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

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Who knows? 

 

But with the NHS, and hospitals in particular, in the present critical state on the first day of Autumn - way, way ahead of the winter months during which they're usually under pressure - now is certainly not the time to give them up, and it was sheer madness to ditch the masks in England.  Ask anybody working in the NHS.

 

Politically convenient, but careless and thoughtless in the extreme when it comes to protection of human lives - and I include in that all those having their surgery postponed even now because of the pressure on hospitals.

 

Maybe time to stop mask wearing when those pressures are reduced - but certainly not now. 

I assume you meant to say in your opinion Harry, since there will be many who disagree with you, and don't share your overly pessimistic view of the catastrophe about to overcome the NHS, only in my opinion of course.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

Whilst Magic has been sailing out of Southampton they have been very stingy with the ships horn .Anyone would think it was on a pay per play but they take top marks for the artwork  on the bow and stern which is amazing .

 

 

Disney Magic played 1 very short tune when she left City terminal and that was it.

Regal Princess played their tune all the way down the Solent.

Graham.

[grapau27]

17 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Who knows? 

 

But with the NHS, and hospitals in particular, in the present critical state on the first day of Autumn - way, way ahead of the winter months during which they're usually under pressure - now is certainly not the time to give them up, and it was sheer madness to ditch the masks in England.  Ask anybody working in the NHS.

 

Politically convenient, but careless and thoughtless in the extreme when it comes to protection of human lives - and I include in that all those having their surgery postponed even now because of the pressure on hospitals.

 

Maybe time to stop mask wearing when those pressures are reduced - but certainly not now. 

+1.

[ann141]

3 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Ok - ignore this. Surgery cancelled as hospital full 😞 No new date yet.  Grrrrrrr.

How disappointing.Hope your surgery can be re arranged soon.A last minute cruise instead?!

[grapau27]

We took our Sarah out for a meal tonight at our favourite Italian restaurant.

Graham.

[Dermotsgirl]

3 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Ok - ignore this. Surgery cancelled as hospital full 😞 No new date yet.  Grrrrrrr.

Oh no. You sounded fully prepared, now you’ve got to go through it all again. Really sorry to hear this 

[Harry Peterson]

15 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I assume you meant to say in your opinion Harry, since there will be many who disagree with you, and don't share your overly pessimistic view of the catastrophe about to overcome the NHS, only in my opinion of course.

Very sadly, we're already seeing the evidence, even in this forum earlier on. My opinion counts for nothing - I'm referring to the views of those directly involved:

 

https://www.acutemedicine.org.uk/senior-medics-warn-unprecedented-summer-pressures-like-worst-winters-we-can-recall/

 

And those expressed by my local NHS Trust, and many others.  This is serious, and I only wish more people, including politicians who should know better, would appreciate that.

[Josy1953]

4 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Ok - ignore this. Surgery cancelled as hospital full 😞 No new date yet.  Grrrrrrr.

Oh no, I hope that you get your surgery and are on the road to revive very soon.

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

 Your lady could have worn one of those exemption lanyards. 

In all honesty Ardennais, who takes any notice of a lanyard. There have been so many people flashing them about that no-one takes any notice of them now. They are so  easy to come by whether you need one or not. The majority of us try to stay safe and  protect others however  we can, maybe it's not always the 'correct' way, but at least we try. I am more concerned about those who refuse to wear a mask at all and have no valid reason not to.

Avril

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Very sadly, we're already seeing the evidence, even in this forum earlier on. My opinion counts for nothing - I'm referring to the views of those directly involved:

 

https://www.acutemedicine.org.uk/senior-medics-warn-unprecedented-summer-pressures-like-worst-winters-we-can-recall/

 

And those expressed by my local NHS Trust, and many others.  This is serious, and I only wish more people, including politicians who should know better, would appreciate that.

Harry, I would never expect any senior medic to say that  they have no manning issues, or don't need more money for new equipment, but strangely enough some do, but that doesn't make good headline news as much as major staff shortages and acute funding issues. Which is why that info is so readily available on a google search

 

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

In all honesty Ardennais, who takes any notice of a lanyard. There have been so many people flashing them about that no-one takes any notice of them now. They are so  easy to come by whether you need one or not. The majority of us try to stay safe and  protect others however  we can, maybe it's not always the 'correct' way, but at least we try. I am more concerned about those who refuse to wear a mask at all and have no valid reason not to.

Avril

I think that part of the problem around here, in such a small rural community, is that people tend to know each other. And then when they go shopping, they see people they know, stop for a chat, can’t hear very well and then pull the mask down. I’ve actually had to tell my father several times not to do that recently. I have noticed it a lot among the elderly. I don’t think it’s deliberate in any way, it just happens. So they might as well ditch the mask completely, hence my original comment. 
And yes, I do take notice of the lanyard and keep my distance. 

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

In all honesty Ardennais, who takes any notice of a lanyard. There have been so many people flashing them about that no-one takes any notice of them now. They are so  easy to come by whether you need one or not. The majority of us try to stay safe and  protect others however  we can, maybe it's not always the 'correct' way, but at least we try. I am more concerned about those who refuse to wear a mask at all and have no valid reason not to.

