gumshoe958

Lots of good hotels in Bath including Hilton & IHG options if you have status. Not cheap though given its popularity with tourists. It’s a small city and everything is easily walkable.

Fantastic. I’ve not been to Bergen but heard good things. Geiranger was just breathtaking with some stunning walks if that’s your thing, in which case no need for an excursion. From Olden, if you want to see the Briksdal glacier, you can avoid the overpriced excursions and catch the local bus for about £3.50 each way. Haugesund - meh. Not much to see there! Here’s the Briksdal glacier (what’s left of it): As you can see we were insanely lucky with the weather and even got to see the Northern Lights (very unusual in September and so far south). I’d do the fjords again in a heartbeat.

2026 is the final deadline I think. But it’s already started and is being phased in gradually based on levels of emissions. Cunard’s QM2 has already been banned from Flam and Geiranger this summer and the regulations will get progressively tougher over the next four years so don’t leave it until the last minute. The captain on Jewel of the Seas was asked about it at captain’s corner a couple of weeks ago, and was of the firm opinion that the end is nigh for large ships in the fjords. So yes, do it while you still can and don’t leave it too long. There’s some background here: https://ferryshippingnews.com/norways-bold-environmental-decisions-catalyst-for-change/ And the Cunard thread here: Oh, and if you want to see what you’re missing, this was Jewel in Geiranger two weeks ago:

Norway is gradually moving towards banning large cruise ships from fjords like Geiranger so if that’s on your bucket list, do it while you can. Otherwise it really depends what you’re into as both are fascinating and beautiful in their own very different way. For history (and heat!), it’s Greece. For nature it’s Norway.

Plenty of people, if it means they get a great deal on a much better cabin/suite. If you’re not one of them, just cancel your bid. Royal wants to make sure those suites don’t sail empty if someone no shows or cancels last minute.

I have to admit I’d be sceptical about 14 nights on VV. I’ve only ever done 3-nighters, which were all awesome, but I felt they struggled to come up with enough activities and entertainment even for them so goodness knows how they fill 14. And while the restaurants are without doubt excellent, there are very limited choices on the menus which never change so I wonder if they’d start feeling very samey after a while. Just my thoughts …

The UDP is very popular on TAs given the number of sea days (when lunch is included too, maximising the value). So it may well have sold out. Keep checking your cruise planner though as it may reappear if anyone cancels. And even if it doesn’t, it may well be for sale on board. As for restaurants, I really enjoyed 150 CP, Izumi (normal, not hibachi), Chops and Giovanni’s. Mason Jar was underwhelming (although I absolutely loved the separate bar and its live country band) and Hooked was disappointing.

The production shows are City of Dreams and Tango Buenos Aires.

And the earlier you board the better your chances of getting your preferred show and dining reservations, if that matters to you.

Half term (for most schools, except the posh ones) is only a week so it won’t be an issue. TAs are rarely attractive to families with kids due to their length, high proportion of sea days and one-way nature. There’ll be a few kids but it certainly won’t be overrun with them.

Just because you can bid via RoyalUp does not necessarily mean that category is available; it may indeed be sold out. But if someone cancels last minute or no-shows on the day, thanks to RoyalUp an otherwise empty cabin or suite can be filled immediately and Royal makes a few more $$$. Win win.

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Depends on the ship too. Smaller ships with only 3 or 4 venues, maybe not. But on an Oasis class ship you can eat somewhere different every night for a week and still not do them all.

Exactly. The whole point is to make sure the prime real estate isn’t empty or given away if someone cancels last minute or no shows. Plus there’s the psychological aspect. I suspect we’d be shocked at how many people willingly pay way over the odds for an upgrade simply because of the perception that they’ve “won” a bid. Sure, there are bargains to be had but overall the house always wins.

I think you can rest assured that 99.9% of emails sent to that address get nowhere near Mr Bayley!

Yes, 485c is described as a club within a club. But they haven’t said anything about perks etc - just that it’s for “VIP sailors who joined us in our first official year of operations, and who have sailed more than anyone else”. I’ve not done Rockstar either but am/was a Sea Blazer and have done 4 voyages. Which suggests 485c is for Sea Blazers who’ve done 3+ or 4+ voyages. The email says it’s limited to 99 sailors “for now” (the 100th being Sir Richard Branson 😂) and we’ll receive “extra love and epic surprises” on shore and on board.

Yes, I got the 485c invite too. Mysterious!

You both have to have a package, but not necessarily the same one. Why? To stop people abusing the system and buying one package to share between two.

My guess would be for Europe, nothing will change for the rest of the season. There are too many different jurisdictions involved and with only about 10 weeks of the season left it would probably be too much hassle to change things now. Just a guess though. Fingers crossed I’m wrong.

I thought the food was very average but the bar, with the live Country Crew Trio, was awesome (they’re separate so no need for a dinner reservation to sit in the bar).

If you don’t want to sail with hundreds of kids, why on earth would you choose a family-friendly cruise line in the middle of the school summer break? If you want a younger adult crowd with no kids allowed, try Virgin. Celebrity is fine but definitely much older.

You mean neither of you intended to cancel. But if, god forbid, you caught Covid, broke your leg, lost a close family member or your house burned down the day before your cruise, Royal would have someone ready to take your suite for $$$ without having to look for them. That’s the real point of RoyalUp. Sure, there are bargains to be had but for Royal it ensures the suites and pricier balconies sail full for as much money as possible, even if there’s a last minute cancellation or no show. There may be two fewer people on board, but it’ll be an inside cabin that’s empty - not a suite.

Get yourself on Wonder then. There’s a live country trio every night in the Mason Jar.

The UK is fast becoming cashless so you will be fine with just cards there (although American Express isn’t as widely accepted as it is in the US, particularly outside London). Indeed in London cash is no longer accepted on buses, and if you use it on the tube you’ll pay much higher fares.

To try and put you off doing it? After all, Royal would much rather you paid for it on board.