funinhounslow

Just arrived at Lisbon. Seemed we avoided the worst of the storm. There was a bit of pitching and rolling but we’ve certainly had rougher crossings over the Bay. 

From the horse’s mouth...

On 11/27/2019 at 3:33 PM, Barnum42 said:

Can't say I'm in a hurry to go to Cunard again. We sailed on Queen Victoria last year, expecting a notch up from P&O. Quite a disappointment. Main Dining Room was no better, in fact the lobster was not a patch on P&O, plus they don't have the list of standbys on the menu if there is nothing to tickle your fancy of an evening. The buffet was better (but that's no saying much), the service at the afternoon tea appalling and the Headliners company an embarrassment. Over all, not worth the extra expense (though I had snagged a bargain that was not too much more than the P&O equivalent)

 

Have to agree with this assessment. 
 

I have found the on board speakers better on Cunard but in every other area I prefer P&O. 
 

As you say better food and more choice in the MDR. Far better headliners shows too. 
 

A more reasonable dress code (I don’t want to wear a jacket on holiday!) and fairly priced drinks for those that indulge nudges the balance towards P&O for me. 
 

Cunard’s decor and atmosphere is more traditional and perhaps elegant but the novelty of this wears off for me after a couple of days...

19 hours ago, eddie11 said:

Last time a 3 man ‘Jersey Boys-alike’ Boom Boys or something like that?  Very good

Runaround Boys maybe? If so, agreed they are excellent...

Basic strategy in a nutshell. If you have 12 or above and the dealer has 2-6 then stand. Otherwise take a card and stop at 17. Always split 8s and aces and always hit soft 17 (ace and 6).

Double your bet if you have 9-11 against a dealer 2-6. 
 

 One exception to the above is you should hit 12 vs a dealer 2 or 3 as well. 
 

Your money will last longer if you can stick to the above...

1 hour ago, Son of Anarchy said:

 

My Omega Speedmaster Professional makes me look like Neil Armstrong.

Must get a Tag Heuer Monaco - Then I will look like Steve McQueen!

Coolest watch ever 😎 NASA get them for the special price of $1 each. Really!

24 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Very true but surely you are not suggesting that opposite views should be banned, that would amount to censorship, which I believe is the reserve of the moderators.

No of course not. Just saying I wouldn’t wade into the drink package forum and tell the people there they were wasting their money, and suggest brandy drinkers look like “pimps” and “gangsters”. That’s all... x

10 hours ago, Thejuggler said:

Three things you never buy new,  cars, cameras and watches.

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

Can't understand why you want to buy an expensive watch on board-

8 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Never really understood the desire to buy expensive watches, 

As a non-drinker I struggle to see the value in a £40/day drinks package but it would be pretty odd if I went onto the "drinks packages and prices" thread and said that wouldn't it?

We're all different and like spending our money on different things...

If you're going to the Canaries I'm pretty sure the prices quoted in the watch shop will be duty free. And if you are in the Peninsular Club you'll get that discount too.

But it should be possible to get close to this price in the UK - with a bit of a haggle you should be able to get a decent discount at a high street jeweller. 

Congratulations on your choice btw - I bought a Hydroconquest a few years ago and it is a wonderful watch. The new ones with the ceramic bezels can't be beat at their price imo.

On 11/6/2019 at 1:55 AM, Canuker said:

Reminds me of my first (and last) cruise with P&O UK (who markets almost exclusively to UK customers).
A lady on board made it abundantly clear one day that she would never ever sail with Cunard.

"Why not?' I asked.

"Because everything's in dollars!!"

This attitude is increasingly common with the £:$ exchange rate the way it is, plus the 3% that many UK credit cards add to foreign currency transactions. My parents did a round the UK trip on Cunard last year and commented on the difference this made compared to previous cruises when the exchange rate was more in our favour - we were getting $1.60 not so long ago...

(Not related, but factor in Cunard's 15% "service charge" as against P&O's 5% - 7.5% Peninsular Club discount and it adds up to a significant difference in the price of a drink.)

With many people booking cruises many months in advance, paying in £ (as you note P&O is squarely aimed at the UK market) does provide some certainly over costs.

Very fair prices IMO that seem to make the drinks packages unnecessary 

On 10/27/2019 at 2:01 PM, PORT ROYAL said:

 

For us it works, as the shares were paid for in less than 4 years with benefits.

Over the past 5 years we have had returned in excess of $4000.00 OBC per year, plus $100.00 per year in dividends.  

Since buying the shares the total ROI is well over $30,000.00 (OBC and Shareholder)

Plus one can liquidate shares above the price we paid.

Think the Carnival shares have been, and still are, a good investment.

