teabear

On 3/29/2021 at 4:33 PM, teabear said:

Just been on chat with Staysure - reiterated what is stated on their website under exclusions - NO medical coverage or repatriation for these UK based cruises - they have taken my details to pass onto a sister company that is - possibly - going to offer such coverage - will update when I have a conversation with them.

Got a call from the sister company brokers - they referred me to InsureFor Premium policy which appears to provide the cover necessary and will apply to UK based  - have asked for details in writing before I buy - very cheap for a one trip policy so very suspicious.  Decided to just get cover for this cruise and buy a multi trip in the fall when things should be clearer both on the insurance side and whether the Azura cruise will actually sail.

On 3/26/2021 at 12:11 PM, davecttr said:

That's what he said! Looks like a catch 22 situation to me. You HAVE to have cover for onboard medical expenses, it would be crazy not to. OK when ashore that's the NHS Unless you end up in France or Eire.

 

Did Staysure say why they would not cover onboard medical expenses?

Just been on chat with Staysure - reiterated what is stated on their website under exclusions - NO medical coverage or repatriation for these UK based cruises - they have taken my details to pass onto a sister company that is - possibly - going to offer such coverage - will update when I have a conversation with them.

I think I may be the only person ever to get a suntan in Zeebrugge harbour in November staying on board Aurora on a 3nighter (me and the captain who was on a walkabout laughed himself silly at my beetroot face) 

4 hours ago, ace2542 said:

So I take it there will be no solo meetup onboard? So ergo no CC meetup, nor LGBT/Friends of Bill W meetup onboard? It also sounds the quizzes will not be up to much either if solo's are to be in a team alone? Will they offer the person intensive afternoon tea?

Was on the phone with Cunard earlier today sorting out my missing FCC = again = and spoke with the young lady about these cruises - nothing was said about singles being restricted from certain activities -I expect to have to dine alone - not thrilled as I too greatly enjoy meeting new people on cruises but definitely want to know what else I am to be restricted from before I book next week?????

22 hours ago, Roger Ackroyd said:

Booked a Southampton to Sydney leg of 2023 world cruise. FCC was not showing on my account - some £4000 - but we paid the deposit assuming it will surface before final payment. Was disturbed to see that we were described as First Time Cruisers on the deposit receipt even though we are Platinum members.

Phoned up to double check what was going on. The guy I spoke with couldn’t find any of my details (name, world club number etc) in the computer. After 40 minutes, by which time he had roped in another person they finally located me in the system and had worked out what FCC I should have. I was hoping that a revised receipt of the booking might have arrived by now but all I got was a duplicate of the first receipt showing zero FCC.

It would appear I will have to call again to get some resolution to this. 

This appears to be an issue with the Carnival Group companies - had (have?) the same issue with P&O - went on to book a replacement for one of the 3 cancellations - no FCC showing up - called the UK offices and after quite literally 2 hours on the phone discovered that somehow I had acquired 3 different accounts (no idea how or explanation offered) -  they are supposedly in the process of merging them into the original (years ago) account - and even weirder - I signed up to Princess to explore what they will be offering for a UK restricted summer outing - and - to my total astonishment - up popped all my P&O history (not the Cunard records) and I was immediately given a nice status on their loyalty programme - moral of the story,  Carnival holds all our data and feeds into their various systems which is not a good thing for data management or robust error tracking

40 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Although I've previously said that I wouldn't be interested in these cruises due to pricing, I'm increasingly thinking we might just take it on the chin and give it a go.  It's increasingly looking like Europe is going to remain off limits for some time, and something like one of these cruises is going to be the only way forward to get off this sceptered isle.

 

Have been looking at Princess' offerings as well, especially with the All Incl deal.  Created an on-line account with them and was pleasantly surprised at the Captain's Circle level they've put us into.

Interesting - I did the same thing and was also very surprised when all my P&O history popped up as I have never been on their ships - thought it was another Carnival systems admin mistake since I had spent literally hours on the phone last week with P&O trying to find one of my 3 cancelled cruise FCC records - turns out I had multiple accounts (not a clue how that occurred) and they are trying to merge them all together - will wait and see and once P&O is fixed, will ask the tough question of how Princess was able to show me my entire history going back years on some other cruise line but the actual cruise line couldnt!!

21 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

I've finished work for a week from today, we can't do much but might manage a trip to a DIY store for some non-essential shopping from Monday ! Mr HH has booked a haircut, I might wait until the rush has gone and my fringe has recovered from my latest cut.

This thread has almost reached its first birthday, I don't think anyone expected us to be in a similar position a year later.

