just back,Red sea voyage

[gosport11]

Hi we have just returned from the redsea voyage,we had a good time, im sure if i tried hard enough i could find fault :)a good cruise all round

The only fault was with the 3.5 hour delay at sharm whilst waiting for the fuel bill to be sorted out,we sat on the runway for this time :mad::mad::mad:

[Sightblinder]

Hi we have just returned from the redsea voyage,we had a good time, im sure if i tried hard enough i could find fault :)a good cruise all round

The only fault was with the 3.5 hour delay at sharm whilst waiting for the fuel bill to be sorted out,we sat on the runway for this time :mad::mad::mad:

 

 

Could have been worse, there was a story doing the rounds a few years ago of an Aeroflot flight that had a whip round among the passengers to pay for spares to repair the plane before it could take off!

 

The fuel problem is not a new one though, it happens more often than you might think, especially in some of the less "financially advanced" nations.

[adeathome31]

hi gosport,we were on the cruise too and as you say it was good.weather was hot too.the ship was good but i have too say i would not book the same or near cabin again as the vibration was more of a constant jerking and even reading the cruise news my hand was shaking like i,d had a skinfull of beer the night before.another week i think would be too much.cabin was deck 4 front of ship and very noisy too with crew doors just down the corridor. red canyon was a joke! says moderate walk,phew if thats moderate i must be less fit than i thought.food in lido was ok but as a vegetarian the choice was very poor.some nights was only mashed potato and mixed veg,rest was meat dishes.i realise i am in a minority but even if they served beens in the eve i,d have been happy with them and mash.sweet was good.beakfast was good but very dissapointed with the choice otherwise.destiny last year was much better.heard two other ladies saying the spirit was far better.good crew and the entertainment was excellent but i have too say i enjoyed the destiny much more.egyptians seemed to be only interested in how much money they can get from you.even the guide told us to put a pound each for the driver and however much we wanted for him.one even expected a tip on the nile boat for showing me to another loo.overall the cruise was great,scenery,interesting places,weather,and fellow passengers were great too.very enjoyable but will try other ship before celebeation next time.delay 2 hours at sharm airport becuase they told us thomson hadnt paid fuel bill.more likely tried to put surcharg on it and they wouldnt pay that.:o

[montytania]

Hi. We have just got back from this cruise as well. I agree about the vibrations but I thought that you could feel it in most parts of the ship. We felt it in our cabin as well and we were on deck 7. We didn't see much of the entertainment either because I thought that the Broadway Lounge had a fusty smell which gave me a headache so we only went in for the presentations about the trips.

I also thought that the way they organised the disembarkation for the trips was a shambles especially the one to Cairo (over 900 people trying to get to their coaches at the same time and having to wait in the corridors)

Having said all that overall we enjoyed the holiday and met some really nice people and had a good time in their company. Also we felt that the food was good and the staff were great.

I don't think that we would go on the Celebration again unless the itinery was special but we are going to try the Dream because that is visiting ports that we want to see in the Caribbean.

[jacknorman]

I am glad to see your comments about the vibration. we did the cruise earlier this year, our first one, and I complained about the vibration, but most seemed to think I was over doing it.We are trying the spirit in may in the aegeann, so I hope it is better.

[gosport11]

We also where on deck 7 after a couple of days we got used to the vibration,i personally think the musty smell in the show lounge is the dripping aircon units and smoke machines, we tended to watch the shows fronm the mezzaine bar,we also ate in the MDR for most meals ps the sprit is a sister ship with same vibrations i am leads to belive

[montytania]

We also where on deck 7 after a couple of days we got used to the vibration,i personally think the musty smell in the show lounge is the dripping aircon units and smoke machines,

 

I never thought about watching the shows from the mezzine bar and we did want to watch the comedien.As for the cabin the first night I couldn't sleep because of the vibration, the light coming from the promenade deck and the hard pillows. But after that one night everything was fine and I slept ok until the last night when we couldn't open the safe and had to ring for someone to come and get it open for us. Unfortunatley they couldn't open it either and told us their supervisor would come at 6 am and do it .(so we finally got to bed at 2.30 inthe morning and had to be up and dressed before 6am) When the supervisor came he couldn't open it either so he had to send for a locksmith who came and took the door off. Because of only having a few hours sleep then the chaos at the airport when coming home I was shattered.

