soccerref

Hi Kim,

I may be able to help you with some information about Costa NeoRomantica and some of the ports of call that you are interested in.

I am a compulsive note taker and have written a diary of our 2013 voyage on NeoRomantica which included some of the ports on your list. My DH and I loved the cruise and would do it again if there weren’t still so many places in the world that I ‘need’ to see.

I hope you find this useful and, should you and your new wife decide to do the cruise, I wish you a wonderful time and a long and happy marriage travelling to exotic places.

Departure: 17th February 2013

We had a wonderful time despite a few niggles. This review is purely my opinion but, hopefully, it will include some useful information on both the ship and the ports.

We chose this cruise because it had an interesting and unusual itinerary plus the cost was reasonable for a 21 day holiday.

Background

My husband and I are keen cruisers (32 cruises so far) and we cruise for destination rather than cruise line. We are in our mid 60s and my husband is extremely active whereas I have some mobility problems which restrict my adventurous nature somewhat. We had sailed with Costa once before so knew there were cultural differences between their product and the American/British cruise experience and were prepared.

We booked the whole cruise through Costa using their web site and a telephone contact. The process was relatively straight forward and I was happy with the service I received. Our flights were with Air France (Manchester - Paris – Mauritius and Dubai – Paris – Manchester) and the flight times were not wonderful but I accept that we probably could not have got our own flights as cheaply.

The ship

Costa NeoRomantica was gutted, a new section with balconies inserted and then completely refurbished in 2012. I found the decor to be pleasant but the ship’s layout was quite confusing and you had to pass through the Grand Bar to get to other areas on deck 8 and the show lounge to get to the disco on deck 9.

Costa added some new options which did not appear to be too well supported. The wine and cheese lounge was empty every time I went through it and the chocolate and coffee shop seemed to be poorly attended as was the Pizzeria. I think these spaces could be better utilised.

I did like the situation of the buffet at the aft of the ship which afforded a good viewing position when docked.

Ship’s Information.

This is where the experience differed in many ways from the American/British style .... some better and some worse in my opinion

Boarding

• Your key card is in your cabin when you arrive and not given to you before you board.

• You need to register your credit card on one of the machines that are located in the different public areas.

• The on board currency is Euros.

Announcements

There were 1,600 passengers. The largest contingent was German followed by Italian, French, Spanish and then the 200 English speakers of which 100ish were British, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealander citizens. The dreaded ‘announcements in 10 languages never materialised. In fact, I only heard 2 ‘whole ship’ announcements during the whole 21 days and those were to warn about refuelling and requesting attendance at the muster drill. It was definitely the quietest ship we have been on for announcements. Of course that changed in the show lounges when there were activities and shows but we were prepared for that.

There was an English hostess who was available to help with problems and who organised quizzes and social meetings for the English speakers. I found this service particularly reassuring and believe that Elizabeth dealt promptly and efficiently with problems that arose.

Dining

• Traditional dining was at 6.30p.m. and 9p.m.

• There is an ‘open’ dining option in the buffet restaurant from 6.30 to 9.00 but you must either opt for this when booking your cruise or make a booking while on board. It is called ‘Dimmi Quando’. The menu is the same as in the traditional dining room and the tables are set with table cloths, cutlery and flowers. We did this option and it was wonderful. We were never hurried and it was never crowded and noisy.

• We found the food to be generally very good. We used the buffet for breakfast and lunch and there was quite a wide range of different types of food available. I particularly liked the variety of breads and the change of theme each lunch time (Chinese, Mexican, Indian etc.) along with delicious pasta dishes at every meal.

• The dinner menu had 3 choices of appetiser, a soup, 2 pasta dishes, 4 main courses, salad, cheese board and 8 desserts (I loved the lemon, orange and pineapple sorbets and the coffee ice-cream). There were however no ‘always available’ options.

• Complementary iced water, tea and coffee were only available at breakfast and afternoon tea sessions in the buffet. Iced tap water had to be requested at dinner.

• The pizza restaurant charges €7.50 for all you can eat pizza + a dessert.

• The main dining room is open seating for breakfast and lunch.

• The sun deck buffet grill is open for lunch and dinner.

• The buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Entertainment.

I found the entertainment to be generally low key. There is no theatre on this ship. Apparently it was removed during the renovations. There were, however, two large lounge areas which were used for shows, dancing and activities.

• The Grand Bar Piazza on deck 8 is used mainly for dancing before 10.30. There are 2 groups who play a variety of ‘middle of the road music’ type music with lyrics in different languages. A lot of people danced ballroom or line dance style dances. There was ‘game show’ type entertainment at 10.30p.m. but I never managed to stay awake long enough to see it!

• The Cabaret Room Vienna on deck 9 was the show lounge. It has quite a large oblong dance floor that is used for the nightly main entertainment. This consisted, usually, of a show at 7.30 and a repeat at 9.00. There were a variety of entertainers over the 3 weeks including magicians, jugglers, singers (both classical and pop) and musicians. The resident dance group did several high energy, multi-discipline shows which I thought were very good.

• There were dance lessons most days which were well attended and of good quality.

• There were port lectures and international quiz sessions too.

• There was very little entertainment round the pools .......thank goodness.

• The casino has a selection of slot machines and gaming tables.

Spa and Gym

There is a large spa and fairly well equipped Gym. As I didn’t use either, I can’t comment on the facilities.

Ship’s Excursions

We booked ship’s excursions in all ports except Dubai. We did this because I have some mobility problems so my husband and I did several tours separately and I particularly felt more secure in a group of familiar people. There were pros and cons for using the Costa tours:

PROS:

• a relatively safe environment.

• The ship delayed departure for an hour in Madagascar when the Amber Mountain tour, including my DH, was caught in a torrential rainstorm that turned the clay road into a muddy ice rink and halted the return journey.

• Generally knowledgeable guides.

• Mostly good quality transport.

• Mostly English speakers on my bus.

• It was difficult to find information about the availability, quality and proximity of local taxis pre cruise.

CONS

• Relatively expensive.

• Some tours were cancelled as there were not enough English speakers. We rebooked on the Italian/Spanish/French speakers’ tours and found the guides generally spoke English so would include an English commentary too.

• Sites got a bit crowded.

• Hardly anybody except the English speakers understood the concept of queuing for tickets, seats etc.!!!!! I know it’s a ‘cultural’ thing but it did get annoying.

Children’s club

There is a designated area for children but there were very few on board and we rarely saw them. I know you can leave your children at the club if you are on a ship’s excursion but don’t know if there is a charge for this.

Library

There is a small library with books in various languages.

Internet

There is a small internet area. I was told the connection was slow but I didn’t use this facility so have no first-hand experience of the cost or speed.

Room service

This is available but once again, we didn’t use it so I can’t comment. I believe there is a charge for this service.

Deck space.

There are 3 deck areas, 2 of which have small salt water pools. The aft deck has a variety of hammocks, bed chairs, cushioned loungers and a hot tub. There always seemed to be plenty of loungers available.

Captain’s cocktail party

There was a welcome and a farewell party for all passengers with separate times for the 1st and 2nd dinner seating people. We went to the early party as we were ‘open seating’ so could choose. There was champagne and fruit punch and glasses were refilled as often as you wanted. There was also a ‘past passenger’ party which was by invitation only.

The crew

I can only speak as I found but I though almost all the crew members with whom we came in contact were friendly, polite and very helpful. Everyone spoke English to some degree. I thought the tour office team were delightful and efficient under somewhat difficult circumstances and the dining area supervisors were charming and thoughtful.

Disembarkation.

• Passengers are supplied with coloured luggage tags that correspond with your disembarkation time.

• Meeting times and venues are printed in the ‘today’ paper.

• Luggage needs to be outside your room by 1a.m. on the day of departure.

• People departing from the ship after 5.pm. were allowed to keep their cabin until 3p.m. and use the ship’s facilities until their departure time.

• There was a secure storage area for ‘carry-on’ luggage in the Disco Lounge on deck 9.

Cabin Information

We were in a standard outside cabin on deck 6 and thought it was pleasantly decorated and fairly spacious.

• There was a porthole window.

• The bed was a large double with quite a thick duvet. I found it to be comfortable.

• There were 2 bed side tables; each had a lamp and a drawer.

• There was a small round table and a padded bucket chair.

• The dressing table had a large mirror, overhead light and stool but no drawers.

• There was a large interactive TV on which you could check your account, order room service, book excursions etc. It also had a selection of ‘pay movies’ (€8.95 each) as well as TV programmes.... mostly news...and the stations depended on our location. We had Aljazeera, Macau, Hong Kong and eventually BBC and CNN.

