Joy R

I saw in today’s paper that mainland Portugal have relaxed their rules for fully vaccinated visitors.  So far Cunard haven’t updated their information about this.  We’ll just have to wait and see!

Agreed.  I’ve been to Lisbon a couple of times, and what I’d want to do there is wander around, shop a bit, have a nice lunch at one of their outdoor cafes, not go on an expensive ship’s excursion.  So if necessary I will stay on the ship and sunbathe!

I think it’s too early to know what to do.  We’re cruising on 18th October, and we’re waiting for Government guidelines to be issued, hopefully tomorrow. I’m reluctant to order and pay for a PCR test when it may well be unnecessary.  Cunard keep sending emails and hopefully they will update their advice as the rules become clearer.

I’m now getting worried, as I’m booked on this cruise, together with some friends. I wonder how many people are getting “bumped off”, and how they choose who should be affected?

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

You must be in the cargo hotel their by the terminal?

Which hotel?  We are (hopefully)  cruising on the QE in the  October and are wondering which hotel to stay in the night before.

My friends suggested that I go on the same cruise as them.  It’s the first cruise I’ve taken since being on my own, and I really appreciate their idea, but although we’ve agreed that we’ll have dinner together I’m very aware that I don’t want to intrude on them as a couple all the time.  In the past I’ve always cruised as a couple, and this will be difficult, especially on port days.  I don’t want to do ships excursions, as they are always very expensive and too regimented,  but going off the ship on one’s own……

Any tips for someone in my situation?

I gather that for social distancing reasons, the ship won’t be fully occupied, so the travel agent doesn’t have to sell the entire ship.  I’m just hoping that all will go well and the cruise won’t have to be cancelled-.  Just wonder what the rules will be for going ashore?

In which case (and as this thread is about embarkation experiences), I'm curious to know about your experience. Did you turn up three and a half hours before your boarding time and board 'just over an hour later' - in other words immediately after the priority boarders and some two and a half hours before your allocated time - as BMT did?

 

The reason I ask is because if my disabled wife and I have the same experience on our forthcoming cruise (when we are not eligible for priority boarding) then I shall be writing to P&O to compliment them and shall share my positive experience on here.

 

 

 

In answer to your question: we had an embarkation time of 3.30, like BMT. We arrived shortly after 2 (we too had to negotiate the M25 etc and had allowed ourselves plenty of time), walked straight in, were given a card and called very shortly afterwards. Straight to a very speedy and courteous check-in and arrived at our cabin before 3 with our cases already outside. We couldn't fault the process, but we are not disabled and therefore can't really compare experiences. We also have no priority status whatsoever.

 

As I said, we did meet BMT and her mother. The former is, as she herself says, a very feisty lady who stands up for what she perceives as her and her mother's rights. The old lady is remarkable for her age, walked round the ship with a small rollator frame but is obviously quite frail, and her daughter appears to be a devoted carer. I wouldn't like to cross her!

 

By the way, we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, and agree with most of BMT's general comments. The food in the MDR was good (we had select dining), the service generally was excellent and the entertainment very good. The buffet was not good at all, and we only used it a couple of times for lunch and for breakfast on the last day

I have been following this thread, and was on the same cruise as BMT and her mother, and met them. So I can confirm that they are real!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Ours broke his hand about halfway through our cruise. Before that we had seen him regularly, and he was superb, so when suddenly he wasn't there we asked one of the other stewards - and later we met him in one of the ports. We did want to give him an extra tip, so we handed an envelope in at the desk on our last day, and were promised that it would be passed to housekeeping for him. I hope he received it, as he had told us that he wouldn't be able to work for several weeks.

We are on Ventura now. We've not had great weather the whole cruise, but it's still a good cruise.

We did miss Lisbon yesterday as the Captain decided that it was too rough to attempt to dock there. We've had quite a moderate swell for the past couple of days ( I like it!) and the ship is rocking! Mind you, we are in the Bay of Biscay! Apparently the forecast is for it to improve gradually.

As we had an unscheduled sea day yesterday they put together a hurried programme, but formal night hasn't been changed. It's tonight. As we were rushing to beat the depressions we were going to be about 24 hours ahead of schedule, so they arranged for a port day tomorrow in Cherbourg. Personally I think that's a poor substitute for Lisbon! But the teams on board are juggling with programmes and everyone is very good-tempered about it all. There's nothing anyone can do about the weather.

