Bartswife

flew from Brum on 1st Jan. Go to zone A for test, wait for result to come through via email (Wi-Fi was awful, had to go back and request  a printout of mine, husbands came through ok). Check in zone B down the corridor. Snaking queues. Through to departures to be mixing with everyone else (do all people flying have to have tests???).  We had all had PCR in the days before departure, LFT at the airport before boarding. Covid was onboard by day 5 as a previous poster has indicated by the fact she and her husband were put into isolation.  We got there at just gone 5 for a 10.15 departure. Would rather be there and hanging about than feeling rushed. As it happens the time flew by. By the time we had queued up for the test and waited for the result, checked in (which took forever) and gone through security it was 8am before we were having breakfast and by the time we had eaten and nipped in Boots for toiletries we were heading to the gate for boarding. Chaos coming back from Barbados last Saturday, the world and his wife was trying to get through the same gate (Brum late, Manchester flight started to queue in same area) it’s a wonder we haven’t gone down with something. Thank goodness we won’t be doing it again, I’m done with long haul flights.

7 hours ago, Castle25 said:

Any update from any cruisers who went out from gatwick at the weekend?  where is the ltf test taken?

 

I have read on other forums that you have to take a bus from the terminal to a testing centre quite a distance away. We are flying from a different airport whose details haven’t been given out anywhere I can find and when I contacted P&O I was told I would be notified with detailed instructions in due course.

Ollienbertsmum - no it HAS to be a cruise😂. I did look at doing something like that but decided a cruise is preferable for our circumstances.

It’s a long story. Short version is our son wants to visit Athens but I don’t fancy a holiday there so have talked him into a cruise that incorporates a visit there. We aren’t tied to school holidays so just waiting to see what’s available in 2021. We already have the Caribbean booked for next year and have a week booked in Tenerife next month. He has special needs so has to come on holiday with us so we try to work together to make holidays enjoyable for all of us.

Thankyou. I will pick springtime then, will come around sooner😂

Anyone who has done one would you recommend going in Spring or Autumn?

We cancelled a couple of our trips very easily on the personaliser and the refund was back on our credit card within a few days. No problem.

I believe Cosol was killed recently. Don’t know whether or not his tours continue.

 

 

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Yes they are. We are provisionally booked in for March 2020!!!! I know it's a long way ahead but so many people recommend them I was worried about not being able to get a booking, pay on return to the ship, quoted $75 for the day.

Being a hospital domestic I've cleaned a few rooms in my time with norovirus, CDiff and MRSA, swine flu and all the other infections that make headlines in the news. Our infection control tell us to use a bleach solution and in the case of swine flu when it was considered a killer top to toe protective clothing. It does concern me when you see visitors come and go without basic hand hygiene or wearing protective clothing, sometimes when you mention this to visitors you get a tut or some excuse that they don't need to:o. I've had norovirus once in my early days of working when my immunity was low and I caught a few things in the first few months, I've never felt so ill. My children were young so husband had to have time off work to look after them. I was in bed four days and barely managed to have the energy to get to the bathroom. I dread falling ill on the ship and losing my holiday, I will be taking plenty of precautions but certainly not to the extent of worrying about the drawers. I too think the OP is having fun with us as one or two things said doesn't add up if you've read all the comments. I'm off to find the other thread about the swimming!!!

Worn, but too clean for laundry, clothes are left out on a chair or other suitable place, to be worn next time

But then you have a messy room and one that is not easy to keep clean;p

my son sticks all his once worn clothes in the wash, I do the sniff test and a lot of it goes back in the wardrobe. He showers, puts on a fresh tee shirt and sits in his room for a couple of hours, you can't tell me that needs a wash! And anyway since I'm doing the work I will decide what needs me to wash and iron it. We both work in a hospital and come into contact with viruses all the time, I can't remember the last time I had to have any time off sick. You'd be surprised at some peoples habits, I could write a book:eek:

The longest I've worn nightwear is for two weeks without changing:)

 

PS this thread is such fun!

Ooooo you mucky devil!!!!;p:')

I'm sure the cabin stewards are not in the slightest bit bothered whether people sleep commando or not. I've noticed a few of my neighbours don't put their underwear on the line to dry I assume they like privacy not that they don't wear any!!! I put all mine out for all to see, I'm not bothered.

