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Advice - trying a different cruise line.


BanburyBlue
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Hi,

 

I’m looking for some help and advice. We have a few cruises now, initially with Cunard and more recently P&O. We were thinking of trying out a different cruise line, and so I’ve done some research. I looked for...

- cruises between 3 to 5 days.

- start and finish in the U.K.

- September to October this year.

 

The options appear to be either Royal Caribbean (Independence of the Seas), Princess (Sapphire Princess), or Tui (Marella Discovery).

 

So the question is, can anyone give us an idea of the differences we could expect with these 3 cruise lines compared to P&O?

 

Thanks,

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Closest comparative to P&O would be Princess, which was (I think still is at boardroom level) a subsidiary of P&O.

IMHO has a bit more glitz than P&O which I find a little bland, better food (esp buffet) but higher grats & drinks prices. Currency is USD. But I've not sailed Sapphire.

 

RCI is much livelier, Indy has lots of whistles & bells - waverider, ice rink, climbing wall etc. Crew are more "in your face". Definitely better for kids and for a younger crowd generally. Again higher grats & drinks prices, & currency is USD

 

Thomson / TUI / Marella's Discovery is an older ship, though not as old as most of their fleet.

Short cruises, certainly 3 days or less, can attract a noisy crowd on any ship - dare I say there's more chance of that on a Thomson ship, though Discovery is the only ship in their current fleet that I've never sailed.

Thomson ships are very friendly, both passengers & crew. Very traditional, though I don't know if its the same on a short cruise. Grats included in the cruise ticket price, drinks prices about the same as provincial pubs and P&O, & like P&O no service charge on drinks. Currency is sterling - making it easier to figure on-board prices and no foreign-transaction fees. Annoyingly a fee to use the in-cabin safe, but apart from that the lowest on-board costs of the lot.

 

Just MHO as always.

 

JB :)

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