I think I will need another weeks holiday to get over it lol:rolleyes:

[pamnmam]

TWO SATISIFIED PASSENGERS.. Bearing in mind we're on a ship that requires some motion on the ocean, travelling at a rate of ?? knots, there's the possibility of some kind of movement! Get a grip, we're on the move, if you don't like it, have a land based holiday... cruisings not for you!! Good vibrations, I love that! What a way to travel - try this itinerary on your own - no chance! Israel - Jordan......./ Happy Goodwill Ambassador for Israel, got the certificate no pressure!... Voyage of Discovery! Entertainment team and crew just fab! That's my (our) say. Hip Hip Hooray, x

[montytania]

TWO SATISIFIED PASSENGERS.. Bearing in mind we're on a ship that requires some motion on the ocean, travelling at a rate of ?? knots, there's the possibility of some kind of movement! Get a grip, we're on the move, if you don't like it, have a land based holiday... cruisings not for you!! Good vibrations, I love that! What a way to travel - try this itinerary on your own - no chance! Israel - Jordan......./ Happy Goodwill Ambassador for Israel, got the certificate no pressure!... Voyage of Discovery! Entertainment team and crew just fab! That's my (our) say. Hip Hip Hooray, x

 

I said that I HAD enjoyed the cruise. I have cruised before and therefore I know that ships do move (try sailing across the Colombian Bowl when it is rough) I did say also that after a while you got used to the vibrations and they didn't bother me and I did enjoy the cruise due to the crew and excellent co-passengers.

As for itinerary I'm glad that I have done it but no way would I go again to that part of the world much prefer the Caribbean with the greenery and fab beaches. (and yes I had researched al the places that we visited so I knew what to expect on this voyage)

Land based holidays are not for me as I find them boring after a few days you can't beat going to bed and waking up in a different country.

[gosport11]

Quite correct the vibration is from the ship not the sea,it was not our 1st cruise either :)

[davecttr]

Celebration and Spirits vibration, I think it is actually more of a wobble rather than a rapid 'buzz', is caused by the generator in the engine room. Both ships are built on partially completed container ship hulls which were going cheap during a earlier recession. As passenger ships have to have at least 2 propellers they fitted 2 engines leaving little space for the generator plant. The solution was to fit a single low revving alternator and it is this which causes the 'wobble'. It could be fixed but would cost a fortune and simply not worth it on a hull almost 30 years old. They can generate electricity direct from the main prop shafts but this has a similar effect on fuel consumption as your in car aircon!.

 

Passengers reaction to the vibration varies, some can't stand it, some don't notice and some just get used to it. I have cruised 5 times on Celebration/Spirit and have single cabins which are in the noisy part of the ship. I don't notice the vibration any more and a set of active noise reducing headphones takes care of any noise. I have the rattles sorted as well using a combination of coins, casino chips etc to get a silent night. i might even take some tools to dismantle the ceiling if there are any noises from there :D

 

They were aware of the problem when building the ships and apparently installed suspended floors in many areas to provide dampening. i suppose 25 years of maintenace has gummed these up.

 

All ships have vibrations, even new ships and the key is to do your research and identify the best cabins.

[merciaman]

2.5 hours delay at the airport? This is quite normal for Sharm airport, it is an absolute shambles and is the only reason we would never do Red Sea Magic again. Couldnt agree more about the grasping natives, hands out at every turn ,even from police and security at the attractions. As for the delay getting off the ship for popular tours this is down to the swiping of boarding passes, i.e security, so better to be safe than sorry. Also as all coaches have to leave in convoy at the same time, you either queue to get off or sit on the coaches for a while,it is as broad as it is long and i think Thomsons run it as smoothly as is possible given the restraints.

