JeanieC,Aston

Hi. One of the most thought provoking moments I’ve had on a cruise ship was sailing from Çanakkale to Istanbul when you sail through the Dardanelles past Gallipoli. If you sail past in daylight your good camera will take in all the Anzac/Turkish monuments to that terrible part of WW1. We had a CD who gave a running commentary,,,,with poems read out written bysome of those who perished bringing tears to the eyes. Unfortunately most cruise ships pass during the night,,your ship I see leaves Istanbul at 22:00 so unless daylight comes early before you reach Çanakkale you will miss it. There May be boat trips from Çanakkale to Gallipoli. Did you know the current through the Dardanelles runs both ways,,,one on top of the other. Love that itinerary.

There is a difference between sailing from the US and Europe,,,Southampton excepted. The way MSC operate in the Med is like a bus service,,,,they embark and disembark passengers at every port of call. The majority of passengers can be Italian or Spanish and boy can they cause mayhem whether it’s in the buffet or bars it’s push,shove and General rudeness,,,that’s their ways but us Brits or Yanks may find this all too much. On my one and possibly only MSC cruise I could have had arguments every day. I would maybe sail MSC at a push from Southampton but from Barcelona or Genoa or Livorno never.

Celebrity ‘ask you’ what time you are arriving. Maybe security being before check in at City terminal helps. If you want to go straight in whatever arrival time you get arrive by coach.

I just voted it’s fine just to stop the other person voting it’s fine from being lonely.😏 A meaningless poll when the result is know beforehand. JC

I’ve seen Americans having Cheese Plate for starter,,,it’s quite common. As for coffee I always ask for my Macchiato be served with my Cheese & Biscuits.

Hi Norris. The stadium you saw being built is for Everton FC on Bramley Moor Dock. Be ready in 2025.

Hope you manage to come back to Liverpool there is more to see than the Beatles history. A taxi will do you a tour no problem they all know the tour routes,,most Beatle sights are in the same area of Liverpool. Here are a couple of images of the ‘shelter in the middle of the roundabout’. The original was turned into a bistro,,but it’s been empty for a few years. The original… As it is now… ps,my favourite photo is the one with the Guinness,,,,looks lovely.

Hi Norris. Shame about the short tour,,when I was last in Iceland all tours was 8 or 10 hours,some tours didn’t get back to the ship until half way through dinner. We walked the gap,,our mini bus dropped us at the visitor centre at the top,,we walked down,the minibus drove around and picked us up at the car park at the bottom. Where you on a minibus or full sized coach? At one of the visitor centres/cafes you can stand astride the plates,one foot in Americas the other in Eurasia. We booked 8hr tour with GeoIceland.

Hi Lichfield is in the Midlands near Wolverhampton/Birmingham. Manchester is in the North of England,,,2hrs by car from Lichfield.check you are not going to the wrong place.

Hi I’m British I always ask nicely😉 Last x4 Celebrity cruises,,,,one from Dublin,,no cans of Guinness on board. Last year on Celebrity x2 (from Southampton) no Guinness on board. Last month on Silhouette from Southampton they had Guinness but now on the PDP. But..unbelievably for a ship sailing the season from Southampton they have taken Boddingtons bitter off the menu,,,,,,no bitter on the ship.

Hi Did the shortage of cans of Draught Guinness sort itself. The availability of Guinness on my last x4 X cruises has been abysmal. To make things worse on my Silhouette cruise last month they have bumped Guinness up into Premium drink package. On a Reflection cruise to Iceland a few years ago from Dublin they had no cans of Draught Guinness…..sailing from Dublin!!!! They we’re trying to get rid of the bottles,,,if they where the same as you had they were Foreign Export at 7.5%,,,even the Irish on board couldn’t drink the stuff.

Hi The letter denote which package the drinks are included in,,,,,they now have x2 alcoholic packages….Classic and Deluxe,,,,,so you will see C or D. If you see Spirits under D they are doubles.

My wife drinks Prosecco,,,x1 before dinner,x2 with dinner and a couple after dinner,add a couple of Americanos in Costa and a bottle of pop around the pool in the afternoon. I like a pint of John Smiths or Guinness and a Jameson’s. A pint of Guinness before dinner x2 glasses of wine with dinner,a couple of pints after dinner with a large Jamie’s nightcap with an Espresso Machiato….not counting a pop or two around the pool and I am quids in.

P&O did play silly b*****s with Eavesway after their dispute a few years ago. Now they are treated equally as Intercruises coaches. Before COVID they did hand out lettered cards to those on the coach,,not in my experience since. All coaches now get the same disembarkation time. I remember when coaches where in touch with terminal agents and if there was a big queue the coach driver was asked to pull in at the nearest services to wait for a call up.

Hi. I think with this often asked question any answer must include the words,,,’for me’. There can be no definitive answer or yes or no.

Soft drinks and Water,,,although there are free water dispensers on the ship.

Hi Here you go,,,,I like a drink and the DP is a go to for me. Soft drinks,Coffees,Beers a few wines,,,soon adds up.

I always travel with Eavesway coaches,,P&O never asked me how I’m arriving. I always enter 13:30 as that’s about the time we arrive,,,early or late we are never checked for arrival time. On disembarkation I believe the coach firms liaise with P&O as I always get a tag number to corresponds with coach departure requirements. Eavesway now have their coaches alongside fro 07:00 and ask that you try to be onboard by 08:00,,,,,we where given a debark time of 07:45. Although you always seem to get one couple who thinks the times doesn’t apply to them,,,,,one such couple strolled up at 09:00 on our last cruise saying we are not going to miss their breakfast,,,,someone told them breakfast started at 06:00.

Not the same but I love Boulangère potatoes.

In Gods Country west side of the Pennines they are Tater Cakes.

Hi Looks like the same balcony we had in February,,end one on hump. Great balcony,,huge. But did you not feel a lack of privacy when you was out on the edge from those above…the same for those balconies set back with you looking over them,,,,especially the balcony next door. Great blog Btw.

On the dummy booking I showed there was no option to request a preference. On my last saver fare (Oct) on Britannia there was no option to request a preference. When you board your dining time is on a card in your cabin. This is why I challenge those who,on this thread,say they do. This is pretty plain from SoA link…. Early Saver, Late Saver and other promotional fares Dining requests for bookings made on Late Saver and other promotional fares cannot be made.

Hi. Just done a dummy booking,,here’s a screen shot….. When has ‘Allocated dining time’ become the ability to choose? I have started to choose saver’ fares as for a few pounds you can now choose cabin location and deck,,,I pick Aft/Mid and we are never far from lifts,,,then work out the extra on Select for coach transfer against paying for Eavesway,,,,the deal is always on the Saver. But I have never been able to tick a box for dining choices.

They do say the old ones are the best.

You do now,with a small piece of carrot for contrast. And if they are really generous you might get a spoonful of spuds. Then the game starts to find a piece of fish underneath.