Jennizor

Has anyone who booked this cruise through a TA had any problems? I have used the same TA for many years and never had any issues at all. I started feeling a little uneasy a couple of weeks ago when after paying the balance to the TA, it didn’t appear on my P & O account. The lady who I booked the cruise with explained that P&O sent them a list every few days asking for balances due to be forwarded to them. She said not to worry, everything was fine. I kept checking my account and the balance was still shown as outstanding. After a couple of calls to the TA this week I was told today that the request for our payment had not appeared on their lists. She doesn’t understand why but after a couple of phone calls to P&O, they said this would be rectified in the next couple of days. I tried ringing P & O myself but they wouldn’t speak to me as I has booked through a TA. I am concerned that P&O may have cancelled my booking without telling me. My TA says she is 100% certain this not the case and is going to vigorously pursue this for me. Like everyone else they have trouble getting through to P & O but she promised to sort it for me. Nightmare……..

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Not my field, but my gardener wife suggests Geranium Budworm or Muntjac deer.

Thank your wife for me Harry.  I don’t think it is Budworm as they tend to lay their eggs on the plant. These are sharp cuts that look like a bite. We have decided it must be a red deer. Here’s a photo of one last year in my next door neighbour’s garden. 
 

Gardening question. Attached are a couple of photos I have just taken in the garden. Overnight something has eaten all the flower heads from my geraniums. Nothing else eaten and no other plants touched. We back onto a wood and farmland and we see cows, deer, foxes, squirrels, rabbits and the occasional hare. What animal would be so choosy to just eat geranium flowers?

Hi Satellite City, it usually takes 4 and a half to 5 hours with the one stop, obviously dependent on traffic on the day.

We have always travelled to Southampton with Cruise Connect. It has always been excellent. Coaches are very good, always been on time. We get picked up from the Macron stadium in Bolton, just a short taxi ride from home. The weight restrictions are relaxed (to a degree). The driver loads them on the coach and the next time you see them they are in your cabin. From Bolton to Southampton there is just one Service Station stop, obviously there will be more for you. Hopefully going on the 25th of this month, fingers crossed.

That’s me too. 

Don’t know about Iona but we were on the Britannia, last cruise in the Caribbean in March 2020. There was a dedication section, I think just off the Crystal Room, for purchasing the drinks package. We bought it on the second day as not worth it for day one. 

53 minutes ago, firsttimer086 said:

We're due to fly out to Barbados on the 4th of December, and just received our flight details last night via email from our TA.

 

We used FCC to book the cruise as it was a cancellation from last December, so had already paid the full balance. It's unclear from the guidance whether we could've transferred this cruise as we didn't have a "balance due" date to work towards.

Can I ask where are you flying from? We are due to out from Manchester on 4th December but not had anything from our TA yet. 

On all our previous Caribbean cruises the flight details have been given approximately 90 days before flight date. We are going on 4th December so expecting to know something in the next few. I will not be surprised if we don’t as so many things have been delayed with COVID-19. We are hoping to go the Med on 25th of this month but not received confirmation yet. After 4 cancelled cruises, nothing will surprise me. 

Phil, I have received e-mails for the other 4 cruises we have booked just not for the 25th September one.

I still haven’t had an email about our 25th September cruise. One of the people on the roll call got one last week. It doesn’t make any sense at all.

Slugsta, I have trouble keeping up with things these days but I am 71. I wonder what P & O’s excuse is!

Bin man, we are on Britannia on the 25th September.

I also received this email this morning about 4 of our 5 cruises booked. Ominously, there was nothing about our 25th September cruise!!! 

Sorry, not included.

Feeling a bit uneasy about our 4th December Caribbean cruise on Britannia too. We have five cruises booked with P & O. Earlier I received 4 e-mails from P&O about countdown to our cruises. The Caribbean one was included!!!!!! 

I had the same concern that the balance for our 25th September had not been paid over. I rang the TA a couple of days ago. She explained that they didn’t pass over individual payments to P&O., they went in batches. This is the agreement they have with P &O, along with several other TAs. We have dealt with this TA many times and to be honest they have always been brilliant so I am trusting them with this.

Lovely photos, you must be very proud and very popular making those lovely desserts.

Feeling slightly concerned about the prospect of our Britannia cruise on 25th September being cancelled. Today we renewed our travel insurance as we were beginning to feel optimistic it would go ahead. We have paid the balance this week as well. Hoping for better news in the next few days. 

Sorry Andy. I’m sure none of us meant to upset anyone. It’s a very strange thing, but I do take comfort from hearing from others in the same situation. That’s really crazy as I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, but you know they really understand. 
 

On a happier note, we have lots of laughs about our life with Mark. He was wonderful, everyone loved him. At his funeral there was standing room only in the church. The Vicar said he estimated there were over 330 in attendance. When one of my friends was going to her car she was stopped  and asked if it was a footballers funeral as there were so many people there. He would have loved that.

Just make sure you give your girls lots of hugs.

Bloodaxe, so sorry for your loss. I know how painful it is for you. We lost our beautiful son Mark very suddenly 13 years ago. Not a day goes by when I don’t shed a tear for him. We take a lot of comfort from his many friends who are still in regular contact with us. My daughter Jenny is married to his best friend and one of the most difficult things we have to bear is that their 3 boys never got to meet Uncle Mark. They know all about him though, we have made sure of that. 
 

Your son will always be in your heart, no-one can take that away from you.

We saw Blood Brothers in Liverpool in the early 2000s. It was amazing, Barbara Dickson played Mrs Johnstone (I think that was her name). We also saw her playing Viv Nicholson in Spend, Spend, Spend in Manchester. This was before retirement, we could finish work, go for a meal and go to a show. That’s something I miss now as it’s more of an effort and we have only done it a few times and not at all since 2019. Getting quite excited now though. Five weeks today we hope to be on Britannia, going to Spain and Italy. Fingers crossed not a fifth cancelled cruise.

Hi Harry, we have booked both directly with P & O and a Scottish TA more recently. With them the balance is payable 14 weeks before sailing date. They also give us

a discount. They are also a lot easier to contact than P &O. Enjoy your first cruise.

Not sure about your last comment. On our pre-COVID cruises on Britannia and Azura, there were loads of younger ones dressed up beautifully on formal nights. It was lovely to see.  They always looked like they were having a great time. 

We are on the 25th September Britannia cruise. All the shore excursions are available to purchase. I would have thought it would be the same with Ventura. I am sure you know that currently you can only get off if you are on a P&O excursion. As has already been said, the sailing experience with P&O is much better than the land service.