P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[brian1]

9 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you Emma.

Graham.

 

Good luck Graham.Don't forget the pics next morning,I'll have my smoked salmon and eggs early.

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Good luck Graham.Don't forget the pics next morning,I'll have my smoked salmon and eggs early.

Thank you Brian.

[Peanut006]

26 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you Sarah.

Hospital rang and I have to be there at 7.30am tomorrow morning.

Graham.

Hope all goes well tomorrow Graham 

Michelle

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, Peanut006 said:

Hope all goes well tomorrow Graham 

Michelle

Thank you Michelle.

Graham.

[kalos]

37 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you Sarah.

Hospital rang and I have to be there at 7.30am tomorrow morning.

Graham.

 

Best wishes for tomorrow Graham ,take care mate 

 

Mr & Mrs Kalos 

[grapau27]

Just now, kalos said:

 

Best wishes for tomorrow Graham ,take care mate 

 

Mr & Mrs Kalos 

Thank you Kalos and Mrs Kalos.

I hope Mrs Kalos is recovering well from her op.

Graham.

[SeaJane]

7 hours ago, grapau27 said:

 

The op is tomorrow Christmas Eve.

Graham.

Hope all goes well for your op tomorrow Graham and you and Pauline have a lovely Christmas.

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, SeaJane said:

Hope all goes well for your op tomorrow Graham and you and Pauline have a lovely Christmas.

Thank you Jane.

Very best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Christmas.

Graham.

[bbtablet]

3 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Reminds me to tell my wife NOT to put any sprouts anywhere near my plate !

 

Lol

Why do so many restaurants (and home cooks) cook sprouts all wrong by hardly cooking them at all and serving them half-raw, difficult to cut into, and with an awful texture?

The secret is to boil the water, very well salted, first;

then put in the sprouts (topped and cross-cut);

boil hard for at least 10 minutes; keep boiling until a sample is soft and sweet (the salt sweetens them, believe it or not);

drain and rinse in hot water if too salty for you, return "dry" to the stove to carefully evaporate any remaining water (key step); then serve.

Note: do not corrupt by adding chestnuts, peas, etc.

 

Extra delight: - pour a well-prepared onion sauce mix over after serving onto the plate.

 

For the ultimate pleasure from sprouts: pour a home-made onion sauce mix over the sprouts, made using roughly cut onions well-fried to caramel stage, cornflour and full milk - delicious with any meat!

 

Sadly I am not allowed in the kitchen on Christmas Day so will have to put up with the unappetising version served up by my beloved!

Edited December 23, 2021 by bbtablet

[Interestedcruisefan]

Negative cruisers prefer to be called realistic

 

Fair enough.  I put myself in that category

 

Positive cruisers need to be flexible if they can as well. Fair enough. I get that

 

Realistic ones often don't have the opportunity to be flexible 

 

Anyone positive from now on who doesn't call me realistic and instead calls me negative 

 

I think I'm going to start calling:

 

"Happy Clappers"

 

Is that fair or not?

 

If not can I call them?

 

Unrealistic ?

 

 

[wowzz]

We don't put crosses in the bottom - I recall that there was a religous reason why that was done - as it can make the sprouts soggy.  We prefer to steam ours, as they tend not to fall to bits.  

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 minutes ago, bbtablet said:

Why do so many restaurants (and home cooks) cook sprouts all wrong by hardly cooking them at all and serving them half-raw, difficult to cut into, and with an awful texture?

The secret is to boil the water, very well salted, first;

then put in the sprouts (topped and cross-cut);

boil hard for at least 10 minutes; keep boiling until a sample is soft and sweet (the salt sweetens them, believe it or not);

drain and rinse in hot water if too salty for you, then serve.

Note: do not corrupt by adding chestnuts, peas, etc.

 

Extra delight: - pour a well-prepared onion sauce mix over after serving onto the plate.

For the ultimate pleasure from sprouts: pour a home-made onion sauce mix over the sprouts, made using roughly cut onions well-fried to caramel stage, cornflour and full milk - delicious with any meat!