• There is an espresso coffee machine which uses coffee pods at €1.75 a time. We found that, by following the instructions, we could boil the water without putting in the pod so we brought mugs, coffee sachets and tea bags from the buffet and made drinks in the cabin. Loved our morning cuppa in bed!!!

• The ice bucket was replenished twice daily.

• Storage space is quite good. There are 2 wardrobes, each with some coat hangers, 2 sets of drawers (1 drawer next to the dressing table has the hair drier which is fairly powerful), 3 largish cupboards, a fridge and a safe.

• We were provided with bath robes and slippers.

• The bathroom was spacious with a good sized counter top and an efficient shower (it does have a clingy curtain though!)

• Soap and body wash were provided and you could request body lotion and shampoo.

• The plugs were the round pin European style so I needed an adapter. I also used a 4 plug extension cable.

• There were 2 yellow Costa towels in the room for taking off the ship. There is a charge for not returning them.

Ports of call

Mauritius

The ship was in Mauritius overnight as it was one of the main passenger change-over ports. We arrived mid-afternoon after 18 hours of travelling so we did not do any exploring other than the ship that day. We did confirm our pre-booked tours and found that 4 of them were under subscribed so had been cancelled. The tour desk manager, Andrea, was extremely helpful and we managed to rearrange tours to our satisfaction.

Mauritius is a large and beautiful island with a vast diversity of landscape, flora and fauna. We were there at the height of summer and it was very hot and humid with short lived but heavy showers. I did the ‘Beautiful Mauritius’ tour which included a trip to the market, a colonial plantation house, the botanical gardens and some viewing points. My husband did the ‘Enchanting landscape of Southern Mauritius’ and he has some wonderful photos of the volcanic scenery, waterfalls, the 7coloured rocks and the Black River Gorge.

• The international airport is in the south of the island and ships dock in the north at Port Louis, the capital city. It is, approximately, a 90minutes journey across the centre of the island from one to the other.

• The dock was just outside city and appears to be a new enterprise as the terminal building was a temporary marquee on the edge of a large field. There was some building work going on in the area so I’m assuming that this area will eventually become a proper terminal.

• The city seemed to be about 1½miles from the dock and not an easy walk as the land was quite rough and muddy.

• There were taxis available at the terminal.

• Port Louis has a pleasant waterfront with cafes and restaurants. There is also a vibrant local market where you bargain for souvenirs.

La Reunion

La Reunion is a relatively unknown destination for many of us. It is a smallish volcanic island to the south west of Mauritius and is officially part of France so it has a very French feel to it. The road system is modern and the area of the island that we visited seemed very prosperous compared to the mixed fortunes of the people on Mauritius.

We did the ship’s tour to the one of the 3 volcanic calderas: Cirque de Mafate. It was a 4½ hour trip that took us from the port along the coast and then up into the mountains through some picturesque villages and forested areas before reaching the caldera rim. The views were truly spectacular.......what a gem of an island.

• The ship docked at the industrial port called La Port. This is, at a guess, 20km from the island’s capital St Denis.

• There was a compulsory shuttle bus from the ship to the port entrance and then a free shuttle to the nearest town. I don’t know what there was to see at the town as we didn’t go but it was a very long walk from the dock exit through deserted scrub land.

• The currency is Euros.

• The tour buses were modern, clean and comfortable.

• There were taxis available outside the port gate.

Madagascar – Diego Suarez

We were so excited to be going to Madagascar as it always sounds so exotic. We went to the most northerly point of this very large island and docked in Diego Suarez. The sail-in was lovely as the town is at the heart of a large bay and the sun was just peeping over the hills as we got to the bay. I think everyone was amazed to see the huge crowd of local people sitting on the hill just outside the port watching our approach. I believe there are very few cruise ships that visit this area so we were obviously a great attraction!

There were only 3 tours offered by the cruise line as, actually, there is not a lot to see.

I did the ‘Highlights of Diego Suarez’ and came back to the ship realising that, in our terms, this is a desperately poor area but the people we met were charming, happy to see us and really pleased to show us what they had. We were taken to a beach, a local craft market, the town market and a small souvenir shop.

My husband did the ‘Amber Mountain’ tour and had a wonderful adventure when the late afternoon torrential downpour turned the dirt road to a skating rink for the 4x4 vehicles. The vehicles were skidding all over the place and many got stuck. The local people were very helpful and used ropes and brute force to get the vehicles out of the situation. The ship’s laundry cleaned my husband’s dirty clothes as a goodwill gesture. The group got back to the ship over 1 hour after the designated sailing time. Thank goodness it was a ship’s tour or he might still be there!!!

• It was approximately a 30 minute walk up hill into the town centre.

• There were a few bars and cafes as you got near the centre. There was also a small supermarket set back from the main road.

• Tuc-tucs and taxis were available from outside the port but the condition of these was generally very poor.

• The condition of the tour mini-buses also left a lot to be desired but I’m sure we had the best of what was available.

• Most roads were unpaved dirt tracks.

• The souvenir shop and craft market took Euros and US dollars.

Seychelles

For me, these islands were the highlight of the cruise and I’m so glad that we had an overnight stay there. They are so clean with lush and colourful vegetation and glorious beaches. The people seemed relatively prosperous and were smiling and helpful.

I did the ‘Discovering Mahe’ tour which took us to the Botanical Gardens (beautiful), a walking tour of the Mahe town (small but picturesque), a drive up into the central highlands with a couple of stops at viewing points (glorious scenery), a Creole lunch at a beach side restaurant (delicious), and free time on the beach (picture postcard perfect) before returning to the ship.

My husband (the adventurous and fit one!) did the ‘Robinson Crusoe Island’ tour which took him to Praslin and then to Curieuse Island. He said the snorkelling was amazing and the beaches were stunning. His photographs are mirror images of the postcard views that you get of the Seychelles.

Mahe Town

• Taxis were available immediately outside the dock gates.....a brisk 5 minute walk from the ship.

• Taxis accepted Euros and $US but you need to negotiate. We paid $5 to the town centre. It is walkable but quite a long way and it was very hot and humid.

• We arrived on a Sunday and most shops were closed.

• There was a small craft and souvenir market on the dock side.

• There is a nice market in Mahe centre with vanilla pods, essence, magnets, postcards etc, etc as well as the fish, fruit, flower and textile stalls.

• The Botanical Gardens (30 mins walk from the dock) were worth a visit to see the huge tortoises, fruit bats and the ‘Coco-de-Mer’ palm trees as well as the beautiful trees and flowers. Admission was 100 Seychelles Rupees (approx $8pp) There are toilets and a cafe.

You are very welcome.

We have done several trips with Archers....China, Southern India, Portugal, Tunisia and South Africa.... and wouldn't hesitate to use them again. We have also done land tours with Voyage Jules Verne and found them to be excellent too.

Best wishes SR

Hi again Johncb7,

My DH and I did a comprehensive land tour of South Africa before cruising back to the UK last April and May. We did the Archers Direct 14 day ‘South African Explorer’ tour which was fabulous. I’m not sure whether you would count it as a luxury tour but we stayed in very good quality hotels, our guides were superb, the coaches were comfortable with only 21 in the tour group and we had so many great experiences. We saw so much of this vast and fascinating country and would love to go back and see more.

We also stayed independently in Cape Town for 5 days and hired a car. We found the driving easy as the roads are good and they drive on the left.

Below is my diary. I’ve been trying to upload some photos but I'm a bit technically challenged and not having much success. I'll keep trying!

Day 14. Friday 1st May.

Cape Town - Archer's tour finishes today.

A.M. Cool and overcast but clear at the top of Table Mountain

P.M. Much warmer and sunnier.

We left the hotel at 08.30 for our last part of the tour......the Cape Town orientation......so we are then 'on our own' for the rest of our stay.

The Cape Town orientation

The tour started with a trip to the top of Table Mountain. It was a 20 minute drive to the cable car station and, fortunately, the queue moved fairly quickly so we were on the car by 09.15. It was R220pp return = £13 and worth every penny!

The cable car had a revolving floor which gave great views if it's not misty but a bit disconcerting to say the least.

We had 75 minutes at the top and the views were amazing. I think we were really lucky to have the mist and cloud below us for a while and then to get the views as the cloud lifted.

There are paved walkways, viewing points, free binocular stands, seats, information labels, a shop, tea shop and toilets.

I was glad that I had my fleece on as it was quite chilly out of the sun.

