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

[kalos]

Morning hope everyone's ok🙂 14.C and calm here .

 

All this talk of hospitals can be a shock to our loved ones or mates when we 

find out they are in hospital themselves .

Always remember getting a text off my mate Barry that read ..

"Can you come and pick us up from the hozzie ? Don’t worry! Doctors said I should be fine. However, I feel I should warn you that  the “Dyson Ball Cleaner” has a very misleading name."🙃😉

Have a good weekend everyone 🙂

[Beckett]

37 minutes ago, kalos said:

Morning hope everyone's ok🙂 14.C and calm here .

 

All this talk of hospitals can be a shock to our loved ones or mates when we 

find out they are in hospital themselves .

Always remember getting a text off my mate Barry that read ..

"Can you come and pick us up from the hozzie ? Don’t worry! Doctors said I should be fine. However, I feel I should warn you that  the “Dyson Ball Cleaner” has a very misleading name."🙃😉

Have a good weekend everyone 🙂

Brilliant Kalos! We should have an extra sort of guffaw meme on here just for you. Still laughing. Jane xx

[Beckett]

1 hour ago, Eddie99 said:

That’s all sounding positive Jane.  Enjoy the clean hair - that will give you a great boost.  Will you be ok drying it, or will you have someone help?  
We’ve got very mild, incredibly windy, dry weather this morning.  It must be very difficult for those in the extreme west, who are getting the full force of Storm Kathleen

Have a good Saturday/weekend everyone.  Bon voyage to anyone embarking a cruise today or tomorrow 

Lovely to hear from again Eddie. I've taken your advice and cancelled my Marathon entry. Shame! Hair is washed and half-dried but the Smurf look is now a dim and distant memory.

 

Kathleen is on her way - it's very windy here now. Don't think I'd fancy setting sail today - especially going across to Ireland. Did we always have named storms here in the UK? If we did, I can't remember so many hot on the heels of the last one.

 

Have a happy weekend. Jane xx

[yorkshirephil]

Morning all (just) The forecast today was wall to wall sunshine with a light breeze. I put my shorts on and Mrs YP had a load of washing on the timer. It has been dull all morning with no breeze so the washing is still hanging limply on the line, fortunately it is warm enough for the shorts so not all bad. Hopefully those suffering storm Kathleen will get through unscathed. Enjoy the weekend all, especially if you are on a cruise, and for those having trouble standing up even without a storm I hope you are feeling better. 

You know you are getting old when Dennis the menace and Gnasher are all grown up

 

[P&O SUE]

14 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

Barnsley now has a 'branch' of the hospital in the new town centre. They do all the non emergency tests etc to free up as many resources as possible for the hospital. They do xrays, scans, mamograms, blood testing, removing stitches, anything that can be done without the need to wait for hours at the hospital. 

Avril

Ever since I’ve been having mammograms I’ve had them in a mobile unit parked up  in a clinic or leisure centre carpark. Any problems from that you have to go to a hospital. I always just got an appointment in the post then you phoned if it wasn’t suitable. My most recent one I just had a letter telling me to phone to make an appointment. The phone was constantly engaged, finally I left a voicemail and was phoned back after a couple of days! As Phil said some people would give up I’m sure.

 

Over a month ago I had a sort of very basic well woman check with a ‘healthcare professional’ I assumed she was a nurse but I’ve since discovered she’s not. Anyway she phoned up to say one of my cholesterol readings was a bit high and she would talk to a GP and get back to me. About 2 weeks later I phoned (which isn’t easy I normally wait til nearly 6pm then I get through) as I hadn’t heard anything. The receptionist said there wasn’t any notes on there so she’d make me a GP call. I wanted afternoon as I work most mornings. She said afternoons were for same day urgents! So I ended up having my call this week. The GP said she’d up my statins a bit and I should have another blood test in 6 weeks. I’ve just gone and collected the tablets. It’s a good thing I didn’t assume everything was ok! The GP also wanted my weight but the ‘nurse’ hadn’t done it at the check up. As I said it was a very basic one.

