Ardennais

And those don’t appeal to us either which is why we opted for an outside on our (we had to cancel) FO cruise before Christmas. We want a traditional balcony, nothing more, nothing less.

I think families suspend their normal eating rules on holiday and wouldn’t worry too much about junk food. Same as adults who drink far more alcohol than they would normally do at home, judging by the frequent questions here about bringing alcohol onboard etc!

I wonder whether dining patterns are different in the winter months? Personally, we like the buffet in the summer as we spend more time on the balcony and on the decks. We also like to take our meal outside the buffet to enjoy the warm evenings. Looking back, our full day, really busy port visits have been in summer too (St P, Athens, Rome etc) and by the time we return to the ship, we just like to have a casual buffet meal outdoors. In the darker months, we’re normally back on board earlier and as it can be cold outdoors, we make more use of the MDR. Another thing - we did like the afternoon tea in the MDR which mean a lighter evening meal, again in the buffet. It might therefore be the case that more passengers use the MDR in winter. Just a thought!

I’ll be on Iona next month and will the the app a go. However, Princess Medallion was very hit and miss for us last June. Some things worked, others didn’t. We had to queue several times for assistance with the app (and the queues were very long) and even the techies on the helpdesk had to ask their supervisors at times! Signal was poor in some places in the ship and non-existent in some spots.

I don’t blame you at all. It’s a shame that there are long waits and reports of mediocre food in the MDR.

I hope it works perfectly for me next month. We’ll see!

True, but there are only two of you. Different story when you’re travelling with 3 hungry teenagers as we once did! It would have been far too dear.

Yes, in an ideal world. However some passengers might not even have a smart phone, or don’t want to use one on holiday. And remember, technology doesn’t always work. There are plenty of reports of the so-called app crashing or dropping out. The world is moving on, but P&O’s technology is still way behind.

Is that a Conservatory Mini Suite? Had I booked an inside, I would be ok with that but wouldn’t be happy if this was an ‘upgrade’ from a standard balcony!

I’ve spent over 50 nights each on Ventura and Aurora and I like both of them. Aurora is a classy ship and the terraced stern is great during evening sailaways. There are/were some lovely recitals in the Playhouse during the longer cruises. It’s also adult only now which is a pro for some - I quite like seeing children around. With fewer passengers, it doesn’t get so busy in the ports, but then again, there might be other mega-ships in port the same day. That’s something I like to check when booking. However you’re likely to get off and find a shuttle quicker. Ventura is bigger and the cabins are similar. I suppose they’re both quite dated now. As I’ve said many times, Ventura in August is very different to Ventura in January. If both cruises have similar itineraries, I would probably go for Ventura if there was a considerable price difference.

I used to say something similar after a trying day in the classroom!

OMG. I honestly thought you had two gravestones outside.

Good to know. We were due to sail with FO from Liverpool on Monday, Dec 5th but had to cancel suddenly early evening Friday, Dec 2nd. I was going to phone CPS on the Saturday morning, but found that they’re not open on Saturdays. I sent them a short e-mail with the relevant details before 10am that very morning hoping that this would fall outside the 48 hr rule. They credited the booking fee, minus £15 admin, within a week.

Whatever you decide to do, you could casually walk past the original suite during your cruise and try to find out if it’s occupied!

We have only ever used CPS (apart from ABP when cruising with RCI). We’ve had to cancel two cruises in the past 6 months and they refunded the fee promptly, minus £15 admin. I would therefore urge anyone to check the cancellation terms before booking with any other company.

I’ve been with Denplan for nearly 20 years and apart from the 6 monthly check up I see the hygienist every 4 months. Well worth the premium just for that. I love going to the hygienist and consider it to be like a spa/beauty treatment. It’s a very pleasant and relaxing half hour and I feel quite refreshed afterwards.

The issue of alcohol, or the lack of alcohol, in the recent World Cup is interesting. Fans seemed to be better behaved. I read about some of the Wales supporters who said that they would normally have drowned their sorrows after the last defeat and would have been worse for wear the following day. Instead, they had a clear head, were hundreds of pounds better off and decided to spend their money on day passes at a luxury hotel to enjoy the spa facilities. Probably made for a better experience all round.

After my time at university, I went right off alcohol. I find it sad that so many people lose control so easily these days after having a few too many drinks. I don’t care what anyone says, alcohol seems to make people lose their filter, and even modest drinking loosens the tongue. How has alcohol become such a core part of people’s lives? I always think too that people generally behave better when children are around.

I can safely say that I’ve never used a shower cap in my life. Until I was about 30, I preferred baths so it wasn’t a problem in the 80s when I had big hair. Since then, my hair has been short and I wash it every time I shower, even if I shower twice a day. I don’t feel clean unless I’ve also washed my hair.

I don’t miss the small bottles anywhere, land or sea, as I prefer my own toiletries. I always used the solid soap but now take my own. I have my own facecloths too.

If, and I stress if, you had read my comments over the years, you will find that I have had fantastic cruises with P&O. Very little reason to complain about anything. I think that I’ve only visited reception twice in 15+ cruises with P&O - once regarding lost property and once regarding a poor excursion experience which was very different to the schedule advertised. Our last cruise with them was just before the pandemic - 35 brilliant nights on Ventura. We were booked for Iona last September and had to cancel due to family reasons. I was annoyed that Gerianger had been dropped - you will probably recall the discussion at the time and many passengers were rightly annoyed with P&O. I managed to change the booking and will now sail on Iona next month. The Enchanted Princess cruise was a last minute booking and yes, it was very very good. We unfortunately had to cancel another cruise early last month, again family reasons. That was with FO. I have no particular loyalty to any cruiseline, as you can see. I will give anyone a go as long as I don’t have to fly and as long as it’s in my price range. We have had fantastic cruises in Cunard, RCI, FO, Carnival, CMV, Princess and NCL too. I report based on my experience and I will do the same after my Iona cruise. We also have another cruise booked with P&O later in the year.

I am actually hoping that our Iona cruise isn’t full to be honest. I’m not that bothered about a full house aboard, but fewer people onshore in the small destinations would be good.

When we had our yellow fever jabs back in 2019, we had to travel 30 miles to the nearest provider and pay a fee. I recall that this clinic was using the NHS Scotland guidance for some reason which amused me. That’s why I still remember!

When we got married (July 31 years ago) we bought a new washing machine. End of August (same year), it made an almighty rattling sound and broke down. Had to drain the water and remove wet clothes before calling the engineer. He arrived, took a good look and removed a handful of screws and nails from the machine. He took pity on me as a new wife and said that he wouldn’t charge for the visit. Since then, my builder husband had been solely responsible for the demise of roughly a dozen machines. I gave up reminding him to empty his pockets before putting a wash on, and he’s had to pay for each new machine!

If it works, then it works! We also have separate interests and I’ll often go off with the children for a few days without my other half and even on my own sometimes. We both need our personal space and it makes for a good reunion afterwards!