We returned to the coach at 10.45 and the tour continued with a visit to the old 'slave houses' which are now multi-coloured and an attractive asset to the city. From there we travelled through the city centre (not overly impressive in my opinion) to the oldest building in South Africa - the fort. The best bit was the re-enactment of the 'ceremony of the keys' at noon. The rest of the building was a bit run down but there is an extensive restoration programme taking place so it should be better presented in a couple of years.

The tour ended at 12.30 back at the hotel. We then tried to do the Robben Island trip but that

was fully booked until Monday so we walked down to the Waterfront and had a leisurely walk round.

Day 15. Saturday 2nd May,

Cape Town, car hire, Cape Point

A.M. So disappointing.......very overcast with low cloud, frequent showers and a few short sunny intervals. Fairly warm.

P.M. Much better with longer sunny intervals and clear skies by evening. It reached 26*c then.

The concierge ordered a taxi to the Avis depot (R38) where, after much hassle with Jim's Nationwide PIN number, we finally got the car (a white Hyundai 4 door economy) and got back to the hotel at 09.00. We will have ended up paying about £100 with the extra insurance and sat-nav but it seems worth it at the moment.

Peter and Christine joined us for the day and we set off for Cape Point at 09.20. It was such a shame that the weather was so gloomy as there would have been really spectacular views along the coast. We stopped at several 'viewing points' and visited, Hout Bay, Camps Bay, Llandudno (gorgeous beach), Scarborough and drove along the cliff edge road to Chapman's Point before finally reaching the

‘Cape Point’ part of the National Park. Part of the cliff drive was along a toll road with a fee of R38 per car.

Cape Point.

It was R110pp (£5 approx) entrance fee which was collected at the entrance. It was then a 4km drive through rugged countryside to the Visitors' Centre just below the lighthouse. There was ample parking, toilets, gift shops and food outlets along with seating and viewing area.

There is a pathway with a lot of steps which led up to the lighthouse viewing platform. Less fit people were finding it quite challenging.

There was a funicular railway which went up to the top for R55. I wish I'd found it earlier as I would have gone up.

When the others came down from the lighthouse we drove back towards the entrance but turned off to go to the Cape of Good Hope which is a different feature to Cape Point. At this time the sun came out and we were able to enjoy the sight of the huge crashing waves, white sand and towering cliffs in even more detail.

Our little group finally left the Point behind a d travelled to Simon's Town, once again on a

road that hugged the coast and provided amazing viewing places.

In Simon's Town we stopped at the 'penguin colony viewing bay' to have a very late lunch at a restaurant right on the beach. Before we sat down we went for a walk along the beach and saw several penguins....so cute.

Lunch on the terrace was a memorable experience but more for the view and the ambiance rather than the food (Thai fish cakes for Jim and a Piri-piri chicken wrap for me....ok but not spectacular).

There were toilets at the car park and a few stalls selling local crafts and souvenirs.

We carried on along the coast road for a while before joining the M3 back into Cape Town. It was here that my navigating went to pot so we took the wrong turn-off and ended up lost. I managed to set up the 'satnav' only to find that it was programmed in 'Africaan'!! It got us back on the right road though and Pete managed to change the language to English....phew!

Day 16. Sunday 3rd May.

Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and World of Birds.

A.M. Sunny and warm with short cloudy intervals.

P.M. Longer cloudy period with temperatures around 21*c.

We left the apartment at just after 09.00 and used the ‘satnav’, which now speaks English, to direct us to the Botanical Gardens - an easy 20 minute drive once we had worked out how to set the darn thing.

The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

We got to the gardens before the rush and, having paid our R50pp entrance fee, we went our separate ways for a couple of hours. The gardens were magnificent and I had a happy 75

minutes (so great to be able to do more walking) wandering along the paths and taking flower photos.

There was a gift shop with a comprehensive range of books and souvenirs of all kinds. There was a cafe, restaurant, visitors' centre, toilets and seating. There were guided walks and a motorised tour for a fee.

We left the Garden at noon and headed to the Zandvlei Bird Sanctuary near Muizenberg.

Zandvlei Bird Sanctuary

It was part of a large recreation area with picnic sites and water sports.

There were not many birds so we decided to go the 'World of Birds' Sanctuary near Hout Bay.

The 'World of Birds' Sanctuary near Hout Bay

It took 20 minutes and we were there by 2.30. We got the 'pensioner rate' of R55pp!

The first thing we did was have a pot of tea and a cheese and tomato toasty between us and then Jim went for a walk round but didn't like the set-up. The cages were small and it looked unkempt.

Plan C was next so we drove up to the Silvermines Nature Reserve which also turned out to be a wasted journey as the area had been destroyed by forest fire!...oh, well......

Day 18. Tuesday 5th May.

Embarkation day and Robben Island trip.

A.M. Overcast and misty early on and heavy drizzle by noon.

P.M. Thick grey cloud which eventually broke up by late afternoon so we got hazy sunshine. Quite warm in sheltered spots.

We took the car back to Avis at 11.15 and got a taxi down to the Robben Island Ferry Terminal where we needed to be for the 12.30 boarding.

Robben Island.

It was a good job that we took the car back when we did because we had a long wait for a taxi. The taxi (R40) took us to the 'lighthouse' entrance to the V&A which was next to where the ferry departs.....a 5 minute direct walk from the ship dock.

The ferry terminal had ticket offices, a small museum, toilets and a shop. There were a few seats in the 'holding area'. People were advised to have warm clothes as it is chilly on the ferry, even in summer!

THE ROBBEN ISLAND FERRY. (Thandi's Ferries)

It was tiny!! Much smaller than I expected and held about 50 people. There was open air seating on the top deck and indoor seating below. You definitely needed something warm to wear. There was a toilet but no food on sale. The trip across the bay was 35 minutes with 25 minutes being in open water.

Our crossing was quite rough even though there wasn't much wind.

THE ROBBEN ISLAND TOUR.

Once on the island there was a walk to the compulsory tour busses.

There were toilets along the jetty.

The tours were guided by ex-prisoners so the information was all from first-hand experience.

The bus tour lasted about 40 minutes with several stops where the guide explained the significance of the area.

There was a 15 stop at a small cafe where there were clean toilets.

The island had a very bleak and eerie atmosphere and the landscape was rugged and depressing.

The bus tour finished at the prison where another guide explained the conditions and experiences in different parts of the buildings. We saw Nelson Mandela's cell (tiny and sparse) before the group walked back to the jetty for the ride back to Cape Town.

Jim was excited to see a colony of terns which, although very noisy, had babies that were very cute.

The ride back to Cape Town was very rough and a few passengers were sick. The weather had improved and the sun had come out so we got great views of the city and Table Mountain.

Your welcome. We visited Dakar and Banjulmin February and São Tomé and Walvis Bay in May.

What are you doing in Cape Town? We stayed there for 5 days pre cruise last year and loved it. I have information if it would be useful to you.

You sound very like us.....we really enjoy visiting places like Egypt and India and seeing such diverse cultures.

Happy travelling. SR

West African Ports

________________________________________

This autumn we will be visiting a number of West African ports including - Dakar, Banjul, Abidjian, Takoradi, Lomo, Sao Tome and Walvis Bay. Whilst we will take a complimentary ships tour in each port there will be time either before or after the tour to have some free time. Can anyone advise me whether it is practical and safe to wander ashore from the ship to local sights or do ships dock too far 'out of town.' Thank you.

Hi Johncb7,

Your cruise sounds wonderful and full of new, exciting and different destinations. I can perhaps help you with some of the ports as we have visited Dakar, Banjul, Sao Tome and Walvis Bay so below are extracts from my diaries concerning these places.

I am sure that you are aware that Dakar, Banjul and Sao Tome are all ‘developing countries’ and, by our standards, very poor so be prepared to have a less sophisticated experience. Namibia is much more prosperous.

We visited Dakar and Banjul in 2014 on a Fred Olsen Cruise and here is what I wrote:

CURRENCY.

Senegal - Senegal Francs

Gambia - Delasis

Most vendors and some shops will take € and US$. They will accept Euro coins but you may be asked to swap their Euro coins for notes (5€ Is the lowest denomination note) as it is difficult to change coins at the bank.

Many vendors have no real concept of the exchange rates for their local currency so it makes sense to check the rates on board so you know what you are bargaining for. I ask prices in local currency firs before swapping to €s or US$

DAKAR SENEGAL

docked at 07.30

Ship cleared at 08.25

Guests on board 19.15

Ship departs at 20.00

Ships tours meet in either Neptune or Coral lounges - details in previous evening's 'Daily Times'

1st tour meets at 07.55

City centre is approx 1.5km from dock

Shuttle bus runs from 09.15 to 17.30 on a continuous loop - £5pp tickets from reception. Unlimited use

Huge industrial port

Taxis on dock side near gangway

Small souvenir market on dock side. Need to haggle.