Thank you HH, watching this thread has been a bit of amusement in an otherwise mindblowing stressful year.   Will also create a new problem for me to stay upright in my Prada heels once dressed for dinner back on board,  watching fellow passengers and guessing their CC board identities

22 hours ago, miniyorkie said:

Hello. I haven't posted for a long time,  but have been  following topics avidly. With the announcement of the  staycation cruises I am considering the Britannia 4 night. Previously we have always booked Select and used the courtesy coach, however we would want to drive down a few days  prior and stay, perhaps Southsea,   then drive to port.  Please could others advise how the parking system works. I believe it is hassle free but I have no idea what to do and I  get rather anxious in unknown situations  so I like to be prepared. Do we get an allotted time and told where to go to drop off luggage then do we park the car? Sorry this may seem trivia to those  experienced. I know the port probably will not not as busy as we usually experience but there seems to be cars everywhere when the coach pulls into port terminal. Do we then have to go and find the car after the cruise. I can misplace mine in the supermarket car park,so that could be another day searching added to holiday LOL. Thank you. Viv

Not sure if this is an option for you since you are planning on travelling down early - I am usually down in that region a day or two before my cruise as I schedule client visits, thats why the good Lord invented expense claims - I book into a Southampton hotel and negotiate parking charges to get their cruise booking package plus the days I am there  - then on the day of the cruise, have a self indulgent breakfast, check out and into a cab for the port - stress free

1 hour ago, joeecco said:

Hope you have a fab holiday in the lakes

 

Out of interest, why do you prefer P&O? We’ve never cruised with Princess but often think about it so would be really interesting to hear your opinions 🙂 

Second that - I read some posts on CC and went onto the Princess site to sniff around - ships look nice, balcony size not bad - still trying to get a clear picture of the pricing set up - dont imbibe alcohol so buying the AI package appears pointless when (and correct me if I got this wrong)  I can only have the non-alcoholic drinks upgrade if I am below drinking age???   Discrimination or what???

11 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

I've been reading "More details will be revealed later this month." That's from Cunard's March 11th press release. One site is saying "this could be as early as next week", though I don't know how much faith to put in that.

And is this annoying or what - P&O releasing theirs on Monday morning,  and I expect a rush to book however if one isnt sure which will be best options and have to wait days until one can see what Cunard is offering,  pretty sure choice will be limited - have enough FCC on both to practically buy the ship, was hoping to use for a mini holiday here in the UK this summer and a proper cruise in the winter not have it all eaten up by bad timing 

14 hours ago, majortom10 said:

My NHS website has closed down.

 

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-log-in/

You do need to go through a fairly robust registration process - all good in my view, pain in the tail though.  You can then access your medication records - if you want more indepth stuff - no idea what that means, your GP surgery has to grant you access - mine did about 15 minutes after I first logged in however from other posts on this topic it appears not all surgeries participate - that maybe something that will need to change if vaccination verification becomes the norm  - hope this helps

16 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

So it was on one of these ladies NHS app but not the other. You are talking about the app. 

No - these were texts from the GP surgery advising of appointments for their second vaccination - thats how we all got our first appointment - when I spoke with the GP surgery to query why one aunt had been notified and the other had not, since they literally were sitting down at the same time getting their first ones, thats when the GP surgery staff realized that one aunt's records had not been updated to reflect her first vaccination and therefore they had not received a reminder to book her in for her second one - sorry if I wasnt clear first time around

4 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

If you are going solo. Will you be able to mix with anyone onboard the ship? That is a big question and issue for the Cunard solo travellers. Apparently on the QM2 the talk is if you board alone you stay alone. No solo travellers meetup, no shared tables, no cc meetup, no LGBT etc etc. And that situation is appearing to be a big no for the Cunard people on here.

 

 

Yes, that will be disappointing - one of the best things about going solo, have met some really great people over the years and still match up cruises with some of them - however, if no mixing is the rules for now, happy to sit with my book at my nice little table and enjoy being on board and out of the house again.    On the transatlantic later in this year will be looking to create a bubble with some friends if they are able to travel, if not, so be it still going and still booking into the speciality restaurant at least one night happily by myself

7 minutes ago, sallybunny said:

I'll be there with bells on! It sounds like they're taking all the precautions they can and are easing back into it all with caution. It's not going to be like a 'normal' cruise but then it might never be normal again.

I've worn masks, kept to social distancing and jumped at the chance of a vaccine. I suspect I'll have far less chance of coming into contact with someone unknowingly infected with Covid on board than going to the shops or into work or staying in hotels where they don't have the ability to screen people.

 

I have no problem with wearing a mask on board and social distancing. The reduced number of people will make for a nicer cruise. Plus a guaranteed balcony cabin - bliss! Yes, it's looking expensive, but all the short cruises are expensive pppn, especially as I do short cruises solo. I also rarely get off the ship on short cruises so it'll be nice to be at sea rather than in an industrial port. This is exactly what I need right now. So if you want me on Monday morning at 8:30 I'll be booking my cruise!

 

 

 

Me too - to all you say here - I think I may be the only person ever to get a suntan in Zeebrugge harbour in November staying on board Aurora on a 3nighter (me and the captain who laughed himself silly at my beetroot face) - just happy to watch the waves and have lots and lots of deck walks out in the fresh(soggy) air.  Setting the alarm for 07:30am

6 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

No it is not listed in mine. I have checked that section.

