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

[Josy1953]

Thank you all for your kind replies, I know that I am doing the right thing to step back from the covid centre voluntary work.  This weekend the centre where I have been working has not had a clinic so we have all had a weekend off and it has been lovely to catch up with people who are important to me but I have not had the time to spend with them.

I just need the cruise lines to change their rules a bit now because we prefer to wander when we go into ports and don't like organised tours, so until they say that we can get off the ship without going on a tour we will stay in the UK.

[pete14]

9 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

Having spent the evening with a group of NHS front line workers I have been convinced by them that it is time to step back from doing voluntary work in the local covid vaccination centre.  They have pointed out that that I am putting myself at risk for the sake of people who just want to get a jab so that they can go out and pretend that covid has gone away. I

I know that they are my family and friends and are concerned about my health but I realise that they are right so I will sadly now step back and think more about my own health and family.

I appreciate how difficult the decision must have been but no doubt you have made the correct one. Many thanks for all you have done keeping the people of our city safer and to anybody else who has given up their time freely and willingly in a similar way. The success of the vaccination programme is down to all who have worked to make it succeed, medics and volunteers.

[Snow Hill]

I think the organised tours will be with us for a while whilst there is a significant risk of catching Covid ashore. We like to wander by ourselves rather than an organised tour, if means waiting a year or so before we cruise then so be it, there are other types of holidays we can partake in. 

[Beckett]

10 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

Having spent the evening with a group of NHS front line workers I have been convinced by them that it is time to step back from doing voluntary work in the local covid vaccination centre.  They have pointed out that that I am putting myself at risk for the sake of people who just want to get a jab so that they can go out and pretend that covid has gone away. I

I know that they are my family and friends and are concerned about my health but I realise that they are right so I will sadly now step back and think more about my own health and family.

I think you've made a good decision Josy. You have done so much, and given so many hours of your time. The vaccination centres could not have operated without the countless hours given by the volunteers. Be very proud of yourself for being such a vital part of history - and thank you. Best wishes. Jane. Xxx

[kalos]

Good morning everyone hope everyone is Ok I'd just like to add my best wishes

and thanks to to Josy for her efforts in the vaccine research dept and stood out in 

all weathers guiding people to the vaccine that has saved so many lives .

Josy You Are A Star and deserve a medal ,Thank You  

Talking of medals ,Team GB seem to be doing well, well done Duncan Scott !  

I had thought that the Somali team would have picked up a few medals in the shooting and 

sailing events but as they are classed as two different events ,it was not to be  

Today looks like it could rain at any moment today around here. The council have been out

and put a bit of Yorkshire flag bunting up as today is not only the 1st of  August but it is ...

Yorkshire day !  Now I'm not sure what we are meant to do on Yorkshire day ?  Maybe 

have an extra Yorkshire pud  , take the ferret /whippet out for a run or watch Wuthering Heights on the telly ?   I think I will just have a lazy Sunday and hope whatever you lot get up to you all have a good one and stay safe  Take Care !   

Edited August 1, 2021 by kalos

[kruzseeka]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

Good morning everyone hope everyone is Ok I'd just like to add my best wishes

and thanks to to Josy for her efforts in the vaccine research dept and stood out in 

all weathers guiding people to the vaccine that has saved so many lives .

Josy You Are A Star and deserve a medal ,Thank You  

Talking of medals ,Team GB seem to be doing well, well done Duncan Scott !  

I had thought that the Somali team would have picked up a few medals in the shooting and 

sailing events but as they are classed as two different events ,it was not to be  

Today looks like it could rain at any moment today around here. The council have been out

and put a bit of Yorkshire flag bunting up as today is not only the 1st of  August but it is ...

Yorkshire day !  Now I'm not sure what we are meant to do on Yorkshire day ?  Maybe 

have an extra Yorkshire pud  , take the ferret /whippet out for a run or watch Wuthering Heights on the telly ?   I think I will just have a lazy Sunday and hope whatever you lot get up to you all have a good one and stay safe  Take Care !   

