JeanieC,Aston

I only ever use the coach from the North West,,,,P&O coach (Intercruises) or Eavesway from Burtonwood Services,,,,,Eavesway picks up at 07:45,Intercruises have been as late as 09:00,usually on a Ellisons coach. Both companies have comfy coaches with most importantly toilets on board. one thing I look for is the difference in price between Select and Saver. With Eavesway being £110 each I look at the difference in price if I take the included coach on Select. Usually it works out it better for me to book Saver (Don’t mind dining time and can book location with Saver) although not always beneficial My next cruise was a difference of £200 with £70 OBC.so it was a Benefit to go the Select route. I preference Eavesway as I know what I’m getting,,,,love Ellisons coaches but never sure we get them on the return.have had some old clunkers. From Warrington it’s usually 5.5hrs with three or four pick ups with a 40min drivers stop for late breakfast usually at Warwick Services,,,drivers get advance notice from other drivers which services are less busy,,,,,,on return it’s Norton Cains services for lunch. Dont know if Celebrity docks earlier than P&O but we are always on the road at least 1 hour before coaches from P&O. I load 5 Rolling Stones albums on my iPad just finishes listening to them as we arrive in Southampton,,,,always better than murdering my arthritic hip driving.

Thanks.

If they took your bags from outside your cabin then straight to airport then you didn’t see them until your home airport. How do they know which aircraft the bags are to go on without bag tags,,,how do they stick the little tag onto your passport? OK if all bags are going to the same UK airport,,,but they don’t!!! Serious question.

Jet2 are brilliant at Manchester,,,,self check in easy,,,,,put bags on scale,show barcode on your boarding card to the machine and out comes your bag tag,,,,take case to belt. Jet2 staff everywhere to help. The security check in T2 is now massive. Earing places everywhere,,,the only problem that has been mentioned is it can be a long walk depending on gate number. A tip,,,,there is a water fountain after security in the corridor to Duty Free,,,,fill your water bottles up to save paying the extortionate price in the shops for bottles. ps,Jet2 starts flights from Liverpool next month,,,,great!!

Don’t wonder Noro spreads on Iona,,,you spend half the cruise standing in queues!.😏

A glass of Prosecco on P&O is £6.75,,,,one glass before dinner,one glass at dinner and three glasses the rest of the evening (tiny 175ml glasses) a coffee and can of Pepsi and you have paid for your drink package…..Easy.

More and more our supermarket shelves are becoming full of bottles of dark beers from small brewers,,the likes of Bitters,Stouts or Porters,,,some of the Porters are really good. There was a newspaper article today reporting on Diageo that Guinness is now the most popular beer brand in the UK,,,with the biggest increase being women drinking it.

Hi Ive sailed a few times on RCL and Celebrity and both lines always stocked John Smiths and Boddingtons Bitters. Now on Celebrity both have gone leaving no Brit bitters. Then last May they put Guinness into the PP,,that was the last straw,,,now I stick too P&O and Marella cruises. on one Silhouette cruise last year when they ran out of Guinnes a staff member told me to drink Newkie Brown saying it’s the same as Guinness,,,,he was the Bar Manager!! What is it with Americans love of Coke Cola and American beer,,,is it the gas?😏

Out of interest how many drinks per day?,,,soft drinks,water,fruit juice (J2O),beer,a drop of whiskey maybe or a wine with dinner. I find lots of people overestimate the number. I’ll help you,,,,todays cost for DP is £36 per day,a glass of Prosecco (125ml) is nearly £7.

I remember a horrendous crossing from La Palma to Madeira many many years ago…the Captain reported it was due to x2 continental shelves meeting in that area of the ocean. Wow! That was 1999 on Thomson Topaz,,,,an Airtours ship supposed to sail in the opposite direction was still in Madeira when we arrived,,never risked it,,,,the Topaz,,ex Empress of Britain never missed a sailing due to weather the Captain said..unlike today Leviathans.

Here is the view from the highest point on Madeira you mentioned. I thought Neil Lockwood was excellent,he took over from Jeff Lynn after he left. I know some think ELO was Jeff Lynn but they were still good with the addition of Neil Lockwood.

Boddingtons Bitter taken off the beer menu list altogether and Guinness now on the Premium,,,,,ridiculous.

Thanks for that…

The day they put Guinness and Jameson’s in the Premium package was the day Celebrity lost me.

That’s some sale…when todays cost is £39 for Classic DP +WiFi.

Hi Im sure I saw this posted earlier today,,,it seems to have vanished. With my PC discount (7.5%) it makes a 14nt DP down to £930. Thats made my mind up.

Hi Ville Vie has bought Fred Olsens Braemar……

Hi There is a Japanese Beatles tribute act resident in Benidorm who are brilliant. There is an old saying ‘The turns who don’t make it in Northern Workingmens clubs go to Benidorm or cruise ships’ I go frequently to Benidorm (this NYE next) and the turns are really good now,,,,so they must be going onto cruise ships,,,especially that busker on Iona in February.😏

Hi I was on a Marella ship in October when the ship lost all power leaving Gib due to fault in fuel line to a generator,,,,,this made us miss the next port Cadiz. All passengers recd £150 each in OBC as compensation for missing the call into Cadiz.

I don’t give a hoot about Coca Cola,never seen the attraction,it’s horrible stuff in my opinion. Bare a thought for us Brits…. On the first Silhouette cruise this May from Southampton they took Boddingtons Bitter of the menu altogether,,,,then they put Guinness on the Premium and recently Jameson’s followed. Im afraid they took me off Celebrity as well.

Hi I have a holiday booked to Benidorm for NYE with Jet2. Luggage of 22kgs included and yesterday booked seats for £12 each way.

Hi I have sailed both Iona and Marella Voyager this year,I find a Jameson on Marella tasted exactly the same as a Jamesons on Iona. In the Aperitif Bar on Marella they had 14 different whiskey/whisky from Dalwinnie to Bushmills to Glenmorangie and others,,,,,I tried all 14 in a week,,,,very nice they were too.

Hi They sell a Prosecco on board called ‘Canti’’ it’s available in all supermarkets £7.50 to £8.5O a bottle. They wouldn’t know on board where you got it from.

I agree. My last x2 cruises this year was on Celebrity Silhouette and Marella Voyager,,,the glasses of Prosecco were doubles compared to P&O 125ml….same with spirits.