nellydean

It's TUI. Many thanks.

Thanks for your reply. Im hoping that is the case, but the bit about collecting luggage was directly under our flight details, and then our names underneath. How do we find out if our flight is chartered or scheduled?

This is slightly off topic, but I wonder if anyone can shed any light on this aspect of our TUI Airways flights to and from Birmingham next March. In the Itinerary section of my.pocruises.com, it says this about transfers when we arrive in Barbados: Things To Know You will be met at the airport after baggage reclaim and customs for your shared transfer to the cruise port. Your transfer is valid on your day of arrival and is non-transferable and non-refundable. But, on the Flights section on another page, it says this: 'For our Caribbean fly-cruises, those travelling on TUI Airways charter flight will not need to collect their baggage on arrival; it will be collected on your behalf and delivered to your cabin. Those travelling on scheduled flights will need to collect hold luggage on arrival at the airport.' My question is, do we assume we have to collect our luggage, as stated in Things To Know, or, might our flight be chartered and, therefore we don't need to?

Will do!😉

Thanks for the tip, I will do that next time. I was never hungry on this cruise but, when you have been so spoilt in years gone by, with waiters fussing around non-stop and loads of separate dishes of veg brought to the table, it's a little bit disappointing to see so few carrots, spuds etc on your plate! When we were ordering our fancy meal in Epicurean, the waiter asked if we would like some chips to go with it. OK, that's not what we expected but we said yes please - only to have two bowls brought to us, each containing just TWO chips! It was so ridiculous, we laughed out loud after he had left!

I will check my daily wotsits, to see if it was open? I didn't think it was open but, if it was, I thought it was for fixed diners only?

Thanks. Will bear that in mind when we sail on Arvia.

Sounds lovely, how, and when, can one book the Retreat?

One thing I forgot to mention was the internet package. I needed to be in daily morning contact with one of my sons and, despite there being only three sea days, I bit the bullet and paid £120 for an Essential internet package. One of the staff kindly set it up on my phone, and when it worked it was great, but often the signal would go and I'd have to keep logging on, which was frustrating. Anyway, the cost of it came out of our onboard credit, so that was ok. Regarding the OBC, I forgot that your can't use it for the casino, so I'm afraid there was a rather large bill to be paid at settling up time!

We really liked her too and, if a suitable itinerary came up, I'd be happy to sail with her again. I am really looking forward to cruising on the new Arvia ship, but with a little trepidation, because she is even bigger, and because of the booking system.

We didn't notice any vibration Metropolis, again, maybe it's only in a certain area. Glad to hear Epicurean is situated differently in most other ships, would love to try it again, on Arvia.

Just the one, Saffron, was open for breakfast and lunch, as far as we are aware. Those Crepes Suzette do seem to stir the passions among passengers!

