Cappers

Now I know this might sound daft but why are Oriana cruises so much more expensive than the other ships? I've just seen a 15 night one that is £5,499 per person!! That is outrageous :eek: we've been thinking we'd like to try her,,or Oceania but not at that price.

Do it do it do it do it:D Norway is so cool,,and not just temperature wise! I've done it twice now,,once on Britannia and once on Azura,,captain of Azura said heavy seas one night but Azura never moved,,she was as steady as a rock. Am doing it again this May on her. There's loads of stuff to do with kids in and around the fjord ports,,boats, kayaks, RIB boat rides,,all sorts of things. We're going with friends who have 3 kids,,8yr old twins and a 12 yr old and they are very excited about it! In Bergen if you get the funicular up to the top of mount Floyen(?) there is a troll trail that is a nice way to pass an hour or two..and then if you like fish you could have lunch at the fish market and pick what you want and then have it cooked for you. I had salmon caught that morning with salad and it was yummy.

I am not sure who is on at the main theatre, but at the Limelight club there is Jackie Graham, Kiki Dee and Darren Day! :)

I'm beginning to think that Jackie Graham must live on Britannia ;)

Well,,squash my butternuts,,the Azura cruise I'm watching dropped £100 last night:D

The overall thing seems to me that it is completely random and unpredictable :rolleyes:

I'm just wondering,,those of you that book really early,,are there any particular reasons you like a specific cabin? It's not something I ever really think about so I'm curious.

Just to add ,,I watched the price for the same cruise in the same week last year on Britannia and from early march it went in a pattern of 3 prices,,I tracked that pattern and pounced about 6 weeks before sailing when I didn't think it would go any lower. I remember feeling very pleased with myself:D

Hhhmmmm,,I've got my eye on Azura at the end of May to Norway,,the price hasn't changed at all yet since the first time I looked at it. Some friends have booked it but they have 3 children so wanted to get the cabin they need for all of them. It will be their first cruise and we have promised to go with them,,as I have repeatedly assured them they will love it we really do have to keep to that promise..but it's still quite a bit more than we would normally pay and we will have to book the select fare so we can choose freedom dining as they have done to ensure we can dine together. I normally book saver fares as we don't really mind which exact cabin we have so I'm already slightly irritated by the non movement of the price. The question is,,how long can I hold my nerve before caving in and booking it at what I consider a too high price :rolleyes: I don't reckon it will drop before march,,,based on past experiences of price watching!

Thank you shipmates for your thoughts. I'm all for it really but I suppose I should consider my husbands opinions for at least one of our planned trips this year:rolleyes: I hate the hassle of airports and flying to so I'd choose cruise every time,,but sometimes it's nice just to have a week on a beach.

Been on Britannia twice,,booked saver fare both times and got freedom dining both times. Quite a few people said that's the way it's going now..is that right?

They are great fun! A nice little break away from reality,,nice food,,entertainment,,put your glad rags on and bop til you drop!

I'm looking at this as well for this Easter. Although we've now notched up a fair few cruises we've not yet crossed the BoB on the water. We are not fans of sea days really so I'm wondering exactly how long after leaving Southampton it is before arriving at somewhere like Santander or la Coruna? My husband favours flying to Malaga and doing the Thomson cruise with 3 days on a beach afterwards but I'm thinking if I'm going to be sailing up and down the Atlantic coast I'd rather do it on a BIG ship like Azura! I've heard so many horror stories about the BoB it does make me think twice as my husband has been known to suffer very bad sea/ travel sickness.

Shame on those people that spoilt other people's hard earned holiday. I wonder if they realise how noisy and annoying they were being? I'd love to know what they would say if they read this thread.

That's what I'm looking for too cappers! Like you we have been in two lovely hotels but both were a bit isolated and the beaches were quite small or man made.

 

 

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We're they by any chance either the atlantica grand,,with a funny little funicular up and down the multi level hill with all the rooms and the pool and restaurant at the very top? Or the Eva palace? Both very nice hotels,,but the location of both just about drove me mad. Nowhere to walk to,,no shops,,no bars,,nothing around,,good job I was exhausted after a hectic cruise or I would have been bored silly. And,,is it just me or do they just not do entertainment in hotels in Corfu?

