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Re the dancing without masks, we were on a UK cruise where it was not clear what was allowed. Staff had personal opinions, which caused conflict. Supposedly you were allowed to dance at your table without masks but not on the dance floor. Or maybe I have those the wrong way round. Essentially brought out the worst in some staff who wanted to "be in charge".  Perhaps what you experienced.

Agree with nancyneptune about the week-by week differences in the cruise population. On a Caribbean cruise, the difference between week 1 and week 2 was massive with a lack of control of kids in week 2. And same week we saw the only example of overindulgence in alcohol by a group.

Usually everyone is friendly and "normal". Some people don't know how to behave - they would be the same on holiday anywhere.

Looks like planned 787 was not available so they had to fly in one from Manchester We would have been on the flight from Barbados if not peviously moved to alternative holiday.

Expecting to arrive at around 0700 (IIRC) after an overnight flight, we were going to book an early morning hotel to catch up on sleep before driving home.  Now it would have been at least a 1200 arrival so definitely requires some sleep time before driving. Let's see what time they actually get back to BHX.

Hence flight delays, carpark overtime and hotel arrangements for refund!

Thanks for confirming the requirements and offering possible locations for the test.

I had read all the Barbados web pages (which resulted in our move to an alternative holiday) but how many people are not aware? No big "TUI passengers not allowed into Barbados" headlines so I wonder what the real situation is!

Well spotted. How many people have not read the requirements? Perhaps they let you though with an LFT result?

Neighbours flew to Barbados in January to watch the T20 cricket - not on TUI. They found a "clinician-administered PCR test" at East Midlands airport (we live near Nottingham). They got in and out of Barbados so assume that worked but not had a conversation with them since for various reasons.

I think TUI are ignoring the rules and just linking to home testing which is NOT the same.

So hopefully someone will clarify who has been on a relevant TUI cruise. Or you could wait for 40 minutes on the phone to TUI or do a Google search and phone the supplier.

PS. This plus the isolation rules/excursion rules was why we changed our cruise to a land-based holiday. We were supposed to be on Discovery in Antigua today!! Hopefully in 2023. 

We've done 5 Marella cruises (Mediterranean, Caribbean,  Far East, Canaries, UK) with 2 more planned for 2022.

We've done 1 Celebrity to Alaska, 1 cancelled to Hawaii because of Covid, and 1 coming up in June to Eastern Med.

Food on Celebrity is better which is why my wife will happily let me book another cruise with them, and they go to places Marella does not.

However if you want fewer sea days (= more ports visited), Marella takes some beating. On a 14 day cruise, there are typically just 2 sea days. Compare to Celebrity and other cruise lines.

Ultimately we choose our cruises by the itinerary. We are running out of Marella options until they get the Far East up and running again (or reduce the number of Adriatic sailings covering the same ports).

Let's see what 2023 brings and who we cruise with 😁 

Prefer the Discoveries for their atrium centre point and more areas where there are bars/bands - Live Room and Squid & Anchor. Explorers seems to be have too many things in the Squid & Anchor which means it can be crowded. 

However Explorer 2 is adults only so given the choice of Disco or Explorer 2 for Christmas 2022 with very similar itineraries, we chose Explorer 2! Particularly since Disco does not do ABC islands (Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao).

Outside of school holidays we would look at Disco1/2 but ultimately it is the itinerary that makes the decision. 

We have reported concerns about two Marella cruises (and we have not been on many), one related to safety, one related to staff attitude, and received responses on both occasions. One was by phone wanting more info, the other by e-mail.

So pleased with their reaction - they obviously felt that we raised valid points. Granted not always responded in time frame mentioned.

Commending the crew is probably best done on the onboard form.

Never needed a tux in my business life in industry. Lounge suits were always sufficient. Don't see the point of buying one after retiring.

Tests may still be required by the destination countries. You won't be allowed in if you haven't had a test before leaving the UK with a negative result.

Barbados is one such country.

So keep an eye on the covid website for where you are going.

My second photo in post #5 shows us anchored off the main port at Dubrovnik in 2018.

Location is shown as red square on map below. Old town is circled bottom right. So we were tendered and then had a bus ride! 

The view from on high in post #15 shows the location of a docked ship at Kotor. Puts my first photo in post #5 into context. We must have been lucky - the other ships in Kotor that day tendered.

We met several Canadians on a Jamaica/Cuba/Mexico Marella cruise in 2019. They had flown into Montego Bay from Canada on a Sunwings flight. They did not realise it was a UK cruise ship with mainly UK passengers and hence got a nasty surprise when they realised the prices were UK pounds.

Hence 3 years ago, Canadians could book Marella cruises, probably via travel agents.

For the Adriatic cruise, if you have not been to those places before, just walk off the ship and explore. Corfu and Dubrovnik need a short bus ride to get to the town but the rest are easy walking distance. 

This cruise was our first ever back in 2018. Had been very reluctant but was persuaded during a conversation with a cruiser while waiting for a flight at Alicante airport. My wife despaired that her previous failed efforts to persuade me were so easily overcome by someone I had met by chance.

Assuming the cruise schedule is similar to the one we went on, I have added some comments and also some photos to give a clue as to where the ship was docked. Photos are in the order of  Kotor, Dubrovnik, Split, Koper, Venice, Corfu.

Corfu: there is a bus into Corfu just outside the port gates. Bus back from same square where you get off. Plenty of time to wander around.

