Antonintassie

Hated this concept the reason we will never sail on Princess or any other ship that has this stupid big screen blaring all day

We are cruise newbies and have done the Royal Princess and Celebrity Eclipse both in suites.

Celebrity was better overall we thought ,although food and beverage service was more consistent on Princess.

Still convinced either is a match for us so we are trying Azamara next.

The UAE is interesting it takes awhile to get a feel for the place the Dubai airport is very efficient and looks like a 5 star hotel all the staff including security are helpful and approachable if you have questions ,my DW loves the Dubai silk souk and comes home with some fantastic stuff .Abu Dhabi is more conservative but the locals are really helpful and the place has a nice family feel to it .My son and I are car fanatics so Ferrari world is often our first stop.

Indeed Lee it sure is my skiing skills are enthusiastic but unskilled

We have been over most of Alberta and BC my son wants to go to University in Calgary (more about skiing than study we suspect) All The Best Tony

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Great to hear your are back in the good books with the UAE ,We have had the pleasure of travelling to Alberta 4 times now ( skiing ) and normally base in Canmore

I actually have a friend who is a Canadian geo here ( I live in the North of the Island) don't suppose your tour was Savage River

All The Best

Tony

QUOTE=weelee;47909742]Thanks, greengrunt8! I appreciate your reply. Visa requirements for Canadians were dropped a couple of years ago. By the way, I have been to Tasmania and loved it! Stayed a few days in Hobart before going on a mine tour up north and was thrilled to come back from dinner to our cabin in the mountains to find it infested...with wallabies. It was my favourite memory of a 3 week trip to the Antipodeans.

I travel and stay in the UAE on a regular basis if you have your medications in original packaging and a prescription ,letter from doctor that will cover it.

I do believe Canadians need a visa however unless this has changed recently .The UAE is a wonderful place just remember to watch out of for heat if you are visiting March to November.

Thanks Andy

We recently booked out first Azamara cruise HK to Singapore in an owners suite ,it will be interesting to try a smaller ship after having sailed recently on the Eclipse in a RS for 2 weeks.

Hi I spend a significant amount of time in this region ,one observation I will make about cruises is they often go mid year which will mean it is hot ( really hot) .The security issues are known and well managed do not let the hype spoil your trip.

Do not miss a trip to Petra if you have an opportunity it is a longish road trip but really worth it Jordan is a really friendly country .Dubai is the easiest place to travel taxis are cheap my DW loves the Gold Souk ,Silk Souk .For the view of a lifetime the Burg Khalifi ( pays to book online in advance) and go latter in the day when the sea mist clears .We generally stay close to the Creek in Dubai and go out after dark when it is cooler.

The piracy issue seems to have waned lately ( I deal with the oil industry) the naval efforts in the region seem to have greatly reduced the problem.

My cruise wish list for the region would be better timings say December to April and Iranian ports great sights and despite the media image very friendly people .

Sure Have I used to live just South of the city centre, lots to see and do but in Feb be prepared to get wet as it rains a lot and is very humid from November to the end of April.

Its really warm however and the rain is a refreshing event at times.

I would recommend a good umbrella and a cheerful outlook you are in the tropics during the wet season which is pretty cool at times.

I suspect if they tighten it up it will involve a passport check at security screening and the approved passport list will be shorter.

Good advice as you indicated to have your documents in order and allow time for any unexpected delays .

Rail already seems to be screening more rigorously

Mine is my old army designated call sign

Good Luck with that plan RCCL ,no interstate or international traveller is going to like Wollongong over Sydney .No decent transport infrastructure and an industrial port .

Our family agree Bonaire was fantastic ,we cancelled a return to the Caribbean because Celebrity changed the cruise stops and included overnights .

Hi

We sailed Barcelona to Venice with our 18 year old son with a pre stay in Paris .

It was great fun and we enjoyed exploring some of the cities we visited in our youth.

Our last cruise was on a the Celebrity Eclipse in a RS suite and it was a refined enjoyable experience, our next is on Azamara .Most cruises in Europe only have a couple of sea days so effectively your ship is a floating hotel and a lot of the ports a commonly used by both large and smaller vessels .

The big advantage with Europe from our perspective is that young adults at 18 can go out socially to restaurants ,bars and clubs venues with their family members and not feel out of place .

Many Thanks for your response it all sounds rather good .

Thank You for the clarification

Hi

We have our first Azamara cruise booked on the Journey HK to Singapore in Dec 2016 .

I understand the Asian restaurant has been deleted ( no loss for me as it is my least favourite cuisine ) we have an owners suite so what will the specialty restaurant options be after the refit?.

Kind Regards Anthony

Hi All

We are a family of three and a looking for a reputable operator for a day trip from Halong Bay to Hanoi ,we are overnighting in Halong Bay we are hoping to fit in a full day in Hanoi.

Any help /suggestions would be great.

Hi

Can someone enlighten me if the balcony partitions between two adjoining club continent suites can be opened .

Kind Regards

Tony

We have done two cruises and frankly we are not looking to do another unless the cruise industry picks up its service standards significantly .Both our cruises were in high end suites and overall land based product is more refined and better value for money. The new mega ships are cheap mass market product designed as a revenue centre and do not cater for destination travellers .

I think the cruise industry has become apathetic due to high demand ,not unlike the budget airline expansion. It works for awhile but people will still pay for a better experience and ultimately the start looking elsewhere.

We have done two cruises both in suites on Princess and Celebrity both have been ok .Celebrity was better a little more refined and elegant. Are we rushing back ? No not a this stage neither product was as enjoyable as the land based destination travel we have done over the last 25 years.

I think the cruise industry has lost the plot at the moment the massive mega ships who do cruises to nowhere are something I just don't get understand ,perhaps because I see ships as floating transport rather than a destination .

Hi

Having travelled around the UK a couple of times with teenager ,For 13k USD you would be much better hiring a car and driving around ( distances are short ) or getting a rail pass and using the UKs excellent rail network. London is a must with kids ,Tower of London ,Greenwich,etc .

I would seriously think about a private tour in a mini van for this port stop ,you will be off the ship and at Pisa before the crowds get stupid and then on to Florence do the city and grab a gelato on the way out back to the ship.

each to his or her own I personally can not stand the place and will never go back either by sea or land

Bali never ever for this traveller and unfortunately most Asian cruise ports are a considerable distance from the normal tourist sites. Just to top it off most cruise companies seem to insist in running cruises in Sept to Feb time slot when the weather is generally wet and humid in the region .

Perhaps they should consider India ,Burma and Sri Lanka to add some new options

Thank You

Unfortunately 7 sea days in 14 day sailing is way to many for us.