twotravellersLondon

We currently have 5˚C and partially cloudy... off out to pick up some seaweed so we have a more accurate weather forecast. Hope all are well.

That unattributed gossip is all a bit eclipsed now by the new thread..."Cruise boosts Saga’s profit, search continues for strategic partner." 🙃😇

Very encouraging... Again many of the usual negative rumours based on ill-informed gossip, speculation and supposition about SAGA have proven to be fantasy. For the year ending 31 January 2024 the key facts are... For SAGA as a whole...The underlying profit has more than doubled and there has been significant debt reduction. Ocean cruises are sailing 88% full... up from 75%. Spend per passenger per diem is £331... up from 318. River cruises passengers have increased to 57.8k... up from 47.2k. Revenue is £43.8million... up from £28.8 million. And... SAGA wants to expand the SAGA Ocean cruise sector... looks like the model may be that in order to speed the growth of the ocean cruise sector, SAGA would like a partner to finance new-build ships while SAGA operates them... but that's not been confirmed... as yet.

It's currently 6˚C the sun was up and the sky was blue about an hour or two ago but that's now ancient history. However better than yesterday when we had rolling thunder at times ... even affected the internet. So it looks like "wrap up warm and carry on refurbing the patio furniture" this morning and then back inside for a warm lunch! As the last word typed... sun has come out through the clouds and is streaming through the window onto the desk... so perhaps looking up after all! How lucky we are in this country to have such an ever-green topic of conversation! Hope all are well!

That may well be because there are new environmental regulations likely to be in place by January 2025. These affect landing, speeds, distance from the shore and lots of other things. Most of the ships affected will be expedition ships... but some of the new regulations are likely to impact cruise ships as well.

A very "diplomatic" choice of words!

Very much agree that FOCL is attracting a more senior demographic from parts of the country that other cruise-lines seldom reach and had that "Fred" has recently been trying to encourage folk new to cruising to take the plunge. Certainly the company is bussing groups from the South-east up to Newcastle to join cruises. The problem is that FOCL have already lost passengers and potential passengers to SAGA and with SAGA's nationwide car service coming on stream next year that may well dent the take-up of FOCL cruises. The average age of UK cruisers is about 56 and the average of FOCL cruisers is about 67... virtually the same as SAGA. So FOCL seems to be falling into the nich category of appealing to canny boomers who don't want to buy into the all inclusive SAGA type package... complete with balconies etc. So that really does beg the question about where FOCL will find enough passengers to fill the upper deck and balcony cabins which are priced at about the same cost as SAGA but don't have the advantage on the included extras. There's a very long video of Peter Deer available where he discusses that rational of acquiring the two old HAL ships as offering the opportunity for FOCL to offer these upper and balcony cabins at a premium... 20% markup was mentioned... the real question for us is why pay a SAGA price to cruise on an old ship where the food, entertainment and lots of other things are just not as good as SAGA. Just comparing FOCL with P&O... we certainly know people who've migrated from P&O to FOCL and are very happy with their choice... because they feel that, although a bit more costly, FOCL's offer is a bit better. But with the help of an abacus, the back of an old envelope that looks as if the average profit per passenger per day is less that £10... that probably means that many people are cruising with Fred at less than cost price. Perhaps... FOCL should ditch the idea of running a virtual ship within a ship without providing those who are paying so much more that the basis "from fare" and aim whole heartedly for the more senior and mature P&O market of special interest cruisers and offer more unusual itinerary’s to attract them.

We had a beautiful start to the day with bright sunshine but it's all gone a bit dull now... 9˚C and a forecast for a bit of wind and some drizzle. Hope all are well.

Invitation received, appointment booked... just a 10 min. walk down the road.

It's 10˚C, wettish and very windy. Garden spiders beware... No cobweb is safe! Weather-wise it's very definitely a Sou-wester day so far! Very seriously... yellow warning... gusts of 60 km/h expected in the next hour or so and up to 40 km/h until late tomorrow... Next-door's automatic outdoor lighting has come on because it's so dark. Our South-west facing windows are flexing and creaking like an ancient ship... "All hands on the drive!" "Take down the garden parasol!" "Batten down the wheelie bins!' Hope all are well... especially the keen kite flyers.

Changing back to what they were in the days that "Fred" was sailing with over 90% occupancy.

We've visited Iceland with several different cruise-lines and several times with FOCL as well as flying up and staying independently. What we've generally found with FOCL is that the time ashore is always too uncertain and, unless its an overnight stay, too short to do the great majority of tours without fear of arriving back late and being fined by FOCL or much worse! FOCL's T&Cs are... "When in port, you are responsible for ensuring that you embark the vessel in advance of the advertised sailing times. FOCL will not delay the vessel’s departure should you fail to embark the vessel at the correct time. In such circumstances where you fail to embark the vessel prior to sailing, you will not be entitled to any refund, compensation, or contribution to or reimbursement of travel costs or expenses, and you will be liable to pay any fines, losses and/or immigration costs." As far as the trips are concerned... We've found that Snafelness Peninsula, Ice Cave, Lava Tunnel, Blue Lagoon, Flight over the Icecap, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Whale-watching from any of the North coast ports have been excellent. The Golden Circle we've found has become more and more rushed over the years and the Whale-watching trips from Reykjavík is disappointing in our view... lots of dashing about, leaping from one side of the ship to another just to miss a small splash or two half a mile away. If we could do just one trip again it would be Flight over the Icecap or the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Hope that you have a good time.

