whoops

It depends where the ship docks. Some will dock very close to the town and shops so you can walk. If the ship docks underneath the bridge a shuttle will be laid on which will drop you off in the main shopping area.

In Lisbon the ship either docks within a short walking distance to the town or further out close to the bridge in which case a shuttle will be required.

As for Vigo the ship docks close to the town but in all honesty there is absolutely nothing there other than to wander around. As you disembark Vigo the ship there are plenty of local tourist people near the quay who offer cheap trips if that is your thing - much cheaper than anything P&O offer.

La Palma is again walkable from the ship but it is a very steep island. There are shops etc and cafes. It's a pleasant enough place to wander around but don't hold your breath as there is only one long street. Can't advise on excursions but the island is so steep I can't imagine there is anything much of interest other than to be taken up into the hills where I would imagine there are decent views.

Walking boots were not required last month on the Azura cruise either as most of the walking surfaces were well metalled. I wore trainers.

My cruise in July was supposed to visit Flamm (that was the reason I booked) but ended up being substituted with Olden which though pretty is not what was advertised. It seems from the various posts on this board that Flamm is often advertised but not visited.

You can use your onboard spend which some might argue is free.

A Select drinks package came with my booking but can't fathom out what it includes and how the system works. If I want a beer at the bar or a soda surely I am not expected to walk around with drinks package cup in order to get my drink? And what about bottled water? Is this included in the Select package?

Can anyone explain?

I was on the Ventura in May. The staff were excellent as was the entertainment. The ship was shabby in some areas particularly the corridor carpets which were tired and frayed in several areas. Our cabin was fine. There was a lot of maintenance going on mainly while the ship was in port which became intrusive.

Several lifts were out of action as they were when we were on Ventura in 2015. As it happened I shared a lift with the Captain and he told me that they had difficulty getting spares.

However we had a great holiday and as mentioned above you soon get used to any imperfections.

As for Morocco mentioned by SilverSurfer I would say the vast majority didn't get off the ship. Those of the several people I spoke to said never again as they were harassed and harangued by beggars and tinkers and felt unsafe.

We are on the same cruise next April and booked a Select Price fare onboard an earlier cruise with balcony cabin which came with a massive £650 onboard spend. The cost was £4758.

I haven't checked the Early Saver fare but it must be a lot cheaper.

Thanks Sue. We are going on the Arcadia next April for a 17 cruise. That will give us an idea whether we can spend 3 months onboard.

However, by then it seems as though it might be too late to book for 2018 but you never know as there may well be cancellations given the age profile of many of those who tend to take World cruises.

I get the point about sectors being booked but I'm not fussy about cabin choice as long as there is a balcony. Even changing cabins during the cruise wouldn't be an issue for me.

I'm interested in taking a World cruise possibly in 2018 but my problem is that I'm always averse to booking a long time in advance.

Roughly how long in advance do you have to book a world cruise as I sense these trips get booked up very early. Would it be possible to get a superior deluxe balcony cabin for example say a few months in advance of departure?

I was in D732 - with one of the largest balconies on the ship - in May and found the cabin to be well maintained. Unlike an earlier poster I found the settee to be in good condition. The carpet in some of the hallways was looking tired in places but overall the ship's condition was OK.

My cruise in September on Navigator of the Seas comes with a free select drinks package. What does this include? Beers, wines, bottled water and soft drinks hopefully.

Last month on the Azura recent enough? Arrived at Port at 1.00pm after vacating room at 12. had a 3.30pm embarkation slot. Onboard within an hour.

Some insurance companies charge extra for cruise cover. There are conditions in policies which provide for circumstances only applicable to cruises such as providing cover for those who are taken off a cruise for health reasons and paying for either a return home or for transport to the next port of call.

If there is no specific reference to cruises in your policy booklet you should check with the insurance company to ensure you are covered.

Is it really the expectation of staff that those who leave auto gratuities on also are expected to tip individually? If that is the case the system is flawed in my view.

I had a 2 hour wait last May. I turned up early after an overnight stay and, as it was raining heavily outside, decided against walking around Southampton.

I'm intending to turn up closer to my 3pm slot for my next cruise on 3 July.

