Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[Host Hattie]

We usually fast forward through the adverts perhaps I should make an effort to find this one. We've been mostly been watching Glastonbury this weekend, we couldn't stay up for the end of Paul McCartney's set last night so we're hoping it's on the iPlayer soon.

The weather was much better than forecast yesterday although we had a couple of heavy showers while we were trying to have a barbecue !

[naturelovergirl]

20 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Are you old enough for the senior pass for the national parks?  It saved us a bundle a few years ago.  Only place it didn’t work was Gettysburg.  Also, if one do you is former military, you get free entry.  EM

Thanks so much.

I do not qualify for the Senior Pass yet- but both of my parents have their passes- and you can bet I will get mine when I am eligible.

We are all big nature people in my family, and we love our National Parks so much. We have had some magnificent trips that we took with them to Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Acadia.

My husband and I did purchase the America The Beautiful Pass earlier this year in anticipation for this trip, since we knew we would be going to so many National Parks. We purchased it for the year at Everglades National Park during the winter months before it got too buggy- camped down in the Flamingo section in our RV, rented a boat, rode our bicycles in Shark Valley, and had a fabulous time. Got the Pass and a mini vacation at the same time!

Interesting that the National Park passes are not able to be used at Gettysburg. 

 

[Ray66]

8 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

We usually fast forward through the adverts perhaps I should make an effort to find this one. We've been mostly been watching Glastonbury this weekend, we couldn't stay up for the end of Paul McCartney's set last night so we're hoping it's on the iPlayer soon.

The weather was much better than forecast yesterday although we had a couple of heavy showers while we were trying to have a barbecue !

 

We watched it all from 10.30pm until past 1.00am. Wonderful!

 

The Cunard adverts have been on again today on Channel 5 and Channel 4.

[Host Hattie]

It was late (for a school night) before it was on the iPlayer yesterday so we've still only seen up to "Let it Be".

I took a few hours off work today so we could travel back from Pembrokeshire this morning.

 

[ronpes]

Hello everyone.

Since we sailed on our first Cunard sailing in April this year, I have enjoyed catching up with what other Cunard cruisers are up to on this thread. 
Time for me to say a proper hello.

 

Let me introduce ourselves. 

My name is Ron and my wife and I live on the east coast of Scotland.

We are both in our early 60’s and we both retired in 2020. 

 

We first started cruising in 2001 and have cruised almost every year since. 

The vast majority of our sailings have been with Royal Caribbean, but an occasional trip with Celebrity and MSC added to the mix.

 

Our first Cunard cruise was in April this year on a westerly transatlantic  on the QM2. We then stayed one night in New York and then returned to Southampton on Anthem ot Seas. 

This was to celebrate our Ruby anniversary and a milestone birthday for my wife.

At the time of booking, (early 2021) we were wary of flying and as we had never sailed with Cunard before we thought this was the best choice. 

 

Both ships are VERY different and beautiful in their individual ways. 

 

I have been asked many times what ship did we like the best? and we say that they are very different so it’s not a “like for like” comparison but if pushed into a corner and forced to pick one, we would choose the QM2 because of its elegance and charm. 

 

We booked future cruises on both ships again, and look forward to sailing on the QM2 against next year. 

 

Our next cruise is a Transpacific on Ovation ot Seas from Alaska - Hawaii - Australia in September this year. This is another bucket list trip for us.

 

Right now, we are looking after our sons two dogs and house in Surrey whilst he is away on vacation.
We are enjoying the warm weather although there was a short but impressive thunder storm this afternoon. 

 

I really enjoyed watching Paul McCartney on Saturday night and stayed up to the end. 

I also enjoyed Diana Ross yesterday. 

 

Time for another walk I think but the dogs have twigged and for some reason curled up in their beds pretending to be sleeping!

 

Have a nice day!

[Host Hattie]

Nice to hear from you Ron, thanks for joining us.

[Lanky Lad]

Some good news for me today, I have got a new job. It's still with the same company, but an advancement on what I'm doing currently.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Lanky Lad

[ronpes]

3 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

Some good news for me today, I have got a new job. It's still with the same company, but an advancement on what I'm doing currently.

Congratulations.

[Host Hattie]

Congratulations @Lanky Lad

[Lanky Lad]

Thanks everyone.

[techteach]

Congrats @Lanky Lad!

[ronpes]

Hello folks,

Just another quiet day today in Surrey where the weather has been a mixture of cloudy and sunshine.

 

The dogs enjoy their regular stroll and after this post it will be the last outing (#5) for them today before their bedtime.

 

When we go out for the last walk around 9-ish we nearly always “Basil” the fox. We see him ( or maybe it’s Mrs Basil?) as he goes on his nightly prowl. 