[Adawn47]

A bright and breezy day here but mild. Time to batten down the hatches once more.

@Beckett You are always there to help others Jane. I remember clearly that you began posting to help during covid and were one of the most helpful posters to us all. You me me me all you want, it's our turn now😊

I've been browsing through some cruises recently and I wondered if anyone had some travel insurance companies they could recommend. I've not needed help before, but since Frank's hospital stay I know it will be much more expensive and probably more trip wires too😉

I welcome any help.

Avril

[P&O SUE]

Hello all, very mild here but very windy. I’ve just been down to my local shops and nearly got blown away! I took a photo of a very bent tree on the way, those cables were also blowing lots! John’s at work today and when he gets home we’re going to see Mum.

 

 

[Adawn47]

6 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Ever since I’ve been having mammograms I’ve had them in a mobile unit parked up  in a clinic or leisure centre carpark. Any problems from that you have to go to a hospital. I always just got an appointment in the post then you phoned if it wasn’t suitable. My most recent one I just had a letter telling me to phone to make an appointment. The phone was constantly engaged, finally I left a voicemail and was phoned back after a couple of days! As Phil said some people would give up I’m sure.

 

Over a month ago I had a sort of very basic well woman check with a ‘healthcare professional’ I assumed she was a nurse but I’ve since discovered she’s not. Anyway she phoned up to say one of my cholesterol readings was a bit high and she would talk to a GP and get back to me. About 2 weeks later I phoned (which isn’t easy I normally wait til nearly 6pm then I get through) as I hadn’t heard anything. The receptionist said there wasn’t any notes on there so she’d make me a GP call. I wanted afternoon as I work most mornings. She said afternoons were for same day urgents! So I ended up having my call this week. The GP said she’d up my statins a bit and I should have another blood test in 6 weeks. I’ve just gone and collected the tablets. It’s a good thing I didn’t assume everything was ok! The GP also wanted my weight but the ‘nurse’ hadn’t done it at the check up. As I said it was a very basic one.

It's strange how things have change since covid. Very few doctors' visits and the majority now via phone, text or mail.

Two weeks ago, out of the blue, I had a letter from my  GP informing me that one of my regular BP meds was changing.

''After much research it has shown that Indapamide 1.5mg slow release tablets are not as effective as Indapamide 2.5mg and will be updated on your next prescription cycle. Please contact the surgery if you have any issues''

Not a problem in this instance, as it saved the doctor's time, but I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Avril

[P&O SUE]

6 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

It's strange how things have change since covid. Very few doctors' visits and the majority now via phone, text or mail.

Two weeks ago, out of the blue, I had a letter from my  GP informing me that one of my regular BP meds was changing.

''After much research it has shown that Indapamide 1.5mg slow release tablets are not as effective as Indapamide 2.5mg and will be updated on your next prescription cycle. Please contact the surgery if you have any issues''

Not a problem in this instance, as it saved the doctor's time, but I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Avril

 
I’m afraid it doesn’t seem to be getting better. I haven’t seen a GP face to face since you know what.

 

Like Zap said people go to A&E because they don’t know where else to turn. I live in a very busy area unfortunately with more and more homes being built but no infrastructure to go with it.

[Josy1953]

27 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

 

30 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

 

I've been browsing through some cruises recently and I wondered if anyone had some travel insurance companies they could recommend. I've not needed help before, but since Frank's hospital stay I know it will be much more expensive and probably more trip wires too😉

I welcome any help.

Avril

Avril,

All I can say is to avoid Staysure, we came very close to cancelling our current cruise because Staysure was appalling to deal with following my recent health problems but we did end up staying with them because when I tried other companies most didn't want to know because I was awaiting test results. 

We paid an extortionate price and have to speak to them before we go on our next cruise in June so that they can decide whether or not to extort more money from us.  I have a cardiology appointment for next week which hopefully will give me better news since my GP thinks that I may have had an allergic reaction to the brand of statin and has reduced the dosage of the statin that caused my problem, I have been ok since reducing the dosage and taking a different brand yet again.

