Ventura N526

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We are thinking of doing the N526 cruise on Ventura to the Canaries in September.

 

Still completely confused about the pricing :rolleyes: From what I can see Select is about £300 dearer to choose cabin and get free parking and shuttle buses, but the parking is £11 a night (£132) and we may go down by train anyway. Also the only place I can see that we would need a shuttle is Lanzarote and I know the taxis there are reasonable especially if you share. I understand you can choose your dinner sitting on early saver, but it's not guaranteed.

 

So when does early saver become late saver?

 

What is the Ventura like? Does family friendly mean lots of children?

[kevinyork]

We are thinking of doing the N526 cruise on Ventura to the Canaries in September.

 

 

 

Still completely confused about the pricing :rolleyes: From what I can see Select is about £300 dearer to choose cabin and get free parking and shuttle buses, but the parking is £11 a night (£132) and we may go down by train anyway. Also the only place I can see that we would need a shuttle is Lanzarote and I know the taxis there are reasonable especially if you share. I understand you can choose your dinner sitting on early saver, but it's not guaranteed.

 

 

 

So when does early saver become late saver?

 

 

 

What is the Ventura like? Does family friendly mean lots of children?

 

 

In the Canaries you are correct there is little need for a shuttle at all as long as there are no mobility issues. Lanzarote takes a good 40 minute walk into town and is probably somewhere I would pay the £5 each way shuttle fee.

 

We have sailed on Ventura (and Britannia) during school holidays and whilst there are hundreds of kids onboard you hardly see them as they are off doing their own thing. Ventura is nice and the covered pool will help if you have cooler days.

 

Re dining, Ventura has two freedom dining restaurants and one club dining so the odds are you will get freedom dining. If you are going out of school holidays I would place a safe bet you will definately get freedom dining and club dining will be oversubscribed.

 

 

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Thanks Kevin, now to persuade DH :rolleyes: He says the price will go down, but TA says it may go up as it is very popular!

[kevinyork]

Thanks Kevin, now to persuade DH :rolleyes: He says the price will go down, but TA says it may go up as it is very popular!

 

 

Yes agents will always say that. With Anthem and Britannia doing Canary Island cruises at similar time my guess is prices will drop.

 

 

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[themanwithahat]

Select also gives you choice of dining sitting and table. I think you can switch the free parking to be OBC as well.

 

With regards to shuttles there is a file PO_Shuttle_information.pdf which has a list of all ports, whether a shuttle is available/needed and where it is chargeable. We went on Azura last October on a saver and had buses free at Bilbao, La Rochelle and Brest (don't know about Cherbourg). They seem to be free if it isn't reasonably practical to do it any other way.

 

It says, for N526 ports (do not know how current it is !)

 

Vigo - none

Lisbon - available, chargeable

Lanzarote - available , chargeable

Gran Canaria - none

Tenerife - available

Madeira - available, chargeable

La Coruna - none

 

You can ask here or at whatsinport.com about the availability of transport at Madeira, Lanzarote and Lisbon.

 

Ventura is great. We've been on it twice and its twin Azura all three times in the school holidays. Hardly ever seen any children - you see them at meal times and shows sometimes but there aren't hordes of them running about all day IME anyway ! Seems like the kids clubs keep them busy (never used them).

 

L8R: We are not pool and sunlounger hounds so it may be different there ?

Edited April 24, 2015 by themanwithahat

[jenny wren]

Hi Linda....we always go for saver fares these days, pay for shuttles if necessary, use Parking4cruises who meet at terminal and take car away to bring back at disembarkation, usually allocated Freedom dining....no problems with any of that...

If it's out of school hols it'll be pre school age children....not a problem in our experience.

We like Ventura..been on her twice....although a bit confusing finding dining rooms as you have to go up along and down sometimes!!!!

If you're aiming for a balcony go for C deck...they're huge....nice open wardrobes which we like.

As others have said there are alot of cabins to fill so should be some late bargains....I'd look in June after final payment is due...but keep an eye on it and if you see a good offer go for it!!! :-)

[john watson]

Yes agents will always say that. With Anthem and Britannia doing Canary Island cruises at similar time my guess is prices will drop.

 

In September you have also got; Explorer of the Seas and Celebrity Eclipse doing the Canaries. If you are not fussy about the month The Queens, Elizabeth, Mary and Victoria are all doing round trip Southampton Canaries ex Southampton. The market seems a bit full to say the least.

 

Regards John

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Select also gives you choice of dining sitting and table. I think you can switch the free parking to be OBC as well.

 

With regards to shuttles there is a file PO_Shuttle_information.pdf which has a list of all ports, whether a shuttle is available/needed and where it is chargeable. We went on Azura last October on a saver and had buses free at Bilbao, La Rochelle and Brest (don't know about Cherbourg). They seem to be free if it isn't reasonably practical to do it any other way.

 

It says, for N526 ports (do not know how current it is !)