 

Not very pretty but not a sight I see often from where we normally live up North unless we are out in the country.

 

I haven’t seen any of the tennis yet but sorry to see young Emma leaving so soon. 

I have no doubt she will still go to achieve more success in the near future. 

 

We hope that our new passports have arrived when we get home next week. That will be 7 weeks since we sent them by Royal Mail for renewal. 

 

Although we don't go abroad again till September , we are away again in January and as my wife’s passport expires in March 2023, we reluctantly decided to bite the bullet and do it now during this period. 

 

I would be interested to hear how long others have had to wait until they got theirs this year. 

 

Anyway, time to put the walking shoes on for the last time today. 

 

Have a good day/evening wherever you are. 

Ron. 

[Host Hattie]

I applied via the Post Office on 23rd April and  my new passport arrived on 13th May

 

[ronpes]

22 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I applied via the Post Office on 23rd April and  my new passport arrived on 13th May

 

Wow that’s good. 

We were advised by the lady in the Post Office that it could take up to 10 weeks. 
It was 6 weeks up until just before we came down south so we are hoping they are there when we get home. 
We tried tracking their progress but all we got was an E-mail saying they will let us know nearer the time when the process is completed.
We still have plenty time yet. 

[Host Hattie]

The longest wait was for them to acknowledge that they had my old passport. After that it only took a few days.

[Liverpoolgirl175]

We renewed ours online in April and received them after 3 weeks.

[Tonopah]

At last testing I am still Covid positive (and Mister negative grrrr). My senses of taste and smell are both extremely compromised. Today was the first day in over a week that I could actually function almost at my regular pace. I baked two loaves of bread, made seafood chowder (Mister had to be the designated taster) and processed a zillion veggies for borscht. 

 

But now I am beat and plan to crawl into bed early with a book I’ve read a few times before. Familiarity makes it easier to follow along with my brain fog.

 

My taste buds better be back to normal before we embark on the QM2 in November! Stamps foot, pouts.

[techteach]

@Tonopah Loss of taste must be terrible! Your loaves are beautiful. Rest well and I hope you feel better soon.

[alc13]

10 hours ago, Tonopah said:

At last testing I am still Covid positive (and Mister negative grrrr). My senses of taste and smell are both extremely compromised. Today was the first day in over a week that I could actually function almost at my regular pace. I baked two loaves of bread, made seafood chowder (Mister had to be the designated taster) and processed a zillion veggies for borscht. 

 

But now I am beat and plan to crawl into bed early with a book I’ve read a few times before. Familiarity makes it easier to follow along with my brain fog.

 

We need a sad-faced button!  You have the full monte of symptoms.  Here's hoping for a quick resolution.

[ronpes]

15 hours ago, Tonopah said:

At last testing I am still Covid positive (and Mister negative grrrr). My senses of taste and smell are both extremely compromised. Today was the first day in over a week that I could actually function almost at my regular pace. I baked two loaves of bread, made seafood chowder (Mister had to be the designated taster) and processed a zillion veggies for borscht. 

 

But now I am beat and plan to crawl into bed early with a book I’ve read a few times before. Familiarity makes it easier to follow along with my brain fog.

 

My taste buds better be back to normal before we embark on the QM2 in November! Stamps foot, pouts.

I hope you get better soon.

[ronpes]

I see in one of today’s newspapers that there is currently a backlog of 500,000 passports in the system at various stages of being processed.
I guess the turn round time of ten weeks I was quoted may be right after all. 

[Host Hattie]

@Tonopah I hope your smell and taste are back to normal soon.

We've got quite a few people off work again at the moment & we're going to a family wedding on Monday. I think it'll be a miracle if I get through the next week without catching it. The weather forecast is quite good on Monday so hopefully we'll be able to spend lots of time outside.

In Cruise news our Cunard "invitation" for our September cruise arrived today.

[Camgirl]

We applied for our passports online at the beginning of the year. My husbands came back in a week, mine a couple of days later!

[Camgirl]

Tonopah, I hope you are feeling back to full health soon. 

 

My sense of smell and taste are still compromised some 9 months later! I have done the smell training and much of it has returned, but there are some things I just can't smell any more. It is very bizarre what this virus can do to you.

[alc13]

4 hours ago, Camgirl said:

Tonopah, I hope you are feeling back to full health soon. 

 

My sense of smell and taste are still compromised some 9 months later! I have done the smell training and much of it has returned, but there are some things I just can't smell any more. It is very bizarre what this virus can do to you.

Very bizarre indeed.  Hope you get to a full recovery.