Duffus

Thank you Paul.

That was exactly the information I required. Succinct, informative and usefull. Thanks again.

John

Thanks for your reply Dave.

However, the main reason for asking is to know roughly how long we are likely to be stuck at Gran Canaria Airport as I normally book VIP lounges when I travel and to use these, timing is all important.

Looking at yesterday’s flights back to the UK. There were seven in all, two of which were from and back to Gatwick. One of which was 1 hour late in leaving Gatwick and the other 2 hours late in leaving Gatwick which meant that although the first flight caught up some time, the second flight back was still 1 and a half hours late in departing Gran Canaria.

As coach and departure times are published on board, as an insert sheet to the cruise news, delays will not be known when the departure sheet is printed. I would like to have anyone’s first-hand experience as to what the departure sheet said and as to how long you might spend at the airporto.

Can I ask anyone who has disembarked in Gran Canaria and was flying back to Gatwick. What time did the bus leave the ship and at what time did you arrive at Gran Canaria Airport?

I have tried to get an answer from TUI UK with regards this question, unfortunately to no avail, as yet!

So, I am going to ask here to see if anyone has experienced this problem.

On the cruise I have booked, 14 days in the Canary Islands, I decided to purchase extra legroom seats at £25 per seat out and back, totalling £100. However, on the seat plan given to select my seats it shows the plan for a 757 which has 18 extra legroom seats.

My question to Thomson was: This route normally uses a 737 aircraft which only has 9 extra legroom seats and not the 18 shown on the 757. What do you do if you have 18 passengers booked and paid for, expecting extra legroom seats but you can only provide 9 seats in a different location on the smaller aircraft.

Has anyone experienced this problem and if so how was it resolved?

Can I ask anyone about to cruise on Thomson Dream, to photograph the on board bar prices, then post them here.

Alternatively, anyone who has just returned and who has copies of said bar prices to publish them on this thread.

Thank you in anticipation!!

Just as a matter of note.

I downloaded a claim form from my credit card company and filled it in and posted it on Monday 9th January 2017. I enclosed with it:

1. A covering letter explaining what I was claiming for.

2. A copy of the invoice, for the monies paid.

3. A copy of the ATOL certificate.

4. The downloadable letter that ATOL produced stating that All Leisure had ceased trading.

5. A copy of my credit card statement which showed the monies paid and their respective reference numbers.

The pack was posted as I said on Monday afternoon the 9th and on checking my credit card account found that it had been resolved and the monies in full credited to my account by Friday the 13th January. Only 5 days from posting.

My card, by the way, is from the only surviving totally independent UK Building Society.

So as far as I am concerned, case closed and now looking for a replacement cruise. Fed up with ocean cruises and now looking at River Cruises.

Best of luck to everyone.

I've just returned from vacation and read this thread. Very sorry to hear of the demise of these lines, particularly Swan Hellenic which provided one of my favorite cruises to date.

 

Just curious why more are not considering Voyages to Antiquity as an alternative? Their ship, Aegean Odyssey, has the same small ship size and high quality enrichment lecturers as Swan. Is it because her destinations tend to be mainly European/Mediterranean? (Although she has done several winters in Asia....)

I do not believe that it is Voyages of Antiquity’s itineraries that prevent former Swan and VOG passengers considering them. Just have a look at their prices.

If you are prepared to pay those prices may I suggest looking at all the luxury cruise lines.

I have noticed, in some of the last few posts, many of you enquiring or sharing information about other small cruise ships to consider cruising in following the demise of Swan and VOG.

Before I retired as a travel writer I was asked to provide a list of small cruise liners, those with less than 1000 passengers. This I did and I will make the list available to any of you who may want to look at it or indeed copy it for your own use.

Please note that this list was created a couple of years ago, so there may well be some ships included which are no longer cruising.

It is stored on Dropbox so anyone can view it or indeed download it at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a19grau1dlt6plv/small-ships.docx?dl=0

What I really find offensive about this whole situation is that Roger Allard, not only chairman and leading shareholder of the All Leisure Group, but who has also been on the board of ABTA for many years, appears to be hiding somewhere out of site and contact.

ABTA’s public mission statement beginning: “What the Code means for you,” clearly states that at all times “Accurate information should be given, so you (the client) can make an informed choice.”

So, come on Allard. What have you got to say to all those people whose holidays you are at present ruining or are about to ruin and so much for ABTA's Code of Conduct whose own board members ignor it for their own means.

Is this man to be trusted?

Here is an example of Allard’s self-preservation. Remember the sale and leaseback of the ship Hebridean Princess in November 2015. Well look a bit more closely at the transaction, as reported by the Scotsman newspaper.

“Hebridean Princess owned by All Leisure Holidays is selling the ship and “certain related assets” for £2.9 million in cash to a new company, HP Shipping, from which it will lease the five-star ship back.