 

Vigo - none

Lisbon - available, chargeable

Lanzarote - available , chargeable

Gran Canaria - none

Tenerife - available

Madeira - available, chargeable

La Coruna - none

 

You can ask here or at whatsinport.com about the availability of transport at Madeira, Lanzarote and Lisbon.

 

Ventura is great. We've been on it twice and its twin Azura all three times in the school holidays. Hardly ever seen any children - you see them at meal times and shows sometimes but there aren't hordes of them running about all day IME anyway ! Seems like the kids clubs keep them busy (never used them).

 

L8R: We are not pool and sunlounger hounds so it may be different there ?

Thanks for that. I had forgotten about the shuttle lists. I had been told about them before. Memory going!

 

I think the only one we would do would be Lanzarote, although as I said it is usually cheaper to get a taxi if you can find someone to share with.

 

Lisbon, we might do a trip to Cascais as we have been to Lisbon before. I think the others are walkable, certainly Madeira is.

 

We almost never sit by the pool - too noisy! and if we have a balcony, we shall sit on that :)

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Hi Linda....we always go for saver fares these days, pay for shuttles if necessary, use Parking4cruises who meet at terminal and take car away to bring back at disembarkation, usually allocated Freedom dining....no problems with any of that...

If it's out of school hols it'll be pre school age children....not a problem in our experience.

We like Ventura..been on her twice....although a bit confusing finding dining rooms as you have to go up along and down sometimes!!!!

If you're aiming for a balcony go for C deck...they're huge....nice open wardrobes which we like.

As others have said there are alot of cabins to fill so should be some late bargains....I'd look in June after final payment is due...but keep an eye on it and if you see a good offer go for it!!! :-)

Hi Jenny, Thanks for the info. We have been on Crown Princess which is identical in layout. We were on C deck on there - yes huge balcony :)

 

Last time we parked at Marchwood, which was OK but took ages to get to the ship due to a boat show or lots of other ships in. Not used Parking4cruises - will investigate that.

 

Hope you are well and planning more cruises :)

[CRUISIN LINDA]

In September you have also got; Explorer of the Seas and Celebrity Eclipse doing the Canaries. If you are not fussy about the month The Queens, Elizabeth, Mary and Victoria are all doing round trip Southampton Canaries ex Southampton. The market seems a bit full to say the least.

 

Regards John

Thanks John :)

 

We want a specific date as it is our Anniversary in September, but we don't mind the itinerary. We have been on RCI and Celebrity, but not keen to use them again. Might look at Princess and Fred, both of which, we really like.

 

The reason I like the Ventura one is that the sea days are nicely spaced, and the ports of call are mostly ones we have done before, so a nice relaxing cruise.

[P&O SUE]

As regards the price dropping/popular cruise, we are going on Azura in June to the Canaries (exactly same dates as Anthem of the Seas!) and the select price hasn't really dropped at all from when we booked back in November! Obviously the saver fare has come in now but I don't know what cabins are actually left. The early saver price was hardly reduced at all!

Edited April 24, 2015 by P&O SUE

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Still looking at this cruise, but unfortunately the price has gone up :( I did think as the full price is now payable it might have gone down a bit :rolleyes:

 

DH wants to go to Cala d'Or in Majorca and we might do that instead.

 

How long should I wait to see if I can get a bargain on Ventura?

[kevinyork]

Still looking at this cruise, but unfortunately the price has gone up :( I did think as the full price is now payable it might have gone down a bit :rolleyes:

 

 

 

DH wants to go to Cala d'Or in Majorca and we might do that instead.

 

 

 

How long should I wait to see if I can get a bargain on Ventura?

 

 

Its only just past final payment. There are a lot of UK based ships doing the Canaries this autumn. If I was a betting man I would bet on the saver fare dropping. However if not, you should then be able to bag a bargain to Majorca instead.

 

 

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[jasperado]

Since you have an alternative in mind, I would definately wait at least for a few days more. The present offer with the additional OBC on a select fare ends 30th June I think. See if anything decent for the cruise comes up after that. I would also have ready the prices for the holiday at Cala D'or at your fingertips, then could leave all to as late as possible. I don't know if you have to book time off work but I would do that then see where you are going to end up....cruise or Spain.

( I really wish I could be brave enough to book the time off work and then hope that I got the cruise that I wanted, but if I missed the cruise I would be so upset!!)

Please let us know how you get on....BTW what Cruise are you looking at?

Regards

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Thanks kevinyork and jasperado.

 

Luckily we are both retired, so don't have the problem of booking time off :) My problem is that I don't want to leave it too late as I have my eye on a nice lunchtime flight to Palma (no getting up in the middle of the night) so don't want to lose out on that. That is attraction of going from Southampton as opposed to Gatwick.

 

I suppose I shall have to be patient ;)

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Well, the theory that the prices may go down after June 30th didn't come true!!

 

The price has gone upon £100 pp today :(

[jaceyar]

Give it longer Linda, it'll defo drop.

 

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