Espire

This post is great, many thanks. We will have to get our cruisecritic forum together so we can organise collection of tickets in the same group for our Haifa excursion. You say the same groups apply in Ashdod? So they will be needed as well.

We are at the Museum Guest House and good to know we can get a taxi direct to ship. Thanks again.

Booked third attempt to get a cruise to Israel a year ago to leave October this year. As of now Israel not friendly to cruising and if not certain we will get there will sacrifice deposit when full balance due. Might also back out if Odyssey ot Seas has mask mandate.

Further cruise booked for Feb 23 , Panama on Emerald Princess. Do not see how restrictions can last that long but who knows?

Hello, we are HAL virgins and would appreciate the benefit of your collective experience.

This will be a three generation family trip replacing a covid cancelled Celebrity cruise last year. Our grandchildren ( ages 12 & 9) are with us and this enquiry is largely on their behalf. We sail from Ft Lauderdale in April next year for 7 days on the new Rotterdam.

Important question number one- Is there free ice cream? Princess serves whipped ice cream on the pool deck, Celebrity offers a scoop counter at the entrance to the buffet open all day. What can we expect on Rotterdam?

Can the youngsters expect company of similar age in the first week of April?

For the adults if we book specialty dining in advance what is a sensible time in case there is something on the world stage we do not want to miss? (we normally eat about 6:30-7:00ish)

Thanks Tony & Lorna

Can I add that for the UK the price for AI has actually fallen. I was following prices for a couple of months before booking and was planning to add drinks and grats anyway. On the base price this would have cost me £300 ($390) extra which was a no brainer- if grats were $180 my drinks package was costing $17 per day for a 12 day cruise.

On the day AI was introduced the price was exactly the same as before with the benefits I wanted but Wifi was added..... so I booked. On rival lines on a roughly equivalent cruise w drinks and grats Norwegian Getaway was £184 per day, Island Princess £235 per day but my booked price only £179 per day.

Today, however price in GBP is down again by £106 ($140)so I am claiming this back under the best price guarantee. Cannot be happier.

(Sailing Reflection out of Rome, Italy. 10 Oct 21)

DH is attracted to Cruisepark Southampton as cars are stored under cover. There are so many poor parking companies, was just wondering if anybody had any experience of this company - good or bad? Thanks.

Following our posting above we used Cruisepark Southampton and service was excellent, car was where we left it and and transfers to and from ship ran like clockwork.

Have just discovered new parking operation. cruiseparksouthampton.co.uk

Undercover parking with taxis used to take you to the port so no waiting for a minibus. According to postcode very close to terminals.

You have to email for a quote but for 14 nights from 6 March (P&O Ventura to Iberia and Madeira) they quoted me £105. Even offered a £5 discount for 2 places booked together as we are travelling with another couple who need to take their car.

Alternative would be Airlynx Parking who park you at the airport and shuttle you in (15 mins) at £88 for the same 2 weeks.

No reviews online yet for cruisepark. Several for Airlynx, mostly good but one very bad one.