FionaMG

Thanks for the pub recommendation @heatherb1958. DD and I are hoping to do a day trip to Portsmouth prior to cruising on Anthem in September, so this is very handy. 😊

Is there an airport surcharge or something? I'm flying into Southampton in August and was just going to get a taxi to the Ibis. Should I rethink my strategy?

My departure tag got ripped off once so there was a moment of panic in the terminal when my bag wasn't where it was supposed to be. One of the terminal staff pointed me to the unidentifiable luggage desk and luckily it was there. Ever since, I've used the tag holders for the departure tags as well.

https://loyaltoyoualways.com/ And you can always just keep checking the main Royal website.

Yes, indeed. I always do this too.

I like to use the tag holders too. I feel there's less chance of the tags coming off if they're in the holders.

I'm glad you managed to get an alternative tour. It looks like you're in for an amazing day. 😊 Many people don't realise just how far west Portugal is as it tends to get lumped in with Spain and considered a Mediterranean country even though it isn't. 🇵🇹

I agree that an excursion in Lanzarote is a must-do if you've never been before. The one @mil76 chose is a great one. Another really interesting place to visit, if you find an excursion that goes there, is the Cueva de Los Verdes cave system: https://cactlanzarote.com/en/centre/cueva-de-los-verdes/ In Tenerife, an excursion that takes you to Teide National Park, which is a Unesco World Heritage site is well worth doing: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1258/ I also agree with La Coruna being very walkable. We actually walked to Tower of Hercules and went up inside it. It's very cheap, only a few euros, except on the first Monday of every month, when it's free. But it's not for the faint-hearted or if you're mobility-challenged. Lots of stairs in a very narrow enclosed stairway... And if you continue walking beyond the the Tower, the road eventually brings you back into town alongside the town beach, which is also lovely. From there, a nice stroll through the shopping area brings you back to thes ship. It's a really great itinerary and I'm glad I had the chance to do it. I've been thoroughly enjoying reliving it through this live report, so thanks very much for that @mil76 ☺️

That was my impression too but I just had a look at my pics and there does appear to be a small area with what look more like rental umbrellas and loungers, although I have no idea how much they would have cost. There were definitely toilets and showers. You can see the blue and white umbrellas and loungers on the right of the first pic. I think that might have been where the toilets were too and I think both were probably around the central part of the promenade in the second pic. The pics don't really do it justice. I thought it was a very nice beach. We were there in the lull between the end of the summer season and the start of the winter season, which would potentially explain why it seems so empty. There are several hotels along the seafront so I have to imagine it would be much busier when the season is in full swing.

Thanks to all for sharing. It feels like it's ended too soon. Safe travels home.

Haha yes! 😂😂😂 I wonder why we call it that since it's anything but grotty. 🤔 We have also done holidays and cruise ship visits and really like it too.

This happened to us too! We did take umbrellas and ended up not needing them. What we did regret not bringing were beach towels. We ended up buying one at one of the shops beside the beach! 😂

Absolutely. DH and I do not like sushi either but the Hibachi menu is not sushi; it's food that's cooked live in front of you. It's a fun show by the chef as well as a tasty meal. You should be able to access the menu on the app.

Yes! I would love that.

Apart from lunch being about half the price of dinner, there's no difference. Go for it! 😁

Thanks for answering. I had no idea about the relationship between cashew nuts and mangos, so that's something else I've learned today. I wish you all the best in dealing with it all going forward.

My take is that if you enjoyed it and were comfortable with the price then it's money well spent and not a rip-off. I'm glad you had fun doing it. 😊 Madeira is one of my favourite places and I always suggest the baskets when someone asks me what there is to do there.

Thanks very much @TwoMisfits for your review. You have opened my eyes to what it means to live with severe food allergies and I am impressed by your positive approach to dealing with them. I have what may be an indiscreet question, so please don't feel any obligation to answer. I am truly interested but don't want to pry. You mentioned that your allergies are adult onset. Do you have any idea what caused this? And is there any hope of them (for want of a better way of putting it) going away again?

I got some of that in Geiranger. I bought a set of three - moose, reindeer and whale - that came with a wooden cutting board in the shape of a violin. All three were very tasty. 😋

It must have just come out yesterday. I've been checking every day, first thing in the morning my time. Glad you were able to get it. 😊

I didn't but I pretty much assume that just about every discount anywhere is subject to availability. 😂

You can buy round trip tickets for the cable car if you prefer not to go down in the baskets. Lots of information on the website here: https://madeiracablecar.com/en/ Whichever option you choose, it's a great experience.

Radiance is up. 8-night Pacific Coastal from Vancouver to San Diego on 26 September. 16-night Panama Canal from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale on 4 October. Prices look sensible. Thereafter, 3- and 4-nighters out of Fort Lauderdale.

Love it! 😂😂😂

It is a thing and it's not new. On my very first MSC cruise, back in 2014, one couple in our family group were old enough to qualify for a "senior offer" which provided a discount and some onboard perks. I was recently looking for up-to-date info about it to see if DH and I had crossed the threshold because I couldn't remember what age it started at and I couldn't find anything about it on the MSC website. I thought it had probably just been dropped. However, prompted by this thread, it occurred to me to take a look at the online brochures and wouldn't you know it... Now, admittedly, I'm in Portugal, but I looked at both the Portuguese and the international brochures and the information is there in black and white in both, so... Click on this link to get to the brochures: https://www.msccruises.com/int/our-brochures Then choose the Summer 2024 brochure, go to page 120 and read the section headed "Senior Club". For anyone who might have difficulty viewing it, here's a screenshot of what it says: I hope the information will be useful. 🙂