Embarkation time for Fly Cruises

[tring]

Can I ask if the embarkation time for independent travellers joining fly cruises is still roughly 1pm to 3pm or thereabouts like in the UK?  The ship is in port for two full days, the embarkation day and next day, so not sailing that night.

 

We will have about a two hour journey to the port after our tour/stay in Sri Lanka and may not get cruise tickets until just before we leave home next January, so may be best to have some plan re travel to Colombo to embark.

[marylizcat]

We did an independent fly-cruise round-trip from Cape Town on Boudicca 18 months ago. I recall having lunch and then getting a taxi to the ship, so suspect the time given probably was about 2-3 pm. Hope that helps with your planning. Have a good cruise!

[tring]

Thanks, that gives me the general idea, which is what I wanted.  So sounds much the same as in the UK which I had expected.

[berkshireboy]

 

The Sri Lankan flight from London arrives at 12:40 and is likely to have many passengers joining this cruise.  I'd probably head down to Boudicca at about 1 pm to get ahead of what could be a large crowd checking in!

[tring]

27 minutes ago, berkshireboy said:

 

The Sri Lankan flight from London arrives at 12:40 and is likely to have many passengers joining this cruise.  I'd probably head down to Boudicca at about 1 pm to get ahead of what could be a large crowd checking in!

 

Thanks, we were thinking of trying to find out Fred's flight times as we get nearer to the cruise.  It will be about an hour transfer time with normal daytime traffic, so with time to clear the airport, they should arrive about 2.30pm or later.  Fred is also booking people on flights from Manchester and Scotland.  I think only one of those is on a Fred charter, but I think he does block bookings on schedule flights.

 

I rang Fred in the end and, after looking up our booking ref, I was told check in will be between 2-5pm, but were thinking of turning up a bit earlier than that.  Fred's member of staff was very confident there will be toilets at the port, which is my main worry given we have a 2 hr transfer time.  Will try to arrange a taxi with a brief stop off for a drink etc. so we will arrive rested.  As we have booked through an agent I was surprised Fred were prepared to talk to us directly.

 

The cruise excursion brochure landed on our doormat yesterday, so lots of reading, with a better range of tours than I had expected, so may go against our norm and book 2 or 3 in India.  I see you are still waiting for clarification re Komodo Island - hope all goes well for you. 

[berkshireboy]

Not sure how big a change over it will be in Colombo.  As well as the world cruise passengers and those of us from Cairns , others are joining in Bali and Singapore and some of these are continuing on the cruise after Colombo.  But yes, clearly there will be some joining from Manchester and Scotland and I don't know when they are due to arrive.  We will have left the ship by 9 am at the latest.

 

I've always found Fred to be very helpful when it comes to giving out information, even if the cruise has been booked through a TA. What they wont do is make changes to the original cruise booking [changes to cabins, upgrades etc.] without going through the TA.

 

We have booked the Fred tour of Komodo Island.  For us this has two benefits, should the location change then they will simply relocate the tour to the new island and, secondly, we have booked a tour at a "slower pace" which suits me with my damaged hip.  I can get around OK but would undoubtedly slow down some of the fitter and more able.

 

 

[tring]

6 minutes ago, berkshireboy said:

 We will have left the ship by 9 am at the latest.

 

 

They will be rid of you pretty quick then, but there could still be a fair bit of traffic round at that time, so they will want to careful about that.

 

Just rang Fred's shore tours with a query re Porbandar and they have been very helpful as usual, but it seems even though they are running an afternoon tour (the only afternoon one they are offering), times will not allow us to combine with a morning tour and we are in port for the day.  We are wary of going off on our own there as it is not a well visited area.  The "Porbandar on your own" tour does say we can come back later at our own expense, but again we are feeling a bit wary.  The very helpful lady from Fred said she will ask the member of staff dealing with our cruise about the ease of getting back to the ship independently and let me know.  Can not complain at that sort of response.  Fred may have his down sides, but sometimes he really does do well on customer service.

 

Happy cruise planning,

 

Barbara 

[berkshireboy]

Hi Barbara,

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

Alan