And by the way, I haven't noticed many people missing from the dining room. We're all just lurching around a bit, and the dancers in the show last night ditched their high heels for more practical footwear!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My very first cruise was the partial transit on the Coral Princess. We had Anytime Dining, met up with people with whom we dined every night, and had a wonderful cruise. Didn't matter at all that we were first-time cruisers. She's a lovely ship and there were no problems. Enjoy!

I disagree. We always sit opposite each other when eating in the buffet, even at a table for four. It's easier to talk to each other that way, but we have no objection at all to others joining us, and conversing with us.

We've done a few cruises to the Caribbean in early to mid December, and found them great value. I have been told that after the New Year it is high season, also a lot of the cruise lines start their world cruises then, so there are fewer to choose from.

We really enjoyed getting away from the UK during the build-up to Christmas, when the traffic is awful, it is dark and rainy and the shops are a nightmare! You get a great atmosphere on the ships, with the holiday season coming up. And the weather in the Caribbean is usually hot and sunny, although you might get the odd downpour.

I'd say, go for it!

My iPad started off with the new format, I managed to change it back to the old one, but next time I opened the site it had gone back to the new one. I changed it again, and now it always (for the moment!) defaults to the old one, which is my choice. I don't know how long we'll be able to stay with the old one - I suspect that it will soon be defunct.

Just watched Appletree, and I agree about the massage. I hadn't thought of that!

We bought our bathrobes online and they were in the cabin on our arrival

for our TA cruise on the Azura .

They are light weight, so we will pack them when we fly out this time .

Also would say they are decent quality for the price you pay for them .

 

Go to ... Ship souvenirs (bottom right hand corner of page )

 

P&O Cruises Soft Fluffy Bathrobe – £19.99 or 2 for £29.99

(One size - Length 47”, Chest 27”, Shoulder: 20”)

How did you manage to buy them online? I've looked on the personaliser, where it says that you have to phone P & O (at a premium rate!) to order anything.

Well, I have no intention of dragging bathrobes backwards and forwards!! I have to cope with a suitcase of meds, pads etc. etc. before we even start!! Can't take evening dresses etc. so not even considering taking bathrobes.

 

Will just have to let room service in with a towel wrapped round me - depends upon who it is, as to whether the towel slips!!

 

Not interested in slippers - got drawers full of these - someone let Pando know its not a big deal anymore!!

 

Wouldn't mind if it was my choice to have a basic balcony - most ships balconies have a walk-in shower!!

Sorry, your post slipped in just before mine thanking Kalos.

Don't you have something like a beach cover-up that would do for when you're having room service?

Thank you so much for doing this! At that rate they should be fine - although neither of is is sylph-like, we're not Humpty Dumpty either.... I think I'll risk it. It would be nice to have them waiting in our cabin, there's enough to do when embarking without going shopping on the first day!

The measurements are said to be " chest 27 inches". How can that be? If correct, would fit a child! Should we risk it and order online?

Glad to hear this. We have booked them for our upcoming cruise!

We've been on several cruises with different lines, have always had bath robes supplied, and I was quite miffed to learn that P & O, which after all is supposed to be a "quality" line, on a par with Princess, say, doesn't offer them (apart from in deluxe cabins). We too like to go out on the balcony first thing in the morning, and on our upcoming cruise on Ventura have a C deck cabin, where I gather that a good part of the balcony is overlooked.

I gather that you can buy them, at a reasonable cost, and we are prepared to do this, provided they are OK. The measurements given on the Cruise Personaliser seem rather small. We aren't huge, but would like them to meet round the middle - or what's the point of them? Can anyone comment on the size?

What is annoying is that this time there won't be a problem taking them home, as we're driving to Southampton, but if in the future we do another P & O cruise, flying, what do we do about robes then? They take up a lot of room and weight in a suitcase.

We booked a cruise (Select Fare) just 2 weeks ago, and I was considering altering the cabin choice. I noticed that the Select price has increased by exactly £1,000! I thought I was imagining it, but I checked my invoice and yes, it was £1000 more to book the same cabin/cruise yesterday than it was 2 weeks earlier. :( Decided to leave well alone.

Same here. We booked our February cruise at the end of December. The price is now over £1000 more each, with the sane obc. We're happy!

Surely it's unfair to say that Ventura's off the list. Unfortunately it could happen on almost any ship (we're on Ventura next month.....)

Just a thought - try substituting a 3 for the 8 in the 0843 number (i.e 0343). This sometimes works and gets you a standard price call.