Currency is CFA (Senegalese Franc.) € and US$ are widely accepted in souvenir shops

Language is French.

WARNINGS

Medical, advice is to wear trousers, socks and long sleeved tops + insect repellent and not to buy water from street vendors.

danger of pick pockets so keep valuables well guarded

You will be hassled by beggars and traders.

The Senegal post office had a small stall selling cards and stamps just inside the ship by the gangway. Postcards €1 for 2 cards. Stamps were €2 and the gentleman will post them.

MY TOUR -SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF DAKAR (4hrs) £40pp

Met in Neptune Lounge at 13.40

On the bus at 14.00.

Bus was old but had working air conditioning.

Microphone didn't work so guide used a megaphone!

Dakar is a big bustling busy city but relatively poor by Western European standards.

Road surfaces are poor so ride was bumpy.

We were shown the best that Dakar has to offer which, again, is not a lot if compared with some other countries.

There were a couple of photo stops and there were souvenir sellers but they seemed quite respectful.

There was a 40 minute stop at a restaurant where there was the opportunity to watch the 'sand painting' artist and purchase pictures.

The other stops (10 mins each) were at the Presidential Palace and the Monument of the African Renaissance (a huge statue at the top of one of the only 2 hills in Dakar)

A beer/soft drink was included.

There were toilets.

The tour included driving past the palace, through the University grounds, through the street market, past the cathedral and mosque, along past Independence Square and en along the Cornish to see the coastline,

Couldn't go to the market as there was nowhere to park so back to the ship at 17.30.

There was a FO crew member with us throughout.

Was it worth it? That's a difficult question to answer but, on reflection, I would say yes because I think many people would find it quite intimidating to walk round the city centre. Don't get me wrong, the people seemed polite and pleasant but the roads were extremely busy and the pavements were really crowded. There didn't appear to be many of the types of shops that we are used to either. I also think you would have needed to have done a lot of research to know the best places to visit. I'm not sure how much English the taxi drivers would speak.

MY DH'S TOUR - SALOUM ISLANDS (8hrs)

Met in Neptune Lounge at 07.50

Off ship at 8.20

Bus was air conditioned.

2 guides that took turns to give information. Both spoke good English.

2.5 hour drive to the river through interesting countryside ....... Villages, farm land and forested areas.

10 min toilet stop at petrol station.....squat plate toilets

Bumpy ride once off the main road.

Small canoe type boat which held approx 14 passengers.

Had to climb in and out without aid from the beach....no steps etc .boat ride was approx 45mins

There was a choice of riding to the village by cart or doing a10 min walk.

Lunch was at the Island Eco-lodge.

Spring rolls, fish in light curry sauce, rice, salad and crepes.

Given a bottle of water at lunch.

This was followed by some free time.

There was a 50 minute ride to the 'shell village' where a local guide explained the history of the area.

Left the village at 16.45

Returned to the ship by a different route for part of the journey.

Back on board at 19.00

My DH said that he thoroughly enjoyed the tour as it gave him an inside into the history and geography of Senegal.

BANJUL, GAMBIA. GENERAL INFORMATION

docked just after 08.00

Cleared for disembarkation at 08.40

All aboard 17.15

Departure 18.00

Industrial port but nice views across to small beach and local small ferries

Approx 2 km into town centre.

Banjul could be even more of a culture shock than Dakar.

The currency is the Dalasis.....approx 63=£1

Most vendors accept € and US$ but you need to haggle....it's expected.

I didn't see any taxis on the dock side but they may have been hidden by the tour busses. There were a few taxis at the port gate 400m from the ship

There was 1 person holding up a passenger's name so I assume that was for a pre-arranged private tour.

IMHO walking into town would be a real challenge to the senses and sensibilities of someone who is used to more sophisticated urban surroundings.

I spoke to a couple who walked in to town and they were approached by several locals who offered to show them the sights. They said that they should have negotiated a price immediately with one of them which may have prevented the pestering.

There didn't seem to be a lot to see in the town centre.

OUR TOUR -'LAZY DAY CRUISE'

Met in Neptune Lounge at 08.30

Coach had air con.

Guide spoke good English and had a sense of humour

Ride was 30 mins

Drove through the centre of Banjul and then through the countryside to the river dock.

Short walk over rough ground to the jetties to board the boats,

A bit tricky to get on but plenty of helping hands.

Approx 20 passengers per boat and 5 crew including the guide.

Top deck is open with some garden chairs and lounging mats. There is a small covered area.

Downstairs has bench seats around the exterior sides of the boat with some cushions.

There is a small kitchen.

The toilet is a proper flushing one and there was toilet paper + a wash basin with soap.

cups of tea/coffee + 1 beer or 1soft drink we're complimentary. There was also a complementary glass of sparkling wine or orange juice at lunch.

Some boats had sets of binoculars and bird books for passenger use (ours didn't which was annoying as we could have brought our own)

Lunch consisted of shepherd’s pie, fish, salad, rice, French bread and fresh fruit ( mango, oranges and bananas)

We sailed in a loose convoy along the river. It was lined with just mangrove trees so the scenery was rather monotonous. There were several species of birds to spot including storks, kingfishers, ibis, bee eaters and rollers but not much else.

Our boat did stop in mid river for 30 mins so people could swim but the ladder was a bit rickety. Some boats pulled onto a beach so people could paddle or walk.

We visited Walvis Bay and Sao Tome in May 2015 on a Princess cruise

Walvis Bay, Namibia. WALVIS BAY WILD LIFE CRUISE.

A.M. Thick fog and cold early on. Some sunny periods by late morning but cold on the water.

P.M. Sunny but with a cool wind. Warm in sheltered areas.

Sea conditions: millpond calm.

Our tour group's meeting time was 08.00 in the Caberet lounge so we were going to have a bit of a lie-in but I woke up at 05.45 and decided to have my shower and go for breakfast early so I could watch the sail-in. Unfortunately, it was too foggy to see anything!

THE WALVIS BAY WILD LIFE CRUISE.

We left the ship at 08.15 by coach for the 10-minute drive to the boat dock and this is where my heart sank as it was right in the middle of the fish processing area and so the smell was awful. There were clean toilets and a tiny office area with a seat but that was about it.

The boats were small, semi-covered, fast game fishing style vessels which held 10/15 passengers.

There was no jetty so the tour boat firm had a narrow, extendable walk-way out from the mud flats and there were people to help you move along it.

Once on board our pilot and guide, Ruen (he had a great sense of humour) showed us that there was a toilet on board (small but adequate) and explained the safety rules before we set off across the bay.

This was where things improved and the fun began. Ruen stopped the boat in several places and we got very 'up close and personal' with pelicans, seals, dolphins and flamingos as well as many other sea birds and the sand dunes along the Namibian coast.

At times, the boat went very fast so it was a bumpy ride and sometimes I had to cling very tightly to the rail to stop myself bouncing off my seat but it was so exciting and exhilarating!

Ruen stopped the boat for 30 minutes by a sandbar and served sparkling wine, freshly shucked oysters and a variety of nibbles. Soft drinks and beer were offered throughout the trip.

We saw a lot and learned a lot so, despite the unpromising start we all had a great time. Hopefully, in years to come, the company will build a proper floating dock away from the fish processing plant and then the whole experience will be as great as the middle bit!

We were very glad that we had our fleeces and waterproof coats as it was very cold when we were moving and the spray was splashing over the sides.

It was a wonderful trip and well worth the money although I know a lot of people complained about the dock area.

A really great day.

WALVIS BAY.

The port is huge and very industrial.

There was a free shuttle to the port gate where there was a small craft market.

There were taxis available on the dock.

The town is larger and seems more prosperous than Luderitz with wide streets and good quality, modern housing.

The town centre is a good 20-minutes’ walk from the port gate.

There are a couple of shopping malls and supermarkets.

The majority of shops are closed on Saturday afternoon and all day on Sunday.

There is a large lagoon just outside the town with a pleasant promenade.

SAO TOME. Tender port.

A.M. Sunny, hot and humid.

P.M. Very, very hot and humid with cloudy intervals and quite a strong breeze.

Sea conditions: choppy on the tenders.

We got up early and got breakfast at 07.30 after coffee for Jim in bed and me on the balcony. It was a lovely 'sail-in' to São Tomé with lots of tiny fishing boat bobbing about on a turquoise calm sea and the volcanic peaks of the island as a backdrop.

