Advanced Diver

I'm thinking of booking a liveaboard for the Bahamas as a club trip, do do Tiger Beach. Did think about Bimini too after watching Steve Bagshall take sla bunch of 14 year olds and train then up to dive with a Hammerhead, taking in bull sharks (in a cage), and various smaller sharks on the way. To add Bimini though pushes the trip to at least 10 days and I don't think I can get people for longer than a week.

Really there is very little difference in functionality between an app and a website. When comparing Princess with P&O, you can do everything that is needed on both their systems, and the P&O non App does give you an app style screen icon, and both require wi fi access to work. Of course, yes, apps are usually a front end for a bunch of web services. The screen icon, I think, only works with Chrome as a browser, I've not noticed a way of doing it with Firefox for instance (not that it worries me). Still if you expect to download and setup an app beforehand then you will search the play store in vain.

What app? There is no P&I app and never has been. If you mean "My Holiday", it is only a web page on the intranet and you have to use a browser to access it. Most people call it an app, which can lead to confusion with expecting something on the play store which isn't there.

Make sure your photo/scan of the passport photo is small enough. I had to fill in this just after Christmas, and tried dozens of times. I got really slick at filling it in! There is a P&O help page saying what you should enter by the way, and there is a support email address and they will respond fairly quickly but I found their responses didn't help at all. For instance you can fill it in in the airport in arrivals (but not if you're on a cruise as you don't go into arrivals). I tried three different browsers, and reduced the size of the passport scan several times and cropped it down to just the info part, and set the postcode to 5 or 6 0's, and nothing helped. I could get it all filled in successfully but as soon as I submitted it it reported a failure and wiped the form, just saying retry later. I tried over 2 days at various times of the day. Finally I switch from the laptop to the mobile and mobile data rather than home WiFi and it worked first time. After all that stress nobody ever looked at it.

On Android (Samsung) the "mobile hotspot" feature shares either the phone's mobile data or WiFi connection. So to use on the ship all you have to do is choose one of the phones to connect to ship's WiFi and enable the hotspot on that phone. On any other device you can then connect to that WiFi name. The second or third or more device can be a phone, and iPad, a Kindle a laptop - anything that will connect to WiFi. I don't know about iPhones, whether their mobile hotspot facility will also share the WiFi connection, you will need to check (or try it). It works just fine, did it on Britannia a couple of weeks ago.

Just back from Britannia's New Year cruise, and I can confirm there is no booking of entertainment, just turn up. The biggest problem we had was dinner overrunning and finishing too late for the show at 10:30pm, and that was with 8:30pm club dining. Dreadfully slow. On more than one occasion had to skip coffee, and even desert to make the show.

Just back from Britannia in the Caribbean. I can confirm the hotspot feature worked a dream. Signed my wife into the Ship's WiFi and enabled the hotspot on her phone, then I connected to the internet through her phone for all the holiday. Both devices worked at once. The new Starlink satellite's work a treat as well. WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, General Web access basically just not video (e.g. no Netflix, Disney+ or YouTube) on the "Essential" package.

I disagree, it's not at all more generous than stand alone policies. For instance the amount insured (cost of holiday) is fairly small and needs extending for at least two of our holidays (and you can only do that on a per holiday basis). Cruise cover is extra at £40 as has been mentioned. Scuba Diving cover is limited to a very shallow 18m unless you pay extra, and even then you are limited to 30m (and the cost of the extra is just not competitive with standalone insurance). The amount covered for missed ports is less generous than standalone polices with cruise cover. Overall it is still good value, given the cost of the account and that being also bundled with breakdown cover and phone insurance.

And already Apple are trying to work out how to make a standard connector proprietary, they are planning on crippling those that are not official apple ones down to USB 2 from USB 3.1

Many parents worry about the age range (I'm told by one of the kids club staff), but they often forget that their child is not the only one at the top of the age range. The staff are well used to dealing with all age ranges, there is no need to worry. I'm sure your daughter will have a fabulous time. The hours vary, e.g. according to if the cruise is off peak or peak, so I wasn't able to get you a sample schedule.

To those who have purchased a Travel Router - did you try "Mobile Hotspot" (e.g. on a Samsung Galaxy S22 the mobile hotspot feature turns your phone into a de-facto travel router and works whether your phone is connected via the phone's mobile data or WiFi connection). The one time I tried it it didn't work but that was maybe 4 years ago. Not bought the internet package since.

I often go for a run (maybe around 15K) after we've done sightseeing on a port day, or when we were crossing the Atlantic I did it round the prom deck for the sea days. I might also go to the gym on a sea day. I need to wash sweaty running and gym gear! On longer cruises I don't own enough formal shirts, for a longer cruise, so have to wash them, but I don't find it a hassle to drop the clothes in a washer, set a timer and go back in time to switch them to a dryer.

Thanks for the info. I will be looking for another long haul trip for the club over the next year (or two). They are all a significant commitment to get to from the UK but worth a look. I was wondering about the Galapagos or the Philippines. For an actual dive trip for the club I have to entice others too - maybe Whalesharks will be a draw. We did try for Basking Sharks off the Uk South Coast last year but no luck.