Part 2 Ports/Tenders Again, I will preface this part by saying we look back with fondness on all our visits, despite certain challenges, trying to take some positives from even the worst bits, mainly by laughing at them! Santander: We thought we'd do this ourselves, but didn't realise the centre we docked in front of was just a mainly modern centre (the historic centre having burned down in 1941 I think) or, that the beautiful beaches etc were so far away. We couldn't catch a hoho bus in the morning as the queue was so long, so we walked up into town, to the cathedral and around about, then tried to find somewhere serving lunch, no can do, so just had a drink and back to the ship to eat, then came out to try our luck with the hoho bus again mid afternoon. We just missed one, and waited the best part of an hour for the next, by which time it had started to rain. No problem, I've got my new showerproof raincoat - which, unfortunately, didn't stop the torrent of water that came down when the canvas roof buckled! Everyone up top got soaked. We quickly headed downstairs and peered out of steamed up windows as we made our way to the beaches and green spaces I knew Santander had. Just a pity a shuttle didn't operate to take people straight there, as there were a number of attractions in that part, and it was an hour's walk away, with a poor hoho service. I guess my research let me down on that one. Vigo: No shuttle required, as they park the boat (apologies, ship - the boats are what you look for when the ship's going down, according to one witty captain we had years ago!) by the marina at the bottom of town. Been there before some years ago, and we didn't think we'd have much else to see, but we were wrong, we took a different route and came across lots of lovely old buildings, museums and squares that we had not seen before. We had a nice lunch in one of the squares, before making our way back to ship after a very enjoyable day. Lisbon, Day 1: We docked by the old part of Alfama, same place as our last visit to Lisbon 6 or 7 years ago. Unfortunately, the city is now undergoing massive redevelopment of its dock roads, and so the shuttle took about 40 minutes to drop us off at a main square, although the people who walked into town said it only took about 15 minutes, but coming back in 80F heat was exhausting for them. A tour guide told us the development work is a real pain for both cruise lines and tour operators, as it involves huge diversions, including around the city's less salubrious areas (more on that later), so I hope it doesn't take too long to finish, as it's a bit off-putting. The 'new' main terminal building also came with a long walk to even get from the ship to the shuttles and tour buses, again, different to the easy access we had when we first visited. Maybe they are preparing for the mega ships. As I said, it was extremely hot, but we wanted to see the Barrio Alto (?) area so waited ages for a funicular to take us two minutes to the top of the hill, however, a short walk into a park area took us to a fantastic viewport over the city, plus, we had our first taste of Portuguese Pastel de Natas, which were delicious. We then walked down the hill to a beautiful church, before crossing over to walk into the B.A. area, much of which appeared asleep, with only a few restaurants open, no shops. I did hear that the area comes alive in the evenings, so could just be we were there at the wrong time, but we were happy to have crossed it off our list. We sought out 'the world's prettiest street" which was indeed lovely, but was monopolised by posers taking selfies in front of a static tram, so we left and headed further south and found a lovely organic cafe for lunch. After that, even using my phone's sat nav, we got into loads of trouble finding our way back to the square to catch the shuttle. It's by Mango, so we typed in Mango, unfortunately, Lisbon has TWO Mangos and, you've guessed it, we ended up at the wrong one. Deep breath, stay calm, start again, all this in very hot sunny draining weather. Anyway, we did eventually get on the right path but, just five minutes from the shuttle, a Japanese fish restaurant selling Super Bock beer called to us, so we plopped down for the best part of an hour and chilled. Lisbon Day 2: Due to us being five years older since our previous cruise, and getting on a bit (69 and 70, and not the fittest), we decided to do a ship's tour the second day of our Lisbon stop. The coach again took us on a huge diversion, through the poorer parts of the city, and I was not impressed by the tattiness of the area. However, as the day went on, and our tour guide told us how poor a country Portugal is, compared to other European nations, what with crooked authorities syphoning off funds that come to the city, my opinion turned to one of empathy and sadness. The people of Portugal are very friendly, and they deserve better. Anyway, we went to Estoril, a small, sedate, beachside resort which, ostensibly, would have meant just a quick walk along the prom and a stop at a cafe, but this little place had other ideas - the casino here was the inspiration for Ian Fleming's first novel Casino Royale (there's a fascinating history to this, involving the Second World War and a spy who was a double agent...). Of course, we both did the