As we got closer we could see some nice looking hotels and lush vegetation.

SAO TOMÉ

This was the first time a Princess ship had been to São Tomé and only the 2nd cruise ship ever so it was a bit chaotic to disembark.

It was a tender port so Jim went downstairs 08.30 to get in the queue for tickets. They started letting people into the lounge at 09.00 and we got tickets 29&30 but unfortunately there were over 300 elite passengers who had priority so we were way down the list.

The first tender was called at 09.45 and we left at 10.00 on the third one......not too bad!

The ride took just less than 10 minutes.

The dock was small and industrial.

There were toilet facilities in the terminal building.

Our passports were collected by the authorities to be stamped with the tourist visa and we collected them on the ship the following day.

The visa charge was added to our account........?

Once outside the terminal building there were several mini buses that had been pre-booked for private tours. There were several taxis of different sizes for hire.

Very little English was spoken.

Euros were widely accepted, US$ less so. There was no option to use credit/debit cards for purchases.

We negotiated a 5 hour round the island taxi tour for four people (Terry and Kerrie joined us) for €100.

The cab was old and the driver was young but we got round safely......everyone seems to drive like maniacs and the roads are pothole filled so it was quite a hair-raising experience.

The island population is mainly very poor by our standards but there was no hassle to buy souvenirs and sellers were few and far between.

The island really isn't geared up for tourism.

The town of Tomé is small and has a distinct Portuguese colonial feel but the buildings are shabby and in need of repair.

Our tour took us through the town where we saw the church and the market. We then drove high into the interior with its lush tropical vegetation and winding, and sometimes unpaved, roads to a small village where there was ‘The Museum of Coffee Bean Production’.

It was €2pp for the entry fee and that included a small cup of very strong but delicious local coffee.

I bought some local ground coffee for €3.70 a packet.

There was a clean toilet here.

From there we continued climbing higher until we reached a pretty waterfall and a view point over the whole island.

After that our driver proceeded down the mountain to another couple of churches and a fort where there was a small beach.

By this time, Kerry, Terry and I were feeling as if we had seen enough so the driver dropped us off back at the port and took Jim into town. Jim found a large supermarket and got some packets of nuts for himself and cans of tonic water for me. They would only accept local currency and Euros. There was no credit/debit card facility.

Another great day with a wonderful experience.

I hope you find the information helpful. Have a great time.

Maybe we Europeans should cance our trips to the US in light of the shooting at the Capitol building.

Hi,

 

We are booked on the 8-day Circle Japan cruise on the Diamond Princess this July. I realize that this cruise is slightly different from a traditional Princess cruise because it is aimed at the Japanese market. However, does the ship still offer traditional (western-style) menu items in the dining rooms and Horizon Court? For example, do the dinner menus still have steak, chicken or pasta options?

 

Thanks,

 

Chuck

We did a b2b2b around Japan on Diamond Princess in October 2014. The majority of the food choices in both the MDR and buffet were basically 'western style' with some additional choices geared to Japanese tastes. We really enjoyed trying some of the more unusual, for us, dishes and became quite addicted to the Ramen soup.

We found that the Japanese cruisers were very polite and charming and loved seeing the ladies dressed in traditional costume on formal nights.

There were several minor differences in the cruise experience......some public washrooms had Japanese style toilets but they could be flushed in the western way (I never did dare to try the different buttons!), some lounges hosted events for the Japanese speakers but most entertainment was in English, some announcements were in both languages, there was no 'anytime dining' but we were placed with English speakers and the dining rooms seemed to host mostly people of similar ethnicity.

We had a wonderful time and loved Japan. Happy cruising.

Nothing is "hidden" unless you choose NOT to do your research! All but the VERY LUXURY lines tack on "gratuities".....ALL of them! If they don't add it to your account daily, you are supposed to tip a "suggested" amount in cash at the end of the cruise.

 

None of this is a secret, unless you don't do your due diligence!

I have every respect for CB at sea as he/she is obviously an experienced cruiser and knows something about cruise lines but I beg to differ with the statement about only luxury lines not adding gratuities. There are several mainstream cruise lines like Thomsons who have gratuities included in the basic cruise fare. Most cruise lines that have ships based in Australian also include the gratuities as part of the basic fare for those who book the trip in Australia. Many cruises booked in the UK also have gratuities included.

As for 'due diligance' and research.......isn't that exactly what the OP is doing? It is only the OP's second post and the OP states that it is their first cruise so the OP is asking pertinent and relevant questions. If the OP is from the UK and has been told that the cruise is 'all inclusive' then his/her understanding of AI from package holidays is just that......there are no 'hidden' extras like gratuities. This tipping obsession is purely a North American thing.

Has anyone been on a cruise whilst doing the 5:2 diet or similar?

 

For those who don't know the 5:2 diet is where you restrict yourself to 500 calories for 2 day and eat normally for 5 days each week.

 

I don't know how I will be able to be strict with my calorie consumption. especially as there are so many hidden calories in food, such as sauces or salad dressing. You think the salad is healthy but lo and behold you have just had your entire days allowance in 2 mouthfuls.

 

Not sure I I should keep with it or take a holiday from my diet too.

Hi Mintypixie,

my DH and I have been doing our version of the 5:2 diet for nearly 2 years and have lost 5 stone between us (70pounds for our US friends). During that time we have done several cruises and have returned home having either 'stayed-the-same' or lost a little weight.

We have tended to do our 'diet days' on shore days where possible as there is less temptation as we are busy doing things. We have a very light fruit breakfast (we often use room service then we are not tempted while walking round the buffet!), a coffee/tea ashore, a Banana when we return to the ship (one of us does a buffet dash) and then early dinner. We brief our servers and have either a small grilled chicken breast or a piece of grilled fish with lots of plain steamed vegetables followed by watermelon. We drink black coffee/tea, water and diet soda throughout the day.

If our 'diet day' has to be a sea day then we do a joint buffet dash so we support each other in selecting the lowest calorie options and take our choices back to the cabin to eat so we lessen the danger of being tempted!

We realise that we may be a little over the 500 calories but it has worked very well for us and we plan to continue the 5:2 in some form for many years to come. My DH only has a couple of pounds to lose to get to his ideal weight so he will up his calories a little as a 'maintaining' strategy. I have another 2 stone to go but will get there eventually.

Good luck and happy cruising. SR

I have mobility problems and walk very slowly. I find the distances in the large airports very challenging so I now request 'assistance' when booking my flights either directly with the airline or through my TA. I have always had excellent service at every airport and airline and we travel extensively.

When we arrive at the check-in desk I enquire about the 'assistance' and I'm either directed to the assistance booth or asked to wait until the assistant with the wheelchair comes to the desk. Once in the wheelchair the assistant whisks my DH and me through the 'fast track' security area and along to the gate. The assistant returns later to help me board the flight. I always check that the flight attendants know that I need the assistance and,

on landing, there is usually an assistant with a wheelchair waiting at the plane exit to whisk me along to immigration and the baggage claim.

The system is wonderful and I would find it very hard to travel without this facility.

[quote name=klepton;49191163)

The other thing I'll say is to just relax. Booking a cruise isn't super complicated' date=' and shouldn't be that nerve-racking (it's supposed to be fun!). In most cases the rate you book will be refundable if you're more than 3-4 months before sailing, so you can have some piece of mind if you have extreme buyer's remorse or something better comes along.

Assuming your cruise is far out, once you book you'll want to decide if you're going to get travel insurance. Sometimes there's a benefit to purchasing that within 14-21 days of booking the cruise, because there will be more options for "cancel for any reason" and pre-existing conditions.

Good luck! :D[/quote]

Hi Golf....I just want to point out that Klepton's information about refundable deposits doesn't necessarily apply to those of us who live in the UK and book through a UK travel agent or with a UK cruise line (P&O, Fred Olsen). Our laws are different and you generally lose your deposit at whatever point you cancel before your cruise. Also UK travellers are used to buying travel insurance at the same time as making a booking as, once again, it is law.

However, all the advice given is useful. We have booked cruises through TV advertised travel specialists, local high street TAs and directly with the cruise company and all methods have worked well. I do make sure that I have a copy of the ship's deck plan on hand and, if booking something that is advertised on line, I have the web page open when I do the booking over the phone.....I always speak to a 'real person'!

As Klepton's says....the process should be 'fun' and try to remember that millions of people cruise every year and love it.

We started in 1992 and have cruised at least once every year since then on numerous different lines and the product is basically the same.

This is how I book my cruises:

Cruise ships are floating hotels so I look for things that I would expect from a hotel.

