Huntingdon1701

I didn't bump it, and now all the new readers have the accurate information in the thread. That adds value.

Not even Prima has it now. It was so unpopular they scrapped it.

Sounds like the guides are going to get dollars then...

Thanks. I'll be using ships tours mostly. I may have to rely on finding local ATMs to get cash rather than places of exchange before I leave for the cruise.

Do you have any advice on tipping for guides? Were dollars accepted? I've looked into getting the local currencies and everywhere rquires quite a large sum to be bought, which I almost certainly won't need. Thanks.

Previous experience with UK rules is that you can change itinerary for free if the new cruise is more expensive (I once did this for only a £10 difference!). However, if it's cheaper then the administration cost is only £35 so not a bank breaker if you do want to shift. These were for non-haven rooms though, so there may be some difference in cost, but basically I would expect a transfer to be fine this far out.

They have a flight tour to Torres del Paine showing on my March cruise with the Star, so maybe they saw this. Really enjoying seeing all of your posts ahead of my own trip. Very helpful in planning tour options.

Navy ships were already keeping a close on civilian traffic through the Suez Canal. Sailing through there last year, we had snipers on board and had to close all the blinds at night, while one of the naval ships monitored us. At the time, it just felt exciting. Not sure it would be so comfortable right now.

Very frustrating for you - I suggest keep calling, and possibly email the post-cruise desk. I cancelled and rebooked a cruise last week and the refunds were back with me two days later, so they can do it in a reasonable time. Good luck!

It's possible to walk to the coach station in about 15-20 minutes if fit and with good wheeled luggage, but a taxi would be easier and can be picked up outside the cruise terminal. (Walking time depends a bit on which terminal you dock at.) https://www.accessable.co.uk/national-express/access-guides/southampton-coach-station#:~:text=The National Express Coach Station,are the M3 and M27. The coaches are rarely full but booking ahead guarantees you a seat in the event you hit a busy day (weekends and football matches). You get a slight discount for the ticket if you set up a free account with them. If you don't then they have self serve kiosks at the station where you can get your ticket on the day.

I knocked £1000 off my sailing using this. It clearly works in some situations, but sounds like you need to pay attention to be sure it's actually a good deal. I am suspicious that we won't see any more solo supplement deals on the other cabins though, in which case booking early is the only option.

There are some recommendations in the Ports of Call section of the forum, if you haven't already found them.

Unless you're going in the Yacht Club you won't really find that Splendida offers much different from the Dawn, aside from multi-language announcements. And Yacht Club won't really help with the kids. The Dawn's itinerary sounds far more interesting.

Welcome Pickups are a good option for transfers. English speaking drivers and good cars.

This is going to be a niche reason but I'm autistic and find group dining a particularly exhausting experience, especially after being on excursions. I'm very happy to chat to people on excursions and am still in touch with several people from that years later, but I just can't do it in a dining context. So I always opt for a table to myself. I actively avoid cruise lines that don't allow that as the usual option.

It's so hit and miss. I couldn't get shoreside to confirm my OBC before the cruise, then on board it was all fine. That was bad enough, but having it wrong on the ship is even worse.

I don't think this cabin has been reviewed yet, so: Cabin Number: 8030 Ship: Quest Month/Year sailed: November 2023 Would you choose this room again: Yes Is noise an issue: No Balcony size: Normal Any other comments: It's virtually mid-ship which makes it handy for either set of stairs.

The original booking one does include the OBC. The one after final payment does NOT. Which is why I want it on the website, besides the usual thing of actually using it for booking excursions. Can't trust them to do anything, shoreside.

Still no OBC showing for me. I sail next week. 😞 I'm assured it's on there, but I'm not happy about not being able to see it. They've never responded to emails about it.

London actually being Southampton is another one. I also think cruise lines are at risk from permanent sales as well - they fined supermarkets for having sales that claimed the price was lower when actually it wasn't because of a permanent sale. By my count, NCL is at least is 18 months into the same sale and still trying to claim 'discounts'.

UK TAs are not as good. Besides, I like doing the planning so I'd lose part of what I enjoy about cruising. I can keep it with other lines.

Ironically, it was one of Gary's earlier youtube videos that persuaded me to try Azamara for the first time. I find the actual content of the videos/articles generally reasonable, but the titles have been moving significantly towards clickbait this year. However, the onshore customer service from Azamara has been so terrible for two out of three of my cruises that I'm at the point where next month's will probably be my last. Even the fantastic onboard experiences I've had don't outweight the pain of dealing with shoreside, not at the price point Azamara charges. I'm better off with MSC's Yacht Club.

It's a high price if you just consider the cabin, but with the wider Azamara on board experience I would say it's decent, although not brilliant. I'm UK-based and can confirm that you do get one price drop honoured with Azamara, if that gives you some extra confidence to book. They would also consider the upgrade option.

You meet as a group to collect the stickers, and they make sure they give you enough to fit you in the same bus. This is before, usually, you leave the ship so you already know which bus you're heading for by the time you get off. But if you're a really large group, it would be best to speak to the excursions desk in advance to see if they'd like just one person to go down ahead of the general call.

My OBC has still not shown up (November sail date), and they wouldn't book an excursion for me over the phone. It is very frustrating.