Venice: if you do go into the canal, agree that early getting up is very worthwhile. The ship does various zigzags approaching the canal so Venice gets closer and closer. It was still dark (October) as we approached so you may have a lot more light. Wonderful views since you are so high up and looking down on the city. Ship arrived early enough that a brisk walk to St Mark's Square found it almost empty! Also be on deck as you leave Venice . However Venice may have stopped all cruise liners into the port and if so you will be parked outside Venice.😬

Dubrovnik: anchorage was outside Dubrovnik so transfer to shore by tender. Hence you will need to catch a bus to the town - a bit too far to walk.  Obvious thing to do is walk around the walls (climb up steps just inside entrance was hell!) and then come down to explore the streets. There is/was a Dubrovnik card for buses/entrance but does involve finding the location not to far form the bust stop to collect it.

Split: easy walk into town and then explore Diocletian's Palace. "Crown of Thrones" (?) was a thing back then but even unaware of all that, it was still very good.

Kotor: Another one to get up early for as the ship travels down a fjord to the town. Ship parks in the car park (see picture)  so you can easily explore the walled town.

Koper: We arrived on a Sunday so everything was closed. Ship anchors close to town. I was crazy enough to figure out the Aviva bus route and timetable to the nearby town of Piran (50 minute bus ride - decided that if all else failed I would get a taxi back but it all went ok). We even had another couple who asked if they could come with us. They also made their own way back safely, We did walk back through the main square in Koper,. Not many people around.

So Discovery set off on Sunday, supposedly on "Taste of the Tropics". I thought the itinerary was the same for each named cruise. This one seems to be a major variant.

From Cruisemapper:

Bridgetown*
Saint Vincent Island*
Castries*
Basseterre St Kitts*
Philipsburg St Maarten*
St Georges Grenada
Roseau
Bridgetown

*=correct to date

From TUI:

Bridgetown, Barbados

Kingstown, St Vincent

Fort De France, Martinique

Pointe-A-Pitre, Guadeloupe

Castries, St Lucia

St George's, Grenada

Scarborough, Tobago

Bridgetown, Barbados

As a result, next week's itinerary (Paradise Islands) is very similar ti this week.

Is therea problem with some islands rejecting cruise ships?

Just tried to check my bookings.

Prior to cancelling a cruise and rebooking a land-based holiday, everything (future and past) showed up. Now I can see nothing.

Trying the "extras" web link, just one of three bookings can be accessed.

Totally unimpressed. Web site asked me for feedback - I doubt anything will improve despite my scathing comments.

Edit: try this link: https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/your-account/managemybooking/login

Finally found my missing bookings  I think the issue is no TUI flights

Don't overthink it - you could be in the non-premium section!

If you are solo, why not choose one of the centre aisle seats? Definitely not a window seat.

Nobody knows!

Check the destination country requirements nearer the time.

47 minutes ago, ferretktf said:

Won’t be sold out

 

however due to the Barbados testing requirements it makes sense for it to be removed three days before departure, so I think this is “business as usual”

Checked a couple of days ago out of curiosity and I could have chosen from all cabins and flight options. So not sold out.

And the cruise I WAS going on March 13th is now £2500 less than the final invoice payment that I would have paid. All the options I wanted are still available. Hypothetical question: would they have allowed me to shift to the same cruise at the new price?

Irrelevant anyway - booked a land based holiday in Jersey for a fraction of the price to use the deposit paid and have a holiday closer to home

Quarantine hotel or being on a flight with infected people?

Would not want either but if I had to make a choice, get us all home to the UK where we could be treated if required. Or instead, choose to be treated in a hospital in Barbados?

If we have all been vaccinated and with booster, we are told it should not be a problem (I hope). For those people  that you are concerned about, why are they in Barbados now with the Omicron variant in circulation since November? Could they not have cancelled/changed holiday given Marella's various options?

We will have to learn to live with this virus eventually.

I am not ready for that yet, so have rearranged two Marella cruises because of the distance from the UK and the unknown health care in the countries involved. When we booked, we had hoped things would have moved on by the time of travel.

Disappointment or relief?

Only you can decide but look at the thread: 

We want to cruise the Caribbean but decided "not yet".  The main concern at the moment was being quarantined without one's partner.

For me, the problem with Explorer/Explorer2 is the emphasis on the Squid and Anchor for ALL activities (quizzes, bands, bingo). Realised this on a UK cruise when the poor weather drove everyone inside and hence Squid and Anchor was always rammed since no-one was around the pool. Needs an alternative venue like the Live Room on DIscos

The 16th January cruise on DIscovery from Barbados can no longer be booked from the TUI website and yet they are normally available almost up to the day before.

Maybe it has now been cancelled?

Completely agree with your sentiments about your upcoming cruise.

We were due to go to the Caribbean on 13 March 2022 (Tropical Delights/Paradise Islands).

Balance was due on Sunday so we changed today to a land-based holiday in May in Europe. Much shorter flight and hopefully by May, Europe will be in a better situation. Not sure about the Caribbean, particularly with the T20 cricket matches vs England at the end of  January,

Given that Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao have not been allowing cruise ships, will this have changed in two months time? Not prepared to risk a cruise to nowhere for a week. 

Also don't want to end up in isolation on Barbados at the end of a cruise - seems from posts on here and social media, that non-infected companions gets shipped home. Don't like that.

Finally a nine hour flight in a mask - NO!

We paid Marella to park at the port.

Off the ship, bus to car park, on our way. No hassle.

Why would you expect to be able to get on except at the start and end of a cruise?

It is NOT a bus service.

For instance,  you want to get on and off at Greenock? What if it doesn't go to Greenock on next cruise.

The extreme follow-up scenario would be every cruise has to allow anyone to start/finish at any port.

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN