Jump to content

Noggins

Members
  • Posts

    914
  • Joined

About Me

  • Location
    UK
  • Interests
    cruising!
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Crystal
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    TA

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

Noggins's Achievements

Cool Cruiser

Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  • "Live from...." Rare

Recent Badges

  1. Oh, sorry, I hadn't realised you had become disenchanted with Azamara. Our own experience, plus that of friends and brother has been very positive - particularly in regard to early Onward problems that were resolved very generously. But, I guess we all draw our own conclusions based on our own specifics! We have a soft spot for the old R7's since our early Oceania days - even though they are very dated in some ways (think shower!). Obviously the Azamara product is not in the luxury sector but for the price we thought the value was terrific. As for EJ - if I'm right in thinking your unresolved trip is a TA then absolutely avoid a jacuzzi risk room as there'll be plenty more ship movement than we had in the Caribbean....
  2. Having read your experiences with EJ over the inaugural voyage it seems amazing that you are having such a bad time again. One wonders why you would even consider giving them a further chance - except that it is a very nice ship and they do do a lot of things very well..... As the days pass following our own experience onboard I am increasingly conflicted over my views and am still processing how the experience matches up against that on other ships. It is certainly a different experience and mostly a very positive one but I am held back in my enthusiasm partly over the 'management feel' of the operation. I know you are a Azamara enthusiast and, to a degree, like Crystal, I feel that is another line where the managememnt 'feel' is markedly different. It's not an overiding issue - but could easily become so if the EJ back office were to continue in the vein you have experienced extensively. I hope they sort out your room satisfactorily - and don't accept one under the deck 11 jaquzzis! Adrian
  3. That's very kind, Colin but, some would say, it is much more important to know what the lovely Steph would have to say about this thread. (But sadly I know what that might be - it would start along the lines of 'why on earth.....') I had read your own Explora review, of course and others besides and it is true that both enrichment and entertainment did exceed my (low) expectations. For enrichment I expected nothing (we had 2 sea days) and got one 'proper' speaker (who, unfortunately I wasn't overly impressed with) and one 'destination' speaker who was pretty dreadful. For entertainment the band were amongst the best, the lounge singers excelent (but not with the support / staging to make it comparable to a traditional ship's theatre show) and the two piano / singers very good but with the usual / unsual problem of either having no audience (Explora Lounge) or were disconnected from the audience by virtue of being on a landing one storey above everyone (Lobby Bar). It looks like our respective plans for the next 12 months or so are laid but who knows when something might pop up as an extra unexpected opportunity! Best to you both. Adrian
  4. Thanks Chris - and I'm sorry we didn't get to meet up. Sorry also for the quality of the humour - and all those extra 'u's'. (I don't know what you think you're doing dropping your own 'u's' like that - how long have you been over there??) With so much being written in different threads on comparisons and summaries I think I may leave my summary thoughts a little briefer than I had planned. It's hard not to be controversial or shot down in flames! I think (I hope) it was clear we had a jolly good time. The EJ misteps were relatively minor in the context of the whole and I do appreciate that our dietry preferences are a factor in of our lack of satisfaction with the set menus. (but don't get me started on EJ saying they can't print things on paper because of the environmental impact. Many of the menu items have environmental impacts that are off the scale. Enough said...) What I will say is that, for us, EJ would be a good choice for a particular itinerary or 'offer' whereas our previous go-to line, Crystal, would get our booking rather more readily. Crystal feels more like home, more like a ship where 'Corporate-itis' doesn't exist. Crystal on board management seem to have an attitude of 'we own this and it lives or dies by how we deliver' - whereas EJ felt more like a performance from generally well trained folk performing to a Head Office script. 'If it goes a bit wrong don't blame us, we're just doing what we were told to do'.) So that's it. As they say in Hollywood - 'It's a wrap.' Or as they say in Ealing Studios, London - 'OK chaps, I do believe we're done. Jolly good show.' (OK, I'm guessing) Adrian Ah - but there is a final postscript....... If you here at the beginning you may remember we left an unwell cat at home. He ended up needing 24/7 care from the family as he slowly declined. He had some better days now and then but immediately on our return he reached the point of no return - and we had to say goodbye. He was a real character and a fine cat. We buried him in the grounds last night. RIP Tonto.
  5. I may have dreamt this but did I hear they only were interested in the views of those travelling economy class, who were on the left side (surely Explora wouldn't use port and starboard terminology - so, 'cruisey') and whose name began with an N?
  6. I received it by email. It was in my junk folder and I think it was dated today.
