cymru cruiser

I've booked twice on board.

First time on Indy for the next cruise on Indy just because we were in that cruise mood and the deal was good.

Last year whilst on Explorer we booked our harmony cruise for this October.

I had double checked the price before leaving home. I checked it again before we checked out of our hotel in Southampton to board Explorer. Less than an hour later we were in the next cruise office checking the exact same details. It was £900 cheaper!!!! Plus deposit was £65 instead of £600 I'd have paid from home.

The reason being that on board we were offered the 30 for 30 U.S deal that ran in June last year. If we took advantage of that offer it meant we couldn't have the all inclusive drinks package that was on offer at the time in the U.K. It was a brilliant deal. We also got $100 obc on Explorer and $100 obc for Harmony.

We ended up booking before we even left Southampton.

So my method is to do your homework beforehand and you may be lucky.

Hi I'm celiac (gluten allergy) and royal have always been brilliant with me.

Brilliant thank you!!!!

I have a question I'd love it if someone could answer. On the sail in to La Spezia can you see Cinque Terre?

Following x

I've answered this on your other thread x

Great advise thanks I will look into them all. We plan to drive down leaving around 10:30 in the morning, we will be travelling with a six year old so need to see how many stops we will make lol.. Can you book port parking with hotels?? Or are they both seperate?

 

 

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Some of the hotels include parking for your duration. But price them and compare see if it's better doing it separately. Royal Caribbean at city terminal car parking is done through ABP. Google ABP Southampton car parking.

It's brilliant you drive in, park your car and porters take your luggage from your car and you walk to the terminal. The next time you see your bags is outside your cabin. Very efficient.

We've sailed on Indy twice and never had issues. You will be fine. She's a brilliant ship for families. Yes there are queues at times but you don't have to queue go do something else and come back.

Lifts can be busy but take the stairs if you can.

You have Novotel, Ibis, Premier Inn, Travelodge, Grand Harbour and Holiday Inn all "opposite" city terminal.

We've stayed in Grand Harbour and Novotel both were very good.

Have a look at the prices for all of the above and see which works best for you.

All are within walking distance but it is a busy main road in between.

There's a huge shopping centre behind the hotels called West Quay. Between the shopping centre, hotels, local bars and restaurants there are lots of opportunities for dinner and breakfast.

Wherever you book put a special request in for a dock view. It's brilliant to look out in the morning and see your ship.

Hi cymru cruiser

 

We are on Carnival Vista.First time with Carnival. Looking forward to it. Really enjoyed Explorer and hope to go on another RCI cruise soon.All the best to the family and keep in contact.

Wow enjoy. We are very excited for our Harmony cruise. Can't believe this time last year we where on Explorer in the med - in that heat!! Our eldest daughter is expecting a baby so we are going to be grandparents in the next week. A lot happens in a year!

We are going to do Pompeii and Sorrento D.I.Y using the ferry and trains when we dock in Naples.

Toms port guides has some fab info.

Take care x

We had no issues when there on Indy two years ago.

Hi we've booked to stay at this hotel post cruise in October on the recommendation of members on another forum in the U.K

Just checked out this thread as gathering info for a Pompeii visit on our harmony cruise in October. Ecuador we were on Explorer with you last summer. Which ship are you off on next?

Fabulous photos. Thank you for sharing them.

Thanks again everyone! I'm feeling so good about this now! :) (Plus some friends who have lots of experience in Italy have assured me that they are amazing with gluten sensitivity and allergies there, so I don't need to stress it so much on land either.)

 

I am glad I called C&A about something else and just had that little voice in my head nudge to verify that it had been put on - when I called the special needs department (because my automated response showed that my initial email had been marked as "suspected spam" and I had yet to hear anything back from it after a few days when they were back to me within 24 hours of a mattress topper request) the guy couldn't get into my reservation because it had been too soon since I'd logged out or some silliness. He'd said he would put it in as soon as the reservation unlocked. I got that little voice nudge and asked Aurora at C&A if she could check and make sure it was noted. She looked and did not see it, but she put it in right then - I could hear her typing over the phone. So I'll definitely be hitting the MDR on boarding to make sure it's in there - not that I don't trust Aurora, just as a back-up.

The best I've ever eaten in my celiac life is onboard royal Caribbean ships.

