Doesn't appear to be missing any ports according to Cruise Ship Tracker, doing 14 knots currently. WIll be checking regularily for progress.

Weather at Langkawi 2nd January 2020. (Max/Min/Rain)

http://www.southendweather.net/

Keith (Southend)

Hi Vitasign, I've previously used both online and the app screen on the ship, far better way of doing it. In fact last year one of the 10 hour excursions in Cuba vanished on line yet as soon as we boarded I went straight to the screen and saw it was there and booked it.

I'm hoping my luck will continue as we were one of the few to get the full time at Havana, Cuba last year.

Sailed on Discovery twice and Discovery 2 once, we like this size ship.

Must admit I like to pre book excursions for two reasons:

1. In case one gets fully booked, have been caught before.

2. I don't come home to a large bill.

Already keeping an eye on the weather down there:

http://www.southendweather.net/as191231.html

Thanks

Keith (Southend)

Another email from Marella/TUI this morning. The return flight on the 27th February now an hour or so earlier. The itinary listed still looks to be as it should be.

Keith (Southend)

23 minutes ago, okavango said:

15 to 18 knots is about a normal economical service speed , no ship goes tearing round at 24 knots unless they are desperate to get somewhere , the fuel bill goes through the roof running near to maximum speed

So if that's normal is Discovery back on schedule one asks?

Keith (Southend)

Looking at the cruisemapper.com site Marella Discover is travelling at 15 knots, usually her average speed is 24 knots, just over half speed ahead....

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise/Marella-Cruises/Marella-Discovery

Keith (Southend)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/accidents/Marella-Discovery-712

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/tui-cruise-marella-discovery-passengers-engine-transformer-slow-down-ship-a9264616.html

Not heard a thing from TUI/Marella yet, but with the flight time changing and being 6 hours later I get the feeling they are not going to sort the transformer out before we go. *If* they don't intend to sort until the ships back in Europe this could effect a lot of holidays!

I was looking at excursions the other day and found it strange that ALL the first day excursion at Malacca were 'Sold Out', I'm reluctant to commit to pre purchasing any excursions.

Oh well, we were pushing the boat out on this one as it's my 60th this January and I have to book leave many months ahead so I feel "I'm up a river without a paddle" so to speak.

The main thing is it should be warm and sunny.

Thanks for the heads up everyone.

Keith (Southend)

I'm getting a bit concerned we leave on February 13th 00:45, second flight change was 18:55 12th February. Why have they not fixed the problem, surely they have had long enough? The Thai Island is one stop we are looking forward to and that seems to be the one being cut out.

Does anyone have any idea if all will be fixed for the 13th February? As many of you say, it's an aweful long flight to be let down in this way.

Keith (Southend)

54 minutes ago, Ilovemygarden said:

When was this? Have you been offered compensation - I hope you have as this port is the main reason people would book this cruise?

Looks like Marella are having a nightmare with Cuban Fusion, I think we were the only ones to have the full day and a half at Havana the first week of December.

Looking at: https://www.cruisemapper.com/

This is what Discover 2 has done this week:

27/12 Roatan Island (Honduras)
28/12 Santa Tomas de Castilla (Guatemala)
29/12 Belize City

I'm sure that was never on the original itinerary, please correct me if I've got that wrong.

Papillon1 must have been the week before Christmas.

Keith (Southend)

1 minute ago, heathstockton4 said:

Does this also apply to cruises in Europe, we are just about to book a complete package with flight from Manchester to Tenerife in January?

I see no reason why it would be any different. Just back last Wednesday from Montego Bay and our outbound was as posted before.

On your return you will get an envelop with your labels to attach to your luggage the day before your return.

Keith (Southend)

Re: ships tours, last time we went we found a few 'new' tours appeared on the on screen booking facilities on the ship that were'nt on-line. I'm hoping the Tayrona National Park at Santa Marta, Colombia will appear back on the list, as this is the only one that interested us at that port, but then dissapeared from the list.

Not seen the sun here for four days now.

http://www.southendweather.net/wl2/load_wl2.php

http://www.southendweather.net/homereports.htm

Keith (Southend)

Just decoded the weather around the Caribbean for the 23rd November 2018...

