Splice the mainbrace

Still -5c here but sunny. I’ll probably go for a walk later on the footpaths across the local fields, first time for many months because of the deep mud, hopefully it will have frozen solid🥶

Brrrrrrrrr -7c and clear sky here in Cheshire.

Fortunately I never took up the smoking habit, I did try a few when about 10/11 yo and did quite like it but never got hooked. In my extended teenage group in the early 80s nobody smoked we did drink a lot though🍻 I never in my normal circle of family and friends encounter smokers so it surprises me when on a cruise to see the smoking areas so well populated. My dad smoked and worked in a tobacco factory, he got a free allowance of 3 packets of 20 cigarettes a week and could go down to the shop floor at any time to grab a handful. They used to have an annual open evening and the smell of raw tobacco in the warehouses was lovely.

I’m cooking for the first time this afternoon Beef Rendang, just popped it in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. It’s prepared initially like beef casserole but with chilli, cinnamon, ginger, soy sauce and coconut milk added. Hope it tastes as nice as it smells at the moment🥘

Quiet day today, light covering of snow and -1c. Yesterday I organised our airport to hotel Cape Town shuttle for 2 weeks time. We were a bit annoyed that after we booked the hotel a few weeks ago, through a comparison site, the confirmation sent to us said for 1 person and 1 child under 0 years 😂. We emailed the hotel and they want to charge us extra, it’s only works out at an extra £15 but will have a discussion at check in. My wife is a bit despondent she was hoping to lose half a stone in January before our cruise. She is doing dry January ( I’m doing moist January ie cutting back), 800 calories a day, time restricted eating and upped her exercise but has only lost 3lbs and nothing the last 5 days 😡

I looked on the Azamara site yesterday and they seem to heavily discount cruises up to 5 months to go, currently discounting up to early June. I don’t know if there is a price guarantee or not but I wouldn’t be too pleased if I had booked at full price. The discounted price being all inclusive is quite good.

Yeh much the same here -1 and a light covering of snow

I wish we'd had your sun, it's been overcast here for the last 2 days (well it came out for about half an hour today) and there was some unexpected drizzle and a rain shower this morning as well.

It's more the daylight hours for me rather than the weather, I can't stand the dark late afternoons from the October clock change to late January. My worst month is November, getting progressively darker as the evenings draw in, I feel better in January knowing and seeing the sunset times coming out.

We fly out in 2 weeks time to stay overnight in the V&A area and then embark QM2 the next day🤞 Did you get a taxi from the airport to the hotel? Do they take credit cards?

We were on QV in November/ December and from time to time there was a delay in the flush operating, anything from a few seconds to 10/15 minutes where it gurgled away in the background until it flushed. I think that it was a widespread problem.

The fireworks for QM2 have already been set off as her departure was delayed to 8pm

The fireworks for QM2 have already been set off as her departure was delayed to 8pm

QV has just departed and QM2 is re scheduled to leave at 8pm UK time, the QV fireworks were very good. We are due to to join QM2 at Cape Town at the beginning of February for the segment to Sydney.

Queen Victoria and QM2 departing for their world cruises this evening with fireworks. QV has just departed and QM2 is scheduled to leave at 8pm. We are due to to join QM2 at Cape Town at the beginning of February for the leg to Sydney.

I’d imagine there would be quite a long queue to buy the myki card at the terminal if you don’t have an Android phone.

We are in Halifax next year on 30th September. I know that the timing of the autumn colours vary but on average what will they be like at that time?

We will be in Melbourne for 2 days on Cunard Queen Mary 2 in February. Do you know if Cunard specifically or other cruise lines provide a shuttle service to/from the dock to city centre. If not how do passengers get into the city?

2c cloudy and calm here this morning. The bird feeders are very busy early on this morning. 6 Gold Finches, numerous Blue and Great Tits, family of House Sparrows and Dunnocks picking up the dropped seeds/peanuts underneath on the ground. However I brought the feeders in last night because yesterday afternoon we saw a rat inside one of the caged peanut feeders which I chased off 😝

Really buzzing this morning after listening to Zoe Ball on R2 and her 3 themed songs at 7.30 were The Who Baba O’Reilly, Queen Bohemian Rhapsody and New Order Blue Monday, some of my favourite bands and tracks. Better than most of the R2 play list nowadays.

Priority (QG, PG, Diamond, Platinum and Britannia Club) does give you earlier boarding it normally starts at 12.15 to 12.45 depending on when the ship or security are ready. It doesn’t matter what boarding time it says on your boarding pass they gather all priority in the waiting area and board them first. If priority passengers arrive later than the start of boarding then they get priority check in but I’m not sure about security.

Priority grades tend to arrive from 11.30 but in our experience on 2 Cunard 2023 embarkations non priority were held outside until the priority had cleared from the waiting area, that was full both times with the priority grades.

I don’t recall them calling BC but maybe it’s after Platinum?

Sorry what’s BC?

We departed from Southampton on QV in November and all priority passengers were called in the following order QG, PG, Diamond and Platinum. QG were called at 12.15, we are Platinum and were called at about 12.40. For you the difference between PG and Diamond being called will only be about 5 minute difference. Call times may be different depending on how soon the ship is ready to receive passengers and when security are ready.