Disembarkation across P & O

[FangedRose]

11 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I’m amazed Jean. That’s always been the most challenging time of the whole cruise for us to get lifts! 

Jean Is famous for having different experiences on board ship to everybody else. Examples that spring to mind is despite her self confessed non obsession with hygiene she has never been ill, she has never met anyone who talked about what they paid for their cruise etc etc. 

[Megabear2]

27 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I’m amazed Jean. That’s always been the most challenging time of the whole cruise for us to get lifts! 

I totally agree. Never able to access lifts on disembarkation day due to every lift being rammed with people with large suitcases.  We encounter the "you should walk" brigade on every P&O cruise which is nigh on impossible for a man with fibromyalgia, ME and a myocardial bridge!  The hidden disabilities lanyard holds no sway with these guys, so goodness knows how a wheelchair user gets on. We used to try to go up for breakfast in the buffet but the strain over getting two lifts quite simply became too much.  Now we skip breakfast, full stop.

 

I simply do not believe Jean has never encountered lifts where they see wheelchair users etc unable to get in.

 

 

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, FangedRose said:

Jean Is famous for having different experiences on board ship to everybody else. Examples that spring to mind is despite her self confessed non obsession with hygiene she has never been ill, she has never met anyone who talked about what they paid for their cruise etc etc. 

To be fair, we’ve never met anyone either who mentioned what they paid for their cruise! 

[Selbourne]

14 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

To be fair, we’ve never met anyone either who mentioned what they paid for their cruise! 

You are lucky. We’ve had quite a few mention it. To me, it’s as insensitive a discussion over dinner as asking people who they vote for! Usually people raise it in a way to brag about how little they’ve paid and what great value they are getting, but these folk always conveniently fail to mention that they are in an inside cabin!
 

I hope, for their sakes, that nobody grills us on our 65 nighter, as if I gave them the details of what we are paying for our balcony cabin they would soon have the wind taken out of their sails!

[daiB]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

You are lucky. We’ve had quite a few mention it. To me, it’s as insensitive a discussion over dinner as asking people who they vote for! Usually people raise it in a way to brag about how little they’ve paid and what great value they are getting, but these folk always conveniently fail to mention that they are in an inside cabin!
 

I hope, for their sakes, that nobody grills us on our 65 nighter, as if I gave them the details of what we are paying for our balcony cabin they would soon have the wind taken out of their sails!

I have to say i cannot remember anyone asking me either. Defiantly a no no a bit like how many cruises have you done?

[Selbourne]

11 minutes ago, daiB said:

I have to say i cannot remember anyone asking me either. Defiantly a no no a bit like how many cruises have you done?

To be clear, nobody has asked me directly what I paid before, but several have offered what they paid, hoping to have their egos massaged by me recoiling in horror and saying how much more we have paid 😂 

[daiB]

50 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

To be clear, nobody has asked me directly what I paid before, but several have offered what they paid, hoping to have their egos massaged by me recoiling in horror and saying how much more we have paid 😂 

Good God ….. that much. Is a good reply.

 

😎

[Josy1953]

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I totally agree. Never able to access lifts on disembarkation day due to every lift being rammed with people with large suitcases.  We encounter the "you should walk" brigade on every P&O cruise which is nigh on impossible for a man with fibromyalgia, ME and a myocardial bridge!  The hidden disabilities lanyard holds no sway with these guys, so goodness knows how a wheelchair user gets on. We used to try to go up for breakfast in the buffet but the strain over getting two lifts quite simply became too much.  Now we skip breakfast, full stop.

 

I simply do not believe Jean has never encountered lifts where they see wheelchair users etc unable to get in.

 

 

My husband is one of the hidden disability people but he has often walked up 3 decks because there are people in wheelchairs struggling to get into lift. If he has been too unwell to walk up then he has got into a lift and I have walked up rather than take up space.

He has been subjected to sarcastic comments on several cruises by people with visible disabilities and their companions.  He is always surprised that so many people don't understand that hidden disabilities exist.

[john watson]

29 minutes ago, daiB said:

Good God ….. that much. Is a good reply.

 

😎

 

I met a couple of guys at a swimming pool at Holiday Inn.  They had just got off a cruise and said they had paid 20% as both their wives worked at Carnival.

 

Regards John

[Megabear2]

19 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

My husband is one of the hidden disability people but he has often walked up 3 decks because there are people in wheelchairs struggling to get into lift. If he has been too unwell to walk up then he has got into a lift and I have walked up rather than take up space.

He has been subjected to sarcastic comments on several cruises by people with visible disabilities and their companions.  He is always surprised that so many people don't understand that hidden disabilities exist.

