soobs

I am looking at this cruise or the 4/5 Dec cruise not sure if I can put my email address or not but will give it a whirl

stuartrowbotham100@gmail.com

Is there any difference in the 2 restaurants? I often wonder which one I am in on the Ventura as they look so similar?

Makes good sense to fly down night before being Xmas and obviously winter too risky flying down on the day of departure IMO and less tiring having had a good nights sleep and not having to get up mega early. You are likely to be able to get cheaper flights as well if you are not tied to what time you travel, early morning flights are usually more expensive as they are used as business flights.

Just make me realise how lucky we are on the doorstep of Manchester Airport.

Gosh thank you for all your replies, Thomson sounds to be the better option and we found it okay, the 2 3 2 seat configuration sounds appealing, I am not sure another airport is the solution could not face the prospect of the return flight arriving mid December in the cold at an airport far away from home - we only live 20 minutes from Manchester.

Will keep an eye on what is available we are flexible over the Friday or Saturday departure but would prefer the Saturday for a change. We will have to be flexible on dates as well but hoping for the Britannia but will happily accept Azura.

My point exactly. People turn up when they want and selfishly don't care about anyone else.

 

Does it not state in the terms & conditions that they reserve the right to 'change' such things.

 

I'm on Azura in December and the whole first weeks itinery has changed and I cannot do a thing about it.

Sorry to move away from the main thread - what has changed on the December cruise and which cruise

We have cruised the Caribbean a good few times and have always been put on the Thomson flight which for the last few years has been the Dreamliner - we have often paid for extra leg room seats (not sure it was worth the money) the configuration was 3 3 3. We have always taken the Friday flight out of Manchester.

This year we cannot book until 8 weeks before due to work commitments so I am not expecting a choice of Friday or Saturday flights or the carrier - in fact the Saturday flight would make a change having a night in Barbados at the end instead of the start.

Can anyone help with comparisons of the 2 flights please. I have checked seat guru and it looks like 2 TC flights per day and 3 2 3 seating but cannot see Thomson on there.

On our first P & O Caribbean cruise we contacted P & O to ask about medical seats due to my partners arthritis and my occasional panic attacks they said they would seat us in seats near the front, and gave us the seat numbers which were what we got and all was good for the outbound flight.

On board we got the usual flyer pre-booking on the return flight so we went to speak to them and they said yes they had the request and we would be given the same seats returning.

We had offered to pay but were told there was no need.

When we got our return seat allocation we were near the back of the plane and not sat together, we complained on board and were told it would be sorted at the airport and that they had sent advance notification, check-in they said the same that 2 people had agreed to move to sit nearer to some friends, on board we were told there had been no such request!!

I spoke to the people who were sat in the seats we had been told we would have they said they paid for the seats whilst on board ship!!

We were eventually given 2 seats mid plane that didn't recline, the people in front reclined straight away and that's where we were stuck for the duration of the flight. I had to stand and sit on the floor near the loo's for part of the flight and my OH could barely walk off the plane.

Never again we always book our seats now - we were compensated very well from P & O and also received a very nice hamper which was really nice they really empathised with our situation and were very nice about it.

So for me sack your principals and book your seats that's what I do

I have no problem getting a sun lounger just get up at dawn and bag one with my towel - only joking.

Breakfast in the main dining room so again not a problem.

Lunch in the buffet after the mad rush so again not a problem.

I enjoy my holidays so find the best way to enjoy it.

Holidaying in a resort is the same the sunbeds on the beach or around the pool are always taken so find some where else to sunbathe.

Complaining is a hobby to some people. Each to their own I guess.

Hi

He may moan to start but I bet he enjoys it once he has done it, my OH was really against it when we started cruising but loves the formal nights now I see him looking in the mirror when he has his tux on obviously thinking how smart he looks (and yes he does)

There is one exception that he is not keen on and that is when a formal night is on a port day, we have had them twice on port days in the Caribbean but he just gets on with it now.

I agree it would make it easier to budget I like to know what I am spending and do find I have to keep tabs on my bill as I go through the holiday, yes I know some people will say if you cannot afford it then don't go!!

We do like a drink or 2 and are often still drinking at midnight but we have never seen drunken behavior on board.

I am up for the AI and would be happy to pay for it but not through the nose as we are budget travelers that like a nice holiday.

Gin, bitter lemon and orange juice - Clementine nice fruity drink

We usually do a Friday out as OH is ready for home once we dock at the end of the holiday and we like the day in Barbados at the start. But this year we are thinking of trying a Saturday as we find we are always tired after the flight so don't get the best out of our day in Barbados so going to try it at the end.

