Daily Archives: January 3, 2022

Wondering what cruising will be like post-COVID? Nick Dalton journeys around Greece on Marella Discovery and reveals what to expect both before you depart and once onboard.

Sailing from island to island, wind in our hair, the sun on our shoulders, Im on a carefree Greek cruise just like the old days.

Courtesy of Nick Dalton

Marella Discovery is spearheading Mediterranean cruises for Brits after the pandemic pandemonium that left ships bobbing aimlessly for 18 months.

On the surface almost everything is the same but like a duck paddling furiously underwater Marella Cruises, part of the Tui travel empire, is working tirelessly to make things happen.

If the worst thing isyou cant creep in to catch the evening show finale because everyone is seated in a socially-distanced way at the start, its not really a problem.

And a daily moment at one of the thermal temperature testing gadgets scan your door card, stand close and hope for the green light isnt a trial.

Even sitting on my balcony as the sun disappears in a warm, pink glow over Turkeys distant mountains and finding in the following days programme a recommendation to tidy up as all cabins were to be fogged (using harmless chemicals sprayed from a special machine), doesnt detract from my burgundy.

The 24 Septemberdeparture from Corfu is the fourth since Marella started sailing here on 3 September 2021. There are only 880 guests out of a capacity of 1,800 but thats crept up from 600 on the first with numbers set to reach 85% in the coming months.

Everyone here (and Marellas passengers tend to be younger than the cruise norm) loves being aboard and knows its in the interest of themselves and everybody else to play by the rules.

Masks are worn, by and large, when walking around. You accept not being able to prop up the bar (the excellent all-inclusive drinks service helps with that). And you cant get your hands on the buffet in the Islands restaurant asthat comes with people to serve you.

READ MORE: Brilliant new cruise ships we can't wait to sail on

Of course, with travel arrangements changing all the time requirements can be confusing. We were asked to buy a tests package from a recommended company: pre-flight lateral flow/antigen test with a provided negative certificate, pre-return test and a two-day test for our return home, 125 in all.

But, having been asked to test after 9pm the day before departure, and told a certificate should arrivean hour or two after uploading a video of the test being taken, there was no response on waking at 3.30am for a 6.40am flight.

The airport check-in person shrugged and said all that was needed was a test result so, having brought a spare test, I (along with a string of other travellers) tested on the spot.

On landing the certificate was in my in-box with a reply from theproviderto my where is it? query that they shut up shop 8pm-8am.

Top tip: carry spare lateral flow tests with you.

Aside from that, it was flawless. At Corfu airport, despite a warning that extra health tests were a possibility, the immigration official simply said passport and form, the latter being the Passenger Locator which everyone has to fill in online and print for the Greek government before leaving home.

One glance and we were through and on our 15-minute transfer.

At the dock the cheery Marella official asked for boarding pass, passport, Passenger Locator and proof of double jabbing then I crossed the room for another antigen test. Within 10 minutes I was strolling along the quayside where the ships certainly werent socially distancing. Opposite Marella Discovery was Princess Cruises Crown Princess while two Holland America ships waiting to sail again snuggled at the end.

READ MORE: Latest COVID travel advice here

From that point on passengers, from couples in their 20s to those much older, lounged by the open-air pool, drank beer while chatting in the hot tub and, by and large, obeyed the Keep Me Free stickers on varied seats in the bars.

Courtesy of Nick Dalton

Signs around the ship got the message across with a light-handed touch such as Mind The Gap to keep us distanced andHold Your Horses on the floor at the back of a queue.

READ MORE: Amazing facts about cruise ships you might not know

It was a joyous affair, helped no end by Captain Chris Dodds, a blunt and amusing northerner. In his loudspeaker messages hereferred to the C word when addressing safety protocols and he let everything flow during an interview session in the Atrium.

He talked about the trials and tears of the past 18 months honestly and engagingly. He told about the time he and the crew spent just hanging around waiting for the world to get back to normal.

Marella Discovery was in Asia when Covid arrived and after all his passengers were flown home he and his team of 686 spent 83 days at sea going nowhere fast.

With the world at standstill they had to make their own entertainment.

