just erica

We also booked through vacations to go. I called them and the travel agent who booked it for me was excellent. All confirmations and info have been emailed already.

Have cruised with them before on the Zenith and will be on the Sovereign next month out of Barcelona.

They are a very Spanish line and most of the other guest will be Spanish but don’t let that put you off,as all the staff speak English and tannoy messages are repeated in English. They may not have all the bells and whistles of some of the bigger lines but they are good at what they do. The shore excursions are mostly in Spanish this is true but they do some in English if they get enough takers or they may have a guide who speaks a couple of languages,say German and English and will repeat in both. The other good thing is all your drinks are included in the price. They also say the gratuity’s are also included in price but not sure about as I have read a few comments saying this is not the case and that gratuity was added to account at the end of cruise,will have to see next month. The entertainment is mainly dance based but the CD speaks mainly Spanish. But there are plenty of bars around the ship and the Spanish love to dance, ballroom and Latin.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for your reply! I appreciate your thoughts. We are booked out of Barcelona as well but this November. I would love to read your review/thoughts when you return. There is a new Pullmantur board now.

Well, I guess someone has to be the first one to post a question here, so it might as well be me.

 

I sailed on Horizon in 2015, when it was CDF (but still owned by Pullmantur). We did a great 7 day itinerary out of St. Martin for some ridiculously low price like $250 or so (oceanview).

 

The ship was tired, but the food was good, the drinks free, the itinerary excellent and different and despite some issues (aircon and such) mostly had a good time.

 

Now, we're considering a 2019 Greek Isles cruise on Horizon. But instead of being $250, it's closer to $650 per person (again, oceanview). Great time of the year, very good itinerary, like the fact drinks are included, but seems a bit pricey for a ship that's pushing 30 years old and hasn't been refurbished in awhile.

 

What are your thoughts? Does that seem like a fair price for this itinerary and drinks at a favorable time of the year? Or is it pricey and maybe a better idea to pay up and go with a ship that isn't so dated?

If you go to the Other Cruiselines Boards, you will find a review of the Horizon that is recent. I think that is a great price!

a stateroom on deck 5, is it noisy? Theater and MDR on 6! Thank you.

I was on deck 5 and it was super quiet.

tried earlier with no responses...any other venues open for lunch on embarkation day besides the buffet...thanks😊

The only dining options on the Seaside are the MDR, the buffet and the specialty restaurants. The only option for lunch would be the buffet.

I'm sorry that you had that experience. I stand by my "don't ask guest services" statement. They know very little.

 

We ordered Miami Vice, Pina Coladas, etc by the pool and then we got big cups of gelato at the pool. We even got Afoggatto (sp) coffee drinks in Venchi....awesome!!!

That is awesome!

I guess enough people complained that they changed the policy. I know there were a number of people in Vencchi the same night as we were that were not happy about not being able to get a coffee.

I wouldn't bother going to Guest Services...the lines are too long and they don't really know anything about stuff like this.

The Hotel Director, Ziggy is always out and about (usually with Captain Massa) and he will help you with any questions. We used our Fantastica coupons in Venchi, without issue.

This back and forth and changing rulesand policies on this ship is what is turning me off of this cruiseline. To me, you are either open for business from the first sailing onwards or you are not. I realize that nothing is ever going to be perfect but policies should not change from one sailing to the next. I feel ripped off.

We had the vouchers and there wasn't anything that we ordered that wasn't covered. We got frozen drinks and gelato by the pool and coffee drinks and wine and never had a problem.

This is something that was upsetting for us after our cruise. We tried all week to order various things like the items you mentioned and we were continuously told no, those were not covered by the vouchers. The only things that we were able to order without issue were cocktails $8 or less. Wine $8 or less. Tea and coffee and cappucino. That is it.

We tried ordering a $4.50 coffee in Vencchi one night and were told by two different people that it is not possible to use the vouchers there. We even went to guest services and they also said that because it is a franchise then we could not use our vouchers there.

I am happy for the people who were able to use them everywhere. I guess the policy has changed??

Thanks Bea, and also for posting the link to the menus. One clarification question, we have the Fantasia package booked from the U.S. (12 vouchers) - we don't have the all inclusive drink package. Our vouchers would be good for anything without an asterisk on the menus, just like for the all inclusive (just not as many), correct?

We had the Fantastica experience with the 12 drink vouchers and could only use them for any drink that was $8 or less. Could not use them for anything in Venchi.

However, I have read on here since our sailing that someone complained to Hotel Director and he said that you could and should be able to get drinks etc from Venchi.

So, I would go to Guest Services and speak to someone if they say you can't use them.

Sounds great so far....looking forward to hearing more!

Hi ! So I have never been on a cruise before, I am getting married next year, and we were looking into doing a Western Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon in the beginning of October, leaving from Texas,it's a seven night cruise. I'm really worried about hurricane season, I know the general concerns, if anyone could tell me they're good and bad experiences, and any tips that would be wonderful , thank you !

Yes, that is hurricane season but it also depends on each hurricane season. Some are not so bad and others, like last year are terrible.

I've sailed twice the first week of November and no issues and I've also sailed third week in October and we missed a port due to very high winds.

Good Luck with your first cruise, I am sure you will love it!

Just back from Horizon we had a fantastic time I will write a review at the weekend

So glad you had a great time! I look forward to your review....

I am mainly interested in what Italian ports most cruisers enjoy the most. I have not found one that goes around Italy -- are there any?

A couple of years ago we did a stop in Messina, Siciliy and we went to Taormina. WOw! we loved it and can't wait to go back.

We also stopped in the port of Naples and we did a drive on the Amalfi coast. Truly a spectacular experience! It blew our minds so much so that we are going back there at the end of this year.

