davecttr

9 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Out of interest I just tried to redeem my OBC theough Stockperks for our Sept Iona cruise.

It let me fill out the redemption form, but when I tried to enter I got a warning message that said:-

 

You cannot redeem your benefit for cruises that start after 30th July 24, please enter your details for cruises before that date, for cruises starting after 30th July, check back in May to enter those cruises.

 

I realise that might not mean the shareholder benefit will continue, but maybe gives us a little glimmer of hope.

I have not yet applied for shareholder benefit for my July cruise as i do not yet know of i can travel. However the departure date is 30th July so i might as well apply now. I just need to know how to apply for my shares which are held by Equiniti.

If shareholder credit end I will sell mine at a loss but I have had more than the original cost back in OBC. I will buy premium bonds and you never know, you might win a million 🤑

17 hours ago, brian1 said:

My Mrs had steroid jabs recently for CTS and has improved it greatly,luckily surgery was only a last resort.With the trigger finger,if it gets itchy just tell everyone to run.

I don't mind if they try Steroid injections first as long as I have a chance of going on the Arcadia cruise. I have cancelled 3 cruises this year leaving the Arcadia one and Iona to the Canaries in January.

Just booked a surgical referral appointment for my hands problem. The 13th March is OK but the average wait for surgery is currently about 26 weeks from that date. Some may wait less time, some more. That works out at mid September 😧. My Arcadia cruise is in July with the final payment date in March. I must check to see if Travel Insurance is concerned about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Trigger Finger 🤞

I attended the diagnostic clinic for my hand problems today, eventually! . I arrived at the clinic 10 minutes before the appointment time to be told I was at the wrong building and lots of people make the same mistake. I then had 7 minutes to get to the right place and ended up running and arriving 2 minutes late. It was OK though and it appears my heart was working well. Straight in to see a nice lady clinician and 20 minutes later after various tests I had a diagnosis. Classic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in both hands plus advanced Trigger Finger in both hands. The suggested solution is surgery and the referral time is currently 18 days.  Day surgery lasting about 20 minutes under local anasthetic. I hope nothing there to worry an insurance company so it looks good for my July cruise 😁

1 minute ago, Presto2 said:

Great news for you - fingers, toes and everything crossed that your appointment goes ahead and all is well 🙂

Everything except my fingers 😉

Some goodish news. I have my appointment for my hands problem with the diagnostic centre and only a 2 month wait when the doctor suggested 3 months. I might make my July Arcadia cruise after all, two weeks to Norway and Iceland and prime whale watching time.

3 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

I hope this info will be of use to someone.

 

My wife, a type 2 diabetic, started on Victoza injections six months ago. She has lost eleven kilo since then, doesn't have insulin injections twice daily and feeling so much better mentally. She has been struggling to get Victoza recently because it is sold on private prescription for non diabetics to assist weight loss, going rate about £200 a month.

 

She saw an article on Diabetes UK which gave info of a similar drug, but in tablet form, called Rybelsus. She contacted her Diabetic Clinic and she is now on this newish drug. Informed my niece, also diabetic and she is now on the tablet. Her diabetic nurse told her everyone will be changed over to Rybelsus, which is readily available.

I am a type 2 daibetic too and have been using the Victoza and Saxenda epipens. I have not received any Victoza pens for 8 weeks, luckily I have a reserve stock in the fridge. I mentioned Saxenda as a replacement on my Monday repeat prescription request and it resulted in a consultation with the practice nurse next Monday. Apparently the factories are running flat out and Victoza will not be available until 2025, plus Saxenda is now reserved for weight loss only.  A lady in the clinic last week has been buying off prescription, also for £200 per month. That is £100 per pen which contains 15 doses of 12mg.

Did not renew my travel insurance today as i am 7 weeks into a diagnosis of my hands problem.  I have had a consultation and lots of blood tests but attendance at the orthopedic clinic is delayed because of the backlog. Maybe in up to 3 months they said.

Same message and same ship a couple of months ago. On arrivng 2 hours late the embarkment process proved to be smooth with priority boarding.

Was it Norovirus? If it walks like a duck....

Now seems to be heading toward Stavanger.

9 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Could Starlink be used to carry TV channels, maybe replacing or improving satellite TV transmissions?

Sorry I don't know

23 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Does that map mean that there is no continuous link across the oceans, which I assume is incorrect.

Yes, the starlink satellites communicate with each other via laser links so coverage is maintained across oceans etc. Your cruise Wifi can send data via a series of starlink satellites and eventually to a ground station. Apparently those laser links can be faster than fibre optic cable.

15 hours ago, john watson said:

Disembarkation groups make sense as the multitude is sub divided into smaller piles of suitcases in the baggage hall.

 

Regards John

The cases are laid out by deck in the baggage hall, however there seems to be no check on you sneaking off early

The tier values have been severely diminished with the advent of all this OBC. On my last cruise I struggled to get rid of my £300 OBC and ended up spending £2.80 of my own money which netted me the grand 10% discount total of 28p. The slippers are not much use but I take the bag home. You don't get a dining preference on Arvia/Iona so if you don't drive or use a coach, not one from Kent. You are left with the half bottle of fizz and a lunch plus cocktail party.

You are also left with the perk of reserving a cabin, what a cheek. On Marella it costs from £55 for the cabin, not per person.

6 weeks means  so probably 12. When i was on a segment of the world on Aurora lots of passengers were fed up with formal nights as it is not special any more.