  7. I have been promising a few more comments on our ('standard') room. Here goes.... Corridors are just what you're used to - nicely done with occasional large, framed pieces of art. Room doors are in pairs - very close to each other. We never set eyes on our neighbours. This arrangement means bathrooms are back to back with a neighbour who is further down the hall - although we never heard their vacuum toilet. (possibly because the room was empty!) Could you hear anything through the walls? Well, yes we could. Loud voices and a child's voice could be heard - but not clear enough to hear conversation. The room was very well thought through, in the main and of all the luxury lines we have experienced this was probably the best for this category type. It was unusual to have an extensive hot drink set up coffee machine and kettle. The fridge gets a mention too on account of the door design which allows for one bottle. Not seen that before in this sized fridge. The space in the wardrobe is compromised by putting the dressing table in there - and the bathroom door is on the right hand side. On the other hand the safe is in the bedroom - in a drawer We are fairly light packers these days and we both only took slightly more than we needed. Unusually we needed to use all the bedroom storage in addition to the wardrobe. Temperature control was very accurate and responsive. Power to the room required a key card in a slot by the door. Some other random card did not activate the power, so no cheating! It was slightly annoying as it meant you couldn't leave a phone on charge over breakfast, for instance, unless you left one of your room cards in place. Opening the veranda door did not appear to switch off the a/C. Speaking of which that door was heavy and the opening / closing handle needed considerable strength! The usual problem of 2 people being unable to pass at the foot of the bed existed. I this case due to the, admittedly, useful shelf The display shelves / room divider was a nice feature. (Yes, all nailed down. Pinch anything and a notice advised such action would lead to 'a charge being conveniently made to your account'!) Light switches were, as is the way these days, a little complicated and it took several days to even begin to know which switch did what. But at least it gave some nice lighting options and effects. Slightly controversial were the motion activated night lights hidden in the bedside tables / night stand. There was one on both sides of the bed. They were certainly handy in the night but light sleeping partners might be disturbed by having their light activated as their partner tried to creep to the bathroom. Unfortunately once you reached the bathroom things were not so clever. There was only one switch operating the very bright lights. There was also very limited power options in the bathroom. If there was a shaver point it was very well hidden. My strong advice would be to bring your own night light which could be powered from here .. USB A or C Whilst on the bathroom, it was great. The toilet was very good at cleaning itself! The walk in shower very spacious and the counter top offered good space. The main problem was the steaming up of the mirror. The no door shower and the lack of an extraction vent in the shower meant the steaming up was rapid and slow to clear. Much has been said about the slightly unnecessary heated floor when a heated mirror would have made far more sense. A bit of a rookie error (even we have not made that mistake in bathroom renovations at home!) especially as there is no shaving / makeup mirror either. The shower (Grohe - just like home .) is great but does not use the latest push button technology. Consequently the usual opportunity to test your reflexes applies. Can you turn on the shower and remove your arm before cold water catches you?! You can see that bathroom products are locked in place. We like the products and bought some in the shop to take home. I'm not a fan of the refill nature of things on hygiene grounds. The sink hand wash was a free standing dispenser as per the shower item. Finally, back on power outlets. The room was very well provided. US / European and USB A/C everywhere Any questions, just ask. Adrian
  8. when we arrived in Barbados by air last March we had to visit the terminals to produce the required document for entry. It was a complete zoo and in the heat and humidity too. Which is why I felt the need to be forarmed this time given that the Barbados government guidance had not changed. All that happened on the ship was that the immigration officer took a photo of the passport - nothing more.
  9. We are home in warm and sunny Scotland! The Virgin flight was on an A330 with a business class product we were unfamiliar with - it is an old product they must keep on the leisure routes. The thrusting young business types would never accept such a poor product when there as so many better options!. Never have I sat in a business cabin and felt like I was in an old people's home - everyone in a line facing the trolley moving along the line dishing out food! Fortunately when the seats converted into beds and you shut your eyes the experience improved. I actually got a decent rest and (deliberately) dozed through breakfast. We landed a little early and BA kindly swapped us on to an earlier flight giving us just time for breakfast in the BA lounge before the short hop up to Aberdeen. An hour after landing we were home. Adrian
  10. Hello Maggie - this feels like a question where the answer is loaded with responsibility..... We were in 6054. We weren't using the terrace all that much but we certainly witnessed / heard the water coming down on at least 3/4 occasions. The last occasion was the sound of quite a lot of water landing on 6052 terrace and coming through to us under the partition. (the neighbours were out when it happened) The first time we heard it I would say it affected 4/5 rooms in the opposite direction. A lot of water was coming down - it made us wonder what on earth was going on. ('sprinkles' certainly do not describe it) What eventually bothered me most was when moments after my wife had been looking over the rail a considerable amount of water came down. If it had hit her on the back of the neck it could have been a lot worse than just an unexpected dousing in water. It would, at the very least, knock glasses off. As to the cause, it is harder to speculate as we never used the jacuzzis (dreadful, unhygienic things!). But my hunch is that the problem is twofold - movement of the ship (we had very little movement but it was still enough to send water down at seemingly random moments. It happened at night too) but also, probably, by displacement of water from people using the jacuzzis. They hold quite a number of people and, who knows, perhaps just two people could displace quite a bit depending upon ...... 🤭😳😬. To keep this in context the terrace furniture is placed under the covered part of the terrace so only the foot end of the lounger is at risk of getting wet. We never got hit directly and didn't sit there in trepidation of an unwelcome alfresco shower. The room host was well aware of the problem and he warned us early on. Furthermore, one day when we mentioned it had happened he said he would be reporting it again. (we didn't ask him to). I've gone into quite some detail here as I understand why you are a bit worried. If I were you and I was told it wasn't possible to change room I would go ahead and just use the knowledge that you now have to avoid any possibility of a surprise or a disappointment - maybe you'll never experience it. If there is a room available that you'd be equally happy with that is not under the deck 11 jacuzzis then I would move. Does that help at all ....? NB I still intend to go into a bit more detail on the room in general.