 

Sadly I am not allowed in the kitchen on Christmas Day so will have to put up with the unappetising version served up by my beloved!

Ok

 

I'm going to instruct my wife to do all of the above and give them a go

 

I may not make it to Xmas alive when I ask her!

 

(Actually our daughter who works in 2 Michelin star restaurants as a chef is back for Xmas.  She might step up to the plate for us if I ask nicely) 

 

She was supposed to be heading to France to a luxury ski chalet as a private chef for the winter but obviously omicron has scuppered that 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[yorkshirephil]

5 minutes ago, bbtablet said:

Why do so many restaurants (and home cooks) cook sprouts all wrong by hardly cooking them at all and serving them half-raw, difficult to cut into, and with an awful texture?

The secret is to boil the water, very well salted, first;

then put in the sprouts (topped and cross-cut);

boil hard for at least 10 minutes; keep boiling until a sample is soft and sweet (the salt sweetens them, believe it or not);

drain and rinse in hot water if too salty for you, return "dry" to the stove to carefully evaporate any remaining water (key step); then serve.

Note: do not corrupt by adding chestnuts, peas, etc.

 

Extra delight: - pour a well-prepared onion sauce mix over after serving onto the plate.

 

For the ultimate pleasure from sprouts: pour a home-made onion sauce mix over the sprouts, made using roughly cut onions well-fried to caramel stage, cornflour and full milk - delicious with any meat!

 

Sadly I am not allowed in the kitchen on Christmas Day so will have to put up with the unappetising version served up by my beloved!

We have a saying at home "If tha dunt like it do it thyssen"

[brian1]

Love all these armchair chefs,lol.My Mrs likes all her veg stewed to death with bicarb added.I prefer blanched but sprouts are the only veg I prefer a bit softer.

[brian1]

Who said there's gonna be a turkey shortage?I've never seen so many on the shelves.

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Who said there's gonna be a turkey shortage?I've never seen so many on the shelves.

All the cancelled xmas parties and events 

 

Means loads more xmas food in shops and wholesalers than will be needed in the end

[P&O SUE]

On 12/18/2021 at 10:38 AM, ccpm said:

Definitely did but I try to enjoy most things. Mask wearing was OK I tended to sit myself down after not a long journey. I'll cover some things folks were concerned about below

 

Testing:  No queue, done in a minute results before I entered the terminal. Through security and on ship in 20 mins. Disembarkation Covid test introduced 7.12.2021 was complementary and done really well at 3.15pm no queue

News for Shelbourne re embarkation day:  Glasshouse is a pass by muster station so drinks only no food on embarkation day on this cruise.

Lifts. I was like the lift whisperer, press and here it is usually empty at most 2 - 3 others, no crush, no nastiness.

Drinks package: Financially worth it for me lots of coffees, soft drinks for cabin, water and alcohol. BUT it was weird how it worked. One example Peller Ice included in package in Glass House, no longer served in Epicurean, They would go get me a bottle that I bought at 20% discount but not able to sell it to me by the glass and via the package as not on the ipad. Wine that cost £32.95 a bottle on the package by glass @ £6.95. Wine selling for £24.95 a bottle was £7 a glass and not on package. Just could not be bothered to debate it this time but I'm ready for the letter to P&O.

Food  Only ate in Glasshouse and Epicurean all as before and all excellent.Plus got an immediate invite to breakfast at Epicurean without asking - result. Walked through buffet every day twice and only one side open at a time, food looked good but many many empty tables at 8.45am and 7.45pm.

Room Service   No mention of any charges of £2.50. Smoked salmon at £2 was a huge portion - hello supper.

Entertainment   Not my thing but I saw the busker chap a few times and Iiked him  but a fuller sound would have lifted him to another level which I know is not busking but just saying. Caught the female singer twice as I walked through - OK

Disembarking Choose your own time so popped down and asked for the first time I didn't have to take my own cases given 8.15am. Straight out no queue plenty of porters, hall had very little luggage in it. CPS worked so well will do it again.

