Just returned

[julie62]

Returned on the 8th from the colourful coasts cruise.

 

The week before we travelled we had read some awful reviews from other review sites and was nervous before we travelled.

 

I can tell you all that we had a fantastic time all six of us. The whole week was excelllent. The food was good, the shows, the staff, infact we found nothing to complain about.Everyone was friendly and the atmosphere helped to make the holiday. The staff go out of their way to help you and most are full of smiles, despite their poor pay and long hours.

 

As previously posted the ship is a little dated and is ready for a refurb, but everywhere was clean.

 

Unlike any other cruise I have been on I did suffer with sea sickness on several nights but the sea was choppy. We purchased the wrist bands and they really helped.

 

We all found the cruise a real value for our money and will certainly consider the same cruise next year.

 

One thing we won't be doing though is visiting Agadir, we went on one of the ships tours and we felt really threatened and so did many others.

 

When we got back on the ship other people we met had gone on the other trips and had, had a similar experience, but worse.

[Cymro1953]

Hi Julie,

I'm so glad you had you had a great time, like us. We felt the same about Agadir. I have said before that if I ever ended up again on a cruise that visited Morocco that I would stay on the ship.

 

Personally I like the ship, and if the itineraries were more varied I'd cruise on her every time.

 

Berwyn

[jogilbert100]

Glad you had a lovely time....

 

Thanks for posting a postive review....... I though o dear here we go again when i saw the title "just returned". But your review has made me feel much more postive about sailing on Island Escape in March.....

 

Take care x

[its,only,me]

Hooray ,, So glad that you all enjoyed your cruise :D guess the weather was also good then :cool: despite the choppy seas

 

mrs.c

[crooza]

Hi Julie.

 

Sounds like you had a great time and Agadir keeps getting slated. Read a few reviews from people who stayed for a week there and they enjoyed it so maybe getting away from the tourist places is the right idea.

 

Were there any problems with Norovirus as someone else has quoted they have had problems since Xmas?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Angus

[julie62]

Hi,

 

Weather was good, all week which like you say does help. I think the week before the weather had been poor but we were lucky. I wish I was going again in March, the weather should be lovely.

 

We didn't hear anyone who was suffering with the norovirus, sea sickness yes but not norovirus.

 

Hope this helps

[boat77]

Hi,

 

Weather was good, all week which like you say does help. I think the week before the weather had been poor but we were lucky. I wish I was going again in March, the weather should be lovely.

 

We didn't hear anyone who was suffering with the norovirus, sea sickness yes but not norovirus.

 

Hope this helps

 

Hi,

 

there was really big problems with noro. The day you left (22nd) all passengers - excluding the sick and their mates - were required to leave the ship for 5 hours during which time they desinfected the whole ship. They started immediately after we had left for breakfast and apparently continued till some time in the afternoon. All passengers (the ones that left)

were given a complimentary excursion (of free choice) and a bag of snacks (bottle of water, a couple of rolls, fruits, bisquits and a muffin) with them.

 

We returned at 15:00 and at time the stench of the chemicals was already diminished to almost unnoticeable - I actually planned to visit the cabin after the breakfast but changed my mind when I opened the door to the corridor. Our cruise ended on 23rd in Las Palmas and if I don't get sick before tomorrow morning I got away without getting the viral infection myself.

 

We had plenty of fun during our cruise and I really liked the happy and helpful staff. I wouldn't change that old ferry to another cruise ship with a bad crew on it.

 

We went also to see Agadir. I happen to like Moroccan food (and the tea!) but Souss is really not a place of much liking. I wonder why they don't just take the passengers to the street with all those tourist hotels and stores instead of that "so-called" bazar with fixed prices and pushy locals.

[megabby]

A little tip for the Brits who find Agadir and the Arab ways intimidating- try playing the game they play. If you give them the 'hassle' that they give you, you will more than likely raise a smile from the locals as you show that you can embrace their culture- they are just people after all. They may have a different culture to ours, but hey, do you really think the way of life we have in Britain should be held up to the rest of the world as a shining example of the way to behave? We go on holiday to travel and experience other cultures - it is their country after all and we all have a choice whether we visit or not. I'm off my soapbox now - but i found that treating the people we met in Agadir as equals, they were fine with us - they are just out to make a living after all. How may people who claim incapacity benefits - taxpayers money- travel on the IE - when they are so called 'unfit to work'? These are the real cheats and thieves.

