Megabear2

Sorry to sort of hijack this thread but what are opinions on Arcadia balcony cabins if I took a saver fare? Are they disastrous? I've seen a saver deal on the 21 night Iceland, North Cape, Norway August sailing with a balcony at £1,999 for a saver single occupancy. As some may remember I hoped to see a real polar bear and whales and everyone suggested the North Cape might be best. Seems a bargain ... opinions sought on cabin, ship, ports (need for transfers etc) and possible Pipaluk sightings on that cruise. Thank you.

Oh dear. Apparently four ships in today Balmoral, Anthem, Virtuosa and Britannia. Another four tomorrow including Iona, Sky Princess and Celebrity Silhouette. I'm looking at four on Sunday including Arvia and Anthem with my dreaded late check in time. My other half is already stressing about getting me there on time with no trains meaning extra traffic, if this makes the local news he will have me camping out in the park overnight!

Definitely say nothing. It's now virtually impossible to claim on an insurance policy for covid cancellation of any holiday, let alone a cruise as all insurers want a positive covid test carried out by a medical professional and won't accept self administered tests, even if video observed. My Post Office annual policy is due renewal and I queried this with them and six other companies. Basically the covid cancellation cover is no longer worth the paper it's written on as Government policy on covid changed in April. As a result it's nigh on impossible to get an in person test which the insurers want. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/covid-19-testing-approach-from-april-2023

Nothing mentioned on my last 2 cruises just have you had covid symptoms recently asked at Gatwick. Absolutely nothing at Southampton for QM2 last Tuesday and they have same term in their documents. I don't expect anything on Sunday either. Mind you P&O don't seem worried about anything except don't get here early - I've now had 4 reminder emails for that!

We may well laugh but that's why arthritis carries such a high excess premium! According to FCA more travel insurance claims fail on non disclosure of arthritis than anything else.

I would be exceptionally careful about your reading of the policy. Most underwriters will insist on looking at your full medical history via a paid for doctor's report if you make a claim. This will be over a set period of in some cases as little as 6 months (eg Allianz) or 5 years (eg Staysure). Most policies of insurance state quite clearly if you do not declare everything in the required period (there's even a cold on existing conditions) then your policy may not be valid. With some (very few policies) you can opt to not be covered for existing medical conditions but this would mean not being covered for anything you may want to declare. It's either all in or all out.

Just looked at a few Iona 7 night Fjord cruises on the website and note they are not available to book until 12 May. Any idea what may be happening?

During the pandemic hotels and presumably the cruise ships were forbidden from allowing new occupants to reuse items the previous occupiers had accessed. As a consequence all items in a room were to be thrown away as the rooms were vacated. This included tea, coffee and sugar and other individual wrapped items. I'm still using up the vast quantities I accumulated over the last two years. I'm guessing having gotten into the habit these people are carrying on and using the they'll be thrown away excuse in case they're caught.

Online as well

I've just rung RBS/Natwest on the number on my debit card.. There is a recorded message saying the emails were sent by them in error and as a result there will be a delay in answering telephone calls. It didn't state how many affected but I just hung up and left the message as deleted.

I also received one of these yesterday - I bank with RBS. It was confusing as I had just been online to look at my account and I wondered if I'd clicked on something about using the app (which I do not use) in error. In light of your post I'll have another look at it as I just deleted it yesterday.

The Post Office around here (I've tried 6 different ones this afternoon) have no passport application forms which they claim is due to the strike meaning they weren't sent out. A call to Newport Passport Office has confirmed there is a supply problem, they have said they will send one but takes 3 to 4 days. They checked the appointment which is 20 May and informed me if the form doesn't arrive by Tuesday I need to rearrange it on Wednesday or face a £30 penalty! They then checked and told me there are no more Newport appointments between 20th and the end of the month. They kindly offered Belfast as an alternative!

I'm just booking fast track for my OH. I know his passport is valid for EU but very nervous of over officious officials. Seems to be two choices. Get a form from PO, complete it, attend Newport at a cost of £155 new passport sent within 7/8 days or £193.50 to apply online and then travel to Newport to collect it in person. Seem to be same appointment times for each though!

Would a passport dated start date 4/12/2013 be valid for 10 days commencing 6 July 2023?

