Len Baker

On 11/2/2018 at 12:48 PM, Colbrit said:

Discovery Summer 2020

 

Highlights of Med- Palma, Sea, Ajaccio, Civitavecchia, Marina de Carrara, St Raphael - 2&23 May, 6&20 Jun, 4&18 Jul, 8&22 Aug, 12&26 Sep, 17 Oct

Thank you for posing such detailed information. Is there a port missing from this itinerary?

Cayman Port in 2020

As a matter of interest has anyone increased the daily auto tip amount over and above the set level? Also, is the adjustment to the daily amount for all occupants of one cabin or do you have to amend individually? On one previous P&O cruise my better half and I disagreed enormously on the level of cabin stwarding received. Our account is paid using my credit card!! Finally, the amount of auto tips should remain the same through the entire booking period for each cruise. We prefer Marella's system of including tips in the original price, giving discretionary tips if we feel it appropriate and nominating individual staff on an end of questionnaire for which they appear to appreciate. At the end of the day we want a cruise holiday not an admin fest.

Len - here is the link ( I think)for your second cruise

EDIT

 

Link removed I see yo.u have managed it but will leave the Marella one for a laugh

Or if you want to be ahead of the system and have the new name for thomson

 

You just need to paste it into your signature box

then review the remember to scroll back down and save

Nice one Aulanis. I like the Marella Celebration clock although we may be busy as Thomson, Tui or whoever have time to rebrand at least once before sailing!!

Hi - I have been helping people with this in the problems pages

Basically when you create a clock on CC.C0.UK will not work.

I think since the site became more secure.

I have emailed Laura and hopefully it will be fixed.

If you use create a new clock and get as far as pasting the code

link into your edit signature page before you review it change the

bits in the link that say .co.uk to .com - do not leave any spaces.

If you dont understand or cant do this , post which cruise you want the clock for and I will make you a link.

Many thanks Aulanis. I managed to get it to work following our brilliant advice.

Len

I was trying to create two countdown clocks for back to back cruises. No clocks appeared on my signature despite several attempts. Last week four clocks appeared for the first cruise and non for the second. I managed to delete the three unwanted clocks and have tried, so far unsuccessfully, to create the second clock.

Len

TUI Discovery 2 in Grand Cayman on 7 days in January, February and March 2019 according to the Port Authority Of The Cayman Islands website.

Just carried out a price check on our next two booked cruises, as you do;). Our September cruise has increased by £628 and our February one has increased by £976 this is a total for the two of us on a two week cruise. Can only think this is due to brexit, but I am pleased we booked early:D

Customers booking over 12 months ago probably booked before the pound weakened by something around 15%.

However, in the small print it does say "we reserve the right to increase the price of your holiday after you have booked but no later than 30 days before the departure date...."

For those who do not wish to consume £26 worth of alcohol per person in the AI deal there is little choice but to wait until the base price lowers and the AI is paid for. So if someone estimates they consume £100 worth of drink the do not want to pay £26 x7 = £182 for AI. 2 people for 2 weeks this equates to £382. AI is not free it is factored in the base price.

It is always a topic for discussion as to when to book as there are so many variables including price, demand, cabin availability (especially for solo travellers), itinerary, hotel availability for cruise & stay, dates for those working & having other commitments like family, flights from some airports, pets kenneling etc, when competitors holidays become available, deals, adult only or family friendly cruises availability, cash flow, etc etc. I'm sure folk have other criteria

Our policy is to book and not to look at prices afterwards. We were happy to book at that price so why worry. We do tend to book quite early on to get what we want. You never hear from those who wait for price reductions and then miss out as the holiday is fully booked. We do not book until we have researched what we might do at each port of call.

Len & Jane

Thank you everyone for your help.

Len

We have just got back from Dubrovnik (on the Spirit) and there is a bus outside the port which costs 15 kuna ( about £2) for a return journey, if you go to the little shop opposite the gangway as you walk off the ship, he will sell you tickets using euros or kuna. The only thing you need kuna for is the walk on the walls. You can exchange small amounts in Dubrovnik.

Many thanks for this useful information. Is it obvious where to get off on & off the bus and where do you catch the return bus from Dubrovnik?

Regards

Len

Merry Christmas everyone and best wishes for 2017.

Len & Jane

Only thing is on the single 'black and white' formal night you will either stand out by wearing a coloured tie or potentially feel a bit funereal with a black tie

 

Our Cruise Personaliser says our March cruise will have 3 Black Tie Nights and 9 Evening Casual Nights. We also discover there are 3 Theme nights, Black and White and 2 others.

Is it possible the themed Black and White night could be a casual night rather than a formal night?

Very many thanks for the advice on this forum. This will be our second P&O cruise and as before your comments are appreciated.

Len

Yes, once you go in via Quidco, it's exactly the same as if you'd gone in directly.

Sorry, but just to clarify. Can a customer get Quidco discount and Peninsular Club discount? With some Quidco purchases I was not given casjback because I had claimed another discount from the supplier.

Thank you

Len

P&O up to October 2018 already! Why are Thomson soooo sloooow?

Cruise and stay. Hotels and possibly flights.

Does not help us with the planning!

