Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[Bigmike911]

On 9/14/2020 at 5:10 PM, alc13 said:

We did it -- booked a cruise for May 2022, using FCCs.  Somewhat complicated in the end...  We decided that FCCs were not going to be usable since the itineraries showing as of last week were either booked up or not tempting, and the deadline for using them was approaching.  1.5 days after submitting the refund request I looked again and new itineraries were up, including something close to our canceled cruise from last spring.  Woot!  Customer Service reversed the refund request and booked a new reservation, and we're all set. 

 

Yesterday I got an email from Cunard about our "upcoming voyage."  Upcoming is an exaggeration.  Unless they mean like the upcoming Ice Age, or the upcoming return of Halley's comet.

 

Turns out the deadline for using FCCs has been moved back, and Cust. Service thinks it may be lifted altogether.

 

Congratulations on your May 2022 planned cruise. You are looking ahead.

 

I am stuck in the here and now with some late summer early, fall garden chores. My tree trimmer is coming tomorrow to make a judgement on a Shumard Red Oak I planted a couple of years ago. It had reached about 20 feet into the air, and now the top 6 to 8 feet of the trunk is angled at about 150 degrees. Vile Squirrels. They did the same thing to a branch on one of my pecans but fortunately not the main trunk, but it has to be dealt with too. 

 

Other oaks I planted have created new trunks from lateral branches, but I don't know about Shumards. I also have to have a sweet gum cut down. It was a bonsai, that out grew its pot, and I put it in the ground. It did not do well and now is half dead. I suspect I can find a $1,000. worth of tree trimming for the Beaver Tree Service.

We missed the rain from Hurricane Sally, and we could have used some free water. The humidity of mid summer returned but the high temps are now in the mid 80s, still not pleasant to spend much time in.

 

The promise of a vaccine whets my whistle, and I am hoping they will get approval soon. There are at least three promising vaccines, and the government has ordered 100 million doses of each one. Once the FDA has given their approval, these will be distributed the next day to the hospitals and clinics. I am sure it will take time to work through the population, but as I am in the Senior, Senior set, maybe mine will come early. I have set mid-March to decide whether or not to pay for my 20July 2021 voyage. If I have had the vaccine, I will pay, if not I will have to cancel again.  My fingers are crossed. 

 

I hope all of our contributors are o.k. and that specifically includes you Vette Princess.

[Lanky Lad]

I had a telephone call today from my travel agent.  It seems they had not sent the final payment for my December cruise to Cunard when it was cancelled.  Therefore, I have asked for a refund of the final payment, but I will let Cunard keep the deposit until I can find something else to book. 

 

Been busy in the garden sawing wood ready for my multi fuel stove this winter.  Thankfully, I have an electric saw, it makes life easier.

Edited September 18, 2020 by Lanky Lad

[Host Hattie]

That's good news LL, we're having wonderful weather in West Wales, I'm planning to swim in the sea again later this morning !

We've eaten out mostly sitting outside, except the one meal we'd booked before we travelled where we could have drinks outside but we had to eat inside as it was better for the food !

I wanted to walk out but Mr HH was embarrassed I was making a fuss so we stayed.

It didn't feel very safe, the tables hadn't been moved and they were playing background music ! 

Hope everyone has a good weekend, if you're affected by new restrictions I hope they do their job.

 

[majortom10]

We ate out at least once a week in August in local pubs and always ate inside was very well organised and social distancing and never felt as if I was at any risk. If I would have felt the tables were too close or service putting me at risk I would have walked out. 

[BklynBoy8]

On this past Thursday my DW and I finally got the opportunity to dine outside at our favorite Seafood Restaurant called Nick's Lobster House in Lower Brooklyn.

 

We have had the opportunity to dine outside around our area but not comfortable the way the locations have spaced the layout.

 

There is one that now looks better and will try it in the near future. A great Italian restaurant from Positano with great cuisine. Of course reservations are needed to limit the amount of diners.

 

At the end of this month they are anticipating to open indoor dining with of course certain limitations. That we will be uncertain if we would participate in at the beginning.