obligatory Bond pose in the foreground to the casino for our kids to laugh at on our Cruise Group WhatsApp (they did!), and enjoyed a short stroll over the lovely open space in front of it, as well as a coffee at one of the resort's cafes. After that, the coach brought us back to Lisbon, via the waterfront attractions, including the Belem Tower and Jeronimos monastery, which I still need to visit on another trip, and back through town and the long diversion around the top of the city and back down to the ship. All in all, a very interesting tour. In the afternoon, we trekked along the walkways to get off the ship again, but just went across the dock roads into a small area of Alfama, to see a part we hadn't visited before, and then sat at a cafe drinking coffee. Very civilised. Porto: This was a city I have wanted to visit for ages, and I had researched where the shuttle dropped you off, so had it loosely planned we'd start at the top of the hill and make our way down to Ribeira and the Riverside. In the end, it was the reverse, as he shuttle woman told us the shuttles have been banned from going to Clerigos Towers, so now take you to south of the river opposite Ribeira. At first, we didn't have a clue what to do, except head for the bridge, as the shuttle woman told us. You could do that either by waiting for the cable car (packed) to the top of the bridge, or, walk at least 20 minutes (depending on mobility) to the lower footbridge and cross the River Tagus. It looked an awful long way, but that's what we did, taking in some of the port wine shop buildings lining the front. Once across the bridge into Ribeira, we sat at the first cafe with seats available and had a drink, then walked the short distance to the main square on the waterfront, before hauling ourselves up the very steep roads to the cathedral, stopping at a port wine shop on the way to see what we wanted to buy for our daughter and son-in-law on the way back down, which we did. We tried to have lunch at one of the square's restaurants but there was a 45-minute wait (even in mid September the place was packed with tourists), so we carried on along the riverside and found a very nice Italian pizzeria, before crossing the bridge and taking the long walk back to the shuttle. In retrospect, it was a better place for the shuttle to stop, as it was flat and we had the whole view of the Ribeira district spread out before us for some great photos - plus, we didn't have to walk all the way back up the hill for the shuttle after a tiring day. Cherbourg: Another tour, to a couple of coastal towns. It started with a 40 minute delay getting off the ship, due to challenging windy conditions docking, and we got soaked just walking to the coaches. The tour was interesting - we drove through a lot of lovely country lanes and villages that reminded us of England - but, because it was Monday, virtually everywhere in the coastal towns was shut, which was a pity. However, the drive back, along part of the coast, was really lovely, and on a fine day, with everything open, I expect it would have been a more rewarding experience. Miscellaneous: We drank in the Exchange bar next to the casino quite a lot, there were quizzes held there, and sports matches shown regularly. We also liked the Metropolis bar high up the ship, and also used the Tamarind Club and Red bar on occasion, as well as Tazzine, where Costa is based. We walked through the Skydome, which always seemed popular, and had a quick look at the children's clubs, which were fairly quiet as there were not many children onboard. We didn't use the pools or sports decks, just went to see them on our wanderings during sea days. There were 3 formal nights, and most people dressed up to the nines, in fact, most people dressed very nicely every night, at least in the restaurants, I saw only a few people in shorts or jeans. Disembarkation: A bit chaotic to be honest, in our case, anyway. We were told to go to one place, when we got there we were told to go somewhere else, but we couldn't get there in a straight line, so to go down a floor, etc etc, it got very frustrating but, at least by the time we found ourselves in the right place, our leaving time had already passed so we walked straight off. No problems getting our cases or getting out of the terminal, although it's a long-winded route to the main roads compared to Ocean Terminal. Overall impression: We loved it and we want to go again! We've got Arvia in the Caribbean booked for next year, so that's something to look forward to, although this cruise did teach us a couple of things: Five years on from the last cruise, two new knees, a bad back and two bouts of Covid - including one just weeks before the cruise - we were not as prepared, physically, as we should have been, so we need to get fitter for the next one, as cruising at 3 score years and 10 is not as easy as in your 30s 40s and 50s. The other is to perhaps slow down, not try to do so much, maybe take a few more ship's tours from now on, and to relax more and perhaps participate in a few more shipboard activities. We also need to figure out how to use the virtual booking system for Arvia, because not having to worry about that on Ventura was a big advantage. I will try to post some photos if I can work out how to transfer from my phone to my computer.