Len

We travelled the eastern Mediterranean trip on the Thomson Celebration on our first-ever cruise starting on September 29. We were aware of ship illnesses before going and sadly both contacted the sickness and diarrhea bug on separate days. We were both given injections by the ship's doctor and have recovered but were forced to miss a couple of excursions which was disappointing. We mainly eat in the restaurant but did go to the self service area a couple of times. We have not been put off and are sailing the Caribbean in January. Any tips to what we should take or do to avoid a repeat?

:)

I take my own pen if I have to sign for anything rather than use one provided by the ship's staff.

For us this issue has become a deal breaker with Thomson. In January 2016 wen booked the Cuban Revolution cruise because it had 3 ports of call in Cuba. Subsequently Thomson changed the itinerary with only the brilliant Havana being visited for a day and a half. The way customers were dealt with regarding these changes was nothing short of diabolical. When on board the captain was asked in a Q&A session why we were not calling at the 3 original ports and his answer was that Thomson Dream could not dock at 2 of them and Havana was not easy. Presumably this was the operational reason or "lack of infrastructure" as we were told on the itinerary change letter.

In May we booked a stay and cruise for June 2017. The ports on the internet were different to the brochure. I telephoned Customer Services who said the brochure was correct and they they would get the internet page corrected. It was changed months later but still a discrepancy. Other customers have similar issues with 2017 cruises they were looking to book. Thomson seem to use past other itineraries details with the same title.

A few months ago the stay part on the internet map part was not Mallorca but on the Spanish mainland!!!! It's now been corrected.

As at today the itinerary on our booking confirmation, identical to the written brochure, is the same as the online front page but different to the online day by day detailed map. Fingers crossed where we eventually end up visiting. We try to avoid there issues spoiling our cruise but it is very frustrating when the key factor in booking is the itinerary.

Rant over

Len

I'd say consider what's more important to you personally. The quality of the ship or the atmosphere/friendliness onboard. I personally much prefer P&O's bigger newer ships but the happy atmosphere on a Thomson ship is hard to beat in my opinion. If you put a Thomson crew on a P&O ship you'd have it all! Just had an excellent week on the dream,,one of the best cruises we have done.

We have only cruised once with P&O but Cappers' summary is one I would fully agree with when comparing the two. The itinerary is the first priority for us and then the best cruise ship.

Len

Hello! :)

 

 

Also do you think they will show every match somewhere, or just England/quarters etc: not that England fans will need to worry about the later stages ;)

 

I support Ireland, Mr C England, and i would expect there will be some Welsh/NI fans on board too - I wonder how they would manage to find somewhere to show everything?

 

screen.

We were on the Thomson dream during the 2010 World Cup and it was disorganised chaos. It did improve during the cruise. I would hope Thomson would realise the potential demand to watch games and consider the needs of passengers who don't.

There's always the option of joining Scotland fans in the lifeboats.

"We're representing Britain

And we're gaunny do or die

England cannae dae it

Cause they didnae qualify"

Many thanks Ashby,

Len & Jane

Hello Ashby,

did your TA compare the online Thomson itineraries with the brochure as some displayed online are incorrect. I telephoned Thomson's just under 2 weeks ago. The problem was passed on to their IT Department but there are so many issues they are snowed under.

Did the TA charge a "booking fee" ?

Sorry about all the questions but we are in two minds as to what to do as on the last occasion we used a Thomson TA it was a disaster and Mrs Len vowed never to use them again.

Len

We looked at one cruise for June 2017 and the online itinerary is different from the online Sneak Peek brochure. Perhaps the cut and paste bucket was too liberally used.

No wonder customers end up on the wrong holiday.

Hi Len,

 

Yes we had a great time with Havana Journeys, one of the best trips we have done!!

 

Yes we are doing northern lights next year with P & 0. Going on 6th March 2017

Just started the research, looking at what clothing we need and excursions

 

They look a bit pricey but that's Norway

 

Maybe we should start a roll call

 

Tina

Tina, what a coincidence:). Someone has already started a roll call. It's such a long way off. Maybe we can get some information from those going this year. We were wondering how much the P&O excursions cost.

Len & Jane

Thanks everyone I have booked Southampton Eastleigh travelodge, reviews are good, 9 miles from the port, plenty of parking and a harvester next door for breakfast. We will be having evening meal at a services on the way down

hello Tina, we hope you enjoyed your Havana tour with Havana Journeys. Had a great day but did not bump into anyone else on the same tour. The starting arrangements seemed haphazard but we all appeared to be taken care of. We hope you enjoyed the second weeks cruise.

We were told by a cabin neighbour of yours that you had booked a Northern Lights cruise. Putting 2 and 2 together and hopefully not getting the wrong answer I wondered if you were on a P&O Northern Lights cruise. We are on one in 2017 so were wondering if relevent you might be so kind as to give us some inside info.

Len & Jane

Len thanks for posting that fantastic link for Mohagany Bay It is 8 years since I was last there and it was just a building site - looks fabulous will be there 21st Jan hopefully

Fingers crossed etc. there are no last minute changes to our schedule or port locations. Looking forward to our cruise.

Len

Does anyone know which dock Thomson use in Roatan, Honduras?

http://www.mahoganybaycc.com/Port-Schedule.aspx

Hope this helps

Len