Compulsory offshore excursions due to Covid with P&O

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

They have offered people the chance to rebook for free to a later cruise.

That is not good enough IMO. There are lots of old people that have accrued several thousand pounds in deposits and moved FCC that won't be fit to travel on a later cruise or won't actual be with us. We look after the garden of an elderly couple one of who's health is failing rapidly, they were on the RTWC last year and knowing that their cruising days were limited were doing as much as they could, they have 10's thousands of pounds with P&O and were not too concerned early last year and just moved things along like many others have done. They now feel that it is unlikely they will be able to cruise again. 

[jeanlyon]

22 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Ports are always subject to change. Huge difference though between the odd dropped port and being allowed off the ship only if you book a P&O excursion.

 

Simple answer, and they may well offer this as an alternative to refunds to those who argue their case well enough - free or at cost excursions.

I just don't want to do excursions, free or otherwise.  I want to explore on my own.  That's our enjoyment, so if I can't do that, won't be going.  Simples!

[Harry Peterson]

2 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I just don't want to do excursions, free or otherwise.  I want to explore on my own.  That's our enjoyment, so if I can't do that, won't be going.  Simples!

Me too. Cruising won't be on our list of holiday options while things remain as they are.

[Dermotsgirl]

16 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

Wasnt being cheeky, more just offering help if people need.

 

They can be very useful for people of all ages and I work in that area 🙂

I think it’s very useful to have someone on hand for tech queries.

 

Computers, tablets and phones are fine when they are working ok, but it can be head scratching when they glitch.

 

When things go wrong, I’m usually able to sort it out by looking it up on Google, but, there have been times when I would have appreciated just being able to ask someone!
 

I got my first iPad in 2013, and my first iPhone in 2015. Up until that point, I thought I didn’t need a smart phone, but I wouldn’t be without it now.

 

The other week, I helped a new to Apple friend set up his first iPad, via a Skype call - I felt quite pleased with myself that it went well, although it took about two hours.

[jeanlyon]

10 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Me too. Cruising won't be on our list of holiday options while things remain as they are.

We;ve just been talking about it this morning.  If it's a glorious summer here by some chance, then it won't be difficult to cancel the cruise.  If it rains all the time, it might be a different matter!!

[yorkshirephil]

Just now, Dermotsgirl said:

I think it’s very useful to have someone on hand for tech queries.

 

Computers, tablets and phones are fine when they are working ok, but it can be head scratching when they glitch.

 

When things go wrong, I’m usually able to sort it out by looking it up on Google, but, there have been times when I would have appreciated just being able to ask someone!
 

I got my first iPad in 2013, and my first iPhone in 2015. Up until that point, I thought I didn’t need a smart phone, but I wouldn’t be without it now.

 

The other week, I helped a new to Apple friend set up his first iPad, via a Skype call - I felt quite pleased with myself that it went well, although it took about two hours.

Absolutely agree, most people have a go to person for certain subjects, this is sometimes where these forums come into their own pooling knowledge and skill sets to help each other. 

[ScratchTheRat]

24 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I just don't want to do excursions, free or otherwise.  I want to explore on my own.  That's our enjoyment, so if I can't do that, won't be going.  Simples!

and I respect that completely 🙂

 

Nobody should feel forced to go on a holiday they won't enjoy. With the cruises needing to sail with reduced capacity, they are likely needing some people to cancel so they can sail!

 

Just don't expect to not lose deposits etc if the cancellation is your choice. They can only do so much.

[Son of Anarchy]

1 hour ago, joeecco said:

I’m not aware of this, is this just for ferry transport crews? 
 

I have just checked the priority groups and no mention of any other key workers after careers and NhS. 
I work in the railway and we are not on any list, we will be group 10 as ‘the rest of the population’ 

 

If anyone is interested I have only came across 3 NHS workers on my trains since the pandemic began, the majority of passengers have been mask-less, rule defying folk off to see their ‘mates’ or to get some ‘stuff’ - I’ll leave that to your imaginations. Law Enforcement has been very little and we as employees have been told NOT to police any rules ourselves as the assault rate has rocketed, and as I’ve said before it’s not worth me getting my head kicked in but it doesn’t half irritate me! 
 

The Ole Lady used to work for the railway. 

 

British Transport Police were so covert, I thought they must be using a Klingon cloaking device. Her company would simply call Essex Police to get anything done.  Maybe it was just a local thing, the main line London stations (usually) had a high profile presence on the occasions I used them.

 

 

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, ScratchTheRat said:

Wasnt being cheeky, more just offering help if people need.

 

They can be very useful for people of all ages and I work in that area 🙂

I wasn't being serious, only having fun with you. Just my sense of humour 🙃

Avril

[Josy1953]

56 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I just don't want to do excursions, free or otherwise.  I want to explore on my own.  That's our enjoyment, so if I can't do that, won't be going.  Simples!

+1

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

Hey cheeky😉, just because we are 'a certain age' and don't feel the need to spend a money on on an expensive, unnecessary phone, doesn't mean we don't know how to use one😁

Avril

Exactly my phone is PAYG and very rarely use it as a phone/text and have never used a phone to acces the internet so therefore it is not worth me paying £15+ every month on a contract for something I dont use.

[Adawn47]

1 minute ago, majortom10 said:

Exactly my phone is PAYG and very rarely use it as a phone/text and have never used a phone to acces the internet so therefore it is not worth me paying £15+ every month on a contract for something I dont use.