Could well be the case, when we went, the restaurant was pretty full so only a few spare tables down the bottom end, so maybe that's where the problem is concentrated. We were on Barbados deck.

Part One: Overall impression? Our first cruise in five years reminded us how much we have enjoyed cruising over the past 24 years, even if there were a few niggles, and it wasn't perfect. I first saw Ventura docked in a Norwegian port when she was just a toddler, aged about 4, when on a cruise with another line, and I said to my husband: I'd really like to go on that big ship one day. A decade later, we did just that. Embarkation: We stayed at a local Premier Inn, and it took us about 25 minutes to get to the terminal. Our arrival time was 1.15pm, onboard shortly after - no problems. Nice to see more mature ladies and gents running the show so efficiently at Mayflower Terminal, Southampton. Cabin: Balcony, midship, right near the lifts, as selected. Made going for dinner easy, but going to the other ends of the ship a bit more tricky as the days went by, what with sore toes from lots of walking onshore and then slipping into smart shoes that hurt! Note to self: Wear new shoes, and old ones you've not worn for a while, for a LOT longer before your next cruise! Launderette was about 20 cabins down, but no biggie - we only used the iron anyway. The cabin itself was of a fairly good size with a good size balcony, which we didn't use as much as we should have, but it was nice having the sea view. A great walk-in wardrobe, but the bathroom was probably the smallest we've ever had, especially the shower, but we made do. One problem our lovely cabin steward could not solve was the smelly toilet, which constantly smelled of urine, despite his best efforts using disinfectant, so don't know if that's a general plumbing problem, or, if we were just unlucky. Again, not a deal breaker, but a niggle. The general condition of the ship was good and exceptionally clean. The prom deck was lovely but, again, we didn't use as much as we have in the past. Husband did the lap, which included going up and down a few steps, while I sat in a deckchair. The ship was big, so we spent sea days exploring the different decks and venues and drinking coffee at Costa - no points on your card, but it was 30p cheaper than we pay locally, so that didn't grate as much as it could have! Dining: No problem getting a table for two. They announced at the start that there was no pre-booking on this voyage, if you had freedom dining, like us, you just turned up and, if a table was not ready, you would get a pager. We usually went down between 7.30-8.30pm and, on the few occasions when we had a pager, never waited more than 10 minutes. Saffron, we used for breakfast every morning (tried the buffet only once and that was enough!) but it was the more busier restaurant for the evenings, so we chose to dine in the evenings in Cinnamon throughout the cruise, which we liked, and where we got to know the wait staff and friendly people on the desks (Im sure there is a name for them!) quite well. The tables for two were in rows, with only a short space between them, so we ended up talking to our neighbours a lot of the time, but you didn't have to if you didn't want to and still felt it was your own private space. I'm very out-going, husband is quieter. Over the course of 24 years, we've done the table shares, with mixed success, so now we always like a table for two. I love discussing other people's cruises, but husband hates it so, unless we have to share, we don't. We did share a table just once, in Saffron, for breakfast, because we were told there was a 40 minute wait for a table for two but, in the end, we probably spent longer getting breakfast on that 10-seater table than if we had waited with the pager. We quite often had lunch in Saffron too, very enjoyable and different to our usual buffet visit - after two decades I finally got my way to use the dining rooms for breakfast and lunch, and it was so much less hassle. So, that's the way in future, hubby! Food: Overall, good, sometimes excellent, but some times not so good, mainly because they overcooked the chicken and beef I chose, but also there was a paucity of veg, and inconsistency in portion size, for example, on a celebration night, I chose the prawns and lobster tail, as did the lady sitting on the next table but, whereas she got at least 6 huge prawns and more than a few chunks of lobster, I got a miserly two prawns and two small pieces of lobster! My husband said I should have complained and, normally, I would have but, at that point in the cruise, I let it go. Besides, I was chatting with the lady and didn't want to embarrass her by pointing at her! The food in the buffet, where we had lunch on a couple of days, was just ok, the hot dishes sometimes only lukewarm, and the quality not as good as I remember from cruising with P&O and other lines a few years back, but still edible of course. The desserts promised more than they delivered, apart from one dark, rich chocolate mousse type pud, which was divine. Speciality dining: We only tried one venue, Epicurean, which we pre-booked as a treat for our anniversary. Let me say, at this juncture, that we have fond memories of this evening overall, even if it started off a bit Fawlty Towers-esque! At £24 each, I was at least expecting a venue where I wouldn't start shaking uncontrollably as soon as I sat down but, alas, no. The restaurant is aft on deck 17 and, at the table we first sat at, the vibration was terrible. We tried two others, slightly less vibrating, but I didn't think I could stay there for 2 hours-plus. In the end, after much prevarication, I gave it a go at the third table and slowly got used to it (the more alcohol, the less I noticed...). But, it did strike me as odd that, for their lauded restaurant, they chose such an area. I wonder if it's the same on other ships? The service was impeccable but, what with the vibrating chairs, my husband's starter unavailable, the champagne we wanted unavailable, and one of the chefs off, it didn't get off to the best of starts. For mains, we chose Giant Tiger Prawns flown in from Indonesia. They were huge, but also seemed a bit overcooked and, as a newbie to this particular shellfish, I really could have done with a lesson in how to extract them - husband discovered how to do this eventually but, by that time, my plate was piled high with crushed shell - a dead giveaway of a novice! Anyway, it was still fine to eat, and the rest of the meal was lovely, with little extras, although my husband knew instantly he had made the wrong choice of crepes suzette, as soon as the table and pan appeared before him and the demo started, complete with potted history of the dessert. The lady at the next table was most miffed that, on Iona, they brought the crepes suzette straight from the kitchen to her table, and she was really annoyed - so much so, I have a 4.5-minute video of her spouting off in the background while my husband tries to keep a fixed smile cemented to his face as the crepes were made in front of him - complete with fire, which annoyed the lady even more - however, they were delicious, he told me. We were there for at least two and a half hours and, like I said, have fond memories of our 'interesting' evening. If proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say, we would go to Epicurean again - but maybe on another ship. Entertainment: We saw three shows, an Irish group, the ship's team doing a rock show and a magician/comedian. They were all good, especially the comedian, who had me in stitches from the off. We also saw some karaoke, quizzes and watched a Silent Disco, which was a real let-down, as it was just an assorted bunch of middle-aged mums and dads doing dad and mum dancing, with no singing! At least not for the first 20 minutes, Then they became a bit more adventurous but, by that time, I was feeling chilly, so we left them to it. Maybe a younger crowd would have been a lot more animated. Will say, though, we were most impressed with the entertainment crew, who took on a lot of work, and a couple of girls, in particular, worked really well together on some of the quizzes and were very funny. We only saw Leon the ED twice, once introducing a show, and at a sailaway, but we enjoyed his jokes during his morning roundup. I've left a lot out, but if anyone has any questions, I will do my best to answer them. Part 2 follows...

