JeanieC,Aston

27 minutes ago, S1971 said:

 

What debt? Pre covid Carnival enjoyed year on year huge multi billion pound profits, Covid in reality impacted cruiselines for around 6 to 9 months, post covid they are again making huge profits.

 

I don't buy into the effects of covid are still impacting on the business, like the UK, the USA provided significant financial support to businesses directly impacted, I don't know the figures but I'm sure Carnival took that up.

 

Nothing will go back to how it was, that's one thing that is guaranteed.

Hi

Foreign registered cruise companies got no financial support from the US government.and nor did they ask for any,,,,,to get that aid they would have had to open their companies into paying US taxes.

Unlike the UK who helped Royal Caribbean with a £25m soft loan agreement and Carnival with the same worth £300m.

Although both companies are registered in ‘tax havens’ of Panama and Liberia.

34 minutes ago, MellyMoo1989 said:

 

I sailed with Thomson in 2011 and they weren't all inclusive as standard. I had to pay for all my drinks. My parents got a free AI upgrade because we were on board at the time of their silver wedding anniversary, as I was in a different cabin and a relatively poor 20 year old with a zero-hour contract bartending job, I couldn't afford the AI upgrade 😞 yet somehow I still didn't break £100 on board spend for the week, and I bought myself two bottles of perfume too! Those were the days!

Hi.

My memory must be playing tricks.

Hi,lucky you sailing through the Dardanelles Straits in daylight so you could see the Anzac memorial on Gallipoli.most cruise ships pass in the evening to get into Istanbul for 07:00…you must have been sailing at walking pace.

Some cruise lines have a minutes silence passing Gallipoli.

On one cruise an Australia passenger asked the CD to read out on the PA system a peom written by her relative who lost his life at the Gallipoli Landings.

You couldnt hear a pin drop from those lining the decks.

There is an annual pilgrimage from Australia/New Zealand to this area for Anzac Day on 25th April.

ps,,did the Queen actually drink the Turkish coffee?

2 minutes ago, debfed65 said:

After following this live report I have been researching and found a cruise I like for next May. How has the weather been overall this time of year? I am from north of Toronto so I know what cold weather is lol …hopefully it’s not that cold there in May? Although I did see the post with the snow capped mountain, and the comment about the north winds 🥶

Hi,,I have done Fijords in May,weather can be mixed but the joy of May/June is the snow is melting and the many waterfalls are in full flow.

You don’t get the same dramatic effect in August when then weather can be good.

Bare in mind Bergen is the wettest place in Europe.

1 minute ago, S1971 said:

Thanks for the info, once onboard I'll see what the inclusive menu includes, but £320 to upgrade 14nts isn't beyond affordable 👍

 

 

Hi

I only drink Guinness,John Smiths and Jameson and my wife is OK with Prosecco so the standard was fine with me.Same on P&O,,,no need for double spirits and I absolutely never drink cocktails.

Just now, daz1107 said:

I think you answered your own question, with your statement 'without any proof whatsoever...' 

Think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one, which is something I'm happy to do, but many on here aren't. 

 

I’ll go with that.

There is a saying ‘Comment is free,Facts are Sacred’

14 minutes ago, daz1107 said:

I would beg to differ on this. The thread is all about having something that was there taken away. 

Just because you don't do it, doesn't mean that no one should. Many people have explained that they enjoy a drink of something, not available on board, on their balcony. Me included. 

Personally I have no interest in black tie night and have never participated in it, but, if it was taken away, I would be sympathetic to the ones who do enjoy their evening dressing up. 

As for not spending a penny on board, I don't see the issue with this (I'm not one of those people by the way). 

Everyone has paid the required amount to board the ship and after that, what they do with their money is their own choice. Unless of course P&O decide each cruiser is required to spend £xxx whilst on board! 

 

You ignore the point I was making,,,,it was those people who spend nothing because they take their own booze onboard.And brag about it.

Remember all those topics years ago re rum runners and people posting how to cheat the rules,,,,,they weren’t all a small tipple on the balcony drinkers.

Without any proof whatsoever I wager many of those complaining take booze onboard do so to save money.

I also wager that P&O think the same.

Of course if you could provide proof that I am wrong,,,please feel free.

