rosiebee

Thank you for your brilliant review. We are on the Solstice in early September going from Seattle to Vancouver. All your tips and experiences have given us plenty of food for thought. We fly into Seattle from UK staying 3 nights and our only concern now is where we can get our test done before boarding.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

We fly to Seattle from UK for 3 nights before boarding C Solstice for an Alaskan cruise to Vancouver. We'll have had a Covid test the day before flying. I presume the ship will also want a test done before boarding. How do we go about arranging this? We'll be staying in a hotel in  central Seattle .

Will we also need to do another before we stop in Victoria, Canada?

Thanks for any help.

We've just come back from a Baltic cruise which was amazing and the highlight was our time in St P. Before the cruise I read some excellent reviews of Alla Tours and booked the Grand Tour. They did not disappoint. Their website is very easy to navigate and the whole thing was so simple to book. They then email with full details and tickets. One of the things we liked was that we were in a group of 14 in a very comfortable mini bus. Our guide, Alexandra, was brilliant. So full of knowledge and enthusiasm. We had quite a few photo stops to start with before getting into the nitty gritty of the tour. One highlight was going into the Hermitage an hour before the public were let in. You could really marvel at everything without lots of others around.

Lunch on the first day was at grand old restaurant. Every time we left the bus, it went off but was always there as we got back. Other highlights were the subway ride, canal trip and visit to Peterhof. Alla exceeded my expectations. We talked to other cruisers who had also done one of the Alla tours and they were all enthusiastic about their trips. Look up their website and see that they do lots of different itineries, including private tours, but this one suited us down to the ground. It was a tiring two days but we saw so much, I shall never forget it.

Get a street map and walk through to the Haga district. Lots of original houses, cobbled streets, cafes and little shops. You must have a Hagebullen,  I think it's called, a local speciality Cinnamon Bun. Ours was the size of a dinner plate and we had to take half of it away with us. A Swedish lady told me about this place and it didn't disappoint.

We've cruised with Tui before and seem to remember having a "cruise news" delivered to the cabin each night, along with a map of the local area. Is this still the case? It's the map I really want to know about, if they're not doing them, I'll print a few off from the internet. We're off to Dubrovnik on Thursday for a two week cruise. Can't wait:D:D:D

We're going to our TA this week to book the Baltic cruise for August 2019 and want to also book the 2 Day Grand Tour with Alla. Do I book this through the Alla website and if so when do I need to book it?

Thanks

We've gone into Palma several times using local bus. Think the bus stop is just outside cruise terminus.

We've just come back from booking a 2 week cruise on Celebration in September. I was then straight on the forum to read more about the ship. Our first cruise many years ago was on the Spirit and although it was quite old then, we really loved her and the whole Thomson vibe and have been on several other Thomson ships since. I've been slightly bothered though about some poor reviews but as it's a sister ship to the Spirit we don't mind old as long as it's clean and I love the wooden wrap around deck. However, I was concerned to read that someone was pressured to up grade their AI package. We've booked the AI but never thought to ask what it included. We're not looking for top range spirits or champagne but would hope for some decent red/white wine / gins such as Gordons / cocktails / beer. Can anyone say what the difference is between the two packages? It would be great to see a pic of a bar list.

We chose the cruise because of the itinerary and I'm sure we'll have a brill time whatever:) but thanks for any replies.

Thanks for information about the St Lawrence. I'll be taking my binoculars in hope of seeing a whale or two.

I think the price/discount may vary depending to the ship you are on. It actually said the discount offered was cheaper than onboard prices. Well we ended up buying the deal as it includes bottled water which we will drink loads of, and fresh juices. Plus all those lovely cocktails which slip down so easily.

We planned to buy the Deluxe beverage package on board but have just had discount offer on it. Offer is £33.88pp which is what the package has been since we booked months ago. Don't understand that. It does say that the discount off the price will be taken down tomorrow and I am now concerned that the price will go up. Any suggestions. There is a phone number but don't really want to be calling US. Thanks

We will be on the Vision OTS going from Quebec to New York 20th Sept. It's our first time on RC and I can't seem to find a straight answer to the level of formality required in the main dining room. Husband is happy in shirt / tie / waistcoat combo but doesn't want to bring a jacket as we're starting with 5 days in Canada and finishing with 5 days in NYC and only have so much luggage capacity. Also do I really need to wear a dress? I'm happy in smart trousers and a pretty / sparkly top and I know I'll get my wear out of these when we stay in NYC. Thanks for any help.

