terrierjohn

I thought that was a Radiance class RC ship when we were in there last month, but when I checked the location of all 4 ships, they appeared to all be in service, maybe the data was incorrect.

Others have already given you some sound advice. As regards when to book, if you dont book on brochure launch when P&O discount prices by 5% for new cruisers and 10% for previous cruisers, then in the current cost of living crisis it would appear better to wait until nearer the cruise date. Once the final balance payment date is passed, usually 3 months before the cruise date, then there is a higher chance of obtaining a discounted price, especially on the bigger ships and outside the normal school holiday periods. Currently many cruise lines are offering tempting prices for summer 2023 cruises, whereas similar cruises for summer 2024 prices are significantly higher priced. However for the 10 years pre covid then price reductions were rare, and quite often prices were at their highest level during the 3-6 months before the cruise.

I walked off Iona this month leaving P&O with £0.58 unspent OBC.

Our favourite TA will handle everything for you, if the price reduction begins to look attractive.

No bottled water nowadays, you can buy cans but it's expensive. We just take a couple of empty 500ml coke plastic bottles and fill them from the cabin taps and keep in the fridge. The ships water purification systems nowadays produce far purer water than any on shore reservoir.

Maybe the other bar is Anderson's then.

I believe there is some root vegetable puree hiding underneath the roast potato, which strangely is hexagonal shaped!!!

You are not forced to do any pre booking, but if you do have a smart phone and load the app, then it only takes a minute or so, once you are nearly ready to eat, to join the virtual queue for your restaurant of choice. I suspect that for breakfast and lunch many people dont bother, but it really is not a chore to use the app. For those without a smart phone you can use your room tv, but that does mean you need to be in your room to do it, whereas the phone app works all over the ship.

Breakfast is available in all the MDRs, the buffet and the Quays, you can use the virtual queue for the MDRs but you can also just turn up. The app, which is really a web page, is only available once on board, entertainment in the theatre and Limelight club, as well as the speciality restaurants and chefs table,, can be pre booked on the website, but the MDRs can only be booked once on board, or daily by joining the virtual queue, which is the major choice. On celebration nights formal dress will be required in all the MDRs, epicurean and Sindhu, the chefs table and the crowd nest and emerald bar. The chefs table is held in a private area of the buffet, you no longer meet the Captain and for the MDRs you join the virtual queues as normal.

We have recently needed to visit the hospital several times, and like you we have received extremely prompt appointments and superb service. I guess the smaller town hospitals are not suffering the same delays, and of course they are not then as newsworthy.

We dined a couple of times after the 6:45 theatre show which was round about 8:00pm, and walked straight in after joining the virtual queue after leaving the theatre.

Pre covid summer cruises were launched in the autumn, Septenber normally, 18 months in advance. I would assume that P&O will be wanting to get back to the same programme ASAP.

That will mainly affect the 8:30 show, I cant imagine many people trying to dine before the 6:45 show.

You and me both.

For me popular music ended in the 1980s, with just a few exceptions since then. Although I had heard the name Pusseycat Dolls, I certainly could not have named the individual members, and only knew that Nicole Scherzinger had been a member when she started dating Lewis Hamilton and her name was mentioned during F1 coverage on Sky. But to suggest that she might be as well known as The Beatles, is a pop record too far, IMO.

I thought the 2 smaller ones were too poorly lit, making them far too dark. As a resultir was very difficult to navigate a clear wheelchair route to and from a table.

I thought the energy rebate had also been extended to cover the second quarter.

But at least it means you will not have to top up your spending money from your savings by as much.

But just think you will soon be getting a big increase in April when last September's CPI is used to calculate you new pension.

If you want to be with others in formal dress, then the MDR is the best choice, and there is normally enough choice to suit most fussy eaters.

Unfortunately that's not possible, and I don't think it is possible to gift it to someone else.⁰

We are finding it difficult to spend the extra OBC which is now being offered, without buying perfume etc. The food in the specialty restsurants does not appeal to me and since my wife drinks very little and I try to avoid being drunk in charge of a wheelchair, neither do I.

If you used the online booking then there is an option to choose your cabin, but blink and you miss it. If you want to select your cabin then I suggest you ring P&O and sort one out that's suitable for you.

As long as you dont have mobile data switched on, it's perfectly safe to have your phone on, and only answer the phone if it's the kids club.

That would seem to indicate that Ludlow is a true believer.