51 minutes ago, S1971 said:

 

That's my understanding, we also paid, certain brands were on the AI list, other premium brands carried a surcharge.

 

Incidentally, it's similar now , albeit you can upgrade to premium AI which apparently includes a quite extensive list of premium brands and cocktails.

 

I believe from my travelling companions the upgrade price is £90pppw, all in the same cabin have to have it.

 

I think it's a wait until August and see for me.

Hi

For my cruise 3 weeks ago to upgrade to premium drinks was £80 pppn if booked pre cruise.its the same price today.

I upgraded last year and found out I didn’t really use it,,last month I was quite satisfied with standard.

Btw my other two favourite cruise lines Celebrity and P&O both have upgrade charges for premium drinks,,,,or in P&O case double measure spirits,,on Celebrity you don’t need that they are bigger US measures anyway.

3 minutes ago, S1971 said:

 

With Thomson you had the opition to pay to upgrade to all inclusive, my first ever cruise was on the Destiny, not totally sure when they went totally all inclusive though.

Hi 

Never known them to be cruise only,,,,my first cruise was on Topaz in 1998 a great introduction to AI booze cruises.

 

If this is all about those who take bottles of spirits on board to have a tipple on the balcony,,,,who are the ones who get in the lift on deck 5 with an empty glass,,go up to deck 9 then come back down with a full glass.

Or those who brag on social media about taking bottles of spirits on board then tell everyone they just come off a cruise and never spent a penny

Thats the real story…..the skinflints.

1 hour ago, yorkshirephil said:

IMO no. P&O cater for retired people during off peak periods, many that don't drink much which is us now, plus many take medication that doesn't mix well with alcohol. We used to cruise regularly with what was Thompsons but stopped when they went all inclusive as I do not feel the need to subsidise other peoples drinking. If P&O go all inc then I very much doubt we would continue using them.

Hi

I have sailed Thomson since 1997,,,54 cruises in all,last one 3 weeks ago,,,I can’t remember Thomson/Tui/Marella ever being anything but All Inclusive.

I also cruise P&O (Britannia in 4 weeks) and always buy the DP,,this time with the 20% discount was a no brainier.

Each to their own I say.

If this topic turns into a ‘the merits or not’ of drink packages I’ll pull my chair up and get the popcorn out.its a bit like the old boring dress code or smoking threads.

Hi

Does the hotel on the dock still play Bocelli singing ‘Time to say goodbye’ when ship leaving Olden,,,makes the hair on your neck stand up.

2 hours ago, Gettingwarmer said:

As stated in the original post this is from 2019 and is now much reduced

Thank you I hadn’t realised that.

45 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Page 4 post 93

I agree,,there are lots of whisky to suit most people,,.personally I don’t like peaty Scotch whiskey so quite happy with Irish whiskey.

Im still waiting for those who are railing about taking away the bottle of spirits to say why they don’t just order a bottle from room service,,,they are cheap enough.

Take your pick of whisky or whiskey.

You can even buy whiskey flights to find one you want.the only thing that disappoints me with P&O spirits is the mean 25ml measure,,,I sail Celebrity as well as P&O,,,on Celebrity it’s US measures and a bit more.

Just now, GSPG said:

Interesting, thanks! I’m due to be in Tallinn Saturday week, all being well. I’m not sure if I could enjoy neat vodka though!

Do they carry you back!

There used to be a sign above the bar in Yates Wine Lodges I’ve always tried to adhere to….

’Moderation is true Temperance’ 

Tried and failed many times😏

7 minutes ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

It was a perfectly earnest question.

I'm not sure that I have spoken to someone who told me about their discerning palate before who also enthused about Southern Comfort.

Cognacs yes, though you said that you are satisfied with that, vodka is vodka, people pretending that they can tell the difference between Smirnoff and Grey Goose or higher are drinking the emperors new vodka.

All in all it sounds like you, like me, will be cruising elsewhere, though our reasons are different.

I don’t pretend to know the difference,,I do.

If you think Smirnoff tastes the same as Grey Goose your taste buds must have been destroyed by drinking cheap vodka.

Try a Baltic cruise and visit a small off-licence in Tallin they will let you try different vodkas,,,,wheat,rye,potato based,they are all different,,,now there is one in the DF shop in St Pete’s called Kalashnikov,it will tip your throat out.

