LandC

Has anyone been on this ship since its refurbishment in November? I am due to sail on her next month, so any information would be appreciated.:rolleyes:

Has anyone been on the Black Watch since its recent refit? We are due to sail on her next month, and would be interested to know what the balcony/terrace cabins are like.:confused:

Thank you so much for you comprehensive and helpful review soccer ref. it's great that you didn't miss any of the stops due to bad weather. The itinerary looks very interesting, and I am tempted to try it myself!:)

This is really helpful Tring. I'm not on this cruise, but am off to South America on the Black Watch in January, and Fred has recommended yellow fever vaccination and anti malarial medication. I will check these websites nearer the time for up to date information. :)

I agree. We went on a 14 night Baltic cruise on the Balmoral in 2012, and it was a magical experience. We spent 2 whole days in St Petersburg, and we arranged a private tour with Alla tours. You book on their website and print off the tickets, which get you through passport control at the port. No money changes hands until the second day of the tour. They prefer to be paid in cash, preferably crisp new dollars, euros or pounds. They pick you up from the port in a minibus. We saw many attractions without having to queue, and they provide lunch on both days, and guarantee to get you back to the ship on time.

We returned yesterday from a 6 night cruise on the Boudicca. It's the first time we've been on this ship, but have sailed twice before on the Balmoral. We're happy to report that everything is looking shipshape. The dining rooms are light and airy. Café Venus is a pleasant venue for a coffee, but the chocolates for sale there are quite expensive. The outdoor Grill restaurant was advertising meals at a £15 supplement; this was reduced to £10 after a couple of nights. We didn't try it; another couple did and thought the food wasn't as good as the standard restaurant fare, but each to their own!

We really enjoyed the relaxed and friendly atmosphere on the ship.

Thank you very much for this comprehensive review of all your cruises, Oldbugger, it's really helpful. We have only been on 2 cruises, both on Fred's Balmoral, which we really enjoyed; the food and service were excellent. We are due to cruise on the Boudicca in May, so I do hope the service has improved by then!

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Easyjet introduced pre-booking of seats last year, so There is no longer a scrum to get seats together. We have flown with them several times and have found the service excellent. I hope you enjoy your cruise, it sounds an interesting itinerary.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

We'd very much appreciate an update on the issue of propeller noise on the Minerva. We are booked in an aft cabin inSeptember this year.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

My brother used a taxi recently to get from Euston to Waterloo. The cost was £15, but of course it varies according to the amount of traffic. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you enjoy your cruise!

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app