Aurora refit 3-19th Dec 2014

[Wina G]

Looks like Aurora is planned for a refit 3-19th December, P&O have scheduled a 2 nighter before the Xmas & New Year cruise presumably as a buffer in case the refit overruns ... does anyone know what's planned?

As we've never been on Aurora before we probably wouldn't notice any changes, Freedom dining is planned to come in from 19th Dec 2014 ... we're on the Xmas & New Year cruise, club dining second sitting as usual

[Mervyn and Trish]

I don't know specific plans but would imagine a general overall smarten up. Aurora is due some TLC. Hard to see how the design would permit any major changes. Oriana only got extra cabins because she lost the children's facilities when she went adult only. Maybe some change to the layout of the restaurant due to become Freedom dining, perhaps with extra tables for 2.

[towny44]

You may be lucky Wina I would imagine a 16 day refit will be quite major, possibly a full refurbish of all the cabins as they did on Arcadia's recent refit, plus a full refresh of a number of the public rooms. There is likely to be some sort of timetable available soon.

[Wina G]

Ooh hope so John

[Manoverboard]

Posted elsewhere ...

There are changes being made to the Library and Pooter area plus the Orangery Buffet, also a major revamp regarding the Select Dining Venues ( inc adding a Sindhu ) ... according to one's Butler in September.

[Wina G]

Sindhu would be a great addition for us

[Mervyn and Trish]

That would be great for us too, but not sure where they'll put it unless they give MPW the boot (no big loss as far as we're concerned).

[qbman1]

Likewise, I would not mourn the loss of MPW's Cafe Bordeaux, other than as a decent alternative to the MDR for breakfast and lunch. I suppose they could put Sindhu up top where the cyber study currently is if they nick a bit of the Crows Nest as well. The Glasshouse could replace Bordeaux (yes, please !) but that still means we need a select breakfast/lunch outlet.

Hope they publish the definite plans soon

[Quizzical Bob]

Café Bordeaux is one of the good things about the ship. I wouldn't be too keen on a Glasshouse myself. The Orangerie desperately needs a re-design, acoustically if nothing else.

[Mervyn and Trish]

We love Cafe Bordeaux as a breakfast / lunch venue but really don't rate its MPW evening offering. Would be quite happy if it had a Glasshouse tapas lunch menu as long as we can still get a late waiter served breakfast away from the comparatively busy buffet. Not sure we'd be happy to lose any of the Crows Nest to an alternative use. It is our favourite bar and, while quiet in the day, can be busy at night so wouldn't want it to be smaller. I guess we have to wait and see.

[ItsmeAnnC]

I agree, I love the Crow's Nest, too. I think I'm in the minority, because I deplore the giving over of public space to speciality restaurants that the minority use a minority of the time, and which remain largely unused during the day.
I hope that while they do the refit they take advantage to give her a thorough deep clean (because norovirus has spoilt the last few of our cruises on Aurora). And as for the new livery - poor Aurora. No more the "understated elegance" that was quoted by P&O at her launch

[Quizzical Bob]

I agree, I love the Crow's Nest, too. I think I'm in the minority, because I deplore the giving over of public space to speciality restaurants that the minority use a minority of the time, and which remain largely unused during the day.
I hope that while they do the refit they take advantage to give her a thorough deep clean (because norovirus has spoilt the last few of our cruises on Aurora). And as for the new livery - poor Aurora. No more the "understated elegance" that was quoted by P&O at her launch

Well, were a minority of at least two, then. These public lounges are there for the passengers to enjoy. If I wanted to sped the day in a succession of retail outlets then I'd holiday in a shopping mall.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I hope that while they do the refit they take advantage to give her a thorough deep clean (because norovirus has spoilt the last few of our cruises on Aurora

I'm sure a thorough clean is part of the standard procedure for a major refit. It will not, however, make the slightest difference to norovirus. Noro is part of life in this world we live in. It is incredibly virulent and infectious. A ship (or school, hospital, care home, hotel, office etc etc) could be guaranteed 100% clear and the first time a person who has had contact with the virus in the past 48 hours comes aboard it is back. And with the proportion of the population who get it each year being quite high the chances of no-one among 2,000 new passengers having it is remote.

[Manoverboard]

If they fit copper rails and door handles the spread of Noro will not be so much of a problem.

[Romig1]

If they fit copper rails and door handles the spread of Noro will not be so much of a problem.

But think of the cost!

[Mervyn and Trish]

If they fit copper rails and door handles the spread of Noro will not be so much of a problem.

And cruets, and cutlery, and soft furnishings (tricky one that) and lift buttons, and .... etc etc. Oh and make sure when people do throw up they are immediately automatically encased in polythene from head to foot and the area evacuated! It's really not that simple. Noro is so very infectious and can be passed by touch and airborne. At a local hotel in our area one person was taken ill at a function a few years back and a couple of dozen people nearby, none of whom were actually contacted by or touched anything visible to the naked eye, went down with it. It won't significantly reduce until a viable immunisation is perfected, or people are quarantined for two days before they're allowed to board a ship.

[Manoverboard]

R > I was thinking of those two wasted days on our holiers ... h'actually

M&T > What a defeatist you are.

I would be prepared to wager 50p that the majority of infections are as a result of having a toilet visitation, not washing hands and then holding the stair rail en route to the food.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I was thinking of those two wasted days on our holiers ... h'actually

I do have sympathy, having had it a couple of times (neither on a cruise), but the biggest single challenge is that to wipe it out quickly cruise lines would need to banish people (and those travelling with them) to their cabins for two full days after they felt well again, and that would be very hard to implement without a riot, even though it is medically the correct thing to do.

I do think the new practice of propping open public toilet doors, turning off hot air hand driers and other precautions for the first 48hours after embarkation, until they know it has not been brought aboard by a new cohort of passengers, makes sense and will help.

Stopping the Captain shaking hands with people at the welcome aboard party on the second night is a good move too. That must have been a great way of passing it around, especially as the first move after shaking hands with the Captain was, for most people, to used their (possibly freshly infected) bare hands to lay into the freebie nibbles and canapes.

[cornmillgirl]

(I do think the new practice of propping open public toilet doors, turning off hot air hand driers and other precautions for the first 48hours after embarkation, until they know it has not been brought aboard by a new cohort of passengers, makes sense and will help)

They put in place the above precautions on Aurora's Christmas cruise and it worked, no mention of noro virus. Our friends were on the Aurora
Christmas cruise last year when noro was rife, so they were relieved precautions were in place.

I never press the lift button with my hands but my elbows and when walking down staircases, never hold the handrail but keep close to the handrail
and use my elbow to steady myself, never had noro in over 25+ cruises. The lift button idea came from one of the Pursuers.

[david63]

I too never press the lift button with my hands but that may be more to do with the fact that I do not use the lift

[cornmillgirl]

Late at night having walked round in high heels for hours and its up three/four decks to bed, then afraid I give in and use the lift, other than
that I am like you david63 its always the stairs, good training to build up your appetite!! I look a bit daft using my elbow I suppose but heyho!

[Joshuaharley]

From what I've here'd she's getting refurbished inside and the British union jack painted on the front of the ship sweeping back the funnel will be painted blue with a Cooper sun which sounds good but I hope it dosnt ruin the look of her because she is a really nice cruise ship.

[Wina G]

Just seen a post on Facebook saying the 4 night cruise prior to the refit has been cancelled

[Quizzical Bob]

Must be more work needed perhaps.

[qbman1]

So long as they're finished before Christmas !!