Bearing in mind how many people have occupied the cabins before you there will be likely germs in more places than a drawer. I tuck my nightwear away in a drawer don't want anyone I don't know touching it! I do like to think I consider other people in my day to day life but one can take things too far. If it make you feel more settled to blitz the cabin with anti bac wipes then go for it, I will be taking some for using in the bathroom as I am OCD about that. Working on NHS wards I'm sure I come in contact with numerous bugs and viruses and I'm still standing.:D

How do you order breakfast in your cabin? Leave a menu out, ring up or ask your room steward? Quite fancy the idea of doing that on days we have excursions booked. Do they take long to be delivered?

I would consider anyone who isn’t in the room at the time specified to be late. Eg If it’s due to start at 4.00, you should be in your seat ready to start at that time. By the way, the rooms may be overcrowded but certainly not stuffy due to air conditioning.

Ah ok, just an earlier post said their mum almost blacked out in the stuffy room.

While I understand what you are saying if you want a seat you will need to be there early or on time. However there are those who think any time they like to drop by is the time muster should be. Now that cruise cards are swiped staff wait for stragglers for a while which is darn annoying.

I don't need a seat so will leave those for people who really do. If it's acceptable to arrive couple of minutes before the given time then that's what we will do. im usually a person who arrives anywhere excessively early but don't fancy the stuffy room:o

Thankyou

Another newbie here. What do you consider latecomers. Those who arrive at muster at the last minute or those deliberately go over the time told to meet. Sure I'm not alone in hating stuffy overcrowded rooms so would like to go as late as possible without inconveniencing others.

We had a weeks holiday in Sorrento last year and visited Herculaneum, although it's a smaller site than Pompeii it still took us all day. It really is spectacular with Vesuvius in the background, I really would recommend it, we also took a private tour (not sure if I'm allowed to post names) of the Amalfi coast and I know the guy that took us out does cruise ship tourists (he did one the day before us) and from reviews he is very, very helpful and works with you to get the tour you want and not just one he is offering, we found him excellent.

Boarding times are based on which deck you are on, not when you booked or how many Cruises you have done (unless in top loyalty tiers).

 

I don’t know where you are travelling from but we are a couple of hours from Southampton and always travel on the day with no issues. Ironically, those who travel on a Friday for a Saturday departure will usually have a much more time consuming journey than had they left it to the (weekend) day of the cruise.

we are on deck D and we are travelling from the East Midlands. We sail on a Sunday. We always like to add the night before if we can. Even when we have flown from Manchester we have a night in an airport hotel. Adds to the excitement. We haven't done it when flying from Midlands airports though.

We have booked the Blue Keys hotel and travelling down the day before. There have been too many occasions lately when motorways have been closed completely for hours and even leaving home early on the day would still be too much of a risk for me. This will be our first cruise and I expect we will be last to be boarded so from being checked out of the hotel to boarding will seem a long day. Still, be able to explore a bit of Southampton. It's been booked nearly a year and now only 5 months to go.

Viewing the location of B711, I don't think you would be bothered by passengers awaiting the lifts as you are behind the shaft. As to the sounds of the lift themselves, you are nowhere near the mechanics and therefore it would only be the sound of doors opening and closing which is negligible. With most lift trips we wonder at times if our fellow passengers are even breathing. Whenever we book we try to be as near the lifts as possible.

Thanks so much for that information. I spoke to my husband when he got home from work and he said he's happy to stick with the cabin allocation, and on a positive note will only have to worry about neighbours on one side:)

We pre registered direct with P&O. I have done a quick search to find people have said they have never been bothered by being near lifts but this cabin is right next to it. I just wondered if you would hear the mechanics of the lifts working as I think whichever cabin you are in you get disturbed by inconsiderate people walking by.

pre registered for Caribbean 2020 and just had confirmation come through with cabin on B deck number 711 right next to lift. Any thoughts! Is it a really poor allocation?

Hi Jo, we booked our first Britannia cruise (in fact first ever cruise) in June last year for October this year:o

Been so excited about it and found your videos on YouTube ages ago, have watched numerous times and even have made our families watch them to show them what we will be sailing on. Thanksfor doing such a great job with them, have a fantastic transatlantic cruise.

According to the information I had looked at I was expecting the excursions to be bookable 12 weeks out, have looked at my cruise personaliser for our Britannia cruise leaving 30th September and all our excursions are up (and we have now booked what we wanted to). Really wasn't expecting to be doing that tonight!!!