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

[P&O SUE]

Morning all, Saturday was lovely and sunny and actually warm! Hooray. We went and did a bit of cruise clothes shopping (for me) in Maidstone and then went for a walk in Mote Park on the edge of the town.

It was so busy, last weekend before the children go back to school. We walked away from the busy cafe, playground area but it was still busier than usual elsewhere in the park. Was lovely to see families out in the fresh air though. I managed to take a photo that made it look deserted though!

 

Back to horrible wind and rain again yesterday but luckily my manager text me Sunday asking me to work from home yesterday so that was good!

 

Lunch with a friend today, haven’t seen her for a while so looking forward to that.

 

 

[Megabear2]

BBC are just running a piece on the €100 a day entry requirement.  Most people shocked that s family of 4 needs to show €2700 available.

[P&O SUE]

48 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

My friend is just back from Spain and she was stopped on the way in at passport control and asked to prove she had a minimum amount of (113) euros for each day of her stay (or demonstrable access to this money eg debit card). They were selecting random people and checking that they had a return or onward ticket, a place to stay and enough money for the duration of their stay.

 

Apparently this law came into force in January 2022 but is now being actively applied n Spain. It applies to all European countries. I knew it always used to apply in Belgium in the past.
 

Just so you are aware of it if you are travelling this summer. I don’t use online banking so couldn’t prove that my card holds sufficient funds, something I’ll have to change that just in case.

I wonder would that apply to cruise passengers?

[twotravellersLondon]

35 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

more proactively. 

 

A very "diplomatic" choice of words!

[Eglesbrech]

4 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

I wonder would that apply to cruise passengers?

Good question. In terms of legislation it probably does but whether they would apply it or not is an unknown.

[P&O SUE]

Oh, also meant to say - yesterday was 60 days to my cruise and restaurants were open to book- and the Limelight club! I wouldn’t have known if I wasn’t on the face ache group for that cruise! I’ve booked the BeachHouse for the first night but I don’t want to book too much as I like to go to the theatre etc. It’s a shame they don’t tell us the other entertainment!

[Eglesbrech]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

BBC are just running a piece on the €100 a day entry requirement.  Most people shocked that s family of 4 needs to show €2700 available.

For younger folks who are struggling to even pay for a holiday that’s a lot, particularly if they have paid in advance for example for all inclusive.

 

[P&O SUE]

1 minute ago, Eglesbrech said:

For younger folks who are struggling to even pay for a holiday that’s a lot, particularly if they have paid in advance for example for all inclusive.

 

Exactly they wouldn’t need that much money then.

[Snow Hill]

17 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Good question. In terms of legislation it probably does but whether they would apply it or not is an unknown.

Extremely unlikely you would be asked if just a cruise passenger ashore for a few hours.

 

 

[Megabear2]

18 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Exactly they wouldn’t need that much money then.

Unfortunately I doubt that comes into it.  My husband was asked to show finance arrangements going into Austria last month.  They weren't interested that he was full board in a hotel and had prepaid for his ski equipment etc in advance.

 

It's part of the gift that keeps giving that is apparently being applied vigorously by some countries going forward.

[Snow Hill]

26 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

BBC are just running a piece on the €100 a day entry requirement.  Most people shocked that s family of 4 needs to show €2700 available.

They seem to focus on just the €100 aspect of a number of rules applying to Spain and other Schengen countries which apply to non EU Nationals.

 

We are planning to visit my cousin in Spain later this year, he has said he will need to provide us with a carta de invitation so we can show that to border agency if asked, something we didn’t need on our last visit in 2016. 
 

Again certain sections of media scaremongering, people need to take note of entry rules to countries they visit as rules have changed. 

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

Again certain sections of media scaremongering, people need to take note of entry rules to countries they visit as rules have changed. 

I do not think this was in any way scaremongering, more trying to warn the unwary to prevent problems for them. It's very easy to walk into a high street travel agent or go online to book a land based holiday and expect them to be "experts" in requirements. My 78 year old very unworldly friend has just done exactly that for a two week package to Majorca in September.  I can assure you he wasn't told anything about this or any other entry requirements that have changed since we left the EU.  They don't have any access to banks apart from a Nationwide account run on a book, use the PO for their pension payments and despite my pleas to do otherwise use nothing but cash.  Their answer to me is we want to be in control.  I'm going to have to have a discussion as I don't want them walking round with wads of Euros.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

 

Nor do I use online banking , so I think a mini statement from the Hole in the wall 

machines, possibly the day before,as that would be a dated printout .