If you had your first jab more than 24 hours ago then something is wrong - either your GP or the vaccination site has not uploaded your info and that will have implications for your second jab - my recommendation is that you address this asap.   We ran into this very issue last week when one of my aunts got a text for her second vaccination and the other didnt, they had the first ones together so I contacted the GP's office and sure enough, they had only updated one auntie not the other - not sure if 83 year old identical twins confused them or what??  GP ladies sorted things and we are off on adventure no 2 Friday

8 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

+1

Me 3 - and just been on to P&O again as for some reason, after 8.5 years of getting my name right - my booking confirmation for Azura in Oct to Barbados has my surname spelled wrong?????  Asked about the summer cruises and the young lady stated that they have been begging management to give them at least a day when these will be released next week so they can cool their annoyed customers down - she double checked my contact preferences and they are all correct - even the name - so why I am not getting these emails defeated her (and me)  will be logging on a lot next week

On 3/4/2021 at 4:07 PM, Selbourne said:

I am inclined to agree with this. I have lost count of how many times we have been late departing ports due to waiting for passengers who are late returning to the ship. I would say that as many, if not most, of the late returners have been independents rather than on official P&O tours. It seems to be that the stated departure time is often around 30 mins before they actually plan to depart, so if everyone is back on time they get away earlier than they had hoped so that they can cruise at slower speed (saves fuel). If passengers are running late and have contacted the ship with an ETA, the Captain has always waited for them (within reason). One of the things that I enjoy (sad, I know 😂) is watching the tail end Charlie’s rushing to get on board at or after the scheduled departure time. It also amazes me how some people just saunter along without a care in the world, even though they are late and hundreds of pairs of eyes are on them! I can recall a couple of times when we left passengers behind, but they were well over an hour late and hadn’t contacted the ship. 

We were on a CMV mini cruise from Newport in Wales to Ireland and then back to Tilbury several years ago,  a bunch of people had been at a football thing in Wales, checked in for the cruise really early and then went off again to the local bars I guess,  didnt turn up until well over an hour past sailing time and with us having to transit out of Newport that meant all kinds of staff had to stay late - the Captain gave them a major telling off and the gossip was that CMV were going to make them pay their extra costs.   Not the first time this has happened, years ago, remember an article on CBC news about a Canadian couple who held up a cruise ship in Panama and had to find their own way home and the cruise company sued them for thousands of additional charges they had to pay to the Panama Canal company - should be standard practice on all cruise ships

4 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

Yes, mine too. I was really looking forward to seeing a new country.

Avril

Me three - three cancelled that is - and yes, I am so up for wandering round and round the Isle of Wight - actually did that on P&O Arcadia a few years ago when we couldnt dock in France on a Xmas cruise - no one noticed until the next morning when it looked like we hadnt moved an inch = very funny

Booking a cruise that visits Iceland is the best option in Europe - its a lovely journey with stops in the Faroe Islands and Orkney etc -  but - actually seeing the lights is pure luck - I went a few years ago in February on the now defunct CMV  Magellan -  my twin 80 yr old aunties went off up a mountain late at night - freezing cold - fogged in - I stayed on the ship and the harbour was frosty and clear and the lights - green, purple, reds even - absolutely amazing

UK government in its usual seesaw - two weeks ago stated never ever consider such a thing = two days ago https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56169616

Of course given how badly they screwed up the track and trace system - we can expect a few months of shambolic planning and then with luck a system that will work

3 hours ago, Bertie Doe said:

I didn't say that it's a self-service buffet. I believe they don't want passengers to touch/share ladles and scoops. It's passenger choice, not staff choice. I guess you ask for "one sausage, one egg, two bacon, hold the hash browns" and the staff will serve it to you. The buffet will continue but not in self-service format, in my humble opinion.

I agree - it will be served to you and perhaps we may even have to book a time and table - dont care - the only bit I will really miss is if they drop the large table for solo travellers in the dining room,  I have met some great people over the years, several of whom keep in touch and matchup cruises with - however will happily sit by myself and read my book if it means I am waddling along on the high seas.

On 1/26/2021 at 10:32 PM, Bertie Doe said:

Hi, we're booked on QE from 14th June for 10 days out of Southampton. The email stating that final balance is not due till 30 days before sailing, is a positive move by Cunard. The free parking is also a nice touch. This will be our first with Cunard and looking forward to it. Regards Paul.

Me too - just changed to this cruise as the QV I had is cancelled - Cunard lady was very positive about this one going - she did suggest  that if things were still wobbly in Portugal covid wise, there may be an itinerary change but that its too early for decisions to be made yet = looks  like Cunard is getting serious about finding ways to restart

Sorry working offshore, LHR T2 Eurowings

Thank you everyone - I called again and a very kind young lady did some checking and came back to me with what I needed - sometimes its just luck when you hit a truly customer focussed individual.

Arrangements in place and so looking forward to it 

We are booked on a cruise leaving from Hamburg and have flights included however Cunard wont or cant tell us which airport we will fly from in London and who the carrier or flight is - we are trying to meet up with friends in Hamburg before we have to check in for the cruise so its really frustrating that they dont arrange the flights until one practically is leaving.

Can anyone give me some idea of how this has been arranged on past cruises?   Thank you