Splice the mainbrace

The severity of the norovirus precautions has reduced the last few days but gastro issues were still onboard when we disembarked this morning. I prefer to call it gastro illness as it was suspected that it isn’t just norovirus onboard. We met several seasoned cruisers who had not ever had problems before but succumbed to issues this time, I think it must be a particularly virulent strain.

We disembarked QM2 this morning and for the 26 days onboard from Cape Town there were gastro precautions for the whole time. The first few days and the last few were just that you couldn’t serve yourself in Kings Court but in between very strict cleaning procedures and restrictions. Many well seasoned cruisers who have been ok in the past caught an infection this time, the various people that we talked to had been in isolation for between 1 and 6 days. We were told by a passenger who went to the medical centre that at one time about 200 people were in isolation at the same time and their cabins were being specially cleaned with cleaners in full protective clothing and masks. The common consensus was that there were various gastro infections around including a particularly virulent noro virus strain.

Woke up to this view from our balcony on QM2 this morning after arriving in Sydney. The sun was just coming up.

Today in Sidney we got the ferry to Manly and walked along the prom. We got back on board QM2 for a late lunch and finish off the packing. We will be back in Sydney this time next year after crossing the Pacific on Arcadia from San Francisco on a sector of her world cruise.

Have woken up this morning to this view from our balcony

We are currently on QM2 and we have a Samsung tv in our balcony cabin.

We’ve been to Adelaide and Melbourne (for 2 days) since I last posted and we are now have a day at sea before Sydney. It was really hot in Adelaide but comfortably low 20s in Melbourne. The photos below are a beach near the Mouth of the Murray River (Adelaide excursion and boat ride), Captain Cooks cottage transported and rebuilt in Melbourne, a tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (pitch being dug up after a series of Taylor Swift concerts) and an excursion to the Dandenongs outside Melbourne with spectacular forests and walks. The end of the cruise is approaching we disembark on Tuesday and after a night in Sydney fly back to land in UK on Thursday.

Yesterday we were in Fremantle and Perth on a day tour that included a wine tasting in the Swan Valley, a boat trip down the Swan River and a tour of Fremantle including the old Jail.(photos below). Temperature was up to 35c but it didn’t feel too bad due to the low humidity. 3 days at sea now with our next stop being Adelaide.

Coming to the end of our week long Indian Ocean crossing from Mauritius to dock in Fremantle (Perth) on Saturday. Weather forecast is for 39c and sunny☀️🥵 it will make the day long ship excursion rather tiring.

QM2 is now steaming the 7 days and 3200 miles across the Indian Ocean from Mauritius yesterday and Perth Australia next Saturday, travelling at 22 knots. We’re looking forward to relaxing after 2 days of 8 hour tours at Reunion and Mauritius in hot, humid and tiring conditions, lovely places to visit though. We’re still on high level noro measures onboard though but the measures are applied inconsistently where some bars disinfect the table and chairs after each customer and others don’t.

Yes we were allowed to dock. There is still the same if not a higher level of noro precautions here. Launderettes are shut so on a long length cruise is causing some clothes cleaning issues, of course you can pay for the laundry at a cost. We always bring clothes hand wash liquid so can keep on top of things washing in the cabin and balcony drying for undies, socks etc👍

Yes you may be right, I was thinking it was a bit OTT for the relatively minor (but not pleasant) noro, I could have asked but didn’t like to😇. I’ve never had it so I don’t know how they service people in their cabins and with what precautions.

Currently on QM2 travelling across the Indian Ocean. We flew to Cape Town last Wednesday and boarded on Thursday. We were in Durban Sunday and visit Reunion and then Mauritius. Having a really good time on the ship, there is so much more space and quiet corners than most standard design ships. Service is excellent and food good but choice is a bit restrictive in the mdr, photo below shows our variety of steaks for 2 (fillet, sirloin and Louisiana ribs) in the Veranda restaurant last night. The only down side is that we are on Norovirus restrictions with all of the implications that apply especially to the self service areas.

