jocap

We prefer small ships for multi-port cruises, but for cruises with many sea days, such as 10 days UK- Caribbean, we need the facilities of a larger ship with multi activities.

The captain of a UK based ship informed us once not to take passports on shore except when told to do so (in those days ports in Croatia and Egypt required this), but always take with you the passport number and place of issue which would help if anything should happen ashore. He also offered photocopying help if some wanted their main page copying. 

We also take copies of insurance with us.

On 9/22/2022 at 10:32 PM, jimbo1683 said:

P&O do have an adults only ship, I was considering a few weeks ago. Aurora I believe.

Aurora and Arcadia are P&O's adult only ships. 🙂

Darren- we've driven or taken the train to Glasgow and Edinburgh many times,  but there's a great difference in arriving motorway free to these great cities. Arriving slowly up the Firths, and seeing the amazing scenery without stopping for endless red lights is incredible. 

Leaving Greenock, we sailed round the Isle of Arran, where we've stayed several times, but other than ferries, we've not seen the whole island from the sea before.

Our cruise was several years ago, but we remember so many new things about an area which we thought we knew quite well. 🙂

Something I read on this site years ago, was of some Brazillian nationals who were returning to their home country after working in Europe, and using a cruise ship for this, buying an extra cabin for all the things they had bought.

Round trip UK -Caribbean- UK

20 sea day, 2 Atlantic islands, 8 Caribbean islands

Perfect!

I once forgot a pile of white cotton socks, which were still sleeping on a white cotton sheet when we returned...

I've forgotten my hair brush on the final morning, and left my deodorant in the hotel bathroom...

OH was raised in Africa, and just wants heat and snorkelling; I'm ginger and fade at temps above 24C, so we have 20 sea days and 2 windy Atlantic islands for me (from the UK and back) in the winter, and he has 8 islands for the beaches. I stay on board unless there's an excursion with a guaranteed air con coach!

Then I make him go to Iceland in the summer... 😄

Hi Rob- we used to do the crossing with P&O to the Caribbean (and back again) in winter, but not in October, and as people are saying, the captain always tried to miss the bad weather whenever possible. Once we circled the Azores to miss a storm, although it was still a bit rocky, but I quite enjoy that. The ships are sturdy and well able to deal with any kind of weather.

The sea days were always filled with all kinds of activities- lectures, films, games, choirs so we have always been kept occupied.

Because the October transit it often arranged around half term, you might find there are many families on board, but the children's clubs will be in action.

Enjoy!

I once did something similar when I had some free days and OH was working. We lived in West Yorks, and I knew most of the towns around, mainly for shopping/meals out/theatres etc 

Instead, I took a bus or train from the local station, to  well-known towns such as Pontefract, but as a visitor. I'd not been to the castle or old church in Ponte since I was a child; I'd not walked up the Headrow in Leeds and visited the Art gallery etc... I even took a train to Manchester airport and went on the viewing roof.

Plenty of coffee breaks and different lunches out, and no shopping for basics- just the odd souvenir!  😄

And I didn't have to be back on board by 4.30pm!

Sailing out to and  back from the Caribbean, which is not my scene at all ,we visit and love both Madeira and The Azores, and would be happy to visit either on holiday. 

Also Iceland, although I can understand that it's not everyone's dream island.

For a cruise with lots of sea days, it's P&O's Ventura (Grand Class); if it's port intensive then Fred Olsen's Balmoral.

As already mentioned, Saga cruises are in the more luxurious category, but they are for people aged 50+ years only.

If the adult only part is important, along with different itineraries, then P&O have two adult only  ships- more of a standard cruise rather than luxury,  though, but one has just returned from a long cruise from UK around South America, and the other one is on her world cruise, picking up a segment from Asia today. Not all inclusive, but there's no tipping.

I agree with Wowzz,- look at P&O for your first cruise , because it's so uncomplicated, with no tipping and uses ££ not $$ 

Yes, there's a few formal nights, but you can eat elsewhere if you want an informal evening ...  I see that dressing up seems to be something you enjoy. 🙂

Go for it! 

I do not know your ship, but should imagine it has suitable indoor places with sea views?

We made the mistake on our first cruise to the fjords of booking a last minute inside cabin, on an enormous ship where most of the public rooms looked inwards to a central mall. We had to sit out on deck for the fjord sailings, and kept returning to the cabin to warm up again and again. Mind you, it was May, so pretty bleak at times.

The next time we went, we were on a much smaller, older ship with plenty of indoor seating with fantastic views of the sea/fjords. An inside cabin would have been fine.

We tried AIs before discovering cruising, and found that we spent an enormous amount on travel outside of the complex, eventually hiring a car, because there was not enough on site to interest us.