The bands and musicians were all onboard and all the beer was going out of date so we had to dispose of that in the most environmentally-friendly way! But the time was also used productively withmore than 70 crew havinga go at steering their 12 to 14-hour shifts earning them certificates.

And even back in Britain there were months treading water, mostly off Torbay where residents arranged special events for the crew.

Both captain and crew are over the moon to be back, determined to make these cruises a celebration. In the main restaurant, 47 Degrees, waiter Jayson, from the Philippines, tells of the frustration at his forced 18-month holiday with the children while his wife went out to work and his excitement at being able to do his job again.

Hotel director Danielle Rowley, just as upbeat, manages to see the lighter side. The thermometer machines sometimes accidently test the temperature of the coffee youre carrying one day early on both she and Captain Chris were caught, leading to a shipwide alert and worried phone calls.

Should anyone register above 38C,the medical team with antigen tests and a PCR machine is automatically alerted but over the first month no one failed the test.

Courtesy of Nick Dalton

Life on board is idyllic, the weeks cruise spending days on the isles of Crete, Rhodes and Mykonos, plus the isolated mainland spot of Katakolon (pictured), where there is a charming beach, but most people opt for a coach trip to Olympia, home of the Olympics) and Piraeus, theport town at Athens.

Stamatios Manousis/Shutterstock

Port procedure was barely different to any other time Greece has never had a rule (unlike Britain for a time, and other countries) that cruise visitors must be on an organised excursion.

And, given that this was a single-country cruise, we came and went with ease. Mykonos gaveus a swift temperature test as we stepped off the transfer boat, Crete giving us one, but only as we left.

And a midweek Covid test onboard was to satisfy Athens then new rule that everyone must have just tested negative. There was a handy onboard advice session over tests and Passenger Locators the day before going home and airport check-in was a doddle.

Courtesy of Nick Dalton

Dining was mostly as normal bearing in mind that ship restaurants required hand sanitisation two decades ago when the rest of the world had barely heard of it. The Islands restaurant featured the usual breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets but with staff serving. The Snack Shack a colourful beachfront atmosphere with fish and chips and burgers served people queueing as did the Glass House, the lunchtime spot by the indoor, glass-roofed pool.

There were several late-night deck parties, mostly featuring the 4 Tunes, a curious but wonderful Philippines beat combo.At the other end of the entertainment spectrum were ballroom dancing displays by Alexandra & Adrian, apparently rated No 11 in the world.

Covid has led cruises a merry dance for too long, but Marella is showing just what can be done to sail into the new world when the time is right for you.

For more information and to book visit Marella Cruises

Main image: Courtesy of Marella Cruises

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Sailing into the future: what to expect from a cruise in 2022 - loveEXPLORING

WITH a history of more than 200 years, the auction system may be the longest standing method of livestock marketing, and it may offer the only truly transparent and competitive marketplace for all classes of cattle and sheep available to UK livestock producers. But as we head into a time of extreme uncertainty, with input costs rocketing, support payments falling away, and public perception that livestock farming is the villain when it comes to climate change, what role does the auction mart play in the future of livestock production? asks Scott Donaldson, Managing Director at leading auctioneers Harrison & Hetherington.

Every type of agricultural produce, be it grain, fruit, vegetables, dairy, beef, sheep, or pork, relies on supply and demand to determine its value. We have been preached to for many years about our position in the global market and how supply no longer relies solely on whats happening on our shores and how floods in France, drought in Canada and huge yields in the Ukraine, all have a bearing on our farm gate prices here in the UK. But the defining factor in the successful marketing of any product is competition, and the auction system and every auction mart customer thrives on it.

With the stratified and hugely diverse nature of its make-up, the livestock industry in the UK does not lend itself to the integrated supply chain model. Farm businesses are predominantly family run, with immense variations in scale and types of production systems. Depending on the area and type of farm, from lowland arable to highland fell, there is a huge variety and range of breeds produced.

Much has been made of what the market wants and hitting the specification. The diversity of UK livestock production systems means that hitting the spec is not always straightforward. This is where the auction mart comes into its own. In the auction mart environment where competition is king, the customer determines whats in spec, and this has been played out in auction markets around the UK over the past months. Age and moves appear irrelevant at the present time, heavy lambs are in great demand and overweight cattle are breaking price barriers every week.