I do not believe P&O passengers would want to pay the difference in price. QA will be interesting as there are several pay extra dining venues planned. My QA booking for the 30/6/2024 currently from £6458 for Cunard balcony fare with $500obc compared to £8098 Club with $600obc. A Princess Grill would be £11998 with $800 obc. Compares very favourably with Arcadia 25 June 2024 (has 2 extra days) at £5998 for select balcony with £440obc. The mini suite would be £10298 with £480 and full suite £11598 with £520 obc. Really no comparison in quality so Cunard so a no brainer. Therefore unless the ship and service were massively upgraded I doubt anyone would want a "half way house" on P&O?

As long as it is somewhere else not a relaxing day at sea ...

Are you considering relocating? I personally have always found US customer service rather sycophantic and ungenuine but I suppose it depends which part of the US you are visiting. Tourist areas never seem to keep promises made in advance and shoulders get shrugged just the same as here.

Yes, Club as well has an extended menu which offers different dishes. I've only tried it once on QM2 and the cabin is basically identical to the balcony cabins. I did not find it good value for the several thousand pounds more than Britannia. The "new" Deck 13 Club cabins may be different but they are notorious for noise issues and being forward a long way from the public areas. The Club restaurant on QM2 was an add on and extended when they realised the popularity. The main reason they they were originally popular was the free time dining. The Club cabins on Elizabeth are different and were planned. I've never tried Victoria's. Queen Anne's look a better option but again the price differential is very high.

Sorry if I misunderstood. I was pointing out that because of supposed health and safety issues Cunard along with most other lines stopped flambe for the majority of guests a long time ago. The Grills I believe never had it stopped at any point. Epicurean on my past five Britannia cruises before and after covid offered not so much a flambe as a blowtorch experience. Certainly my last three Britannia cruises everything was plated apart from the Dover sole. On Azura, however, until covid all menu items referred to as flambe or prepared table side continued to be as described in preparation at your table. Interestingly ion MSC Divina they still had a Baked Alaska parade last time I sailed on her.

The Cunard cabin service is for all grades (I know you were Grills) which is as it has always been. Prepared table side has not unfortunately occurred on Cunard for some time except as Grills level, certainly not on my WC in 2019 and I cannot recall it in the past 9 years. I understand they are hoping to restart the parade of the chefs in the near future however. The Grills have always offered the flambe dishes even when they were stopped in Britannia restaurant. On Britannia at Christmas the only prepared at table dish was the Dover sole, that may of course have changed. It's not really a comparison with the Cunard Grills and Epicurean.

Do the Prime Grills items carry a surcharge or are they included, please?

He cooked a wonderful meal for us on one of the Strictly cruises, praise indeed as I can't normally eat anything spiced or curry flavoured.

The tea being served rather than helping yourself was a bone of contention for my husband who will quite easily have four or five refills at breakfast. As I say on Britannia in December the tea was served by staff wandering round with pots and jugs. Because he couldn't get his required refills easily we only had one breakfast there in the two weeks. I didn't imagine it, anymore than you or Majortom didn’t experience it. I can assure you I am not being contradictory for the sake of it and I most certainly did not have my eyes closed. Because my husband wanted his extra tea, I had to get up early every morning to ensure we got into MDR breakfast before the 8.00am queues. Perhaps the truth is everyone is right about what they saw/occurred on their particular cruise and really its so trivial it doesn't warrant discussion. As I said I'm on Arvia Sunday, I'll find out for myself and ensure if anyone wanders my way with a teapot I'll take a quick snap and post it. At the end of the day as long as I get a cuppa I couldn't care less how it arrives!

I don't doubt you are correct re the trays as they were evident on Britannia in December. There were however people with pots of tea and coffee and bringing water. I only visited the buffet once at breakfast time but certainly the tea/coffee serving was very much the norm. P&O of course do not offer fountain drinks free of charge at lunch or dinner so I cannot state they did or did not serve them. However I can speak with confidence (not as some know it all always cruising person you are intimating those who are saying different to you are) that I have sailed P&O (twice), Princess (twice), Celebrity (twice) and Cunard once in the past 10 months and only on P&O were there trays, and for good measure every ship (P&O included) were serving the drinks to your seat. The cold drink machines on all lines were not available for self service. On Britannia you could use the hot water machine to make your own tea. I am not in any way suggesting your experience is incorrect but I am saying that on every cruise on lines except P&O trays and self service in the buffet are no more. I'm due on Arvia on Sunday so will report back.

Yes, food was placed on your plate and no self serve tongs. They were quite generous, I had to stop it being ladled on! My last Princess and Celebrity cruises they did the same.