Thank you so much, this is brilliant information. Coincidentally, speciality dining has just opened up for our Ventura cruise, so I could see some of those prices - for now we have just booked Epicurean for our anniversary. Many thanks again. Much appreciated. Helen

My apologies for the misunderstanding - I blame the brain fog on the Covid!

Welcome home DamianG, I have only just finished the thread (excellent), what with a sick dog to tend, a trip to visit family - and Covid! We are sailing on Ventura soon, but we are on Arvia next March, and I wondered if it was possible to tell me what sort of prices are charged by the paid-for restaurants, as you seem to have used them a fair bit? Failing that, can anyone point me in the right direction where I can get a prices list. It's been five years since we last cruised, and speciality dining appears to have increased greatly. In all the cruises we've been doing since 1999, I can't recall ever using one of them! But, seeing as the free dining venues seem to have shrunk considerably in number, I wanted to get an idea of how much extra to budget for on our forthcoming cruises. We do have some onboard credit for both. We are just going to wander around Ventura and see where we can get in to eat, but I'd like to be a bit more organised for Arvia. Glad you had a safe trip home. Helen

You are too tactful - they are no gentlemen.

We fly back that day!

Thanks for that, but it doesn't mention whether you get refunded for shore excursions booked in advance, if you have to cancel the cruise.

Us too. Which date in March?

...can I assume you are refunded for the shore excursions? I am also assuming that, once the balance has been paid, a cruise cannot be moved to another date? Thanks in advance.

I was on the phone just after 8.30 this morning and thy said there was an hour wait, gave up after a while, same with this afternoon and just now. Hopeless. Takes your money and then disappears.