I have been on two "Strictly" cruises on Ventura. While the theme of the entertainment is about Strictly such as exhibition dancing by professionals, who appear on the programme, talks by Craig Revell Horwood (very watchable even if you don't know anything about him) and by BBC producers as well as dance classes around the ship and "Strictly" quizzes.

There are plenty of other things going on with comedians and tribute acts just like any non themed cruise. If you want to avoid the Strictly entertainment there are alternatives. But even those who are not fans of the TV programme seemed to enjoy it.

I was going to say that the enthusiasm for tipping is because many of the posters seem to be from the USA where tipping is a normal part of daily life unlike in the UK where us Brits do tip but not as enthusiastically as our American cousins. However the previous poster is from Florida so perhaps my initial thoughts are incorrect.

I am not a fan of tipping and feel that if the cruise operators paid their staff an appropriate wage there would not be the dilemma of whether you tip or how much but take the whole issue totally out of the equation. I would rather pay more for the cruise and be done with it.

However, while the existing procedure prevails I feel I must tip but am a reluctant participant in rewarding people simply for doing their job.

The enthusiasm for tipping doesn't seem to be mirrored by the queues at the Customer Services desk requesting all tips to be removed. Not just for one night but for the entire cruise.

I'm unsure whether this practice of removing all tips is prevalent, or indeed possible, with Royal Caribbean but it is certainly the case with those who cruise with P&O.

I'm going in early July. Do the local trip operators take only local currency or can you use euros or credit cards?

I find the standard of the Headliners varies greatly. Last year on the Ventura the standard was poor but this year on the Ventura the standard was brilliant.

At the end of the day it is about personal choice. If for example you don't like Freddie Mercury you are hardly likely to like the tribute act. While some acts are better than others in terms of quality they are not always as bad as many suggest.

Being a computer numptie how on earth can I upload photographs for checking in?

Do I have to get passport photographs done and somehow get these onto my computer?

Not sailed with RC before but if I knew about this photo thing before I booked I would have gone with someone else.

So for everyone who has posted in this thread and all the others on this subject.

Along with the large American ships you want to turn up at 11.00am and port shortly afterwards.

Pando brought this in as they stated they had 1500 all wanting to check in from 11.00 am onwards.

If you had one 6000 monster and the likes of Azura at 3000+, so let's say 1500 wanting to board at 11.30,where are the port authority supposed to have the space (and Southampton itself) for 7500 people all turning up at the same time?

Everyone who is posting the most want to board early, which could involve you and 1000 other. How can that be pleasant.

If people hadn't started turning up earlier and earlier, in greater numbers, may this would not have been brought in ,in the first place.

As I've only ever cruised with P&O I'm not the best person to comment. All I know is that last year I was boarded about half an hour after I arrived at the Port. I was able to have lunch, unpack and then attend muster without rush. It was a good start to the holiday.

As I understand it other cruise lines have better boarding arrangements than P&O which allow flexibility for those of us who either have long distances to travel or use public transport or need to stay overnight.

I shall reserve final judgement until after I go on a RC cruise in September.

You are not turfed out of you hotel at 11 only your room. All Southampton hotels know what is happening and many have made arrangements to cope.

 

 

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The MacDonald Hotel at Botley park has a check out time of 11am and the nearby Holiday Inn is 12. Of course you can wait at the hotel or even wander around (weather permitting) but at the end of the day the process involves hanging around until you can board.

It is a bit of a bummer if you have stayed in Southampton the night before and aren't boarding till 4-00 pm. It's quite hard putting in time in Southampton when you just want to get onboard the ship but rules are rules and I will arrive at the time given.

Of that there is no doubt. If you are turfed out of your hotel at 11am the thought of hanging around Southampton in the pouring rain is not an attractive proposition.

Of course you can go to the Port to leave your luggage but who wants to hang around in Wetherspoons for a couple of hours or wander around the exceptionally poor nearby shopping mall while waiting to board?

I have a 3pm check in for my cruise next month but the anticipation is spoiled by the thought of the inconvenient embarkation arrangements.

I am cruising with Royal Caribbean in September and if their ships and boarding arrangements are half decent I shall travel with them in future.