Voyage of Discovery

[bogof1234]

Hi

Going to Norway and the White Sea in July 2012. Did anyone go on this particular cruise last year? Any tips on how to survive 3 weeks on this ship?

[worldfamoustravellers]

Haven't done this cruise, but we were on Discovery last year from Cuba to UK. It's a lovely ship and, if you like small ships, this should be fine. There was plenty to do during the day in terms of lectures, crafts etc. The evening entertainment wasn't particularly good, but that was probably because the company hadn't been together long.

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

I'm jealous.

 

She isn't a tug boat my friend, but a lovely classical cruise liner- ever watched The Love Boat?

 

Just sit back, relax, enjoy the friendly service, wonderful lectures, great food and good entertainment.

 

Enjoy being close to fellow passengers, but never crowded. A real intimate vessel that I truly loved. One of the ships that have etched a place in my heart.

 

You'll have the time of your life.

[SwissMyst]

We were on for five weeks and there was never a slow day for us.

 

This ship specializes in their educational/enrichment programs which are superb to fill in the "empty" hours between ports. At least three a day, plus crafts and technology workshops and movies. This cruise line attracts a lot of bridge players as well.

 

Most of all you will be cruising with a particularly fascinating self-selected group of very well-travelled and fascinating people who repeatedly choose this ship, as old-fashioned and limited as it is compared to the distracting hunks out there passing themselves off as land-based resorts bragging they have live trees and living lawns.

 

Discovery gives you some green astro-turf and plastic loungers. Cabins are small and functional at best. But, oooohhh the places you will see. My favorite idle times were 4pm tea on the outdoor Lido deck (tables with umbrellas and a glass roof than can be retracted depending on the weather.

 

It is open tables during the day and just joining anyone for quiet conversation is discovery alone. The enrichment speakers are available too for more casual follow-up conversation.

 

Dress tip: during the day many wore their touring destination logo teeshirts picked up on other trips and it was always a great ice-breaker because indeed oooooh, the places many of these fellow passengers have already been to. Tristan da Cuhna, Pitcairn Island ....... the remote corners of the world. This is your built in on-board "entertainment".

 

When you say Travel Century Club on this ship, you do not necessarily get blank stares. :p So whether you are a seasoned traveller yourself and can share or a new but curious traveler, there are those onboard who can point you the right direction from their own experiences both having traveled and often lived abroad. If you a US traveler (few), you will be exposed to more UK and Commonwealth history in the lectures, which alone is interesting to view the world from a different perspective.

 

They do provide daily newspapers for each UK. Australia and US readers. All lectures are on closed circuit TV so you can pick them up later if you just want to laze in the sun (or shade) during the day or enjoy their very nice library. Just seeing the variety of titles left on the loungers by the voracious readers on this ship was a fascinating exploration itself.

 

One that caught my eye on our Indian Ocean Grand Voyage a few years ago was "Old Filth" which seemed an odd title for such a staid group of stiff upper lip passengers until I learned this to those from the "Empire" means "Failed In London Try Hong Kong"- and was a classic exploration of those who had lives and loyalties to both the homeland and the far flung Empire which raised and nourished them - how did they adjust to this essentially foreign land to them (Great Britain) when they finally all had to come "home".

[andrheath]

We were on the Discovery for five week round the Caribbean to Portsmouth. Loved the smaller ship and the friendly atmosphere. There is an exchange of paperbacks in the library so plenty choice during the cruise. Good lectures and fun little games (no rock climbing walls or golf machines!) for days at sea. Quite informal though a couple of formal evening..... nobody in ball gowns thank goodness... plenty of mix and match outfits utilizing that little black dress/skirt/pants.

 

Take some extra hangers with you. If you do two cruises, laundry is half price. However, not very expensive and they do bring everything on hangers. Alcohol prices reasonable (UK prices) and they label your wine each evening and bring it back. You can also take some alcohol on board to use in your cabin (or pay ten pounds corkage charge for the restaurant). The yacht club restaurant is a change, but we didn't find the food that much better. Book as soon as you get on board!

 

It's an old ship so don't expect luxury. Two little dipping pools only. Food good. Service excellent. Only bad thing is the excursion programme. Many complaints and seemed quite a rip off. You can do a private tour yourself for the same price, or do your own thing quite easily in many ports. Good port lectures to give you more of an idea after going on Tripadvisor.

 

We are doing three and a half weeks in April.... Egypt to Israel and the Black Sea.

[SwissMyst]

Hi

Going to Norway and the White Sea in July 2012. Did anyone go on this particular cruise last year? Any tips on how to survive 3 weeks on this ship?

