1st NON Caribbean Cruise - Questions

[Jane2357]

Very excited to have booked our 1st non Caribbean cruise - we'll be sailing from Amsterdam for 14 nights on a British Isles cruise - stopping in Ireland, Scotland, England, France and the Channel Isles. While I've land traveled through France - the rest will be a new experience.

 

We've mostly cruised with a majority of Americans or Canadians - what should we expect will be different on a cruise with the majority British?

 

More British food - I would expect, and someone said a kettle in the cabin. Is a kettle the same as a teapot?

 

As for as dining are the Brits more formal or more casual in their dress. We tend to go formal but wouldn't want to stick out if folks tend to the more casual end of things.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have sailed on ships where the majority of the passengers were British.

Yes -- they tend to more formal. And there were more British foods.

Depends if there will be a kettle (teapot) in the cabin as we don't know which cruise line/ship you are sailing on. We didn't have one on Cunard -- but that was years ago.

[BritishCruiser101]

As a British cruiser and citizen myself - I have to say that we tend to be fairly formal when cruising, we'll usually have: smart casual, casual, and black tie(very formal).

 

A kettle is not the same as a teapot. A kettle is like a metal or plastic jug that you can heat water with. A teapot is where you pour the hot water from the kettle into the teapot and you add the teabag to make the tea (apart from it doesn't have milk or sugar added yet:D).

[Keith1010]

The reality is that you will have a lot of Americans on your cruise with some Brits and passengers from other places. I find it always nice to sail and get to know people from other countries other than just my own.

 

In general, cruises in Europe tend to be more formal than say the Caribbean.

 

Food should be mainly what you have had on other cruises.

 

Keith

[Jane2357]

As a British cruiser and citizen myself - I have to say that we tend to be fairly formal when cruising, we'll usually have: smart casual, casual, and black tie(very formal).

 

A kettle is not the same as a teapot. A kettle is like a metal or plastic jug that you can heat water with. A teapot is where you pour the hot water from the kettle into the teapot and you add the teabag to make the tea (apart from it doesn't have milk or sugar added yet:D).

 

I think we'll fit nicely with the rest then - I used to love when X has resort casual, cocktail and formal nights. We still dress that way. :D

 

Happy to understand about the "kettle" - and I believe that on Celebrity these will be in our cabins.

[jocap]

When Robin Shaw was UK manager of RCI, he decided to place a kettle in every cabin on his ships sailing from the UK...and to remove the 15% tips on bar sales. Presumably this was to attract Brits who would be used to this on their usual sailings from the UK. RCI's Celebrity followed the same way. shortly after.....but I believe it is only on UK sailings.

Food wise- probably there will be more back bacon served at breakfast, as not many in Europe buy the rather fatty streaky bacon; on RCI recently there was oatmeal, grits AND porridge....also a choice of 2 hot puddings a night in the buffet.

Possibly the portions will be slightly smaller....as I've read, RCI (so perhaps Celebrity) order their food according to the amount used on the 3 previous cruises, but when the ship sails from Europe, they use the last 3 cruises in Europe as their check list.

Maybe you'll have some continental sausage....but as all the food is imported from America, maybe not....

Enjoy- there will be plenty to satisfy you! :cool:

[nmg85]

I wouldn't say that the majority of passengers would be British as that type of cruise is so popular with other nations. When we did it probably not even a third of the passengers were British. As not sailing from the UK you probably won't get a kettle in the cabin. You will get some British food such as British bacon and sausages etc plus some 'British' desserts such as cobblers and spotted dick etc. Possibly a few UK based beers and ciders as well.

 

Also take the right currencies so pounds for UK but euros for Ireland (not Northern Ireland). Also unlike most European countries we are famous for queuing!

Edited May 27, 2014 by nmg85