1 hour ago, 9265359 said:

As an observation from Azura’s formal night last night (and the ‘proper’ one not the silly Christmas jumper one) is that ties now seem to be optional as no challenge going into the MDR, Planet Bar, or the Blue Bar simply wearing a jacket - no questions at all from the host on the restaurant desk or the ‘bouncers’ on the bar doors. 

From the P&O site

Celebration Nights give you the option to put your most fashionable foot forward. Elegance is the order of the evening… a chance to wow everyone with a favourite cocktail dress, tuxedo, ball gown, DJ, or a suit, jacket and tie. You may also wear formal national dress or military uniform. Again, whatever style preference, simply join in the mood and chic of the evening.

Several ways of interpreting that but I note that a suit is no longer required. This means that the old jacket required code returns and that was fun on Arcadia. Ancient tweeds with gravy stains, blazers including those worn at the Henley regatta. It looked like a tramps convention and I felt over dressed in my lightweight Linen jacket with tie. I did not see a donkey jacket though 😁

One thing i would be glad to see the back of

GREEN BEANS

In contrast Arvia disembarkation earlier this year was a shambles. i arrived at my disembarkation area on time and there was only a few people there. A crew member said just get off. on arrival in the luggage hall it was packed with 2 long queues to leave. made worse when passengers decided to start a third queue and push in at the exit, absolute chaos and took almost 30 minutes to get out

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Dave.

Can your travel insurance cover you for everything else but not for the issue you are waiting for an answer to.

Surely if we are covered and paid big premiums for our medical issues the insurance companies need to be a little flexible.

I wonder how many people don't get things checked at their doctor's for fear of what you are experiencing.

Good luck Dave.

 

I don't think they can quote until i have a diagnosis, hence the first batch of blood tests. It could be spinal, kidneys, thyroid, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, bone marrow issues, blood supply problems, either arterial or veins etc etc etc.

I did have a nerve sheath issue in my arm when I was 20 and only now remember the consultant in Newcastle telling me it could surface in other parts of my body later and cause issues. He wanted me to return during the final student exams and said they will have to be good to diagnose that condition and most would think it was a tumour which it wasn't. I still have that lump in a much shrunken state.

My attitude to money will help as i consider money spent is gone anyway and would rather know the answer. i still have another 4 cruises booked for next year so i might get to see some whales after all.

Not a good day so far. I have a problems with my fingers/hands and my diabetic nurse suggested I need to see a doctor so on Wednesday I filled in the practice e-consult form which promptly told me to contact the practice. A long phone wait and computer problem at their end resulted in a triage and an appointment at the Gillingham Community Health Hub at 9.am this morning. So I set of walking to the station at 7.30 this morning as no buses went anywhere near Gillingham Station. Pouring down but at least my waterproof works. A car then soaked me by driving through a large puddle at the top of Station Road. Got to the appointment 20 minutes early and the doctor arrived 10 minutes late.

The result is a battery of blood tests and maybe more and a referral to the orthopedic clinic which may take up to three months.

Apparently this means my travel insurance is no longer valid until I get a diagnosis and that means no cruise on Iona in mid January for which I have already paid. I have already paid the March cruise as well.

Fed Up

What is an overnight stay? Obvious really, when the ships departs after sunrise the next day, night having ended 😁

Not in P&O speak though.

25 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

That contraption looks rather like a large touring caravan, and the antennae more like chimneys,  or maybe the escape pod for any Italian Captain,

5 hours ago, crompton21 said:

There are a couple of blokes in jeans who have diligently been attaching a bizarre looking set of antennas to the rear of Aurora.  They’ve been out there in bad weather on sea days holding on tightly as they work.  Amazing how hi tec can look rather low tec to the casual observer.

As to whether this is starlink I don’t know, but I assume it’s a fair assumption.

 

I think this is the aft port side of Auroras deck 13 Sun Deck. You can see the rectangular hatch on the roof and wooden planking which is on the image of Aurora taken at Andalsness in July. Foreshortening of the image means the funnel does not show on the Starlink image. The antennas are Starlink ones.

2 hours ago, FangedRose said:

I don't miss the little "reminders" (begging) that occurred when it came to the last few days of a cruise. I also don't miss the in cabin surveys and the hints that "unless you mark this question 5 stars I won't get my tips".

On Oceana I was confined to my cabin while recovering from Norovirus and was suffering severe stomach cramps. The steward knocked on the door once and burst in holding the survey aloft. I told the idiot to disappear rapidly over the horizon (polite version) as he was prepared to put his health and that of other people at risk in seeking the magic 5 stars. He got no stars 😠

3 hours ago, eightofninekev said:

 

I know tips are included but do people give out extra to the cabin steward and to the waiters in the main dining room on the last day?

No, unless they add significantly to my enjoyment of the cruise

I

1 hour ago, kalos said:

The other week when we were onboard Ventura  , I think it was around day ten that they put 

in the Horizon mag reminders about washing hands . 

To me, this could have been the heads up warning of things to come.

So from there on in the buffet was only used first thing in the morning but mainly we used 

the MDR for breakfast . Meals later were in the Glasshouse or even room service as they 

do a tasty beef ale pie .

Stay safe Dave and have a good cruise . 

As i have plenty of OBC the Glasshouse is a good idea as is room service. My remaining problem is I like playing Blackjack and it won't be just me touching the chips. There used to be a hand gel that killed noro type virus but it was found that if you bathed your hands daily for about 20 years in the active ingredient you stood a risk of getting skin cancer.

I am on freedom dining but the buffet will be OK in the morning because i am usually first or second in. I also wash my hands on arrival and take some of the paper towels to handle the serving utensils. i will also go to the supermarket at Southampton and buy some decaff tea bags to ensure a supply