 

Just off a four week cruise (Singapore to Safaga) - we love MV Discovery- ports are great, shore excursions very competent, on board lectures outstanding, great passenger mix, small friendly atmosphere with no stuffiness, caring, attentive staff and plenty of very good food. Just watch out for cabin 3102 - not worth the premium Coral Deck pricing. Deck 5 would be my choice for best location - these are all small cabins, but they work.

 

The only hard part was getting off - we didn't want to leave, even after 37 days. We had hang-up upon embarkation and disembarkation - but out of the control of MV Discovery - this could have been handled better by ship staff providing better information but over all clearly a grade "A" tip.

[rotterdam17601]

SwissMyst, I owe you one! Having read your message that mentioned the book "Old Filth", I ordered a copy from "Amazon"...... a great read!

 

Knowing how much you enjoy the "Discovery", go to http://www.snowbow.co.uk and click on DVD's. Find "Great Liners" (episode 24). This is a sixty minute DVD covering the Discovery's Christmas & New Years Cruise from Lisbon to South America. Unlike DVD's purchased onboard ship, this one is more about the happenings on this cruise, than the ports visited. If you don't already have a copy, I bet that you'll enjoy this. It was filmed and produced by Des Cox, who has had an interesting life.... music industry, "Candid Camera" on TV, childrens cartoons, Purser for Cunard.

 

Best..... Rotterdam

[SwissMyst]

SwissMyst, I owe you one! Having read your message that mentioned the book "Old Filth", I ordered a copy from "Amazon"...... a great read!

 

.......

Best..... Rotterdam

 

Glad you enjoyed this.

 

There's more. The companion book is called "The Man in the Wooden Hat" which tells the wife's side and apparently it is a rip-roaring, bodice ripper. Who would have guessed the way she was portrayed in Old Filth - meek with pearls. But oh, what she must have done to get those pearls.

 

I picked up a copy in a paper back exchange the last day on our recent Discovery trip, but have not read it. Heck, I have barely unpacked.:p

 

Also as a sign of the times was probably at least 60/40 ratio of kindles/books. Me, I like books on tape in my Ipod so I can sit back with my eyes closed or look lazily at the sea and get my heavy reading quotient done too, plus a few very good movies as well.

[SwissMyst]

Home two weeks now from our last Discovery cruise and missing it a lot. Most of all the succulent cheddar and "Cotswold cheddar" they served at the Lido along with the solid round Ritz crackers that have no equal to the silly, brittle one imitations buys in the US.

 

The Discovery had a very wide selection of cheeses every night. The various cheddars and the crackers from the Lido were my idea of an ideal dessert. I'd go back tomorrow, just to enjoy them again. :p

[Travelanni]

Glad you enjoyed this.

 

There's more. The companion book is called "The Man in the Wooden Hat" which tells the wife's side and apparently it is a rip-roaring, bodice ripper. Who would have guessed the way she was portrayed in Old Filth - meek with pearls. But oh, what she must have done to get those pearls.

 

I picked up a copy in a paper back exchange the last day on our recent Discovery trip, but have not read it. Heck, I have barely unpacked.:p

 

Also as a sign of the times was probably at least 60/40 ratio of kindles/books. Me, I like books on tape in my Ipod so I can sit back with my eyes closed or look lazily at the sea and get my heavy reading quotient done too, plus a few very good movies as well.

 

Hello, First of all thanks for the book recommendations; they are on order from Amazon and will go straight in my bag.

We (my English friend and myself, an English-born Australian now living in Germany, two ladies of a certain age !) are sailing on MV Discovery from Harwich on July 12th. This will be my first 'proper cruise' although as you can see by my signature I am a veteran Cargo ship traveller. We deliberately chose a small ship which was not offering all the razz-matazz and by reading these posts I am sure we have done the right thing. I look forward to becoming as 'addicted' as everyone who has experienced Discovery seems to be.

Any tips or hints from the more experienced "Discoverers" re dress codes, ships excursions and how to enjoy our time on board in general would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

[SwissMyst]

Greetings Rostocker and hope you stick around to tell us more about your freighter travel -- I looked up Rickmer and did not see anything about passengers so I would love to learn how your broke into the freighter cruising world, since some of these routes leave from the West Coast of the US and we are looking for ways to avoid flying.

 

I think you will like the Discovery, because if is no razzmatazz at all. Do keep in mind some love it and some can hardly wait to get off. We are the lovers and there is a high percentage of return passengers so they do something right for the right passengers with the right expectations and attitude about what this ship is all about - itinerary and enrichment. The day time dress is very casual - shorts/pants tee shirts - logo tee shirts from past travels are a great conversational ice breaker and you will see a lot of exotic ports of call among this group of seasoned travelers.