I’m on QM2 at the moment and yes indeed there has been increasing Norovirus precautions being taken the past 2/3 days. Tables being wiped down with a sign not to sit there until sign taken away, constant reminders to wash hands as often as possible, no self service drinks in the Royal Court, spraying of soft furnishings and regular wiping of handrails etc. The drinks menus have been removed today. When we boarded last Thursday in Cape Town they were already serving you food in Kings Court, I don’t know if this is norm now or if early precautions were already being taken. I just left the cabin and it must be the cleaning / servicing of the ‘infected’ cabin occupants time, full protective clothing and masks, large wheely bins to put serviced materials into etc. lt looks like more appropriate for Covid but may be they go to those lengths for noro. Anyway day at sea tomorrow before day in Reunion followed by day in Mauritius. Having a great time despite the current restrictions, QM2 really is a special ship.

We are gathering together clothes and items today ready for packing tomorrow. We fly to Cape Town on Tuesday/Wednesday and boarding QM2 on Thursday for a nearly 4 week cruise to Sydney. When I went to South America I could post photos on here off my iPhone but since then I can’t log on here through the phone anymore, other devices are fine!🤔

7c bright and calm here, roads are wet so must have rained overnight. I didn’t realise that England were playing India in a cricket test match starting today until I read on bbc sport so got that on. Our post doesn’t come until 1 to 3 pm most days (2nd post in olden days, do you remember?), and in recent years the older posties have gone and now mostly women in their 20’s.

I phoned our practice on the 3rd January to organise an overdue prescription review and was told that the doctor doesn’t do it anymore but I would have an over the phone review with a pharmacist. I thought ok they’ll phone back that afternoon but they gave me a date 5 weeks later on 6th February, which I cannot make because we are away for February cruising, so I got 6th March. My wife phoned up last week for the same and was told the same but her date was 7 weeks after her phone call, coincidentally the same week as mine. Pre-covid I always had a face to face with my doctor who also arranged an annual blood test. I thought when I phoned up this time it might just be a doctor phone review but waiting 5 weeks for one with a pharmacist does seem excessive.

She tried again later and after another 30 mins plus wait was told that she couldn’t make a March appointment for her mum for a blood test, it is to far in advance!

And the document does call it medical screening ‘upgrade’ and upgrades are covered until the UK Insurance cover personally ends after 1st May.

That’s not how a read it, it says until upgrade expires with UK Insurance which is for 12 months after renewal not 1st May. Why would you pay for annual upgrades if they are not valid a month later?

Thanks. After quickly reading the document 2 things stand out for me, no upgrade required for over 70s (not that it affects us yet) but not annual cruise cover upgrade and will have to inform them for every cruise individually? I am due to renew my upgrades/pre-existing conditions in April so should get another year with UK Insurance before Aviva. There are quite a lot of apparent positive and negative changes so I’ll need to go through them carefully to understand them.

My wife has just been trying to make a gp appointment for her elderly mother. She was 15th in the queue and 36 minutes later got to 2nd then got a message the operators are very busy and the call will be terminated 😡😩🤬 She’ll try again later.

No apparent damage here after the storm. There were a few gusts last night where ‘my heart was in my mouth’ when the house braced itself against the wind and was creaking. I wrote the other day before the other storm about our roof tiles taking a hit some years ago so I get nervous when high winds are forecast. We fly out to Cape Town next Tuesday to meet up with QM2, fortunately the weather is looking ok for the flights out via Heathrow I hope it stays that way.🤞

Wind speed and gusts have got up the last hour or so here. Must be the direction of the wind because it is louder than the previous storm. As we go away a week today I don't want any damage to sort out before we go away🤞

Unfortunately the transition into milder weather does come with consequences, with very strong winds forecast for Sunday afternoon, evening and overnight. 20 years ago during a storm we lost a whole section of roof tiles and it was scary, so I’m always a bit apprehensive when storms are forecast.