It's a beautiful day here at 9˚C quite bright and very quiet. Was up and about a copole of hours ago but didn't want to waken you all. 😇🤫 Hope everyone can make the most of such a nice day.

In the past we've found that these pesky black things have come in on kitchen herbs pots from the supermarket... and the pesky white versions have come in on the pots of mint.

W i d e a w a k e since about 6,00 am and delighted to say it's a good day here... 12˚C and bright... all's well and hope that so is everyone else.

It's a nice day today although only about 10˚C at the moment and so we're off for the day... Some people search for an eclipse... a moments darkened and then a brilliant Sun. We'll settle for a few warm rays and a bit of blue sky today. Best Wishes to all

Today the weather is fine... 12˚C and overcast... we have a Heron sky... a grey sky... not just any grey.... but a true grey-grey... the purest, unblemished, undifferentiated grey. (idea pinched from Black Adder) Keenly awaiting to find out tonight which of the Apprentice potential titans of industry and commerce with their global ambitions just about to be realised with an influx of capital... Can; 1) do sums, 2) understand accounts and 3) tell the difference between fact and fiction. (The "prize" is almost enough to put a deposit on a bed-sit in some parts of London... or alternatively buy a few dilapidated lock-up garages in the outer suburbs.) Perhaps the winner's plan is compete with the five star "Milliways Restaurant" better known as the Restaurant at the End of the Universe... Bet that some of the "business plans" are less realistic! Hope all are well

It's changing now. For 2024 cruises it's a private car up to 75 miles of the port each way or a shared chauffeur service up to 300 miles. For 2025 cruises it's up to 75 miles of the port each way or a shared chauffeur service nationwide. But we don't think that they do all of the islands.

Woke this morning to the rising sun streaming through the edges of the black-out thermal curtains, opened them to be bathed in the most wonderfully warm embrace from the dear old Sun set in a Caribbean-Blue-sky. Looking at the weather forecast on phone... 11˚C... and set to rise.... Then looked at one of the on-line Dailys... "Britain to be blitzed by 12 hours of heavy snow!" Shock! Horror! Consternation! Was London and the South East to be submerged under drifts? Should we find a shovel and leave it inside the front door so that we could tunnel out... did we have enough emergency supplies in-doors to see us through a Polar Vortex/Snow Bomb/Ice Storm situation? But then went to the Met-Office site... Happy sledging to all in the lovely village of Ballachulish on the fabled and fantastic "Road to the Isles" and we hope that the kids enjoy the snowman making competition (Folks are made of strong stuff there... a wee bit of snow is something to take in the stride!") Hope all are well... even those digging out the sledges and looking for that perfect carrot.

And replace them with new ships which can successfully operate at much more attractive priced.

That sounds a marked improvement on what was being offered a couple of years ago and we found so off-putting. Really encouraging. Will look forward to more views after you are back home.

Best wishes today... We looked out before breakfast this morning and it was cold, damp windy and very grey. So instead... We had a look at the free internet Dailys... Erhm! (The ones reminding us of Private Frazer from Dads' Army... "We're a dooomed!") Very quickly looked out of the window again... it seemed to be such a better day... pleasantly cool so no fear of being frazzled by global warming, a little light rain to delight the garden and replenish our underground aquifers and reservoirs so no need to fear a hosepipe ban, a gentle breeze creating a symphony of sound in the trees and blowing away any nasty air-pollution and a sky of unbelievably delightful mottled greys... such a fashionable relaxing and therapeutic colour. Later... Writing "best wishes this morning" took the mind off the monthly visit from our home nurse... s/he administers some rare, wonderful and truly ballistic meds that saves regular visits to the hossie...and keeps one of us totally okey dokey, tip top and just jim-dandy... (neither one of us is actually called "Jim Doky" although we both read the "Dandy" when the earth was young.) So it's with a bit of empathy that we send our very best and most sincere wishes to everyone undergoing tests and procedures... or who are waiting for results. Nobody ever promised that growing older and wiser was going to be easy... it's certainly not for softies... thank goodness for the gift of strength, resilience and patience. During a visit to hospital yesterday... when things went a bit awry... and the one of us, who was the patient, was able to remain; cool, calm, collected and tried to be supportive, the stressed clinician in charge commented that it was good to see a patient with "chakra"... and then, realising that the word in Sanskrit hadn't been understood, explained it as "the third eye." We have (what we hope is) a very respectful interest in the culture, religion and beliefs of others but always as folks who feel a bit humbled to be offered an insight. It was very touching that a hard-working and stressed NHS clinician's first thoughts were that... as folks grew older they also grew in knowledge, wisdom, perception and enlightenment. Far more profound than our own personal idea (based on having seen Danusia Iwaszko's play "The Wisdom Club" in the magnificent Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds in 2019) that as folks aged they grow in wisdom and so became members of... the Wisdom Club." We really do "Live and Learn!" Hope for us yet!