 

The casual conversational welcoming that is part of this ship's environment is what we like best - very courteous travelers where you can be alone if you want or enter into very pleasant conversations for the moment without feeling either you or your fellow traveler is being intrusive. So a little chit-chat when you see a logo teeshirt is just one of many ways to strike up an informal conversation that makes the ship feel more ilke home in a short order, yet there are enough people that it always feels new and interesting as well.

 

The shore excursions are not cheap and we have taken several of their extended day and overnight ones and found them to be all first rate. There is also a large percentage of passengers who do things on their own or explore as much as they can from where the ship docks, no matter what so you can do it several ways.

 

Because the ship is smaller is often gets in a lot closer to the center of things than the larger ships that may have to be out in a more remote industrial port, but sometimes one is stuck way the heck out and need to use a fee shuttle to get anywhere near something you might want to explore.

 

If your budget allows is, the ships excursions are very good value - they don't haul you to shopping "opportunities" unless this was noted ahead of time and chosen as one of the many options in each port. You don't leave these excursions feeling fleeced and exploited, though every once in a while a guide take a little diversion that probably was not planned but never that interfered with the overall quality and enjoyment of the trip.

 

If you have a lot of ports, there is no need to know anything about the ship because it will be just where you sleep and eat. We love the extra talks they offer with various crew and staff members so you can get to know what different people around the ship do and that makes the whole experience more personable so try and go to as many of those as you can - all scheduled during non-port day times.

 

The lecturers love to talk to the passengers during their times when they are out and about off if there are questions about their particular topics, so that is another way to enjoy your time onboard.

 

There is a pretty large group of bridge players who seem to know each other and stick to themselves so if you are not part of that group it may feel like a lot of people already are '"grouped" up, and they are. And if there is a large group from "Roads Scholars" (old Elder Hostel) they tend to stick with each other and attend their own lectures so if you are on the ship as independent travelers you might also wonder why so many people seem to already know each other. But besides that, it is a friendly, but nicely restrained group of people who understand that meeting strangers with dignity and formality is part of the traditional cruise experience and not immediately the beginning of a life long friendship like one thinks a lot of Americans do too quickly - that is not the style of the Discovery - more British in its formality.

 

Dinner is a little dressier because it is nicely prepared and served so most like to dress up a little bit more than casual - others call if smart casual, country club casual, but one can also take it up a bit more than that and feel very comfortable. And formal night can mean long gowns and most men in tuxes, though shorter cocktail and dressy pants outfits are proper as well but the over all look is really quite stunning and appreciated no matter where in that scale of dress formality you choose to find yourself in.

 

I did it all and pulled out the full length black velvet at the end just because we loved our time on the ship and were going to go out in grand style. But other formal nights it was a shorter cocktail dress or glittery jacket for me (We were on three two week segments so we had 6 formal nights.

 

Okay, that should cover your first two questions so fire away if you have others, but please tell me more about your freighter travel. Thanks.

[Travelanni]

Greetings Rostocker and hope you stick around to tell us more about your freighter travel -- I looked up Rickmer and did not see anything about passengers so I would love to learn how your broke into the freighter cruising world, since some of these routes leave from the West Coast of the US and we are looking for ways to avoid flying.

 

The casual conversational welcoming that is part of this ship's environment is what we like best - very courteous travelers where you can be alone if you want or enter into very pleasant conversations for the moment without feeling either you or your fellow traveler is being intrusive.

 

There is also a large percentage of passengers who do things on their own or explore as much as they can from where the ship docks, no matter what so you can do it several ways.

 

Because the ship is smaller is often gets in a lot closer to the center of things than the larger ships that may have to be out in a more remote industrial port.

 

If your budget allows is, the ships excursions are very good value - they don't haul you to shopping "opportunities" unless this was noted ahead of time and chosen as one of the many options in each port. You don't leave these excursions feeling fleeced and exploited, though every once in a while a guide take a little diversion that probably was not planned but never that interfered with the overall quality and enjoyment of the trip.

 

If you have a lot of ports, there is no need to know anything about the ship because it will be just where you sleep and eat. We love the extra talks they offer with various crew and staff members so you can get to know what different people around the ship do and that makes the whole experience more personable so try and go to as many of those as you can - all scheduled during non-port day times.

 

The lecturers love to talk to the passengers during their times when they are out and about off if there are questions about their particular topics, so that is another way to enjoy your time onboard.