Happy Yorkshire Day Kalos - however you choose to celebrate! 🤔. Just been to check, my neighbour is fying your flag so there's a little bit of Yorkshire here on the S Coast. Spotted it last year and had to research it.  Good to read your messages and send my best. Have a good day. 

And whooo hoo for Max!!!!! 🎖️🎖️🎖️

[P&O SUE]

Morning all and happy Yorkshire day to our many Yorkshire posters. One of my grandfathers was born in South Yorkshire.

 

I’ve just found out Iona’s maiden sets sail at 9pm next week! Hope my plans to wave her off aren’t scuppered by this. Currently googling restaurants in Southampton as I think I’ll have to eat early now 🙄 Nothing is straight forward is it?!

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Snow Hill said:

I think the organised tours will be with us for a while whilst there is a significant risk of catching Covid ashore. We like to wander by ourselves rather than an organised tour, if means waiting a year or so before we cruise then so be it, there are other types of holidays we can partake in. 

Why should cruise ship passengers be any more likely to catch covid than hotel holidaymakers? 

 

[P&O SUE]

3 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

Thank you all for your kind replies, I know that I am doing the right thing to step back from the covid centre voluntary work.  This weekend the centre where I have been working has not had a clinic so we have all had a weekend off and it has been lovely to catch up with people who are important to me but I have not had the time to spend with them.

I just need the cruise lines to change their rules a bit now because we prefer to wander when we go into ports and don't like organised tours, so until they say that we can get off the ship without going on a tour we will stay in the UK.

I agree with your last sentence Josy but the UK holidays have really put their prices up - even for next year! Can’t help comparing them to cruise prices. Some cottages I’ve looked at are not far off what we pay for a cruise and then, of course, you have to add all the food on top! There are some beautiful places in this country and we really enjoyed our recent holiday but the amount we spent we could have gone on a seacation!

[Harry Peterson]

56 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Why should cruise ship passengers be any more likely to catch covid than hotel holidaymakers? 

 

They aren’t, but the potential consequences for the cruise line of an infection are enormous, and reputations are at stake. Also a question of reassurance, like the pointless temperature checks and the obsession with surfaces, while ignoring the real risks in unventilated areas.

[terrierjohn]

45 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

They aren’t, but the potential consequences for the cruise line of an infection are enormous, and reputations are at stake. Also a question of reassurance, like the pointless temperature checks and the obsession with surfaces, while ignoring the real risks in unventilated areas.

Other cruise lines, especially US based ones, are allowing passengers to ho ashore on their own, so P&O will have to follow suit fairly soon.

[indiana123]

1 hour ago, P&O SUE said:

I agree with your last sentence Josy but the UK holidays have really put their prices up - even for next year! Can’t help comparing them to cruise prices. Some cottages I’ve looked at are not far off what we pay for a cruise and then, of course, you have to add all the food on top.

 

 

I thought a nice break for the two of us, just four nights in a caravan would be great.    Then I saw the prices.. some were £700ish but one was £1500... just four nights!!!!

[Eddie99]

Happy Yorkshire Day 

to all our Yorkies 

 

Is it true that county bigwigs weren’t sure how the celebrations might pan out, so they called a summat meeting? 

[P&O SUE]

10 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

 

 

I thought a nice break for the two of us, just four nights in a caravan would be great.    Then I saw the prices.. some were £700ish but one was £1500... just four nights!!!!

I know- ridiculous 😞

[mrsgoggins]

2 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

There are some beautiful places in this country and we really enjoyed our recent holiday but the amount we spent we could have gone on a seacation!

 

I couldn't agree more.  A few weeks ago we did our first (and last!) Warners break at a cost of £300 per night, half-board for the 2 of us over my birthday.  It was in one of their 'best' rooms (it was nice) but the standards overall fell far short of what I expected for the price paid.  Not awful, just not as good as I expected.  The price per night was similar to last week's Celebrity cruise - mid ship balcony, top notch service, full-board, drinks and tips plus very decent entertainment.  No contest for us!

