rojojacko

We too are with Nationwide and they paid out in full for initial treatment abroad when my wife developed cancer and for a subsequently cancelled cruise.  The initial diagnosis is now 12 months ago and the operation 10 months ago and all is well now with periodic monitoring. Nationwide continue to cover her for everything except for conditions related to that cancer and will fully cover her 12 months after the operation as it hasn't recurred. To cover that condition we took out an annual policy with AXA which covers her with this disclosed condition but we decided to exclude North America due to the high cost. The Nationwide insurance is £13 per month for both of us but also includes vehicle breakdown and mobile phone cover and the AXA policy was £105 for 12 months   We are both in our late 60's. We hope that this helps. 

Rob

A useful thread as I can't seem to find a definitive list of upgraded drinks available anywhere on the TUI/Marella website. We're on the Discovery in the Far East at Xmas/New Year and was looking for this information. Can you upgrade on board at the same price as pre-purchasing and does it include speciality coffees, i.e. Latte, and fruit juices?

Many thanks. 

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I didn't realise what a can of worms I was opening with a simple query!  As someone said, tipping is a cultural thing and, I hasten to add, I do tip but I tend to tip after the service has been provided, not before.  If you're required to pay up front then surely that is a service charge and not a gratuity but I do not wish to prolong this discussion as there are so many diverse views on what is really a First World issue. 

Really looking forward ward to Cruising on Vision of the Seas next year. 

I have just booked a cruise on Vision of the Seas for next year and requested My Time dining but was told that I must pre-pay the gratuities for MTD. Having just completed a cruise on Explorer with MTD when we did our usual and cancelled the grats and paid cash to those we wished to, when did the policy change, or have I been misinformed by our agent?  Thanks for your help. 

Just to hijack this slightly, is there a financial advantage in pre-paying?

On 6/9/2019 at 12:19 AM, Milwaukee Eight said:

Curious, why did you leave Celebrity? We are very close to pulling the switch an Celebrity Edge next year for Greek Isles. Our last Royal cruise in a Suite was disappointing. 

Sorry for late reply but we aren't loyal to any line. Just look for the right itinerary at the right price and this one came up at less than £75 pppn for an ocean view for a summer cruise. Will be back on Celebrity when the right deal comes up. The best UK prices I'm seeing for Edge are around £200 pppn but would love to give it a go when they come down. 

Thanks Clarea. Good to know. 

Rob

Thanks for all of your help so far. Really whetted my appetite to get on board!  

Sorry, just one more query. We have opted for freedom/anytime dining and read somewhere that you have to pre-pay your gratuities when you do this. Is this really the case?

Rob

We are returning to RCCL after a few years away and find that we are on Diamond level due to reciprocal benefits from Azamara and Celebrity. Having searched this forum, I think that I've got my appreciative head around most of the benefits but have a couple of queries. 

Are the the three free drinks preloaded onto your card for use in any bar or restaurant at any particular time in addition to access to the Diamond Lounge, or am I confused?  What additional services are available in the Diamond Lounge?

I think that I am up to speed with the pre-ordering of Coke/Sprite or water and availability of the Diamond breakfast area but are there any other benefits that I should be aware of?

We are sailing on Explorer of the Seas this August, which hosted our first cruise 11 years ago, and have booked a guarantee ocean view cabin so hope that the upgrade fairy may visit us, but it seldom does!

Many thanks to you for all of the help and advice which I hope will come flooding in. 

Rob

Thanks to you all for your advice. We are really looking forward to our first Cunard cruise. 

Rob

Good day

We are experienced cruisers and trying Cunard for the first time next month. It's my intention to take some wine on board at Southampton, say a couple of bottles for cabin consumption and another half dozen or so to take to the restaurant, which I realise I will need to pay corkage fees for. The Cunard FAQ section doesn't give any guidance on this so I am asking on this forum whether there is a process to follow when taking the bottles on board?

Many thanks in advance for your help. 

Rob

Thanks for that cruising fox. We’ve booked a laundry package. Looking forward to our time on board.

Rob

Thanks eastoftheboston (surely that's the UK!). I will go with the package on offer. 

Rob

Thanks for all of your advice. I am leaning towards pre-purchasing a laundry package but will hold off for a week or so to hear what cruisingfox's experience is. Very much looking forward to our first YC experience, laundry or not!

I've searched but can't find the answer. We're sailing in the Yacht Club, our first time, next April on Preziosa's transatlantic crossing and no doubt will need some laundry as it's about a 3 week voyage. A recent email from MSC invited us to pre-book items, including laundry, and save money.  However, when investigating it says that 'this cannot be combined with Yacht Club offers'. Does anyone know what YC offers there may be on laundry, I do realise that it's not included in the YC package. 

Many thanks. 