[Bikerpair]

We went on the very first "Red Sea Magic" and apart from our delay at Sharm airport being 4 hours and packed into departures like sardines with suitcases I totally agree with al you have said Merciaman!!:mad::(

[westieho]

I am going on this trip in Feb 11. Youv'e scared the pants of me. I have been on Spirit, Midships, Deck 4 and although a gentle hum nothing else was felt. Is Celebration really that bad???? Do I need Valium for the return journey ??? I am taking my daughter, its her first time and I sooooo want her to have a good time............me too!

[Bikerpair]

Did not mean to put you off We have been on trips a lot worse than this one.!!!

[montytania]

you do get used to the vibrations like I have said and sometimes don't notice it. That was the only movement that you felt and it didn't go up and down at all when sailing.

I thought (and so did a lot around me) that queueing down two corridors and then up and down the stairs to get on the coaches to Cairo was a big health and safety issue (you are not supposed to queue on a staircase) and it would have been better to wait on a coach.

You will have a good time Westieho and so will your daughter I really did enjoy it and I'm glad that I have been. But I must admit that I wouldn't go back to that part of the world again.

[Julessmiles]

I am going on this trip in Feb 11. Youv'e scared the pants of me. I have been on Spirit, Midships, Deck 4 and although a gentle hum nothing else was felt. Is Celebration really that bad???? Do I need Valium for the return journey ??? I am taking my daughter, its her first time and I sooooo want her to have a good time............me too!

 

No, Celebration is not "that bad" I have been on both the Celebration & the Spirit - I wouldn't say the vibration was any worse on either. My parents also did the Red Sea Cruise last year and loved it - you will have a great time! :)

[mtt]

We had an hour and half hour delay at sharm, the airport was chaos, the staff were ignorant, our cheif stewardess gave out the comments forms straight away and asked people to complain about the airport saying it was disgusting

We didn't do any of the trips, stayed onboard as we've done cairo on the red sea magic, the ship was deserted that day

The vibration doesn't bother us, we were in cabin 219 nr the front on the promenade deck

Only went to a couple of the shows in the broadway lounge, dancing queen and cult fiction, and the murder mystery was excellent, very funny, and a must the crew show. we spent most nights in liberties

We love the celebration the staff are brilliant, back on again next feb doing sharm to barcelona before the ship goes into dry dock

Looks like some new shows for the winter season, saw a few being rehearsed

Keef and Bram are back on as cd/acd from the 23rd dec, the cd is currently Lee Oliver

[bankiegirl]

TWO SATISIFIED PASSENGERS.. Bearing in mind we're on a ship that requires some motion on the ocean, travelling at a rate of ?? knots, there's the possibility of some kind of movement! Get a grip, we're on the move, if you don't like it, have a land based holiday... cruisings not for you!! Good vibrations, I love that! What a way to travel - try this itinerary on your own - no chance! Israel - Jordan......./ Happy Goodwill Ambassador for Israel, got the certificate no pressure!... Voyage of Discovery! Entertainment team and crew just fab! That's my (our) say. Hip Hip Hooray, x

 

I have done both Israel and Jordan on my own. absolutley no problems. the people were very friendly, especialy in Jordan. I travelled from the Syrian border all the way down to Aquaba, taking in all the main sites including Amman, Mount Nebo, Dead Sea. Petra, Wadi Rum......and I am a woman.....

[Suomi Star]

On the topic of vibrations - I've never been on the Celebration, but I've been on the Spirit twice. The first time was in May 2009 and on that particular cruise the vibration was quite noticeable, especially in our cabin (deck 3 inside) and in the MDR. However, on last months cruise I never felt any vibration at all. And our cabin was only two doors along from the last time! So at the very worst the problem appears to be intermittent.

[adeathome31]

I have done both Israel and Jordan on my own. absolutley no problems. the people were very friendly, especialy in Jordan. I travelled from the Syrian border all the way down to Aquaba, taking in all the main sites including Amman, Mount Nebo, Dead Sea. Petra, Wadi Rum......and I am a woman.....

blimey a woman.thats a surprise with a name like yours.:D