exlondoner

I thought you were an 18” high bear, who would enhance any photo.

Are you sure they didn’t mistake you for someone else? 🙂

But in mealtimes you can dine off the Grills menus. I speak from bitter experience.

Are aficionados on board able to see anything of the Ashes?

I am pleased to hear it is only QV that is so grotty. There are websites like Vesselfinder that tell you what passing ships are, probably someone in the Purser’s uses it too. 🙂

I’m not sure anyone appearing at 20.58 will get or deserve the full experience in any of the restaurants, though I’ve certainly seen people do it in the QG. They were apparently still on California time. 🙂

Use the Vesselfinder website or similar to find out what all the other ships you encounter are. The Concierge sent me down a batch of crosswords (and a Cunard pen), which was very sweet of her. But having to stay inside is the thing. It has further liberalised my views on penal policy. 🙂

For dealing with any hassles that occur, use a TA who knows about cruising.

Well, all I can say is thank goodness the models don’t look like me, and I’m sure most fellow passengers would agree.

Oh, that is so miserable for you. I should try and get out a bit, because it means your husband can hear about the things he is missing from you. I was agog to hear what was going on on the other side of the ship, but rarely got a response more than ‘nothing really’! Otherwise, dine on your sheltered balcony when you can. With luck it won’t be fifteen days, but you have my sympathies.

Better still, being in QG, though the kindness of our butler, we got our free bar resupplied with wine whenever necessary. He would have brought gin too, but we didn’t need it.

No medical costs, but compensation for isolation specifically mentioned, as Cunard suggests. Not the whole day’s fare, but something. I could have paid more and got higher compensation.

I know we are spoilt for cathedrals, but Winchester, aesthetically, wouldn’t be in my top ten. Salisbury, for instance, is in a different class. However, Winchester is very convenient for Southampton, and a comparatively restful day trip. Windsor, I would say, was too far.

It’s nice for the little lifeboats to have a runaround - preferably without passengers.

Yes, I remember the shock of learning about the sandwiches, which I have still failed to encounter. Doesn’t look as if I’m going to now. Actually, I don’t think Covid will wash, because I seem to remember ice cream on a cruise last year.

Even if you are off at 7 (which wouldn’t be particularly helpful, as you would coincide with the London rush hour) it would be a terrible scramble, you wouldn’t see much, and would spend an anxious afternoon hoping you weren’t going to miss the ship. Although London is the fairest of cities all (William Dunbar), I’m really not sure it would be worth it.

Tricky, isn’t it? Nowhere is it written down what service one might expect on the Grills Terrace. I only discovered about the ice cream one afternoon when I happened to be there at the right time. Now I have an old brochure for QE2, which, I think, promises bouillon on the open decks at 11 am - which incidentally I never saw. But it is hard to complain about the lack of something that doesn’t seem to be promised. I suppose all one can do is ask why it has changed, and, if they say Covid, snort with derisive laughter.

They did in last July. Now, you have to claim from insurance.

How did it go?

Yes, it is. Someone came and tested me very promptly. I don’t think there were many cases. Grrr.

Well, isn't that a piece of good luck.

I don’t think so. I said you might be saintly, not that you are adorable, as the bear is. Sorry.

Which ship are you on? I was on QV, which doesn’t have sheltered balconies.

It may not be Covid of course. I thought I had a cold initially, though I did feel quite grim the next two days. Fingers crossed.

I tested positive on Sunday 28 after embarking on Thursday 25. I don’t know whether I unknowingly boarded with it, or picked it up in the very crowded terminal. I was told to quarantine in our cabin (luckily a Q4) until the following Saturday. My husband was allowed to remain with me, and allowed to do whatever he wanted, on or off the ship, except eat and drink in the bars and restaurants. I’m not sure about the logic of this. He did Covid tests for six days. When they were all negative, he was liberated to use the restaurants, so that was just before me. We were very kindly treated, our butler in particular was brilliant, but nonetheless, it was not terribly enjoyable.