 

Next break is a self-catering apartment in the Isle of Man.  Let's see how that measures up, although I am very optimistic about it 🤞

[pete14]

10 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

Thank you all for your kind replies, I know that I am doing the right thing to step back from the covid centre voluntary work.  This weekend the centre where I have been working has not had a clinic so we have all had a weekend off and it has been lovely to catch up with people who are important to me but I have not had the time to spend with them.

I just need the cruise lines to change their rules a bit now because we prefer to wander when we go into ports and don't like organised tours, so until they say that we can get off the ship without going on a tour we will stay in the UK.

Have you checked your vaccination status on the NHS app today Josie? Mrs Pete was surprised and pleased to see she is now considered vaccinated.

[purplesea]

Prices down here have escalated.

Working in a hotel situated on the edge of Carbis Bay and St Ives, for a little more than  the price of one of the sea view rooms for one night with breakfast, I could go on one of Britannia's 4 night cruises in an inside cabin. I know which I would choose! 

 

[Josy1953]

20 hours ago, pete14 said:

Have you checked your vaccination status on the NHS app today Josie? Mrs Pete was surprised and pleased to see she is now considered vaccinated.

I have just looked and as you can see below, it's not there yet.  I have an appointment at the surgery for a blood test on Friday so if it's  not there then I will ask about it.

[grapau27]

It has been a very pleasant 19°C here today and only partly cloudy.

We had lunch in the garden and when Pauline finished work at 5pm we took a picnic to the beach car park and looked out to sea.

We are now watching Below Deck Mediterranean on E4.

Take care everyone and nice to see cruising again.

Graham.

[Josy1953]

On 8/1/2021 at 7:02 PM, pete14 said:

Have you checked your vaccination status on the NHS app today Josie? Mrs Pete was surprised and pleased to see she is now considered vaccinated.

I have taken a look in the documents area of my medical records and there are documents  showing the dates that I had the Novavax vaccine and the batch numbers that were given to me, it also  states that I am considered fully vaccinated.

[DamianG]

On 7/20/2021 at 8:37 PM, Harry Peterson said:

I was looking at a Dyson too, but after looking at my son's, listening to what he says about it, and the Which? report, I went for this one:

 

https://www.t3.com/reviews/meacofan-1056-air-circulator-review

 

A Which? Best Buy and a lot cheaper than Dyson - quieter too at any useful speeds.  It  really is incredibly quiet - barely audible.  That was the main reason for purchase.

 

Not a patch on the Dyson in terms of styling though - but probably more reliable, and hugely cheaper at around £99.  So impressed with it when it arrived, we bought another one for elsewhere in the house!

 

Hi Harry

 

I bought a Dyson Pure Cool Me BP01 at a discounted price and from a retailer in Bradford (which gave me some reassurance just in case there were any problems). I read the Which review which wasn't complimentary but to be fair I thought that they were comparing it to other air purifiers rather than a hybrid fan purifier so I thought that I'd give it a go.

 

Sadly the fan performance is poor in our opinion, and it seems to me that this particular model is trying to fulfil 2 functions but is not particularly effective at either. I was able to return it to the store in Bradford in person and received a full refund.

 

Fortunately at the same time I found the Meaco fan on eBay brand new at £99 plus postage. It wasn't clear at the time of purchase but the paperwork showed that it was sold by Costco which gave me some comfort from the worries of buying on eBay. I have to say it's a fabulous fan, just right for our needs and having been able to do a direct comparison it is quieter than the Dyson. I also really like the Eco function which sets the fan speed according to the room temperature.

 

So it's been a bit of a saga but with a happy ending and I really appreciate you taking the time to get back to me with your thoughts (and everyone else for that matter). Part of me wanted the Dyson to be far superior and a case of getting what you pay for but as others on here suggested sadly it wasn't, and much as I wanted to avoid cliched opinions it really was a case of style over substance.

 

Thanks again and all the best.

 

Damian

[Harry Peterson]

5 minutes ago, DamianG said:

 

Hi Harry

 

I bought a Dyson Pure Cool Me BP01 at a discounted price and from a retailer in Bradford (which gave me some reassurance just in case there were any problems). I read the Which review which wasn't complimentary but to be fair I thought that they were comparing it to other air purifiers rather than a hybrid fan purifier so I thought that I'd give it a go.