I choose my dates and places that interest me and then put this information into online cruise agency search engines.

I then get a list of 'possibles' which I go through and make a note of the ones that interest me.

I go to each cruise line's web site and look at their 'frequently asked questions', ship's information and deck plans so I get some insight into the workings of the line.

I narrow my choices by price, flights/departure ports, length of the cruise, number of ports new to me (very important to see new places for us)......

I then phone each cruise line to see what they are offering and also call the travel agencies before making a final decision.

I know it seems daunting but this site is a gold mine of information. Go to the forum for the cruise lines that interest you and you will find much of interest but take things with 'a pinch of salt'. Some things like food, level of service and entertainment are very subjective.

We have just completed our 45th cruise and never had a bad one.....yes, some were better than others but someone has cooked, cleaned, entertained and driven for me for xxxx days so it takes a lot to make me unhappy.

I hope you find what you are looking for.....happy cruising!

I'm sitting in Dubai airport waiting for my flight back to the UK after a wonderful trip on Splendour of the Seas which visited Kusidasi, Turkey, Haifa and Ashdod in Israel, traversed the Suez Canal, stopped in Salalah, Oman and ended in Dubai.

We went out and about in all the ports and never felt unsafe or saw any signs of problems.

There was extra security on the ship between Ashdod and Oman and the ship's crew had a security drill while passengers had a letter explaining the precautions to be taken in the event of an emergency but it was all 'plain sailing'.

Danger lurks in all situations......I could get run over outside my home, shot in the US or as some poor passengers were, injured in an accident in the Caribbean.

For me, life is too short and the world too exciting for any scaremongering to stop me travelling.

The buffet is open pretty early your husband can get tea there. On Princess ships there are no coffee makers or electric tea kettles in the cabins.

 

I beg to differ.......there was a kettle in our cabin (ordinary inside.....nothing posh) when we sailed on Diamond Princess last year from Tokyo and I believe cabins have a kettle on sailings from Southampton. Apparently it is a 'cultural thing'.

We, too, like a morning 'cuppa' made with our favourite PG TIPS and properly boiling water, not that lukewarm stuff from room service so we bring our own tea bags and a travel kettle. We get mugs from the buffet and a mug with milk that we put in the fridge.

 

I hope you have a wonderful first cruise.

Hi. My family and I will be in Paris for 2 nights post-cruise. My husband and I are 40-something, and our 18 and 19 year old sons will be with us. I understand that the shows are topless and a bit racy, but just how racy are they? How many of you who have actually been to a show would take your men-children? I would love to experience a show there, but am a little tiny bit hesitant about taking them. Am I being a prude? I am thinking we would skip the dinner. Thanks!

My husband and I (mid 60s....boo) had a wonderful evening at the Moulin Rouge 2 years ago. We were taken there by a young 20 year old male French friend as a 'thank you' for hosting him during his studies in the UK. We did not find the show in any way 'racy' or 'vulgar'. Only a small percentage of the performers were topless and they moved in a very discreet way, so there were no embarrassing moments.

It was a fabulous experience although, dare I say it....shhhhhhh,the style of the show was a bit dated....

We didn't have the meal but enjoyed a glass of champagne during the show.

My DH and I like to swing dance. When we went through the Panama Canal last year on the Island Princess, we were hoping to do a lot of dancing in the evening. It turned out that the crowd was a lot older than we anticipated (average age about 70) and the music was often very unfamiliar. We struck up a conversation with another couple and asked what dance they were doing. They told us they were doing the rumba.

 

We are going to Hawaii next year on the Ruby. I'm thinking the crowd and the music will be similar to Panama. We can probably learn 1-2 new dances before our cruise. What would be the best dance to learn that would give us the most flexibility for dancing on a cruise ship?

As keen dancers ourselves, I would suggest that learning a cha cha cha routine might be a good idea as a large amount of up-tempo music, both modern and more traditional, uses that rhythm. Another useful dance is a 'social foxtrot' which has a 4 beat rhythm and, again, is used a lot in all types of music.

Happy cruising and dancing.

P.S.

On our last Princess cruise, we found that there was not a lot of variety of styles of dance music being played so we had a quiet word with the CD and explained that we knew how to do a wide range of Latin and ballroom dances and wondered if there was any way to accommodate us and he was most obliging. The next night, in both the dance venues (Ocean Princess) there was a much wider variety of rhythms so we, and several other couples, were very happy.

Hello

 

I'm asking this question on behalf of my elderly parents who will be going on the Seven Seas Mariner on Nov 24.

 

Boarding time is 2 pm at the V&A waterfront.

 

If they arrive earlier, is there anywhere for them to drop off their luggage & wait for boarding ?

 

Thanks for your help.

Hi April29

We boarded Ocean Princess and sailed from Cape Town last May. This is an extract from my diary which may be helpful to your parents. We had stayed in the city for 5 days before the start of our cruise. We loved Cape Town and the sail away was spectacular.

Tuesday 5th May.

Embarkation day and Robben Island trip.

We had breakfast and finished the packing before leaving for the dock at about 10.00 for the 2 minute drive.

We were able to check our luggage through but had to wait until 12 noon for the passenger check-in to open. Fortunately there was a safe place for Jim to leave his camera bag so we took the car back to Avis at 11.15and got a taxi down to the Robben Island Ferry Terminal where we needed to be for the 12.30 boarding.

CAPE TOWN CRUISE TERMINAL.

It was unfortunate that the cruise dock is right by a huge building site so first impressions were poor. The building is a bit bleak but it has chairs and very clean, new toilet facilities.

Luggage porters were available.

Cases were scanned in the terminal.

The building is a 10/15 minute walk from the V&A Waterfront complex where there is the Cape Town 'eye' (half price if you show your ship's card = R50pp) and the ferry to Robben Island (R280pp).

African Adventure May 15 Izzy 3 330 by isabel rushton, on Flickr

IMG_9145 by isabel rushton, on Flickr

IMG_9146 by isabel rushton, on Flickr

IMG_9124 by isabel rushton, on Flickr

Seychelles

For me, these islands were the highlight of the cruise and I’m so glad that we had an overnight stay there. They are so clean with the most lush and colourful vegetation and glorious beaches. The people seemed relatively prosperous and were smiling and helpful.

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I did the ‘Discovering Mahe’ tour which took us to the Botanical Gardens (beautiful), a walking tour of the Mahe town (small but picturesque), a drive up into the central highlands with a couple of stops at viewing points (glorious scenery), a Creole lunch at a beach side restaurant (delicious), and free time on the beach (picture postcard perfect) before returning to the ship.

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My husband (the adventurous and fit one!) did the ‘Robinson Crusoe Island’ tour which took him to Praslin and then to Curieuse Island. He said the snorkelling was amazing and the beaches were stunning. His photographs are mirror images of the postcard views that you get of the Seychelles.

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· Taxis were available immediately outside the dock gates.....a brisk 5 minute walk from the ship.

· Taxis accepted Euros and $US but you need to negotiate. We paid $5 to the town centre. It is walkable but quite a long way and it was very hot and humid.

· We arrived on a Sunday and most shops were closed.

· There was a small craft and souvenir market on the dock side.

· There is a nice market in Mahe centre with vanilla pods, essence, magnets, postcards etc, etc as well as the fish, fruit, flower and textile stalls.

· The Botanical Gardens (30 mins walk from the dock) were worth a visit to see the huge tortoises, fruit bats and the ‘Coco-de-Mer’ palm trees as well as the beautiful trees and flowers. Admission was 100 Seychelles Rupees (approx $8pp) There are toilets and a cafe.

La Reunion

La Reunion is a relatively unknown destination for many of us. It is a smallish volcanic island to the south west of Mauritius and is officially part of France so it has a very French feel to it. The road system is modern and the area of the island that we visited seemed very prosperous compared to the mixed fortunes of the people on Mauritius.

We did the ship’s tour to the one of the 3 volcanic calderas: Cirque de Mafate. It was a 4½ hour trip that took us from the port along the coast and then up into the mountains through some picturesque villages and forested areas before reaching the caldera rim. The views were truly spectacular.......what a gem of an island.

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· The ship docked at the industrial port called La Port. This is, at a guess, 20km from the island’s capital St Denis.

· There was a compulsory shuttle bus from the ship to the port entrance and then a free shuttle to the nearest town. I don’t know what there was to see at the town as we didn’t go but it was a very long walk from the dock exit through deserted scrub land..

· The currency is Euros.

· The tour buses were modern, clean and comfortable.

· There were taxis available outside the port gate.