 

Dining at Nick's was great with proper spacing and many sanitary features we felt very comfortable with. All were masked till we ate and staff honored our privacy till courses were completed. The open air felt so good after all this time. The restaurant deck was in the rear by the bay and away from the main road. Definitely returning to the outside. We have till the 31st of Oct. for outside dining. 

[LewiLewi]

We are afraid to dine inside or out at this time. Five more people in our community, who have been out and about have just contracted COVID-19. 
I think that we will continue to be cautious and stay at home.

[navybankerteacher]

No inside dining here yet - we have enjoyed outside a few times in past several weeks.  Sadly, once we get past mid-October, outside dining in Connecticut loses its appeal.  Fortunately there is a very high level of compliance with mask-wearing and social distancing in our area - so, if I see people not complying somewhere  I have options to go elsewhere.  

 

On the upside - we have both honed our culinary skills to the point where dining at home is OK.

[Lanky Lad]

I have had my refund from the travel agent for December so that was quick and painless.

[Kynance]

Hello to everyone from sunny Cornwall (today & tomorrow at least)!

 

It’s week 2 of our fortnight break from work. Last week was spent mainly in our garden, either just reading, pruning, dead-heading & watering or jet-washing our drive and re-pointing the patio (the latter two activities being the exclusive preserve of my other half - he’s done a really good job on both. 😀). 
 

We normally come to Cornwall twice a year - in April and round about this time. I have never seen it so busy in the third week of September: I think a lot of people here would normally be taking holidays abroad but the growing list of countries on the UK quarantine list has probably dissuaded them from their normal habits. 
 

Here’s a photo taken earlier today - the beach looks deserted but it was only the case in this one corner. 
 

 

[Host Hattie]

Hello from sunny West Wales, it's our last day

[Camgirl]

Beautiful photos, ladies. You are both very lucky to have got away whilst the sun is shining. I think we might have missed the boat on that. Never mind, we have had some lovely days by the seaside, and we are booked to go away to Norfolk for a week in......December! Brrrr!

 

Things are getting rather scary again in the UK. We have relatively low numbers here in East Anglia but the students will be returning soon and who knows what will happen then. Dare I say, the city has been so nice without them and the foreign tourists!

 

We see so many people not wearing masks in shops, and so many restaurants and cafes where none of the staff bother either. People walk so close to you and there seem to be gatherings of young people everywhere. I know people are fed up with the virus now, but that is when it gets really dangerous. We just need to get on top of it long enough for a safe vaccine to be developed. 

 

I hope you are all managing to keep safe and healthy. Take care.

[alc13]

Loved the beach photos.  The temps here dropped below freezing the last 3 nights, but warmer weather is expected soon.  I put flannel sheets on the bed for the first time since last winter.  We refuse to turn on the heat, though - not in September!!!

[Lanky Lad]

It's been a lovely warm sunny day here.  As is clear, we have just watched the ISS fly over. 

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, alc13 said:

Loved the beach photos.  The temps here dropped below freezing the last 3 nights, but warmer weather is expected soon.  I put flannel sheets on the bed for the first time since last winter.  We refuse to turn on the heat, though - not in September!!!

It is important to adhere to principal — such as continuing to wear shorts in the Summer, even when the temp does not get out of the low 50’s(F).  Fortunately we will be back near 80 Wednesday and Thursday, so it will be back to the beach.

[Bigmike911]

On 9/20/2020 at 3:19 PM, Host Hattie said:

Hello from sunny West Wales, it's our last day

Hattie, I need help. Every time I try to post a comment it gets tacked on to the prior comment. How can I fix it so my comments are stand alone. Thanks for your help, Mike

[Host Hattie]

@Bigmike911 how are posting ? You should have a box which says something like "reply"

[Host Hattie]

First day back to earth and work with a bump.... We have a whole shift self isolating, Mr HH's start time has been moved even earlier and most of the neighbouring counties are subject to restrictions. In Wales these include restricting travel again but not in England so we have the ridiculous situation of people travelling from the worst affected area of England travelling to parts of Wales when people in less affected areas of Wales can't.