Avril

Avril - I don't wear a mask anymore when in well ventilated areas. I have limited interaction with any strangers,  and never for more than a few seconds at close quarters. 

The chances of me contracting Covid,  let alone passing it on, are minuscule.

That's not to say  that I will not wear a mask in an enclosed,  crowded environment.

The whole mask wearing debate comes down to risk assessment.  Wearing a mask in a virtually empty Tesco - No. Wearing a mask in a crowded Costa - Yes.

 

 

[Ardennais]

10 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Avril - I don't wear a mask anymore when in well ventilated areas. I have limited interaction with any strangers,  and never for more than a few seconds at close quarters. 

The chances of me contracting Covid,  let alone passing it on, are minuscule.

That's not to say  that I will not wear a mask in an enclosed,  crowded environment.

The whole mask wearing debate comes down to risk assessment.  Wearing a mask in a virtually empty Tesco - No. Wearing a mask in a crowded Costa - Yes.

 

 

Fair enough, you’re not likely to stop for long chats in the aisle but it happens a lot around here! And the mask wearing debate is different in Wales because the rules currently state:

Face coverings must be worn in all indoor public places, and public transport, including taxis.  

You do not have to wear face coverings in places where food and drink is served, such as pubs, cafes and restaurants.

So people who don’t wear them properly are breaking the rules, end of. 

 

 

[Dermotsgirl]

I went out today, on a coach trip to the Sea City Museum in Southampton, to see the Titanic exhibition. A very enjoyable day - I’ve waited long enough for it, as it was originally booked for May last year, moved to March, then moved to today.

 

To be honest, I was excited just to be in Southampton, as it is nearly 2 years to the day since we last drove to Southampton for a cruise. We had a chance to quickly walk down to the waterfront, and saw Regal Princess at the Ocean Terminal and also saw Disney Magic from the coach 

 

Here’s a few photos from Sea City 

 

 

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Fair enough, you’re not likely to stop for long chats in the aisle but it happens a lot around here! And the mask wearing debate is different in Wales because the rules currently state:

Face coverings must be worn in all indoor public places, and public transport, including taxis.  

You do not have to wear face coverings in places where food and drink is served, such as pubs, cafes and restaurants.

So people who don’t wear them properly are breaking the rules, end of. 

 

 

Absolutely,  but I don't live in Wales (although I am half Welsh) and I don't stop and chat,  so I see no reason to change my behaviour. 

[terrierjohn]

6 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I went out today, on a coach trip to the Sea City Museum in Southampton, to see the Titanic exhibition. A very enjoyable day - I’ve waited long enough for it, as it was originally booked for May last year, moved to March, then moved to today.

 

To be honest, I was excited just to be in Southampton, as it is nearly 2 years to the day since we last drove to Southampton for a cruise. We had a chance to quickly walk down to the waterfront, and saw Regal Princess at the Ocean Terminal and also saw Disney Magic from the coach 

 

Here’s a few photos from Sea City 

 

 

Good grief P&O were serving green beans even in 1970's.

[Dermotsgirl]

A lot of talk about masks today, so I’ll add my observations as I’ve been out and about today.

 

Firstly, I’m doing things the Welsh way. I wear my mask In indoors public spaces and on public transport, and I’d also wear it outdoors in very busy areas.

 

On the coach today, everybody (apart from the driver) looked to be over 60. I’d say about 30% of people weren’t wearing a mask, and a significant portion of those wearing a mask weren’t wearing it properly, i.e. had their noses hanging out. I do understand why people may have difficulties with masks - I’m a bit deaf myself in one ear and it can be awkward to hear people when they wear masks, especially in noisy areas. I just tell people to speak up. As for those who say they find it difficult to breath in a mask, I tend to think that Covid would make it even more difficult to breathe.  If masks are worn, I do think they should be worn correctly.

 

Incidentally , when we were in Sea City, everyone from our group wore a mask, and wore it correctly, so it can be done.

 

We had a break at a service station, and mask wearing was about 50/50. The non mask wearers were any age, old and young, so it wasn’t  confined to one age group. 

 

I doubt that medical professionals are lying about the significant pressure they are working under, and this is summer. Covid infections already are very high. In Scotland, the infections doubled in a week when the children went back to school. If that happens in England, we’d be looking at big figures very quickly. 
 

I also keep reading about ‘we’ve got to learn to live with it’. I’m convinced that people who say that mean that we just pretend Covid doesn’t exist and go back to life as it was in December 2019. But, I think ‘living with it’ means acknowledging our world has changed, and adapting our behaviour accordingly. After 18 months of this, it’s clear that Covid isn’t magically going to disappear, and I think we have learned that we don’t know what will happen next, so I think we just have to roll with it for as long as it takes. 

 

 

[wowzz]

6 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

After 18 months of this, it’s clear that Covid isn’t magically going to disappear, and I think we have learned that we don’t know what will happen next, so I think we just have to roll with it for as long as it takes. 

I think that is a very astute description. 

Somehow,  life has to go on,  even at a greater risk than before,  otherwise society and the economy will crumble.  