Also as we usually go the last cruise before Xmas the Friday gets us home a day earlier to prepare for Xmas.

Think it's a personal choice thing

Debenhams for me, I have picked up some good buys on the blue x days, last year I got 3 Jenny Packham dresses (Kate Middleton wears these) the most I paid was £42

I always pack the dinner suit last no tissue just as it is folded in half, we have only done Caribbean fly cruises so we were all packed the afternoon before and even after a flight and the luggage not arriving until the middle of the night so not opened until the next morning OH's suit was fine no creases

we do have large cases so only needed to fold it in half and put it in the case that only had clothes in.

Don't worry and stress just dream of your holiday

Hi all

I have never cruised with Costa before but it has been highly recommended on the previous P & O cruises we have done.

We are looking at the Italy, Balearic's & The French Riviera in April, just as a taster cruise before venturing further afield.

With P & O we are allowed to take alcohol on board for consumption in cabin we believe this is not allowed with Costa???

What will the AI upgrade cost us for 7 nights and is it worth it?

Any advice for new Costa cruisers would be really appreciated, I have tried the search button but could not find what I wanted to know.

thanks in advance

If budget demands we have an inside Cabin we always try to go on Riveria deck because without a balcony you have no where to sit if your not in bed, on Riveria it's only a few steps and you can be on desk, lovely place to sit out late at night with a nightcap.

Gosh seagreen, what a plucky lady carrying on with her cruise, I really admire that but never thought of the complications around a body being on board surely they didn't keep him on board for the hole of the WC?

Let us now the outcome Tring

We stumbled across the GBS on our 3rd cruise and love it cannot believe we missed the first 3, as said it's only an hour and you can avoid it if you don't like it. We don't like bingo so avoid it but other's love it. One size doesn't fit all!!!!

It's a holiday after all are we not supposed to enjoy it!!

I think we need to put the M&S price analogy to bed once and for all, as its the example that gets quoted time and time again.

 

The big difference here is that your sale item in M&S is last season, yes you might still get some wear out of it, but from an M&S point of view, its old stock, wrong season - big coats with Spring approaching, or bikinis at the end of summer and they want rid ASAP as its taking up valuable floor space that can be put to better use displaying new season stock at full price.

 

So its old tat they are trying to get rid off before they ship it to the outlet stores.

 

Whereas your cruise that you have just seen slashed by a third is still to happen, its new, its exciting, its something you are looking forward to, its something that is still on sale as a cruise for the coming season, its still in the glossy brochures and its still current.

 

That is why people get so upset, I'm not one of them, but trying to explain it away via the M&S example - doesn't work or help our cruisers in distress!

Okay maybe M & S is old tat richleeds, how about the theatre tickets I paid full price for to get the seat I wanted and my daughter got a row behind me a few days before for a 3rd of the price, or the pram I bought my daughter/grandchild for £700 only to see it reduced 2 months later at £350 and baby not been born yet!! I did complain about this one and got my money back but they wouldn't sell me the reduced one so sent a friend back to buy it!!.

I picked up 200 Malborough lights in Grenada for $28 at the shops at the port if that's any good for you

I agree with Josy, I bought a coat from M & S in the sale just after Xmas after watching the price for a couple of months I got a real bargain it was reduced from £170 to £65. Last week it was on the bargain rail at £35 it's just how it goes.

Rule of thumb is book when you are happy with the price and don't look again.

It's as Josy says and it's very difficult to predict what the public are going to do when pricing anything up we are unpredictable creatures.

Yes they are White Room productions small bottles which they replace when empty more often than not and a large bottle fixed to the wall in the shower we took 2 showers most days and some 3 the bottle still had some in when we left.

It's a nice enough product not to have to bother taking gel/cream with you - take another pair of shoes instead!!

Not a great lot!!!! Only joking unless you do a tour of kind there isn't much we have been 3 times always docked in the out of town dock because there has been a Carnival or R Caribbean ship in dock.

We usually get the mini bus to town have a walk buy some gin and go back to the ship.

In December 14 we went to find the supermarket to get some water and lemonade and came straight out, it was filthy & smelt to high heaven did without until the next port.

I know there is whale watching trips and other things if you want to explore, we are just mooch about people and love a nice beach.

I'm not much help really am I? apart from give the supermarket a mis.

S

thank you all lots to think about here, I am a bit of a sun worshipper will think about a TA long and hard and make a decision over the next couple of weeks. But one thing is sure I will be defiantly be back on board for a Barbados to Barbados cruise later in the year prices will decide if it is the Britannia or Azura