There are some excellent suggestions in this thread as a whole... you won't go wrong if you follow the Juggler's advice, and the additional details suggested by Fionboard, yorkshirephil, Dermotsgirl and Josy1953. We’ve Fjällräven jackets, parkas, coats, fleece and trousers that we've used on expedition ships and on those occasions that we've done whale watching in the middle of Arctic winter... on the half-dozen or so times that we've slept out in tepees at Arctic wilderness camps or indulged in the luxury of ice-hotels in Norway, Sweden or Alaska... these have kept us as snug as bugs in a rug on the decks on FOCL ships while watching the Northern Lights or looking out for whales and dolphins... but Josie's suggestion of a Berghaus jacket with warm thermal under-layers and preferably windproof trousers is far more affordable, far more practical and a much better choice for the summer months to and from Svalbard... it's also very wearable in less-extreme conditions nearer home. You have a goodish chance of seeing ice on the water... "Fred" was prevented from reaching Longyearbyen not too long ago because of pack-ice but unless it moves dramatically this season seems to be safe. We circumnavigated Svalbard successfully one year on an expedition ship but were blocked by ice at the same time the following year. We were some of the very lucky people who travelled on the Braemar in 2014 to 80˚N within sight of the Arctic Ice pack... we were the furthest North than any cruise ship on earth... possible further North than any cruise ship without an ice-certification had ever travelled and ,as far as we know, FOCL still holds that record. So these following pics are all from the Braemar 10 years ago... The ship... The clothing... Some of the wildlife... The landscape... The ice... And last but not least... the Arctic Ice Cap... from the decks of "Fred's" Braemar... the Midnight Sun directly ahead at due North but hidden by low cloud... sensational! Never miss an opportunity to se the "Midnight Sun" at 12.00 midnight, 0r at any time during the night... we've been on trips where there was only one fleeting glimpse and other that we basked in sunshine for days!

Good morning? Well we got up this morning and looked out of the lounge windows to the tiny garden pond... just to check that neither the pesky foxes nor the psychopathic kitties had tried to rearrange the heron net protecting our fish... (they hadn't)... We couldn't help wondering just what was hanging from the squirrel-proof bird-feeder by the pond.... it was long, straight, a dark yellow brown and one end was distinctly blunt and rounded... and it was about 6" long. (15.2 cm for the young-uns) Clearly investigation required... but then, before our very eyes, it moved... this enigma was a living thing! And then it dropped, went through the heron net... and vanished into the wilderness vegetation (that's the tough perineal weeds that we can't get rid of!) by the edge of the pond... was it a worm, was it a grass-snake... an especially thick and unpalatable noodle from a discarded Chinese take-away dropped by a disappointed carron crow this morning? No! One thing and one thing only... (if we ruled out mirages, hallucination or too much red wine last night)... we had a mature slow-worm that had followed the mouse trail though the vegetation and the dense ivy inside our double-sided fence to then slither along the bracket and down to the bird nuts! Clearly the little "ungrat" wasn't content with the rewilding of that corner of the garden including the pebble-bed designed especially for little froggies and occasional baby toadies to hid from the marauding, monster mousers, the fern-bed that is a little larder for the same said froggies and the moist shade that we created by the odd bespoke fencing thingy. So from "Gob-smacked-Couple-Surrey" this morning... 11˚C, cloudy and grey with a threat of just a little rain. Hope all are well and also find something to surprise and excite today.

How are things where we are? It's been a busy day but... the grass is cut, the heron net over the pond is taut, the old garden lights... chewed to death by our two (almost) resident foxes has been removed, the Robins have done a quick courtship dance and are re-feathering their nest, our first lunch of the year was been served on the patio,🥶 🥶 remains of the turkey leg from last night's dinner is stripped and put aside for a curry next week, menu for St George's day sorted (Ye roaste beef of ye old England... complete for what passes as Yorkshire puds here), steak and kidney made for reheating and making into a pie when we get home on Monday... a couple of rants on CC and something to share... According to the online grocery delivery company we use... we are the number 1 buyer in the whole of London this month (that's including our bit of Surrey)... to repeat... we are the number 1 buyer of... Sharwood's Butter Chicken Sauce in the entire teeming metropolis of almost 10,000,000 people! 🏆 🏆 There are four spare jars in the shed... but! Don't know whether or not to print and frame the email of just make that turkey curry! Hope everyone has had a lovely day... Oh! and a bit ½ price lamb roasting in the oven... but not in butter chicken sauce! 😂 🥵