This is unusual. The Fantástica experience ensures that you have priority regarding dining time and location. Were your friends given a reason why they were not given a table on the MDR? Is there a possibility you can find out? I think you are still on the ship?

Besides the MDR there is also another Restaurant on ships like the Preziosa. I do not remember the name of the restaurant but fantastica passengers were also given tables there.

Ivi

This is not true with the Fantastica experience. We thought that too since we were Fantastica, but our group was split up and sent to two different MDRs and 3 different dining times. When we asked about the priority dining times and location, we were told that no, that does not exist.

Calgary ... Aft pool is on Deck 7.

 

Aurea gives you my choice dining which means you can go at anytime the Seashore Dining room is open.

Every experience below Yacht Club gets free breakfast delivery, Aurea with Deluxe drink package also gets free delivery and food.

 

Fantastica gets free delivery but has to pay for any food.

 

Bella does not get free delivery Part from Breakfast.

 

There is a charge for pizza delivery.

We didn’t have to pay for room service and we were Fantastica. Only certain hot breakfast items and pizza were for a charge.

It is the $49 one they waiter said it is their best seller.

 

 

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Yes . it is the same one I was talking about, I just meant that it looks alot smaller than the one I saw. It seems as though they have put less on it.

Hmmm, interesting....

Those pics look nothing like the seafood platter I was talking about. Looks like they have scaled it back.

The Italian Guy (highly recommended by Rick Steves).

That said, I always scratch my head over first time visitors to Rome who don't choose cruises that start or end in Civitavecchia. Rome needs at least three days.

If you someday return, do the research and find a great little hotel whose concierge can arrange private transfers and guides - usually at a better price than many online outfits oft n recommended here on CC.

 

 

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It's The Roman Guy. I just looked it up as per your recommendation. Unfortunately the timings for the Vatican tours do not line up with times we will be in port as the early tour begins at 7:45am and the later tour begins at 2:30pm.

Are there taxis available at the port to take you to the train station?

I'm sorry I dont recall exactly but only because I wasnt looking for them. I knew I was going to walk. I am fairly sure there will be though as not everyone can or wants to walk the distance.

We've never cruised MSC before, so I'm wondering how formal the formal night is, as I have a very nice black sequined dress I hardly ever get to wear. I've seen women dress to the nines on RC formal nights, but NCL and Carnival are far less formal, and I think the dress would be too much.

So, where does MSC lie on the spectrum? I'd really like to get that dress out of the closet!

People were dressed across the spectrum on formal night. I would say though that more people were dressed up than not. There were quite a number of ladies really really dressed up in long gowns of velvet and sequins etc. I say wear the dress for sure!!

Hi

 

Just wondering which production show did you enjoy most on the

SEASIDE,

 

So many to select from lol

 

Thanks :D

I really enjoyed the Madame Butterfly Opera program. It's worth going just for the costuming alone!

Hello Cruise Critic travelers!

My family and I will arriving to Civitavecchia in June. We arrive at 7am and leave port at 8pm. We would like to get over to Rome, and see as much as we can. I have looked through the past threads, but seem like a lot of different information on how to get there both economically and with consideration of time.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get to Rome quickly and safely so we can spend the day in Rome venturing around, with enough time to get back to our ship?

Thank you ALL in advance!

We walked to the train station from the port. About 20 minutes. Then bought our tickets at the station and took the train in to Rome. Very nice train. Walked around Rome, saw the sights and then took the train back and walked back to the port. Very easy and efficient and cost effective. There are always going to be alot of people from the ship doing the exact same thing so you can always just walk with the crowd and ask questions. That's what we did!

We sailed on the Sovereign twice and the second time was in a Grand Suite which was excellent. The first time was in an oceanview and was OK, but we have since been spoiled and try to get suites whenever possible. The Sovereign is a very nice ship and staff and food were great.

Our most interesting moments were when we were on the Sovereign in a Grand Suite off Sicily and the weather was so bad we did not try to enter the post. The suite was very roomy with a bar and glasses that the butler had to place on the couch under towels so they would not go flying as the ship rolled and pitched all night. The cabinet doors banged open and closed and made quite a racket. As we lay in bed we almost felt weightless from the degree of pitching. The next morning we went to the reception area and found lots of people sleeping on the floor as they probably were sick in their inside cabins during the storm. Nevertheless we would definitely sail on the Sovereign again. As for advice, get a Grand Suite if you can and you will also benefit from access to the Waves Yacht Club which is a big plus.

Thank you for very much for your response. We are actually booked into a an inside room. We have never done an inside before but we were on a budget for this trip and the price we got was insane! I do hope the weather is good. From everything we have heard so far I think we are going to really like the ship.

We have sailed on the Horizon, on our first cruise, when it was called the Pacific Dream, and on its sister ship the Zenith. Our experience on the Zenith was not great even though we had the Royal Suite.

We are considering a Mediterranean cruise on the Horizon, which we understand was refitted relatively recently, and hope to have a Grand Suite, which we enjoyed on the Sovereign.

Does anyone have any photos of the Horizon Grand Suite? I ask because what I find when googling is confusing, even on Pullmantur's site because they list the GS as having a balcony which deck plans clearly indicate it doesn't.

Hi there! Sorry, I don't have an answer to your question but I did notice that you have sailed Sovereign in 2012. We are booked on the same cruise from Barcelona in November 2018. How did you enjoy it? Any advice for me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

It makes perfect sense as the concept of “buffet” is relatively, if not completely, unknown in Europe.

 

Dining in Europe is very different from the American concept.

 

Kudos to MSC for minimizing the cafeteria style of face-stuffing expected by Americans and focusing on traditional European dining service.

If that is true, then why didn't they design a ship that will hold all their passengers in the MDR?