Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 7 October 2018

Lynette – 1½ kg to spare is not enough. Please try to reduce. Else you will be over limit if you shop. I decant toiletries etc into small containers, just enough for the time away. Comfortable shoes a must – I live in the same ones! You don’t need a different outfit every day. As Linda says rinse & dry in bathroom.

Hi Lindybird, did you take the normal showergel and shampoo with you or do you think the supplies are adequate. I have those in my hand luggage for now. If I can reduce them, I will.  Have a mini first aid kit, for cuts, etc. Will be taking insurance papers etc. Know there is a medical facility on board which we hope we don't have to use. Lanyard sounds a good idea. Not taken loads of outfits but enough to wear twice. They stipulate there will be about 2 formal affairs, so have got that covered but I don't possess glamouress dresses and have bought some new longer ones for evening. It will be so different to what we are use to when we go on holiday as normally just take usual clothes and nothing glam. Ragarding phones, I only mean to text our dau when in a port otherwise no wifi and regular use of phone. Thanks for the info, Lindy.

Tried to make an appointment for scan etc but diary isn't open yet for 5th Nov onwards so have to ring next week, midweek.

Annette - its with P&O sailing from Southampton and returning by air from Barbados into B'ham which is better for us.

OG - Hope they sort J out and that you and OH are keeping reasonably well.

Lindy - so you went with Royal Caribbean then and a little unsatisfactory In some cases. Glad the food and service was good though.

AQ - I know but don't intend to buy too many things and hopefully that will go into the hand luggage??

Good Morning.  A wild and windy night here, but our very old plum tree is still standing in the garden this morning. Rain forecast for today with the winds dying down.

Lynette, they usually give you some small freebies in the way of toiletries - this varies in amount. I take, as AQ says, mini versions of shampoo etc. There is usually a mini tablet of soap provided and sometimes a dispenser with shower gel in the shower. I take disposable shower caps. Check if there is a hairdryer supplied, there usually is and it saved me taking my travel one. If you're flying home, you obviously have to watch the weight of luggage, but we found that they rarely weigh the hand luggage.

Lynette - The ship I was on supplied small bars of soap and a gel dispenser in the shower.  I used that gel as shower gel, shampoo and laundry detergent - it was fine and smelled really nice.  So next time I won't pack any of those things.  And there was a hair dryer - which I didn't use.  I was also delighted to find a kettle with coffee/tea supplies.  I don't normally do 'glam', but found plain trousers with a sparkly top (I do have a few of those!) was perfect for the formal evenings.  My next cruise is considerably longer, so the same clothes will appear several times!

Lynette: I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise and it is everything you've hoped it will be.

I second that, DIANE!

LINDY - I'm thinking about your friend G and of course, you at this time. What a marvellous woman she must be. I would have turned my face to the wall by now, I'm not at all brave.

OG - It is good that J's GP is going to follow things up. Do let us know how things go. Belated congratulations on the birth of your great grandson! An interesting name - I Googled it!

PAT - you are obviously looking forward to your next cruise - I'm told that they are quite addictive....

ANNETTE - I agree about 'devices'. Years ago it was I-Spy and making words out of car number plates etc. All very dull for today's children, who are used to better (?) things.

Miserable weather here but not as bad as South Wales. My friend put off her shopping trip earlier this week - now she wishes that she hadn't.

AQ - Lovely pics of the girls x

Well, we haven’t floated away, and the wind has definitely stopped.  I did read advice from RSPB not to attempt to get to their Mersehead reserve through the coastal flooding, so I guess that applies to quite a few miles of the Solway today – storms always seem to happen at same time as high tide.  Wales sounds very bad – part of the A5 closed, so don’t know whether Linda will get through to Caernarfon.

I promised more about J’s visit to doc; a very young doc, who hadn’t seen him before, so he read up all his previous history!  He said he wants the “funny turns” investigated and, after consulting with one of the partners, he is contacting the Christie in Manchester to ask whether they prefer to arrange to perform his next due scan early, or whether he should arrange one here.  J is to see him again in three weeks, meanwhile not to drive, which is unfortunate as it will take away his remaining independence and make him more stressed and anxious.  It is now school’s two-week October holiday, so we hope to try to keep him occupied and encourage walks when the weather allows, and use of public transport so he is not stuck with the aged parents!

Interesting to read all the queries and advice about cruising – makes me wonder if it is really worth doing!  However, I have heard of one tip applied to air travel, which is to take some older clothes and shoes for “plainer” days and discard them before return to leave room for gifts etc in your luggage – its often a good idea to use comfy older shoes for pavement walking anyway.

I can smell lunch – tomato and red pepper soup – nearly ready!

LYNETTE   We river cruised with Viking. All our bathroom bits and bobs were replaced when necessary and we did have a hair dryer. There was no tea or coffee in our cabin but it was only a 1 minute walk to where they had a tea and coffee machine and cookies and pastries 24/7.

OG  Glad the GP was thorough and do hope you get answers soon.

We've arrived, and in one piece, after a showery journey with quite a few roadside tree branches, ripped down last night. In one place, there was half a tree resting across the carriageway with a team of men just beginning to cut it up for removal  -  we squeezed by. It's not half as bad as South Wales, though, where there have been floods and mountainsides have slipped and blocked main roads.

Listening to the rain now, which will probably last until morning but then sunshine is forecast, hooray!