jh1809

It looks like they are sending the email to everyone who has a cruise booked, as I've just had one for each of the two cruises that I have booked for 2024, though I'm lucky enough to be fully able-bodied. But of course it's not impossible that I could be in some accident between now and going on the cruise that would impact on my mobility, and it's understandable that P&O should want to be alerted in advance of the cruise should that happen. Looking at paras a) and b) of the email, they only want to be informed if you would need an evacuation chair or one-to-one assistance in the event of an emergency, so I don't think that the occasional use of a walking stick if walking long distances would require informing P&O.

Looking at the second dinner menu, not for the first time I reflected that it seems to be rather random which dishes P&O think should be suffixed with an asterisk as potentially posing a health risk. Beef seems to merit an asterisk - a hangover from "mad cow" disease days, which must be 20 years ago now? - whereas pork and chicken, which I'd have thought if undercooked are more of a risk, don't.

It's very poor for all the coaches on an excursion to leave before the time on the tickets. At least one should wait until then.

I don't think you have to be Scrooge to see that as a good thing. 🙂 There are some good Christmas songs, but an awful lot that are terrible.

That's very poor. Presumably with the cruises being that far ahead, you didn't yet have travel insurance in place that would cover it?

And all the charities I've ever donated to, plus a few that I haven't, have already started sending out their Christmas begging letters. I'll donate to a couple, but if I tried to donate a worthwhile amount to all of them, I'd be in poverty!

For 12 days, I'd agree. I've only used the ship's laundry for cruises of 19 days or more. But I'm someone who likes to travel fairly light, especially as I don't drive, so I don't like bringing too much luggage.

I wonder if P&O have brought forward putting up the Christmas decorations this year? When I was on Aurora's cruise to the Caribbean from mid-November to Mid-December last year, IIRC the decorations only went up about a week from the end o9f the cruise, so something like 7th December.

I agree. If you've paid maybe a couple of thousand pounds to go on a cruise, why begrudge spending maybe thirty or forty quid to have your washing and ironing done?

I did a search and found this on the NHS website: "Having large amounts of grapefruit or grapefruit juice can increase the concentration of amlodipine in your body and make side effects worse. If you are affected, you may have to avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking amlodipine. Tell your doctor if you have any increased side effects, such as feeling dizzy, flushing or getting headaches, after eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. Otherwise, you can eat and drink normally while taking amlodipine."

You may be on a different blood pressure medication to me then, as the amlopodine that I'm on - which I think is one of the commonest - warns against grapefruit in its leaflet. Unless I've somehow imagined it and have been denying myself grapefruit unnecessarily! Perhaps I should check again.

My experience on Arcadia in August was that it was fine in the public rooms but not great in my cabin.

There can't be too many on your cruise with high blood pressure then, as for some reason if you are on medication for that (like myself) then you are warned to avoid grapefruit. Fortunately I prefer other fruit juices anyway.

Thanks - and to the other responders. I'll search for the correct account this time.

Getting free travel insurance by opening a Nationwide FlexAccount sounded like a good idea, so I did a web search and turned up this on Nationwide's website: https://www.nationwide.co.uk/current-accounts/help/travel-insurance-flexaccount/ According to the first two paragraphs, they no longer provide travel insurance as part of their FlexAccount package.

I confess that I assumed that you were joking, and hence just added a laughing face emoji. But from your subsequent posts I see that you were serious, so sorry about the emoji.

That they aren't promoting it suggests that Head Office wanted them to trial it, but that the staff on board aren't keen and hope that the trial will be a failure.

What annoys me is that they always say "A unique service for [name of ship]" when just about every cruise ship I've ever been on has had them. There's nothing unique about it! I think the news agency that compiles Britain Today is the Press Association, as pretty much every item is tagged "PA".

And I tried it on Arcadia in August and also thought it was very good.

I believe Arcadia has Azipods too.

Have you consider ear plugs? Not ideal, but better than being kept awake by noise. I don't know if the toiletries shop would sell them.

Agreed. Having the same menu on all ships may maker for an easier life for P&O but fails to take into account that different ships attract a very different type of passenger. I'd hazard a wild guess that upwards of one-third of the passengers on Arvia and Iona might be vegetarian or vegan but more like 10% on Aurora and Arcadia. Yes, even on the latter ships you need a least one main course to cater to them, but three seems overdoing it.

No, they are very reasonably priced, but I can't remember the exact cost.

I've been tempted by the tour, but have always felt that £75 was a bit steep. If they reduced the price to say £50 I'd probably do it. But I suppose if they can get a full complement of passengers willing to do it at £75 then they've no reason to drop the price.

There's also a wider range of ports that you can dock at and - so long as some other mega-ship isn't in port at the same time - less risk that the smaller towns will be desperately overcrowded. Plus embarkation and disembarkation is more pleasant.