 

 That is certainly an interesting way to look at a share that has lost 40% over the past couple of years...

6 minutes ago, BrianI said:

See the fact sheet referenced in my post #50 where 4 of 5 brokers forecast Carnival as a strong buy. This is based on fundamentals not including OBC. 

 

Is that the "fact sheet" from Hargreaves Lansdown who were also championing Woodford Patient Capital recently?

7 minutes ago, BrianI said:

The dividend on 100 shares is currently $200 per year which is around £160 at the current exchange rate. So you would get a total return of £310 which is around 8% on an investment of £3500. Where else can you get such a return. I agree that it is not worthwhile buying the shares if you only intend to do one cruise only but if you intend to do several in future, then it is a good investment.

If you cruise with a dollar based ship, such as Cunard or Princess, then you get $250 on a two week cruise. This is worth about £196 at current exchange rates.

 

Brian

Your figures are skewed because you are ignoring the significant cost of the two week cruise you need to purchase to get that "free" £150.

And when planning future holidays are you more inclined to book a Carnival cruise because of the "free" OBC rather than do something else?

When purchasing shares its usually a good idea to do a bit of research about the company you're considering buying. There is a lot of material about Carnival - can you find one that recommends they are currently a good buy in light of the OBC perk?

But my main point is this - if you purchased a two week cruise and the price changed  (up or down) by £150 the day after booking would you be remotely bothered? 

1 minute ago, Harry Peterson said:

You’re right but you’ll never convince the diehards that buying shares just for the perks makes little sense.

 

There are some clear warnings for the future share price, and there may well be a buying opportunity. I doubt this is it though.

Well I think my point has been proven with the examples above of "staying at the table" when you've doubled your money rather than "cashing out". The cocktail waitress will be round again soon...

I am talking about the decision to buy *today* despite assessments they the share will continue to underperform.

I don't quite understand the importance attached to OBC. To get any sort of return you have to book a two week cruise - at significant expense- to get £150.

If the price of your cabin changed by £150 (in either direction) just after booking, would you really be that bothered?

There is another thread running discussing the best way to buy Carnival shares with several posters suggesting now is a good time to buy in view of the recent share price drop and perk of "free" OBC for shareholders.

I have suggested that the OBC perk should not be a consideration when purchasing shares in especially in light of the gloom noted above but they aren't having it.

It seems that the OBC perk plays the same role as "free" drinks in a Vegas casino - the gambler waiting for his $5 beer while losing $25 hands at the blackjack table...

Sobering read about Carnival's woes in Europe, and it mentions over capacity in relation to the German cruise line Aida

https://apple.news/ApX9CZXz_RHKFeeyBI6r3jw

7 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

But it's only back to the same level it was in September last year, markets go up and down just like individual shares and dividends, but OBC can be for life.

Well yes, I was just questioning your statement that

54 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If you bought now and sailed at least 28 days a year, then the OBC of £300 return on an investment of £3500 would put it at the very pinnacle of most investment lists.

And pointing out that investing in an index is generally a smarter investment choice than buying an individual stock.

In order to get any significant value from the OBC perk you have to commit to at least a two week cruise with Carnival every year. So you're spending a couple of grand to access £150. 

My initial post was prompted by the comment that now is a "great time" to purchase Carnival shares - I am just not sure that the relatively modest OBC perk compensates for the significant capital risk...

13 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If you bought now and sailed at least 28 days a year, then the OBC of £300 return on an investment of £3500 would put it at the very pinnacle of most investment lists.

 Only if you're confident the share price won't fall further. And you have to spend a significant amount to cruise for four weeks a year.

The S&P index is up 18% this year by the way...

20% drop in quarterly profit, Cuba travel ban, $20m dumping penalty, increasing price of oil and slowing bookings in Europe are the factors to consider (amongst others) when purchasing Carnival shares. OBC should be at the very bottom of that list...

It isn't usually a good idea to buy shares for the "perks" though. Carnival have gone from £50 to £34 within the past year. That's quite a hit if you have the 100 necessary for "free" OBC - you'd have to go on quite a few cruises to offset that loss...

If any long term cruisers have the time and inclination I think it would be interesting if they could put the cost of a cruise from the "golden age" into here

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator

And compare to what we pay now. I suspect the results will be hair-raising!

I was reading on the Cunard board that a bottle of wine that was £25 on Brittania was $62 on Cunard (both prices before Peninsula discount and Cunard "service charge"). You get what you pay for indeed...

Thanks, I'm sure I will. It looks an acceptable alternative to the "full" Nutshell tour, and given the price of a straight round trip on the train makes sense to do. Really looking forward to this trip!