JeanieC,Aston

{I didn't face any of your issues and loved both my cruises but I clearly want different things to you on board and never like to sit in atriums on any of the ships to worry about the atmosphere there} Must be me,,my go to cruises the last few years as well as P&O is Celebrity ‘S’ class. Most evenings revolve around the atrium,you can spend most of the night in any of the bars around it and be royally entertained…rock n roll parties,60s party,ABBA night,silent disco.and no waiters with iPads taking 20 orders then waiting until barman has made them all before bringing you your drink.

Hi I am looking to book a cruise next April. There is x3 choices,,,,,,Arvia,Ventura or Marella. I want info on all three before I make a decision. I read Iona/Arvia threads to convince me one way or another to try that class of ship again.Probably Iona is a once and done,,,but maybe the performance of Iona has improved and passed to Arvia. I like Ventura and my Marella cruise last month was a good one. So it’s not anger,,it’s about the information im losing due to peoples reluctance to post because we have post after post about chocolate.

Hi Not strange at all.why would the OP want to? Have a look at the likes of post #9,,,and if the OP had come back I can guarantee a similar posts would have appeared. And 7 posters though it was funny,,,not funny when you are on the receiving end. No need.

Hi You would do.

Hi For probably the 10th time,,,the reasons of probably been done to death between yourself,myself and others in the last few months. To summarise….. The queues. The bar service due to not being able to go to the bar was not good enough,,,waiters with iPads a bad idea. No atmosphere,,especially in the Atrium. MDR service was a shambles. Lack of live music venues for number of passengers,,,I was on Marella Voyager last month and I could. Get a seat in the Caberet bar,,watch a musician/singer then a game show then a party band and then stay there for a couple of hours,,,where on Iona can I do that without seeing a repeat set x4 times in the evening in the Clubhouse. Getting in queue on App for dinner at 19:00 and getting sat down at nearly 22:00. Late supper in buffet only one counter open for the many who wanted a snack. Thats enough for now,,,,,I don’t want to repeat a well worn thread. You liked Iona I didn’t….walk on.

Hi Are you sure,,,,you are booking the holiday with P&O that includes coach transfer,,,that is you are booking a ‘package’.

Absolute disgrace how this thread has been sidetracked,no doubt by those who didn’t want any criticism of their favourite cruise line to go on. Its turning the thread into a Chat Room as opposed to a Forum. For what it’s worth I totally agree with some of the OPs points, my cruise on Iona in February was the worst in over 80 cruises on different lines,even worse than MSC.

Hi Jim I believe it’s Raffles Hotel,,,you should have tried the famous Singapore Sling in the Long Bar,,,only $26. Enjoying your travel……

Looking at a Ventura cruise to the Canaries for next April….its £300 cheaper today than yesterday.

Leaving Flam September 1st last year,,,,,sun cream required.

Hi The big thaw sets in by April where the waterfalls are full bore,,,I was last there in August last year and they were barely a trickle. Bare in mind that the Fjords are for the beautiful scenery not really the ports many being quite boring,, also keep in mind Bergen is the rainiest city in Europe,,,pack a waterproof. The highlight for many is the ride on the Flam Railway return trip to Myrdal,,book cheapest on line. Another photo of Flam with the station,a brew pub in the town.

We always buy the DP. I may have a couple of V&T before dinner,,x2 glasses of wine with dinner and a few more drinks during the night,,,without coffee or soft drinks I’m quids in. My wife easily makes it pay,,,she likes Prosecco,,,,,x6 tiny 125ml glasses a day @£6.50 a glass it’s easy.

Hi In 20 minutes time at 11:00 Gib time everything will stop for 1 minute to mark Armistice Day. Noticed she is bunkering for the long run across the Atlantic. Watch the planes landing in the wind on that short runway,,done it a few times and it can be quite hairy.

In Gib last month,,,,shuttle taxi ship to town,,,bought a couple bottles of whiskey then back to ship. Bottle of Teelings Irish for £17.

Hi I was on Marella Voyager last month And after pulling away from the quay in Gibraltar the ship was plunged into total darkness,engines stopped and we were drifting 150m from the quay. Emergency lighting came on and with the drummer from the band making the beat the whole of the Squid & Anchor pub went into a good old sing song. This was 21:00,,,Captain dropped anchor and x3 tugs came out pretty swiftly to stop any drift towards the quay,,,,,it was a fuel to generator problem,,,we sat there until repaired until 01:30. Then the Harbour Master wouldn’t let us sail until the repair was inspected and a certificate issued by a Marine Surveyor,,we moved to an anchorage in the bay and waited for surveyor to travel overnight,,,,he arrived at 13:00 next day inspected,signed the certificate and we sailed at 14:00 straight to an unplanned overnight in Malaga missing Cadiz. Fun at the time but not so funny if we would have been miles out at sea.or even in the Bay of Gibraltar with the huge number of ships at anchor.

I have done x3 NYE cruises on Ventura ( the 5 day one),,,for NYE dinner they gave everyone a set time in one of the restaurants so everyone dined together,,,on one of them we where allocated Sindhu as an overflow restaurant. This enabled the entrance of a piper and the Haggis Address. A superb night was had by all. It was 2019 so May have changed now

Hi Cant remember re Intercruises but on Eavesway if you are immobile with a wheelchair you will be sat in the special seats downstairs on the coach behind the driver,,,no need to struggle up the stairs to the main seating part. Thats if you are on one of the coaches with upstairs seating,,,,I expect you may have to pre book these seats. Others may know. An Eavesway coach……..

Hi Well that goes some way to answer my question,,,the crew get a basic wage whatever tips are or aren’t given,,,tips look like what I imagine they should be,a bonus on top of the basic pay. Im happy seeing it that way.

Hi That saying is similar to the ‘the food no good but you won’t go hungry’.. Not good enough,if I’m paying a few £000 for a cruise I want better than chips and mayo.

Hi I don’t know about the foreseeable,but that menu and others seem to have been with us for years. On every P&O cruise I have the Asparagus and poached egg,,,,,Bouillabaisse,,,and Atlantic haddock every time I see that menu and very nice it’s been too.Those who cruise P&O know those menus off by heart yet still complain and book P&O. If I disliked every menu all the time like some do I wouldn’t cruise with that line.

Hi don’t think many people do….that’s why I asked the question. Many are saying that crew get less money when tips are reduced or not paid,,,,but the question is ‘do they’ get less than basic salary.,I would be happy if tips are in addition to basic pay if performance warranted it. What happened post COVID when ships where running at 50% capacity with some X ships only having ~400 passengers,,,did the crews have to live on 50% pay?

Hi Just curious,,,,if nobody on the ship paid tips would the crew get nothing. Surely they are on a contracted guaranteed’minimum wage’.

Hi Been through the Suez Canal a few times,,most is boring but there is a few gems to look out for. Watch out for ships sailing across the desert when you go through the Balah By-Pass. The Defence Memorial… The Peace Bridge…

Hi. Yes they do,,,,,thank god they also have John Smiths and Guinness😏

Hi Markeb. I don’t really drink wine,,,most of the time it’s Irish whiskey and Guinness and bitter. But I do enjoy being educated about wine reading your knowledgable observations. I did enjoy a glass of Villa Maria on my recent cruise…..which my local Asda sells here in the UK,,what do you think?