[Bigmike911]

Thanks Hattie, lets see how this works. I have the box and I am typing in it and will submit reply. Fingers crossed, Mike. 

 

Yea it worked. 

Edited September 22, 2020 by Bigmike911

[Lanky Lad]

Changes here including working from home.  That will not help my job hunting, but the search continues. 

[Bigmike911]

We have been in the path of Tropical Storm "Beta" (briefly a cat. 1 hurricane) and have had steady, occasionally heavy rain. Being high in the San Jacinto River watershed it all goes downhill from here. There is flooding nearer the coast. It is at least "free water" and as of now that San Jacinto River Surface Water Authority has not yet figured out how to tax rainwater. No Doubt they are trying. 

 

We are now two weeks past the beginning of in person school and the Labor Day Holiday, and knock on wood, there has not been a strong up tick in new positives. The positivity rate has been declining for some time and is now 7.15% for the State and less than 5% for the greater Houston Area. We are ok with hospital capacity though sadly folks are still dying. A couple of fire fighters succumbed in the metro area, but even though they are not seniors their lungs take a beating from the smoke and fumes the have to deal with in their profession.  

 

With rain falling all last night and all day today, I have begun my Christmas Shopping. I collect Halcyon Days Christmas Baubles and give them to friends in the U.K. each year, as well. The 2020 baubles were available from yesterday, and past experience tells me they sell out fast. So I ordered them from Fortnums for early season delivery. We are now seeing Halloween decor and candy in the shops though the CDC has suggested that Trick or Treating not occur this year. I am sure it will in my neighborhood. I plan to buy only sealed candy, and put a selection in individual sandwich bags and hand those bags to the kids. In the past I have allowed them to dig into a wicker hamper and grab them but not this year. I will also have my mask on and rubber gloves as well. 

 

Cooler weather here and the rain has made the garden green and happy. I am waiting for the vaccines and 2021. I hope all of our friends are well. 

[LadyL1]

Autumn is coming too fast, and the thought of a winter at home is not the best! Even more frustrating when we know the ships are but a few miles south of us, as we saw on Tuesday from Osmington. Oh for the carefree days when cruising was a great escape from the cold.

QV in this murky shot through the drizzle. At the time QE was just out of view but very close to the beach.

[DWhit]

Lucky me, I received a  Summons for Jury Service in the mail yesterday.  So I've got that going for me.  🙄

[Host Hattie]

Enjoy, l did it twice in 2 years but it must be over 20 years since the last time.

My 4 days in work were busy, and I now have maximum occupancy signs on my door and tape marks on the floor.

Cardiff is under local restrictions as well now and we probably will be by next week. It won't make much difference, I'm just very glad we timed out holiday so well.

Have a good weekend everyone

 

[DWhit]

41 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Enjoy, l did it twice in 2 years but it must be over 20 years since the last time.

My 4 days in work were busy, and I now have maximum occupancy signs on my door and tape marks on the floor.

Cardiff is under local restrictions as well now and we probably will be by next week. It won't make much difference, I'm just very glad we timed out holiday so well.

Have a good weekend everyone

 

Many people go their whole lives and are never called, but this will be my second time as well.  I was on a murder trial last time, so it was not that bad.   However, I found sitting around, doing nothing, in the jury room before you are picked to be pretty boring. Kind of like a long layover in an airport.

 

I have not been paying much attention to the UK status, but I gather you guys are spiking again.  I know its a wild guess swag, but do you think things will be under control in time for us to come from the US to the UK and board a Cunard cruise in late June, 2021?

[Host Hattie]

Honestly I have no idea, things aren't looking great here at the moment but I'm tempted to book one of the new Queen Elizabeth itineraries. If nothing else it'll be something to look forward to over the long winter 🙂.

Our local area is now totally surrounded by "locked down" areas which should make us safer but I think it's only a matter of time before we go the same way.