*Caribbean Islands overview*            
            
23rd    November 2018        
            
Max °C    Min °C    Rain (mm)    Location
28.3    21.8    TR    Nassau Int.(7m)
x    x    -    Varadero/MT(65m)
29.7    24.4    -    Grand Cayman Int Owen Roberts(3m)
31.3    24.2    -    Sangster/Montego(3m)
31.2    24.5    TR    Kingston Int.~Jamiaca
29.8    19.8    -    Punta Cana(12m)
30.0    23.3    -    San Juan(19m)P.Rico
29.4    23.3    -    C. Amalie/Truman St. Thomas US(67m)
29.4    23.2    2.2    Belize Int(5m)
29.9    22.6    -    Puerto Limon (5m) Costa Rica
32.4    22.6    -    Santiago (88m) Panama
32.4    23.7    -    Santa Marta(1m) Columbia
34.7    25.6    -    Cartagena(12m) Columbia
29.5    24.3    -    St. Kitts/Golden Rock(48m)
30.0    25.8    -    Charlestown / Newcast (Saint Kitts and Nevis)(17m)
29.1    23.0    -    Antigua/Vc Bird Int(14m)
29.4    25.0    TR    St. Maarten/Juliana Air(9m)
29.4    26.2    -    Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba
29.6    22.3    TR    Guadeloupe/La Raizet(11m)
31.1    23.1    TR    Dominica/Canefield Aero(5m)
30.1    23.9    5.5    Martinique/La Lementin(7m)
29.7    23.6    6.1    St Lucia/Vigie(2m)
x    x    -    St Vincent/Arnos Vale(5m)
29.6    25.1    -    Barbados/Grantley Adams(50m)
30.5    24.0    -    Grenada/Point Salines Int(7m)
30.4    23.9    0.6    Tobago/Crown Port Aero(6m)
31.5    24.1    TR    Trinidad/Piarco Int(15m)
31.0    24.7    -    Aruba/Q Beatrix(3m)
31.1    24.5    -    Curacao/Hato Aero(67m)

Keith (Southend)

http://www.southendweather.net/

We originally planned to do the classic car ride to the Tropicana Clup in Havana, but after thinking a couple of days it had all been sold out. There is some classic car excursions on the planner for both days, but I just tried to look at my excursion planner but couldn't get in, this maybe because we go this Tuesday 27th Nov (Pride of Panama), so to late to book online. There was a 10 hour tour available, which we would have liked to do, but we held back on it as we thought it would get back to late for the Club Tropicana night, and would probably miss dinner and getting changed, I will ask once on board. However, if the ship wasn't in Havana for the whole day w/c 4th December (Cuban Fusion) this excursion wouldn't be listed.

I'm sure you won't have problem doing something independantly as I don't beleive many cruise ships go into Havana and we are a relatively small ship.

Hope you don't mind the Brits, but I would imagine 95% will have flown in from the UK.

I'll be keeping an eye on the weather and hoping for the best:

Rainfall Radar:

http://www.barbadosweather.org/Composite/kidbuuComposite_Lionel_displayer.php?Product=Reflectivity&Sector=fullView&Composite=Sabre&ANISP=700&MAPP=1&PlanetOfTheApes=1543149977

Satellite:

http://www.barbadosweather.org/GOES16/Jiren_displayer.php?Instrument=GOES16&Product=11um&Sector=Tropical_Belt&Type=BW&Title=Infrared 11.2um (Long wave IR Band 14)

We like Marella, have been on Discovery 1 last winter, the All Inclusive (most drinks included) and no tips added to your bill is a good deal.

Hope you have a good cruise.

Keith (Southend)

Many thanks for the quick response.

Keith (Southend)

Booked online, printed off boarding passes, but my wife has just asked do we have any luggage labels?

With P&O you printed these off, am I missing something?

Keith (Southend)

They sound as efficient as P&O

Keith (Southend)

I assume your Cuban Fusion week is the 18th December 2018? For some reason we have the original full day and a half for week commencing the 4th December, unless no ones been told yet? Although 10 hour excursions are available to book.

