trinitytrees

On a recent Black watch cruise, the RIB were onboard the ship and ships crew that took them out, I didn't go on but my dinner table partner did and loved it.

Ships shuttle buses in ports cost us £8 each in May on a Baltic cruise.

Card in cabin on our recent cruise offering a/I for £25 PPPD we declined, and it proved right choice for us our bar bill was less than the £250!it would have been for our 5 night cruise.

hi has anyone done a group booking, and if so do marella offer any kind of discount? If so what?

Thank you

Yes we were on black watch and I agree re service outside around the pool, I wanted to order a drink waited and waited for waiter, none came so I eventually went inside to lido bar, ordered drinks, waiter asked were I was sitting and said he would bring them over, nearly 20 mins later still no drink, so I went back inside to the bar, our two drinks sitting at the bar, de fizzing and getting warmer, the bar man asked me what I wanted and I said drinks, think these might be them, they were! The waiter then said I will bring them over, he did but at least five mins after I got back.

Black watch is ship. Now we are home I gave to say disembarkation was very smooth, we thought the restaurant would be very busy but it wasn't, we went to breakfast about 7.40am, plenty of room lots of people must have eaten earlier as the public areas were busy, nice relaxing breakfast, staff didn't rush us at all. And easy walk off at 8.30am

For information we are onboard now, disembark tomorrow and says breakfast served until 8.30. Disembark by deck.

Interesting that information, trying to grow new business, whilst potentially losing business that's in your hand and bank for the company. Again on a recent NCL cruise they were also showing groups round the ship on embarkation day but we as passengers had boarded the ship. They left just before muster.

It is really early closure for breakfast, on all other cruise lines we have been out you are out of cabin for 8 but breakfast till 9am. Especially given with Fred O you are also very late embarking, with other cruise lines again we have been onboard at 12 noon and lunch served, granted cabins not ready till 1.30 but I am ok with that.

Thank you

hi, could anyone tell me please the usual disembarkation procedure and timings on FO cruise, just looking to book train tickets and unsure about timings, we cruise a lot and cruise lines vary. Thank you

It is good value, at £15, I know other cruise lines charge more but their inclusive list is much more comprehensive than FO. For eg bottles of beers included, corona, coors, budwiser, and branded spirits and of course cocktails.

Thanks for the maths, but for us at a cost of £25 a day each, and I drink southern comfort and diet lemonade, I would have to pay extra for my drink anyway, my hubby thinks it's worth it however I don't. I take it we both have to buy the package? The maths would work out different I guess too.

Thanks Tring, we like ballroom dancing, we have been on FO before but a few years ago and that was 14 nights, we enjoyed that one, was Balmoral. I am sure we will be fine, thinking about it it was mainly people in 50 60 70 on that ship.

It is a short break to Scotland, I never thought of it being a party cruise though, oh dear!

I asked FO price to book now and they said I needed to go via T/A it was FO that told me it was £25 day, the agent confirmed £25 pppd that is why I wondered how if price is showing £15pppd online.

As always thank you everyone for responding and giving me useful information.

We are unsure if it would be best value, or pay as we go. The online price is showing £15 pppd, but they told us we had to book through our agent, and FO said it's £25 a day, so not sure if worth that to us. We couldn't understand why two prices, is it different for anchor fare?

with regards to the drinks package, do you have to buy before you sail or can you buy it onboard on day of embarkation?

Thanks in advance

i know you can use two cruise next certificates when booking balcony and above, but does anyone know if you book in USA for Europe if you can use two on a lower grade cabin?

Thank you

We have been on Marella (Majesty) once and NCL 4 times. I actually think NCL are an American-style Marella, but with bigger/better ships - although they are nowhere near as good value for money as Marella!

 

I would probably choose Marella based on everything: although maybe if I was a bit more well off and money wasn’t a concern I would choose NCL purely for the fact the ships are lovely. Having said that the newer Marella ships are gaining in attractive features and size so it will be not long before all things are equal (except price!).

We have been on both NCL. and what was THomson now Marella, we had a fabulous Norwegian cruise last August on the Jade, even though it rained everyday. We did a cruise on Dream in December and I would not go on it again.

However we have just had a two week cruise on Discovery to the baltics and we really enjoyed it.

The previous poster said Marella now newer ships, yes they are but they are still over 20 years old.

This is just my opinion, but differences are just that differences.

Food on Discovery was good, compared to NCL which was excellent, huge choice of restaurants on NCL, but we did still enjoy on Discovery.

Entertainment far better on Discovery than NCL although we did enjoy entertainment on NCL it wasn't as slick.

Cabins nicer on NCL. Staff on both lines we found to be really good, Drinks packages on both lines, very good, but Marella has no limit, unlike NCL 15$ per drink limit.

Hope that helps

Yes I thought questions were poor, I would have liked to give more feedback re cruise experiences.

I agree re loyalty with other cruise lines and we have done plenty, you don't have to tell them what you have done, it's recognition is on your booking status and colour of your cruise card so all staff know your loyalty status, and you are rewarded for that loyalty.

Thank you Tring for sharing your experiences.

hi all.

We have booked an anchor fare and our cabin is on a guarantee basis. We have done this before but not on FO. Do you know when you are allocated your cabin and when do you get to know please, and does this include your dining time/room.

Aldo we are on a short cruise sailing from Liverpool. Is it possible to drop luggage off before you embark/check in and then look around city and board later?

Thanks in advance

It doesn’t sound good.

We are going on our first Marella cruise and travelling by coach.

Have I understood this correctly? We will get off the coach and collect our luggage.

Then we will be given our boarding details and luggage labels.

We have to stand somewhere and attach the labels before joining a queue to hand luggage in.

Then queue again to have boarding details checked etc.

We have waited before in Southampton with other cruise lines but not had to bother re luggage when on a coach.

At least we will know that we will board eventually. :)

Yes that is right, it was a shambles, the coach driver couldn't believe it we were parked up going nowhere for about twenty mins, then. He was told to drive around car park, then told to go to another part of the car park, then coaches were off loaded, then we were given luggage labels, had to find cases, put labels on. Cases were then moved to a place just yards away, we the. Had a walk to a port bus, we had to board the bus, were taken back to where coach had been and go inside terminal building, we were given health questionnaire and given a ticket number, once form done, we had to sit and wait for number to be called, some people were standing as no seats left we finally boarded around 4.30 luggage didn't get on ship till around 7pm ship sailed late as luggage still on quayside. Captain apologised and said it would need to be addressed for this weeks embarkation, disembarking was slow too.

You had to be out of cabin for 7am first off were those on coaches that was at 7.45 then those on shuttle, then by deck starting with top decks all off by 9.30