 

But besides that, it is a friendly, but nicely restrained group of people who understand that meeting strangers with dignity and formality is part of the traditional cruise experience and not immediately the beginning of a life long friendship like one thinks a lot of Americans do too quickly - that is not the style of the Discovery - more British in its formality.

 

And formal night can mean long gowns and most men in tuxes, though shorter cocktail and dressy pants outfits are proper as well but the over all look is really quite stunning and appreciated no matter where in that scale of dress formality you choose to find yourself in.

 

 

Okay, that should cover your first two questions so fire away if you have others, but please tell me more about your freighter travel. Thanks.

 

Hello again, thanks a million for your lovely, long, friendly reply. As you can see I have edited your 'quote' to just the points on which I would like to comment.

Firstly, freighter travel. It is certainly not for everyone but I love it. If you are happy to go along with a few basics then it can be a very interesting yet relaxing way to travel. You have to accept that passengers are just another form of cargo and although every effort is made to make you welcome the cargo comes first in the eyes of everyone in the crew except the cook and the steward. In port, life for the crew is unbelievably hectic and the best place to be is out of the way but at sea the officers especially can relax a little and enjoy socialising with the passengers. Although they grumble most of them love their job and will talk about it in detail if you are interested. Passengers eat in the officers Mess Room and share their recreation facilites; usually a library, bar with large screen TV/DVD player, DVD's, table tennis, exercise equipment and a small swimming pool.

I have only ever travelled with Rickmers ships but with most of their Masters you are welcome to spend time on the bridge and go anywhere on the ship, inside and out while at sea. For a description of the ships, deck plans, facilities, prices etc. please see

www.mcc-marine.de

>>>> freighter travel

For possibilities with other lines 'freighter travel' in your search engine will produce various travel agents who specialise in this area.

 

Now to Discovery.

The idea of talking to the crew and learning about the ship appeals to me, otherwise it would be like being in an hotel. One of the pleasures of freighter travel is learning how things work and the feeling of being part of it all.

 

One my maxims is that you can learn something every day and the person who thinks they know everything is a fool, that way you will live longer. So I am really looking forward to extending my life somewhat during the cruise

 

I like your comments about the 'restrained friendliness' of the passengers on Discovery and the idea that while welcoming conversation they also respect a persons wish for solitude. Although I am a friendly person 'getting away from the crowd' mentally if not physically is one of the things I love about freighters and was worried about on a cruise. The 'middle generation' here in N.E.Germany have a nice balance of friendliness and formality although the older generation tend to take formality even further than the British!

 

As exploring on your own is the only way to go when travelling on frieghters we have a lot of experience in that direction but have already booked one excursion, the Bird Island, which is, of course, impossible any other way.

.

I am happy that you mention dressy pants outfits as someone told me that even they were unacceptable as formal attire, only an evening dress would do!

 

I can't think of anything more specific at the moment but no doubt I will in due course. Thank you again for your prompt reply and valuable information.

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

[allhamm]

We have just returned from a trip on the Discovery. We still like the small, informal ship (by the way, evening attire is mixed with more 'cocktail less than formal' than formal), but we had a bit of a bother this time with being 'independent travellers'. Tours were given preference to disembark which was not good, since independents have arranged to meet small, private tour operators or are catching a taxi and are passengers just the same as tour goers. Also, shuttles were put on where they were not really necessary, so a lot of discontent from those who had booked and found it was a four minute stroll .... and the driver went for a long lunch and left them standing! We took one tour which was a complete rip-off so it will definitely be our last! If you do research on the Internet you can do your own thing, meet up with others beforehand and see a lot more for a lot less. We understand that some people are infirm or a little scared of doing this, so there will always be a group that use tours. We understand that cruise companies make a lot of money this way, but we didn't like the rude attitude of tour staff to independents.

[SwissMyst]

Anni, thanks for the links about the freighter trips -very inciting but I see we are bumping up against the age limit -- too bad because both in excellent health and still do several miles of sure-footed hiking with ease. Even up hills!

[Travelanni]

Anni, thanks for the links about the freighter trips -very inciting but I see we are bumping up against the age limit -- too bad because both in excellent health and still do several miles of sure-footed hiking with ease. Even up hills!

 

Hi, I have sailed with some 80+ adventurers as with most companies the age limit is flexible with the backing of your doctor and good insurance. Don't give up, I'm nearly there too but hoping to do a few more trips yet.

