 2 weeks on Oceana. Still, we have lots to be thankful for and know that we will return one day ………… as long as Heinz don't get her first (said it before Andy did !)

I told you before, Heinz don't want rusty tins..😊

Andy 

[SarahHben]

10 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We  just had an email from TUI telling us our Florida flydrive in October has been cancelled.

This year has been a bummer for all of us.

 

That's such a shame for you. Is it a trip you can reschedule?

 

What a year!

 

[Selbourne]

7 hours ago, zap99 said:

Fishbourne would be nearest, But East Cowes not too far behind. Yarmouth Is a fair bit further, but a pleasant drive with better tea rooms than the M25.

Nowhere is far from anywhere on the Isle of Wight, so it’s far better to pick the closest mainland port than worry about which one you arrive at on the island. If you are coming down the A34 then Southampton is the winner. Lymington is a nightmare because of Lyndhurst traffic (and it’s quite a bit further) and Portsmouth adds a leg of the M27 that can get congested. 

[kalos]

14 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We  just had an email from TUI telling us our Florida flydrive in October has been cancelled.

This year has been a bummer for all of us.

 

Sorry to hear that Graham .I was reading  yesterday that they were calling it a day until at least March 2021.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/tui-holidays-florida-orlando-cancelled-flights-coronavirus-a9586841.html 

[grapau27]

9 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

That's such a shame for you. Is it a trip you can reschedule?

 

What a year!

 

We will for next year.

We usually fly Virgin to Orlando later in the year from Manchester but this was from our local airport Newcastle and this was the last Orlando flight out until next May.

2 cruises and a Florida holiday cancelled.

Sorry about your cancelled cruise from Norway today also,I hope you can reschedule too in the new year.

Graham.

[Harry Peterson]

2 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We will for next year.

We usually fly Virgin to Orlando later in the year from Manchester but this was from our local airport Newcastle and this was the last Orlando flight out until next May.

2 cruises and a Florida holiday cancelled.

Sorry about your cancelled cruise from Norway today also,I hope you can reschedule too in the new year.

Graham.

Sorry to hear that Graham.  The way things are looking in Florida at the moment, you’re probably best out of it though.

 

Harry

[zap99]

15 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Nowhere is far from anywhere on the Isle of Wight, so it’s far better to pick the closest mainland port than worry about which one you arrive at on the island. If you are coming down the A34 then Southampton is the winner. Lymington is a nightmare because of Lyndhurst traffic (and it’s quite a bit further) and Portsmouth adds a leg of the M27 that can get congested. 

Very true, but the traffic on the island in the summer can be horrendous.

[SeaJane]

We should have been flying to Bordeaux on Monday for a 3 week trip. So far we’ve also lost 2 trips to Cornwall and 3 nights in Venice as well as our Aurora cruise in October. 
I know there’s a lot we should be grateful for, but as you say SarahHBen - what a year! 

[grapau27]

26 minutes ago, kalos said:

Sorry to hear that Graham .I was reading  yesterday that they were calling it a day until at least March 2021.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/tui-holidays-florida-orlando-cancelled-flights-coronavirus-a9586841.html 

Thanks Kalos.

On the TUI app it was still giving upgrade choices.

I had their premium airline seats booked both ways on the dreamliner.

Final payment was due in 2 weeks so at least they only owe me £500 I paid last July when I booked.

Edited June 27, 2020 by grapau27

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Sorry to hear that Graham.  The way things are looking in Florida at the moment, you’re probably best out of it though.

 

Harry

Thanks Harry.

We have been many times to Orlando since 1992 but we were very wary of going this time with Covid19 so TUI made the decision for us before final payment was due.

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Very true, but the traffic on the island in the summer can be horrendous.

You must have been very unlucky. We lived on the island for 3 years and have been back for 2 separate weeks holiday every year since and have never seen a proper traffic jam on the island! There can be a bit of minor congestion around Coppins Bridge (Newport) in what they laughingly call the rush hour and the inevitable queues for the ferries. Other than obvious issues like the IOW festival, or major road works, there is nothing like the congestion that we suffer on the mainland, even in the summer. Contrast that with the 100% certainty of getting caught at Lyndhurst en route to Lymington and the unpredictable congestion that can blight the M27 in either direction, I would always advise anyone travelling down the A34 to use the Southampton to East Cowes route. It’s also the most interesting crossing and if you arrive a few hours before your booked time you can wander around West Quay shopping centre, whereas there’s absolutely nothing to do in Lymington!

[Eddie99]

*sigh*

What times we live in

 

I’m sorry for everyone’s lost holidays and lost dreams.  I’m feeling very down today, generally.  If I could be optimistic for the future then I’d be much more accepting of the current situation.  As it is, I really see little improvement in the base position.  Some numbers decrease, whilst others increase - it’s not clear where we’re heading