Keith (Southend)

The itinary says it should be in Costa Rica, Puerto Limon, however, according to the live information it's in Columbia, Santa Marta.

https://www.cruisemapper.com/

Mmm?

Keith (Southend)

Just been updating some of my weather links to put on my Netbook and the barbadosweather.org site has improved somewhat. A couple of links for 'live' rainfall radar and satellite images for our region.

Satellite

http://www.barbadosweather.org/GOES16/Jiren_displayer.php?Instrument=GOES16&Product=11um&Sector=West_Carib&Type=BW&Title=Infrared 11.2um (Long wave IR Band 14)

Rainfall Radar (Some are a bit intermittent)

http://www.barbadosweather.org/Composite/kidbuuComposite_Lionel_displayer.php?Product=Reflectivity&Sector=fullView&Composite=Sabre&PlanetOfTheApes=1541838289

Keith (Southend)

Has anyone done the 4 hour excursion 'HEMINGWAY IN HAVANA', just wondered if this was a morning excursion?

Keith (Southend)

With the Marella Caribbean season making a start, I thought I would post some of the current weather being experienced in the region.

Due to the way I obtain and decode some of the data it is always 2 days old, but it gives an idea of max/min temperatures and any rainfall.

Over the next few days & weeks I'll update with additional information that maybe of interest. I'm just an enthusiast, but I will try to answer an questions if anyone has any. We head out on the 27th November 2018, so am particularily interested in the western Caribbean and Central America region, but I have included the whole Caribbean area. Hope this displays OK, if not I have another way it could be shown.

Enjoy

Keith (Southend)

8 hours ago, kruzseeka said:

I can't comment on the 10 hour trip.  If you haven't been to Havana before, then I would settle for exploring the Old Town independently, go for a taxi ride in one of the Vintage cars - not expensive and just revel in the decayed beauty and atmosphere of Havana.  We've been twice and love it.  But what I would recommend is the Club Tropicana.  What an experience!  If we were to return to Havana, we'd definitely do that excursion again.  (The blurb about the trip when we went said 'a welcome glass of sparkling wine and then some nibbles and a DROP of rum'.  That turned out to be a 1Litre bottle of Havana Club between four plus a can of cola each!!!!)

I think you just sold that to us. The difference between going in the vintage car is only £18 each, so we might as well 'push the boat out' so to speak ps: I keep getting that old 80's Wham song in my head.

We have been to Cuba for a week a few years back, stayed at Veradera, but only did a day trip to Havana, not the evening, so looking forward to this.

Many thanks kruzseeka for your input.

Keith (Southend)

1 hour ago, KOPITE 96 said:

Hi we sail on Friday on discovery 2 to Jamaica from Corfu does anybody have an idea what weather we can expect on transatlantic crossing please? Also is there an exit fee from Jamaica if so how much? Thanks Sue

Probably the most unsettled weather will be through the Mediterranean Sea after which time the wind will be behind you with no tropical disturbences to worry you. If you can read the pressure charts, here's one that will update 4 times a day...

http://old.wetterzentrale.de/pics/avnpanel1.html

It's been some years since I've stayed in Jamaica, but I think there was an exit fee. Googling comes up with "airport departure tax of US$35 is payable when departing Jamaica."

I hope this helps.

Keith (Southend)

There are two excursions we would like to do on the FULL day in Havana, Cuba.

1. 'Vinales' goes into the countryside - 10 hours duration.

2. 'Cabaret Tropicana' 4 hours.

The question is does anyone know what time the 10 hour trip gets back and what time the Tropicana departs?

My gut feeling it can't be done. 😭

Keith (Southend)

I am assuming American Dollars?

Keith (Southend)

Seems seem to be up and running now, can access My Account and also view/book excursion, albeit a new link/website, link obtained via Cruise Critic. Although just today Marella have emailed the link.

Looks like we seem to be the 'Cuban Fusion' week (w/c 4th December) that actually has a full day in Havana.

Keith (Southend)