[terrierjohn]

24 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

 I’m convinced that people who say that mean that we just pretend Covid doesn’t exist and go back to life as it was in December 2019. But, I think ‘living with it’ means acknowledging our world has changed, and adapting our behaviour accordingly.

Agreed, but the big difference between Dec 2019 and now, is that we now have a very effective vaccine and nearly 80% of over 16s are now double jabbed. I accept that not everyone can benefit from the vaccine, and it does not guarantee you won't become infected, but it certainly appears to prevent the worst effects of the virus for the majority of the population.  We now need to find a safe way to enable all secondary school children to be vaccinated, which should then provide some degree of Herd Immunity for the UK, and the ability to relax many of the remaining precautions.

[grapau27]

9 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I went out today, on a coach trip to the Sea City Museum in Southampton, to see the Titanic exhibition. A very enjoyable day - I’ve waited long enough for it, as it was originally booked for May last year, moved to March, then moved to today.

 

To be honest, I was excited just to be in Southampton, as it is nearly 2 years to the day since we last drove to Southampton for a cruise. We had a chance to quickly walk down to the waterfront, and saw Regal Princess at the Ocean Terminal and also saw Disney Magic from the coach 

 

Here’s a few photos from Sea City 

 

 

Nice pictures.

Sounds like you had a nice day out.

14°C and cloudy here this morning.

Graham.

Edited September 2, 2021 by grapau27

[brian1]

OMG,I feel guilty.I was dancing the Conga unmasked with 100 people to the Proclaimers "500 miles" 2 days ago.I took such a risk,I've heard dancing to the Proclaimers could be a custodial sentence in English law.

[picsa]

8 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I also keep reading about ‘we’ve got to learn to live with it’. I’m convinced that people who say that mean that we just pretend Covid doesn’t exist and go back to life as it was in December 2019. But, I think ‘living with it’ means acknowledging our world has changed, and adapting our behaviour accordingly. After 18 months of this, it’s clear that Covid isn’t magically going to disappear, and I think we have learned that we don’t know what will happen next, so I think we just have to roll with it for as long as it takes. 

 

 

'Learning to live with it' is simply accepting that we will never eliminate COVID; as Australia and New Zealand are finding to their cost.

 

8 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Agreed, but the big difference between Dec 2019 and now, is that we now have a very effective vaccine and nearly 80% of over 16s are now double jabbed. I accept that not everyone can benefit from the vaccine, and it does not guarantee you won't become infected, but it certainly appears to prevent the worst effects of the virus for the majority of the population. 

 

Exactly. There are now a variety of safe and effective vaccines for those who are likely to suffer the worst effects of the virus, coupled with a far better understanding of the impact of the virus and improved treatment options.

 

The question is what changes brought in to tackle COVID need to remain. Many of those changes have been 'political' responses that appeal to the public rather than scientific responses; but then the scientific response is not interested in preserving the economy and enabling a return to normality. There is a balance to strike.

 

Do we forever want green/amber/red list countries, COVID tests to travel, COVID passports to go into a restaurant, hotel quarantines costing £1000s if COVID rates suddenly increase in a country you are visiting, etc.

 

As part of the 'learning to live with it' means an acceptance that some people will continue to catch the virus and some people will suffer the effects and some will die; as they do from many other transmissible diseases that have always circulated.

 

8 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

We now need to find a safe way to enable all secondary school children to be vaccinated, which should then provide some degree of Herd Immunity for the UK, and the ability to relax many of the remaining precautions.

 

Given that the risk of the virus to secondary school children is exceedingly low, the only reason to vaccinate children is to prevent them spreading the virus to those in older age groups who would suffer if they contracted the virus, but then that will likely only likely have a serious impact if those in the older age groups were unvaccinated.

 

With any vaccination there is a risk, albeit a extremely small risk, but it seems rather selfish to submit children to any risk to protect the elderly who choose not to be vaccinated.

[Dermotsgirl]

8 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Agreed, but the big difference between Dec 2019 and now, is that we now have a very effective vaccine and nearly 80% of over 16s are now double jabbed. I accept that not everyone can benefit from the vaccine, and it does not guarantee you won't become infected, but it certainly appears to prevent the worst effects of the virus for the majority of the population.  We now need to find a safe way to enable all secondary school children to be vaccinated, which should then provide some degree of Herd Immunity for the UK, and the ability to relax many of the remaining precautions.

The real big difference between Dec 2019 and now is that we didn’t have the virus.  

[Dermotsgirl]

30 minutes ago, brian1 said:

OMG,I feel guilty.I was dancing the Conga unmasked with 100 people to the Proclaimers "500 miles" 2 days ago.I took such a risk,I've heard dancing to the Proclaimers could be a custodial sentence in English law.

Well yes, you did take a risk.

 

I hope it doesn’t come back to bite you on the bottom, or anybody else at the wedding 

[Host Sharon]

13 hours ago, ann141 said:

How disappointing.Hope your surgery can be re arranged soon.A last minute cruise instead?!

Great idea but sod's law the new date would be during said cruise!