Madagascar

We were so excited to be going to Madagascar as it always sounds so exotic. We went to the most northerly point of this very large island and docked in Diego Suarez. The sail in was lovely as the town is at the heart of a large bay and the sun was just peeping over the hills as we got to the bay. I think everyone was amazed to see the huge crowd of local people sitting on the hill just outside the port watching our approach. I believe there are very few cruise ships that visit this area so we were obviously a great attraction!

There were only 3 tours offered by the cruise line as, actually, there is not a lot to see.

I did the ‘Highlights of Diego Suarez’ and came back to the ship realising that, in our terms, this is a desperately poor area but the people we met were charming, happy to see us and really pleased to show us what they had. We were taken to a beach, a local craft market, the town market and a small souvenir shop.

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My husband did the ‘Amber Mountain’ tour and had a wonderful adventure when the late afternoon torrential downpour turned the dirt road to a skating rink for the 4x4 vehicles. The vehicles were skidding all over the place and many got stuck. The local people were very helpful and used ropes and brute force to get the vehicles out of the situation. The ship’s laundry cleaned my husband’s dirty clothes as a goodwill gesture. The group got back to the ship over 1 hour after the designated sailing time. Thank goodness it was a ship’s tour or he might still be there!!!

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· It was approximately a 30 minute walk up hill into the town centre.

· There were a few bars and cafes as you got near the centre. There was also a small supermarket set back from the main road.

· Tuctucs and taxis were available from outside the port but the condition of these was generally very poor.

· The condition of the tour mini-buses also left a lot to be desired but I’m sure we had the best of what was available.

· Most roads were unpaved dirt tracks.

· The souvenir shop and craft market took Euros and US dollars.

Indian Ocean - Information needed - Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagasgar and La Reunion

I justed booked a cruise with Costa's NeoRomantica next January 9th, 2016 with the above ports of call;

we will stay 2 nights at the Seychelles (Mahé), arriving at the first day at

9am and departing on day 3 at 1 pm, so we might be able to do two trips on the first two days and on day 3 maybe another stroll around Mahé.

and in Madagascar we have three ports of call; Nosy Be, Antisranana(Diego Suarez) and Toamasina (Tamatave).

Any information about private tours or also reviews of bord tours are highly welcome, as it will our first time in the Indian ocean.

Hi Onyx007,

We did a cruise on Costa NeoRomantica in 2013 which called at the destinations you are visiting although only Diego Suarez in Madagascar...... We had a wonderful time and loved all the ports.

Below are extracts from my review which might be of use to you. As we are British some of the comments are possibly more relevant to people from the UK.

I’m going to try to include a few photos but I’m only just learning so if they don’t appear, please forgive me.

The ship

Costa NeoRomantica was gutted, a new section with balconies inserted and then completely refurbished in 2012. I found the decor to be pleasant but the ship’s layout was quite confusing and you had to pass through the Grand Bar to get to other areas on deck 8 and the show lounge to get to the disco on deck 9

Costa added some new options which did not appear to be too well supported. The wine and cheese lounge was empty every time I went through it and the chocolate and coffee shop seemed to be poorly attended as was the Pizzeria. I think these spaces could be better utilised.

I did like the situation of the buffet at the aft of the ship which afforded a good viewing position when docked.

Ship’s Information.

This is where the experience differed in many ways from the American/British style ....some better and some worse in my opinion

Boarding

· Your key card is in your cabin when you arrive and not given to you before you board.

· You need to register your credit card on one of the machines that are located in the different public areas.

· The on board currency is Euros.

Announcements

There were 1,600 passengers. The largest contingent was German followed by Italian, French, Spanish and then the 200 English speakers of which 100ish were British, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealander citizens. The dreaded ‘announcements in 10 languages never materialised. In fact I only heard 2 ‘whole ship’ announcements during the whole 21 days and those were to warn about refuelling and requesting attendance at the muster drill. It was definitely the quietest ship we have been on for announcements. Of course that changed in the show lounges when there were activities and shows but we were prepared for that.

There was an English hostess who was available to help with problems and who organised quizzes and social meetings for the English speakers. I found this service particularly reassuring and believe that Elizabeth dealt promptly and efficiently with problems that arose.

Dining

· Traditional dining was at 6.30p.m. and 9p.m.

· There is an ‘open’ dining option in the buffet restaurant from 6.30 to 9.00 but you must either opt for this when booking your cruise or make a booking while on board. It is called ‘Dimmi Quando’. The menu is the same as in the traditional dining room and the tables are set with table cloths, cutlery and flowers. We did this option and it was wonderful. We were never hurried and it was never crowded and noisy.

· We found the food to be generally very good. We used the buffet for breakfast and lunch and there were quite a wide range of different types of food available. I particularly liked the variety of breads and the change of theme each lunch time (Chinese, Mexican, Indian etc) along with delicious pasta dishes at every meal.

· The dinner menu had 3 choices of appetiser, a soup, 2 pasta dishes, 4 main courses, salad, cheese board and 8 desserts (I loved the lemon, orange and pineapple sorbets and the coffee ice-cream). There were however no ‘always available’ options.

· Complementary iced water, tea and coffee were only available at breakfast and afternoon tea sessions in the buffet. Iced tap water had to be requested at dinner.

· The pizza restaurant charges €7.50 for all you can eat pizza + a dessert.

· The main dining room is open seating for breakfast and lunch.

· The sun deck buffet grill is open for lunch and dinner.

· The buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Entertainment.

I found the entertainment to be generally low key. There is no theatre on this ship. Apparently it was removed during the renovations. There were, however, two large lounge areas which were used for shows, dancing and activities.

· The Grand Bar Piazza on deck 8 is used mainly for dancing before 10.30. There are 2 groups who play a variety of ‘middle of the road music’ type music with lyrics in different languages. A lot of people danced ballroom or line dance style dances. There was ‘game show’ type entertainment at 10.30p.m. but I never managed to stay awake long enough to see it!

· The Cabaret Room Vienna on deck 9 was the show lounge. It has quite a large oblong dance floor that is used for the nightly main entertainment. This consisted, usually, of a show at 7.30 and a repeat at 9.00. There were a variety of entertainers over the 3 weeks including magicians, jugglers, singers (both classical and pop) and musicians. The resident dance group did several high energy, multi-discipline shows which I thought were very good.

· There were dance lessons most days which were well attended and of good quality.

· There were port lectures and international quiz sessions too.

· There was very little entertainment round the pools .......thank goodness.

· The casino has a selection of slot machines and gaming tables.

Spa and Gym

There is a large spa and fairly well equipped Gym. As I didn’t use either, I can’t comment on the facilities.

Ship’s Excursions

We booked ship’s excursions in all ports except Dubai. We did this because I have some mobility problems so my husband and I did several tours separately and I particularly felt more secure in a group of familiar people. There were pros and cons for using the Costa tours:

PROS:

· a relatively safe environment.

· The ship delayed departure for an hour in Madagascar when the Amber Mountain tour, including my DH, was caught in a torrential rainstorm that turned the clay road into a muddy ice rink and halted the return journey.

· Generally knowledgeable guides.

· Mostly good quality transport.

· Mostly English speakers on my bus.

· It was difficult to find information about the availability, quality and proximity of local taxis pre cruise.

CONS

· Relatively expensive.

· Some tours were cancelled as there were not enough English speakers. We rebooked on the Italian/Spanish/French speakers tours and found the guides generally spoke English so would include an English commentary too.

· Sites got a bit crowded.

· Hardly anybody except the English speakers understood the concept of queuing for tickets, seats etc.!!!!! I know it’s a ‘cultural’ thing but it did get annoying.

Children’s club

There is a designated area for children but there were very few on board and we rarely saw them. I know you can leave your children at the club if you are on a ship’s excursion but don’t know if there is a charge for this.

Library

There is a small library with books in various languages.

Internet

There is a small internet area. I was told the connection was slow but I didn’t use this facility so have no firsthand experience of the cost or speed.

Room service

This is available but once again, we didn’t use it so I can’t comment. I believe there is a charge for this service.

Deck space.

There are 3 deck areas, 2 of which have small salt water pools. The aft deck has a variety of hammocks, bed chairs, cushioned loungers and a hot tub. There always seemed to be plenty of loungers available.

Captain’s cocktail party

There was a welcome and a farewell party for all passengers with separate times for the 1st and 2nd dinner seating people. We went to the early party as we were ‘open seating’ so could choose. There was champagne and fruit punch and glasses were refilled as often as you wanted. There was also a ‘past passenger’ party which was by invitation only.