Good luck with your search for Frank's insurance.

 

[kalos]

42 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I've been browsing through some cruises recently and I wondered if anyone had some travel insurance companies they could recommend. I've not needed help before, but since Frank's hospital stay I know it will be much more expensive and probably more trip wires too😉

 

As far as I know your not allowed to recommend companies on here ,so I won't .

What I can do is tell you about our company Staysure .

I found they were very good when Mrs K took ill on a cruise ship and on return 

home ,they did a prompt pay out for her expenses .

Also the do cover for my  HF ,which a lot of companies do not want to cover me 

or want out of this world premiums , so my choice is limited .

Good luck with finding you and Frank a suitable insurance cover.

[Adawn47]

12 minutes ago, kalos said:

Good luck with finding you and Frank a suitable insurance cover.

I've done a quick comparison site search for approx costs,a couple, 2 weeks with cruise cover etc answered all questions honestly and WOW is all I can say. They range from

Travelsaver Gold??? £441.98🤨 to a magnificent and eye watering

Virgin platinum £2,739.50😲 Costs more than the cruise.

A minefield🥴

I give up😒

A frustrated and fed up Avril

 

[grapau27]

5 hours ago, Beckett said:

Good Morning Everyone

 

I hope you are well today. It's a very warm start to the day here - all windows already open and a lovely breeze coming through. I don't think Storm Kathleen is going to reach my neck of the woods but it looks as though she's going to be very fierce in the North and West so take care.

 

My big excitement today is that I can wash my hair - yay! Having an injury and looking like a bag lady is not a good combination so some semblance of normality will be very welcome.

 

Monday is a GP appointment "to discuss the findings on your scan". Maybe they found a brain! Tuesday is stitches out so slowly and surely I hope I'm on the mend. I'll let you know what the "findings" are but apart from that I'll shut up now because this thread is becoming a bit 'Me, Me, Me" . Once again, thank you all so much for your care and good wishes.

 

Have a great weekend everyone. Jane xxx

I'm pleased you are feeling a lot better Jane.

We are all happy to read your posts no matter how long they are.

Graham xx

 

[kalos]

25 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I've done a quick comparison site search for approx costs,a couple, 2 weeks with cruise cover etc answered all questions honestly and WOW is all I can say. They range from

Travelsaver Gold??? £441.98🤨 to a magnificent and eye watering

Virgin platinum £2,739.50😲 Costs more than the cruise.

A minefield🥴

I give up😒

A frustrated and fed up Avril

 

 

Welcome to the world of HF  🥴 Not easy is it ?  

When it was early days with the condition I also gave up , trying to get insurance with ongoing tests and within the first year was not working for us.

Once a couple of years had passed and I was answering questions like .." How many times have you been to hospital for this in last two years?" or have you any upcoming tests for this condition ?"  Answering  " None and no "  brought the cost down hell of a lot .

I managed to get cover for the whole year for just under £800.

Maybe Frank will fare better in a years time if everything stays stable .. Good luck 🙂

Edited April 6 by kalos

[yorkshirephil]

23 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I've done a quick comparison site search for approx costs,a couple, 2 weeks with cruise cover etc answered all questions honestly and WOW is all I can say. They range from

Travelsaver Gold??? £441.98🤨 to a magnificent and eye watering

Virgin platinum £2,739.50😲 Costs more than the cruise.

A minefield🥴

I give up😒

A frustrated and fed up Avril

 

Don't give up Avril, you and Frank deserve a cruise. We used Staysure for many years, however we don't know how good they are when faced with a claim as we have fortunately not needed to make one.

When the Nationwide flexplus account was discussed on here I decided to look into that as we also wanted to open a joint current account. I phoned the advertised Nationwide number to see what any extras would be and whether the insurance looked suitable. It looks fine and is considerably less than Staysure for similar/better cover so we opened an account, with the added bonus of having £200 added to the account as a new customer. Again I won't really know how good they will be until I need to claim. 

[grapau27]

16 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Welcome to the world of HF  🥴 Not easy is it ?  