Rob

My experience of disembarking in Barbados to fly back to the UK twice was that your luggage went out the night before, as usual practice, but on both occasions we kept our cabin until about 1pm and were able to use our drinks package on disembarkation day.  Our transfers to the airport were about 3-4 hours before flight time and you collected your luggage from an MSC 'pile' of luggage at the airport to check in.  My only concern is that I've just read another thread on the 'new' drink packages which suggests that they aren't valid on disembarkation day. 

Always do your homework and compare different deals. We were looking at 12 nights on Ventura on 9th December and saw a deal for a saver fare at £649 for an inside cabin, so just about £54 pppn. On further investigation, the obstructed view outside cabin was £720 on a select fare, but this came with a total of £110 pp obc and all of the other select benefits, although strangely we don't have a cabin allocated yet so the upgrade fairy may arrive! Guess which one we booked!

Just a thought, perhaps you could buy the beer vouchers whilst on board so that he can have his choice of the beers in that package rather than just the Heineken. That would save you from having to upgrade both your packages if your happy with all of the other included drinks.

I'm sure someone will correct me if this isn't a good idea.

Rob

Crikey! Just realised how old this thread is! What did you choose?

Rob

I'm lucky enough to have been on Grand Voyages on both, Genoa to Barbados on Poesia in November 2016 and Venice to Durban in October 2017, and enjoyed them both. In my view, Poesia is a nicer ship with more facilities and the cabins are larger with a greater choice of balcony cabins and there are more facilities on board, but I would not hesitate to go on either of them again but my wife much preferred Poesia. I'm afraid that may not help you but be reassured that you have two great options available.

Rob

Oh! I forgot to mention the four chocolate ships!

We've just returned from a two week Caribbean cruise on Fantasia and are black card members. Before going I was under the impression that we would receive one voucher for my wife and I to have a speciality restaurant meal. On boarding we had two vouchers in our cabin and later that evening we were offered two bottles of prosecco and two plates of chocolate covered fruits! We asked for one to be kept and be delivered later in the cruise.

We enjoyed our meal in the Tex Mex, especially as they served rib-eye as the steak option rather than the strip steak on the menu.

When I went to the Tex Mex to book the second meal, they took my booking then handed me an envelope with my cabin number containing two more vouchers for the 'second week'!

When I asked the Voyagers Club rep to arrange for the delivery of my second bottle of prosecco, later on that day I returned to the cabin to find two bottles and two more plates of chocolate fruit!

We also received two invites to the Black Members party, one spa voucher and one dance lesson voucher, which is wasted on me!

We didn't receive the Voyagers Club gift at all, but we already have more than four tote bags so I didn't shed too many tears.

The cruise was a standard two week Barbados to Barbados cruise not a back to back so we cannot work out why we received so many treats!

Thank you MSC!

Rob

Cheers to you Cake!

I forgot to mention that the house wine, well the red anyway, isn't the best I've ever tried! But the second glass is better than the first, and the third is better.......

you get my drift!

Enjoy yourselves.

Rob

Just returned from Fantasia after two weeks having joined on 27th February and we had a great time as a group of 3 married couples. The food was really good, especially in the restaurants, where we mainly ate as we found the buffet to be a bit of a 'scrum'. The entertainment was very good with very visual music and dancing shows in the theatre and a variety of different music available in the bars. The drinks package is excellent value and the Caribbean itinerary visits some good places.

If you go with an open mind I am sure that you will love it but speaking to some Brits, they were disappointed that it wasn't like P and O or Royal Caribbean and had lots of passengers and was very 'foreign'. Also, be aware that it will embark and disembark lots of guests at intermediate stops, especially Guadeloupe and Martinique, and that they will be, gasp! horror! foreigners!

The ship is great and quite spectacular, the cabins are spacious and it is a very clean ship. The staff are friendly but, in common with most cruise ships, not native English speakers and some are easier to understand than others.

I don't like the repetitive announcements in four or five languages, the disruption of lifeboat drills for new guests every day or so, the lack of logic to some things that happen on board, the repeat visits to some ports and other minor inconsistencies but you're on holiday so go with the flow.

It can't be too bad as this was my fifth MSC cruise and another is booked for next year, but I am also lucky enough to have had another 25 cruises with many different lines under my belt so I am not too 'brand loyal'.

I hope that this reassures you and you all have a great time, after all, it is your holiday!

Rob

We are black members and sailed the Grand Voyage from Venice to Durban last October. Although there are no speciality restaurants, there was a black members lunch which was well attended and included a ships officer at each table for about 8 persons, quality wines and a great menu including a steak choice. Don't know if this was because it was a Grand Voyage or will be generally available as a substitute for the lack of a speciality restaurant. We had a great cruise by the way!