The auction market brings efficiency to the industry by bringing numbers of all categories of stock together in one place, so that the customer has the choice and the volumes they need to maintain the efficiency of their business. This allows for large numbers to be transported to their destination in one lift.

Auction marts have adapted and evolved numerous times during my career in the industry. In the eighties we moved from hand-written ledgers and clerking to a computer system which enabled us to produce computer printed cheques and bills instantly for customers. We embraced the passport system for cattle and the EID tag system for sheep, and introduced digital displays to give more information to our buyers. Primarily for primestock sales direct to abattoirs, in the early nineties, electronic auction systems were introduced by the leading UK auction companies, this was a huge step away from tradition at the time.

Live streaming of auction sales, and live on-line bidding began to emerge in and around 2015 and these have gone from strength to strength. The introduction of on-line timed sales of pedigree livestock was accelerated after lock-down, a medium the machinery specialists had been using for some time.

So, what innovation will auction markets champion next? Well, the modern auction mart is already a well-equipped agri-business centre. Large numbers of livestock are brought together in a facility specifically designed with animal welfare in mind, and state of the art technology works in tandem with the live-ring in an efficient and welcoming environment. The imminent introduction of Bovine EID reduces unnecessary handling and will improve the welfare of the cattle and the safety of customers and market staff. The Livestock Information Program (LIP) designed to replace BCMS will reduce paperwork and the whole package will improve efficiency, while at the same time, uploading health status and other husbandry information. The ringside will soon be a digitally interactive interface, providing buyers with all the information they require to make informed and accurate buying decisions from both the ringside or the farm office.

Continued here:

Does the Auction Mart have a role to play in the future of livestock production? - News & Star

EMEKA NZE writes that despite preceding Nigerias main election year, the new year, 2022 is no less loaded with activities, ranging from two off-season elections to possible political chicanery and subterfuge by politicians

2023 general electionsThe countdown to 2023, Nigerias general elections year, has begun in earnest. By the calendar of the Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC), barring unforeseen circumstances, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold Saturday February 18, 2023 and the governorship and state assembly elections in 30 states are expected to hold the following Saturday.

For 2023 polls, preparations are expected to terminate in the first quarter and elections and declarations of results will subsequently hold in the same first quarter to pave way for the swearing in May 29.

2022 as a preparation yearApartfrom the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) which entered the third quarter this January, this year 2022 is equally loaded with activities.

One of such activities would be fine-tuning and sharpening INECs technologies for the general elections come 2023, using two major off-season polls of Ekiti and Osun states slated for this year as well as the bye elections and the Area Council elections in the FCT in February this year.

FCT Area Council, Ekiti, Osun and bye-electionsWhile the Area Councils election is slated for February 12, 2022, the Ekiti governorship election will hold on 18th June 2022 and the Osun governorship election is scheduled for 16th July 2022.

The Area Council election scheduled in 68 constituencies will produce six chairmen and vice chairmen for the six area councils and 62 councilors.

There are also eight pending bye-elections involving three Federal Constituencies (Jos North/Bassa in Plateau state, Akure North/Akure South in Ondo State and Ogoja/Yala in Cross River state) and five state constituencies (Shinkafi in Zamfara state, Ekiti East I in Ekiti state, Akpabuyo in Cross River state, Pankshin South in Plateau state and Giwa West in Kaduna state).

INECs year of enormous workAcknowledging the enormity of task ahead of the commission, INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, at the recent meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs in Abuja last month said, Next year (2022) is therefore going to be a very busy year for us.

From the explanations by the INEC chairman, preparations for the FCT elections have reached a crescendo.

Expressing delight on the readiness of the commission for the election he said, I am glad to report that all the PVCs (39,208 new PVCs) will be available for collection from 6th January 2022 until 4th February 2022. The FCT office of the commission will provide full details of the locations and procedure for the collection of the PVCs in earnest.

The INEC chairman also spoke on preparations for Ekiti and Osun elections at the meeting with RECs: You may recall that in June this year, the commission released the timetable and schedule of activities for the Ekiti governorship election holding on 18th June 2022 and the Osun governorship election scheduled for 16th July 2022.