We are on the Vision OTS 20th Sept 2017 from Quebec to New York and are considering buying the Drinks Package. I'll be checking out the cruise planner for the next 3 weeks, hoping for a discount but then I think we'll have to bite the bullet and go for it anyway. We've found a couple of prices of drinks from other RC ships trying to work out if package is worth it. Are prices similar across all the RC ships?

As part of our cruise leaving Sept 20th from Quebec, I'm really looking forward to cruising through the St L Seaway. Are we likely to see and whales or other wildlife at this time of year, or at any other point on our way to New York? Thanks for any replies.

We're doing an 11 night cruise from Quebec to New York on Sept 20th, sailing on the Vision of the Seas.[Royal Caribbean] Lots of lovely stops in New England inc an overnight in Boston. We've been on one of the sister ships around the Med and loved it. Looked at Holland America Line but the ship they were using did not get very good reviews. Counting down the days now.:D

We're cruising with Royal Caribbean.

We are coming from the UK and will be doing the Quebec to NYC cruise in September. We have all our visa papers for Canada and USA but are not sure if we have to go through immigration as we pass from one country to another during the cruise. Do you do this as you leave the ship or is it done on board? Thanks :confused:

Thanks for replies. We have plenty of time before we go so I'll keep an eye on the planner. Can't really see it being much cheaper buying it on board as they have a 'captive audience' and on average will probably make more out of you if you buy as you go.

We are going on the Vision of the Seas Fall and Foliage voyage in September. After looking at posts on prices of drinks we have decided to buy a Premium package to include beer, wine, cocktails and water. Is there any advantage in buying it now or should we wait until we get on board? My sister in law keeps telling me that I will get a special deal if I wait until we are on the ship. I'm sceptical about that and don't really want to spend the beginning of my holiday queuing up - unless it is really worth it. Thanks for any replies. So looking forward to this cruise.

Thanks for all replies. I take the point about NCL but sadly it isn't sailing where I want to go. We're not huge drinkers but an average day would probably include a couple of drinks or coffees during the day if on board, cocktails in the evening, wine with dinner and a nightcap - or two. Well we will be on holiday!

I assume the extra 18% mentioned is a gratuity although I'm not sure why as we will have paid gratuities in advance.

We're probably going to book to go on the Vision Of the Seas, next September. It's an 11 night Canada and New England cruise. I've looked at past threads on the forum and found a pdf of the different packages on offer. If we went for one it would be the Premium Package. Does anyone have any idea how much this would cost? We'll be booking stays in Toronto, Quebec and New York and the cost is accelerating rapidly. It would be useful to know if the drinks package is worth the cost or would it be cheaper to buy individual drinks and wine. Thanks for any help.

Thanks all. Those were great replies and I've relayed them to my sister-in-law. It's been ages since they have had a break and I just wanted everything to be perfect for them.

My sister-in-law and her husband are doing the Panama Canal cruise later in Nov. They're booked to board at 12 noon in San Diego, but have heard that the drinks package they've bought does not start until the boat sets sail at about 5pm. This is a real celebration cruise for them and I know they'd like start with a few glasses of fizz when they go aboard. Can anyone say if this is true? The package was quite expensive to buy and it just seems a bit mean if you're then expected to pay for a celebration drink or two at the start of a special holiday. Thanks for any help.

It will be our Silver Wedding Anniversary on 7th August and we thought we'd be celebrating at the Captain's Night. Dear husband has gone as far as buying a suit! As this doesn't seem to be the case now, does anyone know if it's possible to book a meal in one of the speciality restaurants before we go on board on the 6th. After a difficult few years healthwise, this anniversary means a lot to us and we'd like to make it a real celebration.

Thanks :)

We're on the Discovery in August and one of our stops is St Raphael. In the 'bumph' it says you can go to Cannes or St Tropez from this destination. Is it quite easy to get to Cannes under your own steam? We don't want to go on a tour, but would like to just have a wander about and some lunch there. I am neurotic about making sure we are back in time at the ship. Can anyone advise the best way to get to the centre of Cannes and would we have enough time for strolling up and down and having a lazy lunch? Many thanks - really counting down the days now.