It is very difficult. Obviously you can see a wheelchair/mobility scooter but in my husband's case you can't exactly show your two missing heart valves.  Everyone unfortunately is very judgmental and unfortunately nowadays it's all too easy to cause hurt and embarrassment.  I cannot walk upstairs but I always walk down.  The truth is lifts are for everyone and when large numbers are moving around such as at disembarkation it is inevitable there will be problems.  The large suitcases take up an awful lot of room and often the people in control of them just park them to gain maximum space.  Personally I'd like to see the self disembark period ending 30 minutes before cabin release time but no doubt those who use the facility would say that's unfair.

 

It's a very contentious matter but I agree the amount of people who do not believe someone has a hidden disability has grown in recent times.

[yorkshirephil]

8 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

It is very difficult. Obviously you can see a wheelchair/mobility scooter but in my husband's case you can't exactly show your two missing heart valves.  Everyone unfortunately is very judgmental and unfortunately nowadays it's all too easy to cause hurt and embarrassment.  I cannot walk upstairs but I always walk down.  The truth is lifts are for everyone and when large numbers are moving around such as at disembarkation it is inevitable there will be problems.  The large suitcases take up an awful lot of room and often the people in control of them just park them to gain maximum space.  Personally I'd like to see the self disembark period ending 30 minutes before cabin release time but no doubt those who use the facility would say that's unfair.

 

It's a very contentious matter but I agree the amount of people who do not believe someone has a hidden disability has grown in recent times.

I don't know about anyone else but I am more aware of hidden disabilities than I ever was, I put it down to forums like this. To be fair how would someone know if a person had a hidden disability unless they have a lanyard or badge etc, to indicate the fact. Lots of people with such disabilities do not want others to know, I think you may have said that your husband falls into this category? 

 

I was on the same cruise as Jean and when we were going to breakfast at 07:00 their were queues at every floor for lifts with people blocking the stairways making it difficult for people using the stairs. Some had cases and some didn't so assume some were self disembarking and others were going to breakfast. We always ask the cabin steward if it is OK to leave the hand luggage in the cabin so that we are not traipsing it around to breakfast, we are usually back by 08:00 but can sometimes be held up at breakfast. 

[Megabear2]

10 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I don't know about anyone else but I am more aware of hidden disabilities than I ever was, I put it down to forums like this. To be fair how would someone know if a person had a hidden disability unless they have a lanyard or badge etc, to indicate the fact. Lots of people with such disabilities do not want others to know, I think you may have said that your husband falls into this category? 

 

I was on the same cruise as Jean and when we were going to breakfast at 07:00 their were queues at every floor for lifts with people blocking the stairways making it difficult for people using the stairs. Some had cases and some didn't so assume some were self disembarking and others were going to breakfast. We always ask the cabin steward if it is OK to leave the hand luggage in the cabin so that we are not traipsing it around to breakfast, we are usually back by 08:00 but can sometimes be held up at breakfast. 

My husband wears a lanyard and also carries a card.  Basically he has two valves fused in his heart. He has an extremely strong heart muscle but a restricted blood flow meaning his heartbeat and blood pressure can at certain times of the day be very poor.  Walking up and down stairs restricts the blood flow leading to a high chance of collapse.  However other strenuous activities have no effect.  Basically three rules: don't get cold, don't carry weight and avoid stairs unless a matter of emergency.

[zap99]

4 hours ago, Ardennais said:

To be fair, we’ve never met anyone either who mentioned what they paid for their cruise! 

Same here. Perhaps not wanting to share a table, if it can be avoided helps.🤣

[Selbourne]

The hidden disabilities issue comes up every single time that challenges with lifts are raised. I absolutely agree that everyone (including fully able bodied people) have every bit as much right to use a lift as anyone else at any time that they like. We are all on holiday after all. However, the point that people often miss is that those with hidden disabilities have one big advantage over those who are in wheelchairs or scooters, and that is that they can presumably stand (or the disability wouldn’t be hidden?) and can therefore get into lifts that are already quite full. The problem that wheelchair & scooter users have is that they cannot do this. The lift has to be around one third empty (or 50% empty on Iona) in order to get in, so at peak times (which embarkation morning is always the worst) is a massive challenge.

[zap99]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

To be clear, nobody has asked me directly what I paid before, but several have offered what they paid, hoping to have their egos massaged by me recoiling in horror and saying how much more we have paid 😂 

Tell them you paid less and are serpentine in the status game. On RC an American gent asked me what level I was in Crown and Anchor. I just opened my " tux " and flashed the C&A lable.

[yorkshirephil]

Just now, zap99 said:

 flashed the C&A lable.

