Snow Hill

Thus the trial P&O is conducting is not valid, it’s more about removing a barrier to cruising and too hell with the consequences.

We now know for sure that one of the delegates test positive for covid on the Sunday before the course started, trapped by a FB post on Sunday afternoon. She and the other attendees were all in the same hotel meeting room for 5 days, so it’s virtually certain that’s how it was passed on, others caught it on their return back to their homes. My wife has virtually recover, still has cough and fatigue symptoms, but on the mend, downside is my sister who in immunosuppressed has caught it, plus 2 of my grandchildren and my nephews wife. Numbers are rapidly rising and I think personally P&O have made an an error in lifting testing at this point of rising numbers, which has concerned the NHS who have announced today that overs 50s will be offered a further booster in the early autumn. I appreciate it would be difficult to track, but guests are asked to complete a health form prior to going on the cruise, why not one to be completed within 48-72 hours of return. That how testing or trials are usually conducted, you have quantifiable measurements at beginning and end, it seems to be that this trial is only measured on cases onboard a cruise up to 7 days, those who catch it on day 5 onwards are likely not to be counted.

I have enough problems these days with ordinary ties, let alone even attempting a bow tie, probably because I have worn one less than 10 times in the last 20 years or so. I have a blue pre knotted tie, however no longer have a suit to wear it with. My mother used to say black ties were for funerals, apparently got that from her grandfather who she only saw in a tie at a funeral, he never wore one otherwise.

In other words don’t care what happens to their passengers post disembarkation, as it will be someone else’s problem. Have they deliberately chosen shorter cruises in order to say dropping tests works as we had few cases, what happens on the longer cruises or those who do back to back, and they get a significant outbreak and the ship is refused docking. I know from recent experience in my wife’s case one individual with Covid on the course she was on has now caused the infection of 14 other people in just over a week.

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In order for this to be a proper test P&O need to follow up with passengers post disembarkation to see if they developed Covid in the days immediately post cruise, otherwise how will they no whether it is safe to drop test requirements altogether?

My youngest granddaughter was offered and given the vaccine via GP surgery in early May. There are 4 drop in clinics operating in my local authority area giving vaccinations to 5+ thru to 75+ , nationally according to NHS figures around 18,000 people were vaccinated last week, with either 1st, 2nd or booster doses.

She is up and about again, got her ”freedom to move” text last night, still got remnants of cough and gets tired easily, but LFT shows only a very feint pink line against the T. There were 8 people on the course plus tutor, excluding the individual who carried it, 6 of course participate have gone down with, plus the tutor, the only one not to catch it was the oldest lady on the course, aged 80. Since then, 4 of the partners have caught it, I seemed to have avoided it, testing negative again this morning. Hopefully can avoid it as have my big birthday coming up next Sunday.

I think the decision we made not to cruise until mid 2023 at the earliest could well have been the correct decision, given the missing ports, closed restaurants, reduced facilities & staff shortages. We have had 3 U.K. land based self catering holidays in the last year, that way we were in full control all the time.

On their website it says the restaurants on the Mont St Michel and Normandie are closed no mention of closure on the Bretagne. https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/ships/onboard/dining-and-bars

Translation of the Bild article, curtesy of Apple translate Hamburg - Welcome, dream ship "Aurora", for "shaving and hair cutting" (shipyard jargon for grinding, colour up)! Delivered 22 years ago by Meyer in Papenburg, the 14 decks high 270-metre ship with waterfall over three floors in the atrium, was last at Blohm + Voss in 2014 for the installation of more than 30 million Euro expensive chimney exhaust gas washing system. According to the industry platform "anbord.de", the shipping company P & O Cruises actually planned the beauty treatment dock in Belfast. Now the "Aurora" is in Dock 11 (320 m). From shipyard circles it is said that old contracts will still be fulfilled.

In midst of a Thunderstorm ⛈ at the moment, we have 2 parallel streams of water running either side of road outside house, lots of lightning flashes & cracks of thunder. My wife is much better today, she has been up and about even made a dessert this morning for our evening meal, which I am cooking. She says she is feeling hungry, has been off food for last 3 days, headache has gone & cough has eased significantly, still gets short of breath If does anything strenuous. Test still shows positive, but hopefully that will change shortly, my test was again negative. 🤞

In dry dock https://www.bild.de/regional/hamburg/hamburg-aktuell/eigentlich-dock-sperre-fuer-traumschiffe-aurora-beim-arzt-80383236.bild.html

Not just the fjords, other countries are bringing in environmental restrictions, this could lead to the demise of many of the older ships in the P&O Fleet and those of other cruise lines.

We are now having to recheck regularly the ingredients of some of the food products we purchase to ensure no wheat or barley based products have sneaked in as my wife is coeliac.

Apparently it appears they did know but kept quiet about it as they had paid for course.

Thank you, she only has the cough as a noticeable symptom and painful chest and back which is probably the result of the cough. She has probably slept about 18 hrs in the last 24. I haven’t tested myself today as yet, With high pollen difficult to determine whether Hay fever or something else. It is noticeable however 2 individuals on the course who are believed to have attended whilst positive are keeping quiet, the others are understandably angry, as all but one have now test positive.

The U.K. supported the introduction of both ETIAS and EES when they were put forward pre 2016, apparently the U.K. will have its own versions in 2025, subject to all the usual government IT caveats.

Not a good start to the week, my wife has tested positive, seems those she was with on a course last week didn’t just have hay fever like they said, as she and 3 others have all tested positive this morning. 🤬 Be careful out there.

Same here, some of the non chain restaurants are only open 4 days a week, staff shortages are the main reason. One of our favourite pub restaurants has removed some items from the menu and its specials list is much reduced, combination of staff shortages and supplier issues. I read last week in a trade publication that there are a record 174,000 vacancies in the hospitality industry. P&O need to start making it clear to their customers that there maybe times when some of the speciality restaurants may not be available and not leave it until they board the ship to find out. Sindhu is always the restaurant we eat at on the first night of most cruises, we love the food they do and would eat there almost every night if we could, if it wasn’t open it would put a downer on the cruise.

Not surprising given that land based restaurants are also have supply chain and staffing problems, P&O are not immune from this disruption which is expected to last for sometime yet.

Yes, taking of Biometric data including fingerprints, should eventually do away with passport stamps and will automatically keep a track of the 90 days in 180 days rule.

Prior to that there is the EU EES System (Entry Exit System) due to go live In November at airports and seaports.

The house was left to the City of Paris upon the death of Victor Hugo, the house is operated by the Paris Museums and guides are employed by them. The guide we had said the house is effectively a little bit of France in Guernsey. If you fancy a seasonal job this link gives the qualifications needed. https://www.maisonsvictorhugo.paris.fr/en/professionals/seasonal-guides-hauteville-house-guernesey

It’s an amazing place we went there on our short cruise to Guernsey a few years ago. If I remember correctly the guides are always of French nationality.