eddie11

‘Tis Ventura 

Current

fwiw I think the menus and portion sizes have improved.  I thought the amounts of food at each course used to be excessive; it feels better to me now.  Still not my favourite type of food but nice for a change and if other people love it then good for them.  I always say the choices in all things - food, entertainment, etc - on cruises makes it possible to tailor to suit the individual

The whatsinport and cruisemapper websites give the actual anticipated port times.

Just as an aside.  We are onboard now and note that Horizon and the captain’s announcements no longer say, eg, all on board @ 5.30; sail at 6 but now say departure at 6; all on board in good time.

I wonder if that actually helps get the stragglers back?  Something about the psychology of imposing deadlines?  Minor point but it got us wondering

Just to confirm, the menus change on a 3/4 day basis.  There will probably be a “stall” in the atrium as you embark and for the whole of embarkation day.  Staff there will take bookings and will be able to tell you which menu will be on each night, plus they will know the formal nights’ schedule too.

If you miss out then you can phone the booking line, watch out for Sindhu/Epicurean staff going round the ship with a clipboard, or call in to Sindhu whenever it’s open

There are lots & lots of articles & learned papers on gut biome and aspects of health.  Here’s a fairly comprehensive one

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-microbiome-and-health

I don’t think probiotics will harm us and hopefully might protect us.  

Also Vick’s First Defence, snuffled up the nose at first hint of sniff or tight throat.  Again, don’t think it will harm; may do good

We’re trying probiotics, hoping to boost our immune systems.

Started 1 week before the festive period and the arrival of grandchildren, bearing who-knows-what bugs from elsewhere in the country.  Appear to have escaped colds etc from them.  Are hoping taking the probiotics well into our long New Year cruise will keep those bugs at bay as well

Watch this space ...

Oh no 😳 

Now I’m wracked with guilt ... 🙄

No you can’t, terrierjohn  - passport details are pre-filled, via your completed CP, presumably

I think the Azura/Ventura cabin layout is very practical, with that large open wardrobe/hanging space/dressing area.  I wish the lighting was a little better there, so I don’t have to scrabble for black shoes which have migrated to the shadows

OK

I guess my beef is with P&O really - their system is telling me something which is patently untrue and is unable to cope with circumstances as they exist

I suspect that there may be more pax with ‘overlong’ passport validity than those with less than 10 years, at the moment.  (The ratio will change, over time, of course)  Therefore online check in is not the great benefit which it should/could be

Afaik it’s not across the board yet.

We had an invitation on Friday, one week before our 3 January boarding but were  unable to complete the process because our passports have 10yrs 9 months validity and, according to the error message from P&O, passports cannot be valid for more than 10 years.  (This,  despite the fact that the passport info fields were already infilled from CP info 🙄). Ho hum

So - no photos?  When you “blip” in and out at the gangway the security personnel don’t have any means of knowing the cruise card actually belongs to you?
 

Oh - enjoy that cocktail; have a great cruise and for goodness sake look after Ventura.  We’re on after you

I’ve done a search & answered my own questions.  Here’s a link in case anyone else is interested.  
Now, back to Iona ...

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/gbr/en/crown-anchor-society

How do you reach Diamond?  How many nights?  Is that the top level?  Sounds good - but possibly costly

What other perks?

Almost sounds like we need a loyalty benefits across cruise lines thread but ...

It looks simple enough but it didn’t work for me.

All it asks is a re-type of your passport number and entering your CC details.

Everything else in Part 1 is prefilled, so it has your name & passport details.

Sadly it was unhappy with my passport lifetime (March one year - December 10+ years later) and flashed up a message that it was not possible to have a passport valid for 10 years 9 months.  🙄. That is probably the case with passports issued very recently, when the Govt, in its wisdom, decided that 10 years was the maximum lifetime.  However, my passport is perfectly valid and has the now forbidden extra months, so I will just have to join the check-in queue.

Didnt have to do anything with a photo, so I think it might be like MSC, where you go onboard with your boarding pass & get snapped by security staff, who are lurking in the atrium with hand held devices.