[Cymro1953]

A little tip for the Brits who find Agadir and the Arab ways intimidating- try playing the game they play. If you give them the 'hassle' that they give you, you will more than likely raise a smile from the locals as you show that you can embrace their culture- they are just people after all. They may have a different culture to ours, but hey, do you really think the way of life we have in Britain should be held up to the rest of the world as a shining example of the way to behave? We go on holiday to travel and experience other cultures - it is their country after all and we all have a choice whether we visit or not. I'm off my soapbox now - but i found that treating the people we met in Agadir as equals, they were fine with us - they are just out to make a living after all. How may people who claim incapacity benefits - taxpayers money- travel on the IE - when they are so called 'unfit to work'? These are the real cheats and thieves.

 

On the whole I'd agree with you, especially the last bit.

We have no probs with the Arabs as such, we were in Alexandria and Cairo in June and been to Tunisia before.

 

But this place was dirty even by what we'd experienced before. I wouldn't have bothered going ashore as this was the one stop on the cruise I wasn't looking forward to.

But being in the "Don't stay on the ship when in port" school of thinking off we went.

Even the eldest who had stayed in Luxor said these guys were in a different league when it came to shopping when compared to the Egyptians.

 

I'm glad we went on an organised excursion, and personally we'd have been happier staying longer with the tree climbing goats and the farmer.

 

As for criminals there were plenty of taxi drivers who took people into town for about 7 Euro, but wanted 35 to get them back. At least one couple on our cruise paid up.

they tried it with the boys who were sharing a taxi with an elderly couple, but as the eldest knew the game he would not move from the proper price.

 

Berwyn

[moto9]

Hi Julie

Thanks so much for your review. I am booked on IE in June and had wondered if I should cancel. Thanks to Cymro & others I had decided to stick with it but it is good to hear comments from someone who has just returned. My cruise is one week on

Med. Discovery & one on Med. Spirit. It will be our first cruise and I am really looking forward to it. Thank you & thanks to all who take time to post these comments & reviews.

Mo.

[Rebel Rouser]

Moto.. same as us I think... last week June 1st week July.

 

 

You wont be disappointed ;) said it before and I will say it again yes the ship is getting tired but it is spotlessly clean and tis will be our 10th cruise on the good ship IE and that speaks volumes, been on the ocean Village but IE is a lot friendlier.

 

 

Enjoy

[Cymro1953]

Moto.. same as us I think... last week June 1st week July.

 

 

You wont be disappointed ;) said it before and I will say it again yes the ship is getting tired but it is spotlessly clean and tis will be our 10th cruise on the good ship IE and that speaks volumes, been on the ocean Village but IE is a lot friendlier.

 

 

Enjoy

Hi Mo,

I'm with RR. All the Thomson's ships are of a similar age so the fact that I.E. was built in 1982 is no different. And the old Calypso they've just retired was built in 1967 and a converted ferry the same as the Escape, but no one complained about that.

The staff are great and friendly especially Jammy, Myo and Fabiola.

 

 

Berwyn

[moto9]

Hi RR

 

Would have been nice to met you, however we go 3rd June to 17th June.

 

Thanks again for reassurance. Kind regards.

 

Mo.

[moto9]

Hi Cymro

 

Thanks for that. We are getting quite excited now esp our daughter.

 

Kind Regards.

Mo.

[Cymro1953]

Hi Cymro

 

Thanks for that. We are getting quite excited now esp our daughter.

 

Kind Regards.

Mo.

Hi MO,

Pleasure, we had a great time on her in the Med. I see you are going in the summer.

It was much more interesting than the Colourful Coasts Canaries cruise. There is more to see, even when just cruising. Lights from other ships, the coastline as you go past etc. We spent loads of time in the evenings up in the Lookout lounge just watching the coast go past. It was so relaxing.

I'm one of those who even though I have nothing to do I'm still fidgeting doing stuff. But up in the Lookout I just sat there relaxing watching the world go by.

 

Berwyn

[moto9]

Hi MO,

Pleasure, we had a great time on her in the Med. I see you are going in the summer.

It was much more interesting than the Colourful Coasts Canaries cruise. There is more to see, even when just cruising. Lights from other ships, the coastline as you go past etc. We spent loads of time in the evenings up in the Lookout lounge just watching the coast go past. It was so relaxing.

I'm one of those who even though I have nothing to do I'm still fidgeting doing stuff. But up in the Lookout I just sat there relaxing watching the world go by.

 

Berwyn

Hi Cymro

Sounds great. That's exactly what hubby is looking forward to!

 

Mo

[Cymro1953]

Hi Cymro

Sounds great. That's exactly what hubby is looking forward to!

 

Mo

 

Hi Mo,

Yes it's nice up there, especially after a busy day's sightseeing.

Was just looking at your cruise. You're doing the lot in one go. Nice.

I see they've changed a couple of the ports too.

The one thing we found too this last time with taking the boys was that we didn't have to worry where they were, even if we couldn't see them. We let them do their own thing aboard. Not like a hotel holiday where they might have been out wandering the clubs late at night.

 

Berwyn