Talking of Corfu ,,does anybody know which area/ resort I would find a nice beach? The cruise itineraries are great and there are some lovely hotels but the ones I've stayed in so far have been miles away from everything or up a very steep hill. I want somewhere with a nice sandy beach and lots of bars and shops around.,,fairly lively!

:eek:

Is it me?

No! I wouldn't be able to tolerate it for more than a couple of nights,,I'd bang on the wall and shout shut up please! Sometimes people just don't realise how noisy they are being and need a short sharp shock. I hope it gets sorted out quickly.

The wobbly xmas tree at the entrance to the Tamarind club didn't look wobbly on your video! It was shaking its tinsel off last week on the new year cruise.

Just got off Ventura this morning after doing this New Years cruise. It was lovely,,thoroughly enjoyed it. Had freedom dining but yes New Years eve was 2 sittings of which we were allocated 2nd one at 8pm. The ship looked great,,the crew were all excellent. It was a lovely way to see in the new year and we will definately do it again sometime. The overnight in Amsterdam was a bonus as it gave you a choice of where you wanted to be that evening. We found the city wayyyy too crowded and intimidating for us,,it's a very young city and I felt anxious to get back to the ship as the afternoon wore on and got darker and even more crowded. There was a good party atmosphere on the ship and lots of different age groups but I didn't see any bad or unacceptable behaviour anywhere at anytime. It was definately a family and friends affair,,no stag or hen parties. I'd say just do it!

Rapid,,,yes,,I agree,,that's an excellent way of describing this morning's disembarkation! We had a brilliant time though, thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

I hope so cos I've bought a sparkly frock and shoes :D

Ooooohhhh,,,Copenhagen at Christmas is just lovely:D ssssoooo pretty,,and Tivoli gardens had so many lights you could see it from space!

Sounds more like Chinese whispers to me! There was a problem with a boat breaking down on an excursion on an a few weeks ago, but it didnt sink!

That's probably it then! I told her it couldn't be right cos it would have been on here and I'd have already seen it. :rolleyes: I had to ask though just to be sure! Some friends have just booked their first cruise on Azura and I was dreading them hearing something like that.

I feel a bit uncertain asking about this but,,,I bumped into a lady I know today who was asking if I'd been on Britannia and other stuff and she said that her brother in law had just been on Azura ( I don't know where) and that on retuning to the ship with passengers a tender had sunk! Properly sunk,,to the bottom of whatever ocean they were on!! Everybody got off safely in time thank goodness,,,this can't be true surely,,it would have been all over these boards,,and probably the news as well. Was it a case of Chinese whispers after the unfortunate incidents recently?

 

Sharing tables with strangers is also alien to what we do in normal life. I wouldn't go into a restaurant and when the waiter pointed me towards a nice table for two, say to him that I would prefer to join that family over there - the couple with tattoos and piercings whose children are running riot around the table. :D

That's very true! It is completely opposite of normal every day life isn't it. It's nice to meet new people though isn't it,,I just talk to anyone and everyone on a ship but when I go in a cafe at home I wouldn't dream of going and asking if someone minded if I sat at their table with them:eek:

I find that saying " oh I usually go to Benidorm" shuts the snobs up nicely! I do actually go to my beloved Benidorm several times a year,,it's my spiritual home:D I find it hilarious,,I let them think I'm a drongo and just wait for the usual questions,,which I just give random answers to,,depending on how much wine I've had and what mood I'm in! I don't care what people do, where they are from, how many cruises they've done on what ships,,it matters not,,you're on holiday, you're not dead, you're not at work,,just flipping enjoy yourselves. If that makes me a drongo so what:rolleyes: The most entertaining folks I've met on a cruise was a builder and his wife who do 8 a year cos he worked all his life and never had holidays and now they live it up every chance they get,,proper salt of the earth Yorkshire folks that made me cry with laughter at their tales from the ocean waves. Closely followed by Alan and Yvonne who we met on the Thomson Dream in August this year,,they were awesome,,we worked our way through the cocktail menu very efficiently.

Linda,,can you get outside right to what I affectionately call the pointy bit of the ship? I just love a nice walk around a prom deck after dinner and to stand at the front and just look at the sea is my favourite thing ever:D