1 hour ago, Mollag said:

You stated in a previous post about people taking opened bottles from the dining rooms which they do and is fair enough but the giveaway is the people bringing full bottles which have quite obviously been used several times before I.e. well stained to the bars several nights on the run and shouting at the staff when they try to remove the empty bottle because they’re taking it home as a souvenir 🤷‍♂️😂

Hi

Just to be a devils advocate,,my wife used to buy a 6 or 12 bottle wine package.

If she finished a bottle in the restaurant she would order another full one from a bar.

How on earth does anyone know were people get the wine from.

As an aside and to support your observation the Prosecco served in the wine package is Conti,,,all the supermarkets sell it for ~£7.50!if you brought 2 or 3 bottles on board how would staff know.

5 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

If you purchase bottles of wine in MDR for dinner on Arvia/Iona and you don't finish it in the past on other ships they would store it for you until next night. But on Arvia/Iona you have to take it with you and either drink it one of the bars or store it in your cabin and bring it back with you for dinner the next night.

Thanks

I thought it was those ships,,,I wasn’t sure.

Don’t know what the problem is,,,buy a bottle from room service.

You can buy a bottle of Jameson’s for £26,,,,cheaper than Asda at £33.

Lots of people walk around with bottles of wine,,,I always buy the DP now but used to buy the Wine package for my wife,,,I drink Guinness and Jameson’s.

Most night she would take the opened bottle out of the restaurant to finish in the bar…….maybe this is what others do.

I did read one cruise line has stopped storing wine after diner to be drank the next night,,,can’t remember which.

Here is the hot tub and conservatory cabins…..

I imagine those screens are to encourage people to walk down the middle of the deck and not holding on to someone’s balcony rail.

On 4/29/2024 at 12:41 AM, mahdnc said:

Here is a photo of the Cosmopolitan dining room as it looks today (after its Revolution makeover):

 

 

Here is what the dining room looked like when we last sailed on her in Aug 2010.

 

 

 

I have always liked the Millennium class MDR because of its two story wall of windows that look out at the back of the ship.  Century class ships were built that way as well and so 5 out of the first 6 ships we took with Celebrity had this design and it represents the good old days in my mind.

Hi

I had a very enjoyable Med cruise on this last week,,,believe it was Celebrity Mercury,,,the windows are still there.

2 hours ago, Bazrat said:

Standards must have been very poor on Iona, we was on Arvia and not once did we have a problem getting to our table and have not read it anywhere else there have been problems 

Standards was very poor on Iona.

27 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

P&O do now attempt to take you to the table, but quite often the waiter/stewards don't know where the table is!!😯

Same on our Iona cruise last year,,problem was those who now show you to the table are commandeered from the cabin steward team even when they had a map they was getting lost.

They don’t even dress them like restaurant staff,they are the ones in the scruffy grey polo shirts.

15 hours ago, mike x ftc said:

We love Fred but we accept when we cruise Fred we have a window as balconies are far too expensive, when we cruise P&O and other lines on bigger ships we have a balcony as it is cheaper but we know dining, service etc will not be the same. It's all about choice, where you're going and for how long.   As someone has said Fred's drinks packages are very cheap and more often or not they have an offer and they are free, our 2025 Northern lights cruise included one. This is worth quite a bit of money on a 10 night cruise.  Other lines drinks and drinks packages are prohibitively expensive.

Hi

Did Fred twice from Liverpool,,really enjoyed the cruise and I agree with others the food was far superior to P&O,,,they even show you to your table in the buffet that’s laid out with cutlery and table clothes,,,then the person who showed you to your table gets you your tea or coffee,,,,little things that makes a difference.

Where I disagree is re the Drink Package,,,,it’s woefull,,,,one beer,NB,one lager.cheap spirits,,,the choice of one white,red,rose house wine….if you want say a Guinness or John Smiths maybe a Jameson’s or a choice of wine you pay 50% of the bar price.

We are looking at an 8 night Round Ireland cruise from Liverpool on Bolette with added DP,,,,,,,in a fully obscured Outside cabin on Prom Deck====£4400 for 2.

who are they kidding.

I would sail Fred from Liverpool every time if it was at P&O prices.