Good luck to others.  I’m sure it will be simple as long as your passport conforms 

Thanks to all for birthday wishes

Grapau - continue your good recovery - Happy New Year & a happy return to cruising very shortly

Marella to The Amazon sounds good to me!  Enjoy!

Belated birthday wishes to you 🎉 

Yes, aggravating - but different I suppose.  I have finally decided that I will now keep 25 Dec for official purposes but otherwise chose a day in mid-summer to have, and celebrate, a half birthday 

Same good wishes from me

We also have wall the wall blue sky and sun.  Hurrah!

It’s my birthday too 

🎶 Happy Birthday to me 🙂

Odd how threads veer off course & take on a life of their own, isn’t it?  I think perhaps we should all sit down with a pre-festivity sherry and just leave it there.  The facts as far as we know them are that Ventura is currently in lumpy seas and that some lifts are out of service.  That’s it.  
There have been no announcements from P&O about any proposed changes.  One or two of us have been musing about how the current lifts might be operated more efficiently, to help everyone who needs and wants to use them, whenever they need or want to use them.  I don’t suppose the company scans these boards for ideas as to how to run the business, so I don’t anticipate them introducing anything written here ... if they do, it will be purely coincidental 

Nothing to see here.

Merry Christmas everyone

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

By reserving a lift for scooters wheelchairs buggies etc you are discriminating against those with invisible disabilities. 

 

Like Andy we have faced abuse in P&O lifts ( never had the problem anywhere else ), I very rarely use lifts but my husband has serious health issues so although he looks fit and well he often has to use the lift and depending how I ill he feels I may have to go in the lift with him.  Would you suggest those people with hidden problems collapse and possibly die trying to climb stairs.

 

 

 

Did I say that?  Please don’t put words in my mouth
 

I’m suggesting (though I’m not an expert on ‘flow’ and would hope P&O might have,  or could find and contract, experts) that reserving one lift for people dependent on wheels would mean the other lifts might move more efficiently?  Then everyone, 100% fit but reluctant to undertake a 10 deck climb, or with serious but invisible health and mobility issues, could be accommodated, as and when needed. 
 

The fact that this appears to be moving to a contentious topic tends to suggest that all might not be well wrt lifts on P&O vessels

empty post - apologies

Any reason given?

Or rumours doing the rounds?

Poor Ventura doesn’t seem to be having a lot of luck lately

A major fault with the design of the whole fleet, it seems, is the lack of lifts.

P&O could help with simple changes in labelling and with a brief pep talk, perhaps at muster, on lift function and etiquette.  How many times, per cruise, do you see people pressing up and down and simply getting into the first lift to arrive?  Goodness knows how much that reduces capacity and efficiency.  I have even heard a story of someone pressing down, when they wanted to go up, with the logic that “down” would bring the lift down to them, so they could start their journey!

My suggestion would be that one lift in each bank should be exclusively for those relying on wheels - scooter, wheelchair, baby buggy or walker.  They should obviously get priority.  I also think officers should marshall lifts on leaving day, to allow pax free movement up & down to get their breakfast and to allow everyone to move their remaining luggage

Of course we should all use the stairs where possible, for all sorts of reasons, including our own health,  but even the fittest find the climb from 5 to 15 etc on the larger ships a bit of a strain and ladies in long dresses and high heels don’t enjoy stairs either

Paul Ludlow?

Big boss of P&O - don’t know his exact job title

paul.ludlow@carnivalukgroup.com

Someone in his office will, hopefully, help you out

This is another of those issues where people’s individual attitudes vary.  Neither is right or wrong - it is what is right for you that counts.
 

Getting currency on board is undoubtedly more expensive than shopping around on land, either before you or at ports of call.  
Arranging before travel, or seeking out, exchanges on land, take more effort and might not be simple in many destinations

You’re on a holiday which you’ve paid ££££s for.  If you’re only seeking to get ‘pocket change’ the extra cost of using the on board exchange has to be balanced against convenience.  Personal choice.  Not a big deal, imo, but some people feel strongly about spending an additional fiver.

All the above is based on small amounts of currency for beer & coffee, not the bulk of holiday spend.  Anyway, we find almost all our purchases now go on plastic - and of course ‘which plastic’ is another question, for another time.