 

Sadly the fan performance is poor in our opinion, and it seems to me that this particular model is trying to fulfil 2 functions but is not particularly effective at either. I was able to return it to the store in Bradford in person and received a full refund.

 

Fortunately at the same time I found the Meaco fan on eBay brand new at £99 plus postage. It wasn't clear at the time of purchase but the paperwork showed that it was sold by Costco which gave me some comfort from the worries of buying on eBay. I have to say it's a fabulous fan, just right for our needs and having been able to do a direct comparison it is quieter than the Dyson. I also really like the Eco function which sets the fan speed according to the room temperature.

 

So it's been a bit of a saga but with a happy ending and I really appreciate you taking the time to get back to me with your thoughts (and everyone else for that matter). Part of me wanted the Dyson to be far superior and a case of getting what you pay for but as others on here suggested sadly it wasn't, and much as I wanted to avoid cliched opinions it really was a case of style over substance.

 

Thanks again and all the best.

 

Damian

Thanks for that, Damian. Interesting to read your direct comparison of the Meaco with the Dyson - it matched ours.

 

It’s a bit of an unknown brand in the domestic market (John Lewis sell it though - always a good sign) but a very good track record in its particular field in the industrial sector.  We’ve had some of their stuff before and found it well designed and manufactured - good company to deal with too.

 

Amazed at how very quiet it is for the volume of air pushed out - I’m a light sleeper, but even I could sleep with it on. Certainly not as good looking as the Dyson, but unlike the Dyson it fulfils its function.

 

All the very best to you too,

 

Harry

[DamianG]

On 7/31/2021 at 10:59 PM, Josy1953 said:

Having spent the evening with a group of NHS front line workers I have been convinced by them that it is time to step back from doing voluntary work in the local covid vaccination centre.  They have pointed out that that I am putting myself at risk for the sake of people who just want to get a jab so that they can go out and pretend that covid has gone away. I

I know that they are my family and friends and are concerned about my health but I realise that they are right so I will sadly now step back and think more about my own health and family.

 

This sounds like a difficult but wise decision on your part Josy. Thanks for all that you and other volunteers have done and I hope that you can now enjoy some time to yourself.

 

Damian

[DamianG]

It's been interesting to read some comments about the cost of UK breaks as we've just returned from a 4 night stay at Dacre Lakeside Park, East Yorkshire at a cost of £1200. It was our son's birthday so in the absence of cruising we decided to go for it even though I couldn't help thinking we once took a 10 night cruise for 2 people for £1000 in total albeit 10 years ago (in an outside cabin on Arcadia I might add).

 

This is how Hoseasons portray "a typical Bulrush Watersedge" lodge on their website:

 

 

 

This is our actual hot tub balcony view (sorry it's sideways but you get the idea):

 

 

The small print of the booking states that you may be allocated a pond view (rather than lake view) but at best I think we got an obstructed view. The decking was dirty with leaves, feathers and bird poo but to be fair to the staff someone came to sweep up within 10 minutes of reporting it. The tree was touching the lodge roof and when it got windy it made a banging noise.

 

Hoseasons website advises that the lodges have WiFi but the staff onsite openly admit that it does not work for the cabins located furthest away from the reception area. Our cabin was located at the back of the park so also suffered from traffic noise from the main East Coast road A165 from early morning to late at night.

 

The park itself is lovely, near Brandesburton so handy for the East Yorkshire coast and we enjoyed a good day out in Bridlington. However, I wish we'd known more about the lodges beforehand and had been able to choose one specifically. I've written to Hoseasons, in particular highlighting the misleading information on their website, but I've not received a reply and don't really expect one.

 

As for the cost, I appreciate supply and demand, fluid pricing and even some companies trying to stay afloat by increasing prices to catch up for lost revenue. However, I also think that there is excessive profiteering in some cases and this is one of them.

 

We may return in future but not in that particular lodge and definitely not at that price.

Edited August 3, 2021 by DamianG

[DamianG]

On a separate note we tried kayaking and I confirmed my suspicion that I'd much prefer to be on a 69,000 ton cruise ship than a one person kayak anyday.