When it was early days with the condition I also gave up , trying to get insurance with ongoing tests and within the first year was not working for us.

Once a couple of years had passed and I was answering questions like .." How many times have you been to hospital for this in last two years?" or have you any upcoming tests for this condition ?"  Answering  " None and no "  brought the cost down hell of a lot .

I managed to get cover for the whole year for just under £800.

Maybe Frank will fare better in a years time if everything stays stable .. Good luck 🙂

Excellent answer @kalos.

Last year's worldwide annual cruise inclusive was £900.

This year's annual cruise inclusive for Europe is just less than half that.

We used All clear who use Zurich and as long as you answer everything they are very good.

[Adawn47]

10 minutes ago, kalos said:

I managed to get cover for the whole year for just under £800.

Maybe Frank will fare better in a years time if everything stays stable .. Good luck 🙂

 

I was thinking the same. I think it might be better to lower my stress levels and look next year. We could probably take a warners break, but it's not like an ocean cruise

Avril

[kalos]

@yorkshirephil Looks a tad breezy over at Leeds Bradford folk 

landing there are getting their monies worth 🙃

 

A few minutes ago .. Go around . 

 

 

 

[happy v]

1 minute ago, Adawn47 said:

I was thinking the same. I think it might be better to lower my stress levels and look next year. We could probably take a warners break, but it's not like an ocean cruise

Avril

Try Nationwide first Avril. Selbourne used them for his long cruise and saved hundreds for his long cruise. Loads of posters agreed with him after he mentioned it

[yorkshirephil]

9 minutes ago, kalos said:

@yorkshirephil Looks a tad breezy over at Leeds Bradford folk 

landing there are getting their monies worth 🙃

 

A few minutes ago .. Go around . 

 

 

 

The wind has got up here but the sun has come out and it is pleasant, I have been sat in the garden reading and Mrs YP's bloomers have been almost horizontal on the washing line😁. Now I have an earworm "the answer my friend is blowing in the wind" Our neighbour often leaves me washing messages:

 

[Grumpycruiser60plus]

Hello everyone. 

We arrived in Padstow  yesterday all safe & sound, after an overnight stop at H.I Taunton. The town is fairly  busy as always. This is my DW & I first visit to Cornwall in over 35 yrs. Weather was dull/ raining  yesterday, but bright & breezy today. Storm "Killjoy" is not too evident yet!.  I will post some photos   below( hopefully) but as I am using my phone & not a laptop, I may get some upside down.  They are of the Harbour,  a cross estuary  to Rock, .  

We are off to visit Eden Project  tomorrow,  so will have so.e  better  pics as I will use my digital camera. 

 

 All for now.

 

[brian1]

All the time we were in Italy we just had our EHIC card,never any insurance.We're contemplating a Rhine river cruise.I think the same may apply there too unless there is compulsary cover required by the operator.I mean,any problems,just pull over and offload on the riverbank,lol.

[brian1]

33 minutes ago, kalos said:

@yorkshirephil Looks a tad breezy over at Leeds Bradford folk 

landing there are getting their monies worth 🙃

 

A few minutes ago .. Go around . 

 

 

 

I bet the Yorkshire airways plane has loads of wind behind it😉.

[lindyloo22]

2 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

A bright and breezy day here but mild. Time to batten down the hatches once more.

@Beckett You are always there to help others Jane. I remember clearly that you began posting to help during covid and were one of the most helpful posters to us all. You me me me all you want, it's our turn now😊

I've been browsing through some cruises recently and I wondered if anyone had some travel insurance companies they could recommend. I've not needed help before, but since Frank's hospital stay I know it will be much more expensive and probably more trip wires too😉

I welcome any help.

Avril

I use All Clear used them for years now find them very good and cover most medical problems, I think at the moment they are offering 20% off so perhaps worth getting a quote.

[kalos]

19 minutes ago, brian1 said:

I bet the Yorkshire airways plane has loads of wind behind it😉.

 

Purrit   Darn tuh  mushy peas lad 🙃😉