General thoughts  I heard from a couple of sources there were 2000 on board, well they were very well hidden from me even on sea days no problem with seats etc and no sign of the number of cases in the baggage hall. I felt very safe. Saw 7 kids. I would not wish to be on board yet at full capacity.Crew told me that they were daily receiving cancellations for the holiday cruise and signs were up about staying on board and some took the offer up I understand.  I booked a similar cruise for 2023 while on board because of the £50 deposit.

 

Won't ramble on but please ask if anything else. Yes I would go again and will do if the same good price comes up but I need low passenger numbers at the moment. To be honest a half full ship seemed the right number to me for what made my cruise I am however certain it didn't make P&Os

Great review thanks. Although I’ve already moved my June 2022 cruise to 2023, I know I couldnt stand the stress of all the testing and forms etc. Doesn’t mean I’m not jealous of everyone else who goes .

Edited December 23, 2021 by P&O SUE

[zap99]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you Sarah.

Hospital rang and I have to be there at 7.30am tomorrow morning.

Graham.

Is that too early to pop into mcDonalds for breakie.?

[zap99]

1 hour ago, bbtablet said:

Why do so many restaurants (and home cooks) cook sprouts all wrong by hardly cooking them at all and serving them half-raw, difficult to cut into, and with an awful texture?

The secret is to boil the water, very well salted, first;

then put in the sprouts (topped and cross-cut);

boil hard for at least 10 minutes; keep boiling until a sample is soft and sweet (the salt sweetens them, believe it or not);

drain and rinse in hot water if too salty for you, return "dry" to the stove to carefully evaporate any remaining water (key step); then serve.

Note: do not corrupt by adding chestnuts, peas, etc.

 

Extra delight: - pour a well-prepared onion sauce mix over after serving onto the plate.

 

For the ultimate pleasure from sprouts: pour a home-made onion sauce mix over the sprouts, made using roughly cut onions well-fried to caramel stage, cornflour and full milk - delicious with any meat!

 

Sadly I am not allowed in the kitchen on Christmas Day so will have to put up with the unappetising version served up by my beloved!

We wrap them in a brown paper parcel add a little salt and pepper, add some white wine and cook for 15mins. When ready, remove from paper, throw sprouts in bin and eat paper.

[Interestedcruisefan]

4 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We wrap them in a brown paper parcel add a little salt and pepper, add some white wine and cook for 15mins. When ready, remove from paper, throw sprouts in bin and eat paper.

That's brilliant! So funny !

 

I'm using that from now on

 

Lol

Edited December 23, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[Ardennais]

Graham - best of luck tomorrow. 

[Eddie99]

The gammon has passed quality control 🙂

 

 

 

[grapau27]

23 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Graham - best of luck tomorrow. 

Thank you Ardennais.

Graham.

[kalos]

I've only been out for a walk for five minutes and came home to find that someone 

has bust a couple of my doors open ...

 

What sort of person would do that to my Advent Calendar 

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, bbtablet said:

Why do so many restaurants (and home cooks) cook sprouts all wrong by hardly cooking them at all and serving them half-raw, difficult to cut into, and with an awful texture?

The secret is to boil the water, very well salted, first;

then put in the sprouts (topped and cross-cut);

boil hard for at least 10 minutes; keep boiling until a sample is soft and sweet (the salt sweetens them, believe it or not);

drain and rinse in hot water if too salty for you, return "dry" to the stove to carefully evaporate any remaining water (key step); then serve.

Note: do not corrupt by adding chestnuts, peas, etc.

 

Extra delight: - pour a well-prepared onion sauce mix over after serving onto the plate.

 

For the ultimate pleasure from sprouts: pour a home-made onion sauce mix over the sprouts, made using roughly cut onions well-fried to caramel stage, cornflour and full milk - delicious with any meat!

 

Sadly I am not allowed in the kitchen on Christmas Day so will have to put up with the unappetising version served up by my beloved!

There was a sprout farmer on TV earlier in the week talking about best way to cook sprouts and he said dont put a cross in the bottom as this is what releases chemicals which give them their bitter taste and that is why so many people dont like sprouts. There are many different ways to cook sprouts and I suppose we all have our own ways.