In Italy its senze glutine and in Spain Sin Gluten. Just knowing the correct phrase will help you with any language barriers.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Feel much better now about leaving at 6am and getting to our train by 9:25am in Barcelona!

Please come back and post how you get on as we are doing exactly the same in October x

I hope it's not the case. I love the gf UDI cookies. I've only ever seen them at Cafe Prom and have often been given a couple at a time.

Surely if they were only available with a drinks purchase that is penalising someone with an allergy?

Thank you for sharing this. It has put my mind at ease somewhat for my Spirit cruise next April.

To date all of our cruises have been with RCI and I've never had any issues at all. I did the one night taster on NCL Escape in October out of Southampton and had problems. At lunch I was served croutons on my salad and at dinner in Manhatten the server looked at me like I was an alien from another planet and said they couldn't possibly guarantee. I chose my meal carefully as best as I could but was ill later in the night and the next day.

Amazing photos, thank you for taking the time and effort to share them.

thanks for sharing.

Great blog, thanks for sharing.

Nope not confused. Never heard of ennios. The pig is in the wall opposite the side entrance of the grand harbour.

I just described it as a restaurant with rooms rather than a boutique hotel and delivery bar lol.

Don't you just love predictive text! Delivery bar? I typed deli bar hahah

38/9, the QE 11 terminal, is the one cruise terminal where I'd be inclined to take a taxi - it's deep in the docks, almost a mile from the dock gate. And for much of the way the sidewalk is separated from traffic, including trucks, by only a yellow-painted line

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/50.8857369,-1.395642/50.8965287,-1.4013549/@50.8913571,-1.4102641,15z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e2

 

So for convenience to that cruise terminal, there's little difference between any of the city centre hotels.

Most hotels are cloned chain hotels. All are very acceptable, but Premier Inn West Quay is probably best value & a favourite of CC members.

Holiday Inn on Herbert Walker Avenue is right by City cruise terminal & has views down Southampton Water at the front & over City cruise terminal at the rear, so it's a favourite for cruisers sailing from that terminal. Just had a much-needed renovation. .

For something different, consider

- the Mercure Dolphin hotel. A historic coaching inn on the old main street. But you need to accept the down-sides of historic buildings - assorted room sizes, sloping floors etc. Check reviews.

- Pig-in-the-Wall, boutique hotel built into the city wall. Beware the TripAdvisor map, it incorrectly shows the Pig as being in the city suburbs :rolleyes:

- Ennio's. Another boutique. I think the Welsh (Cymru) poster has confused the Pig with Ennio's, which is an Italian restaurant with rooms above. It's in a converted warehouse just round the corner from the Pig-in-the-Wall, & opposite the waterfront.

For all city centre hotels, do check parking arrangements.

 

JB :)

Nope not confused. Never heard of ennios. The pig is in the wall opposite the side entrance of the grand harbour.

I just described it as a restaurant with rooms rather than a boutique hotel and delivery bar lol.

This is off topic, but maybe someone can tell me of a hotel that is walking distance to the cruise port.. we are leaving from berth 38/9 on Q. Elizabeth..thanks!

Really depends on how far you are able to walk.

Grand Harbour

holiday Inn (Herbert walker avenue)

Premier Inn

Travel lodge west quay

pig in the wall (restaurant with rooms)

novotel

ibis

I would walk from all of them but I like walking and am luckily able to.

I've just caught up on day 3 of your blog. Thank you for posting a photo from the top of abyss. It's exactly what I've needed. There's no way in hell I'll get my husband on that with the glass floor!!!! He said he'd do it as long as it wasn't obvious how high up you where or that you couldn't see down hahaha.

Our first family cruise was on Indy our girls were 13 and 17. The second time we cruised on her our younger daughter aged 14 took her best friend the same age.

It is a brilliant ship for kids of all ages.

Try to encourage the, to go to the kids club, even if they don't like it and don't return at least they've had the opportunity.

We didn't know about the kids menu the first time but found out the second time when sharing a table with a family of 4 with girls also both 14. Just ask for it and your waiter will bring it over. As others have said you can mix and match from both menus.

I've not done interconnecting cabins on Indy but have on Explorer. Great to have two bathrooms, privacy at times and able to watch the kids all the time.

Have fun.