I have a cheap monthly contact, less than £15,  but we use the mobile as the house phone instead of a landline which is so much cheaper, plus we can text and facetime. I love a bargain.

Avril

[Cathygh]

2 hours ago, joeecco said:

I’m not aware of this, is this just for ferry transport crews? 
 

I have just checked the priority groups and no mention of any other key workers after careers and NhS. 
I work in the railway and we are not on any list, we will be group 10 as ‘the rest of the population’ 

 

I believe they had some vaccine left over on the IOW so used it for transport workers. It was a local decision

Cathy

[jeanlyon]

I have a PAYG smartphone and access the internet on it all the time.  Doesn't cost me a bean.  ~Even if I switch Data on, it's only 1p per minute.  Just use wifi the rest of the time. I wouldn't be without it.  Hardly ever make calls on it, but only 3p a minute if I do.  I have never had any problem finding wifi when abroad as well.

Edited February 5, 2021 by jeanlyon

[davecttr]

10 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Exactly my phone is PAYG and very rarely use it as a phone/text and have never used a phone to acces the internet so therefore it is not worth me paying £15+ every month on a contract for something I dont use.

And if you find you will need a smartphone to use the NHS app or vaccine passport or the ships onboard information/booking system just buy a cheap second hand one, you don't need a SIM or contract and can still access the internet via WiFi, you can even phone 999 on them, no idea how they do that.

[nosapphire]

2 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

There will now always be that danger, although the vaccination and herd immunity should make it less of a problem.

However these virus's are less potent in the summer so it was reasonable to relax the lockdown, and if people had continued with social distancing and followed all the recommendations, the virus might not have returned as fast as it did.

But then so many people decided that we were all back to normal and did not follow the recommendations...  leisure travel now seems to be regarded as an essential 'yuman right, rather than a privilege.

 

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, ScratchTheRat said:

They have offered people the chance to rebook for free to a later cruise.

And the circumstances could be exactly the same again! 

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, ScratchTheRat said:

and I respect that completely 🙂

 

Nobody should feel forced to go on a holiday they won't enjoy. With the cruises needing to sail with reduced capacity, they are likely needing some people to cancel so they can sail!

 

Just don't expect to not lose deposits etc if the cancellation is your choice. They can only do so much.

If they need reduced capacity, then what’s the problem in refunding deposits? It might mean that people would book again in the future when things are better instead of harbouring a grudge against a stubborn corporation who doesn’t give a damn about their customers. 

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

If they need reduced capacity, then what’s the problem in refunding deposits? It might mean that people would book again in the future when things are better instead of harbouring a grudge against a stubborn corporation who doesn’t give a damn about their customers. 

This is exactly what happened with us many years ago, we had an issue with P&O which caused us to move them down the pecking order when looking for cruise opportunities. People will only take so much before voting with their feet.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

I have a cheap monthly contact, less than £15,  but we use the mobile as the house phone instead of a landline which is so much cheaper, plus we can text and facetime. I love a bargain.

Avril

I keep contemplating switching to the cheapest sim only contract with Sky which would give unlimited calls and texts plus roll over data for the same cost as Sky talk unlimited. BUT while Pauline can easily use the landline handset with one hand, she would find it much more  difficult to use the smart phone, so we stay as we are.

[Bazrat]

4 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

There will now always be that danger, although the vaccination and herd immunity should make it less of a problem.

However these virus's are less potent in the summer so it was reasonable to relax the lockdown, and if people had continued with social distancing and followed all the recommendations, the virus might not have returned as fast as it did.

Alas they didn’t 

[Adawn47]

59 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I keep contemplating switching to the cheapest sim only contract with Sky which would give unlimited calls and texts plus roll over data for the same cost as Sky talk unlimited. BUT while Pauline can easily use the landline handset with one hand, she would find it much more  difficult to use the smart phone, so we stay as we are.

As with everything John, one size doesn't fit all, and you have to go with what's best for you.

Avril

[jeanlyon]

My 02 Sim is 3p calls, 2p texts and 1p data.  They don't sell it any more, so I guess one day they will remove it and I will have to change, but there are other networks with similar cheapies.  As someone said, you could use a smartphone without a sim and just use wifi.

[Windsurfboy]

7 hours ago, ScratchTheRat said:

Anyone needing help, support or instruction on using a smartphone I am happy to help 😄

 

The first computer  I used couldn't multiply , only add and subtract,  remember writing binary code for mutiplication and division and splicing together punched tape if you made an error.

 

The next first generation IBM 360 only had 360k memory and a lot of that was taken up by the system . You had to write your programs in chunks , do a bit of calculation  store the results, load the next bit and so on, called overlaying.

 

After that smartphone are easy , except they are too big to be convenient as a phone, and too small to be ergonomic as a computer, e reader , games consul  ....

 

By the way on an android tablet /phone you can access free apps without ever putting in a credit  card.  I never put in my true date of birth into any site, except when I absolutely have to for banking and government sites, insurance , travel . Let them steal wrong data.

 

 

 

[Angel57]

My Samsung smartphone is on the Vodafone PAYG plan at £10 per month. I use it mostly for messaging on WhatsApp and also keeping up with emails etc if not at home (which is rare now!). If the mobile rings it generally startles me as only a few people ring on that as opposed to landline (and I know that these days that is rather old fashioned!).