The crew

I can only speak as I found but I though almost all the crew members with whom we came in contact were friendly, polite and very helpful. Everyone spoke English to some degree. I thought the tour office team were delightful and efficient under somewhat difficult circumstances and the dining area supervisors were charming and thoughtful.

Disembarkation.

· Passengers are supplied with coloured luggage tags that correspond with your disembarkation time.

· Meeting times and venues are printed in the ‘today’ paper.

· Luggage needs to be outside your room by 1a.m. on the day of departure.

· People departing from the ship after 5.pm. were allowed to keep their cabin until 3p.m. and use the ship’s facilities until their departure time.

· There was a secure storage area for ‘carry-on’ luggage in the Disco Lounge on deck 9.

Cabin Information

We were in a standard outside cabin on deck 6 and thought it was pleasantly decorated and fairly spacious.

· There was a porthole window.

· The bed was a large double with quite a thick duvet. I found it to be comfortable.

· There were 2 bed side tables; each had a lamp and a drawer.

· There was a small round table and a padded bucket chair.

· The dressing table had a large mirror, overhead light and stool but no drawers.

· There was a large interactive TV on which you could check your account, order room service, book excursions etc. It also had a selection of ‘pay movies’ (€8.95 each) as well as TV programmes....mostly news...and the stations depended on our location. We had Aljazeera, Macau, Hong Kong and eventually BBC and CNN.

· There is an espresso coffee machine which uses coffee pods at €1.75 a time. We found that, by following the instructions, we could boil the water without putting in the pod so we brought mugs, coffee sachets and tea bags from the buffet and made drinks in the cabin. Loved our morning cuppa in bed!!!

· The ice bucket was replenished twice daily.

· Storage space is quite good. There are 2 wardrobes, each with some coat hangers, 2 sets of drawers (1 drawer next to the dressing table has the hair drier which is fairly powerful), 3 largish cupboards, a fridge and a safe.

· We were provided with bath robes and slippers.

· The bathroom was spacious with a good sized counter top and an efficient shower (it does have a clingy curtain though!)

· Soap and body wash were provided and you could request body lotion and shampoo.

· The plugs were the round pin European style so I needed an adapter. I also used a 4 plug extension cable.

· There were 2 yellow Costa towels in the room for taking off the ship. There is a charge for not returning them.

Ports of call

Mauritius

The ship was in Mauritius overnight as it was one of the main passenger change-over ports. We arrived mid afternoon after 18 hours of travelling so we did not do any exploring other than the ship that day. We did confirm our pre-booked tours and found that 4 of them were under subscribed so had been cancelled. The tour desk manager, Andrea, was extremely helpful and we managed to rearrange tours to our satisfaction.

Mauritius is a large and beautiful island with a vast diversity of landscape, flora and fauna. We were there at the height of summer and it was very hot and humid with short lived but heavy showers. I did the ‘Beautiful Mauritius’ tour which included a trip to the market, a colonial plantation house, the botanical gardens and some viewing points. My husband did the ‘Enchanting landscape of Southern Mauritius’ and he has some wonderful photos of the volcanic scenery, waterfalls, the 7coloured rocks and the Black River Gorge.

· The international airport is in the south of the island and ships dock in the north at Port Louis, the capital city. It is, approximately, a 90minutes journey across the centre of the island from one to the other.

· The dock was just outside city and appears to be a new enterprise as the terminal building was a temporary marquee on the edge of a large field. There was some building work going on in the area so I’m assuming that this area will eventually become a proper terminal.

· The city seemed to be about 1½miles from the dock and not an easy walk as the land was quite rough and muddy.

· There were taxis available at the terminal.

· Port Louis has a pleasant waterfront with cafes and restaurants. There is also a vibrant local market where you bargain for souvenirs.

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Hello All

Hoping for some help/encouragement.

My other half not keen on flying anymore, and as much as I love Torquay and Weston, I need a change!

 

Am looking at cruises, but finding myself overwhelmed, just trying to work out the cabins is giving me a headache:confused:

 

I have seen a Fred Olsen trip on 31st August which looks quite nice, around the canary islands and Lisbon.

I can see that it is a smaller and older ship, but we don't aspire to silver service 5* luxury, as long as there are plenty of places to sit and relax, it is clean and comfortable and decent food we will be happy.

Some ships seem huge and it would take us all week to find our away around. Ships like RCL and celebrity seem to have so many facilities and decks I think we would be overwhelmed.

 

BUT.... we don't want to spend 7-10 days bored because not much going on. We enjoy live shows, listening to music, sequence and ballroom dancing, I also enjoy a bit of line dancing. We go to gym regularly (only gentle exerise, but if I miss, my arthritis really seizes my muscles) We are in the local pub quiz team.

 

So, (apologises for my long windedness), my question is.. will there be enough to keep us occupied on a smaller ship like FO or do we need to look at a bigger ship like P & O.

 

It is important I get it right, if my OH doesn't enjoy himself, it could be our first and last cruise.

 

Any advice would be very very much appreciated :):):)

We have sailed on FO, P&O and many U.S. based cruise lines and enjoyed every cruise. I note your list of interests and know that FO cater for all of those. In my humble opinion, the food on all our FO cruises has been better than the food on the other lines. I see that you enjoy ballroom and sequence dancing and you will find more opportunity on FO and P&O......the American lines don't 'do sequence' in our experience.

Whatever you choose, have a great time.

Where did you sail from?

 

I'm just wondering if this is overall, including the Caribbean or for example, a specific situation like when Celebrity Eclipse added kettles to the rooms when they were sailing from Southampton, but they were not on other Celebrity ships?

We sailed from Cape Town but the kettle was my own UK 'travel kettle' not one provided by Princess. We did have a 'Princess kettle' though on our Diamond Princess cruise around Japan. I really don't understand why all cruise lines can't provide kettles as they are a standard fixture on P&O and Fred Olsen ships and probably other UK based ships.

Before July 2007, the Princess Cruises passenger contract clearly spelled out that “heating devices” were prohibited.

 

The contract has been changed to a generic:

 

“You may not take on board firearms, controlled or prohibited substances, inflammable or hazardous items, any other items prohibited by applicable law, or any other item Carrier deems in its sole discretion to be detrimental to the safety or comfort of any person. You agree Carrier has, at all times with or without notice, the right to enter and search Your stateroom, or to search You, Your baggage and personal effects at any location”

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/faq_answer_legal/Passage_Contract.pdf

 

This is why I don't know if kettles are prohibited or not anymore, but based on the passenger contract prior to 2007 specifically outlawing "heating devices" they were clearly not permitted then. Now with the new contract...I'm not sure.

 

The other issue people report is that kettles take a long, long time to boil if you DO manage to get one onboard due to the difference in power on the ship. As a matter of comparison, Curling irons average around 40 watts, but kettles are normally between 2,200 and 3,000 watts which could overload the ship's electrical system and possibly damage it. So, if you were to attempt to take a travel kettle, you need to try to find one that is much lower wattage that works with international power such as the Narita International 1000 watt kettle.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i10703-k6805854-Travel_kettle_clothes_steamers_and_Travel_irons-Cruises.html

 

It is hard to know based on the new version of the Princess' Passenger contract if you will or will not be allowed to bring a travel kettle with auto-shutoff onboard. However, we must always keep in mind that it is up to the cruise line as to what is and is not allowed and that may change at any time.

 

IMO, considering that a travel kettle may not work very well, may or may not be allowed and the space it would take up in your luggage, it is easier and makes more sense to get hot water from the buffet, room service or the dining room or select or bring a tea that works well with hot but not boiling water such as green or white tea. Finally, I want to note that in 6 Princess cruises, I have never had a problem getting hot enough water for tea so I can't think of a really good reason to bring a travel kettle.

 

But it's up to you. If you want to try to bring a kettle, do so and you will find out at the pier if you are allowed to keep it or if it will be confiscated until you leave the ship. It's really that simple.

Just returned from a Princess cruise and took my UK travel kettle (with automatic cut off), coffee and tea bags on board with no problem. I used a plug converter and my kettle boiled just as fast as at home. It was great to have a 'proper cuppa' made with freshly boiled water!

I don't often respond to questions that have already received responses but I have to say that I was shocked by the sarcastic remarks made in the last three replies to a perfectly valid question.

It appears that some cruisers are not aware that different cruise lines have different traditions.

For many years dinner service on P&O has been what is called 'silver service' in the UK. This entailed the protein portion of the main meal being pre-plated and then the vegetables and other accompaniments being served to each individual diner by the server using silver serving spoons to transfer what is requested onto the diner's plate. It appears that this traditional method has now been replaced by the totally pre-plated version used by 'some' other cruise lines