That was our thinking, maybe a credit card statement as well.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, P&O SUE said:

I wonder would that apply to cruise passengers?

On our March 30th 7 night cruise on Iona to 

Hamburg.

Rotterdam.

Zeebrugge.

We were not asked about money but in the Horizon every day we were told we needed to take our passports ashore but we were never asked to show them by the port security when getting back on board.

[Eglesbrech]

Good idea @zap99
 

Its just one more thing to add to the list of preparation when travelling, which has become a lot less of a pleasure than it used to be.

 

Next year may see the biometrics and visa requirements being implemented as well, unless they postpone yet again. The queues are already long enough at passport control. We were ages in January getting into Madeira as they only had 2 people on for 3 full flights, we were all British so couldn’t use the E gates anymore and they were taking longer to ask about booked  accommodation (but not checking funds etc).

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

Just now, grapau27 said:

On our March 30th 7 night cruise on Iona to 

Hamburg.

Rotterdam.

Zeebrugge.

We were not asked about money but in the Horizon every day we were told we needed to take our passports ashore but we were never asked to show them by the port security when getting back on board.

We are just off Aurora and passports were checked at La Rochelle on the way back onto the ship. It caught out several people in the queue.

 

Some French ports have been doing this for a while now.

[zap99]

26 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Good idea @zap99
 

Its just one more thing to add to the list of preparation when travelling, which has become a lot less of a pleasure than it used to be.

 

Next year may see the biometrics and visa requirements being implemented as well, unless they postpone yet again. The queues are already long enough at passport control. We were ages in January getting into Madeira as they only had 2 people on for 3 full flights, we were all British so couldn’t use the E gates anymore and they were taking longer to ask about booked  accommodation (but not checking funds etc).

 

 

We haven't been asked to provide financial details, but the queue getting into Menorca last year was quite long. In one of the papers over the weekend a family of 4 entering Spain for a fortnight were asked to show proof that they had available £97 per day..each..including the kids.

Edited April 16 by zap99

[brian1]

38 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We haven't been asked to provide financial details, but the queue getting into Menorca last year was quite long. In one of the papers over the weekend a family of 4 entering Spain for a fortnight were asked to show proof that they had available £97 per day..each..including the kids.

They do start them young in those Benidorm British pubs.

[brian1]

We came back with 1500 Euro cash after selling our house.Our contribution towards the fees was unexpectedly only 200,result.We're booking a 11 day European river cruise today hopefully,should come in handy.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, brian1 said:

They do start them young in those Benidorm British pubs.

You could buy a fair few Watneys Red Barrels for £97. Spell check drinks Wotnot red barrel.🤔

[Josy1953]

 Back from the hospital and everything is  fine other than slightly raised potassium levels so no more bananas coming into this house.

Everything was running late due to an "incident" earlier this morning.  I don't know what the incident was but as we walked from the carpark down to the hospital we noticed 2 police cars outside A&E.

[kalos]

6 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

 Back from the hospital and everything is  fine other than slightly raised potassium levels so no more bananas coming into this house.

Everything was running late due to an "incident" earlier this morning.  I don't know what the incident was but as we walked from the carpark down to the hospital we noticed 2 police cars outside A&E.

 

Glad to read things are fine Josy . Mrs K also had prob's with raised potassium levels

that are now thankfully OK.

She too avoids bananas ,as well as oranges ,tomatoes and when peeling spuds

she will rinse soak and repeat as this lowers the content as well .

Mrs K says..  hope the above is of help to you .

[Megabear2]

Huge celebration time!!!! Dutch Decoy just won at Newmarket priced at 9/1.

[Grandad John]

Just now, Megabear2 said:

Huge celebration time!!!! Dutch Decoy just won at Newmarket priced at 9/1.

Unfortunately lost by a nose, two more strides and he’d have won. Ran a cracking race on his preferred going having hung very badly on the soft in the Lincoln.

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, Grandad John said:

Unfortunately lost by a nose, two more strides and he’d have won. Ran a cracking race on his preferred going having hung very badly on the soft in the Lincoln.

Yes, so I hear. They actually called him first to start with as confirmed by my friend at the course.  Onwards and upwards though.  Back at Newmarket on 4 May all being well and I'll be there that day for the Guineas.