Anni

[Kaare]

The Discovery was originally called the Island Venture, sister ship of Sea Venture, built in Germany in 1972/71 respectively, both ships later served in the TV series "Love Boat". When I joined her in 1973, she was called Island Princess, sailing out of San Pedro harbor, LA. The Island Princess did two week cruises along the Mexican west coast to destinations like Puerta Vallarta, Zihuatanejo, Cabo San Lucas, Mazathlan and Acapulco (now I bet no cruise ships go there due to the mafia war). From Sept. -71 she was supposed to sail on Alaska for a couple of months (god know why; - who wants cruises in fog, rain and snow!), and then do cruises to Hawaii, but I signed off and went home. Norway has more than its share of Alaskan weather wintertime. Years later, Island Princess popped up along the Norwegian coast, first with her Island Princess name, then soon as Discovery. She has been going along the Norwegian coast for several summers now. I guess there must be quality in this ship since she has survived the scrapyards in India for so long.

[glutenhab]

I keep wanting to book this line because of the great itineraries & longer port stays but always back off at the last minute when I see reviews mentioning tiny cabins & a postage stamp size pool that is never used, as well as breakdowns because of the age of Discovery & repeat older patrons thinking they "own" the ship.

 

I can easily get by without a pool, although it is nice to have the option & to see others enjoying it. I can even manage with a slightly smaller cabin. But all of these things combined make me steer back to Holland America etc.

Am I right in being concerned like this & does the newer ship make a difference?

[autotripper]

I keep wanting to book this line because of the great itineraries & longer port stays but always back off at the last minute when I see reviews mentioning tiny cabins & a postage stamp size pool that is never used, as well as breakdowns because of the age of Discovery & repeat older patrons thinking they "own" the ship.

I can easily get by without a pool, although it is nice to have the option & to see others enjoying it. I can even manage with a slightly smaller cabin. But all of these things combined make me steer back to Holland America etc.

Am I right in being concerned like this & does the newer ship make a difference?

Hello Glutenhab: My husband and I have cruised on this ship 3 times. The first time was for our very first cruise experience in 1998 when she was the Island Princess, and the last 2 were in 2010 and 2011 as the Discovery. Yes, the cabins are small compared to the newer ship's standards, but we just think of them as cosy. We have never sailed on her in weather condusive to using the pool, so I cannot comment on that. We encountered no entitlement issues from serial passengers on either Discovery cruise. If fact, it was the opposite. We were sought out by the regulars as the new, possibly interesting, passengers onboard. So we were never lacking for conversation!

[glutenhab]

Hello Glutenhab: My husband and I have cruised on this ship 3 times. The first time was for our very first cruise experience in 1998 when she was the Island Princess, and the last 2 were in 2010 and 2011 as the Discovery. Yes, the cabins are small compared to the newer ship's standards, but we just think of them as cosy. We have never sailed on her in weather condusive to using the pool, so I cannot comment on that. We encountered no entitlement issues from serial passengers on either Discovery cruise. If fact, it was the opposite. We were sought out by the regulars as the new, possibly interesting, passengers onboard. So we were never lacking for conversation!

 

Thanks for the prompt reply. Would you know how the new Voyager compares & is this replacing Discovery or in addition to?

Our last cruise (this time last year) was on Holland America's Zandaam for 58 days through New Zealand, South Pacific Islands, Australia & Southeast Asia. Fantastic itinerary (our priority) & a fairly small ship that we found very comfortable.

We were always able to get a table for two if we wanted some time alone together. Is this possible with Voayges Of Discovery?

 

We are looking for relaxation & experiences, not crowds & beer, so this seems a perfect match for us.

We love to meet people but also value our time alone together when we want it.

[autotripper]

Thanks for the prompt reply. Would you know how the new Voyager compares & is this replacing Discovery or in addition to?

Our last cruise (this time last year) was on Holland America's Zandaam for 58 days through New Zealand, South Pacific Islands, Australia & Southeast Asia. Fantastic itinerary (our priority) & a fairly small ship that we found very comfortable.

We were always able to get a table for two if we wanted some time alone together. Is this possible with Voayges Of Discovery?

We are looking for relaxation & experiences, not crowds & beer, so this seems a perfect match for us.

We love to meet people but also value our time alone together when we want it.

Hello Glutenhab: We chose assigned dining for a table of 6-8 for both Discovery cruises, so I do not know if getting an occasional table for 2 is possible, but getting an assigned table for 2 for the entire sailing is possible. The Voyager was not advertised as replacing the Discovery, but the Discovery has stopped sailing, or is about to. It may be for refurbishment, but I think it may be for another reason. I haven't sailed on the Voyager yet, so I do not know how the 2 ships compare.

Rosie

[gaelsail]

but the Discovery has stopped sailing, or is about to.

Discovery is sailing for Cruise & Maritime in 2013- details of the cruises are still on VoD website.