Coits an ats as we called C&A

[zap99]

5 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

The hidden disabilities issue comes up every single time that challenges with lifts are raised. I absolutely agree that everyone (including fully able bodied people) have every bit as much right to use a lift as anyone else at any time that they like. We are all on holiday after all. However, the point that people often miss is that those with hidden disabilities have one big advantage over those who are in wheelchairs or scooters, and that is that they can presumably stand (or the disability wouldn’t be hidden?) and can therefore get into lifts that are already quite full. The problem that wheelchair & scooter users have is that they cannot do this. The lift has to be around one third empty (or 50% empty on Iona) in order to get in, so at peak times (which embarkation morning is always the worst) is a massive challenge.

We always make way for wheelchairs. If somebody has a hidden disability, we don't....We didn't know.

[Megabear2]

7 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

The hidden disabilities issue comes up every single time that challenges with lifts are raised. I absolutely agree that everyone (including fully able bodied people) have every bit as much right to use a lift as anyone else at any time that they like. We are all on holiday after all. However, the point that people often miss is that those with hidden disabilities have one big advantage over those who are in wheelchairs or scooters, and that is that they can presumably stand (or the disability wouldn’t be hidden?) and can therefore get into lifts that are already quite full. The problem that wheelchair & scooter users have is that they cannot do this. The lift has to be around one third empty (or 50% empty on Iona) in order to get in, so at peak times (which embarkation morning is always the worst) is a massive challenge.

You try getting the ignorant people to move their suitcases because I can assure you they don't.  In fact they are more likely to rudely announce there's stairs over there mate.

 

I can't speak for others but standing in a cramped crowded space with lifts stopping at every floor isn't actually a good thing with what can be chronic low blood pressure early morning.  I do have a lot of sympathy for the wheelchair user (I've said before my mother used one) but at least it is visible to all.  

 

As I said we no longer go for breakfast as the problems cause too much anguish.

[Megabear2]

7 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We always make way for wheelchairs. If somebody has a hidden disability, we don't....We didn't know.

So you ignore the lanyards then?

[zap99]

50 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

It is very difficult. Obviously you can see a wheelchair/mobility scooter but in my husband's case you can't exactly show your two missing heart valves.  Everyone unfortunately is very judgmental and unfortunately nowadays it's all too easy to cause hurt and embarrassment.  I cannot walk upstairs but I always walk down.  The truth is lifts are for everyone and when large numbers are moving around such as at disembarkation it is inevitable there will be problems.  The large suitcases take up an awful lot of room and often the people in control of them just park them to gain maximum space.  Personally I'd like to see the self disembark period ending 30 minutes before cabin release time but no doubt those who use the facility would say that's unfair.

 

It's a very contentious matter but I agree the amount of people who do not believe someone has a hidden disability has grown in recent times.

We went into Wetherspoons for lunch on Saturday. There was a pile of bags and cases and about 30 young folk. ...sorry are they in the way..a couple were moved so we could get into a table....where are you guys off to ? Skiing for Christmas ?. No we are off base for Christmas leave. We will stay in here until they chuck us out. then some will go on holiday and some will go home. I pointed out that they could get a good services discount on P&O. Aurora and Arcadia were quite good. Cheers mate...hey lads, anybody fancy a cruise...you have to help our service folk.

[zap99]

3 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

So you ignore the lanyards then?

I didn't know they even existed. Many folk have lanyards with the cruise cards on them. I don't go around looking at what is hanging around folks necks.

[Megabear2]

4 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We went into Wetherspoons for lunch on Saturday. There was a pile of bags and cases and about 30 young folk. ...sorry are they in the way..a couple were moved so we could get into a table....where are you guys off to ? Skiing for Christmas ?. No we are off base for Christmas leave. We will stay in here until they chuck us out. then some will go on holiday and some will go home. I pointed out that they could get a good services discount on P&O. Aurora and Arcadia were quite good. Cheers mate...hey lads, anybody fancy a cruise...you have to help our service folk.

???? 

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I didn't know they even existed. Many folk have lanyards with the cruise cards on them. I don't go around looking at what is hanging around folks necks.

And there in a nutshell is my point.    Not many lanyards with cruise cards are like these, which are officially recognised throughout the country. Sadly many say they don't know they exist.  

[zap99]

Just now, Megabear2 said:

And there in a nutshell is my point.    Not many lanyards with cruise cards are like these, which are officially recognised throughout the country. Sadly many say they don't know they exist.  

Is that the fault of the people who don't know, or the organisations who promote them. Now I know I will watch out, but don't blame people who don't know what something is. If ,as you say, many people don't know perhaps the promotion is lacking.

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Is that the fault of the people who don't know, or the organisations who promote them. Now I know I will watch out, but don't blame people who don't know what something is. If ,as you say, many people don't know perhaps the promotion is lacking.

It's been in existence since 2016 when Gatwick first adopted it.  It is extremely well advertised particularly on transport.  P&O apparently issue it and support its wearing.  Not new or badly advertised, in a lot of cases (not yours) assumed to be irrelevant.