To answer the few questions. Yes the cruise ship calls in both Aruba and Curacao. The rest of the party is my wife and she doesn't snorkel so I would be leaving her by herself (well maybe with my daughter but she works on the ship so will be limited in time - have to get back to work in the afternoon probably). Spear fishing wouldn't be something that would interest me, generally I want to see the fish not kill them. I don't know about the Caribbean, but I do know in the Red Sea the Lionfish are an invasive species so killing them is acceptable or welcomed (I just looked it up - same in the Caribbean), but not something I have considered. I won't be taking my own gear on this trip, because it's a fly cruise so limited in weight and it's a single day diving. I will bring the basics - prescription mask, dive computer, fins, camera + housing + lenses + video light, but not BCD or Regs or wetsuit as they weigh too much. I can live with the diving being not challenging. I have a week on a liveaboard in the Maldives booked for the end of January so the chance to see Manta Rays, and sharks. Scuba Diving from the cruise ship is an added extra. Turtles would be good to see though. From what I can see and most of what has been recommended on here, the diving is mostly shore diving, though there are 1 or 2 boats as you have booked - is it worth holding out for a boat trip, or is it just as good on the shore dives does anyone know? Thanks for the replies everyone.

Thanks Harris, that's helpful I'll contact CUrious2Dive on the first instance.

I've just been offered the chance to dive either Aruba or Curacau from our cruise departing the Bahamas on New Years Eve. I'm away with my wife (and meeting my daughter on the ship), but neither dives so they will go off together and I will dive alone. There was a similar thread on here, with the same destinations, but that was looking to combine Scuba and Snorkeling. I don't need to do that. I'm qualified to an advanced level and an instructor, and I will have dived recently (Croatia in September, and various quarries in England in November/December). So which offers the best diving Aruba or Curacau? What's the diving like? What's to see (Turtles? Wrecks? anything else?). And recommendations for a dive centre that will work round the cruise times (and pickup from the ship)? There will only be me so it will need to a group, and since we're flying I will need to hire most kit..

It helps to prevent a man in the middle attack which Https won't necessarily stop (only takes a spoofed certificate). Https is not new, by any means.

Judging by ljandgb then it's far from cost effective. 2021 is the last time I purchased a new mask. At that time the TUSA Ceos mask cost £61, and the TUSA corrective lenses £32 each. This is for scuba diving not snorkeling (and to depths up to 50m FWIW), purchased from reputable dive shop. A lot cheaper than $280. Standard off the shelf stick on lenses are available for £43 in the UK (today's prices), including if you want them bifocals.

Just to clarify you don't go to an optician for prescription lenses for a dive mask. I'm not sure if they are actually able to produce the correct tempered lenses to the correct shape. Rather you get your prescription and the Dive mask manufacturer will supply the lenses for their dive mask (at extra significant expense of course). Not all masks will take replacement prescription lenses (have to be two separate lenses for instance).

Britannia is apparently having its new lifeboat hosted in place today. Seemingly it carried a new one from Southampton, but only fitted it today

My insurance covers for curtailment due to "extra catastrophe", but although it was caused by the storm/wind it seems something of a stretch to claim under this clause (if indeed you have a similar clause in your insurance), but still nothing to lose by trying. "If any part of your journey is cut short or extended as a result of a natural catastrophe we will pay up to the amount shown in the summary of cover for: a) Curtailment if you are unable to use your travel or accommodation and have to return home If your public transport is delayed and no alternative is available for more than 24 hours and you cannot continue with your booked itinerary;"

It is per person, you need your letter from P&O dating you missed a port and there was no compensation paid. I just claimed for 2 missed ports on our Baltic cruise and got £400 back (£100 pp per port).

I thought I did, but I may be getting it mixed up with Arcadia. On a longer cruise I'll use it to view photos but for me I just use the laptop as Mrs Advanced Diver likes to read while I watch more films and TV.

Or if you take a laptop you can connect it via HDMI and watch all of Netflix, or Prime or IPlayer (provided you are proactive about downloading films/shows).

Just back from this eventful cruise, with ports Copenhagen and Skagen cancelled due to bad weather (at its worst we had Force 12 - 80mph winds and 6-7m waves, Rough Seas). We had a poor substitute (but better than nothing) in Cherbourg. That's not a criticism, I expect it to be really hard to find a berth at short notice that was near enough to Southampton. Did get to like Aurora, but preferred Arcadia slightly. Being a small ship it was easy to climb the stairs back to the cabin after a show, walking the prom deck, or even after coming onboard from port. Those who say Arcadia has a plumbing problem though should try Aurora. Much worse - our cabin in fact the whole corridor had the toilet blocked twice in a 16 night cruise, with lots of public loos blocked or out of action too. The prom deck on Aurora has too many bottlenecks where it is impossible to pass people too, and the theatre is very basic, with a really poor rake on the seats (and the seats desperately in need of replacing). All the staff were really good, helpful and friendly. For those interested in such things we had an actual bar of soap in the bathroom for the handbasin. The shower was really weak though, with a not very powerful flow at all. The MyHoliday web page had been gutted - the entertainment section removed altogether. Now I know there was never any need to book, but it is useful to see what is on in the theatre on different nights when out and about the ship. After all the Horizon is in the cabin. The timing of the speakers was really poor. A speaker I really would have liked to listen to comparing Brittanic and Titanic was on at 9:30am. That was on the first sea day when the clocks went forward an hour. Just too early. The Headliners were new on the ship, but were really good. Still they came on and had to spend the best part of the first week rehearsing and in fact didn't perform their full range of shows (to be fair they did add an extra one in due to the missing ports and hence missing acts). Why can't they fully rehearse in Southampton - it's not like we get a reduction for them learning? There was going to be some odd decisions around the venues for the entertainment. The most popular of shows (Susana the Violinist and Owen James a Sting Tribute) were going to be moved to the smaller Carmen's for their second show. The Headliners performed 2 shows in Carmen's, which meant you had to get to their show really early otherwise you wanted it from the side (and singer's backs) or indeed for some seats presumably no visuals at all. The first week's entertainment, the singers just didn't appeal to me - Andrew Bourne, a great singer but I'm not interested in the "Rat Pack" from the 50's, and the Femme's who performed from even earlier - the 40's, or newer songs in the 40's style).