He outlined other activities associated with the elections thus:A major activity for the two governorship elections is the conduct of primaries by political parties for the nomination of candidates for the election. For Ekiti state, the exercise begins in the next 2 weeks on 4th January 2022 and ends on 29th January 2022.

In the case of Osun state, party primaries begin on 16th February 2022 and ends on 12th March 2022.

Parties, politicians and intriguesOn their part, the parties and the politicians are putting finishing touches to their strategies to emerge first as flag bearers of their parties and then winners at the elections.

The year 2022 preceding the general elections year, politicians are expectedly oiling their machineries, intensifying their scheming, manipulations and manoeuvering to gain prominence, dominance and popularity in their parties and areas of authority and constituencies.While the emerging aspirants would struggle to gain more popularity and dominance to topple the status quo in both primary and inter party elections, the incumbent would play to resist and diminish the emerging power of opposition to retain political supremacy.This is with the view to putting themselves in a position to first emerge as standard bearers within their parties and then make the coast clear to win the opposition in the inter-party contests. It is indeed a year and season of intrigues, political chicanery and horse trading.This explains the spillover crises in the major parties into 2022, as a result of unresolved disagreements during congresses conducted to elect the officers last year.Despite the constitutional provisions that party chieftains must exhaust internal crisis resolution mechanisms, till now, cases are still pending in courts on who should preside over the affairs of some of the parties in the states.Expectedly, given the brand of politics in this clime, conflicts and clashes may be inevitable due to the crisis within the parties and polity may be heated up. The conflicts may be carried over to the primaries when parties would nominate their candidates.

INEC cautions parties on primariesBearing this in mind, Prof Yakubu warned: The Commission wishes to remind political parties that in choosing their candidates for these elections, they must abide by the provisions of the law, INECs regulations and guidelines as well as their Constitutions and guidelines.INEC will monitor the primaries as required by law. Political parties must therefore hold themselves to the same high standard of free, fair, transparent and credible elections that they expect from INEC during general elections.Any political party that fails to conduct democratic primaries within the timeframe provided in the commissions timetable and schedule of activities cannot be expected to submit the names of candidates to INEC for elections.With the adoption of new technologies by the INEC to make the electoral system full proof devoid of manipulations, many of the politicians who are used to the old ways of election manipulation might also try to put some of their boys to task to devise possible ways of thwarting or circumventing INECs innovations with a view to infiltrating the system for their selfish ends.

Responding to this scenario, a key officer of INEC said, 2022 provides INEC, another ample opportunity to sharpen and finetune its systems and strategies, preparatory to the 2023 general elections.The commission is not be sleeping. All year round, the Election Management Body (EMB) is now fully engaged in the conduct of off-season elections, bye elections coupled with Area Councils elections in the Federal Capital Territory and it has already hit the ground running.Ekiti and Osun states governorship polls this year are veritable grounds to further test run and consolidate gains of INECs new found technologies.The INEC chairman during the meeting with RECs last month harped on technologies and ways to improve them, The BVAS has replaced the Smart Card Reader for verification and authentication as part of our improved voter accreditation process.The new technology was designed in-house by INEC engineers.Like every new technology, glitches were observed and important lessons learnt. We wish to assure Nigerians that the commission has reviewed the performance of the BVAS in Anambra state and there will be a tremendous improvement leading to optimal performance in future elections.The BVAS has come to stay. So too is the uploading of polling unit results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time on Election Day.We are convinced that the introduction of technology in voter accreditation and result management is better than the best entirely manual process.It also increases public confidence in the process. We will continue to deepen the use of technology in our elections.While reminding the RECs of the enormous task in 2022, the INEC chair said, In addition to these off-cycle elections, we must also continue to prepare for the 2023 General Election.We have so many physical facilities to rebuild, materials to replace, regulations and guidelines to work on, consultations with stakeholders to strengthen, capacity of our staff to enhance and several aspects of election administration to improve upon.

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2022: Year of fine-tuning INEC's procedures, political chicanery - Blueprint newspapers Limited