  11. I had posted a reply last night but I see it didn't land. In the meantime I see you've started a new thread. It's very difficult for anyone to advise without knowing more about you etc etc (that's more or less how a consultant starts his pitch, isn't it ..?) The few comments I made last night were: - 7 night cruise fine from a repeat menu point of view. - I think EJ may take the service dips that so often happens when an additional ship joins. Quality, experienced crew get spread thinly across 2 ships (in this case) supplemented by a lot of completely inexperienced folk. Takes a few months for everything to level up. In that regard Crystal are much more stable and in the groove. - if room size is of great importance then EJ wins hands down. (but avoid GT's under the deck 11 jacuzzis - the comment about occasional 'sprinkles' in the new thread belies the fact that the occasional torrent of water has the potential to injure someone.) Hope you get the help you want but both options would likely give you a great cruise.
  12. You're right, it's not a visa as such - but visa is a nice short word that folk understand! If you want to know what they call it look at this... https://travelform.gov.bb/
  13. Time to get back on track Last night we had our 3rd visit to Sakura. Two things made it feel less 'samey'. The second visit we ate outside on their terrace beside the aft pool and the the third time (last night) we had taken the precaution of, with advance notice, requesting an off menu main course. I think we were fortunate and the light passenger load must have made a difference. Furthermore, it was not a complex dish! But, as it was so good, it made a difference to the experience. It was a leisurely meal and seemed to make a fitting last evening - even without a show. (Others will need to report on the other two evening scheduled events - farewell from the crew and what we used to call 'a dance'! Perhaps I've described them inadequately) Then to this morning. It's a sure sign your cruise is at an end when the view from your room changes from a beautiful view to a view like this - an ugly warehouse Our disembarkation / breakfast experience may not reflect that of most passengers and that goes back to a chance happening yesterday... . I was aware of the need to organise a visa for entry into Barbados and was all organised to do it on line. But as I was curious to know why the ship had not offered any advice I decided to have a chat at reception. It turned out we should have had a full set of instructions on the special onboard arrangements for immigration to take place this morning prior to leaving the ship. This would commence at 8am. We should also have been issued luggage tags. So, we were not recorded as guests leaving the ship! If only I had known we could have stayed on! Perhaps.... Later, the luggage labels arrived but we never got the instructions on how debarkation was to be organised. Anticipating a zoo of 400 guests at 8am all wanting to get processed by Barbados immigration in the show lounge we decided to go a little early. We were the only ones there and got 'done' almost immediately. Result! Then off to a leisurely breakfast in Fil Rouge. Great, well paced service again. Then back to our room to finally sort bags and chat to our charming host who was also going home today. He has the means now to buy himself a few beers in the many airports he'll visit on his long journey home - darn it, I promised myself I wouldn't use that word again - on his long TRIP home. Meanwhile Michael had been busy making announcements calling guests by group. But as these announcements were not relayed to the rooms we had no idea whether our group had been called. So we walked off the ship. Easy peasy. There was a brief hiatus, as in Miami all that time ago, rendezvousing with our driver but she got us as quickly as she could to our hotel for the day. A pleasant lunch was very nearly in the ocean. Then Tanya collected us again to bring us to the airport. Virgin sorted us out very quickly and deposited us in their lounge. (Which is not quite the Clubhouse in London ...) But more importantly the plane is here and we are hopeful our bed for the night will prove adequate.
  14. After some careful thought I've decided to offer you my very best advice (and, I'll have you know, I used to be able to charge outrageous sums for my advice!) which is not to jump to any early conclusions. Perhaps in a blind tasting you wouldn't even taste the difference...? And if you're looking for a cruise line that never 'cut' anything (I rather think Explora has swapped ' unnecessary ' spend in one area to allow extra investment elsewhere.) then good luck with that. If Explora do embark on cost cutting then they will be awash with opportunity. There are no end of things in the 'money no object' category at the moment. Go ahead and have a wonderful time - I am sure you will (if you let yourself).
  15. I remember that - it seems a long time ago! It was caused by poorly managed seating - sort of inevitable 'first in last out'. Apart from the first lunchtime debacle which was a bit of a different issue there was never any sense of status. In fact we were addressed by name on so many occasions we almost felt we were being mistaken for occupants of the 'owner's suite'. You do need to give your room number at every restaurant so they do know who you are. Whether or not there are comments / warnings on the screen to warn / alert / advise staff I cannot say!
×
×
  • Create New...