The last one we did was a stay/cruise with Thomson, now Marella, which was a week in a 5 star hotel on a Red Sea beach; entertainment was limited and amateur, and again, we had to book excursions to see the area. 

One thing which stood out was that, being used to cruise chatting by that time, we tried talking to people sitting near us on many occasions but had very little response. We couldn't wait for the cruise section.

And- people were talking to us as soon as we stepped on board. 

That was a very notable difference.

We weren't bumped. but were asked by P&O if we'd take a similar balcony cabin two decks lower.

We were offered an enormous amount of OBC in return, which we used for ship's tours and wine for the table of 8 towards the end of the cruise.

We discovered on board that our original cabin had been immediately behind the captain's cabin. He had docked that morning after a world cruise and was leaving that evening for a 3 week cruise to Venice, so his wife and small children had asked to go with him.

On our return there was a cheque each for £70.

On 11/7/2022 at 5:47 PM, ads321 said:

Thanks for your msg. That's cool re the single guy and couple you're talking about - was that a long time ago or recently? It would be great to find them and ask them about their experiences and if they still live / hop on and off ships.

No, it's a few years back now, and I've not heard of them since.

Don't forget that insurance will be needed- you'd probably have to get an annual one; if you live near to Soton you could get off for medical treatment on turnaround day, but the line likes to have your insurance details on your personal folder.

Tipping can be a problem, although P&O doesn't have any tipping, but many lines do...

Enjoy searching!

If you're wanting a European owned line, the more luxurious ships are Ponant (French), Viking (Norwegian) and Saga (UK)  ... Saga ships are for 50+ years old only.

Fed Olsen has small ships and I would call them cosy- owned by a Norwegian family but mainly sailing from the UK.

There are other lines owned by big companies which home port in Europe and rely mainly on European passengers, such as Aida, Costa,  Cunard, P&O. MSC, Marella and Ambassador.

Ships which travel from the USA to spend summer in Europe are the big lines such as Princess, HAL, RCI , Carnival and Disney.

I'm sure I've missed some... 😮 

We've met people living on board on two ships, both with P&O, which is quite important because the ships do different itineraries out of Southampton of different lengths- so you might have 11 days to the Canaries followed by a fortnight in the Med, a week in Norway, and a weekend in Amsterdam, returning to Southampton after each cruise.

The first was a person on his own, who was trying this life for a year, with a home in the UK.

The second was a couple who had bought a flat in Southampton so that they could use the turnaround day to see to their affairs. Sometimes they left the ship if it was doing a 2 night cruise, or even a 4 night one, to visit doctors, dentists, banks etc. 

The problem comes when the ships begin their long cruises in winter- 2 ships go to the Caribbean for months; another has a world cruise.

The single person moved ships to the one which stays in Southampton for the winter, but that ship, Ventura, does 2  longer cruises to the Caribbean and back to Soton, then to the USA and more northerly Carib islands- both cruises are around 28 to 30 days.

Some other ships port in Soton for the summer and also have varied itineraries, but return to the USA for winter.

It might be that you could change ships within the line during the winter.

Enjoy finding out!  🙂

We bought tiny Christmas cribs for gifts on our first cruise- I can't remember which island, but it was one of the ABC ones... the one we kept goes on the mantelpiece every Christmas Eve.

13 hours ago, davecttr said:

Over here we have to show our Covid vaccination history as part of the boarding process. This is available via your online NHS app. Always print out a paper copy as there are those with smart phones that decide not to work at the critical moment, slowing down the queue

 

It's the speed of new IT which flummoxes us. You mention the NHS app, which we did not know about; I was being bombarded by the NHS to have my first booster- which I'd already had... I tried to work it out by email, but I just couldn't understand what was needed from me

It took a personal visit to both the pharmacy and surgery to discover that my number hadn't been entered on the web site for that particular jab.

It's taken us years to slowly learn how to use IT equipment, and all the time there seems to be new products arriving, which send us back to the beginning. 

I enquired on a P&O cruise about lectures, and it appeared that the cruise had to be more than 10 days including several sea days.

Fred Olsen, a tiny UK line, had lectures about wildlife to be seen on cruises to both Norway and Iceland.

I've heard the most lectures on Transatlantic cruises. Once guests were invited to give a 20 min lecture- details were taken, and three pax a morning gave their talk. 20 minutes was about right for some speakers, but others such as the Air Ambulance crew could have filled an hour or more.

The Afghan veteran who had lost limbs during the war, was invited to do a longer lecture afterwards, and he filled a large room for this.

Fred Olsen used to do a Mystery cruise each year, which never appealed to us, but some people enjoyed going to tiny ports which are untouched by cruise ships. You do need a small ship for that, plus I imagine a very relaxed set of passengers.

Yes, always. I'm company for my OH, who used to lose his card several times a day, so now I pack 2 lanyards and make him wear one, so...  😇