Magicdi

I've been on both ships and although the Brittania is newer and has more areas on the deck i.e. serenity deck. I thought the theatre and show lounges on Brittania were the same size as on the Azura but there were a lot more passengers, so we never managed to get a space to even stand, let alone sit in the show lounge (cant remember what its called). I also know what you mean about the smoking area on Brittania at the back of the ship - not the nicest of areas. Only went once and didn't go back.

The Azura has a nice feel to it and I like the Riviera Pool Deck at the stern of the ship. Much nicer than the smoking area on Brittania.

All in all I prefer Azura.

Hi Enjoyed reading your review of the ship tour. I know what you mean about the big American ships, we have also sailed Epic and Harmony of the Seas, but also love doing the Azura or Brittania in the Caribbean for New Year. We were stunned by the Harmony, best ship I've ever been on, but we also love the Azura and have made some good friends who sail most years on the new year carribean and we always have a great time. We love the formal nights on P & O and having pre dinner cocktails in the crows nest, always a very mixed age crowd over Christmas and new year, we have taken our teenage/early twenties kids and they had a great time and met so many other young people. Of course the itinerary is fab.

Tortola - Cain garden bay is lovely

St Lucia - Rodney Bay for the sand and length beach but marigot bay has lovely scenery and is quite upmarket but not as good sand and sea.

St Vincent - Not really a beach island, there may be some but I didn't see any - we did an island tour here.

Not been to Martinique yet.

We are also on Azura cruise on 29th Dec this year so looking forward to Martinique

We sailed on Brittania on the New Year Cruise in Caribbean and we booked a spa package about 3 months before we sailed. This cost about £350 per person but included 2 spa treatments each and five retreat passes and five hydro/sauna passes and also 9 passes for fitness classes. when you book the package you will be contacted by a concierge from the spa who will arrange in advance your retreat bookings. We used these on the sea days and a day where we only had a morning excursion in Dominica so went to retreat afterwards. I know it's expensive but it saves a lot of hassle and you also get the spa treatments and use of the spa facilities which all adds up.

In Dominica we have done the Layou River Tubing with the Wacky Rollers and it is great fun. It's only a half day trip and you can do morning or afternoon . We booked with P & O.

Yes. You will be contacted by a spa concierge and they will arrange your preferred dates and times for your treatments

I think you will only find these things out once onboard. Your get a newsletter in your cabin each night with all the entertainment listed for the following day.

Thanks

Just wondered if anyone has purchased one of the spa packages recently for the Brittania? If you did, did someone contact you prior to sailing to make your reservations for the treatments and retreat days etc, or did you have to do this when you got onboard at the Spa?

From reading the Spa Package information on the website it says you will be contacted by a Spa Concierge prior to your cruise to make your reservations, but when my husband emailed p & o the lady said we can book the package in advance but we cannot make our reservations until we are on board at the Spa desk.?

thanks

Di

Hi Woodsie

The premium restaurants become available for booking on cruise personaliser 120 days before sailing date. I booked mine on 2nd September for my cruise on Brittania on 30th December. You do have to pay online when you make the bookings but I always like to book early and get the dates and times I want to dine.

Di

Both times we went to the Caribbean we didn't even land until after 3pm in the afternoon and as soon as we got off the bus we got into the queue to check in etc.

THe last time we were on Azura in a suite (2 years ago) the restaurant we had breakfast was called Seventeen and not Epicurian. It may have changed since?

It was a lovely experience sitting outside at the back of the ship for breakfast in the morning sun in the Caribbean.

Thanks. It's a shame we can't have breakfast outside as its lovely in the Caribbean. We are on the new year sailing and it's our first time on brittania.

Di

Hi

When we were on the Azura, Suite guests could have breakfast in Seventeen.

Is there a restaurant assigned to suite guests on Brittania for breakfast.?

Also does the restaurant have an outside deck area for dining outside for breakfast like Seventenn has, as we loved this on the Azura.

Thanks

Diane

We did Cosol tours in St. Lucia and it was a great day. There is also the sugar train in St.Lucia which is supposed to be a good trip but I think you have to book with cruise ship.

We also did a tour in St.Maartan where we were taken to an Eguana farm and then on to the French side of the island overlooking the Atlantic and saw a man who lets you hold sea urchins and then we had an hour or so at a lovely beach called Orient Beach on the French side, then had lunch in the French port of Marigot , finally we went to the beach next to the airport runway where the plains come into land very low over the beach. It was a good day. I can't remember the name of the tour company but we found it on the St.Maartan website.

In Dominica we did River Tubing with the wacky rollers which is really fun.

We embark on Friday 1st on the Vista and I just wanted to ask, for those who have already sailed on Vista, what time were your cabins ready to use on the day of embarkation? Are you allowed to go direct to your cabin to drop your bags and change etc, or do you have to wait till later in the afternoon. WE fly into Barcelona at about 11am and should be at the port by Midday.

thanks

di

HI

WHich ports do you visit on your cruise and I will try to help, as I have been to quite a lot of the European Ports already.

DI

Meeting people from all over the world, seeing everyone having a wonderful time and of course the Food, Drinks, Entertainment. So exciting to go on the biggest ship in the world.

I have also been checking on my cruise planner for booking entertainment for our cruise on Harmony on 10th July. As this will be our first cruise on Royal Caribbean can anyone tell me how many shows are performed each evening and the times of the shows. I have already made our dining reservations for each night and most of my reservations are around 8pm as I am doing anytime dining. I hope the dining times I have reserved will allow us to see some entertainment / shows afterwards.

Di

i put my speciality dining requests in on the Manage my booking page about 3 weeks ago and have still not had a reply. we sail on 1st July 2016. It's very frustrating as I don't even know if my request has been received correctly. who would I contact to ask?

How do carnival confirm your bookings for the premium restaurants? Is it by email?

I've never cruised with Royal Caribbean, but have booked on Harmony of the seas in July from Barcelona. Does anyone know when I will be able to book shows online. I have been able to reserve some of the speciality restaurants online (although a lot of them are fully booked already and we don't sail til, 10th July.).

thanks

Di

I went into the restaurant reservation in manage my bookings and put in the details on the form provided but I didn't get any confirmation as to if my booking has been confirmed. When I made reservations on other ships you usually have to pay for the reservation on your credit card, but nothing came up so I don't know if my reservation has worked. Anyone else had the same problem?

gosh they are very small. I do like sitting on the balcony with a coffee in the morning in my robe and a drink in the evening before we go for dinner. I don't sit on it all day as I prefer to go on the sun decks on sea days and I just wondered how overlooked you are by the people above, as on the Azura.

Can anyone tell me if the balcony's are the same as on the Azura i.e. We had a balcony on the Riviera deck on Azura, which was the top deck of balcony cabins, our balcony ŵas covered over but we looked down and could see the people on the balconies below us as they were staggered in depth.

Is it the same on Brittania?

Thanks

Di