HP Shipping will be wholly owned by a syndicate of private investors led by Roger Allard.”

So, I’m all right Jack!!!

Hi all and a good New Year to one and all.

However, not such an apparently good New Year for Voyager and Minerva.

Hotel staff on-board Voyager have been told that Sea Chefs, who are contracted to carry out all the hotel functions aboard Voyager and Minerva, are flying out some of its head office staff from Germany to Speak to the crew on-board Voyager on Monday 2nd January. A lot of air miles to impart good news? I don’t think so!

Also during Voyagers recent dry dock in the Keppel yard in Singapore, it was reported that surveyors for an undisclosed, prospective buyer for Voyager spent time examining the ship.

I only hope that the company make a public announcement as soon as possible to enable those of us booked to be able to make further arrangements and for them to return deposits and monies already paid back to us without protracted claims.

Just as a by note. This will be the second cruise which I had booked last year, with different companies which have been cancelled. One because they change the ship to an inferior one on the cruise booked and the second looks unfortunately like Voyager.

Thank you Barbara for your input.

I read your cruise review with interest. It appears to me that this ship will be what both Maureen and I prefer for our personal cruising. No photographers pestering you. Plenty of seating areas to relax in. No overpowering entertainment. No 24 hour feeding frenzies! I have been a fan of classic cruise ships for a long time, so older ships actually appeal to us. To date all my travel commissions have been on glitzy big resort ships. This will hopefully be the start of a great relationship.

For others looking at this post who may like to read your review, this is the direct link to it: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=516142

In addition, this is another good review, written by Jean and Ken Rush: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=684

As regards the flights, I have found guideline flight upgrade costs in the 2017/2018 brochure. Also VOD has sent me a 2 day pre-cruise stay offer. However, not the Dubai hotel I would select from choice. So we will in all probability want to fly to Dubai a few days earlier, as we have friends who live there and will probably stay in our preferred hotel, The Palace Downtown Dubai.

I look forward to hearing more of your experiences aboard Voyager.

Hi Barbara,

Both my wife and I will be joining you in Dubai for the cruise back to Piraeus. I booked it yesterday as a birthday present for my dear lady. We will be in Cabin 7200 on the Bridge Deck.

Although you may notice that my joining date to “Cruise Critic” appears as the 3rd June this year, I have actually been a member for many years but had to change my ID, because my identity was somehow compromised.

As a retired travel writer I am now free and able to do my own thing, so we can indulge our pleasure in cruising on the smaller ships. Over the years all of my cruise travel commissions have involved major cruise companies and the larger cruise ships. This will be our first time with VOD, having been recommended by friends who are frequent returners.

Although the above posts make interesting reading, with several posts sharing some reservations about VOD, it has always been my experience that if it is someone’s intention to find fault, then they will find fault, even in the most luxurious situation. Far better to dwell and expound on the positives and let the crew and hotel staff resolve the problems. No matter where on Earth you are, being courteous and polite will normally always result in good staff relations. Unfortunately, there are many Brits and Americans whose interpretation as to what politeness and courtesy involves leaves a lot to be desired.

My first encounter with the booking staff at ALH was very positive. My only concern is that they were not able to quote me for flight upgrades. I do understand that airlines do not release their flight timetables and prices until between ten or eleven months before departure dates, so I will just have to wait.

Sidari,

They did not offer any alternatives, just the change of ship. I presume that they have just sent out a blanket email to all who are booked and will wait until they send out a re-booking form, supposedly within seven days of them cancelling the cruise. Fine chance!!

As a retired travel writer, who has sailed with MSC many times, I know that they very rarely get involved with individual passengers until they absolutely have to. Even looking at MSC Orchestras information on the substitute cruises they propose, it actually says that their suites are fully booked. The difference in price for the two back to back cruises, by the way, is several thousand pounds.

Even as a retired travel writer, I still occasionally write for the travel writers in-house magazine and having heard that many travel agents will no longer deal with MSC and with my latest experience, which was a present for my wife's seventieth birthday, I will no doubt be contacted by the MSC press office in an attempt to still the waters. Let's wait and see.

MSC have changed the location for MSC Fantasia for the winter of 2017-2018. It is now going to the Caribbean and MSC Orchestra is being transferred back to the Med.

PLEASE NOTE: Their 2017-2018 brochure will now have to be changed, so watch what you book for out of that brochure as there will in all probability be different brochures flying around!

Having booked a back to back from this brochure, they informed me yesterday of the change and offered a 200 euro on-board spend. Pretty mean for 23 nights onboard!! They also took no notice that my bookings were for the Yacht Club, which Orchestra does not have. They appear confused as to why I want a refund of my deposit when they are offering the same cruises, albeit that they are now on the Orchestra and have ignored the Yacht Club element of my booking.

They have broken the contract, not me, so it should be an easy refund. Or will it? Probably end up in the small claims court once again. They are notorious for delaying any form of repayment.